Internal Pipe Clamping With Sealed Jaws for High-Pressure Cable Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for inserting cables and optical fibers into conduits, such as those using radially expandable sealing plugs or electromechanical devices, face issues with high-pressure failure, pipe deformation, and difficulty in navigating bends, leading to safety hazards and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
An inner pipe clamping and sealing mechanism that uses a solid disc with a rubber disc and extendable clamping jaws to create a force-fit, hermetically sealed connection, allowing for high-pressure insertion of cables and optical fibers using either pneumatic or mechanical means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a radially expandable rubber plug is used to seal the pipe behind the shuttle, then the shuttle can be propelled using compressed air, but the sealing plug may suddenly fail and be explosively ejected from the pipe at high pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is divided into two independent components: the inner tube clamp with clamping jaws that provide mechanical anchoring, and the sealing element that provides hermetic sealing. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally - the clamping jaws absorb reaction forces through mechanical interlocking while the sealing element maintains the pressure seal, preventing catastrophic failure of the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner tube clamp with its extendable clamping jaws is installed beforehand to create a mechanical anchor point that can absorb reaction forces. This pre-positioned cushioning structure prevents the sealing element from being subjected to excessive forces that would cause explosive ejection, as the clamping jaws bear the mechanical load before the sealing element is engaged.
2Productivity
If the pipe is pinched or deformed at a single point, then the shuttle gets stuck and cannot overcome the obstruction, but using high pressure to force the shuttle through increases the risk of sealing plug failure
Solution Approach 1:
The inner tube clamp is installed and activated beforehand to create a stable mechanical anchor and hermetic seal before the shuttle is propelled through the pipe. This preliminary action ensures that the sealing element is securely positioned and the system can withstand high pressures, allowing the shuttle to overcome obstructions like pinched or deformed pipe sections without risking sealing plug failure.
3Productivity
If an electromechanical device with drive wheels is used to insert cables into conduits, then the cable can be conveyed effectively, but the manufacture is complex and expensive due to vulcanization requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The complex electromechanical drive system with vulcanized rubber wheels is replaced by a simpler pneumatic system. The inner tube clamp provides mechanical anchoring, and compressed air propels the shuttle carrying the cable through the conduit. This substitution eliminates the need for complex vulcanization processes while maintaining effective cable conveyance capability.
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 mechanism provides a stable, reversible connection that withstands high pressures up to 10 bar, accommodates various pipe diameters, and allows easy retrieval of stuck shuttles, facilitating efficient insertion and navigation through complex pipe layouts without bulky equipment.
Implementation Method 1
The insertion element is inserted into the conduit using the inner pipe clamping and sealing mechanism either i) pneumatically by pulling it with the aid of a compressed air-driven shuttle or parachute
Implementation Method 2
a mechanical clamping device extending inwards into the conduit pipe from the seal, for example the disc, from which at least two clamping jaws can be extended radially mechanically, hydraulically or pneumatically and clamped to the inner wall of the conduit pipe
Implementation Method 3
the rubber disc can then be clamped onto the end of the conduit pipe in a sealing manner
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The inventive inner tube clamping of a conduit (25) serves as a basis for inserting an insertion element into a conduit (25), wherein the inner tube clamping comprises a seal, for example, made of a fixed disc (7) with an adjoining rubber disc (8), for contact with the open flat termination (27) at the end of the open conduit (25), as well as a mechanical clamping device extending inwards from the disc (7) into the conduit (25), from which at least two clamping jaws (10-13) can be extended radially mechanically, hydraulically or pneumatically and clamped to the inner wall of the conduit (25), and the rubber disc can then be clamped sealingly onto the conduit end (37). Also claimed is a feed unit (38) for inserting a rod into a conduit (2), as well as a method for inserting cables, rods and hoses into a conduit (25) using compressed air and a feed unit (38).