Conduit Inspection Tool Power Generation for Stuck-Pipe Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conduit inspection tools, such as pipeline scrapers, often face issues with power loss, leading to tools becoming stuck or data loss during inspection processes within conduits like hydrocarbon pipelines.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a conduit inspection tool system that incorporates multiple power generating sub-systems, including wheel generators, wheel-pipe coupler generators, and Kaplan turbine generators, along with energy storage devices like batteries and flywheels, to ensure continuous power supply and data integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single power source is used in the conduit inspection tool, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability decreases due to power loss causing the tool to become stuck or lose data
Solution Approach 1:
The power generating system is divided into multiple independent power sources including a wheel generator, a wheel-pipe coupler generator, and a Kaplan turbine generator. Each generator is configured to convert different forms of mechanical energy (wheel rotation, gear rotation, fluid flow) into electrical energy, providing segmented power generation capabilities that reduce reliance on a single power source and improve overall system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple power generating sub-systems are merged into a single integrated conduit inspection tool, along with energy storage devices (batteries and flywheels). This combination creates a hybrid power system where multiple generators and storage devices work together to ensure continuous power supply, resolving the contradiction between reliability improvement and complexity increase through systematic integration.
2Reliability
If multiple power generating sub-systems are implemented, then the reliability improves by preventing power loss, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit inspection tool is designed with multi-functional power generating components that can operate under different conditions. The wheel generator operates during normal movement, the wheel-pipe coupler generator provides additional power during high-load operations, and the Kaplan turbine generator activates when fluid flow is available. This universality allows a single integrated system to handle multiple operational scenarios, improving reliability without requiring entirely separate systems for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts operational parameters by switching between different power sources based on real-time conditions such as tool speed, fluid flow rate, and power demand. Energy storage devices buffer power fluctuations and maintain stable output, allowing the system to adapt to varying operational parameters while maintaining reliable power supply despite the complexity of multiple generators.
3Reliability
If energy storage devices are added to store electrical power, then the reliability improves by sustaining power levels when stuck, but the weight of the moving object increases
Solution Approach 1:
Energy storage devices (batteries and flywheels) are pre-configured in the conduit inspection tool to store electrical energy before power loss occurs. The flywheel stores mechanical energy in rotational motion, while batteries store electrical energy chemically. This preliminary energy storage capability ensures that when the tool becomes stuck or experiences power loss, stored energy can be immediately deployed to maintain operational reliability without requiring additional weight during critical moments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the potential harm of tool stagnation (fluid flow stopping, power loss) into a benefit by using the Kaplan turbine generator, which can operate during fluid flow to charge energy storage devices. The energy storage devices then convert this stored energy into sustained power supply during periods when the tool is immobile, transforming the challenge of potential stagnation into an opportunity for energy replenishment and reliable operation.
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
This solution enables the conduit inspection tool to sustain power levels even if it becomes stuck, allowing it to continue operating and transmitting data effectively, thereby enhancing the reliability and efficiency of conduit inspections.
Implementation Method 1
a wheel generator electrically coupled to the one or more wheels and including a power generator configured to generate alternating electrical power from movement of the one or more wheels in the conduit
Implementation Method 2
a Kaplan turbine generator configured to generate alternating electrical power based on a flow of fluid in the conduit and through the Kaplan turbine generator when the one or more wheels are immobile in the conduit
Implementation Method 3
a mechanical energy storage unit, the mechanical energy storage unit including a flywheel
Data Source
AI summary
A method for operating a conduit inspection tool in a conduit includes positioning a conduit inspection tool in the conduit, the conduit inspection tool including a body that includes one or more wheels, at least two power generating sub-systems coupled to the body, and at least one energy storage device electrically coupled to the at least two power generating sub-systems; moving the body through and in contact with the conduit through the one or more wheels; generating electrical power by at least one of the at least two power generating sub-systems by the movement; and providing at least a portion of the generated electrical power to the at least one energy storage device to store the portion of the generated electrical power.