Tubing containment system

Pipe containment system

Background technique

The pipe containment system in the art is used to contain fluid when the pipe leaks. U.S. Patent No. 6,315,003 discloses an existing pipe containment system, and the entire content of the patent is incorporated herein by reference. However, in order to better suit its intended purpose, some improvements can be made to the system.

Summary of the invention

Specific embodiments of the present invention

The piping system includes a fluid-impermeable sleeve with a number of longitudinal, spaced ribs formed on the inner surface of the sleeve. The fluid transfer pipe is located inside the sleeve. The coupling has a first end and a second end, and the first end has an internal thread matched with the outer surface of the sleeve. The coupling has a discharge port in fluid communication with the inside of the sleeve.

Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a representative pipe containment system; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the 2-2 direction in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view of a representative pipe; Fig. 4 is Partial cross-sectional side view of another representative pipe containment system.

detailed description

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the pipe containment system 10. The pipe containment system includes a pipe 12 (shown in FIG. 3) that can be contained in a housing 14. The pipe 12 and the housing 14 are contained in the sleeve 16. The sleeve 16 may be made of a material that is impermeable to fluids, such as polyethylene or other suitable polymers that allow fluids (such as gas, liquid, etc.) to flow to the end of the sleeve 16 to be discharged. Figure 2 is a cross-section of the sleeve 16 showing the inner diameter of the sleeve 16 having a plurality of ribs 20 separated by spaces. In a specific embodiment, the fluid transported through the pipeline 12 is natural gas. The rib is elongated and runs through the length of the sleeve 16. The cross section of the rib in Figure 2 is triangular, but it is understandable that other geometric figures can be used. If the pipe 12 leaks, the fluid flows along the interval between the ribs 20 to be discharged through the coupling 18.

At each end of the sleeve 16 is a coupling 18 having a first end 22 that covers the outer surface of the sleeve 16. A gasket 24 (such as an O-ring) may be provided at the first end 22 to prevent fluid from flowing out of the coupling 18 at the first end 22. The coupling 18 includes a shoulder 26 that serves as a stop to limit the depth of insertion of the sleeve 16 into the coupling 18. The shoulder 26 terminates before contacting the housing 14 to provide access to the drain 28.

The inner surface of the coupling 18 is preferably threaded. The thread cooperates with the outer surface of the sleeve 16 to hold the coupling 18 to the sleeve 16. The coupling 18 may be made of polyethylene or other polymers. In a specific embodiment, the coupling 18 is made of a polymer that is harder than the sleeve 16 (ie, a higher durometer) to facilitate screwing the coupling 18 onto the sleeve 16. Alternatively, depending on the application, the coupling 18 may be metallic.

The coupling 18 is provided with one or more discharge ports located close to the second end 30 of the coupling 18. The second end 30 has an inner diameter slightly larger than the housing 14, and a gasket 32 (for example, an O-ring) provides a fluid seal between the second end 30 and the housing 14.

The discharge port 28 allows fluid leaking from the pipe 12 to be discharged from the discharge port 28 in a controlled manner. A hose or other conduit may be connected to the discharge port 28 to divert the leaked fluid. The sensor may also be in fluid communication with the discharge port 28 to provide automatic detection of leaks in the pipeline 12. The casing 14 of the pipe 12 may be perforated or treated in other ways to facilitate the flow of leaked fluid to the discharge port 28.

Using a mold to form the ribs 20 on the inner surface of the sleeve 16 can squeeze the sleeve 16 onto the pipe 12 (whether there is a casing 14 or not). As shown in FIG. 3, the pipe is a ring-shaped, corrugated pipe, but may also be a variety of types of pipes including helically wound tubing. In a specific embodiment, the pipe 12 is a corrugated stainless steel pipe. The housing 14 may be conductive to eliminate charge.

FIG. 4 is a side view in partial cross-section of an alternative pipe containment system 40. The pipe containment system 40 includes a pipe 12, a housing 14 (optional), and a sleeve 16, which are similar to those described above with reference to FIGS. 1-3. A fitting 42 (fitting) is installed at one end of the pipe 12. The fitting 42 can be any known fitting, for example, the fittings disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,799,989, 6,079,749, and 6,276,728. The contents of these patents are incorporated herein by reference. The end of the fitting has a fitting with the pipe 12 The threaded extension 44 contains contents.

The threaded extension 44 is made of metal (for example, brass) and fits with the inner surface of the conversion coupling 46. The conversion coupling 46 is preferably made of a material that is impermeable to the fluid containing the fluid (such as gas, liquid, etc.), such as polyethylene or other suitable polymer. The inner diameter of the conversion coupling 46 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the sleeve 16 to form a friction fit between the conversion coupling 46 and the sleeve 16. The threaded extension 44 cooperates with the inner surface of the conversion coupling 46 to hold the fitting 42 to the conversion coupling 46. The gasket 48 (eg, O-ring) and the gasket 50 (eg, O-ring) provide a fluid tight connection between the conversion coupling 46 and the fitting 42 and the conversion coupling 46 and the sleeve 16 respectively. The discharge port 52 (optionally threaded) provides a fluid outlet and/or monitors leaking fluid through an automatic detection device.

The pipe containment system 40 works similarly to the pipe system 10. If a leak occurs in the pipe 12, the fluid is transported along the interval between the pipe 12 and the sleeve 16. The fluid is contained in the conversion coupling 46 and discharged through the discharge port 52.

The conversion coupling 46 covers the pipe 12 up to the fitting 42 and overlays the fitting 42 to exclude any exposure of the pipe 12. The conversion coupling 46 and the accessory 42 are preferably reusable.

The pipeline containment system can be used in many applications, including direct underground burial, outdoor use on the ground, indoor use for safety pressurization, and other secondary containment and sensing systems for petrochemical lines.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown and described above, but various modifications and substitutions can be made to the present invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, it can be understood that the description of the present invention is merely illustrative rather than limiting.