Power Plant Medium-Sized Pipe Inspection Robot

The goal of this project was to present a novel method to improve the implementation of pipe inspection and defect detection operations in power plant dimensions. To optimally meet this need, an in-pipe inspection robot with a special design was introduced as a non-destructive solution. In the implemented design, a camera, as a sensor, was mounted on a powertrain consisting of DC electric motors, wheels, and a gearbox power transmission mechanism. The robot monitors pipes and their various joints, capturing images of their internal surfaces. An ESP۳۲-CAM control board was used to control the robot’s movement and imaging, which manages the speed and direction of movement, the camera angle and lighting, and the adhesion of the drive mechanism to the pipe wall. The robot is powered through a cable connected to a power source, and its control and communication connection is established wirelessly using a Wi-Fi modem. ۳D printing and CNC machining technologies were used to fabricate specific robot components, and a control panel was designed using Python and Arduino programming languages. To test the performance, the robot was placed in a system consisting of straight pipes, T-joints, and ۹۰-degree elbows made of PVC to evaluate its movement quality, communication link, and imaging capabilities. Given the acceptable responsiveness of the constructed prototype and the test results, its fabrication on an industrial scale is suggested, incorporating force sensors, a proportional movement controller, and AI-based image processing capabilities.

کلیدواژه ها:

Pipe inspection and defect detection ، In-pipe inspection robot ، Movement and imaging control ، Wifi communication ، Python and Arduino Coding ، Non-destructive testing