Apparatus and method to contain flange, pipe and valve leaks
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorMohammad Saud Al-Badran
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for sealing around a fluid flow member includes a ram closing assembly. The ram closing assembly has a sealing chamber having a generally cylindrical shape when the ram closing assembly is in a closed position. A ram assembly is located at an end of the sealing chamber. The ram assembly has a pair of rams, each ram having an engaging surface, the engaging surface sized and shaped to seal around the fluid flow member. The ram assembly also has an actuating arm assembly connected to one of the rams and a ram body. The pair of rams is rotationally attached to the ram body.
Claims16
A ram closing assembly for sealing around a fluid flow member, the ram closing assembly comprising:
- a sealing chamber assembly having:
- two or more longitudinally oriented segments sized to seal together around the fluid flow member;
- a chamber seal located along mating surfaces of the two or more longitudinally oriented segments, the chamber seal positioned to form a seal between the two or more longitudinally oriented segments to form a sealed body around the fluid flow member when the ram closing assembly is in a closed position;
- a chamber defined by the two or more longitudinally oriented segments and sized to contain a leak of the fluid flow member;
- and
- an outer surface portion that is a generally cylindrical shape when the ram closing assembly is in the closed position;
- a ram assembly located at each of an upstream end and a downstream end of the sealing chamber assembly, the ram assembly having:
- a pair of rams, each ram having an engaging surface, the engaging surface sized and shaped to seal around the fluid flow member;
- an actuating arm assembly connected to one of the rams;
- and
- a ram body, the pair of rams being rotationally attached to the ram body;
- where
- each ram assembly is separately actuable with such ram assembly's actuating arm assembly.
A ram closing assembly for sealing around a fluid flow member, the ram closing assembly comprising:
- a sealing chamber assembly operable to maintain a seal around an outer diameter of the fluid flow member, the sealing chamber assembly having:
- two or more longitudinally oriented segments sized to seal together around the fluid flow member;
- a chamber seal located along mating surfaces of the two or more longitudinally oriented segments, the chamber seal positioned to form a seal between the two or more longitudinally oriented segments to form a sealed body around the fluid flow member when the ram closing assembly is in a closed position;
- and
- a chamber defined by the two or more longitudinally oriented segments and sized to contain a leak of the fluid flow member, where the fluid flow member has a fluid flow path containing a fluid under pressure;
- a ram assembly secured to each of an upstream end and a downstream end of the sealing chamber assembly, each ram assembly having:
- a pair of rams, each ram having an engaging surface, the engaging surface sized and shaped to seal around the fluid flow member, wherein one of the rams of each ram assembly is connected to the sealing chamber assembly;
- an actuating arm assembly connected to one of the rams and operable to move the ram between a retracted position where the ram closing assembly is in an open position and an extended position where the ram closing assembly is in the closed position;
- and
- a ram body, the one of the rams of each ram assembly being rotationally attached to the ram body;
- where
- each ram assembly is separately actuable with such ram assembly's actuating arm assembly.
A method for sealing around a fluid flow member with a ram closing assembly, the method comprising:
- circumscribing the fluid flow member with a sealing chamber assembly, the sealing chamber assembly having:
- two or more longitudinally oriented segments sized to seal together around the fluid flow member;
- a chamber seal located along mating surfaces of the two or more longitudinally oriented segments, the chamber seal positioned to form a seal between the two or more longitudinally oriented segments to form a sealed body around the fluid flow member when the ram closing assembly is in a closed position;
- a chamber defined by the two or more longitudinally oriented segments and sized to contain a leak of the fluid flow member;
- and
- a ram assembly located at each of an upstream end and a downstream end of the sealing chamber assembly, the ram assembly having a ram body and a pair of rams rotationally attached to the ram body;
- and
- actuating the pair of rams with an actuating arm assembly of the ram assembly to move the ram closing assembly to the closed position so that an engaging surface of the rams seal around the fluid flow member, the actuating arm assembly being connected to one of the rams, where each ram assembly is separately actuable with such ram assembly's actuating arm assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.