| Operation & maintenance
Robotics speed generator inspection and lower costs
Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation has developed two new robotic systems, T15 and T35, for inspection of power plant generators. The new machines, designed for inspections without rotor removal, were the subject of a presentation by Yuichiro Gunji of Toshiba Energy Systems and Solutions at the IMechE Steam Turbine and Generator User Group 2023 conference, Manchester, UK, 15-16 March
At 10 mm thick, the T15 robot is described as “ultra-thin” and indeed is said to be one of the “thinnest in the industry”, able to operate in air gaps down to 20 mm. It is designed for inspection of a wide range of generator sizes, including small units, which have proved difficult to inspect in the past, says Toshiba ESS.
The T15 robot is 325 mm long, 172 mm wide and it weighs about 0.75 kg.
It is magnetically attached to the stator core inner surface, using a stator slot as a guide for travelling in a straight line.
The T35 robot is larger and described as “multi-functional”, and can be used to inspect generators with ventilation segregation baffles attached to the stators, typically found in larger machines. These baffles have proved to be problematic for robotic inspection. The T35 employs three arms that protrude from the stator side of the robot, holding it in position between the stator and rotor, pushing it against the rotor, enabling it to move over the rotor surface. The arms can be moved in and out to avoid the baffles.
The T35 robot is 33 mm thick (with arms folded in), 700 mm long, 315 mm wide, weight about 4.7 kg.
Toshiba Energy Systems and Solutions developed the inspection robots in 2018 and since then has been preparing for their commercialisation.
Early deployments of the ultra-thin robot included generator inspections in nuclear power
T15
Travels on stator core inner surface, attaches magnetically
Thickness: 10 mm (without protruding parts) Length: 325 mm Width: 172 mm Weight: 0.75 kg
T35
Travels on rotor surface, propelled by three arms pushing against stator
Thickness: 33 mm Length: 700 mm Width: 315 mm Weight 4.7 kg
T15 and T35 robot overview (Source: Toshiba ESS)
Size comparisons (Source: Toshiba ESS)
Generator
inspection areas (Source: Toshiba ESS)
www.modernpowersystems.com | July/August 2023 | 23
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