Deformable Pipe Assembly for Underwater Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in designing a flexible and deformable liquid transport pipe for underwater installation, particularly for transporting fresh water over long distances, that can be quickly and reliably laid to ensure rapid operational readiness, while maintaining faultless sealing at pipe junctions and managing the pipe's shape and tensioning during installation.
Innovation Solution
A flexible and deformable liquid transport pipe with a longitudinal axis, capable of bending into a flattened ribbon shape, is paired with a laying device featuring a rotating reel, motorized unwinding, shaping means, and tensioning mechanisms to facilitate axial tension, ensuring watertight connections and efficient assembly, and optionally using a ballast system for controlled submersion and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the pipe is made flexible and deformable to facilitate laying, then the ease of operation is improved, but the manufacturing precision and sealing reliability at junctions deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe sections are pre-formed with circular cross-sections and pre-assembled on land in a controlled environment before being transported and laid underwater. This preliminary assembly ensures precise sealing connections are established while the pipe is still in its rigid circular state, avoiding sealing issues during flexible laying operations
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe is designed to dynamically change its cross-sectional shape from circular during assembly to flattened during laying and operation. The pipe maintains its circular shape at junctions for sealing, then transitions to a flattened ribbon shape for efficient storage and flexible deployment underwater
2Volume of moving object
If the pipe is flattened for storage and laying to reduce space, then the volume is reduced, but the shape control and structural integrity worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe is divided into multiple modular sections that can be independently flattened and stored. Each section maintains its structural integrity when flattened and can be easily reassembled in the correct sequence, allowing compact storage while preserving shape control capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe's cross-sectional geometry is changed from a rigid circular shape to a flexible flattened shape through controlled deformation. The pipe walls are designed with specific mechanical properties that allow reversible transformation between these states while maintaining structural integrity and shape control
3Productivity
If the pipe is assembled underwater to reduce installation time, then the productivity is improved, but the manufacturing precision and sealing reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Pipe sections are pre-assembled and pre-sealed on land in a controlled factory environment where precise sealing can be ensured. The pre-assembled sections are then transported to the underwater site and connected using quick-coupling mechanisms, maintaining sealing reliability while improving installation speed
Solution Approach 2:
A specialized assembly device or coupling mechanism serves as an intermediary tool that enables precise sealing connections to be made underwater. This device provides the necessary alignment and sealing surfaces, allowing high-precision assembly operations to be performed in the challenging underwater environment
4Strength
If tensioning is applied during laying to maintain pipe integrity, then the strength is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Ballast weights are attached to the pipe sections to counteract buoyancy forces and maintain proper tension during underwater laying. These weights provide continuous downward force that keeps the pipe taut and prevents excessive bending or damage, simplifying the laying process by eliminating the need for complex active tensioning mechanisms
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 solution enables rapid and reliable installation of the pipe by allowing spontaneous deformation to match the laying device's shape, ensuring quick operational readiness and minimizing risks of damage during laying and operation, while maintaining the integrity of the transported liquid.
Implementation Method 1
spontaneous deformation of the pipe which will match the shape of the outer surface of this shaper
Implementation Method 2
tensioning means for transmitting to the elongated pipe an axial tension in advance towards downstream and/or retreat upstream
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an assembly comprising: -a pipe (3, 3a) for transporting liquid, deformable between an internal circular cross-section and a flattened internal cross-section that can be null and that can be folded on itself longitudinally, and, -a device for installing said pipe, comprising: * a rotating turret (15) about which the pipe is wound, flattened, * presentation means (19) for presenting one opposite the other, in a commonly conformed state, two pipe sections, * assembly means (21) for a water-tight link between said sections, * optionally tensioning means (23, 230) for transmitting an axial tension to the elongated pipe, * and means (65) for attaching ballast to the elongated pipe.