ABB is supporting the development
of a technology designed to boost
cleaning operations in food and
drink, water, nuclear power and
other process industries. Invented at
the University of Bristol, ice pigging
is said to promise big cost reductions
and environmental improvements in
a wide range of cleaning operations.

ABB supplied flow, pressure,
conductivity and suspended solids
instrumentation, PLCs, drives and
low-voltage electrical products to
help turn the research project into a
practical working system.

Ice pigging pushes a plug of icy
slurry under pressure through pipes
to remove debris. Ice pigs will not
cause a blockage and, even if a
problem did occur, ice would melt.

The flow properties of ice pigs mean
they can find their way around tjunctions,
u-bends and awkward
arrangements that might otherwise
prevent pigging from being used.