Expandable Elastomeric Patch for Pipeline Leak Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pipeline leaks pose significant environmental and economic challenges due to their underground or submerged locations, making direct replacement or external access difficult, and existing internal repair methods are limited in effectiveness and accessibility.
Innovation Solution
A robotic system employing an expandable elastomeric patch with semi-cylindrical parts connected by compliant joints, which can be compressed to fit inside a pipe and expand to seal leaks, utilizing magnetic particles for ferrous pipes and O-rings for secure engagement, guided by a robotic vehicle with actuation and control systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pipeline replacement or external access is used to repair leaks, then repair effectiveness is improved, but accessibility and implementation difficulty worsen due to underground or submerged locations
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of accessing the pipe from the outside to repair leaks, the invention inverts the approach by inserting the repair device from the inside of the pipe. The expandable patch is delivered through the pipe's interior and deployed at the leak location, eliminating the need for external access or pipe replacement while maintaining effective leak sealing.
2Reliability
If a rigid patch is used to seal leaks, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but adaptability to different pipe configurations and materials worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs an expandable patch constructed from flexible, elastomeric materials that can conform to various pipe internal surfaces. The patch includes compliant joints and elastomeric components that allow it to adapt to different pipe shapes, sizes, and materials while maintaining effective sealing when expanded against the pipe interior.
Solution Approach 2:
The patch transitions from a compressed state during insertion to an expanded state during sealing. This parameter change in volume and shape allows the same device to navigate through the pipe easily and then create an effective seal at the leak location, adapting to different pipe configurations through controlled expansion.
3Reliability
If the patch is expanded to seal the leak, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but the ability to maintain fluid flow with minimal disruption worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable patch applies sealing force locally at the leak location rather than constricting the entire pipe. This localized sealing approach creates a tight seal at the defect while leaving the rest of the pipe interior open for fluid flow, maintaining productivity while achieving effective leak repair.
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
Enables efficient and effective sealing of leaks within pipes from the inside, ensuring a tight seal while allowing for fluid flow with minimal disruption, suitable for various pipe materials and configurations, including non-circular cross-sections.
Implementation Method 1
The elastomeric material may include magnetic particles dispersed therein for use with ferrous pipes
Data Source
AI summary
System for pipeline rehabilitation. The system includes repairing a leak in a pipe using a pair of substantially semi-cylindrical parts connected through a compliant joint. When the parts are compressed, the semi-cylindrical parts form a cylinder whose outside diameter is less than the inside diameter of a pipe with a defect thereby allowing the cylinder to be inserted into the pipe at a location of a leak. Once in place, the parts engage the inside surface of the pipe when the compression is released thereby to seal the leak.