METHOD OF IN-PIPE DISPLACEMENT OF TRANSPORT TOOL IN MAIN PIPELINE WITH PRESET VARIABLE SPEED AND DEVICE TO THIS END Russian patent published in 2010 - IPC B08B9/55 

FIELD: transport.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to construction and operation of main pipelines, namely to control and diagnosis of their state. Proposed method comprises feeding preset pressure and flow rate gas or air flow from outside source to tool, generating pressure differential thereon, displacing tool by said pressure differential, adjusting braking speed at flow acceleration via conversion of excess flow power into mechanical power with its accumulation or into thermal power with its subsequent use, or, at flow deceleration, via restraint of speed drop by creating additional tool driving force due to using accumulated mechanical energy. Working medium pressure and flow rate is preliminary calculated and set depending upon terrain relief. Proposed device comprises unidirectional scraper consisting of casing with sealing collar made from elastomer, speed adjusting device furnished with braking appliance, pneumatic cylinder communicated via pipeline with compressed gas source, working medium or natural gas source that can maintain constant preset pressure and flow rate of working medium flow fed into pipeline section, plugged on one side and open on the other one. In-pipe transport tool comprises scraper, casing with adapted collar and coupling appliances. Speed adjusting device comprises at least three rubber-bonded wheels making aforesaid braking appliance, pressed against pipeline surface by spring mechanism and inter-articulated via flexible coupling, angular conical booster and gimbal joint with multispeed booster arranged in scraper casing to drive two coaxial hollow cylindrical opposite-direction flywheels with equal kinetic moments. Said multispeed booster is articulated with flywheels of friction conical sleeve with magnetic lock. Multispeed booster kinematic train start accommodates braking assembly with heat recovery unit driven by said train. Said heat recovery unit is controlled by centrifugal speed regulator. Note here that, apart from pneumatic cylinder making braking appliance actuator, said speed adjusting device comprises second pneumatic cylinder actuating friction conical sleeve driven by working medium pressure.

EFFECT: high quality and efficiency of control and diagnostics.

3 cl, 12 dwg