Vibrating Finishing Plate for Offshore Pipe Concrete Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
The impingement process for offshore concrete coating of pipes results in a non-uniform, porous, and friable surface, leading to increased concrete thickness, reduced density, inaccurate diameter measurements, excessive dust generation, and higher disposal costs, as well as increased friction with the seabed.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a frame with a scraper and a vibrating plate is used to remove excess concrete and compact the impinged coating, ensuring a smooth finish by scrapping material beyond a maximum diameter and vibrating the surface at specific frequencies to achieve a uniform profile.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If impingement process is used for concrete coating, then coating application speed is improved, but surface uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a vibrating plate to the concrete coating surface to eliminate the non-uniformities created by the impingement process. The vibration frequency is specifically tuned to resonate with the concrete coating, causing the coating material to settle into a more uniform configuration and eliminating the rough, undulating surface profile that would otherwise require additional thickness to achieve desired buoyancy characteristics.
2Manufacturing precision
If thicker concrete coating is applied to compensate for non-uniform surface, then surface uniformity is improved, but concrete mass increases
Solution Approach 1:
By applying vibration to the freshly applied concrete coating, the patent enables the coating to achieve uniform density and surface profile at the minimum required thickness. This eliminates the need to apply excess concrete to compensate for surface irregularities, thereby reducing the overall concrete mass while maintaining the required buoyancy characteristics.
3Productivity
If impinged concrete surface is used, then coating application efficiency is improved, but dust generation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vibrating plate compacts and densifies the outer layers of the concrete coating, creating a harder, more cohesive surface that is less prone to generating dust during subsequent handling and laying operations. This vibration treatment binds the surface particles more firmly, reducing the friable nature of impinged concrete surfaces.
4Ease of manufacture
If non-uniform concrete surface is present, then coating application simplicity is improved, but measurement accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The vibration treatment creates a uniform, smooth surface profile that eliminates the peak-to-peak variations that cause measurement errors. This allows diameter measurement systems to accurately determine the true pipe diameter without being influenced by surface irregularities, thereby improving buoyancy estimation accuracy.
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 results in a smoother, denser concrete coating with reduced thickness and dust generation, providing more accurate diameter measurements and lower operational costs, while also reducing friction with the seabed.
Implementation Method 1
vibrationally compacting a surface of the impinged concrete coated pipe
Data Source
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AI summary
A pipe coating finishing device is made up of a frame having a first arm and a second arm. A scraper is coupled to a first arm pipe end of the first arm for engaging a pipe to remove material in excess of a maximum pipe diameter. In addition, a vibrating plate is coupled to a second arm pipe end of the second arm for compacting an impinged concrete coating on the pipe. Also disclosed is a process for finishing an impinged concrete coating on a pipe with a device, as disclosed herein.