Robotized system for visual inspection inside boiler chambers and no-contact thickness evaluation of waterwall tubes in the steam generators of thermoelectric plants

摘要

The maintenance of steam generators in fossil fuelled power plants requires the accurate visual inspection inside the boiler chamber, to assess the condition of the burners and measure the waterwall tube thickness. To perform such tasks, a scaffolding has to be erected with high inspection costs. The alternative proposed in this contribution is based on a robot system, capable of climbing the waterwall and carrying the equipment required to the inspections. The paper shows the capabilities of the robot designed in CESI, and describes the results of a field test performed for its evaluation in the steam generator of a 600 MW power plant.