High-Pressure Pipe Reinforcement Using Sized Filaments
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing high-pressure pipes with helically wound carbon fiber reinforcing elements face difficulties in handling due to their high stiffness and hardness, making it challenging to wind them into a pipe form efficiently, requiring a large number of thin strips and limiting their bending flexibility, which complicates manufacturing and reel-winding processes.
Innovation Solution
The filaments are subjected to a sizing operation before twisting to create fibers with some displacement between them, allowing for higher thickness and flexibility, and then embedded in a matrix to form strips that can be wound with a smaller radius, using unimpregnated fibers to maintain relative displacement and reduce adhesion with the matrix.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If carbon filaments are impregnated with matrix material to form reinforcing elements, then handling is facilitated, but bending stiffness increases making winding operations difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a sizing operation to the carbon filaments before they are impregnated with matrix material. This preliminary sizing treatment creates a flexible coating that allows the filaments to be handled more easily while maintaining bending flexibility. The sizing is applied before the impregnation step, enabling the fibers to be wound around the inner lining with fewer layers required.
2Productivity
If the number of strips is reduced to improve manufacturing efficiency, then productivity increases, but the thickness and stiffness of each strip must increase making winding more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The sizing operation is performed on the carbon filaments before they are twisted into fibers and before matrix impregnation. This preliminary treatment ensures that even when fewer, thicker strips are used to improve productivity, the strips maintain adequate bending flexibility for winding operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the carbon filaments through sizing treatment, modifying their surface properties and flexibility characteristics. This allows the use of thicker strips with higher carbon content while maintaining the bending flexibility needed for winding, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and ease of operation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If filaments are fixedly adhered to each other through stiff matrix, then structural integrity is improved, but displacement between filaments is eliminated reducing flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The sizing operation is applied to the filaments before they are impregnated with the stiff matrix material. This preliminary sizing creates a flexible interface layer that allows controlled displacement between filaments even when the matrix provides structural integrity. The sizing acts as a buffer that maintains flexibility while the matrix provides strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure where sized filaments are impregnated with matrix material. The sizing on the filament surface combined with the matrix creates a multi-layer composite that maintains both structural integrity and flexibility. The sized surface allows controlled relative movement between filaments while the matrix provides overall structural stability.
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
This approach enables the production of high-strength high-pressure pipes with reduced stiffness, allowing for easier winding and reel suitability using a limited number of strips, enhancing manufacturing efficiency and flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
the filaments are sized filaments obtained by subjecting the filaments to a sizing operation before twisting them together in the step of forming fibers... the filaments are unimpregnated filaments... Optionally, the filaments are coated with a flexible coating, e.g. a rubber-like coating
Data Source
AI summary
A high-pressure pipe comprises an inner liner (1), an outer coating layer (6) and a reinforcement layer (2, 5) positioned between the inner liner and the outer coating layer. The reinforcement layer has helically wound strips (2, 5) which each comprise a matrix (4) and fibers (3) embedded in the matrix; the fibers consist of a multitude of twisted high-strength filaments. With an aim of providing a relatively high bending flexibility, the filaments of a fiber are sized filaments obtained by subjecting the filaments to a sizing operation.