US 12,228,153 B2
Vacuum-enabled fluid compression and evacuation apparatus, control, and associated methods
Douglas A. Sahm, Lutz, FL (US)
Assigned to TPE MIDSTREAM LLC, Tulsa, OK (US)
Appl. No. 18/042,171
Filed by TPE MIDSTREAM LLC, Tulsa, OK (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 1, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/048712
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 17, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/051396, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 10, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/125,762, filed on Dec. 15, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/073,649, filed on Sep. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0349404 A1, Nov. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. F15D 1/02 (2006.01); F16L 55/07 (2006.01)
CPC F15D 1/02 (2013.01) [F16L 55/07 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus to evacuate fluid from a pipe, the apparatus comprising:
a pressure gauge coupled to the pipe;
a fluid evacuation system coupled to the pipe, the fluid evacuation system to evacuate a first fluid from the pipe and, in response to the pressure gauge measuring a first pressure in the pipe, stop evacuating the first fluid from the pipe, the first pressure being determined based on a set of values including (a) first values representative of durations from a start time at which the fluid evacuation system begins evacuation and (b) second values representative of pressures in the pipe at the corresponding durations, the first pressure being a determined pressure to which the pipe is to be evacuated in order to obtain at least a predetermined concentration of a second fluid in the pipe when the pipe is subsequently refilled with the second fluid to a second pressure; and
a gas supply coupled to the pipe, the gas supply to supply the second fluid to the pipe and, in response to the pressure gauge measuring the second pressure in the pipe, stop supplying the second fluid to the pipe.