Conduit for fluid at a certain temperature for the interior of a building

Abstract

The invention relates to a conduit for a fluid at a certain temperature for the interior of a building comprising a pipe (1), an insulation layer (2) surrounding the pipe (1), and a sheet of aluminium film (3) surrounding the insulation layer (2), wherein the pipe (1) is made of a plastic or steel material, and wherein the insulation layer (2) is made of polyurethane foam injected onto the pipe (1), the conduit possibly further comprising at least one accessory comprising a central body (5) surrounded by the insulation layer (2), such that the insulation layer (2) comprises two polyurethane foam parts (2A, 2B) that face each other and are joined together.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] CONDUCTION FOR FLUID AT TEMPERATURE FOR THE INTERIOR OF A BUILDING

[0003] Field of the invention

[0004] The present invention relates to a conduit for a fluid at room temperature for the interior of a building that improves the performance and efficiency of other similar systems in the prior art. The conduit for a fluid at room temperature for the interior of a building, the subject of the invention, is applicable in the construction industry, specifically in the building industry.

[0005] Background of the invention

[0006] In all installations for the conduction of any fluid, pipes are required where the said fluid circulates, but because the pipe can carry the fluid at low temperatures, the pipes normally require a shell or insulation due to condensation, since said fluid within a pipe circuit, if there is humidity, the dew point of the fluid causes the pipe to drip, and that is the reason why the shell is required.

[0007] However, in the opposite case, that is, if the fluid circulating through the installation is a hot fluid, it is necessary to insulate the pipe to avoid energy loss from that fluid. In conclusion, all pipe installations must have some type of insulation.

[0008] A pipe installation normally consists of: pipe and shell.

[0009] A protective sleeve for the outer shell can be added to the previous installation, since birds love the shell, pecking at it to clean their beaks, and because it is easy for them to break, and the sun and water damage it, therefore, when the tube is going to be outdoors, it requires a protective sleeve.

[0010] Now, the need has been added: if there is an energy production building, there is an energy production unit, and other buildings where the use of pipes is required require distribution networks for heating and cooling installations. These facilities have a very large boiler that is distributed to other buildings, and the water is superheated. For these types of installations, steel pipe systems, coated with polyurethane and coated, are mainly used. Polypropylene, PVC, or cross-linked polyethylene pipes are also used.

[0011] The plastic pipe, with polyurethane and an outer jacket, is buried. If the network is for cold water (where heat must be removed), as occurs in a data center, the pipe is made of polyethylene in most cases, instead of polypropylene. ABS plastic pipes can also be used when it is an industrial cold installation where temperatures range from -5°C to -15 or -20°C.

[0012] One type of shell is made of polyurethane foam, while it can also be made of rubber or polyethylene. The outer casing that protects the main pipe and shell assembly, when this assembly is buried, must protect the polyurethane from water and possible damage caused by the composition of the soil and assembly operations, and therefore requires watertightness.

[0013] On the other hand, the insulation shells are made of rubber or polyethylene with a transmission coefficient between 0.035 and 0.04 W / m 2K however the most efficient polyurethane 0.02 and 0.025, with less polyurethane thickness the same insulation, this is important because the pipe plus insulation takes up space, the smaller the assembly size the more space you leave free for other installations and to work on the placement of the pipe itself.

[0014] If the piping system is located inside a building, the system works very well, and by changing the requirements and not being buried, the pipe thickness is less, but currently requires a fire reaction classification of the entire system.

[0015] To provide the fire reaction classification required for installations inside a building, in the state of the art, the tube can have a lesser thickness than when it goes outside, and the fire reaction classification of the tube on its own is good, but said tube needs an outer jacket that also resists fire, said outer jacket, which in the state of the art is an aluminum tube, has the disadvantage of increasing the cost of the assembly.In the state of the art, the assembly of the pipes with the three components presents some complications since the participation of different professionals may be necessary to carry out each of the installation steps. It may happen that one professional is an expert in placing insulation and another professional is an expert in placing the pipe and its accessories, or that one professional has the capacity to carry out both jobs. However, to carry out the installation of the external protection, there are few professionals with that training and it is almost always a different professional from the one who places the other two elements of the installation.

[0016] Therefore, it seems appropriate to find some element that offers the fire classification required by regulations for installations inside buildings.

[0017] In addition to the above, if you can provide an element that includes all three layers of pipes and can be installed by a single professional, the task of installing the pipes will be greatly facilitated.

[0018] In addition to the above, the fluid in pipes that transport fluid at temperature loses temperature as the fluid moves along the conduit, whether hot or cold, since as far as this document refers to, fluid at temperature means a fluid that has been either cooled or heated prior to its introduction into the pipes, and as the fluid moves along the pipe, it loses the temperature to which it has been brought. As the fluid passes through the pipes, it loses temperature due to two phenomena: radiation loss and conduction loss. Radiation loss is prevented by an aluminum sheet, while conduction loss is prevented by the insulation layer.

[0019] Description of the invention

[0020] The object of the invention is a conduit for a fluid at temperature for the interior of a building comprising a tube, an insulation layer, which in the preferred embodiment is made of polyurethane foam, located surrounding the tube, and a sheet of aluminum film located surrounding the insulation layer.

[0021] The conduit for a fluid at temperature for the interior of a building, the object of the invention, is a unitary body comprising the tube, the insulation layer, and the aluminum foil. A fluid at temperature, as referred to in this application, is defined as a fluid that can be either at a high temperature, i.e., a heated fluid, or at a low temperature, i.e., a cooled fluid.

[0022] The insulation layer of the pipe object of the invention, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, comprises a foam injected onto the pipe. This way of providing the insulation layer provides a differentiating advantage to said insulation, since it ensures that the temperature transmission between the pipe and the insulation is perfect. In the state of the art, with the use of a shell, there may be a gap between the shell and the pipe, which can generate condensation in the system, leading to a loss of its insulation capacity. Therefore, the use of the polyurethane foam system injected onto the pipe significantly improves the use of a shell.

[0023] In the conduction of a fluid at temperature for the interior of a building object of the invention, the pipe is made of a plastic material chosen from polyethylene, polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (C-PVC), or cross-linked polyethylene, in addition to steel pipe.

[0024] In the conduction for a fluid at temperature for the interior of a building object of the invention the insulation layer has a thickness from 8 mm to 60 mm being preferably thicknesses of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 mm.

[0025] In the conduction of a fluid at temperature to the interior of a building object of the invention, the aluminum film sheet may comprise a fiberglass reinforcement.

[0026] The fluid conduit for a temperature-controlled fluid for the interior of a building object of the invention may also comprise at least one accessory comprising a central body surrounded by the insulation layer, such that said insulation layer comprises two pieces of polyurethane foam facing each other and joined together; the accessory also comprises a sheet of aluminum film located surrounding the insulation layer.

[0027] Brief description of the figures

[0028] To complement the description that follows and in order to help better understand the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is attached to this specification, based on which the innovations and advantages of the device that is the object of the invention will be more easily understood.

[0029] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a pipe for conduction of a fluid at temperature for the interior of a building object of the invention.

[0030] Figure 2 shows a view of an accessory for the conduit for a fluid at temperature for the interior of a building object of the invention showing the insulation layer in two joined pieces.

[0031] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a pipe for conduction of a fluid at temperature for the interior of a building object of the invention similar to Figure 1.

[0032] The numerical references used in the figures are:

[0033] 1. tube,

[0034] 2. insulation layer,

[0035] 3. aluminum film sheet,

[0036] 4. accessory, and

[0037] 5. central body.

[0038] Preferred embodiment of the invention

[0039] The object of the invention is a conduit for a fluid at temperature for the interior of a building that comprises at least one straight section, comprising: a tube (1), an insulation layer (2) located surrounding the tube (1), and a sheet of aluminum film (3) located surrounding the insulation layer (2).

[0040] The tube (1) of the conduit object of the invention is a polyethylene or polypropylene tube depending on the type of fluid that will circulate through said conduit, whether it is a hot fluid or a cold fluid.

[0041] The insulation layer (2) of the pipe for a fluid at temperature object of the invention has a thickness of between 8 and 60 mm, preferably thicknesses of 10, 12.5, 15, 20, 25 and 30 mm. Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment of the pipe for a fluid at temperature object of the invention, the insulation layer (2) is made of polyurethane foam injected onto the tube (1).

[0042] The aluminum film sheet (3) that employs conduction, in the preferred embodiment, is a fiberglass reinforced film sheet, although an unreinforced sheet may be used.

[0043] The fire resistance of the conduit object of the invention is such that the sheet of aluminium film (3) that protects the insulation layer (2) has a fire resistance that, in the event of exposure to fire, delays the access of said fire to the polyurethane foam of the insulation layer (2), in addition the polyurethane foam of the insulation layer (2) used in the conduit object of the invention, in the event of being reached by fire, has a density of between 40 and 100 kg / m 3, therefore, it has a large amount of air, which makes it have a small reaction to fire, and therefore, provides said high fire resistance. The conduit object of the invention has the fire resistance characteristics necessary for installation inside buildings with a weight per conduit and a volume thereof that facilitates its handling and installation inside said buildings, since similar installations of the state of the art involve handling processes and much greater space occupations, which ends up being an inconvenience both when planning an installation and when assembling it.

[0044] The conduction object of the invention prevents the loss of heat that occurs in this type of conduction, both by conduction, through the insulation layer (2), and by radiation, through the aluminum film sheet (3) that prevents said loss by radiation.

[0045] The conduit object of the invention, in addition to the straight sections, configured by the tubes (1) with its insulation layer (2) and its sheet of aluminum film (3), also has accessories (4), such as elbows, in which a central body (5) is surrounded by the insulation layer (2), such that said insulation layer (2) can comprise two pieces of polyurethane foam (2A, 2B) fixed together to surround the central body (5) of the accessory, and also have the aluminum film sheet (3) around the insulation layer (2). The conduit object of the invention is manufactured once and does not require the successive work of different professionals for its installation since the installation can be carried out at once.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Conduit for a fluid at temperature for the interior of a building characterized in that it comprises: a tube (1), an insulation layer (2) located surrounding the tube (1), and a sheet of aluminum film (3) located surrounding the insulation layer (2), where the conduit is a unitary body comprising the tube (1), the insulation layer (2) and the sheet of aluminum film (3).

2. Conduit for a fluid at temperature for the interior of a building, according to claim 1, characterized in that the tube (1) is made of a plastic material chosen from polyethylene, polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (C-PVC), or cross-linked polyethylene, or steel.

3. Conduit for a fluid at temperature for the interior of a building, according to any of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the insulation layer (2) is made of polyurethane foam injected onto the tube (1).

4. Conduit for a fluid at temperature for the interior of a building, according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the insulation layer (2) has a thickness of between 8 and 60 mm.

5. Conduit for a fluid at temperature for the interior of a building, according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the aluminum film sheet (3) comprises a fiberglass reinforcement.

6. Conduit for a fluid at temperature for the interior of a building, according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises at least one accessory (4) which in turn comprises: a central body (5), an insulation layer (2) around the central body (5), and a sheet of aluminum film (3) located surrounding the insulation layer (2), such that the insulation layer comprises two pieces (2A, 2B) of polyurethane foam facing each other and joined together.

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