International Journal of Control, Automation, and Systems

Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems (제어로봇시스템학회)
권호 표지

Feeder Pipe Inspection Robot with an Inch-Worm Mechanism Using Pneumatic Actuators

  • Choi, Chang-Hwan (Nuclear Robotics Lab., at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) ;
  • Jung, Seung-Ho (Nuclear Robotics Lab., at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) ;
  • Kim, Seung-Ho (Nuclear Robotics Lab., at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute)
  • Published : 2006.02.01
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

The outlet feeder pipe thinning in a PHWR (Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor) is caused by a high pressure steam flow inside the pipe, which is a well known degradation mechanism called a FAC (Flow Assisted Corrosion). In order to monitor the degradation, the thickness of the outlet bends close to the exit of the pressure tube should be measured and analyzed at every official overhaul. This paper describes a mobile feeder pipe inspection robot that can minimize the irradiation dose to human workers by automating the measurement process. The robot can move by itself on the feeder pipe by using an inch worm mechanism, which is constructed by two gripper bodies that can fix the robot body on to the pipe, one extendable and contractible actuator, and a rotation actuator connected to the two gripper bodies to move forward and backward, and to rotate in a circumferential direction.

Keywords

References

  1. H. T. Roman and B. A. Pellegrino, 'Pipe crawling inspection robot : An overview,' IEEE Trans. on Energy Conversion, vol. 8 no. 3, pp. 576-583, 1993 https://doi.org/10.1109/60.257076
  2. H. B. Kuntze and H. Haffner, 'Experiences with the development of a robot for smart multisensoric pipe inspection,' Proc. of IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, pp. 1773-1778, 1998
  3. S. G. Roh, S. M. Ryew, J. H. Yang, and H. R. Choi, 'Actively steerable inpipe inspection robots for undergroung urban gas pipelines,' Proc. of IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, pp. 761-766, 2001
  4. K. Suzumori, S. Wakimoto, and M. Takata, 'A miniature inspection robot negotiating pipes of widely varying diameter,' Proc. of IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, pp. 2735-2740, 2003
  5. A. M. Bertetto and M. Ruggiu, 'In-pipe inchworm pneumatic flexible robot,' Proc. of IEEE/ASME Int. Conf. on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics, pp. 1226-1231, 2001
  6. T. Fukuda, H. Hosokai, and M. Otsuka, 'Autonomous pipeline inspection and maintenance robot with inch worm mobile mechanism,' Proc. of IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, pp. 539-544, 1987
  7. T. Fukuda, H. Hosokai, and N. Shimasaka, 'Autonomous plant maintenence robot (Mechanism of Mark IV and its actuator characteristics),' Proc. of the IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pp. 471-478, 1990
  8. E. Lavoie, G. Rousseau, J. Lessard, and A. Drolet, 'Hydro-Quebec Meter Inspection Bracelet,' Canadian Nuclear Society's 5th Int. Conf. on CANDU Maintenance, Record no. 115, 2000
  9. B. K. Kim, K.-D. Kim, J. H. Lee, J.-O. Park, S.-H. Kim, and Y.-S. Hong, 'Locomotive Mechanism based on pneumatic actuators for the semi-autonomous endoscopic system,' Journal of Control, Automation and Systems Engineering, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 345-350, 2002 https://doi.org/10.5302/J.ICROS.2002.8.4.345
  10. C.-H. Choi, S.-H. Jung, Y.-C. Seo, K.-M. Jeong, H.-C. Shin, and S.-H. Kim, 'Small mobile feeder pipe inspection robot for pressurized heavy water reactor with inch-worm mechanism,' Korean Patents, 10-2003-0059819, 2003
  11. T. Coleman, M. A. Branch, and A. Grace, Optimization Toolbox User's Guide, Version 3, The Matworks inc., 2005