Patent ID: 7041176
Filing Date: 2006-05-09
Classification: B05D,B08B,E03B,F16L

Abstract:
1. A pipe renovating method, comprising the steps of: supplying a mixture of pressurized gas and particles of abrasive material from a pressurized gas supply and particle mixture supply into a first port of a pipe system, the pressurized gas supply being set at a first flow rate; connecting a second port of the pipe system to a vacuum pump set at a second flow rate, whereby the mixture is pumped in at the first port while simultaneously applying suction at the second port such that the mixture is conveyed along the pipe with the abrasive particles cleaning the inner surface of the pipe along a predetermined pipe section between the first and second ports; the second, vacuum flow rate at the second port being higher than the first flow rate of the pressurized gas supply at the first port, whereby the pressurized gas and abrasive material will be steered from the first port to the second port; determining when the pipe section between the first and second ports has been sufficiently cleaned; disconnecting the supply of gas and abrasive particles from the first port and connecting it to a third port in the pipe system; repeating the steps of supplying the gas and abrasive particle mixture to the third port and sucking the mixture out at the second port at a higher flow rate, whereby an inner surface of a second pipe section between the third port and second port is cleaned; repeating the procedure at all access ports in the pipe system until the inner surface of the entire pipe system is cleaned; and the ratio between the first and second flow rates for each pipe section being adjusted for each new pipe section to be cleaned to steer the gas and abrasive particle mixture in a predetermined direction along the selected pipe section.