P-R

Robotic crawler detects wear in power lines

Most power companies don't know the weak points in their electrical grids. And although lights get turned on after a storm, the long-term effects of hurricanes, landslides or windstorms lie unnoticed. Now a robot can roll along the miles of cable, performing a utilities' equivalent of check-ups. “This is the first robot built that can inspect power cables autonomously looking for incipient failures,” says University of Washington (UW) assistant professor Alexander Mamishev. “It can find cables that may need repair, before they cause problems.” The high-voltage lines that this robot monitors carry electricity from the distribution plant to the substations. UW's robot can pinpoint problem spots by using information from the surface of the cable to assess the condition of what's inside. The robot rides along the insulated distribution cable scanning for internal damage. It uses three sensors: a heat sensor that detects heat dissipation; an acoustic sensor that listens for partial electrical discharge; and a sensor that detects “water trees,” filaments of water that have seeped into insulation. Engineers monitor the robot via wireless connection and watch through a video camera.

Details Here: uaelp.pennnet.com/display_article/281106/22/ARTCL/none/none/Robotic-crawler-detects-wear-in-power-lines/

first published week of:   01/08/2007

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Volume 31

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