Internal Pipe Gripping for Long HDD Borehole Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) applications, the increasing friction and forces on long borehole pipes necessitate thicker pipe walls to withstand tensile pull forces and bending stresses, leading to higher material and installation costs.
Innovation Solution
A pipe deploying apparatus with a gripping device that can be moved through the interior of the pipe to grip it at a point spaced from the end, reducing tensile forces by distributing the load between the apparatus and a conventional pipe pulling device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the wall thickness of the pipe is increased to withstand tensile pull forces and bending stresses in long HDD boreholes, then the strength and reliability of the pipe is improved, but the material costs, equipment requirements, and transportation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
A gripping device is introduced as an intermediary element between the pipe and the pulling device. This gripping device travels through the pipe interior and engages with the pipe wall to provide distributed support during installation, allowing thinner-walled pipes to withstand the installation loads without requiring increased material quantity.
2Reliability
If the wall thickness of the pipe is increased to withstand tensile pull forces and bending stresses in long HDD boreholes, then the reliability of the pipe is improved, but the equipment complexity and transportation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping device serves as a mediator that distributes the tensile and bending stresses along the pipe length during installation. By providing continuous support through the pipe's interior, it enables the use of lighter, simpler pipes while maintaining reliability, thereby reducing the overall system complexity and equipment requirements.
3Length of moving object
If multiple sections of pipe are joined together to form a pipe of sufficient length to line the entire borehole, then the ability to line long boreholes is improved, but the joints between pipe sections must withstand increased forces and stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping device acts as a mediator that distributes loads away from the pipe joints during installation. By engaging with the pipe interior and providing continuous support, it reduces the stress concentration at joint locations, allowing multiple pipe sections to be connected without requiring excessively strong joints.
4Device complexity
If a conventional pipe pulling device is used alone to pull the pipe through the borehole, then the installation process is simple, but the tensile forces on the pipe are excessive and require thicker pipe walls
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping device is introduced as an intermediary that works in conjunction with the conventional pulling device. It travels through the pipe interior and provides distributed support, effectively sharing the tensile forces and reducing the peak loads on the pipe wall, thereby allowing the use of thinner-walled pipes without complicating the installation process.
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
Reduces the need for thicker pipe walls, minimizing material costs and equipment requirements while efficiently deploying longer pipes by distributing the load across multiple gripping devices along the pipe length.
Implementation Method 1
the gripping device is configured to grip an interior of the pipe to be deployed
Data Source
AI summary
Lining pipes (103) are routinely pulled through HDD boreholes from one end. As HDD borehole distances get longer, the total amount of friction experienced by the pipe will increase and therefore greater forces/stresses are applied to the pipes (103). For a given material and diameter of pipe (103), conventionally, the only way to handle these stresses is to increase the wall thickness of the pipe (103). The present invention provides at least one gripping device (201) on a line (107), movable through the interior of a pipe (103), and configured to grip an interior of the pipe (103). In this way, the gripping device (201) may be used to grip a pipe (103) at a point spaced from an end thereof, thereby reducing tensile forces on the pipe.