Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D39/00—Application of procedures in order to connect objects or parts, e.g. coating with sheet metal otherwise than by plating; Tube expanders
  • B21D39/04—Application of procedures in order to connect objects or parts, e.g. coating with sheet metal otherwise than by plating; Tube expanders of tubes with tubes; of tubes with rods
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D39/00—Application of procedures in order to connect objects or parts, e.g. coating with sheet metal otherwise than by plating; Tube expanders
  • B21D39/08—Tube expanders
  • B21D39/20—Tube expanders with mandrels, e.g. expandable
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D39/00—Application of procedures in order to connect objects or parts, e.g. coating with sheet metal otherwise than by plating; Tube expanders
  • B21D39/08—Tube expanders
  • B21D39/20—Tube expanders with mandrels, e.g. expandable
  • B21D39/203—Tube expanders with mandrels, e.g. expandable expandable by fluid or elastic material
• • 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
  • F16L13/00—Non-disconnectable pipe joints, e.g. soldered, adhesive, or caulked joints
  • F16L13/14—Non-disconnectable pipe joints, e.g. soldered, adhesive, or caulked joints made by plastically deforming the material of the pipe, e.g. by flanging, rolling
  • F16L13/147—Non-disconnectable pipe joints, e.g. soldered, adhesive, or caulked joints made by plastically deforming the material of the pipe, e.g. by flanging, rolling by radially expanding the inner part
• • 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
  • F16L58/00—Protection of pipes or pipe fittings against corrosion or incrustation
  • F16L58/02—Protection of pipes or pipe fittings against corrosion or incrustation by means of internal or external coatings
  • F16L58/04—Coatings characterised by the materials used
  • F16L58/08—Coatings characterised by the materials used by metal
• • 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
  • F16L58/00—Protection of pipes or pipe fittings against corrosion or incrustation
  • F16L58/18—Protection of pipes or pipe fittings against corrosion or incrustation specially adapted for pipe fittings
  • F16L58/181—Protection of pipes or pipe fittings against corrosion or incrustation specially adapted for pipe fittings for non-disconnectable pipe joints
• • 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
  • F16L58/00—Protection of pipes or pipe fittings against corrosion or incrustation
  • F16L58/18—Protection of pipes or pipe fittings against corrosion or incrustation specially adapted for pipe fittings
  • F16L58/187—Protection of pipes or pipe fittings against corrosion or incrustation specially adapted for pipe fittings for flanged joints

Definitions

• the present invention concerns a method for joining a tubular member and a pipeline for conveying corrosive products.
• corrosive products such as hydrocarbons, for example, with a high sulphide and/or carbon dioxide content
• the pipelines for conveying corrosive products must guarantee high resistance to corrosion; for said purpose, they have a metal wall covered by an inner coating which is made of metal alloys designed to withstand the corrosive agents and which is joined to the wall by cladding or by lining.
• the pipelines clad or lined with the above-mentioned metal alloys are resistant to the aggressiveness of the corrosive products.
• the protection afforded by the cladding or lining is no longer guaranteed when one end of the pipeline is joined to a tubular member.
• the joint between a tubular member and the end of a pipeline is dictated, for example, by the need to connect the pipeline to a flanged connector adapted to repair a damaged pipeline.
• a relatively simple method of joining a tubular member and a pipeline is described in the document EP 802,002 and comprises the steps of inserting the end of the pipeline comprising an inner face, an outer face, and a front face, adjacent to the inner and outer faces, inside an inner seat of the tubular member, inserting an expandable mandrel inside the end of the pipeline, and expanding the expandable mandrel to join the end of the pipeline and the connector.
• the method described above is not able to preserve the protection guaranteed by the protective cladding/lining, even if the entire connector is made of corrosion-resistant material, because at least the front face of the pipeline is without the protective cladding/ lining and, in use, could be arranged in contact with the corrosive products. Furthermore, infiltrations of corrosive fluid could occur also along the portion of outer face adjacent to the front face.
• One object of the present invention is to provide an efficient and inexpensive method for joining a tubular member to the end of a pipeline for conducting corrosive products.
• a method for joining a tubular member and a pipeline for conducting corrosive products comprising the steps of preparing a tubular member having an inner seat; inserting the end of a pipeline inside the inner seat of the tubular member; inserting a sleeve made of corrosion-resistant material inside the end of the pipeline; inserting an expandable mandrel inside the sleeve; and expanding the expandable mandrel to join the end of the pipeline and the tubular member, sealing the sleeve and the pipeline; and shielding parts of the pipeline sensitive to the corrosive products by means of the sleeve.
• the sleeve is thinner than the pipeline.
• the sleeve is subject to a plastic deformation greater than the plastic deformation of the pipeline and this allows sealing of the sleeve to the pipeline.
• the pipeline is thinner than the tubular member.
• the mandrel is so expanded as to produce a plastic deformation at least of the end of the pipeline, and of the sleeve .
• the expansion of the expandable mandrel is located at least along an annular portion of the sleeve.
• the pipeline has a wall having an inner face, a front face and an outer face, said inner seat comprising an indented axial profile.
• the indented profile allows the end of the pipeline to grip the tubular member and create the mechanical joint.
• the tubular member comprises, inside the inner seat, an annular projection designed to contact the outer face of the pipeline, and at least one recess at the inner face to define the indented profile.
• the tubular member has, on the outside of the inner seat, a tubular face designed to align with the inner face of the pipeline.
• the alignment between the tubular face and the inner face prevents the formation of steps between the tubular member and the pipeline and, therefore, avoids excessive deformations of the sleeve.
• the step of arranging the sleeve inside the pipeline comprises positioning a part of the sleeve at the tubular face and another part of the sleeve at the inner face and inner seat; and the step of expanding the expandable mandrel comprises deforming an annular area of the sleeve against the pipeline, and the pipeline against the tubular member inside the inner seat, and another annular area of the sleeve directly against the tubular member.
• the sleeve extends the whole length of the tubular face .
• tubular member When the tubular member is not made of corrosion-resistant material, then it is necessary to provide protection of the tubular member along the tubular face.
• the sleeve has a U-shaped turn-up designed to cover the inner face, the front face and the outer face of the pipeline, the turn-up being housed inside the inner seat between the pipeline and the tubular member.
• the sleeve shields the sensitive parts of the pipeline and covers said sensitive parts.
• the steps of inserting the sleeve and the expandable mandrel inside the pipeline comprise first fitting the sleeve around the expandable mandrel and inserting the sleeve together with the expandable mandrel inside the pipeline .
• the expandable mandrel comprises a centre body and at least two sealing rings spaced apart along the centre body to define an expansion chamber between the centre body, the two sealing rings and the sleeve, the step of expanding the expandable mandrel being performed by pumping pressurized fluid inside the expansion chamber.
• the expandable mandrel is an hydroforming mandrel provided with an expansion chamber.
• the expandable mandrel comprises four sealing rings to define at least two expansion chambers designed to receive pressurized fluid and spaced apart along the centre body .
• a further object of the present invention is to produce a tubular assembly for conducting corrosive products.
• a tubular assembly is produced for conducting corrosive products, the tubular assembly comprising a pipeline, a tubular member and a sleeve, which is made of material resistant to corrosive products, and is configured to shield parts of the pipeline sensitive to corrosive products, and is fixed to the pipeline using the method claimed.
• a further object of the present invention is to produce a kit for joining a tubular member and a pipeline for conducting corrosive products which is free from the drawbacks of the known art .
• a kit is produced for joining a tubular member and a pipeline for conducting corrosive products; the kit comprising a sleeve made of corrosion-resistant material and designed to be arranged inside one end of the pipeline in turn inserted in an inner seat of a tubular member; and an expandable mandrel designed to be inserted inside the sleeve and expanded to join the end of the pipeline and the tubular member, seal the sleeve and the pipeline, and shield by means of the sleeve parts of the pipeline sensitive to corrosive products.
• the expandable mandrel comprises a centre body and at least two sealing rings spaced apart along the centre body to define an expansion chamber between the centre body, the two sealing rings and the sleeve; the step of expanding the expandable mandrel being performed by pumping pressurised fluid inside the expansion chamber.
• an expandable mandrel comprising four sealing rings to define at least two expansion chambers designed to receive pressurized fluid and spaced apart along the centre body.
• - figures 1 to 3 are longitudinal section views, with parts removed for clarity, of respective steps of the method subject of the present invention
• - figure 4 is a longitudinal section view, with parts removed for clarity and parts in section, of a tubular assembly obtained by the method subject of the present invention, some steps of which are illustrated in figures 1 to 3;
• FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section view, with parts removed for clarity, of a tubular assembly produced using the method subject of the present invention, some steps of which are illustrated in figures 1 to 3;
• FIG. 11 is a longitudinal section view, on an enlarged scale, and with parts removed for clarity, of a detail of a tubular assembly produced using the method subject of the present invention.
• the number 1 indicates overall an underwater pipeline designed to conduct liquids or gases, in particular hydrocarbons which are particularly corrosive because they are rich in hydrogen sulphides and carbon dioxide
• the number 2 indicates a tubular member which, in the case illustrated, is defined by a flanged connector and is arranged around one end of the pipeline 1.
• the pipeline 1 extends along an axis Al and has a tubular wall 3, which is defined as a whole by a supporting structure and by an inner coating applied to the supporting structure by cladding or lining.
• the supporting structure of the wall 3 is made of steel, while the coating is made of a metal alloy able to withstand the chemical attacks of the corrosive substances contained in the hydrocarbons.
• the wall 3 therefore has an inner face 4 resistant to the corrosive products, and a front face 5 and an outer face 6 which are not able to withstand the corrosive products.
• the tubular member 2 is inserted around the end of the pipeline 1, extends around the pipeline 1 and comprises a flange 7 designed to provide a bolted joint; and a tubular body 8, which has an inner seat 9 designed to house the end of the pipeline 1, and a tubular face 10 adjacent to the inner seat 9 and coplanar with the inner face 4 of the pipeline 1.
• the inner seat 9 is arranged on the opposite side of the flange 7, has an indented profile and is defined by an indent with respect to the tubular face 10.
• an annular projection 11 extends in a radial direction towards the axis Al .
• the annular projection 11 is arranged in a central position to define two annular recesses 12 and 13 arranged on opposite sides with respect to said annular projection 11.
• the tubular element 2 is made of metallic material resistant to corrosion or at least has a coating suited to protect it from the aggressive chemical agents contained in the corrosive products .
• the pipeline 1 or, better, the wall 3 of the pipeline 1 is thinner than the tubular element 2 or, better, than the tubular body 8 at the inner seat 9.
• the number 14 indicates an expandable mandrel
• the number 15 indicates a sleeve fitted around the expandable mandrel 14.
• the expandable mandrel 14 extends along a longitudinal axis A2 and comprises a frame 16 and two sealing rings 17.
• the frame 16 comprises a centre body 18, two end elements 19 and a gripping member 20.
• the sealing rings 17 are spaced apart along the centre body 18 and delimit together with the centre body 18 and the sleeve 15 an expansion chamber 21 designed to be filled with a pressurized fluid .
• the sleeve 15 is made of a metal alloy resistant to corrosion and is thinner than the wall 3 of the pipeline 1 (figure 1) .
• the sleeve 15 has a length such that its ends extend into the inner seat from one sealing ring 17 to the other sealing ring 17. With reference to figure 3, the expandable mandrel 14 and the sleeve 15 fitted on the expandable mandrel 14 are inserted inside the pipeline 1 and the tubular member 2.
• the expandable mandrel 14 is inserted in the pipeline 1 and in the tubular member 2 so as to arrange a sealing ring 17 in the annular recess 13 and the other sealing ring 17 at the tubular face 10.
• the sleeve 15 extends partly in the area of the tubular face 10 of the tubular member 2 and partly along the inner face 4 of the pipeline 1.
• the expandable mandrel 14 and the sleeve 15 are correctly positioned, the expandable mandrel 14 and the sleeve 15 are locked in position by expansion of the sealing rings 17 so as to hermetically close the expansion chamber 21. Subsequently, a pressurized liquid is sent to the expansion chamber 21 at a pressure such as to deform at least the end of the pipeline 1 and the sleeve 15.
• the end of the pipeline 1 plastically deforms and occupies wholly or partly the free space of the annular recesses 12 and 13 and hooks to the annular projection 11.
• the sleeve 15 is also subject to a plastic deformation and adapts to the shape of the end of the pipeline 1 and hermetically adheres to it.
• the deformation produced by the expandable mandrel 14 comprises partly a plastic deformation and partly an elastic deformation which comprises an elastic return.
• the elastic return of the end of the pipeline 1 is greater than the elastic return of the sleeve 15. Consequently, the sleeve 15 adheres intimately to the end of the pipeline 1.
• cold forging Said operation which comprises cold plastic deformation of the metal parts is called cold forging.
• the present description refers to an expandable hydroforming mandrel 14
• the present invention in its broadest form is not limited to the use of the expandable mandrel 14 but comprises the use of mandrels in which the plastic deformation is obtained directly with mechanical members.
• Figure 4 illustrates a tubular assembly 22 obtained by the method described and comprising the pipeline 1, the tubular member 2, and the sleeve 15 joined to one another.
• the sleeve 15 has the function of shielding the area between the pipeline 1 and the tubular face 10 of the tubular member 2 so that the corrosive fluid cannot come into contact with the front face 5 and the outer face 6 of the pipeline 1.
• tubular member 2 has a tubular face 10 particularly extended in the axial direction, a particularly long sleeve 15, and an expandable mandrel 14 adapted to define two expansion chambers 21 and, therefore, two separate deformation areas in an axial direction .
• the tubular assembly 22 obtained with the method shown, at least partly, in figures 5 to 7 comprises two deformed areas in which the sleeve 15 has been hermetically sealed, on one side to the tubular member 2 and on the other side to the pipeline 1.
• the areas involved in the deformation are arranged on opposite sides with respect to the area in which the front face 5 of the pipeline 1 is arranged.
• the groove would allow an excessive flow of material inside the groove itself and would make the sleeve 15 excessively thin, thereby excessively reducing the thickness of the sleeve 15 in that area to the extent of jeopardising the corrosion protection.
• the tubular assembly 22 comprises a sleeve 115, which is provided with a turn-up 116 and is fitted on the end of the pipeline 1 to cover part of the inner face 4, the front face 5 and part of the outer face 6.
• the turn-up 116 is housed in the annular recess 12.
• the method for producing the tubular assembly 22 of figure 9 comprises fitting the sleeve 115 on the end of the pipeline 1, arranging the tubular member 2 around the end of the pipeline 1, inserting the expandable mandrel 14 inside the pipeline 1 and the tubular member 2, and deforming the area of the pipeline 1 and sleeve 115 at the annular projection 11 and at the annular recesses 12 and 13.
• the sleeve 15 is arranged solely at the inner wall 4 of the end of the pipeline 1 at the annular projection 11 and the annular recesses 12 and 13, and has the function of preventing excessive stretching and weakening of the coating of the wall 3.
• the front face 5 and the portion of outer face 6 housed in the annular recess 12 are protected by an anticorrosion alloy coating .
• a tubular assembly 22 is illustrated in which the tubular member 2 has a duct 23 which extends through the tubular body 8 and emerges along the tubular face 10, and in which a sleeve 15 has been cold forged to the tubular body 8 along the tubular face 10 and comprises an annular area 24 in which the sleeve 15 is arranged to contact the tubular portion 8, and two annular areas 25 and 26, which are arranged on opposite sides of the annular area 24 and are forged and sealed to the tubular portion 8.
• the duct 23 emerges at the area 24 and allows pressurized fluid to be pumped to test the seal of the joints in the annular areas 25 and 26.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Protection Of Pipes Against Damage, Friction, And Corrosion (AREA)
• Non-Disconnectible Joints And Screw-Threaded Joints (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

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Citations (10)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2015
  • 2015-02-25 NO NO15714641A patent/NO3110575T3/no unknown
  • 2015-02-25 WO PCT/IB2015/051400 patent/WO2015128813A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2015-02-25 EP EP15714641.6A patent/EP3110575B1/en not_active Not-in-force
  • 2015-02-25 US US15/120,968 patent/US10286440B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (10)

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