Development of an Innovative Inspection Tool for Superheater Tubes in Fossil Fuel Power Plants

IF 0.5 4区材料科学 Q4 MATERIALS SCIENCE, CHARACTERIZATION & TESTING

Materials Evaluation Pub Date : 2021-07-01 DOI:10.32548/2021.ME-04212

C. Lara, Julie Villamil, A. Abrahão, Aparna Aravelli, Guilherme Daldegan, S. Sarker, Daniel Martinez, D. McDaniel

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引用次数: 1

Abstract

Fossil fuel power plants are complex systems containing multiple components that require periodic health monitoring. Failures in these systems can lead to increased downtime for the plant, reduction of power, and significant cost for repairs. Inspections of the plant’s superheater tubes are typically manual, laborious, and extremely time-consuming. This is due to their small diameter size (between 1.3 and 7.6 cm) and the coiled structure of the tubing. In addition, the tubes are often stacked close to each other, limiting access for external inspection. This paper presents the development and testing of an electrically powered pipe crawler that can navigate inside 5 cm diameter tubes and provide an assessment of their health. The crawler utilizes peristaltic motion within the tubes via interconnected modules for gripping and extending. The modular nature of the system allows it to traverse through straight sections and multiple 90° and 180° bends. Additional modules in the system include an ultrasonic sensor for tube thickness measurements, as well as environmental sensors, a light detecting and ranging (LiDAR) sensor, and camera. These modules utilize a gear system that allows for 360° rotation and provides a means to inspect the entire internal circumference of the tubes.

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一种新型火电厂过热器管检测工具的研制

化石燃料发电厂是一个包含多个组件的复杂系统，需要定期进行健康监测。这些系统的故障可能会导致工厂停机时间增加、电力减少以及维修成本高昂。电厂过热器管道的检查通常是手动的、费力的，而且非常耗时。这是由于它们的小直径尺寸（在1.3和7.6厘米之间）和油管的盘绕结构。此外，这些管道通常堆叠得很近，限制了外部检查的进入。本文介绍了一种电动管道爬行器的开发和测试，该爬行器可以在直径5厘米的管道内航行，并对其健康状况进行评估。爬行器通过相互连接的模块利用管内的蠕动运动来抓握和延伸。该系统的模块化特性使其能够穿过直线段和多个90°和180°弯头。该系统中的附加模块包括用于管厚度测量的超声波传感器、环境传感器、光探测和测距（LiDAR）传感器以及相机。这些模块采用齿轮系统，允许360°旋转，并提供了一种检查管道整个内圆周的方法。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Materials Evaluation 工程技术-材料科学：表征与测试

CiteScore

0.90

自引率

16.70%

发文量

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Materials Evaluation publishes articles, news and features intended to increase the NDT practitioner’s knowledge of the science and technology involved in the field, bringing informative articles to the NDT public while highlighting the ongoing efforts of ASNT to fulfill its mission. M.E. is a peer-reviewed journal, relying on technicians and researchers to help grow and educate its members by providing relevant, cutting-edge and exclusive content containing technical details and discussions. The only periodical of its kind, M.E. is circulated to members and nonmember paid subscribers. The magazine is truly international in scope, with readers in over 90 nations. The journal’s history and archive reaches back to the earliest formative days of the Society.