Possibilities and opportunities of mobile robotics in refinery inspection
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At the World Refining Technology Summit & Exhibition 2009 in Vienna on 2 and 3 November 2009, Alstom Inspection Robotics’ CEO, Ekkehard Zwicker, was invited to hold a speech on the possibilities and opportunities of mobile robotics in refinery inspection.
In his guest speech at this year’s World Refining Technology Summit & Exhibition, Ekkehard Zwicker, CEO of Alstom Inspection Robotics, introduced the possibilities and opportunities of mobile robotics in refinery inspection. After a brief introduction of the company, its idea and set up, he explained its modular platform concept to provide tailored inspection robotics applications and its business model along the customer value chain.
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Furthermore, he reported on Alstom Inspection Robotics’ innovation leadership in creating highly compact versatile inspection robots which are capable of navigating – using a three-dimensional camera to estimate position, to measure and to recognize objects – and of following autonomously a drawn line, an edge, or a weld seem. The robots’ mobility allows them to move freely on complex shaped surfaces, to handle obstacles, and to climb over steps and edges.
One of Alstom Inspection Robotics’ latest innovations is used for the inspection of circumferential welds on tubes. The so-called HES 100 Series allows a faster and more precise flaw detection using phased array ultrasonic technology with encoder feedback. Thus, butt weld inspections will be handled in a concurrent and repeatable manner with a comparable documentation of the inspection result. Its major value is that areas no longer have to be evacuated due to harmful radiation; the HES 100 device can be processed along with other inspection activities.
Yet another Alstom Inspection Robotics innovation is used for the cleaning of vertical tubes in oil heating furnace. The so-called MRS 100 Series is equipped with a robotic water jet and is used to replace manual sandblasting. Whereas a manual sandblasting cleaning requires two employees working two shifts a day for three to four days, and an additional day or two to erect scaffoldings and to cover wall and floor for protection, the robotic water jet device is much faster, with one employee working one or two days, and preparing the cleaning by only covering the floor within two to four hours.
Before concluding his speech, Ekkehard Zwicker gave a brief glance into the future and introduced the vision of flying inspections. Flying inspection robots will be able to watch and measure by navigating interactively. Such applications will be used for the inspection of power plant structures (various components within and around boilers, environmental filters or cooling towers) and for the inspection of structures within the oil and gas industry (inside and outside large scale chimneys, inside and outside flare systems, inside button part of refining columns, as well as pipelines and pipe webs). Future applications of so-called AIRobots may also include sequential payload lifting with a docked aerial vehicle and the deployment and collection of sensor networks.
In his conclusion, Ekkehard Zwicker summarized that inspection robotics contributed significantly to the efficiency of refinery turnarounds by shortening throughput times and enabling a life-time assessment and trending.
The World Refining Technology Summit & Exhibition 2009 provides a platform to discuss and learn the latest in refining technology. Read more about the World Refining Technology Summit.
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If you like to learn more about the possibilities and opportunities of mobile robotics in refinery inspection, please contact ALSTOM Inspection Robotics Ltd.
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