# US 12,111,006 B2 · Motorized apparatus for pipe inspection and repair > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,111,006 B2 - Document ID: US12111006B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/577,894 - Filed: 2022-01-18 - Published: 2023-07-20 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2022-01-18 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Todd William Danko; Alexander Kyle Duncan; Marshall G. Jones; Guanghua Wang; Venkata Vijayaraghava Nalladega; Viktor Holovashchenko; John M. Lizzi; Arpit Jain - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12111006B2 ## CPC - F16L 55/30: of the propulsion means, e.g. towed by cables - F16L 55/18: Appliances for use in repairing pipes (F16L55/10 takes precedence) - F16L 55/32: being self-contained - B23K 26/0869: {Devices involving movement of the laser head in at least one axial direction} - B23K 26/14: using a fluid stream, e.g. a jet of gas, in conjunction with the laser beam; Nozzles therefor (B23K26/12 takes precedence) - B23K 26/16: Removal of by-products, e.g. particles or vapours produced during treatment of a workpiece (by a fluid stream B23K26/142) - B23K 26/34: Laser welding for purposes other than joining - B23K 26/362: Laser etching - B23K 37/0282: {Carriages forming part of a welding unit} - B23K 37/0294: {Transport carriages or vehicles} - B23K 2101/06: Tubes - B23K 2101/10: Pipe-lines - F16L 2101/10: Treating the inside of pipes - F16L 2101/30: Inspecting, measuring or testing - F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM ## Abstract Methods, systems, and apparatus are described for maintaining the interior cavities of pipes. In one aspect, a motorized apparatus includes a main body having a length extending along a longitudinal axis of the main body, where the main body comprises a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The motorized apparatus further includes at least one drive assembly coupled to at least one of the first end and the second end of the main body, where the at least one drive assembly comprises driven members that engage with an inner surface of the pipe and move the motorized apparatus through an interior cavity of the pipe. The motorized apparatus further includes a maintenance head movably coupled to the main body that moves along the length of the main body and rotates about the longitudinal axis of the main body, where the maintenance head comprises at least one tool configured to perform an action on the inner surface of the pipe. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for use in maintaining a pipe having a sidewall defining an interior cavity and having an inner surface, said system comprising: a motorized apparatus sized to fit within the interior cavity of the pipe, said motorized apparatus comprising: a main body having a length extending along a longitudinal axis of said main body, said main body comprising a first end and a second end opposite said first end; at least one drive assembly coupled to at least one of said first end and said second end of said main body, said at least one drive assembly including driven members configured to engage with the inner surface of the pipe and move said motorized apparatus through the interior cavity of the pipe; a maintenance head comprising at least one tool configured to perform an action on the inner surface of the pipe; a carriage movably coupling said maintenance head to said main body; and at least one actuator configured to move said maintenance head along an entirety of the length of said main body between said first end and said second end and rotate said maintenance head about the longitudinal axis of said main body; and at least one controller communicatively coupled to said motorized apparatus and configured to: move said motorized apparatus through the pipe utilizing said at least one drive assembly until a work location on the inner surface of the pipe is positioned between said first end and said second end of said main body; move said maintenance head along the length of said main body and rotate said maintenance head about the longitudinal axis of said main body until said at least one tool is proximate to the work location; and perform the action at the work location using said at least one tool. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said maintenance head comprises at least one depth sensor, and said controller is further configured to: move and rotate said maintenance head to generate surface data of the inner surface of the pipe using said at least one depth sensor; generate a three-dimensional model of a portion of the interior cavity of the pipe at the work location based on the surface data; calculate a tool path for said at least one tool based on the three-dimensional model; and move and rotate said maintenance head based on the tool path until said at least one tool is proximate to the work location. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein: said maintenance head comprises at least one depth sensor, and said controller is further configured to: move and rotate said maintenance head to generate surface data of the inner surface of the pipe using said at least one depth sensor; generate a three-dimensional model of a portion of the interior cavity of the pipe at the work location based on the surface data; calculate a buildup profile for a material deposition process at the work location based on the three-dimensional model; and perform a buildup process at the work location based on the buildup profile. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: at least one tether coupled to said motorized apparatus and configured to provide one or more resources to said motorized apparatus, wherein said controller is further configured to perform the action at the work location using the one or more resources provided by said at least one tether, and wherein said at least one tether comprises a plurality of projections that thermally and frictionally isolate said at least one tether from the inner surface of the pipe. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein: said at least one tether is further configured to provide one or more resources including one or more of electrical power, a cooling gas, a cooling fluid, a vacuum source, a forming gas, and/or consumables used by said at least one tool. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said at least one tool comprises one or more of an ablation laser, a laser cladding head, and/or a nozzle. ### Claim 7 A method for maintaining a pipe having a sidewall defining an interior cavity and having an inner surface, said method comprising: positioning a motorized apparatus within the interior cavity of the pipe, wherein the motorized apparatus includes a main body having a length extending along a longitudinal axis of the main body, the main body comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the motorized apparatus further including at least one drive assembly coupled to at least one of the first end and the second end of the main body, the at least one drive assembly comprising driven members configured to engage with the inner surface of the pipe; moving the motorized apparatus through the interior cavity of the pipe using the at least one drive assembly until a work location on the inner surface of the pipe is positioned between the first end and the second end of the main body; moving a maintenance head coupled to the main body along the length of the main body and rotating the maintenance head about the longitudinal axis of the main body until at least one tool on the maintenance head is proximate to the work location, wherein the motorized apparatus includes a carriage movably coupling the maintenance head to the main body and at least one actuator configured to move said maintenance head along an entirety of the length of the main body between the first end and said second end and rotate the maintenance head about the longitudinal axis of the main body; and performing an action at the work location using the at least one tool. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: moving and rotating the maintenance head to generate surface data of the inner surface of the pipe using at least one depth sensor on the maintenance head; generating a three-dimensional model of a portion of the interior cavity of the pipe at the work location based on the surface data; and calculating a tool path for the at least one tool based on the three-dimensional model, wherein said moving and said rotating the maintenance head until at least one tool on the maintenance head is proximate to the work location further comprises: moving and rotating the maintenance head based on the tool path. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: moving and rotating the maintenance head to generate surface data of the inner surface of the pipe using at least one depth sensor on the maintenance head; generating a three-dimensional model of a portion of the interior cavity of the pipe at the work location based on the surface data; and calculating a buildup profile for a material deposition process at the work location based on the three-dimensional model, wherein said performing the action further comprises: performing a buildup process at the work location based on the buildup profile. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: coupling at least one tether to the motorized apparatus that thermally and frictionally isolates the at least one tether from the inner surface of the pipe; and providing one or more resources to the motorized apparatus using the at least one tether, wherein said performing the action at the work location further comprises: performing the action at the work location using the one or more resources provided by the at least one tether. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said providing the one or more resources further comprises: providing one or more of electrical power, a cooling gas, a cooling fluid, a vacuum source, a forming gas, and/or consumables used by the at least one tool. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein said performing the action further comprises performing at least one of: an ablation process, a laser cladding process, a welding process, and/or a gas forming process. ### Claim 13 A motorized apparatus for maintaining a pipe having a sidewall defining an interior cavity and an inner surface, said motorized apparatus comprising: a main body having a length extending along a longitudinal axis of said main body, said main body comprising a first end and a second end opposite said first end; at least one drive assembly coupled to at least one of said first end and said second end of said main body, said at least one drive assembly comprising driven members configured to engage with the inner surface of the pipe and move said motorized apparatus through the interior cavity of the pipe; a maintenance head comprising at least one tool configured to perform an action on the inner surface of the pipe; a carriage movably coupling said maintenance head to said main body; and at least one actuator configured to move said maintenance head along an entirety of the length of said main body between said first end and said second end and rotate said maintenance head about the longitudinal axis of said main body. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The motorized apparatus of claim 13, further comprising at least one controller configured to: move said motorized apparatus through the pipe utilizing said at least one drive assembly until a work location on the inner surface of the pipe is positioned between said first end and said second end of said main body; move and rotate said maintenance head until said at least one tool is proximate to the work location; and perform the action at the work location using said at least one tool. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The motorized apparatus of claim 14, wherein: said maintenance head includes at least one depth sensor, and said controller is further configured to: move and rotate said maintenance head to generate surface data of the inner surface of the pipe using said at least one depth sensor; generate a three-dimensional model of a portion of the interior cavity of the pipe at the work location based on the surface data; calculate a tool path for said at least one tool based on the three-dimensional model; and move and rotate said maintenance head based on the tool path until said at least one tool is proximate to the work location. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The motorized apparatus of claim 14, wherein: said maintenance head comprises at least one depth sensor, and said controller is further configured to: move and rotate said maintenance head to generate surface data of the inner surface of the pipe using said at least one depth sensor; generate a three-dimensional model of a portion of the interior cavity of the pipe at the work location based on the surface data; calculate a buildup profile for a material deposition process at the work location based on the three-dimensional model; and perform a buildup process at the work location based on the buildup profile. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The motorized apparatus of claim 14, further comprising: at least one tether coupled to said motorized apparatus and configured to provide one or more resources to said motorized apparatus, wherein said at least one tether comprises a plurality of projections that thermally and frictionally isolate said at least one tether from the inner surface of the pipe, and wherein said at least one tool is further configured to perform the action on the inner surface of the pipe at the work location using the one or more resources provided by said at least one tether. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The motorized apparatus of claim 17, wherein: the one or more resources include one or more of electrical power, a cooling gas, a cooling fluid, a vacuum source, a forming gas, and/or consumables used by said at least one tool. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The motorized apparatus of claim 13, wherein: said at least one tool comprises one or more of an ablation laser, a laser cladding head, and/or a nozzle. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The motorized apparatus of claim 13, wherein: said driven members comprise one or more of wheels and tracks that rotatably contact the inner surface of the pipe.