Long Pipe Joint Welding With Pre-Winding X-Ray Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for connecting joints to long pipes for hydraulic pressure tests face challenges such as gaps due to non-circular pipe cross-sections and inadequate X-ray inspection of weld zones, leading to potential water leaks and reliability concerns.
Innovation Solution
A joint connection method using a production facility with a conveyance system, welding apparatus, and X-ray inspection apparatus to girth weld and inspect joints before winding the long pipe around a reel, ensuring proper joint connections and weld zone integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a collet chuck-type joint is used to connect joints to long pipe end portions, then the joint connection process is simplified, but gaps arise between the joint and the outer surface of the long pipe due to non-circular pipe cross-sections, leading to potential water leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing X-ray inspection of the girth weld zone before the long pipe is wound around the reel. This allows detection and correction of potential leakage issues at the joint connections before final assembly, ensuring reliability without compromising manufacturing ease. The inspection step is inserted early in the process to prevent defects from propagating to later stages.
2Productivity
If the long pipe is wound around a reel before X-ray inspection, then the production workflow is streamlined, but adequate X-ray inspection of weld zones cannot be performed, compromising joint connection reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs X-ray inspection of the girth weld zone before winding the long pipe around the reel. This preliminary inspection ensures that joint connections are verified for integrity while the pipe is still accessible and in a straight configuration, maintaining both productivity and reliability. The inspection is completed as a preliminary step before the winding operation begins.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual girth welding is used to connect joints to long pipe end portions, then flexibility in handling non-circular pipe cross-sections is improved, but X-ray inspection of weld zones after winding becomes difficult, reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs X-ray inspection of the girth weld zone before the long pipe is wound around the reel. This timing ensures that the weld zones are accessible and can be thoroughly inspected while the pipe is in a straight, unwound state. Manual girth welding provides the necessary adaptability for non-circular cross-sections, and the preliminary inspection timing resolves the inspection difficulty that would occur after winding.
4Ease of manufacture
If hydraulic pressure testing is performed after winding the long pipe around a reel, then the testing process is simplified, but potential water leaks from inadequate joint connections cannot be detected, compromising quality assurance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs X-ray inspection of the girth weld zone before winding the long pipe around the reel, serving as a preliminary quality check. This preliminary inspection identifies potential leakage issues at joint connections before the pipe is wound, ensuring quality assurance. The hydraulic pressure testing can then be performed after winding with confidence that major defects have already been detected and corrected.
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
This method allows for reliable connection of joints to long pipes, ensuring appropriate hydraulic pressure testing by inspecting and confirming the quality of girth weld zones before winding, thereby preventing water leaks and enhancing the reliability of the joint connections.
Implementation Method 1
The welding apparatus performs girth welding to weld together end portions of a plurality of pipes conveyed by the conveyance system to form a long pipe
Implementation Method 2
The X-ray inspection apparatus inspects a girth weld zone of the long pipe
Implementation Method 3
water inside the long pipe is pressurized to a high pressure, and both of the joints are blocked with an isolation valve to maintain the pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A joint connection method is provided that is a method for connecting joints that are used for a hydraulic pressure test or the like to a long pipe by using a production facility which includes a conveyance system, a welding apparatus, a winding apparatus and an X-ray inspection apparatus. The joint connection method includes a step of girth welding a first joint to a front end portion of the long pipe by means of the welding apparatus, a step of inspecting a girth weld zone of the first joint by means of the X-ray inspection apparatus, a step of girth welding a second joint to a rear end portion of the long pipe by means of the welding apparatus, and a step of inspecting a girth weld zone of the second joint by means of the X-ray inspection apparatus.