Rotatable Threaded Flange for Leak-Resistant High-Pressure Flowlines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional frac systems face challenges with high-pressure flowline components due to abrasive and corrosive fluids, leading to erosion, leakage, and increased maintenance costs, particularly with swivel joints and swivel flanges which are prone to turbulence and bending stress.
Innovation Solution
The development of rotatable flanged components with internal metal seals and flange unions that eliminate exposed elastomeric seals, allowing for flexible assembly and reduced erosion risk, combined with larger diameter flowlines to minimize turbulence and drag, replacing multiple smaller lines with a single larger line for improved wear resistance and service life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional swivel joints and swivel flanges are used in high-pressure flowlines, then flexible assembly and operation are enabled, but the components are prone to turbulence and bending stress leading to erosion and leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The flange is designed to be rotatable relative to the body, allowing dynamic adjustment during assembly and operation. This rotational capability enables flexible alignment while the threaded connection maintains structural integrity, reducing bending stress and erosion compared to fixed rigid connections
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the connection parameter from fixed rigid connection to threaded rotatable connection. The threaded engagement allows for controlled rotation and alignment adjustment, while maintaining sufficient mechanical strength to resist high-pressure turbulent flow and reduce erosion
2Device complexity
If multiple smaller flowlines are used, then system complexity is reduced, but turbulence and drag increase leading to higher maintenance costs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention consolidates multiple smaller flowlines into a single larger flowline system. This merging reduces the total number of components and connections, thereby reducing system complexity while simultaneously decreasing turbulence and drag losses associated with multiple smaller lines
3Ease of manufacture
If exposed elastomeric seals are used in flange unions, then assembly is simplified, but the seals are prone to erosion and leakage from abrasive and corrosive fluids
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs a composite sealing approach combining metal internal seals with elastomeric external seals. The metal internal seals provide erosion and corrosion resistance from abrasive fluids, while the elastomeric external seals maintain the simplified assembly characteristics, creating a composite sealing system that addresses both requirements
Data Source
AI summary
A rotatable flanged component is adapted for assembly into a flow line of a high-pressure fluid transportation system. The rotatable flanged component comprises a body and a conduit. The body has at least two ends. The conduit extends between the ends. The rotatable component also has a flange and a union face at each of the ends. The flanges and union faces are adapted to provide a flange union between the component and other flowline components at each the body end. At least one of the flanges is a rotatable flange. The rotatable flange has a central opening and a plurality of holes. The holes are adapted to accommodate threaded connectors for loading the flange with an axial force. The flange is mounted on the body end through the central opening for rotation and for transmission of the axial force to the body end.