On-line cleaning of natural gas pipelines
First, Pig cleaning method
1. Mechanical pig cleaning
Polymer high-density foam pig, disc bowl pig or two-way straight plate pig are used, which are suitable for removing liquid accumulation, solid impurities and corrosion products in the pipeline. Installing a steel brush or scraper can enhance the cleaning effect, and the removal rate can reach more than 95%.
Second, the key points of equipment selection
1. Pig type
Straight Plate Pig: Sealed, suitable for removing condensate (e.g. wet pipes).
Foam pig: good passability, suitable for pipes with inner coating or slight deformation.
Diameter pig : used to detect the ovality of the pipe and assist in the formulation of cleaning parameters.
Electronic positioning device: The device with a tracker is convenient for locating the risk points of jamming.
Third, Efficiency optimization
The regular cleaning cycle is set according to the characteristics of the pipeline conveying medium (e.g., the pipeline in the sulfur-containing gas field needs to be shortened)
It needs to be dynamically adjusted according to the actual working conditions of the pipeline (such as pipe diameter, material, and impurity type) to ensure that the cleaning process is safe, efficient and economical.
