Handheld Pipe Wiper with Flexible Toroidal Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for removing solids and fluids from pipe sections during well drilling or servicing are cumbersome, dangerous, and inefficient, often requiring manual handling close to high-temperature drilling fluids, which can lead to accidents.
Innovation Solution
A handheld pipe wiper with hinged arcuate body portions, a releasable latch mechanism, and a flexible toroidal seal that forms a cylindrical body around the pipe, allowing easy installation and removal while stripping solids and fluids, with handles to maintain distance from the fluid and accommodate different pipe diameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual rags and gunny sacks are used to remove solids and fluids from pipe sections, then the wiping function is achieved, but the safety of drilling personnel deteriorates due to close proximity to high-temperature drilling fluid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a pipe wiper as an intermediary tool between the drilling personnel and the high-temperature drilling fluid. The wiper includes a wiping element that contacts the pipe section and a handle that allows personnel to operate it from a safe distance, eliminating direct exposure to harmful fluids while maintaining effective wiping capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the direct manual handling of hot pipes with a mechanical wiping system. The pipe wiper uses a wiping element attached to a handle mechanism that can be operated without direct contact with the hazardous pipe section, substituting the dangerous manual operation with a safer mechanical system
2Reliability
If manual rags and gunny sacks are used to strip solids and fluids, then the wiping function is achieved, but the risk of dropping the wiping device into the drill hole increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe wiper serves as a controlled intermediary tool with a structured design including a handle and wiping element. This design allows personnel to maintain control and visibility of the tool during operation, preventing accidental drops into the drill hole while still enabling effective wiping of the pipe section
3Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-size sealing member is used in the pipe wiper, then the sealing function is achieved, but the adaptability to different pipe diameters deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible toroidal seal that can dynamically change its configuration. The seal is designed to flex and stretch, allowing it to adapt to different pipe diameters while maintaining effective sealing contact. This dynamic capability enables a single seal design to accommodate multiple pipe sizes without increasing overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes changes in the physical parameters of the sealing member, specifically its flexibility and elasticity. The toroidal seal can change its dimensional parameters (diameter, cross-sectional shape) in response to different pipe sizes, allowing adaptation to various pipe diameters while maintaining sealing effectiveness
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 pipe wiper effectively and safely removes solids and fluids from pipes during extraction, reducing the risk of accidents and improving handling efficiency for drilling personnel by providing a safe and easy-to-use tool that can adapt to various pipe sizes.
Implementation Method 1
the seal can be configured to flex and stretch such that the central opening can expand in diameter so that the seal can pass over a connection between sections of pipe as the string is being raised out of a well, and then contract in diameter to the pipe's diameter after the pipe connection has passed through the pipe wiper
Implementation Method 2
the sealing member in the pipe wiper strips off solids and fluids from the exterior surface of the string, the solids and fluids falling onto the rig floor
Data Source
AI summary
A seal for replacement within a generally cylindrical passage of a supporting body has three or more overlapping sealing members arranged circumferentially around the passage in the supporting body and forming an annular seal around the pipe inserted into the passage. The sealing members are configured to accommodate an expansion of the pipe by moving to an expanded position by circumferential sliding contact of the sealing members along circumferentially slanted cuts between the sealing members.