US 12,140,260 B2
Pipeline spool piece seal assembly and method of use
Abhineet Gupta, New Delhi (IN); Pardeep Kumar Kaundai, Punjab (IN); Ashish Negi, Punjab (IN); Nilesh Patil, Ravet (IN); Vikrant Verma, Haryana (IN); and Douglas Allen Watkins, Magnolia, TX (US)
Assigned to Oceaneering International, Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed by Oceaneering International, Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Apr. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/730,330.
Prior Publication US 2022/0341531 A1, Oct. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. F16L 55/17 (2006.01); F16L 55/18 (2006.01)
CPC F16L 55/171 (2013.01) [F16L 55/1705 (2013.01); F16L 55/18 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A spool assembly, comprising:
a. a substantially tubular conduit comprising a first conduit end and a second conduit end;
b. a predetermined set of flanges, a first flange of the predetermined set of flanges disposed at the first conduit end of the substantially tubular conduit and a second flange of the predetermined set of flanges disposed at the second conduit end of the substantially tubular conduit; and
c. two seal assemblies, each seal assembly configured to mate with a corresponding flange of the two flanges, each seal assembly comprising:
i. a housing comprising:
1. an interior defining an inner annulus adapted to fit over an outer surface of a pipeline;
2. a first housing end;
3. a fluid inlet disposed proximate the first housing end;
4. a second housing end; and
5. a fluid outlet disposed proximate the second housing end; and
ii. a stopper comprising an interior end exposed to the interior of the housing; and
iii. an end flange disposed at a first end of the housing and fixed to the housing, the end flange configured to mate with a corresponding flange of the two flanges and comprising a flange tapered edge angled towards the interior of the housing and a fluid outlet, the end flange comprising an interior end and an exterior end disposed distally from the interior end of the end flange;
iv. a housing seal disposed intermediate the housing and the end flange; and
v. a seal disposed within the housing and in physical contact with the interior end of the stopper, the seal adapted to be in communication with an uncontrolled surface, the seal comprising a seal tapered edge in contact with and configured to cooperatively complement the flange tapered edge, the seal configured to selectively allow or block fluid flow at a predefined set of fluid leakage paths between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet;
vi. a machined slip anchor comprising a griping surface, the machined slip anchor adapted to connect to the stopper and configured to grip onto the outer surface of the pipeline;
vii. a machined slip cone, the machined slip anchor and the machined slip cone comprising a complementary geometry adapted to allow the machined slip anchor and the machined slip cone to slip over each other; and
viii. a pin disposed intermediate the machined slip anchor and machined slip cone, the pin forming a deformable but substantially rigid connection between the machined slip anchor and machined slip cone, the pin aligned to guide the machined slip cone as it slides with movement of the machined slip anchor and to be sheared away due to a force acting on the pin when the force exceeds a predetermined shear strength of the pin, the pin configured to disallow sliding of the machined slip anchor until the pin is shorn and allow the machined slip anchor to slide relative to the machined slip cone and a piston slidingly disposed within the housing to continue to move into the housing once the pin is shorn.