Pipe Inspection Robot With Rotating Head for In-Pipe Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Accessing and maintaining the interior cavities of pipes, especially those transporting hazardous materials or with difficult access due to size or inhospitable conditions, is challenging for traditional maintenance methods.
Innovation Solution
A motorized apparatus with a main body and drive assemblies that fit within the pipe, equipped with a maintenance head capable of moving along and rotating around its length, allowing tools to perform actions on the inner surface without repositioning the apparatus, facilitated by a controller and tether system for resource supply and communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional maintenance methods are used to access pipe interiors, then personnel can perform inspection and repair tasks, but access becomes difficult or impossible due to hazardous conditions, small pipe sizes, or inhumane environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces human operators with an automated motorized apparatus that travels through the pipe interior. The system uses drive assemblies with driven members that engage the pipe inner surface to propel the apparatus, eliminating the need for personnel to enter hazardous pipe environments while maintaining inspection and repair capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The motorized apparatus serves as an intermediary between the external control system and the pipe interior environment. It carries maintenance tools and sensors through the hazardous conditions, performing tasks that would otherwise require direct human access while protecting personnel from exposure to harmful factors
2Productivity
If the motorized apparatus is positioned at a fixed location, then it can perform maintenance tasks, but it requires repeated repositioning to access different work locations along the pipe
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the maintenance function into two independent components: the motorized apparatus that travels through the pipe and the maintenance head that can move and rotate relative to the apparatus body. This segmentation allows the apparatus to remain positioned while the maintenance head accesses different work locations, eliminating the need to reposition the entire apparatus along the pipe length
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance head is designed with dynamic movement capabilities, including linear motion along the apparatus length and rotational motion about the longitudinal axis. This dynamic configuration enables the maintenance head to reach multiple work locations from a single apparatus position, significantly reducing the time required to service different sections of the pipe
3Adaptability or versatility
If the maintenance head is fixed on the main body, then the structure is simpler, but the tool cannot reach different work locations without moving the entire apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The maintenance head incorporates dynamic movement mechanisms including linear actuators for motion along the apparatus length and rotational actuators for rotation about the longitudinal axis. These dynamic capabilities enable the maintenance head to access various work locations around the pipe circumference and length, providing versatility without requiring the entire apparatus to be repositioned
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance head is designed as a nested structure that can move along and rotate with respect to the main body of the apparatus. This nested configuration allows the maintenance head to access different work locations while remaining integrated with the apparatus, achieving versatility without excessive structural complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus are described for maintaining the interior cavities of pipes. In one aspect, a motorized apparatus includes a main body having a length extending along a longitudinal axis of the main body, where the main body comprises a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The motorized apparatus further includes at least one drive assembly coupled to at least one of the first end and the second end of the main body, where the at least one drive assembly comprises driven members that engage with an inner surface of the pipe and move the motorized apparatus through an interior cavity of the pipe. The motorized apparatus further includes a maintenance head movably coupled to the main body that moves along the length of the main body and rotates about the longitudinal axis of the main body, where the maintenance head comprises at least one tool configured to perform an action on the inner surface of the pipe.