Adjustable Pipe Support With Telescopic Towers for Subsidence
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional pipeline supports are vulnerable to subsidence and environmental changes, requiring costly and labor-intensive adjustments, which are difficult to implement, especially in harsh environments, due to their fixed nature and need for heavy equipment and multiple laborers.
Innovation Solution
A maneuverable and adjustable support apparatus comprising two lifting towers with nested tubular members and a drive mechanism that allows for simultaneous raising or lowering of the towers and cross-beam support members, enabling precise installation and in-place adjustments without the need for additional parts or complex equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional fixed pipeline supports are used, then installation is simple with piles driven into the ground, but the supports are vulnerable to subsidence and cannot be adjusted when environmental changes occur
Solution Approach 1:
The support apparatus transitions from a fixed static structure to a dynamic adjustable structure. The lifting towers incorporate telescopic sections that can extend and retract, and the entire apparatus can be raised and lowered on the piles to compensate for subsidence. This dynamic capability allows the support to adapt to changing ground conditions while maintaining pipeline elevation.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting towers utilize a nested telescopic structure where inner tubular members are inserted within outer tubular members. This nesting arrangement allows the towers to extend vertically to compensate for subsidence while maintaining a compact form when retracted, and enables the structure to adjust its height without requiring complete disassembly and reassembly.
2Strength
If traditional fixed supports are designed for strength and stability, then they provide reliable support, but adjustment or reinstallation becomes costly and labor intensive requiring multiple laborers and significant equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The support apparatus incorporates a winch system with drum and cable that enables dynamic adjustment of the pipeline height. The winch can raise and lower the lifting towers on the piles, allowing the support to adapt to subsidence. This mechanical adjustment system maintains structural strength while providing ease of operation compared to traditional fixed supports that require complete replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines multiple functions into a single integrated apparatus: the piles provide anchoring, the lifting towers provide vertical support with telescopic adjustment, the winch provides height adjustment capability, and the beam provides pipeline support. This merging of functions allows the structure to maintain strength while being easily adjustable through a single coordinated system rather than requiring multiple separate operations.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional pipeline supports are installed in harsh environments with frozen or wet ground, then installation is possible, but heavy equipment cannot be easily maneuvered and multiple laborers are required
Solution Approach 1:
The support apparatus is divided into separable components: the base section with piles, the lifting towers that can be assembled on the piles, and the beam. This segmentation allows the components to be transported separately to harsh locations and assembled on-site without requiring heavy equipment to maneuver complete assemblies through difficult terrain.
Solution Approach 2:
The piles are driven into the ground first to establish the foundation, then the lifting towers are assembled on top of the installed piles. This preliminary action of securing the base first allows subsequent components to be assembled in place, avoiding the need to maneuver heavy complete assemblies through harsh terrain during installation.
4Reliability
If adjustment of traditional pipeline supports is performed, then subsidence can be remediated, but full pipeline shutdowns are usually required and the process is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The winch system enables dynamic height adjustment of the lifting towers while the pipeline remains in service. The telescopic towers can be extended or retracted, and the winch can raise or lower the entire assembly on the piles, allowing subsidence compensation without requiring pipeline shutdown. This maintains support functionality while eliminating operational disruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The support apparatus is designed to be self-adjusting through its telescopic towers and winch system. The structure can compensate for subsidence by extending the telescopic sections or raising the towers on the piles, maintaining pipeline elevation without requiring external intervention or pipeline shutdown. The system serves itself by having built-in adjustment capabilities that activate as needed.
Data Source
AI summary
Adjustable pipe supports can include a drive mechanism for substantially symmetrically raising and lowering a horizontal beam to emplace and over time adjust such beams bearing a load. Base and support sections of operatively coupled lifting towers are configured to move with respect to one another using the common drive mechanism, with the horizontal beam coupled to the support section.