Pipe crawler apparatus and method for internal pipe inspection
US9398198B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 21, 2014 |
| Grant date | Jul 19, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 18, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N23/555
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Steam turbine engine cross over pipe or other pipe internal inspection is performed with a selectively steerable pipe inspection crawler apparatus with a chassis having a longitudinal axis, with front and rear Mechanum wheels capable of independently-selected forward or rearward driven rotational direction, for selectively steering the apparatus within the pipe interior under control of a human-machine interface (HMI). The crawler apparatus has at least one inspection camera having a field of view, for capturing images of a pipe interior that is also under control of the HMI. Embodiments of the crawler apparatus include a selectively orientable inspection camera and/or a deployable bore scope that is selectively deployed and retracted from a descending section of the cross over pipe.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.