Pipe Umbilical Tether Control for Low-Excavation Maintenance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipeline maintenance systems face challenges in accessing and maintaining underground or hard-to-reach pipes, requiring extensive digging or disassembly, and lack efficient control over internal conditions for coating applications.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising an umbilical supply line, annular disk assemblies, an umbilical tether drive system with a drive motor, and a reeling apparatus, along with an air conditioning apparatus for controlling temperature and humidity, enables controlled deployment and retraction of tools within pipes, and synchronized condition control for efficient maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional pipeline maintenance methods are used to access underground or hard-to-reach pipes, then maintenance can be performed, but extensive digging or disassembly is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the maintenance tool from the ground by pulling it through the pipeline using a retrieval system with a winch and cable, eliminating the need for extensive excavation. The tool is inserted through a small access point and retrieved afterward, taking the maintenance function out of the ground rather than bringing ground equipment into the pipe.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a cable or umbilical as an intermediary element to transmit power, control signals, and supply air to the maintenance tool inside the pipeline. This intermediary allows the tool to operate autonomously within the pipe while being controlled from the surface, avoiding the need for direct mechanical connection or extensive excavation.
2Ease of repair
If maintenance tools are deployed in pipelines, then internal maintenance can be performed, but line locking may occur in complex geometries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible hose or umbilical with sufficient slack and natural curvature to dynamically adapt to pipeline geometry changes. The umbilical is designed with loop configurations that allow it to flex and move with the pipeline, preventing locking when the pipe bends or changes position during maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible hose or thin-walled umbilical that can bend and conform to complex pipeline geometries without kinking or locking. The flexibility of this thin-walled structure allows it to navigate elbows, bends, and varying pipe orientations while maintaining continuous supply to the maintenance tool.
3Manufacturing precision
If coating applications are performed in pipes, then protective coatings can be applied, but temperature and humidity control is required for optimal results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the air supply function with the umbilical system already present for tool operation. The same flexible hose that provides power and control signals also delivers conditioned air to the coating application area, merging environmental control with the existing umbilical infrastructure rather than adding separate complex control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates sensors that monitor temperature and humidity conditions inside the pipeline during coating application. This feedback is transmitted to the surface control system, which adjusts air conditioning or heating through the umbilical to maintain optimal coating conditions in real-time.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for use maintaining a pipe are described herein. In some cases, systems for positioning an umbilical supply line are provided herein. The system may include an umbilical supply line (62), a plurality of spaced apart annular disk assemblies (61), an umbilical tether drive system, and a reeling apparatus. The umbilical tether drive system can include at least one drive element and a drive motor to drive the drive element. Systems for controlling temperature and humidity conditions in a pipe are also described herein. The system may include an air conditioning apparatus configured to discharge air into a pipe; at least one sensor configured to detect at least one of temperature, air velocity, and/or position of a centralizer; and a control unit configured to adjust the air conditions in the pipe based on the data from the at least one sensor.