Rheometer for High-Viscosity Materials Using Relative Pipe Movement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing rheometers are inadequate for accurately determining the flow behavior of concrete mixed with additives or high-density materials like sewage sludge and coal sludge, which affects the estimation of delivery pressure required in pipeline systems.

Innovation Solution

A rheometer with a piston-driven pipe section standard that allows relative movement, enabling pressure measurement and flow behavior analysis, allowing for the estimation of conveying pressure needed to overcome pumping resistance in pipeline systems, even for complex materials.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional rotational rheometers are used to measure flow behavior, then measurement capability is provided, but accurate determination of delivery pressure for complex materials (concrete with additives, sewage sludge, coal sludge) cannot be achieved

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflow behavior measurement accuracyVSAvoiddelivery pressure estimation reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention creates a simplified copy of a pipeline system component (a pipe section with specific geometry) that replicates the essential flow characteristics of complex pipeline systems. This pipe section copy allows measurement of flow behavior parameters that can be used to estimate delivery pressure for various thick materials, including concrete with additives, sewage sludge, and coal sludge, without requiring complex full-scale pipeline testing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the measurement parameters from direct delivery pressure measurement in complex pipelines to measuring flow behavior parameters (such as pressure drop, flow rate, velocity profile) in a simplified pipe section. These parameter changes enable accurate determination of flow behavior for complex materials while allowing reliable estimation of delivery pressure through parameter correlation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If complex pumping tests in actual pipeline systems are conducted to determine delivery pressure, then accurate delivery pressure data is obtained, but the device complexity and testing effort increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedelivery pressure determination accuracyVSAvoidtesting system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the essential measurement function from the complex actual pipeline system by using a simplified pipe section that contains only the necessary geometric features to replicate flow behavior. This extracted simplified system allows delivery pressure determination without the complexity of full pipeline systems, reducing testing effort and device complexity while maintaining measurement accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the pipe section standard is made movable relative to the piston for simulating flow conditions, then flow behavior simulation capability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflow behavior simulation capabilityVSAvoidrheometer structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention introduces dynamic movement between the pipe section standard and the piston, allowing the pipe section to move relative to the piston during measurement. This dynamic configuration enables simulation of different flow conditions and improves adaptability for measuring various thick materials, while the movement mechanism is designed to be mechanically simple, minimizing the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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

Enables reliable estimation of delivery pressure for thick materials, including those with additives, by simulating flow behavior in a standard pipe section, applicable to various pipeline geometries and materials, facilitating efficient pipeline operation.

Implementation Method 1

a piston (108) acting on the thick material (300) in the standard pipe section (102) is provided as a device for generating a relative movement of the standard pipe section (102) and thick material (300)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectForce: Force

Implementation Method 2

The cause of the pumping resistance is the friction of the thick matter with the pipeline wall and the deformation work that occurs on the thick matter during transport through a pipeline

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP2352983B1Rheometer for high-viscosity materials
Publication Date: 2012.12.05 PUTZMEISTER ENG GMBH
  • EP2352983B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP2352983B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2352983B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3d

AI summary

The invention relates to a rheometer (100) for high-viscosity materials and to a device and a method for estimating, by means of such a rheometer (100), the feeding pressure to be applied in order to overcome the feeding resistance of high-viscosity material in a pipe. The rheometer (100) has a receptacle for holding high-viscosity material and a measuring instrument for the flow behavior of high-viscosity material in the receptacle. The receptacle is designed as a standard pipe section (102) that can be filled with high-viscosity material (300). In the rheometer (100), the standard pipe section (102) and high-viscosity material (300) filled into the standard pipe section (102) can be made to linearly move relative to each other at a first rate and at another rate differing from the first rate. A unit (146, 147, 148) for determining a rate of the relative movement of the high-viscosity material (300) and the standard pipe section (102) as well as a unit (160) for determining a pressure applied to the high-viscosity material (300) as a result of the relative movement of the high-viscosity material (300) and the standard pipe section (102) are provided as a measuring instrument.