A piping system and method having a lockbolt

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of pipeline connection, and particularly provides a pipeline system with anti-loose bolts and a method, which comprises multiple pipelines, anti-loose bolts, a monitoring device and a controller; the multiple pipelines are sequentially butted end to end through flanges, and the flanges have multiple screw holes along the circumferential direction of the pipelines; the anti-loose bolts are uniformly distributed along the circumferential direction of the pipelines, and are used for penetrating through the screw holes in the adjacent flanges to fix the adjacent pipelines; the anti-loose bolts have through holes penetrating through the anti-loose bolts, and the through holes are parallel to the axial direction of the anti-loose bolts and are offset relative to the axial direction of the anti-loose bolts; the fiber grating sensors are fixed in the through holes; the monitoring device is signal connected with the fiber grating sensors to monitor the strain of the fiber grating sensors; one side of the pipeline along the circumferential direction is a to-be-damaged area, and the anti-loose bolts in the to-be-damaged area are provided with rotary power members, and the rotary power members can drive the anti-loose bolts connected therewith to rotate; the through holes of the anti-loose bolts outside the to-be-damaged area are located on the side close to the center of the pipeline.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of pipeline connection technology, and specifically provides a pipeline system and method with anti-loosening bolts. Background Technology

[0002] The transportation of fuels such as oil and natural gas relies on the laying of pipelines. Taking oil pipelines as an example, they consist of multiple sections, which are connected by flanges at their ends and secured with bolts and nuts. To achieve a seal at the pipeline connection, a gasket is typically placed between the adjacent flanges, and the tightening force of the bolts is used to compress the gasket to prevent oil leakage.

[0003] The inventors learned that during pipeline installation, dimensional errors can easily lead to significant deviations in the perpendicularity between bolts and flanges. When the liquid or gas transported inside the pipeline is under high pressure, the high-pressure fluid exerts considerable pressure on the pipe wall and pipe connections, and the component of this high-pressure force causes the bolts to bear bending moments. Additionally, uneven ground settlement can also cause adjacent pipe axes to misalign, further increasing the bending moments on the bolts.

[0004] The inventors attempted to use optical grating bolts to monitor bolt strain in real time, and to notify maintenance personnel to handle the situation when the bolt deformation becomes excessive. However, for some pipelines buried underground or in pipe racks, the window between the abnormality of the optical grating sensor signal and the damage to the pipeline connection structure and a large-scale leak is short, making it difficult for maintenance personnel to complete pipeline maintenance in a short period of time. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a piping system and method with anti-loosening bolts, so as to at least solve one of the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0006] To address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a pipeline system with anti-loosening bolts, comprising multiple pipe sections, multiple anti-loosening bolts, monitoring equipment, and a controller. The multiple pipe sections are sequentially connected end-to-end via flanges, each flange having multiple threaded holes along the circumference of the pipes; the anti-loosening bolts are evenly distributed along the circumference of the pipes, and are used to pass through the threaded holes in adjacent flanges to secure adjacent pipe sections; each anti-loosening bolt has a through-hole, which is parallel to and offset relative to the axial direction of the anti-loosening bolt; a fiber optic grating sensor is fixed within the through-hole.

[0007] The monitoring equipment is connected to a fiber Bragg grating sensor to monitor the strain of the fiber Bragg grating sensor; one side of the pipe along the circumference is the area to be damaged, and a rotating power component is installed at the anti-loosening bolt in the area to be damaged. The rotating power component can drive the anti-loosening bolt connected to it to rotate, so that the anti-loosening bolt in the area to be damaged switches between the side closer to the center of the pipe and the side farther away from the center of the pipe; the through holes of the anti-loosening bolts outside the area to be damaged are located on the side closer to the center of the pipe; the controller is used to receive the signal from the monitoring equipment and control the action of the rotating power component.

[0008] In a second aspect, the present invention also provides a method for using a pipeline system to implement the pipeline system described in the first aspect; the method for using the pipeline system includes the following steps:

[0009] Step 1: Select the pipe installation location and select the area to be damaged along the circumference of the adjacent pipe end face;

[0010] Step 2: Secure adjacent pipes with anti-loosening bolts, ensuring that the through holes of all anti-loosening bolts are located near the center of the pipes; and complete the installation of the remaining structure of the piping system.

[0011] Step 3: Use monitoring equipment to monitor the strain of the fiber Bragg grating sensor, and the controller obtains the deformation of the anti-loosening bolt based on the strain information of the fiber Bragg grating sensor.

[0012] Step 4: When the controller detects that the deformation of any anti-loosening bolt exceeds the set threshold, it controls the rotation drive to rotate, rotating the anti-loosening bolt in the area to be damaged so that the through hole faces away from the center of the pipe; and the controller sends a signal that the pipe is about to be damaged.

[0013] Step 5: The outer structural strength of the anti-loosening bolt in the area to be damaged is less than that of the inner structural strength, which causes the anti-loosening bolt in the area to be damaged to arch outwards from the pipe and be damaged.

[0014] The beneficial effects of one or more of the above technical solutions:

[0015] In this scheme, multiple anti-loosening bolts along the circumference of the pipes are used to connect adjacent pipes. Each anti-loosening bolt has a through hole that runs through it, parallel to and offset relative to the bolt's axial direction. A fiber Bragg grating sensor is fixed within the through hole. In this configuration, the structural strength of the side of the anti-loosening bolt with the through hole is lower, making it more susceptible to bending moments and deformation, potentially leading to the bolt's destruction. When the main structure of the anti-loosening bolt undergoes tensile and bending deformation, the fiber Bragg grating sensor synchronously generates strain. The monitoring equipment detects the signal changes caused by the strain of the fiber Bragg grating sensor, and the controller monitors the deformation of the anti-loosening bolt based on these signal changes.

[0016] In this design, the anti-loosening bolts in the area to be damaged can be switched between being positioned closer to the pipe center and farther away from it by a rotating power component. The through-holes of the anti-loosening bolts outside the area to be damaged are positioned closer to the pipe center. This arrangement ensures that all anti-loosening bolts have through-holes close to the pipe center in the initial stage, reducing the bending moment borne by the bolts at the through-hole locations and lowering the probability of bolt bending deformation. When the deformation of any bolt exceeds a preset threshold, this design controls the rotating power component to rotate the bolts in the area to be damaged, thus positioning the anti-loosening bolts in that area further away from the pipe center. These bolts then bear a greater bending moment in the through-hole area, making them more prone to tensile failure. This allows for directional damage to the pipe, guiding leaked oil and other fluids to a predetermined discharge direction. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The following description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a connection diagram of the overall structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the anti-loosening bolt in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the anti-loosening bolt after removing the fiber optic grating sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a pipeline deforming from the side near the storage pit to form a leak.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the breakage of the anti-loosening bolt on the side near the liquid storage pit in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] In the figure, 1. Support frame; 2. First pipe; 3. Flange; 4. Nut; 5. Anti-loosening bolt; 6. Second pipe; 51. Threaded section; 52. Optical axis section; 53. Fiber grating sensor; 541. First hole; 542. Second hole; 544. Through hole; 7. Base; 8. Drive motor; 9. Liquid storage pit. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments described below are merely preferred embodiments of this application and do not imply that this application can only be implemented through these preferred embodiments. These preferred embodiments are merely used to explain the technical principles of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Based on the preferred embodiments provided in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should still fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0025] It should be noted that in the description of this application, terms such as "center," "upper," "lower," "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," which indicate direction or positional relationships, are based on the direction or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These are used merely for ease of description and do not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation; therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0026] like Figures 1-5 As shown, a typical embodiment of this application provides a pipeline system with anti-loosening bolts 5, including multiple pipe sections, multiple anti-loosening bolts 5, monitoring equipment, and a controller. The multiple pipe sections are connected end-to-end via flanges 3, each flange 3 having multiple threaded holes along the circumference of the pipe. The anti-loosening bolts 5 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the pipe, and are used to pass through the threaded holes in adjacent flanges 3 to secure adjacent pipe sections. Each anti-loosening bolt 5 has a through-hole 544, which is parallel to and offset relative to the axial direction of the anti-loosening bolt 5. A fiber optic grating sensor 53 is fixed in the through-hole 544.

[0027] Specifically, see Figure 1 The two adjacent pipes are the first pipe and the second pipe, which are supported by support frames, and the lower end of the support frames is supported by a base.

[0028] The flanges here are a first flange and a second flange. The first flange is installed on the end face of the first pipe, and the second flange is installed on the end face of the second pipe. The end faces of the first and second flanges are mated. Bolt holes are provided on the first and second flanges, arranged circumferentially along the respective pipes. After the first and second flanges are mated, the bolt holes of the two flanges align, and then the corresponding anti-loosening bolts are inserted.

[0029] The monitoring equipment is connected to the fiber Bragg grating sensor 53 to monitor the strain of the fiber Bragg grating sensor 53; one side of the pipe along the circumference is the area to be damaged, and a rotating power component is installed at the anti-loosening bolt 5 in the area to be damaged. The rotating power component can drive the anti-loosening bolt 5 connected to it to rotate, so that the anti-loosening bolt 5 in the area to be damaged switches between the side closer to the center of the pipe and the side farther away from the center of the pipe; the through hole 544 of the anti-loosening bolt 5 outside the area to be damaged is located on the side closer to the center of the pipe; the controller is used to receive the signal from the monitoring equipment and control the action of the rotating power component.

[0030] Specifically, in this embodiment, the rotating power component can be a drive motor, a hydraulic motor, or a starter motor, etc.

[0031] Taking the drive motor as an example, the output shaft of the drive motor is connected to the end of the matching anti-loosening bolt through a coupling.

[0032] In this embodiment, a liquid storage pit 9 is also included, which is located in the area to be damaged at the connection of adjacent pipes to receive liquid flowing out from the area to be damaged.

[0033] In this embodiment, the plane containing the axis of the through hole 544 and the axis of the anti-loosening bolt 5 passes through the central axis of the pipe.

[0034] In this embodiment, the anti-loosening bolt 5 is a double-ended bolt, with threaded sections 51 at both ends and an optical axis section 52 in the middle. The through hole 544 is fixed to the optical grating sensor at the threaded section 51, but not fixed to the optical grating sensor at the optical axis section 52.

[0035] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 In this embodiment, the anti-loosening bolt is a double-ended bolt. Bolts need to be fitted at both ends of the anti-loosening bolt. The first flange and the second flange can be locked from both ends of the anti-loosening bolt using the bolts.

[0036] In this embodiment, the through hole 544 is a stepped hole, which includes a first hole portion 541 at both ends of the anti-loosening bolt 5 and a second hole portion 542 in the middle of the anti-loosening bolt 5. The diameter of the first hole portion 541 is smaller than the diameter of the second hole portion 542.

[0037] In this embodiment, a balance bolt (not shown in the figure) is also included, evenly distributed along the circumference of the pipe. Each anti-loosening bolt 5 is provided with a balance bolt, and the balance bolt has a second through hole that penetrates itself. The second through hole is parallel to the axial direction of the balance bolt and offset relative to the axial direction of the balance bolt; the second through hole of the balance bolt is located on the side away from the center of the pipe. This arrangement uses the anti-loosening bolt and the balance bolt in a paired manner. Under normal use, the through holes in the anti-loosening bolt and the balance bolt face the side closer to the center of the pipe and the side farther away from the center of the pipe, respectively. This arrangement allows the structural strength of the anti-loosening bolt and the balance bolt to effectively complement each other along the radial direction of the pipe, improving the overall strength of the pipe connection.

[0038] In this embodiment, the plane containing the axis of the second through hole and the axis of the balance bolt passes through the central axis of the pipe.

[0039] In this embodiment, the balancing bolt and the adjacent anti-loosening bolt 5 form a bolt assembly, and the spacing between adjacent bolt assemblies is greater than the spacing between the anti-loosening bolt 5 and the balancing bolt in the same bolt assembly.

[0040] Working principle: In the initial state, all anti-loosening bolts have through holes located closer to the center of the pipe. This means the portion of the anti-loosening bolt whose structure is weakened by the through holes is closer to the center of the pipe. When the connection between the first and second pipes tends to deform due to internal liquid pressure or external forces such as pipe settlement, the bending moment borne by the anti-loosening bolt on the outer side of the pipe will be greater than that on the inner side. Placing the through holes of the anti-loosening bolts closer to the inner side of the pipe reduces the probability of them being damaged by bending moments.

[0041] In this solution, when any anti-loosening bolt undergoes significant bending deformation, the connection strength of the area to be damaged can be reduced in a directional manner: that is, the anti-loosening bolt in the area to be damaged is rotated so that the through hole faces away from the center of the pipe, causing it to bear a greater bending moment, thereby causing bending deformation or even breakage.

[0042] When the anti-loosening bolts in the area to be damaged deform and break, the internal pressure of the pipeline will be released, and the leaked fluid will be directed to the storage pit. When the anti-loosening bolts in the area to be damaged break, the controller will notify the remote control terminal, reminding maintenance personnel to manually or automatically shut off the pipeline valves.

[0043] This embodiment also provides a method for using a pipeline system, including the following steps:

[0044] Step 1: Select the pipe installation location and select the area to be damaged along the circumference of the adjacent pipe end face.

[0045] Step 2: Secure adjacent pipes with anti-loosening bolts 5, ensuring that the through holes 544 of all anti-loosening bolts 5 are located near the center of the pipe; and complete the installation of the remaining structure of the piping system.

[0046] Step 3: The strain of the fiber optic grating sensor 53 is monitored using monitoring equipment, and the controller obtains the deformation of the anti-loosening bolt 5 based on the strain information of the fiber optic grating sensor 53.

[0047] Step 4: When the controller detects that the deformation of any anti-loosening bolt 5 exceeds the set threshold, it controls the rotation drive to rotate the anti-loosening bolt 5 in the area to be damaged so that the through hole 544 faces away from the center of the pipe; and the controller sends a signal that the pipe is about to be damaged.

[0048] Step 5: The outer structural strength of the anti-loosening bolt 5 in the area to be damaged is less than that of the inner structural strength, which causes the anti-loosening bolt 5 in the area to be damaged to arch outward of the pipe and be damaged.

[0049] In step 2, a liquid storage pit 9 is set on one side of the area to be damaged to receive the liquid flowing out of the area to be damaged.

[0050] The technical solutions of this application have been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments above. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of this application is not limited to the above preferred embodiments. Without departing from the technical principles of this application, those skilled in the art can disassemble and combine the technical solutions in the above preferred embodiments, and can also make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features. Any changes, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the technical concept and / or technical principles of this application will fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A piping system with anti-loosening bolts, characterized in that, include: Multiple pipe sections are connected end to end by flanges, and the flanges have multiple bolt holes along the circumference of the pipes. Multiple anti-loosening bolts are evenly distributed along the circumference of the pipe, and the anti-loosening bolts are used to pass through the screw holes in adjacent flanges to secure adjacent pipes; The anti-loosening bolt has a through hole that extends through itself, the through hole being parallel to the axial direction of the anti-loosening bolt and offset relative to the axial direction of the anti-loosening bolt; a fiber optic grating sensor is fixed in the through hole; Monitoring equipment, which is connected to the fiber Bragg grating sensor signal to monitor the strain of the fiber Bragg grating sensor; One side of the pipe along the circumference is the area to be damaged. A rotating power component is installed at the anti-loosening bolt in the area to be damaged. The rotating power component can drive the anti-loosening bolt connected to it to rotate, so that the through hole of the anti-loosening bolt outside the area to be damaged is on the side closer to the center of the pipe. The controller is used to receive signals from the monitoring equipment and control the movement of rotating power components.

2. The piping system with anti-loosening bolts according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a liquid storage pit, which is located in the area to be damaged at the connection of adjacent pipes, to receive the liquid flowing out of the area to be damaged.

3. The piping system with anti-loosening bolts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plane containing the axis of the through hole and the axis of the anti-loosening bolt passes through the central axis of the pipe.

4. The piping system with anti-loosening bolts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anti-loosening bolt is a double-ended bolt, with threaded sections at both ends and an optical axis section in the middle. The through hole is fixed to the optical grating sensor at the threaded section, but not fixed to the optical grating sensor at the optical axis section.

5. The piping system with anti-loosening bolts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The through hole is a stepped hole, which includes a first hole at both ends of the anti-loosening bolt and a second hole in the middle of the anti-loosening bolt. The diameter of the first hole is smaller than the diameter of the second hole.

6. The piping system with anti-loosening bolts according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes balance bolts evenly distributed along the circumference of the pipe, with one balance bolt at each anti-loosening bolt position. The balance bolt has a second through hole that penetrates itself, and the second through hole is parallel to the axial direction of the balance bolt and offset relative to the axial direction of the balance bolt; the second through hole of the balance bolt is located on the side away from the center of the pipe.

7. The piping system with anti-loosening bolts according to claim 6, characterized in that, The plane containing the axis of the second through hole and the axis of the balance bolt passes through the central axis of the pipe.

8. The piping system with anti-loosening bolts according to claim 6, characterized in that, The balancing bolt and the adjacent anti-loosening bolt form a bolt assembly, and the distance between adjacent bolt assemblies is greater than the distance between the anti-loosening bolt and the balancing bolt in the same bolt assembly.

9. A method of using a piping system with anti-loosening bolts as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Select the pipe installation location and select the area to be damaged along the circumference of the adjacent pipe end face; Step 2: Secure adjacent pipes with anti-loosening bolts, ensuring that the through holes of all anti-loosening bolts are located near the center of the pipes; and complete the installation of the remaining structure of the piping system. Step 3: Use monitoring equipment to monitor the strain of the fiber Bragg grating sensor, and the controller obtains the deformation of the anti-loosening bolt based on the strain information of the fiber Bragg grating sensor. Step 4: When the controller detects that the deformation of any anti-loosening bolt exceeds the set threshold, it controls the rotation drive to rotate, rotating the anti-loosening bolt in the area to be damaged so that the through hole faces away from the center of the pipe; and the controller sends a signal that the pipe is about to be damaged. Step 5: The outer structural strength of the anti-loosening bolt in the area to be damaged is less than that of the inner structural strength, which causes the anti-loosening bolt in the area to be damaged to arch outwards from the pipe and be damaged.

10. The method of using the pipeline system according to claim 9, characterized in that, In step 2, a liquid storage pit is set on one side of the area to be damaged to receive the liquid flowing out of the area to be damaged.

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