Method and apparatus for robotic, in-pipe water quality testing

• Main Authors: Salotti, Foster J, Konakchiev, Galin, Lettman, John, Kueny, Todd, Starr, Justin
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.06.2023
• Subjects: ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; BLASTING; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; LIGHTING; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; MEASURING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PHYSICS; PIPES; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; TESTING; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; WEAPONS

One embodiment provides a pipe inspection robot, including: a chassis configured to traverse through an interior of a water or sewer pipe; a water quality probe comprising a first end that couples to the chassis and a sensing end distal thereto; an electric motor configured to reposition the sensing end of the water quality probe with respect to the chassis; said electric motor acting to move the sensing end of the water quality probe to reposition the sensing end proximate to fluid containing water located proximate to a bottom part of the chassis; the sensing end configured to contact the fluid containing water for contact sensing of water quality data. Other aspects are described and claimed.