In the February 2003 issue of No-Dig International there was published an article on Russian CCTV robotic systems for inspection and localised repair of pipelines designed and manufactured by Moscow-based TARIS. These systems have apparently been developing rapidly. TARIS claims to be a strong design bureau with high quality specialists and a good production base using former defence plant equipped with modern machinery allowing quick introduction of new technical innovations. In 2003 a number of new systems have been introduced to the market. For example, a robot for measuring pipe wall thickness in utilities pipelines; a colour inspection system for deep wells of up to 3.500 m with pan and rotate camera and a VideoRuler® system for in-pipe object size measurement. The existing systems have also been improved.
Wall thickness measuring
The platform for the pipe wall thickness measuring system is the TARIS C-200 Cutter, a self-propelled wheeled vehicle with a colour pan and rotate camera and a cutting head. The C-200 Cutter can travel up to 300 m in the pipe and undertake CCTV inspection and cutting works. In order to measure the pipe wall thickness the C-200 Cutter is fitted with a contact ultrasonic thickness measuring sensor with its own driving gear and unique sensor fixing system that allows it firm contact with the pipe wall. The system is designated for measuring wall thickness of steel, cast iron or other types of pipelines with 200 mm to 600 mm diameters. The main aim is to identify the overall run-out of the pipeline, find cavities on the internal and external surfaces of the pipe walls.
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Production facilities at the TARIS works.
A C-200 Cutter with the pipe wall thickness measuring device.
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The systems works in the following way: C-200 Cutter goes along the pipe and stops at a place chosen by the operator. After that the measuring sensor comes forward till it contacts the internal side of the pipe wall and measures the thickness. A rotation mechanism allows the measurements anywhere on the surface of the wall. If there is some silt, rust or scale on the pipe wall, C-200 Cutter cleans off the site with the cutting head prior to measurement. In order to provide correct contact of the sensor with the wall, a special device injects a liquid.
The C-200 Cutter preliminary CCTV inspection that allows identification of potentially defective areas.
Well inspection
TARIS has also introduced two well inspection systems. The first is for artesian water wells and allows inspection of wells with 90 mm to 1000 mm diameters and up to 500 m deep. CCTV inspection of wells of more than 150 m deep is achieved with a pan and rotate camera.
The second system is developed for inspection of oil, gas and other wells of up to 3.500 m deep and with diameters from 60 mm to 160 mm. The system comprises a control console with a monitor and video cassette recorder, cable drum with a 3500 m fibre-glass cable and colour temperature resistant camera of 42 mm diameter. A new system of two module colour video camera for well inspection will be offered to the market shortly. One module is a direct viewing option and the second offers a rotating camera option for improved inspection of walls.
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VideoRuler ®
In May 2003 TARIS introduced a new option for the P-200 Inspection System (based on P-200 wheeled tractor), the C-200 Cutting System (based on C-200 cutting robot) and W-400 Floating System (based on W-400 Float), which is an optical system of in-pipe defect and object size measurement. The VideoRuler ® System is based on CD3 Control Station (a lap top) with TELESCAN-ROBOT ® software. The operator marks two points of an object on the video screen with the cursor and immediately receives info rmation on the correct size of the measured object. For a greater accuracy of the cursor placement the operator can use the available zoom option (10x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom).
The necessary measurements can also be undertaken after the inspection works in the office where the operator can utilise the TELESCAN-ROBOT ® or TELESCAN-LAB ® software. In this case the operator loads the inspection results compiled with the TELESCAN-ROBOT ® software on to a computer and makes the necessary measurements on the photos of the object.
VideoRuler ® System can be used for acceptance of pipelines, especially, for identifying welding, butt-joint and other gaps; in the course of pipeline preparation for rehabilitation for measuring burr size and welding edge of welding joints of steel pipes or measuring size of filled-in holes; and in the course of a localised repair with the help of the packers when sealing a crack as well as other options.
The system of underground pipeline position identification is also based on the CD3 work station with a lop top computer and TELESCAN-ROBOT ® software and is designed for operation with both the P-200 Inspection and C-200 Cutting Systems. One of the main advantages of P-200 and C-200 systems is their digitalisation, via an on board processor, that includes a large number of sensors, like positioning sensors for pan and rotate camera's driving gear, robot roll and inclination sensors, and high pressure nitrogen inside the robot (for monitoring the air and water tightness in the course in-pipe works). Integral evaluation of inclinometer feedback allows for collecting data on the pipeline pitch angles and presenting it in a graphical format on the CD3 display screen as well as printing this out along with the inspection results.
P-100 Improvements
The P-100 inspection system is a relatively simple and inexpensive system that offers a wide range of capabilities. The system not only allows inspection of dry mainlines with P-100 robot but partially filled collectors with W-100 Floating Module and wells with colour pan and rotate camera. Until 2003, P-100 robot has been able to inspect a limited range of pipeline diameters from 90 mm to 400 mm over lengths of not more than 150 m, a major restriction in this system. From June 2003 the diameter range has been increased to include 90 mm to 900 mm. The increase was achieved with modernisation of the control station, extra lights (two or four additional lights of 20 W each), a camera lifting mechanism and the introduction of a new video camera with the zoom option. Moreover the inspected pipeline length was increased to 200 m thanks to a more powerful cable drum driving gear, bigger diameter wheels with tread tires, bushes for widening the track size and an overall increase in the robot's weight. |
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A P-200 inspection robot with
the VideoRuler system.
A W-400 floating module.
The improved P-100 inspection robot.
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CCTV survey equipment for municipal pipelines
