Expandable Pipeline Pig Guide With Folding Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pipeline pigs face challenges in maintaining centralization and pressure differential when inserted into pipelines with varying diameters, particularly when the downstream diameter is larger than the injection point, as existing designs struggle to adapt and maintain effective centralization and pressure engagement.
Innovation Solution
An expandable diameter pipeline pig with guides that feature a resilient body, support members, and collapsing structures, which can transition between reduced and expanded modes via actuators, allowing the pig to adapt to different pipeline diameters by extending or folding support members and collapsing structures, ensuring centralization and pressure differential across the pipeline.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the pipeline pig uses fixed diameter guides, then the structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but the pig cannot adapt to pipelines with varying diameters and cannot maintain centralization
Solution Approach 1:
The guide structure transitions from a fixed state to a dynamic, adjustable state. The resilient body with folding zones allows the guide to dynamically change its diameter configuration, enabling adaptation to different pipeline diameters while maintaining structural integrity through controlled deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide is divided into distinct functional segments: the resilient body, folding zones, support members, and collapsing structures. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, facilitating both the expansion mechanism and the maintaining of centralization forces.
2Reliability
If the pipeline pig expands to fit larger diameter pipelines, then centralization is maintained, but the device complexity increases due to expandable mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient body acts as a flexible shell that can deform elastically to accommodate different pipeline diameters. This flexible structure maintains centralization forces through its elastic properties while avoiding complex mechanical expansion joints or telescoping mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide structure utilizes the elastic recovery of the resilient body to automatically return to its expanded configuration after being compressed during insertion. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for complex actuators or control systems to maintain the expanded state.
3Strength
If support members are made rigid for structural strength, then the guide maintains its shape, but the guide cannot be compressed for insertion in smaller diameter sections
Solution Approach 1:
The support members transition from a rigid, shape-maintaining state to a compliant, compressible state during insertion. The folding zones enable the support members to dynamically adjust their rigidity, providing structural strength when needed and compressibility during insertion into smaller diameter sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The folding zones introduce curved, flexible connections between the support members and the resilient body. These curved regions allow the rigid support members to bend and compress during insertion while maintaining their structural integrity and returning to their original configuration after insertion.
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 expandable design enables the pipeline pig to effectively centralize and maintain a pressure differential in pipelines with varying diameters, ensuring reliable movement and operation across different sections by adjusting its circumference and structural strength accordingly.
Implementation Method 1
each of the guides comprising a resilient body having an outer perimeter, a central area connected to the pig body, and a folding zone between the outer perimeter and the central area
Implementation Method 2
the support members being biased from the reduced diameter mode toward the expanded diameter mode
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an expandable pipeline pig for a varying diameter pipeline having a pig body that carries two or more guides and one or more actuators. Each guide has a resilient body with a folding zone between an outer perimeter and a central area connected to the pig body, a series of support members spaced circumferentially about the resilient body within the folding zone, and a series of collapsing structures positioned between, and integrally formed with, adjacent support members. The actuators selectively release the guides from a reduced to an expanded mode. In the expanded mode the support members extend outward and the collapsing structures are expanded between the support members. In the reduced mode the support members are folded toward the pig body and the collapsing structures are collapsed to reduce a circumference of the resilient body outer perimeter. The support members are biased toward the expanded mode.