Thermal Insulation Device for Screwed Pipe Junctions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing double wall piping systems experience significant heat losses at junctions due to inadequate thermal insulation, leading to issues like paraffin deposits, asphaltene precipitation, and heat transfer with casing pipes, which complicates the transportation of hot fluids and affects the thermal balance.
Innovation Solution
A thermal insulation device is introduced for the screwed junction of double pipe sections, featuring an outer pipe surrounding an inner tubing with a thermally insulating material inserted between them, where the male and female portions are designed with specific diametric relationships and welding configurations to minimize heat loss, utilizing micro-porous or multilayered insulation materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If dense plastic material is used for cylindrical insulation at the connector, then the insulation can be installed in limited space, but the thermal insulation performance deteriorates significantly (10-30 W/m2/K compared to 0.1 W/m2/K for vacuum insulation)
Solution Approach 1:
The insulation system is segmented into multiple functional layers: vacuum insulation layer, reflective barrier layers, and structural support elements. This segmentation allows achieving superior thermal performance (comparable to continuous sections) within the limited connector space by combining multiple insulation mechanisms rather than relying on a single thick layer of dense material
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite insulation structures combining vacuum technology with reflective barriers (multi-layer insulation). This composite approach achieves thermal performance comparable to the continuous pipe sections (0.1 W/m2/K) while maintaining the compact dimensions required for connector installation, overcoming the limitation of dense plastic materials
2Manufacturing precision
If the male and female portions are fitted into one another with specific diametric relationships, then the assembly precision is improved, but the space available for insulation material is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The insulation problem is solved by transitioning from radial insulation (which would require thick walls reducing the annular space) to axial insulation layers. The reflective barriers and vacuum insulation are arranged in axial dimensions, allowing high thermal performance without compromising the diametric relationships required for precise male-female assembly
3Loss of energy
If high-quality insulation materials like honeycomb structure are used, then the thermal insulation performance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs flexible reflective barrier films and thin-walled structural components that can be easily assembled in the connector. These thin-film solutions provide effective thermal insulation without the structural complexity of rigid honeycomb structures, maintaining ease of assembly while achieving the required thermal performance
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 achieves insulation performance comparable to the continuous sections, reducing heat losses to around 1 W/m2/K, maintaining thermal integrity despite limited space and high pressures, and allows for the use of high-quality insulation materials like honeycomb structures.
Implementation Method 1
a thermally insulating material being inserted between the part of the external pipe and the intermediate part
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal insulation device of a screwed junction between two sections of pipe comprising an outer pipe surrounding an inner pipe between which thermal insulation material is positioned, the inner pipes being assembled together by the screwed junction, one section delimiting a male portion and the other delimiting a female portion, the portions being fitted together to delimit the screwed junction, wherein the male portion comprises the inner pipe and a tubular part connected thereto, the diameter of the tubular part being less than that of the outer pipe, and wherein the female portion comprises a part of the outer pipe and an intermediate tubular part connecting the inner pipe to the outer pipe, the inner diameter of the intermediate part being greater than the outer diameter of the tubular part of the male portion, the thermally insulating material being inserted between the outer pipe and the intermediate part.