Underwater pipeline connector convenient to overhaul

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of pipeline connection, in particular to an underwater pipeline connector convenient to overhaul. Comprising a pipeline body composed of an outer corrugated pipe and an inner corrugated pipe, the outer corrugated pipe wraps the inner corrugated pipe, an inner pipe is located in the inner corrugated pipe, a heat preservation cavity is formed between the outer corrugated pipe and the inner corrugated pipe, a heat insulation cavity is formed between the inner corrugated pipe and the inner pipe, and the inner corrugated pipe wraps a heat insulation pad located in the heat insulation cavity; a second access hole is formed in the end opening and communicates with the heat insulation cavity, and when the second access hole and the first access hole coincide, an access channel for the heat insulation cavity is formed between the second access hole and the first access hole. By installing the anti-vibration heat preservation device and the heat insulation pad, vibration energy of the pipeline can be effectively absorbed, the heat insulation effect is achieved, by moving the cover plate, the first overhaul opening and the second overhaul opening coincide to form an overhaul channel aiming at the interior of the heat insulation cavity, and therefore heat preservation materials in the heat insulation cavity can be conveniently detected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of pipeline connection, in particular to an underwater pipeline connector that is easy to repair. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of marine resources, the construction of marine engineering projects is increasing, such as offshore oil and gas extraction, submarine pipeline transportation, etc. In these projects, the pipeline system plays a vital role, and the pipeline connector, as a key component in the pipeline system, is used to compensate for the displacement and deformation of the pipeline caused by temperature changes, medium pressure and external environmental factors, and ensure the safe and stable operation of the pipeline.

[0003] In the document entitled "A Double-walled Corrugated Tube Deep-sea Pipeline Connector" with application number "201910358167.8", it is pointed out that most deep-sea pipeline connectors require underwater robots (ROVs) to assist in the operation of additional installation equipment to achieve connection and sealing. The connection equipment is complex and bulky, and the ROV operation is cumbersome and time-consuming. During use, due to the complex environmental loads in the deep sea, the connection device is subjected to vibration, impact, temperature changes and other factors, resulting in structural fatigue and even instantaneous sealing failure. Due to the complexity of operation, most connectors currently have poor applicability in deep-sea submarine pipeline connections.

[0004] However, it should also be noted that the marine environment is complex and special, such as the corrosiveness of seawater, the impact vibration of ocean currents, a large temperature range, and possible high-pressure environments, which put forward higher requirements for pipe connectors. Traditional pipe connectors still have many problems in marine engineering applications: on the one hand, there is a lack of effective anti-vibration measures, and it is difficult to withstand the continuous vibration caused by ocean currents, waves, etc., which can easily lead to fatigue damage to the pipe connector structure and reduce its service life and reliability; on the other hand, the thermal insulation performance is poor, and when transporting high-temperature media, the heat loss is serious, which not only affects the energy transmission efficiency, but also may cause potential thermal pollution risks to the marine ecological environment due to the transfer of heat to the surrounding seawater. At the same time, the pipe connector itself will be damaged due to thermal stress problems. In the subsequent maintenance, due to extremely limited conditions, underwater operations are difficult and costly. Once the pipe connector is damaged due to thermal stress problems, existing products are often difficult to troubleshoot in a timely and convenient manner. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an underwater pipeline connector which is easy to repair in view of the problems existing in the background technology.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is: an underwater pipe connector that is easy to repair, comprising a pipe body and an inner pipe, wherein the pipe body is composed of an outer bellows and an inner bellows, the outer bellows wraps the inner bellows, the inner pipe is located inside the inner bellows, and ports are fixed between both ends of the outer bellows and the inner bellows; A heat preservation cavity is formed between the outer bellows and the inner bellows, a heat insulation cavity is formed between the inner bellows and the inner tube, the inner bellows is wrapped with a heat insulation pad located in the heat insulation cavity, and a plurality of vibration-proof and heat-insulating devices are arranged in the heat insulation cavity; The crests and troughs of the outer bellows and the inner bellows are arranged correspondingly, and the vibration-proof and heat-insulating device includes a plurality of air cylinders fixed between adjacent crests and a plurality of air bags arranged between adjacent troughs, and the adjacent air cylinders and air bags are connected to each other; A flange is installed outside the port, and an inspection component is provided between the port and the flange. The inspection component includes a movable cover plate set on the flange, the cover plate is provided with a first inspection port, and the port is provided with a second inspection port. The second inspection port is connected to the insulation cavity. The cover plate is moved, and when the second inspection port and the first inspection port overlap, an inspection channel to the insulation cavity is formed between the two.

[0007] Preferably, the crests and troughs of the outer bellows are arranged correspondingly to the crests and troughs of the inner bellows, and the air cylinder is arranged on the inner bellows. The air cylinder includes an air pumping rod, and the air pumping rod is fixed with a round head. The round head and the crests of the outer bellows are hinged, and a support pad is fixed on the crests of the inner bellows, and the air cylinder is fixed to the middle of the support pad.

[0008] Preferably, the airbag is made of rubber material, and both the air cylinder and the airbag are filled with argon gas.

[0009] Preferably, a plurality of heat conducting plates are fixedly installed in the heat insulation cavity, the plurality of heat conducting plates correspond to a plurality of air bags respectively, and the heat conducting plates are fixed on the inner tube and penetrate through the troughs of the inner corrugated tube to contact the air bags.

[0010] Preferably, the thermal insulation pad is composed of a ceramic thermal insulation coating and an aerogel composite thermal insulation layer, the ceramic thermal insulation coating is coated on the inner bellows, and the aerogel composite thermal insulation layer is adhered to the ceramic thermal insulation coating.

[0011] Preferably, the maintenance component also includes an operation port provided on the flange, and also includes a mounting groove provided in the flange, the cover plate is slidably installed in the mounting groove, and springs are fixed between both ends of the cover plate and the mounting groove.

[0012] Preferably, the port is fixedly mounted with an ear plate, a support rod is threadedly mounted between the corresponding ear plates, and a fixing nut is threadedly mounted on the support rod.

[0013] Compared with the existing technology, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: the present invention consists of an outer bellows and an inner bellows to form a pipeline body, which can provide flexible displacement compensation when dealing with complex marine conditions, reduce stress concentration of the pipeline system, have better elasticity and flexibility, and respectively form an insulation cavity and a thermal insulation cavity. By installing an anti-vibration and thermal insulation device and an insulation pad, the vibration energy of the pipeline can be effectively absorbed, thereby achieving the effect of thermal insulation. Finally, by setting an inspection component and moving the cover plate, the first inspection port and the second inspection port are overlapped to form an inspection channel for the insulation cavity, which facilitates the inspection of the thermal insulation material in the insulation cavity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of ; Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the outer bellows and the inner bellows of the present invention; Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of ; Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the maintenance component of the present invention; Figure 6 for Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure.

[0015] Figure numerals: 1. Pipe body; 2. Flange; 3. Connecting pipe; 4. Insulation cavity; 5. Insulation cavity; 6. Air cylinder; 7. Maintenance assembly; 8. Insulation pad; 9. Support rod; 61. Inflating rod; 62. Round head; 63. Support pad; 64. Air bag; 65. Heat transfer plate; 71. Operation port; 72. Mounting groove; 73. Cover plate; 74. Spring; 75. First maintenance port; 76. Second maintenance port; 91. Ear plate; 92. Fixing nut; 100. Outer bellows; 200. Inner bellows; 300. Inner tube; 400. Port. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments.

[0017] See attached Figure 1-Figure 6, an underwater pipeline connector that is easy to repair, including a pipeline body 1 and an inner pipe 300, the pipeline body 1 is composed of an outer bellows 100 and an inner bellows 200, the outer bellows 100 wraps the inner bellows 200, the inner pipe 300 is located inside the inner bellows 200, and ports 400 are fixed between both ends of the outer bellows 100 and the inner bellows 200; A heat preservation cavity 5 is formed between the outer bellows 100 and the inner bellows 200, a heat insulation cavity 4 is formed between the inner bellows 200 and the inner tube 300, the inner bellows 200 is wrapped with a heat insulation pad 8 located in the heat insulation cavity 4, and a plurality of vibration-proof and heat-insulating devices are arranged in the heat preservation cavity 5; The crests and troughs of the outer bellows 100 and the inner bellows 200 are arranged correspondingly, and the vibration-proof and heat-insulating device includes a plurality of air cylinders 6 fixed between adjacent crests, and also includes a plurality of air bags 64 arranged between adjacent troughs, and the adjacent air cylinders 6 and air bags 64 are arranged in communication; A flange 2 is installed outside the port 400, and an inspection component 7 is provided between the port 400 and the flange 2. The inspection component 7 includes a movable cover plate 73 set on the flange 2, and a first inspection port 75 is opened on the cover plate 73. A second inspection port 76 is opened on the port 400, and the second inspection port 76 is connected to the insulation cavity 4. The cover plate 73 is moved, and when the second inspection port 76 and the first inspection port 75 overlap, an inspection channel for the insulation cavity 4 is formed therebetween.

[0018] The present invention forms a pipeline body 1 by arranging a double bellows, so that flexible displacement compensation can be provided when dealing with complex marine conditions. When the pipeline is subjected to complex deformation due to thermal expansion and contraction, the expansion and contraction displacement of the pipeline can be effectively absorbed, and the stress concentration of the pipeline system can be reduced. The pipeline body 1 has better elasticity and flexibility, and can effectively absorb the vibration energy of the pipeline, and reduce the propagation of vibration in the pipeline system. In addition, an insulating cavity 4 and a heat-insulating cavity 5 are formed by the outer bellows 100, the inner bellows 200 and the inner tube 300, which achieves the effect of heat insulation and heat preservation. By moving the cover plate 73, the first inspection port 75 and the second inspection port 76 overlap to form an inspection channel for the insulating cavity 4, which facilitates the inspection of the heat-insulating material in the insulating cavity 4.

[0019] Specifically, the crests and troughs of the outer bellows 100 are arranged correspondingly to the crests and troughs of the inner bellows 200. The air cylinder 6 is arranged on the inner bellows 200. The air cylinder 6 includes an air pumping rod 61. The air pumping rod 61 is fixed with a round head 62. The round head 62 is hinged to the crests of the outer bellows 100. A support pad 63 is fixed on the crests of the inner bellows 200. The air cylinder 6 is fixed to the middle part of the support pad 63.

[0020] When the pipeline body 1 is located in a marine environment and the continuous vibration of seawater generates a force on the pipeline body 1, the outer bellows 100 will push the circular head 62 downward so that the pumping rod 61 moves into the air cylinder 6 to do work, so that the air cylinder 6 will fill gas into the air bag 64, causing the air bag 64 to expand. In this way, the force of the seawater vibration on the pipeline body 1 is converted, and the expanded air bag 64 supports the outer bellows 100, thereby achieving an anti-vibration effect. In addition, the setting of the support pad 63 can prevent the continuous vibration of seawater from damaging the wave crest of the inner bellows 200, thereby achieving a protective support effect.

[0021] Specifically, the airbag 64 is made of rubber material, and both the gas cylinder 6 and the airbag 64 are filled with argon gas.

[0022] It should be noted that argon is a monatomic gas and is more easily heated. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the gas cylinder 6 frequently inflates the airbag 64 to do work, friction can occur between the argon molecules, thereby generating heat to increase its temperature. As a result, the airbag 64 can generate a certain amount of heat while expanding. Since the seawater is in direct contact with the bellows 100 forming the heat preservation chamber 5, the heat generated by the argon can be exchanged and taken away, thereby preventing excessive consumption of heat in the inner tube 300 and achieving a heat preservation effect.

[0023] In this embodiment, a plurality of heat conducting plates 65 are fixedly installed in the heat insulation cavity 4 , and the plurality of heat conducting plates 65 correspond to a plurality of air bags 64 , respectively. The heat conducting plates 65 are fixed on the inner tube 300 and penetrate the troughs of the inner corrugated tube 200 and contact the air bags 64 .

[0024] When fluid is input into the inner tube 300, the inner tube 300 will absorb a part of the heat of the fluid, so that the heat can be transferred to the insulation cavity 4, and the heat conducting plate 65 will absorb a part of the heat transferred to the insulation cavity 4. When the heat conducting plate 65 and the airbag 64 are in contact, the heat can be transferred to the airbag 64, so that the argon gas in the airbag 64 can not only generate heat through friction, but also absorb this part of the heat, thereby achieving a better insulation effect.

[0025] It should also be noted that the thermal insulation pad 8 is composed of a ceramic thermal insulation coating and an aerogel composite thermal insulation layer. The ceramic thermal insulation coating is coated on the inner bellows 200, and the aerogel composite thermal insulation layer is adhered to the ceramic thermal insulation coating.

[0026] For pipelines that transport high-temperature media, ceramic thermal insulation coatings can effectively reduce heat transfer, and the ceramic material itself has a low thermal conductivity, which can form a thermal insulation barrier between the high-temperature medium and the bellows, reduce the temperature of the bellows, reduce heat loss, and improve energy transmission efficiency. For example, when transporting hot oil in the ocean, ceramic thermal insulation coatings can significantly reduce the temperature of the outer surface of the bellows and reduce the thermal impact on the surrounding seawater environment. Aerogel is a material with extremely low thermal conductivity, and its composite thermal insulation layer can further prevent heat from being lost from the inside of the bellows to the external seawater environment. Aerogel is also easy to repair.

[0027] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The maintenance component 7 also includes an operation port 71 opened on the flange 2, and also includes a mounting groove 72 opened in the flange 2. The cover plate 73 is slidably installed in the mounting groove 72, and springs 74 are fixed between both ends of the cover plate 73 and the mounting groove 72.

[0028] The specific maintenance method of the present invention is: First, when the detection instrument arranged around the device detects abnormal temperature rise of the seawater, it can be judged that the insulation pad 8 in the insulation cavity 4 is damaged; Secondly, the underwater robot ROV used for the existing pipeline installation is lowered to the installation site of the present device, and the underwater robot ROV is controlled to be at the operation port 71, and the pinhole camera hose used for detection is inserted into the first inspection port 75, and then the cover plate 73 is moved by the underwater robot ROV so that the cover plate 73 moves in the installation groove 72, which will cause the spring 74 on one side to be stretched and the spring 74 on one side to be squeezed and contracted. During the movement of the cover plate 73, the pinhole camera hose used for detection will move in the first inspection port 75. When the cover plate 73 moves to the first inspection port 75 and the second inspection port 76 overlap to form an inspection channel, the underwater robot ROV stabilizes the position of the cover plate 73 and does not move. Then the pinhole camera hose passes through the inspection channel and is inserted into the insulation cavity 4, so that the insulation pad 8 is inspected. As the pinhole camera hose is continuously inserted, the damaged position can be detected during its movement. Then, as the location of the damage is determined and the images sent back by the pinhole camera are used to determine the extent and scope of the damage, it is then removed, and then the underwater robot ROV no longer stabilizes the support pad 63, causing the two springs to rebound, returning the support pad 63 to its original position, causing the heat conducting plates 65 and 66 to be misaligned again, thus preventing the ingress of seawater; Finally, the aerogel tube is inserted into the heat conducting plate 65, and then the aerogel tube is inserted into the heat insulating cavity 4 again by the above method, so that it is moved to the determined damaged position, and then the damaged position is repaired by filling the glue there.

[0029] Therefore, the above-mentioned method, through the formation of the maintenance channel, has the effect of facilitating the maintenance of the insulation cavity 4.

[0030] It should also be noted that the port 400 is fixedly mounted with an ear plate 91 , a support rod 9 is threadedly mounted between the corresponding ear plates 91 , and a fixing nut 92 is threadedly mounted on the support rod 9 .

[0031] In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms “center”, “longitudinal”, “lateral”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “up”, “down”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inside”, “outside”, “clockwise”, “counterclockwise”, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0032] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0033] The above description is only a preferred specific implementation manner of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can make equivalent replacements or changes according to the technical scheme and inventive concept of the present invention within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, which should be covered by the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An underwater pipe connector that is easy to repair, characterized in that: The invention comprises a pipe body (1) and an inner pipe (300), wherein the pipe body (1) is composed of an outer bellows (100) and an inner bellows (200), the outer bellows (100) wraps the inner bellows (200), the inner pipe (300) is located inside the inner bellows (200), and ports (400) are fixed between both ends of the outer bellows (100) and the inner bellows (200); A heat preservation cavity (5) is formed between the outer bellows (100) and the inner bellows (200), a heat insulation cavity (4) is formed between the inner bellows (200) and the inner tube (300), the inner bellows (200) is wrapped with a heat insulation pad (8) located in the heat insulation cavity (4), and a plurality of vibration-proof and heat-insulating devices are provided in the heat preservation cavity (5); The wave crests and wave troughs of the outer bellows (100) and the inner bellows (200) are arranged correspondingly, and the vibration-proof and heat-insulating device comprises a plurality of air cylinders (6) fixed between adjacent wave crests, and also comprises a plurality of air bags (64) arranged between adjacent wave troughs, and the adjacent air cylinders (6) and air bags (64) are arranged in communication; A flange (2) is installed outside the port (400), and an inspection assembly (7) is provided between the port (400) and the flange (2). The inspection assembly (7) comprises a cover plate (73) which is movable on the flange (2), and a first inspection opening (75) is provided on the cover plate (73). A second inspection opening (76) is provided on the port (400), and the second inspection opening (76) is connected to the heat insulation cavity (4). When the cover plate (73) is moved, when the second inspection opening (76) and the first inspection opening (75) overlap, an inspection passage for the heat insulation cavity (4) is formed between the two.

2. The underwater pipe connector that is easy to repair according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wave crests and wave troughs of the outer bellows (100) are arranged correspondingly to the wave crests and wave troughs of the inner bellows (200); the air cylinder (6) is arranged on the inner bellows (200); the air cylinder (6) comprises an air pumping rod (61); a round head (62) is fixed to the air pumping rod (61); the round head (62) and the wave crests of the outer bellows (100) are hingedly connected; a support pad (63) is fixed to the wave crests of the inner bellows (200); and the air cylinder (6) is fixed to the middle part of the support pad (63).

3. The underwater pipe connector that is easy to repair according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The airbag (64) is made of rubber material, and both the air cylinder (6) and the airbag (64) are filled with argon gas.

4. The underwater pipe connector that is easy to repair according to claim 3 is characterized in that: A plurality of heat conducting plates (65) are fixedly installed in the heat insulation cavity (4), the plurality of heat conducting plates (65) respectively corresponding to the plurality of air bags (64), and the heat conducting plates (65) are fixed on the inner tube (300) and penetrate the trough of the inner corrugated tube (200) and contact the air bags (64).

5. The underwater pipe connector that is easy to repair according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thermal insulation pad (8) is composed of a ceramic thermal insulation coating and an aerogel composite thermal insulation layer, the ceramic thermal insulation coating is coated on the inner corrugated tube (200), and the aerogel composite thermal insulation layer is adhered to the ceramic thermal insulation coating.

6. The underwater pipe connector that is easy to repair according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inspection assembly (7) further comprises an operation port (71) formed on the flange (2), and a mounting groove (72) formed in the flange (2). The cover plate (73) is slidably mounted in the mounting groove (72), and springs (74) are fixed between both ends of the cover plate (73) and the mounting groove (72).

7. The underwater pipe connector that is easy to repair according to claim 1, characterized in that: The port (400) is fixedly mounted with an ear plate (91), a support rod (9) is threadedly mounted between the corresponding ear plates (91), and a fixing nut (92) is threadedly mounted on the support rod (9).

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