Apparatus and Method for Assembling, Measuring, and Monitoring Integrity of Mechanical Pipe Joints

A system for forming first (box) and second (pin) ends of sections of pipe to form a mechanical press-fit joint between the sections of pipe in a pipeline, comprising:

• an end-preparation bench comprising a stationary tooling support and an opposing movable pipe clamp mounted on the bench, the stationary tooling support configured with a die for forming a box end or a pin end of a section of pipe, and the movable clamp connected to a hydraulic ram for drawing the movable clamp toward the stationary tooling support;
• a pressure sensor for measuring hydraulic line pressure P for operating the hydraulic ram;
• a stroke length sensor for measuring the length L of travel of the die within or over the pipe end being formed;
• a data acquisition unit coupled to the pressure sensor and the stroke sensor for receiving and converting outputs of the pressure and stroke sensors to digital form;
• and
• a process monitoring computer including non-volatile memory, the processor coupled to an output of the data acquisition unit and configured for measuring, under control of a program stored in the memory, the hydraulic pressure and the length of travel of the die occurring while forming the respective box or pin ends of a pipe section supported in the movable clamp.

A process for preparing pipe sections for assembly in a pipeline using mechanical press-fit pipe joints to join the pipe sections, comprising the steps of:

• performing a pre-preparation process for each section of raw pipe;
• forming respective pin and box ends of each section of pipe for joining using the mechanical press-fit pipe joints;
• measuring and storing at least two parameters associated with preparing the pin and box ends of the pipe sections using a process monitoring computer system, wherein a data record of the at least two parameters of the formation of each pin and box end is created and stored;
• marking each pin and box end of each pipe section with a permanent encoded data panel recording identification and end preparation data for the associated pin or box end;
• coating the formed pipe sections according to specifications applicable to the expected use of the pipe sections in a pipeline;
• and
• installing a pipeline data monitoring bus on each section of pipe.

A process for assembling a pipeline from pipe section connected together using mechanical press-fit pipe joints, comprising the steps of:

• operating a hydraulically powered assembly machine to assemble the pipe sections via the mechanical press-fit pipe joints to form the pipeline;
• monitoring the hydraulic pressure P and the stroke length L data, provided by respective sensors installed on the assembly machine, during the operation of the assembly machine and storing the data in a database coupled to a process monitoring computer;
• installing pipeline sensor circuit modules and connect them to the pipeline data monitoring bus;
• and
• testing the completed pipeline system for integrity and operation.

A system for forming a pipeline of sections of pipe using mechanical press-fit joints between first and second ends of the pipe sections, comprising:

• an assembly bench comprising first and second opposing pipe clamps mounted on the bench and connected by a hydraulic ram for drawing the first and second opposing pipe clamps toward one another;
• a pressure sensor for measuring hydraulic line pressure P for operating the hydraulic ram;
• a stroke sensor for measuring the stroke length L corresponding to penetration of the first pipe end by the second pipe end;
• a data acquisition unit coupled to the pressure sensor and the stroke sensor for receiving and converting measurement outputs of the pressure and stroke sensors to digital form;
• a process monitoring computer including non-volatile memory, the processor coupled to an output of the data acquisition unit and configured for measuring, under control of a program stored in the memory, the hydraulic pressure P and the stroke length L occurring while joining the pipe ends together to assemble the pipeline;
• and
• the processor further configured for displaying the measured hydraulic pressure P and the penetration L in graphical form on the display while forming the press-fit joint of a pipeline.

A system for monitoring operational and environmental conditions affecting an installed pipeline, comprising:

• a data monitoring bus installed on the pipeline surface of a pipeline having its pipe sections joined by mechanical press-fit pipe joints;
• a data sensing module installed at each mechanical press-fit pipe joint and connected to the data monitoring bus;
• a pipeline data acquisition system communicatively coupled with the data monitoring bus at selected intervals along the data monitoring bus;
• and
• a communication interface in the pipeline data acquisition system coupled via a network to a data management center computer for receiving, storing, and processing data provided and communicated by the data sensing modules.

A process for measurement and control of machine and assembly operations on sections of pipe to be used in commodity pipelines, comprising the steps of:

• forming in respective opposite ends of the pipe sections a pin end and a box end, wherein at least first and second predetermined parameters associated with forming the respective ends are met within a predetermined tolerance during formation of the respective ends;
• and
• forming a mechanical press-fit joint between first and second sections of pipe in a pipeline wherein a pin end of the first section of pipe is inserted into the box end of the second section of pipe until the at least first and second predetermined parameters are met within a predetermined tolerance during assembly of the mechanical press-fit joint;
• and
• measuring, and displaying on a graphic display, the at least first and second predetermined parameters as the pin end and box end are formed and as the first and second sections of pipe are assembled together.

A data management system for pipelines constructed using mechanical press-fit joints to connect sections of pipe together, comprising:

• a data acquisition system coupled to the pipeline and to a network;
• a data management computer system including at least one computer having a display, non-volatile memory and a suite of applications software installed therein, the computer system coupled to the network for processing data provided by the data acquisition system;
• a database coupled to the data management computer system for storing data originating from the data acquisition system and processed by the data management computer system;
• wherein
• the suite of applications software includes at least one operating program for processing data measurements regarding pipeline operating parameters and conditions originating from the data acquisition system.