Pig Parking Station Guide Pair for Rotational Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Coating systems with piggable line systems face challenges in reliably and efficiently handling pigs due to high-speed impacts during insertion and removal, leading to mechanical stress and the need for precise guidance to ensure controlled movement and overcome breakaway forces.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a guide pairing between the pig and the parking station, featuring conical surfaces and a contoured guide end segment with multiple symmetry, ensures rotational alignment and forms overflow channels for the drive medium, allowing for controlled and efficient movement of the pig.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the pig is stopped from high transport speed in the parking station, then the pig can be temporarily accommodated, but harsh mechanical impact occurs on the stop surface causing wear-intensive stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by providing a guide pair with conical guide surfaces that gradually decelerate the pig before it reaches the stop surface. The pig enters the guide surface at an angle and is gently guided into the parking position, converting kinetic energy into controlled movement along the conical surface, thereby preventing harsh impact on the stop surface and reducing mechanical stress on the pig structure.
2Ease of operation
If compressed air pressure pulse is applied to overcome breakaway force, then the pig can be pushed into supply line, but high working pressure is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the intermediary principle by introducing a guide pair as a mediating mechanism between the pig and the drive medium. The guide surfaces provide mechanical guidance and force distribution, allowing the compressed air to act more efficiently on the pig. The guide surfaces convert the pressure pulse into controlled directional movement, reducing the overall pressure requirement while ensuring reliable pig propulsion into the supply line.
3Reliability
If the pig is tightly sealed against the line wall for controlled movement, then guidance is improved, but friction increases resistance to movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spheroidality by designing the guide surfaces with conical curvature rather than flat or sharp edges. The conical guide surfaces provide gradual contact and smooth transition, distributing the sealing force over a larger area and reducing peak friction points. This curved geometry maintains reliable guidance and sealing while minimizing resistance to pig movement compared to sharp-edged or flat contact surfaces.
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
This design enhances the durability of the pig and reduces mechanical stress by ensuring guided movement and efficient breakaway from the parking position, enabling reliable operation with reduced pressure requirements.
Implementation Method 1
a guide pair which, when the pig is completely inserted into a parking space provided for it in the parking station, effects a predetermined rotational orientation of the pig relative to the parking station
Implementation Method 2
The pig can also be moved alone, for example, to clean the pipe. Compressed air is typically used as the thrust medium, which is applied to the pig on the other side
Implementation Method 3
Pigging systems allow the separation of directly adjacent coating materials
Data Source
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AI summary
A coating system (1) for coating an object with a coating material, comprising a piggable pipeline system (14) for supplying a pickup point (8) with the coating material, in which the pipeline system (14) has a number of pig parking stations (22) for temporarily receiving a pig (20) guided in the pipeline system (14), is designed for the gentlest possible handling of the pig (20) in order to extend its service life. According to the invention, each pig parking station (22) is provided with a guide pair (34) in combination with the pig (20), which, when the pig (20) is fully inserted into a parking space (26) in the parking station (22), ensures a predetermined rotational orientation of the pig (20) relative to the parking station (22).