US 11,391,409 B2 · Wear indicator for use with pipeline pig components having a pipe wall contacting surface

Abstract

A pigging device of this disclosure includes a wear indicator configured to visually indicate an amount of material loss of a pipe wall contacting surface. The material loss may be symmetrical or asymmetrical. The pipe wall contacting surface may be any shape suitable, including but not limited to spherical-shaped, cylindrical-shaped, cup-shaped, disc-shaped, conical-shaped, frusto-conical shaped, bowl-shaped, and bullet-shaped. In some embodiments, the pigging device is a pipeline pig such as but not limited to a spherical foam pig, cylindrical-shaped foam pig, or a bullet-shaped foam pig. In other embodiments, the pigging device is a component of a pipeline pig such as but not limited to a cup or disc arranged about a body of the pipeline pig. The pigging device may also be a pigging disc element. The pigging device may be made of any suitable material, including but not limited to an elastomer such as urethane.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A pigging device comprising:

a pipe wall contacting surface having a first size “S1” at time “t1”, a second smaller size “S2” at time “t2”, and a predetermined minimum effective size “S3,” wherein t2>t1 and S1>S2≥S3;
a pipe wall contacting surface wear indicator, the wear indicator configured to visually indicate an amount of material loss of the pipe wall contacting surface between S1 and S3;
the pipe wall contacting wear indicator including a first raised surface and a second raised surface located adjacent the first raised surface.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Wear indicator for use with pipeline pig components having a pipe wall contacting surface

Life of this patent

Wear indicator for use with pipeline pig components having a pipe wall contacting surface

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16