Pipeline joint welding system and welding method

Abstract

The invention provides a pipeline joint welding system and method, and belongs to the technical field of welding systems. The pipeline joint welding system comprises an automatic welding machine, a carrier loader and an inflation protection assembly, and the inflation protection assembly is used for providing gas protection for the back face of welding work after running to the joint position in a pipeline along with the carrier loader; the welding method comprises the steps that S1, the inflation protection assembly runs to the inner joint of the pipeline; s2, filling protective gas; s3, the automatic welding machine is clamped and fixed; and S4, seam welding is conducted. When the automatic welding machine carries out welding work, protective gas can be inflated into the back face of the welding work to protect the welding work, the protective gas does not need to be inflated into a whole pipeline, use of the protective gas is reduced, and resources are saved; and manual construction in a narrow space can be replaced, the construction efficiency is higher, welding quality fluctuation caused by human factors is reduced, welding defects caused by fatigue of workers are avoided, and the welding quality is higher.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of welding system technology, and specifically relates to a pipe joint welding system and welding method. Background Technology

[0002] In traditional electromechanical construction, manual tungsten inert gas welding requires holding a tungsten electrode and welding around the pipe, or welding on-site beforehand and then assembling the whole. However, due to the limited space in the pipe shafts of high-rise buildings, manual welding is difficult to carry out due to space constraints.

[0003] The existing welding methods have the following problems:

[0004] 1. Difficult to operate: Welders need to continuously adjust the angle and position of the welding torch in a narrow space (with many blind spots), which makes them prone to fatigue. It is difficult for the welding torch to accurately reach the welding point, and there is open flame and welding slag falling during welding. The safety factor of operating inside the pipe well is relatively large.

[0005] 2. The preliminary preparation is complicated: the pipe ends must be precisely beveled, which increases the time and equipment costs. The beveling time for each weld joint is about 3 minutes.

[0006] 3. High dependence on process: The welding current needs to be manually adjusted in real time according to the position, which is highly dependent on the welder's personal experience and condition, making it difficult to guarantee consistent quality.

[0007] 4. High quality risk: It is very easy to cause defects such as incomplete penetration, slag inclusion, and porosity due to inconvenient operation or fatigue. The pass rate of X-ray inspection (RT) of weld joints is unstable, which may lead to leakage.

[0008] 5. Efficiency bottleneck: The long time required for a single weld joint affects the overall project progress. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In order to shorten the construction period and improve the welding quality, the present invention provides a pipe joint welding system and welding method.

[0010] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0011] A pipe joint welding system, comprising:

[0012] An automatic welding machine, which is installed at pipe joints for welding the joints;

[0013] Transport vehicle, used to travel inside the pipeline;

[0014] An inflatable protection component is installed on the transport vehicle to provide gas protection for the back side of the welding operation after the transport vehicle travels to the joint position inside the pipe.

[0015] Furthermore, the inflation protection assembly includes:

[0016] Two inflatable containers, each having an open end facing each other and a closed end facing away from each other, are spaced apart along the axis of the pipe to form an inflatable chamber inside the pipe.

[0017] A connector, disposed between two inflatable containers, for connecting the two inflatable containers;

[0018] An inflation tube, one end of which is connected to an inflation container and the other end of which is connected to an external inflation device, is used to deliver protective gas into the inflation container.

[0019] Furthermore, there are two transport vehicles, each connected to the sealed end of an inflatable container.

[0020] Furthermore, the distance between the open ends of the two inflatable containers is greater than the width of the pipe joint;

[0021] The connector is a connecting rod, one end of which is connected to the sealed end of an inflatable container, and the surface of the connecting rod located between the open ends of the two inflatable containers is coated with a colored dye.

[0022] Furthermore, the transport vehicle is equipped with a braking assembly for stopping the transport vehicle at a fixed point within the pipeline; and / or,

[0023] The pipe joint welding system further includes a controller, which is communicatively connected to the transport vehicle and used to control the operation of the transport vehicle.

[0024] A welding method for a pipe joint welding system includes the following steps:

[0025] S1. Control the transport vehicle equipped with the inflatable protection component to run to the joint inside the pipeline;

[0026] S2. Inflate the protective gas into the inflation protection assembly;

[0027] S3. Clamp and fix the automatic welding machine at the pipe joint;

[0028] S4. Control the automatic welding machine to automatically perform joint welding.

[0029] Furthermore, prior to step S1, the following is also included:

[0030] S0. Assemble the pipes by aligning the two pipe ends and fixing them in place.

[0031] Furthermore, step S2 also includes: performing three-point positioning spot welding at the pipe joint.

[0032] Furthermore, in step S2, the filling of the protective gas specifically involves:

[0033] Inflate with inert gas of ≥99.99% purity for >30s.

[0034] Furthermore, step S4 also includes inputting welding data before welding, the welding data including pipe specifications and wall thickness.

[0035] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0036] This invention discloses a pipe joint welding system and method. By using a transport vehicle to deliver the inflatable protective assembly to the pipe joint, protective gas can be injected into the joint on the back side of the weld, i.e., inside the pipe, to protect the weld during automatic welding. This eliminates the need to fill the entire pipe with protective gas, reducing gas usage and saving resources. Furthermore, the use of an automatic welding machine for pipe joint welding replaces manual labor in confined spaces, resulting in higher construction efficiency and reduced welding quality fluctuations caused by human factors. It also avoids welding defects caused by worker fatigue, leading to higher welding quality. In actual construction, multiple welds can be completed continuously, eliminating the tedious steps of repeatedly setting up air curtains and drilling in and out in traditional methods, further improving construction efficiency and shortening the construction period. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a pipe joint welding system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the construction method of a pipe joint welding system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the test report obtained after the weld seam was tested and inspected according to the present invention.

[0040] In the diagram: 1. Automatic welding machine; 2. Transport vehicle; 301. Inflatable container; 302. Connector; 303. Inflatable pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description and claims. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are all in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0042] To make the technical problems solved by the present invention, the technical solutions adopted, and the technical effects achieved clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0043] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0044] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0045] Example 1: refer to Figures 1 to 3 The pipe joint welding system provided in this embodiment includes: an automatic welding machine 1, a transport vehicle 2 and an air-filled protection component, and may also include a controller (not shown).

[0047] Automatic welding machine 1 is used to install at pipe joints for welding the joints. Automatic welding machine 1 can be an XD series automatic pipe welding machine. Automatic welding machine 1 replaces manual welding work, which can reduce the dependence on skilled workers, reduce welding quality fluctuations caused by human factors, avoid welding defects caused by worker fatigue, reduce the risk of human error, and improve construction safety and quality controllability.

[0048] The carrier vehicle 2 is used to travel inside the pipeline. The carrier vehicle 2 can be equipped with a power supply or battery and is powered by electricity, without the need for an external power source.

[0049] The gas protection component is installed on the carrier vehicle 2 and is used to provide gas protection for the back side of the welding work after the carrier vehicle 2 moves to the joint position inside the pipe.

[0050] The pipe joint welding system of this embodiment uses a transport vehicle 2 to transport the gas-filled protective component to the pipe joint. When the automatic welding machine 1 is performing welding work, protective gas is filled into the joint on the back side of the welding work, that is, inside the pipe, to protect the welding work. It is not necessary to fill the entire pipe with protective gas, which reduces the use of protective gas and saves resources.

[0051] In a preferred embodiment, the inflatable protection assembly includes: two inflatable containers 301, a connector 302, and an inflatable tube 303.

[0052] The two inflatable containers 301 have opposite open ends and opposite sealed ends. The interior of the inflatable containers 301 can be hollow. The two inflatable containers 301 are spaced apart along the direction of the pipe axis, forming an inflatable chamber inside the pipe. The distance between the open ends of the two inflatable containers 301 is greater than the width of the pipe joint, which makes it easy to observe whether the transport vehicle 2 has moved into position and allows the protective gas to completely cover the area around the pipe joint, resulting in better protection.

[0053] A connector 302 is disposed between two inflatable containers 301 for connecting the two inflatable containers 301. The connector 302 is preferably a connecting rod, with one end of the connecting rod connected to the sealed end of one inflatable container 301 and the other end connected to the sealed end of the other inflatable container 301. The surface of the connecting rod located between the open ends of the two inflatable containers 301 is coated with a colored dye, such as a bright red, green, or orange. When positioning the inflation protection component, the carrier vehicle 2 is judged to have been loaded into position by observing whether the dyed part of the connecting rod reaches the pipe joint. Specifically, when the dyed part of the connecting rod reaches the pipe joint, it indicates that the joint is located between the open ends of the two inflatable containers 301. At this time, the carrier vehicle 2 has been loaded into position and can stop operation (i.e., stop at a fixed point and proceed with subsequent inflation work). Otherwise, it indicates that the carrier vehicle 2 has not been loaded into position and needs to continue operation. Alternatively, a luminescent dye can be coated on the surface of the connector 302 for easier observation.

[0054] One end of the inflation tube 303 is connected to an inflation container 301, and the other end is connected to an external inflation device. It is used to deliver protective gas into the inflation container 301. The protective gas can be an inert gas, such as argon.

[0055] In a preferred embodiment, two transport vehicles 2 can be provided, each transport vehicle 2 being connected to the sealed end of an inflation container 301. The transport vehicle 2 is equipped with a braking assembly (not shown), which can be the braking system of the transport vehicle 2, used to keep the transport vehicle 2 stationary in the pipeline. In this preferred embodiment, the upper transport vehicle 2 provides a pulling force to lift the inflation protection component upward, and the lower transport vehicle 2 provides an upward thrust to push the inflation protection component upward. The two transport vehicles 2 cooperate to overcome the downward tendency of the inflation protection component due to its own weight, so that each transport vehicle 2 bears half the weight of the inflation protection component, reducing the carrying pressure of a single transport vehicle 2, and making it easier to drag the gas protection component to move or stay stationary in the pipeline.

[0056] The pipe joint welding system may further include a controller, which is communicatively connected to the transport vehicle 2 and used to control the operation of the transport vehicle 2. The controller can be any suitable computing device, such as a personal computer, server, programmable logic controller (PLC), microcontroller, etc., or it can be an integration of computer devices. The controller has functions such as receiving information and sending control commands. The controller can control the transport vehicle 2 to perform corresponding actions through wired or wireless communication to complete the operation of the transport vehicle 2.

[0057] As an example, the transport vehicle 2 is equipped with an antenna and a control module that are connected to the controller. The controller can control the transport vehicle 2 to move inside the pipeline and stop at a fixed point by controlling the braking system of the transport vehicle 2 when it arrives at the destination.

[0058] The pipeline welding system in this embodiment integrates four major functions: walking, positioning, gas supply, and welding, achieving "one-click positioning and automatic welding". This significantly reduces the labor intensity of operators and their reliance on advanced skills, making it particularly suitable for working in enclosed pipelines that are difficult to access.

[0059] Example 2:

[0060] This embodiment provides a welding method for a pipe joint welding system, which includes the following steps: S1-S4, and may also include S0.

[0061] Before step S0, the pipes are arranged at the pipe laying location, specifically by installing a bracket at the pipe laying location, installing the pipes on the brackets, and placing the pipes into the pre-embedded sleeve.

[0062] S0. Assemble the pipes by aligning the ends of two connected pipes and fixing them in place. When assembling the pipes, check whether the diameters of the two pipes to be connected are the same and whether the bevels are aligned to ensure that the pipes can be welded together smoothly.

[0063] S1. Control the transport vehicle 2, equipped with an inflatable protection component, to run to the joint inside the pipeline.

[0064] S2. Inflate the protective gas into the gas-filled protective assembly and perform three-point positioning spot welding at the pipe joint. Manual spot welding can be performed using a handheld tungsten inert gas welding gun to initially fix the two pipe joints, so as to prevent misalignment between the two pipes when the automatic welding machine 1 clamps them later, which would affect the welding effect.

[0065] As a preferred embodiment, the protective gas is filled in as follows:

[0066] Inert gas with a purity of ≥99.99% is introduced. The inert gas can be argon. The induction time is >30 seconds to ensure that the welding area is fully protected by the inert gas.

[0067] S3. Clamp and fix the automatic welding machine 1 at the pipe joint.

[0068] S4. Before welding, input the welding data into the automatic welding machine 1 and control the automatic welding machine 1 to automatically perform joint welding. The welding data includes pipe specifications and wall thickness.

[0069] After the above steps are completed, the transport vehicle 2 can be controlled to move to the next joint and repeat the above steps S2-S4. In this way, the welding work of the joints on the entire pipeline can be completed continuously, eliminating the tedious steps of repeatedly setting up air curtains and drilling in and out in the traditional method, further improving construction efficiency and helping to shorten the construction period.

[0070] The welding method of the pipeline welding system in this embodiment omits the beveling process, simplifies assembly requirements, and has a short welding time per joint, which greatly improves the pipeline installation speed and effectively shortens the project construction cycle.

[0071] Experimental testing:

[0072] After each weld is completed, the automatic welding machine 1 is removed from the joint. Non-destructive testing of the weld can be performed to ensure welding quality. Pressure testing and tightness testing can also be conducted on the pipeline to verify the welding strength and the overall strength of the pipeline system.

[0073] Inspection revealed that the weld appearance quality was excellent. The weld formation was uniform and regular, with consistent width and moderate and uniform reinforcement height; the weld surface was smooth and clean, free from any visible defects such as porosity, slag inclusions, cracks, undercut, weld beads, arc crater cracks, and lack of fusion; the weld toe smoothly transitioned to the base metal, without undercut or weld slag. A water pressure test was conducted on-site at 1.5 times the design pressure, and no leakage was observed after 24 hours of pressure stabilization. The weld outer and inner surface measurements, water pressure test results, and flaw detection reports are as follows: Figure 3 .

[0074] In the description herein, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "left," and "right," etc., refer to the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are used only for ease of description and simplification of operation. They do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used merely for descriptive distinction and have no special meaning.

[0075] The above description is merely a description of preferred embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the above disclosure shall fall within the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A pipe joint welding system, characterized in that, include: Automatic welding machine (1), the automatic welding machine (1) is used to be set at the pipe joint for welding the joint; Transport vehicle (2), used to travel inside the pipeline; An inflatable protection component is installed on the transport vehicle (2) to provide gas protection for the back side of the welding work after the transport vehicle (2) moves to the joint position inside the pipe.

2. The pipe joint welding system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inflation protection component includes: Two inflatable containers (301) have opposite open ends and opposite sealed ends. The two inflatable containers (301) are spaced apart along the direction of the pipe axis to form an inflatable chamber inside the pipe. A connector (302) is disposed between two inflatable containers (301) for connecting the two inflatable containers (301); An inflation tube (303) is connected at one end to an inflation container (301) and at the other end to an external inflation device for supplying protective gas into the inflation container (301).

3. The pipe joint welding system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, There are two transport vehicles (2), each of which is connected to the sealed end of an inflatable container (301).

4. The pipe joint welding system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The distance between the open ends of the two inflatable containers (301) is greater than the width of the pipe joint; The connector (302) is a connecting rod, one end of which is connected to the sealed end of an inflatable container (301), and the surface of the connecting rod located between the open ends of the two inflatable containers (301) is coated with a colored dye.

5. The pipe joint welding system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The transport vehicle (2) is equipped with a braking assembly for stopping the transport vehicle (2) at a fixed point inside the pipeline; And / or, The pipe joint welding system further includes a controller, which is communicatively connected to the transport vehicle (2) and is used to control the operation of the transport vehicle (2).

6. A welding method using the pipe joint welding system as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Control the transport vehicle (2) equipped with the inflatable protection component to run to the joint inside the pipeline; S2. Inflate the protective gas into the inflation protection assembly; S3. Clamp and fix the automatic welding machine (1) at the pipe joint; S4. Control the automatic welding machine (1) to automatically perform joint welding.

7. The welding method for the pipe joint welding system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The procedure before step S1 also includes: S0. Assemble the pipes by aligning the two pipe ends and fixing them in place.

8. The welding method for the pipe joint welding system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, Step S2 further includes: performing three-point positioning spot welding at the pipe joint.

9. The welding method for the pipe joint welding system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, In step S2, the filling of protective gas specifically involves: Inflate with inert gas of ≥99.99% purity for >30s.

10. The welding method for the pipe joint welding system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, Step S4 further includes: inputting welding data before welding, the welding data including pipe specifications and wall thickness.

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