METHOD OF IMPROVING THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF PIPING

• US 20160215918A1
• Filed: 02/12/2015
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew Cunningham
• Original Assignee: Andrew Cunningham
• Inventors: Cunningham, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,765,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 57/06 against wear F16L57/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 58/00 Protection of pipes or pipe fittings against corrosion or incrustation compound tubes F16L9/14
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 9/006 specially profiled F16L9/003 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of improving the life expectancy of piping has steps of determining a circumferential position in the piping having a highest expected rate of wall thickness reduction; determining a circumferential section of a pipe length having a greatest wall thickness; and installing the pipe length in the piping by rotating the pipe length to align the circumferential section of the pipe length having the greatest wall thickness with the circumferential position of the piping having the highest expected rate of wall thickness reduction.

Claims

1. A method of improving the life expectancy of piping, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a circumferential position in the piping having a highest expected rate of wall thickness reduction;

determining a circumferential section of a pipe length having a greatest wall thickness; and

installing the pipe length in the piping by rotating the pipe length to align the circumferential section of the pipe length having the greatest wall thickness with the circumferential position of the piping having the highest expected rate of wall thickness reduction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the circumferential position having the highest expected rate of wall thickness reduction comprises reviewing a historical trend of wall thickness reduction in the piping.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the circumferential position having the highest expected rate of wall thickness reduction comprises identifying the type of material of the piping, the fluid to be transported in the piping and an operating temperature range of the piping.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps are repeated for a plurality of longitudinal positions along the piping.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wall thickness reduction is caused at least in part by corrosion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wall thickness reduction is caused at least in part by erosion.

7. A method of improving the life expectancy of piping installed along a transport path, the method comprising the steps of:

at a plurality of locations along the transport path, predicting a wall thickness reduction rate at a plurality of circumferential positions for piping to be installed;

measuring a wall thickness at a plurality of circumferential positions of each of a plurality of pipe sections to determine variations in the wall thickness in each pipe section;

determining a radial orientation of the pipe sections at a plurality of locations along the transport path to improve the life expectancy of the pipe sections based on the measured wall thickness of the pipe section and the predicted wall thickness reduction rate of the piping to be installed; and

installing the pipe sections along the transport path.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein characterizing the transport path comprises reviewing a historical trend of wall thickness reduction in piping positioned along the transport path.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein predicting a wall thickness reduction rate comprises identifying the type of material of the piping, the fluid to be transported in the piping and an operating temperature range of the piping.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the radial orientation to improve the life expectancy of each pipe section comprises aligning the circumferential portion of the pipe section with the greatest wall thickness and the circumferential position of the piping with the highest predicted wall thickness reduction rate.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the wall thickness reduction is caused at least in part by corrosion.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the wall thickness reduction is caused at least in part by erosion.