DE20303221U1 - Composite pipe includes straight and/or curved pipe sections each with outer and inner co-axially located components which form annular cavity, and outer and inner pipe component is inseparably connected to pipe connecting elements - Google Patents

Abstract

The composite pipe consists of one or more pipe connections (1) with a central flow passage (6) and on which are installed straight and/or curved pipe sections each consisting of an outer (4) and an inner (5) co-axially located components which form an annular cavity (12). The outer and inner pipe component is inseparably connected to pipe connecting elements (2,3). The pipe connecting elements each have flow passages (7) to ensure the throughflow of a medium for heating, cooling or conditioning.

Description

&Bgr;&Egr;&Agr; 101 Pipe assembly

The invention relates to a pipe assembly for heating, cooling or conditioning a medium to be transported through a pipeline.

Such pipe assemblies are used, for example, to keep chocolate at a consistency that allows it to be easily transported via pipelines.

It has long been state of the art to surround pipelines with a jacket through which a hot or cold medium is passed in the direction of flow or in counterflow in order to heat, cool or condition a medium to be transported through the pipeline. However, a problem with this is that flange or other pipe connections have to be bridged using reinforced hoses or additional pipes for the purpose of forwarding the heating, cooling or conditioning medium. This involves high material costs and complex assembly work, especially since such pipe assemblies often have to be dismantled and reassembled for the purpose of changing production or in the event of a temporary shutdown of a plant or for cleaning work. The necessary cutouts in the insulation for pipe or hose bridges, for hose nozzles or pipe wall brackets result in energy losses.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a pipe assembly which enables the heating, cooling or conditioning of media to be transported through pipelines without additional hose or pipe bridges and which allows a relatively simple handling of the assembly and disassembly of the pipe assembly.

According to the invention, the object is achieved by a pipe assembly having the features of claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the pipe assembly according to the invention result from the features of claims 2 to 9.

The solution according to the invention has the particular advantage that two liquid or gaseous media can be transported independently of one another through the pipe assembly, avoiding the complicated hose or pipe bridges required in the prior art for the purpose of heating, cooling or conditioning one medium. The pipe assembly according to the invention enables the individual components of the assembly to be assembled quickly and easily without the welding work and post-treatment required in known solutions.

Another particular advantage is that the straight pipe sections, T-pieces and 30°, 60° and 90° bends that form the pipe assembly with the pipe connection elements arranged on them can be prefabricated in series as a modular system in high quality and can also be manufactured much more cheaply. The installation effort is significantly reduced. The modular system also ensures that the individual components can be reused. The modular system with all the components commonly used in pipeline construction enables the designer to plan easily. Detailed constructions can be omitted.

In addition to the flexibility provided for effective production changeovers or for necessary cleaning work, the pipe assembly also offers advantageous insulation. By eliminating the bridging solutions required by the state of the art, the insulation, especially that for the flange connections, can also be prefabricated to fit.

The reduction in the cost of insulation, the saving of insulation material, the possibility of reusing the insulation as well as a visually advantageous appearance of the pipe assemblies and improved hygienic properties are further advantages brought about by the invention. The closed nature of the pipe assembly associated with the invention enables an advantageous application of the modular insulation.

In the following, an embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to drawings. They show:

Figure 1 shows the section through a pipe made of straight pipe pieces and a 90°

Bend-formed pipe assembly according to the invention with a connecting flange,

Figure 2 shows the top view of a flange element of a connecting flange

with supporting element.

In the pipe assembly according to the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pipe connection 1 is implemented as a connecting flange and the pipe connection elements 2 and 3 are implemented as flange elements. Accordingly, the connecting flanges are designated with the reference number 1 in Figure 1. A sealing element is optionally arranged between the detachable flange elements 2 and 3. For assembly, the flange elements 2 and 3 are connected in a known manner by means of screws guided through the holes 11.

The straight pipe section and the 90° bend each consist of the outer pipe section 4 and the coaxially arranged inner pipe section 5. The pipe sections 4 and 5 form the annular space 12 and are each permanently connected at their ends to the flange elements 2 and 3. The flange elements 2 and 3 have flow channels 7 extending from the annular space 12 for the medium intended for heating, cooling or conditioning. In the present embodiment, the flow channels 7 are arranged radially around the central flow opening 6. At their opposite end areas in the flange elements 2 and 3, the flow channels 7 each have a recess 13, the cross section of which is larger than the cross section of the

Flow channel 7. It can be clearly seen that the flow channels 7 run at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis.

To ventilate the annular space 12, the bore 8 is inserted up to the flow channel 7.

During operation of the pipe assembly according to the invention, the medium intended for heating, cooling or conditioning can be passed through the annular space 12 in countercurrent to the flow direction of the material to be transported through the inner pipe section 4 or in cocurrent with this medium.

As shown in Figure 2 , the flow channels 7 in the flange element 2 are arranged radially around the central flow opening 6 and have a circular cross-section. The two holes 9 are provided on the flange element 2 for fastening the pipe assembly to the support element 10, which can be attached to a wall, for example.

Not shown in Figures 1 and 2 is that the sealing surfaces of the flange elements 2 and 3 can have matching pins and bores, noses and grooves or other known matching means in order to ensure the piggability of the pipe assembly, in particular the flow channels 7.

&Bgr;&Egr;&Agr; 101

REFERENCE NUMERALS

1 Pipe connection 2 Pipe connection element 3 Pipe connection element 4 outer pipe section 5 inner pipe section 6 central flow opening 7 Flow channel 8th drilling 9 drilling 10 Supporting element 11 drilling 12 Ring room

13 Recess

Claims (9)

1. Pipe assembly for heating, cooling or conditioning a good to be transported, consisting of a pipe connection ( 1 ) or several pipe connections ( 1 ) with detachable pipe connection elements ( 2 ; 3 ) which have a central flow opening ( 6 ) and on which straight and/or curved pipe sections are arranged, characterized in that - the straight and/or curved pipe sections each consist of an outer ( 4 ) and an inner ( 5 ) coaxially arranged tubular body which form an annular space ( 12 ), - the outer and inner tubular bodies ( 4 ; 5 ) are permanently connected to the pipe connecting element ( 2 ; 3 ) and - the pipe connecting elements ( 2 ; 3 ) each have flow channels ( 7 ) extending from the annular space ( 12 ) to ensure the flow of the medium intended for heating, cooling or conditioning. 2. Pipe assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the pipe connection ( 1 ) is a connecting flange, a clamp connection or a pipe screw connection, for example a dairy pipe screw connection. 3. Pipe assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the channels ( 7 ) are arranged radially around the central flow opening ( 6 ) of the pipe connecting elements ( 2 ; 3 ). 4. Pipe assembly according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the flow channels ( 7 ) have a substantially identical, preferably circular cross-section. 5. Pipe assembly according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the flow channels ( 7 ) each have a recess at their opposite end regions in the pipe connecting element ( 2 ; 3 ), the cross section of which is larger than the cross section of the flow channel ( 7 ). 6. Pipe assembly according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the flow channels ( 7 ) within the pipe connecting element ( 2 ; 3 ) are arranged at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis. 7. Pipe assembly according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a bore ( 8 ) extending to the flow channel ( 7 ) is provided in the pipe connecting element ( 2 ; 3 ) for venting the annular space ( 12 ). 8. Pipe assembly according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the sealing surfaces of the pipe connecting elements ( 2 ; 3 ) have suitable pins and bores, noses and grooves or other known suitable means for ensuring the piggability of the pipe assembly, in particular the flow channels ( 7 ). 9. Pipe assembly according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the pipe connecting element ( 2 ; 3 ) has bores ( 9 ) for means ( 10 ) for fastening the pipe assembly.