Threaded Pressure Test Plug With Radial Seal for Premium Tubular Ends
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pressure test plugs for premium threaded tubular components are inadequate for testing male threaded ends without axial stops and those with leakage paths, often resulting in significant leaks, and do not provide a cost-effective solution for optimizing sealing ring properties.
Innovation Solution
A plug design featuring a compatible screw thread, an interior annular groove with a sealing ring that is radially compressed between the male threaded element and the groove's bottom, and a frustoconical surface to ensure uniform compression, along with a chamfered interior periphery for correct positioning, allowing for effective pressure testing without damaging the premium threaded end.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a standard plug design is used for pressure testing, then the testing procedure is simple, but significant leaks occur when testing male threaded ends without axial stops or with leakage paths
Solution Approach 1:
The plug incorporates a resilient sealing ring that can dynamically adapt its shape and position to accommodate variations in the male threaded element geometry, including the absence of axial stops or presence of leakage paths. The sealing ring's elasticity allows it to deform and conform to different configurations while maintaining effective sealing under pressure testing conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the sealing mechanism from rigid to resilient by introducing a sealing ring made of elastomeric material. This material parameter change allows the sealing interface to accommodate geometric variations in the male threaded element, transforming the sealing approach from fixed-geometry to adaptive-geometry sealing.
2Reliability
If the hardness and elasticity properties of sealing rings are optimized, then sealing performance improves, but additional cost is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The invention specifies a hardness range of 50-90 Shore A for the sealing ring material, optimizing the balance between sealing effectiveness and cost. This parameter range provides sufficient resilience for sealing while avoiding the need for expensive custom-formulated elastomers, using commercially available materials that meet the performance criteria.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing ring is designed with specific local geometric features including a tapered outer surface and circumferential grooves that concentrate sealing pressure at critical locations. This local quality approach ensures effective sealing at the interface with the male threaded element while using standard, cost-effective materials throughout the component.
3Strength
If a plug is screwed onto male threaded ends with axial stops configured to offer leakage paths, then the threaded joint is preserved, but significant leaks occur during testing
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient sealing ring acts as an intermediary element between the plug and the male threaded element, creating a new sealing interface that bypasses the problematic axial stop or leakage path geometry. This intermediary sealing mechanism ensures pressure containment without requiring modification to the existing threaded joint design.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug replicates the external screw thread geometry of the male threaded element to create a compatible mating interface, allowing the plug to be screwed onto various premium threaded configurations while the sealing ring provides the actual sealing function at a different location along the threaded interface.
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 enables reliable pressure testing of tubular components with minimal leakage, is reusable, and can be easily screwed on by hand, preserving the integrity of the threaded joint while accommodating various premium threaded configurations.
Implementation Method 1
a sealing ring held in said groove such that the sealing ring is compressed radially between an exterior periphery of the male threaded element and a bottom of said interior annular groove
Implementation Method 2
a frustoconical surface to ensure uniform compression
Data Source
AI summary
A plug for a pressure test configured for a tubular component, the tubular component including a male threaded element at a free end, the male threaded element including a male thread and a sealing surface, the plug including a thread compatible with the male thread, an inner annular groove, and a sealing ring held in the groove such that the sealing ring is radially compressed between an outer periphery of the male threaded element and a bottom of the inner annular groove.