Sheet Heater Pipe Joint Structure for Efficient Internal Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipe heating technologies face challenges in efficiently heating the inside of pipes, particularly at joints, due to high power consumption and labor-intensive processes.
Innovation Solution
A pipe heating structure featuring a cylindrical main body with a ring-shaped joint and a sheet-like heater composed of layers including a first insulating layer, a heat generation layer, and a second insulating layer, allowing for easy attachment and detachment of the heat generation layer and efficient heating of the pipe interior.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a heater is used to heat the inside of a pipe, then heating efficiency is improved, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The heating device applies local quality by concentrating heat generation at specific locations (joint areas and pipe interiors) rather than uniformly heating the entire pipe. The heater is selectively positioned to target cold spots and joints where heating is most needed, thereby improving heating efficiency while reducing overall power consumption compared to uniform heating approaches.
2Loss of energy
If a heater is shaped to conform to the pipe, then heating efficiency is improved, but the installation process becomes labor-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The heating device is segmented into modular components including a cylindrical main body, ring-shaped joints, and sheet-like heaters that can be independently assembled. This segmentation allows the heater to conform to pipe geometry through simple assembly of standardized parts rather than custom shaping, thereby maintaining heating efficiency while significantly reducing installation labor requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating device incorporates flexible and adjustable elements that allow it to adapt to different pipe configurations during installation. The sheet-like heater and ring-shaped joints can be dynamically positioned and adjusted to fit various pipe arrangements, enabling efficient heating without requiring labor-intensive custom fabrication for each installation scenario.
3Loss of energy
If the heat generation layer is permanently attached to the pipe, then heating efficiency is improved, but maintenance and replacement become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The heating device is designed with pre-assembled modular units that maintain optimal heating efficiency while facilitating easy maintenance. The sheet-like heater and ring-shaped joints are pre-configured to work together as a complete unit, allowing the entire heating assembly to be quickly removed and replaced as a single module without complex disassembly, thereby preserving heating efficiency while enabling straightforward maintenance and replacement.
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 proposed structure enables efficient heating of the pipe interior, particularly at joints, while allowing for easy installation and removal of the heat generation layer, thus reducing power consumption and labor requirements.
Implementation Method 1
a sheet-like heater that is attached to the outer circumferential face of the main body, and has a first insulating layer, a heat generating layer, and a second insulating layer stacked therein in this order
Data Source
AI summary
Aiming at providing a heat generation layer easily attachable or detachable to or from an outer circumferential face of a pipe, and at efficiently heating the inside of the pipe (particularly in the vicinity of a joint), disclosed herein as a solution is a pipe heating structure having a cylindrical main body; a ring-shaped joint that is attached to an end of the main body, and extends from an outer circumferential face of the main body in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the main body and away from the axis; and a sheet-like heater that is attached to the outer circumferential face of the main body, and has a first insulating layer, a heat generating layer, and a second insulating layer stacked therein in this order, the joint having no sheet-like heater on the outer circumferential face.