WO2002014007A1 - Method and apparatus for splitting pipes - Google Patents

Method and apparatus for splitting pipes Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2002014007A1
WO2002014007A1 PCT/GB2001/003665 GB0103665W WO0214007A1 WO 2002014007 A1 WO2002014007 A1 WO 2002014007A1 GB 0103665 W GB0103665 W GB 0103665W WO 0214007 A1 WO0214007 A1 WO 0214007A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
pipe
mandrel
over
forced
cut
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2001/003665
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Anthony Bell Hick
Original Assignee
Anthony Bell Hick
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Anthony Bell Hick filed Critical Anthony Bell Hick
Priority to AU2001279943A priority Critical patent/AU2001279943A1/en
Priority to GB0305741A priority patent/GB2383286B/en
Publication of WO2002014007A1 publication Critical patent/WO2002014007A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21D—NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
    • G21D1/00—Details of nuclear power plant
    • G21D1/003—Nuclear facilities decommissioning arrangements
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23D—PLANING; SLOTTING; SHEARING; BROACHING; SAWING; FILING; SCRAPING; LIKE OPERATIONS FOR WORKING METAL BY REMOVING MATERIAL, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23D21/00—Machines or devices for shearing or cutting tubes
    • B23D21/02—Machines or devices for shearing or cutting tubes otherwise than in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the tube, e.g. for making mitred cuts, for making bicycle frames
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E30/00—Energy generation of nuclear origin

Definitions

  • This invention concerns a method and apparatus for splitting pipes.
  • the monitoring is effected by completely splitting the pipe to be monitored along its length, by means of sawing, into two C-section pieces, and then monitoring each piece separately for radioactive contamination, in particular the interior thereof.
  • this process does not enable the splitting of the pipe and the monitoring thereof to be done progressively, since the pipe must first be completely sawn along its length into two C-section pieces, and only then is it monitored for radioactive contamination.
  • further cutting may be required to remove any contaminated sections or to reduce the length to a suitable size for recycling, and as a result, this method tends to produce a lot of cutting debris, which itself may be contaminated by radioactivity, and which is difficult to confine, possibly getting caught up in the moving parts of the apparatus, i.e. the blades of the saw. Consequently, this debris must regularly be removed, to enable the apparatus to work adequately, and also to facilitate maintenance and blade changing.
  • one aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus for splitting pipes, which comprises means for forming a longitudinal cut of the pipe, and diverging means for opening up the cut pipe to expose the pipe interior.
  • a second aspect of the present invention provides a method for splitting pipes, which comprises the steps of forming a longitudinal cut of the pipe and opening out the cut pipe to expose the pipe interior.
  • cutting means and diverging means together comprise a mandrel, the mandrel further comprising a graded cutting edge along one side thereof, whereby a pipe is first forced over the cutting edge and then over the diverging means, thereby partially splitting the pipe and causing the edges thereof to diverge, to facilitate monitoring of the interior of the pipe. It is preferable that the cross-section of the diverging means undergoes transitions such that as the pipe is forced over the diverging means, the edges of the pipe are gradually forced apart, until the interior of the pipe is exposed.
  • one or more rollers are located underneath the cutting means, whereby a pipe may pass over the roller(s) as it is forced over the cutting means, in order to reduce friction.
  • one or more rollers are located underneath the diverging means, whereby a pipe may pass over the roller(s) as it is forced over the diverging means, in order to reduce friction.
  • one or more rollers are located at one end of the mandrel, more preferably still, at that end, which a pipe first encounters as it passes through the apparatus, in order to further reduce friction as the pipe passes over the mandrel.
  • the means for forcing a pipe over the mandrel comprises a slide ram.
  • the slide ram is preferably hydraulically operated. More preferably still, the forcing means further comprises a clamp, whereby a pipe is held within the clamp, and the slide ram drives the clamp with the pipe held therein against and over the cutting means and diverging means. Preferably, the clamp is attachable to the slide ram.
  • the mandrel comprises an extended nose at one end thereof, more preferably still, at that end, which a pipe first encounters as it passes through the apparatus.
  • This enables a section of pipe, which has not yet been split, to locate over the nose, the nose thereby acting as a guiding and steadying means.
  • the apparatus comprises monitoring means, whereby a pipe is progressively monitored for radioactivity as it is being partially split along its length.
  • the apparatus comprises shearing means, for example, a guillotine, for cutting a pipe into pieces transverse to its length after it has passed by or through the cutting means, diverging means and the monitoring means.
  • shearing means for example, a guillotine
  • one or more rollers are located underneath the monitoring means to reduce friction as a pipe passes through the apparatus.
  • the apparatus comprises decontamination means. More preferably still, the decontamination means is located at a position on the apparatus which a pipe passing therethrough encounters after it has passed through the monitoring means, whereby a pipe is decontaminated at those areas, which have been detected as being radioactive by the monitoring means.
  • the pipe may alternatively be monitored and/or decontaminated after it has passed through the apparatus, using a separate process.
  • it may be decontaminated, and then re- monitored to check if the levels of radioactivity have been sufficiently reduced. If the levels are still unsatisfactorily high, then the decontamination then re- monitoring process is repeated until the radiation levels have reached a satisfactorily low level.
  • the mandrel may be forced through the pipe, for example, by way of a hammering means, the pipe remaining stationary.
  • a motor driven rollers may be provided at each side of the pipe, whereby the rollers move the pipe to act in conjunction with the hammering means.
  • the hammering means is hydraulically operated, although it may alternatively be pneumatically driven.
  • the method of partially splitting a pipe and forcing the edges apart comprises the steps of forcing the pipe over a mandrel, the mandrel having a graded cutting edge along one side thereof, and undergoing changes of shape such that as the pipe is forced over the mandrel, the pipe is cut by the cutting edge and then the edges of the pipe are gradually forced apart as it passes over the mandrel.
  • a pipe is forced over the mandrel by way of holding the pipe within a clamp, and forcing the pipe held within the clamp onto the cutting means and diverging means using a slide ram, then releasing the clamp and retracting the slide ram and the clamp. More preferably still, this process is repeated, until the whole length of a pipe has been partially split.
  • the method comprises the steps of progressively monitoring a pipe for radioactivity as it is being partially split and its edges forced apart, thereby exposing the interior of the pipe to the monitoring means.
  • the method comprises the step of passing a pipe over one or more rollers located on the apparatus to facilitate movement of the pipe by reducing frictional effects.
  • the method of partially splitting a pipe along its length and forcing the edges apart comprises the steps of forcing the mandrel through the pipe, the mandrel having a graded cutting edge along one side thereof, and undergoing changes of shape such that as it is forced through the pipe, the pipe is cut by the cutting edge and then the edges of the pipe are gradually forced apart.
  • the mandrel is forced through the pipe by way of a hammering means, which acts upon the mandrel.
  • the hammering means is pneumatically driven, or alternatively, it is hydraulically driven.
  • Figure 1 is a side view of the cutting and diverging means, in accordance with the present invention
  • Figure 2 is a section along the line A-A of Figure 1 , of the cutting and diverging means, in accordance with the present invention
  • Figure 3 is a section along the line B-B of Figure 1 , of the cutting and diverging means, in accordance with the present invention
  • Figure 4 is a section along the line C-C of Figure 1 , of the cutting and diverging means, in accordance with the present invention
  • Figure 5 is a section along the line D-D of Figure 1 , of the cutting and diverging means, in accordance with the present invention
  • Figure 6 is a section along the line E-E of Figure 1 , of the cutting and diverging means, in accordance with the present invention.
  • FIG. 7 is a side view of the apparatus for splitting pipes, in accordance with the present invention.
  • Figure 8 is a side view of a second embodiment of the apparatus for splitting pipes, in accordance with the present invention.
  • the apparatus 5 comprises a mandrel 3, which comprises a splitting means 1 and a diverging means 2.
  • the splitting means 1 comprises a cutting edge 15, with a top end 13 and a bottom end 12.
  • the diverging means 2 of the mandrel 3 gradually flares out from the top end 13 of the cutting edge 15 onwards.
  • the cross section of the diverging means 2 of the mandrel 3 changes gradually from a narrow inverted triangular shape with a rounded apex, to progressively wider inverted tria ngular shapes, each with a rounded apex, then on to a rectangular shape with an inverted triangular shaped base, the sides of the triangular shaped base converging to the rectangular shape, the triangular shaped base having a rounded apex, and then on to an inverted T-shape.
  • the pipe 11 is forced onto the cutting edge 15 of the mandrel 3, starting from the bottom end 12 and finishing at the top end 13, and is thereby partially split. Thereafter, the partially split pipe is forced over the diverging means 2, which forces the edges of the pipe apart, thereby exposing the interior of the pipe.
  • a clamping means 20 grips the pipe 11 , and a slide ram 6 acts on the clamp 20, thereby forcing the pipe 11 onto the mandrel 3 to be partially split and its edges forced apart.
  • a radioactivity monitor 9 After a section of the pipe has been partially split and its edges forced apart, that section is then pushed through a radioactivity monitor 9, and because the interior of the pipe is now exposed, the interior may be adequately monitored for radioactivity, with the unsplit sections working their way through the splitting and diverging part of the apparatus 5 at the same time.
  • Rollers 23 are located underneath the mandrel 3, so that as the pipe passes through the apparatus 5, and over the mandrel 3, frictional effects are reduced.
  • a shearing means 10 such as a guillotine, which cuts the partially split and monitored pipe transverse to its length, into smaller, more manageable pieces, which, if they are not contaminated by radioactivity after being monitored therefor, may be conveniently sold as scrap.
  • This substantially flattened form of split pipe is more conveniently stored and transported, if being sold as scrap, than an untreated pipe, and if it is contaminated, then it is more easily safely stored in this form.
  • the shearing means 10 may be operated manually, a user operating the shearing means 10, thereby cutting the pipe into sections, according to whether or not it is contaminated by radioactivity, as told by the monitoring means 9.
  • a means 21 of decontaminating the radioactive sections of pipe is used on those sections of the pipe 11 , which have been found to be radioactive by the monitoring means 9.
  • a pipe doesn't necessarily have to come out perfectly flat; for example, it may, depending on the exact shape of the mandrel, come out with a C-shaped cross- section, which would still enable the interior thereof to be monitored for radioactivity.
  • Figure 8 shows the mandrel 3a having an extended nose 22, for guiding and steadying a pipe as it passes through the apparatus 5a.
  • Pipes having various diameters may be split using the apparatus and process of the invention, the apparatus being manufactured such that it has dimensions to suit the particular size of pipe being split.
  • circular section pipes may be split, but other types of pipe, such as square hollow section tube and rectangular hollow section tubes may also be split using the apparatus and process of the invention.

Abstract

An apparatus (5) for splitting pipes (11) comprises means (1) for forming a longitudinal cut of the pipe (11), and diverging means (2) for opening up the cut pipe to expose the pipe interior. A method for splitting pipes (11) comprises the steps of forming a longitudinal cut of the pipe and opening out the cut pipe to expose its interior.

Description

METHOD AND APPARTUS FOR SPLITTING PIPES
DESCRIPTION
This invention concerns a method and apparatus for splitting pipes.
When reprocessing facilities in nuclear power plants become redundant, it is often necessary to decommission the plant, i.e. shut it down.
However, it is often difficult and expensive to dispose of the pipes, which have been utilised in the plant, since some or all sections of the pipe will have been contaminated by the radioactive material, which has passed through them. Accordingly, in their unmonitored state, they cannot be recycled, i.e. sold as scrap, since quite obviously, the decommissioned possibly contaminated pipes may pose a severe health hazard to the general public.
Accordingly, it is known to bury the contaminated pipes in dump sites, often encased within underground thick-walled concrete containers, which substantially eliminate radioactive contamination of the surrounding area. However, this is often an expensive process, which is extremely wasteful of those parts of the pipes, which have not actually been contaminated by radioactivity. Furthermore, as well as this economic aspect, it is damaging to the environment to dispose of more material than is necessary, since some sections of pipe remain uncontaminated and are therefore re-usable. Hence, it is known to monitor the pipes for radioactivity, and re-use those parts, which have not been contaminated. It is particularly necessary to monitor the interior of the pipe, since this is the, most likely site of contamination, as a result of the radioactive material passing through the pipe. Typical pipes used in the process have diameters of between 15 mm and 150 mm.
Generally, the monitoring is effected by completely splitting the pipe to be monitored along its length, by means of sawing, into two C-section pieces, and then monitoring each piece separately for radioactive contamination, in particular the interior thereof.
However, this process does not enable the splitting of the pipe and the monitoring thereof to be done progressively, since the pipe must first be completely sawn along its length into two C-section pieces, and only then is it monitored for radioactive contamination. In addition, further cutting may be required to remove any contaminated sections or to reduce the length to a suitable size for recycling, and as a result, this method tends to produce a lot of cutting debris, which itself may be contaminated by radioactivity, and which is difficult to confine, possibly getting caught up in the moving parts of the apparatus, i.e. the blades of the saw. Consequently, this debris must regularly be removed, to enable the apparatus to work adequately, and also to facilitate maintenance and blade changing.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for splitting pipes, which overcomes the above-mentioned problems.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus for splitting pipes, which comprises means for forming a longitudinal cut of the pipe, and diverging means for opening up the cut pipe to expose the pipe interior.
A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for splitting pipes, which comprises the steps of forming a longitudinal cut of the pipe and opening out the cut pipe to expose the pipe interior.
In a preferred embodiment, cutting means and diverging means together comprise a mandrel, the mandrel further comprising a graded cutting edge along one side thereof, whereby a pipe is first forced over the cutting edge and then over the diverging means, thereby partially splitting the pipe and causing the edges thereof to diverge, to facilitate monitoring of the interior of the pipe. It is preferable that the cross-section of the diverging means undergoes transitions such that as the pipe is forced over the diverging means, the edges of the pipe are gradually forced apart, until the interior of the pipe is exposed.
Preferably, one or more rollers are located underneath the cutting means, whereby a pipe may pass over the roller(s) as it is forced over the cutting means, in order to reduce friction. Further still, it is preferable that one or more rollers are located underneath the diverging means, whereby a pipe may pass over the roller(s) as it is forced over the diverging means, in order to reduce friction. More preferably still, one or more rollers are located at one end of the mandrel, more preferably still, at that end, which a pipe first encounters as it passes through the apparatus, in order to further reduce friction as the pipe passes over the mandrel. It is further preferable that the means for forcing a pipe over the mandrel comprises a slide ram. The slide ram is preferably hydraulically operated. More preferably still, the forcing means further comprises a clamp, whereby a pipe is held within the clamp, and the slide ram drives the clamp with the pipe held therein against and over the cutting means and diverging means. Preferably, the clamp is attachable to the slide ram.
Preferably, the mandrel comprises an extended nose at one end thereof, more preferably still, at that end, which a pipe first encounters as it passes through the apparatus. This enables a section of pipe, which has not yet been split, to locate over the nose, the nose thereby acting as a guiding and steadying means.
Preferably, the apparatus comprises monitoring means, whereby a pipe is progressively monitored for radioactivity as it is being partially split along its length. It is further preferable that the apparatus comprises shearing means, for example, a guillotine, for cutting a pipe into pieces transverse to its length after it has passed by or through the cutting means, diverging means and the monitoring means. Preferably, one or more rollers are located underneath the monitoring means to reduce friction as a pipe passes through the apparatus. It is further preferable that the apparatus comprises decontamination means. More preferably still, the decontamination means is located at a position on the apparatus which a pipe passing therethrough encounters after it has passed through the monitoring means, whereby a pipe is decontaminated at those areas, which have been detected as being radioactive by the monitoring means. However, it is to be understood that the pipe may alternatively be monitored and/or decontaminated after it has passed through the apparatus, using a separate process. In this case, after it has been split, and then monitored by a separate process, it may be decontaminated, and then re- monitored to check if the levels of radioactivity have been sufficiently reduced. If the levels are still unsatisfactorily high, then the decontamination then re- monitoring process is repeated until the radiation levels have reached a satisfactorily low level.
As an alternative means of splitting a pipe along its length, the mandrel may be forced through the pipe, for example, by way of a hammering means, the pipe remaining stationary. Alternatively, as opposed to the pipe remaining stationary, one or more motor driven rollers may be provided at each side of the pipe, whereby the rollers move the pipe to act in conjunction with the hammering means. It is preferable that the hammering means is hydraulically operated, although it may alternatively be pneumatically driven.
It is preferable that the method of partially splitting a pipe and forcing the edges apart comprises the steps of forcing the pipe over a mandrel, the mandrel having a graded cutting edge along one side thereof, and undergoing changes of shape such that as the pipe is forced over the mandrel, the pipe is cut by the cutting edge and then the edges of the pipe are gradually forced apart as it passes over the mandrel.
It is further preferable that a pipe is forced over the mandrel by way of holding the pipe within a clamp, and forcing the pipe held within the clamp onto the cutting means and diverging means using a slide ram, then releasing the clamp and retracting the slide ram and the clamp. More preferably still, this process is repeated, until the whole length of a pipe has been partially split.
It is preferable that the method comprises the steps of progressively monitoring a pipe for radioactivity as it is being partially split and its edges forced apart, thereby exposing the interior of the pipe to the monitoring means.
Preferably, the method comprises the step of passing a pipe over one or more rollers located on the apparatus to facilitate movement of the pipe by reducing frictional effects.
Alternatively, the method of partially splitting a pipe along its length and forcing the edges apart comprises the steps of forcing the mandrel through the pipe, the mandrel having a graded cutting edge along one side thereof, and undergoing changes of shape such that as it is forced through the pipe, the pipe is cut by the cutting edge and then the edges of the pipe are gradually forced apart. In this case, it is preferable that the mandrel is forced through the pipe by way of a hammering means, which acts upon the mandrel. Preferably, the hammering means is pneumatically driven, or alternatively, it is hydraulically driven.
The present invention will now be described further hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: -
Figure 1 is a side view of the cutting and diverging means, in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a section along the line A-A of Figure 1 , of the cutting and diverging means, in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 3 is a section along the line B-B of Figure 1 , of the cutting and diverging means, in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 4 is a section along the line C-C of Figure 1 , of the cutting and diverging means, in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 5 is a section along the line D-D of Figure 1 , of the cutting and diverging means, in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 6 is a section along the line E-E of Figure 1 , of the cutting and diverging means, in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 7 is a side view of the apparatus for splitting pipes, in accordance with the present invention; and
Figure 8 is a side view of a second embodiment of the apparatus for splitting pipes, in accordance with the present invention.
With reference to Figures 1 to 8, an apparatus for splitting pipes is illustrated generally by reference numeral 5. The apparatus 5 comprises a mandrel 3, which comprises a splitting means 1 and a diverging means 2.
As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the splitting means 1 comprises a cutting edge 15, with a top end 13 and a bottom end 12. As can be seen from Figures 2 to 6, the diverging means 2 of the mandrel 3 gradually flares out from the top end 13 of the cutting edge 15 onwards. The cross section of the diverging means 2 of the mandrel 3 changes gradually from a narrow inverted triangular shape with a rounded apex, to progressively wider inverted tria ngular shapes, each with a rounded apex, then on to a rectangular shape with an inverted triangular shaped base, the sides of the triangular shaped base converging to the rectangular shape, the triangular shaped base having a rounded apex, and then on to an inverted T-shape. In order to partially split a pipe and force the edges thereof apart, the pipe 11 is forced onto the cutting edge 15 of the mandrel 3, starting from the bottom end 12 and finishing at the top end 13, and is thereby partially split. Thereafter, the partially split pipe is forced over the diverging means 2, which forces the edges of the pipe apart, thereby exposing the interior of the pipe.
As can be seen from Figure 7, a clamping means 20 grips the pipe 11 , and a slide ram 6 acts on the clamp 20, thereby forcing the pipe 11 onto the mandrel 3 to be partially split and its edges forced apart. After a section of the pipe has been partially split and its edges forced apart, that section is then pushed through a radioactivity monitor 9, and because the interior of the pipe is now exposed, the interior may be adequately monitored for radioactivity, with the unsplit sections working their way through the splitting and diverging part of the apparatus 5 at the same time. Rollers 23 are located underneath the mandrel 3, so that as the pipe passes through the apparatus 5, and over the mandrel 3, frictional effects are reduced.
The pipe is then pushed through a shearing means 10, such as a guillotine, which cuts the partially split and monitored pipe transverse to its length, into smaller, more manageable pieces, which, if they are not contaminated by radioactivity after being monitored therefor, may be conveniently sold as scrap. This substantially flattened form of split pipe is more conveniently stored and transported, if being sold as scrap, than an untreated pipe, and if it is contaminated, then it is more easily safely stored in this form.
The shearing means 10 may be operated manually, a user operating the shearing means 10, thereby cutting the pipe into sections, according to whether or not it is contaminated by radioactivity, as told by the monitoring means 9.
A means 21 of decontaminating the radioactive sections of pipe is used on those sections of the pipe 11 , which have been found to be radioactive by the monitoring means 9.
It is to be understood that, in using the apparatus of the invention, a pipe doesn't necessarily have to come out perfectly flat; for example, it may, depending on the exact shape of the mandrel, come out with a C-shaped cross- section, which would still enable the interior thereof to be monitored for radioactivity.
Figure 8 shows the mandrel 3a having an extended nose 22, for guiding and steadying a pipe as it passes through the apparatus 5a.
The process is therefore progressive, there being no need to first partially completely split the whole of the pipe along its length, forming two pieces, and only at that stage to monitor it for radioactivity. Furthermore, because the pipe is only partially split, there is less cutting debris than if the pipe was completely split along its length. Pipes having various diameters may be split using the apparatus and process of the invention, the apparatus being manufactured such that it has dimensions to suit the particular size of pipe being split. Furthermore, circular section pipes may be split, but other types of pipe, such as square hollow section tube and rectangular hollow section tubes may also be split using the apparatus and process of the invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for splitting pipes, comprising means for forming a longitudinal cut of the pipe, and diverging means for opening up the cut pipe to expose the pipe interior.
2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cutting means and
diverging means together comprise a mandrel.
3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mandrel comprises a graded cutting edge along one side thereof.
4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , 2 or 3, wherein the cross-section of the diverging means undergoes transitions such that as the pipe is forced over the diverging means, the edges of the pipe are gradually forced apart, until the interior of the pipe is exposed.
5. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one roller is located underneath the cutting means.
6. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a plurality of rollers are located underneath the cutting means.
7. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at" least one roller is located underneath the diverging means.
8. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a plurality of rollers are located underneath the diverging means.
9. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein at least one roller is located at the end of the mandrel, which, in use, a pipe first encounters as it passes through the apparatus.
10. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein at least one motor driven roller is located at each side of the apparatus to engage a pipe passing therethrough, whereby in use, the rollers help drive the pipe over the mandrel.
11. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 10, wherein the mandrel comprises an extended nose at one end of the mandrel, to act as a steadying means.
12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the nose is located at the end of the mandrel, which a pipe first encounters as it passes through the apparatus.
13. An apparatus, as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 12, further comprising means for forcing a pipe over the mandrel.
14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the means for forcing a pipe over the mandrel comprises a slide ram.
15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the slide ram is
hydraulically operated.
16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, 14 or 15, wherein the forcing means further comprises a clamp.
17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the clamp is attachable to the slide ram.
18. An apparatus as claimed -in any one of claims 1 to 17, further comprising monitoring means for detecting radioactivity.
19. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18, further comprising decontaminating means.
20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the decontaminating means is located at a position on the apparatus, which a pipe passing therethrough encounters after it has passed through the monitoring means.
21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 18, 19 or 20, wherein at least one roller is located underneath the monitoring means.
22. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 21 , wherein a plurality of rollers is located underneath the monitoring means.
23. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 22, further comprising shearing means for cutting a pipe into pieces transverse to its length.
24. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 23, comprising a hammering means, which acts on the mandrel, for forcing the mandrel through a pipe.
25. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the hammering means is hydraulically operated.
26. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the hammering means is pneumatically operated.
27. A method for splitting pipes, comprising the steps of forming a longitudinal cut of the pipe and opening out the cut pipe to expose its interior.
28. A method as claimed in claim 27, wherein a pipe is forced over a mandrel in order to form a longitudinal cut of the pipe and open the cut pipe out to expose its interior, the mandrel having a graded cutting edge
■ along one side thereof, and undergoing changes of shape such that as the pipe is forced over the mandrel, the pipe is cut by the cutting edge and then the edges of the pipe are gradually forced apart as it passes over the mandrel.
29. A method as claimed in claim 28, wherein a pipe is forced over the mandrel by way of holding the pipe within a clamp, and forcing the pipe held within the clamp onto the cutting means and diverging means using a slide ram, then releasing the clamp and retracting the siide ram and the clamp.
30. A method as claimed in claim 27, wherein a mandrel is forced through a pipe in order to form a longitudinal cut of the pipe and open the cut pipe out to expose its interior, the mandrel having a graded cutting edge along one side thereof, and undergoing changes of shape such that as the pipe is forced over the mandrel, the pipe is cut by the cutting edge and then the edges of the pipe are gradually forced apart as the mandrel passes through it.
31. A method as claimed in claim 30, the mandrel is forced through a pipe, by way of using a hammering means, acting on the pipe, which remains substantially stationary.
32. A method as claimed in claim 29, 30 or 31 , wherein the process is repeated, until the whole length of a pipe has been partially split.
33. A method as claimed in any one of claims 27 to 32, further comprising the step of monitoring a pipe for radioactivity as it is being partially split
and its edges forced apart.
34. A method as claimed in any one of claims 27 to 33, further comprising the step of decontaminating a pipe.
35. A method as claimed in any one of claims 27 to 34, further comprising the step of passing a pipe over at least one roller located on the apparatus to facilitate movement of the pipe by reducing frictional effects.
36. A method as claimed in any one of claims 27 to 35, further comprising the step of passing a pipe over a plurality of rollers located on the apparatus to facilitate movement of the pipe by reducing frictional effects.
PCT/GB2001/003665 2000-08-16 2001-08-15 Method and apparatus for splitting pipes WO2002014007A1 (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU2001279943A AU2001279943A1 (en) 2000-08-16 2001-08-15 Method and apparatus for splitting pipes
GB0305741A GB2383286B (en) 2000-08-16 2001-08-15 Method and apparatus for splitting pipes

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB0020055.0A GB0020055D0 (en) 2000-08-16 2000-08-16 Pipe splitting means
GB0020055.0 2000-08-16

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2002014007A1 true WO2002014007A1 (en) 2002-02-21

Family

ID=9897630

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB2001/003665 WO2002014007A1 (en) 2000-08-16 2001-08-15 Method and apparatus for splitting pipes

Country Status (3)

Country Link
AU (1) AU2001279943A1 (en)
GB (3) GB0020055D0 (en)
WO (1) WO2002014007A1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6896077B1 (en) 2002-11-04 2005-05-24 The Charles Machines Works, Inc. Rotary driven pipe-bursting tool
NO20090753L (en) * 2006-07-31 2009-02-17 M I Production Chemicals Uk Ltd Procedure for removing oilfield-mineral deposits from pipelines and pipes

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2873489A (en) * 1955-10-26 1959-02-17 New Process Metals Inc Means for producing flint rods
GB958598A (en) * 1960-09-19 1964-05-21 Commissariat Energie Atomique Improvements in nuclear reactor fuel rod desheathing machines
US3728790A (en) * 1972-01-03 1973-04-24 S Blakeslee Tube cutter assembly
US4290906A (en) * 1978-08-14 1981-09-22 Hitachi, Ltd. Apparatus for cutting channel box for fuel assembly and method therefor
US5033344A (en) * 1989-11-24 1991-07-23 Showa Aluminum Kabushiki Kaisha Pipe cutting apparatus
CH680776A5 (en) * 1991-10-30 1992-11-13 Minder Schweiss Service Cutting and opening up underground pipes - using tool with cable winch to pull cutter cone through old pipeline
US5197173A (en) * 1992-02-07 1993-03-30 Stokes Sr Bennie R Method for reclaiming internal pipe mineral buildup
US5276965A (en) * 1992-02-13 1994-01-11 The Atlantic Group, Inc. Method for dismantling potentially contaminated tubes from a tube bundle
US5306101A (en) * 1990-12-31 1994-04-26 Brooklyn Union Gas Cutting/expanding tool

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5439320A (en) * 1994-02-01 1995-08-08 Abrams; Sam Pipe splitting and spreading system
US5544977A (en) * 1994-06-24 1996-08-13 Lone Star Gas Company Polymeric pipe splitter, replacement tool and method
JP2941191B2 (en) * 1994-07-25 1999-08-25 日本碍子株式会社 Method and apparatus for peeling off outer cylinder of waste NaS battery

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2873489A (en) * 1955-10-26 1959-02-17 New Process Metals Inc Means for producing flint rods
GB958598A (en) * 1960-09-19 1964-05-21 Commissariat Energie Atomique Improvements in nuclear reactor fuel rod desheathing machines
US3728790A (en) * 1972-01-03 1973-04-24 S Blakeslee Tube cutter assembly
US4290906A (en) * 1978-08-14 1981-09-22 Hitachi, Ltd. Apparatus for cutting channel box for fuel assembly and method therefor
US5033344A (en) * 1989-11-24 1991-07-23 Showa Aluminum Kabushiki Kaisha Pipe cutting apparatus
US5306101A (en) * 1990-12-31 1994-04-26 Brooklyn Union Gas Cutting/expanding tool
CH680776A5 (en) * 1991-10-30 1992-11-13 Minder Schweiss Service Cutting and opening up underground pipes - using tool with cable winch to pull cutter cone through old pipeline
US5197173A (en) * 1992-02-07 1993-03-30 Stokes Sr Bennie R Method for reclaiming internal pipe mineral buildup
US5276965A (en) * 1992-02-13 1994-01-11 The Atlantic Group, Inc. Method for dismantling potentially contaminated tubes from a tube bundle

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6896077B1 (en) 2002-11-04 2005-05-24 The Charles Machines Works, Inc. Rotary driven pipe-bursting tool
US7353889B1 (en) 2002-11-04 2008-04-08 The Charles Machine Works, Inc. Rotary driven pipe-bursting tool
NO20090753L (en) * 2006-07-31 2009-02-17 M I Production Chemicals Uk Ltd Procedure for removing oilfield-mineral deposits from pipelines and pipes
EP2046511A1 (en) * 2006-07-31 2009-04-15 M-I Production Chemicals UK Limited Method for removing oilfield mineral scale from pipes and tubing
EP2046511A4 (en) * 2006-07-31 2012-09-12 M I Production Chemicals Uk Ltd Method for removing oilfield mineral scale from pipes and tubing
NO343741B1 (en) * 2006-07-31 2019-05-27 Oilfield Mineral Solutions Ltd Procedure for removing oilfield-mineral deposits from pipelines and pipes

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2365813B (en) 2005-03-09
GB2383286A (en) 2003-06-25
AU2001279943A1 (en) 2002-02-25
GB2365813A (en) 2002-02-27
GB0305741D0 (en) 2003-04-16
GB0020055D0 (en) 2000-10-04
GB0119867D0 (en) 2001-10-10
GB2383286B (en) 2005-02-23

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
KR101721693B1 (en) Pipe cutting apparatus and method
EP3152767B1 (en) Device and process for ablation of contaminated material
JPS6124678B2 (en)
WO2002014007A1 (en) Method and apparatus for splitting pipes
KR101441502B1 (en) Cutting apparatus and flating apparatus and method of treatment for pipe contaminated by radioactivity
JP4549269B2 (en) Pipe recycling method
US5633902A (en) Method and apparatus for dismantling fuel storage racks
US3831248A (en) Nuclear reactor fuel rod splitter
CN214667730U (en) Core splitting device for rock core
JP6446701B1 (en) Small-diameter pipe continuous vertical splitting device
WO1979000218A1 (en) Shear machines
KR101900708B1 (en) A cuting device of piping subject pipe to radioactive contamination check
JPH026977Y2 (en)
JP2018118349A (en) Small diameter piping axial direction vertical split cutting device
CN112595541A (en) Core splitting device for rock core
CN219074231U (en) Discharging and collecting device of cutting machine
CN219946546U (en) Vertical roller board cutting saw
JPH0583706B2 (en)
CN220497888U (en) Can cut device to steel pipe processing of waste material decrement processing
KR101837054B1 (en) Pipe-flatting apparatus
KR102612479B1 (en) A device for demolishing radioactive waste packaging container filled with radioactive waste by high-pressur compression
JP2519314B2 (en) Radioactive waste treatment equipment
JP7373888B2 (en) Pipe cutting device
EP0982091A2 (en) Method and device for cutting up objects
JPH0721550B2 (en) Method and device for shredding used channel box

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AK Designated states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AE AG AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BY BZ CA CH CN CO CR CU CZ DE DK DM DZ EC EE ES FI GB GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IN IS JP KE KG KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MA MD MG MK MN MW MX MZ NO NZ PL PT RO RU SD SE SG SI SK SL TJ TM TR TT TZ UA UG US UZ VN YU ZA ZW

AL Designated countries for regional patents

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): GH GM KE LS MW MZ SD SL SZ TZ UG ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LU MC NL PT SE TR BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GQ GW ML MR NE SN TD TG

ENP Entry into the national phase

Ref document number: 0305741

Country of ref document: GB

Kind code of ref document: A

Free format text: PCT FILING DATE = 20010815

Format of ref document f/p: F

121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application
DFPE Request for preliminary examination filed prior to expiration of 19th month from priority date (pct application filed before 20040101)
REG Reference to national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: 8642

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase
NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: JP