Sewer line and lateral inspections are made in order to detect leaks and improper connections, using steam injected into a section of sewer line. Thermal imaging of the vicinity indicates leaks and illegal connections.

A grouting material delivery and application system for coating the exterior of a collapsed liner with an even distribution of grouting material prior to insertion into a damaged conduit. The apparatus includes a wetout funnel for receiving grouting material to evenly coat the exterior of the liner. The wetout funnel includes opposite walls forming a v-shape with a slot at the bottom of the v-shape and a squeegee disposed at the slot for controlling the coating of grouting material for a uniform covering on the liner as it passes through the wetout funnel. A first ejector pipe having an inflow end and an outflow end for receiving and dispensing grouting material to coat one half of the exterior of the liner. A second ejector pipe having an inflow end and an outflow end for receiving and dispensing grouting material to coat the opposite half of the exterior of the liner.

An electronic computing system preserves a pre-error state of a processing unit by receiving a first stream of inputs; buffering the first stream of inputs to generate a buffered stream of inputs identical to the first stream of inputs; conveying the first stream to a primary instance of a first program; conveying the buffered stream to a secondary instance of the first program; executing the primary instance on the first stream in real time; executing the secondary instance on the buffered stream with a predefined time delay with respect to execution of the primary instance on the first stream; detecting an error state resulting from execution of the primary instance; and in response to detecting the error state, pausing the secondary instance and preserving a current state of the secondary instance, wherein the current state of the secondary instance corresponds to a pre-error state of the primary instance.

Apparatus and method for detecting flaws in a wall of a metallic pipe containing a fluid are disclosed. The apparatus includes: a plurality of sensors distributed around an inner circumference of the metallic pipe, for sensing magnetic field signals from the metallic pipe; a collapsible supporting structure, including a plurality of supporting petals, at a front side of the plurality of sensors for supporting the apparatus; a sail mounted on and extended from bottom ends of the plurality of supporting petals, when the plurality of supporting petals are in an extended state, the sail is expanded to form a shape capable for containing the fluid; a processing module receiving sensed data from the plurality of sensors; and one or more battery modules for electrically powering the plurality of sensors and the processing module.

The invention is embodied in a crawler that measures alignment, distance, grade, and vertical deflection of underground conduits. The crawler drives through the conduit and collects data that is used to inspect and evaluate whether the construction meets the grade and alignment according to the construction documents and specifications and spot locations of culvert deflections from material defect and/or bedding deficiencies. The preferred crawler is moved into and out of a conduit via remote control. The preferred crawler comprises a deck for carrying electronic sensors, a battery, and other devices. A computer located on the deck communicates with the electronic sensors and the other devices. Most importantly, the preferred crawler comprises at least one wheel that rides on the invert of the conduit. The guide wheel is a key element of the invention because having at least one wheel ride on the invert provides referential location for other measurements.

Various embodiments of an amphibious submersible vehicle for use in non-destructive testing of pipe interiors and walls are disclosed herein. In one aspect, the vehicle is operable for amphibious submersible operation such that pipes of various diameters can be inspected under full, partially full, and dry conditions. In another aspect, the vehicle is equipped with a plurality of propellers for travel when fully or partially submerged in water and a plurality of wheels for traveling when in contact with a pipe wall or for traveling over debris. In some embodiments, the vehicle is equipped with a plurality of sensors configured for imaging and navigation which enable the vehicle for pipe inspection and identification of problem areas.

A system for locating a leak site in an underground water pipeline comprises a leak detection element, means for introducing the leak detection element into the pipeline through an outlet of a hydrant, and means for detecting the location of the leak detection element from above the ground. The means for introducing the leak detection element into the pipeline includes capping means adapted for attachment to, and sealing of, the outlet of the hydrant. The capping means has at least one opening therethrough to allow passage of an elongate rod or hose through the capping means and into the outlet of the hydrant. The capping means is provided with a substantially waterproof membrane to provide a seal between the capping means and the outlet of the hydrant, and the at least one opening is provided with a substantially waterproof membrane to provide a seal between the rod or hose and the at least one opening. A method for locating a leak site in an underground water pipeline is also provided.

A conduit inspection tool system includes a conduit inspection tool that includes a body that includes one or more wheels configured to move the body through and in contact with a conduit; at least two power generating sub-systems coupled to the body, each of the at least two power generating sub-systems configured to generate electrical power to operate the one or more wheels to move the body through and in contact with the conduit; and at least one energy storage device electrically coupled to the at least two power generating sub-systems, the at least one energy storage device configured to store electrical power generated by the at least two power generating sub-systems; and a control system communicably coupled to the at least two power generating sub-systems and the at least one energy storage device.

A pipeline inspection device, including a rotatable drum housing a cable, where the cable is extendable into a pipe, a camera positioned on an end of the cable, and a hub housing electrical components of the pipeline inspection device and including a battery housing. A stand includes a mounting assembly having a first portion rotatably supporting the drum and a second portion supporting the hub within an interior of the drum, the second portion including a core, where the hub is removably coupled to the mounting assembly via the core. The hub is removably coupled to the mounting assembly by a first engagement member on the hub and a second engagement member on the core.

A multi-scale inspection and intelligent diagnosis system and method for tunnel structural defects includes: a traveling section; a supporting section, disposed on the traveling section, and including a rotatable telescopic platform, where two mechanical arms working in parallel are disposed on the rotatable telescopic platform; an inspection section, mounted on the supporting section, and configured to perform multi-scale inspection on surface defects and internal defects in different depth ranges of a same position of a tunnel structure, and transmit inspected defect information to a control section; and the control section, configured to: construct a deep neural network-based defect diagnosis model; construct a data set by using historical surface defect and internal defect information, and train the deep neural network-based defect diagnosis model; and receive multi-scale inspection information in real time, and automatically recognize types, positions, contours, and dielectric attributes of the internal and surface defects.