US 4,727,749 AGranted

Method and apparatus for leak testing of pipe

AssigneeDamco Testers, Inc.

InventorsRonnie F. Miller, Arthur L. Dwyer, Darwin A. Miller, Darwin L. Miller

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A method of testing pipe sections at an oil rig floor by means of an internal pipe testing tool and a pressurized gas containing helium in a ratio of helium to a carrier gas of at least about 1:2856 by volume. The gas is pressurized in a hydraulic accumulator remote from the rig floor. The pressurized gas actuates the test tool at substantially the same pressure as is used for testing the pipe section. A flexible enclosure confines the test gas which leaks from the pipe section. The enclosure defines a substantially annular chamber around the area to be tested to confine leakage test gas to prevent its dissipation into the atmosphere. An aperture is provided in the enclosure to permit a sensing probe to be inserted into the annular chamber between the enclosure and the pipe section to sense the presence of test gas.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A leak detection apparatus for a pipe coupling joint comprising:

means insertable into a pipe and locatable astride a joint, said insertable means including a pair of spaced apart means for engaging the inner surface of the pipes being coupled and conduit means for feeding a gas into a first volume defined by said pair of engaging means and the portion of the interior of the pipes extending between said pair of engaging means with said first volume including at least one pipe joint,
deformable sleeve means having slot means permitting said sleeve means to be disposed about the exterior surface of a pipe joint to define a second volume between the interior of said sleeve means and the site of the joint externally thereof, said sleeve means including passage means for establishing communication between said second volume and means for detecting the presence of a gas in said second volume, said sleeve means comprising a resiliently deformable tube having a longitudinal axis and an opening defined by a pair of facing edges extending substantially parallel to said axis with said edges being movable away from each other to permit said tube to placed about a pipe joint and towards each other to close said tube about the pipe joint, said tube having a pair of reinforcing metal strips extending parallel to said longitudinal axis, one of said strips being adjacent one of said edges and the other of said strips being adjacent the other of said edges.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/868,009Filed 29 May 1986 · division
Priority: 18 Jan 1983
Granted: 1 Mar 1988
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G01M 3/223
For pipes, cables or tubes; for pipe joints or seals; for valves; for welds; for containers, e.g. radiators: for pipe joints or seals
E21B 47/11
Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements: using tracers; using radioactivity
E21B 47/117
Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements: detecting leaks, e.g. from tubing, by pressure testing
G01M 3/022
By using fluid or vacuum: test plugs for closing off the end of a pipe