Exciting times for Project GRAID

National Grid Transmission and three UK SME’s (Synthotech Ltd, Premtech Ltd and Pipeline Intergrity Engineers Ltd) have teamed up to create and develop a Gas Robotic Agile Inspection Device (GRAID). Project GRAID provides a solution to the problem of analysing the condition of high pressure gas transmission pipelines. It is able to navigate the complex geometiries of these pipelines and withstand pressures of up to 100 Barg in order to allow it to take measurements and provide a visual assessment of theses critical assets.

During 6th and 7th Spetember the Project GRAID Team held a stakeholder engagement day at the Pipelines Maintenance Centre in Derbyshire. The event was well attended by directors and senior managers within National Grid and representation from the Gas distribution Network operators and Ofgem.

The engagement day was to showcase the robot navigating round a bend was really well received and there was a large amount of enthusiasm and excitement around the potential future of the project. Stage two of the project completed on the 9th September 2016 having met the required deliverables. Stage three which involves the development and testing of a gamma stage robot which will be tested at 100bar in approximately one years’ time.

Synthotech’s Project GRAID team have worked extremely hard on delivering this stage and should all be commended for representing Synthotech so well at the event.

Well done to Project GRAID, and to everyone who has supported them.

For more information please contact us or visit the knowledge base to watch the GRAID video here.

Alternatively please visit National Grid Gas Transmission’s Project GRAID site here, or their latest newsletter here.

Project GRAID – Robotic Platform negotiating a 90 deg bend.