Compressed Stent Spring Retention for Internal Pipe Leak Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Piping systems face challenges in repairing pipe wall breaks, which often require shutting down the system, leading to inconvenience and high costs due to the need for extensive construction, including digging up streets and sidewalks.
Innovation Solution
A stent spring system comprising a tubular mesh structure with expandable and compressible properties, featuring a seal and elastic wire for flexibility, allowing the stent to be configured for easy insertion and expansion within a pipe to create a watertight seal, and a tab mechanism for retention in a compressed configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional pipe repair methods are used, then pipe breaks can be repaired, but the piping system must be shut off and extensive construction is required
Solution Approach 1:
The repair system is divided into separate functional components: the stent spring for structural support, the seal for leak prevention, and the delivery mechanism for insertion. This segmentation allows the seal to be deployed independently within the pipe without shutting down the entire system, resolving the contradiction between repair effectiveness and system downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent spring acts as an intermediary device that provides structural support and holds the seal in place against the pipe wall. This mediator enables the seal to function effectively without requiring system shutdown or extensive construction, thus improving productivity while maintaining repair reliability.
2Reliability
If traditional pipe repair methods are used, then pipe breaks can be repaired, but extensive construction including digging up streets is required
Solution Approach 1:
The repair device is extracted and inserted through the existing pipe interior without requiring excavation or external construction. The stent spring and seal are delivered through the pipe wall opening and deployed internally, eliminating the need for digging up streets and sidewalks while maintaining effective repair.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal component uses flexible material that can be compressed into a compact form for insertion and then expanded to create an effective seal against the pipe wall. This flexible film approach enables repair without extensive construction, resolving the contradiction between repair effectiveness and construction complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the stent is kept in compressed configuration for insertion, then ease of insertion is improved, but the stent cannot expand to seal the pipe
Solution Approach 1:
The stent spring is designed with dynamic properties that allow it to transition from a compressed low-profile configuration during insertion to an expanded configuration for sealing. The elastic material and spring mechanism enable this dynamic transformation, resolving the contradiction between ease of insertion and sealing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent spring undergoes parameter changes in its physical state - transitioning from a compressed state with small diameter for easy insertion to an expanded state with large diameter for effective sealing. This parameter transformation allows the device to satisfy both requirements of ease of operation and reliability.
4Strength
If the stent spring is made rigid for structural support, then strength is improved, but flexibility for navigation through pipes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The stent spring exhibits local quality variations - the material composition and structural density differ along its length to provide appropriate properties for each function. The proximal portion may be more flexible for navigation while the distal portion provides structural strength for seal support, resolving the contradiction between strength and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent spring may utilize composite materials that combine properties of rigidity and flexibility. This composite construction allows the device to navigate through pipes with flexibility while maintaining sufficient structural strength to support the seal and withstand internal pressures.
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 allowing the stent to be easily inserted and expanded within the pipe, reducing downtime and construction costs while effectively sealing leaks.
Implementation Method 1
a stent spring for repairing a pipe can comprising a substantially tubular mesh structure defining a void, wherein the stent spring is configurable in an expanded stent spring configuration and a compressed stent spring configuration
Implementation Method 2
an elastic wire connected to the one or more strands, the elastic wire configured to increase a flexibility of the stent spring
Data Source
AI summary
Example aspects of a stent spring for repairing a pipe and a method for retaining a stent in a compressed configuration is disclosed. The stent spring for repairing a pipe can comprise a substantially tubular mesh structure defining a void, the void defining a central axis, the mesh structure comprising one or more strands, the one or more strands defining a plurality of openings, wherein the stent spring is configurable in an expanded stent spring configuration and a compressed stent spring configuration; and a tab extending radially inward from the mesh structure into the void, the tab defining a tab opening.