A system includes an inspection robot for performing an inspection on an inspection surface with an inspection robot, the apparatus comprising a position definition circuit structured to determine an inspection robot position on the inspection surface; a data positioning circuit structured to interpret inspection data, and to correlate the inspection data to the inspection robot position on the inspection surface; and wherein the data positioning circuit is further structured to determine position informed inspection data in response to the correlating of the inspection data with the inspection robot position, wherein the position informed inspection data comprises absolute position data.

A self-adjusting microbot pigging system for cleaning the interior of a pipe, the system comprises a plurality of microbots, each microbots comprises a propulsion device and a programmable computer processor operatively associated with the propulsion device, each of said processors programmed to instruct its associated propulsion device to operate in cooperation with one or more of the other microbot propulsion devices of said plurality of microbots to form a pig in the pipe.

The present application discloses a device and method for detecting and ablating hydrates in a natural gas pipeline. The device includes a transmission mechanism, a detection mechanism and an ablation mechanism. The detection mechanism and the ablation mechanism are both connected to the transmission mechanism through an elastic connector, such that the device can smoothly pass through bends in the natural gas pipeline. The transmission mechanism includes a universal wheel component, which forms static friction with an outer wall of an inner natural gas pipeline, such that the device can move along the inner natural gas pipeline. The detection mechanism detects the temperature of the natural gas pipeline and determines whether hydrates are generated in the natural gas pipeline to block the pipeline, and then the blockage is heated by the ablation mechanism to ablate the hydrates.

A pipeline sphere is shown which houses an electronics package. The sphere is formed as a hollow elastomeric body having a predetermined wall thickness and an initially void interior. A carrier tube is positioned within the initially void interior of the sphere and is supported by oppositely arranged carrier plates which are themselves embedded within oppositely arranged end openings of the sphere. A removable inflation valve is contained in one of the valve plates at a first end of the carrier tube. The carrier tube has a plurality of apertures formed through its wall to enable inflating or deflating the sphere. One electronics package that can be used is an electrical tracking device.

A system is disclosed for cleaning the interiors of tubes in heat exchangers such as condensers and other devices having numerous substantially parallel tubes which periodically become fouled, scaled, or otherwise encumbered with deposits. An air-actuated seal resides on the end of a nozzle which is projected into the open end of a condenser tube or other heat exchanger tube to be cleaned. An air cylinder and piston retract the end of the nozzle on actuation of a single trigger valve on a manually operated water gun, which both begins high pressure water flow and operates the piston. On actuation of the trigger valve, the segment of the nozzle which has been inserted is retracted a short distance, crimping a flexible sleeve which surrounds it into a tight seal on the inner surface of the tube, thus preventing backflow or back spray. The system may employ projectiles designed to pass through the tubes under pressurized water, released by the gun, in close proximity to the interior surfaces of the tubes so that they may remove the deposits with a scraping or abrading action. The air-actuated sealing nozzle relieves the operator from arduous, repeated forcing of the nozzle into the tubes to maintain sealing contact with the interiors of the tubes. The system is readily adaptable to, and includes, a multi-nozzle arrangement actuated by a single trigger.

A device for traversing a conduit includes a body having a first member that is receivable within a second member. The first member is slidable relative to the second member. A first actuator is coupled to a first end of the body. A second actuator is coupled to a second end of the body. A third actuator is coupled to the body between the first actuator and the second actuator. The third actuator is also spaced apart from the first actuator and the second actuator. The device also includes a pneumatic system that is configured to change the pressure of the actuators.

The present invention relates to an intervention drive pig comprising an umbilical. In this scenario, the present invention provides an intervention drive pig comprising an umbilical, wherein the umbilical (6) is manufactured from a low-density material, wherein the umbilical (6) comprises an external covering of material having a low coefficient of friction.

Provided are techniques for operating a pipeline that include: determining, based on observed operational parameters of equipment of an upstream process facility, an indirect quality parameter for processed production fluid output from the process facility and routed into a pipeline; determining, based on characteristics of the processed production fluid output from the facility, a direct quality parameter for the processed fluid; determining a quality parameter for the processed fluid defined as the greater of the indirect and the direct quality parameter for the processed fluid; determining, based on the quality parameter for the processed fluid, a model of the pipeline that includes a cumulative water accumulation of a segment of the pipeline; determining, based on the cumulative water accumulation, a water remediation schedule for the segment; and conducting, in accordance with the schedule, a water remediation operation in the segment of the pipeline.

Pipe inspection systems including a push-cable, jetter, and camera assembly are disclosed. A jetter nozzle may be configured to spin and/or propel the camera head within a pipe or other cavity. A cutter line may be attached to the camera head to clean obstructions. A sonde may be coupled to a camera head to generate magnetic field signals for use with a buried utility locator to locate a pipe or other cavity into which the camera head is deployed.

A nozzle assembly comprises a hollow nozzle body having a central bore and a plurality of ports extending through the body from the central bore; and a switching valve assembly disposed in the central bore that directs fluid flow to ports upon application of fluid flow above a predetermined threshold to the inlet and directs fluid flow to different ports upon fluid flow having subsequently dropped below the predetermined threshold and then exceeding the predetermined threshold. The assembly comprises a cylindrical poppet slidably disposed within the central bore, a guide between the nozzle body and the poppet, and a biasing member within the cartridge case between the front portion of the nozzle body and the poppet urging the poppet away from the front portion of the cartridge case.