Heated Pipe Wall Formwork for Faster Lateral Sewer Repair
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sewer renovation technologies face challenges with maneuverability, pressure control, and extended curing times when renovating damaged line walls, particularly at the connection of a supporting line to a main line.
Innovation Solution
A device featuring a mobile carrier element with a cover element and an extending stretching body, where the stretching body has an integrated heating device and is used to form a formwork with the cover element, allowing for the efficient application and quick hardening of a viscose renovation mass.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If supply lines for sealant are made very long to reach damaged areas 100+ meters away, then the device can repair distant locations, but the maneuverability of the device in the sewer is significantly limited
Solution Approach 1:
The sealant storage container and pumping system are extracted from the remote supply location and integrated directly onto the mobile robot platform. This eliminates the need for long external supply lines and allows the robot to operate autonomously at distant locations without compromising maneuverability.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile robot is designed as a multi-functional platform that combines navigation, formwork assembly, sealant storage, and pumping capabilities in one integrated system. This universal design eliminates the need for separate supply equipment and long connection lines.
2Stress or pressure
If pressure is increased to push viscous sealant through long pipes, then the sealant can reach distant areas, but excessive stress is placed on damaged and brittle sections of the sewer wall
Solution Approach 1:
The high-pressure mechanical pumping system is replaced with a low-pressure vacuum-based sealant application system. The vacuum pump creates negative pressure to draw the sealant through the formwork onto the damaged area, eliminating the need for high delivery pressure that could damage brittle sewer walls.
3Ease of operation
If operator is located dozens of meters away to control the device, then remote operation is enabled, but the operator is unable to adjust the delivery pressure for the renovation compound
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum pump system is designed to automatically maintain optimal negative pressure for sealant delivery without requiring manual pressure adjustment by the operator. The system self-regulates the pressure conditions needed for effective sealant application, combining remote operation with adaptive pressure control.
4Manufacturing precision
If formwork is used to contain the sealant, then complete filling of damaged areas is ensured, but the required pressure range is difficult to maintain over long distances
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum-based sealant delivery system eliminates the need for high-pressure injection through long supply lines. By using negative pressure to draw sealant through the formwork, the system maintains consistent pressure conditions at the application point regardless of distance, ensuring complete filling while avoiding excessive pressure.
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
The device enables faster and more reliable renovation of line walls by ensuring a sufficient pot time for the renovation mass while accelerating the curing process through integrated heating, thus reducing labor costs and equipment downtime.
Implementation Method 1
the device comprises a heating device integrated into the expansion body
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (1) for repairing damaged pipe walls in the region of the connection of secondary pipe to a main pipe, comprising a mobile support element, wherein a cover element and an expandable expansion element are arranged on the support element. In the non-expanded state, the expandable expansion element is positioned or can be positioned in the secondary pipe at least partly in or through a first cut-out portion in the cover element, and in the expanded state, the expandable expansion element lies against the wall of the secondary pipe so that the cover element and the expansion element together form a formwork. The cover element has a second cut-out portion, through which a curable viscous patch-repair compound can be introduced from a storage device into the space between the formwork and the main and secondary pipe walls adjoining the formwork, by means of a transport means. The device further comprises a heating device which is integrated into the expansion element and/or is operatively connected to the expansion element at least in the region of the second cut-out portion.