Request pdf expliner robot for inspection of transmission lines the inspection of highvoltage transmission lines is a dangerous and. Review and latest trends in mobile robots used on power. For instance, the devices can locate and remove debris such as salt accumulation, vegetation, ice and animal nests. Us201700124a1 inspection robot for live transmission. Cableclimbing robots for power transmission lines inspection. The trials being undertaken to test the method works. Jan, 2015 the robotic copter is equipped with a laser scanner, cameras and aviation safety systems and has the capability for long distance bvlos beyond visual line of sight inspection flights. Robot for inspection of transmission lines nasaads. A line inspection robot autonomously inspects transmission lines to detect any faults in the. Autonomous overhead transmission line inspection robot ti. Using different configuration of these six units, the robot will be able to adapt itself to. With this robot, more lines are maintained with lower time.
The robot adopts a turning around method to get across the component obstacles for the robot installed on the hvptl, and the process of the obstacle negotiation is expressed in detail. The inspection robot mobile robot must be able to bypass or avoid obstacles as it travels along the power transmission line. Ti epri transmission line robot development executive. This invention addresses an inspection robot for live transmission line cables that is comprised of a pair of guide rollers located on each side of the robot in order to guide the conductor into its position alongside the pulleys that support its weight and ensure its movement. Two methods of accomplishing this task have been developed. Ideally, the robot should move directly on the transmission lines for more detailed data acquisition.
This paper presents a bibrachiate robot for the inspection tasks of the high voltage power transmission line hvptl. However, as in many other hostile environments, substantial benefits in terms of workers safety and quality of inspection results could arise. For many utilities, the current practice involves dispatching inspection workers to conduct fastflyby to assess the condition of lines in remote or inaccessible areas, employing limited helicopter hovering. Optimal crossing and control of mobile dualarm robot through. Pdf mobile robot for inspection of power transmission. In the united states alone, they traverse tens of thousands of milesmany of them in remote areas.
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. The authors have developed a scaled functional model of such a mobile robot with a preliminary simple computer based onoff controller. Unmanned aerial utility inspection services ulc robotics. Mechanical function testing of the robot has been performed, and results are reported. An inspection robot was developed with three arm for 110kv power transmission live lines fengyu zhou, yibin li, et al.
Corona current monitor for high voltage power lines 8. A mobile robot for inspection of power transmission lines. Loss of aluminium strands decreases current carrying capacity and mechanical. Last week hibot announced a partnership with hitachi hightech group to expand the development and distribution of that robot. Expliner robot for inspection of transmission lines. We have a large network of inspection service providers globally who own and use our robotic platforms. Inspection robot suspended on power transmission lines based. Although some tasks have been successfully automated. Inspection robot was described based linegrasping control with visual servo for power transmission line wang ludan and wang hongguang, et al.
He the electric power research institute epri is developing a robotic system for autonomous inspection of overhead transmission lines to. Its ultimate purpose is to automate the inspection of power transmission line equipment. The laser scanner maps the terrain and forms an accurate 3d model of the components of the power network, as well as of the surrounding buildings, forest and. Introduction many theoretical and experimental studies have been carried out in order to develop autonomous machines which can travel along transmission lines to perform inspections andor repair work. It is equipped with an arcshaped arm that acts as a guide rail and allows it to negotiate transmission towers. Design and validation of a mobile robot for power line. Aerial power transmission lines, inspection, mobile robot, automated operation 1. 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. In recent years, it has become increasingly necessary to perform inspection work with the autonomous inspection robot in power transmission line. 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. Transmission line inspection using suspended robot. 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 helicopter, and is able of visualing points where seems to exist damaged spots in the wires and in insulators of the transmission lines.
In its constructive aspect, the robotic mechanism is designed using principles of bioengineering. Jan 15, 2018 the benefits of using open source systems are immeasurable, both from academic and industrial applications. The authors have assembled a fullscale functional model of such a mobile robot. Autonomous inspection robot for power transmission lines. Mobile robot for inspection of power transmission lines. Robot for inspection of transmission lines abstract. The developed system is also applied on power transmission line and verified the efficiency of the robot. The inspection of highvoltage transmission lines is a dangerous and timeconsuming job, that relies on especially trained workers operating tens of meters above the ground, and close to live. There are several researches aimed at developing methods for automated inspection, but these focus on transmission lines. Robots take on tough tasks in transmission and distribution. Drones and robots combine for transmission line monitoring. Power transmission lines are used worldwide to transmit electricity for power distribution purposes to the customer. Geometric design of the linescout, a teleoperated robot for. Japanese startup hibot, a maker of various types of robots for commercial use such as industrial pipeline cleaning, also developed a high transmission line inspection robot name expliner.
At the same time, a basic synthesis concept of an inspection. Different methods have been explored to examine, assess and determine andor perform maintenance where needed, and, in canada, to deice those lines as well. Infrared inspection of overhead transmission lines 5. The main purpose of the robot is maintenance and inspection. It is designed to be permanently installed and automatically traverse 80 miles of transmission line twice per year, collecting information that can be used to make maintenance decisions. Solarblind power line inspection system through detecting uv 7. The development of a mobile robot that can navigate overhead power transmission lines completely unattended by a human operator is described. For decades, utility operators have been searching for a way to automatically conduct physical inspections of overhead transmission lines. Overhead transmission inspection and assessment guidelines.
Keywords mobile robots, inspection robots, transmission lines 1. Nov 03, 2017 hydroquebec takes a major step forward in the development of a semiautonomous drone for the inspection of power transmission lines. From the very beginning, the key objective was to design a robust, reliable and field oriented mobile platform that would be applicable to real inspection and maintenance tasks, aligned with power line maintenance teams considerations. Higher voltages and supporting devices are being devised for better power transmission. Expliner robot for inspection of transmission lines request pdf. The robot navigates a ground wire that is located above the actual power transmission lines. Jan 20, 2014 to ensure the stable supply of electric power, it is critical to carry out preventive maintenance and inspections of the overhead transmission lines.
This paper describes the development of a mobile robot that can navigate power transmission lines completely unattended by a human operator. Linescout is the tool of choice for obtaining the highquality information that is crucial for grid reliability. Epris overhead transmission inspection and assessment. Nicknamed ti, the new inspection robot is being tested in lenox, mass. Polibot power lines inspection robot emerald insight. Pdf the procedure used for inspection and verification of damages in cables is highly dependent on the experience of a skilled technician who, using. Obstacles are plenty on these hundreds of kilometers long cables, and towers are regularly standing along the line. Cableclimbing robots for power transmission lines inspection 67.
Jan 30, 2014 in the power industry, optimizing the use, performance and life of transmission lines, is a continuing need. Ulc aerial services offers a complete range of uav inspection services for gas utility transmission and distribution assets. Preventive maintenance of highvoltage transmission power lines is a demanding task, but the obstacles mounted on the lines have so far prevented the automation of this task. Fiber optic application to transmission line inspection 9. Such a robot has to do more than just rolling on the power transmission line. On the other hand, current inspection methods have major drawbacks because these are based on the following regime. Robotic devices can also implement maintenance tasks while traversing the power lines.
The transmission line inspection robot presents one of the latest initiatives toward that goal. Designed to ensure the reliability and longterm operability of facilities and. Performing tasks on live overhead lines add complications to the design of inspection robotic devices. 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. Latest development of epris transmission line inspection. Pdf cableclimbing robots for power transmission lines. Comparison of three main robotic platforms used to perform inspection work in transmission lines. It is a great challenge to inspect transmission line in these regions. 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. Inspections can be preventive, routine, periodic or on an. Hydroquebecs research institute ireq continues to make. The mobile robot walks on overhead ground wires in 500kv power tower.
Maintenance of transmission and distribution lines transmissionline inspection on globalspec. Overhead transmission line inspection robots the robot. Towards robotic nondestructive inspection of industrial. First of all we meet with the power operator and set the rules to the incoming inspection. Linescout a robot for inspecting live transmission lines linescout and its robotic arm linescout on a fourconductor. Mobile robot, inspection, visual inspection, service robot. Pdf inspection robot for highvoltage transmission lines. Hydroquebec has solid expertise in using robotics to inspect and maintain power generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure. One of the challenging steps in the development of power transmission line inspection robot is the design of a mechanism. The transmission line inspection robot fortnightly. 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.
For inspection and maintenance activity, innovation is seek as transmission networks are pressured by increasing loads and high reliability requirements 12. We conduct safe and efficient unmanned aerial inspection flights to gather critical pipeline data through the use of specialized sensors and customized visual imaging devices. Pdf transmission line monitoring system for a power line. Its ultimate purpose is to automate inspection of power transmission lines and their equipments. It was known that there is great interest among the energy distribution companies of purchasing a system that allows remote inspection of power lines, particularly.
Hydroquebec has developed a robot, named linescout, to inspect live transmission lines. This paper is a brief summary of the design and manufacture of an electric robot, whose purpose is to inspect transmission lines, aiming to find defects, such as broken conductors, broken space dampers etc. Within the field of power line inspection, different methods have. The developed inspection tool can reliable to move along transmission line and overcome several obstacles on transmission line. Robotic inspection enables conditionbased monitoring of transmission lines. If you need support to find the right robot for your application, we have a team of experienced consultants. Ground inspections of components also are performed in some instances, while certain components can only be examined by climbing towers. Introduction the procedure used for inspection and verification of wires or cables of energy transmission lines is subject to the experience of one technician who, through binoculars, covers the lines of transmission in a helicopter and is able of. As an anode, aluminium corrodes rapidly and white powder aluminium hydroxide is produced. Power line robotic device for overhead line inspection and. An in line inspection robot designed to provide an accurate assessment of the current condition of the below ground pipework at high pressure gas installations. Several studies have aimed to develop robotic systems which move in transmission lines. Possible visions for the inspection of transmission lines in a multidecade time frame.
The characteristics of the transmission lines are usually very different compared to distribution lines. Mechanical implementation and simulation of mobolab, a. Overhead transmission lines are among the electric power utilities most widely dispersed assets. Until this moment, all of them have a high weight and cost associated with the equipment and reduced battery autonomy time. The safe and efficient methodology of autonomous robotic inspection is needed to avoid these kinds of problems involved in the manual inspection. Pdf development of transmission line sleeve inspection. The inspection can be performed with the help of the power operator, or only by our engineers. The idea was to have a small mobile robot that could be able to roll on highvoltage transmission lines and deice them. After this previous identification, teams are sent to verify, with. Maintenance tasks, including inspection and repairs, are identi. Therefore, detailed inspection of the transmission lines, when possible, would require powerful cameras and special attitudecontrol methods 12. Introduction power transmission lines are used worldwide to transmit electricity for power distribution purposes to.
The line inspection robot autonomously inspects power lines while mounted on a live phase line. The robot can maneuver over obstructions created by subsidiary equipment on the ground wire. 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. New inspection robot for overhead transmission lines. Introduction in recent years it has become a necessity to perform inspection work without suspending electric power supply. Its ultimate purpose is to automate to inspect the defect of power. How does the robotic transmission line inspection system work. During the development of the robot mechanical system able of moving along a cable of a transmission line is needed the development of the locomotion and actuation subsystems and of a tower transposition mechanism. This paper describes the first phase in development of a mobile robot that can navigate aerial power transmission lines completely unattended by human operator. Cableclimbing robots for power transmission lines inspection 67 using different configuration of these six units, t he robot will be able to adapt itself to different geometrical environments and avoid obstacles with different shapes and sizes, transfer to a branch wire, and even transfer to a parallel line. Expliner a robot for inspection of transmission lines.
Cableclimbing robots for power transmission lines inspection 65 and aluminium to each other and leads to galvanic corrosion between iron and aluminium. Multifunctional robotic system for live power transmission lines. Mechanical implementation and simulation of mobolab, a mobile. Introduction many theoretical and experimental studies have been carried out in order to develop autonomous machines which can travel along transmission lines to perform inspections. Hence, power companies have endeavored to make especial cableclimbing robots to accomplish inspection tasks from close distances to the hot line. Eskom has thousandsofkilometres of transmission lines running across south africa. Highvoltage transmission line and sf6 gasinsulated. Inspection of substations inspection of high voltage lines energized or not note. A mockup of epris underground cable inspection robot with a section of pipe and cables. For this reason, this paper proposes a new robotic structure capable of running along the three. 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. Introduction the purpose of inspecting power transmission lines ptls is to obtain running cond itions and find damage of the transmission lines.
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, collecting highfidelity information that utilities can act on in real time. 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. Development of an inspection robot for 500 kv ehv power. Epris robot prototype for inspection of underground transmission cables that run through pipes. Conceptual design for transmission line inspection robot iopscience. 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. In this context, this paper aims to propose the polibot power lines inspection robot with low cost and weight, enabling the movement over the lines and an easier installation and. The purpose of inspection robot for power transmission lines is to check running state and find damages of extrahigh voltage ehv power. Tis highdefinition visual and infrared cameras inspect rightsofway and components and determine clearances between power lines and trees. Inspection is needed once or twice a year to assess component aging and rightofway clearance. The methodology of manual highvoltage transmission line inspection is a timeconsuming process, and also it involves high risk. Currently, inspection of overhead highvoltage transmission lines is performed as an aerial inspection by workers or carried out visually using binoculars or helicopters. Future inspection of overhead transmission lines electric power.
Latest development of epris transmission line inspection robot. Robotic inspection systems for transmission systems will integrate advanced sensing, processing, communications, mobility, and power harvesting technologies to deliver actionable data for justintime maintenance. Power transmission line inspection robots ptlirs are used to inspect the condition of transmission lines autonomously with less cost, faster and safer as compared to the traditional inspection techniques briefly discussed above. Keywordstransmission line inspection, line sleeve, transmission line inspection robot, line sleeve inspection. The inspection of high voltage transmission line is a very risky job and the cost of testing it is too high as the design of insulation suit of inspection person can be difficult. Finally, the conclusion of the thesis is drawn, and the future work is discussed.
The methodology of development of the mechanical system included the study of wind effects on the robot. Thus, this paper presented a new two legs mobile robot to be applied for maintenance and inspection ofpower transmission lines which methodologies for transposition of obstacles and towers were. A true segment of transmission line in missouri mo is used in case study to illustrate the effectiveness of the derived routing algorithm. The autonomous transmission line inspection robot is intended to reduce or eliminate the need for helicopter overflights while supporting a transition from scheduled to conditionbased maintenance on both existing and new corridors. Us201700124a1 inspection robot for live transmission line. 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 paper describes the process of designing the mechanical part of a robotic system able to travel autonomously on power transmission lines, to inspect them. Linescout robot climbs on live power lines to inspect them.