Rover-Oli, Robotic System for Online Inspection of Pressure Equipment

Abstract

In the context of periodic inspections of pressure equipment, Eni is developing technology that enables online inspection, without the need to put out of service and purge vessels. The inspection of O&G plants' equipment is a concrete commitment reflected in standard maintenance plans. Inspection is the tool that allows to reduce and limit: Plant downtimeAccidents at workEnvironmental damage Visual and instrumental inspections allow the integrity of the equipment under investigation to be determined. There are already several automatic solutions for inspecting atmospheric storage tanks containing fluids. However, their applicability is strongly influenced by the nature of the stored fluid. To perform an effective visual inspection, the contents must be transparent as in the case of water or light hydrocarbons. This requirement limits the use of such systems and, in fact, does not take into consideration the difficulties associated with in-service inspection of pressure vessels. Rover-OLI is a device currently under development that aims to achieve the following requirements: Equipment: pressure vessel for water, oil and gas separationPressure up to 100 BarsTemperature up to 60°CPresence of process fluid during inspectionAccess through a hole/nozzle with a diameter of 12 inchesLow weight: < 25 kgVisual inspection of the internal surface The system being developed is designed to comply with weight and size constraints and to operate in a pressurized environment. A valve system has been patented for installation on the manhole during the first plant shutdown, allowing further accesses to the internal equipment without having to shut down the plant. Once inserted, the rover locates its position using a specially developed navigation algorithm and acquires images through an opaque fluid using a vision system currently being patented. It can also remove deposits with pressurized water nozzles, to clean the surface to be inspected. The use of Rover-OLI represents an evolution in the field of industrial inspections, allowing the following objectives to be achieved: Elimination of operator access to confined spacesReal-time inspections during normal process operationsImage and video acquisition even in the presence of non-transparent fluidsReduction in operating costs and intervention timesIncreased reliability and production continuity, thanks to more frequent and less invasive inspections