Inflatable Pipeline Pig for Hydrogen-Methane Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid displacement pigs for pipelines require large quantities of inert gases for flushing and sealing, which is costly and time-consuming, especially during fluid changes like transitioning from methane to hydrogen, necessitating new procedures due to hydrogen's ignition properties.
Innovation Solution
A fluid displacement pig with an inflatable sealing device and storage for sealing fluid, which uses inert gas like nitrogen to create a fluid-tight separation within the pipeline, preventing mixing of hydrogen and methane, and is propelled by pipeline pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If large quantities of inert gases are used for flushing and sealing during fluid displacement, then safety and purity requirements are met, but cost and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sealing fluid from the external environment and stores it within the displacement pig itself in a storage device. This eliminates the need for large quantities of external inert gas for sealing purposes, while still maintaining the fluid-tight separation required for safety and purity. The sealing device is inflated with this stored sealing fluid to create the necessary seal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a sealing device as an intermediary element between the two fluids being displaced. This sealing device, when inflated with sealing fluid from the storage device, creates a fluid-tight barrier that prevents mixing of the two fluids. This intermediary approach allows for safer fluid displacement with reduced inert gas consumption compared to traditional flushing methods.
2Reliability
If traditional flushing procedures are used for fluid change in pipelines, then hydrogen safety requirements are met, but logistical costs and time requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the pipeline into two separate zones using the sealing device, which is inflated with sealing fluid from the storage device. This segmentation allows the displacement pig to move through the pipeline while maintaining a fluid-tight barrier between the two fluids. This eliminates the need for complete pipeline emptying and repeated flushing operations, significantly reducing time and logistical requirements while maintaining hydrogen safety through proper fluid separation.
3Reliability
If sealing device is inflated with sealing fluid from storage device, then fluid-tight separation is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the storage device containing sealing fluid with the sealing device itself. The storage device is integrated into the displacement pig and is fluidly connected to the sealing device, allowing direct inflation without external connections. This merging reduces the need for additional external equipment and complex fluid delivery systems, achieving fluid-tight separation while limiting the increase in device complexity.
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
Enables efficient and cost-effective fluid displacement and sealing, ensuring safety and compliance with purity requirements by using inert gas to prevent gas mixing, reducing logistical and operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
The fluid displacement pig is designed to inflate the sealing device with the sealing fluid from the storage device
Implementation Method 2
the fluid displacement pig seals against the pipeline by means of the sealing device
Implementation Method 3
the fluid displacement pig is preferably propelled by the pressure of the flooding hydrogen within the pipeline
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a fluid displacement pig (10) for displacing (204) a fluid (F) in a pipeline (150) and for sealing the fluid displacement pig (10) against the pipeline (150), the fluid displacement pig (10) comprising a base body (20), an at least partially inflatable sealing device (30) for sealing the fluid displacement pig (10) against the pipeline (150) and a storage device (60), wherein the storage device (60) is designed to store a sealing fluid (A) and wherein the fluid displacement pig (10) is designed to inflate (202) the sealing device (30) with the sealing fluid (A) from the storage device (60). The invention further relates to a displacement method (200) for displacing (204) a fluid (F) in a pipeline (150) by means of a fluid displacement pig (10) and for sealing the fluid displacement pig (10) against the pipeline (150).