Additively Joined Jacketed Pipe for High-Pressure Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional jacketed steel pipes for high-pressure applications face challenges in achieving uniform temperature control and mechanical strength due to the use of press-on rings, which create axial distances that prevent active heating or cooling and represent potential failure points, especially when dealing with materials difficult to weld.
Innovation Solution
The pipe component employs additive manufacturing to connect the inner pipe and jacket via a connecting element with curved or chamfered transition surfaces, eliminating the need for press-on rings and allowing for continuous temperature control and improved fluid flow, thereby enhancing mechanical strength and reducing the risk of failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a press-on ring is used to connect the inner pipe and jacket, then the connection can be made without welding, but an axial distance is created that prevents active temperature control
Solution Approach 1:
The press-on ring is completely removed from the design. Instead of using a separate press-on ring component, the invention integrates the connecting element directly into the jacket structure, allowing the annular space to extend continuously to the pipe end without any intermediate components creating axial gaps.
Solution Approach 2:
The jacket and connecting element are merged into a single integrated component manufactured via additive manufacturing. This eliminates the need for separate press-on rings and enables the annular space to extend continuously to the pipe end, achieving both reliable connection and active temperature control.
2Strength
If conventional welding is used to join the jacket to the inner pipe, then a strong connection is achieved, but safety risks increase due to potential weld seam failures
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical welding process is replaced with additive manufacturing technology. The connecting element is built layer-by-layer directly onto the inner pipe surface, creating a metallurgically bonded structure without the need for separate welding operations that create potential failure points.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process parameters are fundamentally changed from conventional welding (heat, pressure, filler material) to additive manufacturing (layer-by-layer material deposition, controlled cooling). This produces a connection with different microstructure and mechanical properties that eliminates weld seam vulnerabilities.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additive manufacturing is used to create the connecting element, then complex geometries with curved transition surfaces can be produced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The transition surfaces between the annular space and external environment are designed with curved geometries (spherical, cylindrical, or conical surfaces) rather than sharp edges. This curvature serves multiple functions: it improves fluid flow dynamics, reduces stress concentrations, and is naturally well-suited to additive manufacturing processes that build layer-by-layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing precision requirements are managed by changing the geometric parameters of the transition surfaces. By using curved surfaces with specific radii (e.g., 5-20 mm) rather than sharp edges, the design tolerates the inherent layer-by-layer precision limitations of additive manufacturing while achieving the desired functional performance.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The invention concerns a pipe component made of a metallic material for use in a high-pressure process comprising an inner pipe (1), a jacket (2) surrounding the inner pipe (1), an annular space (3) bounded by the outer surface of the inner pipe (1) and the inner surface of the jacket (2), and a connecting element (6) on at least one pipe end for connecting the pipe component to another component. The jacket (2) has at least one inlet (4) and at least one outlet (5) for a heat transfer fluid. The annular space (3) axially extends up to the connecting element (6) and is bounded and sealed by the connecting element (6). The connection between connecting element (6), inner pipe (1) and jacket (2) is made in an additive manufacturing process.