Tool for working on the wall of a pipe and related method

• Main Authors: Nierhoff, Roland, Fernandez, Charles Francois-Albert, Acker, Benoit, Lecchi, Maxime
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 31.03.2020
• Subjects: 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; PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; WEAPONS

An intervention method for acting on a wall of a fluid pipeline using a tool includes moving the tool inside the pipeline until a pipe segment of the tool is positioned facing a zone of the wall of the pipeline. The method also includes creating sealing upstream and downstream from the zone using first and second seals of the tool so as to seal off an outer portion of a segment of the pipeline around the zone. The method further includes acting on the zone of the wall. The sealing by the first and second seals occurs in two portions of the pipeline so as to define a sealing lock between the two portions of the pipeline. The tool further includes an adjustable propulsion system configured to make use of movement of the fluid in order to move the tool.