Laser Head Positioning for T-Piping Residual Stress Relief
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for reducing residual stress in piping, particularly in complex shapes like T-piping, struggle to uniformly heat the wide surface area, especially around weld zones, leading to incomplete stress relief and potential stress-corrosion cracking.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus that uses a laser head with adjustable position and direction to irradiate the outer surface of T-piping, featuring circumferential, axial, radial, and emission-direction adjustments, allowing for precise and uniform heating of the weld zone and its vicinity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high frequency heating is used to remove residual stress, then stress removal effectiveness is improved, but apparatus size and power consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical high frequency heating system with a laser-based heating system. The laser head emits laser beams that directly heat the piping surface without requiring complex high frequency power supply equipment, thereby achieving stress removal effectiveness while significantly reducing apparatus size and power consumption requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential heating function from the complex high frequency heating system and implements it through a focused laser beam. By taking out only the necessary heating capability and delivering it through optical energy, the system eliminates the need for large-scale high frequency equipment while maintaining stress removal effectiveness.
2Temperature
If conventional heating methods are used on T-piping, then heating capability is achieved, but uniform heating of wide surface area is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heating task by using multiple nozzles that can be independently controlled. Each nozzle targets a specific region of the T-piping, allowing precise control of heating zones. The circumferential position adjusting structure further divides the heating area into multiple positions that can be adjusted independently, ensuring uniform heating across the entire wide surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic adjustment capabilities through the circumferential position adjusting structure and nozzle positioning mechanisms. The nozzles can be dynamically repositioned around the T-piping to maintain optimal heating positions, and the laser power can be dynamically adjusted to achieve uniform temperature distribution across varying surface geometries.
3Temperature
If laser heating is applied to T-piping without position adjustment, then heating is achieved, but uniform heating of weld zone and vicinity is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control through temperature detection means that monitor the heating process in real-time. The detected temperature information is fed back to the control system, which adjusts the laser power and nozzle positions to maintain uniform heating. This closed-loop control ensures that the weld zone and its vicinity receive consistent heat treatment despite geometric variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal heating system that can handle various piping geometries through the circumferential position adjusting structure and multiple adjustable nozzles. The system can adapt to different T-piping configurations and weld positions, providing uniform heating coverage regardless of the specific geometric requirements, thereby achieving multi-functional applicability.
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
Effectively reduces residual stress in T-piping by ensuring uniform heating of the weld zone and its surrounding areas, thereby extending the piping's lifespan and preventing stress-corrosion cracking.
Implementation Method 1
irradiates an outer surface of a T-piping with a laser beam emitted from a laser head
Data Source
AI summary
A weld zone of T-piping and its neighborhood are efficiently laser-heated to remove residual stress. For this purpose, the weld zone of a T-piping (50) is irradiated and heated with a laser beam emitted from a laser head (10) to remove residual stress. At this time, a rotating travel cart (3) travels along a ring rail (2) to adjust the position of the laser head (10) in a θ-direction, a vertical slide (4) slides to adjust the position of the laser head (10) in a Z-direction, a radial slide (5) slides to adjust the position of the laser head (10) in an L-direction, an arcuate piece slide (7) slides along an arcuate piece to adjust the α-direction of the laser head (10), a laser head support portion (9) turns to adjust theβ-direction of the laser head (10), and oscillation adjusts the position of the laser head (10) in a γ-direction.