Modular Containment Housing for Pipe Blasting with Inflatable Seals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current airblasting methods for pipes and similar objects in open environments lead to environmental contamination, operator safety issues, and inefficient containment systems, as they fail to effectively contain abrasive and dust particles, especially when hazardous materials are involved, and require heavy, expensive, and labor-intensive mechanized systems with limited operator visibility.
Innovation Solution
A modular containment system with inflatable seals and a centrifugal grit reclamation design that allows for quick assembly around objects in various orientations, incorporating a vacuum system and vision access with a purged viewing port, enabling effective containment and reclamation of dust and grit while allowing the operator to visually monitor the blasting process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If open blasting is used to treat external surfaces of pipes, then the process is simple and requires minimal equipment, but the grit and dust contaminate the environment and the operator is exposed to hazardous materials
Solution Approach 1:
The containment system is divided into multiple modular sections that can be assembled around the pipe in segments, allowing the blasting operation to be contained without requiring a single large complex structure. This maintains ease of manufacture while achieving containment.
Solution Approach 2:
A transparent viewing panel is introduced as an intermediary between the operator and the blasting zone, allowing the operator to observe the blasting process without direct exposure to hazardous materials and grit, thus enabling containment while maintaining operational visibility.
2Reliability
If mechanized automated containment systems are used to protect the operator, then operator safety is improved, but the systems are heavier, very expensive, and slower to setup
Solution Approach 1:
The containment system is divided into multiple modular sections that can be independently manufactured and assembled, reducing the weight and complexity of each individual component while maintaining overall operator protection. This modular approach allows faster setup compared to a single large mechanized system.
Solution Approach 2:
The containment system is designed to be manually assembled and adjusted by the operator without requiring heavy mechanized equipment for setup, making the system self-servicing and reducing the need for additional heavy machinery during installation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If handheld blast and vacuum heads are used to treat the exterior surface, then some containment is achieved, but the nozzle is at a relatively fixed orientation and the operator must exert force to maintain a seal
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle assembly is made dynamically adjustable with variable orientation capabilities, allowing the operator to position the nozzle at optimal angles for different blasting scenarios without exerting force to maintain fixed positioning. The seal mechanism incorporates automatic adjustment features that reduce manual exertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal mechanism parameters are modified to include automatic pressure-balancing features that equalize the pressure differential across the seal, eliminating the need for the operator to continuously exert force to maintain the seal during blasting operations.
4Ease of operation
If the operator works inside the containment area to treat objects, then direct control is possible, but the operator is subjected to hazardous conditions and must wear protective clothing and breathing apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
A transparent viewing panel is introduced as an intermediary that allows the operator to observe and control the blasting process from outside the containment area, eliminating direct exposure to hazardous materials while maintaining visual control over the treatment area.
Solution Approach 2:
The blasting process is visually replicated for the operator through the transparent panel, allowing the operator to monitor and control the process indirectly without physical presence in the hazardous zone, thus eliminating exposure while maintaining control.
5Object-affected harmful factors
If large containment systems are used to suppress harmful effects, then environmental contamination is reduced, but the systems are relatively large and require much labor to set up
Solution Approach 1:
The containment system is divided into multiple smaller modular sections that can be independently assembled and configured for different blasting scenarios, reducing the overall size required compared to large monolithic systems while maintaining effective containment. This modular approach significantly reduces setup time and labor requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The containment system incorporates dynamic, collapsible walls that can be quickly deployed and configured for different object sizes and blasting requirements, eliminating the need for large permanent structures and reducing both the physical size and setup complexity compared to traditional large containment systems.
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 system effectively contains and reclaims abrasive particles, reducing environmental contamination and operator exposure, while enabling efficient and precise blasting of objects in various orientations with improved operator safety and reduced setup time and costs.
Implementation Method 1
the seal elements are inflatable so that they can be inflated to seal and grip around the pipe
Implementation Method 2
The containment system has a centrifugal grit reclamation design that will work in vertical, horizontal and angular orientation
Data Source
AI summary
A containment system the operator to contain, see, blast, and reclaim the grit or abrasives used to strip external surfaces of a pipe, rod, or substantially cylindrical object. The containment chamber or housing is constructed of sections that can be quickly assembled to encapsulate such objects. The grit reclamation or recovery system of the invention is operable to be used in connection with objects that are positioned in a vertical, horizontal, or angled orientation. The containment housing is assembled from sections to encapsulate pipe to contain the dust and grit while blasting. The containment housing has inflatable seals that seal and grip around the pipe. Nozzle control and access as well as vision access are provided to allow the operator to control where the pipe will be blasted and the intensity of the blast. The containment system has a centrifugal grit reclamation design that will work in vertical, horizontal and angular orientation.