Expandable Conduit Tool for Oil Pipeline Blockage Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Production pipelines for oil and gas often experience blockages due to sedimentation of substances like gas hydrates and scale, leading to costly delays in fluid flow, as existing methods are inefficient in mitigating these blockages.
Innovation Solution
A flow management system featuring an expandable device with an inflatable membrane and fluidic actuator that can be adjusted between expanded and collapsed configurations to compact and clear blockages within the conduit, utilizing sensors and control modules to manage actuation fluid flow and operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional remediation methods are used to clear blockages, then blockages can be removed, but the process is costly and causes extended downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The device transitions between collapsed and expanded configurations dynamically. The expandable device is deployed in a collapsed state through the conduit, then expanded upon contact with the blockage to compact it, and finally collapsed again for retrieval. This dynamic transformation enables the device to adapt its size and function, clearing blockages efficiently without requiring prolonged intervention and minimizing downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The device uses a fluidic actuator that delivers actuation fluid to the expandable device to expand it for compacting blockages. The pneumatic or hydraulic system enables rapid expansion and collapse of the device, allowing quick response to blockages and reducing the time required for remediation operations, thereby minimizing downtime while maintaining conduit patency.
2Productivity
If an expandable device is used to compact blockages, then conduit patency is restored quickly, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable device is nested within the conduit and can be deployed through it in a collapsed state. The device contains an inflatable membrane with protective plates nested around it, and the entire assembly can be inserted through the conduit before expansion. This nesting principle allows the device to access blockages without requiring complex external support structures, maintaining simplicity while enabling rapid blockage clearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluidic actuator serves as an intermediary between the control system and the expandable device. It delivers actuation fluid to expand the device and withdraws it to collapse the device, simplifying the control mechanism. The actuation line and valves act as intermediaries to manage fluid flow, reducing the complexity of direct mechanical control while enabling rapid deployment and retrieval for efficient blockage clearance.
3Reliability
If the expandable device is expanded to compact blockages, then blockages are effectively removed, but the device may be damaged by erosion from the blockage material
Solution Approach 1:
Protective plates are attached to the inflatable membrane before deployment to shield it from erosion by blockage material during the compaction process. The membrane is also designed with sufficient thickness and material properties to withstand the stresses of expansion and contact with hard blockages. This prior protection enables effective blockage compaction while maintaining membrane durability and device reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable device combines an inflatable membrane with protective plates made of erosion-resistant materials. This composite structure allows the membrane to provide flexibility and expansion capability while the protective plates withstand the mechanical stress and erosion from blockage material. The combination maintains both compaction effectiveness and device durability during blockage removal operations.
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
Effectively reopens blocked conduits by compacting and removing blockages, reducing the need for costly conventional remediation methods and minimizing downtime in oil and gas production.
Implementation Method 1
The expandable device includes an inflatable membrane that is fluidically adjustable between an expanded, inflated configuration and a collapsed, deflated configuration using an actuation fluid
Implementation Method 2
The fluidic actuator is configured to actuate the expandable device hydraulically. The fluidic actuator includes a pump
Implementation Method 3
The fluidic actuator is configured to actuate the expandable device pneumatically. The fluidic actuator includes an air compressor
Data Source
AI summary
A method of managing a fluid flow within a conduit includes determining a presence of a flow blockage within the conduit, the conduit being equipped with an expandable device, controlling a fluidic actuator to deliver an actuation fluid to the expandable device to expand the expandable device radially, compacting the flow blockage radially along a length of the expandable device to create a channel adjacent the flow blockage, controlling the fluidic actuator to withdraw actuation fluid from the expandable device to collapse the expandable device radially, and exposing the channel to open the conduit to fluid flow.