Conduits for transporting fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10935167-B2
Application number	US-201816228020-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2018
Priority date	Dec 20, 2018
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A conduit for transporting a fluid comprises a first collar, a second collar, and a bellows. The bellows comprises a corrugated inboard ply, a corrugated outboard ply, and an interstitial space, interposed between the corrugated inboard ply and the corrugated outboard ply. The conduit additionally comprises a first weld, hermetically coupling the corrugated inboard ply and a first outer collar portion, a second weld, hermetically coupling the corrugated outboard ply and a first inner collar portion, a third weld, hermetically coupling the corrugated inboard ply and a second outer collar portion, a fourth weld, hermetically coupling the corrugated outboard ply and a second inner collar portion, and a first sensor, communicatively coupled with the interstitial space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conduit for transporting a fluid, the conduit comprising:
a first collar that comprises:
a first outer collar portion; and
a first inner collar portion, threadably coupled with the first outer collar portion;

a second collar that comprises:
a second outer collar portion; and
a second inner collar portion, threadably coupled with the second outer collar portion;

a bellows that comprises:
a central axis;
a corrugated outboard ply;
a corrugated inboard ply, interposed between the corrugated outboard ply and the central axis; and
an interstitial space, interposed between the corrugated inboard ply and the corrugated outboard ply;

a first weld, hermetically coupling the corrugated inboard ply and the first outer collar portion;
a second weld, hermetically coupling the corrugated outboard ply and the first inner collar portion;
a third weld, hermetically coupling the corrugated inboard ply and the second outer collar portion;
a fourth weld, hermetically coupling the corrugated outboard ply and the second inner collar portion; and
a first sensor, communicatively coupled with the interstitial space.

2. The conduit according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first collar further comprises a first channel, passing through one of the first outer collar portion or the first inner collar portion;
the first channel is cross-sectionally circumferentially closed;
the first channel is communicatively coupled with the interstitial space of the bellows; and
the first sensor is communicatively coupled with the first channel of the first collar.

3. The conduit according to claim 2 , wherein pressure in the interstitial space and in the first channel is no more than 15 pounds per square inch (psi).

4. The conduit according to claim 3 , wherein the pressure in the interstitial space and in the first channel is no more than 5 psi.

5. The conduit according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first collar further comprises a first cavity, located between the first outer collar portion and the first inner collar portion;
the second collar further comprises a second cavity, located between the second outer collar portion and the second inner collar portion;
the first channel is communicatively coupled with the first cavity;
the first cavity has an annular shape and is communicatively coupled with the interstitial space; and
the second cavity has an annular shape and is communicatively coupled with the interstitial space.

6. The conduit according to claim 5 , further comprising a second sensor, and wherein:
the second collar further comprises a second channel, passing through one of the second outer collar portion or the second inner collar portion;
the second channel is cross-sectionally circumferentially closed;
the second channel is communicatively coupled with the interstitial space of the bellows; and
the second sensor is communicatively coupled with the second channel of the second collar.

7. The conduit according to claim 1 , wherein:
the bellows further comprises a second corrugated outboard ply;
the corrugated outboard ply is interposed between the corrugated inboard ply and the second corrugated outboard ply; and
the second corrugated outboard ply is hermetically coupled to the first inner collar portion by the second weld and is hermetically coupled to the second inner collar portion by the fourth weld.

8. The conduit according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first outer collar portion comprises first threads;
the first inner collar portion comprises second threads, threadably engaged with the first threads of the first outer collar portion so that a first abutment interface is formed between the first outer collar portion and the first inner collar portion;
the second outer collar portion comprises third threads; and
the second inner collar portion comprises fourth threads, threadably engaged with the third threads of the second outer collar portion so that a second abutment interface is formed between the second outer collar portion and the second inner collar portion.

9. The conduit according to claim 8 , wherein:
the first collar further comprises a fifth weld, hermetically coupling the first outer collar portion and the first inner collar portion along the first abutment interface between the first outer collar portion and the first inner collar portion; and
the second collar further comprises a sixth weld, hermetically coupling the second outer collar portion and the second inner collar portion along the second abutment interface between the second outer collar portion and the second inner collar portion.

10. The conduit according to claim 1 , further comprising a sheath that comprises a reinforcement layer, and wherein the corrugated outboard ply is interposed between the sheath and the central axis.

11. The conduit according to claim 10 , wherein the sheath is coupled to the first inner collar portion of the first collar and to the second inner collar portion of the second collar.

12. The conduit according to claim 11 , wherein the sheath is movable relative to the first inner collar portion of the first collar and relative to the second inner collar portion of the second collar.

13. The conduit according to claim 10 , wherein:
the sheath further comprises a low-friction layer, interposed between the reinforcement layer of the sheath and the corrugated outboard ply of the bellows; and
the low-friction layer of the sheath has a surface roughness lower than that of the reinforcement layer of the sheath.

14. The conduit according to claim 13 , wherein:
the bellows further comprises a second corrugated outboard ply;
the corrugated outboard ply is interposed between the corrugated inboard ply and the second corrugated outboard ply;
the second corrugated outboard ply is hermetically coupled to the first inner collar portion by the second weld and is hermetically coupled to the second inner collar portion by the fourth weld; and
the low-friction layer of the sheath is in contact with the second corrugated outboard ply of the bellows.

15. A conduit for transporting a fluid, the conduit comprising:
a first collar that comprises:
a first outer collar portion; and
a first inner collar portion, threadably coupled with the first outer collar portion;

a bellows that comprises:
a central axis;
a corrugated outboard ply;
a corrugated inboard ply, interposed between the corrugated outboard ply and the central axis; and
an interstitial space, interposed between the corrugated inboard ply and the corrugated outboard ply;

a first weld, hermetically coupling the corrugated inboard ply and the first outer collar portion;
a second weld, hermetically coupling the corrugated outboard ply and the first inner collar portion; and
a first sensor, communicatively coupled with the interstitial space.

16. The conduit according to claim 1 , wherein:
at least a part of a portion of the corrugated outboard ply, proximate the second weld, is closer to the central axis of the bellows than the second weld; and
at least a part of a portion of the corrugated outboard ply, proximate the fourth weld, is closer to the central axis of the bellows than the fourth weld.

17. The conduit according to claim 2 , wherein the first channel passes through the first outer collar portion of the first collar.

18. The conduit according to claim 6 , wherein the second channel passes through the second outer collar portion of the second collar.

19. The conduit according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first w

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Di Carlo Tony
• Vaniman Brian T
• Leuer John P

Classifications

• G01M3/18

  for pipes, cables or tubes; for pipe joints or seals; for valves; {for welds; for containers, e.g. radiators} · CPC title

• F16L33/26

  specially adapted for hoses made of metal · CPC title

• F16L13/0209

  Male-female welded joints (F16L13/0245 and F16L13/0254 take precedence) · CPC title

• B21D35/007

  Layered blanks (B21D22/203 takes precedence; joining superposed plates B21D39/031, B21D39/034, B21D39/035) · CPC title

• F16L27/111

  the bellows being reinforced · CPC title