Tubular Assembly Expander With Adaptive Tip Thrust Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques for expanding tubular assemblies to fit worn tubes for fluid conveyance are complex, costly, and prone to creating air chambers due to inability to reach cavities on the inner surface, leading to pressure differences and potential breakage.
Innovation Solution
An expander with a tip coupled to a rotary joint and sensor system that follows the internal wall of the tube, allowing precise adhesion and adjustment of thrust to avoid cavities and air chambers, ensuring integral bonding and reducing pressure differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pressurised fluid is introduced inside the tubular covering element to deform it radially, then the tubular covering element is compressed against the inner surface of the tube to be covered, but the technique becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of radial deformation from the complex pressurised fluid system and implements it through a simple mechanical expander with radially movable elements that directly push the tubular covering element against the inner surface, eliminating the need for fluid pressure systems while maintaining adhesion effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an expander as an intermediary mechanical device between the installation process and the tubular covering element. This expander with radially movable elements serves as a mediator that applies controlled radial force to achieve proper adhesion without requiring complex pressurised fluid systems
2Duration of action of moving object
If large dimensions expanders are used to ensure adequate processing times, then processing time is sufficient, but air chambers are created between the two tubes due to inability to reach small cavities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the expander into multiple radially movable elements distributed around the circumference. These segmented elements can independently move radially to access and fill small cavities and irregularities in the inner surface, ensuring complete adhesion without creating air chambers, while maintaining adequate processing time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by making each expander element radially movable rather than using a single large rigid expander. This allows different parts of the expander to adapt locally to the specific geometry of the inner surface, ensuring proper contact in cavities and irregularities while maintaining overall processing time
3Adaptability or versatility
If tubular covering element is made of soft materials to allow radial deformation, then radial deformation is enabled, but breakage occurs due to pressure differences when air chambers form
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a mechanical expander with radially movable elements that can be used once to achieve proper adhesion, eliminating the need for the tubular covering element to withstand high pressure differences. The soft material requirement is reduced since the expander mechanically ensures complete contact from the start, preventing air chamber formation that would cause breakage
Data Source
AI summary
An expander of a tubular assembly having a tubular covering element inserted into a tubular element includes a tip for pushing a first internal wall of the tubular covering element towards a second internal wall of the tubular element so as to enable the adhesion of a first external wall of the tubular covering element to the second internal wall. The expander includes a rotary joint sliding along a first longitudinal axis, to which the tip is coupled so as to arrange the tip radially and enable it to rotate around the first axis. The expander further includes a sensor operatively connected to the tip to detect a radial displacement of the tip owing to a current thrust exerted by the tip, and a logic control unit operatively connected to the sensor and the tip to adjust a future thrust as a function of the radial displacement.