Compact climbing robot rolling on flexible magnetic rollers, for generator inspection with the rotor still installed

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the design and prototype implementation of a compact climbing robot with magnetic adhesion, which is only 8 mm high and allows for moving in any direction on the stators or rotors of power generators. Design/methodology/approach – After a brief description of the industrial environment where it is supposed to be used (inspection of generator stators with the rotor still installed), this paper describes the basic mechanical concept, pointing to the core innovation and the advantages towards previous designs. The paper concludes with a prototype implementation and some test results; and provides an outlook on future extensions in the final industrial version. Findings – Thanks to a new locomotion system based on flexible magnetic rollers (= magnetic wheels fixed on motorized flexible shafts; patented technology), the robot is able to span over gaps and non‐magnetic zones, both in axial and circumferential direction, while still being flexible enough for adapting to the large curvature of the rotor/stator (∼0.5 m‐2 m). Originality/value – With this new design, it is now possible, for the first time, to access all types of large power generators (>100 MW) with only one device – while still keeping the mechanical complexity at a level which allows for realizing the robot in a robust way and at reasonable cost.