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AssigneeHydroPro, Inc.
InventorRussell D. Wasson
Estimating the term…
A hydraulically installed tube plug with or without O.D surface enhancements and plug installation tooling, high pressure fluid system and method. The invention stops leaks in tubes with a plug that utilizes controlled high pressure fluid within the plug itself to radially expand the plug in place. Other plugs and plugging systems rely on mechanical methods for setting the plugs in the tubes with little or no control on the radial pressure applied to the tube. This lack of radial pressure control can result in a tubesheet ligament being over stressed (plastically deformed) or not enough pressure applied to stop the leak. The plug high pressure expansion tooling is designed with built in safety components that allow high pressure hydraulic expansion methods to be used safely in blind holes. The high pressure fluid system's design allows it to be used in hazardous environments.
A tube plug for use for sealing one or more tubes in a tubular vessel requiring plugging, said tubular vessel including one of heat exchangers, condensers, evaporates, boilers, and heaters, comprising said tube plug having a tubular length, being opened at one end, and closed at its inner end and inserts within the tube of a tubular vessel, the closed inner end of the tube plug having a shoulder, an internal shoulder against which an expanding mandrel may be applied, said tube plug at its open end having a flange for biasing against the outer end of the tubes of the tubular vessel, and furnishing means to provide control of depth of insertion of the tube plug within the tube to be sealed.
A high pressure mandrel for fluidic sealing of a tube plug within the wall of a tube for a tubular vessel including but not limited to heat exchangers, condensers, evaporators, boilers, and heaters, said mandrel incorporating various components that locate an expansion area subject to high pressure fluid for use for expanding the tube plug and biasing it against and sealing the tube of a tubular vessel in which it locates, said mandrel including a shaft, said shaft at one end having an increased diameter section, and locates within the tube plug, said mandrel at its opposite end and which generally locates exteriorly of the tube plug having a threaded segment, a nut provided for being accommodated upon said threaded segment of said mandrel shaft, the remainder of said mandrel shaft between said threaded segment and the increased diameter section at its inner end being of substantially uniform diameter throughout its length.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.