Abstract
The development of climbing robots for mooring chain applications is still in its infancy due to the operational complexity and the geometrical features of the chain. Mooring chains are subjected to high tidal waves, harsh environmental conditions and storms on a daily basis. Therefore, the integrity assessment of chain links is vital and regular inspection is mandatory for offshore structures. The magnetic adhesion tracked-wheel crawler robot presented in this study is suitable for mooring chain climbing in air and the technique can be adapted for underwater use. The robotic platform can climb mooring chains at a maximum speed of 42 cm/min with an external load of 50 N. A numerical study was conducted to investigate the adhesion module and analysis of the robot structural design. Numerical results were validated using a prototyped robot in laboratory conditions. The proposed robot can be used as a platform to convey equipment for non-destructive testing applications.
Highlights
An exponential increase of floating oil and gas production systems has been recorded around the world due to the high demand for energy consumption
The necessity to ensure the integrity of a chain arises as a result of the in-situ conditions that mooring chains are subjected to on a regular basis, such as high tidal waves, storms, hurricanes, effect of salt water and harsh environmental conditions
The aim of this paper is to describe the development of a lightweight, permanent magnetic adhesion, wheeled robot which can be used as a platform to convey non-destructive testing (NDT) equipment along the mooring chain to perform NDT in air and be adapted for underwater operation
Summary
An exponential increase of floating oil and gas production systems has been recorded around the world due to the high demand for energy consumption. After considering the potential damage to humans as well as the environment, periodic inspection becomes mandatory for mooring systems [4]. Mooring chains are not designed to monitor their condition, mooring integrity management of FPSO (floating production storage and offloading) needs to be addressed with a capability to handle in-situ conditions, because most offshore oil production systems are not able to move for inspection or repair. It is important to develop an autonomous robotic platform that has the capability to access the chain physically and deploy most of the reliable integrity management NDT methods such as ultrasound testing [6], guided wave inspection [7], mechanical measurements, etc
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