GB2175667A

GB2175667A - Pipe support

Info

Publication number: GB2175667A
Application number: GB08529634A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Morio Wakabayashi
Original assignee: RUSTOL CHEMICALS CO Ltd
Current assignee: RUSTOL CHEMICALS CO Ltd
Priority date: 1985-05-22
Filing date: 1985-12-02
Publication date: 1986-12-03
Also published as: JPH0137270Y2; JPS61191583U; GB2175667B; GB8529634D0

Abstract

A support structure for a pipe (5) includes a plate (11) made of corrosion resistant material fitted to the outer surface of the pipe (5) with the interposition of a layer (9) of anti corrosive adhesive material which adheres the plate (11) to the pipe (5). Thereby, this plate (11) may be contacted against a support member (3) for the pipe (5), and protects the pipe (5) against corrosion caused by accumulation of water or other corrosive material such as saline solution thereagainst. Also, the plate (11) can slide to a certain degree against the support member (3), when the length of the pipe (5) alters somewhat as for example may be caused by change of ambient temperature, and this protects the pipe (5) itself from fretting. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Pipe support structure and method BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a structure for supporting a pipe while protecting it from the effects of corrosion and fretting, and to a method for providing such pipe support; and in particular relates to such a structure and method which are suitable for use in piping situations such as arise in the construction of petrochemical plants, sea vessels, and the like.

Conventionally, a structure such as that exemplarily shown in perspective view in Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings has been used as a support structure for a pipe. In the depicted structure, a pipe 5 is held by being clamped to a plurality of supports 3 mounted to some member not shown by a plurality of legs 1~only one such support 3 is shown in the drawing, for the purposes of simplicity of illustration-by U bolts 7. In detail, the pipe 5 is typically coated on its outer surface with a corrosion resistant coating such as paint, and is laid against the upper face in the drawing of the support 3.Then, each of the U bolts 7 is fitted over the pipe 5 and its lower ends are passed through holes prepared in advance in the support 3 and are then engaged with fixing means such as nuts, not shown because they lie below and behind the support 3 as seen in the figure. Thereby, the pipe 5 may be securely fitted to the support 3.

However, a problem that arises with such a prior art construction is that water and saline solution and the like tend to accumulate in pools in the mating region where the lower surface of the pipe 5 and the support 3 are in contact with one another. Due to this, despite the provision on the outer surface of the pipe 5 of the corrosion resistant coating such as paint mentioned above, over a period of time corrosion of this mating portion of the pipe 5 is virtually inevitable.

Another problem that arises with this prior art structure relates to axial deformation and sliding. Due to changes of ambient temperature and also due to impact from external force sources, such as for example (in the cases of coastal areas and sea vessels) waves and the like, and also due to changes in the pressure of the fluid such as for instance crude oil which is being conducted through the pipe 5, the axial dimension of the pipe, for example between two points at which it is fixed by constructions such as those of Fig. 6 can alter. This can cause undue tension or compression of the pipe 5 and sliding of the pipe 5 on the support 3, which in turn can lead to fretting of said mating portion of the pipe 5.In the worst case, this can lead to premature failure of the pipe 5, especially in combination with corrosion, since even a moderate amount of fretting of the mating portion of the pipe 5 can wear away the protective coating such as paint which is applied thereon.

Another problem present in the prior art is that, since typically the pipe 5 is supported at a number of points rather than just at the one point as illustrated, it is not only quite troublesome but also quite costly to provide substantially perfect anti corrosion treatment on every one of the mating portions of said pipe 5 where it meets every one of its supports 3.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a structure for supporting a pipe, which protects well against corrosion.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a structure for supporting a pipe, which particularly protects well against corrosion of the points of the pipe at which it meets supports therefor.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a structure for supporting a pipe, which ensures that accumulations of corrosive fluid such as saline solution are not allowed to closely contact the outer material of the pipe to deteriorate and corrode it.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a structure for supporting a pipe, which allows some freedom of the pipe for axial deformation thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a structure for supporting a pipe, which minimizes fretting of the pipe against its supports.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a structure for supporting a pipe, which can be easily set up.

It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide such a structure for supporting a pipe, which has good workability.

It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide such a structure for supporting a pipe, which is economical.

It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a method for supporting a pipe, which helps to achieve the above identified objects relating to a structure.

According to the most general aspect of the present invention, these and other objects relating to a structure are accomplished by a support structure for a pipe (5), comprising a plate (11) made of corrosion resistant material fitted to the outer surface of the pipe (5) with the interposition of a layer (9) of anti corrosive adhesive material which adheres the plate (11) to the pipe (5); while these and other objects relating to a method are accomplished by a method of supporting a pipe (5), wherein: a layer (9) of anti corrosive adhesive material is applied to a plate (11) made of corrosion resistant material; and the plate (11) is fitted to the outer surface of the pipe (5) with the interposition of the layer (9) of anti corrosive adhesive material, which adheres the plate (11) to the pipe (5).

According to such a structure, the part of the pipe which is covered by the plate, which typically is the part of the pipe which is contacted to a support member therefor, is protected against the corrosive effect of water or other corrosive fluid by the plate and by the layer of anti corrosive adhesive material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, and with reference to the illustrative drawings, which however are all of them given purely for the purposes of explanation and exemplification only, and are none of them intended to be imitative of the scope of the present invention in any way.In the drawings, like parts and spaces and so on are denoted by like reference symbols in the various figures thereof; in the description, spatial terms are to be everywhere understood in terms of the relevant figure; and: Fig. 1 is a partial perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of the pipe support structure of the present invention and of a pipe supported thereby; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of said pipe support structure and of said pipe; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a gutter shaped protective plate member utilized in said first preferred embodiment pipe support structure, also showing a quantity of anti corrosive adhesive spread thereon; Fig. 4 is a side view of said protective plate member and said quantity of anti corrosive adhesive;; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view, similar to Fig. 2 relating to the first preferred embodiment, showing the second preferred embodiment of the pipe support structure of the present invention and also showing a pipe supported thereby; and Fig. 6 is a partial perspective view, similar to Fig. 2 relating to the first preferred embodiment, showing a prior art pipe support structure and a pipe supported thereby.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODI MENTS The present invention will now be described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, and with reference to the appended drawings. Fig. 1 is a partial perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of the pipe support structure of the present invention. In this figure, the reference numeral 5 again denotes the pipe to be supported, and 3 is a support which is mounted to some member not shown by a plurality of legs 1, as in the prior art construction described above and shown in Fig. 6. The pipe 5 is laid as a bridge over a plurality of such supports 3, of which only one is shown in the figure.

To the lower portion as seen in Figs. 1 and 2 of the outer surface of the pipe 5, along its longitudinal direction, there is fitted a gutter shaped protective plate 11, which is shown in perspective view in Fig. 3 and in side view in Fig. 4. An adhesive layer 9 which is made of or includes a material which has high anti corrosive properties is used for thus sticking this gutter shaped protective plate 11 against the surface of the pipe 5. The plate 11 is shaped from a substantially rectangular piece of stainless steel or from some other material which has good corrosion resistance, which is curved along its longitudinal direction by pressing or the like so as to conform to the shape of the outer surface of the pipe 5.And substantially the whole of the space defined between the gutter shaped plate 11 and the pipe 5 is occupied and filled with the adhesive layer 9, which in fact, as schematically shown in Figs. 1 and 2, bulges somewhat out from the sides of said space.

This fitting of the gutter shaped plate 11 is done, during assembly of the pipe support structure, by first spreading the adhesive layer 9 on the inwardly curved surface of said gutter shaped plate 11, and then by pressing said plate 11 against the part of the surface of the pipe 5 which will lie towards the support 3 when the pipe is mounted. By maintaining this pressing of the plate 11 towards the pipe 5, the adhesive layer 9 is compressed and is somewhat squeezed outwards, and it is definitely ensured that, as specified above, substantially the whole of the space defined between the gutter shaped plate 11 and the pipe 5 is occupied and filled with the adhesive layer 9.However, in order further to guarantee the adequacy of filling of said space by said adhesive layer 9, the axially extending central portion 19 of said adhesive layer 9 may be made somewhat thicker than the rest thereof, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This provides an extra amount of said adhesive layer 9 for being squished out.

The internal details of the adhesive layer 9 are not particularly shown in the drawings, but this layer 9 includes a material which has high anti corrosive properties, and typically is produced by impregnating a strip of base fabric made of heat resistant fiber material, such as glass fiber or polyester fiber, with an anti corrosive and heat resistant adhesive paint or agent layer in the form of a paste. This paste material may for example be a mixture including one or more of the following: alkyd resin, aluminum powder, anti corrosive pigment, an adhesive agent, iron oxide powder, and the like.However, this suggested possible constitution for the adhesive layer 9 is not intended to be limitative of the present invention, and it is quite within the scope of the present invention for the adhesive layer 9 not to include any base fiber material, but just to be constituted by the anti corrosive adhesive paint by itself.

Further, in the shown construction, after fitting the gutter shaped plate 11 to the lower side of the pipe 5, the combination thereof is laid against the support 3, with the outer convex surface of the plate 11 resting against the upper surface of the support 3 to between them constitute a mating portion, and then two U bolts 7 are fitted over the pipe 5, and their lower threaded end portions 13 are passed through holes 15 prepared in advance in the support 3 and are then engaged with nuts 17 which are screwed thereonto, so as to tension the U bolts 7 and so as thereby to securely fit the pipe 5 to the support 3, while pressing the outer convex surface of the plate 11 against the upper surface of the support 3.

In this shown support structure for the pipe 5, since the portion of said pipe 5 facing towards the support 3, which might otherwise be prone to undergoing deterioration by contact with any pool of corrosive fluid such as water or saline solution or the like which might accumulate, is covered by the anti corrosion adhesive layer 9, and is further protected by the plate 11 which is made of stainless steel or the like, this portion of the pipe 5 is positively protected against corrosion.

And no substantial quantity of such corrosive fluid can insinuate itself between the pipe 5 and the gutter shaped protective plate 11 to cause corrosion, because the anti corrosive adhesive layer 9 is particularly provided so as to fill the space defined between said gutter shaped plate 11 and the pipe 5, and in fact bulges somewhat out from the sides of said space as mentioned above.

Accordingly, this structure for supporting a pipe protects well against corrosion, and particularly protects well against corrosion of the points of the pipe at which it meets the supports therefor; as well as ensuring that accumulations of corrosive fluid such as saline solution are not allowed to closely contact the outer material of the pipe to deteriorate and corrode it.

Further, since the pipe 5 does not itself directly contact the support 3, but instead the mating portion between the pipe assembly and the support 3 is constituted by the contact between the stainless steel plate 11 and the support 3, when the axial dimension of the pipe 5 changes as for example by change of ambient temperature or the like as explained previously, the sliding in the mating portion necessary for accomodating such change of axial dimension occurs between the plate 11 and the support 3, accordingly not particularly deteriorating the pipe 5 by fretting, or reducing the corrosion protection therefor.

And the plate 11 itself is substantially immune from corrosion, according to its own particular properties.

In Fig. 5, an axial cross section of the second preferred embodiment of the pipe support structure of the present invention and of a pipe supported thereby is shown, in a manner similar to Fig. 2 relating to the first preferred embodiment; like parts to those of the first preferred embodiment and of the prior art are denoted in this figure by like reference symbols. In this second preferred embodiment, two gutter shaped protective plates 11 a and 1 1b are utilized, along with two corresponding adhesive layers 9a and 9b.The plate 11 b and its corresponding adhesive layer 9b are fitted, as were the plate 11 and the adhesive layer 9 of the first preferred embodiment, between the pipe 5 and the support 3, and perform substantially the same functions; and additionally in this second preferred embodiment the other plate 11 b and its corresponding adhesive layer 9b are fitted between the pipe 5 and the U bolts 7, for performing a similar function to that described above. Thereby, the objects of this invention are achieved even more effectively.

Thus, it is seen that the pipe support structure of this invention achieves the objects thereof if it is applied to a contact part or to a plurality of contact parts between the pipe and the support device therefor which includes the support 3 and the U bolts 7, and the exact positioning of the plate 11 can be varied within wide limits. However, since water tends to flow downwards and to accumulate in pools on the lower part of the construction, it is quite adequate and effective to fit the stainless steel plate 11, as in the first preferred embodiment, at the part of the pipe 5 at which it is supported from below by the support construction.

The shape of the plate 11 is also to a certain extent arbitrary, but it is desirable that the internal or concave surface thereof should be roughened, in order to promote good adhesion of the anti corrosive adhesive layer 9 thereto, while it is preferred that the outer or convex surface of the plate 11 should be relatively smooth, in order better to slide relatively freely on the support 3 without presenting undue resistance due to the action of friction, when the pipe 5 undergoes alteration of axial dimension.

The gutter shaped plate 11 either may be intimately fitted directly over the external surface of the pipe 5 with the intervention of the adhesive layer 9, or alternatively may be fitted over a coating of anti corrosive paint applied to said external surface of said pipe 5, or over a fabric tape impregnated with anti corrosive adhesive paint paste applied to said external surface of said pipe 5. Also, the support structure to which this invention may be applied is not to be considered as being restricted to one incorporating U bolts such as the U bolts 7 of the shown preferred embodiments, but also may be applied to an embodi ment in which the pipe 5 is suspended from above and is merely laid against the supports 3 without being particularly fixed thereto by any means such as U bolts.

Thus, as described above, according to the pipe support structure of this invention, since the contact or mating portion betwen the pipe and the support therefor is covered by the anti corrosive adhesive layer and further by the protective gutter shaped stainless steel protective plate which are intimately attached to the pipe, the corrosive effects of fluids such as water and saline solution and the like, accumulated on the support portion against the pipe, are not able to corrode the pipe itself. Further, the pipe is protected from damage due to fretting caused by axial movement of the pipe, and this also contributes to protecting the pipe from corrosion damage.

Further, since all that is required to implement the present invention is to stick the stainless steel protective plate against the outside of the pipe with the aid of the anti corrosive adhesive layer, the workability of the present invention is excellent even when the pipe is supported at a large number of support points, and the present invention is accordingly very economical. In particular, an immense improvement in workability can be attained by intimately sticking the protective stainless steel plate to the pipe in advance.

Although the present invention has been shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, and in terms of the illustrative drawings, it should not be considered as being limited thereby, since many alterations could be made in the perhaps purely fortuitous details thereof, but as being defined solely by the scope of the appended claims, which follow.

Claims

1. A support structure for a pipe (5), comprising a plate (11) made of corrosion resistant material fitted to the outer surface of said pipe (5) with the interposition of a layer (9) of anti corrosive adhesive material which adheres said plate (11) to said pipe (5).

2. A support structure for a pipe (5) according to claim 1, wherein said layer (9) of anti corrosive adhesive material substantially fills the space defined between said plate (11) and said pipe (5).

3. A support structure for a pipe (5) according to claim 2, wherein said layer (9) of anti corrosive adhesive material projects somewhat outward from said space defined between said plate (11) and said pipe (5).

4. A support structure for a pipe (5) according to claim 1, wherein said layer (9) of anti corrosive adhesive material is substantially composed -of a base fabric material impregnated with an anti corrosive adhesive agent.

5. A support structure for a pipe (5) according to claim 1, wherein said plate (11) is pressed against a member (3) which supports said pipe (5).

6. A support structure for a pipe (5) according to claim 1, wherein said plate (11) is pressed by a member (7) which clamps said pipe (5) into position against a member (3) which supports said pipe (5).

7. A support structure for a pipe (5) according to claim 1, further comprising a support member (3), said pipe (5) resting against said support member (3) with the interposition of said plate (11) and said adhesive layer (9) therebetween.

8. A support structure for a pipe (5) according to claim 7, wherein said pipe (5) is clamped against said support member (3) with the interposition of said plate (11) and said adhesive layer (9) therebetween.

9. A support structure for a pipe (5) according to claim 7, further comprising a member (7) which clamps said pipe (5) against said support member (3) with the interposition of said plate (11) and said adhesive layer (9) therebetween.

10. A support structure for a pipe (5) according to claim 9, further comprising another plate (ill) made of corrosion resistant material fitted to the outer surface of said pipe (5) with the interposition of another layer (9a) of anti corrosive adhesive material which adheres said plate (ill) to said pipe (5); said clamping member (7) pressing against the outer surface of said another plate (1 lea).

11. A support structure for a pipe (5) according to claim 1, wherein the surface of said plate (11) opposed to said adhesive layer (9) is roughened.

12. A support structure for a pipe (5) according to claim 1, wherein the surface of said plate (11) facing outwards is smooth.

13. A support structure for a pipe (5) substantially as shown and described.

14. A method of supporting a pipe (5), wherein: a layer (9) of anti corrosive adhesive material is applied to a plate (11) made of corrosion resistant material; and said plate (11) is fitted to the outer surface of said pipe (5) with the interposition of said layer (9) of anti corrosive adhesive material, which adheres said plate (11) to said pipe (5).

15. A method of supporting a pipe (5) according to claim 14, wherein said plate (11) is pushed firmly towards said pipe (5), so as to compress said layer (9) of anti corrosive adhesive material.

16. A method of supporting a pipe (5) according to claim 15, wherein said layer (9) of anti corrosive adhesive material is somewhat squeezed out from between said plate (11) and said pipe (5) by said pushing.

17. A method of supporting a pipe (5) according to claim 14, wherein said layer (9) of anti corrosive adhesive material, before said plate (11) is applied to said pipe (5), is substantially thicker at its central portion (19) than at its edge portions.

18. A method of supporting a pipe (5) substantially as shown and described.