Back to results
US 2003/0198519 A1Published application
Repair of lined pipes
AssigneeThe Water Company LLC
InventorsMark Berkeley Fitzhardinge, Stephen Reginald Brown, William Alan Hodgkinson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeThe Water Company LLC
InventorsMark Berkeley Fitzhardinge, Stephen Reginald Brown, William Alan Hodgkinson
Estimating the term…
A method of selectively repairing the lining of a lined pipeline utilising a conveyance adapted to be receivable within and to travel through the pipeline. The conveyance consists of a plurality of vehicles comprising an inspection means, an excising means, a debris removal means and an application means. The method comprises: an identification step whereby the conveyance travels along the pipeline inspecting and locating damaged portions of the lining; an excising step whereby damaged portions of the lining identified from the inspection step are removed by the conveyance; a debris removal step whereby the conveyance travels along the pipeline to remove debris and/or water left in the pipeline by the excising step; and an application step whereby the conveyance travels along the pipeline and applies a fresh lining composition to replace the excised portions of lining removed by the excising step. The invention also relates in a conveyance for effecting the selective repair of the lining of a lined pipeline according to the method described above.
A method of selectively repairing the lining of a lined pipeline, said method involving the utilisation of a conveyance adapted to be receivable within the pipeline, said conveyance being adapted to be able to travel through the pipeline, said conveyance comprising an inspection means, an excising means, a debris removal means and an application means, said method comprising introducing said conveyance into the pipeline, said method further comprising:
A method of selectively repairing the lining of a lined pipeline as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein said conveyance means comprises a plurality of self propelled and self powered vehicles which comprise:
A method of selectively repairing the lining of a lined pipeline as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein said inspection step comprises causing the inspection vehicle to travel along the interior of the pipeline and during such travel inspecting the lining within the pipeline, identifying locations of damaged or deteriorated lining.
A method of selectively repairing the lining of a lined pipeline as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein said excising step comprises utilisation of a nozzle connected to a source of high pressure fluid whereby said nozzle is able to be moved to direct a jet of said high pressure fluid over the surface if the lining, said remotely controlled nozzle being supported from the excising vehicle, said method causing the excising vehicle to travel along the interior of the pipeline and during such travel causing the nozzle to direct said jet of said high pressure fluid onto the lining at the locations in order to remove the lining at said locations.
A method of selectively repairing the lining of a lined pipeline as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein said debris removal step comprises causing a removal vehicle to travel along the interior of the pipeline and causing the removal vehicle to collect debris from the interior of the pipeline as it travels.
A method of selectively repairing the lining of a lined pipeline as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein said application step comprises causing the application vehicle to travel along the length of the pipeline and causing the application vehicle to applying the fresh lining composition to the locations at which the lining has been excised.
A method of selectively repairing the lining of a lined pipeline as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein the lining composition comprises a cementitious composition.
A method of selectively repairing the lining of a lined pipeline substantially as herein described.
A conveyance for use in the selective refurbishment of the lining of a lined pipeline according to the method described above, said conveyance comprising a plurality of vehicles capable of independently travelling along the pipeline for the purposes of inspection, excising damaged lining, removal of debris and application of a fresh lining composition, each of said vehicles being configured such that their centre of gravity when in use is below the central longitudinal axis of the pipeline and each of said vehicles being self powered and self propelled.
A conveyance for use in the selective refurbishment of the lining of a lined pipeline as claimed at claim 51 or 53 wherein the application vehicle is associated with a delivery vehicle having a hopper and a conveying means whereby said delivery vehicle can be brought into abutting relationship with the fourth vehicle whereby the conveying means can deliver lining composition from the hopper of the delivery vehicle to the hopper of the application vehicle.
A conveyance for use in the selective refurbishment of the lining of a lined pipeline substantially as herein described.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.