A laser tool

• Main Authors: Yannik Dieudonne, Keelan Keogh, Simon Kirk
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 20.03.2024
• Subjects: BLASTING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CLEANING; CLEANING IN GENERAL; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; LIGHTING; MACHINE TOOLS; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PIPES; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL; SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS; WELDING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM

A laser tool, e.g. a pig for cleaning insides of pipes, can have a first gas flow which can blow away removed debris, and a second gas flow for rotating and translating laser beam optics (e.g. mirror 316) relative to the tool housing. The pneumatic drive may include aerodynamic aerofoils 344, which can rotate in the second gas flow, like turbine blades, e.g. to rotate angled laser mirror 316. Housing for lenses 314 may have threads. Dried or filtered air at one variable pressure (second gas) may spin rotary airfoils 344, while an inert gas knife (first gas) stream flows at a different pressure. First and second gases may be the same or different. The laser tool may be connected to a pig crawler, for driving the pig through a pipeline. Without electrical components, the pig, having a pneumatic motor for scanning the laser beam, may be suitable for ionising radiation environments.