Self-Healing Composite Pipe Wraps for Microscopic Crack Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Composite wraps used for repairing metal pipes can develop microscopic cracks due to stress, leading to debonding and damage, as their matrix is often brittle, which propagates cracks and induces additional stresses.
Innovation Solution
Self-healing composite wraps are designed with fibers that have inner spaces filled with a matrix material and a hardening agent, which react to form a solid matrix upon contact, filling and curing microscopic cracks, and can be arranged in various orientations to address different types of stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional composite wraps with brittle matrix are used for pipe repair, then the repair provides initial structural support, but microscopic cracks develop and propagate under stress causing debonding and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates capsule-containing fibers into the composite wrap structure before application. These capsules are pre-positioned throughout the matrix and contain healing agent that will be released upon crack formation, automatically sealing the cracks without requiring external intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite wrap performs self-repair through embedded capsule fibers that automatically detect and seal cracks. When the matrix develops cracks under stress, the capsules rupture and release healing agent that fills and seals the cracks, enabling the material to repair itself without external assistance.
2Reliability
If the matrix is made more ductile to prevent crack propagation, then crack resistance improves, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of changing the properties of the entire matrix, the patent introduces localized healing capsules at specific positions within the composite structure. The capsules are distributed throughout the matrix but only activate locally where cracks occur, providing targeted repair without requiring global material property changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-component composite system combining the original matrix material with embedded capsule-containing fibers. This composite structure integrates two distinct functional elements: the structural matrix and the healing agent reservoirs, allowing the system to exhibit both structural integrity and self-healing capability.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If thicker matrix is used to prevent crack propagation, then durability improves, but the repair time and material cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses small, inexpensive capsule fibers that can be mass-produced and embedded throughout the composite. These capsules are designed to be consumed during the healing process, rupturing to release their contents and seal cracks. The low cost of individual capsules allows for high density distribution without significantly increasing material cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical state of the healing agent from liquid (stored in capsules) to solid (after curing). This phase change allows the healing agent to flow into cracks in liquid form, then harden to provide structural repair, enabling effective crack sealing without requiring thick matrix layers.
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 self-healing composite wraps effectively repair defects in pipes by filling and sealing cracks, increasing the lifetime of the repair and reducing costs and time associated with maintenance, while being relatively inexpensive to manufacture and implement.
Implementation Method 1
When contacted together, the matrix material and the hardening agent can fill and cure microscopic cracks in the matrix
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to systems and methods for self-healing composite wraps. The self-healing composite wraps can be used to repair a defect section in a pipe.