Asymmetrical Fabric Composition for Pipe Relining Surface and Strength Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cured-in-place pipe liner technologies face challenges in achieving optimal mechanical properties on the outside and surface finish properties on the inside of pipes, particularly due to uneven fiber distribution and resin content, which affects durability and abrasion resistance.
Innovation Solution
A continuous fabric with asymmetrical properties, featuring varying thickness and fiber density, is used to create a repair liner. The fabric has a higher quantity of fine mat fibers on the inside for abrasion resistance and fewer fibers on the outside for enhanced mechanical properties, allowing for efficient winding and resin impregnation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a uniform fabric structure is used in pipe liners, then manufacturing is simplified, but mechanical properties and surface finish cannot be simultaneously optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The fabric is constructed with different layers having different fiber densities and orientations: the first layer (facing pipe interior) has lower fiber density for smooth surface finish, while the second layer (facing exterior) has higher fiber density for enhanced mechanical strength. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by optimizing each surface for its specific functional requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The fabric employs an asymmetrical structure where the two layers have deliberately different properties - one layer optimized for abrasion resistance and surface finish, the other for structural strength. This asymmetry allows simultaneous optimization of both mechanical properties and surface finish, which would be impossible with a uniform symmetric structure.
2Strength
If fiber density is increased throughout the fabric, then mechanical strength improves, but surface finish and abrasion resistance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly increasing fiber density throughout the fabric, the invention applies higher fiber density only in the second layer that contacts the exterior, while maintaining lower fiber density in the first layer that contacts the pipe interior. This local differentiation allows strength enhancement without compromising surface finish quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The fabric is segmented into two distinct layers with different fiber density characteristics. The first layer is optimized for surface quality with lower fiber density, while the second layer provides structural strength with higher fiber density. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by separating the conflicting requirements into different spatial zones.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If fiber density is decreased throughout the fabric, then surface finish improves, but mechanical strength and durability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies lower fiber density only in the first layer that contacts the pipe interior to achieve smooth surface finish, while maintaining higher fiber density in the second layer for structural strength. This localized approach allows surface optimization without compromising overall mechanical integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A continuous fabric for use in forming a repair liner for reinforcing a pipe. The fabric includes a top layer and one or more bottom layers. The width of the top layer is less than the width of the continuous fabric and the density of the top layer is less than the density of at least one of the at least one or more bottom layers. The top layer may serve as a guide for winding the fabric in an overlapping pattern about a mandrel so that the essentially only the top layer is visible in the fabric winding.