System and method for containment of fluids from a compromised pipe or piping system
Embodiments presented provide a modular repair enclosure for repairing or sealing leaks or potential leaks in a pipe. In some embodiments, the modular repair enclosure comprises three or more interchangeable enclosure sections that, when assembled around a section of pipe, seal the section of pipe and provide containment for any leaks in the section of pipe. The use of three or more interchangeable enclosure sections allows much thinner materials to be used to construct enclosure compared to a 2-piece enclosure, and also results in much less wasted material. Such an arrangement allows significant cost savings to be realized. These interchangeable enclosure sections can also be pre-manufactured and stocked in inventory, allowing for much faster response times to make the repair on a leaking pipe, where conventional methods would require custom manufacturing.
1 . An enclosure apparatus, comprising:
at least three bodies, each of the bodies having a connection portion and a receiving portion and an inside face and an outside face, the connection portion having at least one opening therein and the receiving portion having at least one threaded opening therein; and
at least two connectors for each of the at least three bodies, wherein each of the connectors has a threading on an exterior surface thereof and is configured to insert into the at least one opening of the connection portion of one of the at least three bodies and the at least one threaded opening of the receiving portion of an adjacent body of the at least three bodies, wherein when the at least three bodies are connected and positioned around a pipe, a containment volume is formed between an exterior surface of the pipe and the at least three bodies.
2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least three bodies is four bodies.
3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the at least three bodies is identical in size and shape.
4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two connectors is a bolt with an associated nut.
5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , where the at least two connectors is seven connectors.
6 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the at least three bodies is made of metal.
7 . The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the metal is one of aluminum, carbon steel, stainless steel, magnesium, tungsten, brass, copper.
8 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least three bodies is provided with at least two compression rings disposed on the inside face of each of the at least three bodies.
9 . The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the at least two compression rings is four compression rings.
10 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the bodies includes thereon a first linking tab and a second linking tab at opposite ends from one another, the first linking tab on a body of the apparatus being connectable to the second linking tab on a body of an adjacent apparatus to attach the apparatus to the adjacent apparatus.
11 . A method for containing a pipe using an enclosure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least three bodies comprises a first body, a second body, a third body, and a fourth body, the method comprising:
connecting the first body of the enclosure apparatus to the second body of the enclosure apparatus to form a first half body;
connecting the third body of the enclosure apparatus to the fourth body of the enclosure apparatus to form a second half body; and
connecting the first half body to the second half body around the pipe such that the enclosure apparatus forms a volume around the pipe that contains any leak within the volume.
12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the connecting of the first body of the enclosure apparatus to the second body is through a mechanical connection.
13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the mechanical connection is through one of a bolt and nut arrangement and a stud and two nuts arrangement.
14 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the connecting of the first body of the enclosure apparatus to the second body of the enclosure apparatus is through seven mechanical connections.
15 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the connecting of the third body of the enclosure apparatus to the fourth body of the enclosure apparatus is through seven mechanical connections.
16 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising connecting a first linking tab on a body of the enclosure apparatus to a second linking tab on a body of an adjacent enclosure apparatus to attach the enclosure apparatus to the adjacent enclosure apparatus.
17 . An enclosure section for a modular repair enclosure, the enclosure section comprising:
a connection portion located on one end of the enclosure section, the connection portion having one or more attachment points formed therein;
a receiving portion located at an opposite end of the enclosure section, the receiving portion having one or more threaded attachment points formed therein, each threaded attachment point in the receiving portion aligned with an attachment point in the connection portion;
an outside face extending between the connection portion and the receiving portion; and
an inside face extending between the connection portion and the receiving portion, the inside face having at least one curved surface thereon such that when at least three enclosure sections are connected to one another around a pipe, a containment volume is formed between an exterior surface of the pipe and the enclosure sections.
18 . The enclosure section according to claim 17 , wherein the outside face of the enclosure section has a plurality of lifting holes formed therein.
19 . The enclosure section according to claim 17 , wherein the one or more attachment points on the connection portion are through holes and the one or more attachment points on the receiving portion are blind holes.
20 . The enclosure section of claim 17 , wherein the enclosure section is configured to be interchangeable with other enclosure sections such that the connection portion receives a connector in the one or more attachment points thereof at an angle to a connector received in the one or more threaded attachment points of the receiving portion.