Self-adaptive inline inspection vehicle for pipelines
OwnerShuyong Paul Duinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inline inspection vehicle includes an auto-adjustable, self-adaptive structure. The inline inspection vehicle includes a plurality of self-adjustable carrier racks carrying inspection device carts with positioning rollers, and self-adaptive driving turbine wheels at a front part and a back end for auto-adjustable driving speeds. The inline inspection vehicle also includes intelligent self-control mechanisms implemented using self-adaptive schema and algorithms for a finite set of control states to integrate the adaptive controller and actuators. Furthermore, it may conduct virtual pressure tests by carrying intelligent inline data acquisition devices to converge the Pipeline Integrity Management with SCADA monitoring system.
Claims20
An inline inspection vehicle configured for pipelines, comprising:
- a vehicle body, wherein the vehicle body includes:
- a front body, wherein the front body includes a front movable part and a front base part;
- a back body;
- a joint connecting the back body to the front body;
- a front turbine wheel and a steering axis coupled to the front body and the front turbine wheel;
- a back turbine wheel and a steering axis coupled to the back body and the back turbine wheel;
- a plurality of carrier racks connected to the vehicle body and extending radially outward from the vehicle body;
- a plurality of inspection device carts, wherein a different one of the plurality of inspection device carts is attached radially at an outer end of each of the plurality of carrier racks;
- and
- a plurality of sensors coupled to each of the plurality of inspection device carts.
An inline inspection vehicle configured for pipelines, comprising:
- a vehicle body, including:
- a front body, wherein the front body includes a front movable part and a front base part;
- and a back body;
- a plurality of carrier racks connected to the vehicle body and extending radially outward from the vehicle body;
- a plurality of inspection device carts, wherein a different one of the plurality of inspection device carts is attached radially at an outer end of each of the plurality of carrier racks, wherein each of the plurality of carrier racks comprises:
- a main strut, wherein a radial inner end of the main strut is connected to the vehicle body and a radial outer end of the main strut is connected to one of the plurality of inspection device carts;
- an auxiliary strut, wherein a radial inner end of the auxiliary strut is connected to the vehicle body and a radial outer end of the auxiliary strut is hinged to a middle position of the main strut;
- and wherein a lower end of at least one of the main strut and the auxiliary strut is configured to move in response to movement of the front movable part along a longitudinal direction;
- and a plurality of sensors are coupled to each of the plurality of inspection device carts.
An inline inspection vehicle configured for pipelines, comprising:
- a vehicle body, wherein the vehicle body includes:
- a front body, wherein the front body includes a front movable part and a front base part;
- and a back body;
- a front turbine wheel and a steering axis coupled to the front body and the front turbine wheel, wherein an actuator controls a speed of the front turbine wheel, wherein each of a plurality of blades of the front turbine wheel comprise a vane, a middle part, and a supporting strut, wherein when in a reduced size state, each of the plurality of blades is configured to incline clockwise approximately 1-2° to abscissa, and the vane and middle part are configured to contract inward radially, and when in a full size state, each of the plurality of blades is configured to extend outward with its vane and middle part extended outward radially:
- a plurality of carrier racks connected to the vehicle body and extending radially outward from the vehicle body;
- a plurality of inspection device carts, wherein a different one of the plurality of inspection device carts is attached radially at an outer end of each of the plurality of carrier racks;
- and a plurality of sensors coupled to each of the plurality of inspection device carts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.