Self-mobile work vehicle moveable through pipeline and method and

Abstract

An electrically remote-controlled intra-pipe work vehicle is hydraulically actuated and is adapted to work with a lining equipment for lining interior of a branch pipe interconnecting with the main pipe in which the vehicle is positioned. The vehicle has a self-clamping mechanism to securely anchor itself at a work site in the main pipe and a tool actuating mechanism for angularly positioning and actuating the lining equipment. The lining equipment includes a lining material anchoring hydraulic press for pressingly hold an end flange of a tubular lining material, which is made of a fabric impregnated with a thermosetting synthetic resin, by an arcuate pressing plate. A counter hydraulic press counteracts the pressing force of the lining material anchoring press. A sealing tube having an electric heater element imbedded therein is sealedly bonded to an end of the tubular lining material with a bonding agent having a low melting temperature. The lining material is forced into the branch pipe by a pressurized fluid and pressed against the inside wall of the branch pipe. Then, the lining material is heated by a heated pressurized fluid to be set hardened. Subsequently, electric current is provided to the heater element in the sealing tube so that the bonding agent is melted and the sealing tube is separated from the lining material.