Articulating Flow Line Connector With Sealed Swivel Under Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flow lines used in drilling operations, especially those transporting pressurized fluids, face challenges with fluid leakage and pressure loss due to stress on joints and connections, and require maneuverability to reach multiple well heads, which existing solutions fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
An articulating flow line connector with a seal carrier ring providing both sealing and bearing surfaces, coupled with a clamp, allows for a sealed and rotatable connection between flow line sections, using tungsten carbide for durability and featuring bleed holes to prevent hydraulic lock, enabling the connector to withstand radial forces and maintain sealing under pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If movable joints are added to allow flow line sections to rotate and articulate, then maneuverability is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to increased stress on joints and connections under high pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into distinct functional components: a clamp assembly for securing the connection, a seal carrier ring for maintaining sealing, and bearing surfaces for enabling rotation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together to resolve the contradiction between maneuverability and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal carrier ring acts as an intermediary component between the clamp and the flow line sections. It provides bearing surfaces that facilitate rotation while the seals maintain pressure integrity, thereby mediating between the conflicting requirements of movement and reliability under pressure.
2Reliability
If tight tolerances are used between hub inner wall and sealing flange to prevent leakage, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to difficulty in achieving consistent tight tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring tight tolerances throughout the entire hub assembly, the invention applies sealing elements only at the critical interface between the seal carrier ring and hub inner wall. This localized sealing approach maintains reliability while relaxing manufacturing precision requirements for the overall assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The seals are designed as replaceable components that can be easily replaced when worn or damaged. This allows the use of slightly less precise manufacturing for the hub and seal carrier ring, as the seals themselves can be swapped out to maintain sealing reliability without requiring perfectly tight tolerances.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The connector provides a reliable, leak-proof, and maneuverable connection that maintains pressure integrity even under radial forces, allowing for efficient fluid transport and flexible positioning of flow lines in drilling operations.
Implementation Method 1
a seal carrier ring arranged between the flow line hubs and having, for each hub, a sealing surface and a bearing surface
Implementation Method 2
a bearing surface... Each of the two hubs may be rotatable about a longitudinal axis
Implementation Method 3
a clamp arranged over the seal carrier ring... the connector may additionally have a clamp arranged over the seal carrier ring
Implementation Method 4
The seal carrier ring may be composed of tungsten carbide
Data Source
AI summary
An articulating flow line connector for connecting two sections or portions of a flow line, which may be a pressurized flow line. The connector may be configured to provide a sealed connection between the two sections or portions of the flow line, and may provide for a rotating or swiveling connection between the two sections. The articulating flow line connector may generally have a seal carrier ring arranged between two flow lines hubs. Each flow line hub may connect to an end of a flow line section. The seal carrier ring may be configured to provide both a sealing surface and at least one bearing surface. The seal carrier ring may have a sealing flange, a bearing flange, and a web portion extending between the flanges. The connector may additionally have a clamp arranged around or over the seal carrier ring and a portion of the two hubs.