US 11,754,215 B2
Apparatus and method for friction welding of reinforced thermosetting resin pipe joints
Abderrazak Traidia, Lussan (FR); Abdullah Al Shahrani, Dammam (SA); Chris Worrall, Cambridge (GB); Farshad Salamat-Zadeh, Cambridge (GB); and Waleed Al Nasser, Ad Dammam (SA)
Assigned to SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA); and SAUDI ARAMCO TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA); and TWI Ltd., Cambridge (GB)
Filed on Jul. 20, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/380,885.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/053,924, filed on Jul. 20, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0018478 A1, Jan. 20, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 65/06 (2006.01); F16L 47/02 (2006.01); B29C 65/00 (2006.01); F16L 47/16 (2006.01); B29K 105/06 (2006.01); B29L 23/00 (2006.01)
CPC F16L 47/02 (2013.01) [B29C 65/0672 (2013.01); B29C 66/5221 (2013.01); B29C 66/71 (2013.01); B29C 66/73921 (2013.01); F16L 47/16 (2013.01); B29K 2105/06 (2013.01); B29L 2023/22 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for coupling pipes comprising:
a first pipe having a tapered, spigot end;
a second pipe having a tapered, spigot end;
wherein the first pipe and the second pipe are made from a reinforced thermosetting resin (RTR),
a coupler having two tapered socket ends adapted to internally receive the respective tapered, spigot ends of the first pipe and the second pipe, wherein the coupler is made from a reinforced thermoplastic material,
wherein a thermoplastic material is disposed between an exterior of the first pipe and an interior of the coupler,
wherein a thermoplastic material is disposed between an exterior of the second pipe and the interior of the coupler,
wherein, upon application of rotational force to the coupler, friction between the first pipe, the second pipe, and the coupler generates heat sufficient to melt the thermoplastic material such that, when the heat is removed, the hardened thermoplastic material seals the first pipe and the second pipe to the coupler.