Pipe connecting structure and connecting method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a pipe connecting structure and a connecting method thereof. According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a pipe connection structure that transports a transport device through an internal space provided at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, in which the pipe connection structure comprises: a plurality of pipes each having a flange having an enlarged diameter at one end and the other end; a fastening member provided so as to surround outer peripheral surfaces of the flanges adjacent to each other; and a sealing member provided between two adjacent flanges to seal a space between adjacent tubes, in which the sealing member is in close contact with the two flanges in an inward direction of the tubes due to a pressure difference between an exterior and an interior of the tubes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a pipe connection structure and a connection method thereof, and more particularly, to a pipe connection structure and a connection method thereof for a transmission system. Background Art

[0002] Generally, in a very high speed train system running at more than 300 km / h, two types of resistances depending on the speed need to be solved. One is to aerodynamically design the conveyor to reduce the exponentially increasing air resistance, and the other is to introduce a magnetic levitation system to reduce the friction between the conveyor and the track.

[0003] Since the Hyperloop α concept was introduced in 2012 into an ultra-high-speed vacuum tube (Hyperloop) in which a low pressure of about 0.001 atmosphere at the stratospheric level 50 km above the ground was introduced into a sealed tube instead of the conventional atmospheric pressure (1 atmosphere), various attempts have been made to realize the system.

[0004] In these attempts, electromagnetic or mechanical suspension and propulsion systems are important. In addition, in the infrastructure that accounts for more than 50% of the initial investment cost, it is crucial to achieve a tube structure that maintains a sub-vacuum of 0.001 atmospheres.

[0005] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a general transmission system.

[0006] Reference Figure 1 , the transmission system is a technology that connects multiple tubes between two stations and uses a vacuum pump to reduce the air pressure in the tube to sub-vacuum (for example, 0.001 atmospheres or less) to minimize air resistance (resistance) and transmit the conveying device at a very high speed. At present, it is known that a speed of up to about 1,200 km / hour can be achieved. Therefore, in the transmission system, it is crucial to form and maintain a vacuum state inside the tube, and when the vacuum state is destroyed at any part of the tube, the vacuum state in the entire connection space of the tube may be quickly destroyed. Therefore, it is crucial to establish an airtight structure to physically isolate the inside and outside of the tube.

[0007] In order to maintain the airtightness inside the pipe, a flange connection structure is used to connect and fasten the pipe. As known, a flange refers to a pipe connection fitting for firmly fastening two pipes or tubes together and is widely used across industries.

[0008] like Figure 2 As shown, in a general flange connection structure, a flange 13 having a diameter larger than that of a pipe 10 is brought into contact with another flange 13 formed on an adjacent pipe 10, and fastening holes 14 formed around the periphery are connected to each other, and then fastened with bolts 15 and nuts (not shown) to fix the two pipes 10 to each other.

[0009] However, the above flange connection structure requires processing many fastening holes 14 and fastening the fastening holes 14 with corresponding bolts 15 and nuts, which increases manufacturing cost, construction cost and construction time.

[0010] Furthermore, although quick disassembly and reassembly are important for maintenance, when the tube 10 needs to be replaced, the entire transmission system cannot be operated, and the fastening structure of many bolts 15 and nuts causes a long time for disassembly and reassembly. Summary of the invention

[0011] Technical issues

[0012] An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a pipe connecting structure and a connecting method thereof that enable easy connection and maintenance of a pipe.

[0013] Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a pipe connection structure and a connection method thereof that reliably maintains a low-pressure state inside the pipe.

[0014] Still another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a pipe connection structure and a connection method thereof that appropriately resists tensile stress and bending stress generated at a pipe connection portion.

[0015] Technical Solution

[0016] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, in a pipe connection structure for transporting a conveying device through an internal space at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, the pipe connection structure may include: a plurality of pipes, each of the plurality of pipes being provided with a flange having an enlarged diameter at each end; a fastening member arranged to surround the outer peripheral surfaces of the flanges adjacent to each other; and a sealing member provided between the flanges adjacent to each other to seal the gaps between the plurality of pipes adjacent to each other, wherein the sealing member is in close contact with the two flanges in an inward direction of the pipe.

[0017] The sealing member may be compressed and deformed by itself due to the pressure difference between the outside and the inside of the tube.

[0018] Each of the flanges may taper outward in a radial direction, and may include a first inclined surface inclined forwardly toward an adjacent tube and a second inclined surface inclined rearwardly in an opposite direction to the first inclined surface.

[0019] The sealing member may be disposed in a V-shaped groove formed between the two first inclined surfaces facing each other.

[0020] The fastening member may be configured as a clamp divided into at least two pieces and joined together, and the fastening member may include: a main body portion, which is disposed outside flanges adjacent to each other; a supporting portion, which extends from both sides of the main body portion and contacts a rear portion of the flange; and a reinforcing portion, which protrudes from the supporting portion and is inclined to be in close contact with the second inclined surface.

[0021] The pipe connection structure may further include a pressing portion protruding from the body portion and disposed between the two first inclined surfaces facing each other.

[0022] The sealing member may be made of a rubber material or a ductile metal material.

[0023] The sealing member may have an annular shape and have a circular or trapezoidal cross-section.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, in a method for connecting a tube for transporting a conveying device through an internal space at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, the method may include: arranging a plurality of tubes adjacent to each other, each of the plurality of tubes being provided with a flange having an enlarged diameter at each end; arranging a sealing member between two flanges adjacent to each other; removing air from the tubes; and connecting and fastening the plurality of tubes adjacent to each other by surrounding outer peripheral surfaces of the flanges adjacent to each other with a fastening member, wherein while removing air from the tubes, the sealing member is compressed and deformed due to a pressure difference between the outside and the inside of the tubes.

[0025] Beneficial Effects

[0026] The pipe connection structure and the connection method thereof according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can easily connect and maintain the pipe by connecting and fastening the pipe using a clamping type fastening structure. Therefore, compared with the existing flange connection structure, the manufacturing cost and the construction cost can be reduced.

[0027] Furthermore, a sealing member that forms an airtight structure by itself due to a pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the tube can be provided, thereby stably maintaining the inside of the tube in a low pressure or vacuum state.

[0028] Furthermore, a clamping structure having increased rigidity can be used to resist tensile stress and bending stress generated at the pipe connection portion, thereby preventing safety accidents. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a general transmission system.

[0030] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing that a pipe used in a transmission system is fastened by bolts and nuts as a conventional flange connection structure.

[0031] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a pipe connection structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 4 is a cutaway perspective view showing a pipe connection structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a sealing member of a pipe connection structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure exhibits airtight performance due to a pressure difference.

[0034] Figure 6 : is a diagram showing a modified example of a sealing member of a pipe connecting structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 7 : is a diagram showing a modified example of a fastening member of a pipe connecting structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are presented to fully convey the spirit of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs, and are not limited to those shown herein, but may be embodied in other forms. The accompanying drawings may omit figures that are not relevant to the description for illustrating the present disclosure, and may exaggerate the size of the configuration for the purpose of illustration.

[0037] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a pipe connection structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 is a cutaway perspective view showing a pipe connection structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a sealing member of a pipe connection structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure exhibits airtight performance due to a pressure difference.

[0038] Now refer to Figures 3 to 5 , a pipe connection structure 100 according to one aspect of the present disclosure may include a plurality of root tubes 110, a fastening member 130 for connecting and fastening flanges 113 provided on the plurality of root tubes 110, and a sealing member 120 provided between the mutually adjacent flanges 113. The plurality of root tubes 110 are continuously connected by the fastening member 130 and the sealing member 120, and the pipe connection structure 100 may be used as a rail for transmitting a conveying device (not shown) in a transmission system.

[0039] For example, a transmission system using the pipe connection structure 100 according to one aspect of the present disclosure may be used in a magnetic suspension system to reduce friction resistance as one of the driving resistances. The magnetic suspension method of the transmission system may include electromagnetic suspension or electric suspension, which utilizes the attractive force or repulsive force between the conveying device and the guide rail to propel, suspend and guide the conveying device in the low-pressure pipe. The electric suspension may include permanent magnet suspension utilizing the repulsive force between permanent magnets and inductive suspension utilizing the movement of a magnet attached to the conveying device to suspend by the repulsive force of the magnetic field caused by the induced current in the coil.

[0040] The tube 110 may have a cylindrical shape having a predetermined length and a hollow interior. In addition, flanges 113 having an enlarged diameter may be provided at each end of the tube 110. In this case, the flanges 113 may be symmetrical to each other at both ends of the tube 110.

[0041] In a state where the flange 113 contacts another flange 113 of the adjacent pipe 110, the flange 113 may be fastened by the fastening member 130. The flange 113 may taper outward in the radial direction. That is, the flange 113 may have a tapered shape having an inclined surface including one side facing the adjacent pipe 110 and the other side opposite thereto.

[0042] More specifically, the flange 113 may have a first inclined surface 113a inclined forward toward the adjacent tube 110 and a second inclined surface 113b inclined backward in the opposite direction to the first inclined surface 113a. Therefore, the pair of flanges 113 formed at each end of one tube 110 are formed symmetrically with each other so that the first inclined surface 113a is formed forward and the second inclined surface 113b is formed backward. Therefore, when connecting a plurality of tubes 110, the tubes 110 are connected so that the first inclined surfaces 113a of the flanges 113 face each other.

[0043] Meanwhile, when two adjacent tubes 110 are connected, a V-shaped groove 112 may be formed between flanges 113 and 113 by two first inclined surfaces 113a facing each other. A sealing member 120 may be disposed in the V-shaped groove 112 to seal the inside of the tube 110.

[0044] The sealing member 120 may be deformed by the inward compression of the tube 110 due to the pressure difference between the outside and the inside of the tube 110. For example, when a vacuum is generated inside the tube 110, the sealing member 120 may be deformed by itself into a compressed shape due to the pressure difference between the outside at atmospheric pressure and the inside of the tube 110 at low pressure, and closely contact the joint between two adjacent tubes 110 to seal the inside. The sealing member 120 may have an annular shape. Although the sealing member 120 is Figure 6113a. In the embodiment of the present invention, the annular sealing member 120 is shown as having a circular cross section, but the annular sealing member 120 may have a trapezoidal cross section. In the case where the sealing member 120 is formed with a trapezoidal cross section, the two sides between the two parallel sides may contact the first inclined surface 113a. In addition, although the cross section of the sealing member 120 is shown and described as having a circular or trapezoidal shape, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The sealing member 120 may have a polygonal cross section, such as a rectangle, a triangle, etc.

[0045] Meanwhile, the sealing member 120 may be made of a rubber material or a ductile metal material so as to be deformable according to a pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the pipe 110. Here, the metal material may be copper, lead, or the like.

[0046] The fastening member 130 can be arranged to surround two adjacent flanges 113 at the same time. That is, the fastening member 130 can surround the periphery of two adjacent flanges 113. The fastening member 130 can be arranged to be easily mounted on the flange 113 to connect and fasten the clamp of the two flanges 113. For example, the fastening member 130 can be arranged to be divided into at least two pieces and joined together. As shown in the figure, the fastening member 130 can be formed by two semicircular members, and each end of the semicircular member can be provided with a rotatable part (not shown) at one end and a fixed part 135 at the other end. In this case, the fixed part 135 is fastened by a fixing bolt 135a and a fixing nut (not shown) so that the fastening member 130 forms an annular shape. Alternatively, the fastening member 130 can be formed with a fixed part instead of a rotatable part so that both ends are connected to form an annular shape.

[0047] More specifically, the fastening member 130 may include a body portion 131 , support portions 132 formed on both sides of the body portion 131 , and reinforcement portions 133 protruding from the support portions 132 .

[0048] The body portion 131 may be disposed on the outer sides of the two adjacent flanges 113. In other words, when the two adjacent flanges 113 are fastened by the fastening member 130, the body portion 131 may be positioned radially outward.

[0049] The support portions 132 may extend in a downward direction from both sides of the body portion 131. Therefore, the support portions 132 may be provided in pairs and arranged to contact the rear of the flange 113. In other words, the support portions 132 may be formed to contact the rear of the second inclined surface 113b of the flange 113 and the outer periphery of the tube 110. The support portions 132 may be in close contact with the flange 113 and the outer surface of the tube 110 to withstand a load generated by a pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the tube 110.

[0050] The reinforcing portion 133 may protrude from the supporting portion 132 toward the second inclined surface 113b. In other words, the reinforcing portion 133 may protrude to have an inclined surface that is in close contact with the second inclined surface 113b. Therefore, the reinforcing portion 133 may be configured to increase the thickness of the fastening member 130 in the width direction together with the supporting portion 132 to improve the durability and rigidity of the fastening member 130. Therefore, the fastening member 130 may have rigidity sufficient to resist tensile stress and bending stress that may occur at the connection portion of the tube 110.

[0051] Although the fastening member 130 is shown and described as being formed to contact the outer surfaces of two adjacent flanges 113 , the fastening member 130 may also be provided to further enhance the rigidity of the fastening member 130 and prevent the sealing member 120 from falling off. Figure 7 A modified example of the fastening member 130 is shown in FIG.

[0052] Figure 7 1 is a diagram showing a modified example of a fastening member of a pipe connection structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, the same reference numerals as above denote the same components.

[0053] Reference Figure 7 The pipe connection structure 100 according to the present embodiment may further include a pressing portion 134 protruding from the body portion 131 of the fastening member 130 .

[0054] The pressing portion 134 may protrude from the main body portion 131 to be arranged between the two first inclined surfaces 113a facing each other. In other words, the pressing portion 134 may be inserted into the V-shaped groove 112 formed by the pair of first inclined surfaces 113a. The pressing portion 134 may be in surface contact with the first inclined surfaces 113a, and may be used to prevent the sealing member 120 from being deformed and falling off due to an external load.

[0055] The fastening member 130 is provided to have rigidity sufficient to resist tensile stress and bending stress that may occur at the connection portion of the two pipes 110. For example, the fastening member 130 may be made of a metal material or be formed to have a reinforced concrete structure.

[0056] In the connection method of the pipe connection structure 100, a plurality of root pipes 110 are connected so that the sealing member 120 is arranged between adjacent pipes 110, and the pressure inside the pipe 110 is transformed into a pressure level lower than atmospheric pressure. For example, in the case where the pressure outside the pipe is the atmospheric pressure of 1 atmospheric pressure (about 101kPa, 1 bar), "lower pressure" refers to that the pressure inside the pipe is less than 10kPa (0.1 bar), which is close to vacuum. The example of "lower pressure" can include 1kPa (0.01 bar or 10 millibars), 500Pa (5 millibars), 200Pa (2 millibars) or 100Pa (1 millibar). In addition, the pressure lower than the above value can be included. Here, the pressure of about 100Pa (1 millibar) (which is 0.001 atmospheric pressure) is preferred, but any one of the above lower pressures can be included. Therefore, the sealing member 120 is deformed by the inward compression of the pipe 110 due to the pressure difference between the outside and the inside of the pipe 110.

[0057] Subsequently, by connecting and fastening two adjacent flanges 113 using the fastening member 130 , the vacuum inside the tube 110 may be completed.

[0058] Furthermore, in the event that any one of the connected and fastened plurality of root tubes 110 is to be replaced for repair, the tube can be easily replaced by the fastening member 130 having a clamping structure. Therefore, compared with the existing flange connection structure that requires disassembly and reassembly of bolts and nuts, the construction cost (time for connecting a large number of bolts) and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0059] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other specific modifications can be easily made without departing from the technical spirit or essential features of the present disclosure. Therefore, the above embodiments should be considered in all aspects to be illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims

1. A pipe connection structure for transporting a conveying device through an internal space at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, the pipe connection structure include: a plurality of root tubes, each of the plurality of root tubes being provided at each end with a flange having an enlarged diameter; a fastening member arranged to surround outer peripheral surfaces of flanges adjacent to each other; and a sealing member disposed between the adjacent flanges to seal gaps between the adjacent tubes; The sealing member is in close contact with the two flanges in the inward direction of the tube. 2 . The pipe connection structure according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing member is compressed and deformed by itself due to a pressure difference between the outside and the inside of the pipe. 3 . The pipe connection structure according to claim 1 , wherein each of the flanges tapers outward in a radial direction and includes a first inclined surface inclined forward toward an adjacent pipe and a second inclined surface inclined rearward in a direction opposite to the first inclined surface. 4 . The pipe connection structure according to claim 3 , wherein the sealing member is disposed in a V-shaped groove formed between two first inclined surfaces facing each other.

5. The pipe connection structure according to claim 3, wherein the fastening member is provided as a clamp which is divided into at least two pieces and joined together, and The fastening member include: a main body portion, the main body portion being arranged outside the flanges adjacent to each other; a support portion extending from both sides of the body portion and contacting a rear portion of the flange; and A reinforcing portion protrudes from the supporting portion and is inclined to be in close contact with the second inclined surface.

6. The pipe connection structure according to claim 5, further comprising: include: A pressing portion protrudes from the body portion and is disposed between two first inclined surfaces facing each other. 7 . The pipe connection structure according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing member is made of a rubber material or a ductile metal material. 8 . The pipe connection structure according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing member has an annular shape and has a circular or trapezoidal cross-section.

9. A method of connecting a tube for transporting a conveying device through an interior space at a pressure below atmospheric pressure, the method include: Arranging a plurality of root tubes adjacent to each other, each of the plurality of root tubes being provided with a flange having an enlarged diameter at each end; Arranging a sealing member between two flanges adjacent to each other; removing air from each of the plurality of root canals; as well as connecting and fastening the plurality of tubes adjacent to each other by surrounding the outer peripheral surfaces of the flanges adjacent to each other with a fastening member; Wherein while air is removed from the tube, the sealing member is compressed and deformed due to the pressure difference between the outside and the inside of the tube.

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