Flowline Quick Connector Assembly for Faster High-Pressure Joining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flowline connector systems for high-pressure oil field applications are inefficient, physically taxing, and time-consuming due to the need for multiple alignments and securements with flanged connectors, which often require cranes and significant operator effort.
Innovation Solution
A flowline connector assembly that includes a pin and a collar, allowing for quick connection and disconnection of flowline members by aligning the pin within the cylindrical passageways of the flowline members, reducing the need for complex bolted connections and heavy equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flanged connectors with multiple bolts are used to connect flowlines, then the connection strength and reliability are improved, but the connection time and physical effort required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into separate components: a body portion with a female threaded connection and a cap portion with a male threaded connection. This segmentation allows for quicker assembly by eliminating the need to align and tighten multiple bolts simultaneously, while still achieving a reliable threaded connection that can withstand high pressures.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a traditional flanged connection where multiple bolts are tightened from the outside, the invention uses a threaded cap that screws onto the body from the end. This inverted approach simplifies the connection process to a single rotational motion, dramatically reducing connection time while maintaining connection integrity.
2Reliability
If flanged connectors with multiple bolts are used to connect flowlines, then the connection strength and reliability are improved, but the device complexity and number of components increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into separate components: a body portion with a female threaded connection and a cap portion with a male threaded connection. This segmentation allows for quicker assembly by eliminating the need to align and tighten multiple bolts simultaneously, while still achieving a reliable threaded connection that can withstand high pressures.
Solution Approach 2:
The body portion serves multiple functions: it provides the threaded connection interface, houses the seal, and forms the structural connection point. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components like flanges, multiple bolts, and separate seal assemblies, thereby reducing overall complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Strength
If conventional flanged connectors are used, then the connection can withstand high pressure, but the physical effort and energy required for assembly increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a traditional flanged connection where multiple bolts are tightened from the outside, the invention uses a threaded cap that screws onto the body from the end. This inverted approach simplifies the connection process to a single rotational motion, dramatically reducing connection time while maintaining connection integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the essential function of connection and sealing from the complex flanged bolted assembly, reducing it to a simple threaded cap-and-body connection. This extraction removes unnecessary components and operations, reducing the physical effort required while preserving the high-pressure withstanding capability through proper threading and sealing design.
4Loss of time
If quick connection mechanisms are used to reduce assembly time, then the connection time decreases, but the connection strength and reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a traditional flanged connection where multiple bolts are tightened from the outside, the invention uses a threaded cap that screws onto the body from the end. This inverted approach simplifies the connection process to a single rotational motion, dramatically reducing connection time while maintaining connection integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The threaded connection acts as an intermediary mechanism that bridges the gap between quick connection and reliable sealing. The threads provide mechanical interlocking for strength, while the seal (integrated into the body or cap) ensures pressure containment. This intermediary design allows rapid assembly without compromising reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A flowline connector assembly may include a first flowline member having a first cylindrical passageway and a first stop extending radially outward from an outer surface of the first flowline member, and a second flowline member having an annular configuration defining a second cylindrical passageway. The flowline connector assembly may include a pin, having an annular configuration, configured to be inserted into the first cylindrical passageway and the second cylindrical passageway. The flowline connector assembly may include a collar where an inner surface of the collar at a first end is configured to contact a first side of the first stop, and the inner surface of the collar at a second end is configured to contact a first side of a second stop to connect the first flowline member with the second flowline member, where the second stop extends radially from the pin or the second flowline member.