Test Plug and Method for Monitoring Downstream Conditions

• US 20100083738A1
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: EST Group, Inc. (Curtiss-Wright Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EST Group, Inc. (Curtiss-Wright Corporation)
• Inventors: Padden, Frederick W.
• Application Number:
  US12/524,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083738A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/49.800
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/022 Test plugs for closing off the end of a pipe

Abstract

A test plug assembly (10, 50, 90) includes a shaft (24, 56, 100) on which an annular elastic seal (22, 68, 94) and compression elements (32, 34, 62, 106, 110) are mounted. The compression elements (32, 34, 62, 106, 110) confront opposite axial sides of the annular seal (22, 68, 94) and are movable relative to one another for axially compressing and radially expanding the seal (22, 68, 94) into fluid-tight sealing engagement with an inner peripheral wall (38, 70, 96) of a pipe (16, 52, 92). A transducer (42, 80, 122) is mounted on the distal end of the shaft (24, 56, 100) and measures a condition within the pipe (16, 52, 92) at a location beyond the seal (22, 68, 94). As one example, the transducer (42, 80, 122) is a temperature compensation pressure transducer for obtaining pressure measurements within the downstream portion of the pipe (16, 52, 92) beyond the test plug (10, 50, 90). The transducer (42, 80, 122) produces electrical signals and is in communication with a control unit (982) located externally of the pipe (16, 52, 92). The control unit (982) converts the electronic signals of the transducer (42, 80, 122) for driving a display apparatus (983) to provide visible or audible information and/or warning signals concerning the measurements. The control unit (982) is responsive to transducer signals for automatically terminating welding of a pipe when the signals indicate that pressure at the distal end of the shaft (24, 56, 100) beyond the seal (22, 68, 94) is at a prescribed undesired level.

Claims

1. A test plug assembly (10, 50, 90), comprising:

a shaft (24, 56, 100) having a proximal end and a distal end;

an annular elastic seal (22, 68, 94) carried on said shaft (24, 56, 100) between said proximal and distal ends;

compression elements (32, 34, 62, 106, 110) carried on said shaft (24, 56, 100) and confronting opposite axial sides of said annular seal (22, 68, 94), said compression elements (32, 34, 62, 106, 110) being movable relative to one another for axially compressing and radially expanding said seal (22, 68, 94) into fluid-tight sealing engagement with an inner periphery (38, 70, 96) of a pipe (16, 52, 92); and

apparatus (42, 80, 122) positioned about said distal end of said shaft (24, 56, 100) for measuring a condition within the pipe (16, 52, 92) beyond said seal (22, 68, 94) and for converting the measurements into transmittable signals.

2. A test plug assembly (10, 50, 90) according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus (42, 80, 122) is mounted on said distal end of said shaft (24, 56, 100) and is a transducer for measuring pressure, and wherein said transmittable signals are electric signals.

3. A test plug assembly (10, 50, 90) according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus (42, 80, 122) extends from said distal end of said shaft (24, 56, 100) and is a temperature compensation transducer for measuring pressure.

4. A test plug assembly (10, 50, 90) according to claim 2, further comprising a control unit (982) located externally of the pipe (16, 52, 92) and in communication with said transducer (42, 80, 122) for receiving said electric signals for controlling a visual or audible display of the pressure measurements of said transducer (42, 80, 122);

and means (44, 82, 124) coupling said transducer electric signals, through said shaft (24, 56, 100), and to said control unit (982).

6. A test plug assembly (10, 50, 90) according to claim 4, wherein said control unit (982) provides a warning signal when said pressure measurement exceeds a pre-set threshold level for controlling an audible or visual display of said pressure measurement.

8. A test plug assembly (50) according to claim 1, wherein said test plug (50) has a longitudinally spaced pair of annular elastic seals (66, 68) on said shaft (56) that are each axially compressible and radially expandable into fluid-tight sealing engagement with the inner periphery (70) of the pipe (52).

9. A test plug assembly (90) according to claim 1, further comprising a set of segmented grippers (112) that are radially expandable into engagement with the inner periphery (96) of the pipe (92) to secure the test plug (90) to the pipe (92), wherein one of said compression elements (110 has an inclined surface (114) remote from said seal (94), and wherein said set of segmented grippers (112) confront said inclined surface (114) and travel along said inclined surface (114) between expanded and retracted positions.

30. A method of monitoring a condition within a pipe (16, 52, 92) beyond a test plug (10, 50, 90) according to claim 1 comprising the steps of:

inserting the distal end of said plug (10, 50, 90) into an open end of said pipe (16, 52, 92);

after said inserting step, axially compressing and radially expanding said elastic seal (22, 68, 94) of said test plug (10, 50, 90) into fluid-tight sealing engagement with the inner wall (38, 70, 96) of said pipe (16, 52, 92); and

monitoring a condition within said pipe (16, 52, 92) beyond said seal (22, 68, 94) with said apparatus (42, 80, 122) comprising a transducer extending from said distal end of said shaft (24, 56, 100) and converting the measurements into said transmittable signals.

5. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

10-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A pipe and test plug assembly (10, 16, 50, 52, 90, 92), comprising:

a pipe (16, 52, 92) having an open end and an inner peripheral wall (38, 70, 96);

a test plug (10, 50, 90) having a shaft (24, 56, 100) with a distal end receivable within said open end of said pipe (16, 52, 92);

an annular elastic seal (22, 68, 94) carried on said shaft (24, 56, 100) adjacent said distal end;

compression elements (32, 34, 62, 106, 110) carried on said shaft (24, 56, 100) and confronting opposite axial sides of said annular seal (22, 68, 94), said compression elements (32, 34, 62, 106, 110) being movable relative to one another for axially compressing and radially expanding said seal (22, 68, 94) into fluid-tight sealing engagement with said inner peripheral wall (38, 70, 96) of said pipe (16, 52, 92); and

a transducer (42, 80, 122) mounted on said distal end of said shaft (24, 56, 100) for measuring a condition within the pipe (16, 52, 92) at a location beyond said seal, said transducer (42, 80, 122) measuring pressure and converting measurements into electric signals.

14. A pipe and test plug assembly (10, 16, 50, 52, 90, 92) according to claim 12, further comprising a control unit (982) located externally of said pipe (16, 52, 92) and in communication with said transducer (42, 80, 122) for controlling a display of pressure measurements of said transducer (42, 80, 122) in real-time;

and an electric cable (44, 82, 124) extending from said transducer (42, 80, 122), through said shaft (24, 56, 100), and to said control unit (982) for communicating said electric signals of said transducer (42, 80, 122) to said control unit (982).

16. A pipe and test plug assembly (10, 16, 50, 52, 90, 92) according to claim 14, wherein said control unit (982) provides an audible or visual indication of said transducer measurements in real time.

18. A pipe and test plug assembly (50, 52) according to claim 12, wherein said test plug (50) has a longitudinally spaced pair of annular elastic seals (66, 68) on said shaft (56) that are each axially compressible and radially expandable into fluid-tight sealing engagement with said inner peripheral wall (70) of said pipe (52).

19. A pipe and test plug assembly (90, 92) according to claim 14, further comprising a set of segmented grippers (112) that are radially expandable into engagement with said inner peripheral wall (96) of said pipe (92) to secure said test plug (90) to said pipe (92), wherein one of said compression elements (110) has an inclined surface (114) remote from said seal (94), and wherein said set of segmented grippers (112) confront said inclined surface (114) and travel along said inclined surface (114) between expanded and retracted positions.

13. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. A method of monitoring a condition within a pipe (16, 52, 92) beyond a test plug (10, 50, 90), comprising the steps of

inserting a distal end of the test plug (10, 50, 90) into an open end of the pipe (16, 52, 92);

after said inserting step, axially compressing and radially expanding an elastic seal (22, 68, 94) of the test plug (10, 50, 90) into fluid-tight sealing engagement with an inner peripheral wall (38, 70, 96) of the pipe (16, 52, 92); and

monitoring a condition within the pipe (16, 52, 92) beyond the seal (22, 68, 94) with a transducer (42, 80, 122) extending from the distal end of the test plug (10, 50, 90).

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said transducer (42, 80, 122) is a transducer for measuring the pressure within the pipe (16, 52, 92) beyond the seal (22, 68, 94), and wherein said monitoring step includes monitoring a display unit (126, 983) which is located externally of the pipe (16, 52, 92) and which displays measurements in real-time obtained by the transducer (42, 80, 122).

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein said test plug (10, 50, 90) comprises a flange weld test plug (10), a hydrostatic test plug (90), or a double block and bleed test plug (50);

wherein said monitoring comprises monitoring pressure within the pipe (16, 52, 92) at a distal end of the test plug (10, 50, 90) with a pressure transducer (42, 80, 122) and producing signals indicative of the monitored pressure; and

further comprising the step of communicating the transducer produced signals through the test plug (10, 50, 90) for controlling a display of humanly detectable signals indicative of the monitored pressure; and

further comprising the step of gradually applying and withdrawing the magnitude of operating power to the transducer (42, 80, 122) to initiate and terminate said monitoring.

24. (canceled)

25. A test plug assembly (50), comprising:

a shaft (56) having a proximal end (58) and a distal end (60);

a longitudinally spaced pair of annular elastic seals (66, 68) carried on said shaft (56) that are each axially compressible and radially expandable into fluid-tight sealing engagement with the inner periphery (70) of the pipe (52) to define a sealed chamber (78) therein;

compression elements (62) carried on said shaft (56) and conforming opposite axial sides of said annular seals (66, 68), said compression elements (62) being movable relative to one another for axially compressing and radially expanding said seals (66, 68) into fluid-tight sealing engagement with the inner periphery (70) of the pipe (52) to define the sealed chamber (78);

a conduit (76) for applying a predetermined pressure to said chamber (78);

a transducer (80) positioned in the vicinity of said distal end (60) of said shaft (56) for monitoring pressure within the pipe (52) beyond said seals (66, 68) and for converting the monitored pressure into transmittable signals; and

means (986) for measuring the pressure in said chamber (78) and controllable by transmitted signals from said transducer (80) to indicate leakage conditions of said chamber (78).

27. A test plug assembly (50) according to claim 25, wherein said measuring means (986) indicates an absence of leakage in said chamber (78) when the pressure in said chamber (78) is greater than the pressure monitored by said transducer (80).

28. A test plug assembly (50) according to claim 25, wherein said test plug (50) is mountable downstream in a pipe (52) from a segment (54a) of the pipe (52) to be welded and wherein said measuring means (986) indicates a pressure leakage condition of said chamber (78) when the pressure in said chamber (78) is less than the pressure monitored by said transducer (80).

29. A test plug assembly (50) according to claim 28, further comprising apparatus (984) controllable by said measuring means (986) for automatically interrupting welding operations in response to said pressure leakage condition.

26. (canceled)