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US 7,617,558 B2Granted
Pipeline pig
AssigneePrototech Company
InventorKetil Boe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device can travel along a pipeline which has fluid flowing along the pipeline. The device is able to extract power from the fluid flow in the pipeline and to use that power to move the device along the pipeline against the fluid flow. The device is arranged in a series of coupled modules.
Claims23
A device for travelling along a pipeline having fluid flowing in a direction along the pipeline, said device comprising:
- a turbine driven by the fluid flowing within the pipeline;
- and
- means for moving the device in a direction opposite the fluid flow direction, which means is driven by the turbine, and which means is arranged to move the device in a stepwise manner along the pipeline;
- wherein the means for moving the device includes a first set of legs attached to a reciprocating drive mechanism, and a set of second legs, wherein the reciprocating drive mechanism is operable to reciprocally move the set of first legs relative to the set of second legs, and both, the set of first legs and the set of second legs are selectively engageable with an inner surface of the pipeline.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.