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.