Pipe Rehabilitation Power Module Using Supercapacitors for Safe Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pipe rehabilitation systems face challenges in efficiently restoring fluid communication between main pipes and branch conduits due to the need for high-voltage electrical lines or heavy pneumatic cords, which pose safety hazards and maneuverability issues, and pneumatic tools are less efficient than electrical cutting tools.
Innovation Solution
A mobile system with a tractor-mounted electric cutter and a power management system using a supercapacitor module to store and discharge electrical power, allowing the cutter to operate with a direct current power source of less than 60V, reducing the need for hazardous high-voltage lines and heavy cables, and enabling efficient cutting without interrupting power to other components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If high-voltage electrical lines are used to power the cutter, then the cutter can operate with sufficient power, but safety hazards increase and maneuverability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The power delivery system is segmented into multiple components: a low-voltage DC power source (less than 60V), a supercapacitor module for energy storage, and a power conversion system. This segmentation allows the cutter to receive high power when needed while the main power source remains safe and manageable at low voltage.
Solution Approach 2:
The supercapacitor module acts as an intermediary between the low-voltage DC power source and the high-power cutter. It stores energy from the safe low-voltage source and delivers high power to the cutter when needed, enabling the cutter to operate with sufficient power while the main power source remains safe.
2Power
If heavy pneumatic cords are used to power the cutter, then the cutter can operate with sufficient power, but the weight and complexity of the umbilical cords increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical pneumatic system with an electrical system. Instead of using heavy pneumatic cords to deliver compressed air, the system uses lightweight electrical cables to deliver low-voltage DC power to the supercapacitor module and controller, significantly reducing the weight and complexity of the umbilical cords.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If pneumatic tools are used for cutting, then the tools can operate without electrical lines, but the cutting efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the pneumatic cutting tool with an electric cutting tool powered by low-voltage DC through the supercapacitor module. This substitution maintains safety by avoiding high-voltage electrical lines while achieving superior cutting efficiency compared to pneumatic tools, as electric motors provide more consistent and powerful cutting action.
4Device complexity
If a single power line is used for the cutter and other components, then the system complexity decreases, but the power delivery to the cutter must be managed carefully
Solution Approach 1:
The supercapacitor module is charged in advance from the low-voltage DC power source before the cutter needs high power. This preliminary energy storage action allows the system to deliver high power to the cutter when needed while maintaining a simple single power line configuration, as the supercapacitor handles the high-power demand temporarily.
Solution Approach 2:
The supercapacitor module serves as an intermediary that manages power delivery between the single low-voltage power line and the high-power cutter. It buffers the power demand, allowing the cutter to receive sufficient power while the main power line remains simple and safe at low voltage.
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 system effectively removes blockages in branch conduits while minimizing safety risks and improving maneuverability by using a single power line for the cutter and other components, ensuring continuous operation and reducing the weight and complexity of umbilical cords.
Implementation Method 1
The power management system comprises a supercapacitor module including at least one supercapacitor. The power management system is configured to charge the supercapacitor module with the input current and selectively power the cutter by discharging current from the supercapacitor module to the cutter.
Implementation Method 2
an electrical motor configured to drive rotation of the cutting shaft about a rotational axis such that the cutting shaft can rotate the cutting bit to remove a blockage from a branch conduit
Data Source
AI summary
In a mobile system for pipe rehabilitation, a tractor moves a motorized electrical cutter inside a pipe. The cutter is used to remove a blockage from a branch conduit connected to the main pipe. A power management system powers the mobile system, including the cutter, from a direct current power source with an input current having a voltage less than 60V. The power management system powers the electrical cutter by discharging current from the supercapacitor module to the cutter. Power to other components is provided without discharge from the supercapacitor module and is not interrupted by supercapacitor discharge to the cutter. The power management system can include a housing for the supercapacitor module with a first connector at one end for connecting to an umbilical cord and a second connector an opposite end for connecting to the tractor.