Conductive Pipe Cleaner for Static-Safe Dust Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipeline cleaning methods, such as pigging balls, can generate static electricity when cleaning pipelines with hazardous dust particles like aluminum powder and magnesium powder, leading to safety risks like combustion or explosion.
Innovation Solution
A pipe cleaner with a conductive cleaning portion, such as conductive brushes, that moves along the pipeline to push out dust particles and guide out static electricity, preventing its accumulation and reaction with hazardous dust particles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pigs are used to clean pipelines, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but disease transmission risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the harmful element (live pig) while preserving the useful function (cleaning). Instead of using live pigs that can transmit diseases, the system uses a mechanical pig launcher that propels cleaning devices through pipelines, achieving the same cleaning effect without the biological hazards.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary mechanism (pump-driven fluid system and mechanical launcher) between the operator and the cleaning process. The pump circulates fluid to propel cleaning devices, and the launcher mechanically launches pigs or cleaning devices, serving as an intermediary that eliminates direct contact with live animals while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.
2Productivity
If manual cleaning methods are used, then equipment complexity is reduced, but cleaning productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs hydraulic principles by using a pump to circulate fluid through the pipeline system. The fluid pressure propels cleaning devices (pigs) through the pipeline, enabling automated high-speed cleaning without manual intervention. This hydraulic mechanism significantly increases cleaning productivity compared to manual methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning system is designed to be self-propelling and self-executing. The pump circulates fluid that automatically propels the cleaning devices through the pipeline, and the devices clean the pipeline walls through their own motion and attached cleaning elements. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for complex external control systems while maintaining high productivity.
3Ease of operation
If pigs are launched manually, then equipment cost is reduced, but operator safety deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a mechanical launcher as an intermediary device that safely propels cleaning pigs through the pipeline. The launcher uses a pump-driven fluid system to accelerate and launch the pig, eliminating the need for operators to manually handle and launch pigs. This intermediary mechanism protects operator safety while being relatively simple to manufacture.
4Manufacturing precision
If traditional cleaning devices are used, then device complexity is reduced, but cleaning precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning device incorporates localized cleaning elements (such as brushes or abrasive surfaces) attached to the pig body. These local quality features concentrate cleaning action on specific areas of the pipeline wall, improving cleaning precision and effectiveness without requiring complete redesign of the entire device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the operational parameters of the cleaning device by using pump-driven fluid propulsion to achieve higher velocities and pressures. This parameter change enhances the cleaning effect through increased mechanical action and fluid dynamics, improving cleaning quality without significantly increasing structural complexity.
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 pipe cleaner effectively removes dust particles from the pipeline while preventing static electricity from causing safety accidents, ensuring both effective cleaning and safety during the process.
Implementation Method 1
pump means for propelling the pig through the pipeline
Implementation Method 2
jet ejector means positioned at the rear end of the pig for creating suction behind the pig as the pig moves through the pipeline
Data Source
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AI summary
The present application relates to a pipe cleaner and a pipeline cleaning system, the pipe cleaner is applied to a to-be-cleaned pipeline, the pipe cleaner comprises a body (100), and a cleaning portion (110) is arranged on the surface of the body; wherein the cleaning portion is configured as a conductive structure, and when the body moves along the pipeline (200), the cleaning portion can push out dust particles in the pipeline to the tail end of the pipeline and guide out static electricity generated by friction with the pipeline. In the present application, by arranging the cleaning portion arranged on the surface of the pipe cleaner body as a conductive structure, it is feasible to utilize the conductivity of the cleaning portion to effectively guide out the static electricity generated by friction between the cleaning portion and the pipe wall through the pipeline during the process of cleaning dust particles in the pipeline with the pipe cleaner, and effectively prevent the static electricity from being accumulated at the cleaning portion and the surface of the pipe cleaner and reacting with hazardous dust particles, thereby not only ensuring the cleaning effect for the pipeline, but also ensuring safety in the process of cleaning dust particles in the pipeline with a pipe cleaner, and safety accidents such as combustion and explosion are avoided.