Pipe Support with Drainage Ridges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pipe support structures in marine and industrial environments suffer from corrosion and damage due to fluid pooling, which leads to costly inspections, repairs, and replacements, as existing designs fail to effectively prevent contaminants from contacting the pipe and support surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A pipe support structure with a base plate featuring opposing support ridges and intervening valleys that direct fluid and contaminants into a drainage channel, preventing pooling and contact with the pipe, while allowing for customizable sizes and materials, including non-corrosive thermoplastics and metals, to ensure effective drainage and corrosion resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pipe supports are designed with cupped and bowl-like contours to house rounded pipe surfaces, then pipe support and stability is improved, but fluid and contaminant pooling increases causing corrosion and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe support surface is segmented into multiple ridges that create distinct drainage pathways, breaking up the continuous pooling area into smaller sections that can drain more effectively to the discharge location
Solution Approach 2:
The support surface is given a three-dimensional profile with raised ridges and lowered drainage channels, creating a topography that actively directs fluid flow away from the pipe toward a discharge location, transforming the previously flat or concave surface into an active drainage system
2Reliability
If pipe supports are placed in marine and industrial environments to support piping systems, then pipe support function is achieved, but exposure to abrasive wind, rain, chemicals, and salt causes corrosion and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful fluid and contaminants are extracted from the contact zone between the pipe and support by directing them through drainage channels to a discharge location, removing the corrosive elements that would otherwise remain in prolonged contact with the pipe surface
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage channels act as an intermediary pathway that separates the pipe from the harmful fluids and contaminants, allowing the pipe to remain supported while the contaminants are routed away through a dedicated drainage system
3Reliability
If pipe supports use traditional cupped designs to accommodate pipe surfaces, then pipe support stability is improved, but drainage and removal of pooled fluid becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of allowing fluid to pool in the support structure, the design inverts the approach by actively channeling fluid away from the pipe through integrated drainage paths, transforming the support from a fluid-trapping structure to a fluid-directed structure
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 effectively prevents corrosion by diverting fluids and contaminants away from the pipe, reducing maintenance needs and extending the lifespan of piping systems by eliminating fluid pooling and promoting evaporation, thus reducing the frequency of inspections and repairs.
Implementation Method 1
These valleys are oriented to direct flow of fluid such as rainwater and any contaminants into a drainage channel positioned along the centerline of the pipe support base plate
Implementation Method 2
The combination of valleys and the drainage channel provides a path to divert fluid and contaminants away from the pipe surface
Data Source
AI summary
A pipe support structure comprised of a series of blocks mounted on a base to create opposing ridges arrayed on opposite sides of a central drainage channel. The ridges have a rounded curved outer surface and create intervening valleys that are sloped to direct fluid flow into the central drainage channel. The ridges are arranged and oriented so that the curved outer surface of the ridges support the pipe on its peripheral underside above with the drainage channel and create a space between the bottom of the pipe and the base. The blocks may be angled to further facilitate desired drainage into the drainage channel.