A New Braid Case is Being Developed by IKBFU Scientists

The IKBFU startup studio has launched a Thermo-Braiding LLC, which will develop a new technology for the production of electrically heated pipe braid cases. Ensuring a stable temperature of liquids transported through pipes is an urgent task in many industries, especially in petrochemical research. The new cases will enable pipe cooling to counter additional heat that generates due to deposits appearing on the walls of pipes. This new method of creating electrically conductive heating cases, a team of tech entrepreneurs solves the problem of uniform heating of pipelines.

This development will be relevant both for aspiring entrepreneurs and for large industrial facilities such as aviation, oil and gas industries, etc. Also, on the basis of the same braiding method, composite heating cables with set temperature profile are being developed for heating oil wells.

Alexei Goldaev, Junior researcher at IKBFU Smart Textiles laboratory:
In the production of the casing which is a flexible polymer braided sleeve we use the novelest materials. Braiding equipment is widely used for cord braiding of pipes, spigots and hoses. We came up with the idea of using these machines to produce a heating jacket by filling it simultaneously with polymer, composite and other electrically conductive yarns to provide heating.

One of the most important and competitive functions of the new products is energy saving. Uniform heating of the pipe surface and the closest possible location to the heated body makes it possible to significantly reduce energy losses of "parasitic" volumes used for heating.

It should be noted that there are no similar products on the market.

The first prototypes have already been created and performed very well, demonstrating high energy efficiency. A patent for the utility model has been obtained. Right now the team is searching for optimal parameters of physical and mechanical characteristics of materials, formulation and weaving modes. The main task is to develop a technology that will ensure reliable contact between conductive electrodes and heating yarns in the places of their contact in the process of circular weaving