| Project Detail |
General Electric (GE) Global Research will develop PipeLine Underground Trenchless Overhaul (PLUTO)—a long-distance, minimally invasive pipe repair system that provides structural rehabilitation of gas pipelines faster, more efficiently, and less expensively than traditional open-cut excavation replacement. The GE team, including Warren Environmental and Garver, will develop and integrate a highly dexterous long-range pipe-crawling (robotic) system, high-speed non-destructive evaluation technologies, and advanced spray-on thick-coating epoxy lining systems. The PLUTO system will provide efficient pipeline maintenance at ½ to 1/20th the cost of traditional open-trench methods, a key enabler to lower emissions by reducing pipeline transit loss and maintenance burdens.
Potential Impact:
If successful, GE’s PLUTO system would eliminate the highest pipe rehabilitation cost components, excavation and restoration, by repairing pipes without their removal. |
