GB2529128A

GB2529128A - Repair kit

Info

Publication number: GB2529128A
Application number: GB1406260.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ken Buchannan
Original assignee: EDV UK Ltd
Current assignee: EDV UK Ltd
Priority date: 2014-04-07
Filing date: 2014-04-07
Publication date: 2016-02-17
Also published as: GB201406260D0

Abstract

A repair kit for a sealing port detail defined by a pressure vessel and a method of repairing the same. The repair kit 10 comprises a tool 30 having a body 36 and an engagement portion 38. The engagement portion is adapted, in use, to engage a seat 12. The engagement portion defines an engagement profile 42, and the engagement profile is complementary to the seat profile. The body engagement portion has an engagement profile axis of symmetry; an alignment means 28 adapted, in use, to align the seat profile and the engagement profile; and an abrasive 46. In use, in an engaged position, under the application of pressure to the tool in the direction of the seat and the application of a rotational force to the engagement profile, the abrasive polishes the sealing port detail seat. The repair kit is particularly useful with autoclaves or high pressure pipelines.

Description

Repair Kit

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a repair kit for the sealing port detail and a method of repairing a sealing port detail.

Background to the Invention

In pressurised vessels such as autoclaves or high pressure pipelines, it is often desirable for a user to monitor the internal pressure within the pressurised vessel. To achieve this, in some cases, a pressure gauge is provided which can measure the internal pressure within the vessel by attachment to a sealing port detail defined by the vessel or defined by a separate body which is attached the vessel.

Particularly, the sealing port detail and is adapted to receive a valve connected to a pressure gauge. The valve is screwed into the port detail and forms a seal with a sealing port detail seat. The seal seat can become damaged through use, generally due to human intervention.

To repair a damaged seal seat, the component containing the port often has to be transported to a machine shop, set up, re-machined, inspected and transported back to site; a process which can take a number of days.

The repair procedure involves specialised powered equipment making it difficlt, or if not impossible, to carry out at the normal working location of the equipment to be repaired. Furthermore, should an onsite repair be possible, due to the nature of the equipment used in the conventional repair methods, permits and concessions would be required to allow the work to be performed in certain circumstances.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a repair kit for repairing a sealing port detail defined by a pressure vessel, the sealing port detail defining a seat having a seat profile and a seat axis of symmetry, the repair kit comprising: a tool having a body and an engagement portion, the engagement portion being adapted, in use, to engage the seat, the engagement portion defining an engagement profile, the engagement profile being complementary to the seat profile, the body engagement portion having an engagement profile axis of symmetry; alignment means adapted, in use, to align the seat profile and the engagement profile such that the seat axis of symmetry and the engagement profile axis of symmetry are coaxial, and an abrasive, the abrasive bring adapted to be associated with the engagement profile; wherein, in use, in the engaged position, under the application of pressure to the tool in the direction of the seat and the application of a rotational force to the engagement profile, the abrasive polishes the sealing port detail seat.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, a repair kit is provided which permits the sealing port detail seat to be restored to an operational condition by polishing with an abrasive. Aligning the seat profile and the engagement profile such that their respective axes are coaxial ensures that the rotation of the engagement profile applies an even pressure to the coating which in turn polishes the sealing port detail seat evenly. Such an arrangement allows for the sealing port detail seat to be restored to its original specification without the need for off-site machining and the possibility of subsequent damage in transit or during re-installation. In at least one embodiment of the invention, a repair kit is provided for restoring a sealing port detail seat without the need for electrical or other power.

The tool body may define the engagement portion.

Alternatively, the tool body and the engagement portion may be different.

The engagement portion may be releaseably connectable to the body.

The engagement portion may connect to the tool body by a threaded connection.

The alignment means may be separate from the body.

The alignment means may be adapted to cooperate with a sealing port detail surface.

The alignment means may be releaseably connectable to the sealing port detail surface.

The alignment means may form a threaded connection with the sealing port detail surface.

The alignment means may define an aperture adapted to receive the tool body there through.

The alignment means may define an internal surface, the internal surface defining the aperture.

In moving to the engaged position, the tool body may engage the alignment means internal surface.

The alignment means internal surface may, in use, be concentric with the seat axis of symmetry.

The alignment means may be adapted to space the tool body away, in use, from a sealing port detail wall. Particularly, the alignment means may be adapted to prevent the tool body from engagement a thread defined by the sealing port detail.

The alignment means may be a guide bush.

The alignment means may be adapted to be at least partially inserted into a sealing port detail entrance.

The alignment means may be threadedly connected to the port entrance.

Alternatively or additionally the alignment means may be pushed fitted into the port entrance.

The engagement portion may comprise a resilient material.

The engagement portion may comprise a composite.

The composite may comprise a malleable material.

The composite may comprise a metal.

The metal may be a malleable metal.

The composite may comprise a matrix.

The matrix may be a glue.

The composite may be porous.

The abrasive may be adapted to integrate with the engagement portion In some embodiments the engagement portion may be impregnated or permeated by the abrasive. Where a porous composite is used, this effect can be more easily achieved.

The abrasive may comprise a cutting material adapted to take a very thin layer off a surface and a matrix.

The cutting material may be harder than the engagement portion.

The cutting material may at least partially comprise a carbon material.

In some embodiments the carbon material may comprise a plurality of diamonds.

The carbon material may be in the form of a powder.

The abrasive matrix may be an oil.

The abrasive matrix may be a soluble oil. An oil provides a carrier for the cutting material and a lubricant for polishing. A soluble oil has the advantage of being relatively simple to wash away.

The abrasive matrix may be adapted to permeate the engagement portion.

The abrasive cutting material may be adapted, in use, to embed in the engagement portion. Providing a malleable material provides an anchor for the cutting material.

The cutting material may embed in the malleable metal. The use of the malleable material in this way can provide a method of providing a hard surface to the tool by providing a "bed" for the cutting material, particularly when carbon materials such as diamond is used.

The abrasive may be adapted to be applied to the engagement profile prior to insertion into the sealing port detail.

Alternatively or additionally, the abrasive may be applied to the sealing port detail seat.

In some embodiments the abrasive may be adapted to embed itself in the engagement profile. Allowing the abrasive to become embedded in the engagement profile improves the polishing action of the tool as the abrasive is at least partially anchored to one of the interacting surfaces.

The tool may further comprise actuation means.

Actuation means may be provided to assist in insertion of the tool body into, in use, the sealing port detail.

Actuation means may be provided to apply a rotational force to the tool body to rotate the tool body with respect to the sealing port detail seat.

Actuation means may be provided to apply pressure to the tool engagement portion in the direction of, in use, the sealing port detail seat. Being able to simply apply very light pressure to allow the abrasive to skim the surface of the seat is one of the major advantages of the repair kit, The repair kit may further comprise an inspection plug. An inspection plug may be provided to permit the quality of a repair to be assessed.

The inspection plug may define an external threat.

The external thread may be adapted to threadedly connect to a sealing port detail internal thread.

The inspection plug may be adapted to be threadedly connected to the sealing port detail.

The inspection plug may define a contact portion.

The inspection plug contact portion may be adapted, in use, to engage the sealing port detail seat, the contact portion defining a contact profile being complementary to the seat profile, the contact portion having a contact profile axis of symmetry. Utilising the threaded connection provided on the sealing port detail to connect the plug to the port detail, replicates the engagement between, for example, a pressure gauge valve and the sealing port detail. This arrangement can be used to ensure the contact profile axis of symmetry is coaxial with the seat profile axis of symmetry and bring the contact profile into complimentary engagement with the seal profile.

The contact profile may be adapted to receive a marking agent.

The marking agent may be adapted, in use, to transfer from the inspection plug to the seat.

The marking agent may be Engineer's Blue or the like. The use of a marking agent such as Engineer's Blue, is useful for indicating highpoints on low points on a surface, such as a seat surface.

The repair kit may further comprise a torque wrench.

The torque wrench may be adapted to apply torque to the inspection plug.

The torque wrench may be adapted to apply torque inspection plug up to a threshold value. The threshold value can be selected to ensure the inspection plug has minimal contact with the seat profile to accurately show any highpoints on the surface of the seat profile.

The repair kit may further include an inspection torch adapted to permit, in use, a sealing port detail to be illuminated for inspection.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for repairing a sealing port detail defined by a pressure vessel, the method comprising the steps of: inserting a tool having an engagement profile into the sealing port detail, engaging the engagement profile with a sealing port detail seat, such that an engagement profile axis of symmetry is coaxial with a sealing port detail seat axis of symmetry, rotating the tool engagement profile with respect to the sealing port detail seat under the application of a pressure such that an abrasive associated with the tool engagement profile polishes the sealing port detail seat.

The method may further comprise the step of removing the tool from the sealing port detail.

The method may further comprise the step of inspecting the repair with a torch.

The method may further comprise the step of inserting an inspection plug having a contact profile into the sealing port detail and engaging the contact profile with the sealing port detail seat, such that a contact profile axis of symmetry is coaxial with a sealing port detail seat axis of symmetry and rotating the inspection plug contact profile with respect to the sealing port detail seat under the application of a pressure such that a marking agent associated with the inspection plug contact profile marks the sealing port detail seat.

It will be understood that features listed as being non-essential to the first aspect may be equally applicable to the second aspect and have not been repeated for brevity.

Brief Description of the Drawings

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of a repair kit for repairing a seal seat defined by a sealing port detail according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 2 to Figure 9 are a series of schematic views showing the operation of the repair kit of Figure 1 to repair the sealing port detail of Figure 1.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

Reference is first made to Figure 1, a schematic view of a repair kit, generally indicated by reference numeral 10, for repairing a seat 12 defined by a pressure vessel 14, the seat 12 being part of a sealing port detail 16, the sealing port detail 16 being defined by the pressure vessel 14. The pressure vessel 14 may be, for example, an autoclave or pressurised oil pipeline.

The repair kit 10 comprises a tool 30 for repairing the sealing port detail seat 12, and alignment means in the form of a guide bush 28. The repair kit 10 further comprises a torch 50 and an inspection plug 60. Although not shown, but discussed later, the repair kit 10 further comprises a container of an abrasive to be applied to the tool 30 during a repair operation.

The operation of the repair kit 10 will now be described with reference to Figures 2 -9. First, Figure 2 shows the sealing port detail 16, the sealing port detail 16 being defined by the wall of a pressure vessel 14. The sealing port detail 16 is sized to take a pressure measurement reading device (not shown) which is inserted into the sealing port detail 16 and secured there by means of a threaded connection 18. The sealing port detail 16 comprises a main chamber 20 and a minor chamber 22, the minor chamber 22 being a passageway connecting the main chamber 20 to the pressurised vessel interior 24.

The sealing port detail seat 12 is frusto-conical and has an axis of symmetry 26. In this example the axis of symmetry 26 is also an axis of symmetry for the entire sealing port detail 16.

Reference is now made to Figure 3. In this Figure, the guide bush 28 has been threadedly engaged with the sealing port detail 16. Particularly, an external thread 32 on the guide bush 28 has been engaged with the sealing port detail thread 18. The guide bush 28 defines a throughbore 34 adapted to receive the repair kit tool 30, as will now be discussed with reference to Figure 4.

The repair kit tool 30 has a body portion 36, an engagement portion 38 and an actuation means 40 in the form of a hand wheel.

The engagement portion 38 is made from a composite of a copper and a glue, and defines an engagement profile 42 which is conical and has an axis of symmetry 44. The engagement profile 38 is complementary to the frusto-conical profile of the sealing port detail seat 12 such that, as will be shown, when the repair kit tool 30 is brought into contact with the seal seat 12, the surfaces 42, 12 mate together.

The guide bush 28 spaces the tool 30 away from the sealing port detail surface, preventing the tool 30 from coming into engagement with the sealing port detail surface and ensures concentricity between the tool 30 and the sealing port detail 16.

The engagement profile 38 is adapted to receive the abrasive 46, the abrasive 46 comprising microscopic pieces of diamond in a soluble oil. The purpose of the abrasive 46 will now be discussed with reference to Figure 5.

In Figure 5, the tool 30 engagement portion 38 is coated in the abrasive 46 and the tool 30 is inserted into the bush throughbore 34 and into engagement with the sealing port detail seat 12. As can be seen from Figure 5, the engagement profile 42 and the seat profile 12 form a close engagement with the abrasive 46 being trapped in between. The guide bush 28 ensures that the tool external surface 82, the sealing port detail internal surface 84 and the bush throughbore surface 86 are all concentric in this position and, accordingly, the seat axis of symmetry 44 and the sealing port detail axis 26 are coaxial. In this position, the tool 30 and the sealing port detail 16 are fully aligned.

Once engaged, rotation of the tool 30 and the application of gentle pressure by the user through the hand wheel 40 will cause relative rotational movement of the tool 30 against the sealing port detail seat 12, the relative movement causing a polishing effect to be created by the oil and diamond particles in the abrasive 46.

This polishing effect removes a microscopic layer off the seal seat 12 sufficient to restore the seat 12 to the original specification by removing blemishes and imperfections in the surface. In addition, the composite engagement portion 38 becomes impregnated with the microscopic diamond particles within the abrasive 46, the diamond particles becoming embedded in the glue and malleable metal within the composite engagement portion38. This impregnation and embedding process improving the polishing effect of the tool 30.

By the fact that the tool 30 is rotating when resting on the seat 12, there will be a light pressure applied by the user through the tool 30 on to the seat 12, this is the pressure required to perform the repair. The essence of the repair is this light pressure over the duration of the rotation. The more damage that is found, then the longer you rotate, this cannot be pre-determined as each damaged seal will differ and will reply on an Engineer deciding that all the damaged has been removed.

Referring to Figure 6, the tool 30 and guide bush 28 are removed from the sealing port detail 16 and the interior of the port detail 16 is cleaned out and examined using the repair kit torch 50.

Referring to Figure 7, the accuracy of the repair can then be tested using the repair kit inspection plug 60 which defines an external thread 62 adapted to engage with the sealing pod detail thread 18 the inspection plug 60 defines a conical inspection plug contact profile 64 which is complementary to the sealing port detail seat 12. The inspection plug contact profile 64 is adapted to be coated with Engineers Blue 66.

Referring to Figure 8, the inspection plug 60 is screwed into the sealing port detail 16 and brought into engagement with the sealing port detail seat 12 using a torque limited wrench 68. The torque limited wrench 68 is set to bring the inspection plug contact profile 64 into engagement with the sealing port detail seat 12 sufficiently for the Engineers Blue 66 to be left on any highpoints on the seat surface 12.

Referring to Figure 9 once the plug 60 is removed, the sealing port detail seat 12 can be inspected again for imperfections, any imperfections being shown up by the Engineer's Blue 66 and further repairs can be carried out as necessary.

Various modifications and improvements may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the abrasive could be applied to the seat rather than the tool body engagement profile

Claims

Claims 1. A repair kit for repairing a sealing port detail defined by a pressure vessel, the sealing port detail defining a seat having a seat profile and a seat axis of symmetry, the repair kit comprising: a tool having a body and an engagement portion, the engagement portion being adapted, in use, to engage the seat, the engagement portion defining an engagement profile, the engagement profile being complementary to the seat profile, the body engagement portion having an engagement profile axis of symmetry; alignment means adapted, in use, to align the seat profile and the engagement profile such that the seat axis of symmetry and the engagement profile axis of symmetry are coaxial, and an abrasive, the abrasive being adapted to be associated with the engagement profile; wherein, in use, in an engaged position, under the application of pressure to the tool in the direction of the seat and the application of a rotational force to the engagement profile, the abrasive polishes the sealing port detail seat.
2. The repair kit according to claim 1, wherein the engagement portion is releaseably connectable to the body.
3. The repair kit according to any preceding claim, wherein the alignment means is adapted to cooperate with a sealing port detail surface.
4. The repair kit according to claim 3, wherein the alignment means defines an aperture adapted to receive the tool body there through.
5. The repair kit according to claim 4, wherein the alignment means is adapted to space the tool body away, in use, from a sealing port detail wall.
6. The repair kit according to any preceding claim, wherein the engagement portion comprises a composite.
7. The repair kit according to claim 6, wherein the composite is porous.
8. The repair kit according to any preceding claim, wherein the engagement portion is impregnated or permeated by the abrasive.
9. The repair kit according to any preceding claim, wherein the abrasive comprises a matrix and a cutting material adapted to take a very thin layer off the seat profile.
10. The repair kit according to claim 9, wherein the cutting material at least partially comprises a carbon material.
11. The repair kit according to claim 10, wherein the carbon material comprises a plurality of diamonds.
12. The repair kit according to any preceding claim, wherein the tool comprises actuation means for applying a rotational force to the tool body to rotate the tool body with respect to the sealing port detail seat.
13. The repair kit according to any preceding claim, comprising an inspection plug provided to permit the quality of a repair to be assessed.
14. The repair kit according to claim 13, wherein the inspection plug defines a contact portion adapted to engage the sealing port detail seat, the contact portion defining a contact profile being complementary to the seat profile, the contact portion having a contact profile axis of symmetry.
15. The repair kit according to claim 14, wherein the contact profile is adapted to receive a marking agent.
16. A method for repairing a sealing port detail defined by a pressure vessel, the method comprising the steps of: inserting a tool having an engagement profile into the sealing port detail, engaging the engagement profile with a sealing port detail seat, such that an engagement profile axis of symmetry is coaxial with a sealing port detail seat axis of symmetry, rotating the tool engagement profile with respect to the sealing port detail seat under the application of a pressure such that an abrasive associated with the tool engagement profile polishes the sealing port detail seat.
17. The method according to claim 16, comprising the step of applying the abrasive to the engagement profile prior to insertion into the sealing port detail.
18. The method according to claim 16, comprising the step of applying the abrasive to the sealing port detail seat.19. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, comprising the step of inserting an inspection plug having a contact profile into the sealing port detail and engaging the contact profile with the sealing port detail seat, such that a contact profile axis of symmetry is coaxial with a sealing port detail seat axis of symmetry and rotating the inspection plug contact profile with respect to the sealing port detail seat under the application of a pressure such that a marking agent associated with the inspection plug contact profile marks the sealing port detail seat.
19. Use of a kit according to any of claims 1 to 15 for repairing a sealing port detail defined by a pressure vessel.
20. A kit or method substantially as described herein, and/or a kit or method substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying Figures, and/or a kit or method substantially as shown in the accompanying Figures.