A pipeline maintenance system

Abstract

This patent belongs to the field of engineering technology and relates to a pipeline repair system, including a first repair component, a second repair component, and an annular packing. The second repair component includes defect packing and a main body of the second repair component. The defect packing is disposed within a pipeline defect. The main body of the second repair component is disposed on the outer wall of the pipeline. The main body of the second repair component covers and fixes the defect packing. The first repair component includes a main body of the first repair component. The main body of the first repair component is installed on the outer wall of the pipeline. The annular area between the first repair component and the second repair component is filled with annular packing. The beneficial effects of this patent are: good pipeline repair effect and high repair reliability; no need for hot work, suitable for transporting petrochemical media such as crude oil, natural gas, and refined oil; easy to manufacture, transport, install, and regulate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This patent belongs to the field of engineering technology and relates to a pipeline maintenance system, and more particularly to a non-hotspot pipeline maintenance system. Background Technology

[0002] Pipeline corrosion and pipe dents are common pipeline defects. Pipeline corrosion refers to localized thinning or perforation and leakage of pipelines caused by corrosion, erosion, weld defects, etc. Pipeline dents refer to localized elastoplastic deformation of the pipeline surface caused by external impact or compression, resulting in a significant change in curvature. Pipeline defects can seriously threaten the safe operation of pipelines. Especially for pipelines transporting petrochemical media such as crude oil, natural gas, and refined oil, media leakage caused by pipeline corrosion and reduced pipeline pressure-bearing capacity caused by pipeline dents can both lead to major consequences such as environmental pollution, fires and explosions, personal injury, and property damage.

[0003] Currently, existing methods for repairing pipeline defects have various drawbacks. Taking pipeline corrosion as an example, common repair methods include direct pipe replacement, traditional mechanical clamps such as bolt tightening clamps, and A-type and B-type sleeves. Their limitations are:

[0004] 1. Direct pipe replacement is an operation that involves harsh conditions, high difficulty, high cost, and long processing time. Especially for subsea pipelines, the difficulty and cost of direct pipe replacement are far greater than for land-based pipelines, so it is generally not used. Furthermore, this method requires stopping the flow of the pipeline medium, which disrupts production schedules and consequently affects production efficiency.

[0005] 2. Because traditional mechanical clamps provide maintenance and reinforcement capabilities by clamping the pipe wall, their shape is relatively bulky and heavy in order to ensure the rigidity and strength of the clamp structure, and their weight increases exponentially with the increase of pipe diameter. This not only greatly increases the difficulty of transporting, assembling and adjusting the clamp, but also easily leads to stress concentration in the local contact area of ​​the pipeline, which in turn induces buckling failure of the pipe body.

[0006] 3. The epoxy resin layer inside the Type A sleeve is an organic material, which is prone to heat accumulation, aging, and has a short lifespan and low strength (national standard greater than or equal to 45MPa, maximum 90MPa). Most importantly, epoxy resin has a lower density than water, resulting in poor fluidity in underwater operating environments. This leads to difficulties in underwater venting and makes it impossible to determine whether the sleeve is full. Both of these factors contribute to poor filling effect of the epoxy resin layer (high air content, even producing bubbles larger than 5mm in diameter), thus reducing its ability to constrain the pipeline and diminishing its reinforcing effect on pipeline defects.

[0007] 4. Other methods such as type B sleeves, live pipe tapping and sealing, and welding patching all require hot work and are difficult to apply to situations involving the transportation of petrochemical media such as crude oil, natural gas, and refined oil.

[0008] The above repair methods can theoretically also be used to repair pipe dents, but they also have the same limitations. Alternatively, composite material winding can be used for repair, but this method can only repair the defect and cannot compensate for the lost bending strength of the dented pipe. Summary of the Invention

[0009] To address the aforementioned limitations of existing technologies, this patent provides a pipeline maintenance system, characterized in that:

[0010] Includes a first maintenance component, a second maintenance component, and annular packing;

[0011] The second repair assembly includes a defect filler and a main body; the defect filler is placed inside the pipeline defect; the main body of the second repair assembly is placed on the outer wall of the pipeline; the main body of the second repair assembly covers and fixes the defect filler.

[0012] The first maintenance component includes a main body; the main body of the first maintenance component is installed on the outer wall of the pipe;

[0013] The annular region between the first maintenance component and the second maintenance component is filled with annular filler.

[0014] As a preferred option, the annular filler is one of sulfate materials, silicate materials, epoxy resin materials, or grouting materials.

[0015] More preferably, the annular filler is a high-strength grout with a compressive strength >100MPa after curing.

[0016] Preferably, the main body of the first maintenance component adopts a split structure; the two sides of the main body of the first maintenance component are provided with seals that contact the pipeline.

[0017] Preferably, the main body of the first maintenance component is provided with an annular packing injection channel; the annular packing injection channel includes an annular packing injection outlet and an annular packing injection inlet; the annular packing injection outlet is located at the upper part of the main body of the first maintenance component, and the annular packing injection inlet is located at the lower part of the main body of the first maintenance component.

[0018] Preferably, the second repair component also includes a patch plate (3); the patch plate is attached to the outer wall of the pipe and covers the defect filler; the patch plate is bonded to the pipe with an adhesive; the main body of the second repair component presses the patch plate (3) and fixes it to the pipe.

[0019] Preferably, the second maintenance component includes a tension band, a pull rod, and a pull rod connector, wherein: the tension band is wrapped around the outer periphery of the patch plate; pull rods are respectively provided at both ends of the tension band; the pair of pull rods are tightened relative to each other by the pull rod connector, thereby fixing the patch plate to the pipe by the tension band.

[0020] More preferably, the tensioning band is one of the following: steel wire braided band, steel band, steel ring chain band, chain band, Kevlar band, carbon fiber band, and fiberglass band.

[0021] Preferably, the second repair component is made of impregnated fiberglass tape; after the impregnating material has cured, the second repair component fixes the defect filler inside the pipe defect.

[0022] Preferably, the main body of the second maintenance component is a split structure, which is fastened into a whole by bolts; an adhesive is also provided between the main body of the second maintenance component and the outer wall of the pipe.

[0023] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this patent are: better pipeline repair effect, higher maintenance reliability, no need for hot work, suitable for transporting petrochemical media such as crude oil, natural gas, and refined oil; and easier to manufacture, transport, install, and regulate. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram (including the pipeline) of a specific embodiment of a pipeline repair system of this patent.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram (including the pipeline) of a specific embodiment two of the pipeline repair system of this patent.

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A three-dimensional structural diagram obtained after being cut by a mid-section perpendicular to the pipe axis.

[0027] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A 3D structural diagram showing the upper part of the first maintenance component hidden in the middle.

[0028] Figure 5 for Figure 2 A 3D structural diagram of the part hidden behind the first maintenance component (from another perspective).

[0029] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a directional two-dimensional structure.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the first maintenance component in a specific embodiment three of the pipeline maintenance system of this patent.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the first maintenance component in a specific embodiment four of the pipeline maintenance system of this patent.

[0032] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional structural rendering diagram (including pipes and annular packing) of a specific embodiment of a pipeline repair system of this patent after partial cross-section.

[0033] In the diagram: 1. First maintenance component; 101. Annular packing injection outlet; 102. Annular packing injection inlet; 103. Fastener; 104. Seal; 2. Second maintenance component; 201. Tensioning band; 202. Tie rod; 203. Tie rod connector; 3. Patching plate; 4. Adhesive; 5. Defective filler; 6. Hinge; 7. Inner clamping plate. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The technical solutions of this patent embodiment will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this patent, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this patent without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this patent. Specific Implementation Example 1

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, this patent provides a pipeline maintenance system, characterized in that:

[0036] Includes first maintenance component (1), second maintenance component (2), and annular packing (unnumbered);

[0037] The second repair component (2) is used for local repair of pipeline defects (including sealing and reinforcement), including defect filler (5) and the main body of the second repair component; the defect filler (5) is placed inside the pipeline defect;

[0038] The main body of the second maintenance component is disposed on the outer wall of the pipe; the main body of the second maintenance component covers the defect filler (5) and is used to fix the defect filler (5).

[0039] The first maintenance component (1) includes a first maintenance component body; the first maintenance component body is installed on the outer wall of the pipe;

[0040] An annular region (not numbered) is formed between the inner wall of the first maintenance component (1) and the outer wall of the second maintenance component (2); the annular region is filled with annular filler.

[0041] As a preferred option, the annular filler is one of the following: a sulfate material with a content of not less than 50%, a silicate material with a content of not less than 50%, an epoxy resin material, or a grouting material.

[0042] More preferably, the annular filler is a high-strength grout with a cured compressive strength >100MPa and an initial flowability >300mm. More specifically, in this example, a high-strength, non-shrink grout used in offshore wind power grouting is employed.

[0043] Compared with epoxy resin materials, using grouting material as annular filler has the following unique advantages:

[0044] 1. Grouting material is an inorganic material, which has better thermal conductivity, is not prone to heat accumulation and aging, and has a longer service life;

[0045] 2. After the grout has cured, it has hard and brittle physical and mechanical properties, and can form a rigid reinforcing layer with higher compressive strength. It can effectively disperse the concentrated load exerted by the internal pressure of the pipeline on the pipeline defects and provide a stable support surface for the second maintenance component (2).

[0046] 3. The grout has better fluidity and higher density, allowing for injection at multiple points; when injected from the bottom, it can effectively expel water, air, and other media, avoiding the formation of pores and resulting in a more compact filling.

[0047] 4. It has good adhesion to the inner wall of the first maintenance component (1) and better sealing effect. Specific Implementation Example 2

[0048] like Figures 2 to 6 As shown, this patent provides a pipeline maintenance system, characterized in that:

[0049] To facilitate on-site assembly, the main body of the first maintenance component adopts a split structure, including an upper half ring and a lower half ring, and is fastened by fasteners such as bolts (103); to prevent leakage of the annular filler before curing, sealing grooves (unnumbered) are provided on both sides of the main body of the first maintenance component, and split sealing elements (104) that come into contact with the pipeline are provided inside.

[0050] To facilitate the injection of annular packing, an annular packing injection channel is provided on the main body of the first maintenance component; the annular packing injection channel includes an annular packing injection outlet (101) and an annular packing injection inlet (102); the annular packing injection outlet (101) is located at the upper part of the main body of the first maintenance component, and the annular packing injection inlet (102) is located at the lower part of the main body of the first maintenance component;

[0051] The second repair component (2) also includes a patch plate (3); the patch plate (3) is attached to the outer wall of the pipe and covers the defect filler (5); the patch plate (3) is bonded to the pipe by an adhesive (4); the main body of the second repair component presses the patch plate (3) and fixes it to the pipe.

[0052] As a preferred embodiment, in order to improve the assembly processability, the main body of the second maintenance component includes a tension band (201), a pull rod (202), and a pull rod connector (203), wherein: the tension band (201) is wrapped around the outer periphery of the patch plate (3); pull rods (202) are respectively provided at both ends of the tension band (201); the pair of pull rods (202) are tightened relative to each other by the pull rod connector (203), so that the tension band (201) fixes the patch plate (3) to the pipe;

[0053] In this example, more specifically, such as Figure 5 and 6 As shown, the length of the tension band (201) is less than the circumference of the pipe section; pull rods (202) are inserted into both ends of the tension band (201) along its width direction; a pair of pull rods (202) have coaxial through holes on one end on the same side; the pull rod connector (203) is a bolt; the bolt is inserted into the through hole on the same side, thereby tightening the pull rods (202) relative to each other; the clamping force of the tension band (201) on the patch plate (3) is adjusted by adjusting the preload of the bolt.

[0054] More preferably, the tensioning band (201) is one of the following: steel wire braided band, steel band, steel ring chain band, chain band (multi-row chain), Kevlar band (woven from Kevlar fiber material), carbon fiber band, and glass fiber band.

[0055] More preferably, in order to ensure that the force on each component is uniform, the width of the patch plate is not less than the width of the tension band (201); the tension band (201) is symmetrically arranged about the middle symmetrical surface of the patch plate (3); the first maintenance component (1) is symmetrically arranged about the middle symmetrical surface of the tension band (201). Specific Implementation Example 3

[0056] For ease of assembly, such as Figure 7 As shown, the split structure is movably hinged by a hinge (6); in addition, the first maintenance component (1) is also provided with a lifting lug (unnumbered) and a reinforcing rib (unnumbered). Specific Implementation Example 4

[0057] To ensure the reliability of the sealing, and in order to reduce the amount of annular packing used while decreasing the probability of air gap phenomena, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the inner wall of the first repair component (1) is provided with an inner clamping plate (7); the inner clamping plate (7) is arranged opposite to the patching plate (3). Specific Implementation Example 5

[0058] Specifically addressing the pipe defect of pipe dents, based on Specific Embodiment 1, the main body of the second repair component can be made of composite materials such as impregnated fiberglass tape; the impregnating material can be epoxy resin; more specifically, the impregnated fiberglass tape is wrapped around the outer wall of the pipe; such as Figure 1 As shown, after the impregnation material is cured, the second repair component (2) does not need to be equipped with fasteners such as tie rod connectors (203) similar to those in the second embodiment, and can fix the defect filler (5) in the pipe defect, thus playing the role of local pipe reinforcement; the first repair component (1) and the annular filler are used to restore the main bending strength of the dented pipe. Specific Implementation Example Six

[0059] For the two defects of pipe corrosion and pipe dents, such as Figure 9 As shown, the second maintenance component body in this embodiment has a similar split structure to the first maintenance component body in the second specific embodiment, including an upper half ring I (unnumbered) and a lower half ring I (unnumbered), which are fastened into a whole by bolts (not shown);

[0060] As a preferred option, in order to improve the sealing capability, an adhesive (4) is also provided between the main body of the second maintenance component and the outer wall of the pipe.

[0061] Compared with the second specific embodiment: This embodiment saves the use of patch plate (3) and the structure is more compact; by relying on the self-locking ability and pre-tightening force of threaded fasteners, the sealing ability and reinforcement effect of pipeline defects are guaranteed, which is more reliable; however, due to the increase in weight, the portability is slightly reduced.

[0062] To facilitate understanding, the pipeline repair steps are described below using specific embodiment two of this patent as an example:

[0063] Step 1: Grind and clean the pipe defects to ensure that the cleanliness and roughness of the area on the outer wall of the pipe that comes into contact with the patching plate (the patching area) meet the requirements of subsequent patching operations;

[0064] Step 2: Apply the defect filler (5) to the defect in the pipeline and compact and smooth it to achieve the initial repair of the pipeline (such as sealing).

[0065] Step 3: Determine whether the defective filler (5) has solidified. If so, proceed to the next step; otherwise, continue to wait.

[0066] Step 4: After the defect filler (5) has cured, apply the adhesive (4) to the patching area and the inside of the patching plate (3) respectively, and then slowly place and press the patching plate (3) into the patching area; the patching plate (3) is bonded to the pipe by the adhesive (4); then, use the second maintenance component (2) to wrap and secure the patching plate (3) to the outer wall of the pipe;

[0067] Step 5: Place the main body of the first repair component on the outer periphery of the second repair component (2), and tighten the fasteners (103) to form an annular area; install the seal (104); during installation, adjust the relative position of the first repair component (1) to ensure that the distance between the patching area and the left and right end faces of the first repair component (1) is equal;

[0068] Step 6: Inject annular packing into the annular region; more specifically, inject the annular packing through the annular packing injection port (102) at the bottom of the first maintenance component (1); the initial filling medium (water, air, etc.) in the annular region and the excess annular packing are discharged through the annular packing injection outlet (101) at the top of the first maintenance component (1).

[0069] Step 7: Determine whether the annular packing is uniformly filling the annular area; if yes, proceed to step 7, otherwise return to step 5; the specific judgment criteria are: the annular packing injection outlet (101) continuously and stably flows out of the annular packing, and the duration is not less than 30s.

[0070] Step 8: Stop injecting the annular packing and wait for it to cure.

[0071] Step 9: Clean the port of the annular packing injection channel and seal it with a plug (not shown).

[0072] As can be seen from the above description of specific embodiments of this patent, the advantages of this patent are:

[0073] 1. Excellent pipeline repair effect. Centered on pipeline defects such as leak points, a second repair component (2) and a first repair component (1) are sequentially fixed on the outer wall of the pipeline from the inside to the outside, and annular filler such as grouting material is filled and solidified between the two, thereby significantly improving the pipeline sealing pressure (actual pipeline pressure test data shows that when the pipeline internal pressure increases to a maximum of 30MPa, this patent can still effectively seal the pipeline), the reason being:

[0074] ① The second maintenance component (2) uses a tensioning band (201) made of high-strength materials such as Kevlar tape, which can directly provide a portion of the initial sealing pressure to the pipeline (tests show that it can provide a sealing pressure of not less than 8MPa).

[0075] ② Grouting materials and other annular fillers have high compressive strength (compressive strength after curing >100MPa), which can provide additional sealing pressure;

[0076] ③ The internal pressure of the pipeline is transmitted through the second maintenance component (2) and through the annular packing (which acts as a rigid filling medium due to the properties of the grout), and the pressure load can be quickly transmitted to the first maintenance component (1). The first maintenance component (1) is the pressure-bearing body of the pipeline leakage pressure and can provide most of the sealing pressure for the pipeline.

[0077] 2. High reliability in maintenance, the reason being:

[0078] ① Unlike traditional mechanical clamp sealing methods, the annular packing, after curing, tightly wraps the second maintenance component (2). In addition, the surfaces of Kevlar tape or high-strength glass fiber tape are relatively rough, such as Kevlar tape, which has a concave-convex microstructure, which significantly increases the contact surface area between the second maintenance component (2) and the annular packing, thereby increasing the bonding strength of the annular packing. Due to the superposition of the above two effects, a permanent mechanical anchoring effect is formed that isolates it from the external environment, thereby eliminating the problem of maintenance failure caused by the loosening and failure of mechanical clamp connection under external environmental disturbances such as pipeline pressure fluctuations, pipeline vibration, ocean current surges, or electrochemical corrosion.

[0079] ② When grouting material is used as annular filler: on the one hand, grouting material has better fluidity and higher density, which is more conducive to underwater grouting operations and annular filler flow; on the other hand, after the grouting material is cured, it has hard and brittle physical and mechanical properties, which can form a rigid reinforcing layer, which can effectively disperse the concentrated load exerted by the internal pressure of the pipeline on the pipeline leakage point, and provide a stable support surface for the second maintenance component (2).

[0080] ③Even if the grout material undergoes failure behaviors such as microcracks in local areas under the action of ultra-high internal pressure of the pipeline, or even macroscopic damage such as debris, the patching plate will be firmly wrapped and fastened to the outer wall of the pipeline due to the wrapping and supporting effect of the first maintenance component (1).

[0081] ④ The main body of the second repair component can be made of non-metallic material, which has good electrochemical properties, can resist corrosion for a long time, and is suitable for underwater pipeline repair.

[0082] ⑤ Once the pipeline is completely corroded from the inside, the medium inside the pipeline will come into contact with the annular packing, which can play a role in preventing corrosion.

[0083] 3. Compared with sealing processes such as type B sleeves, the sealing and maintenance work carried out using this patent does not require hot work, so it is suitable for situations involving the transportation of petrochemical media such as crude oil, natural gas, and refined oil.

[0084] 4. Compared to traditional mechanical clamps, the size and weight of this patented device are expected to be significantly reduced, thus facilitating rapid deployment and assembly. The reasons are as follows: Firstly, when the second maintenance component (2) is made of non-metallic material, its size and weight will be reduced; secondly, due to the reinforcing effect of the second maintenance component (2) and the annular packing, the size of the first maintenance component (1) will also be reduced accordingly. Especially in the case of repairing large-diameter pipelines, this patent is more convenient for manufacturing, transportation, installation and adjustment.

[0085] 5. First, take advantage of the portability of the second repair component (2) to carry out emergency repair and sealing of the leaking pipeline at the construction site; then, take advantage of the first repair component (1) and the injection process of the annular packing to improve the sealing reliability and reinforcement repair effect, so that permanent repair for Class B repair can be achieved.

[0086] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this patent is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that it can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of this patent. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered exemplary and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of this patent is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within this patent. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A pipeline maintenance system, characterized in that: Includes a first maintenance component (1), a second maintenance component (2), and annular packing; The second repair component (2) includes a defect filler (5) and a second repair component body; the defect filler (5) is disposed inside the pipeline defect; the second repair component body is disposed on the outer wall of the pipeline; the second repair component body covers the defect filler (5); The first maintenance component (1) includes a first maintenance component body; the first maintenance component body is a split structure; the first maintenance component body is installed on the outer wall of the pipe; The annular region between the first maintenance component (1) and the second maintenance component (2) is filled with annular filler.

2. The pipeline maintenance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The annular filler is one of the following: sulfate material, silicate material, epoxy resin material, or grouting material.

3. The pipeline maintenance system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The annular filler is a high-strength grout with a compressive strength greater than 100MPa after curing.

4. The pipeline maintenance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main body of the first maintenance component is provided with seals (104) on both sides that come into contact with the pipe.

5. The pipeline maintenance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first maintenance component body is provided with an annular packing injection channel; the annular packing injection channel includes an annular packing injection outlet (101) and an annular packing injection inlet (102); the annular packing injection outlet (101) is located at the upper part of the first maintenance component body, and the annular packing injection inlet (102) is located at the lower part of the first maintenance component body.

6. The pipeline maintenance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second repair component (2) also includes a patch plate (3); the patch plate (3) is attached to the outer wall of the pipe and covers the defect filler (5); the patch plate (3) is bonded to the pipe by an adhesive (4); the main body of the second repair component presses the patch plate (3) and fixes it to the pipe.

7. The pipeline maintenance system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second maintenance component includes a tension band (201), a pull rod (202), and a pull rod connector (203), wherein: the tension band (201) is wrapped around the outer periphery of the patch plate (3); pull rods (202) are respectively provided at both ends of the tension band (201); the pair of pull rods (202) are tightened relative to each other by the pull rod connector (203), so that the tension band (201) fixes the patch plate (3) to the pipe.

8. The pipeline maintenance system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The tensioning belt (201) is one of the following: steel wire braided belt, steel belt, steel ring chain belt, chain belt, Kevlar belt, carbon fiber belt, and glass fiber belt.

9. The pipeline maintenance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second repair component is made of impregnated glass fiber tape. After the impregnating material is cured, the second repair component (2) fixes the defect filler (5) inside the pipe defect.

10. The pipeline maintenance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second maintenance component is a split structure, which is fastened into a whole by bolts; an adhesive is also provided between the second maintenance component and the outer wall of the pipe (4).

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