Repairing Two Tee Fittings

Repairing Two Tee Fittings

Market

Marine

Challenge

Corrosion had resulted in wall loss for this copper nickel pipe that was part of a water cooling system on a Roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ship. The damage was localized to two tee fittings in which an 18” pipe terminated into a 24” pipe. Replacement-in-kind would be costly and a repair that reinforces the weakened portion of the pipe would be quicker. This project required an ABS Design Approved repair.

Looking up at a large boat
An old tee fitting in a water cooling system onboard a vessel
An old water cooling system that has developed compromised points
An old tee fitting in a water cooling system onboard a vessel

Engineered Solution

Marine HydraWrap® Structural Composite Repair System, an ABS Design Approved technology, was chosen to give new strength to this compromised portion of the pipe.

Scope

On a previous project, HydraTech had trained the vessel’s personnel and now they were prepared to apply this repair themselves. First, the surface had to be ground clean to ensure a proper mechanical profile could be achieved. Epoxy was then applied to the repair area. 12” carbon fiber fabric was applied in 4 layers. In roughly a day both tee fittings were strengthened and fortified against future corrosion.

A corner of a tee fitting in a copper nickel pipe that has had the surface ground clean
A tee fitting that has been coated in epoxy
A corner of a tee fitting in a copper nickel pipe that has had the surface ground clean
A tee fitting in a water cooling system that has been coated in epoxy
A corner of a tee fitting in a copper nickel pipe that has had the surface ground clean
A tee fitting that has been coated in epoxy
Two tee fittings being restored with a carbon fiber composite repair system

Solution

The vessel personnel picked up the application fast as it is a straightforward process and they were able to apply what they learned right away. Marine HydraWrap provided a quick solution to a serious problem at a fraction of the cost of replacement.

A large tee fitting in a water cooling system that has been restored with HydraWrap
A large tee fitting in a water cooling system that has been restored with HydraWrap
A large tee fitting in a water cooling system that has been restored with HydraWrap
A large tee fitting in a water cooling system that has been restored with HydraWrap
A large tee fitting in a water cooling system that has been restored with HydraWrap
A large tee fitting in a water cooling system that has been restored with HydraWrap