Smart scraper
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsAbdulrahman S. Ahmari, Mohammed S. Al Dabbous
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided is a pipeline scraper apparatus that may clean an inside surface of a pipeline. The apparatus may include a body, a water collection recess, a first and a second fluid port, a condenser coil, a lubricant storage tank, and a lubricant. The apparatus is configured to distribute lubricant onto the exterior surface of the body. In the apparatus, a condenser coil may be positioned within the water collection recess, and a lubricant storage tank may be positioned within the interior space. Further provided is a method for using a pipeline scraper apparatus that may include introducing the pipeline scraper apparatus into a pipeline to be treated.
Claims20
A pipeline scraper apparatus for cleaning an inside surface of a pipeline, the pipeline scraper apparatus comprising:
- a body having an exterior surface, a water collection recess, a first fluid port, and a second fluid port, and defining an interior space, where the first fluid port is positioned within the water collection recess;
- a condenser coil that is positioned within the water collection recess to condense water from a vapor into a liquid that is present in the water collection recess;
- and
- a lubricant storage tank that is positioned within the interior space, is fluidly coupled downstream of the first fluid port, and is configured to contain a lubricant comprised of a mixture of water and a thickening agent;
- where the second fluid port is fluidly coupled downstream of the lubricant storage tank and is configured to distribute the lubricant onto the exterior surface of the body.
A method for cleaning a pipeline, the method comprising:
- introducing a pipeline scraper apparatus into the pipeline;
- traversing the pipeline scraper through a portion of the pipeline using a driving force from a liquid flowing through the pipeline;
- and
- contacting an inside surface of the pipeline such that materials selected from the group consisting of debris, sludge, scale, aggregates, carbon buildup, and combinations thereof, are pushed in front of the pipeline scraper apparatus;
- wherein the pipeline scraper apparatus comprises a body having an exterior surface and a water collection recess, and defining an interior space;
- a condenser coil that is positioned within the water collection recess;
- and a lubricant storage tank that is positioned within the interior space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.