Device for fastening a pipe

Abstract

Device for fastening a pipe, in particular for pipelines in the area of ​​offshore and onshore oil production facilities, comprising two corresponding, essentially plastic, connectable, block-shaped clamp parts (1) which have recesses (11) which form a through-hole (10) in the assembled state, characterized in that at least one of the two clamp parts (1) is provided with an electrically conductive grounding conductor (2) which projects into the recess (11) and extends to the cover surface (15) opposite the recess (11).

Description

The invention relates to a device for fastening a pipe according to claim 1.In the area of offshore and onshore oil extraction plants, pipelines are regularly arranged, which run above the water level, but also below the water level. Such pipelines, often referred to as instrumentation lines, must regularly be grounded for safety reasons. The pipes fastened to a fastening structure by means of clamps are grounded via a special grounding cable which is clamped at one end between clamp and pipe and at the other end is connected to the fastening structure or to metal parts of the clamp electrically connected to the fastening structure.However, the production of the necessary grounding cables is expensive. Since the respective embodiment depends on the size of the pipe and clamp, it must be taken into account by the assembler. Moreover, the assembly effort in cold or even arctic areas is very complicated for the assembly technician, in particular in conjunction with thick and thus awkward cold protection gloves, which make handling considerably more difficult.This is where the present invention starts. The object of the invention is to provide a device for fastening a pipe, in particular for pipelines in the area of offshore and onshore oil extraction installations, which is simple to install and in the process ensures reliable earthing of the pipeline. According to the invention, this object is achieved by a device having the features of claim 1.The invention provides a device for fastening a pipe, in particular for pipelines in the area of offshore and onshore oil extraction installations, which is simple to install and in the process ensures reliable grounding of the pipeline. Because at least one of the two clamp parts is provided with an electrically conductive grounding conductor which projects into the recess and extends as far as the cover surface opposite the recess, an electrical connection between the grounding conductor and the tube is achieved directly when a tube is received between the two clamp pairs. Separate clamping of a ground conductor between a clamp part and the pipe is not required.Preferably, both clamp parts are provided with an electrically conductive ground conductor. This reduces the diversity of components. Faulty assembly on site by using clamp parts without an earthing line, which would result in the required earthing of the accommodated pipe not being achieved, is thereby counteracted.A block-shaped clamp part is understood in the present case to be a clamp part which has an essentially cuboidal shape and which, in the assembled state, again forms a cuboidal shape with the further block-shaped clamp part. The block-shaped design of the clamp parts results in a great length of the recess and, as a result, in a great fastening region for a pipe to be accommodated. Furthermore, a block-shaped clamp part has a large contact surface, whereby a positionally stable fastening to a fastening structure is made possible.In order to simultaneously allow a large opening cross section for a flow of air and / or water for good ventilation, the clamp parts preferably have longitudinal ribs in the recess for bearing on a pipe to be accommodated. The effective contact surface between the clamp part and the tube is thus reduced. Larger areas between the tube and the clamp part, in which corrosion-promoting moisture can be held, are thereby avoided. Instead of longitudinal ribs, any other elevations can be present in the recess, by means of which an as small as possible contact surface between the clamp part and the tube is brought about.In a further development of the invention, the grounding conductor is made of a resilient metal and has at least one resilient elevation in the region of the recess. This ensures reliable contact between the grounding conductor and the tube. The effective contact surface between the clamp part, the grounding spring and the tube is simultaneously reduced by the at least one resilient elevation, whereby again a good ventilation is ensured. Corrosion is thereby further counteracted.In one embodiment of the invention, the grounding conductor has a rectangular cross section at least in regions. A large contact surface is thereby achieved. Preferably, the grounding conductor has a rectangular cross section at least in the region of the recess of the clamp part and / or in the region of the cover surface of the clamp part. This achieves a large contact surface for bearing against the pipe to be accommodated and / or a mounting component. Particularly preferably, the entire grounding conductor has a rectangular cross section.In a further embodiment of the invention, the grounding conductor extends in the longitudinal direction at least in regions over the length of the recess. This achieves a sufficient contact surface. Preferably, the ground conductor extends over the entire length of the recess.In a further embodiment of the invention, the grounding conductor is designed in the form of a clamp which is connected to the clamp part so as to enclose the cover surface and the sides of the clamp part adjoining it at least in regions. As a result, a force-fit and / or form-fit fastening of the grounding conductor to the clamp part is achieved, whereby simple assembly without additional fastening means is made possible.In a further development of the invention, the two clamp parts have at least one bore aligned with one another for the passage of a screw, wherein an at least partially metallic mounting component is arranged for fastening to a fastening structure, on which the grounding conductor bears in an electrically connecting manner and which has at least one internal thread for screwing in a screw. This allows the clamp formed by the two clamp parts to be fastened to a fastening structure in which the section of the grounding conductor located on the cover surface of the clamp part facing the mounting component simultaneously abuts, whereby the grounding conductor is electrically connected to the mounting component. A separate ground line for grounding the pipe is not required. In order to ensure continuous electrical contact between the mounting component and the ground conductor on the one hand and the fastening structure on the other hand, the mounting component is preferably produced completely from metal.In one embodiment of the invention, the mounting component is formed by a mounting plate which has at least one internal thread for screwing in a fastening screw. This mounting plate, which extends over the entire cover surface of the clamp part abutting against it, can be welded, riveted or screwed to the fastening structure, for example.In another embodiment of the invention, the mounting component is formed by a C-shaped rail which accommodates at least one slot nut having an internal thread for screwing in a fastening screw. This achieves a change in the position in the longitudinal direction of the mounting component while simultaneously ensuring the electrical connection between the mounting component and the ground line of the clamp part abutting against the latter. The grounding line runs transversely to the longitudinal slot of the C-shaped rail.In a further development of the invention, a clamping plate is arranged opposite the mounting component, which clamping plate has at least one bore which is aligned with the at least one internal thread of the mounting component, wherein the two clamp parts are clamped against one another between the clamping plate and the mounting component. This achieves reliable clamping of the tube between the two clamp parts. The clamping plate is preferably dimensioned such that it extends over the entire cover surface of the clamping part abutting against it.The invention furthermore relates to a fastening arrangement with a device of the type described above according to claim 10.Other developments and embodiments of the invention are specified in the remaining dependent claims. An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and is described in detail below. The following are shown: FIG. 1 : shows the schematic three-dimensional representation of a device for fastening a pipe; FIG. 2 : shows the representation of the device from FIG. 1 in a side view; FIG. 3 : shows the representation of the device from FIG. 1 in a top view, and FIG. 4 : the device from FIG. 1 in exploded illustration.The device chosen as an exemplary embodiment for connecting two pipe sections consists of two identically designed clamp parts 1, which are each provided with a grounding conductor 2 and which are braced against one another between a mounting plate 3 and a clamping plate 4 via two screws 5.In the exemplary embodiment, the clamp parts 1 are made of polypropylene (PP) and have a base body which is substantially cuboidal and provided with rounded corners and in which a semi-cylindrical recess 11 is formed centrally in the transverse direction. In the recess 11, two ribs 12 are arranged spaced apart from one another in an opposing manner, which ribs extend in the axial direction of the recess 11. The ribs 12 are formed from an elastomer. To avoid corrosion at the contact surfaces of the ribs 12 with a tube-not shown-the elastomer can be mixed with a corrosion protection additive in the form of a volatile corrosion inhibitor (VCI). Of course, the ribs can also be formed from the same material as the clamp parts.Two bores 13 are made in the clamp parts 1 on both sides of the recess 11 opposite each other. The bores 13 serve for the passage of the screws 5 for clamping the two clamp parts 1 against a tube-not shown-which is to be arranged between the recesses 11. Furthermore, recesses 14 are made on both sides of the bores 13. These recesses 14 serve to save material and to reduce the weight of the clamp parts 1.In the embodiment, the passage 10 formed by the recesses 11 has four ribs 12 between which the tube-not shown-can be clamped. Alternatively, only three ribs can also be provided, which are distributed over the two pipe clamp parts 1 and are preferably arranged offset relative to one another by 120° in each case. Of course, the arrangement of more than four ribs is also possible. However, it should be borne in mind that the total contact areas between the clamp parts 1 and the pipe to be clamped increase with the number of ribs, as a result of which the risk of corrosion is increased.In the exemplary embodiment, the grounding conductor 2 is designed in the form of a clamp with a rectangular cross section, which is arranged so as to extend centrally, surrounding the clamp part 1, through its recess 11 between the ribs 12. The two ends of the clamp are snapped into an engagement 111 arranged in the recess 11, whereby the grounding conductor 2 is connected to the clamp part 1 in a form-fit and force-fit manner. In the exemplary embodiment, the grounding conductor 2 is made of copper-alloyed spring steel with good electrical conductivity.In the region of the recess 11 of the clamp part 1, a plurality of, in particular two, arc-shaped elevations arranged at a distance from one another can be present in the grounding conductor 2 in order to keep the contact with a accommodated tube as low as possible and to generate a contact pressure as high as possible on the contact surfaces.The mounting plate 3 is made of metal and has a base surface substantially corresponding to the cover surface 15 of the clamp part 1 facing it. On the mounting plate 3 there are arranged spaced apart from one another two weld nuts 31 for screwing in the screws 5, which are aligned with the bores 13 of the clamp parts 1.The clamping plate 4, which is likewise produced from metal, likewise has a base surface which corresponds substantially to the cover surface 15 of the clamping part 1 facing it. Two bores 41 are made in the clamping plate 4 at a distance from one another, which bores are aligned with the bores 13 of the clamp part 1.For mounting a tube-not shown-the mounting plate 3 is attached, in particular welded, to a metallic fastening structure. Subsequently, a first clamp part 1 is placed with its bores on 13 the weld nuts 31 of the mounting plate 3. For this purpose, the bores 13 have, at their end facing away from the recess 11 of the clamp part 1, a portion 131 which is widened in diameter and the outer diameter of which substantially corresponds to the outer diameter of the weld nut 31.After inserting the tube-not shown-into the recess 11 of the first clamp part 1, the other, second clamp part 1 is placed with its recess 11 on the tube, after which the clamping plate 4 is placed on the second clamp part 1. Then the screws 5 are passed through the bores 41 of the clamping plate and the bores 13 of the clamp parts 1 and screwed into the weld nuts 31 of the mounting plate, whereby the two clamp parts 1 are clamped against the pipe. The grounding conductors 2 of the clamp parts 1 abut the tube as well as the metallic mounting plate 3 or the metallic clamping plate 4 and are electrically connected to them. The metallic clamping plate 4 is electrically connected via the screws 5 to the mounting plate, which in turn is electrically connected to the fastening structure. The tube is grounded in this way via the device according to the invention without the need for a separate ground line.

Claims

Device for fastening a pipe, in particular for pipelines in the area of offshore and onshore oil extraction installations, comprising two corresponding block-shaped clamp parts (1) which are produced substantially from plastic and can be connected to one another and have recesses (11) which, in the assembled state, form a feedthrough (10), characterized in that at least one of the two clamp parts (1) is provided with an electrically conductive grounding conductor (2) which projects into the recess (11) and extends as far as the cover surface (15) opposite the recess (11).Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the block-shaped clamp parts (1) have elevations in the recess for bearing on a pipe to be accommodated, which elevations are preferably designed as longitudinal ribs.Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the ground conductor (2) is made of a resilient metal and has at least one resilient elevation in the region of the recess (11).Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the grounding conductor (1) has a rectangular cross section at least in regions.Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the grounding conductor (2) extends in the longitudinal direction at least in regions, preferably over the entire length of the recess (11).Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the grounding conductor (2) is designed in the manner of a clamp which is connected to the clamp part (1) in at least regions enclosing the cover surface (15) and the adjoining sides of the clamp part (1).Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two clamp parts (1) have at least one bore (13), which is aligned with one another, for a screw (5) to be passed through, wherein an at least regionally metallic mounting component is arranged for fastening to a fastening structure, on which the grounding conductor (2) bears in an electrically connecting manner and which has at least one internal thread for screwing in a screw (5).Device according to claim 7, characterised in that the mounting component is formed by a mounting plate (3) which has at least one internal thread for screwing in a fastening screw (5).Device according to claim 7, characterised in that the mounting component is formed by a C-shaped rail which accommodates at least one slot nut having an internal thread for screwing in a fastening screw.Device according to one of Claims 7 to 9da, characterized in that a clamping plate (4) is arranged opposite the mounting component, said clamping plate having at least one bore (41) which is aligned with the at least one internal thread of the mounting component, the two clamp parts (1) being clamped against one another between the clamping plate (4) and the mounting component.A fastening arrangement comprising a pipe held in the feedthrough (10) between the two clamp parts (1) of at least one device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ground conductor (2) of at least one of the clamp parts (1) of a device abuts the pipe.Fastening arrangement according to claim 11, characterised in that the earth conductor (2) is resiliently prestressed against the tube.

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