Welcome to the cluster, Fladby Connector

Aug 21

Fladby Connector AS was established in 2020 as a spin-off from another development project where they saw a need for a solution for connecting high pressure pipes in tight well bores. When finishing the design phase of the connector they realized that such a design could have a lot more applications than just downhole in wells. The properties of taking up little space, low weight, easy to connect, handle high pressures and higher safety is of interest throughout all industries where pipes are connected.

We had a small talk with Jostein Fladby to get to know the company better

What specific expertise or technology does your company bring to the cluster & the market?

Common for most of the green fuels is that they are very toxic, very corrosive, very explosive or a combination of the above. This requires leak-free operations and in many cases exotic alloys with a significant price tag. Flanges are the most used connector for connecting larger diameter pipes today, but they are a known source of leakages and if they are to be made in exotic alloys in high pressure classes, the pricing is sky high. We can bring a new solution to the market that is safer in operation, much lighter and easy to connect and disconnect without having to replace components.

Can you explain what flange-free pipe solutions are and how they function in maritime applications?

The Fladby Connector is a screw connector where the sealing element is static and not affected by external moment or torsional loads. This gives a high sealing integrity and low risk of leakages. This is of high importance in maritime applications where escape routes are limited. The pipe connector can be made in all typical pipe materials, so it can be made to withstand the required environment. Both on the inside and the outside. Saving space and weight is also important in maritime applications where space is limited and lower weight means fuel savings. One thing is the weight of the connector itself, but perhaps more important is the reduction of support structures needed for the pipelines if the connectors are lighter. For a 2 inch pipe in the highest pressure class, we can save up to 96 % of the weight (1,6 kg with the Fladby Connector compared to 38 kg with flange). The slim design also makes insulation of the piping easier if this is required.

What advantages do flange-free pipe solutions offer compared to traditional pipe connections?

Connecting a flange is an extensive task from aligning bolt holes, tighten bolts in the right order, tighten bolts with correct torque before testing and seeing that it still leaks. Tighten the bolts some more and at some point achieving a leak free result. Then after some time the flange needs to be inspected and bolts re-tightened again. It is not easy to see for an inspector whether a flange is tightened with the right torque or by hand, so this needs to be checked with tools. The Fladby Connector is much quicker to assemble, it is easier to assemble correctly, and it is also easier to visually inspect the connector when assembled and see that it is correctly done without tools. In a case where something goes wrong and there is a leakage, the Fladby Connector will only drip compared to the flange that can have massive leaks.

Are there any ongoing or upcoming projects within your company that you think could benefit from the resources and network provided by Ocean Hyway Cluster?

We are going to pressure-test the 2 inch pipe connector prototype up to 450 bar this autumn in addition to a prototype testing of a 5 inch pipe connector with crude later this year.
Further to this we are looking for a pilot plant where we can test the pipe connector in an industrial operational environment where we believe we can benefit from the resources and network in Ocean Hyway Cluster to form a Joint Industry Project.

What motivated you to join the Ocean Hyway Cluster? 

An arena where we can network with industry experts in the whole hydrogen industry specter and share knowledge is very important to grow the industry in a sustainable way. We also want to be a part of this transition.