Leak-sealing device and method and system for sealing a leak

A leak-sealing device for sealing a leak in a container, tank and/or pipe comprising:

• a housing-like carrier unit comprising a tubular body extending longitudinally between opposite front and back ends and a seal being disposed in the body, the seal fluidly separating the back end of the body from the front end of the body,
• a piston unit being disposed in the tubular body, the piston unit comprising a piston and a tubular piston rod attached to the piston, the piston being disposed between the seal and the front end of the tubular body, the piston sealingly dividing the tubular body into front and back tubular portions on opposite sides of the piston, the back tubular portion extending longitudinally from the piston to the seal, the piston being longitudinally movable within the tubular body between spaced-apart back and front positions of the piston, the piston moving towards the front of the tubular body when moving from the back position to the front position, the piston rod being conjointly movable with the piston, the piston rod extending longitudinally from the piston and into the back tubular portion of the tubular body, the piston rod comprising a hollow interior, the tubular body and the piston rod being spaced apart from one another along the longitudinal axis of the piston rod, the interior of the piston rod not being in fluid communication with the back tubular portion of the tubular body when the piston is in the back position and the interior of the piston rod being in fluid communication with the back tubular portion of the tubular body when the piston is in the front position,
• an expandable leak-sealing means being attached to the piston and in fluid communication with the interior of the piston rod, the leak sealing means being disposed in the front tubular portion of the tubular body, the fluid sealing means being disposed in a storage position when the piston is in the back position and being disposed in a sealing position when the piston is in the front position, wherein the leak sealing means is not expanded or expanded only slightly when in its storage position, and
• one fluid connection having an intake opening being disposed to receive fluid and a discharge opening that opens into the back tubular portion of the body when the piston is in the back position;
• wherein when a source of pressurized fluid is fluidly connected to the intake opening of the one fluid connection when the piston is in the back position:
• the source of pressurized fluid is not fluidly connected with the interior of the piston rod,
• the source of pressurized fluid pressurizes the back tubular portion of the tubular body, and urges the piston from the back position and to the front position, and
• when the piston reaches the front position the pressurized back tubular portion is fluidly connected to the interior of the piston rod and the leak sealing means the source of pressurized fluid at least partially fills the leak-sealing means through the piston rod.