PIPELINE SPRAYER APPARATUS

• Main Authors: MALLICK, Siddharth, GEORGE, Michael, BOND, Timothy, BARLETT, Garrett
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 23.06.2021
• Subjects: APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; ATOMISING APPARATUS; BLASTING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; LIGHTING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; NOZZLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PIPES; SPRAYING APPARATUS; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS

A sprayer apparatus for coating a girth weld and a cutback region surrounding the girth weld on a steel pipe, the steel pipe having a longitudinal axis, comprises a frame, an arm, and a controller. The frame includes a roller carriage configured for rollably mounting the frame to a track mounted substantially circumferentially around the pipe, the frame also including a powered propulsion assembly for propelling the roller carriage along the track substantially circumferentially around the pipe. The arm extends or is extendable from the frame, the arm supporting a spray head. The frame also includes: a powered indexing assembly for moving the arm and the spray head longitudinally relative to the frame; a cartridge for storing a liquid to be sprayed onto the pipe via the spray head; a powered cartridge gun for forcing the liquid out of the cartridge to the spray head; and a pressurized air supply for delivering pressurized air to the spray head to control the liquid spray from the spray head. The controller is configured for controlling: the powered propulsion assembly and the powered indexing assembly; and the powered cartridge gun and/or a pressure level of the pressurized air supply to the spray head.