Inflatable Bore Plug Assembly for Flexible Pipe Anti-Kinking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible pipes often deform inadvertently during deployment from coils into pipeline systems, leading to inefficiencies and reliability issues due to kinking and flattening, which can restrict fluid flow and weaken the pipe material.
Innovation Solution
A pipe handling system employing inflatable bore plug assemblies to maintain elevated fluid pressure within the pipe bore, using inboard and outboard bore plug assemblies with inflatable bladders and securement mechanisms to prevent deformation during unwinding and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If flexible pipe is unwound from pipe coil for deployment, then the pipe can be installed into pipeline system, but the tubing and pipe bore may inadvertently deform (kink) due to unbending requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe bore is pressurized with fluid before and during the unwinding process from the pipe coil. This preliminary pressurization creates internal pressure that supports the tubing walls, preventing kinking and deformation as the pipe unbends during deployment into the pipeline system.
Solution Approach 2:
Fluid pressure is introduced into the pipe bore to maintain structural integrity during handling and deployment. The hydraulic pressure acts as a temporary support structure, allowing the flexible pipe to be unwound and installed without compromising the roundness or shape of the pipe bore.
2Ease of manufacture
If flexible pipe is stored in pipe coil for transportation, then storage and transport are facilitated, but the pipe may be subjected to external environmental conditions and potential deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe bore is pressurized before the pipe is coiled for transportation and storage. This pre-pressurization maintains the tubing in a rounded, structurally sound state throughout storage and transport, preventing deformation that could occur when the pipe is bent into a coil configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal fluid pressure parameter is maintained during storage and transport to counteract the external forces acting on the coiled pipe. This parameter change (maintaining elevated pressure) preserves the pipe's structural integrity despite the bent configuration required for coil storage.
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 system effectively reduces the likelihood of deformation, enhancing operational efficiency and reliability by maintaining pipe integrity and flow consistency during deployment and storage.
Implementation Method 1
supplying inflation fluid to the first inflatable bladder... to transition the first inflatable bladder from a first less inflated state to a first more inflated state
Implementation Method 2
an inflatable bladder that defines a fluid cavity... to transition the first inflatable bladder from a first less inflated state to a first more inflated state
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for implementing and/or operating a pipe handling system that includes an inboard bore plug assembly and an outboard bore plug assembly, which facilitate plugging a pipe bore in a flexible pipe. The inboard bore plug assembly includes a first inflatable plug having a first inflatable bladder that defines a first fluid cavity and a first inflation port opening and a first inflation fluid port secured within the first inflation port opening. The outboard bore plug assembly includes a second inflatable plug having a second inflatable bladder that defines a second fluid cavity, a second inflation port opening, and a bore port opening, a second inflation fluid port secured within the second inflation port opening, and a bore fluid port secured in the bore port opening to enable the pipe bore in the flexible pipe to be pressurized to an elevated fluid pressure.