WO2022025388A1

WO2022025388A1 - Pipeline cleaning apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2022025388A1
Application number: PCT/KR2021/004651
Authority: WO
Inventors: 조민권; 오희경; 박기호
Original assignee: (주)대우건설
Priority date: 2020-07-29
Filing date: 2021-04-13
Publication date: 2022-02-03
Also published as: KR102249952B1

Abstract

A pipeline cleaning apparatus is disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a pipeline cleaning apparatus transported by means of a wire extending in a pipeline may be provided, the pipeline cleaning apparatus comprising: a bar-shaped shaft assembly having, on the front end thereof, a first lug coupled to a wire; a wheel assembly comprising a plurality of link assemblies which radially extend from the rear end portion of the shaft assembly, and a plurality of wheels which are each coupled to the respective end portions of the plurality of link assemblies; a brush assembly comprising a plurality of arms which are coupled to the shaft assembly at a position between the wheel assembly and the front end of the shaft assembly, and radially extend therefrom, and a plurality of brushes which are each coupled to the respective end portions of the plurality of arms; and a first floater assembly comprising a first bearing which is coupled to a first journal formed on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft assembly at a position between the brush assembly and the front end of the shaft assembly, and a first floater which is coupled to the first bearing.

Description

pipeline cleaning device

The present invention relates to a pipeline cleaning apparatus, and more particularly, to a pipeline cleaning apparatus capable of removing foreign substances that may be installed on the seabed or deposited in a pipeline for fresh water intake.

A pipeline for seawater intake or freshwater intake may be installed, and the flow path of the pipeline may decrease due to the deposition of foreign substances, such as organisms, introduced with the seawater or freshwater, thereby increasing the load on the intake pump problems such as Accordingly, a cleaning operation for periodically removing foreign substances deposited in the pipeline is performed.

In the prior art, it was common to use a pig cleaning machine for the pipe cleaning operation.

However, as the diameter of the pipeline increases, the size of a pig and a pig launcher must also increase, thereby increasing the cost and time required to purchase, install, and dismantle the device. In addition, recovering the discharged pigs also requires high-level offshore work, and when an abnormal situation occurs where the pig is caught in the middle of the pipeline, huge costs and professional manpower are required to remove the pig. There was also the issue of stopping. In addition, when the diameter of the pipeline is 1000 mm or more, there is a problem that the cleaning operation by the pig cleaning apparatus becomes virtually impossible.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a pipeline cleaning apparatus capable of efficiently removing foreign substances deposited in a pipeline even when the pipeline is filled with seawater or fresh water.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pipeline cleaning apparatus transferred by a wire extending into a pipeline, comprising: a bar-shaped shaft assembly having a first lug to which the wire is coupled at a front end; a wheel assembly including a plurality of link assemblies extending radially from the rear end of the shaft assembly, and a plurality of wheels respectively coupled to ends of the plurality of link assemblies; a brush assembly including a plurality of arms coupled to the shaft assembly and extending radially between the front end of the shaft assembly and the wheel assembly, and a plurality of brushes respectively coupled to ends of the plurality of arms; and a first floater assembly including a first bearing coupled to a first journal formed on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft assembly between the front end of the shaft assembly and the brush assembly, and a first floater coupled to the first bearing A pipeline cleaning apparatus may be provided.

The first plotter may include: a first upper plotter and a second upper plotter disposed above the shaft assembly; and a first lower floater disposed under the shaft assembly, wherein the first upper plotter is disposed on the left side of the shaft assembly, and the second upper floater is disposed on the right side of the shaft assembly, wherein the first The lower floater may be symmetrical with respect to the shaft assembly.

The method may further include a second floater assembly including a third bearing coupled to a third journal formed on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft assembly between the brush assembly and the wheel assembly, and a second floater coupled to the third bearing. .

The second plotter may include a third upper plotter and a fourth upper plotter disposed above the shaft assembly; and a second lower plotter disposed under the shaft assembly, wherein the third upper plotter is disposed on the left side of the shaft assembly, and the fourth upper floater is disposed on the right side of the shaft assembly, wherein the second The lower floater may be symmetrical with respect to the shaft assembly.

The brush assembly may include: a brush body coupled to a second journal formed on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft assembly and to which the plurality of arms are rotatably coupled toward a rear end of the shaft assembly; and a plurality of first spring assemblies coupled to the brush body to support the plurality of arms, respectively, wherein the arms are coupled to the front end of the brush body, while the first spring assembly is a part of the brush body. It may be coupled to the rear end.

The wheel assembly may include: a fourth bearing coupled to a fourth journal formed on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft assembly and rotatably coupled to the plurality of link assemblies toward a rear end of the shaft assembly; and a plurality of second spring assemblies coupled to the fourth bearing to respectively support the plurality of link assemblies, wherein the link assemblies are coupled to the front end of the fourth bearing, while the second spring assembly comprises: It may be coupled to the rear end of the fourth bearing.

The shaft assembly may include a second lug at the rear end to which the other wire is coupled.

a camera disposed at the front end and the rear end of the shaft assembly, respectively, to photograph the inner circumferential surface of the pipeline; a GPS module coupled to the shaft assembly to generate location information; and a communication module for transmitting the captured image of the camera and the location information of the GPS module.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the shaft assembly can be aligned with the central axis of the pipeline by the floater that generates buoyancy when submerged in seawater or fresh water filled in the pipeline, and as a result, the pipeline cleaning device is lowered by its own weight It is possible to improve the problem that some of the plurality of brushes are separated or spaced apart from the inner circumferential surface of the pipeline.

1 is a view showing an operation example of a pipeline cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the pipeline cleaning apparatus of Figure 1,

3 is a side view of the pipeline cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the shaft assembly of Fig. 3;

5 is a side view of the first plotter assembly of FIG. 3;

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A - A of FIG. 3;

Fig. 7 is a side view of the brush assembly of Fig. 3;

8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B - B of FIG. 3;

9 is a partially enlarged view of the brush assembly of FIG. 3;

Fig. 10 is a side view of the second plotter assembly of Fig. 3;

11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C - C of FIG. 3;

12 is a side view of the wheel assembly of FIG. 3;

13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D - D of FIG. 3;

14 is a partially enlarged view of the wheel assembly of FIG. 3;

15 is a block diagram illustrating another configuration of the pipeline cleaning apparatus of FIG. 2 .

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Terms used in the embodiments of the present invention, unless clearly defined in other meanings, may be interpreted as meanings that can be generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs, and only specific It will be seen that the embodiments are described, and not intended to limit the present invention.

In this specification, the singular will be considered to include the plural unless otherwise specified.

Also, when a part is described as "including" a certain element, it means that the part may further include other elements.

In addition, when a component is described as "upper", it means above or below the component, and does not necessarily mean that it is located above the direction of gravity.

In addition, when it is described that a component is “connected” or “coupled” to another component, the component is not only directly connected or coupled to another component, but also indirectly through another component. It may include a case where it is connected or combined with .

In addition, although terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe a certain component, these terms are only for distinguishing the corresponding component from other components, and the essence or sequence of the corresponding component by the term Or, it is not intended to limit the order or the like.

1 is a view showing an operation example of a pipeline cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the pipeline cleaning apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be transferred into the pipeline 20 by a crane or the like for cleaning the pipeline 20 , and the pipeline

cleaning apparatus Wires

30 and 40 may be respectively connected to the front and rear ends of (10), and each of the

wires

30 and 40 may be wound by, for example, a winch 50 installed on land.

Therefore, the pipeline cleaning apparatus 10 moves forward when the winch 50 winds the first wire 30 , but moves backward when the winch 50 winds the second wire 40 while cleaning the pipeline 20 . work can be done.

That is, the pipeline cleaning apparatus 10 may be transferred by the

wires

30 and 40 extending into the pipeline 20 even without its own power source.

In addition, when the first wire 30 is wound through a pulley installed at the end of the pipeline in the opposite direction to which the first wire 30 is wound, the pipeline cleaning device 10 performs the cleaning operation of the pipeline 20 while reversing. can be done

Meanwhile, the pipeline 20 may be installed on the seabed for seawater intake, and may provide a passage for transporting seawater introduced through an intake port open to the sea to land.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pipeline cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1 , and FIG. 3 is a side view of the pipeline cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1 .

2 and 3 , the pipeline cleaning apparatus 10 may include a shaft assembly 100 , a first floater assembly 200 , a brush assembly 300 , and a wheel assembly 500 , and the second It may further include a plotter assembly 400 .

The shaft assembly 100 may have a bar shape extending in the X direction.

A first lug 110 to which the first wire 30 is coupled may be formed at the front end of the shaft assembly 100 .

In addition, the second lug 120 to which the second wire 40 is coupled is additionally formed at the rear end of the shaft assembly 100 , thereby enabling the pipeline cleaning apparatus 10 to move backward.

The first plotter assembly 200 , the brush assembly 300 , the second plotter assembly 400 , and the wheel assembly 500 may be coupled to the shaft assembly 100 to be sequentially arranged along the X direction.

The first floater assembly 200 and the second plotter assembly 400 may generate buoyancy when each submerged in seawater, and the brush assembly 300 may generate a buoyancy force in the pipeline 20 as the pipeline cleaning device 10 is transported. ) can scrape off foreign substances deposited on the inner circumferential surface, for example, marine life, and the wheel assembly 500 minimizes friction while running along the inner circumferential surface of the pipeline 20 as the pipeline cleaning device 10 is transported Meanwhile, the pipeline cleaning device 10 can be stably supported.

In particular, when the first plotter assembly 200 and the second plotter assembly 400 are simultaneously disposed before and after the brush assembly 300 , the alignment of the shaft assembly 100 and the even adhesion of the brush assembly 300 are further improved. can be

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the shaft assembly of FIG. 3 ;

3 and 4 , the shaft assembly 100 may include a plurality of

shafts

131 , 132 , 133 , 134 , and a first shaft 131 , a second shaft 132 , and a third shaft. (133) and the fourth shaft 134 are arranged in sequence along the X direction, for example, can be separably coupled to each other through a spacer spool (spacer spool) 135, the first shaft 131, A first plotter assembly 200 , a brush assembly 300 , a second plotter assembly 400 , and a wheel assembly 500 are provided to the second shaft 132 , the third shaft 133 , and the fourth shaft 134 , respectively. can be combined.

Accordingly, the pipeline cleaning apparatus 10 can be modularized to facilitate on-site movement, assembly and disassembly.

Meanwhile, the first lug 110 may be provided on the first shaft 131 , and the second lug 120 may be provided on the fourth shaft 134 .

FIG. 5 is a side view of the first plotter assembly of FIG. 3 , and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A - A of FIG. 3 .

3 to 6 , the first plotter assembly 200 may include a first bearing 210 and a first plotter 220 .

The first bearing 210 may be coupled to the first journal 131a formed on the outer circumferential surface of the first shaft 131 to rotate along the circumferential direction of the first shaft 131 . For example, the movement of the first bearing 210 in the X direction may be restricted by the first stopper 131b protruding from the first journal 131a.

The first floater 220 may be coupled to the first bearing 210 , and may generate buoyancy when submerged in seawater.

The first plotter 220 may include a first upper plotter 221 , a second upper plotter 223 , and a first lower plotter 225 .

The first upper plotter 221 and the second upper plotter 223 may be disposed above the shaft assembly 100 , and the first lower plotter 225 may be disposed below the shaft assembly 100 . Also, the first upper plotter 221 may be disposed on the left side of the shaft assembly 100 , the second upper plotter 223 may be disposed on the right side of the shaft assembly 100 , and the first lower plotter 225 may be disposed on the right side of the shaft assembly 100 . ) may be left and right symmetrical with respect to the shaft assembly 100 . In the present specification, the division between upper and lower left and right is considered to be set based on the drawings for convenience of explanation.

A gas for generating buoyancy may be filled in the first upper floater 221 , the second upper plotter 223 , and the first lower plotter 225 .

Accordingly, left-right balance may be adjusted by the first upper floater 221 and the second upper floater 223 , and insufficient buoyancy may be supplemented by the first lower floater 225 .

7 is a side view of the brush assembly of FIG. 3 , FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B - B of FIG. 3 , and FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged view of the brush assembly of FIG. 3 .

3 , 4 , and 7 to 9 , the brush assembly 300 may include a plurality of arms 320 and a plurality of brushes 330 , and may include a brush body and/or a plurality of first springs. It may further include an assembly 340 .

The brush body may be coupled to the second journal 132a formed on the outer circumferential surface of the second shaft 132 .

For example, the brush body may be a second bearing 310 coupled to the second journal 132a formed on the outer circumferential surface of the second shaft 132 and rotating along the circumferential direction of the second shaft 132a.

The plurality of arms 320 may be rotatably coupled to the front end of the second bearing 310 toward the rear end of the shaft assembly 100 , and may extend radially around the shaft assembly 100 .

The plurality of brushes 330 may be respectively coupled to the ends of the plurality of arms 320 .

In particular, the end of the brush 330 is a portion in direct contact with the inner circumferential surface of the pipeline 20 and may extend obliquely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the shaft assembly 100 , that is, the X direction. For example, an end of the brush 330 may extend helically about the shaft assembly 100 .

Accordingly, when the pipeline cleaning apparatus 10 moves along the pipeline 20 , the brush assembly 300 may rotate due to friction between the pipeline 20 and the brush 330 .

As a result, even if the ends of the brushes 330 are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the shaft assembly 100 between the plurality of brushes 330 , a problem in which an uncleaned area is formed is solved on the inner circumferential surface of the pipeline 20 . This can be solved by the brush 330 rotating in the direction, and the number of brushes 330 can be reduced to reduce cost and weight. Also, it is possible to prevent a phenomenon in which the

wires

30 and 40 connected to the shaft assembly 100 are twisted because the shaft assembly 100 does not rotate despite the rotation of the brush assembly 300 .

The first spring assembly 340 may be coupled to the rear end of the second bearing 310 to support the arm 320 .

For example, the first spring assembly 340 may extend obliquely with respect to the X direction from the second bearing 310 and may be connected to the central portion of the arm 320, and may include a spring and a shock absorber. .

Accordingly, the brush 330 can be brought into close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the pipeline 20 , and the impact generated when foreign substances are removed can be alleviated.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the second plotter assembly of FIG. 3 , and FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C - C of FIG. 3 .

3, 4, 10 and 11 , the second plotter assembly 400 may include a third bearing 410 and a second plotter 420 .

The third bearing 410 may be coupled to the third journal 133a formed on the outer circumferential surface of the third shaft 133 to rotate along the circumferential direction of the third shaft 133 . For example, the movement of the third bearing 410 in the X direction may be restricted by the third stopper 133b protruding from the third journal 133a.

The second floater 420 may be coupled to the third bearing 410 , and may generate buoyancy when submerged in seawater.

The third plotter 420 may include a third upper plotter 421 , a fourth upper plotter 423 , and a second lower plotter 425 .

The third upper plotter 421 and the fourth upper plotter 423 may be disposed above the shaft assembly 100 , and the second lower plotter 425 may be disposed below the shaft assembly 100 . In addition, the third upper plotter 421 may be disposed on the left side of the shaft assembly 100 , while the fourth upper plotter 423 may be disposed on the right side of the shaft assembly 100 , and the second lower plotter ( 425 may have a symmetrical shape with respect to the shaft assembly 100 .

A gas for generating buoyancy may be filled in the third upper floater 421 , the fourth upper plotter 423 , and the second lower plotter 425 .

Accordingly, the left and right balance may be adjusted by the third upper floater 421 and the fourth upper floater 423 , and insufficient buoyancy may be supplemented by the second lower floater 425 .

12 is a side view of the wheel assembly of FIG. 3 , FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D - D of FIG. 3 , and FIG. 14 is a partially enlarged view of the wheel assembly of FIG. 3 .

3, 4, and 12 to 14 , the wheel assembly 500 may include a plurality of link assemblies 520 and a plurality of wheels 530 , and may include a fourth bearing 510 and/or a plurality of wheels 530 . A plurality of second spring assemblies 540 may be further included.

The fourth bearing 510 may be coupled to the fourth journal 134a formed on the outer circumferential surface of the fourth shaft 134 to rotate along the circumferential direction of the fourth shaft 134 . For example, movement of the fourth bearing 510 in the X direction may be restricted by the fourth stopper 134b protruding from the fourth journal 134a.

The plurality of link assemblies 520 may be rotatably coupled to the front end of the fourth bearing 510 toward the rear end of the shaft assembly 100 , and may extend radially around the shaft assembly 100 . .

The link assembly 520 may be formed of a plurality of links rotatably serially coupled to each other toward the rear end of the shaft assembly 100 .

The plurality of wheels 530 may be respectively coupled to ends of the plurality of link assemblies 520 .

The second spring assembly 540 may be coupled to the rear end of the fourth bearing 510 to support the link assembly 520 .

For example, the second spring assembly 520 may extend obliquely with respect to the X direction from the fourth bearing 510 to be connected to a central portion or a distal portion of the link assembly 520 , and may include a spring and a shock absorber.

Accordingly, the wheel 530 can be brought into close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the pipeline 20 , and the shock generated during driving can be alleviated.

15 , the pipeline cleaning device 10 includes a camera 600 , a lighting 610 , a GPS module 620 , a communication module 630 , a distance sensor 640 , a gas transfer unit 650 and/or It may further include a control unit 660 .

Four cameras 600 are disposed at the front and rear ends of the shaft assembly 100 so as to take pictures in, for example, up, down, left, and right directions, respectively, to photograph the inner peripheral surface of the pipeline 20 .

The camera 600 may be an underwater camera capable of underwater photography.

The lighting 620 may be disposed at the front and rear ends of the shaft assembly 600 to irradiate the light to the photographing area of the camera 600 to enable underwater photographing even in the dark pipeline 20 .

The GPS module 620 may be coupled to the shaft assembly 600 to generate location information.

The communication module 630 may transmit the captured image of the camera 600 and the location information of the GPS module 620 to an external, for example, a server of a control center. As a result, the cleaning operation status of the pipeline 20 can be checked, and the location of the pipeline cleaning apparatus 10 can be tracked.

The distance sensor 640 may be coupled to the first plotter assembly 200 and/or the second plotter assembly 400 , and mutually in the circumferential direction of the first bearing 210 and/or the third bearing 410 . It is arranged in plurality so as to be spaced apart from each other to detect the distance to the inner peripheral surface of the pipeline 20 .

The gas transfer unit 650 may mutually move the gas charged in the first upper plotter 221 , the second upper plotter 223 , and the first lower plotter 225 according to a control signal of the controller 660 , or , the gas filled in the third upper plotter 421 , the fourth upper plotter 423 , and the second lower plotter 425 may be moved to each other, and the first lower plotter 225 or the second lower plotter 425 may be ) can be discharged to the outside. To this end, the gas transfer unit 650 may include a pipe (not shown) connecting the floaters to each other, and a valve and a pump installed in the pipe.

The controller 660 may control various electrical devices mounted on the pipeline cleaning device 10 .

For example, when it is determined that the shaft assembly 100 is separated from the center of the pipeline 20 for a preset time based on the detection result of the plurality of distance sensors 640 , the control unit 660 determines the shaft assembly 100 . By controlling the gas transfer unit 650 so that it is aligned with the center of the pipeline 20, the gas charged in the plurality of

plotters

221, 223, 225, 421, 423, 425 may be moved to each other or discharged to the outside. have.

In the above, the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been mainly described, but this is merely an example and does not limit the present invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can variously modify and change the embodiments by adding, changing, deleting or adding components within the scope that does not depart from the technical spirit of the present invention described in the claims. It will be possible, and this will also be said to be included within the scope of the present invention.

The mode for carrying out the invention has been described together in the best mode for carrying out the invention.

According to the pipeline cleaning apparatus of the present invention, it can be utilized for cleaning work that periodically removes foreign substances deposited in the pipeline.

Claims

A pipeline cleaning apparatus conveyed by a wire extending into a pipeline, comprising:

a bar-shaped shaft assembly having a first lug to which the wire is coupled;

a wheel assembly including a plurality of link assemblies extending radially from the rear end of the shaft assembly, and a plurality of wheels respectively coupled to ends of the plurality of link assemblies;

a brush assembly comprising a plurality of arms coupled to the shaft assembly and extending radially between the front end of the shaft assembly and the wheel assembly, and a plurality of brushes respectively coupled to ends of the plurality of arms; and

A pipe including a first floater assembly including a first bearing coupled to a first journal formed on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft assembly between the front end of the shaft assembly and the brush assembly, and a first floater coupled to the first bearing line cleaning device.
According to claim 1,

The first plotter is

a first upper floater and a second upper floater disposed above the shaft assembly; and

and a first lower floater disposed below the shaft assembly,

wherein the first upper plotter is disposed on the left side of the shaft assembly, the second upper floater is disposed on the right side of the shaft assembly, and the first lower plotter is symmetrical with respect to the shaft assembly. line cleaning device.
According to claim 1,

The pipeline further comprising a second floater assembly including a third bearing coupled to a third journal formed on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft assembly between the brush assembly and the wheel assembly, and a second floater coupled to the third bearing cleaning device.
4. The method of claim 3,

The second plotter is

a third upper floater and a fourth upper floater disposed above the shaft assembly; and

and a second lower floater disposed below the shaft assembly,

the third upper plotter is disposed on the left side of the shaft assembly, the fourth upper plotter is disposed on the right side of the shaft assembly, and the second lower plotter is symmetrical with respect to the shaft assembly. line cleaning device.
According to claim 1,

The brush assembly,

a brush body coupled to a second journal formed on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft assembly and rotatably coupled to the plurality of arms toward a rear end of the shaft assembly; and

A plurality of first spring assemblies coupled to the brush body to respectively support the plurality of arms,

and the arm is coupled to the front end of the brush body, while the first spring assembly is coupled to the rear end of the brush body.
6. The method of claim 5,

The wheel assembly,

a fourth bearing coupled to a fourth journal formed on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft assembly and rotatably coupled to the plurality of link assemblies toward a rear end of the shaft assembly; and

A plurality of second spring assemblies coupled to the fourth bearing to respectively support the plurality of link assemblies,

The link assembly is coupled to the front end of the fourth bearing, while the second spring assembly is coupled to the rear end of the fourth bearing.
The method of claim 1,

The shaft assembly is a pipeline cleaning apparatus having a second lug at the rear end to which the other wire is coupled.
The method of claim 1,

a camera disposed at the front end and the rear end of the shaft assembly to photograph the inner circumferential surface of the pipeline;

a GPS module coupled to the shaft assembly to generate location information; and

Pipeline cleaning apparatus further comprising a communication module for transmitting the captured image of the camera and the location information of the GPS module.