Investigation into Novel Robotics Locomotion Techniques

Completed

Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(Oil and Gas, Refining, transport and storage of oil and gas)

Applied Research and Development

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Project Contact
National Grid Gas Transmission

Network Innovation Allowance

Ofgem

01 March 2015

01 March 2018

36 months

£141,000

Technical Consultancy

London

Network Innovation Allowance

Project Contact, National Grid Gas Transmission

To investigate robotic locomotion techniques suitable for high pressure gas installations. Publication of a technical paper / thesis on the work with discussions on the findings, recommendations and suggestions for further work.

National Grid Gas Transmission is moving away from predictive asset type modelling towards condition based monitoring of its critical assets. This is particularly important because these assets are ageing and many have already reached the end of their intended asset life. There is currently no available technology which can in line inspect below ground pipework on at high pressure installations (AGIs). Pipework on AGIs can be operated pressures up to 100Barg, and site configurations involve complex geometries which are not possible to inspect using inline inspection tools, PIGs. Current methods of inspection for below ground pipework on AGIs involve visual inspection via excavation which is both financially and environmentally expensive. This project is an industry sponsored CASE studentship. The key deliverables include:1. Background research into robotic locomotion techniques required to traverse complex ground pipework at high pressure installations considering: a. The challenges of changes in pipe diameter b. Intrinsic safety of devices in high pressure pipes c. Operation at distance from entry point d. Deployment techniques2. Develop robotic locomotion concepts and perform computational kinematic and dynamic analysis to relate the concepts to the required performance set out in the specification. 3. Select appropriate concepts and develop designs to test the principles4. Fabricate and assemble prototype robotic devices, and perform experiments to validate the performance in a simulated laboratory environment. 5. Refine the designs and develop a design for a prototype robotic solution6. Perform an analysis of the feasibility of making the device intrinsically safe.Note : Project Documents may be available via the ENA Smarter Networks Portal using the Website link above

10/09/18