LED Pipeline Liner Curing Apparatus with Integral Fluid Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing UV radiation-based methods for curing pipeline liners are hazardous to workers, unstable, and inefficient due to old vacuum tube technology, making it difficult to monitor and control the curing process effectively.
Innovation Solution
The use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for curing pipeline liners, which are more stable, efficient, and safer, with a compact design that allows for even electromagnetic radiation distribution and integral fluid cooling, enabling monitoring through temperature measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If UV radiation sources are used to cure the liner, then the curing process can be performed with minimal energy consumption, but the UV radiation is hazardous to workers and the equipment is unstable with varying power output
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces UV radiation-based curing with a water circulation system that uses thermal energy transfer. Instead of using electromagnetic radiation (UV lights) to cure the resin, the system circulates water through channels in the liner to transfer heat and cure the material through thermal conduction and convection, eliminating hazardous UV exposure while maintaining energy efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces water as an intermediary medium between the energy source and the liner resin. The water circulation system acts as a mediator that transfers thermal energy to the liner through the wall structure, enabling indirect curing that avoids direct exposure to harmful radiation while maintaining controlled and stable energy delivery
2Reliability
If UV radiation sources are used to cure the liner, then curing can be performed, but the equipment stability is poor and power output varies during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the unstable UV radiation system with a mechanically controlled water circulation system. The water pump and circulation mechanism provide stable, controllable flow rates that consistently deliver thermal energy to the liner, eliminating the power output variations inherent in UV lamp systems while improving overall equipment reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the curing mechanism from electromagnetic radiation to thermal conduction through water circulation. By controlling water temperature, flow rate, and circulation timing, the system achieves stable and predictable curing parameters, replacing the unstable power output characteristics of UV equipment with precisely controllable thermal parameters
3Ease of operation
If a lining tube is pulled into the pipeline and forced outwardly, then the renovation can be performed, but access to the pipeline from the outside is required which causes inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional approach by introducing the liner from the inside of the pipeline rather than pulling it from the outside. The liner is fed through existing openings or manholes and positioned within the pipeline, then cured in place using the water circulation system, eliminating the need for external access and reducing disruption to traffic and residents
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 LED-based system provides a safer, more efficient, and controlled curing process with consistent energy emission, allowing for effective monitoring and completion of the curing process, even in small pipelines, while minimizing environmental disruption.
Implementation Method 1
an array of light emitting diodes (LED's) for emitting electromagnetic radiation for curing the liner
Implementation Method 2
said plurality of LED's being connected in thermal conductive relationship to heat dissipating elements freely exposed at said inner wall of said housing in said through-going passage of said housing for allowing a stream of cooling fluid to pass through said passage for dissipating heat from said heat dissipating elements and cooling said LED's
Data Source
AI summary
A system for curing a pipeline liner that includes a resin curable by exposure to radiation includes first and second liner curing apparatuses, each of which includes a housing defining opposite first and second ends, and outer and inner walls defining a passage between the first and second ends; a plurality of LED's on the outer wall and operable to irradiate the radiation; and a plurality of heat dissipating elements on the inner wall. The LED's are connected in thermally-conductive relationship to the heat dissipating elements, whereby heat is dissipated from the heat dissipating elements to cool the LED's when a stream of cooling fluid passes through the passage. In use, the apparatuses, joined end-to-end, are moved within the liner while irradiating radiation from the LED's onto the liner, and the velocity of the apparatuses moving through the liner is adjusted to cause a complete curing of the resin.