Tdw Delaware, Inc.

William Jack Rankin

Matthew W Logan

Robert F Strong

Eric N Freeman

Philip M Maltby

Rick D Pruett

Lloyd Neal Salsman

Hyun J Cho

Stephen J Miska

Mark G Register

A pipeline debris shearing device includes a forwardly positioned, self sharpening, wear compensating, diameter conforming elastomeric member that forms a peeling edge having a negative rake angle to peel away debris from the internal wall of a pipeline. The peeling edge is formed at the point of meeting between a concave-shaped, curved forward face surface and a substantially straight outer peripheral surface. Radial slots may be provided to lessen the force being exerted on the peeling edge and provide for bypass flow to carry away debris removed by the peeling edge. Spaced-apart narrow stripper teeth may be added to help in removing harder deposits of debris. The peeling edge may be arranged substantially perpendicular the central longitudinal axis of the pipeline pig or arranged oblique to it. Further, the peeling edge may spiral about at least a portion of the pipeline pig.

Pipeline debris shearing device

The present invention is a pipeline pig for cleaning the interior of a pipeline, the pipeline pig having a longitudinal pig body with forward and rearward elastomeric propulsion members affixed to and supporting the pig body substantially concentrically in a pipeline, the propulsion members functioning to move the pig body through a pipeline by the force of fluid flow and a plurality of spaced apart elastomeric diagonally oriented scrapers radially extending from the pig body, each scraper member having a semi-circular outer peripheral edge configured and dimensioned to engage the interior wall of a pipeline to thereby scrape and clean the interior pipeline wall as the pig is moved through the pipeline and provide additional support for the pig substantially concentrically in a pipeline. Orientation of the scraper enhances scraping effectiveness by slicing through any debris buildup, separating the debris from the inner pipe wall so that it can be pushed out of the pipeline by the pig discs or cups.

Pipeline cleaning pig with self-energizing diagonally oriented scrapers

A pipeline pig signal made according to this invention houses one or more shielded magnetometer sensors and a microcontroller with adaptive thresholding detection means for reducing the likelihood of false alarms. The adaptive thresholding detection means removes outlier data from the magnetic flux data stream and then passes the outlier-free data stream through four low pass filters. A smoothed magnitude of the data stream is compared to detection limits and, if a passage event has occurred, a recent detection is indicated, a counter of a display unit is incremented, a time of passage is recorded, and both statistics are displayed on the display unit. Because a single object may produce multiple magnetic fields, the detector may be locked-out for a predetermined period of time after the passage event to prevent a second detection of the same object as it passes the detection device.

System and method for detecting the passage of an object in pipeline including shielded magnetometer and a microcontroller with adaptive thresholding detection means

An improved signal with adjustable mounting to allow the signal to be oriented to face any direction, without rotating the pressure-containing plug, and with integral seal to protect the outer threads of the mounting nipple.

Pipeline pig signal with adjustable mounting

An improved cup for use as a part of a pipeline pig is in the form of an elastomeric cup member having an outer circumferential pipe engaging portion defined by a plurality of at least three closely spaced apart integral circumferential lip portions, the lip portions being separately flexible with respect to each other and each of the lip portions having a length that is at least twice its thickness. The multiple-lip cup may be removably attached to a pipeline pig body or be made integral with an elastomeric pipe pig body.

Cup or disc for use as a part of a pipeline pig

A cleaning device for passing through a pipeline for removal of ferro-magnetic debris includes an elongated body having at least two spaced apart elastomeric cups that fit within a pipeline to be cleaned, the cups supporting the body so that its elongational axis is substantially co-axial with the pipeline cylindrical wall. A carrier is supported by the body and has a peripheral surface spaced adjacent to the pipeline internal wall. At least one permanent magnet is supported by the carrier peripheral surface and adjacent to the pipeline internal wall. A structure is provided to maintain the magnet oriented in the direction of, or parallel to, and adjacent the pipeline internal wall bottom portion so that the magnet attracts and retains ferro-magnetic debris. In one embodiment the carrier is free to rotate about the elongated body so that if the cleaning device rotates as it moves through a pipeline the magnet or magnets carried thereby are always positioned adjacent the pipeline bottom interior surface. In another embodiment, the carrier is fixed to the cleaning device body. A weight is attached to the body to prevent the cleaning device from rotating and to thereby maintain the peripheral surface of the carrier having the magnet therein adjacent the pipeline interior bottom.

Magnetic cleaning pig

An elastomeric disc for use on a pipeline pig of the type having a longitudinal body supported centrally within a pipeline for movement by fluid flow therethrough, the disc being in the form of a unitary elastomeric member having an outer peripheral surface concentric with the pipeline pig body longitudinal axis and having an inner portion of selected thickness with means for attachment to the pipeline pig body whereby the disc is supported in a plane perpendicular the pipeline line axis, the disc member having an integrally formed circumferential outer portion, the outer portion being of increased thickness in relation to the spacing thereof from the disc center, the outer peripheral surface being defined by first and second intersecting frustraconical surfaces, one of the surfaces being parallel to the inner wall of the pipeline through which the disc is moved in a first direction and the other of the surfaces being parallel to the inner wall of the pipeline when the disc is moved in a second direction.

Elastomeric disc for use on a pipeline pig

An improved cleaning pig with selectable debris flushing action for use in a pipeline to be moved through the pipeline by the flow of fluid therethrough, the pig being formed of a cylindrical body of semi-rigid material having shallow depth channels formed in paralleled spirals on the cylindrical surface, the spirals extending less than the full length of the body leaving an uninterrupted portion of the cylindrical surface, and an elongated, brush member positioned in each of the channels, each of the brush members having bristles which extend generally radially outward from the pig body, the width of the brush members being less than the width of the channels providing fluid flow passageways within each of the channels whereby segments of said uninterrupted cylindrical portion of the body may be cut away to establish communication of the flow passageways with both ends of the body to permit fluid to flow past the pig as it is moved through a pipeline to thereby flush debris which has been brushed from the pipeline sidewall forwardly of the pig so that the debris will be carried out of the pipeline, the amount of fluid flow past the pig being selectable by the width and depth of the uninterrupted cylindrical portion which has been cut away.

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Sapulpa, OK, United States of America

William Jack Rankin