Composite Pipe Reinforcement for Wrinkle Bend Axial Strain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional composite reinforcement systems fail to adequately reinforce pipes at wrinkle bends, which are prone to high axial strain and failure due to stress from hydrocarbon transportation, as they are not effectively designed to manage strain in the axial direction.
Innovation Solution
A reinforced pipe design featuring multiple layers of unidirectional and bidirectional fabrics, with high-performance fibers oriented primarily in the axial direction, wrapped around the repair area to provide enhanced strength and stability at wrinkle bends, using a resin to adhere the fabrics and distribute load effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional composite reinforcement systems are used, then hoop stresses are reduced, but axial strain at wrinkle bends is not adequately managed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different fiber orientation configurations at different locations along the pipe. Specifically, the first strip of composite material has fibers oriented at a first angle (e.g., 0 degrees) while the second strip has fibers oriented at a second angle (e.g., 90 degrees). This local differentiation allows the reinforcement system to simultaneously address hoop stresses in one region and axial strains at wrinkle bends in another region, resolving the contradiction between improving hoop stress resistance and managing axial strain reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional single-direction fiber reinforcement to multi-directional fiber reinforcement by applying strips with different fiber orientations. This dimensional change in fiber arrangement (from one orientation to multiple orientations) enables the system to handle both hoop stresses and axial strains effectively, particularly at wrinkle bend locations where axial strain is the primary concern.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If composite material is applied to reinforce pipe, then fatigue life increases, but stress concentration at wrinkle bends remains high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite material strips with specific fiber orientations targeted at wrinkle bend locations where stress concentration occurs. By positioning strips with appropriate fiber angles (e.g., 90 degrees for axial strain) directly over wrinkle bends, the system locally reduces stress concentration at these critical points while extending fatigue life throughout the pipe structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite material systems with strategically oriented fiber strips applied to the pipe surface. These composite reinforcements, with fibers oriented at specific angles (0 degrees, 90 degrees, or other angles), create a multi-layered structure that distributes and reduces stress concentration at wrinkle bends while simultaneously enhancing overall fatigue life through the composite material properties.
Data Source
AI summary
A reinforced pipe and a method of preparing the reinforced pipe are provided. The reinforced pipe has repair area where a wrinkle bend is present in a center section of the repair area. The reinforced pipe comprises a unidirectional fabric circumferentially wrapped around the repair area of the pipe so as to result in multiple layers of the unidirectional fabric around the repair area. The unidirectional fabric is composed of high-performance fibers with at least 90% of the high-performance fibers oriented in the 90° direction, and the unidirectional fabric is wrapped such that the high-performance fibers run in the axial direction. The reinforced pipe further comprises a bidirectional fabric wrapped of over the unidirectional fabric such the at least one layer of bidirectional fabric is wrapped over the unidirectional fabric.