Curved Pipe Joint Restraint for High-Pressure Leak Prevention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Cast iron drain pipe systems are prone to joint failures and leakage under high pressures due to the lack of effective solutions for restraining movement at transitions from vertical to horizontal piping, leading to potential property damage and operational issues.
Innovation Solution
A restraint system comprising adjustable straps with pipe connectors that encircle and clamp adjacent pipe sections and fittings, providing symmetric forces to maintain joint integrity and prevent splaying or tilting during high-pressure conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bulky and expensive combinations of threaded rod, fasteners, and heavy pipe riser clamps are used to reinforce vertical-to-horizontal transitions, then joint stability under high pressure is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The restraint system is divided into modular components: straps with adjustable lengths, pipe connectors that attach to individual pipe sections, and configurable arrangements (single strap, dual straps, triangular configurations). This segmentation allows the system to be adapted to different pipe sizes and pressure conditions without requiring completely different restraint designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The strap and pipe connector components are designed to be universal across different pipe diameters and fitting types. The same basic strap design can be used with various pipe sizes by adjusting strap length and connector positioning, eliminating the need for multiple specialized restraint devices for different pipe configurations.
2Strength
If heavy-gage metal clamps resembling bear traps are used to support vertical pipe runs, then pipe support strength is improved, but ease of operation and installation are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The restraint system incorporates adjustable straps with configurable lengths that can be tailored during installation to the specific pipe diameter and pressure conditions. This adjustability allows workers to optimize the restraint configuration on-site rather than installing fixed-size heavy clamps, significantly improving ease of operation while maintaining sufficient strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows changing of critical parameters including strap length, connector positioning, and strap tension to match the specific application requirements. This parameter adjustability enables the same basic component design to achieve adequate support strength across a range of pipe sizes and pressure conditions without requiring heavy fixed designs.
3Device complexity
If no restraint system is used at pipe transitions, then device complexity is reduced, but joint integrity under high pressure deteriorates leading to leakage and property damage
Solution Approach 1:
The restraint system uses flexible straps rather than rigid structural elements. These straps can conform to the pipe geometry and provide distributed restraint forces along the pipe-fitting-joint assembly, maintaining joint integrity through flexible tensioning rather than rigid constraint, thereby achieving reliability with minimal complexity.
4Ease of manufacture
If standardized restraint devices are used across different pipe sizes, then manufacturing and inventory are simplified, but adaptability to specific pipe configurations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The standardized straps incorporate adjustable length mechanisms that allow a single standardized component design to adapt to different pipe diameters and spacing requirements. This dynamic adjustability enables one standardized product to serve multiple pipe sizes and configurations, simultaneously achieving manufacturing simplicity and field adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A joint restraint is provided for a curved pipe joint having a curved pipe section joining two adjacent pipe sections. The pipes are joined using tubular sleeves held by hose clamps to form fluid tight seals, with two clamps on each end of the curved pipe sections and two clamps on each proximal end of the adjacent pipe sections. An inner strap extends between and fastens to one of the clamps on each adjacent pipe section forming a chord of an arc. An outer strap extends along an outer periphery of the joined pipes and fastens to the other clamps on each adjacent pipe section. The straps are in a plane through a center of the flow path of the joined pipes.