A pipeline pig (5) for cleaning pipelines (6) and/or for recovering products from a pipeline is disclosed. The pipeline pig (5) comprises at least one radiofrequency identification tag (4a, 4b) as a means for identification and for the sending, receiving and storing of data. The pipeline pig (5) may be used in pipeline systems used for the production of sterile food or pharmaceutical products.

A ball circulation pump skid includes a piping manifold mounted to a base frame, having a first inlet and a first outlet each connected to a pump, and provided with a second inlet and a second outlet connectable to an external device. The manifold houses a ball collection capsule configured to permit flow of fluid and entrained cleaning balls into the ball collection capsule in a first flow direction and to permit flow of fluid and entrained cleaning balls out of the ball collection capsule in a second flow direction. Valves mounted to the piping manifold are operative to create alternately a first fluid flow path and a second fluid flow path through the piping manifold, to capture the cleaning balls in the collection capsule prior to fluid flow to the pump and to re-entrain the cleaning balls prior to fluid delivery to the external device.

The method of using the flow of liquid or gas in a pipeline to facilitate service operations within said pipeline by connecting to a service pig with a restraining line, deploying said service pig in said pipeline at a deployment location, holding back on the restraining line to cause a pressure differential buildup across the service pig to facilitate said service operations, releasing said service pig from the restraints the operations can be completed without bringing the service pig back to said deployment location.

A collar for a cleaning or inspection pig which is movable in a pipeline and through the latter. The collar may include an inner fastening region, with respect to a longitudinal center axis of the collar, for fixing the collar to the cleaning or inspection pig. The collar may also include a contact region which is provided for contact against a pipe wall and which is part of an outer segment which is connected to the inner fastening region. The inner fastening region is preferably in advance of the contact region with respect to a direction of movement (F) of the pig. The collar comprises an anchoring segment, the first end of which is arranged on the outer segment and the other, second end of which is arranged, with respect to the longitudinal center axis, further toward the latter and trailing the first end with respect to a direction of movement of the pig. A pig for cleaning or inspecting pipeline pipes may also be provided.

A pipeline system may have a pipeline that is connected to at least a pig selector with the pig selector concurrently housing multiple different pigs in separate pig chambers. A pig loader can be positioned proximal the pig selector and configured to load a pig from a pig chamber of the pig selector into a launch pipe connected to the pipeline.

A bypass valve for an inspection and/or cleaning pig which is intended to move through a pipeline through which medium flows. The bypass valve comprises an inner space which is provided with a flow profile and in which there is arranged a piston which can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the bypass valve by means of a force storage medium in a pressure-dependent manner. The piston can also be moved between a first open position of the bypass valve which enables a bypass for the medium and a second position which at least substantially closes the bypass. The piston can be further moved from the first position via the second position in the same direction into a maximum position which opens the bypass again and pig for inspection and/or cleaning of pipelines.

Systems and methods for safe on-line pigging decoking of a coker furnace tubes and which also permits on-line spalling operations.

There is provided an expandable pipeline pig for a varying diameter pipeline having a pig body that carries two or more guides and one or more actuators. Each guide has a resilient body with a folding zone between an outer perimeter and a central area connected to the pig body, a series of support members spaced circumferentially about the resilient body within the folding zone, and a series of collapsing structures positioned between, and integrally formed with, adjacent support members. The actuators selectively release the guides from a reduced to an expanded mode. In the expanded mode the support members extend outward and the collapsing structures are expanded between the support members. In the reduced mode the support members are folded toward the pig body and the collapsing structures are collapsed to reduce a circumference of the resilient body outer perimeter. The support members are biased toward the expanded mode.

Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a pipe pig. The pipe pig comprises a first mounting hub coupled to a mandrel and a first sealing element. The pipe pig further comprises two chassis, each of which is coupled to the mounting hub and the sealing element.

There is provided an apparatus for tracking a pig travelling inside a tubular object. The apparatus includes a sensor arrangement including at least one position sensor configured to detect a passage of the pig travelling inside the tubular object and a tracking device. The tracking device is configured to: process the detected passage of the pig from a run of the pig through the tubular object to determine a travel time of the pig; using the determined travel time, calculate a speed of the pig through the tubular object; and using the calculated pig's speed, perform real-time tracking of the pig's position inside the tubular object in a subsequent run of the pig through the tubular object.