Shallow Angle Elbow for Tool-Free Pipe Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipe couplers and elbows fail to securely connect pipes of different end surface conditions, leading to separation and contamination during the transportation of bulk materials like frac sand, and are prone to corrosion and wear, especially when exposed to environmental factors and directional changes.
Innovation Solution
A shallow angle elbow with an elongated inlet, a recurved transition, and additional wear-resistant material thickness, allowing for adjustable angle connections between pipes of the same outer diameter without requiring tools, and accommodating different pipe styles, including smooth and grooved ends.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional pipe couplers are used to connect pipes, then the connection can be made, but the pipes separate during pressure fluctuations and material flow
Solution Approach 1:
The coupler is divided into multiple functional segments: a body portion with a first opening and a second opening, a gasket seated within the body, and multiple clips positioned around the gasket. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the body provides structural support, the gasket provides sealing, and the clips provide clamping force - thereby maintaining connection stability under pressure fluctuations while preventing pipe separation.
2Ease of operation
If the coupler design is simplified for easy installation, then tool-free installation is achieved, but the ability to accommodate different pipe end surface conditions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The coupler body is designed with a universal interface that can accommodate multiple pipe end surface conditions including smooth ends, grooved ends, and threaded ends. The gasket is configured to seal against various surface types, and the clips are positioned to adapt to different pipe outer diameters within a range. This multi-functionality allows the same coupler design to be installed without tools while maintaining compatibility with diverse pipe styles.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the gasket is made thin to allow flexibility, then axial movement is permitted, but the seal integrity is compromised under pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket is designed with non-uniform thickness, featuring a thicker portion at the sealing surface that contacts the pipe end and a thinner portion in the axial direction that allows flexibility. This local quality variation enables the gasket to maintain seal integrity where needed while accommodating axial movement elsewhere, resolving the contradiction between seal reliability and movement capability.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the elbow is exposed to environmental factors and directional changes, then it can be installed in various positions, but corrosion and wear increase
Solution Approach 1:
The elbow is constructed from composite materials that combine corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant properties. The material composition is selected to withstand environmental factors such as moisture, chemicals, and UV exposure while resisting abrasion from bulk materials. This composite construction allows the elbow to be installed in various positions and orientations without compromising durability against corrosion and wear.
Data Source
AI summary
An elbow has an elongated inlet, an elongated outlet tube that merges with the inlet at a shallow angle, and an endwall opposite the inlet. The round inlet receives product and leads to a first chamber with a rounded bottom. Opposite the bottom, the inlet has a pitch at the transition to the outlet tube. The outlet tube continues upwardly from the pitch to an exit. Within the outlet, a third chamber extends from the first chamber. The first chamber and the third chamber intersect at the second chamber that provides a transition to the flow of product from the first chamber to the angle of the third chamber. Within the second chamber, conveyed product forms a shallow eddy so that additional product flows over the eddy enroute to the outlet.