Zhejiang Province has for the first time applied LUKE NDT detection robots to complete the regular inspection of spherical tanks

On the morning of December 23, at the Quzhou Juhua Fluoride Plant site, the Quzhou Institute of Special Equipment Inspection and Testing, in collaboration with LUKE Testing Technology, conducted a periodic inspection of a large 5,000m³ spherical tank. The inspection successfully incorporated robotic magnetic particle testing technology, marking the first practical application of this technique in Zhejiang Province.

At 9:30 a.m. on December 22, within the spherical tank area of Juhua Group, a wall-climbing robot weighing approximately 30 kilograms and resembling a floor sweeper was meticulously conducting magnetic particle inspection along the intersecting welds of a 5,000m³ spherical tank. This marked the first successful robotic implementation of periodic internal wall inspections for spherical tanks in Zhejiang Province, signaling a new phase of digital transformation for the province's special equipment inspection industry.

The reporter followed the inspectors into the interior of the spherical tank. It was pitch-dark inside, and only with the faint light of a mobile phone flashlight could one or two meters be seen. The oxygen-deficient environment inside the tank makes people feel extremely uncomfortable. However, the wall-climbing robot is like a loyal "steel sentinel", with a 20-meter-long anti-fall rope pulled on its back. The detection device moves slowly along the tank wall, and the magnetic powder liquid flows down in an orderly manner along the detection trajectory. It continuously and stably completes the high-precision detection of the weld seam, completely unaffected by the harsh environment.

On the tripod of the pan-tilt in one corner of the spherical tank, dual cameras at the front and back capture the movement trajectory and operation images of the robot in real time, and synchronously transmit the data to the ground control station outside the spherical tank through network cables, achieving full visual monitoring of the detection process.

After the debugging and other preparatory work were completed, the wall-climbing robot was officially put into operation. It is expected that it will take 4 days to complete the full-process automated inspection of the 720-meter weld seam inside the tank. This robot can achieve continuous and stable operation for 24 hours, covering blind spots that are difficult for humans to reach. This enables 24-hour continuous and stable work, covering blind spots that are hard for humans to reach and reducing the risk of missed inspections. Personnel do not need to enter the tank. They only need to control it remotely with high precision, avoiding the dangers of working at heights and in confined Spaces. The detection quality is not affected by fatigue, and the data results are also very reliable.

Guo Weican, chief engineer of Zhejiang Special Equipment Science Research Institute, said that the successful application of the wall-climbing robot in the inner wall inspection of spherical tanks is a breakthrough practice of "replacing humans with machines" in the field of special equipment inspection in the province. It not only solves the industry pain points of harsh environment, low efficiency and high safety risks in traditional spherical tank inspection, It provides a replicable and scalable demonstration sample for the digital and intelligent transformation of the special equipment inspection industry throughout the province, and will further promote the quality improvement and upgrading of the special equipment safety guarantee system.