Pipe Assembly Guide Recess Alignment Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
In pipe assemblies used for transporting fluids, alignment rods can make it difficult to place a liner pipe within a boundary pipe due to irregular shapes or incompatibilities, leading to challenges in preventing vibration and thermal shock, which can result in cracking.
Innovation Solution
A pipe assembly design featuring a guide and recess assembly that prevents movement of the inner pipe within the outer pipe, using a guide fixedly attached to the inner pipe and a recess within the outer pipe, which can be configured with various shapes and attachment methods to securely position the inner pipe, including radial, axial, and sloped portions, and can include additional guides and recesses at both ends for enhanced stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If alignment rods are used to prevent liner pipe vibration, then the liner pipe is secured against vibration and thermal shock, but the complexity of the pipe assembly increases and installation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the alignment rods from the pipe assembly, extracting the problematic component that caused installation difficulties and complexity while maintaining the essential function of preventing liner pipe movement through the guide and recess mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the movement prevention function into two separate components: a guide attached to the liner pipe and a recess in the boundary pipe. This segmentation allows each component to be simpler and easier to manufacture while working together to achieve the same stability function
2Ease of operation
If the interior of the boundary pipe is machine-bored to accommodate irregular shapes, then the liner pipe can be installed, but the manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide and recess are designed and positioned during the normal manufacturing process, so that when the liner pipe is installed, the alignment and accommodation of irregular shapes have already been prepared, eliminating the need for time-consuming machine-boring operations
Solution Approach 2:
The guide and recess act as intermediary elements that mediate between the irregular shapes of the liner pipe and boundary pipe, allowing them to fit together without requiring extensive machining of the boundary pipe interior
3Reliability
If alignment rods are welded to the liner pipe, then the liner pipe is prevented from moving, but the difficulty of placing the liner pipe within the boundary pipe increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of attaching protruding alignment rods to the liner pipe and trying to fit them into the boundary pipe, the patent inverts the approach by creating a recess in the boundary pipe that receives the guide on the liner pipe, making the liner pipe easier to place
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for configuring a pipe assembly includes an inner pipe positioned within an outer pipe, wherein at least one guide fixedly attached near an end of the pipe assembly cooperates with a recess integrated near the end of the pipe assembly to retain movement of the inner pipe with respect to the outer pipe.