BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE:

Generally, during carbonization of coking coal in a coke oven battery for production of coke, around 25-30% of the coal charged is driven off as effluent gases rich in volatile matter and moisture. This gas is known as coke oven gas (CO gas). Coke oven gas (CO gas) is a byproduct gas produced during the production of metallurgical coke in a byproduct coke oven battery, where metallurgical coal is carbonized by heating it in absence of air. During carbonization, the volatile matter in the coal is vaporized and driven off. This volatile matter leaves the coke oven chambers as hot, raw coke oven gas. Coke-oven gas is a fuel gas having a medium calorific value that is produced during the manufacturing of metallurgical coke by heating bituminous coal to a temperature of 900°C to 1000°C in a chamber from which air is excluded. The main constituents are, by volume, about 50% hydrogen, 30% methane and 3% higher hydrocarbons, 7% carbon monoxide, 3% carbon dioxide and 7% nitrogen. The gas has a heating value of about 20,000 kJ/m3.

Typically, coke-oven gas is obtained from a battery comprising a number of narrow, vertical chambers, or ovens built of silica brick that are separated by heating ducts, such that heat is transmitted to the coal through both sides of the chamber walls. The ovens are slightly tapered so that one end is wider than the other to facilitate the horizontal discharge of the coke. Crushed coal is charged from overhead bunkers into the ovens, which are sealed at each end by refractory-lined sheet doors and heated. The hot coke is then discharged. About 12%, by weight, of the coal is converted into gas. The hot gases evolved from the coal pass through a gas space at the top of the oven and into a collecting main prior to quenching and treatment to remove dust, tar and oil, and gaseous impurities such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. Also, the coke-oven gas includes impurities such as naphthalene and tar.

After leaving the coke oven chambers, the raw coke oven gas may be directed into the coke-oven gas pipeline. As the pressure in the gas pipeline is significantly equal to the atmospheric pressure, impurities/sediments begin to deposit at various sections of the pipeline. As a result, over a period of time the sediments completely get deposited in the pipeline which may result in several downsides in the production process. Also, due to the sediment deposits, the pipelines get blocked which is a substantially bigger problem in the steel industry. The sediment deposition hinders the flow of coke oven gas which affects the production process. Blockage of pipelines lead to a poor operating efficiency and increase the risk of potential accidents if not cleaned regularly.

Many industrial processes not just limiting to coke-oven units in blast furnace, involve the transportation of fluids from one part of a plant or machine to another, and this is routinely achieved through the use of pipelines. The fluid can also be treated during its passage through such pipelines, for example by heating, irradiation, chemical reaction, and so on. Over a period of time, effluents in the fluids flowing through the pipeline may be deposited as sediments at critical sections of the pipeline. As the amount of sediments at the critical sections increases, the sediment deposits may clog or block the pipeline which may hinder the industrial process and in turn effect the productivity if not cleaned regularly.

Conventionally, such sediment deposits in the fluid pipeline are cleaned manually by operators or maintenance personnel when the fluid pipelines are clogged. The maintenance personnel may be physically present at the work site to clean such clogs. During such maintenance activities, the complete production process must be shut down which effects the productivity. In case of pipelines which carry chemical or higher temperature fluids, the safety of maintenance personnel is at risk. Pipeline that carry such chemical or higher temperature fluids may cause chemical or thermal injuries to the on-site workers.

The present disclosure is directed to overcome one or more limitations stated above.

The information disclosed in this background of the disclosure section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

One or more shortcomings of the conventional method are overcome by an apparatus and a method as claimed and additional advantages are provided through the provision of apparatus and the method as claimed in the present disclosure.

Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.

In one non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure, an apparatus for cleaning tapping sections of a fluid pipeline is disclosed. The apparatus includes a piston-cylinder arrangement connectable to a nozzle defined on the fluid pipeline. The apparatus includes a rammer that is connectable to a piston of the piston-cylinder arrangement at one end and another end of the rammer extends into the nozzle. The apparatus further includes an actuating unit coupled to the piston-cylinder arrangement. The actuating unit is configured to selectively actuate the piston to cause a reciprocating motion of the rammer to clean the tapping section of the fluid pipeline.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the apparatus includes a control unit communicatively coupled to the actuating unit. The control unit is configured to selectively actuate the actuating unit based on an input from a sensor.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the sensor is a pressure sensor configured to measure the pressure at the tapping section of the gas pipeline.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, an end of the piston-cylinder arrangement connected to the nozzle is provisioned with a plurality of resilient members. The plurality of resilient members is configured to resist pressure from the piston-cylinder arrangement when the piston-cylinder arrangement is actuated.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the end of the piston-cylinder arrangement connected to the nozzle is provisioned with a plurality of sealants to restricts fluid flowing through the nozzle to enter the piston-cylinder arrangement.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the portion of the rammer extending out of the piston-cylinder arrangement on the end connectable to the nozzle is provisioned with a connector. The connector is configured to accommodate a socket. The socket is configured to connect the piston-cylinder arrangement to the nozzle.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the actuating unit is at least one of a pneumatic actuator and a handwheel. The pneumatic unit is fluidly coupled to the piston-cylinder arrangement to operate the piston for reciprocating the rammer.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the handwheel is coupled to the portion of the rammer extending out of the piston-cylinder arrangement on an end opposite to the end connectable to the nozzle.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the apparatus includes a rammer extension connectable to the end of the rammer extending into the nozzle to extend length of the rammer.

In another non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure, a hybrid apparatus for cleaning tapping section of a fluid pipeline is disclosed. The hybrid apparatus includes a piston-cylinder arrangement connectable to a nozzle. The apparatus includes a rammer connectable to a piston of the piston cylinder arrangement at one end and another end of the rammer extends into the nozzle. An actuating unit comprising a pneumatic actuator and a hand wheel is connected to the piston cylinder arrangement and the rammer, respectively. The pneumatic unit and the hand wheel are selectively operated to actuate piston to cause reciprocating motion of the rammer to clean the tapping section of the fluid pipeline.

In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure, a method of cleaning tapping section in a fluid pipeline through an apparatus as described above is disclosed. The method includes connecting a piston-cylinder arrangement of the apparatus to a nozzle defined in the fluid pipeline. Activating an actuating unit of the apparatus by a control unit to selectively actuate piston to cause reciprocating motion of a rammer to clean the tapping section in the gas pipeline.

It is to be understood that the aspects and embodiments of the disclosure described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several of the aspects and embodiments may be combined to form a further embodiment of the disclosure.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING FIGURES

The novel features and characteristic of the disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. The disclosure itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives, and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures. One or more embodiments are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures wherein like reference numerals represent like elements and in which:

FIG.1 illustrates an exemplary schematic view of an apparatus for cleaning tapping sections of a fluid pipeline, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG.2 illustrates an exemplary schematic view of a piston-cylinder arrangement of FIG.1 connected to the nozzle of the fluid pipeline, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG.3 illustrates an exemplary schematic view of the piston-cylinder arrangement of FIG.1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG.4 illustrates an exemplary schematic view of a socket used in the apparatus of FIG.1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG.5 illustrates an exemplary schematic view of extensions for a rammer of the piston-cylinder arrangement of FIG.1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The foregoing has broadly outlined the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description of the disclosure that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the disclosure. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent processes do not depart from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the disclosure, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated and make part of this disclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure discloses an apparatus for cleaning tapping sections of a fluid pipeline. The apparatus of the present disclosure may reduce the maintenance cost and avoid sudden shutdown of plant, thereby not affecting productivity of the plant. The apparatus ensures cleaning of tapping sections at regular time-intervals ensuring efficient pressure measurement. Furthermore, the apparatus of the present disclosure requires minimal/zero manual intervention. The apparatus of the present disclosure may be a hybrid apparatus which may be operated either automatically or manually.

In an embodiment, the apparatus of the present disclosure includes a piston-cylinder arrangement. The piston-cylinder arrangement includes a tube defining a cylinder and a piston slidably contained in the tube. The piston-cylinder arrangement may be connectable to a nozzle defined on the fluid pipeline. The nozzle may be defined on a pre-defined or pre-determined section of the fluid pipeline. The apparatus further includes a rammer which is connectable to the piston which is slidably contained in the elongated tube of the piston-cylinder arrangement. A portion of the rammer may extend out of the piston-cylinder arrangement on either ends of the piston cylinder arrangement. One portion of the rammer may extend into the nozzle of the fluid pipeline when the piston-cylinder arrangement is connected to the nozzle. The apparatus further includes an actuating mechanism coupled to the piston-cylinder arrangement. The actuating mechanism may include at least one or both of a pneumatic actuator and a handwheel. The pneumatic actuator of the piston cylinder arrangement may be fluidly connectable to the piston-cylinder arrangement, and the handwheel may be coupled to rammer on the portion of the rammer extending out of the piston-cylinder arrangement. The actuating unit coupled to the piston-cylinder arrangement may be configured to selectively actuate the piston to cause reciprocating motion of the rammer to access and thus clean the tapping sections of the fluid pipeline.

The actuating unit comprising the pneumatic actuator and the handwheel may be selectively operated to actuate the piston to cause the reciprocating motion of the rammer. In some embodiments, the actuating unit may be activated by a control unit based on an input received from a sensor. The sensor may be a pressure sensor which is configured to measure pressure at the tapping sections of the gas pipeline. In some embodiments, the pneumatic actuator may be operated to actuate the piston to cause reciprocation of the rammer based on a pre-defined logic and signal received from the control unit. In another embodiment, the handwheel connected to the rammer may be operated by a maintenance personnel to cause reciprocating motion of the rammer to clean the tapping section.

Furthermore, the length of the rammer of the present disclosure may be extended based on the length of the nozzle defined on the fluid pipeline. In an embodiment, a provision may be defined on the rammer to accommodate a socket. The socket may be configured to accommodate a rammer extension. The length of the rammer extension may be selected based on the length of the nozzle.

In operation, the apparatus may be connected to the nozzle of the fluid pipeline. Upon placing the apparatus, the actuating unit coupled to the apparatus may be activated by the control unit to selectively actuate the piston to cause reciprocating motion of the rammer to clean the tapping sections of the fluid pipeline.

The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof used in the specification, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that an assembly that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or method. In other words, one or more elements in an assembly proceeded by “comprises… a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the assembly.

Henceforth, the present disclosure is explained with the help of one or more figures of exemplary embodiments. However, such exemplary embodiments should not be construed as limitation of the present disclosure.

The following paragraphs describe the present disclosure with reference to FIGS.1 to 5. In the figures, the same element or elements which have similar functions are indicated by the same reference signs.

A representative apparatus (10) [as shown in FIG.1] embodying the concepts of the present invention is designated generally by the numeral (10) in the accompanying drawings. The apparatus (10), as will be hereinafter described may be adapted for use in a coke-oven gas pipeline. However, the apparatus (10) which will in detail be illustrated hereinbelow is not limited to be used in a coke-oven gas pipeline as the same can be used in any such applications where the tapping sections may require cleaning.

As shown in FIG.1, the apparatus (10) may be connectable to a nozzle (1a) defined on the fluid pipeline (5). In some embodiments, the term fluid pipeline (5) may also be referred to as gas pipeline and may be interchangeably used herein below. In an exemplary embodiment, the fluid pipeline (5) may be configured to fluidly connect the coke-oven to the blast furnace. In the diagrams neither the coke oven nor the blast furnace is illustrated for the purpose of simplicity. Generally, a coal coking plant includes a plurality of coke ovens preferably constructed in side-by-side relation in a battery, with the adjacent ovens in the battery preferably having common sidewalls. The individual ovens in the battery each have an elongated coking chamber defined by the opposed vertically extending sidewalls, a generally arcuate roof supported on the sidewalls, and a horizontal floor which supports the charge of coal to be coked. The ovens are constructed with the opposed ends of the chamber open, and the ends are closed during the coking process by removable doors, with at least one door closing the charging end and another door closing the coke end of the oven. The sidewalls, roof, and floor are formed from a suitable heat resistant material such as refractory brick or castable refractory material capable of withstanding the high temperatures encountered in the coking process and the thermal shock resulting from the deposit of fresh charges of coal in the heated oven chambers.

The coal and other compounds are burnt in the coke-ovens up-to a pre-determined time, thereby generating coke-oven gas which includes by-products such as ammonia, water, sulfur compounds etc. Further, the coke-oven gas may be transferred to the furnace through the one or more fluid pipelines (5). The fluid pipeline (5) may carry the coke-oven gas including sulfur, ammonia etc. to the furnace to charge the ore in the furnace. The fluid pipeline (5) may be defined with a plurality of nozzles (1a) at a pre-determined section of the fluid pipeline (5)., The nozzle (1a) may be configured to act as a tapping section in the fluid pipeline (5). In an embodiment, each of the plurality of nozzles (1a) may be coupled to a sensor such as but not limiting to pressure sensor. The pressure sensor may be configured measure the pressure of the coke-oven gas flowing in the fluid pipeline (5). Over a period of time, the tapping sections defined at each nozzle (1a) may be clogged or jammed due to the effluents or slurry due to the bad quality of gas. The term tapping section used hereinabove and below may refer to an opening defined on the fluid pipeline (5) at which parameter such as but not limiting to pressure may be tapped or measured. The measurement of pressure at the jammed tapping sections becomes difficult and may require to be cleaned at regular intervals. The jammed/clogged tapping sections may be cleaned either automatically or manually using the apparatus (10) of the present invention. In an embodiment, as the apparatus (10) may be operated manually or automatically, it is hereinafter also referred to as hybrid apparatus. The configuration of the apparatus (10) employed in cleaning of the tapping sections of the fluid pipeline (5) is hereinafter described with respect to FIG(s).1 to 5.

Referring back to FIG.1 which shows an exemplary schematic view of the apparatus (10) for cleaning tapping sections of the fluid pipeline (5). The apparatus (10) includes a piston-cylinder arrangement (1) which may be connectable to the nozzle (1a) defined in the fluid pipeline (5). In an embodiment, the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) includes a tube defining a cylinder and a piston (2) slidably contained in the tube. The shape of the elongated tube of the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) may be cylindrical and the shape of the piston may correspond to the elongated tube in which it may be contained. In some embodiments, a portion of the tube of the piston-cylinder arrangement may be defined with a step-down portion. The cross-section of the step-down portion may be lesser than the rest of the portion of the elongated tube. In an embodiment, a plurality of sealants (12) and a resilient member (11) may be disposed in the step-down portion. The plurality of sealants (12) may be gland packings but not limiting to the same. The plurality of sealants (12) may be configured to fluidly isolate the position cylinder arrangement (1) from the slurry or the gases flowing through the nozzle (1a) or the fluid pipeline (5) when in operation. Isolating the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) from the slurry/gases in the fluid pipeline (5) ensures safety during operation of the apparatus (10).

Further, the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) may be provided with a rammer (3). The rammer (3) may be connected to a substantially central portion of the piston (2) of the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) [best shown in FIG.3]. In an embodiment, the rammer (3) may extend out of the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) [as shown in FIG.3] on either ends of the piston-cylinder arrangement (1). One end of the rammer (3) may extend into the nozzle (1a) and another end may extend out of the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) in a direction opposite to the end extending into the nozzle (1a). In an embodiment, the end of the rammer (3) extending into the nozzle (1a) may be defined with a connector (9). The connector (9) may be configured to accommodate a socket (13) [as shown in FIG.4]. The socket (13) may aid in connecting the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) to the nozzle (1a) on the fluid pipeline (5). In an embodiment, the socket (13) may be configured to adapt to varied nozzle sizes defined on the fluid pipeline (5).

In some embodiments, the other end of the rammer (3) may be connected to an actuating unit (4 and 8). The actuating unit (4 and 8) connected to the rammer (8) in one embodiment may be a hand-wheel (8). The hand wheel (8) may be configured to actuate the piston (2) to cause reciprocating motion of the rammer (3), which may in turn clean the tapping section at the nozzle (2) on the pipeline (5). The hand wheel (8) may be operable manually by an operator without shutting down the plant. In another embodiment, the actuating unit (4 and 8) may be a pneumatic actuator (4) which may be connectable to the tube of the piston-cylinder arrangement (1). The pneumatic actuator (4) may be connectable to the portion of the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) using 5/2 solenoid valve. The type of valve illustrate should not be construed as a limitation of the present disclosure. The pneumatic actuator (4) may be configured to actuate the piston (2) to cause the reciprocating motion of the rammer (3) to clean the tapping section of the fluid pipeline (5). In an embodiment, the actuating unit (4 and 8) may be selectively operated to actuate the piston (2) to cause the reciprocating motion of the rammer (3). In an embodiment, the pneumatic actuator (4) may be operated by a control unit (14). Upon receiving a signal from a sensor, the control unit (14) may activate the pneumatic unit (4) based on a pre-defined instruction stored in a memory unit associated with the control unit (14). In an embodiment, the sensor may be pressure sensor which may be configured to detect pressure of the gas/slurry flowing through the fluid pipeline (5) at the tapping sections on the fluid pipeline (5). In case the tapping sections are clogged/blocked, the pressure sensor may not be able to detect the pressure of the gas flowing through the fluid pipeline (5). Thus, the pressure sensor may send a signal to control unit (14) to activate the actuating unit (4 and 8). In some embodiments, the sensor may detect the pressure through impulse tube (7) fluidly connected to the fluid pipeline (5)

Further, a rammer extension (3a) may be accommodated on the end of the rammer (3) that may extend into the nozzle (1a) [as shown in FIG.2 and FIG.5]. The rammer extension (3a) may be configured to extend the length of the rammer (3) based on the length of the nozzle defined on the fluid pipeline (5). In an embodiment, the length of the rammer extension (3a) may be selected based on the length of the nozzle (1a).

In operation, the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) of the apparatus (10) as described hereinabove may be removably connected to the nozzle (1a) defined on the fluid pipeline (5). Based on the inputs received from the sensor [not shown], the control unit (14) may be configured to activate the actuating unit (4 and 8) of the apparatus (10). In an embodiment, the control unit (14) may be configured to activate the pneumatic unit (4) of the apparatus (10) to actuate the piston (2) to cause reciprocating motion of the rammer (3). It should be understood that a ball valve (6) in fluid communication with the nozzle (1a) and the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) may be operated in open condition for the rammer (3) to access the tapping section. In some embodiments, the actuating unit (4 and 8) i.e. the hand wheel (8) may be operated manually. Operating the hand wheel (8) enables actuation of the piston (2) to cause reciprocating motion of the rammer (2) to clean the tapping section of the fluid pipeline (5). The reciprocating motion of the rammer (3) may ram the tapping sections of the fluid pipeline (5) to clear the clogged effluents/slurry from the tapping sections to ensure efficient pressure measurement.

The apparatus (10) of the present invention may reduce the maintenance cost and avoids unplanned shutdown of plant, thereby not affecting productivity of the plant. The apparatus ensures cleaning of tapping sections at regular time-intervals ensuring efficient pressure measurement. Furthermore, the apparatus (10) of the present disclosure requires minimal manual intervention. The apparatus (10) of the present disclosure may be a hybrid apparatus which may be operated automatically or manually. Also, the apparatus (10) of the present disclosure may ensure increased human safety as the cleaning process takes place in a closed environment.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the control unit (14) may be a centralized control unit, or a dedicated control unit associated with the apparatus (10). The control unit (14) may be implemented by any computing systems that is utilized to implement the features of the present disclosure. The control unit may be comprised of a processing unit. The processing unit may comprise at least one data processor for executing program components for executing user- or system-generated requests. The processing unit may be a specialized processing unit such as integrated system (bus) controllers, memory management control units, floating point units, graphics processing units, digital signal processing units, etc. The processing unit may include a microprocessor, such as AMD Athlon, Duron or Opteron, ARM’s application, embedded or secure processors, IBM PowerPC, Intel’s Core, Itanium, Xeon, Celeron or other line of processors, etc. The processing unit may be implemented using a mainframe, distributed processor, multi-core, parallel, grid, or other architectures. Some embodiments may utilize embedded technologies like application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), etc.

In some embodiments, the processing unit may be disposed in communication with one or more memory devices (e.g., RAM, ROM etc.) via a storage interface. The storage interface may connect to memory devices including, without limitation, memory drives, removable disc drives, etc., employing connection protocols such as serial advanced technology attachment (SATA), integrated drive electronics (IDE), IEEE-1394, universal serial bus (USB), fiber channel, small computing system interface (SCSI), etc. The memory drives may further include a drum, magnetic disc drive, magneto-optical drive, optical drive, redundant array of independent discs (RAID), solid-state memory devices, solid-state drives, etc.

It is to be understood that a person of ordinary skill in the art may develop a system of similar configuration without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Such modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure covers such modifications and variations provided they come within the ambit of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Equivalents

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding the description may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and/or "an" should typically be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated in the description.

Referral Numerals:
Description Reference number
Apparatus 10
Piston cylinder arrangement 1
Piston 2
Rammer 3
Rammer extension 3a
Pneumatic line 4
Fluid pipeline 5
Ball valve 6
Impulse tube 7
Hand wheel 8
Connector 9
Resilient member 11
Gland packing 12
Socket 13
Control unit 14

Claims:We claim:

1. An apparatus (10) for cleaning tapping sections of a fluid pipeline (5), the apparatus (10) comprising:
a piston-cylinder arrangement (1) connectable to a nozzle (1a) defined on the fluid pipeline (5);
a rammer (3) connectable to a piston (2) of the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) at one end and another end of the rammer (3) extends into the nozzle (1a); and
an actuating unit (4 and 8) coupled to the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) , wherein the actuating unit (4 and 8) is configured to selectively actuate the piston (2) to cause a reciprocating motion of the rammer (3) to clean the tapping section of the fluid pipeline (5).

2. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1 comprises a control unit (14) communicatively coupled to the actuating unit (4 and 8), wherein the control unit (14) is configured to selectively actuate the actuating unit (4 and 8) based on an input received from a sensor.

3. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor configured to measure pressure at the tapping sections of the fluid pipeline (5).

4. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a portion of the rammer (3) extends out of the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) at either ends of the piston-cylinder arrangement (1).

5. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein an end of the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) connected to the nozzle (1a) is provisioned with a plurality of resilient members (11), wherein the plurality of resilient members (11) is configured to resist pressure from the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) when the piston cylinder arrangement (1) is actuated.

6. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end of the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) connected to the nozzle (1a) is provisioned with a plurality of sealants (12) to restrict fluid flowing through the nozzle (1a) to enter the piston-cylinder arrangement (1).

7. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portion of the rammer (3) extending out of the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) on the end connectable to the nozzle (1a) is provisioned with a connector (9).

8. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the connector (9) is configured to accommodate a socket (13).

9. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the socket (13) is configured to connect the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) to the nozzle (1a).

10. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuating unit (4 and 8) is at least one of a pneumatic actuator (4) and a handwheel (8).

11. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claims 1 and 10, wherein the pneumatic actuator (4) is fluidly coupled to the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) to operate the piston (2) for reciprocating the rammer (3).

12. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1 and 10, wherein the handwheel (8) is coupled to the portion of the rammer (3) extending out of the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) on an end opposite to the end connectable to the nozzle (1a).

13. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1 comprises a rammer extension (3a) connectable to the end of the rammer (3) extending into the nozzle (1a) to extend length of the rammer (3).

14. A hybrid apparatus (10) for cleaning tapping sections of a fluid pipeline (5), the hybrid apparatus (10) comprising:
a piston-cylinder arrangement (1) connectable to a nozzle (1a) defined on the fluid pipeline (5);
a rammer (3) connectable to a piston (2) of the piston-cylinder arrangement (1) at one end and another end of the rammer (3) extends into the nozzle (1a); and
an actuating unit (4 and 8) comprising:
a pneumatic actuator (4) fluidly coupled to the piston-cylinder arrangement (1); and
a hand wheel (8) coupled to a portion of the rammer (3) extending out of the piston-cylinder arrangement (1),
wherein, the pneumatic actuator (4) and the hand wheel (8) is selectively operated to actuate the piston (2) to cause reciprocating motion of the rammer (3) to clean the tapping sections of the fluid pipeline (5).

15. The hybrid apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 15 comprises a control unit (14) communicatively coupled to the actuating unit (4 and 8), wherein the control unit (14) is configured to selectively actuate the actuating unit (4 and 8) based on an input received from a sensor.

16. A method for cleaning tapping sections in a fluid pipeline (5) through an apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, the method comprising:
connecting a piston-cylinder arrangement (1) of the apparatus (10) to a nozzle (1) defined in the fluid pipeline (5);
activating, by a control unit, an actuating unit (4 and 8) of the apparatus (10), wherein, the actuating unit (4 and 8) is configured to selectively actuate a piston (2) to cause reciprocating motion of a rammer (3) to clean the tapping sections in the fluid pipeline (5).

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 comprising operating a handwheel of the apparatus to cause reciprocating motion of a rammer (3) to clean the tapping sections in the fluid pipeline (5).
, Description:TECHNICAL FIELD:
The present disclosure relates to system, and method of cleaning, or repair. Particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates cleaning tapping sections on fluid pipelines. Further embodiments of the present disclosure disclose an apparatus and method for cleaning the tapping sections in the fluid pipelines using the apparatus.