Fluid-Expandable Pipeline Pig Seal for Adjustable Wall Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seal elements for pipeline pigs are not adaptable in terms of contact pressure and geometry, limiting their effectiveness in sealing and movement within pipelines.
Innovation Solution
The development of seal elements with a hollow body that can be filled with fluid to adjust contact pressure, featuring a ring-shaped design that can expand radially, allowing for variable contact with the pipeline wall, and incorporating multiple segments with independent fluid control for enhanced reliability and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the seal element has a fixed geometry and material, then the manufacturing is simple, but the contact pressure on the pipeline wall cannot be adapted
Solution Approach 1:
The seal element incorporates a hollow body that can be filled with fluid to dynamically adjust the outer circumference and contact pressure. This allows the seal element to transition between different sealing states (low contact pressure for propulsion, high contact pressure for sealing) based on operational requirements, resolving the contradiction between fixed geometry simplicity and contact pressure adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses fluid (hydraulic or pneumatic) pressure applied to the hollow body to control the expansion of the seal element. By regulating the fluid pressure, the contact pressure between the seal element and pipeline wall can be precisely controlled, enabling adaptability without requiring multiple different seal elements or complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
2Reliability
If the seal element presses with high contact pressure against the pipeline wall, then sealing is effective, but the seal element cannot move freely on the pipeline wall
Solution Approach 1:
The seal element's contact pressure is made dynamically controllable through fluid filling of the hollow body. During propulsion, the hollow body remains empty or partially filled, allowing low contact pressure and free movement. During sealing operations, fluid is introduced to increase contact pressure and improve sealing effectiveness, thus resolving the contradiction between movement capability and sealing effectiveness.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the seal element has variable circumference, then contact pressure can be adjusted, but the manufacturing becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The seal element utilizes a flexible hollow body (such as a balloon or expandable tube) that can be manufactured using standard flexible material processes. The hollow body's flexibility allows it to expand and contract uniformly, providing variable circumference capability without requiring complex segmented structures or adjustable mechanical components, thus maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving circumference variability.
4Device complexity
If the seal element is made as a single piece, then the structure is simple, but maintenance and repair are difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The seal element is divided into separable components: a rigid or semi-rigid support structure and a flexible hollow body. The hollow body can be independently removed, replaced, or repaired without affecting the support structure. This segmentation maintains overall structural simplicity while significantly improving maintenance accessibility, as the hollow body (which undergoes wear and pressure cycling) can be serviced independently.
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 adjustable contact pressure and improved sealing capabilities, increased durability, and easier maintenance by allowing segment-by-segment fluid control, facilitating reliable operation and extended usage.
Implementation Method 1
The hollow body can be filled with a fluid, whereby a force is exerted on a seal surface of the seal element
Implementation Method 2
The section is elastic if the material used there or the design used there enables a change of the diameter of the seal element by at least 1%
Data Source
AI summary
A seal element is provided for a pipeline pig, which is transferable from a propulsion position into a sealing position. T in which the seal element presses against an inside of a pipeline wall. The seal element has at least one preferably ring-shaped hollow body, which can be filled with fluid and emptied. The seal element is transferable between propulsion position and sealing position.