In conventional detailed inspections of generators, the rotor had to be removed from the stator, and then an inspection had been carried out by certified inspectors. This process took about one month. Reducing inspection time and extending the inspection cycle are challenges faced when trying to increase the availability of generators.
A robotic inspection technology for generators has been developing in recent years, to realize a short time inspection period on detailed inspections of generators without rotor removal.
However, when dealing with large thermal power generators with segregating baffles mounted to the stator inner surface, the baffles had been obstructing robotic inspections.
The new robot has been developed as rotor surface crawling type with bracing arms against the stator in order to realize detailed inspections performing on large thermal power generators with rotor insertion condition.
Additionally, new inspection robot can perform non-destructive inspections of the rotor with dry UT contact technology.
Thereby, all inspections of generator can be done by the robot without rotor removal.
Robot, Rotor surface crawling type, Segregating baffle, Automatic linear traveling, Acoustic analysis, Dry UT technology
