Pipeline Insertion System with Movable Clamp
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Solution Overview
Problem
Environmental conditions in tunnels and wetlands hinder the productivity of pipeline installation crews due to the challenges of constructing and maintaining pipelines over long distances with limited accessibility.
Innovation Solution
A pipeline insertion system featuring a movable clamp device in slidable engagement with an insertion device frame, controlled by a computer processor to clamp and release the pipeline, and supported by housing segments and frames to prevent buckling and minimize contact with the pipeline, allowing incremental extension or retraction of the pipeline over several kilometers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If pipelines are constructed in tunnels with limited accessibility, then the pipeline can be installed in environments with restricted access, but the productivity of construction crews is impeded due to environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual welding and construction operations with an automated insertion device that uses mechanical clamping and driving mechanisms to install pipeline segments. The device includes a frame with clamps that can grip pipeline segments and a driving mechanism that propels the assembled pipeline through the tunnel, eliminating the need for workers to perform tedious welding operations in confined spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The insertion device is designed to autonomously assemble and propel pipeline segments without requiring continuous human intervention. The clamps automatically grip the pipeline segments, the driving mechanism self-propels the assembly through the tunnel, and the system can operate continuously without relying on human workers to enter and exit the tunnel repeatedly.
2Ease of manufacture
If pipelines are installed by welding many segments together in the tunnel, then the pipeline can be constructed in situ, but the environmental conditions impede the productivity of welders and construction crews
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the welding process with a mechanical insertion system. Instead of welding pipeline segments together in the tunnel, the insertion device uses clamps to grip segments and a driving mechanism to propel them through the tunnel as a unified assembly, eliminating welding operations entirely from the in-situ construction process.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipeline segments are prepared and positioned outside the tunnel before insertion. The insertion device assembles the segments in a controlled environment prior to propulsion, allowing for pre-positioning and alignment before the segments are driven through the tunnel, thereby simplifying the in-situ construction process.
3Length of moving object
If the pipeline extends for many kilometers through tunnels and wetlands, then the pipeline can reach distant destinations, but the pipeline may buckle under its own weight over long distances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the long pipeline into discrete segments that are individually clamped by the insertion device. Each segment can be independently positioned and supported, preventing the entire long pipeline from buckling under its own weight. The segmented approach allows for intermediate support points and reduces the continuous load on any single section.
Solution Approach 2:
The insertion device acts as an intermediary between the pipeline segments and the tunnel environment. The clamps and support structures of the device provide intermediate support points along the pipeline length, preventing buckling by distributing the load and providing structural reinforcement at regular intervals during the insertion process.
4Productivity
If the pipeline has minimal contact with the tunnel surfaces, then friction and resistance are reduced, but the pipeline requires support structures to prevent buckling over long distances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the support function and the propulsion function into a single integrated insertion device. The support frames are merged with the clamping and driving mechanisms, eliminating the need for separate support structures. This integration reduces overall system complexity while maintaining both the minimal contact benefit and the structural support needed to prevent buckling.
Data Source
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AI summary
A pipeline insertion system (100) may include an insertion device (102) outside a tunnel that includes an insertion device frame (104) and a movable clamp device (106) in slidable engagement with the insertion device frame. A drive may cause the movable clamp device engaged with a pipeline to move between a first position (108) and a second position (110) along the frame. Inside the tunnel, the system may also include a plurality of support frames (118) remote from the insertion device and remote from each other which support the pipeline on bearings as the pipeline is pushed (or pulled) by the insertion device through the bores of a plurality of housing segments (122) mounted in the tunnel. A controller (126) is operative to control the drive and the movable clamp device responsive to transducers which measure pipeline slippage, thrust force, and clamping pressure.