US3659305A - Flexible pipeline pigs - Google Patents

Flexible pipeline pigs Download PDF

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Publication number
US3659305A
US3659305A US25998A US3659305DA US3659305A US 3659305 A US3659305 A US 3659305A US 25998 A US25998 A US 25998A US 3659305D A US3659305D A US 3659305DA US 3659305 A US3659305 A US 3659305A
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United States
Prior art keywords
pig
pipeline
wall
channel
bore
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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.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US25998A
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English (en)
Inventor
Marvin D Powers
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Individual
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Individual
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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B08—CLEANING
    • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
    • B08B9/00—Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto 
    • B08B9/02—Cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes
    • B08B9/027—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages
    • B08B9/04—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages using cleaning devices introduced into and moved along the pipes
    • B08B9/053—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages using cleaning devices introduced into and moved along the pipes moved along the pipes by a fluid, e.g. by fluid pressure or by suction
    • B08B9/055—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages using cleaning devices introduced into and moved along the pipes moved along the pipes by a fluid, e.g. by fluid pressure or by suction the cleaning devices conforming to, or being conformable to, substantially the same cross-section of the pipes, e.g. pigs or moles
    • B08B9/0553—Cylindrically shaped pigs
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B08—CLEANING
    • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
    • B08B9/00—Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto 
    • B08B9/02—Cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes
    • B08B9/027—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages
    • B08B9/04—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages using cleaning devices introduced into and moved along the pipes
    • B08B9/053—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages using cleaning devices introduced into and moved along the pipes moved along the pipes by a fluid, e.g. by fluid pressure or by suction
    • B08B9/055—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages using cleaning devices introduced into and moved along the pipes moved along the pipes by a fluid, e.g. by fluid pressure or by suction the cleaning devices conforming to, or being conformable to, substantially the same cross-section of the pipes, e.g. pigs or moles
    • B08B9/0558—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages using cleaning devices introduced into and moved along the pipes moved along the pipes by a fluid, e.g. by fluid pressure or by suction the cleaning devices conforming to, or being conformable to, substantially the same cross-section of the pipes, e.g. pigs or moles with additional jet means
    • 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
    • F16L55/26—Pigs or moles, i.e. devices movable in a pipe or conduit with or without self-contained propulsion means
    • F16L55/28—Constructional aspects
    • F16L55/30—Constructional aspects of the propulsion means, e.g. towed by cables
    • F16L55/38—Constructional aspects of the propulsion means, e.g. towed by cables driven by fluid pressure

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A flexible pipeline pig adapted for removing liquids and debris from pipelines.
  • the pig includes at least one plug having a deformable peripheral wall formed of resilient material.
  • the wall defines a peripheral surface which establishes a movable seal with the adjacently surrounding portion of the inner cylindrical wall of the pipe.
  • Various pipeline pigs are known in the art.
  • One such pig includes a plug made of a flexible material.
  • a fluid under pressure propels the pig through the pipeline.
  • the resilience of the pigs material maintains a sealing but slidable engagement between the outer peripheral surface of the plug and the inner cylindrical surface of the adjacent pipe.
  • This invention provides a pipeline pig having at least one plug which includes a deformable peripheral wall of resilient material.
  • the wall provides a movable seal with the adjacently surrounding portion of the pipes inner cylindrical wall.
  • At least one arcuate channel in the pigs outer peripheral wall bounded on one side by the pipes inner cylindrical wall allows the upstream section to fluidly communicate with the downstream section of the pipeline. The fraction of the pigpropelling fluid flowing through this channel effectively clears and removes any liquids which may exist in the arcuate channel.
  • the channels longitudinal configuration may include portions which are spiraling, annular, rectilinear, etc.
  • a solid or flexible holl'ow shaft may longitudinally extend through at least a portion of the pig s body.
  • a transverse partition in the shaft prevents direct fluid communication between the rear and front ends of the pig and diverts the fluid flow through said channel.
  • the pig may also be advantageously provided with directional fluid discharge means which produce a stir ring effect in front of the moving plug. This stirring effect facilitates the removal of debris existing in the downstream section of the pipeline.
  • FIGS. 1 through 4 show the improved pig of this invention with fluid channels of varying configurations
  • FIG. Sis a view in cross-section on line 5--5 in FIG. 1; v
  • FIG. 6 is a view in cross-section of the pig with discharge nozzles
  • FIG. 7 is a front view on line 77 in FIG. 6;
  • FIG. 8 is a view in cross-section of the pig with a conical discharge head
  • FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the conical discharge head in FIG. 8.
  • FIG. 10 is a view in cross-section of the pig with a solid center shaft hollow on both ends;
  • FIGS. 11 and 12 show a pig similar to that of FIG. 10 with a flexible hollow center shaft.
  • the pig or plug is generally designated as 10 and is especially effective for clearing liquids in front of pig 10, as well as from the inner wall 12 of a long pipeline 14,
  • Pig 10 is propelled through pipeline 14 by a pressurized fluid 16, typically a gas under high pressure, applied from the upstream section 18 of pipeline 14.
  • a pressurized fluid typically a gas under high pressure
  • pig l0 seals off an annular area I9 of pipeline [4 between the upstream section 18 and the downstream section 22.
  • the sealed-off area 19 moves with pig 10. Any pool of water 20 which may accumulate in front of the moving pig 10 will be pushed to a downstream outlet (not shown).
  • pipeline 14 may have many turns in both lateral and vertical directions. Such'curvilinear pipelines frequently include certain cross-sectional irregularities which tend to form pockets which allow liquids to accumulate therein.
  • Body 26 is typically made of a flexible material which offers a resistance to movement due to the frictional drag between its peripheral surface 28 and the inside wall 12 of pipeline 14. Accordingly, a pressure differential across the plug 10 is established as it is being propelled through'the pipeline, with the greater pressure being exerted against the rear wall 30 of body 26.
  • pig 10 is conventional and operates in a known manner. Several passes through the pipeline 14 by pig 10 are required in order to clear the liquids from pipeline 14 and to sufficiently dry its inner cylindrical wall 12. v
  • an arcuate channel for establishing fluid communication in the direction of fluid flow between the upstream and downstream sections 18 and 22.
  • the channels configuration is not critical as long as it allows an effective cylindrical wiping contact between the fluid flowing through the channel and the inner cylindrical wall 12 of pipeline 14. This wiping contact allows the propelling fluid in channel 40 to sweep the inner wall 12 and to forcibly clear from the sealed-off annular area 19 any liquids existing therein.
  • the liquids in the annular area 19 become absorbed or mixed with the stream of fluid flowing through channel 40 and returned to the front end of the pig.
  • channel 40 is defined by an opening 42 in rear wall 30, a longitudinally extending bore 44, a radially extending bore 46 having an opening 48, an opening 50 in front wall 24, a longitudinally extending bore 52, a radially extending bore 54 having an opening 56, and an arcuate channel 60 in the form of a spiral to allow fluid communication between openings 48 and 56.
  • Channel 60 preferably extends 360 around the outer peripheral wall 28 to completely surround the body 26 of pig I0.
  • a fraction of the pig-propelling fluid 16 will flow through opening 42, bore 44, bore 46, spiral channel 60, bore 54, bore 52, and opening 50. Since the spiral 60 extends at least 360 around the peripheral surface 28, it will be appreciated that the entire surface of the inner cylindrical wall 12 within the annular area 19 will be swept by the stream of fluid flowing through arcuate channel 40. Consequently, any liquids existing within the sealed-off annular area 19 will be absorbed and/or mixed with the fluid stream and discharged through the front opening 50 into the downstream section 22. The discharged liquids together with the liquid pool 20 will subsequently be removed through a downstream outlet (not shown).
  • FIG. is shown a view in cross-section of the wall 62 forming channel 60.
  • This wall is conveniently 'made of a material stiffer than the material of which flexible body 26 is made. This additional stiffness is desired to prevent channel 60 from collapsing under the pressure of the propelling fluid 16.
  • rear wall 30 may also be made of a stiffer material. This stiffer material is preferably a suitable plastic. Another advantage obtained from wall 62 is that it scrapes the inner cylindrical wall 12 of pipeline 14 to remove water droplets and small debris which may exist in the sealed-off area 19.
  • the fluid communication channel 40 extends from an opening 72 in the rear wall 30 to an opening 70 in the front wall 24 through a' rectilinear peripheral channel 74, an annular channel 76, and another rectilinear channel 78.
  • the direction of fluid flow through channel 40 is indicated by the arrows 6 1.
  • annular channel 76' is provided in parallel with annular channel 76.
  • the operation of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are in all respects similar to the operation of the embodiments described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2, and no further description is believed necessary. I
  • a bushing in bore 52 is inserted a bushing, generally designated as 80, having an inwardly threaded head 82 to which cylinder 84 having an end wall 86 is securely threaded.
  • the orientation of the nozzles 88 is selected to provide a desirable stirring effect to assist in removing debris from the inner wall 12 of the downstream section 22.
  • the arrangement of the pipes 87 is better shown in FIG. 7.
  • a conical discharge head 90 having a conical wall portion 92 and a threaded cylindrical sleeve portion 94, may be provided.
  • Sleeve 94 is threadedly secured to the head 82.
  • a solid shaft hollow at both ends generally designated as 100, which extends longitudinally from the rear wall 30 to the threaded head 80.
  • Shaft 100 includes a transverse wall 102 to prevent direct fluid communication between the upstream and downstream sections 18 and 22.
  • Fluid flow between the portions 104 and 106 of shaft (through channel 40) is indicated by the arrows 61.
  • FIG. 11 instead of employing a solid hollowshaft 100, there is now provided a shaft 110 having a flexible corrugated wall 111. A transverse resilient plug 112 inside shaft 110 is held under compression between two plates 114 and 116 secured together by a bolt 118.
  • the advantages of using a flexible shaft 110 instead of shaft 100 will be evident from an inspection of FIGS. 10 and 12 wherein pig 10 is shown traversing a curbed portion of the pipeline 14.
  • a pipeline pig for removing liquids from pipelines comprising:
  • At least one plug having a resilient member with an outer surface which, in use, engages the inner wall of a pipeline and forms a movable sealing surface therewith,
  • said groove including at least an arcuate portion and defining with said inner wall of said pipeline a fluid flow channel, a first bore extending into a portion of the body of said plug from the end facing said upstream section,
  • a second bore extending into a portion of the body of said plug from the end facing said downstream section, and fluid passage means providing fluid communications between said bores and said channel to enable a portion of a pig-propelling fluid to be supplied through said first bore from the upstream section of the pipeline into said channel, whereby any liquids which are contained on said engaged inner wall of said pipeline become ejected through said second bore into the pipelines downstream section.
  • each of said hollow shafts has a flexible outer wall.
  • fluid discharge means coupled to said second bore and facing said downstream section.
  • said discharge means include at least onev nozzle for discharging the fluids from said channel into said downstream section.
  • said nozzle is a conical nozzle.
  • said nozzle includes at least one radially extending hollow tube.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Cleaning In General (AREA)
US25998A 1970-04-06 1970-04-06 Flexible pipeline pigs Expired - Lifetime US3659305A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US2599870A 1970-04-06 1970-04-06

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US3659305A true US3659305A (en) 1972-05-02

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Country Status (4)

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US (1) US3659305A (de)
AU (1) AU2662571A (de)
DE (1) DE2112509A1 (de)
FR (1) FR2089194A5 (de)

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3740790A (en) * 1971-12-06 1973-06-26 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Apparatus for cleaning waveguide and similar pipes
US5107552A (en) * 1990-05-03 1992-04-28 Vogue Industries, Ltd. Swimming pool cover and roll-up device
US5625917A (en) * 1996-03-12 1997-05-06 Hawkins; Ronald E. Foam pipeline pig with seal cups
US5664992A (en) * 1994-06-20 1997-09-09 Abclean America, Inc. Apparatus and method for cleaning tubular members
EP0823293A2 (de) * 1996-08-05 1998-02-11 I.S.T. Molchtechnik Gmbh Rohrleitungsmolch
US6434825B1 (en) * 2001-02-07 2002-08-20 Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras Method of diminishing the cross section of an opening of a hollow device located in a flow pipe
US6678954B2 (en) * 2001-01-30 2004-01-20 Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras Methods to set a hollow device into and to retrieve said hollow device from a flow pipe
US6886206B1 (en) * 1999-04-02 2005-05-03 Total Scraper for inhibiting corrosion in the arch of a pipe carrying a multiphase corrosive liquid
CN106287109A (zh) * 2015-06-09 2017-01-04 汪纬斌 管路清洗后的检视方法及其检视装置
WO2019000648A1 (zh) * 2017-06-30 2019-01-03 广船国际有限公司 一种管道内部处理装置

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3165450D1 (en) * 1980-12-09 1984-09-13 British Gas Corp Removal of condensed gas from the walls of gas pipelines
FR2517416A1 (fr) * 1981-12-02 1983-06-03 Pipeline Service Sa Procede de sechage par le vide de canalisations

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1713895A (en) * 1926-03-27 1929-05-21 Ernest B Ford Tube cleaner
US2188959A (en) * 1937-06-18 1940-02-06 Schaer Eugene Pipe cleaning element
US3530523A (en) * 1968-11-18 1970-09-29 Williamson Inc T Pipeline pig

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1713895A (en) * 1926-03-27 1929-05-21 Ernest B Ford Tube cleaner
US2188959A (en) * 1937-06-18 1940-02-06 Schaer Eugene Pipe cleaning element
US3530523A (en) * 1968-11-18 1970-09-29 Williamson Inc T Pipeline pig

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3740790A (en) * 1971-12-06 1973-06-26 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Apparatus for cleaning waveguide and similar pipes
US5107552A (en) * 1990-05-03 1992-04-28 Vogue Industries, Ltd. Swimming pool cover and roll-up device
US5606749A (en) * 1990-05-03 1997-03-04 2679965 Canada Inc., Vogue Pool Products Swimming pool cover and roll-up device
US5664992A (en) * 1994-06-20 1997-09-09 Abclean America, Inc. Apparatus and method for cleaning tubular members
US5885133A (en) * 1994-06-20 1999-03-23 Abclean America, Inc. Apparatus and method for cleaning tubular members
US5625917A (en) * 1996-03-12 1997-05-06 Hawkins; Ronald E. Foam pipeline pig with seal cups
EP0823293A3 (de) * 1996-08-05 1998-12-23 I.S.T. Molchtechnik Gmbh Rohrleitungsmolch
EP0823293A2 (de) * 1996-08-05 1998-02-11 I.S.T. Molchtechnik Gmbh Rohrleitungsmolch
US6886206B1 (en) * 1999-04-02 2005-05-03 Total Scraper for inhibiting corrosion in the arch of a pipe carrying a multiphase corrosive liquid
US6678954B2 (en) * 2001-01-30 2004-01-20 Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras Methods to set a hollow device into and to retrieve said hollow device from a flow pipe
US6840282B2 (en) 2001-01-30 2005-01-11 Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras Mechanisms to set a hollow device into and to retrieve said hollow device from a flow pipe
US6434825B1 (en) * 2001-02-07 2002-08-20 Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras Method of diminishing the cross section of an opening of a hollow device located in a flow pipe
CN106287109A (zh) * 2015-06-09 2017-01-04 汪纬斌 管路清洗后的检视方法及其检视装置
WO2019000648A1 (zh) * 2017-06-30 2019-01-03 广船国际有限公司 一种管道内部处理装置

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Publication number Publication date
AU2662571A (en) 1972-09-21
DE2112509A1 (de) 1971-10-28
FR2089194A5 (de) 1972-01-07

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