Pigging ball launching apparatus and method

Abstract

A pigging ball launching apparatus and method. The pigging ball launching apparatus comprises a ball storage cylinder (200), a ball launching valve (100) and an oil conveying pipeline (300), wherein the ball launching valve (100) comprises a housing (1), a ball body (2) and a moving member (3), the ball storage cylinder (200) is arranged on the top face of the housing (1), a spherical valve cavity is formed in the housing (1), the ball body (2) is rotatably arranged in the spherical valve cavity, a straight channel (21) penetrating the center and two ends of the ball body (2) is formed in the ball body (2), and the moving member (3) is arranged in the straight channel (21) in a manner of being movable in an axial direction. The length of the moving member (3) is shorter than the length of the straight channel (21), both ends of the moving member (3) are closed faces, and an outer side wall of the moving member (3) can be attached to an inner wall of the straight channel (21). The oil conveying pipeline (300) can pass through the housing (1) in a sealed manner and is located below the ball body (2), a ball launching opening (301) is formed in the oil conveying pipeline (300), and when the straight channel (21) is in a vertical state, two end openings of the straight channel (21) can respectively be in communication with a lower end opening of the ball storage cylinder (200) and the ball launching opening (301) in a butt-joint manner. By means of these arrangements, pressurized crude oil in the oil conveying pipeline (300) can be effectively prevented from accumulating in the ball launching valve (100) or being brought into the normal-pressure ball storage cylinder (200).

Description

Pipe cleaning device and method

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese invention patent with patent application number 202310954861.2, application date July 31, 2023, and invention name “Pipeline cleaning ball throwing device and method”. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to the technical field of crude oil transportation, and in particular to a pipe cleaning and ball throwing device and method. Background Art

[0004] Mechanical wax removal is a simple and effective wax removal method. It works by inserting a pig into the pipeline and using the oil flow to propel it, scraping away the crystallized wax adhering to the pipe wall and removing it from the pipeline. This method is simple to operate, highly adaptable, and low-cost, making it the primary wax removal method used in pipeline crude oil transportation. Currently, commonly used pigs can be categorized as straight pigs for cleaning large-diameter pipes (over Φ114) and spherical pigs for cleaning small and medium-diameter pipes (under Φ114).

[0005] For example, a spherical pipe cleaner for cleaning small and medium-sized pipes has been disclosed in the prior art, including an intelligent ball ejector and control method (patent publication number CN 114643239 A). The intelligent ball ejector ejects balls through a plunger rod in conjunction with a ball storage barrel. However, the ejection of balls through the plunger rod inevitably causes some crude oil to enter the ball storage casing.

[0006] For another example, the prior art also discloses an intelligent ball-dropping device (invention patent publication number CN 113182293 A), which installs a ball-dropping valve at the front end of a push rod, releases the ball by rotating the ball-dropping valve, and installs a rubber sealing ring in the circumferential direction of the ball-dropping valve. However, this device will also bring some crude oil into the ball storage tube during the ball-dropping process.

[0007] For another example, the prior art also discloses an automatic ball-dropping device for pipelines (utility model patent with authorization number CN 215031982 U). This automatic ball-dropping device is widely used in the current market. It drops the ball into the pipeline by rotating a spherical valve with a depression. However, this device cannot solve the problem of oil leakage.

[0008] Existing research on ball-dropping mechanisms focuses on structural improvements and innovations. Currently, reciprocating or rotary motion mechanisms are primarily used for ball-dropping. Since crude oil is pressurized in oil pipelines, and the upper space of the pigging ball-dropping mechanism is at normal pressure, crude oil will splash onto the ball-dropping valve during the ball-dropping operation and be carried to the ball storage barrel as the mechanism operates, or accumulate inside the ball-dropping valve. This can cause poor ball delivery during actual production operations, requiring dedicated personnel to regularly clean and discharge the accumulated crude oil from the ball-dropping valve and ball storage barrel, increasing the labor intensity of on-site operators and causing environmental pollution. In terms of intelligent ball-dropping, the aforementioned hardware structure issues have not been overcome, making it impossible to achieve true automation and intelligence.

[0009] Summary of the Invention

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a pipe cleaning ball dropping device and method, which can effectively prevent 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.

[0011] The above-mentioned purpose of the present invention can be achieved by adopting the following technical solutions:

[0012] The present invention provides a pipe cleaning and ball throwing device, comprising:

[0013] A vertically arranged ball storage barrel is used to store wax cleaning balls;

[0014] A ball valve comprises a housing, a ball, and a moving part. The ball storage cylinder is disposed on the top surface of the housing. The housing has a spherical valve cavity. The ball is rotatably disposed in the spherical valve cavity. A straight channel is provided in the sphere, passing through the center and both ends of the sphere. The moving part is axially movable in the straight channel. The length of the moving part is shorter 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 the inner wall of the straight channel.

[0015] And a horizontally arranged oil pipeline can sealably pass through the shell and is located below the sphere. A ball dropping port is opened on the oil pipeline. When the straight channel is in a vertical state, its two ends can respectively connect with the lower port of the ball storage barrel and the ball dropping port.

[0016] The present invention also provides a pipe cleaning ball throwing method, which uses the above-mentioned pipe cleaning ball throwing device to perform ball throwing. The pipe cleaning ball throwing method includes:

[0017] 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;

[0018] S2, drive the sphere to rotate 180°;

[0019] S3, driving the moving member to move downward to the current bottom end of the straight channel to complete a pitching action;

[0020] S4. According to the set pitching frequency, after each preset time interval, repeat steps S2 and S3 to perform the next pitching.

[0021] The characteristics and advantages of the present invention are:

[0022] This application provides a movable moving part inside the sphere, which can synchronize the catching and throwing actions. There is no need to install additional plunger rod components outside the mechanism, which greatly reduces 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 dropped, 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 dropped next time after the previous drop, the inner wall of the spherical valve cavity will scrape off the crude oil contaminated on the surface of the sphere when the sphere rotates. This ensures that the upper space will basically not be exposed to oil pollution when the wax cleaning ball is transported next time, effectively avoiding the pressurized crude oil in the oil pipeline from accumulating in the ball dropping valve or being brought into the ball storage barrel at normal pressure, ensuring smooth ball dropping, and basically no need for special personnel to regularly clean the accumulated crude oil in the ball dropping valve and the ball storage barrel, reducing the labor intensity of workers. The entire device has a simple structure, is safe and reliable, and has a long service life. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The following drawings are intended only to illustrate and explain the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 1 is a front view of the pipe cleaning and ball throwing device provided by the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2: A cross-sectional view of Figure 1.

[0026] Figure 3: Enlarged view of part of the structure in Figure 2.

[0027] Figure 4 is a side view of the pipe cleaning and ball throwing device provided by the present invention.

[0028] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 4.

[0029] Figure 6: Enlarged view of part of the structure in Figure 5.

[0030] Figure 7 is a top view of the pipe cleaning and ball throwing device provided by the present invention.

[0031] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the pipe cleaning and ball throwing device provided by the present invention in an initial state during operation.

[0032] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the pipe cleaning ball throwing device provided by the present invention after the ball rotates 180° during operation.

[0033] FIG10 is a schematic diagram showing the moving part of the pipe cleaning and ball throwing device provided by the present invention moving downward to the bottom during operation.

[0034] Explanation of the accompanying reference numerals: 100, ball-dropping valve; 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 chamber; 16, support; 2, sphere; 21, straight channel; 22, first oil-free bearing; 23, second oil-free bearing; 3, moving part; 31, convex spherical surface; 32, long hole; 4, transmission part; 41, gear; 42, rack; 5, first driving device; 51, first valve stem; 6, second driving device; 61, second valve stem; 200, ball storage cylinder; 201, wax-cleaning ball; 202, sealing cover; 300, oil pipeline; 301, ball-dropping port; 302, bypass tee. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] 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.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 to 10, the present application provides a pipe cleaning and ball throwing device, comprising:

[0037] A vertically arranged ball storage barrel 200 is used to store wax cleaning balls 201;

[0038] The ball valve 100 includes a housing 1, a ball 2, and a movable member 3. The ball storage cylinder 200 is disposed on the top surface of the housing 1. The housing 1 has a spherical valve cavity. The ball 2 is rotatably disposed in the spherical valve cavity. A straight channel 21 is defined in the sphere 2, extending through the center and ends of the sphere. The movable member 3 is axially movable in the straight channel 21. The length of the movable member 3 is less than that of the straight channel 21. Both ends of the movable member 3 are closed surfaces, and the outer wall of the movable member 3 can fit the inner wall of the straight channel 21.

[0039] 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. When the straight channel 21 is in a vertical state, its two ends can be connected to the lower port of the ball storage barrel 200 and the ball delivery port 301 respectively.

[0040] The length of the movable member 3 should be such that, when the straight channel 21 is in a vertical position as shown in FIG8 and the movable member 3 moves to the lower end of the straight channel 21, the space above the movable member 3 in the straight channel 21 can be used to accommodate a wax cleaning ball 201. The sphere 2 should have a smooth outer surface, the inner wall of the spherical valve cavity should be a smooth wall surface, the sphere 2 should be able to fit tightly against the inner wall of the spherical valve cavity, and the sphere 2 should be able to rotate. The housing 1 is provided with an upper opening 11 and a lower opening 12, which communicate with the spherical valve chamber. The upper opening 11 communicates with the bottom end of the ball storage barrel 200, and the lower opening 12 communicates with the ball delivery port 301. The ball 2 can partially extend out of the lower opening 12 as shown in Figures 2 and 3, or it can be located above the lower opening 12. When the straight channel 21 moves to a vertical position, its upper end communicates with the ball storage barrel 200 via the upper opening 11, and its lower end communicates directly with the ball delivery port 301 or communicates with the ball delivery port 301 via the lower opening 12.

[0041] When the ball is delivered to the bottom of the oil pipeline 301, the moving member 3 is moved downwards, and the upper space of the oil pipeline 301 is emptied gradually. With reference to Figure 10, when the moving member 3 moves to the bottom of the oil pipeline 301 again, the upper space of the oil pipeline 301 is emptied gradually, and the next oil pipeline 301 is moved downwards. When the ball is delivered to the bottom of the oil pipeline 301, the moving member 3 is moved downwards, and the upper space of the oil pipeline 301 is emptied gradually, and the next oil pipeline 301 is moved downwards. With reference to Figure 10, when the moving member 3 moves to the bottom of the oil pipeline 301 again, the moving member 3 is returned to the initial state, and the next oil pipeline 301 is waited for.

[0042] Therefore, the device of the present application can synchronize the ball catching and throwing actions by arranging a movable moving part 3 inside the sphere 2, without the need to install additional plunger rod components outside the mechanism, 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 pitching is performed after the previous pitching 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 the upper space being basically free from contact with 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 under 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.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment, referring to FIG. 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 .

[0044] 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, forming a smooth and complete spherical surface and pushing almost all the crude oil 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 realizes 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 during the ball-dropping process.

[0045] 3 and 6 , the movable member 3 is a straight cylinder with closed ends, and a long hole 32 is provided on the side wall of the cylinder. A transmission member 4 is provided inside the movable member 3. The inner end of the first valve stem 51 can pass through the shell 1, the sphere 2 and the long hole 32 in sequence and be connected to the transmission member 4. The first valve stem 51 can drive the movable member 3 to move through the transmission member 4.

[0046] 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.

[0047] The straight tube can be, for example, a cylindrical structure, wherein 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 elongated hole 32 is arranged along the axial direction of the movable member 3, and during the pitching process, the gear 41 is always located at the center of the ball 2. When the ball is to be pitched, referring to FIG9 , the ball 2 rotates 180° with the movable member 3, and during this rotation, the gear 41 rotates along with the rack 42; referring to FIG10 , when the gear 41 is rotated by the first valve stem 51, the gear 41 drives the rack 42 to move downward, thereby driving the movable member 3 to move downward together.

[0048] In order to facilitate the driving of the ball 2 and the gear 41 to rotate, referring to Figure 5, the ball valve 100 also includes a first driving device 5 and a second driving device 6. The first driving 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 driving device 6 is connected to the ball 2 through the second valve stem 61 and can drive the ball 2 to rotate.

[0049] 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 should be 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.

[0050] To further prevent crude oil from entering the ball valve 100, referring to FIG3 , annular grooves are formed on the outer walls of both ends of the movable member 3, and sealing rings are embedded in the annular grooves. The outer walls of the sealing rings 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 provided on both ends of the movable member 3.

[0051] Furthermore, to facilitate processing and installation, referring to Figures 2 and 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 an accommodating cavity 15 is formed between the bottom plate 132. The oil pipeline 300 is arranged in the accommodating cavity 15, and the bottom end of the ball storage cylinder 200 is fixed to the top plate 131.

[0052] The bottom plate 132 and the side plates 133 can be fixed by welding, while the top plate 131 and the side plates 133 can be removably fixed by bolts or other fasteners. The valve seat 14 can be press-fitted and clamped within the valve body 13. 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 into the groove. After the top plate 131 and the side plates 133 are fixed, the valve core can be press-fitted and fixed within the valve body 13. At the same time, corresponding sealing rings are required between the valve seat 14 and the side plates 133, and between the side plates 133 and the top plate 131 to ensure sealing. The aforementioned accommodating chamber 15 constitutes a sealed chamber. During use, crude oil in the oil pipeline 300 will enter this sealed chamber, but this does not affect the ball-dropping action of the ball-dropping valve 100. The valve seat 14 can be formed by connecting the upper and lower parts together 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.

[0053] Typically, a first and second coaxially arranged mounting hole are provided on opposite sides of the sphere 2. The first valve stem 51 passes through the first mounting hole and the elongated hole 32 on the movable member 3 and is fixedly connected to the gear 41. Typically, a first oil-free bearing 22 and a second oil-free bearing 23 are interference-fitted into the first and second mounting holes, respectively. The first valve stem 51 passes through the first oil-free bearing 22, then extends into the straight cylinder, through the gear 41, and then into the second oil-free bearing 23. The first valve stem 51 and both oil-free bearings have a clearance fit. Utilizing the oil-free bearings prevents material fuzzing during rotation and ensures service life. The inner end of the second valve stem 61 is fixedly secured to the sphere 2 within the second mounting hole. Seal rings are typically interposed between the first and second valve stems 51, 61, and the sphere 2 to further prevent crude oil from entering the sphere 2.

[0054] 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 barrel 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 be made of other materials. This embodiment is only for example.

[0055] 1 and 7 , a bypass tee 302 is generally connected to the oil pipeline 300 and located on both sides of the ball valve 100 , 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 event of maintenance.

[0056] Furthermore, a first pressure sensor is provided on the oil pipeline 300 near the ball throwing port 301, and a second pressure sensor is provided on the oil pipeline 300 near the end of its transportation direction; the pipe cleaning and 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 how long it takes to throw the ball).

[0057] Furthermore, the pipe cleaning and ball throwing device also includes an alarm. 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.

[0058] The controller is also electrically connected to the first drive device 5 and the second drive device 6, and controls the first drive device 5 or the second drive device 6 to operate when pitching is required.

[0059] The above-mentioned pigging ball throwing device is specifically installed in the oil pipeline 300 at a position near 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 indicates that the current level of wax accumulation in the pipeline is low, and the pigging ball throwing device throws balls once every 24 hours; when the pipeline pressure difference is detected in area B, it indicates that the current level of wax accumulation in the pipeline is moderate, and the pigging ball throwing device throws balls once every 12 hours; when the pipeline pressure difference is detected in area C, it indicates that the current level of wax accumulation in the pipeline is high, and the pigging ball throwing device throws balls once every 8 hours; when the pipeline pressure difference is detected in area D, it indicates that the current pipeline pressure difference exceeds the safety value, the pigging ball throwing device enters a safety lock state, and reports the abnormal situation to the relevant operator.

[0060] Table 1 Pipeline pressure difference and ball throwing frequency

[0061] 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.

[0062] More specifically, the working principle of the entire pigging device is as follows:

[0063] The pigging device is installed at the ball-dropping point of the oil pipeline 300, and a certain number of wax-clearing balls 201 are placed in the ball storage cylinder 200. The ball-dropping valve 100 in the entire device is composed of a smooth sphere and a cubic outer shell with a hollow sphere groove. The two are in close contact to form a seal. The rotation and straight-cylinder operation of the ball 2 inside the ball-dropping valve 100 are achieved by an electric actuator. The interior of the ball 2 is a movable straight cylinder that runs through the center of the circle. The upper and lower end surfaces of the straight cylinder are the same as the arc surface of the ball 2. It can only move inside the ball 2 and its length is less than the diameter of the ball 2. The internal movement of the straight cylinder is driven by a gear 41. When the straight cylinder completes the ball-dropping action, the entire lower valve body 13 forms a spherical surface.

[0064] During operation, as shown in Figures 8 to 10, the straight cylinder pushes out the wax cleaning ball 201 and the ball storage cylinder 200 receives the wax cleaning ball 201 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 dropped); when the wax cleaning ball 201 is 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 aligned. They are isolated from each other and there is almost 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, and truly realizing almost zero emission and zero external emission of the ball thrower.

[0065] 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). 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 issue 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. Later troubleshooting and replacement can be carried out through the maintenance pipe.

[0066] Furthermore, the specific working steps of the pigging and ball throwing device are as follows:

[0067] Step 1: Determine the interface pipe diameter of the pigging 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;

[0068] Step 2: Install the pigging ball device at the beginning of the wax cleaning pipeline and install wax cleaning balls 201;

[0069] Step 3: Configure the operating system working pressure parameters and frequency and start the pigging device; (The optimal pressure zone parameters and pigging frequency should be determined based on the different working conditions of different pipelines)

[0070] Step 4: The pigging ball throwing device performs intelligent ball throwing according to the monitored pipeline pressure value;

[0071] 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 makes corresponding movements in accordance with the program;

[0072] Step 6: When the wax cleaning ball 201 is transported to the ball injection 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;

[0073] Step 7: The system performs a status self-check and sends data such as the number of balls released, 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;

[0074] Step 8: The pigging device enters standby mode and waits for the next ball throwing.

[0075] In summary, the pigging and ball throwing device in this embodiment has the following advantages:

[0076] (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.

[0077] (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 cleaners in the oil pipelines of well sites need to be manually cleaned of oil stains at regular intervals. It is safe and environmentally friendly, improves the efficiency of ball-dropping work, and reduces the failure rate.

[0078] (3) The problem that the ball-dropping valve of the conventional pipe cleaning device easily brings crude oil into the area to be dropped or into the normal pressure space during the ball-dropping process in the oil pipeline 300 is solved, causing pollution of the area to be dropped and poor ball dropping. 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 dropping, 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 cannot solve the problem of crude oil pollution. This embodiment achieves the functions of synchronous ball receiving and ball dropping by installing a reciprocating motion mechanism (i.e., moving member 3) driven by a gear 41 and a rack 42 inside the ball dropping valve 100. In addition, both ends of the moving member 3 have the same arc surface as the ball valve. When the moving member 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 almost zero contact between the ball storage barrel 200 and the oil pipeline 300, zero crude oil discharge, and no need for regular maintenance. The equipment also has good sealing performance and a long service life.

[0079] In the initial working position, the straight cylinder inside the ball-dropping valve 100 is in a vertical state. At this time, the wax-cleaning 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 downward, pushing the wax-cleaning 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.

[0080] (4) The entire pipe cleaning and 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 and 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 and 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 and ball throwing device in the event of a fault).

[0081] The software control system is highly integrated and intelligent. It can dynamically adjust the ball-dropping frequency by collecting the pressure difference in the oil pipeline 300, realizing the intelligent operation of the pipeline cleaning and ball-dropping 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 dropped 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.

[0082] 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. The pipe cleaning ball throwing method includes:

[0083] S1. Adjust 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;

[0084] S2, drive sphere 2 to rotate 180°;

[0085] S3, driving the moving member 3 to move downward to the current bottom end of the straight channel 21, completing a pitching action;

[0086] S4. According to the set pitching frequency, after each preset time interval, repeat steps S2 and S3 to perform the next pitching.

[0087] The specific pitching process has been described in detail above and will not be repeated here. The entire pigging pitching method uses the above-mentioned pigging pitching device to perform the pitching, and has the same advantages as the above-mentioned device.

[0088] Furthermore, the pitching frequency is determined as follows:

[0089] 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.

[0090] The specific pressure is detected in real time by the aforementioned first and second pressure sensors. By adding additional pressure sensors to monitor the pressure differential parameter of oil pipeline 300, pipeline blockage status can be assessed, thereby controlling the pigging device to dynamically adjust the ball dropping frequency. Pipeline measurement data can also be stored in a standardized data format as needed, laying the foundation for oilfield and AI-powered pipeline network status monitoring.

[0091] Furthermore, the pipe cleaning and ball throwing device also includes an alarm, which emits an alarm sound when the pressure difference exceeds a preset value.

[0092] In summary, the entire pipe cleaning and ball-dropping device and method solve the problems of conventional pipe cleaning mechanisms being easily contaminated by crude oil during the ball-dropping process during the cleaning of the oil pipeline 300, requiring regular cleaning and discharge of the crude oil within the mechanism, as well as puncture and leakage problems caused by insufficient structural design and sealing material performance. The entire intelligent closed ball-dropping device enables the ball storage barrel 200 to achieve contactless contact with the oil pipeline 300, with almost zero emissions, and the ball-dropping valve 100 to achieve almost zero crude oil discharge, requiring no scheduled maintenance. The equipment also has excellent sealing performance and a long service life. The mechanism has a simple structure, is safe, reliable, and highly stable, and can achieve functions such as automated unmanned operation, intelligent ball-dropping, mechanism system operation status reporting, fault alarms, and emergency safety protection.

[0093] It not only meets the actual needs of small and medium-sized gathering and transportation pipelines in oil fields, but also solves the problem of regular manual cleaning of oil stains by ball-dropping pipe cleaners in oil pipelines at well sites. It is safe and environmentally friendly, improves the efficiency of ball-dropping work, and reduces the failure rate. Moreover, the 100-body structural design of the ball-dropping valve greatly extends the service life of the equipment, and the ball-dropping equipment will not have problems such as puncture and leakage, saving a lot of manpower and material costs. The mechanism also has an intelligent system that can operate normally without 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.

[0094] The above is only an illustrative embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Any equivalent changes and modifications made by those skilled in the art without departing from the concept and principle of the present invention should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pipe cleaning ball throwing device, wherein: 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, wherein: 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, wherein: 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, wherein: 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, wherein: 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, wherein: 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, wherein: 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, wherein: 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, wherein: 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 method, wherein: 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, wherein: 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, wherein: 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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