Abstract: A system for grit blasting an annular junction portion of a pipeline extending along a longitudinal axis on board a laying vessel, comprises at least one carriage configured to advance along an annular path about the pipeline; at least one centrifugal turbine, which is configured to project grit towards the pipeline, rotates about a rotation axis lying on a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and is supported by the carriage; at least one feed device configured to feed the grit to the centrifugal turbine and comprising a hopper which extends along a respective axis, defines a feed chamber and is coupled to the respective carriage and a guide device configured to act in conjunction with the hopper to feed the grit to the centrifugal turbine at all the operating positions of the carriage.

Abstract: A flame coating machine for coating field joints of a pipeline has a flame spray system having two flame spray units configured for heating and/or coating with a thermoplastic polymer an annular junction portion and two annular end portions of an existing coating delimiting the annular junction portion; a control system having two temperature sensors configured for acquiring temperature values along the surface collectively defined by the annular junction portion and the annular end portions, and a control unit configured for actuating the flame spray unit in a polymer flame spraying mode or in a flame heating mode as a function of the detected temperature values and at least one threshold value.

Abstract: A system for field internally coating a pipe joint comprising a polymer application unit, which has a first cart configured to selectively advance inside a pipe; a first and a second tank configured to contain a first and a second polymer component respectively; a mixer to mix the first and the second component; a first and a second pump to feed the first and the second component respectively from the first and the second tank to the mixer; an applicator to apply the polymer to the pipe; and a conduit comprising a free end configured to be placed near the applicator to feed the polymer from the mixer to the applicator.

Abstract: A machine for making a protective joint has a guide system, which is selectively clampable about a pipeline on opposite sides with respect to the annular junction portion and configured for defining an annular path about the annular junction portion; at least one heating unit moveable along the annular path and configured for heating the annular junction portion and moveable along the annular path; at least one spray unit moveable along the annular path and configured for applying at least one polymer material to the annular junction portion; and an extrusion die moveable along the annular path and configured for applying a protective foil about the annular junction portion.

Abstract: A system for grit blasting an annular junction portion of a pipeline extending along a longitudinal axis on board a laying vessel, comprises at least one carriage configured to advance along an annular path about the pipeline; at least one centrifugal turbine, which is configured to project grit towards the pipeline, rotates about a rotation axis lying on a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and is supported by the carriage; at least one feed device configured to feed the grit to the centrifugal turbine and comprising a hopper which extends along a respective axis, defines a feed chamber and is coupled to the respective carriage and a guide device configured to act in conjunction with the hopper to feed the grit to the centrifugal turbine at all the operating positions of the carriage.

Abstract: A flame coating machine for coating field joints of a pipeline has a flame spray system having two flame spray units configured for heating and/or coating with a thermoplastic polymer an annular junction portion and two annular end portions of an existing coating delimiting the annular junction portion; a control system having two temperature sensors configured for acquiring temperature values along the surface collectively defined by the annular junction portion and the annular end portions, and a control unit configured for actuating the flame spray unit in a polymer flame spraying mode or in a flame heating mode as a function of the detected temperature values and at least one threshold value.

Abstract: A machine for making a protective joint has a guide system, which is selectively clampable about a pipeline on opposite sides with respect to the annular junction portion and configured for defining an annular path about the annular junction portion; at least one heating unit moveable along the annular path and configured for heating the annular junction portion and moveable along the annular path; at least one spray unit moveable along the annular path and configured for applying at least one polymer material to the annular junction portion; and an extrusion die moveable along the annular path and configured for applying a protective foil about the annular junction portion.

Abstract: A die for casting junctions of a coating of a pipeline is configured to be coupled to the pipeline to form an annular shaped closed compartment about a tubular joint portion comprising a tubular wall, which extends about a designated axis; a plurality of centering devices configured to align the axis of the tubular wall with a longitudinal axis of the pipeline; two annular walls arranged respectively at the opposite ends of the tubular wall; and two pluralities of vent openings arranged along the tubular wall respectively at each of the annular walls; and at least one feeding port configured to supply polymer material into the closed compartment.

Abstract: An apparatus configured to coat pipelines, in particular a cutback along a pipeline, having: a frame, which extends along a designated axis and is fixable with respect to the pipeline so as to arrange the designated axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pipeline; a carriage, which is supported by the frame, is movable along the designated axis with respect to the frame, and is configured to designated a heater and an applicator; an actuator configured to advance the carriage along the designated axis; and a control unit configured to select a travel distance for the carriage from a plurality of travel distances.

Abstract: A die for casting junctions of a coating of a pipeline is configured to be coupled to the pipeline to form an annular shaped closed compartment about a tubular joint portion comprising a tubular wall, which extends about a designated axis; a plurality of centering devices configured to align the axis of the tubular wall with a longitudinal axis of the pipeline; two annular walls arranged respectively at the opposite ends of the tubular wall; and two pluralities of vent openings arranged along the tubular wall respectively at each of the annular walls; and at least one feeding port configured to supply polymer material into the closed compartment.

Abstract: An apparatus configured to coat pipelines, in particular a cutback along a pipeline, having: a frame, which extends along a designated axis and is fixable with respect to the pipeline so as to arrange the designated axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pipeline; a carriage, which is supported by the frame, is movable along the designated axis with respect to the frame, and is configured to designated a heater and an applicator; an actuator configured to advance the carriage along the designated axis; and a control unit configured to select a travel distance for the carriage from a plurality of travel distances.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and plant for the catalytic dehydrogenation of alkanes, such as propane. The plant is a plant of hybrid architecture wherein one or more membrane-assisted reactor configurations according to open architecture are combined with one or more membrane-containing reactors of closed architecture. Hydrogen remaining in the reaction mixture after separation in the membrane separation unit of a first open architecture configuration, is fed to a first membrane-reactor of the closed architecture type. Also disclosed are methods of modifying plants so as to create the hybrid architecture plant.