Expandable Pipe Repair Stent With Spring-Constrictor Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Piping systems face challenges in repairing damaged pipe walls, which often require shutting down the system, leading to inconvenience and high costs due to the need for extensive construction and excavation.
Innovation Solution
A stent comprising a plurality of minor springs connected in a series, with a spring constrictor system that allows the stent to expand and contract, enabling it to be inserted into a pipe in a compressed state and then expanded to engage the pipe's inner wall with a seal, effectively repairing leaks without the need for extensive excavation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional pipe repair methods are used, then the pipe break can be fixed, but the piping system must be shut off and extensive excavation is required
Solution Approach 1:
The stent is inserted into the existing pipe in a compressed state, nested within the pipe structure. Once positioned at the repair site, the stent expands to form an inner structural support that seals the pipe break from within, eliminating the need for external excavation and system shutdown.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent employs a flexible, expandable structure with a seal that can conform to the inner wall of the pipe. This flexible membrane-based approach allows the stent to adapt to the pipe's geometry and create an effective seal around the break, maintaining system functionality during repair.
2Reliability
If traditional pipe repair methods are used, then the pipe break can be fixed, but extensive construction and excavation are required
Solution Approach 1:
The repair function is extracted from the external pipe structure and implemented as an internal device. The stent is inserted through the pipe interior and deployed from within, removing the need for external excavation and complex construction operations while maintaining effective repair capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent utilizes a phase transition in its structural state, changing from a compressed low-volume configuration during insertion to an expanded high-volume configuration at the repair site. This parameter change enables simplified insertion through the pipe followed by effective deployment, reducing construction complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the stent is inserted in a compressed state, then insertion is easier, but the stent must expand to engage the pipe wall
Solution Approach 1:
The stent is designed with dynamic, movable components including spring constrictors that can transition between constrained and released states. This dynamic structure allows the stent to be inserted in a compressed state and then expand when the constrictors are released, engaging the pipe wall effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent structure is divided into multiple minor springs connected in series, with individual spring constrictors engaged with each minor spring. This segmented design allows controlled expansion through the coordinated action of multiple simple spring mechanisms, reducing overall system complexity while enabling the required expansion function.
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 stent allows for efficient and minimally invasive pipe repair by expanding to create a watertight seal, reducing the need for system shutdown and extensive construction, thus minimizing costs and disruption.
Implementation Method 1
a stent spring comprising a plurality of minor springs; orienting the minor springs in a constricted configuration to reduce a diameter of the stent; inserting the stent into a pipe; orienting the minor springs in an un-constricted configuration to increase the diameter of the stent
Data Source
AI summary
Example aspects of a stent spring for a stent, a stent for repairing a pipe, and a method for repairing a pipe are disclosed. The stent spring for a stent can comprise a plurality of minor springs connected in a series around a circumference of the stent spring, each of the minor springs defining a first leg and a second leg; and a spring constrictor engaged with each of the minor springs, each of the spring constrictors movable between a first position, wherein the corresponding minor spring defines a first maximum width, and a second position, wherein the corresponding minor spring defines a second maximum width that is greater than the first maximum width.