Patent ID: 11940067
Assignee: nan
Field: Mechanical elements (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  B | IPC B  F

Claim 8:
9. A method of using a process equipment bolt flange joint opening and closing system, the method comprising:
coupling a first jaw portion of a first clamping member of a double acting piston cylinder of at least one actuator cylinder of the system to a first flange of a bolt flange joint;
coupling a second jaw portion of a second clamping member of the double acting piston cylinder of the at least one actuator cylinder to a second flange of the bolt flange joint;
holding a control valve of the system in a closing position;
pumping hydraulic fluid from a fluid reservoir of the system to a closing side of the double acting piston cylinder, in response to operating a hydraulic pump of the system; and
clamping the first flange and the second flange together between the first jaw portion and the second jaw portion, under pressure, in response to pumping hydraulic fluid from the fluid reservoir to the closing side of the double acting piston cylinder;
preventing fluid from flowing from the closing side of the double acting piston cylinder to the control valve, in response to moving a closing side shut-off valve of the system to a closed position; and
loosening at least one flange bolt of the bolt flange joint while the closing side shut-off valve is in the closed position;
moving the control valve to an opening position;
pumping hydraulic fluid from the fluid reservoir to an opening side of the double acting piston cylinder, in response to operating the hydraulic pump;
separating the first flange from the second flange, in response to pumping hydraulic fluid from the fluid reservoir to the opening side of the double acting piston cylinder;
forcing hydraulic fluid from the closing side of the double acting piston cylinder into an accumulator of the system, in response to pumping hydraulic fluid from the fluid reservoir to the opening side of the double acting piston cylinder;
increasing pressure of the hydraulic fluid within the accumulator, in response to forcing hydraulic fluid from the closing side of the double acting piston cylinder into the accumulator; and
clamping the first flange and the second flange together again, in response to releasing the control valve, wherein the control valve is biased to a neutral position, in which the fluid reservoir is in fluid communication with the opening side of the double acting piston cylinder, wherein hydraulic fluid is forced from the accumulator into the closing side of the double acting piston cylinder, in response to releasing pressure in the accumulator in response to allowing hydraulic fluid to move from the opening side of the double acting piston into the fluid reservoir, in response to releasing the control valve, wherein the control valve returns to the neutral position and while the closing side shut-off valve is maintained in the closed position.