Lancing Safety Cap for Hard-to-Reach Piping Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing piping systems in oil and gas drilling platforms face challenges in cleaning due to adhered drilling mud, which reduces flow rates and requires effective tools to access hard-to-reach areas.
Innovation Solution
A safety cap fitting apparatus with a flange adapter, cleanout stem, and pipe nipple extension that allows for high-pressure cleaning and debris removal in confined spaces, utilizing a camlock fitting for quick connections and a method involving detaching piping sections, threading a lance line, and attaching cleaning tools to access and clean the piping system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional cleaning methods are used on piping systems, then cleaning can be performed on accessible areas, but hard-to-reach areas cannot be effectively cleaned
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning apparatus employs nested components where the lance line can be threaded through the cleanout stem and extended into hard-to-reach piping areas. The safety cap fitting apparatus nests within the piping system's existing structure, allowing the cleaning tool to access confined spaces without requiring disassembly of the entire piping system.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus introduces a new dimensional approach by using a cleanout stem with a lance line that can extend in multiple directions, allowing cleaning access to areas that are not directly accessible from the main pipe opening. The camlock fitting enables quick deployment in various orientations to reach different hard-to-access locations.
2Productivity
If drilling mud adheres to pipe inner surfaces over time, then flow rates are reduced, but removing the caked-on drilling mud requires complex cleaning procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus extracts the cleaning function from complex multi-step procedures by providing a direct lance line insertion method through the safety cap fitting. The lance line delivers cleaning media directly to the adhered drilling mud, allowing for efficient removal without complex disassembly or multiple cleaning stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety cap fitting apparatus is pre-installed on the piping system with the camlock fitting ready for quick connection. The lance line is pre-threaded through the cleanout stem, allowing operators to quickly deploy cleaning tools without time-consuming preparation, thereby maintaining productivity by preventing flow rate reduction from drilling mud accumulation.
3Ease of operation
If piping sections are detached to access hard-to-reach areas, then cleaning access is improved, but system reassembly and operational time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The safety cap fitting apparatus serves as an intermediary device that provides cleaning access through the existing piping system without requiring detachment of piping sections. The camlock fitting and cleanout stem act as mediators that allow the lance line to reach hard-to-access areas while the piping system remains intact and operational.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus provides universal access to multiple hard-to-reach locations within the piping system through a single installation point. The lance line can be directed through the cleanout stem to various locations, eliminating the need to detach different piping sections for different cleaning tasks, thereby reducing reassembly time and operational disruption.
Data Source
AI summary
A safety cap fitting apparatus for use in cleaning a piping system, the apparatus comprising: a) a housing having a hollow bore; b) a flange adapter on said housing, the flange adapter having a flange adapter central axis; and c) a pipe nipple extension mounted to and extending from the housing; wherein the pipe nipple extension has a pipe nipple extension central axis that forms an angle with the flange adapter central axis; wherein the housing has an outer wall, a distal end that attaches to the flange adapter, and a proximal end that has an opening to the hollow bore; and wherein the pipe nipple extension attaches to the housing providing a second opening to the hollow bore, the pipe nipple extension having an outer wall, an inner bore, a distal end that attaches to the housing, and a proximal end that is an open end.