Design of a Tele-Operated Robot for the Maintenance of Boiler Hoppers in Electric Power Plants

The design of a novel tele-robotic device for clearing undesirable residues from boiler hoppers in electric power plants is presented. A key aspect of the problem that drives the design process is the fact that the environment inside the hopper is harsh and unstructured. This has led to a robot design which has all its sophisticated mechanical and control hardware located outside the hopper access port. Results from experimental testing of a prototype are included.