Rolling Pig Bypass Pathways for Progressive Pipeline Dewatering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pigs used in multi-phase or predominantly gas pipelines often cause process upsets and slug-catcher overruns by pushing out most liquids, leading to costly shutdowns or re-designs, as they are ineffective in selectively removing only a small portion of liquids to prevent overrunning limited capacity processing equipment.
Innovation Solution
A loose-fitting, spherical or quasi-spherical pig with through-body and external bypass pathways that captures and redistributes a portion of liquids as it rolls through the pipeline, allowing gas to bypass the pig at higher velocities than the pig itself, thereby preventing complete liquid displacement and enabling progressive dewatering and inhibitor dispersion without process upsets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional pigs are used to push out liquids in multi-phase pipelines, then liquid removal is achieved, but process upsets and slug-catcher overruns occur
Solution Approach 1:
The rolling pig is designed to remove only a portion of the liquid rather than all liquid. The bypass pathways allow gas to flow around the pig while the pig captures and redistributes only some of the liquid, preventing complete liquid displacement that would cause slug-catcher overruns
Solution Approach 2:
The pig body is divided into multiple quadrants with bypass pathways that segment the liquid handling function. Each quadrant can capture and redistribute liquid independently, allowing controlled partial liquid removal rather than bulk liquid displacement
2Quantity of substance
If conventional pigs push out most liquids, then liquid displacement is achieved, but costly shutdowns and re-designs are required
Solution Approach 1:
The pig performs partial liquid removal sufficient to prevent processing equipment overruns without completely displacing all liquid. This partial action maintains production continuity and avoids shutdowns while still achieving the necessary liquid management objective
3Adaptability or versatility
If spray pigs are used for inhibitor application, then inhibitor dispersal is achieved, but complete liquid pushout causes process upsets
Solution Approach 1:
The rolling pig combines multiple functions: it provides inhibitor application capability through its surface while simultaneously performing partial liquid removal. The pig can be coated with inhibitor that disperses during rolling, and its bypass pathways enable controlled liquid redistribution without complete pushout, maintaining process continuity
Solution Approach 2:
The pig merges inhibitor application and liquid management functions into a single device. The inhibitor coating on the pig body disperses during the rolling process while the bypass pathways manage liquid flow, combining two separate operations into one integrated solution
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 allows for selective removal of liquids, preventing slug-catcher overruns and maintaining normal production rates by capturing and redistributing only a portion of the liquids, thus avoiding costly shutdowns and re-designs, while enabling efficient inhibitor dispersion within the pipeline.
Implementation Method 1
a loose-fitting spherical- or quasi-spherical shaped pig body which rolls forward through the interior space of the pipe
Implementation Method 2
The first and second bypass pathways allow gas flow to bypass the pig body at a velocity greater than a velocity of the pig body
Implementation Method 3
temporarily captures and redistributes a portion of the volume of liquids available for capture and redistribution as the pig body rolls on past
Data Source
AI summary
A method for progressively dewatering a pipe or pipeline includes the use of a loose-fitting spherical- or quasi-spherical shaped pig body which rolls forward through the interior space of the pipe and temporarily captures and redistributes a portion of the volume of liquids available for capture and redistribution as the pig body rolls on past. Preferably, the portion captured is less than the volume available for capture. A part of the captured liquid may be redistributed to an upper quadrant of the pipe. Capture and redistribution are accomplished by way of a first bypass pathway and a second bypass pathway. One of the pathways may be a through-body pathway. The pig body may be a hollow pig body with a plurality of spaced-apart ports, a solid pig body with a plurality of paddle-like structures, or a cube-sphere type pig body with recessed external wall surfaces.