Pipe Freezing for Quick Pipe Repairs

Avoiding the requirement to drain down pipelines for repair work or to carry out maintenance can save a considerable amount of time and potential loss of product.

Qwik-Freezer Pipe Freezing System eliminates the need to drain pipework by creating a freeze plug. Available from the Pipestoppers Division of Huntingdon Fusion Techniques HFT Qwik-Freezer is a very cost effective and quick way to perform pipeline maintenance without draining the system, meaning very little or no system downtime.

Luke Keane, Technical Sales Manager for HFT said: “Qwik-Freezer is a simple, low cost method for pipe repairs. A flexible jacket is wrapped around the pipe at the point where the freeze is required. A nozzle in the jacket is then coupled to a cylinder of low cost liquid carbon dioxide by means of a high-pressure hose.  When the CO2 is injected into the space between the jacket and the pipe, at a temperature of -78oC, the pipe contents freeze and a secure ‘ice plug’ is formed, which seals the pipe.”

“The ‘ice plug’ forms only in a section of the pipe covered by the jacket, so the resulting rise in pressure is very small and there is no damage to the pipe. The technique can be used safely on steel, iron, lead, stainless steel, copper, brass and plastic pipe. After the work is carried out, the ice plug is simply thawed and the line is restored to full operation.”

Qwik-Freezer is in use worldwide in industry sectors such as petrochemical, building and maintenance services, food and beverage, hospitals, water treatment, shipping and aerospace. It is also extremely beneficial for pipework where valves need to be changed. By not having to drain systems of liquids to make repairs, the savings made are able to justify the low relative cost of the Qwik-Freezer System.  

Larger pipe diameters than 8” and the use of anti freeze and rust inhibitors can create the need for the liquid nitrogen (LN2) temperatures of the Accu-Freeze System in order to create a pressure bearing freeze plug.