Design and Development of a Movable and Self-Extensible Apparatus for Substation Construction and Maintenance

The increasing requirements of security operation and service quality have brought challenges to the construction and maintenance of the smart substation. In this paper, a movable and self-extensible apparatus is developed for enhancing the security and efficiency of substation construction and electrical infrastructure maintenance. The designed apparatus is equipped with a complete set of pneumatic and electric tools to achieve the integration and fastening of small electrical parts. Moreover, the developed apparatus structure can be self-extensible and self-propelled by automatically controlling the servo-drive system. Considering the extreme weather events such as strong wind, snowstorm, and the integrated blizzard conditions, the overall framework and control system of the apparatus is designed based on the finite element method, and the modal analysis and static analysis are implemented to verify stability and rigidity for the assembled apparatus frame. The security evaluation results and on-site application indicate that the apparatus can effectively enhance the security of maintenance personnel and work efficiency with characteristics of low cost, automatic control, excellent insulation, easy operation as well as high reliability.