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Customer(s)

Customers:


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Wessex Water BlueGreen RGB.jpg

 

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  united-utilities.jpg

Underpinning knowledge

Sources of funding

Bristol Water

Peer reviewed papers

H Candy, G Quarini, N Haskins, E Ainslie, M Herbert, T Deans, and D Ash. Ice Pigging Technology to Clean Potable Water Trunk Mains in an Environmental Friendly and Cost Effective Manner

T.S. Evans, G.L. Quarini, G.S.F. Shire. Investigation into the transportation and melting of thick ice slurries in pipes International Journal of Refrigeration 31 (2008) 145-151

G Quarini. Ice-pigging to reduce and remove fouling and to achieve clean-in-place. Applied Thermal Engineering 22 (2002) 747–753

N. Haskins, G. Norton, S. Andrews, G. Quarini, D Rhys, E. Ainslie, M. Herbert and T. Deans. Investigation and development of an innovative pigging technique for the water supply industry. 

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Home > WaterR2B > Sectors > Water Utilities > How can ice pigs be used to clean water pipes?

How can ice pigs be used to clean water pipes?

The challenge

Water pipelines benefit from regular cleaning, but conventional methods are often problematic:

  • Flushing tends to use very large volumes of water and can be ineffective for large diameter pipes.
  • Air scouring can cause damage to the pipe structure, has health and safety risks, and is also limited to small to medium diameter pipes.
  • Swabbing (forcing a solid ‘pig’ through the pipe) is highly problematic due to swabs being unable to cope with changes in pipe diameter or direction, and is also very expensive.

The challenge was to develop an effective, low cost and environmentally friendly technique for cleaning water pipelines.

The solution

The ice pigging technique was developed by Professor Joe Quarini, at Bristol University, with support from Bristol Water to clean pipes more thoroughly and produce less waste. The technique pumps a thick ice slurry into the piping; the ice slurry or ice pig is then propelled through the pipe sweeping away debris and sediment. Once it has left the pipe, the ice pig melts into water, making it easily disposable and hazard free.

Ice pigging harnesses the complex properties and unparalleled benefits of ice slurries. Semi-solid ice slurry can be applied uniquely because it is both pumpable like a liquid, but also takes on properties of a solid when a ‘pig’ of ice slurry is formed within a pipe. Ice pigging is a highly effective and exceptionally low risk method of removing sediment, biofilm and other objects from pressurised water and waste water pipes.

The ice pigging technique has been licensed to Agbar Environmental, who with their subsidiary Aqualogy are commercializing the process worldwide. Northumbrian Water is currently undertaking one of the UK’s largest ice pigging projects, cleaning 44km of mains pipes ranging from 200-760mm (8”-30”) diameter. The technique is also being used by Dwr Cymru, United Utilities, Wessex Water, and by many water utilities worldwide. 

Resulting benefits

Ice pigging has many benefits to users: it is up to 1000 times more effective at removing sediment and biofilm than traditional methods, and uses 50% less water than flushing or standard pigging. All diameters of pipes can be cleaned, including those with fittings and bends, and the process generally requires no excavation. It takes half the time normally required by other techniques, and is the lowest cost option when considering the volume of sediment removed. The process is of exceptionally low risk, and the ice pig is harmless to public health.

Future directions

UK demand for ice pigging services has grown rapidly, reaching record levels in 2013 with further record breaking anticipated in 2014. The installation of new ice making and delivery equipment will double Aqualogy’s ice making capacity. The technique is also being applied internationally in Europe, N. America, Chile, Australia and Japan.

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