Inflatable Pipe Test Head for Reusable Integrity Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pipeline systems face operational inefficiencies and reliability issues due to defects like breaches, kinks, and dents in pipe segment tubing, which compromise fluid isolation and lead to fluid loss and contamination, necessitating effective testing methods to ensure integrity before operation.
Innovation Solution
A reusable test head system with an inflatable fastener mechanism that secures and seals the pipe segment tubing, allowing for integrity testing by flowing a test fluid through an annulus cavity, using a shell with testing ports and inflatable bladders to maintain a secure seal without permanent deformation, enabling multiple uses and improved testing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional test head is used to test pipe segment integrity, then the testing function is achieved, but the test head must be discarded after a single use, increasing cost and waste
Solution Approach 1:
The test head employs an inflatable bladder that can be dynamically inflated and deflated. When inflated, the bladder secures the pipe segment for testing; when deflated, it releases the pipe segment for removal. This dynamic state change enables the test head to be reused multiple times while maintaining secure connection during testing, resolving the contradiction between reliable testing and single-use disposal
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical state parameter of the bladder from deflated to inflated state to alter its volume and securing force. This parameter change allows the test head to transition between non-intrusive (when not in use) and securely attached (during testing) states, enabling reuse while ensuring reliable pipe segment securing for integrity testing
2Productivity
If an inflatable fastener mechanism is used to secure the pipe segment, then the test head can be reused multiple times, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The test head uses a pneumatic system with an inflatable bladder to secure the pipe segment. Instead of complex mechanical fasteners, the system uses air pressure to inflate the bladder, which then expands to contact and secure the pipe segment. This pneumatic approach simplifies the overall mechanism while enabling reuse, as the bladder can be easily deflated and reset for the next use
Solution Approach 2:
The inflatable bladder is constructed from flexible material that can be inflated and deflated repeatedly. This flexible shell structure replaces rigid mechanical fastening components, reducing overall device complexity while enabling the test head to be securely attached to different pipe segments multiple times through simple inflation and deflation cycles
3Reliability
If the inflatable bladder is continuously inflated to maintain the pipe segment seal, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable bladder operates through periodic action rather than continuous inflation. The bladder is inflated only during the brief period when the pipe segment needs to be secured for testing. After testing is complete, the bladder is deflated, releasing the pipe segment. This periodic operation significantly reduces energy consumption compared to continuous inflation, while maintaining reliable sealing during the actual testing process
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary inflation action only when needed - specifically when a pipe segment is being prepared for or is undergoing integrity testing. The bladder is not continuously inflated but rather inflated in advance of the testing operation and deflated afterward. This preliminary and temporary inflation maintains sealing reliability during testing while minimizing energy consumption by avoiding continuous operation
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 reusable test head system effectively secures and tests pipe segment integrity, reducing the need for new test heads and enhancing operational reliability by allowing multiple uses, thus improving pipeline system efficiency and reducing testing costs.
Implementation Method 1
increases inflation of the inflatable bladder from the less inflated state to a more inflated state when the tubing of the pipe segment is present in the annulus cavity to facilitate securing and sealing an open end of the pipe segment
Implementation Method 2
flowing a test fluid into the fluid conduit implemented in the annulus of the tubing via the testing port on the shell of the test head
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for implementing and operating a system that includes a pipe segment, which has tubing that defines a bore and a fluid conduit implemented in an annulus of the tubing, and a test head. The test head includes a shell, which defines an annulus cavity, and an inflatable bladder implemented in the annulus cavity, in which the system maintains the inflatable securing bladder in a less inflated state while pipe segment tubing is not present in the annulus cavity and increases inflation of the inflatable bladder to a more inflated state when the tubing is present in the annulus cavity to facilitate securing and sealing an open end of the pipe segment in the test head to enable integrity of the tubing to be tested at least in part by flowing a test fluid into the annulus of the tubing via a testing port on the shell.