KR102587527B1 - Moving apparatus in pipeline - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a pipe moving device is provided. The device includes a body part that travels within the pipe due to a pressure difference in fluid between the front end and the rear end; an inlet flow path that allows fluid in the pipe to flow in from the rear end of the fuselage and move to the front end; a bank connected to the front end of the inlet flow path and storing the fluid; a passage passage through which the fluid flows in from the bank and is discharged to the front end; and a nozzle formed in the passage passage, which injects the fluid by switching it so that the pressure decreases and the speed increases, and the reaction force generated according to the injection of the fluid through the nozzle is converted into a braking force of the fuselage. The traveling speed can be reduced due to the pressure difference.

Description

MOVING APPARATUS IN PIPELINE}

The present invention relates to a pipe moving device.

Various types of piping are installed in various industries. For example, fluids such as water, oil, and gas are transported through water and sewage pipes, city gas pipes, and plant pipes of petrochemical plants. After installation, these pipes may develop defects due to aging or corrosion over time, or may be damaged due to external shocks due to construction, etc., which may cause major accidents.

Therefore, maintenance work is carried out to prevent accidents by checking the internal condition of the pipe at any time or at regular intervals. This maintenance work is difficult to access the pipe to be inspected due to the facilities around the pipe, and the pipe is underground. If it is buried, access to the pipe is impossible, so a lot of cost and manpower are required.

To solve this problem, pipe inspection equipment moves within the pipe to inspect damaged areas. At this time, precise/long-distance detection and evaluation are possible only when the exact location of the pipe inspection equipment can be continuously confirmed.

Meanwhile, in order to increase the reliability of such inspection and evaluation, it is necessary to move at a speed that allows enough time to sufficiently inspect the pipe. For example, sufficient investigation of the pipe is possible only when moving at a speed of 5 m/s or less within the pipe.

However, because the pipe inspection equipment is moved by the fluid flowing through the pipe, there was a problem in that it was difficult to control the speed of the pipe inspection equipment. To solve this problem, when the moving speed of pipe inspection equipment increases, a method of lowering the speed by allowing fluid to flow through a bypass pipe within the pipe inspection equipment is used. In particular, the flow rate is controlled by controlling the opening and closing of the valve.

However, even with this method, there are limits to flow rate control. In other words, when the pressure difference between the front and rear ends of the pipe inspection equipment is not large, the flow rate and flow rate necessary to control the speed are not generated. In particular, when a speed surge occurs, it is difficult to actively respond to it.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a pipe moving device having a stable running speed using a nozzle.

The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a pipe moving device is provided. The device includes a body part that travels within the pipe due to a pressure difference in fluid between the front end and the rear end; an inlet flow path that allows fluid in the pipe to flow in from the rear end of the fuselage and move to the front end; a bank connected to the front end of the inlet flow path and storing the fluid; a passage passage through which the fluid flows in from the bank and is discharged to the front end; and a nozzle formed in the passage passage, which injects the fluid by switching it so that the pressure decreases and the speed increases, and the reaction force generated according to the injection of the fluid through the nozzle is converted into a braking force of the fuselage. The traveling speed can be reduced due to the pressure difference.

Additionally, the nozzle may be a converging and diverging nozzle.

In addition, the fluid pressure in the bank increases due to changes in the speed and pressure of the fluid by the nozzle, and the force corresponding to the difference between the fluid pressure in the raw bank and the fluid pressure in the inlet flow path is a braking force. By converting to , the driving force due to the pressure difference acting on the fuselage may be reduced.

Additionally, the braking force may be proportional to the area acting on the bank.

Additionally, when the fluid is injected by the nozzle, thrust is generated opposite to the injection direction, and the thrust acts on the inner wall of at least one of the bank, the nozzle, and the passage passage, thereby generating the braking force.

In addition, the bank is formed along the circumference of the fuselage to have a space for receiving the fluid, the inlet flow path is connected through an inlet hole formed at the rear of the bank, and the fluid passes through an outlet hole formed at the front of the bank. Flow paths are connected, and the inner wall of the bank may be located in the direction toward which the inlet hole faces and the direction toward which the outlet hole faces.

In addition, the bank is formed along the circumference of the fuselage to have a space for receiving the fluid, the inlet flow path is connected through an inlet hole formed on a side of the bank, and the fluid passes through an outlet hole formed on the front of the bank. The euro can be connected.

In addition, it may further include a valve that controls the pressure and speed of the fluid injected through the nozzle by controlling the flow of fluid toward the nozzle.

In addition, when the flow of fluid toward the nozzle is blocked by the valve, the body portion travels due to a pressure difference between the fluids acting on the body portion, and when the flow of fluid toward the nozzle is permitted by the valve, The pressure difference between the fluids acting on the fuselage may be reduced, and the traveling speed of the fuselage may be reduced by the braking force.

In addition, it further includes a sensing unit that measures at least one of the speed, acceleration, and pressure of the front and rear ends of the fuselage, and the degree of opening and closing of the valve can be adjusted by the sensing unit.

According to the present invention, the reaction force generated when fluid is sprayed through a nozzle is converted into braking force, thereby providing a stable driving speed.

In addition, according to the present invention, speed control is possible in a stable inspection range (for example, 5 m/s or less) to provide sufficient time to magnetize the pipe for pipe inspection.

In addition, according to the present invention, the accuracy and reliability of in-line inspection can be improved at a constant speed by eliminating potential hazards caused by sudden changes in speed, such as surges.

In addition, according to the present invention, by providing a bank that can store a certain amount of flow rate, it is possible to ensure that a sufficient flow rate is supplied even in the case of high pressure loss that occurs when fluid is sprayed at sonic or subsonic speeds by a nozzle.

In addition, according to the present invention, the maximum flow rate can be allowed to flow through a nozzle (particularly a critical flow nozzle), and at this time, the variables defining the flow are influenced by the upstream and independent of the downstream, making it easy to control the flow rate. .

In order to more fully understand the drawings cited in the detailed description of the present invention, a brief description of each drawing is provided.
1 is a perspective view of a pipe moving device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a cutaway view of a portion of the pipe moving device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of part of the pipe moving device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining changes in pressure and velocity of fluid according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining braking force according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the contents depicted in the attached drawings. The same reference numbers or symbols shown in each drawing indicate parts or components that perform substantially the same function. For convenience, the up, down, left, and right directions described below are based on the drawings, and the scope of the present invention is not necessarily limited to those directions.

Terms containing ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. Terms are used only to distinguish one component from another. For example, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may be referred to as a first component without departing from the scope of the present invention. The term and/or includes a combination of a plurality of related items or any one item among a plurality of related items.

The terms used herein are used to describe embodiments and are not intended to limit and/or limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as include or have are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but are intended to indicate the presence of one or more other features, numbers, or steps. , it should be understood that this does not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be connected to another part, this includes not only cases where it is directly connected, but also cases where it is indirectly connected through another element in between. Additionally, when it is said that a part includes a certain component, this does not mean that other components are excluded, but that other components may be further included, unless specifically stated to the contrary.

In addition, terms such as "... unit" and "module" used in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware or software, or as a combination of hardware and software. .

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pipe moving device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a cutaway view of part of the pipe moving device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a pipe moving device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a cross-sectional view of part of it.

1 to 3, the pipe moving device 100 includes a body portion 110, an inflow passage 120, a bank 130, a passage passage 140, a nozzle 150, and a valve 160. can do.

The body portion 110 is a part that forms the body of the pipe moving device, and may have a size and shape that can be inserted into the pipe and moved. Additionally, the body portion 110 can travel within the pipe due to a difference in fluid pressure between the front end and the rear end. That is, as the fluid transported within the pipe acts on the rear end of the fuselage 110, a pressure difference occurs between the front and rear ends of the fuselage 110, causing the fuselage 110 to move toward the front end. do.

In an embodiment, at least one driving cup and a link part supporting the driving cup may be disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the fuselage 110 so that the driving cup contacts the inner wall of the pipe. By radially supporting and shielding the inner surface of the pipe by the driving cup, a sealing effect can be achieved with respect to the cross-sectional area of the pipe passage. This can increase the pressure difference between the front and rear ends of the fuselage 110.

In an embodiment, the body portion 110 can accommodate various internal and external components (pipe inner wall cleaning device, leakage flux detection device, measurement data collection/transmission device, piping abnormality diagnosis device, battery pack, etc.), While traveling inside the pipe, the component can perform various functions, such as inspecting the inside of the pipe.

In an embodiment, the body portion 110 may be composed of one or more pieces. When composed of a plurality of body parts 110, the body parts 110 may be connected to each other through a link member such as a universal joint. For example, the first fuselage at the front end may be responsible for traveling within the pipe, and the second fuselage at the rear end may be responsible for inspecting the pipe. However, it is not limited to this.

Fluid acting on the rear end of the fuselage 110 may flow into the fuselage 110 and be discharged from the front end of the fuselage 110. Specifically, the fluid within the fuselage 110 may be discharged to the outside via the inflow passage 120, the bank 130, the passage passage 140, and the nozzle 150. This can reduce the pressure difference between the front and rear ends of the fuselage 110, and can also generate braking force in the fuselage 110 to control the traveling speed of the pipe moving device 100.

The inflow passage 120 may be formed from the rear end of the fuselage 110 toward the bank 130. Fluid in the pipe may flow in from the rear end of the inflow passage 120 and move to the front end. The inlet flow path 120 may consist of at least one.

The bank 130 is connected to the front end of the inlet flow path 120, so that fluid flowing in from the inlet flow path 120 can be stored. Fluid temporarily/non-temporarily stored in the bank 130 may be discharged through the passage passage 140 connected to the front end of the bank 130. Since the fluid contained in the bank 130 is supplied to the passage passage 140, a sufficient flow rate of fluid can be supplied to the passage passage 140 and the nozzle 150 to exert braking force. For example, when there is an elbow or a change in the cross-sectional area of the pipe due to design reasons of the pipe moving device 100, the bank 130 having a sufficient accommodation space is effective. In particular, as will be explained below, when sonic (or subsonic) fluid is injected using the nozzle 150 (particularly, a critical flow nozzle), a high pressure loss occurs within the pipe moving device 100, resulting in an appropriate Considering that flow rate supply may be difficult, the bank 130 may be configured to supply a sufficient flow rate.

In an embodiment, the bank 130 may be formed along the perimeter of the fuselage 110 . For example, the bank 130 may be formed in a ring shape surrounding the fuselage 110. In this case, the fluid accommodating space in the bank 130 is not separated, the fluid can be stored in one space, and at least one inlet flow path 120 and/or at least one passing flow path 140 are independent of each other. A connection space that can be connected may be provided. In that fluid flows into and is stored in a single space called the bank 130, and the fluid can move uniformly from this to at least one passage passage 140, uniform flow is generated in each passage passage 140 and the nozzle 150. By exerting braking force, tilting or slipping of the pipe moving device 100 can be prevented.

In an embodiment, the inlet flow path 120 may be formed through an inlet hole formed on one side of the bank 130, and the through flow path 140 may be connected through an outlet hole formed on the other side of the bank 130. At this time, the inner wall of the bank 130 may be located in a direction opposite to the direction in which the outlet hole faces the bank 130 or the direction in which the fluid is sprayed by the nozzle 150. This means that when fluid is injected by the nozzle 150 and thrust is generated opposite to the injection direction, the thrust is applied to the inner wall of at least one of the bank 130, the passage passage 140, and the nozzle 150 (in particular, the bank 130). This is to convert thrust into braking force by acting on the inner wall of.

For example, the inlet flow path 120 may be connected through an inlet hole formed on the rear side of the bank 130, and the through flow path 140 may be connected through an outlet hole formed on the front side of the bank 130. Additionally, for example, the inlet flow path 120 may be connected through an inlet hole formed on the side of the bank 130, and the through flow path 140 may be connected through an outlet hole formed on the front side of the bank 130.

The passage passage 140 may be formed from the bank 130 toward the front end of the fuselage 110. That is, fluid in the bank 130 may flow in from the rear end of the passage passage 140 and be discharged toward the front end.

A nozzle 150 may be formed within the passage passage 140. As the fluid passes through the nozzle 150, the velocity of the fluid increases and the pressure decreases. The thrust generated by the injection of fluid through the nozzle 150 may be converted into braking force of the fuselage 110. At this time, the nozzle 150 may be formed integrally with the passage passage 140 or may be assembled together.

In an embodiment, the nozzle 150 may be a converging and diverging nozzle in which the inner diameter of the passage passage 140 decreases and then increases from the rear end to the front end. As the fluid passes through the nozzle throat of a converging and diverging nozzle, its velocity increases and its pressure decreases. For example, nozzle 150 may be a venturi nozzle. For example, nozzle 150 may be a critical flow nozzle. In particular, in the case of a critical flow nozzle, the maximum flow rate can be sprayed through the nozzle 150, and at this time, the variables defining the flow are influenced by the upstream (rear end of the nozzle 150) and the downstream (rear end of the nozzle 150) Because it is independent of the front end, the flow rate can be controlled more easily.

In an embodiment, at the same time that the velocity of the fluid passing through the nozzle 150 increases and the pressure decreases, the pressure of the fluid before passing the nozzle 150, particularly the fluid within the bank 130, increases. This is because the thrust generated when fluid is injected by the nozzle 150 acts to the inner wall of the bank 130. When the bank 130 does not exist or the inner wall of the bank 130 does not exist, the thrust acts toward the rear end of the fuselage 110 and is only used to increase the pressure at the rear end of the fuselage 110.

The valve 160 can control the flow of fluid toward the nozzle 150. To this end, the valve 160 may be located, for example, at the rear end of the passage passage 140, but is not limited thereto and may be placed at various positions, such as before/after the bank 130.

In embodiments, valve 160 may allow or block fluid flow to nozzle 150. When the flow of fluid toward the nozzle 150 is blocked by the valve 160, the body portion 110 moves due to a difference in fluid pressure acting on the entire body portion 110. In contrast, when the flow of fluid toward the nozzle 150 is allowed by the valve 160, the fluid at the rear end of the fuselage 110 passes through the inflow passage 120, the bank 130, and the passage passage 140. As it is discharged to the front of the fuselage 110, the difference in fluid pressure acting on the entire fuselage 110 is reduced, and in particular, the traveling speed of the fuselage 110 is increased by the braking force generated by the nozzle 150. can be reduced.

In an embodiment, the valve 160 may control the degree of opening and closing to adjust the amount of fluid directed to the nozzle 150. The pressure at the rear end of the nozzle 150 is determined by the amount of fluid heading to the nozzle 150, and the pressure and speed of the fluid sprayed from the nozzle 150 can be determined accordingly. Additionally, through this, the braking force can be adjusted by controlling the pressure within the bank 130.

The sensing unit may measure at least one of speed, acceleration, and fluid pressure (or pressure difference) between the front and rear ends of the fuselage unit 110 in the pipe moving device 100. Whether a speed surge occurs in the pipe moving device 100 may be detected by the detection unit. When a speed surge occurs, the valve 160 is opened and fluid may be injected via the nozzle 150. At this time, the degree of opening of the valve 160 may vary depending on the degree of speed surge.

Although not shown, the pipe moving device 100 may further include a control unit. The control unit may control the overall operation of the pipe moving device 100. For example, the controller may generally control the components within the pipe moving device 100 by executing a program stored in the pipe moving device 100. For example, the control unit may include at least one processor. The processor may be configured to process at least one instruction by performing basic arithmetic, logic, and input/output operations for the operation of the pipe moving device 100. The instructions described above may be provided to the processor from memory. That is, the processor may be configured to execute instructions according to program codes stored in a recording device such as memory. Alternatively, the instructions may be received by the pipe moving device 100 through the communication unit and provided to the processor.

Although not shown, depending on the embodiment, the pipe moving device 100 may further include a communication unit. The communication unit is provided for direct connection to the inside and/or outside or connection through a network, and may be a wired and/or wireless communication unit. Specifically, the communication unit can transmit data from a memory, a control unit, etc. wired or wirelessly, or receive data from the outside by wire or wirelessly and transmit it to the control unit or store it in a memory. For example, the communication unit includes a Bluetooth communication unit, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication unit, Near Field Communication unit, WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, Zigbee communication unit, infrared data association (IrDA) communication unit, and WFD ( It may include, but is not limited to, a Wi-Fi Direct) communication unit and a UWB (ultra wideband) communication unit. The communication unit may be implemented with at least one module or chip.

Although not shown, depending on the embodiment, the pipe moving device 100 may further include a memory. The memory may store programs for performing operations of the pipe moving device 100, data according to operating operations, etc. For example, memory may be a flash memory type, hard disk type, multimedia card micro type, card type memory (e.g. SD or XD memory, etc.), RAM (Random Access Memory), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), magnetic memory, magnetic It may include at least one type of storage medium among disks and optical disks.

However, not all of the components shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are essential components of the pipe moving device 100. Depending on the embodiment, the pipe moving device 100 may be implemented with more components than the components shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, and may be implemented with fewer components than the components shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. A pipe moving device 100 may be implemented.

4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining changes in pressure and velocity of fluid according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4A, the pressure and speed of fluid injected from the bank 130 through the nozzle 150 in the passage passage 140 are shown. As shown, the pressure (standard pressure is 8 bar) of the fluid at the nozzle neck decreases, and the velocity increases significantly. Depending on this change in fluid properties, it can act as a braking force.

Referring to FIG. 4B, the pressure and velocity of the fluid are shown in a state in which the nozzle 150 is not provided. As shown, the speed and pressure of the fluid (the reference pressure is 8 bar) are constant, and therefore, this movement of the fluid can only perform the function of reducing the pressure difference between the front and rear ends of the fuselage 110. .

Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining braking force according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 5 , the horizontal axis represents the fluid pressure difference between the front and rear ends of the fuselage 110, and the vertical axis represents the braking force acting on the fuselage 110. As the pressure difference increases, the fuselage 110 receives greater force to travel within the pipe, and the degree to which this travel is reduced can be expressed as braking force.

In FIG. 5, the graph with triangle marks relates to an embodiment of the present invention, and the graph with square marks relates to the prior art.

As shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, the fluid in the pipe moving device 100 generates a braking force while passing through the bank 130, the passage passage 140, the nozzle 150, etc., thereby preventing the generation of a speed surge. It can deteriorate. In particular, since the braking force is proportional to the difference in fluid pressure between the front and rear ends of the fuselage 110, as a larger surge occurs, a larger braking force is generated, enabling more stable driving.

In contrast, in the prior art, only a part of the fluid pressure difference acting on the pipe moving device can be resolved through a bypass pipe, and although this part can act as a braking force, it can be seen that it is not sufficient to respond to the speed surge.

As described above, although the embodiments have been described with limited examples and drawings, various modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art from the above description. For example, appropriate results can be achieved even if components of the described system, structure, device, circuit, etc. are combined or combined in a form different from the described method, or are replaced or replaced by other components or equivalents. Additionally, each embodiment can be operated in combination with each other as needed. For example, parts of one embodiment of the present invention and another embodiment may be combined to operate the device. Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims also fall within the scope of the claims described below.

100: Piping moving device 110: Fuselage part
120: Inflow Euro 130: Bank
140: Pass passage 150: Nozzle
160: valve

Claims (9)

As a pipe moving device,
A body part that travels within the pipe due to a difference in fluid pressure between the front and rear ends;
an inlet flow path that allows fluid in the pipe to flow in from the rear end of the fuselage and move to the front end;
a bank connected to the front end of the inlet flow path and storing the fluid;
a passage passage through which the fluid flows in from the bank and is discharged to the front end; and
It is formed in the passage passage and includes a nozzle that sprays the fluid by switching the pressure to decrease and the speed to increase,
The reaction force generated by the injection of the fluid through the nozzle is converted into a braking force of the fuselage to reduce the traveling speed due to the pressure difference,
When the fluid is injected by the nozzle, a thrust is generated opposite to the injection direction, and the thrust acts on the inner wall of the bank, thereby generating the braking force,
A pipe moving device, wherein the nozzle is a converging diverging nozzle. delete delete delete According to claim 1,
The bank is formed along the circumference of the fuselage to have a space for receiving the fluid, the inlet flow path is connected through an inlet hole formed on the rear side of the bank, and the passage flow path is connected through an outlet hole formed on the front side of the bank. A pipe moving device is connected, and the inner wall of the bank is located between the inlet hole and the outlet hole. According to claim 1,
The bank is formed along the circumference of the fuselage to have a space for receiving the fluid, the inlet flow path is connected through an inlet hole formed on a side of the bank, and the passage flow path is connected through an outlet hole formed on the front side of the bank. Connected, pipe moving device. According to claim 1,
A pipe moving device further comprising a valve that controls the pressure and speed of fluid injected through the nozzle by controlling the flow of fluid toward the nozzle. According to claim 7,
When the flow of fluid toward the nozzle is blocked by the valve, the fuselage portion travels due to a pressure difference between the fluids acting on the fuselage portion,
When the flow of fluid toward the nozzle is allowed by the valve, the pressure difference between the fluids acting on the body portion is reduced, and the traveling speed of the body portion is reduced by the braking force. According to claim 7,
A piping moving device further comprising a sensing unit that measures at least one of the speed, acceleration, and pressure of the front and rear ends of the fuselage, and wherein the degree of opening and closing of the valve is adjusted by the sensing unit.

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