Device and method for installing a tubular joint sleeve for a pipe comprising an inner lining

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10486367-B2
Application number	US-201515321651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2015
Priority date	Jul 2, 2014
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A device ( 20 ) for installing a tubular junction sleeve inside a pipe ( 1 ), having a mandrel ( 20 a ) of longitudinal axis (XX) supporting on its surface at least a first peripheral chamber ( 21 ) having a wall ( 21 a ) that is radially expandable by inflation. The first wall including at least one electrical connector ( 21 b ) suitable for being connected to one end of said heater wire. The connector being connected to an umbilical ( 24 ) including at least a compressed air feed duct for inflating the first chamber and an electrical power supply duct connected to the electrical connector. The device being characterized in that the mandrel supports on its outer surface a second peripheral chamber ( 22 ) having a wall ( 22 a ) that is radially expandable by inflation, and also a weld inspection device ( 23 ) arranged in the longitudinal direction of the mandrel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device suitable for installing a tubular junction sleeve inside an end of a first pipe element made of steel and internally lined with a thermoplastic material, and suitable for butt-joining the end of the first pipe element fitted with said tubular junction sleeve and an end of a second pipe element having internal lining of thermoplastic material, said ends of the two pipe elements abutting for welding together, said tubular junction sleeve having at each end a terminal tubular wall portion, at least one of said terminal tubular wall portions having a Joule-effect heater wire arranged at the outer surface of said terminal tubular wall portion suitable for creating by heating a zone of contact made leaktight by melting between the materials constituting at least a part of said terminal tubular wall portion and a terminal portion of said internal lining where they are in contact with each other, said device comprising:
a mandrel extending in a longitudinal direction supporting on the outer surface of said mandrel at least a first inflatable chamber having a first peripheral wall that is radially expandable by inflation, said first peripheral wall having at least one first electrical connector suitable for being connected to one end of said Joule-effect heater wire, and said mandrel also having an umbilical comprising at least one compressed air feed duct for inflating said first inflatable chamber and an electrical power supply duct connected to said first electrical connector,
wherein said mandrel also supports on said outer surface of said mandrel a second inflatable chamber having a second peripheral wall that is radially expandable by inflation and spaced apart from said first inflatable chamber in said longitudinal direction, and said mandrel also supports a weld inspection device, said umbilical passing inside said mandrel and including ducts for electrically powering said weld inspection device.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said weld inspection device is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the mandrel upstream or downstream relative to said first and second inflatable chambers.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said weld inspection device comprises:
at least one ultrasound probe; and
at least one water injection nozzle fed with water by a duct passing in said umbilical.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of said ultrasound probe or said water injection nozzle suitable for being turned facing the terminal tubular wall portions about a turning axis arranged on a longitudinal axis of the mandrel.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said mandrel also supports a reversible shutter for shutting a passage between the mandrel and an inside wall of the tubular junction sleeve or of the internal lining of the pipe elements, said shutter being arranged in said longitudinal direction of the mandrel so that said weld inspection device is arranged between said reversible shutter and at least one said first or second inflatable chamber.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein said reversible shutter is constituted by a third inflatable chamber having a peripheral wall that is radially expandable by inflation.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said expandable second peripheral wall of said second inflatable chamber includes at least one second electrical connector suitable for being connected to an end of said Joule-effect heater wire.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second inflatable chambers extend over respective lengths L 1 and L 2 and are spaced apart by a distance d in the longitudinal direction of the mandrel such that when said first inflatable chamber is radially expanded to press against one of the terminal tubular wall portions, the second inflatable chamber is in a facing position and can press against a portion of a tubular inside wall of said tubular junction sleeve.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein each of said inflatable chambers is formed by a flexible or semi-rigid tubular envelope of circular cross-section arranged around said mandrel which is cylindrical, wherein circular edges of each said tubular envelope join an outer wall of said mandrel in such a manner that under the effect of said inflatable chambers being inflated said tubular envelope takes on a convex bulging shape forming a radially expanded wall of said inflatable chambers.

10. A method of installing a tubular junction sleeve at one end of a first pipe element having an internal lining made of thermoplastic material, the method comprising:
using the device of claim 1 in order to fasten said tubular junction sleeve to a terminal portion of said internal lining, by using a Joule-effect heater wire arranged at an outer surface of a first terminal portion of the tubular junction sleeve, to create a leaktight contact zone by melting together materials constituting at least parts of said first terminal portion of the tubular junction sleeve and of said terminal portion of said internal lining.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising the following steps:
i.1) positioning said device inside said tubular junction sleeve in such a manner that at least said first inflatable chamber is in position facing said first terminal portion of the tubular junction sleeve with said first electrical connector facing an end of said Joule-effect heater wire, said second inflatable chamber facing an inside wall of a running portion of the tubular junction sleeve, and inflating at least said second inflatable chamber so as to secure the device with said tubular junction sleeve by pressing the expandable second peripheral wall of said second chamber against said inside wall of said tubular junction sleeve, resulting thereby in an assembly of the tubular junction sleeve and said device;
i.2) moving the resulting assembly of the tubular junction sleeve and said device in the longitudinal direction and inserting said assembly inside a sleeve-free open end of said first pipe element until said first terminal portion of the tubular junction sleeve is in contact with said terminal portion of the internal lining of said sleeve-free open end of said first pipe element;
i.3) inflating said first inflatable chamber to press it against the inside wall of said first terminal portion of the tubular junction sleeve so that said first electrical connector is connected to the end of a said Joule-effect heater wire;
i.4) electrically powering said Joule-effect heater wire while simultaneously exerting pressure from said first terminal portion of the tubular junction sleeve against said terminal portion of the internal lining that are in contact with each other by inflating said first inflatable chamber in order to implement a weld zone by electro-fusion of the materials constituting at least parts of said first terminal portion of the tubular junction sleeve and of said terminal portion of said internal lining that are in contact with each other;
i.5) deflating said first and second inflatable chambers and moving said device in such a manner that said weld inspection device is placed facing said first terminal portion of the tubular junction sleeve corresponding to said zone of welding by electro-fusion;
i.6) inflating again the first and second inflatable chambers so that they press against the inside wall of the tubular junction sleeve and become secured thereto, and actuating said weld inspection device to inspect said weld; and
i.7) deflating said first and second chambers in order to remove said device.

12. A method of making a pipe by using the device according to claim 1 , by

Assignees

• Saipem Sa

Inventors

• Pionetti François Régis
• Lirola François

Classifications

• B29C66/636

  using a support which remains in the joined object · CPC title

• B29C66/0016

  Liquid environments, i.e. the parts to be joined being submerged in a liquid · CPC title

• B29C65/7838

  from the inside, e.g. of tubular or hollow articles (B29C66/3242 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C65/485

  Multi-component adhesives, i.e. chemically curing as a result of the mixing of said multi-components · CPC title

• B29C65/3468

  characterised by the means for supplying heat to said heated elements which remain in the join, e.g. special electrical connectors of windings (B29C65/3668 takes precedence) · CPC title