Sewer Rehabilitation Packer With Segmented Flexibility for Bends
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rehabilitation packers face challenges in navigating through pipes and sewers with bends, particularly sharp bends, and require complex handling and positioning due to insufficient flexibility and stability, often leading to inefficiencies in rehabilitation operations.
Innovation Solution
A packer design with a stabilization portion and a steering portion, where the stabilization portion is more flexible and covers most of the length between flanges, while the steering portion is more flexible and integrated with a camera, allowing it to navigate through bends and maintain stability, with a camera integrated into the front flange for precise positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a hollow leadthrough element is used to provide stability and maintain constant spacing between flanges, then stability is improved, but the packer cannot be guided around sharp bends
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilization arrangement is divided into two distinct portions: a first stabilization portion with higher stiffness for maintaining spacing, and a second stabilization portion with lower stiffness for enabling bending. This segmentation allows each portion to specialize in one function, resolving the contradiction between stability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the stabilization arrangement have different stiffness properties tailored to their specific functions. The first portion (closer to rear flange) has higher stiffness for stability, while the second portion (closer to front flange) has lower stiffness for bending flexibility. This local differentiation resolves the global contradiction.
2Strength
If the stabilization arrangement has high stiffness to maintain shape during inflation, then structural integrity is improved, but the packer becomes difficult to navigate through bends
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilization arrangement is segmented into portions with different stiffness characteristics. The first portion provides structural integrity during inflation, while the second portion enables easy navigation through bends, resolving the contradiction between strength and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different local regions of the stabilization arrangement have optimized stiffness properties: the first portion has higher stiffness for structural integrity, while the second portion has lower stiffness for navigability, allowing both requirements to be satisfied simultaneously.
3Measurement precision
If a camera arrangement is added to the front flange for positioning, then positioning precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The camera arrangement is merged with the front flange structure, integrating the imaging function into the existing packer design. This combination achieves precise positioning while minimizing the increase in device complexity by reusing the front flange as part of the camera mounting structure.
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 packer effectively navigates through bends, maintains stability, and integrates a camera for real-time monitoring, reducing operational time and complexity by combining navigation and imaging in a compact, robust design.
Implementation Method 1
Once the packer, together with the laminate, has been introduced to the area to be rehabilitated in the sewer or the pipeline, it is filled with the pressure medium, whereby it expands and presses the laminate against the damaged: area of the pipe wall
Implementation Method 2
The stiffness of the hollow leadthrough element can be selected such that the spacing between the two flanges during movement and/or filling with the pressure medium remains at least substantially constant
Data Source
AI summary
A packer for pipe and sewer rehabilitation, having a front and a rear flange, between which an expandable sleeve which can be filled with a pressure medium and a stabilization arrangement which runs within the sleeve between the front and the rear flange are arranged, wherein the stabilization arrangement has:a stabilization portion which has a first flexibility and covers the greater part of the total length between the flanges and directly adjoins the rear flange, anda steering portion which extends from the stabilization portion to the front flange, wherein the steering portion has a second, greater flexibility than the stabilization portion.