Conduit Liner Installation with End Devices for Minimal Digging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conduit rehabilitation methods, such as CIPP technology, can be costly and inefficient due to the need for extensive digging and potential interference with fluid flow, and existing liners may negatively affect the fluids they are intended to rehabilitate.
Innovation Solution
A liner installation apparatus and method that allows for the installation of a curable liner within a conduit using end devices that connect to both ends of the conduit, allowing for reduced digging and improved fluid interaction, with features such as a non-straight axis and tapered connectors to adapt to different conduit sizes and shapes, and the use of a liner-installing fluid and expanders to conform to the conduit's inner surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If CIPP technology is used to rehabilitate conduits without removing old conduits entirely, then the disturbance to local traffic and residents is avoided, but large trenches and holes must still be dug and multiple time-consuming manipulations are required, making the process costly and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit rehabilitation process is divided into two distinct phases: (1) installing the flexible liner through minimal access points using inversion or pulling methods, and (2) curing the liner in place to form the rehabilitated conduit. This segmentation allows the majority of the conduit to remain undisturbed while work is performed only at the ends, reducing traffic disruption and enabling parallel operations that improve overall productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible liner is prepared and impregnated with curable resin before insertion into the conduit. The liner is also pre-formed to the appropriate dimensions and configuration. This preliminary preparation allows the actual installation process to proceed quickly once the liner is in place, reducing on-site manipulation time and improving installation efficiency without requiring extensive trenching.
2Reliability
If a liner is installed inside a conduit to rehabilitate it, then the conduit can be restored without removal, but the liner may reduce flow capacity and otherwise detrimentally interact with fluids flowing through the conduit
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible liner made from thin-walled material is inserted into the conduit and cured in place to form a seamless, jointless inner lining. The thin-film construction minimizes the reduction in flow capacity while still providing effective rehabilitation. The flexible nature of the liner allows it to conform to the existing conduit shape, maintaining hydraulic efficiency while eliminating leaks and structural deficiencies.
Solution Approach 2:
The liner material properties are specifically selected and adjusted to minimize harmful interactions with conveyed fluids. This includes choosing materials with appropriate chemical resistance, smooth surface characteristics to reduce friction, and thickness parameters optimized for flow maintenance. The curing process parameters are also controlled to achieve the desired balance between structural integrity and flow capacity preservation.
3Ease of manufacture
If end devices are connected to both ends of the conduit for liner installation, then digging extent is reduced and fluid interaction is improved, but the devices must remain connected during hydrostatic pressure testing, increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The end devices are designed with multi-functionality to handle multiple operations throughout the liner installation and testing process. Each end device can perform: (1) securing the liner during insertion, (2) injecting curable resin into the liner, (3) facilitating inversion or pulling operations, and (4) serving as the pressure boundary for hydrostatic pressure testing. This universal design eliminates the need for separate testing equipment and keeps the system configuration simple despite the multiple functions required.
Solution Approach 2:
The functions of liner installation and pressure testing are merged into a single continuous operation where the end devices remain connected throughout. The same end devices that install the liner also serve as the test boundaries, eliminating the need to disconnect and reconfigure equipment. This merging of functions reduces overall system complexity and streamlines the rehabilitation process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the extent of digging required, enhances the liner's interaction with fluids, and allows for efficient rehabilitation by enabling hydrostatic pressure testing without disconnecting the end devices, resulting in a more cost-effective and efficient conduit rehabilitation process.
Implementation Method 1
The first end device and the second end device are configured to put liner-installing material including a liner-installing fluid inside the liner
Implementation Method 2
The first end device and the second end device are configured to allow curing of the liner inside the conduit
Implementation Method 3
The first end device and the second end device are configured to allow hydrostatic pressure testing of the liner while the first end device and the second end device are connected to the liner
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for installation of a liner inside a conduit (e.g., water pipe) to transport a fluid (e.g., potable water) to rehabilitate the conduit, in which the liner can be installed, and thus the conduit can be rehabilitated, more efficiently, including, for example, by further reducing an extent of digging that may have to be done, by testing more readily (e.g., pressure-testing for watertightness or other fluid-tightness once installed), and/or by adapting to a cross-sectional size of the conduit. Also, the liner may be thinner, interact better (e.g., less) with the fluid flowing through the conduit, and/or be otherwise designed to enhance its use and performance.