Passive thermal diode for transportation pipelines using contact switch based on polymer thermal expansion (PTE-PTD)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11608940-B2
Application number	US-202017009579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2020
Priority date	Sep 1, 2020
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

An apparatus includes a Polymer Thermal Expansion Based Passive Thermal Diode (PTE-PTD) that includes layers and is configured to provide passive heating and cooling of a pipeline. A polyurethane (PU) layer is provided that is configured to contact at least an upper portion along a length of a pipe. A polyethylene terephthalate (PET) layer is provided that is configured to surround the PU layer and the length of the pipe. A graphene layer is provided that is configured to surround an epoxy layer. An epoxy shell is provided that is configured to surround the graphene layer. An air gap on a first side of the PTE-PTD is provided. The air gap is formed by a void in the PET layer and is configured to provide additional air space between the PET layer and the PU layer. The air gap provides an upward movement of the PET layer using opposite forces of alternate sides of the PET layer. The PTE-PTD is installed on the pipeline.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a Polymer Thermal Expansion Based Passive Thermal Diode (PTE-PTD), including layers comprising:
a polyurethane (PU) layer configured to contact at least an upper portion along a length of a pipe;
a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) layer configured to surround the PU layer and the length of the pipe;
an epoxy shell configured to surround the PET layer; and
a graphene layer configured to surround the epoxy shell, and

an air gap on a first side of the PTE-PTD, the air gap formed by a void in the PET layer and configured to provide additional air space between the PET layer and the PU layer, the air gap providing an upward movement of the PET layer using opposite forces of alternate sides of the PET layer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the PU layer provides a low-friction contact with the pipe.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the PET layer provides low-friction contacts with the PU layer and the pipe.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the length of the pipe is configured to carry a transported fluid.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an assembly system configured to connect ends the layers along the length of the pipe.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the assembly system provides bonds between ends of the layers, the bonds along the upper portion of the length of the pipe.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the assembly system includes pins and plugs, wherein the pins serve as male pins and the plugs serve as female pins, and wherein assembling the apparatus onto the length of the pipe includes driving the pins into the plugs.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein bases of the plugs are fixed to the length of the pipe.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the layers are manufactured with holes at regular intervals to match placement of the pins and plugs during assembly.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein installation of the apparatus includes:
attaching the bases of the plugs to the length of the pipe;
installing lower layers over the plugs from a first direction;
installing upper layers over the plugs from a second direction; and
driving the pins into the plugs.

11. A method, comprising:
providing a Polymer Thermal Expansion Based Passive Thermal Diode (PTE-PTD) comprising layers and configured to provide passive heating and cooling of a pipeline, including:
providing a polyurethane (PU) layer configured to contact at least an upper portion along a length of a pipe;
providing a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) layer configured to surround the PU layer and the length of the pipe;
providing an epoxy shell configured to surround the PET layer;
providing a graphene layer configured to surround the epoxy shell; and
providing an air gap on a first side of the PTE-PTD, the air gap formed by a void in the PET layer and configured to provide additional air space between the PET layer and the PU layer, and providing an upward movement of the PET layer using opposite forces of alternate sides of the PET layer; and

installing the PTE-PTD on the pipeline.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the PU layer provides a low-friction contact with the pipe.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the PET layer provides low-friction contacts with the PU layer and the pipe.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the length of the pipe is configured to carry a transported fluid.

15. The method of claim 11 , the PTE-PTD further comprising an assembly system configured to connect ends the layers along the length of the pipe.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the assembly system provides bonds between ends of the layers, the bonds along the upper portion of the length of the pipe.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the assembly system includes pins and plugs, wherein the pins serve as male pins and the plugs serve as female pins, and wherein installing PTE-PTD onto pipeline includes driving the pins into the plugs.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein bases of the plugs are fixed to the length of the pipe.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising manufacturing the PTE-PTD including manufacturing the layers to include holes at regular intervals to match placement of the pins and plugs during assembly.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein installing the PTE-PTD includes:
attaching the bases of the plugs to the length of the pipe;
installing lower layers over the plugs from a first direction;
installing upper layers over the plugs from a second direction; and
driving the pins into the plugs.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Villette Thibault Tarik
• Raynel Guillaume Robert Jean-Francois

Classifications

• F16L53/38

  using elongate electric heating elements, e.g. wires or ribbons · CPC title

• F16L53/30

  Heating of pipes or pipe systems · CPC title

• B32B3/26

  characterised by a particular shape of the outline of the cross-section of a continuous layer; characterised by a layer with cavities or internal voids {(foam layer B32B5/18; layer of synthetic resin characterised by fillers that create voids or cavities B32B27/205); characterised by an apertured layer} · CPC title

• B32B7/05

  the layers not being connected over the whole surface, e.g. discontinuous connection or patterned connection (using interposed adhesives or bonding materials applied in spaced arrangements B32B7/14) · CPC title

• B32B2250/04

  4 layers · CPC title