EPSOM
Economiser Penetration Scanning Mechanism
The
EPSOM Manipulator was designed originally to carry out automated
inspection of a critical weld on the Economiser on an A.G.R.
Power Station. It will operate in a Nuclear Reactor environment
at temperatures of up to 50°C
Benefits
1. Manipulator operates in an annular gap of 40mm and up to
5 metres from the access point.
2. Probes held off the surface during insertion, then pneumatically
actuated when positioned over the weld.
3. Can be installed on site on the pipe by two operators in
only 10 minutes.
4. Designed to be assembled without the use of tools.
5. All parts are either tethered or captive.
6. On board CCTV with LED lights.
Construction and Use
The manipulator has been designed to operate in nuclear environment
inside a 40mm annulus between two pipes and to inspect a weld
5 metres from the access point. The maximum straight length
that could be
inserted into the gap was 250mm so the manipulator is broken
down in to sections for deployment into the inspection area.
The EPSOM requires no tools for assembly onto the pipe which
aids the operators and cuts down the lead time for a scan to
be carried out.
Eight tranducers are carried over the inspection surface of
the inner pipe in a rastor pattern to cover the weld area. All
probes carry couplant facilties. A CCTV camera and lights are
carried on board to view the
weld and the transducers.
The essential manipulator parameters are:
1. To operate in an annulus with the following criteria geometry:
| External
diameter of the pipe |
375mm |
| Gap
between pipes in inspection zone |
58mm |
| Minimum
gap between pipes |
40mm |
| Distance
of weld centre line from access point |
5258mm |
| Distance
to start of inspection zone from access point |
5108mm |
| Distance
to end of inspection zone from access point |
5284mm |
2. Manipulator parameters:
| Temperature
rating |
+10°C
to +50°C
|
| Protection
|
IP61
|
| Resolution
|
±
1mm in axial and radial directions
|
User
Support
Phoenix Inspection Systems is responsible for the design, manufacturing
and supply of all its equipment. Comprehensive customer support
and training is available as a matter of course. in addition,
a specialised consultancy service, based on extensive practical
experience of N.D.E. systems, can be called upon to advise on
specific inspection problems.
