TRACT

In-pipe flexible robot for water pipes inspection

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Recent studies surprisingly estimate the losses in European Water Distribution Networks to an average of around 30 to 40%, peaking to more than 50% in some Eastern European countries. It is clear that the economic impact and scarcity of public water sources mandate the development of a systemic leakage control program; while this would seem the most intuitive and feasible approach, currently no technology is reliable enough to be used to pinpoint every source of leak. To solve this issue, the TRACT project will introduce to the market an advanced water pipe monitoring system, consisting in a transport mechanism containing sensors for leakage detection and pipe condition monitoring, which can navigate and inspect water pipe structures of various diameter without the necessary precondition of shutting the process down. This valuable output of the TRACT project will be made available to water utilities clients through the successful delivery of the following Scientific and Technological Objectives: 1)Sensor system along with sensor fusion algorithms which allow the inspection robot to detect and locate pipe damages, leakages, and scaling; 2)Software for mapping the pipeline network; 3)Pipe entry mechanism for a “hot tapping” drilling process, which will allow the inspection robot to enter water pipes without the need for shutting the pipes down;4) Transport mechanism which can carry the sensor system and navigate through water pipes in the range of 100 mm – 600 mm, covering the dimensional range of the majority of existing water supply pipes.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Water distribution networks (WDNs) in Europe lose up to one quarter of their water supply through leaks. An EU initiative aims to introduce innovative technology for water leakage detection.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Covering more than two million kilometres, European WDNs need an upgrade. Given the scarcity of precious water resources, it is crucial to introduce technology that is able to locate the sources of all leaks.

To address this issue, the EU-funded http://www.tractproject.eu/ (TRACT) (In-pipe flexible robot for water pipes inspection) project is developing a cutting-edge water pipe monitoring system. It is comprised of a robotic transport mechanism that contains sensors to detect leaks and to monitor and inspect the condition of pipes without the need to interrupt the water distribution procedure.

The technology's sensors and accompanying algorithms enable the robot to find damage to pipes and leaks and to create a comprehensive map of the pipeline network. Its pipe entry system allows the robot to enter water pipes of different sizes without stopping operations. The transport mechanism carries the sensors and navigates through the water supply pipes.

During the first nine months, project partners focused on application scenarios and concept and hardware development. They defined the robot structure's restrictions and constraints, and developed end-user and system requirements. In addition, the team identified technical specifications for all components and interfaces.

Project members chose ultrasound sensors for the acoustic sensor system. They also designed the signal conditioning electronics for pipe condition monitoring and the pipe entry system and transport mechanism.

By introducing state-of-the-art leakage detection and pipe condition monitoring technology, TRACT intends to reverse the massive water losses suffered by WDNs and the resulting economic consequences.