Lined Pipe Coupling Sleeve With Thermal Break for Welded Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for connecting lined pipes fail to provide a reliable, leak-proof seal and protect the liners from heat damage during welding, especially in high-pressure applications like mining and oil and gas industries.
Innovation Solution
A welded connection kit featuring a coupling sleeve with a heat transfer break and flanged liners, where the coupling members are welded together to form a seal and compress the liners' flanges, preventing heat transfer and ensuring a secure, fluid-tight connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the coupling members are welded together to connect the lined pipes, then the connection strength and reliability are improved, but the liners may be damaged by heat transfer from the welding process
Solution Approach 1:
A heat transfer break is introduced as an intermediary element between the welding zone and the liners. This heat transfer break comprises a void space and insulation material positioned within the coupling sleeve, serving as a thermal barrier that prevents harmful heat transfer from the welding process to the liners while allowing the welding connection to proceed.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling sleeve is segmented into distinct functional zones: a welding zone for joining coupling members, a heat transfer break zone with void space and insulation material for thermal protection, and a liner receiving zone for accommodating the liners. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function independently, protecting liners from heat while maintaining connection strength.
2Reliability
If the coupling sleeve compresses the liners to form a seal, then the seal reliability is improved, but the liners may be deformed or damaged under excessive compression
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling sleeve incorporates a heat transfer break with controlled void space and insulation material that modifies the thermal and mechanical parameters during compression. This allows the sleeve to apply sufficient compressive force to create a reliable seal between liners while the heat transfer break structure prevents excessive stress concentration that could damage the liners.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a heat transfer break is added to protect liners during welding, then the liner protection is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat transfer break elements (void space and insulation material) are merged into the coupling sleeve structure itself rather than being separate components. The insulation material is positioned within the coupling sleeve's internal geometry, combining the structural and thermal protection functions into a single integrated component, thereby minimizing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat transfer break uses simple, inexpensive insulation materials and void spaces that can be easily manufactured into the coupling sleeve. These materials provide effective thermal protection without requiring complex engineering, accepting that the coupling sleeve is a consumable component in the pipe connection system.
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 solution provides a reliable, leak-proof seal and protects the liners from heat damage during welding, maintaining the integrity of the liners and ensuring a constant, abrasion-resistant flow path across the connection.
Implementation Method 1
The coupling sleeve includes a heat transfer break therein... The heat transfer break is configured to prevent heat transfer from the first and second coupling members to the first and second liners during welding of the first and second coupling members together
Implementation Method 2
The coupling sleeve is configured to define a recess sized and shaped to receive the first flange of the first liner and the second flange of the second liner and compress the first and second flanges together to form a seal therebetween
Implementation Method 3
The first and second coupling members are configured to be welded together to connect the first and second pipes... during welding of the first and second coupling members together
Data Source
AI summary
A welded connection kit for joining first and second lined pipes together includes a coupling sleeve to connect the first and second pipes together. The coupling sleeve has a thermal break in it. The coupling sleeve includes a first coupling member that attaches to the first pipe and a second coupling member that attaches to the second pipe. The first and second coupling members attach to each other to connect the first and second pipes. A first liner lines the first pipe and includes a first flange. A second liner lines the second pipe and includes a second flange. The first and second coupling members compress the first and second flanges together to form a fluid seal.