Flow control in pipelines
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsHaitham Aljuaydi, Mustafa Kidwai, Mohammed Ahmed Kaki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flow control system includes a conduit having an interior surface, and a flow control device connected to the interior surface of the conduit and disposed along the interior surface of the conduit for a first length. The flow control device includes an expandable element that expands inwardly from the interior surface, from a retracted position to an expanded position. The expandable element defines at least a portion of a flow path configured to control a flow of fluid through the conduit.
Claims20
A flow control system, comprising:
- a conduit comprising an interior surface;
- and
- a flow control device connected to the interior surface of the conduit and disposed along the interior surface of the conduit for a first length, the flow control device comprising an expandable element comprising an outer surface and an inner surface having a hollow cylindrical shape, the expandable element configured to expand inwardly from the interior surface from a retracted position to an expanded position, the expandable element defining at least a portion of a flow path configured to control a flow of fluid through the conduit, wherein, in the expanded position of the flow control device, the inner surface is cylindrical along the first length and defines the at least a portion of the flow path.
A method for flowing fluid in a conduit, the method comprising:
- directing, with a flow control device positioned within the conduit, the fluid along a flow path defined at least partially by the flow control device, the flow control device being connected to an interior surface of the conduit and extending along the interior surface of the conduit for a first length;
- and
- actuating an expandable element of the flow control device within the conduit, the expandable element comprising an outer surface and an inner surface having a hollow cylindrical shape, the expandable element configured to move between a retracted position and an expanded position of the flow control device, wherein the expandable element is configured to expand inwardly from the interior surface from the retracted position to the expanded position, and the inner surface defining a cylindrical flow path along the first length in the expanded position of the expandable element.
A flow control device, comprising:
- an inflatable bladder connected to an interior surface of a conduit and disposed along the interior surface of the conduit for a first length, the inflatable bladder configured to expand inwardly from the interior surface from a first, retracted position to a second, expanded position, and an inner surface of the inflatable bladder defining at least a portion of a flowpath configured to guide a fluid through the conduit, wherein the inner surface is cylindrical along the first length in the second, expanded position of the inflatable bladder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.