Poly-Welded Annulus Test Head for Pipe Integrity Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pipeline systems face operational inefficiencies and reliability issues due to faults like breaches, kinks, and dents in pipe segments, which compromise fluid isolation and lead to fluid loss or contamination, necessitating effective integrity testing before operation.
Innovation Solution
A test head assembly with poly-welded barrier material is deployed to seal the tubing annulus, allowing for the introduction and extraction of test fluids to assess pipe integrity, using fluid ports connected to the annulus and poly-welding techniques that match the pipe's material, ensuring sealing and integrity testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If integrity testing is performed on pipe segments before operation, then operational reliability is improved by identifying faults, but operational time is lost due to testing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs integrity testing as a preliminary action before the pipe segment is deployed into service. The test head assembly is installed on the pipe segment prior to operation, allowing faults to be identified and repaired before the pipe enters the pipeline system, thereby preventing future failures and fluid loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The test head assembly is extracted as a separate, removable component that can be installed temporarily for testing purposes only. After the integrity test is completed, the test head is removed, allowing the pipe segment to be deployed without the testing equipment, thus minimizing the time loss associated with testing.
2Measurement precision
If the tubing annulus is sealed to enable integrity testing, then measurement precision is improved for detecting faults, but device complexity increases due to sealing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier material is nested within the tubing annulus, conforming to the internal geometry of the pipe. This nested configuration allows the barrier to seal effectively against the tubing inner surface without requiring complex external sealing mechanisms, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier material is implemented as a flexible membrane or thin film that can conform to the tubing annulus geometry and create an effective seal. This flexible barrier simplifies the sealing system compared to rigid mechanical seals, reducing device complexity while enabling precise fault detection through the fluid port.
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 solution enhances operational efficiency and reliability by enabling accurate integrity testing, identifying faults, and facilitating repairs before normal operation, thus preventing fluid loss and contamination.
Implementation Method 1
barrier material poly welded to the tubing of the pipe segment
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques implementing and/or operating a system includes a pipe segment and a test head assembly secured to the pipe segment. The pipe segment includes tubing that defines a pipe bore through the pipe segment and a fluid conduit in a tubing annulus of the pipe segment. The test head assembly includes barrier material poly welded to the tubing of the pipe segment to facilitate sealing the fluid conduit defined in the tubing annulus from environmental conditions external to the tubing of the pipe segment and a fluid port fluidly connected to the fluid conduit defined within the tubing annulus to enable integrity of the tubing to be tested at least in part by flowing a test fluid into the fluid conduit defined in the tubing annulus via the fluid port, extracting fluid from the fluid conduit defined in the tubing annulus via the fluid port, or both.