Wire Rope Protection Sleeve for Corrosion and Fatigue Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-spec pipes and equipment are susceptible to damage and corrosion due to metal-to-metal contact during handling, which existing non-metallic or treated lifting equipment cannot efficiently monitor for fatigue, leading to potential catastrophic failures.
Innovation Solution
A wire rope protection sleeve with a high-strength hook and loop fastener enclosure that eliminates metal-to-metal contact, allows for inspection, and is adaptable to various equipment configurations, providing easy installation and removal for ongoing usage and safety compliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If non-metallic lifting equipment is used to eliminate metal-to-metal contact, then protection of high-spec pipe from corrosion is improved, but the ability to monitor equipment for fatigue becomes inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
A non-metallic protective sleeve acts as an intermediary barrier between the metal wire rope and the high-spec pipe, eliminating direct metal-to-metal contact and preventing corrosion while allowing the metal wire rope to maintain its fatigue monitoring capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting system is segmented into distinct functional components: the metal wire rope for load-bearing and fatigue monitoring, and the non-metallic protective sleeve for corrosion prevention, allowing each component to optimize its specific function
2Reliability
If metal lifting equipment is used to enable efficient fatigue monitoring, then inspection capability is improved, but metal-to-metal contact causes corrosion damage to high-spec pipe
Solution Approach 1:
The non-metallic protective sleeve serves as a mediator that isolates the high-spec pipe from direct contact with metal lifting equipment, preventing corrosion while allowing the metal equipment to perform its inspection and fatigue monitoring functions
3Object-affected harmful factors
If protective covering is added to eliminate metal-to-metal contact, then corrosion protection is improved, but inspection access becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The protective system is segmented into a removable or separable protective sleeve that can be easily taken off or opened to allow inspection of the lifting equipment, then reinstalled to provide corrosion protection
Solution Approach 2:
The protective covering is designed to be dynamic rather than static, allowing it to be moved, opened, or removed as needed for inspection purposes, and repositioned to maintain protection during normal operations
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 effectively reduces metal-to-metal contact, enabling safe inspection and monitoring of lifting equipment, preventing asset loss and ensuring compliance with safety protocols while protecting sensitive metals from corrosion.
Implementation Method 1
The fastener is a high strength hook and loop type (e.g., velcro) that selectively interconnects to itself
Data Source
AI summary
A protection sleeve is provided for a wire rope to prevent the wire rope from contacting other components in an oil and gas operation. The protection sleeve, in some embodiments, has a body that substantially corresponds to the wire portion of the wire rope, and the protection sleeve has specialized flaps at the ends of the body that correspond to thimble eyes of the wire rope. The protection sleeve may have a variety of configurations to accommodate different aspects of a wire rope or any other device that necessitates protection.