Conduits for transporting fluids and methods of fabricating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020200319-A1
Application number	US-201816228074-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 20, 2018
Priority date	Dec 20, 2018
Publication date	Jun 25, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A conduit ( 100 ) for transporting a fluid comprises a first collar ( 102 ), a second collar ( 103 ), and a bellows ( 108 ). The bellows ( 108 ) comprises a corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ), a corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ), and an interstitial space ( 126 ). The conduit ( 100 ) also comprises a first weld ( 138 ), hermetically coupling the corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ), the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ), and the first collar ( 102 ) and comprises a second weld ( 183 ), hermetically coupling the corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ), the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ), and the second collar ( 103 ). The conduit ( 100 ) additionally comprises a weld-through ring ( 150 ), located between the corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ) and the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ) and coupled to the first collar ( 102 ) by the first weld ( 138 ). The conduit ( 100 ) also comprises a sensor ( 116 ) that is communicatively coupled with the interstitial space ( 126 ) via the channel ( 118 ) of the first collar ( 102 ).

First claim

1 . A conduit ( 100 ) for transporting a fluid, the conduit ( 100 ) comprising:
a first collar ( 102 ) that comprises a channel ( 118 ), which is cross-sectionally circumferentially closed; a second collar ( 103 ); a bellows ( 108 ) that comprises:
a central axis ( 180 );
a corrugated outboard ply ( 112 );
a corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ), interposed between the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ) and the central axis ( 180 ); and
an interstitial space ( 126 ), interposed between the corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ) and the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 );
a first weld ( 138 ), hermetically coupling the corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ), the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ), and the first collar ( 102 ); a second weld ( 183 ), hermetically coupling the corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ), the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ), and the second collar ( 103 ); a weld-through ring ( 150 ), located between the corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ) and the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ) and coupled to the first collar ( 102 ) by the first weld ( 138 ); and a sensor ( 116 ) that is communicatively coupled with the interstitial space ( 126 ) via the channel ( 118 ) of the first collar ( 102 ).

2 . The conduit ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , further comprising a tapered spacer ( 148 ), located within the interstitial space ( 126 ), and wherein the tapered spacer ( 148 ) abuts the weld-through ring ( 150 ).

3 . (canceled)

4 . The conduit ( 100 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the tapered spacer ( 148 ) is tubular and comprises:
a full-thickness end ( 147 ), abutting the weld-through ring ( 150 ) and having a thickness equal to that of the weld-through ring ( 150 ); a reduced-thickness end ( 149 ), spaced apart from and opposite the full-thickness end ( 147 ) and having a thickness less than that of the weld-through ring ( 150 ); and an inner surface ( 173 ), facing the central axis ( 180 ) and oblique relative to the central axis ( 180 ); and wherein the inner surface ( 173 ) tapers radially outwardly relative to the central axis ( 180 ) in a direction away from the weld-through ring ( 150 ) along the central axis ( 180 ).

5 - 8 . (canceled)

9 . The conduit ( 100 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the tapered spacer ( 148 ) is made of a permeable material.

10 . The conduit ( 100 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the weld-through ring ( 150 ) is interposed between the channel ( 118 ) and the tapered spacer ( 148 ).

11 . The conduit ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein:
the weld-through ring ( 150 ) comprises a port ( 188 ), passing through the weld-through ring ( 150 ); and the port ( 188 ) communicatively couples the channel ( 118 ) with the interstitial space ( 126 ).

12 - 25 . (canceled)

26 . The conduit ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first collar ( 102 ) comprises a first annular pocket ( 164 ); and a portion of the corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ), a portion of the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ), and a portion of the weld-through ring ( 150 ) are located within the first annular pocket ( 164 ) of the first collar ( 102 ).

27 . The conduit ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein:
the bellows ( 108 ) further comprises a second corrugated outboard ply ( 114 ); the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ) is interposed between the corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ) and the second corrugated outboard ply ( 114 ); the second corrugated outboard ply ( 114 ) is hermetically coupled to the first collar ( 102 ) by the first weld ( 138 ); and the second corrugated outboard ply ( 114 ) is hermetically coupled to the second collar ( 103 ) by the second weld ( 183 ).

28 . (canceled)

29 . The conduit ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , further comprising a sheath ( 130 ) that comprises a reinforcement layer ( 187 ), and wherein the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ) is interposed between the sheath ( 130 ) and the central axis ( 180 ).

30 . The conduit ( 100 ) according to claim 29 , wherein the sheath ( 130 ) is coupled to the first collar ( 102 ) and to the second collar ( 103 ).

31 . (canceled)

32 . The conduit ( 100 ) according to claim 30 , wherein the sheath ( 130 ) is translatable along the central axis ( 180 ) relative to the first collar ( 102 ) and relative to the second collar ( 103 ).

33 . The conduit ( 100 ) according to claim 30 , wherein the sheath ( 130 ) is rotatable about the central axis ( 180 ) relative to the first collar ( 102 ) and relative to the second collar ( 103 ).

34 . The conduit ( 100 ) according to claim 29 , wherein:
the sheath ( 130 ) further comprises a low-friction layer ( 189 ), interposed between the reinforcement layer ( 187 ) of the sheath ( 130 ) and the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ) of the bellows ( 108 ); and the low-friction layer ( 189 ) of the sheath ( 130 ) has a surface roughness lower than that of the reinforcement layer ( 187 ) of the sheath ( 130 ).

35 - 37 . (canceled)

38 . The conduit ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor ( 116 ) is configured to detect a pressure change in the interstitial space ( 126 ).

39 . The conduit ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor ( 116 ) is configured to detect a chemical change in the interstitial space ( 126 ).

40 . The conduit ( 100 ) according to claim 39 , wherein:
the sensor ( 116 ) comprises a first chamber ( 190 ), containing a first reactant ( 198 ), and a second chamber ( 192 ), containing a second reactant ( 199 ); the second chamber ( 192 ) is isolated from the first chamber ( 190 ) and is communicatively coupled with the channel ( 118 ) of the first collar ( 102 ); and the first reactant ( 198 ) is identical to the second reactant ( 199 ).

41 . (canceled)

42 . A conduit ( 200 ) for transporting a fluid, the conduit ( 200 ) comprising:
a first collar ( 102 ) that comprises a channel ( 118 ), which is cross-sectionally circumferentially closed; a bellows ( 108 ) that comprises:
a central axis ( 180 );
a corrugated outboard ply ( 112 );
a corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ), interposed between the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ) and the central axis ( 180 ); and
an interstitial space ( 126 ), interposed between the corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ) and the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 );
a first weld ( 138 ), hermetically coupling the corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ), the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ), and the first collar ( 102 ); a weld-through ring ( 150 ), located between the corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ) and the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ) and coupled to the first collar ( 102 ) by the first weld ( 138 ); and a sensor ( 116 ) that is communicatively coupled with the interstitial space ( 126 ) via the channel ( 118 ) of the first collar ( 102 ).

43 . A method ( 300 ) of fabricating a conduit ( 100 , 200 ), the method ( 300 ) comprising steps of:
simultaneously corrugating a tubular outboard ply ( 113 ) and a tubular inboard ply ( 111 ), inserted into the tubular outboard ply ( 113 ), to form a bellows ( 108 ), comprising a central axis ( 180 ), a corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ), a corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ), and an interstitial space ( 126 ), interposed between the corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ) and the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ), and wherein the corrugated outboard ply ( 112 ) is formed from the tubular outboard ply ( 113 ) and the corrugated inboard ply ( 110 ) is formed from the tubular inboard ply ( 111 ); simultaneously trimming a first corrugated-inbo

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

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

Classifications

• F16L9/06 Primary

  Corrugated pipes · CPC title

• B21C37/154

  Making multi-wall tubes · CPC title

• B21C37/151

  Making tubes with multiple passages · CPC title

• G01M3/04

  by detecting the presence of fluid at the leakage point · CPC title

• F16L9/18

  Double-walled pipes; Multi-channel pipes or pipe assemblies · CPC title