System and method for coating tubes
AssigneePlastocor, Inc.
InventorMichael Horn
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Abstract
The present invention relates to coating of tubes, and more particularly to a system and method for coating and/or renovating deteriorated or pitted tubes to extend tube life and enhance performance. Using this system and method a thin coating is applied to the interior of a tube such that the coating is uniform in thickness and covers all regions of the tube. The coating material may be selected to minimize changes in heat transfer or may be selected to provide for the change in working fluid within the tube such that the working fluid does not negatively interact with the tube material.
Claims22
A pig device for use in the application of a coating material to a tube, comprising:
- a main body portion;
- a coating applicator disposed at a first end of the main body portion;
- an end flange disposed at a second end of the main body portion;
- wherein the coating applicator is configured to distribute the coating material onto the tube, and the end flange is configured to wipe excess coating material from the tube, to result in a coating formed on an inner surface of the tube.
A system for coating the inner surface of a tube, comprising:
- a pig device with a main body portion;
- a coating applicator disposed at the end of the first main body portion;
- an end flange disposed at a second end of the main body portion;
- wherein the coating applicator is configured to distribute the coating material onto the inner surface of a tube, and the end flange is configured to wipe excess coating material from the tube, to result in a coating formed on an inner surface of the tube.
A method for coating an inner surface of a tube, comprising:
- introducing a coating material to the inner surface of a tube;
- positioning a pig device in the tube, sized and orientated to provide a uniform coating to the inner surface of the tube;
- and
- motivating the pig device along the length of the tube using a propulsion mechanism to produce a uniform coating on the inner surface of the tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.