【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Processing Equipment】2010–2025: Robot dogs for external inspection of pipelines have successfully completed on-site verification of their lightweight functionality within the group company

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Let’s give praise and encouragement to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment; your participation in discussions is the greatest encouragement. **********************【Ten Years of Progress in Chemical Engineering Equipment】A continuously updated summary post – feel free to join the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html ***************** **The external inspection robot for pipelines was successfully tested in a section of the company’s western pipeline network on September 25, 2025. Developed by the Storage and Transportation Technology Company, this robot successfully passed tests related to its lightweight functionality in the field, marking an important breakthrough as it moves toward practical application in the field of intelligent pipeline inspection technologies. Achieving breakthroughs and results: The focus of this on-site testing was to verify the comprehensive inspection capabilities of the robotic dog in real-world pipeline field conditions. The project team made several key technological advancements: firstly, it was successful in miniaturizing and integrating the external inspection modules (ACAS, ACVG, CIPS), enabling the robotic dog to simultaneously collect data on various external inspection parameters such as pipeline depth, condition of the anti-corrosion coating, and the effectiveness of cathodic protection ； Secondly, it enables a highly autonomous detection process – during the operation, only the starting and ending coordinates need to be preset; the external detection robot can then rely on these signals to autonomously determine the direction of the pipeline and collect data, eliminating the need for manual control ； Thirdly, it establishes a remote transmission link for test data in real time, and supports one-click generation of external test data reports, thereby significantly improving the efficiency of producing external test evaluation reports and effectively reducing the time required to deliver the results ； Fourth, it significantly improves inspection efficiency and reduces labor costs; the number of personnel required for on-site work is reduced from 4–5 to just 1, allowing for the simultaneous inspection of both the anti-corrosion coating and the cathodic protection system. This results in a 100% increase in efficiency compared to the traditional method of conducting inspections in separate stages. Practical testing reveals its strength: In complex terrains such as gravelly areas, soft soil, and deserts in the Gobi Desert, the robotic dog demonstrates excellent adaptability to such environments. It can operate for over 4 hours, successfully climb gravel slopes with an inclination of around 45°, and its stability on the rough surfaces of the Gobi Desert meets the requirements for carrying out tasks. The external inspection tasks for the designated pipe sections were completed, and a valuable set of field measurement data was collected, providing an important basis for subsequent algorithm optimization and functional upgrades. Facing challenges with optimal solutions: During the testing phase, certain technical challenges were also identified, such as limited walking speed in unstructured terrains, and fluctuations in CIPS data due to unstable electrode contact. The project team has developed optimization plans to address these issues, focusing on improving the robot dog’s ability to overcome obstacles, the accuracy of its autonomous navigation, as well as the stability and reliability of the detection data. Striving for continuous improvement for the long term, in the next step, the Storage and Transportation Technology Company will continue to enhance the capabilities of these external inspection robot dogs in terms of movement, obstacle avoidance, and the accuracy of detection data. It plans to establish a robot assembly and testing workshop by 2026, and at the same time develop a platform for managing external inspection data. Relevant standards for intelligent external inspection technologies will also be established to provide intelligent support for the safe operation of pipeline networks.