Development of an automated system for cavitation repairing in rotors of large hydroelectric plants

This paper describes an automated system called Roboturb, designed for inspection and maintenance tasks of rotor blades of hydroelectric turbines damaged by cavitation. The main element of this system is a robotic device, with six rotative joints, designed to displace on a portable and flexible rail, configuring a redundant robot with seven degrees of freedom. The robot is supplemented with a set of developed acessories composed by a laser measuring head, to scan the eroded area, a plasma welding system, a teach-pendant for robot operation, an industrial computer, interfaces and power cards for motors and drive systems. The paper presents a description of the robot and its components, and an application of the system in a real task, validating the project and demonstrating its potencial to realize a controlled maintenance.