Lubrication is the process or technique employed to reduce friction between, and wear of one or both, surfaces in proximity and moving relative to each other, by interposing a substance called a lubricant in between them. Pipelines on stands cannot use this method to allow free movement that happens when dealing with Thermal Expansion and Contraction.
CPS Pipe Solutions has designed the slider to allow this movement without the risk of it ever falling out of place.
Pipelines on stands live out in the weather and are subjected to large stresses as they heat up and cool down. The ambient temperature swings in Northern Canada can be as much as 90C. When they are used in SAGD production the rate of thermal expansion can be tremendous. You don’t lubricate them, but now you can put something between them to dramatically reduce the friction
The coefficient of friction between the stands and the saddles, especially with the weights seen, and the metal oxidation can be high enough to inhibit movement.
Our Patent Pending design allows movement in both directions under severe loads, without falling The Transverse Stops prevent the slider from working it’s way off the saddle like other units do.
The two pictures below show a unit in trial, where it was installed at a SAGD facility during a shutdown and in a cool (ambient temperature) state. After startup, you can see how much movement was allowed by the one slider. The white marks on the stand are the movement indicated previously without sliders.
By allowing the expansion to happen in a controlled and designed area, it reduces the strain on the equipment and prevents damage to valves and other critical parts.
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