B&N Inspection and Supply Tank Inspection

Rachel Doornekamp | January 8th, 2020

Use of Deep Trekker ROV
Unique Features of Pipe Crawler
Contact Industry Specialist

B&N Inspection and Supply, based in St.Louis Missouri, recently used their DTG3 to complete an impressive inspection of a 2 million gallon water tank. Located in Clinton, Missouri the massive tank plays a key role in the city’s water supply.

Infrastructure maintenance and management is incredibly important for the health and safety of the communities relying on them to maintain daily life. While regular inspection of infrastructure is always important, the contents of the tank in Clinton necessitates consistent check ups to ensure integrity and safety. Staying on top of tank analysis is a smart move as prioritizing inspections and maintenance saves both time and money in the long term.

Using the DTG3, the B&N team was able to thoroughly inspect the water tank. In addition to checking water depth and temperature, the 4k camera allowed the team to look at all welds, potential rust spots and/or leaks. Anchor bolts in particular are important to check, as rust can deteriorate and reduce structural strength and integrity.

Without the ROV, inspection would have been very different. As noted by the B&N team, this tank typically would require either complete draining of the 2 million gallons or employing a diver to allow for a thorough inspection. With the DTG3, the ROV is dropped into the tank and operated from the ground. The ROV and tether were sanitized by the B&N team prior to going in the water, maintaining the safety and purity of the water for use by Clinton residents.

The use of an ROV not only keeps people safe, it saves time and money. Operating from topside keeps both B&N inspectors and divers out of tight and potentially tricky situations. The easily portable, battery operated robot can be brought on location by the B&N Inspection team without the need for a specialized truck. With quick deployment and straightforward controls, the ROV allows the B&N Inspection team to be efficient and effective with their time.

Owned and operated by Eric Nenninger and Nicholas Lamm, B&N Inspection & Supply specializes in inspection, on-site surveys, coating specifications and training. B&N was established with the premise of providing excellent service and coating recommendations by bringing together the industrial coatings field and government/municipality contract and project management discipline. Diverse and capable, B&N serves numerous industries in addition to water and wastewater, including defense, energy, maritime, oil & gas, transportation and construction.

Municipalities and infrastructure professionals are extremely interested in the launch of our DT340 Portable Pipe Crawler systems which was launched earlier this year. The systems expanded on the proven abilities of the Deep Trekker ROV systems, which are known for their robust manufacturing, easy maneuverability, and complete portability. The one question we’ve been asked when introducing our pipe crawler to new customers is: “What makes your crawler stand out from the rest?”

Today, we will look at the three main ways our pipe crawlers differ from other products on the market.

Steerable

Our DT340 Pipe Crawlers are steerable. While there are other steerable pipe inspection tools on the market, the option to change direction with a pipe crawler often brings about additional costs for the purchaser. Steerable wheels come standard on all of our systems, at no extra cost. We aim to provide a tool that can be used to perform pipeline inspections without limiting the direction and scope of the tool.

Submersible

Deep Trekker’s DT340 Pipe Crawler Systems can operate both in dry and wet pipes. Submersible up to 50 meters (164 ft), operators never have to worry that water in a pipe or heavy rains will damage their equipment. Built with the same innovative thinking that brought about the DTG2 and DTX2 ROVs, the DT340 Pipe Crawler System is completely self-contained and able to perform even in tough situations.

Talk to us about how our ROVs improve the safety, cost and speed of water tank inspections and cleanings

Portable

Many Pipe Crawler systems on the market today claim to be portable, yet they still require topside power, dedicated service trucks, or additional components. The DT340 Pipe Crawler System is 100% portable, with everything you need to perform an inspection complete in two carrying cases. The units are battery powered, with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries contained within the system. This means the unit can be deployed them from anywhere. The batteries last between 6-8 hours on a single 1.5 hour charge.

Below you will find a video of a recent inspection done here in Canada that demonstrates all three of these capabilities of the DT340 Pipe Crawler. The inspection took place in a pipe filled with water, large enough to requiring steering, and was deployed from a remote access point. During this project, inspectors had to launch the crawler from a small room where the door was required to remain closed. The fact that the DT340 Pipe Crawler is battery-powered meant they did not need a line running to the service truck, and made this inspection possible.