Trenchless Pipe Unit with Protective Sheathing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for trenchless laying of multiple pipes in the ground often result in non-standard compliant pressure pipes, with issues such as reduced cross-section for media transport, lack of shear force resistance, and complex production processes, which limits their applicability for pressure pipes like gas, water, or wastewater transport.
Innovation Solution
A tube unit comprising a standard-compliant pressure pipe with a core made of hard plastic and an outer protective layer, encapsulating a smaller pipe or cable, ensuring shear strength and protection during laying without altering the core pipe's properties, allowing simultaneous trenchless laying of multiple pipes without relative movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple pipes are bundled with clamping devices and pulled in simultaneously, then trenchless laying of multiple pipes is achieved, but the parallelism of the pipes is not guaranteed and the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple pipes are merged into a single pipe unit during manufacturing, with pipes arranged concentrically or side-by-side within a common outer protective layer. This integration eliminates the need for complex clamping devices during installation, as the pipes remain fixed relative to each other throughout the trenchless laying process.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipes are pre-positioned and fixed in their final configuration during the pipe manufacturing process. The outer protective layer is applied in advance to secure the pipes in place, ensuring correct parallelism and spacing before installation. This preliminary arrangement eliminates the need for complex alignment equipment during actual laying operations.
2Ease of operation
If pipes are laid using directional horizontal drilling technique, then trenchless parallel laying is achieved, but relatively large borehole diameters are required and the method is limited to certain soil types
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe unit is designed as a segmented structure with an outer protective layer and inner pipes that can be manufactured separately and then assembled. This segmentation allows the pipes to be pulled through existing boreholes of standard size without requiring enlarged diameters, and the modular design enables adaptation to different soil conditions through appropriate material selection.
3Temperature
If foam is used to fill cavities between pipes for thermal insulation, then thermal insulation is improved, but the free cross-section for media transport is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Thermal insulation is applied locally only where required, such as on the outer surface of pipes carrying hot media, rather than filling the entire cavity between pipes. This selective insulation approach maintains the free cross-section for media transport while providing adequate thermal protection where needed.
4Ease of manufacture
If inner pipe is made displaceable in axial direction, then ease of assembly is improved, but shear force resistance between inner and outer pipe is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The inner pipes are nested within the outer protective layer in a fixed concentric arrangement. The outer layer acts as a rigid envelope that maintains the position of inner pipes while allowing for controlled assembly. The nesting structure provides inherent shear force resistance through the interaction between the outer protective layer and inner pipes, eliminating the need for additional displacement mechanisms.
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 solution enables the use of standard-compliant pressure pipes for trenchless laying with enhanced shear strength and protection, maintaining the core pipe's integrity and properties, facilitating efficient and cost-effective installation of multiple pipes or cables without the need for additional fixing means.
Implementation Method 1
the cladding layer covers the second smaller tube at its outer circumference and this is held by the cladding layer in the shear force-resistant bond between the cladding layer and the tube core
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The method involves providing a larger pipe with an outer protective layer (11) and a sheathing layer. The larger pipe is laid together with a smaller pipe (12), a line or a cable. The smaller pipe is enclosed by the protective layer or the sheathing layer such that the pipes, the line or the cable form a pipe unit (14), where the smaller pipe is an empty duct for the cable or the line. An inner core barrel (13) of the larger pipe is extruded from plastic while producing the pipe unit, where the smaller pipe and/or the line or the cable is positioned at the inner core barrel.