High Pressure Test Plug with Reinforced Elastomeric Body
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional test plugs are structurally unsound and prone to failure when used in high backflow pressure pipelines, posing risks of damage and injury due to their inability to withstand pressures above 150 psi.
Innovation Solution
A high-pressure test plug constructed with a multi-layered, reinforced elastomeric cylindrical body, metal endplates, and a high-pressure resistant flow-through conduit, which provides structural integrity and frictional resistance to maintain its position under high pressures, allowing it to seal and direct fluid through pipelines effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional test plugs are used in high backflow pressure pipelines, then the pipeline can be obstructed for testing or repairs, but the test plug is prone to failure due to inability to withstand high pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The test plug employs a composite construction combining a flexible elastomeric body with rigid metal reinforcement elements (metal endplates, metal rings, and aramid fabric layers). This composite structure allows the plug to withstand high backflow pressures while maintaining flexibility for sealing, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and pressure withstanding capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The test plug is divided into distinct functional segments: the elastomeric body for sealing, metal endplates for structural support, metal rings for reinforcement, and aramid fabric layers for tensile strength. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in resisting specific types of stress, improving overall reliability under high pressure conditions.
2Reliability
If the test plug is inflated to high internal pressure to seal the pipeline, then the seal effectiveness increases, but the risk of design failure and material separation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The multi-layer composite structure with metal reinforcement embedded in the elastomeric body prevents material separation under high inflation pressure. The metal endplates and rings act as anchors that distribute stress evenly, maintaining structural integrity while allowing the seal to expand effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal reinforcement elements and aramid fabric layers are pre-integrated into the elastomeric body to provide structural cushioning before high pressure is applied. This preemptive reinforcement prevents design failure by distributing the stress of inflation across multiple durable materials rather than relying on the elastomer alone.
3Reliability
If the test plug uses a solid sealed structure to prevent fluid leakage, then the seal is effective, but the plug cannot allow fluid bypass through it
Solution Approach 1:
The test plug incorporates a dynamic flow control system with an adjustable valve mechanism that allows the operator to control the degree of fluid bypass. The valve can be opened or closed depending on whether complete sealing or partial flow is required, providing adaptability while maintaining seal effectiveness when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The test plug is designed to perform multiple functions: complete sealing when the valve is closed, controlled fluid bypass when the valve is partially open, and complete flow when fully open. This multi-functionality allows a single device to adapt to different testing and repair scenarios, resolving the contradiction between seal effectiveness and flow control capability.
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 plug effectively seals and withstands high pressures up to 250 psi, preventing failure and ensuring safety during testing and repairs in pipelines with high backflow pressures, while maintaining structural integrity and allowing fluid bypass.
Implementation Method 1
a first part of the rubber sheet frictionally engages the second part of the rubber sheet along a distance X measured along the first direction, wherein the distance X is greater than 5 inches
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an expandable plug structure for use in high pressure applications. The expandable plugs, such as pneumatic plugs, are preferably constructed of a multi-layered, reinforced elastomeric cylindrical body, i.e., of reinforced natural rubber, and having an inflator member at one end. The multi-layers include various rubber layers, rubber coated aramid, which subsequent to vulcanization provides a unitary plug with shoulders that resist delamination. The cylindrical body may incorporate metal end plates as well as end plate weldment structures which cooperate with a high pressure flow-through conduit which allows the completed high pressure test plug to simultaneously seal a pipeline and to direct fluid therethrough. The high pressure plug obtains its strength in part based upon high frictional resistance forces generated by the external rubber layer(s), and further by the manner in which the external rubber layer8s) are molded into the metallic structures in the plug.