We were commissioned by Thames Water/Optimise to survey various sections of 2m diameter potable water pipes, with a maximum excursion range of 2.7km.
Our remit was to access live pressurised pipes via 20m deep shafts to carry out a CCTV inspection and measure the cross section of the pipes with our unique profiling sonar; there could be no-disruption to pumping schedules, nor pollution/silt disturbance of the potable water.
We designed and built a Pipe Inspection Vehicle (PIV) that would function effectively in flow rates up to 1 metre per second, a launch-cage that would enable the PIV to descend the shaft vertically and revert to horizontal at the mouth of the pipe; at the same time providing a roller for the PIV control cable to pass around the edge formed between the wall of the shaft and the crown of the pipe and a PIV launch-pod that would facilitate access into the live pipes that were operating at a pressure of circa 6 bars.