Cableless In-piping Magnetic Actuator System Capable of Inspection Over Long Distances

The inspection of pipes used in nuclear power and chemical plants is very important. A cableless actuator capable of inspection in narrow pipes has not yet been developed. This paper proposes a novel cableless magnetic actuator system with a new type of electrical dc-ac inverter that provides a very high-thrust force. The motive properties of the cableless magnetic actuator were investigated experimentally for two different dc-ac inverters. The experimental results indicate that the proposed actuator is able to move upward at a speed of 455.2 mm/s by the power provided by ten button batteries under no-load conditions. Based on the experimental results, additional devices of a CCD camera, two LED lights, a transmitter with an antenna, and various types of batteries were placed on the cableless magnetic actuator and then carried out a driving test. The inspection of thin pipe can be accomplished using the proposed cableless magnetic actuator system, a 2.4 GHz receiver, and a PC with video-capture software as the only additional equipment.