Pipe Scarifying Rig With Coordinated Hose Reel and Winch
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for hydrodemolition of pipe interiors are inefficient, leading to inconsistent treatment and require manual intervention, resulting in time-consuming processes and challenges with long pipe sections, particularly due to hose management issues and the need for personnel inside the pipe.
Innovation Solution
The method involves coordinating the winch and hose reel speeds to withdraw the hose at the same rate as the rig moves through the pipe, using access ports to reconfigure the system for successive pipe sections, and integrating ultra-high pressure scarifying and high pressure cleaning nozzles on the same rig to streamline the process, eliminating the need for personnel inside the pipe.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the rig is drawn by the winch through the pipe while the hose is fed from the pump side, then the rig can be moved along the pipe length, but the hose resists forward movement when exhausted, causing the rig to stall and producing barbershop striping
Solution Approach 1:
A hose reel is introduced as an intermediary device mounted on the rig to actively manage hose deployment. The hose reel winds and unwinds the hose in coordination with rig movement, preventing hose resistance and stalling while ensuring consistent fluid supply throughout the treatment process.
Solution Approach 2:
The rig becomes self-sufficient by carrying its own hose reel, eliminating the need for external hose feeding operations. The rig manages its own hose deployment autonomously, allowing continuous movement without stalling and consistent treatment without barbershop striping.
2Reliability
If personnel are positioned inside the pipe to manage the hose feed, then barbershop striping can be avoided, but the process becomes more complex and requires human intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The rig carries and operates its own hose reel, making the system self-sufficient. The automated coordination between winch speed and hose reel speed eliminates the need for personnel inside the pipe to manually manage hose feeding, reducing system complexity while maintaining treatment consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback control where the hose reel speed is coordinated with the winch speed to maintain proper hose tension and deployment. This automated feedback mechanism ensures consistent treatment without requiring human intervention to monitor and adjust hose feed.
3Reliability
If two separate passes are performed (scarifying pass followed by cleaning pass with different nozzle assemblies), then both scarifying and cleaning functions are achieved, but the process is time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
Both scarifying and cleaning nozzle assemblies are integrated onto the same rig, allowing both functions to be performed simultaneously in a single pass through the pipe. This eliminates the need for separate scarifying and cleaning passes, reducing processing time while ensuring complete treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The rig is designed as a multi-functional platform that can perform both ultra-high pressure scarifying and high pressure cleaning operations. By consolidating both nozzle assemblies on one rig, the system achieves universal functionality, completing both treatment stages in one pass and eliminating redundant operations.
4Ease of operation
If the hose is drawn into the pipe by the rig movement, then hose feeding is simplified, but very powerful winches are required for long pipe sections
Solution Approach 1:
The hose reel acts as a mechanical intermediary that shares the load of hose deployment. Instead of the winch alone having to overcome hose resistance, the hose reel on the rig assists in managing hose tension and deployment, reducing the power requirement for the winch while maintaining ease of hose feeding.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static hose feeding approach to a dynamic one where the hose reel speed is coordinated with rig movement speed. This dynamic coordination optimizes hose deployment throughout the process, reducing peak power requirements compared to a system where the winch must overcome maximum hose resistance throughout the entire pull.
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 approach significantly reduces processing time, allowing for faster treatment of long pipe sections and eliminating the need for in-pipe personnel, while ensuring consistent treatment and efficient hose management through coordinated winch and reel operations.
Implementation Method 1
The scarifying of the inside of in situ pipes requires the movement of a hydrodemolition apparatus (hereafter called a 'rig'), comprising a high pressure nozzle assembly
Implementation Method 2
The winch gradually draws the rig from the downstream end to the upstream end of the pipe in a scarifying pass through the pipe
Implementation Method 3
the rig in turn draws the hose into the downstream end of the pipe
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for hydrodemolishing the inside surfaces of an inclined pipe, particularly suited to contiguous pipe sections with access ports between the sections. The fluid supply hose is fed to the hydrodemolition rig inside the pipe from the same side as the winch that controls the movement of the rig. The rig is moved upstream in a scarifying pass, then downstream in a cleaning pass for each section and re-staged at each access port.