Design and Development of Pipeline Inspection Robot for Crack and Corrosion Detection

Abstract

Robots are devised in such way to dispose of human intervention from labour extensive and hazardous work environment. At times they are also used to travel to unreachable workplaces that are typically not possible to access by human. Pipe inspections fall in the same category due to the fact that they carry toxic chemicals and fluids. Furthermore, most of the pipeline segments have tiny internal diameter or bends which end up unreachable to human. The complex inner geometry and hazard content constraints of pipes call for robots for inspection of such pipes so as to test corrosion, cracks and restoration of usable parts from pipe interior, sampling of sludge and scale formation on pipe inner surface. This research aims to design and develop a pipeline inspection robot using an autonomous mobile robot with ultrasound sensors and connected via GSM and GPS. In addition, IP camera was also used for visual inspection, integration of wireless capability for easy viewing of acquired data and images. The improvements achieved by the new-fangled design bring the ultrasonic inspection of pipeline even more competitive. Furthermore, the system has the ability to record and display the view of the atmospheres on the employees monitor display screen for effective observation, detection, quick analysis, diagnosis and reliably in confined, darkish environments.