RU2362939C2 - Installation of spouts, hardening on-site owing to air and vapour stream - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: construction.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to methods of repairing or restoring existing pipes, as well as to devices realising such methods, and more specifically to methods and devices for installing spouts, which harden on-site owing to a stream of air and vapour. Proposed is a method of lining an existing pipeline with a flexible resin-impregnated on-site hardening spout, by drawing the spout and blowing a resin-impregnated inflatable container with air and hardening the spout using a stream of vapour without pressure loss. The spout contains material which absorbs the resin, is cylindrical and comprises an impermeable shell, which forms an outer layer. The inflatable container also contains material which absorbs the resin, is cylindrical and comprises an impermeable shell, which forms an outer layer and a discharge device at the rear end. The inflatable container passes through an under-pressure turning-over device to the collapsed spout. When the container reaches the far end, the turning-over device comes out of the turning container and connects to an outlet hose. Further, vapour is fed into the turning-over device with the aim of solidifying the resin and the vapour comes out through an outlet pipe. At the end of the hardening cycle, vapour is replaced with air to as to cool the spout.

EFFECT: improved method of restoring existing pipelines.

31 cl, 14 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the installation of an in situ hardening sleeve, which is done as follows: the resin-impregnated sleeve is drawn into an existing pipe, the resin-inflatable balloon is turned out with air, and the resin hardens due to the continuous flow of steam without pressure loss. The invention also relates to devices that implement this method. The method and devices are particularly well suited for the installation of hardening in place of medium and large diameter hoses.

State of the art

It is known that pipelines, in particular underground pipes, for example separate sewage system manifold pipes, storm sewer pipes, water pipes and gas pipelines through which liquids flow, often require repair due to fluid leakage or wear. Leakage may be directed outward from the environment into the interior of the piping. Alternatively, the leak may be directed outward from the interior of the pipeline into the surrounding space. In both cases, it is desirable to eliminate the leak.

The cause of the leak may be improper installation of the original pipe or wear of the pipe due to natural aging, or the leak appears due to the transport of corrosive or abrasive material through the pipe. The cause of cracks located at or near the joints of pipes may be external conditions, such as earthquakes, or the movement of heavy trucks on a higher surface, or similar natural vibrations, or human-induced vibrations, or other similar causes. Regardless of the reason, such a leak is undesirable and can lead to loss of fluid transported through the pipeline, or lead to environmental pollution and possible dangerous sanitary and hygienic consequences. If the leak is not eliminated, this can lead to structural disruption of the existing pipeline due to soil leaching and loss of lateral support of the pipeline.

Due to the constant increase in the cost of work, energy and machinery, it is becoming increasingly difficult and economically unprofitable to repair possibly leaking underground pipes or parts thereof, simply by digging and replacing pipes. As a result, a number of methods were proposed for repairing or restoring existing pipelines in place. These new methods eliminate the expensive and dangerous digging and replacement of pipes or pipe parts, as well as significant inconvenience to others. One of the most successful repair or trenchless recovery methods currently in widespread use is called the Insituform® method. This method is described in US Patent Nos. 4,009,063, 4,064,211 and 4,135,958, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

According to the typical operating procedure of the Insituform method, an elongated flexible cylindrical sleeve of felt fiber, foamed or similar resin-impregnated material with an external impermeable coating that is impregnated with a thermoset hardening resin, is installed in the existing pipeline. Typically, the sleeve is installed using the eversion process as described in the two last mentioned patents issued by Insituform. During the eversion process, radially directed pressure is applied to the inner space of the sleeve being turned out, which presses the sleeve, and it comes into contact with the inner surface of the pipeline. However, the Insituform method is also implemented as follows: the sleeve impregnated with resin is drawn into the pipeline using a cable or cable, and thanks to the use of a separate liquid-permeable inflatable balloon or pipe, which is turned inside the sleeve, the sleeve hardens at the inner wall of the existing pipeline. Such resin-impregnated hoses are commonly referred to as “in situ hardening pipes” or “HNMT hoses,” and their installation is called the HNMT installation.

A flexible cylindrical ZNMT sleeve contains an external smooth layer of a relatively flexible, essentially impermeable polymer covering the sleeve from the outside in its initial state. After turning, the impermeable layer is on the inside of the sleeve after the sleeve is turned out during installation. When the flexible sleeve is installed in place in the pipeline, the pressure in the pipeline is increased, preferably using a fluid to evert, for example, water or air, in order to press the sleeve radially outward until it engages with the inner surface of the existing pipeline and repeats its shape.

Usually, an eversion tower is erected at the installation site, designed to provide the necessary pressure for ejecting the sleeve or cylinder. Alternatively, the eversion unit shown and described in US Pat. Nos. 5,154,936, No. 5,167,901 (RE 35,944) and No. 5,597,353, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, can be used. Hardening can be started by supplying hot water to the inverted sleeve through a recirculation hose attached to the end of the inverted sleeve. The eversion water circulates through a heat source, such as a boiler or heat exchanger, and returns to the inverted sleeve until the hardening of the sleeve is complete. Further, the resin in the impregnated material hardens and forms a solid lining that is tightly fitted to the rigid pipe and is located in the existing pipeline. The new sleeve effectively seals any crack and repairs the wear of any part of the pipe or any pipe joint, which prevents further leakage both into the existing pipeline and from it. Hardened resin also strengthens the wall of the existing pipeline, which provides additional structural protection for the environment.

In the case when a cylindrical in place hardening sleeve is installed in a way involving retraction and inflation, the sleeve is impregnated with resin in the same way as when using the method with inversion, and is located in a folded state inside the existing pipeline. The lower pipe, an inflated pipe or pipe containing a bend at the lower end, is usually located in an existing hatch or access point, and the eversible balloon passes through the lower pipe, opens and wraps over the entrance to the horizontal part of the bend. A folded sleeve located in an existing pipeline is then located on top of the end to wrap the inflatable balloon and attached to it. The eversion fluid, for example water, is then supplied to the lower pipe and the water pressure causes the inflatable balloon to be pushed from the horizontal part of the elbow and the folded sleeve expands towards the inner surface of the existing pipeline. The inflatable balloon is turned out until the balloon reaches the downstream hatch or the second access point and enters it. At this time, the sleeve pressed against the inner surface of the existing pipeline is allowed to harden. Hardening begins by supplying hot water to the inflatable balloon, circulation of hot water causes the hardening of the resin in the resin-impregnated sleeve.

After the resin has hardened, the inflatable balloon can be removed or left in the hardened sleeve. If it is planned to leave the inflatable balloon, then usually the balloon contains a relatively thin resin-impregnated layer from within the impermeable layer. In this case, due to the impregnated layer after eversion, the balloon adheres to the sleeve-impregnated layer of resin, which is well known in the art. At this time, to access the hatch or access point, you must open the sleeve to release the water used to inflate the balloon and cut off the ends protruding into the hatches. When it is planned to remove the inflatable balloon, it can be removed by pulling the end of the holding cable attached to the rear end of the inflatable balloon used to control the speed of eversion. This is usually done after making a hole in the cylinder at the receiving end in order to discharge the water used to unscrew the cylinder and initiate the resin hardening process. Finally, the lower pipe can be removed further, and the operation of the pipe can be resumed through the sleeve pipe. If there are intermittent piping connections, they must be reopened before resuming operation through the piped hose.

In the current water eversion method used in the Insituform method, the sleeve is inverted using cold water. After the hose is completely inverted in the existing pipeline, heated water circulates through a flat-rolled pipe connected to the turned surface of the sleeve. Hot water circulates during the solidification cycle. For sleeves of medium and large diameter, since the diameter of the sleeve increases, the volume of water required to effect eversion is significantly increased. All water used to inflate the sleeve — either for the inversion method or for the retraction and inflation method — must be heated during the heating and solidification cycle. In addition, when the solidification is complete, the water used for solidification must be cooled either by adding cold water or by continuing to circulate until the water temperature reaches a value at which water can be discharged into the downstream pipeline after cutting the sleeve at the end of the pipeline, or by pumping water used for hardening from the hardened sleeve and delivering it to an accessible disposal system.

The main disadvantage of using these devices with water is that large amounts of water must be available for eversion. For solidification, usually the water should be heated to a temperature of 13 ° C to 82 ° C, and then, before being discharged into an available disposal system, the water should be cooled, by adding more water, to a temperature of 38 ° C.

This disadvantage can be overcome by using air as the eversion force instead of water. When the impregnated sleeve is fully twisted, solidification can be done with steam. Although water is needed to produce steam, the amount of water in the form of steam is only 5-10% of the amount of water needed to carry out inversion, solidification with water and its cooling. This means that steam can be used for solidification even if there is a lack of water at the work site. This significant reduction in the amount of water is the result of more energy that can be obtained from one kilogram of water in the form of steam compared to one kilogram of heated water. One kilogram of steam, condensing into one kilogram of water, gives approximately 2300 kJ, and one kilogram of water with a decrease in temperature for each degree gives only 2.3 kJ. This reduced water demand and the possible rejection of the heating cycle significantly reduces the solidification cycle and installation time.

With such an obvious advantage of using air to turn and steam to harden, why does the industry not refuse to use water to turn and hot water to harden?

When water is used to twist a sleeve impregnated with resin, the non-twisted portion of the sleeve from the inverted nose to the twisting device rises by a force equal to the amount of water transported by the sleeve. In the case of ZNMT of the sleeve, this means that the effective weight of the sleeve is significantly reduced, since there is the force necessary to pull the sleeve inverted forward to the eversible nose. When air is used to create the eversion force, the unverted sleeve lies at the bottom of the pipe and the air pressure exerted on the evertible nose of the sleeve must pull forward the full weight of the sleeve.

To invert the ZNMT sleeve, it is necessary to overcome the action of three forces, regardless of what is used for inversion. The indicated forces are as follows:

1. The force required to turn the sleeve (turn the sleeve inside out). This force depends on the thickness of the sleeve, the type of material and the ratio of the thickness of the sleeve to its diameter.

2. The force required to stretch the sleeve from the eversion device to the eversible nose.

3. The force required to pull the sleeve through the eversion device. Strength number one (1) above is essentially the same for eversion using air as well as eversion using water.

Strength number two (2) greatly depends on whether air or water is used, and can limit the length of the eversion by air. There is a restriction on the amount of pressure that can be used to turn the sleeve out without adversely affecting the quality of the installed ZNMT hose and / or without damaging the existing pipeline. To reduce the required traction force, grease can be used both for eversion with water and for eversion with air.

Strength number three (3) may vary depending on the design of the device. For most devices currently in use, the force required to pull the sleeve through the device increases when either force number one or force number two increases or when both of them increase. The reason for this is that in order to increase the energy available for eversion, in a conventional device currently in use, the loss of pressurized fluid from the pressure chamber located below the entry point of the sleeve into the device is limited, and fastened with stripes to wrap the inverted sleeve. This limitation is usually achieved by increasing the air pressure in the pneumatic pinch seal or by using a seal that is driven by the fluid used to evert. Moving inward in normal cases is limited by the seal material and the compression of the sleeve being twisted out by the ZNMT. This, in turn, leads to an increase in friction between the inverted ZNMT sleeve and the seal.

As an alternative, due to the transferred energy, it has been proposed to use steam. The use of air for inflating an inflatable balloon and steam flow is described in patents Nos. 6,708,728 and 6,679,293 to Insituform, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The methods described in these recently issued patents use retraction and inflation techniques, and these methods are currently used for small diameter hoses. For sleeves of this size, they have advantages over using water for eversion. Moreover, the use of a treatment container described in these patents is not suitable for medium and large diameter hoses. Medium-sized sleeves include sleeves with a diameter of approximately 5330 to 11430 mm. Hoses with a large diameter include sleeves whose diameter exceeds 11430 mm.

Although existing methods that use hot water for hardening have the various advantages noted above, due to disadvantages there is a tendency to increase energy and labor costs, as well as the inevitable significant use of water, which can be trapped by styrene due to the types of resin used. Accordingly, it is desirable to propose a recovery method suitable for medium-sized and large-diameter ZNMT hoses, where the sleeve is inflated with air using a resin-inflatable balloon, part of which is an exhaust pipe for air / steam, and the resin hardens due to the steam flow, which is done in order to take advantage of steam energy to offer an installation method that is faster and more economically efficient than the various methods currently used to recover Eden.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for restoring existing pipelines, in which hoses are hardened in place by retraction and inflation. Air is used to inflate an inflatable balloon infused with resin, and the resin in the sleeve and the cylinder hardens due to the pumped vapor without pressure drop. The resin impregnated sleeve is drawn into an existing pipeline to be repaired and cut off from ends protruding beyond the boundaries of the pipeline. An inflatable balloon containing a layer of resin-impregnated material with an impermeable coating applied to it is provided with an outlet at the rear end. The outlet includes an open end with a holding device. The opposite or leading closed end with a steam valve is inserted into the rear end of the inflatable balloon, which is fastened in stripes to the rear or holding end of the inflatable balloon.

The holding cable and perforated flat-rolled hose are attached to the holding device. The resin impregnated sleeve is drawn into the base pipe. An inflatable balloon is retracted through a pressurized eversion chamber with an eversion apron. The nearest end of the sleeve is attached in stripes to the inflatable balloon on the eversion apron. The pressurized air acts on the valve of the eversion chamber and the action of the air for eversion on the cylinder leads to the inversion and inflation of the retracted sleeve.

The eversion stops when the exhaust pipe is visible at the far end of the base pipe. The perforated plane-folding hose is cut off and the distal end is attached to the steam hose. The end device for the tube is attached to the nearest end of the sleeve, and the inflatable balloon is turned out so that the inflation tube catches on the end device and, when eversion is completed, the outlet opens.

The outlet hose attaches to the distal end of the open outlet. A steam hose connected to the proximal end of a flat hose is attached to the boiler. Steam is supplied to the flat-rolled hose to heat the sleeve, and the exhaust valve located on the exhaust pipe opens to maintain pressure in the sleeve. Steam and air flows are maintained until the temperature rises substantially, the air flow decreases, and high-grade steam is used to harden the resin. At the end of the solidification cycle, the steam valve slowly closes and air is added to start the cooling process. The ends of the sleeves are cut off in the same way as with conventional installations.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved method for rebuilding an existing pipeline by installing an in situ hardening sleeve, which is done by retracting the resin-impregnated sleeve and inflating by unscrewing the resin-impregnated balloon, whereby air is used to turn the inflatable balloon.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved inflatable balloon for use in the installation of an in situ hardening sleeve with an outlet tube mounted at the rear end of the balloon.

Another objective of the invention is to propose an improved installation method with the retraction and inflation of the hardening in place of the sleeve, which is done using pumped steam, which contributes to the hardening of the resin.

Another objective of the invention is to provide an improved method for installing an in situ hardening sleeve, which consists in retracting and inflating, where air is used to turn the balloon out to inflate the sleeve, and the pumped steam is used to solidify the resin in the inflatable balloon and the retracted sleeve.

Another objective of the invention is to propose an outlet mounted at the rear end of the inflatable balloon to release air and steam pumped through the inflatable balloon and sleeve.

Another objective of the invention is to propose an improved method for installing in situ hardenable hoses, which is done by steam hardening using a perforated plane-folding tube connected to the rear end of the inflatable balloon in order to ensure controlled use of steam along the entire length of the balloon.

According to one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method for trenchless restoration of an existing pipeline using a flexible resin-impregnated sleeve from a first access point to a second access point by twisting a flexible resin-impregnated sleeve, which is done to adapt the sleeve to the existing pipe and harden the resin, wherein the method includes itself: ensuring the supply of a flexible resin-impregnated sleeve and drawing one end of the flexible sleeve into the pipeline from th access point to the second point of access; supply of a flexible inflatable balloon; the location of the release at the rear end of the inflatable balloon; turning the inflatable balloon with the release into the inner space of the flexible sleeve using air, so that the release is accessible from the second access point; injecting steam into the interior of the container and allowing the steam to flow through the container and exit through the outlet; and allowing the resin to solidify in the sleeve.

In yet another embodiment, the inflatable balloon comprises a layer of resin impregnated material.

In another embodiment, the resin in the inflatable balloon solidifies with the resin in the sleeve.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the outlet is a tube comprising a first closed end with an optionally openable valve and comprising an open second end.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the discharge tube is attached to the rear end of the inflatable balloon, the closed end of which enters the interior of the specified balloon.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the method further includes the step of attaching a flexible flat-lay hose to the rear end of the inflatable balloon.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, steam is injected into the cylinder through a flat-lay hose.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the method further includes the step of attaching the steam hose to the rear end of the flat-folding hose, which is done before eversion is completed.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the method further includes the step of providing a flat hose comprising several holes that are formed along the length of the flat hose in its flat state.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the holes are made in alternating order along the two edges of the straightened flattened hose.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the method further includes attaching a steam source to the rear end of the flat-folding hose, which is done before the rear end of the flat-folding hose passes into the interior of the inflatable balloon.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the method further includes the step of unscrewing the inflatable balloon through the ejection unit, comprising at least one flexible pinch valve designed to create pressure inside the balloon.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the cylinder is ejected by supplying air to the eversion unit downstream of the pinch valve.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the method further includes the step of attaching the retaining device to the rear end of the invertible inflatable balloon.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the method further includes the step of attaching the retaining device to the rear end of the invertible inflatable balloon.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the method further includes the step of retracting the resin impregnated sleeve and turning the impregnated pipe in the retracted sleeve.

According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method for trenchless restoration of an existing pipeline by inverting an impregnated resin pipe, comprising: supplying a flexible impregnated resin pipe; pipe turning in an existing pipeline; attaching a perforated plane-folding hose to the rear end of the inverted pipe; ensuring the release intended for the passage of steam through an inverted pipe; injecting steam into a flat-rolled hose and the inner space of the turned pipe and allowing steam to pass through the outlet; and allowing resin to solidify in the impregnated pipe.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the method further includes the step of forming several holes that are made in alternating order at the edges of the flat-rolled hose in a flat state, which is done to distribute steam along the length of the turned impregnated pipe.

In yet another embodiment, steam is injected into any puddles of condensate forming at the bottom of the pipe.

According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided an exhaust device for trenchless restoration of an existing pipeline using a resin-impregnated sleeve, comprising an elongated hollow cylindrical element that comprises a valve, optionally opened at a first end, and a lid covering the first end of the device; and a cylindrical element containing a second open end, which can be fixed in strips inside the rear end of the flexible resin-impregnated pipe with a closed end of the hose located inside the pipe, and the open end directed towards the end of the sleeve.

In yet another embodiment, the device further comprises a condensate drain attached to the second open end.

In yet another embodiment, the device further comprises a holding device attached to the second open end.

According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a flexible resin lining comprising a piece of lining material made of resin impregnated material with an external impermeable layer and located inside the pipe; and an air outlet made at the rear end of the pipe, said outlet is made in the form of an opening in an impermeable layer and an adjacent filling material, which is provided with an overlay of cladding material located on top of the opening, the part of the overlay directed to the pipe section is not fixed, and provided with a second overlay an element that overlaps the first patch element and which is attached to the impermeable layer and contains an unfastened region that interacts with the unsecured region of the first patch, which makes it possible NOSTA air to escape through the opening after the eversion tube.

According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a flat-rolled hose for hardening with a steam hardening in place of a sleeve comprising a portion of a flexible hose made of a material capable of withstanding steam temperatures; and several holes made in the edges of the hose in a flat state.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the holes are made at the edges in an alternating manner.

In yet another embodiment, the distal end of the hose is closed.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the holes are made at intervals from each other, comprising from 10 cm to 46 cm

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the hose is made of rubber.

In yet another embodiment, the hose is a polyester-reinforced, nitrile-coated outlet hose.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a method for trenchless restoration of an existing pipeline using a flexible resin-impregnated sleeve from a first access point to a second access point is provided, which is done to adapt the flexible resin-impregnated sleeve to an existing pipe, and the resin solidifies, said method comprising providing a flexible resin-impregnated sleeve and drawing one end of the flexible sleeve into the pipeline from a first access point to a second access point upa; supply of a flexible inflatable balloon; turning the inflatable balloon with the release into the interior of the flexible sleeve using air; fastening a flexible perforated plane-folding hose to the rear end of an inflatable balloon;

injecting steam into the perforated flat-rolled hose and allowing steam to flow through the cylinder and

allowing the resin to solidify in the sleeve.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the method includes the step of attaching a retaining device to the rear end of an invertible inflatable balloon.

Other objectives and advantages of the invention will be partially apparent from the description.

Accordingly, the invention comprises several steps and the connection of one or more of these steps with other steps and devices containing features, properties and communication of elements, which are explained in the examples in the detailed description, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

For a more complete understanding of the invention in the following description, we will refer to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the drawing in of a resin impregnated hardening in place of a sleeve in a typical underground pipe line from the upstream or near end of the underground pipe to the downstream or far end of the underground pipe at the beginning of the installation of the base cladding pipes;

FIGS. 2 (a), 2 (b) and 2 (c) are schematic cross-sectional views of an exhaust device installed in a place-hardening inflatable balloon;

Figure 3 is a top view of a hardening in place of an inflatable balloon attached in stripes to the exhaust hose assembly of figure 2, in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pressurized eversion unit for inverting an inflatable balloon of FIG. 3 using air, in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an invertible surface of an inflatable balloon from the distal end of the base pipe when installed with inspection valves for determining the position of the exhaust pipe, in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 6 (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of an invertible surface of an inflatable balloon at the distal end of the base pipe of FIG. 5 with the end closure frame mounted in place;

Fig. 7 (a) is a transverse section 7a-7a of the end cover frame of Fig. 6 (b);

Fig. 7 (b) is a transverse section 7b-7b of the end closing frame of Fig. 6; and

Figs. 8 (a), 8 (b) and 8 (c) are plan views showing the steps for forming an air vent in a site-hardening inflatable balloon in accordance with the invention.

Description of preferred embodiments of the invention

Figure 1 shows a typical main underground pipe 11 with an existing channel 12 extending beneath highway 13 and 14. Figure 1 shows an upper hole 16 and a lower hole 17. The resin-impregnated sleeve is located on a work platform in a suitably cooled truck 19 and retracted from the upper open end 16 using a winch 43 located on the lower open end 17. To prevent damage and to regulate the longitudinal elongation of the sleeve 18 is wrapped in a polypropylene tube.

A flexible, field hardening sleeve of a type well known in the art is formed of at least one layer of flexible resin impregnated material, such as a felt layer, with an external impermeable polymer layer in the form of a film. The felt layer and the film layer are sewn along the seam line and form a cylindrical sleeve. A compatible thermoplastic film in the form of a tape is located on top of the seam line, or the film is a material extruded over the seam line, which is done in order to ensure the tightness of the sleeve. Such sleeves are described in detail in US patent No. 6,708,728 and No. 6,679,293.

For sleeves of large diameters, several layers of felt material can be used. The layers of felt may be natural or synthetic flexible resin absorbent materials, for example polyester or acrylic fibers. The impermeable film on the outer layer may be a polyolefin, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, a polymer of a vinyl compound, such as polyvinyl chloride, or polyurethane, as is well known in the art. At the initial stage of all trenchless restoration installation works, the existing pipeline is prepared: it is cleaned and video is recorded.

Figures 2 (a), 2 (b) and 2 (c) show that the outlet pipe 21 with the closed end 22 and the steam valve 23 is inserted into the inflatable balloon 24 from the rear end side. The exhaust pipe 21 is made of a piece of steam hose 26 enclosed in a steel casing and has an open end 27 with a holding device 28. The opposite or leading end 29 of the exhaust pipe 21 is inserted into the rear end of the inflatable balloon 24, which is attached by a steel strip 31 to the rear or holding end exhaust pipe 21. The exhaust pipe 21 is covered with a polymer film tube 34, which is connected by a number of screeds 36 in order to prevent rupture of the balloon 24.

As shown in FIG. 3, the closed end 22 of the exhaust pipe 21 is inserted into the inflatable balloon 24 and secured there using strips 31. The holding cable 32 is attached to the holding device 28. The condensate pipe 33 is also attached to the open end 27 of the exhaust pipe 21.

As shown in Fig. 8, the inflatable balloon 24 may also include an air outlet 81 made at a distance of approximately equal to 0.6 m to 1.2 m from the end of the balloon 24. This allows air to be removed from the balloon 24 before it passes through the valve the eversion device, while the cylinder 24 is inverted. The bend 81 is made as follows: in the upper layer of the cylinder 24, a hole 82 with a diameter of 1.27 cm is cut out and closed by the first plate 83, fixed on three sides and covered by a second larger plate 84, also fixed on three sides. The linings 83 and 84 are made of the same material as the sleeve with an impermeable layer directed outward.

Typical dimensions of the air outlet 18 are as follows. The dimensions of the first pad 83 are from about 7.6 cm to 15.2 cm by about 7.6 cm to 15.2 cm and the first pad 83 is located above the hole 82. Typically, the pad 83 is a rectangle measuring 7.6 cm by 12 , 7 cm with two short edges and a far longer edge, which are attached to the outer layer of the bottle 24. The second overlay 84 should be slightly larger and may be from about 10.1 cm to 17.8 cm by about 10.1 cm to 17.8 cm. Typically, the overlay 84 is a 10.1 cm by 15.2 cm rectangle with two short edges and more and the nearest long edge, which are attached to the outer layer of the balloon 24.

Prior to installation according to the method of the present invention, the felt of the sleeve 18 is impregnated with a hardening thermosetting resin in a process called “wetting”. Typically, the wetting process involves injecting resin into the felt layer through an end or hole made in an impermeable film, creating a vacuum and passing the impregnated sleeve through the pinch rollers, which is well known in the field of sleeve formation. One such rarefied impregnation procedure is described in US Pat. No. 4,366,012, which is issued to Insituform and the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. A wide range of resins can be used, for example polyester, vinyl ester, epoxy polymers and the like, which can be changed if desired. It is preferable to use a resin that is relatively stable at room temperature, but which cures easily when heated.

The impregnated sleeve 18 is located at a distance of about 6.1 m from the upper hole 16 towards the lower open end 17 of the base pipe 12. A cable or cable 15 is threaded from the upper open end 16 to the lower open end 17. Next, the cable 15 is attached to the traction winch 43 , and the cable is pulled toward the upper open end 16.

A roll 41 of polypropylene 42 or other suitable plastic film or tube is located under the retractable sleeve 18, and when the sleeve 18 enters the base pipe, the film is wrapped around the sleeve. The tube 20 is wrapped around the sleeve 18 and fastened in strips or tapes to protect the sleeve 18 when the winch 43 pulls it into the base pipe 12. The retraction of the sleeve 18 continues until the distal end 18b of the sleeve is at the desired distance from the end of the base pipe 12. Holes 18c are provided at the distal end 18b to assist in determining the exact position of the exhaust pipe 21.

The cylinder 24 is turned in the sleeve 18 using the eversion unit. In this embodiment, the eversion unit 51 comprises at least one valve or seal designed to cooperate with the cylinder 24 when the air ejects the cylinder 24. The unit 51 comprises at least one pinch valve 52 of the type described in the patent US No. 5,154,936, block 51 is located at the rear end of the retractable sleeve 18. Block 51 contains an inlet end 53 and an outlet end 54 with an ejection apron 56 suitable in diameter to the inflatable balloon 24. Air is forced into the air inlet 57 of the valve and for the purpose of actuating the valve 52 and interacting with the balloon 24. The eversion apron 56 contains an inlet air inlet 58 for eversion, the aforementioned hole is used to pump air to control the eversion of the inflatable balloon 24.

The inflatable balloon 24 is bent and retracted through the eversion unit 51 until it has passed a sufficient portion of the surface of the apron 56 for fastening in strips. Next, the balloon 24 is wrapped around the apron 56 and securely attached to it in strips. Next, the retractable sleeve 18 is attached in stripes to the eversion apron 56 over the inflatable balloon 24 attached by the strips. The ejection air inlets for actuating the pinch valve 52 of the eversion and eversion device 51 of the inflatable balloon 24 are connected to the eversion unit 51.

In a typical retract and inflate installation method using water inversion, the pressure in the bottle and sleeve is maintained due to the height of the water column inside the lower pipe. Hardening begins due to the effect of heat on the impregnated sleeve. This is usually accomplished by supplying heated water to the eversion tube or by circulating hot water through a recirculation hose pulled into the ejectable balloon by a holding cable connected to the rear end of the eversible balloon. Usually, hardening using hot water lasts from about 3 to 5 hours, depending on the type of resin chosen and the thickness of the sleeve. After hardening and entering the downstream hatch and before removing the inflatable balloon, it is necessary to release heated water.

For sleeves of medium and large diameters, this can be a significant problem, especially when repairing with a conventional main underground pipe with a significant deviation, as shown in Fig. 1. Not only a large volume of water is required, but also the additional pressure from the vertical drop can break the inflatable balloon. In order to avoid such a situation, it is desirable to use air for inflation and steam for solidification. In addition, thanks to the energy transported by the steam, the sleeve hardens faster and with less energy.

For example, the following table 1 compares the energy and water requirements for hardening with water and when hardening with steam to repair an in-place hardening pipe with a diameter of 107 cm, a length of 34.8 m with a lower pipe of length 2, 9 m and 1.1 m of the downstream end.

4 shows an exemplary eversion device 51, a type of this device is described in US Pat. No. 5,154,936, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The specified device is used according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The eversion device 51 can be mounted horizontally at the upstream end of the base pipe. Various connecting devices are attached to the device 51, as shown in Patent 5,154,936, which allows the pinch valve 52 to be actuated to supply air for turning inside the inflatable balloon 24 and steam to solidify the resin in the balloon 24 and sleeve 18.

The supply to the inflatable balloon 24 is through the eversion device 51, and the inflatable balloon 24 is fastened with stripes at the end for eversion. The open, upstream end of the sleeve 18 is secured in stripes over the cylinder 24. Pressure is supplied to the valve 52 and the cylinder 24 is turned out into the sleeve 18. The pressure of the air supplied to the air inlet is sufficient to effect eversion. Grease is applied to the surface of the cylinder 24 when it is supplied, which is done to facilitate movement through the seal when the cylinder 24 is turned out.

The ejection air supply and the pressure in the cylinder are regulated in order to maintain a uniform eversion rate. Recommended pressure values are as follows:

Diameter 91 cm 107 cm 122 cm 137 cm kPa 27.6 24.13 20.7 17,2

When the inflatable balloon 24 passes through the ejection device 51 and the holding end approaches the device 51, the perforated plane-folding hose 71 for supplying steam is attached to the holding device 28. Care must be taken when the holding device 28, the holding cable 32 and the flat-folding hose 71 enter in the device 51 eversion.

Typically, flat-rolled hose 71 is made of a flexible material that withstands steam temperature at minimum pressures, such material may be rubber. Suitable rubbers include Viton, rubber based on a copolymer of ethylene, propylene and a diene monomer and polyester-reinforced, nitrile-coated hose material. Such hoses must be oil resistant and protected from adverse weather conditions. Typically, the diameter of the flat-folding hose 71 is 10 cm. However, hoses with a diameter of 5 cm and 7.6 cm can be used in installations with air inversion and steam hardening. After exposure to steam, there was no noticeable deterioration in the physical properties of the polyester reinforced and nitrile coated hose. This hose was not used alone to pass steam, but was located inside another tube / sleeve and, therefore, the pressure in the flat-rolled hose is equal to the difference in pressure at the inlet of the line and the internal pressure in the hardened pipe / sleeve. The indicated pressure difference is usually from about 10.3 kPa at the beginning of solidification to 34.5 kPa at the end of the solidification cycle.

Flat-folding hose 71 is perforated, that is, it contains holes located in a pattern close to the distal end. These perforation holes create high velocity steam jets and turbulence in the radial direction, which reduces the temperature difference in the inverted sleeve during hardening, and also promotes heat transfer, regardless of the location or rotation of the flat-rolled hose 71. The diameters of the perforation holes can vary from 1, 6 mm to 6.4 mm depending on the diameter of the base pipe and the length of the base pipe with the sleeve. Throughout the length of the flat-folding hose, the holes are arranged in a repeating manner according to a pattern of two holes located on opposite sides of the flat-folding hose at a distance of 10 cm to 30 cm from each other in the longitudinal direction. The size of the hole is selected so that along the entire length of the flat-rolled hose steam jets of sufficient speed are created and the combined stream of steam jets matches the capabilities of the steam boiler.

The use of a flat-rolled hose when installing and hardening a ZNMT pipe serves three important purposes described above:

1. Steam energy is pumped along the entire length of the bottom of the ZNMT pipe, which prevents thermal separation from the nearest to the far end.

2. The actual amount of steam injected from each hole decreases as the distance to the hole from the nearest end increases. This means that the average duration of the injected steam is optimized for the solidification of the ZNMT pipe.

3. The location of the flat-rolled hose ensures that the bottom of the ZNMT pipe will harden even if condensate accumulates in the warped parts of the base pipe. The outside temperature of the flat hose, equal to 93 ° C, and the perforation holes through which steam is injected into the condensate guarantee effective solidification.

The steam supply to the hardened sleeve, carried out in this way, significantly improves the hardening efficiency, which is expressed in the form of kilograms of hardened resin per kilogram of steam supplied to the ZNMT pipe during the hardening cycle. A uniform distribution of energy along the length of the pipe also leads to a uniform start of exotherm from the top of the pipe to the bottom and from the closest end to the far end.

When the eversion of the inflatable balloon 24 approaches a certain lower open end 17, the exhaust pipe 21 begins to move away from the eversion surface. The exact position can be determined using the inspection holes 18c at the far end 18b of the sleeve extending from the lower open end 17. This is shown in detail in Fig.5. When the eversion stops, the air pressure in the inflatable balloon 24 is maintained. At this time, the exhaust pipe 21 is directed towards the end closure device 61, as shown in FIG. 6 (a). FIG. 6 (b) shows a fully inverted inflatable balloon 24, with the discharge tube 21 protruding through the end closure device 61 of FIG. 7 (a). The device 61 is shown in detail in FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b). The eversion is continued until the inflatable balloon 24 is stopped by the closing device 61 and the exhaust pipe 21 is engaged with the closing device 61.

The closing device 61 comprises an upper flat clamp 62 with an enlarged central region 63 and an interacting lower flat clamp 64 with an enlarged central region 66, which are designed to engage the exhaust pipe 21 when it comes out of the lower hole 17. The upper flat clamp 62 and the lower the flat clamp 64 is fastened together around the distal end of the sleeve 18 with a few bolts 67.

At this time, steam is fed into the attached perforated plane-folding hose 71 in order to begin the process of resin hardening in the retracted sleeve 18 and the inflatable balloon 24. In a typical embodiment, the plane-folding hose 71 is a high-temperature thermoplastic tube with a diameter of 10 cm. Holes with a diameter of 3.2 mm are drilled at opposite folds at a distance of 30.5 cm from each other and at a distance of 1.3 cm from the bent edges. This hole pattern provides more steam at the proximal end and provides good mixing even when the hose 71 rotates during installation. Steam is supplied from the steam supply hose and is controlled by a control valve to supply the air / steam mixture to the inlet duct. The air / steam flow is adjusted to maintain a solidification pressure of about 20.7-41.4 kPa until the temperature of the combined air / steam flow reaches the desired temperature of approximately 77 ° C-104 ° C and is measured at the outlet the handset.

Recommended gauge pressures for heating and solidification in kPa are given in table 2.

Tube diameter, cm 127 152.4 177.8 203.2 228.6 Heating pressure, kPa 41,4 34.5 30,0 25.6 22.8 Hardening Pressure, kPa 41,4 34.5 30,0 25.6 22.8

Depending on the particular type of resin and the thickness of the tube, when the solidification is completed, the steam flow is interrupted while controlling the air flow, which serves to maintain pressure. When cooled to approximately 54 ° C, the exhaust valve is open in the associated direction for at least one hour.

When the temperature drops to the required level, the air flow pressure drops to zero, and the exhaust valve opens completely. Any condensate that could have accumulated in the cylinder 24 is removed using the condensate discharge device 33 located in the exhaust device 21.

The installation of sleeves hardening in place of the pipe described here (ZNMT), including turning out using air and hardening with steam, is a cost-effective and appropriate way to install and harden sleeves of medium and large diameter (46-213 cm). The use of steam for hardening without air bleeding from the inverted sleeve implies the use of procedures that are significantly different from typical hardening with the help of hot water ZNMT hoses of a similar diameter. In procedures using hardening hot water, hot water usually flows in a cycle and returns to the boiler. In contrast, steam hardening uses a single-pass method, which is done to prevent condensation and pressure drop. Due to such condensation, cold regions are also formed at the bottom of the sleeve and the supply of energy necessary for solidification is not provided. The use of steam hardening for ZNMT hoses of medium and large diameters also requires a different technology that is different from hardening with ZNMT steam hoses of small (15-38 cm) diameters.

When used properly, the steam cure method is much more environmentally friendly than the water cure method, since the first method uses only about 5% water and from 15% to 30% energy compared to water and energy needs when hardening with hot water. Earlier attempts to extend the use of steam hardening for HSTM hoses with a diameter of 46 cm and more often led to incomplete hardening of the lower part of the HST set. The use of large volumes of steam and / or steam and air to solve this solidification problem only slightly improved the situation. In addition, the supply of large volumes of steam leads to an increase in the solidification cycle time and an increase in the amount of energy used. Even with a longer hardening cycle and additional energy costs, it is difficult to achieve effective hardening under certain real conditions of work. It is believed that this is due to temperature separation and the presence of condensation areas that are located in the lower parts of the pipe and the hardening sleeve. The accumulated condensate isolates and prevents heat transfer of the multilayer resin and the steam cushion located above.

Hardening with the help of hot water ZNMT sleeves of medium and large diameter usually requires from about 3500 to 5800 kJ per kilogram of hardening resin. In contrast, curing with a pair of small-diameter hoses (15-38 cm) requires approximately 1,600 to 2,300 kJ per kilogram of cured resin.

In the described methods, complete solidification of ZNMT is successively achieved at costs from about 700 to 1100 kJ per kilogram of resin, even for areas located at the bottom of ZNMT sleeves and filled with condensate. This is made possible through the use of a steam injection method, in which the steam injection regions are regulated in order to exclude temperature separation and the adverse effect of condensate on solidification. In this method, the amount of steam and the location of the places where the steam is pumped along the length of the ZNMT sleeve are regulated. This is done to maximize heat transfer from each kilogram of steam to a multilayer resin and felt product before the steam exits from the far end of the HLMT sleeve in the form of condensate or water vapor.

As described here, steam is pumped into the hose with a closed end, while the hose is located on the back of the expanded ZNMT sleeve. To regulate the release of water vapor and condensate from the far end of the ZNMT hose, an independent outlet (s) with a control valve is provided. The hose contains several holes (of different sizes and located at a distance from each other) located along the entire length of the hose. The location of the holes around the circumference of the hose is chosen in such a way that regardless of the rotation of the hose when placing in the hose, a certain number of holes along the entire length of the hose will be directed to the bottom of the hose. This creates a continuous injection of steam to any place with condensate throughout the entire solidification cycle. The injection of steam into the condensate heats it to a temperature exceeding the temperature necessary to guarantee solidification.

Due to the closed end on the steam injection hose, the internal pressure of the injection hose can exceed the internal pressure of the HNMT hose during solidification. As the injected steam moves through the hose, it is pushed out through the holes, forming a steam cushion in the ZNMT sleeve. The difference between the internal pressure in the steam injection hose and the internal pressure in the ZNMT decreases as the steam leaves the end to pump the steam injection hose. Therefore, the volume of steam injected from each hole decreases along the length of the steam injection hose.

Thanks to this, three things are achieved:

1. Increase the time during which most of the steam is inside the ZNMT sleeve, which helps to maximize energy transfer to the multilayer resin and felt product.

2. As the steam moves to the outlet end of the ZNMT of the sleeve, additional energy is continuously supplied to the steam cushion, which maintains a high energy transfer coefficient.

3. The injection of steam into the steam cushion also causes turbulence, which prevents thermal separation and increases energy transfer.

Knowing the physical parameters of the HNMT sleeve (diameter, length, thickness, resin and catalyst system) and the available boiler power in kJ per hour allows you to adjust the size of the holes so that the boiler power in kilograms of steam per hour corresponds to the recommended solidification cycle time.

It is clear that the method according to the invention easily allows you to take advantage of the hardening of the sleeve with resin from the steam stream. Using this method in an existing pipeline, a cylindrical element can be easily turned out. By providing an optionally open exhaust valve and an exhaust pipe at the rear end of the invertible inflatable balloon, it is possible to maintain pressure inside the balloon and the inflatable sleeve and steam can enter the sleeve and pass through the hardening sleeve, which is done to use the energy stored in the pair for faster solidification resins compared to hardening with circulating hot water.

Thus, it is clear that the above goals are effectively achieved, as well as those that have become clear from the previous description, and since, without going beyond the scope and novelty of the invention, it is possible to propose some changes to the implementation of the above method and the above construction, then the above description and the accompanying drawings should be considered as an illustration, and not a limitation of the invention.

It should also be understood that the following claims cover all general and specific features of the invention described herein, and it can be said that all formulations of the scope of the invention fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims (31)

1. The method of trenchless restoration of an existing pipeline using a flexible, resin-impregnated sleeve from the first access point to the second access point by twisting the flexible, resin-impregnated sleeve, which is done to adapt the sleeve to the existing pipe, and hardening the resin, this method includes
supplying a flexible resin-impregnated sleeve and drawing one end of the flexible sleeve into the pipeline from a first access point to a second access point;
supply of a flexible inflatable balloon;
the location of the release at the rear end of the inflatable balloon;
turning the inflatable balloon with the release into the inner space of the flexible sleeve using air, so that the release is accessible from the second access point;
injecting steam into the interior of the container and allowing the steam to flow through the container and exit through the outlet; and allowing the resin to solidify in the sleeve. 2. The method according to claim 1, in which the inflatable balloon contains a layer of material impregnated with resin. 3. The method according to claim 2, in which the resin in the inflatable balloon hardens together with the resin in the sleeve. 4. The method according to claim 1, in which the outlet is a tube containing a first closed end with a valve opened as desired, and containing an open second end. 5. The method according to claim 4, in which the exhaust tube is attached to the rear end of the inflatable balloon, the closed end of which is included in the inner space of the specified balloon. 6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of attaching a flexible flat-rolled hose to the rear end of the inflatable balloon. 7. The method according to claim 6, in which steam is injected into the cylinder through a flat-rolled hose. 8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of attaching the steam hose to the rear end of the flat-folding hose, which is done before the eversion is completed. 9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of ensuring the presence of a flat-folding hose containing several holes that are made along the length of the flat-folding hose in its flat state. 10. The method according to claim 9, in which the holes are made in alternating order along the two edges of the straightened flattened hose. 11. The method according to claim 6, further comprising connecting a steam source to the rear end of the flat-rolled hose, which is done before the rear end of the flat-rolled hose passes into the interior of the inflatable balloon. 12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of unscrewing the inflatable balloon through the eversion unit, comprising at least one flexible pinch valve designed to create pressure inside the balloon. 13. The method according to item 12, in which the cylinder is turned out due to the supply of air to the eversion unit downstream relative to the pinch valve. 14. A method of trenchless restoration of an existing pipeline by inverting a resin-impregnated pipe, including
supplying a flexible resin-impregnated pipe;
pipe turning in an existing pipeline:
Attaching a perforated flat-rolled hose to the rear end of the inverted pipe:
ensuring the release intended for the passage of steam through an inverted pipe:
injecting steam into the flat hose and the inside of the inverted pipe and allowing steam to pass through the outlet: and
allowing the resin to solidify in the impregnated pipe. 15. The method according to 14, which includes the step of forming several holes that are made in alternating order at the edges of a flat-rolled hose in a flat state, which is done to distribute steam along the length of the turned impregnated pipe. 16. The method according to clause 15, in which steam is pumped into any puddles of condensate formed at the bottom of the pipe. 17. An exhaust device for trenchless restoration of an existing pipeline using a resin-impregnated sleeve containing
an elongated hollow cylindrical element that comprises a valve, optionally opened at the first end, and a lid covering the first end of the device; and
a cylindrical element containing a second open end, which can be fixed in strips inside the rear end of a flexible, resin-impregnated pipe with a closed end of the hose located inside the pipe, and the open end directed toward the end of the sleeve. 18. The exhaust device according to 17, further comprising a condensate drain attached to the second open end. 19. The exhaust device according to claim 17, further comprising a holding device attached to the second open end. 20. Flexible cladding with resin containing
a piece of lining material made of resin-impregnated material with an external impermeable layer and located inside the pipe; and
an air outlet made at the rear end of the pipe, said outlet is made in the form of an opening in an impermeable layer and an adjacent filling material that is provided with an overlay of a cladding material located on top of the opening, the part of the overlay directed to the pipe section is not fixed, and is equipped with a second overlay which overlaps the first patch element and which is attached to the impermeable layer and contains an unfastened region that interacts with the unsecured region of the first patch, which makes it possible air to escape through the hole after turning the pipe. 21. Flat-rolled hose for hardening with the help of steam hardening in place of the sleeve, containing a portion of a flexible hose made of a material capable of withstanding steam temperatures; and several holes made in the edges of the hose in a flat state. 22. The flat hose according to claim 21, in which the holes are made at the edges in an alternating manner. 23. The flat hose according to claim 21, wherein the distal end of the hose is closed. 24. The flat hose according to claim 21, in which the holes are made at intervals from each other, comprising from 10 cm to 46 cm 25. The flat hose according to claim 21, wherein the hose is made of rubber. 26. The flat hose according to claim 25, wherein the hose is a polyester-reinforced, nitrile-coated outlet hose. 27. The method according to claim 1, including the step of attaching a retaining device to the rear end of an invertible inflatable balloon. 28. The method according to 14, which includes the step of attaching the holding device to the rear end of the invertible inflatable balloon. 29. The method according to 14, comprising the step of retracting the resin impregnated sleeve and turning the impregnated pipe in the retracted sleeve. 30. The method of trenchless restoration of an existing pipeline using a flexible resin-impregnated sleeve from the first access point to the second access point, which is done to adapt the flexible, resin-impregnated sleeve to the existing pipe, and hardening the resin, this method includes
supplying a flexible resin-impregnated sleeve and drawing one end of the flexible sleeve into the pipeline from a first access point to a second access point;
supply of a flexible inflatable balloon;
turning the inflatable balloon with the release into the interior of the flexible sleeve using air;
fastening a flexible perforated plane-folding hose to the rear end of an inflatable balloon;
injecting steam into the perforated flat-rolled hose and allowing the steam to flow through the cylinder; and
allowing the resin to solidify in the sleeve. 31. The method according to clause 30, which includes the step of attaching a holding device to the rear end of the invertible inflatable balloon.

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