An Inspection Robot for High Voltage Power Transmission Line and Its Dynamics Study

Inspection robot for power transmission line is a new type of technical carrier for detection and inspection of mechanical/ electrical failures in high-voltage (110kV, 220kV) and extrahigh voltage (500kV or above) power transmission system. The robot equipped with sensors, detection instruments and data communication apparatus, is capable of inspecting transmission system without suspending power supply. As shown in Fig. 1, an inspection robot developed by Wuhan University can autonomous move along the 220kV phase line and overcome all kinds of obstacles to carry out the inspection tasks (Wu et al., 2006: Xiao et al., 2005). Comparing with such current inspection approaches as inspectors and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), the robot is more efficiency and safer to assure higher detection quality, especially in severe conditions (mountain areas, river-crossing, grasslands, etc). Thus it has broad engineering application prospects.