Pipeline Field Joint Flame Coating With Temperature Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing flame coating technologies face challenges in achieving perfect adhesion of the 'Top Coat' to annular junction portions and existing polymer coatings on pipelines, especially in limited onboard spaces during pipeline assembly, due to differing physical, chemical, and temperature characteristics of the substrates.
Innovation Solution
A flame coating machine with a control system that uses temperature sensors and a microprocessor to optimize the surface temperature for perfect adhesion, featuring a guide system for precise movement of the flame spray unit and temperature sensor along the pipeline, allowing for selective heating and coating in polymer flame spraying or flame heating modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If flame spray unit is used to apply top coat to annular junction portion, then coating efficiency is improved, but adhesion quality deteriorates due to temperature differences between substrates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary heating of the annular junction portion and end portions to optimal temperatures before applying the polymer top coat. Temperature sensors detect the current temperature and the flame spray unit pre-heats surfaces that are below the optimal adhesion temperature range, ensuring that when the polymer is applied, the substrates are at the correct temperature for maximum adhesion.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses temperature sensors to continuously monitor the temperature of the annular junction portion and end portions, feeding this information back to the control unit. The control unit compares the detected temperatures with predetermined threshold values and automatically adjusts the flame spray unit operation to maintain optimal temperatures for polymer adhesion, creating a closed-loop control system.
2Productivity
If flame spray unit operates continuously, then productivity is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flame spray unit operates periodically rather than continuously. The control system activates the flame spray unit only when temperature sensors detect that the surface temperature is below the optimal threshold for polymer application. Once the polymer is applied and the surface cools below the threshold, the system activates the flame spray unit again for pre-heating. This periodic operation maintains coating quality while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous operation.
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
Ensures optimal adhesion of the polymer material to both annular junction and end portions, improving the quality and efficiency of the field joint coating process by maintaining surface temperature within predetermined thresholds, thus enhancing the overall coating quality and reducing cycle times.
Implementation Method 1
heat the annular junction portion to facilitate the subsequent steps in the application of polymer materials
Implementation Method 2
the powders are fused via the combustion of a gas jet to form droplets that are expelled through a high-speed nozzle
Implementation Method 3
impact the surface of the pipeline that causes the rapid deformation and solidification of the droplets
Data Source
AI summary
A flame coating machine for coating field joints of a pipeline has a flame spray system having two flame spray units configured for heating and/or coating with a thermoplastic polymer an annular junction portion and two annular end portions of an existing coating delimiting the annular junction portion; a control system having two temperature sensors configured for acquiring temperature values along the surface collectively defined by the annular junction portion and the annular end portions, and a control unit configured for actuating the flame spray unit in a polymer flame spraying mode or in a flame heating mode as a function of the detected temperature values and at least one threshold value.