Friday, August 3, 2018

Pipeline Pigging Considerations

Whether it be removing impurities, purging product from a pipe-train pr restoring flow, pipeline poly pigs, along with other pipe pigging systems are used.  The reason for pigging, the make and design of the system coupled with the conditions of the pipe all play a role in determining how to proceed.

Just like a plunger inside a syringe, product purging pigs need to fit tightly in their pipes. Pigging systems designed to remove inches or more of caked on debris can have different characteristics than those designed to remove loose sand and gravel. Pipes with an immense about of build up may need a succession of pigs, each with an increasing diameter, to thoroughly complete the job.

Anything that might lead the pig astray, such as obstructions like  valves or tree branches, or differences in pipe diameter,  must be accounted for and dealt with.

A system that has never been pigged before, or one that needs to be re-mapped before some other project, might use a radio transmitting smart pig called "Sherlock Pig".  Sherlock can be passed through the system to give a corrected view, showing any differences between reality and paper.

Led by General Manager  Roger M Cimbora, Sr., Professional Piping Services, Inc. has the experience and knowledge to select the right pigging system to get your system back to peak performance.