JPH01249184A - Plug body for in-pipe cleaning - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To strip scale by forming plural liquid flow passages on the outside peripheral face of a plug body or near said peripheral face and ejecting a part of a press-fed liquid for impressing a working pressure on the tail end face of the plug body to the front of the plug body. CONSTITUTION:The plug body 1 for cleaning is formed of a hard elastic material which is compressible and bendable and the head top 3 thereof is formed to a truncated circular cone shape. The plug body 1 for cleaning inserted in the diametrally constricted state into the pipe P of a pipeline receives the working pressure of the press-fed liquid on the tail end face and travels in the direction A. The scale S in the pipe P is thereby scraped. The press-fed liquid 6 flowing in line grooves 4 changed in the sectional shape by the diametral constriction is partly ejected forward from open ends 5 of the grooves to form ejection flow B which pushes forward the scraped scale S. The scale S is thus efficiently wiped away by the ejection flow B.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the shape of a stopper that is propelled through a pipe by a pumped liquid in order to remove substances attached to the inner wall of the pipe of a pipeline.

In various pipelines for industrial or domestic use,
Various fluids such as liquid, gas, steam, powder and granular materials are transferred. Substances such as corrosive substances and precipitates (hereinafter referred to as scale) tend to adhere or form on the inner walls of the pipeline depending on the type of fluid being transferred or the type of pipeline constituent materials. The longer the pipeline, the more difficult it becomes to remove the scale. Generally known methods for removing scale adhering to the inner walls of pipelines include a mechanical method in which the pipeline is disassembled into short lengths, and a chemical method in which the scale is broken down using chemicals. In the case of mechanical methods, disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling long pipelines is extremely troublesome work and requires a large amount of work costs, while in the case of chemical methods, safety issues such as handling of chemicals etc. I have the above problem.

The solution to this problem is to insert a cleaning plug (commonly known as a vig) into the pipe and allow the fluid to pass through the pipe. The cleaning stopper is made of a compressible material or a resilient material, and has a number of hard protrusions on its circumferential surface that can contact and remove scale. The cleaning plug is made of a compressible material (a material with elasticity), and its circumferential surface is coated with an abrasive material (e.g., sand, iron powder) made of a hard material that provides wear resistance.

They are attached in a dispersed manner by gluing or pasting. By sequentially inserting and passing a plurality of these cleaning plugs into the pipeline, scale can be effectively peeled off and removed.

Incidentally, the scale scraped off from the inner wall of the pipe accumulates in front of the cleaning plug, and moves forward as the cleaning plug moves forward, but at this time, some of the accumulated scale is removed from the cleaning plug. If it gets caught between the cleaning plug and the pipe, running resistance will increase and the cleaning plug may become clogged inside the pipe. In order to prevent this clogging, it is effective to apply a working pressure to the tail end surface of the cleaning plug, to cause a portion of the pumped liquid to leak and be jetted in front of the plug, and to wash away the scale with the jet liquid. This pressurized liquid injection method uses a cleaning plug with an outer diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the pipe, and pushes it into the pipe in a reduced diameter state to create wrinkles on the outer circumferential surface of the cleaning plug; A method of leaking and spraying the pumped liquid to the front of the plug through the passage between the creases, or ■Using a cleaning plug with an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe, inserting it into the pipe and cleaning the inner wall of the pipe and the outer periphery of the plug. A method is known in which the pumped liquid is leaked and sprayed forward through the gap between the surface and the stopper (Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-36634, Utility Model Publication No. 55-37267).
(see publication).

-1 should be avoided- However, when there is a large amount of scale adhesion on the inside wall of the pipe, the inlet of the pipeline is Even if the plug is inserted as a plug with an appropriate outer diameter, if the amount of scale adhesion changes along the flow path, none of the above methods will be able to provide sufficient jet flow to wash away the exfoliated scale. The cleaning plug stops running due to the accumulation of a large amount of scale, or a large amount of pumped liquid leaks to the front of the plug, and the pressure difference between the front and back of the plug due to the pumped liquid is not equal to 1q, causing the cleaning plug to stop. There is a risk.

The present invention has been devised under such circumstances, and is a method for cleaning inside a pipe that can appropriately secure the jet flow of the pumped liquid toward the front of the stopper while the pumped liquid is propelled through the pipe. Its purpose is to provide a plug.

21 and - This purpose is to provide a cylindrical pipe cleaning plug made of compressible hard elastic material and having an outer diameter equal to or slightly larger than the opening diameter of the pipe to be cleaned. J3 in the body, from the tail end of the plug to the top of the head, forming a plurality of liquid channels on or near the outer peripheral surface of the plug, and applying a part of the pumped liquid to the tail end of the plug to apply operating pressure. This is achieved by ejecting the fluid to the front of the plug. Note that the opening diameter of the pipe refers to the channel diameter of the pipe (the channel diameter becomes narrower when scale is attached).

The scales that adhere to the inner walls of pipes have various compositions.

There are various properties of the holes, and the shape, specific gravity, etc. of the peeled scales vary, so in order to smoothly wash away the peeled scales, it is necessary to change the jet flow G of the pumping liquid depending on the type of scale. In the present invention, a desired jet flow distance can be obtained by appropriately selecting the diameter and shape of the liquid flow path, the dimensions of the open end on the top side (open end of the flow path), and the formation position. Presentation-1 The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 will be described below.

Regarding FIGS. 1 to 4...The cleaning plug 1 is a cylindrical body made of a compressible and bendable hard elastic material (for example, high-density melon foam polyurethane resin), and the top portion 3 is shaped like a truncated cone. A plurality of linear grooves 4 are formed on the outer periphery of the main body portion of the cleaning plug 1 in parallel to the center axis of the plug. The groove 4 is a U-shaped groove in cross-section (Fig. 2), and is formed in a range extending from the tail end 2 of the cleaning plug 1 to a part of the crown part 3 (boundary area with the main body part). A pumped liquid that applies operating pressure to the tail end surface of the cleaning plug 1 flows in the groove 4 and is sprayed forward from the groove open end 5.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the cleaning plug 1 inserted into the pipe P of the pipeline in a reduced diameter state receives the operating pressure of the pumped liquid 6 on its tail end face and moves in the direction of the arrow. . Scale S is attached to the inner wall of the pipe P, and the cleaning plug 1
The scale s b is scraped off as the wheel travels. During this time, a part of the pumped liquid 6 flowing in the groove 4 (Fig. 4), whose cross-sectional shape has changed due to diameter reduction, spouted forward from the groove open end 5 and was scraped off as a jet stream B. Push scale S forward. The groove open end 5 exists over the entire circumference of the cleaning plug 1, and the scraped scale S is efficiently wiped away by the jet stream B. Therefore, scale S is not accumulated on the front surface of the cleaning plug 1, and the scraped scale S is caught between the inner wall of the pipe P and the cleaning plug 1, and the scale S is not accumulated on the front surface of the cleaning plug 1. The situation where the vehicle stops running can be avoided.

Other features of this embodiment are as follows.

■ The grooves 4 of the cleaning plug 1 whose diameter has been reduced are as shown in Figure 4, and the cross-sectional area of the flow path has become smaller, but the pressure acting on the tail end surface of the cleaning plug 1 is accordingly reduced. Since the pressure of the liquid 6 increases, the flow rate of the pumped liquid 6 that flows in the groove 4 and is ejected in front of the plug is ensured.

■Article? 7i4. If the shape, dimensions, and position of the groove open end 5 in the crown part 3 of the groove open end 5 differ, the water m and the jetting direction of the jet stream B will also change. Therefore, it is effective to prepare a plurality of different types of cleaning plugs 1, and select an appropriate cleaning plug 1 according to the characteristics or adhesion state of the scale S to improve crushing efficiency. can be improved.

(2) The outer periphery of the cleaning plug 1 is easily deformed due to the grooves 4 formed therein, and has a good ability to follow changes in the opening diameter of the pipe P, and can be expected to run stably within the pipe. In addition, since the diameter can be easily reduced, when removing scale sequentially using multiple types of plugs ranging from small diameters to large diameters, it is possible to use fewer types of plugs with different diameters than before. It is possible to improve work efficiency.

Regarding FIG. 5...The cleaning plug 1^ is a modification of the cleaning plug 1, in which a plurality of scraping bottles 7 are driven into the outer periphery of the main body avoiding the grooves 4 ( In the figure, only the protruding head is visible). This scraping bottle 7 is made of a hard material such as metal, and exhibits an excellent effect in scraping off scale firmly adhered to the inner wall of the pipe. However, the material for the scraping bin 7 is selected to be softer than the constituent material of the pipeline. In addition, with conventional plugs of the same type, the amount of protrusion of the scraping bottle head was increased to a certain extent to form a gap between it and the inner wall of the pipe, thereby securing a flow path for guiding the pumped liquid to the front of the plug. However, in this embodiment, since the grooves 4 are formed, the amount of head protrusion of the scraping bottle 7 can be reduced, the stability when the stopper is running is good, and the scraping bottle 7 is less likely to fall off.

Regarding FIG. 6...The cleaning plug 8 is the cleaning plug 1.
This is a modification example in which a plurality of grooves 11 are formed in a spiral shape in the main body in a range from the tail end 9 to the truncated conical top part 10.

The effect obtained by the cleaning plug 8 is almost the same as that of the cleaning plug 1, but since the grooves 11 are spiral, the pressure of the pumped liquid flowing in the grooves 11 causes the cleaning plug to close. As the body 8 rotates, the scale on the inner wall of the pipe is efficiently scraped off, and the peeled scale is smoothly swept forward by the jet stream jetted out while rotating from the groove open end 12 of each groove 11.

Regarding FIG. 7...The cleaning plug 13 is a cylindrical body made of a compressible and bendable hard elastic material (e.g., high-density foamed polyurethane resin), and the top part 15 is a truncated cone. It is made into a shape. A plurality of guide holes 16 are formed near the outer peripheral surface of the cleaning plug 13 in a range from the tail end 14 to the top of the head 15.

The cleaning hη plug 13 is fitted into a pipe of a pipeline, which is an object to be cleaned, and is moved forward by the pressure of the pumped liquid acting on its tail end surface. During this time, a part of the pumped liquid is transferred to the tail end 14.
It enters into each guide hole 16 from the inlet 17 of the head part 15 and is ejected from the outlet 18 of the top part 15 toward the front of the plug body, and the scale scraped off from the inner wall of the pipe by the cleaning plug body 13 is swept away forward. Therefore, the scraped scale is removed from the cleaning plug 13.
This prevents a situation in which the cleaning plug 13 stops due to being caught between the cleaning plug 13 and the inner wall of the pipe.

J to the diameter of the guide hole 16, the diameter of the outlet 18, and the top of the head 15.
The formation position of the outlet 18 in 3 should be the most suitable one depending on the characteristics and adhesion state of the scale adhering to the inner wall of the pipe, thereby efficiently removing exfoliated scale in front of the plug body and removing the scale inside the pipe. The running of the cleaning plug 13 can be stabilized, and the performance of cleaning inside the pipe by the cleaning plug 13 can be improved.

As is clear from the above description, in the present invention, a plurality of liquid channels are formed from the tail end to the top of the head on the outer peripheral surface of the pipe cleaning plug body or at a position close to the outer peripheral surface. A part of the pumped liquid that applies operating pressure to the caudal end surface of the body is ejected in front of the plug I! As the plug moves, the scale scraped off from the inner wall of the pipe is swept forward by the jet liquid, and the scale does not accumulate on the front of the plug, and the plug stops when the peeled scale gets caught. You can avoid situations like this.

Moreover, the outer diameter of the plug body for cleaning inside a pipe of the present invention is bi1.
It is used as a single-purpose pipe for pipes with a diameter equal to or larger than the opening diameter, and while guiding a part of the pumped liquid to the front of the plug through the liquid flow path, the pipe receives the working pressure of the pumped liquid on its tail end surface, stably and reliably. (However, it is possible to avoid a situation where the gap between the plug body and the inner wall of the pipe is too large and the propelling pressure by the pumped liquid cannot be obtained.)

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a side view of a plug for cleaning the inside of a pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the main part thereof, and Fig. 3 is a plug for cleaning the inside of a pipe with 119 bodies to be cleaned. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the grooves of the plug for cleaning inside a pipe are partially crushed, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the inside of a pipe according to a modified example. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a pipe cleaning plug according to another modification, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a pipe cleaning plug according to another embodiment. 1...Cleaning plug, 2...Tail end, 3...Top of head,
4... Groove, 5... Groove open end, 6... Forced liquid, 7
... Scraping bottle, 8... Cleaning stopper, 9... Tail end, 10... Parietal part, 11... Groove, 12... Between grooves fi5 [gasp, 13... -Cleaning plug body, 14... Tail end, 15... Top of head, 16... Guide hole, 17... Inlet, 18... Outlet.

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) In a cylindrical pipe cleaning plug made of compressible hard elastic material and having an outer diameter equal to or slightly larger than the opening diameter of the pipe to be cleaned, from the tail end of the plug to the top of the head. The present invention is characterized in that a plurality of liquid flow channels are formed on or near the outer circumferential surface of the stopper, and a portion of the pumped liquid that applies operating pressure to the tail end surface of the stopper is jetted out in front of the stopper. A plug for cleaning inside pipes. (2) A plug for cleaning inside a pipe according to claim 1, wherein the liquid flow path is a linear groove formed on the outer periphery of the plug parallel to the central axis of the plug. body. (3) The plug for cleaning inside a pipe according to claim 1, wherein the liquid flow path is a spiral groove formed on the outer periphery of the plug. (4) In-pipe cleaning according to claim 1, wherein the liquid flow path is a linear guide hole formed near the outer peripheral surface of the plug parallel to the center axis of the plug. Plug body.