WO2015087362A1

WO2015087362A1 - A device and procedure for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe

Info

Publication number: WO2015087362A1
Application number: PCT/IT2014/000326
Authority: WO
Inventors: Francesco Paolo Criffo'
Original assignee: In.Tec S.R.L.
Priority date: 2013-12-11
Filing date: 2014-12-11
Publication date: 2015-06-18
Also published as: EP3080509A1; ITMI20132061A1

Abstract

A device (1) for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe (2, 3), comprising a rehabilitative coating element (4) of the pipe (2, 3), impregnated with a thermosetting resin and fitted onto an inflatable positioning balloon (5) in turn fitted onto a transport device having internally a circuit for circulation of an inflating fluid of said balloon (5), said circuit having electrical heating means of said fluid, and said balloon (5) having venting means.

Description

A DEVICE AND PROCEDURE FOR THE REPAIR OF A PORTION OF AT LEAST ONE PIPE

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a device and a procedure for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe.

The preferred field of application is the non-destructive repair of drainage pipes in general, for example both horizontal and vertical pipes of a sewer network.

The rehabilitative intervention may be planned at one or more pipes or in the intersection zone between two pipes, for example at the intersection zone between a main .manifold and the lateral feeder pipe of the main manifold or at the intersection zone between three pipes, for example at the intersection zone between a main manifold and two feeder pipes of the main manifold.

Non-destructive systems for repairing a lateral feeder pipe of a main manifold of a sewer system or a drainage pipe have been present on the market for some time, wherein the rehabilitative coating element of the lateral pipe, housed in a condition of retroflexion in a suitable container and opportunely impregnated with a thermosetting resin, is transported to the site to be rehabilitated by a robotic machine and, when it reaches the site, is subjected to a jet of pressurised air which everts it so as to shape it to the lateral pipe, and lastly stiffened by triggering polymerisation of the resin.

It is known that said systems for the non-destructive repair of a lateral feeder pipe of a main manifold of a sewer system or a drainage pipe are generally extremely complex and expensive, since they require use of a robotic machine for positioning of the coating element, while the eversion device does not always guarantee the desired performance and final result.

The technical task of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a device and a procedure for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe which obviates the above- described technical drawbacks of the prior art.

Within this technical task, one object of the invention is manufacturing a device and a procedure for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe capable of always guaranteeing the desired performance and final result simply, inexpensively and rapidly, and without using robotic machines.

The technical task, and also the other objects, according to the present invention, are achieved by manufacturing a device for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe, comprising a rehabilitative coating element of said at least one pipe, impregnated with a thermosetting resin and fitted onto an inflatable positioning balloon in turn fitted onto a transport device having internally a circuit for circulation of an inflating fluid of said balloon, characterised in that said circuit has electrical heating means of said fluid, and in that said balloon has venting means. The venting means of the balloon are obviously separate from the route which places the balloon in fluid communication with the inflating fluid circulation circuit.

The venting means preferably comprise at least one precalibrated valve for opening on achieving a threshold value of the inflating fluid in the balloon and/or at least one calibrated venting hole adapted to maintain a certain pressure of the inflating fluid inside the balloon. The present invention also reveals a procedure for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe, characterised in that it provides an inflatable positioning balloon, fitting onto said balloon a rehabilitative coating element of said portion of said pipe impregnated with a thermosetting resin, applying said balloon to a transport device, transporting said balloon into a position for repair, inflating said balloon with an inflating fluid so as to adapt the coating element to the inner wall of said portion of said pipe, and assisting the polymerisation of the resin by introduction by means of the balloon of a flow of hot inflating fluid which affects at least the zone of said balloon coated in said rehabilitative element.

The flow of hot inflating fluid is achieved by creating a vent for the hot inflating fluid.

Other characteristics of the present invention are also defined in the claims which follow.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will more fully emerge from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the device and procedure for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 2 shows a view in longitudinal cross-section of the device for nondestructive repair of a lateral feeder pipe of a main manifold, positioned at the repair site but with the balloon still to be inflated;

- Figure 2 shows the device of Figure 1 , positioned at the repair site and with the balloon inflated; - Figure 3 shows the rehabilitative element applied;

- Figure 4 shows an elevated side view of the rehabilitative coating element of the lateral pipe in its configuration when the balloon is not inflated and the second chamber of the balloon is introflected into the first chamber of the balloon;

- Figure 5 shows an elevated side view of the rehabilitative coating element of the lateral pipe in its configuration when the balloon is inflated and the second chamber of the balloon is everted by the first chamber of the balloon.

With reference to the cited figures, a device 1 is shown for the non-destructive repair, by way of example, of a lateral feeder pipe 2 of a main manifold 3, particularly but not necessarily of a sewer network or a drainage pipe in general. The device 1 comprises a rehabilitative coating element 4 of the lateral pipe 2, impregnated with a thermosetting resin and fitted onto an inflatable positioning balloon 5 connected to a transport device of the balloon 5 along the main manifold 3.

The resin is preferably the epoxy type.

The balloon 5 has, in this specific case, in which rehabilitation of the intersection zone between a main manifold 3 and one of its lateral feeder pipes 2 is necessary, a first tubular chamber 10 shapeable to the main manifold 3 and a second tubular chamber 11 evertable in a transversal direction from the first tubular chamber 10 and shapeable to the lateral pipe 2.

The rehabilitative element 4 has a first tubular part 6 carried by the first chamber 10 and shapeable to the inner wall of the main manifold 3, and a second tubular part 7 carried by the second chamber 11 and shapeable to the inner wall of the lateral pipe 2.

The first part 6 of the rehabilitative element 4 is positionable around the outlet hole 9 of the lateral pipe 2 in the main manifold 3, both to ensure correct positioning of the second tubular part 7 and to avoid withdrawal after positioning.

The rehabilitative element 4 may be made of non-woven fabric, felt or another material and may advantageously have on the outer side, i.e. on the side opposite the one turned towards the balloon 5, a layer of anti-friction, anti-wear, releasing and waterproof material, for example nylon.

The rehabilitative element 4 has a coloured strip 33 along the demarcation line between the first part 6 and the second part 7.

In other applications, a balloon may be provided with a single tubular chamber when rehabilitation of a single pipe is necessary, or a balloon having at least two tubular chambers evertable in a transversal direction from a main tubular chamber when rehabilitation of the intersection zone between a main manifold and two of its lateral feeder pipes is necessary.

The transport device has internally a circuit for circulation of an inflating fluid of the balloon 5, for example air or water.

Advantageously, the circulation circuit of the inflating fluid has special electrical heating means of the fluid, for example a cartridge heater 32, activated as will be seen to assist polymerisation of the resin.

Advantageously, the balloon 5 has venting means, for example a precalibrated mechanical valve 34 for opening on reaching a threshold value of the pressure of the inflating fluid of the balloon 5. Said valves are closed beneath said threshold value and open on reaching and above said threshold value to trigger circulation of the hot inflating fluid relating at least to the zone of the balloon 5 coated with the rehabilitative element 4.

The venting means may also comprise at least one calibrated hole of the balloon adapted to maintain a certain pressure of the inflating fluid inside said balloon 5 thereof.

The venting means are preferably provided at the end of the second chamber 11 of the balloon 5 opposite the attachment end to the first chamber 10 of the balloon 5. The transport device has a front guide element 12, a rear guide element 13 and at least one mechanical connection bar 14 between said front guide element 12 and said rear guide element 13.

The front and rear guide elements 12 and 13 preferably have outer guide arms 18 and 19 provided with spherical sliding ends 20 and 21 along the inner wall of the main manifold 3, which allow the transport device also to rotate around its own longitudinal axis to align the rehabilitative element 4 to the outlet hole 9 of the lateral pipe 2.

The bar 14 is flexible and resistant to compression and torque.

In order to prevent undesired flexural deformations, flexibility of the bar 14 may be modulated providing end lengths in stiffer material and a central length in a more flexible material.

The circuit for circulation of the inflating fluid has a rear manifold 15 afforded inside the body of the rear guide element 13, a front manifold 16 afforded inside the body of the front guide element 12 and a longitudinal channel 17 of connection of the fluid between said front manifold 16 and said rear manifold 15 afforded inside the body of said connection bar 14.

The first chamber 10 of the balloon 5 contains in the longitudinal direction the bar 14 and has an open front end fitted fluid sealed, for example by means of an attachment band 22 on the body of the front guide element 12, and an open rear end fitted fluid sealed, for example by means of an attachment band 23 on the body of the front guide element 13.

Retaining bands (not shown) may also be provided wrapped around the balloon 5 to retain it in a configuration of reduced dimensions when it is inflated. In this case, the retaining bands have assisted breakage due to the effect of inflating of the balloon 5.

The circuit for circulation of the inflating fluid has a fluid temperature sensor 24 and a fluid pressure sensor 25.

In the body of the rear guide element 13 a housing 26 is provided for electrical heating means and a passage 30 which places the rear manifold 15 in fluid communication with the balloon 5.

The passage 30 may for example be defined, as shown, by a hollow space provided between the outer perimeter surface of the electrical heating means and their housing 26.

In the body of the front guide element 12 there is afforded a channel 27 for passage of the electricity cables 28 supplying said electrical heating means and a channel 29 for pick-up of the pressure signal for said pressure sensor 25 and for passage for the temperature measurement sensor 24. The electrical cables 28 extend inside said longitudinal channel 17 of connection between said rear manifold 15 and said front manifold 16.

The channel 27 has an open front end in fluid communication with the balloon 5 and a rear end sealed by a cap 31 through which the cables 28 pass.

The pressure sensor 25 and the temperature sensor 24 are positioned at the front end of the channel 29 in turn in fluid communication with the balloon 5.

The device 1 is connected to a remote unit (not shown) of control of the electrical heating means and the compressor supplying the inflating fluid.

The remote control unit also provides a display of the temperature and pressure detected by the temperature sensor 24 and by the pressure sensor 25.

For remote movement of the device 1 a flexible tube 36 resistant to traction, compression and torque is provided, having a mechanical and fluid connection with the front manifold 16.

The procedure for non-destructive repair of the lateral pipe 2 is briefly the following.

In the specific application, the main manifold 3 is generally oriented vertically. The prior operation consists in lowering the transport device by means of the pipe 36 along the main manifold 3 until it is placed in the correct position where the main manifold 3 crosses the lateral pipe 2, and aligning the rehabilitative element 4 with the outlet hole 9 of the lateral pipe 2. Said operation is performed with the assistance of a video camera inserted along the lateral pipe 2 which uses as a reference the coloured strip 33 present on the rehabilitative element 4.

The balloon 5 remains inflated until the final position of the transport device is reached.

At this point, the control unit activates a compressor connected to the pipe 36 to generate a flow of the inflating fluid of the balloon 5, and leaves the electrical heating means deactivated.

The flow of fluid, indicated with arrows in figure 1, cascades along the tube 36, the front manifold 16, the channel 17, the rear manifold 15 and through the passage 30, and enters the balloon 5.

During inflation, the second chamber 11 of the balloon 5 everts from the first chamber 10 of the balloon 5 and is inserted in the lateral pipe 2.

At the end of inflation, the first chamber 10 of the balloon 5 has caused the first tubular part 6 of the rehabilitative element 4 to shape itself to the inner wall of the main manifold 3 around the hole 9, while the second chamber 11 of the balloon 5 has caused the second tubular part 7 of the rehabilitative element 4 to shape itself to the inner wall of the lateral pipe 2 where the defect 40 to be repaired is located. After the balloon 5 is completely inflated, the shape of the rehabilitative element 4 is consolidated, maintaining the compressor activated and now activating also the electrical heating means which heat the inflating fluid entering the balloon 5 to activate polymerisation of the resin with which the rehabilitative element 4 is impregnated.

In this phase, the pressure inside the balloon 5 increases gradually up to a threshold value at which the valve which determines controlled venting of the balloon 5 opens.

Since the vent positioned at the end of the second chamber 11 is distal from the first chamber 10, the flow of hot inflating fluid is forced to rise through the second chamber 11 of the balloon 5 and therefore to reach the entire zone of the balloon 5 covered by the rehabilitative element 4.

Uniform polymerisation of the resin in the shortest time possible is thus obtained. At the end of polymerisation of the resin of the balloon 5 the electrical heating means are deactivated, the connection of the compressor with the tube 36 is inverted to aspirate the inflating fluid present in the balloon 5 until its complete deflation.

At this point the balloon 5 is withdrawn from the rehabilitative element 4 and the transport device is pulled along the main manifold 3 until complete extraction. Obviously, the entire process is managed remotely by an operator who, in the resin polymerisation phase after inflation of the balloon, regulates the electrical heating means as a function of the temperature and pressure values detected.

The device and procedure for non-destructive repair of a lateral pipe as conceived herein are susceptible to numerous modifications and variants, all falling within the scope of the inventive concept; furthermore, all the details are replaceable by technically equivalent elements.

In general, the repair system is applicable interchangeably to vertical or sloped or horizontal drainage pipes, to drainage pipes with a diameter starting from 60 mm, to drainage pipes without intakes or with one or two transversal intakes, to drainage pipes accessible from one side only.

The rehabilitative coating element may also have a different shape, for example it may be "hat-shaped". The materials used, as well as the dimensions, may in practice be of any type according to requirements and the state of the art.

Claims

1. A device (1) for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe (2, 3), comprising a rehabilitative coating element (4) of said at least one pipe (2, 3), impregnated with a thermosetting resin and fitted onto an inflatable positioning balloon (5) in turn fitted onto a transport device having internally a circuit for circulation of an inflating fluid of said balloon (5), characterised in that said circuit has electrical heating means of said fluid, and in that said balloon (5) has venting means.

2. The device (1) for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe (2, 3) according to the previous claim, characterised in that said venting means are arranged in a position such as to create on their opening a flow of inflating fluid through said balloon (5) which affects at least the zone of said balloon (5) coated in said rehabilitative element (4).

3. The device (1) for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe (2, 3) according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said venting means comprise at least a pre-calibrated valve for opening on reaching a threshold value of the pressure of the inflating fluid in the balloon (5) and/or at least a calibrated venting hole adapted to maintain a certain pressure of the inflating fluid in the balloon (5).

4. The device (1) for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe (2, 3) according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said transport device has a front guide element (12), a rear guide element (13), and at least a mechanical connection bar (14) between said front guide element (12) and said rear guide element (13), and in that said circuit has a front manifold (16) afforded inside the body of said front guide element (12), a rear manifold (15) afforded inside the body of said rear guide element (13) and a longitudinal channel (17) of connection of the fluid between said front manifold (16) and said rear manifold (15) afforded inside the body of said connection bar (14).

5. The device (1) for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe (2, 3) according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said circuit has a fluid temperature sensor (24).

6. The device (1) for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe (2, 3) according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said circuit has a fluid pressure sensor (25).

7. The device (1) for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe (2, 3) according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said electrical heating means are housed in said rear manifold (13).

8. The device (1) for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe (2, 3) according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said balloon (5) has at least a first tubular chamber (10) and at least a second tubular chamber (11) flexibly extractable in a transversal direction from the first tubular chamber (10).

9. The device (1) for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe (2, 3) according to the previous claim, characterised in that said venting means are provided at the end of said second chamber (11) opposite the attachment end to said first chamber (10).

10. The device (1) for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe (2, 3) according to one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that said bar (14) is flexible and resistant to compression and torsion.

11.The device (1) for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe (2, 3) according to one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that in the body of said front guide element (12) there is afforded a channel (27) for passage of the electricity cables (28) supplying said electrical heating means and a channel (29) for pick-up of the pressure signal for said pressure sensor (25) and for passage for the temperature measurement sensor (24).

12. The device (1) for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe (2, 3) according to the previous claim, characterised in that said electrical cables (28) extend inside said longitudinal channel (17) of connection between said front manifold (12) and said rear manifold (13).

13. The device (1) for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe (2, 3) according to one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that it has a unit of remote control from said transport device, enabled to control said electrical heating means and a compressor of circulation of the flow of inflating fluid in said circuit.

14. A procedure for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe (2, 3), characterised in that it provides an inflatable positioning balloon (5), fitting onto said balloon (5) a rehabilitative coating element (4) of said portion of said pipe (2, 3) impregnated with a thermosetting resin, applying said balloon (5) to a transport device, transporting said balloon (5) into a position for repair, inflating said balloon (5) with an inflating fluid so as to adapt the coating element (4) to the inner wall of said portion of said pipe (2, 3), and assisting the polymerisation of the resin by introduction through the balloon (5) of a flow of hot inflating fluid which affects at least the zone of said balloon coated in said rehabilitative element (4).

15. The procedure for the repair of a portion of at least one pipe (2, 3) according to the previous claim, characterised in that said flow of hot inflating fluid is provided by creating a vent for said hot inflating fluid.