EP0172812A1 - Montage de bouchon resistant aux fuites - Google Patents

Montage de bouchon resistant aux fuites

Info

Publication number
EP0172812A1
EP0172812A1 EP19840901484 EP84901484A EP0172812A1 EP 0172812 A1 EP0172812 A1 EP 0172812A1 EP 19840901484 EP19840901484 EP 19840901484 EP 84901484 A EP84901484 A EP 84901484A EP 0172812 A1 EP0172812 A1 EP 0172812A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
wedge
sleeve
plug assembly
chamber
ring
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP19840901484
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
John E. Martin
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Expando Seal Tools Inc
Original Assignee
Expando Seal Tools Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Expando Seal Tools Inc filed Critical Expando Seal Tools Inc
Publication of EP0172812A1 publication Critical patent/EP0172812A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L55/00—Devices or appurtenances for use in, or in connection with, pipes or pipe systems
    • F16L55/10—Means for stopping flow from or in pipes or hoses
    • F16L55/12—Means for stopping flow from or in pipes or hoses by introducing into the pipe a member expandable in situ
    • F16L55/128—Means for stopping flow from or in pipes or hoses by introducing into the pipe a member expandable in situ introduced axially into the pipe or hose
    • F16L55/13—Means for stopping flow from or in pipes or hoses by introducing into the pipe a member expandable in situ introduced axially into the pipe or hose the closure device being a plug fixed by plastic deformation

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to expandable plugging devices, and more particularly, the present invention relates to an expandable plug assembly which is particularly suited for use in plugging tubes such as may be found in heat exchangers associated with nuclear power generating facilities.
  • the plug assembly comprises a radially deformable sleeve adapted to be placed in the tube of a heat exchanger in alignment with its tube sheet and an elongated wedge slidably received within the sleeve for expanding the sleeve outwardly when pulled axially relative to the sleeve.
  • a breakaway member is mounted at the narrow end of the wedge and is connected to a pull rod which cooperates with a compression tube engaging the sleeve to pull the wedge into the sleeve and expand it outwardly to provide a fluid tight joint. After a predetermined amount of outward pressure has been applied, the breakaway ruptures to permit removal of the pull rod and compression tube from within the plugged tube.
  • an expandable plug assembly which is particularly suited for use in providing a fluid tight joint in a heat exchanger having a tube which may have a substantial amount of corrosion on its inner surface.
  • the plug assembly in this application is characterized by a plurality of alternating cutting edges and grooves on the periphery of the plugged sleeve. The cutting edges sever the scale and displace it into the grooves when installed in the manner described in the previously mentioned application.
  • a primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel expandable plug assembly which is resistant to leaking. It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved plug assembly which maintains a fluid tight seal with its surrounding structure even though subjected to dimensional distortions caused by thermal expansion and contraction.
  • the present invention provides a unique plug assembly which has a minimum number of potential leak paths and which is capable of providing a leak resistant joint in a tube having interior scale.
  • a still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel expandable plug assembly which is particularly suited for use in plugging the tubes of heat exchangers used in nuclear power plants.
  • the present invention provides a plug assembly which affords desirable sealing capabilities over a wide range of conditions.
  • the plug assembly comprises a sleeve having an endwall and an integral deformable sidewall cooperating with the endwall to form a chamber closed at one end and open at the other.
  • a wedge is mounted within the chamber and is slidably received within an expandable ring mounted in the sleeve adjacent its open end. When pulled axially relative to the ring, the wedge causes the sleeve to expand radially into fluid tight engagement with a surrounding surface, such as the inside of a tube.
  • a tubular retainer surrounds the out-pulled wedge and has one end which engages the ring and an opposite end which is engaged by a rotary member threadedly connected to the wedge.
  • the wedge By turning the rotary member, the wedge is tensioned for maintaining continuous outward sealing pressure against the inside of the tube over a wide range of conditions which might tend to loosen the plug assembly.
  • the outer periphery of the sleeve is provided with a series of alternating edges and grooves adjacent. its open end for cutting and containing any scale which may exist on the inner periphery of the plugged tube.
  • FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a plug assembly embodying the present invention and shown installed in one end of a tube of a heat exchanger;
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is an end elevational view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified plug assembly with portions having been broken away to expose certain details of construction.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a plug assembly 10 which embodies the present invention.
  • the plug assembly 10 is illustrated plugging one end of a tube 11 such as may be mounted with a series of like tubes between tube sheets, such as the tube sheet 12, in a heat exchanger.
  • the tubes are fastened to the tube sheets by weldments, such as the weldments 13 extending around the periphery of the tube 11 on opposite sides of the tube sheet 12.
  • the plug assembly is radially deformable into fluid tight engagement with the tube 11.
  • the plug assembly 10 comprises a sleeve 15 having an endwall 16 and a deformable tubular sidewall 17 which cooperates with the endwall 16 to define a chamber 18 which is closed at one end by the endwall 16 and which is open at its opposite end 15a.
  • An elongated frusto-conical wedge 19 is contained within the chamber 18 and, when initially installed, is disposed with its base or large end 20 confronting the endwall 16 of the sleeve 15 in the manner illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 1.
  • the smaller end of the wedge 19 is provided with gripping means which, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG.
  • FIG. 1 comprises a series of external threads 21 which extend out of the open end of the sleeve 15 when the wedge 19 is in the position indicated by the phantom lines in FIG. 1.
  • the deformable sidewall 17 of the sleeve 15 is expanded radially outward into fluid tight engagement with the inner periphery 11a of the heat exchanger tube 11 when the wedge 19 is pulled axially into the full line position in FIG. 1.
  • an expandable annular ring 22 is mounted inside the sleeve chamber 18 adjacent its open end 15a.
  • the ring 22 has an inner bore 22a which is tapered for slidably receiving the tapered outer surface of the wedge 19.
  • the outer periphery 22b of the ring 22 is cylindrical, as is the inner periphery of the sleeve sidewall prior to expansion.
  • the ring 22 is shorter in length than the sleeve 15, and is about 1/3 to about 1/2 of the length of the sleeve 15.
  • the outer periphery of the deformable sidewall 17 of the sleeve 15 may be smooth, preferably, it has serrations provided by a series of closely spaced alternating deformable edges 25 and grooves 26 extending inwardly from the open end 15a of the sleeve 15.
  • the edges 25 are arranged in spaced parallel planes disposed orthogonal to the central longitudinal axis A of the sleeve 15 in substantial registry with the expandable ring 22.
  • the edges and grooves are provided by intersecting converging surfaces defining shallow V-shaped con igurations providing a sawtooth-like pattern.
  • edges 25 cuts into any scale which may be present on the inner periphery 11a of the tube 11 and displaces the same into the grooves 26 as the sleeve sidewall 17 is expanded radially outward in the course of installation.
  • the edges 25 and grooves 26 provide a labrynth-like seal in the axial direction of the sleeve between the outer periphery of the sleeve 15 and the inner periphery of the tube 11.
  • the hydraulic ram preferably is provided with a means for engaging the ring and/or the outer end of the sleeve 15 to hold the same in place in the tube 11 while tension is applied in the rightward direction (FIG. 1).
  • the breakaway plug has a necked down, or reduced diameter, portion which is designed to rupture when a predetermined amount of tension is applied by the hydraulic ram.
  • the elements of the plug assembly described thus far provide an important sealing advantage. While both of the plug assemblies disclosed in the aforementioned copending applications function satisfactorily for most plugging applications, there exists multiple potential leak paths across each plug assembly.
  • the endwall 16 of the sleeve 15 cooperates with the deformable sidewall 17 to provide but a single annular axial leak path between the inner periphery 11a of the tube 11 and the sleeve 15. Accordingly, the potential for leakage is significantly reduced even with those plug assemblies of the present invention which do not have the preferred peripheral edges and grooves 25 and 26 which, as noted heretofore, further enhance the leak
  • the retainer 32 has one end 32a which preferably engages both the outer end of the ring 22 and the outer end of the sleeve sidewall 17 but which may engage either the ring 22, the end of the sleeve 15, the end of the tube 11, or the tube sheet 12.
  • the retainer 32 has at its opposite end a shoulder 32b which is disposed transversely with respect to the axis A of the wedge 19.
  • a rotary member, in the present instance a nut 35* engages the threads 21 on the narrow end of the wedge 19 and has wrench flats to enable it to be rotated with respect to the wedge 19.
  • the wedge 19 interacts with the expandable ring 22 and the deformable sidewall 17 of the sleeve 15 to maintain continuous outward pressure of the sleeve 15 against the inner periphery 11a of the- tube 11.
  • the nut 35 may then be permanently secured in its tightened position as by means of weldments 36 between the wedge threads 21 and the nut 35.
  • the locking assembly comprising the retainer
  • the rotary locking member includes the nut 35 which engages the threads 21 on the exterior of the wedge 19-
  • a modified plug assembly utilizing a bolt instead of a nut to provide the desired tension may be provided.
  • a modified embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 comprises a sleeve 115 having an endwall 116 and a deformable sidewall 117 integral therewith.
  • a frusto-conical wedge 119 is mounted in the chamber formed between the endwall 116 and sidewall 117 and is slidably received in an expandable ring 122.
  • An internally threaded bore 130 extends inwardly from the smaller end 119' of the wedge 119 for receiving the threads of a breakaway coupling as described heretofore and, after removal of the breakaway coupling, for receiving the threads of a bolt (not shown) used to tension the wedge 119 after it has been pulled axially to expand the ring 122 and the deformable sidewall 117.
  • a plurality of axially spaced edges 125 and grooves 126 alternate in the outer periphery of the sidewall 117 of the sleeve 115 in registry with the ring 122.
  • the retainer sleeve 32 may be placed around the wedge 119 and a bolt threaded into the threads 130. Rotation of the bolt and engagement of its head with the shoulder 32a of the retainer 32 compresses the retainer 32 and tensions the wedge 119 for providing the continuous outward sealing pressure noted heretofore.
  • Both of the plug assemblies of the present invention are assembled by first inserting the wedge into the sleeve to provide an assembly such as illustrated in FIG. 4. Thereafter, the expandable ring is pressed into the space between the inner periphery of the sleeve sidewall and the outer periphery of the wedge. Prior to assembly, the wedge and sleeve are annealed to relieve stresses which may have been generated in the course of manufacture. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the outer end of the ring 122 is disposed about flush with the open end of the sleeve 115 and with the small end 119' of the wedge 119. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, the threads 21 on the wedge 19 are left exposed for connection to the breakaway coupling.
  • the sleeve, expandable ring and wedge of each plug assembly are each fabricated of the same metal.
  • the metal selected for each of these elements is preferably the same as the metal from which the heat exchanger tube has been formed in order to reduce the possibility of galvanic action and hence corrosion and to have the same coefficient of thermal
  • the heat exchanger tube is fabricated of brass
  • the sleeve, expandable ring and wedge should each be fabricated of brass.
  • Preferred metals in addition to brass include: cold rolled steel, stainless steel, and nickel.
  • plug assemblies fabricated in accordance with the present invention have been tested and found capable of resisting leakage under substantial pressures.
  • a plug assembly having a sleeve outside diameter of 1.58 cm., a sleeve inside diameter of .095 cm., and an overall sleeve length of 6.35 cm. was installed in a tube having an inside diameter of 1.61 cm.
  • the sleeve had V-shaped grooves and edges spaced apart uniformly with about 5 edges and grooves per centimeter of axial length of the sleeve for a distance of about 2.54 cm. in from the open end of the sleeve to * provide the sawtooth-like pattern described heretofore.
  • the depths of the grooves were about .127 cm.
  • the wedge had a tapered surface length of 5.1 cm. and an included cone angle of 3 degrees.
  • the expandable ring had a length of 2.54 cm.
  • the plug assembly was fabricated of brass metal. When installed and tested, this plug assembly was found to be capable of resisting fluid pressure in excess of 5,000 psi. without leaking.
  • the plug assemblies can be used effectively even in tubes having interior scale.
  • the locking means ensures that the plug assemblies provide a leak resistant joint over a wide range of conditions, thereby making it particularly suited for use in nuclear engineering applications.

Abstract

Montage de bouchon (10) résistant aux pertes en réponse à une contraction et une expansion thermiques. Le montage de bouchon comporte un manchon déformable (15) fermé à une extrémité et ouvert à l'extrémité opposée, afin d'obtenir une chambre recevant un coin (19) pouvant coulisser par rapport à un anneau dilatable (22) monté dans la chambre à proximité de son extrémité ouverte. Lorsqu'il est tiré axialement, le coin provoque l'expansion de l'anneau qui, à son tour, provoque l'expansion du manchon radialement vers l'extérieur afin de l'engager avec la paroi intérieure (11a) de l'article à boucher. Un dispositif de retenue (32) entoure le coin tiré vers l'extérieur et coopère avec un écrou (35) et des filetages (21) sur le coin afin de tendre celui-ci et d'appliquer par conséquent une pression continue vers l'extérieur sur le manchon. La périphérie extérieure du manchon est de préférence dotée d'une série de rebords et de rainures alternés (25, 26) traversant les barbures pouvant se présenter sur la surface intérieure de l'article bouché.
EP19840901484 1984-03-09 1984-03-09 Montage de bouchon resistant aux fuites Withdrawn EP0172812A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US1984/000351 WO1985004235A1 (fr) 1984-03-09 1984-03-09 Montage de bouchon resistant aux fuites

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0172812A1 true EP0172812A1 (fr) 1986-03-05

Family

ID=22182073

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19840901484 Withdrawn EP0172812A1 (fr) 1984-03-09 1984-03-09 Montage de bouchon resistant aux fuites

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0172812A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO1985004235A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2218177A (en) * 1988-05-06 1989-11-08 Norman Epstein Plug for heat exchanger tubes
DE3831523A1 (de) * 1988-09-16 1990-03-22 Koenig Verbindungstech Ag Verfahren zum dichten verschliessen einer bohrung
ES2069026T3 (es) * 1989-11-20 1995-05-01 Westinghouse Electric Corp Tapon para tubos y procedimiento para taponar un miembro tubular.
DE10061832C2 (de) 2000-12-12 2002-12-19 Helmut Bardenhagen Stopfen zur innenseitigen Rohrabdichtung
GB2444270B (en) * 2006-11-28 2008-10-08 Textron Fastening Syst Ltd Sealing plug for blind installation
EP3366970B1 (fr) 2017-02-22 2019-10-30 Delavan, Inc. Bouchon hydraulique

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3135414A (en) * 1962-06-18 1964-06-02 Lee Co Plug
NL7109253A (fr) * 1970-07-08 1972-01-11
US4091841A (en) * 1976-07-14 1978-05-30 Bertea Corporation Pressure plug and method
US4237937A (en) * 1979-03-12 1980-12-09 Quabbin Industries, Inc. Device for sealing damaged tubular members
US4390042A (en) * 1980-07-30 1983-06-28 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Tube plug

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO8504235A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1985004235A1 (fr) 1985-09-26

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US4436117A (en) Leak resistant plug assembly
US5437310A (en) Plug assembly
US4382379A (en) Leak detection apparatus and method for use with tube and tube sheet joints
US4069573A (en) Method of securing a sleeve within a tube
USRE30802E (en) Method of securing a sleeve within a tube
US4567631A (en) Method for installing tubes in tube sheets
US3498648A (en) High temperature and pressure tube fitting
US4450612A (en) Swaging apparatus for radially expanding tubes to form joints
US4485847A (en) Compression sleeve tube repair
US4390042A (en) Tube plug
US3474519A (en) Method of making a tube fitting
US2831711A (en) Wedge ring detent pipe coupling
US4608739A (en) Connector of and sealing of tubular members
US4467630A (en) Hydraulic swaging seal construction
US2862732A (en) Tube coupling having a pushed-wedge type packing
US5707087A (en) Tube fitting
JPS58128241A (ja) 管状構造体を半径方向に拡大するためのすえ込み装置
US4761981A (en) Swaging apparatus for flaring and anchoring tubes
JPS62293095A (ja) 管プラグ
US4581801A (en) Sleeving method
US5194214A (en) Tube plug and method for plugging a tube
EP0309457B1 (fr) Raccord d'organes tubulaires
US4765374A (en) Multi-seal mechanical tube plug
EP3115655B1 (fr) Joint c métallique intégré avec adaptateur fileté
EP0172812A1 (fr) Montage de bouchon resistant aux fuites

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AT BE CH DE FR GB LI LU NL SE

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN

18D Application deemed to be withdrawn

Effective date: 19860212

RIN1 Information on inventor provided before grant (corrected)

Inventor name: MARTIN, JOHN, E.