Visual and nondestructive evaluation inspection of live gas mains using the explorer™ family of pipe robots

Journal of Field Robotics

Volumn 27, Issue 3, 2010, Pages 217-249

  Schempf, Hagen ^a   Mutschler, Edward ^a   Gavaert, Alan ^a   Skoptsov, George ^a   Crowley, William ^a  

^a CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

DATA TYPE; DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION; DIRECT ASSESSMENT; ENGINEERING DESIGN; FIELD TRIAL; FLOW CONDITION; GAS MAINS; GAS UTILITY; IN-PIPE; INSPECTION ROBOTS; INSPECTION SYSTEM; MAGNETIC FLUX LEAKAGE; MAINTENANCE COST; MODULAR DESIGNS; NATURAL GAS MAINS; NON DESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION; ORDER OF MAGNITUDE; PIPE ROBOT; PIPING NETWORKS; PRESSURIZED FLOW; REMOTE-FIELD EDDY CURRENTS; REPAIR TOOLS; SAFETY FEATURES; SELF-POWERED; VERTICAL SECTION; VISUAL INSPECTION;

EXCAVATION; GASES; INSPECTION; MACHINE DESIGN; MAGNETIC LEAKAGE; MAINTENANCE; NATURAL GAS; OCCUPATIONAL RISKS; PIPE; ROBOTS; VISUAL COMMUNICATION;

EDDY CURRENT TESTING;

EID: 77952232314     PISSN: 15564959     EISSN: 15564967     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1002/rob.20330     Document Type: Article

References (27)

1. Burkhardt, G.L. (2007). Remote-field eddy current inspection system for small-diameter unpiggable pipelines. Technology Today, SwRI Quarterly Magazine, December.
2. Burkhardt, G.L., & Crouch, A.E. (2006, July). Remote-field eddy current sensing for inspection of gas distribution piping. In ASNT 15th Annual Research Symposium2006 Paper Summaries CD-ROM, Orlando, FL.
3. Burkhardt, G.L., & Crouch, A.E. (2007, March). Remote-field eddy current inspection system for small-diameter unpiggable pipelines. In Proceedings of the Pipeline Pigging and Integrity Management Conference, Houston, TX.
4. Burkhardt, G.L., Parvin, A.J., Peterson, R.H., Tennis, R.F., & Goyen, T.H. (2007, December). Remote-field eddy current inspection system for small-diameter unpiggable pipelines. In ASNT's International Chemical and Petroleum Industry Inspection Technology (ICPIIT) X Conference Paper Summaries Book, Houston, TX.
5. Cremer, C.D., & Kendrick, D.T. (1998, October). Case studies of uses of the pipe Explorer™ system. In Spectrum'98, International Conference on Decommissioning and Decontamination and on Nuclear and Hazardous Waste Management, Denver, CO.
6. Crouch, A.E., & Burkhardt, G.L. (2006, March). Development of sensor technology for integration into an inspection robot for unpiggable distribution mains. In Pipeline Pigging and Integrity Management Conference, Houston, TX.
7. DoE (2004). Phase I Report In-Pipe-Assessment Robot Platforms. http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/oil-gas/publications/Status-Assessments/ NT42264-Technology-Status-PipeExplorer-Nov04.pdf.
8. DoT (1997). Guidance Manual for Operators of Small Natural Gas Systems. U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Special Programs Administration.
9. DoT (2006). DoT-sponsored Sensor Evaluation. Internal Inspection Technology Demonstration Report website: http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/rd/ techdemo.htm.
10. Fisher, J.L. (1989). Remote-field eddy current inspection. In ASM handbook (pp. 195-201). Materials Park, OH: ASM International.
11. Hirose, S., Ohno, H., Mitsui, T., & Suyama, K. (1999, October). Design of in-pipe inspection vehicles for 25, 50, 150 mm diameter pipes. In Proceedings IEEE International Conference on Robotics & Automation, Yokohama, Japan (pp. 2309-2314).
12. Ilg, W., Berns, K., Cordes, S., Eberl, M., & Dillmann, R. (1997, September). A wheeled multijoint robot for autonomous sewer inspection. In Proceedings of III/RSJ IROS '97 (vol. 3, pp. 1687-1693).
13. Ives, G., Jr. (1998). Pipe ruptures. PipeLine& Gas Industry Journal, 83(9).
14. Larsen, P. (2005). Company website for multidiameter MFL inspection tool used with TIGRE. http://www.invodane.com/feat-unpiggable.html.
15. Leary, W. (2004). Development of an inspection platform and a suite of sensors for assessing corrosion and mechanical damage on unpiggable transmission mains. DoE Final Project Report. Web sites include http://www.netl.doe.gov/ technologies/oil-gas/NaturalGas/Projectsn/TDS/TD/T&DC41645RobotPlatform. html and http://www.netldoe.gov/technologies/oil-gas/publications/td/ NT41645FG033104PDF.
16. Paletta, L., Rome, E., & Pinz, A. (1999). Visual object detection for autonomous sewer robots. In Proceedings of 1999 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS '99) (vol. 2, pp. 1087-1093). Piscataway, NJ: IEEE Press.
17. Porter, C., & Pittard, G. (1999). Magnetic flux leakage technology for inspecting "live" gas-distribution mains (Tech. Rep. GRI-99/0199). Chicago, IL: GTI.
18. Roh, S.G., & Choi, H.R. (2005). Differential-drive in-pipe robot for moving inside urban gas pipelines. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 21(1), 1-17.
19. Schempf, H. (2004).Method and system formoving equipment into and through an underground well. Pat.# 6,675,888.
20. Schempf, H.,Mutschler, E., Crowley,W., Gavaert, A., Skoptsov, G., & Graham, T. (2003, September). Explorer: Untethered real-time gas main assessment robot system. In 1st International Workshop on Advances in Service Robotics, ASER'03, Bardolino, Italy.
21. Schempf, H.,Mutschler, E., Crowley,W., Gavaert, A., Skoptsov, G., & Graham, T. (2005). Gas main robotic inspection system. U.S. Patent #6,917,176.
22. Schempf, H., Mutschler, E., Crowley, W., Goltsberg, V., & Chemel, B. (2003). GRISLEE: Gasmain repair & inspection system for live entry environments. CLAWAR '01 Special Issue, International Journal of Robotics Research, 22(3 and 4), 23-39.
23. Schempf, H., Mutschler, E., Crowley, W., Goltsberg, V., & Chemel, B. (2004). GRISLEE: Gasmain repair and inspection system for live entry environments. IEEE International Journal of Robotic Research, 37, 137-142.
24. Schempf, H., Mutschler, E., Goltsberg, V., & Chemel, B. (2001). Robotic repair system for live distribution gasmains. In Field and Service Robotics Conference, FSR 2001, Helsinki, Finland.
25. Schempf, H., & Vradis, G. (2004). Explorer: Long-range untethered real-time live gas main inspection system. In Natural Gas Technologies II Conference, Phoenix, AZ.
26. Staff Report. (2000). New optical methane detector improves gas leak surveys. PipeLine & Gas Industry Journal, 17, 17-21.
27. TIGRE Research Project. (2005). Co-Funded by DoT-PHMSA and NGA. Official public information release site: http:// primis.phmsa.dot.gov/matrix/PrjHome. rdm?prj=160.