Flexible lance drive apparatus with autostroke function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11874077-B2
Application number	US-202217959237-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2022
Priority date	Oct 12, 2015
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus for sensing an obstruction within a tube being cleaned and repetitively advancing and retracting a flexible high pressure fluid cleaning lance within the tube is disclosed. The apparatus monitors drive roller/belt position and actual hose position, compares the belt (expected travel) to hose position (travel) and generates a position difference, or mismatch. If the mismatch is above a predetermined level, the drive motor direction is reversed for a predetermined time interval, and forward operation restored after the predetermined time interval; and the sequence of repeating the reversing and restoring operations is continued until the position difference or mismatch no longer exceeds the predetermined difference threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible high pressure fluid cleaning lance drive apparatus comprising:
at least one drive motor that provides a driving force for advancing and retracting one or more flexible lance hoses that includes at least a first flexible lance hose;
a first sensor that monitors the drive motor for determining an expected feed distance of the one or more flexible lance hoses;
a second sensor for determining an actual feed distance of the first flexible lance hose; and
a first comparator coupled to the first and second sensors, wherein the first comparator is operable to determine a first mismatch between the expected feed distance and the actual feed distance of the first flexible lance hose.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more flexible lance hoses includes a second lance hose, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a third sensor for determining an actual feed distance of the second flexible lance.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a second comparator operable to determine a second mismatch between the expected feed distance and the actual feed distance of the second flexible lance hose.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising a controller coupled to the first comparator and the second comparator, wherein the controller is operable to initiate an autostroke sequence of operations upon the first mismatch and second mismatch differing by a predetermined threshold, wherein the autostroke sequence of operations includes operating the drive motor in the reverse direction to retract the one or more flexible lance hoses and then operating the drive motor in the forward direction to advance the one or more flexible lance hoses.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the one or more flexible lance hoses includes a third flexible lance hose, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a fourth sensor for determining an actual feed distance of the third flexible lance hose.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the first sensor is a Hall Effect sensor arranged to measure increments of rotation of the at least one drive motor, and wherein each of the second, third, and fourth sensors are Hall effect sensors arranged to measure increments of rotation of a corresponding follower roller engaged with one of the first flexible lance hose, the second flexible lance hose, and the third flexible lance hose.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising a third comparator operable to determine a third mismatch between the expected feed distance and the actual feed distance of the third flexible lance hose.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising a controller coupled to the first comparator, the second comparator, and the third comparator, wherein the controller is operable to initiate an autostroke sequence of operations upon any one of the first, second, and third mismatches exceeding a predetermined threshold, wherein the autostroke sequence of operations includes operating the drive motor in the reverse direction to retract the one or more flexible lance hoses and then operating the drive motor in the forward direction to advance the one or more flexible lance hoses.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is operable to modify clamping force if the first, second and third mismatches exceed a different predetermined threshold.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first sensor is a Hall effect sensor arranged to measure increments of rotation of the at least one drive motor, and wherein the second sensor is a Hall effect sensor arranged to measure increments of rotation of a first follower roller engaged with the first flexible lance hose.

11. A flexible high pressure fluid cleaning lance drive apparatus comprising:
at least one drive motor that provides a driving force for advancing and retracting one or more flexible lance hoses; a first sensor that monitors the drive motor for determining an expected feed distance of the one or more flexible lance hoses;
a plurality of second sensors for determining an actual feed distance of each flexible lance hose of the one or more flexible lance hoses; and
a first comparator coupled to the first sensor and each second sensor, wherein the first comparator is operable to determine a mismatch between the expected feed distance of the one or more flexible lance hoses and the actual feed distance of each flexible lance hose.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising a second comparator coupled to each second sensor, wherein the second comparator is operable to compare the actual feed distance of each of the corresponding flexible lance hoses with each other to determine another mismatch therebetween.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 further comprising a controller coupled to the second comparator, wherein the controller is operable to initiate an autostroke sequence of operations upon the another mismatch exceeding a predetermined threshold, wherein the autostroke sequence of operations includes operating the drive motor in the reverse direction to retract the one or more flexible lance hoses and then operating the drive motor in the forward direction to advance the one or more flexible lance hoses.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising a controller coupled to the second comparator, wherein the controller is operable to initiate a change of clamp force if the mismatch between the expected feed distance and the actual feed distance exceed a predetermined threshold.

15. A flexible high pressure fluid cleaning lance drive apparatus comprising:
at least one drive motor that provides a driving force for advancing and retracting one or more flexible lance hoses;
a first sensor that monitors the drive motor for determining an expected feed distance of the one or more flexible lance hoses;
a plurality of second sensors for determining an actual feed distance of each flexible lance hose of the one or more flexible lance hoses;
a first comparator coupled to the first sensor and each second sensor, wherein the first comparator is operable to determine a mismatch between the expected feed distance of the one or more flexible lance hoses and the actual feed distance of each flexible lance hose; and
a second comparator coupled to each of the second sensors operable to determine a mismatch between the actual feed distance of each flexible lance hose.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the first sensor is a Hall effect sensor arranged to measure increments of rotation of the at least one drive motor, and wherein the plurality of second sensors are Hall effect sensors arranged to measure increments of rotation of a corresponding follower roller engaged with one of the flexible lance hoses.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 further comprising a controller coupled to the second comparator, wherein the controller is operable to initiate an autostroke sequence of operations upon the mismatch between the actual feed distance of each flexible lance hose exceeding a predetermined threshold, wherein the autostroke sequence of operations includes operating the drive motor in the reverse direction to retract the one or more flexible lance hoses and then operating the drive motor in the forward direction to advance the one or more flexible lance hoses.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the first sensor is a Hall effect sensor arranged to measure increments of rotation of the at least one drive motor, and wherein t

Assignees

• Stoneage Inc

Inventors

• Watkins Travis
• Barnes Jeffery R
• Szabo Daniel
• Montoya Cody R

Classifications

• F28G1/04 Primary

  having articulated tools, e.g. assembled in chain manner · CPC title

• B08B9/043

  moved by externally powered mechanical linkage, e.g. pushed or drawn through the pipes · CPC title

• B08B9/0433

  provided exclusively with fluid jets as cleaning tools · CPC title

• B65G43/04

  detecting slip between driving element and load-carrier, e.g. for interrupting the drive {(B65G43/02 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F28G3/163 Primary

  from internal surfaces of heat exchange conduits · CPC title