Articulating Joint With Injector Port for Thermal Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
The extraction of bitumen from oil sands faces challenges due to thermal expansion of pipes and leaks caused by abrasive secondary materials, leading to costly shutdowns and production losses.
Innovation Solution
A pipe coupling system with an articulating joint that allows relative movement between pipes while maintaining a sealed fluid passageway, incorporating a ball-and-socket connection and a sealing compartment with an injector port for leak repair, enabling pipes to thermally expand without compromising system integrity and allowing for on-line leak repair.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixed surface pipes are connected to down-hole pipes, then fluid transfer is enabled, but thermal expansion causes pipe displacement and connection failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by replacing fixed rigid connections with a dynamic articulating joint that allows relative movement between surface pipes and down-hole pipes. The articulating joint includes a spherical bearing that permits rotational and angular adjustments, enabling the connection to adapt to thermal expansion and contraction of the down-hole pipes while maintaining fluid transfer integrity.
2Reliability
If complex joints and seals are used to prevent leaks, then sealing performance is improved, but repair time and system downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the sealing system into modular components: a removable seal assembly, independent packing materials, and separable joint sections. This allows the sealing elements to be quickly replaced without replacing the entire joint assembly, significantly reducing repair time while maintaining effective leak prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs disposable or easily replaceable sealing elements such as packing materials and seal rings that can be quickly inserted and discarded when worn. These inexpensive sealing components are designed for rapid replacement rather than long-term durability, enabling maintenance crews to quickly restore sealing functionality without investing time in complex repairs.
3Productivity
If abrasive materials flow through piping, then bitumen extraction is enabled, but joint and seal abrasions cause leaks and failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible sealing elements such as packing materials and rubber seals that can deform and conform to the joint surfaces. These flexible components maintain their sealing function even when joint surfaces become slightly abraded, providing a tolerance buffer against wear from abrasive materials while continuing to enable high-rate bitumen extraction.
4Strength
If pipes are allowed to thermally expand, then thermal stress is reduced, but connection alignment and positioning are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The articulating joint provides dynamic alignment adjustment capabilities through its spherical bearing design, which automatically compensates for changes in pipe position and orientation caused by thermal expansion. The joint maintains proper connection alignment through its ability to rotate and articulate, ensuring that fluid flow paths remain aligned even as pipes change position due to thermal effects.
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 pipe coupling system prevents leaks and allows for continuous operation during thermal expansion, reducing downtime and maintenance complexity by enabling quick leak repair and replacement of packing materials without shutting down the system.
Implementation Method 1
When heated, the pipes thermally expand and thus physically grow in length. Accordingly, a heated pipe (e.g., at 400° C.) may grow 4-5 feet over its entire length.
Implementation Method 2
The articulating joint also includes a sealing compartment that is adapted to receive packing material therein. The sealing compartment prevents fluid leaking between the articulating joint components.
Data Source
AI summary
A pipe coupling connects two fluid system components, such as two pipes, so that fluid can flow therethrough. The coupling is a ball and socket type articulating joint that is configured to allow one or both of the connected pipes to move relative to one another without compromising the integrity of the fluid system. The pipe coupling includes a sealing compartment in which packing material is disposed. The packing material can limit or prevent the development of leak between the components of the pipe coupling. The pipe coupling includes an injector port that can be used to inject additional packing material into the sealing compartment to repair any developed leaks.