Offset Flange Flowline Fittings for High-Pressure Directional Changes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional frac systems face challenges with high-pressure flowline components due to abrasive and corrosive fluids, leading to erosion, corrosion, and fatigue, which complicates assembly, increases costs, and poses safety risks due to the complexity and fragility of components like swivel joints and flanges.
Innovation Solution
The development of flowline components with offset flange unions and angled directional fittings that reduce turbulence and erosion by minimizing concentrated areas of impact, using wear sleeves to enhance durability, and integrating these components into a single, larger flowline design that eliminates the need for swivel joints and reduces the number of potential leak points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional swivel joints and flanges are used in high-pressure flowline components, then the system can accommodate directional changes and connections, but the components become complex and fragile, leading to increased erosion, corrosion, and fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes swivel joints and complex flanges from the flowline system, replacing them with simpler offset fittings that achieve directional changes through integrated geometry rather than separate mechanical components. This extraction eliminates the complexity and fragility associated with conventional swivel joints while maintaining the necessary adaptability for directional changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The offset fitting integrates multiple functions into a single component: it combines directional change capability with connection functionality, eliminating the need for separate swivel joints and flanges. This merging reduces the number of parts, simplifies assembly, and decreases the potential for erosion and corrosion at multiple connection points.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple flowline components with swivel joints are assembled, then directional flexibility is achieved, but assembly complexity increases and assembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The offset fitting consolidates multiple components into a single integrated piece that provides directional flexibility through its built-in offset geometry. This eliminates the need to assemble multiple separate components with swivel joints and flanges, dramatically reducing assembly time and complexity while maintaining the required directional flexibility.
3Ease of operation
If conventional flowline components are used, then connections can be made, but the number of potential leak points increases
Solution Approach 1:
The offset fitting integrates connection functionality directly into the flowline component itself, eliminating separate flanges and multiple connection interfaces. This reduction in the number of connection points directly decreases the number of potential leak points, improving system reliability while maintaining ease of operation through standardized connection geometry.
4Productivity
If flowline components are exposed to abrasive and corrosive fluids under high pressure, then fluid transport function is achieved, but erosion, corrosion, and fatigue occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes complex components like swivel joints and multiple flanges that create concentrated areas of fluid impact and turbulence. By extracting these vulnerable components and replacing them with simpler offset fittings, the system reduces the number of locations susceptible to erosion and corrosion from abrasive high-pressure fluids.
Solution Approach 2:
The offset fitting design considers the local flow conditions at each surface, optimizing the geometry to minimize turbulent flow and concentrated impact areas where abrasive fluids would cause erosion. The integrated design allows for smoother flow transitions compared to multiple separate components.
Data Source
AI summary
Flowline components are assembled into high-pressure fluid transportation systems by a flange union. The flowline component comprises a body defining a substantially cylindrical central conduit. The conduit extends between first and second flat union faces and is adapted to conduct fluids through the body. The union faces are adapted to provide a mating surface for a flange union between the component and another flowline component. Accordingly, the union faces have a plurality of holes adapted to accommodate threaded connectors for forming the flange union. The holes are arranged in a defined array extending angularly around the conduit. Importantly, the array of holes on the first union face and the array of holes on the second union face are offset angularly relative to each other by an angle Δ. It will be appreciated that such components may allow changes in the direction of a flow line.