Tube infrastructure with vacuum pressure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11320070-B2
Application number	US-201816607943-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2018
Priority date	Aug 10, 2017
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A tube infrastructure includes a first tube; a second tube that is coupled to the first tube; and a fluid tank that is disposed to surround a coupling region of the first tube and the second tube and is filled with a fluid to seal the coupling region, wherein the fluid tank allows negative pressure to be maintained inside the first tube and the second tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tube infrastructure comprising:
a first tube;
a second tube that is coupled to the first tube;
a fluid tank that is disposed to surround a coupling region of the first tube and the second tube and is filled with a fluid to seal the coupling region; and
a sensor that detects whether or not the fluid of the fluid tank leaks,
wherein the fluid tank allows negative pressure to be maintained inside the first tube and the second tube, and
wherein the sensor is provided in the fluid tank to determine that the fluid leaks when a volume of the fluid is measured to be less than an initial measurement value.

2. The tube infrastructure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first tube and the second tube include a female connection portion and a male connection portion respectively located at both ends, and
wherein the female connection portion of the first tube and the male connection portion of the second tube are coupled to each other by a fitting method.

3. The tube infrastructure according to claim 2 ,
wherein the female connection portion is formed such that a diameter of an inner circumferential surface increases toward one end and includes a flange portion formed on one end surface,
wherein the male connection portion is formed such that a diameter of an inner circumferential surface decreases toward one end and includes a groove portion formed in an outer circumferential surface, and
wherein the groove portion of the second tube is fitted to the flange portion of the first tube.

4. The tube infrastructure according to claim 3 , wherein the groove portion coupled to the flange portion is formed to have a coupling margin so as to enable the first tube or the second tube to move horizontally due to a thermal deformation.

5. The tube infrastructure according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a packing portion that is interposed in the coupling region of the first tube and the second tube.

6. The tube infrastructure according to claim 5 , wherein the packing portion is configured by at least one of an O-ring and a surface gasket.

7. The tube infrastructure according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid tank has an opening through which the fluid is introduced at a region of an upper portion.

8. The tube infrastructure according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid includes at least one of fine particles and a short fiber.

9. The tube infrastructure according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid includes at least one of a volatile fluid and a nonvolatile fluid.

10. A railway bridge including a tube infrastructure, the railway bridge comprising:
a plurality of tube infrastructures arranged horizontally in a horizontal direction, wherein each of the tube infrastructures is the tube infrastructure according to claim 1 ; and
a pier arranged at a lower end of the fluid tank of the tube infrastructure to support the tube infrastructure.

Assignees

• Korea Railroad Res Institute

Inventors

• Choe Jae Heon
• Lee Kwan Sup
• Choi Su Yong
• Lee Chang Young
• Lim Jung Youl
• Lee Jin Ho
• Jang Yong Jun
• Jo Jeong Min
• Ok Min Hwan
• Kim Jae Hoon

Classifications

• F16L21/02

  with elastic sealing rings between pipe and sleeve or between pipe and socket, e.g. with rolling or other prefabricated profiled rings (F16L21/06, F16L21/08 take precedence; if adjustability is essential F16L27/00) · CPC title

• F16L17/02 Primary

  with sealing rings arranged between outer surface of pipe and inner surface of sleeve or socket · CPC title

• G01M3/3245

  using a level monitoring device (G01M3/3272 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B61B13/10 Primary

  Tunnel systems (pneumatic tubes conveyors B65G {; B61C15/045 takes precedence}) · CPC title

• F16L2201/30

  Detecting leaks · CPC title