Video push-cables for pipe inspection systems
Systems for inspecting pipes or cavities including a camera head, a coaxial push-cable, and a video signal transmitter and a communicatively coupled camera control unit (CCU) are disclosed.
1 . A system for video inspection of piping or cavities, comprising:
a camera head including an imaging sensor and a video signal transmitter coupled to receive at an input a video signal provided from imaging sensor; and
a coaxial push-cable having a proximal end and a distal end, the push-cable comprising:
an inner tubular conductor comprising a steel structural core and an outer layer of a high electrical conductivity material, the inner tubular conductor coupled to a power source for powering the camera head;
an insulating dielectric layer disposed around the inner conductor; and
an outer conductor array having a plurality of tubular conductors disposed helically around the insulating layer, each tubular conductor of the outer conductor array including a structural core and an outer layer of a high electrical conductivity material, wherein one or more of the tubular conductors of the outer conductor array is coupled to the camera head to carry video signals from the camera head through the push cable to a camera control unit (CCU) or other operatively coupled electronic device.
2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a conductive tape layer positioned beneath the outer conductor array.
3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a lighting element, wherein the lighting element is coupled to receives electrical power from the inner tubular conductor of the coaxial push cable to power a lighting element.
4 . The system of claim 3 , further comprising a sonde, wherein the sonde is coupled to receives electrical power from the coaxial push cable from the inner tubular conductor to power the sonde so as to generate magnetic field signals for sensing by an associated utility locator.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the inner tubular conductors are copper clad steel conductors.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the inner tubular conductors comprise Litz wire.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the steel material is a high strength steel.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the steel material is plano wire.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the steel structural core further comprises a composite material.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the steel structural core further comprise a nanostructured material.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the outer layer of a high electrical conductivity material is bonded to the steel structural core.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the outer layer of a high electrical conductivity material is a cladding layer on the steel structural core.
13 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional inner tubular conductors comprising a steel structural core.
14 . A system for video inspection of piping or cavities, comprising:
a camera head including an imaging sensor and a video signal transmitter coupled to receive at an input a video signal provided from imaging sensor; and
a coaxial push-cable having a proximal end and a distal end, the push-cable comprising:
an inner tubular conductor comprising a steel structural core and an outer layer of a high electrical conductivity material;
an insulating dielectric layer disposed around the inner conductor;
an outer conductor array having a plurality of tubular conductors disposed helically around the insulating layer, each tubular conductor of the outer conductor array including a structural core and an outer layer of a high electrical conductivity material; and
a cutting tool electrically coupled to the outer conductor at the distal end of the coaxial push-cable, wherein the cutting tool receives AC power from the coaxial push-cable to operate;
wherein an output of the video signal transmitter is coupled at the distal end of the push-cable to send images or a video signal through the push cable to a camera control unit (CCU) or other operatively coupled electronic device.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the cutting tool is a rotary cutting head.
16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the AC power is provided at a high frequency greater than 100 HZ.
17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the AC power is provided at a high frequency greater than 1 kHz.
18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the AC power is provided at a high frequency greater than 100 kHz.
19 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the AC power is provided at a high frequency greater than 1 MHz.
20 . A system for video inspection of piping or cavities, comprising:
a camera head including an imaging sensor and a video signal transmitter coupled to receive at an input a video signal provided from imaging sensor; and
a coaxial push-cable having a proximal end and a distal end, the push-cable comprising:
an inner tubular conductor comprising a flexible polymer structural core and an outer layer of a high electrical conductivity material;
an insulating dielectric layer disposed around the inner conductor; and
an outer conductor array having a plurality of tubular conductors disposed helically around the insulating layer, each tubular conductor of the outer conductor array including a structural core and an outer layer of a high electrical conductivity material;
wherein an output of the video signal transmitter is coupled to one of the plurality of tubular conductors of the outer conductor array at the distal end of the push-cable to send images or a video signal through the push cable to a camera control unit (CCU) or other operatively coupled electronic devices.
21 . A system for video inspection of piping or cavities, comprising:
a camera head including an imaging sensor and a video signal transmitter coupled to receive at an input a video signal provided from imaging sensor; and
a coaxial push-cable having a proximal end and a distal end, the push-cable comprising:
an inner tubular conductor comprising a non-conductive structural core and an outer layer of a high electrical conductivity material coupled to provide electrical power to power the camera head;
an insulating dielectric layer disposed around the inner conductor; and
an outer conductor array having a plurality of tubular conductors disposed helically around the insulating layer, each tubular conductor of the outer conductor array including a structural core and an outer layer of a high electrical conductivity material;
wherein an output of the video signal transmitter is coupled to a tubular conductor of the outer conductor array at the distal end of the push-cable to send images or a video signal through the push cable to a CCU or other operatively coupled electronic device.