Pipe pressure testing and cleaning apparatus

Method of an apparatus for pressure testing and cleaning pipe in which one or more pipes are secured to a treatment manifold (31). The or each pipe is then filled through one end with low pressure water via an inlet (40) in the manifold (31), the other end of the or each pipe including a self-bleeding valve (52) which closes once the air within the pipes has been evacuated. The pressure is held for a predetermined time and the pressure sensed by a visual gauge (14) and a paper read-out (16) so that any pressure drop indicative of failure is noted. The pressure is then released, the valve (52) removed and the high pressure water at a pressure between 500-8000 psi introduced through jets (35) to wash the pipes which are then dried with compressed air before removal.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a method of treating pipes, particularly pressure 
testing and cleaning pipes and to apparatus for carrying out the method. 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
At present pressure pipes are cleaned and pressure tested at separate 
stations. This means that the pipes have first to be cleaned by washing 
and drying and then are moved to pressure testing apparatus at a different 
location. The present arrangement therefore is unsatisfactory and time 
consuming. Moreover bleeding of the pipes during pressure testing is 
effected manually which is time consuming. 
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
According to the present invention there is provided a method of pressure 
testing and cleaning a pipe comprising the steps of, locating a first end 
of the pipe on a treatment manifold, supplying fluid to the pipe through 
the manifold, pressurising the pipe to a required desired value, sensing 
the pressure level within the pipe so as to register a pressure drop 
indicative of pipe failure, releasing the pressure within the pipe, and 
washing the pipe with water at high pressure above 500 psi supplied 
through the manifold. 
Preferably the pipe is dried with air supplied to the pipe through manifold 
eg compressed air. The pressure fluid may be water supplied from the same 
source as the washing water but by a different line. The washing is 
preferably effected at high pressure between 500 psi and 8000 psi suitably 
about 4500 psi and low volume. 
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus 
for pressure testing and cleaning a pipe comprising a treatment manifold, 
means for locating a first end of the pipe on the treatment manifold, 
means for supplying fluid to the pipe via said manifold, means for 
pressurising said fluid within the pipe, sensing means for sensing the 
pressure level within the pipe so as to register a pressure drop 
indicative of pipe failure, and means for washing the pipe with water at 
high pressure above 500 psi once the pressure test has been successfully 
completed. 
Preferably the other end of the pipe is provided with a self-bleeding valve 
so as to bleed air automatically during pressure testing, the valve being 
closed on the pressure within the pipe exceeding a predetermined level. 
The treatment manifold suitable comprises a main bore, a valve inlet to the 
main bore for high pressure water, a first plurality of apertures opening 
into the main bore each for receiving a pipe to be treated, a secondary 
bore, a second plurality of apertures opening into, the main bore and one 
into each of the first plurality of apertures, the means for supplying 
fluid to the pipe and the means for pressuring the fluid comprising first 
and second inlets into the secondary bore. The pressure within the pipe(s) 
during pressure testing is sensed by a visual gauge and a paper read-out 
so as to provide indication of pipe failure. The pressure sensing may be 
effected in any convenient known way eg electronically, the pressure 
varying a resistance within an electronic circuit proportional to the 
pressure changes. 
The advantages of the present invention are that pressure testing, washing 
and drying can all be effected at the same station. Moreover, the 
provision of automatic bleed valves for bleeding air from the pipes during 
pressure testing means that manipulation by the operator is no longer 
required.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In the drawings pipe treatment rig comprises a treatment chamber 1 having 
an upper, pipe-receiving area 2 and a lower, water collector tank 3 with a 
mesh cover 4. The treatment chamber 1 includes a releasable canopy 5 
hinged at 6 to allow it to be opened for access to the pipe-receiving area 
2 from the closed position to the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 
1. The canopy 5 is counter-balanced and includes a manually-operated 
fluorescent lighting strip 7 and a laminated glass viewing panel 8. The 
canopy is secured in position by toggle clamps (not shown) and is 
preferably electrically interlocked for safety. 
FIG. 1 shows that the rig further includes an operator's working platform 9 
which separates a sloping work table 10 from the treatment chamber 1. 
Positioned on the top, and at one end of the work table 10 is a pipe end 
cleaning attachment 11 shown in more detail in FIGS. 3 and 4. The sloping 
work table 10 is double skin, the top being perforated at its lower end 
and the bottom skin having a water outlet to the water collector tank 3. 
In use, water from the end cleaning attachment 11 passes between the skins 
to the water collector tank 3 as explained in more detail below. Any 
surplus water that should fall upon the top skin drains to the bottom skin 
through the perforations provided. 
Located at one end of the operator's working platform 9 is a control panel 
12 including general operating controls diagrammatically indicated 13 and 
in particular, a pressure check gauge 14, pressure test regulator 15, 
pressure test gauge and paper tape read out unit 16 and isolator button 
17. Behind the treatment chamber 1 is a water header tank 18 supported 
upon the top of a sound-proof compartment 19. The sound-proof compartment 
includes the various pumps and filters described in more detail below. 
Referring now particularly to FIGS. 3 and 4 the end cleaning attachment 11 
comprises a cylindrical chamber 20 having a high pressure water manifold 
21 at one end. The high pressure water manifold 21 is axially movable to 
accommodate different configurations of pipe and is provided with four 
radially disposed jets 22 (only one shown) directed inwardly towards the 
axis of the water manifold 21. The water manifold 21 is locked in axial 
position by locking screw 23. 
At the other end of the chamber 20 is an adjustable pipe receiving opening 
defined by twenty pivotally mounted blades 24 (only one shown). The blades 
24 are mounted upon the body of the end cleaning attachment 11 and each 
have a projecting head 25 which is received in a respective slot 26 of a 
movable ring 27. The ring 27 is manually operable by means of handle 28 
and is biassed into a closed position by three springs 29. A bearing strip 
30 ensures smooth movement between the limits of movement illustrated by 
the full and dotted lines of blade 24 in FIG. 4. 
The pipe-receiving area 2 itself is suitably about 3 meters long enabling 2 
meter pipes to be treated with ease. At one end of the pipe-receiving area 
2 is a pipe-treatment manifold 31, the other end of the area 2 including 
an adjustable pipe support 32' for use when required. The pipe-treatment 
manifold 31 is movable 90.degree. about a longitudinal axis for 
accommodating varying pipe shapes. 
Referring now particularly to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 the pipe-treatment manifold 
31 includes a main longitudinal bore section 32 and a secondary bore 33 
which is plugged at both ends. Drilled into the main bore 32 are five 
jetting apertures 34 which receive high pressure water cone jets 35 (see 
FIG. 8). The cone jets 35 are supplied with high-pressure water through a 
one-way valve-controlled, high-pressure water inlet 36 at one end of the 
bore 32, the other end 37 forms the inlet for compressed air for 
air-drying, the inlet 37 also normally closed by a non-return air valve 
(not shown). 
The secondary bore 33 has five transverse apertures 38 drilled into it and 
out to the rear of the manifold 31. The rear opening of those apertures 38 
is closed by a non-return valve 39 (FIG. 8). In addition three further 
bores 40, 41 and 42 are drilled from the top of the manifold 31 into the 
bore 33. These bores 40, 41 and 42 form respectively the lower pressure 
water filler inlet, the pressure test inlet and the pressure test relief. 
Finally, five further apertures 43 are drilled from front to back of the 
manifold 31 below the cone jets 35. These apertures 43 are each closed at 
their rear by a non-return valve 44 in a similar manner to the apertures 
38. 
On the front of the manifold 31 are upper and lower clamps strips 45 which 
are pivoted to manifold 31 at 46. The clamp strips 45 are normally held in 
the position shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 by spring biassed toggle levers 47. 
The two clamps strips 45 are united at their pivoted ends by two springs 
48 which serve to limit movement of the clamp strips 45. FIG. 7 shows in 
dotted lines one of the brackets 49 which forms the pivotal mounting for 
the manifold 31. 
In order to accommodate various sizes of pipe an adaptor plate 50 (FIG. 8) 
is provided which has five apertures corresponding to jetting apertures 
34. The adaptor plate 50 is held in position by clamps 45 and the 
provision of a plurality of these plates 50 means that pipes of diameters 
ranging from 5 mm to 25 mm can be treated. The pipes to be treated are 
secured to the adaptor plate 50 by screw couplings 51. 
During pressure testing of pipes received in the treatment chamber 1 the 
ends of the pipes remote from the manifold have to be closed. For this 
purpose special valves 52 are provided one of which is shown in FIG. 9. 
The valve 52 comprises a body 53 having an axial bore 54 to which 
transverse branch bores 55 are connected. The axial bore 54 receives a 
plunger 56 having ahead 57 with a sealing ring 58 which may seal against 
the mouth of bore 54. Adjacent the head 57 of the plunger 56 is a portion 
of reduced cross-section so that a path 59 to transverse branch bores 55 
is provided when the valve is open. The plunger 56 is normally held in an 
open position by a coil spring 60 the strength of which can be adjusted by 
manipulation of end nut 61. 
In order to connect the valve to the end of a pipe a tubular adaptor 62 is 
provided one end of which is slidably received within the body 53, O-ring 
seal 63 providing the necessary seal between the adaptor 62 and the body 
53. The other end of the tubular adaptor 62 is screw-threaded for simple 
engagement with the nut provided on pipes being tested. In order to lock 
the tubular adaptor 62 and the valve body 53 together a removable clamp 64 
is simply slid transversely over the two parts to engage respective 
projections on each part. 
Referring now to FIG. 10 water is kept continually circulating between the 
water tank 3 and the header tank 18 by means of circulation pump 65. This 
pump also causes the water to pass through first and second stage 
filtration 66 and 67. The first stage filtration 66 is a high rate sand 
filter filtering at a rate of 30 g.p.m. which receives effluent directly 
from the wash area and forces it through a deep bed of graded sand 
filtering the water down to a level of 16/20 microns. The second stage 
filtration 67 comprises a ceramic type filter, filtering at a rate of 16 
g.p.m., which further refines water down to a level of approximately 5 
microns. 
In a second circuit water is continually drawn from the header tank 18 by 
means of high pressure water jetting pump 68, low pressure pump 69, and 
medium pressure pump 70. High pressure water jetting pump 68 feeds water 
at pressures up 8000 psi to a diverter valve 71 which, according to 
demand, either directs the water to the high pressure water inlet 36 of 
manifold 31 or back to header tank 18. Low pressure pump 69 is 
self-bleeding and supplies water to filler inlet 40 via a non-return valve 
as required. Medium pressure pump 70 is also self-bleeding and supplies 
water at about 500 psi to the end washing attachment 11. The water from 
the manifold 31 and end washing attachment 11 is returned to the washing 
tank 3 for re-use. In order to ensure that the amount of water in use is 
sufficient a level switch 72 is provided which is operable to open 
solenoid valve 73 in mains supply line 74 when the level drops below that 
level. 
In use an operator will work with pipes in batches of similar size and 
shape. The first batch of pipes may be inserted one at a time on either 
end into the end cleaning attachment 11 to clean the retaining nut with 
low-pressure water (500 psi/2.5 g.p.m.). The operator will then mount five 
of the batch of pipes on a suitable adaptor plate 50, block the other end 
of the pipes with a self-bleeding valve 52, and, depending upon the length 
of the pipes being treated, position the pipe ends on support 32'. 
Once the five pipes are mounted, the operator sets the attitude of the main 
treatment manifold 31 in the cabinet to suit the angles of the pipework. 
Having set and locked the manifold 31 the operator then inserts the 
spigots 75 (FIG. 8) mounted on the adapted plate 50 into the cooperation 
holes on the fixed manifold section 31 and clamps the adaptor plate 50 to 
the manifold 31 by means of clamp strips 45. 
With the pipes suitably positioned the operator closes the counterbalanced 
canopy 5 and clamps it down. The apparatus is now ready and the pipes are 
filled with low pressure water by pump 69 and via inlet bore 40: the 
automatic bleed valves 52 bleeding air from the pipes until all the air 
has been evacuated and the water pressure is sufficient to overcome the 
pressure of springs 60 and thereby close the valves. 
The first operation is pressure testing the pipes up to a desired pressure: 
this is done by pressurising the filled pipes by applying pressure via the 
inlet bore 41 with the relief bore 42 closed. 
The desired pressure, e.g. up to 8000 psi, is then held for the required 
time whereupon the relief valve in bore 42 is opened to release the 
pressure within the pipes. The pressure applied to the pipes under 
treatment is shown on pressure gauge 14 on control panel 12. Also the 
pressure is transduced to a paper tape printing machine giving an 
electrical output which will vary in direct relation to the pressure and 
which can be signalled on the continuous reel of test certificates as a 
printed line which, in the case of a successful pressure test, will be set 
at the required pressure: this is all effected at 16 in a manner known per 
se. Therefore, the operator brings the system up to the required test 
pressure by reference to the pressure gauge which, when achieved, is held 
set. The paper tape read-out is then actuated and it is run for the 
required time (2 minutes). The operator watches the operation through the 
viewing panel 8 watching the water leakage or loss of pressure indicative 
of pipe failure. Whilst pressure testing is taking place the next five 
pipes can be mounted onto a further adaptor plate 50 on the work table 10. 
At the conclusion of the pressure test the relief valve in bore 42 is 
released which in turn releases the interlocked catches on the canopy 5. 
The operator then can either remove the pipes which have been tested and 
replace them with the second batch and continue this operation until he 
has pressure tested the complete batch, or release the quick release part 
of the automatic bleed plugs and continue with the washing and drying 
cycle. The question whether he continues with the process to wash and dry 
or goes through the complete batch and pressure test them all normally 
will be determined in operation by the quantity of pipes which the 
operator has to process in any one batch. 
However, once pressure testing has taken place and the plugs removed, the 
pipes are washed with high-pressure water supplied to the high-pressure 
water inlet 36 by appropriate actuation of the diverter valve 71. The 
water issues through the cone jets and the volume of water used is 
determined by the size of the largest pipe ie 25 mm. In order to 
effectively clean this size over five pipes will require approximately 15 
gallons per minute at 4500 psi. The dirty water from the pipes is 
collected in the water collector tank 3 and then passed for filtration as 
described above. Once washing is complete the supply of high-pressure 
water is terminated, and compressed air for air-drying is introduced 
through inlet 37. As the drying air is compressed air it is jetted through 
cone jets 35 and this air draws further air through non-return valves 39 
and 44 to increase the drying effect: dying being both by evaporation and 
by physically forcing the water off the surface. The bores 40 and 41 are 
provided with non-return valves as explained above in order to prevent the 
pressure of jetting of compressed air drawing water through these bores. 
The air is suitably at a pressure of about 100 psi. 
The apparatus of the present invention makes it possible at the same 
station: 
(a) to pressure test a variety of pipework in varying shapes and lengths. 
the maximum overall length of pipe being approximately 6 ft. and the 
internal diameter of the pipes varying from 5 mm to 25 mm. The pressure 
testing being infinitely variable between 500 to 8000 psi; 
(b) to clean the pipes to a high cleanliness specification; 
(c) to dry the same pipes. 
The machine is self-contained, recirculating the cleaning and testing water 
filtering it down to the required level. It also provides a printed 
read-out of the pressures achieved and held during the pressure testing, 
calibrated against a time base. This printed read-out is in the form of a 
test certificate on a continuous reel and can be turned off and duplicated 
for each of the five pipes in the batch. The automatic bleed valves 52 
also considerably aid operation since no manual operation of end valves is 
required in order to accomplish pressure testing.