초록 ▼

Method and apparatus for installing a liner material into a host conduit such as, e.g., a sewer pipe, hydrocarbon pipeline, gas line, water line, industrial chemical pipe, or a saltwater line. The liner material may include a compression liner and/or a preliner that is attached to the inner wall of

Method and apparatus for installing a liner material into a host conduit such as, e.g., a sewer pipe, hydrocarbon pipeline, gas line, water line, industrial chemical pipe, or a saltwater line. The liner material may include a compression liner and/or a preliner that is attached to the inner wall of the host conduit to repair or reinforce the host conduit or separate the host conduit from materials transported within the new liner formed from the liner material. Curable resin, slurry, or cement can be placed between the liner material and the host conduit to affix the liner material into place. Before and during curing, a fluid such as air or water can be used to inflate the compression liner outwardly toward the host conduit. Spacers positioned between at least a portion of the liner material and the host conduit may be used to (i) calibrate the thickness of the liner material and curable material that is cured to form the new liner, and (ii) form communication channels adapted to house devices such as wire, cable, fiber optic cable, telephone lines, power lines, etc. The spacers and channels can be selectively inflatable to various sizes to allow calibration of the liner thickness and to form communication channels having a selected width or height. Additionally, the liner material may be formed into a one-piece, tubular lining member having an inflatable enclosure defined between an inner and an outer layer of the lining member. The enclosure can be selectively inflated to (i) calibrate the resulting thickness of the cured liner material, and (ii) form communication channels running along the length of the host conduit.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for lining an inner wall of a host conduit that is adapted to contain fluid, comprising: an inflatable lining member, the lining member being sufficiently flexible to permit it to be inserted through the host conduit during use and being capable of substantial fl

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for lining an inner wall of a host conduit that is adapted to contain fluid, comprising: an inflatable lining member, the lining member being sufficiently flexible to permit it to be inserted through the host conduit during use and being capable of substantial flattening when it is in an uninflated state, the lining member comprising: a substantially flexible outer layer; a substantially flexible inner layer attached to the outer layer, the inner layer being inflatable to define a bore during use; an inflatable enclosure defined between the inner layer and the outer layer, the enclosure being inflatable separately from the inner layer and adapted to receive and contain curable material during use; one or more substantially flexible spacers positioned within the inflatable enclosure, the spacers forming one or more channels running in a direction lengthwise along the lining member; and wherein the lining member is expandable toward the inner wall of the host conduit during inflation of the inner layer, the lining member being further adapted to receive and contain the curable material within the enclosure while the curable material is being cured to form a new liner within the host conduit. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacers define a selected spacing between the inner layer and the outer layer during curing, and wherein the spacers are capable of being folded prior to insertion of the lining member into the host conduit. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising curable material located within the channels that is curable upon exposure to ultraviolet light, and wherein the lining member is substantially transparent to facilitate curing. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacers are seams within the enclosure that define the channels within the enclosure. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacers are corrugations within the enclosure that define the channels within the enclosure. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a reinforcing mesh located around at least a portion of one of the channels to strengthen the channel. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a reinforcing mesh located between the inner layer and the outer layer, the reinforcing mesh substantially surrounding the inner layer to reinforce the new liner. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a hanging channel located on the inner layer that extends into the bore. 9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a rib extending at least partially through one of the channels to form a surface that is more soft or more rigid than other channels after curing has taken place. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises a width that is defined by the spacers, and wherein the spacers are substantially the same size so that the width of the enclosure is substantially uniform around a circumference of the lining member to permit the new liner to have a substantially uniform thickness. 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises a width that is defined by the spacers, and wherein at least one of the spacers has a different size than the others to vary the width of the enclosure around a circumference of the lining member to permit the new liner to have more thickness near a selected area of the inner wall of the host conduit. 12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the spacers is a substantially solid rib comprising a surface with a plurality of openings on the surface, the rib further comprising voids communicating with the openings that are adapted to contain curable material during use to reinforce the rib. 13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a communication device positioned within one of the channels. 14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacers are arranged in at least two rows including a first row and a second row that is stacked on top of the first row. 15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacers comprise seams that are arranged in at least two rows including a first row and a second row that is stacked on top of the first row, and wherein the first and second rows of seams are substantially staggered from one another. 16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacers are configured to inhibit passage of curable material between adjacent channels to inhibit slump during use. 17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the channels comprise openings that form passages permitting fluid to pass between the channels. 18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the channels are separately inflatable and have a size that is determined by how much pressure is contained in each channel, the size of the channels being adapted to substantially increase or decrease in response to a change in the pressure. 19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a support member between the spacers to maintain the spacers at a selected spacing relative to one another. 20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer layer of the lining member comprises an opening in a preselected area for passing curable material through the opening to the host conduit to repair a defect or damaged area in the host conduit. 21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lining member has a unitary construction such that the inner layer, outer layer, and the spacers are formed together as a single component. 22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lining member has a length that is greater than about 250 feet. 23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the enclosure-has a width that is substantially equal to a wall thickness of the new liner. 24. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a protective covering for containing the lining member while the lining member is installed into the host conduit, the protective covering being adapted to deposit the lining member along the host conduit while inhibiting the lining member from moving against objects located on the inner wall of the host conduit. 25. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a lateral intercept liner extending laterally from the lining member and capable of being inserted into a lateral pipe that branches off from the host conduit. 26. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a tapered smoothing device that is sized to pass through the lining member and smooth the new liner as it is being formed in the host conduit.