Double wall pipes are used in manufacturing, process and construction industries as a containment pipe for harmful materials or weight reduction technique in water transportation systems. They can be made of HDPE, PVC or stainless steel with a leak detection system for gas transfer. Double wall pipes are also used to prevent cross contamination and external contamination of transported liquid. Jacketed pipes are used for temperature control of high viscosity liquids.
Most commonly found in the manufacturing, process and construction industries, a double wall pipe is essentially a pipe within an outer pipe. A double wall pipe can act as a containment pipe when transporting harmful materials, but it also exists as a weight reduction technique in water transportation systems. The inner tube is known as the primary or conveying tube, while the outer casing is referred to as the containment or secondary tube.
Pipes are most commonly manufactured from high density polyethylene (HDPE) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). There are also stainless steel versions, typically used for toxic gas transfer. In the case of double wall stainless steel pipe, a leak detection system can be installed to monitor the gas levels between the primary and secondary skins. This system can provide early warning of a potential pipe failure.
In construction applications related to soil movement or wastewater, double wall pipe is commonly used to save weight. In this application, the secondary skin is actually a series of stiffening ribs, running around the circumference of the smooth primary tube. These ribs provide strength to the pipe core to prevent crushing in the subsurface without the need for thick pipe walls.
The use of double wall pipes in water transport may also be required when cross contamination is a risk. An example of this would be when a sewage pipe runs through a clean water source. In this case, if the pipe carrying the wastewater fails, the resulting leak could contaminate the clean water source. By using a double wall pipe, the risk of this happening can be significantly reduced.
Alternatively, a clean water pipe that passes through an area of contaminated ground, such as a landfill, should be double walled. This prevents external contamination of the transported liquid. The construction features of the double-walled pipe mean that protection can exist both for the liquid in the pipe and for any sensitive external elements.
A less common application for a double wall pipe is where temperature control is required for the materials in the primary pipe. These systems are known as jacketed pipes. In this application, the vacuum between the skins of the tube allows hot fluid to flow around the primary tube, elevating the temperature of the material being carried. This can be of particular benefit when the primary pipe is used to carry high viscosity liquids.
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