Method and apparatus for treating interior cylindrical surfaces and ablating surface material thereon
US6437285B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 2, 1998 |
| Grant date | Aug 20, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 2, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB23K2101/06
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A method and system for treating internal surface material overlying the interior of a tubular a substrate, and more particularly, to a system for ablating contaminates and other unwanted material from an internal surface 52 using a pulsed laser beam (38). The system includes three main sub-systems: a back end (30), a work head (100), and an umbilical tube (31) to protect conduits communicating between the back end (30) and the work head (100). The back end (30) includes heavy and bulky equipment such as a laser (32), chiller (4), pressurized air source (70), suction system (84), waste containment system (82), and electric power source (78). A conveyance such as a trailer (17) may enclose the back end (30) to make it transportable. The work head (100) includes a propeller driven rotating mirror assembly (380), and a lens assembly (520). During operation, the work head (100) is inserted in the tube or pipe and the laser (32) activated. An air flow (98) in the tube drives the propeller (500) to rotate the mirror (168). The mirror assembly (380) in the work head (100) distributes pulses from the laser beam in a circle (610) described about the axis (54) of the work head (100) and dire…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.