# US 2014/0196662 A1 · Nanoclad Pipe Weld Repair, Systems and Methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0196662 A1 - Document ID: US20140196662A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/136,312 - Filed: 2013-12-20 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-21 - Assignees: Fluor Technologies Corporation - Applicants: Fluor Technologies Corporation - Inventors: Robert Prieto; Lakshmanan Rajagopalan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196662A1 ## CPC - B05B 13/0618: {only a part of the inside of the hollow bodies being treated} - B23K 9/048: {on cylindrical surfaces} - B23K 26/342: Build-up welding - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) - 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 An in situ apparatus, system, and method for cladding or repairing cladding in installed pipelines are presented. The apparatus can include a coating collar, a material reservoir, a cladding head, an adjustable cladding chamber, and a chamber controller. The coating collar can include an external surface, a first circumferential wall, and a second circumferential wall and forms the adjustable cladding chamber along with interior wall of the pipe. The coating collar can have an aperture to include and allow deployment of the cladding head through it. The cladding head can be operatively coupled with the cladding material reservoir to allow efficient deployment of the cladding material on the pipe surface. The chamber controller can be coupled with the adjustable cladding chamber to control dimensions of the chamber thus restricting and controlling the environment and enabling efficient functioning of the cladding head and limiting grain growth in applied nanoclad materials. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An in situ cladding apparatus for cladding within an installed pipe, the apparatus comprising: a coating collar around a portion of a main body of the apparatus, the collar configured to allow deployment of a cladding head through the collar; at least one cladding material reservoir capable of storing a cladding material coupled to the cladding head; an adjustable cladding chamber formed from an interior wall of the pipe, an external surface of the coating collar, at least a first circumferential wall and a second circumferential wall extending away from the coating collar toward the interior wall; a chamber controller configured to control dimensions of the adjustable chamber by controlling a position of at least one of the external surface of the coating collar, the first circumferential wall, and the second circumferential wall relative to the interior wall of the pipe; and wherein under control of the chamber controller the adjustable cladding chamber substantially forms a restricted cladding environment accessible to the cladding head. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first circumferential wall comprises an adjustable wall under control of the chamber controller. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adjustable cladding chamber forms at least an arcuate portion of an annulus around the interior of the pipe. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the adjustable cladding chamber forms a complete annulus around the interior of the pipe. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one cladding sensor capable of acquiring cladding data representative of a cladding location within the pipe. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the chamber controller is configured to adjust the chamber dimensions as a function of the cladding data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one cladding sensor includes at least one of the following: an optical sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a magnetic sensor, a chemical sensor, and a location sensor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cladding material reservoir is configured to store at least one of the following cladding materials: a powder, a liquid, and a gas. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cladding location comprises a welding location. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the welding location comprises at least one of the following: a weld seam between two sections of pipe, a longitudinal weld, and a defect. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power source coupled with the cladding head and disposed within the collar. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cladding head comprises at least one of the following: a laser, a torch, polarized light, high frequency arc weld, and a fusion lamp. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transport module configured to move the adjustable chamber along an interior of the pipe. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coating collar comprises a substantially cylindrical shape. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the second circumferential walls are retractable within the collar. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a remote control interface coupled with the chamber controller and responsive to signals from a remotely deployed remote control. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the remote control interface comprises a wireless interface. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coating collar further comprises a cooling element. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one of the circumferential walls comprises the cooling element. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position comprises at least one of the following placements relative to the interior wall of the pipe: an angular placement, a longitudinal placement, a circumferential placement, and a radial placement.