SYNTACTIC FOAM THERMAL INSULATION FOR ULTRADEEP HIGH TEMPERATURE APPLICATIONS

摘要

This paper addresses a major challenge facing deepwater production of oil and gas: how to assure continuous flow of product under the pressures and temperatures found on the ocean floor. Syntactic foam promises to overcome the limitations exhibited by conventional insulation materials in the past. New hybrid glass and polymer chemistries with improved "hot, wet" performance survive in conditions that were formerly thought impossible. This paper presents the latest laboratory test data on these new materials, and proposes models for predicting long-term performance.