Patent ID: 11927294
Assignee: QUEST INTEGRITY GROUP, LLC
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  B | IPC B  F

Claim 11:
12. A method of accessing a process tube extending from a header pipe, using a header delivery system, the header delivery system including:
a base assembly coupled to a rotation assembly;
the base assembly including:
a launcher pipe having a first pipe end and a second pipe end, the first pipe end having a first launcher pipe opening and the second pipe end having a second launcher pipe opening,
a tube coupler connected to the first launcher pipe opening,
a first frame member coupled to the launcher pipe and having a first frame end and a second frame end; and
a jack apparatus connected to the tube coupler and configured to adjustably position the tube coupler,

the rotation assembly including:
a first rotation apparatus connected to the first frame member at the first frame end, and
a second rotation apparatus connected to the first frame member at the second frame end,
the first rotation apparatus and the second rotation apparatus configured to position the base assembly with respect to the rotation assembly to adjust an angular position of the base assembly and the tube coupler;

a second frame member coupled to the launcher pipe and having a third frame end and a fourth frame end, and wherein the first rotation apparatus is connected to the second frame member at the third frame end and the second rotation apparatus is connected to the second frame member at the fourth frame end; and
a bumper connected to the jack apparatus, wherein the jack apparatus is configured to move the tube coupler and the bumper between a retracted position and an extended position, and wherein the jack apparatus is configured to move the tube coupler in a first radial direction with respect to the first frame member and to move the bumper in an opposite second radial direction when the tube coupler and the bumper are moved from the retracted position to the extended position; and
the method comprising:
determining a first tube angular position of a first process tube in a first header pipe;
positioning the base assembly with respect to the first rotation apparatus and the second rotation apparatus to position the header delivery system in a first angular position;
connecting the base assembly to the first rotation apparatus and the second rotation apparatus to fix the header delivery system in the first angular position;
after fixing the header delivery system in the first angular position, inserting the header delivery system in the first header pipe with the tube coupler in a retracted position;
aligning the header delivery system in the first header pipe with the first process tube in an alignment position and with the tube coupler in a retracted position;
after aligning the header delivery system, actuating the jack apparatus to position the tube coupler from the retracted position to an extended position to form a seal between the tube coupler and the first process tube; and
performing a first service operation on the first process tube with the tube coupler in the extended position using the launcher pipe to access the first process tube.