Slotted Polymer Pipe Lining for Gas Venting and Buckling Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for preventing buckling of internal linings in pipelines during depressurization due to gas accumulation are either expensive, complex, or prone to mechanical weakness and corrosion, and fail to efficiently manage pressure differentials.
Innovation Solution
A polymer lining with strategically designed slots that extend parallel to the pipeline's longitudinal axis, allowing gas evacuation into the pipeline during depressurization, minimizing dirt ingress and maintaining structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a polymer protective lining is used to prevent corrosion, then manufacturing cost is reduced compared to alloy steel lining, but the lining becomes permeable to gases allowing gas accumulation under the lining
Solution Approach 1:
The patent intentionally incorporates slots (controlled porosity) into the polymer lining to allow gas permeation. This resolves the contradiction by transforming the harmful permeability into a controlled feature that prevents gas accumulation and buckling, while maintaining the cost advantage of polymer materials over alloy steel lining.
2Strength
If the polymer lining is made thicker to prevent buckling during depressurization, then structural stability is improved, but gas accumulation pressure increases the risk of local collapse
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts gas from the interstitial space between the lining and pipe through slots, channels, or perforations. This removes the harmful gas accumulation that causes buckling and collapse, allowing the lining to maintain adequate thickness for structural stability without suffering from excessive gas pressure.
3Productivity
If slots are made open on the internal face to allow gas evacuation, then gas discharge efficiency is improved, but dirt and debris can ingress through the slots
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates asymmetric slot configurations where the slot geometry differs between the internal and external faces. This allows gas to escape efficiently through the open internal face while the asymmetric design (combined with fluid dynamics) prevents dirt and debris from entering, resolving the contradiction between evacuation efficiency and contamination prevention.
4Strength
If adhesive coating is applied to increase adhesion between lining and pipe, then resistance to collapse is improved, but implementation complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the lining to self-support its position and resist collapse through the pressure differential created by gas evacuation pathways. The slots and channels allow the lining to maintain its structural integrity through pressure management rather than relying on adhesive coatings, eliminating the need for additional adhesive application steps and reducing implementation complexity.
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
Effectively prevents buckling and maintains pipeline integrity by efficiently evacuating gas, reducing pressure differentials, and minimizing mechanical stress on the lining.
Implementation Method 1
the polymer lining has the disadvantage of being permeable to gases and vapors from the fluids being transported. Also, in practice, gas tends to penetrate the polymer material and pass through the protective lining to lodge in the interstitial space between the lining and the internal wall of the steel tube.
Implementation Method 2
A pressure differential is then created with an overpressure on the side of the interstitial space, with a risk of the appearance of buckling or local collapse of the protective liner.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a fluid transport pipe (2) comprising a steel tube (4) intended to receive a flow of fluids to be transported, and an annular lining (6) which is intended for protecting against corrosion and/or abrasion, is made of polymeric material and is inserted into the tube, the lining comprising a plurality of slots (8-1) which extend lengthwise in parallel with a longitudinal axis (X-X) of the tube and which pass all the way from an inner face to an outer face of the lining, each slot being open on the side of the inner face of the lining prior to the insertion of the lining into the tube, and at least partially closed depthwise between the inner face and the outer face of the lining once the lining has been inserted into the tube.