DEVICE FOR THE REHABILITATION OF PIPELINES, COMPRISING A SLOPE SENSOR

Abstract

The invention relates to a clearing device for the rehabilitation of a pipeline, especially for clearing a branching-off in a pipeline system rehabilitated by means of a tubular liner, comprising at least one clearing device, which is movably mounted by at least one degree of freedom, and a slope sensor located on the clearing device.

Claims

1. A clearing device for rehabilitating a pipeline, by clearing a branch in a pipeline system rehabilitated with a tubular liner, comprising a clearance device movably mounted in at least one degree of freedom and an inclination sensor arranged on the clearance device.

2. The clearing device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an electronic sensor device for detecting the instantaneous position of the clearance device relative to a base unit of the clearing device.

3. The clearing device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that an electronic evaluation device is included, which is set up to evaluate the data detected by the inclination sensor and the electronic sensor device to determine a position of the clearance device in the pipeline.

4. The clearing device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a distance measuring device is included, which detects the distance of the clearing device to a reference point in the pipeline.

5. The clearing device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the distance measuring device is constructed in two parts, wherein a first transmitter and receiver module is arranged on the clearing device, and a second transmitter and receiver module interacting with the first transmitter and receiver module is arranged in the pipeline system at a reference point.

6. The clearing device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the distance measuring device comprises a radar system, wherein the radar system transmits a first signal from the second transmitter and receiver module, which signal, modulated by the first transmitter and receiver module, is sent back to the second transmitter and receiver module, wherein the position of the clearing device in the pipeline is determined from the signal propagation time.

7. The clearing device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the clearance device comprises or forms a milling or drilling tool.

8. The clearing device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the base unit comprises wheels or chains, which are driven by means of one or more electric motors.

9. The clearing device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the clearance device of the clearing device comprises an optionally rotatable robot arm which is movable in at least two, in particular three, spatial axes, at the free end of which the milling or drilling tool is arranged, and which in particular can be folded in and/or comprises at least one telescopic arm element.

10. A method for clearing an area of a pipeline, having a branch of a pipeline system rehabilitated with a tubular liner, which comprises the following steps, in particular in this order: a) providing a clearing device according to one of the preceding claims in the rehabilitated pipeline and arranging the clearing device in front of the area in which material is to be removed, in particular in front of the branch to be cleared; b) detecting the position of the clearance device of the clearing device relative to the inner wall of the branch by means of an evaluation of the inclination sensor in the clearance device and the instantaneous position of the clearance device relative to a base unit of the clearing device by means of an electronic evaluation device; c) clearing the branch by means of the clearance device on the basis of the detected position of the clearance device relative to the inner wall of the branch.

Description

[0044] In the drawing:

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a clearing device in the interior of a pipeline rehabilitated with a tubular liner according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] In the figure, an embodiment of a clearing device 1 according to the invention for clearing a branch 9 in a pipeline system 7 rehabilitated with a tubular liner 5 is shown. The clearing device 1 comprises a clearance device 3, which comprises an inclination sensor arranged adjacent to its free end, which is designed and set up to detect the inclination of the clearance device 3.

[0047] At the free and of the clearance device 3, a distance measuring device, not shown, can be provided, which measures the distance of the clearance device 3 to the base unit 17 in the vertical and horizontal direction. Alternatively, this distance can be calculated.

[0048] Furthermore, the clearance device comprises a milling tool 11 in order to clear the branch 9. As shown in the figure, the clearance device further comprises a rotatable robot arm 15 which is movable around three spatial axes, at the free end of which the milling tool 11 is arranged. Alternatively, a milling tool movably mounted in one or two spatial axes can also be provided.

[0049] Also included is a distance measuring device 19, 21, which is constructed in two parts. A first transmitter and receiver module 19 is arranged on the clearing device, and a second transmitter and receiver module interacting with the first transmitter and receiver module is arranged in the pipeline system at a reference point.

[0050] Preferably, the second transmitting and receiving module 21 transmits a radar signal which, modulated by the first transmitting and receiving module, is evaluated to determine the position of the clearing device 1 in the pipeline.

[0051] The features of the invention described in the previous description and the claims can be important both on their own and also in any desired combination for the implementation of the invention in its various embodiments.