Spring-Expanded Pipe Repair Stent for Pressurized Leak Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pipe repair methods require shutting down piping systems, which can be inconvenient and costly, and often necessitate extensive excavation, increasing the risk of contamination and prolonging repair times.
Innovation Solution
A pipe repair device equipped with a sensor for leak detection, a transport mechanism for navigating through the pipe, and a repair mechanism using a stent with a sealing layer and spring, allowing for in-situ leak repair without system shutdown or extensive excavation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional pipe repair methods are used, then the leak can be repaired, but the piping system must be shut down and extensive excavation is required
Solution Approach 1:
The repair device is segmented into modular components including a delivery catheter, expandable stent, and sealing elements that can be independently positioned and deployed. This allows the repair function to be separated from the delivery system, enabling minimally invasive insertion while maintaining effective leak sealing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a flexible sealing element as an intermediary between the stent and the pipe wall. This sealing layer creates a fluid-tight barrier without requiring direct structural modification of the pipe, allowing repair while maintaining system pressure and avoiding shutdown.
2Reliability
If traditional pipe repair methods are used, then the break can be fixed, but extensive excavation of streets and sidewalks is necessary
Solution Approach 1:
The repair function is extracted from the traditional excavation-based approach and embedded within a catheter-delivered stent system. The sealing elements and stent structure are pre-formed and compacted for insertion, then expanded in-situ to perform the repair without requiring access to the pipe exterior.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible sealing layers and thin-film membranes as the primary repair mechanism. These flexible elements can conform to the pipe interior surface and create effective seals around leaks without requiring rigid structural support or extensive construction work.
3Ease of operation
If the pipeline is de-pressurized for repair, then the leak can be accessed, but the risk of foreign objects entering the pipeline increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing elements are pre-positioned within the delivery catheter in a compressed state before reaching the leak site. The catheter is advanced through the pressurized fluid to the target location, and only then is the stent expanded and sealing elements deployed, ensuring the repair environment remains sealed and contamination-free throughout the procedure.
4Reliability
If a stent is expanded to seal the leak, then the leak is repaired, but the stent must be compressed for transport through the pipe
Solution Approach 1:
The stent is designed with dynamic structural characteristics, featuring expandable radial elements and flexible sealing layers that can transition between compressed and expanded states. This dynamic design allows compact packaging for transport while maintaining the capability to expand to effective sealing dimensions at the deployment location.
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
Enables efficient and minimally invasive pipe repair by detecting leaks and applying a sealing stent within the pipe, reducing downtime, costs, and contamination risks while maintaining system pressure.
Implementation Method 1
a spring, wherein the sealing layer is wrapped around a circumference of the spring; wherein the stent is configurable in an expanded configuration and a compressed configuration, the spring biasing the stent to the expanded configuration
Data Source
AI summary
Example aspects of a pipe repair stent, a pipe repair device, and a method for repairing a pipe are disclosed. The pipe repair stent can comprise a sealing layer comprising a flexible and compressible repair material; and a spring, wherein the sealing layer is wrapped around a circumference of the spring; wherein the stent is configurable in an expanded configuration and a compressed configuration, the spring biasing the stent to the expanded configuration.