Work

Development of a Small-Sized Urban Cable Conduit Inspection Robot

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Cable conduits are crucial for urban power transmission and distribution systems. However, current conduit robots are often large and susceptible to tilting issues, which hampers the effective and intelligent inspection of these conduits. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a smaller-sized conduit inspection robot to address these challenges. Based on an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of the cable conduit working environment and the associated functional requirements, this study successfully developed a small-scale urban cable conduit inspection robot prototype. This development was grounded in relevant design theories, simulation analyses, and experimental tests. The test results demonstrate that the robot’s bracing module effectively prevents tilting within the conduit. Additionally, the detection module enables comprehensive 360-degree conduit inspections, and the vacuuming module meets the negative pressure requirements for efficient absorption of dust and foreign matter. The robot has met the expected design goals, effectively enhanced the automation of the cable conduit construction process, and improved the quality control of cable laying.

Source: Actuators

DOI: 10.3390/act13090349

Authors: Yiqiang You, Yichen Zheng, Kangle Huang, Yuling He, Zhiqing Huang, Lulin Zhan

Institutions: State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power Company (China), North China Electric Power University

Language: English

Topic: Power Line Inspection Robots

Subfield: Mechanical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,728