Compound expansion joint with transverse displacement monitoring function

Abstract

The application provides a compound pull rod type expansion joint with a transverse displacement monitoring function, which comprises an inclination sensor, a universal ball swing rod assembly and a first end pipe, a first corrugated pipe, an intermediate pipe, a second corrugated pipe and a second end pipe connected in sequence, one end of the universal ball swing rod assembly is connected with the first end pipe, the other end is connected with the second end pipe, and the universal ball swing rod assembly is used for compensating the displacement of the expansion joint in any radial direction; the inclination sensor is connected with the intermediate pipe and is used for detecting the displacement of the expansion joint in the radial direction; the application can monitor the displacement of the expansion joint in any radial direction, can convert the displacement measurement which is difficult to detect accurately into angle measurement, the angle data can be directly and relatively accurately measured by the inclination sensor, the measurement difficulty is reduced, the workload of the operator is reduced, the accuracy of the detection data is guaranteed, and the deviation of the transverse displacement monitoring of the expansion joint is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pressure pipeline technology, and in particular to a compound tie rod type expansion joint with lateral displacement monitoring function. Background Technology

[0002] Dual-type tie-rod expansion joints are widely used in petroleum, chemical, power, and heating pipeline systems. Their main function is to absorb lateral displacement generated during pipeline operation, reduce pipeline stress, and protect the safe operation of pipeline equipment. This type of expansion joint typically uses a tie-rod structure to limit axial displacement, allowing the bellows to primarily perform lateral compensation.

[0003] During pipeline operation, expansion joints will experience lateral displacement due to factors such as temperature changes, support settlement, installation errors, and fluctuations in medium pressure. When the lateral displacement exceeds the design allowable range, it can easily lead to structural fatigue damage or even failure, thereby threatening the safe operation of the entire pipeline system. Therefore, monitoring the lateral displacement of expansion joints is of paramount importance.

[0004] Currently, monitoring of lateral displacement generated by expansion joints still relies on regular manual inspections. This traditional method is no longer sufficient to meet the needs of real-time monitoring and data-driven management of pipeline operation. Not only is the workload for operators heavy, but the lateral displacement involves multi-directional coupling, making measurement difficult and posing a risk of data misreading and monitoring deviation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention aims to propose a compound tie rod type expansion joint with lateral displacement monitoring function, so as to solve the problems of the existing technology that still relies on manual periodic inspection for lateral displacement monitoring of expansion joints, which has the problems of large workload for operators, low accuracy of detection data and large monitoring deviation.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is implemented as follows:

[0007] A compound tie-rod type expansion joint with lateral displacement monitoring function includes an inclination sensor, a universal ball joint assembly, and a first end tube, a first bellows, an intermediate tube, a second bellows, and a second end tube connected in sequence. One end of the universal ball joint assembly is connected to the first end tube, and the other end is connected to the second end tube, for compensating for the displacement of the expansion joint in any radial direction. The inclination sensor is connected to the intermediate tube for detecting the displacement of the expansion joint in the radial direction.

[0008] Furthermore, a saddle is provided on the outer wall of the intermediate tube, and the tilt sensor is connected to the saddle.

[0009] Furthermore, a heat insulation component is provided between the tilt sensor and the saddle.

[0010] Furthermore, the saddle includes an upright plate and an assembly plate. One end of the upright plate is connected to the outer wall of the intermediate tube, and the other end is connected to the assembly plate by fasteners. The heat insulation component and the tilt sensor are sequentially arranged on the side of the assembly plate away from the upright plate.

[0011] Furthermore, the universal ball joint assembly includes a pull rod and two ball-cone washer assemblies. One end of the pull rod is connected to the first end tube through a ball-cone washer assembly, and the other end is connected to the second end tube through another ball-cone washer assembly.

[0012] Furthermore, the axis of the pull rod is parallel to and coplanar with the central axis of the expansion joint.

[0013] Furthermore, the spherical-conical washer assembly includes a spherical washer and a conical washer, which are capable of relative rotation.

[0014] Furthermore, the expansion joint includes a data acquisition device and a remote monitoring platform. The data acquisition device is connected to a tilt sensor and is used to acquire angle data detected by the tilt sensor and process the angle data into the lateral displacement value of the expansion joint. The data acquisition device is connected to the remote monitoring platform and is used to transmit the lateral displacement value to the remote monitoring platform and monitor the lateral displacement of the expansion joint through the remote monitoring platform.

[0015] Furthermore, the remote monitoring platform is equipped with an alarm. When the lateral displacement value of the expansion joint is greater than a first preset value, the alarm will issue a warning; when the lateral displacement value of the expansion joint is greater than a second preset value, the alarm will sound an alarm.

[0016] Compared with existing technologies, the compound tie rod type expansion joint with lateral displacement monitoring function described in this invention has the following advantages:

[0017] The present invention discloses a compound tie rod type expansion joint with lateral displacement monitoring function. By setting up a universal ball swing rod assembly, double bellows and corresponding connecting pipe fittings, the expansion joint can realize the displacement (i.e. lateral displacement) compensation capability in any radial direction, thereby improving the universal displacement compensation capability of the expansion joint, efficiently meeting the needs of various complex displacement conditions in the piping system, reducing the risk of high stress, and improving the stability of the expansion joint during operation.

[0018] Meanwhile, by further installing an inclination sensor on the intermediate tube, this application can monitor the displacement of the expansion joint in any radial direction. It can convert the difficult-to-detect displacement measurement into an angle measurement, and the angle data can be directly and accurately measured by the inclination sensor, which reduces the measurement difficulty and reduces (or even eliminates) manual inspection. This can effectively reduce the workload of operators and help ensure the accuracy of the detection data, thereby reducing the deviation in monitoring the lateral displacement of the expansion joint. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a simplified structural diagram of a compound tie rod type expansion joint with lateral displacement monitoring function according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a simplified real-time monitoring logic diagram of a compound tie rod type expansion joint with lateral displacement monitoring function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0023] 1. Saddle; 101. Vertical plate; 102. Assembly plate; 103. Fastener; 2. Intermediate tube; 3. Tilt sensor; 4. Thermal insulation component; 5. Data acquisition equipment; 6. Remote monitoring platform; 7. First end tube; 8. First corrugated pipe; 9. Second corrugated pipe; 10. Second end tube; 11. First base; 12. Second base; 13. Tie rod; 14. Ball-cone washer assembly; 15. Nut. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The inventive concepts of this application will be described below using terminology commonly used by those skilled in the art to communicate the essence of their work to others skilled in the art. However, these inventive concepts may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0025] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the embodiments of this invention can be combined with each other. To avoid the frequent use of long names, this application will refer to the compound tie rod type expansion joint as "expansion joint".

[0026] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0027] To address the problems of existing technologies that rely on manual periodic inspections for monitoring the lateral displacement of expansion joints, resulting in high workload for operators, low accuracy of detection data, and significant monitoring deviations, this embodiment proposes a compound tie-rod type expansion joint with lateral displacement monitoring capabilities, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 1-2 As shown, the expansion joint includes a tilt sensor 3, a universal ball joint assembly, and a first end tube 7, a first corrugated tube 8, an intermediate tube 2, a second corrugated tube 9, and a second end tube 10 connected in sequence. One end of the universal ball joint assembly is connected to the first end tube 7, and the other end is connected to the second end tube 10, for compensating for the displacement of the expansion joint in any radial direction. The tilt sensor 3 is connected to the intermediate tube 2 and is used to detect the displacement of the expansion joint in the radial direction, specifically detecting the tilt angle data of the expansion joint caused by the displacement in the radial direction.

[0028] It should be noted that the expansion joint in this application can provide displacement compensation in any radial direction through the universal ball joint assembly. Here, any radial displacement is a "lateral displacement," and correspondingly, monitoring the radial displacement is equivalent to monitoring the "lateral displacement." For expansion joints with fixed structure and dimensions, the displacement can be directly represented by the absolute displacement value, or it can be equivalently expressed by the tilt angle generated by the displacement. This application adopts the latter.

[0029] This application, by setting up a universal ball swing arm assembly, double bellows and corresponding connecting pipe fittings, can realize the displacement (i.e. lateral displacement) compensation capability of the expansion joint in any radial direction, thereby improving the universal displacement compensation capability of the expansion joint, efficiently coping with the needs of various complex displacement conditions in the piping system, reducing the risk of high stress, and improving the stability of the expansion joint during operation.

[0030] Meanwhile, by further installing an inclination sensor 3 on the intermediate pipe 2, this application can monitor the displacement of the expansion joint in any radial direction. This converts the difficult-to-detect accurate displacement measurement into an angle measurement, and the angle data can be directly and accurately measured by the inclination sensor 3. This reduces the measurement difficulty and also reduces (or even eliminates) manual inspection, effectively reducing the workload of operators and ensuring the accuracy of the detection data, thereby reducing deviations in the monitoring of the expansion joint's lateral displacement. Preferably, the first corrugated pipe 8 and the second corrugated pipe 9 have the same dimensions in this application.

[0031] A saddle 1 is provided on the outer wall of the intermediate tube 2, and the tilt sensor 3 is connected to the saddle 1, thereby ensuring the stability of the connection and assembly between the tilt sensor 3 and the intermediate tube 2. The saddle 1 is positioned at the midpoint of the axial length of the intermediate tube 2, allowing the tilt sensor 3 to be mounted precisely in the middle of the two bellows, which helps improve the accuracy of the detection.

[0032] A heat insulation component 4 is provided on the side of the tilt sensor 3 closest to the saddle 1, or in other words, a heat insulation component 4 is provided between the tilt sensor 3 and the saddle 1. Since existing pressure pipelines sometimes transport high-temperature media, the heat insulation component 4 prevents the tilt sensor 3 from drifting due to excessive temperature, and also prevents the tilt sensor 3 from failing due to high temperatures, thus ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the detection results. The heat insulation component 4 is preferably an aerogel heat insulation pad, or a heat insulation layer formed of aerogel material.

[0033] To further improve the heat insulation effect, the saddle 1 includes a vertical plate 101 and an assembly plate 102. One end of the vertical plate 101 is connected to the outer wall of the intermediate tube 2, and the other end is connected to the assembly plate 102 by a fastener 103 (such as a bolt). The heat insulation component 4 and the tilt sensor 3 are sequentially arranged on the side of the assembly plate 102 away from the vertical plate 101. Accordingly, the saddle 1 has a split design, and the vertical plate 101 and the assembly plate 102 are connected by fasteners 103, so that a gap is formed between the vertical plate 101 and the assembly plate 102 at the connection interface, thereby reducing the metal heat conduction path and effectively weakening the thermal bridge effect on the tilt sensor 3. Furthermore, this "heat insulation gap" works in conjunction with the heat insulation component 4 to fully reduce the temperature at the tilt sensor 3 and improve the stability and reliability of the tilt sensor 3 under high-temperature conditions. Preferably, the saddle 1 includes two vertical plates 101, which, in addition to ensuring the heat insulation effect, can further improve the structural stability of the saddle 1 itself.

[0034] The omnidirectional ball pendulum assembly includes a pull rod 13 and two conical washer assemblies 14. One end of the pull rod 13 is connected to the first end tube 7 via one conical washer assembly 14, and the other end is connected to the second end tube 10 via the other conical washer assembly 14, allowing the pull rod 13 to swing freely around either end. It should be noted that either end of the pull rod 13 can be considered a fixed point, but the pull rod 13 can swing freely around this fixed point at a certain angle and in any direction, which can be understood as a ball pendulum structure.

[0035] By incorporating the tie rod 13 and two ball-cone washer assemblies 14, the universal ball joint assembly integrates two free swing positions, enabling swing displacement in any radial direction of the expansion joint. This improves the integration of structural components, reduces the structural complexity of the universal ball joint assembly, and also helps to reduce its weight, giving the entire expansion joint significant advantages in terms of economy and structural optimization. Simultaneously, the two free swing positions can combine to compensate for displacement in any radial direction of the expansion joint, achieving universal displacement compensation capability.

[0036] Preferably, when the expansion joint is in its original state, i.e., without any displacement compensation, the axis of the tie rod 13 is parallel and coplanar with the central axis of the expansion joint. Thus, when the expansion joint is in a state without displacement compensation, the universal ball swing arm assembly does not produce any swing displacement. Once the expansion joint produces displacement in any radial direction, the universal ball swing arm assembly can swing in the corresponding direction with the expansion joint, providing universal displacement compensation capability that can fully adapt to the structure of the expansion joint itself.

[0037] The ball-cone washer assembly 14 includes a spherical washer and a conical washer. The spherical washer and the conical washer can rotate relative to each other to form a structure similar to a ball joint, thereby realizing the ball pendulum structure of the pull rod 13.

[0038] Regarding the connection between the pull rod 13 and the first end tube 7, a first base 11 is provided on the outer wall of the first end tube 7, and one end of the pull rod 13 is connected to the first base 11 through a ball-cone washer assembly 14. Regarding the connection between the pull rod 13 and the second end tube 10, a second base 12 is provided on the outer wall of the second end tube 10, and the other end of the pull rod 13 is connected to the second base 12 through another ball-cone washer assembly 14. Thus, without changing the straight rod body state of the pull rod 13, a stable connection between the pull rod 13 and the corresponding end tube can be ensured, and the normal swing function of the universal ball swing arm assembly can be guaranteed.

[0039] The universal ball joint assembly also includes multiple nuts 15, which are threadedly connected to the pull rod 13. Nuts 15 are provided on both sides of any one of the ball-cone washer assemblies 14 along the axial direction of the pull rod 13 for fixed assembly. This ensures that the pull rod 13 can be fixedly installed on its corresponding base, and also tightens and limits the ball-cone washer assemblies 14 at both ends of the pull rod 13, preventing axial movement of the pull rod 13 and allowing it to only swing, thus improving the stability of the expansion joint during operation.

[0040] To further improve the intelligence level of lateral displacement monitoring of expansion joints, the expansion joint includes a data acquisition device 5 and a remote monitoring platform 6. The data acquisition device 5 is connected to the tilt sensor 3 and is used to collect the angle data detected by the tilt sensor 3 and process the angle data into the lateral displacement value of the expansion joint. The data acquisition device 5 is connected to the remote monitoring platform 6 and is used to transmit the lateral displacement value to the remote monitoring platform 6 and monitor the lateral displacement of the expansion joint through the remote monitoring platform 6.

[0041] The data acquisition device 5 includes a data processing module commonly used in the field of automation technology, at least for acquiring, analyzing, and processing the angle data. As an example of this application, the data acquisition device 5 uses a calculation formula... The angle data is calculated as the lateral displacement value of the expansion joint, where y is the lateral displacement value of the expansion joint, and L... u L is the distance between the end of the first corrugated pipe 8 near the first end pipe 7 and the end of the second corrugated pipe 9 near the second end pipe 10 (i.e., the distance between the outermost ends of the two corrugated pipes, in mm). b The corrugated length of the first corrugated pipe 8 or the corrugated length of the second corrugated pipe 9 (unit: mm; since the first corrugated pipe 8 and the second corrugated pipe 9 have the same size specifications in this application, it is not necessary to distinguish between the first corrugated pipe 8 and the second corrugated pipe 9 here), and θ is the tilt angle data detected by the tilt sensor 3, which can theoretically correspond to the deflection angle generated by the universal ball swing arm assembly.

[0042] The data acquisition device 5 and the remote monitoring platform 6 can use existing data transmission technologies. Correspondingly, the remote monitoring platform 6 can be a central control system of an existing pressure pipeline system located in the central control room. Operators can use the remote monitoring platform 6 to obtain information about the lateral displacement of the expansion joint. In addition, the remote monitoring platform 6 has a filtering and noise reduction module, which uses existing data noise processing technology in the field of electronic information technology to identify and remove noise data corresponding to the small displacement caused by the slight vibration of the expansion joint, so as to retain the effective displacement characteristics and improve the accuracy, stability and reliability of the monitoring data.

[0043] The remote monitoring platform 6 is equipped with an alarm. When the lateral displacement of the expansion joint exceeds a first preset value, the alarm issues a warning; when the lateral displacement exceeds a second preset value, the alarm sounds an alarm. This allows for timely reminders to operators to conduct safety checks and promptly identify and eliminate potential safety hazards in the expansion joint and pipeline system. Correspondingly, while the alarm issues a warning or sounds an alarm, the remote monitoring platform 6 also actively pops up a warning window on the central control interface for continuous reminders until the operator has completed the on-site inspection and handling, at which point the warnings cease. It should be noted that the second preset value is greater than the first preset value; both are preset values ​​under different risk probabilities and are related to different expansion joint design schemes, application scenarios, risk requirements, and other conditions, and are not limited to a single fixed value.

[0044] By utilizing the tilt sensor 3, data acquisition equipment 5, and remote monitoring platform 6, and leveraging the stable and reliable sensor performance and high-quality data support, this application enables real-time monitoring of expansion joint displacement data, accurate identification and early warning of abnormal displacement, and timely push of alarm information. This facilitates on-site maintenance and repair, significantly reducing the workload of pipeline maintenance personnel and thus ensuring the safe operation of pipelines more efficiently. Simultaneously, this application reduces the workload and errors of manual on-site measurements, thereby further ensuring the safe operation of pipelines more efficiently.

[0045] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A compound tie-rod type expansion joint with lateral displacement monitoring function, characterized in that, The expansion joint includes an angle sensor (3), a universal ball joint assembly, and a first end tube (7), a first corrugated tube (8), an intermediate tube (2), a second corrugated tube (9), and a second end tube (10) connected in sequence. One end of the universal ball joint assembly is connected to the first end tube (7), and the other end is connected to the second end tube (10), which is used to compensate for the displacement of the expansion joint in any radial direction. The angle sensor (3) is connected to the intermediate tube (2) and is used to detect the displacement of the expansion joint in the radial direction.

2. The compound tie rod type expansion joint with lateral displacement monitoring function according to claim 1, characterized in that, A saddle (1) is provided on the outer wall of the intermediate tube (2), and the tilt sensor (3) is connected to the saddle (1).

3. A compound tie-rod type expansion joint with lateral displacement monitoring function according to claim 2, characterized in that, A heat insulation component (4) is provided between the tilt sensor (3) and the saddle (1).

4. A compound tie-rod type expansion joint with lateral displacement monitoring function according to claim 3, characterized in that, The saddle (1) includes a vertical plate (101) and an assembly plate (102). One end of the vertical plate (101) is connected to the outer wall of the intermediate tube (2), and the other end is connected to the assembly plate (102) by a fastener (103). The heat insulation component (4) and the tilt sensor (3) are sequentially arranged on the side of the assembly plate (102) away from the vertical plate (101).

5. A compound tie-rod type expansion joint with lateral displacement monitoring function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The universal ball swing arm assembly includes a pull rod (13) and two ball-cone washer assemblies (14). One end of the pull rod (13) is connected to the first end tube (7) through a ball-cone washer assembly (14), and the other end is connected to the second end tube (10) through another ball-cone washer assembly (14).

6. A compound tie-rod type expansion joint with lateral displacement monitoring function according to claim 5, characterized in that, The axis of the tie rod (13) is parallel to and coplanar with the central axis of the expansion joint.

7. A compound tie-rod type expansion joint with lateral displacement monitoring function according to claim 5, characterized in that, The spherical-conical washer assembly (14) includes a spherical washer and a conical washer, which are capable of relative rotation.

8. A compound tie-rod type expansion joint with lateral displacement monitoring function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The expansion joint includes a data acquisition device (5) and a remote monitoring platform (6). The data acquisition device (5) is connected to the tilt sensor (3) and is used to acquire the angle data detected by the tilt sensor (3) and process the angle data into the lateral displacement value of the expansion joint. The data acquisition device (5) is connected to the remote monitoring platform (6) and is used to transmit the lateral displacement value to the remote monitoring platform (6) and monitor the lateral displacement of the expansion joint through the remote monitoring platform (6).

9. A compound tie-rod type expansion joint with lateral displacement monitoring function according to claim 8, characterized in that, The remote monitoring platform (6) is equipped with an alarm. When the lateral displacement value of the expansion joint is greater than the first preset value, the alarm will issue a warning. When the lateral displacement value of the expansion joint is greater than the second preset value, the alarm will sound an alarm.

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