Millennium Projects
Technical Details
Millennium Project Number: M-2002-017
Project Title: Robotic System for Live Gas Repairs
Project Start Date: 2002
Projected End Date: 2004
Technical Details:
Technical Details:
Gas distribution systems consist of cast iron, steel and plastic main. All of these pipes experience some leakage, especially cast iron at joints and steel at corrosion areas. Leak pinpointing to find the exact location of the leak, and subsequent excavation and repair are typically all done from above ground and to the outside of the main. The goal of this project is to design, develop and deploy a visual and magnetic flux leakage inspection tool set to internally mark the area needing repair; then couple that with a pipe-wall preparation and repair patch-setting robot inside of a live cast iron or steel gas main. A coiled-tubing delivery system will insert and remove the robotic tool heads through a "no-blow" launch fitting. GTI is managing this project under the advisory direction of the cofunders. It is one of a list of Research Collaboration projects. Maurer Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, and LinkPipe all are contributing to this effort.
This project has been completed with the successful demonstration of the system at a PSE&G test site.