Pipe cleaning modules and systems and methods for their use

Apparatus for cleaning an interior of a pipeline through which passes a waste fluid composed of liquid waste mixed with solid waste, said apparatus comprising:

• extracting means for extracting waste fluid from the interior of the pipeline;
• separating means for separating the thus extracted waste fluid into a thus separated solid waste and a thus separated liquid waste, said separating means comprising a liquid waste holding tank, a solid waste receptacle, and an elevated separator screen onto which the thus extracted waste fluid is deposited;
• said elevated separator screen being positioned with respect to said liquid waste holding tank and said solid waste receptacle so that, as waste fluid is deposited on said elevated separator screen, liquid from the thus deposited waste fluid falls through the elevated separator screen and then drops into the liquid waste holding tank while waste solids from the thus deposited waste fluid move off the screen into the solid waste receptacle;
• and
• means for removing waste solids from said solid waste receptacle;
• wherein said means for removing waste solids from said solid waste receptacle comprises a valve, whereby the opening of said valve permits waste solids to fall from said solid waste receptacle by force of gravity.

Apparatus for cleaning an interior of a pipeline through which passes a waste fluid composed of liquid waste mixed with solid waste, said apparatus comprising:

• extracting means for extracting waste fluid from the interior of the pipeline;
• separating means for separating the thus extracted waste fluid into a thus separated solid waste and a thus separated liquid waste, said separating means comprising a liquid waste holding tank, a solid waste receptacle, and an elevated separator screen onto which the thus extracted waste fluid is deposited;
• said elevated separator screen being positioned with respect to said liquid waste holding tank and said solid waste receptacle so that, as waste fluid is deposited on said elevated separator screen, liquid from the thus deposited waste fluid falls through the elevated separator screen and then drops into the liquid waste holding tank while waste solids from the thus deposited waste fluid move off the screen into the solid waste receptacle;
• and
• means for removing waste solids from said solid waste receptacle;
• wherein said means for removing waste solids from said solid waste receptacle comprises a conveyor having a first end portion thereof associated with said solid waste receptacle for receiving and conveying waste solids away from said solid waste receptacle.

An apparatus for cleaning an interior of a pipeline through which passes a waste fluid composed of liquid waste mixed with suspended particulates and sludge, said pipeline containing accumulated sludge and sediment, said apparatus comprising:

• a cleaning module adapted to be inserted within the pipeline and be easily moved along the pipeline, said cleaning module serving to agitate sludge and sediments within the pipeline;
• extracting means for extracting waste fluid from the interior of the pipeline;
• separating means for separating the thus extracted waste fluid into a thus separated solid waste and a thus separated liquid waste, said separating means comprising a liquid waste holding tank, a solid waste receptacle, and a screen onto which the thus extracted waste fluid is deposited, said screen being positioned with respect to said liquid waste holding tank and said solid waste receptacle so that liquid and suspended particulates fall through the screen and into the liquid waste holding tank while solid waste moves off the screen into the solid waste receptacle;
• and
• a conveyor having a first end portion thereof associated with said solid waste receptacle for receiving and conveying solid waste from said solid waste receptacle;
• wherein said solid waste receptacle is a solids hopper equipped with a bottom valve for releasing contents of the solids hopper onto said conveyor, and wherein said conveyor is an inclined continuous belt conveyor with the first end portion thereof positioned beneath said solids hopper, and wherein a second end portion of said conveyor is positionable above said first end portion for transferring the contents of the solids hopper to a point exterior of said apparatus.

A method for cleaning an interior of a pipeline through which passes a waste fluid composed of liquid waste mixed with waste solids, said method comprising the steps of:

• extracting waste fluid from the interior of the pipeline;
• depositing the thus extracted waste fluid onto an elevated separator screen, said elevated separator screen being positioned directly above a liquid waste holding tank and adjacent to a solid waste receptacle so that, as waste fluid is deposited on said elevated separator screen, liquid from the thus deposited waste fluid falls through the elevated separator screen and then drops into the liquid waste holding tank while waste solids from the thus deposited waste fluid move off the screen into the solid waste receptacle, thereby separating the deposited waste fluid into thus separated waste solids and a thus separated liquid waste;
• and
• removing waste solids from said solid waste receptacle;
• wherein the step of extracting waste fluid comprises placing a flow baffle in the interior of the pipeline downstream of an extraction point so as to partially occlude the pipeline to reduce the movement of waste solids past the extraction point while permitting some passage of liquid waste past the extraction point, and extracting a portion of the waste fluid at the extraction point.

A method for cleaning an interior of a pipeline through which passes a waste fluid composed of liquid waste mixed with waste solids, said method comprising the steps of:

• extracting waste fluid from the interior of the pipeline;
• depositing the thus extracted waste fluid onto an elevated separator screen, said elevated separator screen being positioned directly above a liquid waste holding tank and adjacent to a solid waste receptacle so that, as waste fluid is deposited on said elevated separator screen, liquid from the thus deposited waste fluid falls through the elevated separator screen and then drops into the liquid waste holding tank while waste solids from the thus deposited waste fluid move off the screen into the solid waste receptacle, thereby separating the deposited waste fluid into thus separated waste solids and a thus separated liquid waste;
• removing waste solids from said solid waste receptacle;
• and
• transporting the thus removed waste solids away from the location of the pipeline while simultaneously conducting the steps of extracting and separating waste fluid.

A method for cleaning an interior of a pipeline through which passes a waste fluid composed of liquid waste mixed with waste solids, said method comprising the steps of:

• extracting waste fluid from the interior of the pipeline;
• depositing the thus extracted waste fluid onto an elevated separator screen, said elevated separator screen being positioned directly above a liquid waste holding tank and adjacent to a solid waste receptacle so that, as waste fluid is deposited on said elevated separator screen, liquid from the thus deposited waste fluid falls through the elevated separator screen and then drops into the liquid waste holding tank while waste solids from the thus deposited waste fluid move off the screen into the solid waste receptacle, thereby separating the deposited waste fluid into thus separated waste solids and a thus separated liquid waste;
• and
• removing waste solids from said solid waste receptacle;
• wherein the step of removing waste solids from said solid waste receptacle comprises conveying waste solids away from a lower portion of said solid waste receptacle when a substantial quantity of the thus separated solid waste has accumulated in the solid waste receptacle.