UV-Curable Pipe Liner Structure Without a Removable Bladder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipe repair methods, such as CIPP liners, face challenges in effectively curing and reinforcing pipes under high pressure, especially when exposed to electromagnetic radiation, as they often require removable bladders and may not provide sufficient hoop strength and fluid-tight barriers.
Innovation Solution
A CIPP liner configuration featuring an inner portion of coated felt, a middle portion of multilayer composite fabric, and an outer portion of impermeable material, where the coated felt is transparent to electromagnetic radiation, allowing for radial expansion and curing without a bladder, and the multilayer fabric provides enhanced hoop strength and fluid impermeability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional CIPP liner with a removable bladder is used, then the liner can be installed and cured, but the device complexity increases and the installation process becomes more time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the bladder component from the liner system entirely. The liner is designed to be self-supporting and self-curing through electromagnetic radiation, eliminating the need for a removable bladder that complicates the installation process and increases device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The liner is designed to cure itself through electromagnetic radiation without requiring a bladder for containment or removal. The resin-impregnated fabric cures in place, making the system self-sufficient and reducing operational complexity.
2Reliability
If the outer portion material is made opaque to electromagnetic radiation, then fluid impermeability is improved, but the curing process becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The outer portion is designed with selective transparency - it is opaque to visible light for fluid impermeability but transparent to electromagnetic radiation in the curing wavelength range (e.g., UV). This local quality differentiation allows both fluid barrier performance and effective curing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the optical parameters of the outer portion material to be transparent to electromagnetic radiation at specific wavelengths used for curing, while maintaining opacity to visible light for fluid impermeability. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between fluid barrier performance and curing effectiveness.
3Device complexity
If the liner is designed without a bladder, then the device complexity is reduced, but ensuring complete resin impregnation and curing becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The liner is pre-impregnated with resin at the factory before installation. This preliminary action ensures uniform resin distribution throughout the fabric, eliminating the need for on-site impregnation and ensuring consistent curing without requiring a bladder.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical bladder containment system with electromagnetic radiation for curing. The pre-impregnated liner is cured in place using UV or other electromagnetic radiation, achieving complete and uniform curing without the complexity of a bladder system.
4Productivity
If the inner portion coating is made transparent to electromagnetic radiation, then curing efficiency is improved, but fluid impermeability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The inner portion coating is formulated to be transparent to electromagnetic radiation at the curing wavelengths while maintaining fluid impermeability through its polymer matrix structure. This parameter optimization allows both rapid curing and reliable fluid barrier performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite material structures where the coating combines resin-impregnated fabric with polymer coatings that have selective optical properties. The composite structure provides both electromagnetic radiation transparency for curing and fluid impermeability for reliability.
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 a watertight, load-bearing liner that can be installed without onsite resin impregnation, providing continuous polymer matrix bonding and circumferential reinforcement, effectively addressing the challenges of high-pressure fluid and external loads.
Implementation Method 1
curable polymer configured to be cured by electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the curing range
Implementation Method 2
Electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the curing range is directed outward from a location inside the liner through the impermeable coating to cure the curable polymer
Data Source
AI summary
A liner for being cured by electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in a curing range. The liner includes an outer portion. The outer portion includes a tube of impermeable material that is opaque to electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the curing range. An inner portion includes a tube of felt internally coated with an impermeable coating that is transparent to electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the curing range. The inner portion is inside the outer portion. A middle portion includes a tube of impregnable material between the inner and outer portions. Curable polymer that is curable by electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the curing range impregnates the felt and the impregnable material. Methods of manufacturing and installing the liner are also disclosed.