MACHINE AND METHOD FOR MAKING A PROTECTIVE JOINT ABOUT AN ANNULAR JUNCTION PORTION OF A PIPELINE

Abstract

A machine for making a protective joint has a guide system, which is selectively clampable about a pipeline on opposite sides with respect to the annular junction portion and configured for defining an annular path about the annular junction portion; at least one heating unit moveable along the annular path and configured for heating the annular junction portion and moveable along the annular path; at least one spray unit moveable along the annular path and configured for applying at least one polymer material to the annular junction portion; and an extrusion die moveable along the annular path and configured for applying a protective foil about the annular junction portion.

Claims

1-18. (canceled)

19: A machine comprising: a guide system selectively clampable about a pipeline on opposite sides of an annular junction portion of the pipeline, wherein the guide system defines an annular path about the annular junction portion; a heating unit moveable along the annular path and configured to heat the annular junction portion; a spray unit moveable along the annular path and configured to apply a polymer material to the annular junction portion; and an extrusion die moveable along the annular path and configured to apply a protective foil about the annular junction portion.

20: The machine of claim 19, wherein: the heating unit has a width commensurate to a width of the annular junction portion and the heating unit is configured to heat the annular junction portion in one revolution about the annular junction portion, the spray unit has a width commensurate to the width of the annular junction portion and the spray unit is configured to apply the polymer material to the annular junction portion in one revolution about the annular junction portion, and the extrusion die has a width commensurate to the width of the annular junction portion and the extrusion die is configured to apply the protective foil about the annular junction portion in one revolution about the annular junction portion.

21: The machine of claim 19, further comprising a control system configured to control a position of the heating unit along the annular path, a position of the spray unit along the annular path, and a position of the extrusion die along the annular path.

22: The machine of claim 19, further comprising a control system configured to control an operating status of the heating unit, an operating status of the spray unit, and an operating status of the extrusion die.

23: The machine of claim 19, further comprising a carriage advanceable along the annular path in a first direction about the annular junction portion and advanceable in a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein the heating unit, the spray unit and the extrusion die are each mounted on the carriage.

24: The machine of claim 23, wherein the heating unit, the spray unit and the extrusion die are sequentially arranged along the carriage.

25: The machine of claim 23, further comprising another heating unit and another spray unit mounted on the carriage.

26: The machine of claim 25, wherein the heating unit and the other heating unit are mounted on opposite ends of the carriage.

27: The machine of claim 25, wherein the heating unit and the other heating unit are mounted 180° apart from each other.

28: The machine of claim 25, wherein each spray unit is mounted between the extrusion die and one of the heating units.

29: The machine of claim 19, wherein the heating unit and the spray unit are part of an assembly comprising: a plurality of nozzles distributed along a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the pipeline, and a U-shaped inductor arranged about the plurality of nozzles.

30: A method for making a protective joint about an annular junction portion of a pipeline, the method comprising: clamping a guide system to the pipeline about the annular junction portion, wherein the guide system defines an annular path about the annular junction portion; simultaneously advancing a heating unit, a spray unit, and an extrusion die along the annular path; heating, via the heating unit, the annular junction portion; applying a polymer material, via the spray unit, to the annular junction portion; applying a protective foil, via the extrusion die, about the annular junction portion and end portions of a coating that delimits the annular junction portion; and uncoupling the guide system from the pipeline.

31: The method of claim 30, wherein: the heating unit has a width commensurate to a width of the annular junction portion such that heating the annular junction portion occurs in one revolution about the annular junction portion, the spray unit has a width commensurate to the width of the annular junction such that applying the polymer material to the annular junction portion occurs in one revolution about the annular junction portion, and the extrusion die has a width commensurate to the width of the annular junction portion such that applying the protective foil about the annular junction portion occurs in one revolution about the annular junction portion.

32: The method of claim 30, further comprising controlling, via a control system, a position of the heating unit along the annular path, a position of the spray unit along the annular path, and a position of the extrusion die along the annular path.

33: The method of claim 30, further comprising controlling, via a control system, an operating status of the heating unit, an operating status of the spray unit, and an operating status of the extrusion die.

34: The method of claim 30, further comprising advancing a carriage along the annular path in a first direction about the annular junction portion and advancing the carriage in a second direction opposite to the first direction about the annular junction portion, wherein the heating unit, the spray unit and the extrusion die are each mounted to the carriage.

35: The method of claim 30, wherein heating the annular junction portion, spraying the polymer material and applying the protective foil sequentially occurs during a revolution of the carriage in a first direction about the annular junction portion and returning the carriage occurs in a revolution of the carriage in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

36: The method of claim 30, further comprising advancing along the annular path another heating unit and another spray unit.

37: The method of claim 30, wherein applying the protective foil occurs after the polymer material has been applied along the entire annular junction portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0048] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following description of its preferred embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0049] FIG. 1 is an elevated lateral view, with parts in cross-section and parts removed for clarity, of a pipeline and of a protective foil;

[0050] FIG. 2 is an elevated lateral view, with parts shown in cross-section and parts removed for clarity, of the pipeline and of a protective joint;

[0051] FIGS. 3 and 4 are views, with parts removed for clarity and parts in cross-section, of a machine configured to make the joint in FIG. 2 and arranged in two different operating steps;

[0052] FIG. 5 is a schematic elevated lateral view, with parts in cross-section and parts removed for clarity, of the pipeline and of the machine for making a protective joint about the pipeline in FIG. 1;

[0053] FIG. 6 is a perspective views, with parts removed for clarity of a detail of the machine in FIGS. 3 and 4;

[0054] FIGS. 7 to 12 are schematic views, with parts removed for clarity, of the machine's operating steps in FIGS. 3 and 4;

[0055] FIG. 13 is a schematic view, with parts removed for clarity, of a variation of the machine in FIGS. 3 and 4; and

[0056] FIG. 14 is a schematic view, with parts removed for clarity, of a further variant of the machine in FIGS. 3 and 4.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0057] In FIGS. 1 and 2, 1 indicates a pipeline as a whole, which extends along a longitudinal axis A. In the case shown in FIG. 1, the pipeline 1 comprises two sections of pipe 2 aligned along the longitudinal axis A. Each section of pipe 2 comprises a metal cylinder 3 and a coating 4 made of polymer material, generally polyethylene or polypropylene, that is arranged in contact with the metal cylinder 3 and has the function of protecting the metal cylinder 3 from corrosion.

[0058] Each section of pipe 2 has two opposite free ends 5 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 1) without the coating 4, which has a chamfer 6 at each free end 5. Two successive sections of pipe 2, which are aligned along the longitudinal axis A, are arranged with the free ends 5 facing each other and they are welded together, possibly in several welding passes, so as to make an annular weld seam 7 between the two sections of pipe 2. The two sections of welded pipe 2 define an annular junction portion 8, which extends along the longitudinal axis A between the two chamfers 6 of the coating 4 and comprises the annular weld seam 7.

[0059] The pipeline 1 is formed by means of joining the sections of pipe 2. With reference to the present description, pipeline 1 is also understood to mean the pipeline under construction consisting, for example, of only two sections of pipe 2 joined together.

[0060] The joining of the sections of pipe 2 also involves, in addition to the welding of the metal cylinders 3, the making of a seamless coating of the pre-existing coatings 4. This operation involves applying a protective foil 9 about the annular junction portion 8 and about two end portions 10 of the coating 4. It also involves making the protective foil 9 adhere to the annular junction portion 8 and to the end portions 10 of the coatings 4.

[0061] The application of the protective foil 9 generally requires operations to prepare the surface of the annular junction portion 8 and of the end portions 10, in order to facilitate the adhesion of the protective foil 9. These operations consist in cleaning, for example, by means of blasting, and in heating, for example by induction, the annular junction portion 8.

[0062] The protective foil 9 has a thickness between 1 and 7 mm and is made of a polymer, preferably polyolefin, preferably PE or PP.

[0063] The protective foil 9 is wider than the width of the annular junction portion 8 (measured along the longitudinal axis A1) so that it partially overlaps the coatings 4 at the respective end portions 10. In addition, it is long enough to ensure the coverage of the perimeter of the annular junction portion 8, including the partial overlapping of the end edges of the protective foil 9.

[0064] The protective foil 9 is made by extrusion, and is applied about the pipeline 1.

[0065] This technique allows you to obtain a protective foil 9, which, in the application step, is very flexible and well suited to the shape of the coating 4 and of the annular junction portion 8. It also adheres closely to the pipeline 1 as shown in FIG. 2.

[0066] Prior to the application of the protective joint 9, a thin layer of polymer material, in particular epoxy material, is applied to the annular junction portion, which has the function of a primer, as well as a layer of polymer adhesive.

[0067] With reference to FIG. 2, when the protective foil 9 is applied to the pipeline and is attached to the annular junction portion 8 and to the end portions 10 of the coatings 4 it forms the so-called protection joint 11.

[0068] In FIGS. 3 and 4, 12 indicates a machine for heating the annular junction portion 8 (FIG. 1) and for applying the primer layer and, possibly, the adhesive layer, as well as the protective foil 9, to the pipeline 1 (FIG. 5).

[0069] The machine 12 is configured to perform machining cycles, each of which involves coupling to the pipeline 1 about an annular junction portion 8 (FIG. 4), heating the annular junction portion 8, spraying the primer layer and the adhesive layer, laminating the polymer material that makes up the protective foil 9 (FIG. 4), extruding and applying the protective foil 9 (FIG. 4) about the annular junction portion 8 of the pipeline 1, and uncoupling from the pipeline 1. For this reason, the machine 12 is configured to be arranged in a position wherein it is coupled to the pipeline 1 (FIGS. 4, 5) and in a position (FIG. 3) wherein the entire machine 12 is not coupled to the pipeline 1.

[0070] The construction of the pipeline 1 involves advancing the pipeline 1 step-by-step in a direction D1 (FIG. 5) parallel to the longitudinal axis A, and coupling the machine 12 (FIG. 4) about the pipeline 1 at the annular junction portion 8.

[0071] In the present description, the adjective “axial” refers to the longitudinal axis A of the pipeline 1.

[0072] In this case, the machine 12 comprises: [0073] a frame 13; [0074] an extrusion line 14 for laminating solid polymer material and extruding and applying the protective foil 9 (FIG. 5) in a paste state; [0075] a mechanical manipulator 15 mounted on the frame 13 to selectively connect the extrusion line 14 to the pipeline 1; [0076] a control system 16 including an electronic processor 17 and configured to coordinate the movements of the manipulator 15 with the movement of the pipeline 1 and to control the processes of heating, spraying the polymer material, and laminating and extruding in the extrusion line 14; [0077] one heating unit 18; and [0078] one spray unit 19.

[0079] The frame 13 has the function of supporting the manipulator 15, which supports the extrusion line 14, which comprises a laminating device 20, an extrusion device 21, and an extrusion die 22.

[0080] In accordance with the preferred embodiment shown in the attached figures, the laminating device 20 is connected to the extrusion device 21 by means of a flexible conduit 23 so that the laminating device 20 and the extrusion device 21 can be arranged elements in relative motion.

[0081] Similarly, the extrusion die 22 and the extrusion device 21 are connected to each other by a further flexible conduit 24 so that the extrusion die 22 and the extrusion device 21 can be mounted on elements that are moveable relative to each other. The flexible conduit is collected on a winder 25 for winding and respectively unwinding the flexible conduit 24 in a controlled manner.

[0082] The extrusion die 22 basically comprises an extrusion mouth having a through-cross-section to precisely shape the cross-section of the protective foil 9 (FIGS. 1, 5) to the desired dimensions; and a cavity, not shown in the attached figures, to guide the polymer material in a paste state towards the extrusion mouth.

[0083] The manipulator 15 comprises a guide system 26 configured to guide the heating unit 18, the spray unit 19, and the extrusion die 22 along an annular path; an articulated mechanism 27 to selectively arrange the guide system 26 between a position about the pipeline 1 (FIG. 4) and a position relatively far from the pipeline 1 (FIG. 3).

[0084] With reference to FIG. 6, the guide system 26 comprises: [0085] a supporting structure 28; [0086] two rails 29 facing and parallel to each other, and attached to the supporting structure 28; [0087] two moveable rails 30 facing and parallel to each other, which are hinged to the supporting structure 28 and complementary to the rails 29 to form a closed ring; [0088] two actuators 31 for opening and closing the moveable rails 30 (FIGS. 4 and 5); [0089] a carriage 32 selectively moveable along the rails, the annular path formed by the rails 29 and 30, and configured to support the heating unit 18, the spray unit 19, and the extrusion die 22.

[0090] With reference to FIG. 4, the carriage 32 supports one roller 33, and two lateral heaters 34 to heat the end portions of the coating 10 adjacent to the annular junction portion (FIGS. 1, 5). In addition, the rails 29 and 30 are equipped with spacers 35 for arranging the guide system coaxially to the longitudinal axis A of the pipeline 1.

[0091] With reference to FIG. 3, the rails 29 and 30, in the closed position, define their respective internal annular sites for the sliding of the carriage 32, which is motorized to advance autonomously along the rails 29 and 30.

[0092] The previously described embodiment of the machine 12 involves several functional modes, some of which are described below. It should be noted that the machine 12 is extremely versatile and the choice of a functional mode depends on many factors such as, for example, the size of the pipeline, the thickness of the steel cylinder, and the power that the heating unit can deliver. In fact, the surface of the steel cylinder must reach a certain temperature before applying the polymers, in powder form, so as to ensure the adhesion and fusion of the powders in contact with the steel cylinder.

[0093] With reference to FIG. 7, the heating unit 18, the spray unit 19, the extrusion die 22 are angularly offset about the pipeline 1 and are arranged respectively in positions 1A, 1B, and 1C.

[0094] The carriage 32 (not shown) advances the heating unit 18, the spray unit 19, the extrusion die 22, the roller 33, and the lateral heaters 34 in direction D2 about the pipeline 1.

[0095] The heating unit 18 is immediately activated and heats the annular junction portion (FIG. 1) by induction, beginning with position LA, while the spray unit 19 and the extrusion die 22, and the lateral heaters 34 remain inactive and the roller 33 is in the raised position.

[0096] With reference to FIG. 8, the spray unit 19 is activated when it reaches position LA to spray the primer and, possibly, in quick succession the adhesive polymer on the already heated length. In FIG. 8, T1 indicates the heated length, while T2 indicates the length along which the powders have been applied.

In FIGS. 9 to 12, in addition to lengths T1 and T2, T3 indicates a length along which the protective material foil is applied.

[0097] With reference to FIG. 9, the extrusion die 22 is activated in position 1D when it has passed position LA by an angle α. The lateral heaters 34 are activated simultaneously with the extrusion die 22 and heat the lateral portions 10 of the coating 4 with infrared, flames, or hot air. Soon after the activation of the extrusion die 22, the roller 33 is lowered to compress the protective foil 9 on the pipeline 1 (FIG. 4).

[0098] With reference to FIG. 10, when the heating unit 18 reaches position LA after making a 360° revolution about the pipeline, it is deactivated.

[0099] In FIG. 11, the spray unit 19 has passed position LA and is, therefore, deactivated, while the extrusion die 22, the roller 33, and the lateral heaters 34, remain operational until they reach position 1E (FIG. 12), which is spaced from position 1D by an angle β.

[0100] This solution allows the joining of the protective foil 9 along the β angle. In practice, with a revolution slightly higher than 360°, a plurality of operations are carried out, in quick succession, on the pipeline 1.

[0101] In accordance with the variant in FIG. 13, the machine 12 comprises a further heating unit 18 and a further spray unit 19 mounted on the carriage 32 (not shown in the attached figures). The two heating units 18 are arranged at opposite ends of the carriage and at 180° to each other, while each spray unit 19 is arranged between the extrusion die 22 and a respective heating unit 18.

[0102] When in use, the heating and powder spraying operations are performed along a 180° sector by means of a heating unit 18 and the adjacent spray unit 19, while the other heating unit 18 and the other spray unit 19 are not in the operating mode.

[0103] During the return stroke, the remaining 180° sector is heated and coated with powders by means of the heating unit 18 and the spray unit 19, which have remained inactive during the forward stroke, while the heating unit 18 and the spray unit 19, which are active during the forward stroke, are deactivated. Subsequently, both the heating units 18 and both the spray units 19 are deactivated, while the extrusion die 22, the roller 33, and the lateral heaters are operational and advanced along a sector slightly greater than 360°.

[0104] In the variant in FIG. 14, the machine comprises two assemblies 36, each of which comprises a heating unit 18 and two mutually integrated spray units 19. In practice, each heating unit 18 comprises a U-shaped conductor that extends about a plurality of nozzles. The two assemblies 36 are arranged at 180° from each other.

[0105] When in use, the heating and polymer material powder-spraying operations can be carried out simultaneously, so that, by means of a 180° advance in direction D3, it is possible to heat and apply the powder over a 360° sector. In addition, with an advancement of slightly more than 360° in the opposite direction, the protective foil 9 is applied (FIG. 1).

[0106] As an alternative to the functional modes described above, the heating unit may perform complete or partial revolutions about the annular junction portion when the temperature of the annular junction portion has reached the predetermined temperature. Subsequently, the powders are applied by means of the spray unit.

[0107] The heating unit can also be activated during the powder application step so that it heats portions of the annular junction portion, on which the powders have already been applied. This functional mode has the main function of preventing the cooling of the annular junction portion.

[0108] The present invention extends to further variants which are not explicitly described and which fall within the scope of protection of the attached claims.

[0109] In accordance with a variant not shown, one or more heating units and one or more spray units, and the extrusion die are distributed on two carriages, which are controlled independently of each other.