Energy in the remotest places

• What was needed: energy chain for linear and 3D movement, motor and control cable as well as fibre optic cable, a slewing ring bearing
• Requirements: Complete freedom of movement, high durability over a long distance
• Industry: Robots, renewableenergies/hydropower
• Success for the customer: Absolute reliability and freedom from maintenance in life-threatening situations or circumstances

In British Columbia (Canada), over 95 % of the entire energy supply is generated using hydropower. This requires huge water pipes that supply the generators with water from the higher water reservoirs. As most of these systems date back to the 1950s, regular maintenance and repair work is necessary. Until now, this sarnishing process has always been carried out manually by people on wheeled planks, which is not only time-consuming but also dangerous. Since several people lost their lives in a fire in 2007, efforts have been made to automate this type of work.
To this end, a remote-controlled robot has now been developed which, with several flexible axes, is able to clean and maintain water pipes of different sizes and, if necessary, restore them to their original condition. The robot blasts the damaged inside of the pipe with an abrasive and then sprays a protective lining material onto the prepared surface. To do this, the robot has to be remote-controlled up to 500 metres into the water pipes. This required a supply cable that can not only transport several media simultaneously without interference, but also does not restrict the robot's freedom of movement over a distance of several hundred metres.

To ensure absolute reliability and the necessary freedom of movement over this length, the customer opted for the chainflex® programme from igus® for all the required cables leading to the robot. In addition to the classic control and motor cables, this also provides fibre optic cables for this application in order to be able to transmit a constant video image from the robot to the command centre over the entire length. The servo cables installed directly on the robot are also flexible chainflex® cables, which can withstand the numerous movements of the axis without any problems, even under the most adverse conditions in the susceptible water pipes.
The project managers decided in favour of an energy chain solution for the safe and flexible guidance of the entire cable. The guidance - also from the igus® range of services - also offers the customer the advantage that, together with the chainflex® cable, all components could be purchased from a single source. This later proved to be an important advantage in the close co-operation from planning to finished installation.