Thermal cladding method

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR THERMALLY CLADDING A TUBULAR LINER HAVING FIRST AND SECOND ENDS TO A TUBULAR SHELL HAVING DIFFERENT THERMAL EXPANSION PROPERTIES THAN SAID LINER, SAID METHOD COMPRISING: ASSEMBLING SAID LINER IN TELESCOPED RELATION WITHIN SAID SHELL WITH BRAZING MATERIAL THEREBETWEEN, AND WITHOUT MECHANICALLY ATTACHING SAID LINER TO SAID SHELL FROM A LOCATION ADJACENT SAID FIRST END OF THE LINER ALONG THE REST OF THE LENGTH OF SAID LINER TO AND INCLUDING THE SECOND END OF THE LINER; ARRANGING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID LINER IN RADIALLY SPACED RELATION FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SHELL SO THAT SAID LINER IS LOOSELY TELESCOPED WITHIN THE SHELL TO FACILITATE LONGITUDINAL EXPANSION OF THE LINER RELATIVE TO THE SHELL DURING HEATING OF THE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING THE SHELL, THE LINER AND THE BRAZING MATERIAL; EVACUATING THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID LINER AND SAID SHELL; HEATING SAID ASSEMBLED SHELL AND LINER TO A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE AT WHICH SAID BRAZING MATERIAL IS OPERATIVE AND AT WHICH BOTH SAID SHELL AND SAID LINER UNDERGO THERMAL EXPANSION, WITHOUT OBSTRUCTING LONGITUDINAL THERMAL EXPANSION OF AT LEAST ONE OF THE ENDS OF SAID LINER FOR THE ENTIRE LONGITUDINAL EXPANSION DISTANCE THROUGH WHICH SAID LINER MOVES; AND ADJUSTING THE RELATIVE PRESSURE INTERNALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE INNER LINER THROUGH THE USE OF EXPANDABLE GAS TO URGE THE INNER LINER RADIALLY OUTWARDLY, EVENLY ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE PERIPHERAL AREA OF THE INNER LINER, INTO CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE OUTER SHELL WHILE PERMITTING LONGITUDINAL THERMAL EXPANSION OF THE INNER LINER RELATIVE TO THE OUTER SHELL, SAID INNER LINER BEING URGED INTO SAID CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE OUTER SHELL NO EARLIER THAN DURING SAID HEATING STEP.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR THERMALLY CLADDING A TUBULAR LINER HAVING FIRST AND SECOND ENDS TO A TUBULAR SHELL HAVING DIFFERENT THERMAL EXPANSION PROPERTIES THAN SAID LINER, SAID METHOD COMPRISING: ASSEMBLING SAID LINER IN TELESCOPED RELATION WITHIN SAID SHELL WITH BRAZING MATERIAL THEREBETWEEN, AND WITHOUT MECHANICALLY ATTACHING SAID LINER TO SAID SHELL FROM A LOCATION ADJACENT SAID FIRST END OF THE LINER ALONG THE REST OF THE LENGTH OF SAID LINER TO AND INCLUDING THE SECOND END OF THE LINER; ARRANGING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID LINER IN RADIALLY SPACED RELATION FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SHELL SO THAT SAID LINER IS LOOSELY TELESCOPED WITHIN THE SHELL TO FACILITATE LONGITUDINAL EXPANSION OF THE LINER RELATIVE TO THE SHELL DURING HEATING OF THE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING THE SHELL, THE LINER AND THE BRAZING MATERIAL; EVACUATING THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID LINER AND SAID SHELL; HEATING SAID ASSEMBLED SHELL AND LINER TO A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE AT WHICH SAID BRAZING MATERIAL IS OPERATIVE AND AT WHICH BOTH SAID SHELL AND SAID LINER UNDERGO THERMAL EXPANSION, WITHOUT OBSTRUCTING LONGITUDINAL THERMAL EXPANSION OF AT LEAST ONE OF THE ENDS OF SAID LINER FOR THE ENTIRE LONGITUDINAL EXPANSION DISTANCE THROUGH WHICH SAID LINER MOVES; AND ADJUSTING THE RELATIVE PRESSURE INTERNALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE INNER LINER THROUGH THE USE OF EXPANDABLE GAS TO URGE THE INNER LINER RADIALLY OUTWARDLY, EVENLY ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE PERIPHERAL AREA OF THE INNER LINER, INTO CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE OUTER SHELL WHILE PERMITTING LONGITUDINAL THERMAL EXPANSION OF THE INNER LINER RELATIVE TO THE OUTER SHELL, SAID INNER LINER BEING URGED INTO SAID CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE OUTER SHELL NO EARLIER THAN DURING SAID HEATING STEP.