Pigging and pitching device and method

Abstract

The pipe cleaning and ball throwing device comprises a ball storage barrel, a ball throwing valve and an oil conveying pipeline, the ball throwing valve comprises a shell, a ball body and a moving part, the ball storage barrel is arranged on the top face of the shell, a spherical valve cavity is formed in the shell, the ball body is rotatably arranged in the spherical valve cavity, and the moving part is arranged on the top face of the ball storage barrel. A straight channel penetrating through the sphere center and the two ends of the sphere body is formed in the sphere body, and the moving piece can be arranged in the straight channel in an axial moving mode. The length of the moving part is smaller than that of the straight channel, the two ends of the moving part are closed faces, and the outer side wall of the moving part can be attached to the inner wall of the straight channel. The oil conveying pipeline can penetrate through the shell in a sealed mode and is located below the ball, a ball throwing opening is formed in the oil conveying pipeline, and when the straight channel is in a vertical state, the two ports of the straight channel can be in butt joint communication with the lower port of the ball storage barrel and the ball throwing opening correspondingly. According to the invention, crude oil with pressure in the oil pipeline can be effectively prevented from being accumulated in the ball injection valve or brought into the normal-pressure ball storage cylinder.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of crude oil transportation, and in particular to a pipe cleaning ball throwing device and method. Background Art

[0002] Mechanical wax removal is a simple and effective wax removal method. Its principle is to put a pipe cleaner into the pipeline, use the oil flow to push the pipe cleaner to move, scrape off the crystallized wax attached to the pipe wall, and take it out of the pipeline. This method is simple to operate, highly applicable, and low in cost. It is the main wax removal method used in pipeline crude oil gathering and transportation. Currently, the commonly used pipe cleaners can be divided into straight pipe cleaners suitable for cleaning large diameter pipes (above Φ114) and spherical pipe cleaners suitable for cleaning small and medium diameter pipes (below Φ114).

[0003] For a spherical pipe cleaner for cleaning small and medium-sized pipes, for example, the prior art discloses an intelligent ball thrower and control method (invention patent publication number CN 114643239 A), which throws balls through a plunger rod in conjunction with a ball storage barrel. However, the ball throwing through the plunger rod will inevitably drive part of the crude oil into the ball storage casing.

[0004] For another example, the prior art also discloses an intelligent ball-dropping device (invention patent with publication number CN 113182293 A), which adds a ball-dropping valve to the front section of a push rod, drops the ball by rotating the ball-dropping valve, and installs a rubber sealing ring in the circumferential direction of the ball-dropping valve. However, the device will also bring some crude oil into the ball storage tube during the ball-dropping process.

[0005] For another example, the prior art also discloses an automatic ball throwing device for pipelines (utility model patent with authorization number CN 215031982U), which is widely used in the current market. It throws the ball into the pipeline by rotating a spherical valve with a depression. However, the device cannot solve the problem of oil leakage.

[0006] In the current research on ball throwing mechanisms, the focus is on structural improvement and innovation. At present, reciprocating or rotary motion mechanisms are mainly used for ball throwing. Since crude oil runs under pressure in the oil pipeline, and the upper space of the cleaning ball throwing mechanism is a normal pressure space, during the ball throwing operation, crude oil will splash onto the ball throwing valve and be carried to the ball storage barrel or accumulate inside the ball throwing valve as the mechanism runs, which will cause poor ball throwing in the actual production operation process. It is necessary for a dedicated person to regularly clean and discharge the accumulated crude oil in the ball throwing valve and the ball storage barrel, which increases the labor intensity of on-site operators and causes environmental pollution. In terms of intelligent ball throwing, since the problems caused by the above-mentioned hardware structure have not been overcome, it cannot be truly automated and intelligent.

[0007] Therefore, the inventor, relying on many years of experience and practice in related industries, proposes a pipe cleaning ball throwing device and method to overcome the defects of the prior art. Summary of the invention

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a pipe cleaning ball dropping device and method, which can effectively prevent the pressurized crude oil in the oil pipeline from accumulating in the ball dropping valve or being brought into the ball storage cylinder at normal pressure.

[0009] The above-mentioned purpose of the present invention can be achieved by adopting the following technical solutions:

[0010] The present invention provides a pipe cleaning ball throwing device, comprising:

[0011] A vertically arranged ball storage cylinder is used to store wax cleaning balls;

[0012] A ball valve comprises a shell, a ball and a moving part. The ball storage cylinder is arranged on the top surface of the shell. The shell has a spherical valve cavity. The ball is rotatably arranged in the spherical valve cavity. A straight channel penetrating the center and both ends of the ball is opened in the sphere. The moving part is axially movable in the straight channel. The length of the moving part is less than the length of the straight channel. Both ends of the moving part are closed surfaces, and the outer wall of the moving part can fit with the inner wall of the straight channel.

[0013] And a horizontally arranged oil pipeline can pass through the shell in a sealed manner and is located below the ball. A ball delivery port is provided on the oil pipeline. When the straight channel is in a vertical state, its two ends can be connected to the lower end of the ball storage barrel and the ball delivery port respectively.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, both end surfaces of the moving member are convex spherical surfaces, and the curvature of the convex spherical surface matches the curvature of the spherical surface of the sphere.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the moving part is a straight cylinder with closed ends, a long hole is opened on the side wall of the cylinder, and a transmission part is provided in the moving part. The inner end of the first valve stem can pass through the shell, the sphere and the long hole in sequence and be connected to the transmission part. The first valve stem can drive the moving part to move through the transmission part.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transmission member includes a gear and a rack, the rack is fixed on the inner wall of the moving member, and the length direction of the rack is arranged along the axial direction of the moving member, and the gear is fixed on the inner end of the first valve stem and meshes with the rack.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ball valve also includes a first drive device and a second drive device, the first drive device is connected to the outer end of the first valve stem and can drive the first valve stem to rotate, and the second drive device is connected to the ball through the second valve stem and can drive the ball to rotate.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, annular grooves are provided on the outer walls at both ends of the moving member, and sealing rings are embedded in the annular grooves, and the outer wall of the sealing ring can contact the inner wall of the straight channel.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the shell includes a valve body and a valve seat, the valve body includes a cubic shell surrounded by a top plate, a bottom plate and side plates, the valve seat is a cubic block with a spherical valve cavity formed inside, the valve seat is sealed and fixed in the valve body and forms an accommodating cavity between the valve seat and the bottom plate, the oil pipeline is passed through the accommodating cavity, and the bottom end of the ball storage cylinder is fixedly connected to the top plate.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a first pressure sensor is provided on the oil pipeline near the ball throwing port, and a second pressure sensor is provided on the oil pipeline near the end of its conveying direction; the pipe cleaning ball throwing device also includes a controller, which is electrically connected to the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor, and can adjust the ball throwing frequency according to the pressure difference detected by the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pipe cleaning ball throwing device also includes an alarm, and the controller is connected to the alarm and can control the alarm to emit an alarm sound when the pressure difference detected by the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor is greater than a preset value.

[0022] The present invention also provides a pipe cleaning ball throwing method, which uses the above-mentioned pipe cleaning ball throwing device to throw balls, and the pipe cleaning ball throwing method comprises:

[0023] S1. Adjust the moving part to the current bottom end of the straight channel so that the space above the moving part in the straight channel can accommodate a wax cleaning ball;

[0024] S2, drive the sphere to rotate 180°;

[0025] S3, driving the moving part to move downward to the current bottom end of the straight channel to complete a pitching action;

[0026] S4. According to the set pitching frequency, after each preset time interval, repeat steps S2 and S3 to perform the next pitching.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pitching frequency is determined as follows:

[0028] The pressure difference between the beginning and the end of the oil pipeline is detected in real time, and the current pitching frequency is adjusted and determined in real time according to the pressure difference.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pipe cleaning ball throwing device also includes an alarm, and when the pressure difference exceeds a preset value, the alarm sounds an alarm.

[0030] As described above, the present application can synchronize the ball catching and throwing actions by providing a movable moving part inside the sphere, without the need to install additional plunger rod components outside the mechanism, thereby greatly reducing the equipment space. At the same time, on the one hand, since the outer wall of the moving part matches the shape of the inner wall of the straight channel, a seal is formed between the two, and the gap is extremely small. Moreover, when the ball is thrown, the moving part can move downward and push the wax cleaning ball downward, so that the crude oil splashed in the space for transporting the wax cleaning ball can be pushed into the oil pipeline. On the other hand, since the inner wall of the spherical valve cavity matches the spherical shape of the sphere, a seal is formed between the two, and the gap is extremely small. When the ball is thrown next time after the previous ball is thrown, the inner wall of the spherical valve cavity will scrape off the crude oil contaminated on the surface of the ball when the ball rotates. Therefore, the upper space will basically not be exposed to oil pollution when the wax cleaning ball is transported next time, which effectively avoids the pressurized crude oil in the oil pipeline from accumulating in the ball throwing valve or being brought into the ball storage barrel at normal pressure, ensuring smooth ball throwing. Basically, there is no need for special personnel to regularly clean the accumulated crude oil in the ball throwing valve and the ball storage barrel, which reduces the labor intensity of workers. The whole device has a simple structure, is safe and reliable, and has a long service life. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The following drawings are only intended to illustrate and explain the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0032] in:

[0033] Figure 1 : A front view of the pipe cleaning ball throwing device provided by the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 :for Figure 1 sectional view of .

[0035] Figure 3 : Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of the structure.

[0036] Figure 4 : A side view of the pipe cleaning ball throwing device provided by the present invention.

[0037] Figure 5 :for Figure 4 sectional view of .

[0038] Figure 6 : Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of the structure.

[0039] Figure 7 : A top view of the pipe cleaning ball throwing device provided by the present invention.

[0040] Figure 8 : A schematic diagram of the pipe cleaning ball throwing device provided by the present invention in an initial state during operation.

[0041] Fig. 9: It is a schematic diagram of the pipe cleaning ball throwing device provided by the present invention after the ball rotates 180° during operation.

[0042] Fig.10 : A schematic diagram of a moving part of the pipe cleaning ball throwing device provided by the present invention moving downward to the bottom during operation.

[0043] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0044] 100. Ball valve;

[0045] 1. Shell; 11. Upper opening; 12. Lower opening; 13. Valve body; 131. Top plate; 132. Bottom plate; 133. Side plate; 14. Valve seat; 141. Protrusion; 15. Accommodating cavity; 16. Support;

[0046] 2. sphere; 21. straight channel; 22. first oil-free bearing; 23. second oil-free bearing;

[0047] 3. Moving part; 31. Convex spherical surface; 32. Long hole;

[0048] 4. Transmission parts; 41. Gear; 42. Rack;

[0049] 5. a first driving device; 51. a first valve stem;

[0050] 6. Second driving device; 61. Second valve stem;

[0051] 200, ball storage cylinder; 201, wax cleaning ball; 202, capping;

[0052] 300. Oil pipeline; 301. Ball injection port; 302. Bypass tee. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] In order to have a clearer understanding of the technical features, purposes and effects of the present invention, specific embodiments of the present invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0054] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown, the present application provides a pipe cleaning ball throwing device, comprising:

[0055] A vertically arranged ball storage cylinder 200 is used to store wax cleaning balls 201;

[0056] A ball valve 100 includes a housing 1, a ball 2 and a moving part 3. A ball storage cylinder 200 is arranged on the top surface of the housing 1. The housing 1 has a spherical valve cavity. The ball 2 is rotatably arranged in the spherical valve cavity. A straight channel 21 penetrating the center and both ends of the ball 2 is provided in the ball 2. The moving part 3 is axially movable in the straight channel 21. The length of the moving part 3 is less than the length of the straight channel 21. Both ends of the moving part 3 are closed surfaces, and the outer wall of the moving part 3 can fit with the inner wall of the straight channel 21.

[0057] And a horizontally arranged oil pipeline 300, which can sealably pass through the shell 1 and is located below the sphere 2, is provided with a ball delivery port 301, and when the straight channel 21 is in a vertical state, its two ends can be connected to the lower end of the ball storage barrel 200 and the ball delivery port 301 respectively.

[0058] Among them, the length of the moving part 3 should meet the following requirements: Figure 8 When the straight channel 21 shown in the figure is in a vertical state and the moving part 3 moves to the lower end of the straight channel 21, the space in the straight channel 21 located above the moving part 3 can be used to accommodate a wax cleaning ball 201. The above-mentioned sphere 2 should be a sphere 2 with a smooth outer surface, and the inner wall of the spherical valve cavity is a smooth wall surface. The sphere 2 can fit tightly with the inner wall of the spherical valve cavity and the sphere 2 can rotate. An upper opening 11 and a lower opening 12 connected to the spherical valve cavity are provided on the shell 1. The upper opening 11 is connected to the bottom end of the ball storage barrel 200, and the lower opening 12 is connected to the ball delivery port 301; the sphere 2 can be arranged according to Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in the figure, part of it extends out of the lower opening 12, and can also be located above the lower opening 12; when the straight channel 21 moves to a vertical state, its upper end is connected with the ball storage barrel 200 through the upper opening 11, and its lower end is directly connected with the ball delivery port 301 or connected with the ball delivery port 301 through the lower opening 12.

[0059] In the initial state, refer to Figure 8 , the straight channel 21 is in a vertical state, the moving member 3 is located at the bottom of the straight channel 21, and a wax cleaning ball 201 located at the bottom of the ball storage cylinder 200 falls into the upper space of the straight channel 21; when the ball needs to be thrown, refer to Fig. 9 , drive the ball 2 to rotate 180°, and the ball 2 and the internal moving part 3 also rotate 180° together, the wax cleaning ball 201 is rotated to the bottom of the current straight channel 21 and reaches the ball injection port 301; drive the moving part 3 to move downward, pushing to ensure that the wax cleaning ball 201 falls into the oil pipeline 300; in the process of the moving part 3 gradually moving downward, the upper space of the straight channel 21 is gradually vacated, and the next wax cleaning ball 201 gradually falls into the straight channel 21. Fig.10 When the moving member 3 moves to the bottom end of the straight channel 21 again, it returns to the initial state and waits for the next pitch.

[0060] Therefore, the device of the present application can synchronize the ball catching and throwing actions by arranging a movable moving part 3 in the spherical body 2, without the need to install additional plunger rod components outside the mechanism, thereby greatly reducing the equipment space. At the same time, on the one hand, since the outer wall of the movable part 3 matches the shape of the inner wall of the straight channel 21, a seal is formed between the two, and the gap is extremely small. When pitching, the movable part 3 can move downward and push the wax cleaning ball 201 downward, so that the crude oil splashed in the space for transporting the wax cleaning ball 201 can be pushed into the oil pipeline 300; on the other hand, since the inner wall of the spherical valve cavity matches the spherical shape of the sphere 2, a seal is formed between the two, and the gap is extremely small. When the next pitch is made after the previous pitch is completed, the inner wall of the spherical valve cavity will scrape off the crude oil contaminated on the surface of the sphere 2 when the sphere 2 rotates; thereby achieving that the upper space will basically not be exposed to oil pollution when the wax cleaning ball 201 is transported next time, effectively avoiding the pressurized crude oil in the oil pipeline 300 from accumulating in the ball-dropping valve 100 or being brought into the ball storage barrel 200 at normal pressure, ensuring smooth pitching, and basically no need for special personnel to regularly clean the accumulated crude oil in the ball-dropping valve 100 and the ball storage barrel 200, reducing the labor intensity of workers, and the whole device has a simple structure, is safe and reliable, and has a long service life.

[0061] In a preferred embodiment, referring to Figure 3 Both end surfaces of the moving member 3 are convex spherical surfaces 31 , and the curvature of the convex spherical surface 31 matches the curvature of the spherical surface of the sphere 2 .

[0062] The two end faces of the moving part 3 are designed to be convex spherical surfaces 31 with the same arc surface as the sphere 2. When the moving part 3 moves to the bottom end of the straight channel 21, the lower part of the sphere 2 is connected with the convex spherical surface 31 at the bottom end of the moving part 3 to form a smooth and complete spherical surface and almost all the crude oil is pushed out of the sphere 2 (valve core); during the rotation of the ball-dropping valve 100, since the convex spherical surface 31 and the outer surface of the sphere 2 form a complete and smooth spherical surface, they can fit tightly with the inner wall of the spherical valve cavity with a very small gap, and the crude oil will not be brought into the ball storage barrel 200. This design has the characteristics of simple structure, stable operation, and not easy to be damaged. It can effectively prevent the crude oil from being brought out of the oil pipeline 300, and realize almost zero contact between the ball storage barrel 200 and the oil pipeline 300, and there is almost zero discharge and zero pollution of crude oil in the ball-dropping process.

[0063] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 6 The moving part 3 is a straight cylinder with closed ends, and a long hole 32 is opened on the side wall of the cylinder. A transmission part 4 is provided in the moving part 3. The inner end of the first valve stem 51 can pass through the shell 1, the ball 2 and the long hole 32 in sequence and be connected to the transmission part 4. The first valve stem 51 can drive the moving part 3 to move through the transmission part 4.

[0064] The structure of the transmission member 4 can be implemented as follows, for example: the transmission member 4 includes a gear 41 and a rack 42, the rack 42 is fixed on the inner wall of the moving member 3, and the length direction of the rack 42 is arranged along the axial direction of the moving member 3, the gear 41 is fixed on the inner end of the first valve stem 51 and meshes with the rack 42.

[0065] The straight tube can be a cylindrical structure, for example, the gear 41 is coaxially arranged with the first valve stem 51 and the rotation axis of the ball 2; the length direction of the long hole 32 is arranged along the axial direction of the moving part 3, and the gear 41 is always at the center of the ball 2 during the ball throwing process. Fig. 9 , the ball 2 rotates 180° with the moving part 3. During this rotation, the gear 41 rotates with the rack 42; Fig.10 When the first valve stem 51 drives the gear 41 to rotate, the gear 41 drives the rack 42 to move downward, thereby driving the moving member 3 to move downward together.

[0066] In order to facilitate the rotation of the ball 2 and the gear 41, refer to Figure 5 The ball valve 100 also includes a first drive device 5 and a second drive device 6. The first drive device 5 is connected to the outer end of the first valve stem 51 and can drive the first valve stem 51 to rotate. The second drive device 6 is connected to the ball 2 through the second valve stem 61 and can drive the ball 2 to rotate.

[0067] The rotation axis of the gear 41 and the rotation axis of the ball 2 should be coaxially arranged, and correspondingly, the first valve stem 51 and the second valve stem 61 are coaxially arranged. The first drive device 5 and the second drive device 6 can be electric actuators, or other drive mechanisms can be used as long as they can conveniently drive the ball 2 or the gear 41 to rotate.

[0068] In order to further prevent crude oil from entering the ball valve 100, refer to Figure 3 , annular grooves are provided on the outer walls of both ends of the moving member 3, and sealing rings are embedded in the annular grooves, and the outer wall of the sealing ring can contact the inner wall of the straight channel 21. The specific number of sealing rings can be determined according to actual needs. For example, in this embodiment, three sealing rings are sleeved on both ends of the moving member 3.

[0069] Further, in order to facilitate processing and installation, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The housing 1 includes a valve body 13 and a valve seat 14. The valve body 13 includes a cubic shell formed by a top plate 131, a bottom plate 132 and a side plate 133. The valve seat 14 is a cubic block with a spherical valve cavity formed inside. The valve seat 14 is sealed and fixed in the valve body 13 and forms an accommodating cavity 15 between the valve seat 14 and the bottom plate 132. The oil pipeline 300 is penetrated in the accommodating cavity 15, and the bottom end of the ball storage cylinder 200 is fixedly connected to the top plate 131.

[0070] The bottom plate 132 and the side plate 133 can be fixed by welding, and the top plate 131 and the side plate 133 can be fixed by bolts and other fasteners. The valve seat 14 can be clamped in the valve body 13 by pressing. For example, a support step can be provided on the inner wall of the side plate 133, and a groove can be provided on the bottom surface of the top plate 131. The outer periphery of the bottom surface of the valve seat 14 is supported against the support step, and the protrusion 141 on the top surface of the valve seat 14 is inserted in the groove. After the top plate 131 and the side plate 133 are fixed, the valve core can be pressed and fixed in the valve body 13. At the same time, corresponding sealing rings need to be added between the valve seat 14 and the side plate 133, and between the side plate 133 and the top plate 131 to ensure sealing. The above-mentioned accommodating chamber 15 constitutes a sealed chamber. When in use, the crude oil in the oil pipeline 300 will enter the sealed chamber, but it does not affect the ball throwing action of the ball throwing valve 100. The valve seat 14 can be formed by connecting the upper and lower parts to facilitate processing and assembly. Corresponding openings should be provided on the top of the top plate 131 and the valve seat 14 to form the above-mentioned upper opening 11, and the above-mentioned lower opening 12 is opened at the bottom of the valve seat 14.

[0071] Generally, a first mounting hole and a second mounting hole are coaxially arranged on opposite sides of the sphere 2. The first valve stem 51 passes through the first mounting hole and the long hole 32 on the moving part 3 and is fixedly connected to the gear 41. Generally, a first oil-free bearing 22 and a second oil-free bearing 23 are respectively installed in the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole in an interference fit manner. The first valve stem 51 passes through the first oil-free bearing 22 and then extends into the straight cylinder, passes through the gear 41, and then extends into the second oil-free bearing 23. The first valve stem 51 and the two oil-free bearings are clearance-matched. The use of oil-free bearings can prevent the material from being roughened during rotation and ensure the service life. The inner side end of the second valve stem 61 is fixed in the second mounting hole to be fixed to the sphere 2. Generally, a corresponding sealing ring is sandwiched between the first valve stem 51, the second valve stem 61 and the sphere 2 to further prevent crude oil from entering the sphere 2.

[0072] As for the material of the above-mentioned shell 1, a steel shell is preferably used to have the characteristics of corrosion resistance and wear resistance, thereby increasing the service life of the equipment. A support 16 can also be fixed to the bottom of the shell 1, and the support 16 can be fixed to the corresponding platform by fasteners to support the entire device. The above-mentioned ball storage cylinder 200 is a cylindrical structure with openings at both ends, and a detachable cover 202 is provided at its top. The entire device can adopt a modular and standardized design to facilitate installation and disassembly. Of course, the shell 1 can also adopt other processing and installation methods as needed, and the material of the shell 1 can also adopt other materials. This embodiment is only for example.

[0073] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 7Generally, a bypass tee 302 is connected to both sides of the ball valve 100 on the oil pipeline 300, and the bypass interfaces of the two bypass tees 302 are connected by a pipeline so that the oil pipeline 300 can continue to transport oil in the case of maintenance.

[0074] Furthermore, a first pressure sensor is provided on the oil pipeline 300 and near the ball throwing port 301, and a second pressure sensor is provided on the oil pipeline 300 and near the end of its conveying direction; the pipe cleaning ball throwing device also includes a controller, which is electrically connected to the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor, and can adjust the ball throwing frequency according to the pressure difference detected by the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor (the ball throwing frequency here specifically refers to the time interval between each ball throwing).

[0075] Furthermore, the pipe cleaning ball throwing device also includes an alarm, and the controller is connected to the alarm and can control the alarm to emit an alarm sound when the pressure difference detected by the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor is greater than a preset value.

[0076] The controller is also electrically connected to the first driving device 5 and the second driving device 6, and controls the first driving device 5 or the second driving device 6 to operate when pitching is required.

[0077] The above-mentioned pipe cleaning ball throwing device is specifically installed in the oil pipeline 300 at a position close to the starting end of its transportation direction, that is, the first pressure sensor is located at the starting end of the oil pipeline 300, and the second pressure sensor is located at the end of the oil pipeline 300. The controller can dynamically adjust the ball throwing frequency according to the pressure difference between the previous and next moments of the oil pipeline 300. As shown in Table 1, when the two pressure sensors detect that the pipeline pressure difference is in area A, it means that the current pipeline wax accumulation level is low, and the pipe cleaning ball throwing device throws the ball once every 24 hours; when the pipeline pressure difference is detected to be in area B, it means that the current pipeline wax accumulation level is moderate, and the pipe cleaning ball throwing device throws the ball once every 12 hours; when the pipeline pressure difference is detected to be in area C, it means that the current pipeline wax accumulation level is high, and the pipe cleaning ball throwing device throws the ball once every 8 hours; when the pipeline pressure difference is detected to be in area D, it means that the current pipeline pressure difference exceeds the safety value, the pipe cleaning ball throwing device enters a safety locking state, and reports the abnormal situation to the relevant operator.

[0078] Table 1 Pipeline pressure difference and ball throwing frequency

[0079]

[0080] Of course, the pressure difference area division and pitching frequency listed above are just examples and need to be adjusted according to actual working conditions.

[0081] More specifically, the working principle of the entire pigging device is as follows:

[0082] The cleaning ball throwing device is installed at the ball throwing position of the oil pipeline 300, and a certain number of wax cleaning balls 201 are placed in the ball storage cylinder 200. The ball throwing valve 100 in the whole device is composed of a smooth sphere and a sphere hollow groove cubic shell, which are in close contact to form a sealing effect. The rotation and straight cylinder operation of the ball 2 inside the ball throwing valve 100 are realized by an electric actuator. The inside of the sphere 2 is a movable straight cylinder that passes through the center of the circle. The upper and lower end faces of the straight cylinder are the same as the arc surface of the sphere 2. It can only move inside the sphere 2, and its length is less than the diameter of the sphere 2. The inside of the straight cylinder moves with the help of a gear 41 transmission. When the straight cylinder completes the ball throwing action, the entire lower valve body 13 is a spherical surface.

[0083] At work, Figures 8 to 10 As shown, the action of the straight cylinder pushing out the wax cleaning ball 201 and the action of the wax cleaning ball 201 receiving in the ball storage cylinder 200 are in a synchronous state (the straight cylinder pushes out a wax cleaning ball 201 into the oil pipeline 300, and the other end enters a wax cleaning ball 201 waiting to be released); when the wax cleaning ball 201 is being transported by the ball-dropping valve 100, the ball-dropping valve 100 rotates in the cube and is tightly sealed, so that the ball storage area (normal pressure area) of the device and the ball-dropping area (pressure area) of the oil pipeline 300 are isolated from each other, almost There will be no situation where crude oil is brought out; when the wax cleaning ball 201 reaches the ball throwing port 301, the straight cylinder pushes the wax cleaning ball 201 to ensure that it enters the oil pipeline 300, and at the same time, the crude oil splashed in the space for transporting the wax cleaning ball 201 is pushed into the oil pipeline 300, and when the ball is thrown next time, the ball 2 of the ball throwing valve 100 rotates to scrape off the crude oil contaminated on the surface of the ball 2, ensuring that the upper space is almost never exposed to oil pollution when the wax cleaning ball 201 is transported next time, truly realizing almost zero emission and zero external emission of the ball thrower.

[0084] In terms of software design, by setting relevant pressure difference parameters through the software system, the pipe cleaning ball throwing device will automatically throw balls according to the current pipeline pressure difference, and can upload the ball throwing status data in real time as needed (which can be achieved by any existing method), and the administrator can remotely view the operating status of the pipe cleaning ball throwing device, the number of remaining wax cleaning balls 201 and the operating status of the device; and when a special situation occurs during the operation of the pipe cleaning ball throwing device (such as ball failure, force majeure factors causing damage to the mechanism, etc.), the pipe cleaning ball throwing device will immediately send out an emergency alarm to notify the management personnel to check and enter the safety protection system. The entire pipe cleaning ball throwing device will no longer perform any ball throwing action to ensure the normal operation of the oil pipeline 300, and later troubleshooting and replacement can be carried out through the maintenance pipe.

[0085] Furthermore, the specific working steps of the pipe cleaning and ball throwing device are as follows:

[0086] Step 1: Determine the interface pipe diameter of the cleaning ball device, the specifications of the wax cleaning balls 201, and the storage capacity of the wax cleaning balls 201 according to the specifications of the oil pipeline and the wax content of the crude oil in the area;

[0087] Step 2, install the pipe cleaning ball throwing device at the beginning of the wax cleaning pipeline, and install the wax cleaning ball 201;

[0088] Step 3: Configure the operating system working pressure parameters and frequency and start the pigging and ball throwing device; (The specific optimal pressure area parameters and ball throwing frequency should be determined by research and analysis based on the different working conditions of different pipelines)

[0089] Step 4: The pigging ball throwing device performs intelligent ball throwing action according to the monitored pipeline pressure value;

[0090] Step 5: Under program control, the electric actuator drives the ball 2 to rotate, and the movable straight cylinder inside the ball valve 100 also performs corresponding actions in accordance with the program;

[0091] Step 6, when the wax cleaning ball 201 is transported to the ball delivery port 301 of the oil pipeline 300, the straight cylinder moves downward to push out the wax cleaning ball 201, and at the same time, a wax cleaning ball 201 enters the space above the straight cylinder;

[0092] Step 7: The system performs a status self-check, sends data such as the number of balls dropped, the remaining number of wax cleaning balls 201 in the ball storage cylinder 200, and the operating status of the pigging ball dropping device to the station center, and saves the pressure data in the pipeline in real time;

[0093] Step 8: The cleaning ball throwing device enters the standby state, waiting for the next ball throwing.

[0094] In summary, the pipe cleaning ball throwing device in this embodiment has the following advantages:

[0095] (1) The ball valve 100 forms a sealing structure through the ball 2 and the spherical cavity cubic shell, and the shell 1 is made of steel. The entire ball valve 100 is a ball valve 100 used for clearing and cleaning the oil pipeline 300 when it is blocked or waxed during the oil collection and transportation process. It has the characteristics of corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and high sealing, which greatly extends the service life of the equipment. The ball valve 100 will not have problems such as puncture and leakage.

[0096] (2) It is mainly designed for small and medium-sized pipes in the process of gathering and transporting crude oil in oil fields, which can meet the actual needs of small and medium-sized pipes in oil fields. It solves the problem that the ball-dropping pipe cleaner in the oil pipeline of the well site needs to be manually cleaned of oil stains at regular intervals. It is safe and environmentally friendly, improves the efficiency of the ball-dropping work, and reduces the failure rate.

[0097] (3) The problem that during the cleaning of the oil pipeline 300, the ball-dropping valve of the conventional pipe cleaning device is prone to bring crude oil into the area to be dropped or into the normal pressure space during the ball-dropping process, causing pollution of the area to be dropped and poor ball delivery. It is necessary to regularly clean the crude oil in the ball-dropping device. At the same time, in order to overcome the problem of poor ball delivery, the relevant products use a reciprocating mechanism (such as a plunger rod) to push the ball, which further increases the complexity of the device and fails to solve the problem of crude oil pollution. In this embodiment, a reciprocating mechanism (i.e., a moving part 3) driven by a gear 41 and a rack 42 is installed inside the ball-dropping valve 100, thereby achieving the functions of synchronously receiving and dropping the ball, and both ends of the moving part 3 have the same arc surface as the ball valve. When the moving part 3 moves to one end, this part of the ball valve can form a smooth sphere and push the crude oil out of the valve core. During the rotation of the ball valve, the crude oil will not be brought into the ball storage barrel 200; the entire ball-dropping valve 100 can achieve the effect of almost no contact between the ball storage barrel 200 and the oil pipeline 300, zero crude oil discharge to the outside, and no need for regular maintenance, and the equipment has good sealing performance and a long service life.

[0098] In the initial working position, the straight cylinder inside the ball-dropping valve 100 is in a vertical state. At this time, the wax-clearing ball 201 of the ball storage barrel 200 falls into the empty area of ​​the straight cylinder. Then the ball 2 of the ball-dropping valve 100 rotates. When it reaches the position of the oil pipeline 300, the straight cylinder mechanism moves down and pushes the wax-clearing ball 201 into the oil pipeline 300. At the same time, the upper part of the straight cylinder will be vacated again to perform the ball storage barrel receiving action, waiting for the next ball-dropping action to occur. The device has a simple structure, is not easy to damage, is safe and reliable, has high stability, and operates efficiently and reliably. There is no need to install an additional reciprocating mechanism, which reduces the overall complexity of the ball-dropping mechanism, makes the ball-dropping mechanism more compact, saves mechanism space, and increases the robustness of the ball-dropping mechanism.

[0099] (4) The entire pipe cleaning ball throwing device is an automated mechanism for clearing and cleaning the oil pipeline 300 that is blocked or waxed during the oil collection and transportation process. It is an intelligent closed pipe cleaning ball throwing mechanism. The hardware system and the software system work together. The software system includes the above-mentioned controller, two pressure sensors and a fault alarm system (i.e., the above-mentioned alarm). A real-time monitoring system for the operating status can be added as needed (so that the pipe cleaning ball throwing device can provide real-time feedback on the number of wax cleaning balls 201 in the current ball storage barrel of the mechanism, the number of balls thrown, the operating status of the mechanism, etc.) and an emergency safety protection system (to lock the pipe cleaning ball throwing device in the event of a fault).

[0100] The software control system is highly integrated and intelligent. It can dynamically adjust the ball throwing frequency by collecting the pressure difference in the oil pipeline 300, thereby realizing the intelligent operation of the pipe cleaning ball throwing device. In addition, the management personnel can remotely monitor the operating status of the equipment and obtain real-time information such as the number of balls thrown by the current equipment and the number of remaining balls in the ball storage cylinder 200. At the same time, the equipment will issue a fault alarm and a safety protection automatic shutdown system in the event of an emergency, thereby ensuring the safe and stable operation of the gathering and transportation pipeline.

[0101] Furthermore, the present application also provides a pipe cleaning ball throwing method, which uses the above-mentioned pipe cleaning ball throwing device to perform ball throwing, and the pipe cleaning ball throwing method includes:

[0102] S1, adjusting the moving member 3 to the current bottom end of the straight channel 21, so that the space above the moving member 3 in the straight channel 21 can accommodate a wax cleaning ball 201;

[0103] S2, drive sphere 2 to rotate 180°;

[0104] S3, driving the moving member 3 to move downward to the current bottom end of the straight channel 21, completing a pitching action;

[0105] S4. According to the set pitching frequency, after each preset time interval, repeat steps S2 and S3 to perform the next pitching.

[0106] The specific pitching process has been described in detail above and will not be repeated here. The entire pipe cleaning pitching method uses the above-mentioned pipe cleaning pitching device to perform pitching, and has the same advantages as the above-mentioned device.

[0107] Furthermore, the pitching frequency is determined as follows:

[0108] The pressure difference between the beginning and the end of the oil pipeline 300 is detected in real time, and the current pitching frequency is adjusted and determined in real time according to the pressure difference.

[0109] The specific pressure is detected in real time by the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor mentioned above. By installing a pressure sensor to monitor the pressure difference parameter of the oil pipeline 300, the perception and evaluation of the pipeline blockage state can be realized, thereby controlling the pigging ball throwing device to dynamically adjust the ball throwing frequency. The pipeline measurement data can also be retained in a unified data format as needed, laying a foundation for oil field and artificial intelligence pipeline network status monitoring.

[0110] Furthermore, the pipe cleaning ball throwing device also includes an alarm, and when the pressure difference exceeds a preset value, the alarm sounds an alarm.

[0111] In summary, the entire cleaning ball throwing device and method solves the problems that during the cleaning of the oil pipeline 300, the conventional cleaning device mechanism is easily contaminated by crude oil during the ball throwing process, and the crude oil in the mechanism needs to be cleaned and discharged regularly, as well as the leakage problem caused by the structural design and insufficient performance of the sealing material; the entire intelligent closed ball throwing device can make the ball storage barrel 200 and the oil pipeline 300 have no contact up and down, almost zero discharge, and the ball throwing valve 100 has almost zero external discharge of crude oil, and does not require regular maintenance, etc., and the equipment has good sealing performance and long service life. The mechanism has a simple structure, is safe and reliable, and has high stability. It can realize functions such as automated unmanned operation, intelligent ball throwing, mechanism system operation status report, fault alarm, and emergency safety protection.

[0112] It not only meets the actual needs of small and medium-sized gathering and transportation pipelines in oil fields, but also solves the problem that the ball-throwing pipe cleaners in the oil pipelines at the well site need to be manually cleaned of oil stains at regular intervals. It is safe and environmentally friendly, improves the efficiency of the ball-throwing work, and reduces the failure rate. Moreover, the 100-body structural design of the ball-throwing valve greatly extends the service life of the equipment, and the ball-throwing equipment will not have problems such as punctures and leaks, saving a lot of manpower and material costs. The mechanism also has an intelligent system that can operate normally without human supervision, meeting the macro-layout needs of intelligent production and construction in oil fields, and laying the foundation for the future realization of artificial intelligence gathering and transportation pipeline network monitoring.

[0113] The above are only exemplary embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Any equivalent changes and modifications made by any person skilled in the art without departing from the concept and principle of the present invention shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pipe cleaning ball throwing device, characterized in that: include: A vertically arranged ball storage cylinder is used to store wax cleaning balls; A ball valve, comprising a shell, a ball and a moving part, wherein the ball storage cylinder is arranged on the top surface of the shell, the shell has a spherical valve cavity, the ball is rotatably arranged in the spherical valve cavity, a straight channel penetrating the ball center and both ends is opened in the sphere, and the moving part is axially movable in the straight channel; the length of the moving part is less than the length of the straight channel, both ends of the moving part are closed surfaces, and the outer wall of the moving part can fit with the inner wall of the straight channel; And a horizontally arranged oil pipeline, which can sealably pass through the shell and is located below the sphere, a ball delivery port is opened on the oil pipeline, and when the straight channel is in a vertical state, its two ends can be connected to the lower end of the ball storage barrel and the ball delivery port respectively.

2. The pipe cleaning ball throwing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both end surfaces of the moving member are convex spherical surfaces, and the curvature of the convex spherical surfaces matches the curvature of the spherical surface of the sphere.

3. The pipe cleaning ball throwing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable part is a straight cylinder with closed ends, and a long hole is opened on the side wall of the cylinder. A transmission part is arranged inside the movable part. The inner end of the first valve stem can pass through the shell, the sphere and the long hole in sequence and be connected to the transmission part. The first valve stem can drive the movable part to move through the transmission part.

4. The pipe cleaning ball throwing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The transmission member includes a gear and a rack, the rack is fixed on the inner wall of the moving member, and the length direction of the rack is arranged along the axial direction of the moving member, and the gear is fixed on the inner side end of the first valve stem and meshes with the rack.

5. The pipe cleaning ball throwing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The ball valve further comprises a first driving device and a second driving device, wherein the first driving device is connected to the outer end of the first valve stem and can drive the first valve stem to rotate, and the second driving device is connected to the ball through the second valve stem and can drive the ball to rotate.

6. The pipe cleaning ball throwing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Annular grooves are provided on the outer walls at both ends of the moving part, and sealing rings are embedded in the annular grooves. The outer wall of the sealing ring can contact the inner wall of the straight channel.

7. The pipe cleaning ball throwing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell includes a valve body and a valve seat. The valve body includes a cubic shell surrounded by a top plate, a bottom plate and side plates. The valve seat is a cubic block with the spherical valve cavity formed inside. The valve seat is sealed and fixed in the valve body and forms a accommodating cavity between the bottom plate. The oil pipeline is arranged in the accommodating cavity, and the bottom end of the ball storage cylinder is fixedly connected to the top plate.

8. The pipe cleaning ball throwing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first pressure sensor is provided on the oil pipeline near the ball-throwing port, and a second pressure sensor is provided on the oil pipeline near the end of the oil pipeline in the delivery direction; The pipe cleaning ball throwing device also includes a controller, which is electrically connected to both the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor and can adjust the ball throwing frequency according to the pressure difference detected by the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor.

9. The pipe cleaning ball throwing device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The pipe cleaning ball throwing device also includes an alarm, and the controller is connected to the alarm and can control the alarm to emit an alarm sound when the pressure difference detected by the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor is greater than a preset value.

10. A pipe cleaning ball throwing method, characterized in that: The pipe cleaning ball throwing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is used for ball throwing, and the pipe cleaning ball throwing method comprises: S1, adjusting the moving member to the current bottom end of the straight channel, so that the space above the moving member in the straight channel can accommodate one of the wax cleaning balls; S2, driving the sphere to rotate 180°; S3, driving the moving member to move downward to the current bottom end of the straight channel to complete a pitching action; S4. According to the set pitching frequency, after each preset time interval, repeat steps S2 and S3 to perform the next pitching.

11. The pipe cleaning ball throwing method according to claim 10, characterized in that: The pitching frequency is determined as follows: The pressure difference between the beginning and the end of the oil pipeline is detected in real time, and the current pitching frequency is adjusted and determined in real time according to the pressure difference.

12. The pipe cleaning ball throwing method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The pipe cleaning ball throwing device also includes an alarm, and when the pressure difference exceeds a preset value, the alarm sounds an alarm.

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