# US 10,441,981 B2 · Method and system for clearing a pipe system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,441,981 B2 - Document ID: US10441981B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/767,184 - Filed: 2016-10-14 - Published: 2018-10-18 - Granted: 2019-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2015-10-14 - Assignees: Fluidor Equipment B.V. - Applicants: Fluidor Equipment B.V. - Inventors: Robbert Christianus Antonius Wouters - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441981B2 ## CPC - B08B 9/0325: {Control mechanisms therefor} - B08B 9/0327: {the fluid being in the form of a mist} - B08B 9/0328: {by purging the pipe with a gas or a mixture of gas and liquid} - F17D 3/10: for taking out the product in the line (sampling in general, examining the physical or chemical properties of materials G01N) - F17D 5/00: Protection or supervision of installations (arrangements for protecting foundations E02D31/00; protecting pipes from damage or internal or external wear F16L57/00, against corrosion and scale F16L58/00; investigation of the fluid-tightness of structures G01M3/00) - F17D 3/12: for injecting a composition into the line - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL - F17D: PIPE-LINE SYSTEMS; PIPE-LINES (pumps or compressors F04; fluid dynamics F15D; valves or the like F16K; pipes, laying pipes, supports, joints, branches, repairing, work on the entire line, accessories F16L; steam traps or the like F16T; fluid-pressure electric cables H01B9/06) ## Abstract Method and system for clearing a pipe system from its contents, the pipe having a proximal end and a distal end, the method including providing an air supply to the pipe system at the proximal end by applying an air pressure decreasing from an initial pressure as the bulk of the pipe contents get discharged gradually at the distal end for obtaining a contents flow in the pipe system. The method further includes determining a volume of air supplied to the pipe system by the air supply, determining an estimated contents travel speed from the volume of the air supplied to the pipe and regulating the air supply to the proximal end of the pipe for obtaining a predetermined pipe contents travel speed using the estimated contents travel speed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of clearing a pipe system from its contents, the pipe system having a proximal end and a distal end, the method comprising the steps of: providing an air supply to the pipe system at the proximal end by applying an air pressure decreasing from an initial pressure as a bulk of the pipe contents get discharged gradually at the distal end for obtaining a contents flow in the pipe system; the method further comprising: determining a volume of air supplied to the pipe system by the air supply; determining an estimated contents travel speed from the volume of the air supplied to the pipe system; correcting the estimated contents travel speed for content viscosity with a contents speed correction factor F for obtaining a corrected estimated contents travel speed; controlling the air supply at the proximal end of the pipe system for obtaining a predetermined pipe contents travel speed using the corrected estimated contents travel speed; determining a position of an air-contents front in the pipe system based on a pressure at the proximal end thereof; and preventing the air supply to the proximal end of the pipe system upon determining that the position of the air-contents front in the pipe system corresponds to a predetermined position in the pipe system relative to the distal end thereof, said predetermined position corresponding to a position at which a sufficient amount of the contents is cleared from the pipe system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein controlling the air supply at the proximal end of the pipe system comprises controlling a regulation valve between the air supply and the proximal end of the pipe system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the controlling the air supply to the proximal end of the pipe system comprises using a difference between the estimated contents travel speed and a preset contents travel speed value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the air supply comprises a compressed air container having a container volume. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, wherein the determining a volume of air supplied to the pipe system comprises: measuring a pressure in the compressed air container; and measuring a pressure at the proximal end of the pipe system; calculating the air volume supplied to the pipe system from a pressure difference in the air container between an initial pressure and a pressure in the air container after supplying air from the air container to the pipe system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein the determining a volume of air supplied to the pipe system further comprises compensating the volume of air supplied to the pipe system for a supply line volume and an expansion of the air volume stored in the supply line prior to the supplying of the air to the pipe system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining an estimated contents travel speed from the volume of the air supplied to the pipe system comprises determining a position of the air-contents front in the pipe system from the volume of air supplied to the pipe system by compensating the volume of air supplied to the pipe system with a pipe system diameter. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the determining an estimated contents travel speed from the volume of the air supplied to the pipe system further comprises: calculating at least two positions of the air-contents front at least at two corresponding points in time; and calculating the estimated contents travel speed from the difference in the at least two positions and the time difference between the at least two respective points in time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined position corresponds to a position at which at least 85% of the contents is cleared from the pipe system. ### Claim 10 A system for clearing contents from a pipe system, the pipe system having a volume, a proximal end and a distal end, the system comprising: an air supply connected to the pipe system proximal end for supplying air to the pipe system at the proximal end, wherein an air pressure decreases from an initial pressure as a bulk of the pipe system contents get discharged gradually at the distal end for obtaining a contents flow in the pipe system; the system further comprising: volume determining means for determining an air volume supplied by the air supply; calculating means for determining an estimated contents travel speed from the volume of the air supplied to the pipe system and for correcting the estimated contents travel speed for content viscosity with a contents speed correction factor F for obtaining a corrected estimated contents travel speed; control means arranged for controlling the air supply to the proximal end of the pipe system for obtaining a predetermined pipe contents travel speed using the corrected estimated contents travel speed; position determining means configured and arranged for determining a position of an air-contents front in the pipe system based on a pressure at the proximal end thereof; wherein the control means are configured and arranged for preventing the air supply to the proximal end of the pipe system upon determining that the position of the air-contents front in the pipe system corresponds to a predetermined position in the pipe system relative to the distal end thereof, said predetermined position corresponding to a position at which a sufficient amount of the contents is cleared from the pipe system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the control means are arranged for controlling the air supply to the proximal end of the pipe system comprises using a difference between the estimated contents travel speed and a preset contents travel speed value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the control means comprise a controllable valve for controlling the air supply to the proximal end of the pipe system and a controller, controllably connected to the controllable valve. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system according to claim 12, wherein the controller comprises a PID-controller. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the air supply comprises a compressed air container having a container volume. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system according to claim 14, wherein the volume determining means comprise: a first pressure sensor for measuring a pressure in the compressed air container; and a second pressure sensor for measuring a pressure at the proximal end of the pipe system; wherein the volume determining means are arranged further for calculating the air volume supplied to the pipe system from a pressure difference in the air container between an initial pressure and a pressure in the air container after supplying air from the air container to the pipe system, the air container volume, and a pressure at the proximal end of the pipe system after the supplying of the air into the pipe system. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15, wherein the volume determining means are further arranged for compensating the air volume supplied to the pipe system for a volume of a supply line to the pipe system and an expansion of air in the supply line prior to supplying the air into the pipe system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the calculating means for determining an estimated contents travel speed from the volume of the air supplied to the pipe system are further arranged for determining a position of the air-contents front in the pipe system between the supplied air and the contents in the pipe system from the volume of the air supplied to the pipe system and a pipe system cross section area. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the calculating means for determining an estimated contents travel speed are further arranged for: calculating at least two positions of the air-contents front in the pipe system at least two corresponding time points; calculating the estimated contents travel speed from a difference between the at least two positions at the at least two points in time and a time difference between the respective at least two point in time. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined position corresponds to a position at which at least 85% of the contents is cleared from the pipe system.