Collapsible EM Pipe Testing Apparatus with Angled Sensor Bars
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipe testing technologies face challenges in inspecting water and wastewater pipelines, as they lack specialized launching and receiving stations, making it difficult to insert inspection tools through manholes and maintain sensor density during diameter changes, especially for pipes transitioning from circular to oval shapes.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible electromagnetic testing apparatus with an extendable and retractable sensor assembly featuring angled sensor bars and guide wheel assemblies, allowing for manual or powered movement through pipes of varying diameters while maintaining sensor density and minimizing mass, enabling comprehensive inner circumference sensing without the need for sensor intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional pigging tools are used for pipeline inspection, then inspection capability is provided, but the tools cannot be inserted through manholes due to size constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection tool is divided into multiple sensor bars that can be collapsed into a compact configuration for insertion through manholes, then extended to span the pipe diameter for inspection. Each sensor bar is a separate module that can be individually positioned and oriented.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor bars are designed to be movable and adjustable, transitioning from a collapsed state during insertion to an extended state during inspection. The bars can be independently positioned radially and oriented at angles to adapt to varying pipe diameters and shapes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If sensor bars are arranged to cover large diameter changes, then adaptability is improved, but sensor density may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Sensor bars are oriented at angles relative to the pipe axis rather than parallel to it. This angular arrangement allows the sensors to cover a broader radial range while maintaining adequate axial spacing, effectively utilizing three-dimensional space to preserve sensor density across varying diameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor bars are pre-positioned and pre-oriented at specific angles before insertion. This preliminary configuration ensures that when the bars are extended to cover large diameter changes, the sensors are already optimally positioned to maintain density without requiring real-time adjustment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If pipe shape transitions from circular to oval are accommodated, then versatility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor bars are designed with asymmetric orientation capabilities, allowing them to be angled at different positions around the pipe circumference. This asymmetric arrangement enables the sensor array to adapt to both circular and oval pipe cross-sections by orienting bars perpendicular to the local pipe wall, regardless of the overall shape symmetry.
4Ease of operation
If manual or powered movement is enabled, then ease of operation is improved, but mass of the apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection tool is designed to be movable by hand, allowing operators to manually push or pull the device through the pipe. This self-service approach eliminates the need for integrated motors or powered propulsion systems, significantly reducing the apparatus mass while still enabling movement capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus effectively senses the electromagnetic field on the pipe wall, providing reliable data across large diameter changes and oval transitions, ensuring thorough inspection without the need for additional sensor addition or removal, and can be manually or automatically moved within the pipeline.
Implementation Method 1
an exciter for generating an electromagnetic (EM) field
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and device for testing within a metal pipe are described. The apparatus includes an exciter for generating an electromagnetic (EM) field for exciting a wall of the metal pipe; an extendable and retractable sensor assembly comprising a plurality of sensor bars arranged in an angled manner with respect to an axis of the pipe for sensing residue EM field on a wall of the pipe; a plurality of guide wheel assemblies for supporting and moving the apparatus along the axis of the pipe; and a control unit for recording sensed data from the sensor assembly.