Installation assemblies for pipeline liners, pipeline liners and methods for installing the same

• US 20030066567A1
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nu Flow Technologies (2000) Incorporated (Nu Flow)
• Original Assignee: Nu Flow Technologies (2000) Incorporated (Nu Flow)
• Inventors: Manners, Cameron
• Granted Patent: US 6,691,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 138/98
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/1654 and being inflated
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/179 specially adapted for bends, branch units, branching pipes or the like

Abstract

An installation assembly for installing a liner in a pipeline comprises an inner bladder having an installation end and a retrieval end. An outer bladder surrounds the inner bladder. The ends of the inner and outer bladders are coupled together adjacent the installation end. The inner bladder is coupled to an air source at a retrieval end and the outer bladder adjacent the retrieval end is free. Following installation and curing of the liner, the bladder assembly is retrieved by pulling on the retrieval end of the inner bladder, and upon retrieval, the outer bladder is inverted.

Claims

1. An installation assembly for installing a liner in a pipeline, said installation assembly comprising:

a bladder assembly to be inserted into a liner, said bladder assembly including;

an inflatable inner bladder having an installation end and a retrieval end and defining an internal reservoir; and

an outer bladder surrounding said inner bladder at least along a portion of the length thereof, said outer bladder having an end coupled to said inner bladder adjacent said installation end;

a fluid passage coupled to said inner bladder, said fluid passage for introducing fluid into said internal reservoir to inflate said inner bladder and expand a liner carried by said bladder assembly so that said liner can be brought into firm contact with an interior surface of said pipeline; and

a retrieval line for removing said bladder assembly from said pipeline, said retrieval line being coupled to the retrieval end of said inner bladder so that when said bladder assembly is removed from said liner with said inner bladder deflated, said outer bladder separates from said liner and inverts.

2. An installation assembly according to claim 1 further comprising an inversion element received by said inner bladder and said outer bladder adjacent said installation end, said inner and outer bladders being coupled to a portion of said inversion element.

3. An installation assembly according to claim 2 further comprising an installation cable coupled to said inversion piece external to said bladder assembly, said cable being used to pull said bladder assembly to a desired location in said pipeline.

4. An installation assembly according to claim 3 wherein said inversion element is in the form of an I-section having a pair of blocks joined by a bight, said inner and outer bladders being clamped to said bight, said installation cable being coupled to one of said blocks.

5. An installation assembly according to claim 1 wherein said outer bladder extends the length of said inner bladder.

6. An installation assembly according to claim 1 wherein said fluid passage is a hose coupled to the retrieval end of said inner bladder, said hose constituting said retrieval line.

7. An installation assembly according to claim 6 further comprising an air pump coupled to said hose to inflate and evacuate said inner bladder.

8. A method of installing a liner in a pipeline comprising the steps of:

pulling a bladder assembly carrying a wetted liner in one direction into position in said pipeline, said bladder assembly including an inner bladder having an installation end and a retrieval end and an outer bladder surrounding said inner bladder and contacting an inner surface of said liner, said outer bladder having one end coupled to said inner bladder adjacent said installation end and an opposite free end;

introducing fluid into said inner bladder to inflate said inner bladder so that said bladder assembly expands to bring said liner into firm contact with an interior surface of said pipeline.

maintaining said bladder assembly in an inflated condition for a time period sufficient for said liner to cure;

deflating said inner bladder; and

retrieving said bladder assembly from said pipeline by pulling said bladder assembly in an opposite direction via said inner bladder so that when said inner bladder moves out of said liner, said outer bladder separates from said liner and inverts.

9. A liner for a variable diameter pipeline comprising:

an expandable tube formed from a rolled sheet of flexible material and having an overlapping portion therein; and

a web secured to said tube to maintain said tube in a rolled condition, said web defining an expandable joint running generally the length of said tube.

10. A liner according to claim 9 wherein said overlapping portion is sized to cover said web when said tube is in an expanded condition.

11. A liner according to claim 10 wherein said web is formed of expandable material.

12. A liner according to claim 11 wherein said web extends between an edge of said tube and a main web portion of said tube thereby to trap said overlapping portion within said tube.

13. A liner according to claim 12 wherein side edges of said web are secured to said tube by strips fused to said web and tube.

14. An installation assembly for installing a liner at the junction between a main pipe and a lateral pipe, said installation assembly comprising:

an inflatable bladder assembly for carrying a liner, said bladder assembly including a main portion and a lateral portion and defining an internal reservoir;

a carrier coupled to the main portion of said bladder assembly; and

a fluid passage coupled to said bladder assembly to introduce fluid into said internal reservoir and inflate the main and lateral portions of said bladder assembly thereby to expand said liner so that when said lateral portion extends into said lateral pipe and said main portion is in said main pipe, said liner is brought into contact with the interior of said main and lateral pipes and conforms to the shape of said junction.

15. An installation assembly according to claim 14 wherein said lateral portion of said bladder system includes an inner bladder and an outer bladder, said outer bladder extending at least along a portion of the length of said inner bladder, said outer bladder and inner bladder being coupled adjacent a distal end of said lateral portion.

16. An installation assembly according to claim 15 further comprising an inversion element received by said inner bladder and said outer bladder adjacent said distal end, said inner and outer bladders being coupled to a portion of said inversion element.

17. An installation assembly according to claim 16 further comprising a first installation cable coupled to said inversion element external to said lateral portion, said first installation cable being used to pull said lateral portion into said lateral pipe.

18. An installation assembly according to claim 17 wherein said inversion element is in the form of an I-section having a pair of blocks joined by a bight, said inner and outer bladders being clamped to said bight, said installation cable being coupled to one of said blocks.

19. An installation assembly according to claim 15 wherein said outer bladder extends partially along the length of said inner bladder.

20. An installation assembly according to claim 15 wherein said carrier extends through said main portion, said installation system further comprising a second installation cable coupled to a leading edge of said carrier and a retrieval cable coupled to a trailing edge of said carrier.

22. An installation assembly according to claim 20 wherein said main portion of said bladder assembly includes a single bladder in fluid communication with said inner bladder.

23. An installation assembly according to claim 22 wherein said fluid passage is a hose having one end received by said carrier and being in fluid communication with said single bladder.

24. An installation assembly according to claim 23 further comprising an air pump coupled to another end of said hose.

25. A method of installing a liner having main and lateral portions at a junction between main and lateral pipes, said method comprising the steps of:

pulling a bladder assembly carrying a wetted liner into said pipeline, said bladder assembly including a main portion and a lateral portion and defining an internal reservoir, said bladder assembly being positioned so that the lateral portion thereof extends into said lateral pipe and with the main portion thereof positioned in said main pipe;

introducing fluid into said bladder assembly to inflate said bladder assembly so that said bladder assembly expands to bring said liner into firm contact with interior surfaces of the main and lateral pipes and conform said liner to the shape of said junction;

maintaining said bladder assembly in an inflated condition for a time period sufficient for said liner to cure;

deflating said bladder assembly; and

retrieving said bladder assembly from said pipeline by pulling said bladder assembly from said liner.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein during said retrieving, said bladder assembly is pulled in a direction opposite to that during said pulling.