566results about "Railway tunnels" patented technology

The specification discloses a robot for inspection adapted to travel virtually unlimited distances through small-diameter enclosed spaces such as conduits or ducts, preferably using a fluid-driven screw-drive propulsion system. The robot preferably includes a drive module having a plurality of wheels inclined at an angle greater than zero degrees and less than ninety degrees to the longitudinal axis of the pipe, a driver module having a plurality of wheels aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pipe, and a power module. The driver module is preferably connected to the drive module such that the drive and driver modules are capable of providing the locomotive motion of the robot. The power module preferably provides the power to the drive and driver modules.

The specification discloses a robot for inspection adapted to travel virtually unlimited distances through small-diameter enclosed spaces such as conduits or ducts, preferably using a fluid-driven screw-drive propulsion system. The robot preferably includes a plurality of wheels inclined at an angle greater than zero degrees and less than ninety degrees to the longitudinal axis of the pipe, a plurality of wheels aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pipe, and a power system for causing relative rotation of the sections bearing the pitched and non-pitched wheels. The robot may include internal fluid flow passages, notched wheels, multiple retractable wheels, and is configured so as to have an operating diameter less than six and preferably less than two inches.

A moving device in pipe lines is provided, which allows easy switching of moving/stopping and remote control of the switching by only electric wires enabling easy operation in the inside of small diameter pipe lines.

The moving device 10 in pipe lines comprises a guide frame 11 in which a line of three or more coils 15, 16, 17 is interconnected flexibly in the direction of magnet flux, ring-shaped permanent magnets 19, 20, 21 provided around the periphery of the guide frame slidably in the direction of the shaft, and a control means such as computers etc. to control by a preset program selecting the direction of turning on of the coils.

A robotic apparatus and method for treatment of system of conduits and lateral sub-conduits comprising a remotely controlled robotic vehicle which navigates main conduits which delivers a series of tools to locations within the conduit. The mule's tools comprise a variety of devices including a tape head and a transport housing for a second remotely controlled robotic vehicle, or mouse which can be deployed for traversing and treating sub-conduits. Further, a method to install one or more small diameter flexible elongate members, such as conductors or sheathes to the inside of the system of conduits comprises advancing an elongate member through the conduit system with the mule or mouse, anchoring the elongate member and then taping the elongate member with the taping head while retreating out of the conduit. Preferably the tape is pre-shaped to minimize wrinkling upon application and more preferably, greater security and tape bonding strength is achieved by spraying over the tape and elongate member.

A self-propelled crawler/tractor apparatus is disclosed for traveling through a tubular pipeline while conducting pipeline wall inspection operations and/or towing gear for cleaning, maintenance and the like. The crawler/tractor apparatus is propelled by a plurality of radially positioned motorized traction wheels. Each motorized traction wheel includes a brushless DC electric motor along with clutch, gearbox and other mechanical drive components integrated into a compact self-contained motorized wheel assembly which is sealed and filled with an electrically non-conductive lubricating/cooling oil. The seal integrity at each wheel assembly is maintained against oil leakage and debris ingress by a pressure-balancing mechanism which matches internal oil pressure to the exterior ambient pressure present in the pipeline. The electric motor drive for each traction wheel is individually controlled via an onboard computer to provide a wide range of torque and wheel speeds.

Specially conceived for vehicles which have to be displaced over ferromagnetic surfaces, like the iron or steel walls of large tanks for example, it is incorporated by the combination of a hollow rim (1-1′) and a tyre (4) of an elastomer or similar material, which define a cylindrical chamber (8) inside which a magnetic annulus (9) runs, materialized in a permanent magnet of adequate strength, with the particularity that said magnetic annulus (9) has a substantially smaller diameter than that of the cited chamber (8), so that it is capable of carrying out a planetary motion inside the same, maintaining a permanently tangential condition with the tyre (4) at the point in which the latter is in contact at all times with the ferromagnetic surface over which the vehicle is displaced, achieving maximum adherence at said point. In this way it is managed to improve the grip of the wheel on said surface, overcome possible obstacles of the same, lighten the wheel and increase safety through not requiring an electricity supply.

A High Temperature Superconductor Maglev (HTSM) for Evacuated Tube Transport (ETT) with a magnetic levitation structure for ETT capsule vehicles traveling in an evacuated tube. At least one ETT capsule travels within an evacuated tube, an upper and a lower cryostat respectively mount at the top and bottom of said ETT capsule along the length thereof, at least a plurality of superconductor levitation force elements divided between said upper and lower cryostats. The levitation force being spread over the length of capsule, however substantially concentrated in a compact cross-sectional area. At least a pair of permanent magnetic elements mounted at the top and bottom of the evacuated tube to levitate the capsule. At least a pair of capsule based switchable diverge force elements cooperate with at least a pair of tube based diverge force elements to steer the capsule while in an interchange.

The invention provides a vacuum pipeline docking technology and a high-speed permanent maglev train system. With the station-training docking technology, the door closing time of the maglev train inside the vacuum pipeline can be shortened for scores of seconds, so the rapid on-off can be realized. When a telescopic door and a separation cabin door are withdrawn to be close to the wall of the vacuum pipeline, the high-speed pass of the tray is free from being influenced. The telescopic door is locked by a permanent magnet suction disc, and the locking force is free from being controlled by the electric power, so the gas leakage and pressure relief caused by the invalid locking for sudden power down can be prevented. The energy can be remarkably saved, the energy can be saved by more than 97 percent compared with that of high-speed track train, and the energy can be saved by more than 99 percent compared with that of the airplane.

A transportation system uses a carrier conduit in the form of a long tube or channel in order to drive a vehicle by air pressure. A carrier having end plates obstructs the travel of air through the carrier conduit. Pressure differentials formed within the carrier conduit serve to propel the carrier through the carrier conduit. By rollably supporting the carrier within the carrier conduit, friction is reduced between the carrier conduit and the carrier. The carrier may be magnetically coupled to a vehicle having vanes and a set of track- or rail-engaging wheel assemblies on vanes. The vanes may pivot upon the vehicle and serve to allow the vehicle to rollably or slidably couple to the carrier conduit track. The motion of the carrier serves to propel the vehicle along the carrier conduit track as the vehicle is magnetically coupled to the carrier. Composite materials used to construct the carrier conduit may allow for such magnetic coupling without the interference that might occur through the use of ferromagnetic materials or the like. The carrier conduit may be mounted upon pillars or pylons and sources of pressure may either be present at either end of the carrier conduit, distributed at propitious points there along, or incorporated into the carrier.

The invention provides an improved method and robotic apparatus for applying a structural membrane lining in conduits. The remotely controlled robot comprises a series of segment blocks maintained in alignment by flexible linear rods supported in spherical swivel bushings. The rods allow for articulation as the robot negotiates bends. Segment blocks include radial guide finger pinions and guide fingers for concentric positioning. Fingers are of engineered plastics and brass to provide ballast weight for perpendicular alignment and contain high frequency air turbine vibrators. Steering vertebrae are included to maintain concentricity of the lining dissipation cup through bends. Also included are electric servo motors controlling cables and take up wheels controlling the angle of the segment blocks.

The invention provides a spirally driven walking robot in a pipe, which consists of a power-driven device, a walking guide device and a universal joint (8) connecting the power-driven device and the walking guide device; the power-driven device is formed by a motor (1) driving a circular rotor (5); the outer wall of the circular rotor (5) is respectively provided with three groups of symmetrically distributed wheel carriers (2); each group of wheel carrier (2) is provided with two wheels (3), and the rotating axes of the two wheels forms an acute elevation angle with the axes of the rotor (5); the walking guide device consists of three groups of symmetrically distributed guide wheel carriers (12) which are arranged on the outer wall of a cylinder or a cylindrical body (11); each group of guide wheel carrier (12) is provided with two wheels (10), and the rotating axes of the two wheels is vertical to the axes of the cylindrical body (11); and the wheel carriers (2) on the rotor (5) of the power-driven device and the guide wheel carriers (12) on the cylinder or the cylindrical body (11) of the walking guide device are all floating bodies, and certain radial dilation generated by a spring (9) is used to make all wheels on the wheel carriers (2) and the guide wheel carriers (12) always attach to the inner wall of the pipe. The motor drives the walking robot in the pipe to advance or retreat along the axes direction of the pipe.

The invention provides an external thin-wall vacuum duct maglev traffic system of a power system. A vacuum duct with small wall thickness is adopted, a linear motor coil, a track levitation mechanism and other communication, detecting and control devices are arranged outside the duct and provide power, levitation force and control to vehicles in the duct in the state that one thin duct wall is used for separation. The material of the duct wall is required to have no effect on the electromagnetic field of a linear motor and the levitation magnetic field of a levitation device, for example, non-magnetized stainless steel, carbon alloy, glass fiber reinforced plastics or high-strength organic materials are adopted, or the duct is made of a composite material. The arrangement has the advantages that the installation construction of a linear motor stator and the levitation mechanism can be conveniently performed outside the duct; routine maintenance and repair during operation can also be performed outside the duct; mechatronic systems can be well cooled, and heat aggregation in the vacuum duct is avoided; and the space in the duct is not occupied; and the construction, maintenance and system operation costs of the vacuum duct high-speed maglev traffic system can be lowered.

This invention is a pneumatic mass transportation system on the cutting edge of technology employing a combined cycle turbine power system with digital controls to effect acceleration, deceleration and train propulsion. The combustion turbines can be adapted to use alternative fuels including bio fuels as they are developed. The heat recover steam generator will recycle the hot exhaust gasses from the turbines to generate electricity to be used by the system. The multi-car train is propelled by differential air pressure forward and aft of the vehicle in the pneumatic tube. Air propulsion is achieved by large in-tube impellers driven by the turbines. A digital control system will operate the pitch of the impeller blades and the vacuum/pressure release valves in the tubes to produce full movement control of the trains.

The invention is a remote controlled vehicle adapted for navigating inside HVAC supply trunks. It is equipped with a moveable camera and a powered tool for snagging a string or parachute propelled into the trunk by other methods. A command box is provided to view the image from the camera and control the vehicle's various functions. The installation technician inserts the vehicle into the trunk through an access hole and uses the command box to navigate the vehicle inside a HVAC trunk and locate and secure the string to the vehicle. The technician then controls the vehicle to pull the string back to the access or the technician manually pulls the vehicle back to the access by its tether.

A high-speed transportation system, the system including at least one transportation tube having at least one track, at least one capsule configured for travel through the at least one tube between stations, a propulsion system adapted to propel the at least one capsule through the tube; a levitation system adapted to levitate the capsule within the tube, and at least one tube sealer arranged along the at least one tube and configured to create an airlock in the at least one tube. In embodiments, the tube sealer may include a gate valve and/or an airbag.

A sliding pipe plug for working on and testing pipes is presented. The sliding pipe plug includes a center portion and a gasket disposed about the central portion. When towed through the pipe, the sliding pipe plug maintains a substantial seal against water flowing through the pipe. In some embodiments, a flexible gasket can be utilized to allow for substantial sealing while the sliding pipe plug is traversing obstacles in the pipe. The sliding pipe plug according to the present invention can be utilized in pipes where conventional plugs are inconvenient. For example, in FELL testing a sewage line, a sliding pipe plug can be attached to a sonde cable and the testing can proceed without plugging and surcharging all of the section of pipe to be tested. In some embodiments, the sliding pipe plug includes a break-away section that allows the seal against water flowing through the pipe to be broken when the sliding pipe plug is pulled in a direction opposite the towing direction. In some embodiments, the sliding pipe plug includes a centering section that keeps the sliding pipe plug essentially in the center of the pipe.