Cable crawling underwater inspection and cleaning robot

• US 5,203,646 A
• Filed: 02/06/1992
• Issued: 04/20/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation Incorporated (Cornell University)
• Original Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation Incorporated (Cornell University)
• Inventors: Landsberger, Samuel E., Sundra, Raj, Martin, Benjamin F., Short, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Dennis L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): OLSEN, ARLEN
• Application Number:
  US07/831,878
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 405/154, 405/158, 405/190, 405/191, 15/104.05, 15/104.31, 104/23.2, 104/112, 104/138.2, 901/1, 901/44, 24/115 L, 24/132 WL
• US Class Current: 405/191
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/049 having self-contained propelling means for moving the cleaning devices along the pipes , i.e. self-propelled
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/0558 with additional jet means
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/28 Constructional aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3956 Jaws locked together by cam, wedge, lever, or screw

Abstract

An underwater robot is employed to clean and/or inspect the inner surfaces of high flow rate water inlet pipes for various facilities, such as power plants, water treatment plants, etc. The robot crawls along a cable positioned within a pipe to be inspected or cleaned, and in one embodiment, includes a plurality of guidance fins which rely upon the flow of water through the pipe to position the robot therein as desired. Retractable legs can also be provided to fix the robot at a location within the pipe when it is employed to clean the pipe using a water jet or similar system. The robot can also include a water driven turbine for generating electricity for the various motors, servos and other actuators contained on board the robot. Also, the robot preferably includes wheel or pulley arrangements which further help the robot to negotiate sharp corners or other obstructions within the pipe to be inspected or cleaned.

Claims

1. A robot for cleaning and/or inspecting interiors of fluid containing hollow objects comprising:

a robot housing for carrying cleaning and/or inspection tools;

drive means in said housing for engaging and advancing said robot along a cable disposed within a fluid containing hollow object to be cleaned and/or inspected; and

,

guidance means to guide said robot through a hollow object to be inspected and/or cleaned as said robot advances along a cable to which it is engaged, said guidance means comprising a plurality of adjustable fins spaced on an outer surface of said robot housing for steering said robot through fluid contained within the hollow object.

2. The robot of claim 1 further including a plurality of retractable legs disposed within said housing which can be extended to engage the inner surfaces of a hollow object to be inspected and/or cleaned so that said robot can be anchored within a hollow object to be inspected or cleaned during a cleaning operation.

3. The robot of claim 1 further including a turbine and generator pair attached to said housing to extract energy from a flow of water in a hollow object to be inspected and/or cleaned and convert said energy to electricity for use in powering said underwater robot.

4. The robot of claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises at least one motor driven pulley disposed in said robot housing.

5. The robot of claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises:

a) a frame;

b) a first drive shaft mounted in said frame having a first end and a second end;

c) a drive pulley attached to said first end of said first drive shaft for engaging a cable;

d) means to rotate said first drive shaft and said drive pulley; and

,

e) first and second sheaves attached by means of a pivot to said frame having first and second idle pulleys, respectively, mounted thereon, said sheaves being positionable in a first, nonoperational position in which a cable can be placed between said drive pulley and said pivot, and in a second, operational position in which said first and second idle pulleys coact with said drive pulley to pinch a cable between said idle pulleys and said drive pulley.

6. The robot of claim 5 wherein said drive means further comprises:

f) a second drive shaft mounted in said frame having first and second ends, said second drive shaft also being rotatable by said means to rotate; and

,

g) a pinch roller attached to said first end of said second drive shaft and positioned to coact with said first and second idle pulleys and cause a cable to be pinched between said pinch roller and said idle pulleys.

7. The robot of claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises:

a) a spool around which a cable along which said robot is to be advanced can be wrapped; and

b) means to rotate said spool.

8. A robot for cleaning and/or inspecting interiors of fluid containing hollow objects comprising:

a robot housing for carrying cleaning and/or inspection tools;

drive means in said housing for engaging and advancing said robot along a cable disposed within a fluid containing hollow object to be cleaned and/or inspected;

guidance means to guide said robot through a hollow object to be inspected and/or cleaned as said robot advances along a cable to which it is engaged; and

,

a turbine and generator pair attached to said housing to extract energy from a flow of fluid in a hollow object to be inspected and/or cleaned and convert said energy to electricity for use in powering said robot.

9. A robot for cleaning and/or inspecting interiors of fluid containing hollow objects comprising:

a robot housing for carrying cleaning and/or inspection tools;

drive means in said housing for engaging and advancing said robot along a cable disposed within a fluid containing hollow object to be cleaned and/or inspected;

said drive means comprising;

a) a frame;

b) a first drive shaft mounted in said frame having a first end and a second end;

c) a drive pulley attached to said first end of said first drive shaft for engaging a cable;

d) means to rotate said first drive shaft and said drive pulley;

e) first and second sheaves attached by means of a pivot to said frame having first and second idle pulleys, respectively, mounted thereon, said sheaves being positionable in a first, nonoperational position in which a cable can be placed between said drive pulley and said pivot, and in a second, operational position in which said first and second idle pulleys coact with said drive pulley to pinch a cable between said idle pulleys and said drive pulley.

f) a second drive shaft mounted in said frame having first and second ends, said second drive shaft also being rotatable by said means to rotate;

g) a pinch roller attached to said first end of said second drive shaft and positioned to coact with said first and second idle pulleys and cause a cable to be pinched between said pinch roller and said idle pulleys; and

,

guidance means to guide said robot through a hollow object to be inspected and/or cleaned as said robot advances along a cable to which it is engaged.

10. A robot for cleaning and/or inspecting interiors of fluid containing hollow objects comprising:

a robot housing for carrying cleaning and/or inspection tools;

drive means in said housing for engaging and advancing said robot along a cable disposed within a fluid containing hollow object to be cleaned and/or inspected;

guidance means to guide said robot through a hollow object to be inspected and/or cleaned as said robot advances along a cable to which it is engaged, said guidance means comprising a plurality of V-shaped legs attached to said robot housing, each said pair of V-shaped legs having a pair of free ends and roller means disposed at said free ends for engaging the inner surfaces of a hollow object to be inspected and/or cleaned; and

,

a plurality of retractable legs disposed within said housing which can be extended to engage the inner surfaces of a hollow object to be inspected and/or cleaned for anchoring said robot within a hollow object to be inspected or cleaned during a cleaning operation.

11. A method for cleaning obstructions from an interior wall of a water flow carrying pipe comprising the steps of:

a) positioning a cable within a water carrying pipe to be cleaned;

b) propelling a cable crawling robot along said cable into said water carrying pipe, said robot including a housing for carrying cleaning and/or inspection tools;

c) employing a plurality of adjustable guidance fins spaced on an outer surface of said robot housing to steer said robot laterally within the pipe to be cleaned to enable a close inspection of the pipe to be conducted;

d) anchoring said robot within said pipe if obstructions are found located within said pipe; and

,

e) cleaning the obstructions out of said pipe with said cleaning tools.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of anchoring said robot further comprises extending a plurality of retractable legs disposed within said housing into engagement with the inner surfaces of the pipe to be cleaned.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of cleaning said pipe further comprises employing a high pressure water jet arrangement mounted on said robot housing to clean the obstructions from the pipe.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of cleaning includes removing zebra mussels with said high pressure water jet arrangement.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of cleaning includes removing zebra mussels.