Microbot pigging system and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of cleaning a pipe having an inner contour, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. placing a plurality of microbots in the pipe, each microbot comprising an attachment mechanism configured to releasably attach said each microbot to at least one other of said plurality of microbots and comprising a programmable computer processor operatively associated with the attachment mechanism;
b. releasably attaching the plurality of microbots together o form a pig;
c. urging the pig through at least a portion of the pipe; and
d. removing the microbots from the pipe.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for cleaning the interior of a pipe using a plurality of microbots, where each microbots has a propulsion device and a programmable computer processor operatively associated with the propulsion device, and each of said processors is 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 having a mutable shape that dynamically and substantially conforms to the interior contours of the pipe.
13 Citations
5 Claims
-
1. A method of cleaning a pipe having an inner contour, the method comprising the steps of:
-
a. placing a plurality of microbots in the pipe, each microbot comprising an attachment mechanism configured to releasably attach said each microbot to at least one other of said plurality of microbots and comprising a programmable computer processor operatively associated with the attachment mechanism; b. releasably attaching the plurality of microbots together o form a pig; c. urging the pig through at least a portion of the pipe; and d. removing the microbots from the pipe. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
Specification