These inspection methods add extra costs to the inspection process. For decades, utility operators have been searching for a way to automatically conduct physical inspections of overhead transmission lines. Epri, and others, have in the past, and are currently developing inspection technologies for implementation using traditional manned inspection methods. This paper presents a new two legs mobile robot to be used in the inspection and maintenance of the power transmission lines. Development of an inspection platform and a suite of sensors. Preventive maintenance of highvoltage transmission power lines is a dangerous task, but the obstacles mounted on the lines have so far prevented the automation of this task. In the case of parts with more complex shapes, the paths are defined based on cad files obtained in various ways and using robotic simulation software that is adapted to ndt applications. Expliner a robot for inspection of transmission lines. Eskom has thousandsofkilometres of transmission lines running across south africa. Jun 10, 2010 overhead transmission lines traverse thousands of kilometers, often crossing remote areas.
Mar 07, 2015 abstract robotic cable inspection system an innovative and lowcost robotic mobile system to be employed in inspection of underground cable to know accurate, realtime information about the underground cable status. Expliner aims to overcome such obstacles by controlling actively the position of its center of mass, thus changing its configuration as needed when moving on the power lines. The purpose of inspecting power transmission lines ptls is to obtain running cond itions and find damage of the transmission lines. This paper presents a new visual servoing using two lines features and this method is adopted for a novel dualarm power transmission line inspection robot to grasp transmission line autonomously. First is performed a revisionof existing and presentedrobots the main obstacles in power transmission lines. Autonomous robotic monitoring of underground cable systems. The line inspection robot autonomously inspects power lines while mounted on a live. The hydroquebec research institute in canada unveiled their linescout robot which climbed on highvoltage power lines for inspection bouchard, 2010. Manual inspection refers to observation of power lines and their. The multiprocessor distributed control architecture developed in this project allows realtime operation of multiple sensors and a. This paper describes the process of designing the mechanical part of a robotic system able to travel autonomously on power transmission lines, to inspect them. Inspection and monitoring technologies of transmission lines. Such a robot has to do more than just rolling on the power transmission line. Two parallel wires coaxial cable microstrip line optical fiber waveguide very high frequencies, very low loss, expensive etc.
Weve listed the standard packages, but let us know if you dont see the right robot for you. Such robotic structure should take advantage of the conditions of distribution network to minimize the difficulties of. Expliner toward a practical robot for inspection of high. At the same time, a basic synthesis concept of an inspection.
Mar 03, 2018 power transmission lines inspected by robots by frank tobe march 3, 2018 in 2010 i wrote that there were three sponsored research projects to solve the problem of safely inspecting and maintaining high voltage transmission lines using robotics. Equipped with cameras, a thermoinfrared imager, and. Robotics applied to power line linkedin slideshare. Overhead transmission lines traverse thousands of kilometers, often crossing remote areas.
In the area of inpipe inspection systems, there are many examples of priorart robotic systems for use in underground piping transmissionpipeline pigs excluded. The robot can maneuver over obstructions created by subsidiary equipment on the ground wire. Thus, development of mechanised inspection techniques, sensors and systems for finding defects and corrosion in pipe that is inaccessible to the operator, covered with coatings, such as thick paint or insulation, without the need to dig. Points cloud analysis for automatic detection of georeferenced interested points. Power transmission lines inspected by new lineranger robots. For those pipelines that will be pressure tested, if the pipeline can reasonably accommodate inline inspection tools we plan to perform an internal inspection of the pipeline first using an inline inspection. Federal robotics has been involved in deploying uas in the power transmission industry since 2015. Inspection and monitoring technologies of transmission lines with remote sensing helps readers build a thorough understanding of new technologies and worldclass practices developed by the state grid corporation of chinathe organization responsible for the worlds largest power distribution network. The procedure used for inspection and verification of damages in cables is highly dependent on the experience of a skilled technician who, using binoculars, covers the transmission lines in a. Robotic inline inspection diakont has developed a fleet of inline inspection robots, called rodis crawlers, to support the asset integrity of gas and liquid pipelines by detecting and measuring internal and external metal loss, corrosion, and various other anomalies. Inspection and preemptive maintenance of power lines can prevent unnecessary. And the experimental system shown in figure 4 was set to demonstrate the movement of an autonomous robot upon transmission line.
Ideally, the robot should move directly on the transmission lines for more detailed data acquisition. The transmission line inspection robot fortnightly. A completed standard inspection report is to be submitted to. New robot for power line inspection university of missouri. Power transmission lines inspected by robots by frank tobe march 3, 2018 in 2010 i wrote that there were three sponsored research projects to solve the problem of safely inspecting and maintaining high voltage transmission lines using robotics.
The developments in mobile robotics have increasingly played an important role in the inspection and maintenance work of power transmission lines. Designing the transformer for line powering of transmission. Fiber optic application to transmission line inspection 9. From inspection to robotic maintenance on live transmission power lines, proceedings of the 2009 ieee international conference on robotics and automation, icra 2009, 12 17 may 2009, pages 1034 1040. Transmission line inspection using suspended robot. The aim of this work is to propose a robotic structure for inspection of electric power distribution networks. Cableclimbing robots for power transmission lines inspection. Line inspection, mobile robot, transmission line, power distribution. Sensor technologies for civil infrastructures, volume 1. Nowadays inspectors are carrying inspection of transmission line by survey. Therefore, we have, developed robotic tools to work in places that are often hard to get to and to provide operators with diagnostic tools to assist them in their decisionmaking. Corona current monitor for high voltage power lines 8. Abstract robotic cable inspection system an innovative and lowcost robotic mobile system to be employed in inspection of underground cable to know accurate, realtime information about the underground cable status. Linescout robot climbs on live power lines to inspect them.
Overhead transmission inspection and assessment guidelines. Unlike with conventional transmission line servicing, the robot can service the lines while they are energized, saving precious company resources, reducing safety risks and downtime. Development of a transmission line inspecting robot youtube. Robotised ut transmission ndt of composite complex. We introducing the robot and for purpose of monitoring transmission lines in real. Pdf the procedure used for inspection and verification of damages in cables is highly dependent on the experience of a skilled technician who, using. Inspection and monitoring technologies of transmission. These pipeline systems can be simple or complicated. In the power industry, optimizing the use, performance and life of transmission lines, is a continuing need. Jul 10, 2012 epri is continuing to develop a transmission line inspection robot, known as ti, that can be permanently installed to traverse 80 miles of transmission lines at least twice a year.
Inspecting the often ageing lines and the vegetation near them is an important aspect of. The design concept of the robotic pipe crawler encompasses the following features. This robot will be able to perform the inspection on high voltage overhead lines. Visual and nondestructive evaluation inspection of live. Jan 05, 2011 the electric power research institute epri is developing a transmission line inspection robot to be permanently installed on, and designed to traverse 80 miles of line at least twice a year.
In the area of inpipe inspection systems, there are many examples of priorart robotic systems for use in underground piping transmission pipeline pigs excluded. An operator may operate a segment of pipeline found to be in satisfactory condition, considering its operating and maintenance history, at the highest actual operating pressure to which the segment was subjected during the 5 years preceding the applicable date in the second column of the table. Pdf transmission line monitoring system for a power line. Obstacles are plenty on these hundreds of kilometers long cables, and towers are regularly standing along the line.
Inspecting the often ageing lines and the vegetation near them is. Solarblind power line inspection system through detecting uv 7. Robotic inspection systems for transmission systems will integrate advanced sensing, processing, communications, mobility, and power harvesting technologies to deliver actionable data for justintime maintenance. Overhead transmission line inspection robots the robot report. Based on aforementioned major symptoms, following techniques are mainly used for detecting faults in the transmission lines aggarwal et al. Epris overhead transmission inspection and assessment. Robotic cable inspection system linkedin slideshare. After, is presented the robot characteristics and the proposed methodologies to transposesurmount obstacles. The adaptation of current pigging technology may not be viable given the geometric challenges, flow restrictions and economic drivers of utility owned transmission lines especially in. Inline inspection is a technique used to assess the integrity of natural gas transmission pipelines from. New inspection robot for overhead transmission lines.
Maintenance of transmission line by using robot ieee conference. Transmission lines a transmission line connects a generator to a load a two port network transmission lines include physical construction. This work aims to develop a transformer prototype, used in a power supply system that will be implemented at the riol robot 1. Most of them, however, are focused on water and sewer lines and meant for inspection, repair, and rehabilitation. Measurement of corona pulse current inconsistency 3.
Equipped with cameras, these robots are made to inspect tight spaces. Transmissionline inspection is currently the domain of humans who walk high on the lines like tightrope walkers, which means that the power lines have to be turned off before inspection can begin. Different methods have been explored to examine, assess and determine andor perform maintenance where needed, and, in canada, to deice those lines as well. Its ultimate purpose is to automate the inspection of power transmission line equipment. Presently, this inspection task has been carried out manually by a worker with a telescope on the ground 1. In the long term, the use of a robot that is specifically designed to inspect and monitor these transmission lines will be far more cost effective.
Robotic inspection enables conditionbased monitoring of transmission lines. Currently, inspection of overhead highvoltage transmission lines is performed as an aerial inspection by workers or carried out visually using binoculars or helicopters. Electrical power companies usually perform regular visual inspection to check the status of their transmission lines mainly using helicopter equipped with external gimbals housing infrared and ultraviolet camera to detect hot spots and corona discharges. The electric power research institute epri is developing a transmission line inspection robot to be permanently installed on, and designed to traverse 80 miles of line at least twice a year. Inspection with an uav is an upgrade of automated helicopter inspection so both concepts have some common problems. Expliner robot for inspection of transmission lines. To improve inspection quality, the worker sometimes has to climb up the towers and ride in a gondola. The circuit used in the experiments was designed according to the proposed circuit showi in figure 2. Mobile robot, inspection, visual inspection, service robot. Power transmission lines have been inspected using cable climbing robots nayyerloo et al. Pdf inspection robot for highvoltage transmission lines.
Through the inspection and maintenance of overhead power lines with robotic devices, power companies are able to manage their assets with. Towards robotic nondestructive inspection of industrial pipelines p. To ensure the stable supply of electric power, it is critical to carry out preventive maintenance and inspections of the overhead transmission lines. A novel method of autonomous inspection for transmission line. Latest development of epris transmission line inspection.
Power line robotic device for overhead line inspection and maintenance article pdf available in industrial robot 441. Request pdf expliner robot for inspection of transmission lines the inspection of highvoltage transmission lines is a dangerous and timeconsuming job, that relies on especially trained. Design of a robot applied to inspection of power transmission. Development of an inspection platform and a suite of. A mobile robot for inspection of power transmission lines. The authors have assembled a fullscale functional model of such a mobile robot. Automatic image processing for a ray cloud construction 3.
Epri is continuing to develop a transmission line inspection robot, known as ti, that can be permanently installed to traverse 80 miles of transmission lines at least twice a year. This applies to the use of hydrostatic testing, direct assessment or an inline inspection robot. The adaptation of current pigging technology may not be viable given the geometric challenges, flow restrictions and economic drivers of utility owned transmission lines especially in high consequence areas. The current methods of overhead power line inspection foot patrols and air inspections have been implemented for a long time now and are expensive and infrequent. Introduction the natural gas pipeline industry consists of transmission and distribution companies.
Jan 30, 2014 in the power industry, optimizing the use, performance and life of transmission lines, is a continuing need. The robot must be able to manoeuver past obstacles on the transmission lines whilst monitoring the line for signs of defects, deterioration, bird nests and other related problems. The yellow book this industrystandard referenceoffered together with pictorial field guides and webbased training helps utilities reduce costs, increase reliability, and extend the life of overhead transmission lines. The new designed inspection robot has 5 dofs ofeach arm, and the arms for the wheelarm platform will cross obstacle on the transmission lines. Visual servoing of a new designed inspection robot for. It is equipped with an arcshaped arm that acts as a guide rail and allows it to negotiate transmission towers. This will further enhance socalgas pipeline system safety. Utilities stringent standards for reliability, vegetation management and worker safety often require circuits to be located in remote and rugged. Hydroquebec has developed a robot, named linescout, to inspect live transmission lines. Transmission line inspection is currently the domain of humans who walk high on the lines like tightrope walkers, which means that the power lines have to be turned off before inspection can begin. Monitoring the operational status of highvoltage transmission lines is critical in supply.
Now, because of aging infrastructure, the need is greater than ever to identify potential failures before they disrupt service and require line personnel or electricians to make repairs. Therefore, detailed inspection of the transmission lines, when possible, would require powerful cameras and special attitudecontrol methods 12. The development of a mobile robot that can navigate overhead power transmission lines completely unattended by a human operator is described. A completed standard inspection report is to be submitted. Key wordsmodular robot, gas pipe, inspection, repair, pipe leaks the international journal of robotics research vol. The robot gathers the data of these transmission lines using various sensors which is sent to the control room by using the transceiver provided in the robot. Now, because of aging infrastructure, the need is greater than ever to identify potential failures before they disrupt service and require line personnel or.
Development of an inspection robot for 500 kv ehv power. Federal robotics has been involved in deploying uas. Pdf design of a power line inspection robot researchgate. And also this power distribution cable network can save the power industry millions of rupees lost due to line failures or cables. The uav flies above the power lines and takes high resolution pictures of it 2. An evaluation of using an uav for power line inspection 6 indicated that this inspection method could be faster than foot patrol and would yield the same or better accuracy than costly helicopter inspection. Overhead transmission line inspection robots the robot.
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