Segmented Retainer Collar High Pressure Flowline Union
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-pressure flowline unions in the oil and gas industry face challenges such as leaks, catastrophic failure, and increased operating costs due to harsh conditions, including high pressures and abrasive/corrosive fluids, which are exacerbated by turbulent flow and vibrations, leading to stress and erosion.
Innovation Solution
The development of novel unions with segmented retainer collars, beveled shoulders, and wear sleeves made from durable materials like tungsten carbide steel, which distribute stress more evenly and provide enhanced wear resistance, along with a wrench design that eliminates the need for hammering, ensuring safer and more reliable assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional unions are used in high-pressure flow lines, then assembly is simple, but leaks and catastrophic failure occur due to stress concentration and erosion
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer collar is divided into multiple segments rather than being a single piece. This segmentation allows the collar to better distribute stress around the conduit and accommodates thermal expansion and contraction, preventing stress concentration that leads to leaks and failure in conventional unions.
Solution Approach 2:
The union incorporates a wear sleeve made of hard material (such as tungsten carbide, ceramic, or hardened steel) that is either inserted into or forms part of the retainer collar. This composite structure combines the structural integrity of the collar with the superior wear resistance of the hard material, protecting against erosion from abrasive fluids while maintaining overall union reliability.
2Reliability
If conventional unions are used in high-pressure flow lines, then initial manufacturing cost is lower, but operating costs increase due to leaks and failures
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented retainer collar design, while slightly more complex to manufacture, uses standard fabrication processes for creating segmented components. The segments can be manufactured separately and assembled, allowing for quality control and reducing overall manufacturing difficulty despite the increased number of parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The wear sleeve can be manufactured as a separate component and inserted into the retainer collar, or integrated using established composite manufacturing techniques. This approach allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while using proven manufacturing methods, balancing manufacturing complexity with long-term reliability benefits.
3Reliability
If conventional unions are used in high-pressure flow lines, then assembly method is traditional, but vibrations and turbulent flow cause stress and erosion leading to failure
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented retainer collar distributes mechanical stress from vibrations and turbulent flow across multiple sections rather than concentrating it at single points. Each segment can independently accommodate movement and stress, preventing the propagation of stress that leads to fatigue and failure in conventional single-piece collars.
Solution Approach 2:
The hard material wear sleeve provides superior resistance to erosion from abrasive fluids carried by turbulent flow. This protective layer shields the underlying retainer collar and conduit from direct contact with erosive materials, significantly extending the service life of the union in harsh high-pressure flow line environments.
Data Source
AI summary
A union joins male and female subs of two flowline components. The male sub includes a male end of one component, a retainer collar, and a union nut. An annular boss extends around a union face of the male end and provides a rearward-facing shoulder. The retainer collar is carried on the male end and has a forward-facing shoulder and a rearward-facing shoulder. The collar forward-facing shoulder bears on the male end rearward-facing shoulder. The female sub includes a threaded female end of the other component. The nut is carried on the male end around the collar and threads onto the female end. It also has a forward-facing shoulder which bears on the collar rearward-facing shoulder. The nut forward-facing shoulder and the collar rearward-facing shoulder are beveled. Thus, load from the nut is transmitted through the collar axially to the annular boss and radially inward to the male end.