US 12,163,896 B2 · Device and method for transformer in-situ inspection

Abstract

An inspection device for use in a fluid container having at least an opening includes a housing sized to fit through the opening. The housing has at least two fluid flow channels extending therethrough, each having an inlet and an outlet, and a pump maintained in the housing within each fluid flow channel. The pumps are selectively controlled to maneuver the housing within the fluid container. The inspection device continues with a method of in-situ inspection of a container having at least one opening to receive a fluid, that includes up-loading a virtual model of the container into a computer, inserting the device into the container, generating a position signal by the device and receiving the position signal on a computer. A virtual image of the device in the virtual model of the container is generated to determine an actual position of the device within the container.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An inspection device for use in a fluid container having at least an opening, comprising:

a housing sized to fit through the opening, said housing having a plurality of linear fluid flow channels extending therethrough, each said flow channel having at least one inlet and at least one outlet opposite the at least one inlet and forming a through-hole therebetween within and extending through the housing, the plurality of fluid flow channels comprising at least one horizontal flow channel and at least one vertical flow channel substantially perpendicular to the horizontal flow channel;
and
a plurality of pumps, at least one pump of the plurality of pumps disposed entirely within each said fluid flow channel, said pumps configured to be selectively controlled to maneuver said housing within the fluid container with at least two degrees of translational motion,
the housing further configured to be submerged in oil within the container, the plurality of pumps disposed entirely within the respective through-holes of the respective fluid flow channels and further configured to be selectively controlled to maneuver the housing within the oil.

1 more element

An inspection device for an oil-filled cooling fluid container of a transformer, the inspection device comprising:

a housing sized to fit through an opening of the cooling fluid container, the housing having a plurality of fluid flow channels extending therethrough, each flow channel having at least one inlet and at least one outlet forming a through-hole therebetween within and extending through the housing, the plurality of fluid flow channels comprising at least one horizontal flow channel and at least one vertical flow channel substantially perpendicular to the horizontal flow channel;
and
a plurality of pumps, at least one pump of the plurality of pumps disposed entirely within the respective through-hole of each fluid flow channel, the pumps configured to be selectively controlled to maneuver the housing within the fluid container with at least two degrees of translational motion,
the housing further configured to be submerged in oil within the container, the plurality of pumps further configured to be submerged in the oil within the respective through-hole of the fluid flow channels, and to be selectively controlled to maneuver the housing within the oil while the plurality of pumps are submerged in the oil.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Device and method for transformer in-situ inspection

Life of this patent

Device and method for transformer in-situ inspection

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19