Warp-Knitted Pipe Liner Material for Bends and Diameter Changes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current pipe lining materials are limited in their ability to effectively repair pipes with complex structures, such as bends and junctions, and are not suitable for a wide range of pipe diameters or high-pressure systems, leading to issues with leakage, cost, and accessibility in challenging environments like offshore pipelines.
Innovation Solution
A warp-knitted fabric tube with a film coating, designed to reconfigure radially and contract longitudinally, providing increased flexibility and compressibility, which allows for better negotiation of bends and adaptation to various pipe diameters, and the use of glass fibers for enhanced strength and safety in high-pressure systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional liner materials are used, then installation is straightforward, but the material cannot effectively repair pipes with bends and junctions
Solution Approach 1:
The liner material uses a dynamic structure with radial expandability and longitudinal contractibility that allows it to adapt to pipe bends and junctions during installation, while maintaining ease of installation through its flexible configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The material changes its physical parameters (radial expansion, longitudinal contraction) during installation to accommodate complex pipe geometries, transforming from a compact form to an expanded form that conforms to bends and junctions
2Strength
If rigid liner materials are used, then structural strength is maintained, but the material cannot adapt to various pipe diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The liner incorporates dynamic structural elements that allow radial expansion and longitudinal contraction, enabling the material to adapt to different pipe diameters while maintaining structural integrity through its reinforced configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The liner uses composite material construction combining flexibility with strength, allowing it to expand and contract to fit various pipe diameters while maintaining the structural strength needed for high-pressure systems
3Adaptability or versatility
If flexible materials are used, then adaptability to bends is improved, but leakage resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The liner employs composite material construction that combines flexible components for bend adaptability with reinforced elements that maintain leakage resistance, achieving both flexibility and reliability simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic structure allows the liner to flex and conform to bends while maintaining continuous contact with the pipe wall, ensuring leakage resistance is preserved even in complex geometries
4Quantity of substance
If conventional materials are used, then cost is reduced, but safety in hazardous environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The material changes its chemical composition parameters to achieve flame resistance and non-toxic properties, making it suitable for hazardous environments like offshore platforms while maintaining cost-effectiveness through efficient material usage
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 warp-knitted fabric tube enables more efficient and cost-effective repair of pipes across a broader range of diameters and configurations, including high-pressure systems, with improved performance at bends and junctions, and safer use in hazardous environments due to its non-toxic and flame-resistant properties.
Implementation Method 1
a warp-knitted fabric tube with a film coating, designed to reconfigure radially and contract longitudinally, providing increased flexibility and compressibility
Data Source
AI summary
A material for use in lining pipes is disclosed. A warp-knitted tubular fabric (24, 64) in which the stitch used (for example a tricot stitch) is of a type that reconfigures as the tube is expanded radially to contract longitudinally is sufficiently flexible and compressible to enable it to conform to pipe structures. The fabric of this invention is infused with resin, which is cured once the liner is in place within the pipe. Potentially, this fabric may be thinner than known prior art materials, but exhibits comparable strength and conformability, which are necessary characteristics in the repair or rehabilitation of pipes. The use of a thinner fabric material reduces constriction of the pipe bore by repair and also offers the potential for cheaper lining material, as less resin is required. The fabric may be knitted from glass fibre yarn, which is non-toxic and a stronger material than generally used in the prior art.