System and method for cleaning the inner surface of tubular members
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsThomas G. Bengel, Edward A. Ray, Phillip E. Miller, Frank I. Bauer, James Sejvar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
System and method for abrading radioactive contaminants from the inside surface of a pipe. The system includes a nozzle block capable of mixing a liquid and an abrasive grit into a suitable liquid-abrasive grit cleaning composition and impinging the cleaning composition against the inside surface of the pipe. The system further includes an inflatable torus-shaped seal for confining the liquid-abrasive grit cleaning composition to a predetermined portion of the inside surface of the pipe so that substantially all of the contaminants and cleaning composition can be suitably vacuumed from the surface.
Claims15
A system for cleaning the inside surface of a tubular member, the tubular member defining a longitudinal axis therethrough, comprising:
- (a) cleaning means capable of being positioned in the tubular member for displacing a cleaning composition onto the inside surface of the tubular member to clean the inside surface of the tubular member;
- (c) inflatable seal means disposed to one side of said cleaning means, said inflatable seal means capable of contacting the inside surface of the tubular member for confining the cleaning composition to a predetermined portion of the inside surface of the tubular member, said seal means being positionable along the inside surface of the tubular member independently of said cleaning means;
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- (c) an adjustable brace assembly connected to said cleaning means for stabilizing said cleaning means in the tubular member, for aligning said cleaning means along the longitudinal axis of the tubular member and for adjusting said cleaning means to tubular members having different inside diameters.
A system for the cleaning the inside surface of a pipe, the pipe defining a longitudinal axis therethrough, comprising:
- (a) cleaning means capable of being positioned in the pipe for spraying a pressurized slurry against the inside surface of the pipe to clean contaminants from the inside surface of the pipe;
- (b) inflatable seal means disposed to one side of said cleaning means for sealably contacting the inside surface of the pipe to confine the slurry to a predetermined portion of the inside surface of the pipe, said seal means being positionable along the inside surface of the pipe independently of said cleaning means;
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- (c) an adjustable brace assembly connected to said cleaning means for stabilizing said cleaning means in the pipe and for aligning said cleaning means along the longitudinal axis of the pipe, said brace assembly defining a chamber therein.
A system for decontaminating the inside surface of a pipe, the pipe defining a longitudinal axis therethrough, the pipe having an open end, the inside surface having radioactive contaminants thereon, comprising:
- (a) a fixture assembly capable of being inserted through the open end of the pipe and capable of being positioned in the pipe for spraying a pressurized water-grit slurry against the inside surface of the pipe to abrade the contaminants from the inside surface of the pipe;
- (b) an inflatable dam assembly capable of being disposed in the pipe to one side of said fixture assembly for expansibly sealably engaging the inside surface of the pipe to confine the water-grit slurry and contaminants to a predetermined portion of the inside surface of the pipe, said dam assembly being positionable along the inside surface of the pipe independently of said fixture assembly;
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- (c) an adjustable brace assembly connected to said fixture assembly for contacting the inside surface of the pipe to stabilize said fixture assembly in the pipe and to align said fixture parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pipe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.