Reusable pipe integrity test head systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11143565-B2
Application number	US-202117159235-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2021
Priority date	Feb 28, 2020
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

Techniques for implementing a system including a pipe segment and a test head. The test head includes a shell that defines an annulus cavity to be used to interface with an annulus of the pipe segment, in which the shell includes a bore insert having a male taper to be inserted into a pipe bore of the pipe segment, a testing port that extends through the shell and fluidly coupled to the annulus cavity, and an internal clamp assembly including clamp segments having a female taper that slidably interface with the male taper of the bore insert, in which an outer surface diameter of the clamp segments is controlled by position of the clamp segments on the bore insert to facilitate selectively securing and sealing an open end of the pipe segment in the test head to enable integrity of the tubing to be tested.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a pipe segment, wherein the pipe segment comprises tubing that defines a pipe bore and a fluid conduit implemented in an annulus of the tubing; and
a test head comprising:
a shell that defines an annulus cavity configured to interface with the annulus of the tubing, wherein the shell comprises an end cap and a bore insert having a male taper configured to be inserted into the pipe bore defined by the tubing of the pipe segment;
a testing port configured to extend through the shell of the test head and to be fluidly coupled to the annulus cavity of the test head;
an internal clamp assembly comprising one or more clamp segments having a female taper configured to slidably interface with the male taper of the bore insert, wherein an outer surface diameter of the one or more clamp segments is configured to be controlled by position of the one or more clamp segments on the bore insert of the shell to facilitate selectively securing and sealing an open end of the pipe segment in the test head to enable integrity of the tubing to be tested at least in part by flowing a test fluid into the fluid conduit implemented in the annulus of the tubing via the testing port;
an internal threaded fastener, wherein:
the internal threaded fastener comprises fastener threading configured to matingly interface with port threading on the testing port;
the one or more clamp segments are configured to be coupled between the internal threaded fastener and the bore insert of the shell; and
the test head is configured to:
move the one or more clamp segments to cover more of the bore insert when the internal threaded fastener is rotationally actuated in a first direction relative to the testing port; and
move the one or more clamp segments to cover less of the bore insert when the internal threaded fastener is rotationally actuated in a second direction relative to the testing port that is opposite the first direction; and

an external threaded fastener, wherein:
the external threaded fastener comprises other fastener threading configured to matingly interface with other port threading on the testing port;
the testing port comprises a port ledge between the port threading and the other port threading; and
the end cap of the shell is configured to be coupled between the external threaded fastener and the port ledge on the testing port.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more clamp segments are configured to have:
a first outer surface diameter that is less than a default inner surface diameter of the tubing of the pipe segment while the one or more clamp segments are at a first position on the bore insert of the shell; and
a second outer surface diameter that is not less than the default inner surface diameter of the tubing of the pipe segment while the one or more clamp segments are at a second position on the bore insert that is different from the first position.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the system is configured to:
maintain the one or more clamp segments at the first position on the bore insert of the shell while pipe segment tubing is not present in the annulus cavity of the test head; and
transition the one or more clamp segments from the first position to the second position on the bore insert when the tubing of the pipe segment is present in the annulus cavity to facilitate securing and sealing the open end of the pipe segment in the test head.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the system is configured to:
perform an integrity test on the tubing of the pipe segment at least in part by flowing the test fluid into the fluid conduit implemented in the annulus of the tubing while the open end of the pipe segment is sealed and secured in the test head; and
transition the one or more clamp segments from the second position to the first position on the bore insert of the shell after the tubing of the pipe segment has passed the integrity test to enable the test head to be removed from the open end of the pipe segment.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the bore insert of the shell comprises a cone-shaped axial cross-section profile; and
a clamp segment of the one or more clamp segments comprises a wedge-shaped axial cross-section profile.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more clamp segments comprise a plurality of clamp segments; and
the internal clamp assembly comprises:
a garter belt that runs circumferentially along an outer surface of the plurality of clamp segments; and
a clamp activation plate configured to be coupled between the plurality of clamp segments and the internal threaded fastener.

7. The system of claim 1 , comprising another pipe segment, wherein:
the other pipe segment comprises another tubing that defines another pipe bore and another fluid conduit implemented in another annulus of the other tubing; and
the system is configured to:
secure and seal the open end of the pipe segment in the test head during a first time period to enable integrity of the tubing of the pipe segment to be tested at least in part by flowing the test fluid into the fluid conduit implemented in the annulus of the tubing; and
secure and seal another open end of the other pipe segment in the test head during a second time period that is non-overlapping with the first time period to enable integrity of the other tubing of the other pipe segment to be tested at least in part by flowing the test fluid into the other fluid conduit implemented in the other annulus of the other tubing.

8. A method, comprising:
inserting a testing port and a portion of a shell of a test head into a pipe bore defined by pipe segment tubing, wherein the portion of the shell comprises a coned bore insert and the pipe segment tubing comprises a fluid conduit implemented in an annulus of the pipe segment tubing;
maintaining a reusable fastener mechanism of the test head in a deactivated state while the reusable fastener mechanism is being inserted into the pipe bore defined by the pipe segment tubing at least in part by maintaining wedged clamp segments of the reusable fastener mechanism at a first position on the coned bore insert;
transitioning the reusable fastener mechanism from the deactivated state to an activated state to facilitate securing an open end of the pipe segment tubing in an annulus cavity defined by the shell of the test head at least in part by rotating an internal threaded fastener that has fastener threading that matingly interfaces with port threading on a testing port that opens through the shell of the test head in a first direction relative to the testing port to facilitate transitioning the wedged clamp segments from the first position to a second position on the coned bore insert that results in the wedged clamp segments covering more of the coned bore insert;
securing an end cap of the shell between a port ledge on the testing port and an external threaded fastener that has other fastener threading that matingly interfaces with other port threading on the testing port at least in part by rotating the external threaded fastener in the first direction relative to the testing port, wherein the port ledge is between the port threading and the other port threading on the testing port;
testing of the pipe segment tubing based at least in part on a fluid parameter change resulting from supply of a test fluid to the fluid conduit in the annulus of the pipe segment tubing via the testing port that opens through the shell of the test head; and
transitioning the reusable fastener mechanism from the activated state to the deactivated state to facilitate removing the test head from the pipe segment tubing at least in part by rotating the internal threaded fastener in a second dir

Assignees

• Trinity Bay Equipment Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Guerrero Jonathan
• Limas Richard
• Reedy Max Allen

Classifications

• G01N3/12

  Pressure testing · CPC title

• G01M3/022 Primary

  Test plugs for closing off the end of a pipe · CPC title