A pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device

Abstract

This utility model discloses a pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device, comprising: a horizontal support rod; two reinforcing plate assemblies, the first ends of which are respectively connected to the two ends of the horizontal support rod; and two flange face connecting plates, the upper surfaces of which are respectively connected to the second ends of the two reinforcing plate assemblies, wherein the lower surfaces of which are respectively detachably connected to the branch pipe flanges on the port and starboard sides of the pump tower main pump pipe. This utility model greatly reduces deviations caused by installation and welding, and facilitates the inspection of the qualification of the previous process. It features high reliability and stability, simple manufacturing, and low cost, and can be applied in batches for precise positioning and installation of pump tower main pump pipes of the same series and size.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of pump tower main pump pipe assembly technology, specifically to a pump tower main pump pipe assembly positioning device. Background Technology

[0002] The pump tower is a crucial functional component of LNG carriers and LNG dual-fuel vessels, serving as both fuel tanks and cargo tanks. Typically shaped like a triangular mast, it hangs vertically in each cargo or fuel tank, primarily responsible for loading and unloading liquefied natural gas (LNG). The main pump pipe, as the core component and structural element of the pump tower, is responsible for delivering LNG to the receiving terminal. Inside the cargo hold, the branch pipes of the main pump pipe connect to the main cargo pump via check valves and connecting pipes. Strict adherence to the dimensions, spacing, and angles of the main pump pipes and branch pipes on both the port and starboard sides is essential to ensure a tight flange fit; therefore, extremely high installation precision is required. Due to the extremely low temperature of LNG (approximately -162°C), the main pump pipe is typically constructed from cryogenic 304L stainless steel to withstand the thermal stress and mechanical loads of the low-temperature environment.

[0003] In existing technology, the structure and connection method of the main pump pipe are referenced. Figure 1 As shown. During construction, the manufacturing of the horizontal structural pipes is usually prioritized. The traditional method involves placing the port and starboard main pump pipes on a jig according to their positions, using tools such as tape measures and angle gauges to measure the center distance and angle of the branch pipe flanges, and then assembling and welding the support pipes in the middle area under these conditions. However, this method has the following main problems: First, because the pump pipe material is low-temperature stainless steel 304L, its thermal expansion coefficient is relatively large, making the pump pipe prone to displacement and significant angular deviations during construction, resulting in difficulty in controlling installation accuracy; second, when assembling and welding the support pipes, it is impossible to effectively ensure the fore-and-aft misalignment of the main pump pipes on the port and starboard sides, easily introducing cumulative errors; third, it is impossible to effectively inspect and verify the previous processes (such as the pre-assembled components of the main pump pipes and branch pipes), resulting in high potential risks. These problems not only affect the overall structural stability and functional reliability of the pump tower but may also lead to misfitting flanges when connecting subsequent cargo pumps, increasing safety hazards and maintenance costs during ship operation. Therefore, the existing installation method cannot meet the high-precision requirements, and a simple and practical positioning device is urgently needed to solve the above defects and improve installation efficiency and quality. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device to solve the problem in the prior art that the main pump pipe is prone to displacement and large angular deviation during construction, making it difficult to control the installation accuracy of the main pump pipe.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model is implemented through the following technical solution: This utility model provides a pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device, including: Horizontal strut; Two reinforcing plate assemblies, the first ends of the two reinforcing plate assemblies being respectively connected to the two ends of the horizontal strut; Two flange face connecting plates, the upper surfaces of the two flange face connecting plates are respectively connected to the second ends of the two reinforcing plate assemblies, and the lower surfaces of the two flange face connecting plates are respectively detachably connected to the branch pipe flanges on the port and starboard sides of the main pump pipe of the pump tower.

[0006] Preferably, the horizontal support rod is a telescopic rod, which includes: a telescopic section and two fixed sections connected to both ends of the telescopic section; at least one of the two fixed sections has an adjusting member on the side near the telescopic section.

[0007] Preferably, each of the reinforcing plate assemblies includes a first reinforcing plate and a second reinforcing plate, and the first reinforcing plate and the second reinforcing plate are respectively fixedly connected to the horizontal strut and the flange connecting plate by welding.

[0008] Preferably, the horizontal strut has grooves at both ends, and the two reinforcing plate assemblies are respectively disposed in the corresponding grooves.

[0009] Preferably, the flange connecting plate has a plurality of through holes corresponding to the branch flanges of the main pump pipe of the pump tower, and the through holes are fastened to the branch flanges through connectors.

[0010] Preferably, the yield strength of the horizontal strut is not less than 170 MPa.

[0011] Preferably, the yield strength of each reinforcing plate assembly is not less than 170 MPa, and the thickness of each reinforcing plate assembly is not less than 10 mm.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: This utility model provides a pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device. Through the combined design of horizontal struts, reinforcing plate assemblies, flange face connecting plates, and fastening bolt groups, it achieves precise positioning and fixing of the branch flange of the LNG ship pump tower main pump pipe. It effectively controls the center distance and angle of the port and starboard main pump pipe flanges, and solves the problems of displacement deviation, angle deviation, and port and starboard misalignment caused by the large thermal expansion coefficient of materials in traditional installation methods. It ensures the tight fit of the flange and the overall installation accuracy, thereby improving the structural stability and functional reliability of the pump tower and reducing safety hazards and maintenance costs in ship operation. Attached Figure Description

[0013] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this utility model, the drawings used in the description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are one embodiment of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the main pump pipe of a pump tower in the prior art; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device provided in an embodiment of this utility model; Figure 3 A top view of a pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device provided in an embodiment of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device on the main pump pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 11-Port side of main pump pipe; 12-Starboard side of main pump pipe; 13-Support pipe; 14-Frame; 15-Branch flange; 01-Horizontal strut; 02-Flange face connecting plate; 03-First reinforcing plate; 04-Second reinforcing plate; 05-Connecting piece; 06-Adjusting piece. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-4 The following detailed description further illustrates the assembly and positioning device for the main pump pipe of the pump tower proposed in this utility model. The advantages and features of this utility model will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, used only to facilitate and clearly illustrate the purpose of the embodiments of this utility model. Please refer to the accompanying drawings to make the purpose, features, and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable. It should be understood that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., depicted in the accompanying drawings are only used to complement the content disclosed in the specification, for those skilled in the art to understand and read, and are not intended to limit the implementation conditions of this utility model. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and purposes achieved by this utility model, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in this utility model.

[0016] This embodiment mainly addresses the problem in the prior art that the main pump pipe is prone to displacement and large angular deviation during construction, making it difficult to control the installation accuracy of the main pump pipe.

[0017] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, this embodiment provides a pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device, including: a horizontal support rod 01, two reinforcing plate assemblies, and two flange face connecting plates 02. The first ends of the two reinforcing plate assemblies (refer to...) Figure 2 and Figure 3 The upper ends of the first reinforcing plate 03 and the second reinforcing plate 04 are respectively connected to both ends of the horizontal strut 01; the upper surfaces of the two flange connecting plates 02 are respectively connected to the second ends of the two reinforcing plate assemblies (refer to...). Figure 2 and Figure 3 The lower ends of the first reinforcing plate 03 and the second reinforcing plate 04 are connected one-to-one. The lower surfaces of the two flange connecting plates 02 are detachably connected to the branch flanges 15 on the port side 11 and starboard side 12 of the main pump pipe, respectively. This device controls the center distance and angle of the flanges by fixing the branch flanges 15 of the main pump pipe, greatly reducing deviations caused by installation and welding. It also facilitates the inspection of the qualification of the previous process. It features high reliability and stability, simple manufacturing, and low cost, and can be applied in batches for precise positioning and installation of main pump pipes in pump towers of the same series and size.

[0018] The horizontal support rod 01 is a telescopic rod (such as a threaded adjustment mechanism or a snap-on adjuster), comprising: a telescopic section and two fixed sections connected to both ends of the telescopic section; at least one of the two fixed sections has an adjusting element 06 provided on one side near the telescopic section. (Reference) Figure 2 As shown, an adjusting member 06 is provided on the left fixed section of the two fixed sections, and the right fixed section of the two fixed sections is fixedly connected to the right end of the telescopic section. After adjusting the length of the telescopic section to a suitable position, the adjusting member 06 is rotated to fix the telescopic section and the left fixed section, thereby keeping the length of the horizontal support rod 01 unchanged. The telescopic horizontal support rod 01 is easy to adjust according to the center distance of the main pump pipe of different pump towers, improving the applicability of the device.

[0019] Each of the aforementioned reinforcing plate assemblies includes a first reinforcing plate 03 and a second reinforcing plate 04, both of which are fixedly connected to the horizontal strut 01 and the flange connecting plate 02 respectively by welding. The yield strength of each reinforcing plate assembly is not less than 170 MPa, and the thickness of each reinforcing plate assembly is not less than 10 mm. Specifically, the first reinforcing plate 03 is mainly used for fixing to the end of the horizontal strut 01, and the second reinforcing plate 04 is mainly used for fixing to the flange connecting plate 02, forming a double-layer reinforced structure. This design effectively disperses stress, prevents single-point failure, and improves overall rigidity. The reinforcing plate assemblies are made of stainless steel sheet (such as 304L stainless steel) with a yield strength of not less than 170 MPa and a thickness of not less than 10 mm to ensure resistance to bending and torsion during welding and installation. The flange connecting plate 02 is also made of stainless steel sheet (such as 304L stainless steel) with a yield strength of not less than 170 MPa.

[0020] The horizontal strut 01 has grooves at both ends, and the two reinforcing plate assemblies are respectively set in the corresponding grooves to enhance the connection stability and positioning accuracy of the reinforcing plate assemblies.

[0021] The flange connecting plate 02 has several through holes corresponding to the branch flanges 15 of the main pump pipe of the pump tower. The through holes are fastened to the branch flanges 15 through the connecting parts 05. The connecting parts 05 are fastening bolt sets, including at least 8 sets of external hexagonal bolts and nuts, and the material is stainless steel (such as 316L stainless steel) with a yield strength of not less than 170MPa.

[0022] The yield strength of the horizontal strut 01 is not less than 170MPa. The material of the horizontal strut 01 is stainless steel pipe (such as 304L stainless steel) with a yield strength of not less than 170MPa, and the specification is not less than Ø88.9×10mm. Its length is adjusted according to the center distance of the main pump pipe, usually in the range of 500mm to 1500mm, to ensure that it can withstand tensile and bending stress without deformation in low temperature environment.

[0023] refer to Figure 4The provided diagram illustrates the installation of the pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device on the main pump pipe. During the assembly and positioning of the pump tower main pump pipe, the aforementioned assembly and positioning device is used. The port side 11 and starboard side 12 of the pump tower main pump pipe are placed on the jig 14, and the center distance and angle of the branch flanges 15 on the port side 11 and starboard side 12 are adjusted according to preset theoretical data. The second reinforcing plate 04 of the reinforcing plate assembly is pre-welded and fixed to the upper surface of the flange face connecting plate 02. The two flange face connecting plates 02 in the pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device are connected to the two branch flanges 15 respectively via connectors 05. The two ends of the horizontal support rod 01 are assembled and fixed to the second reinforcing plate 04 via the first reinforcing plate 03 of the reinforcing plate assembly. The center distance and angle data on the pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device are measured to obtain measurement data, which are then compared and analyzed with the corresponding preset theoretical values ​​to achieve the assembly and positioning of the pump tower main pump pipe. The measurement data includes: the innermost and outermost distances between the connecting plates of the two flange faces along the centerline of the two flange faces, and the corresponding distances between the through holes on the connecting plates of the two flange faces, for reference. Figure 3 L1, L2, L3, and L4 are shown in the diagram. If the deviation between the measured data and the corresponding preset theoretical value is not greater than the preset deviation, then the horizontal support rod 01, the reinforcing plate assembly, and the flange connecting plate 02 are welded, and the length of the horizontal support rod 01 is fixed by the adjusting member 06. In this embodiment, the preferred preset deviation is 0.5 mm.

[0024] In summary, this embodiment proposes a pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device. Through the combined design of horizontal struts, reinforcing plate assemblies, flange face connecting plates, and fastening bolt groups, it achieves precise positioning and fixing of the LNG ship pump tower main pump pipe branch flanges. This effectively controls the center distance and angle of the port and starboard main pump pipe flanges, solving the displacement deviation, angular deviation, and port / starboard misalignment problems caused by the large thermal expansion coefficient of materials in traditional installation methods. It ensures a tight fit of the flanges and overall installation accuracy, thereby improving the structural stability and functional reliability of the pump tower and reducing safety hazards and maintenance costs during ship operation. Furthermore, the device has a simple structure, uses stainless steel, and has been verified by finite element analysis, demonstrating high reliability and stability. The telescopic design of the horizontal struts further enhances the device's applicability, allowing for flexible adjustment based on the center distance of the main pump pipes in different pump towers. The double reinforcing plate assembly disperses stress, improving bending and torsional resistance. The low manufacturing cost facilitates mass production and application to the precise positioning and installation of main pump pipes in pump towers of the same series and size. At the same time, this method facilitates step-by-step assembly and inspection of the qualification of the previous process, thereby improving construction efficiency and quality control.

[0025] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0026] It should be noted that the apparatus and methods disclosed in the embodiments herein can also be implemented in other ways. The apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, the block diagrams in the accompanying drawings show apparatuses and methods according to various embodiments herein. It should be noted that combinations of blocks in the block diagrams can be used to perform specific functions or actions.

[0027] Although the present invention has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention. Various modifications and substitutions to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above content. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device, characterized in that, include: Horizontal strut; Two reinforcing plate assemblies, the first ends of the two reinforcing plate assemblies being respectively connected to the two ends of the horizontal strut; Two flange face connecting plates, the upper surfaces of the two flange face connecting plates are respectively connected to the second ends of the two reinforcing plate assemblies, and the lower surfaces of the two flange face connecting plates are respectively detachably connected to the branch pipe flanges on the port and starboard sides of the main pump pipe of the pump tower.

2. The pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The horizontal support rod is a telescopic rod, which includes: a telescopic section and two fixed sections connected to both ends of the telescopic section; at least one of the two fixed sections has an adjusting member on the side near the telescopic section.

3. The pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the reinforcing plate assemblies includes a first reinforcing plate and a second reinforcing plate, and the first reinforcing plate and the second reinforcing plate are respectively fixedly connected to the horizontal strut and the flange connecting plate by welding.

4. The pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The horizontal strut has grooves at both ends, and the two reinforcing plate assemblies are respectively disposed in the corresponding grooves.

5. The pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The flange face connecting plate has several through holes corresponding to the branch flanges of the main pump pipe of the pump tower. The through holes are fastened to the branch flanges through connectors.

6. The pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The yield strength of the horizontal strut is not less than 170 MPa.

7. The pump tower main pump pipe assembly and positioning device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The yield strength of each reinforcing plate assembly is not less than 170 MPa, and the thickness of each reinforcing plate assembly is not less than 10 mm.

Images