Multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic manipulator device and method for pipeline pressure blocking operation

Abstract

The pipeline pressure blocking operation multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic manipulator device and method of the present application belongs to the pipeline repair and pressure blocking technical field, comprising: setting pressure blocking execution device, wherein the pressure blocking execution device comprises a main feeding rod and a blocking head at the end of the main feeding rod, and an embedded fine adjustment mechanism is connected between the blocking head and the main feeding rod, and the scheme adopts the parallel connection configuration of high-strength flexible hinge and micro hydraulic cylinder; the high-strength flexible hinge has very high rigidity in the axial direction, can withstand the huge axial thrust generated by the medium pressure up to 25 MPa or above, and ensures that the blocking head is not pushed back; at the same time, by using the incompressibility of hydraulic oil, the system can still realize the fine adjustment of ± 3 degrees to ± 5 degrees of pitch and yaw while maintaining high pressure bearing capacity through the coordinated action of the hydraulic cylinder, solving the pain points of easy self-locking and difficult adjustment under high pressure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pipeline emergency repair and pressurized plugging, specifically to a multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic manipulator device and method for pipeline pressurized plugging operations. Background Technology

[0002] In the maintenance of pipeline networks such as oil, chemical and urban heating, live plugging is a key live operation technology that can achieve pipeline repair or branch connection through processes such as drilling and plugging without stopping the medium transportation.

[0003] In existing plugging operations, a tapping machine is typically used to insert the plugging head into the pipeline through a valve. However, due to limitations in the on-site installation environment and operational precision, the installation reference plane of the tapping machine often has an unavoidable slight angular deviation from the pipeline's axis. Furthermore, since most existing plugging devices use rigid connections, their plugging heads lack adaptability to complex postures. When the plugging head enters the pipeline, this angular deviation can cause uneven contact between the plugging head and the pipeline's inner wall, resulting in unilateral pressure.

[0004] Such misalignment can lead to a series of negative consequences in actual operations: the sealing ring on the plug head cannot remain parallel to the pipe cross-section, resulting in insufficient or excessive local compression of the sealing surface, which in turn causes sealing failure and poses a risk of media leakage; during forced feeding, the lateral force generated by the angular deviation can easily cause the feed rod to bend or damage the sealing device; in addition, because the inside of the pipeline is a high-temperature, high-pressure, and invisible enclosed environment, it is difficult for operators to perceive the real-time contact posture of the plug head from the outside, and they often have to rely on experience to operate blindly. Under high axial back pressure conditions, traditional passive adjustment structures are prone to jamming or insufficient rigidity, and cannot achieve precise centering adjustment.

[0005] The information disclosed in the background section above is only intended to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic manipulator device and method for live pipeline plugging operations, so as to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0007] The technical solution of the present invention includes:

[0008] S1. A pressurized plugging actuator is provided, wherein the pressurized plugging actuator includes a main feed rod and an inner receiving cavity and a plugging head located at the end of the main feed rod. An embedded fine-tuning mechanism is connected between the plugging head and the main feed rod. The embedded fine-tuning mechanism is completely received within the cross-sectional projection range of the main feed rod to adapt to the diameter-limited opening valve channel.

[0009] S2. Insert the plug into the pipeline. Under the condition that the plug is subjected to high axial back pressure in the pipeline, activate the compliant control logic based on differential pressure feedback of the hydraulic cylinder.

[0010] S3. Perform contact force distribution monitoring. By monitoring the real-time working pressure of the drive component inside the embedded fine-tuning mechanism, calculate the circumferential contact force distribution data when the plug head contacts the inner wall of the pipe.

[0011] S4. Based on the contact force distribution data, perform adaptive alignment. When the uneven distribution of the circumferential contact force is detected and exceeds the preset deviation threshold, the embedded fine-tuning mechanism automatically drives the plug head to perform high-rigidity pitch or yaw fine-tuning according to the pressure feedback to compensate for the angular deviation between the plug head reference plane and the pipeline axis until the adaptive alignment of the plug head is achieved.

[0012] Preferably, in step S1, the embedded fine-tuning mechanism includes a high-strength flexible hinge and a micro hydraulic cylinder assembly. The high-strength flexible hinge connects the main feed rod and the sealing head axially, and the micro hydraulic cylinder assembly is integrated in the inner receiving cavity and arranged circumferentially around the high-strength flexible hinge.

[0013] Preferably, step S3 includes:

[0014] S3.1 Real-time acquisition of the working chamber pressure of each independent hydraulic cylinder in the micro hydraulic cylinder group;

[0015] S3.2 Calculate the differential pressure value between the hydraulic cylinders in relative positions, and establish the mapping relationship between the differential pressure value and the deflection angle of the sealing head, so as to characterize the force posture of the sealing head on the pipe cross section.

[0016] Preferably, in step S4, the specific process of the adaptive pairing is as follows:

[0017] When the pressure value of a hydraulic cylinder in a certain position is detected to be significantly higher than that of the hydraulic cylinder in the symmetrical position, the control system determines that position to be a high contact force point and then drives the micro hydraulic cylinder group to move, causing the high-strength flexible hinge to elastically deform towards the side with lower pressure, thereby driving the sealing head to adjust its posture until the pressure difference of all hydraulic cylinders falls back to the preset contact balance range.

[0018] Preferably, step S4 is followed by:

[0019] S5. After confirming that the sealing head has achieved adaptive centering and uniform circumferential contact force, lock the current posture of the embedded fine-tuning mechanism and control the main feed rod to continue to perform axial feed action to complete the final seal.

[0020] A multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic manipulator for live pipeline plugging operations includes:

[0021] The main feed module includes a main feed rod for transmitting axial thrust, and the end of the main feed rod is provided with an inner receiving cavity for entering a restricted opening valve channel;

[0022] An adaptive plugging module includes a plugging head for plugging a pipeline and an embedded fine-tuning mechanism connecting the plugging head and the main feed rod.

[0023] The compliant control assembly includes a sensor array for detecting pressure data and a control unit based on differential pressure feedback from a hydraulic cylinder. The control unit is electrically connected to the embedded fine-tuning mechanism for performing contact force distribution monitoring and adaptive drive centering.

[0024] Preferably, the embedded fine-tuning mechanism includes a high-strength flexible hinge and a micro hydraulic cylinder assembly. One end of the high-strength flexible hinge is fixed to the inner cavity of the main feed rod, and the other end is fixedly connected to the center of the back of the sealing head. The micro hydraulic cylinder assembly is located between the inner cavity and the sealing head.

[0025] Preferably, the high-strength flexible hinge is made of a one-piece molded high-pressure resistant elastic alloy material, and is constructed with high axial stiffness and radial bending freedom, so as to provide pitch and yaw fine adjustment capability while withstanding high axial back pressure.

[0026] Preferably, the miniature hydraulic cylinder assembly consists of at least three independently controlled hydraulic cylinders, which are evenly distributed circumferentially along the high-strength flexible hinge, and the piston rod end of the hydraulic cylinder is hinged to the back of the sealing head.

[0027] This invention provides an improved multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic manipulator device and method for live pipeline plugging operations, which, compared with the prior art, has the following improvements and advantages:

[0028] 1. This solution employs a configuration combining a high-strength flexible hinge and a miniature hydraulic cylinder assembly in parallel. The high-strength flexible hinge possesses extremely high stiffness in the axial direction, capable of withstanding the enormous axial thrust generated by media pressures exceeding 25 MPa, ensuring the sealing head is not pushed back. Simultaneously, utilizing the incompressibility of hydraulic oil, the system maintains high pressure resistance while still achieving [the desired effect] through the coordinated action of the hydraulic cylinders. The pitch and yaw fine-tuning solves the pain points of easy self-locking and difficulty in adjustment under high pressure;

[0029] 2. This solution creatively uses hydraulic cylinders as sensors, avoiding the problem of electronic sensors failing easily in high-temperature and fluid scouring environments; by real-time monitoring of the differential pressure values ​​between hydraulic cylinders in relative positions, a physical mapping relationship is established between them and the deflection angle of the plugging head; this pressure feedback mechanism enables the control system to accurately identify the force posture of the plugging head inside the pipeline, transforming manual blind operation into intelligent closed-loop control.

[0030] 3. Through compliant control logic, the system can automatically drive the flexible hinge to generate elastic deformation, causing the sealing head to actively conform to the inner wall of the pipeline. When the pressure difference of each hydraulic cylinder falls back to the preset contact balance range, it indicates that the sealing head has become completely parallel to the pipeline cross-section. After alignment, the mechanism is rigidified by hydraulic locking, ensuring that the main feed force is evenly applied to the circumference of the sealing ring. This not only avoids shear damage to the sealing ring caused by local overpressure, but also solves the leakage problem caused by local underpressure, greatly improving the success rate of one-time sealing and reducing operational risks.

[0031] 4. The embedded design ensures that both the drive unit and the transmission unit are integrated within the cylindrical envelope of the main feed rod, without any external protrusions. This feature allows the device to have multi-degree-of-freedom adjustment capabilities while still being able to pass through diameter-limited channels such as clamp valves or ball valves, making it highly practical for engineering applications. Attached Figure Description

[0032] The present invention will be further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments:

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall external structure of the device;

[0034] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the embedded fine-tuning mechanism and compliant control components.

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the process flow of the method of the present invention.

[0037] In the diagram: 100, main feed module; 110, main feed rod; 120, inner receiving cavity; 200, adaptive plugging module; 210, plugging head; 220, embedded fine-tuning mechanism; 221, high-strength flexible hinge; 222, miniature hydraulic cylinder assembly; 224, piston rod; 300, compliant control assembly; 310, sensor assembly; 320, control unit. Detailed Implementation

[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0039] Example 1:

[0040] Please see Figure 1-4 This invention provides a method for a multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic manipulator for live pipeline plugging operations, comprising:

[0041] S1. A pressurized sealing actuator is provided, wherein the pressurized sealing actuator includes a main feed rod 110 and an inner receiving cavity 120 and a sealing head 210 located at the end of the main feed rod 110. An embedded fine adjustment mechanism 220 is connected between the sealing head 210 and the main feed rod 110. The embedded fine adjustment mechanism 220 is completely received within the cross-sectional projection range of the main feed rod 110 to adapt to the diameter-limited opening valve channel.

[0042] S2. Insert the plug head 210 into the pipeline. Under the condition that the plug head 210 is subjected to high axial back pressure in the pipeline, start the compliant control logic based on differential pressure feedback of hydraulic cylinder.

[0043] S3. Perform contact force distribution monitoring. By monitoring the real-time working pressure of the internal drive component of the embedded fine-tuning mechanism 220, calculate the circumferential contact force distribution data when the plugging head 210 contacts the inner wall of the pipe.

[0044] S4. Based on the contact force distribution data, adaptive centering is performed. When uneven circumferential contact force distribution is detected and exceeds the preset deviation threshold, the embedded fine-tuning mechanism 220 automatically drives the sealing head 210 to perform high-rigidity pitch or yaw fine-tuning according to the pressure feedback, so as to compensate for the angular deviation between the reference plane of the sealing head 210 and the pipeline axis, until the adaptive centering of the sealing head 210 is achieved.

[0045] In this embodiment, addressing the problem that the rigid sealing head 210 in the prior art cannot adaptively adjust its posture when there is a slight angular deviation between the hole-opening machine mounting reference plane and the pipeline axis, resulting in sealing failure or forced feeding damaging the equipment, this method provides an active adaptive solution.

[0046] In step S1, the design of the embedded fine-tuning mechanism 220 follows the principle of passing through the orifice valve channel with a limited diameter. All its mechanical components, including the drive unit and the transmission unit, are integrated within the cylindrical envelope space of the main feed rod 110 without any external protrusions, thereby ensuring that the device can pass smoothly through the clamp valve or ball valve with a limited orifice diameter.

[0047] In step S2, high axial back pressure usually refers to the working condition where the pressure of the medium inside the pipeline reaches 6MPa to 25MPa or even higher. At this time, the fluid generates a huge axial thrust on the plug head 210. Traditional passive floating joints are prone to self-locking or insufficient rigidity under high back pressure. However, the compliant control logic activated in this embodiment is an active compliance strategy. The compliant control logic simulates the impedance control principle, so that when the hydraulic cylinder is subjected to external asymmetrical load, it can generate corresponding displacement compensation according to the pressure feedback. This makes the mechanism exhibit spring-like flexible characteristics, actively adapt to the geometric posture of the inner wall of the pipeline, use the incompressibility of the hydraulic system to balance the back pressure, and retain the fine adjustment capability.

[0048] In steps S3 and S4, the risk of blind manual operation is eliminated. The system uses a differential pressure feedback mechanism of hydraulic cylinders to convert the contact force between the sealing head 210 and the inner wall of the pipeline into the pressure value of the hydraulic system. When the sealing head 210 contacts the pipeline on one side due to angular deviation, i.e., uneven force, the embedded fine adjustment mechanism 220 does not forcefully push it forward, but drives the sealing head 210 to make a slight pitching or yaw movement according to the detected pressure distribution difference. This allows the sealing surface of the sealing head 210 to actively conform to the actual posture of the inner wall of the pipeline, thereby achieving flexible alignment with high rigidity without the need for close manual intervention.

[0049] In step S1, the embedded fine-tuning mechanism 220 includes a high-strength flexible hinge 221 and a micro hydraulic cylinder assembly 222. The high-strength flexible hinge 221 connects the main feed rod 110 and the sealing head 210 along the axial direction. The micro hydraulic cylinder assembly 222 is integrated in the inner receiving cavity 120 and arranged circumferentially around the high-strength flexible hinge 221.

[0050] In this embodiment, the structural innovation of the embedded fine-tuning mechanism 220 is described in detail. In order to simultaneously meet the two contradictory technical requirements of bearing high axial load and multi-degree-of-freedom fine-tuning in an extremely limited internal space, the present invention abandons the traditional ball joint structure and adopts a configuration in which a high-strength flexible hinge 221 and a micro hydraulic cylinder group 222 are connected in parallel.

[0051] The high-strength flexible hinge 221 is located on the central axis. As the main force-bearing component, it mainly bears the high axial back pressure generated by the pipeline medium, such as the thrust of several tons to tens of tons, to ensure that the plug head 210 will not be pushed back.

[0052] The miniature hydraulic cylinder group 222 is arranged circumferentially around the flexible hinge, for example in a ring array. This layout maximizes space utilization, allowing the entire mechanism to be tucked into the narrow end of the main feed rod 110. The miniature hydraulic cylinder group 222 does not directly bear the main axial back pressure, but focuses on providing the torque required for attitude adjustment. This force-position decoupling design allows the mechanism to maintain extremely high adjustment accuracy and rigidity while bearing high pressure, effectively compensating for installation errors.

[0053] The steps in S3 include:

[0054] S3.1 Real-time acquisition of the working chamber pressure of each independent hydraulic cylinder in the miniature hydraulic cylinder group 222;

[0055] S3.2 Calculate the differential pressure value between the hydraulic cylinders in relative positions, and establish the mapping relationship between the differential pressure value and the attitude deflection angle of the plug head 210 to characterize the force attitude of the plug head 210 on the pipe cross section.

[0056] In this embodiment, steps S3.1 and S3.2 construct a contact force monitoring system based on hydraulic sensing. Because traditional electronic force sensors, such as resistance strain gauges, are easily damaged or fail under the high temperature, high pressure and fluid scouring environment of pipeline pressurization and sealing, this invention creatively utilizes the hydraulic cylinder itself as a sensor.

[0057] When the plug head 210 makes non-uniform contact with the inner wall of the pipe, the reaction force at the contact point will be transmitted to the corresponding hydraulic cylinder through the lever action, causing the oil pressure in the working chamber of the hydraulic cylinder to rise instantaneously, while the pressure of the hydraulic cylinder on the opposite side remains unchanged or decreases.

[0058] The controller collects the pressure values ​​of each hydraulic cylinder and calculates the differential pressure values ​​of the hydraulic cylinders at symmetrical positions. The differential pressure value is related to the deflection angle of the plug head 210 relative to the pipeline axis. There is a clear physical mapping relationship between them; the system pre-calibrates the attitude deviation model corresponding to different differential pressure values. The processing flow of this model is as follows: the controller obtains the real-time pressure difference between two symmetrically arranged hydraulic cylinders; based on the lever arm length of the hydraulic cylinder relative to the central flexible hinge, the pressure difference is converted into a turning torque; combined with the bending stiffness coefficient of the flexible hinge, the current deflection angle of the sealing head 210 is calculated. The physical mapping relationship between them is calculated using the following model: Let the effective working area of ​​the two symmetrically distributed hydraulic cylinders be... The lever arm length relative to the central flexible hinge is The bending stiffness coefficient of the high-strength flexible hinge 221 is The deflection angle of the plug head 210 Calculated using the following formula:

[0059]

[0060] in, The differential pressure value is collected in real time; the controller calculates the differential pressure value. The deviation between the value and the current actual posture generates a corresponding hydraulic compensation command; thus, it is possible to accurately solve the current force posture of the plug head 210 inside the black box of the pipeline, providing reliable data support for subsequent closed-loop control.

[0061] In step S4, the specific process of adaptive alignment is as follows:

[0062] When the pressure value of a hydraulic cylinder in a certain position is detected to be significantly higher than that of the hydraulic cylinders in the symmetrical positions, the control system determines that position is a high contact force point and then drives the micro hydraulic cylinder group 222 to move, causing the high-strength flexible hinge 221 to elastically deform towards the side with lower pressure, thereby driving the sealing head 210 to adjust its posture until the pressure difference of all hydraulic cylinders falls back to the preset contact balance range; the contact balance range refers to the dynamic range in which the pressure of each hydraulic cylinder tends to be consistent, indicating that the sealing head 210 has achieved surface contact and alignment with the pipe cross-section.

[0063] In this embodiment, the specific compliant control execution logic is described, taking a specific working condition as an example: assuming the plugging head 210 slightly lowers itself to enter the pipe, its lower edge will first contact the lower inner wall of the pipe; at this time, the hydraulic cylinder located below will be squeezed, and its internal pressure... It will be significantly higher than the pressure of the upper hydraulic cylinder. ;

[0064] The control system detected If the difference exceeds a preset threshold, such as 0.5 MPa, it is determined to be an attitude misalignment; the system then generates a control command to drive the hydraulic system to... The higher hydraulic cylinder discharges oil, or retracts, while simultaneously moving towards... The lower hydraulic cylinder is filled with oil, or extended;

[0065] This action forces the high-strength flexible hinge 221 to undergo elastic bending deformation, causing the sealing head 210 to tilt upwards. As the posture is corrected, the contact stress at the lower edge of the sealing head 210 decreases, and the upper edge begins to contact, until the forces on the upper and lower edges tend to be balanced; when the pressure difference between the two is... satisfy ,in For example, a preset contact balance threshold. When the plug head 210 is aligned with the pipe cross-section, it indicates that the plug has achieved self-alignment. This process completely replaces manual correction based on experience, avoiding the risk of high-pressure media leakage caused by delays in manual operation.

[0066] Step S4 is followed by:

[0067] S5. After confirming that the sealing head 210 has achieved adaptive centering and uniform circumferential contact force, lock the current posture of the embedded fine-tuning mechanism 220 and control the main feed rod 110 to continue to perform axial feed action to complete the final seal.

[0068] In this embodiment, step S5 ensures the reliability of the seal. Once the embedded fine-tuning mechanism 220 completes adaptive alignment, the gap between the rubber sealing ring of the sealing head 210 and the inner wall of the pipe is uniform. To prevent the posture from shifting again due to fluid impact or vibration during the subsequent main feed process, the system will perform a hydraulic lock-up operation, that is, close all the inlet and outlet valves of the micro hydraulic cylinder group 222, and use the incompressibility of hydraulic oil to stiffen the embedded fine-tuning mechanism 220.

[0069] At this point, the entire device returns to a state of high rigidity, and the main feed rod 110 continues to apply a huge axial thrust, pressing the plug head 210 against the pipe section. Since perfect alignment has been achieved beforehand, the main feed force will be applied evenly to the circumference of the sealing ring, avoiding shear damage to the sealing ring caused by local overpressure or leakage caused by local underpressure, thus ensuring a one-time plugging success rate.

[0070] Example 2:

[0071] Please see Figure 1-3 A multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic manipulator for live pipeline plugging operations, comprising:

[0072] The main feed module 100 includes a main feed rod 110 for transmitting axial thrust, and the end of the main feed rod 110 is provided with an inner receiving cavity 120 for entering a restricted opening valve channel.

[0073] The adaptive plugging module 200 includes a plugging head 210 for plugging the pipeline and an embedded fine-tuning mechanism 220 connecting the plugging head 210 and the main feed rod 110.

[0074] The compliant control assembly 300 includes a sensor group 310 for detecting pressure data and a control unit 320 based on differential pressure feedback from a hydraulic cylinder. The control unit 320 is electrically connected to an embedded fine-tuning mechanism 220 for performing contact force distribution monitoring and drive adaptive centering.

[0075] In this embodiment, a specific hardware device is provided to implement the above method;

[0076] The main feed module 100 is the body of the device. The main feed rod 110 is usually made of high-strength alloy steel. Its end has a specially made inner cavity 120, which is an open or semi-open cylindrical cavity, specifically designed to house the embedded fine-tuning mechanism 220 to ensure that the overall outer diameter does not increase.

[0077] The adaptive plugging module 200 is the core actuator of the device, and the outer edge of the plugging head 210 is usually inlaid with oil-resistant and temperature-resistant special rubber seals.

[0078] The compliant control component 300 is the brain of the device. The sensor group 310 is not external, but a pressure sensor integrated into the hydraulic line to capture minute pressure fluctuations in real time. The control unit 320 adopts a PLC or embedded controller with built-in PID or fuzzy control algorithm. It can control the opening of the electro-hydraulic proportional valve with a millisecond-level response speed based on the pressure difference feedback signal, thereby driving the embedded fine-tuning mechanism 220 to move. This electromechanical-hydraulic integrated design solves the problem that traditional equipment cannot balance high pressure and high flexibility adjustment in a limited space.

[0079] The embedded fine-tuning mechanism 220 includes a high-strength flexible hinge 221 and a micro hydraulic cylinder assembly 222. One end of the high-strength flexible hinge 221 is fixed to the inner receiving cavity 120 of the main feed rod 110, and the other end is fixed to the center of the back of the sealing head 210. The micro hydraulic cylinder assembly 222 is located between the inner receiving cavity 120 and the sealing head 210.

[0080] In this embodiment, the connection relationship of the embedded fine-tuning mechanism 220 is specifically described; the high-strength flexible hinge 221 is located at the geometric center, forming a central column-type support structure; one end of it is rigidly connected to the depth of the main feed rod 110 through a thread or flange, with an inner receiving cavity 120, and the other end is rigidly connected to the center of the back of the sealing head 210; this connection method ensures that the axial feed force can be directly and efficiently transmitted to the sealing head 210 through the central axis of the flexible hinge;

[0081] The miniature hydraulic cylinder assembly 222 fills the gap around the central hinge and connects the end face of the inner receiving cavity 120 and the back of the sealing head 210. This parallel structure is not only compact, but also constitutes a statically indeterminate structure in terms of mechanics, which improves the torsional stiffness and lateral force resistance of the mechanism, making it suitable for use in turbulent pipe fluid environments.

[0082] The high-strength flexible hinge 221 is made of a one-piece molded high-pressure resistant elastic alloy material. It is constructed with high axial stiffness and radial bending freedom, and is used to provide pitch and yaw fine adjustment capabilities while withstanding high axial back pressure.

[0083] In this embodiment, the material and shape of the key component, the high-strength flexible hinge 221, are specified. The hinge is preferably made of precipitation-hardening stainless steel, such as 17-4PH, or titanium alloy, which possesses both high strength and excellent elastic modulus.

[0084] For example, using Gr5 titanium alloy, a weak displacement region with a cross-shaped structure can be formed through integral CNC machining. Specifically, the moment of inertia of the cross-shaped structure in the axial direction... Maximum in the axial direction, satisfying and This ensures axial load-bearing capacity; while in the radial direction... In the axial direction, the moment of inertia of the cross section is reduced by cutting the material to form a thin-walled connection, which causes it to elastically yield under the action of hydraulic driving torque, so as to obtain the expected anisotropic stiffness.

[0085] Structurally, this hinge is not an ordinary spring, but a solid structure designed with a specific cross-sectional shape, such as a cross-shaped spring or a cut cylindrical beam. This structural characteristic gives it anisotropic stiffness: in the axial direction, it exhibits extremely high stiffness along the Z-axis, transmitting thrust like a solid steel column and ensuring no axial buckling occurs under high back pressure; while in the radial direction, the bending direction of the X / Y axes, it exhibits lower stiffness, allowing for small elastic angular displacements, such as ±3 to ±5 degrees, under the drive of the hydraulic cylinder. This combination of stiffness and flexibility is the key to achieving fine-tuning under high pressure. Since the hydraulic cylinder assembly and the flexible hinge are in parallel, the axial thrust is offset by the cross-sectional stiffness of the flexible hinge, while the radial adjustment force is generated by the active thrust of the hydraulic cylinder, thus achieving decoupling of load bearing and adjustment.

[0086] The miniature hydraulic cylinder group 222 consists of at least three independently controlled hydraulic cylinders. The multiple hydraulic cylinders are arranged in a ring array along the circumference of the high-strength flexible hinge 221, and the end of the piston rod 224 of the hydraulic cylinder is hinged to the back of the sealing head 210.

[0087] In this embodiment, the configuration of the drive unit is quantified; the number of hydraulic cylinders is preferably three or four;

[0088] When three hydraulic cylinders are used, they are distributed at 120-degree intervals along the circumference to form a three-point support plane. Based on the principle of three-point plane fixation, by independently controlling the extension and retraction of these three hydraulic cylinders, the sealing head 210 can be tilted, pitched, and yawed relative to the main feed rod 110 in any direction in space.

[0089] The piston rod 224 of the hydraulic cylinder is connected to the sealing head 210 by a ball joint to adapt to angle changes during adjustment and avoid jamming. The joint is specifically a ball joint connection to ensure that the piston rod 224 will not be damaged by lateral force when the sealing head 210 is oscillating in multiple degrees of freedom. This multi-cylinder parallel drive method has advantages such as large thrust redundancy, high fault tolerance, and smooth adjustment compared to single-axis drive, ensuring that the sealing head 210 can respond sensitively to the centering command of the control system in complex pipeline environments.

[0090] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for live pipeline plugging operations using a multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic manipulator, characterized in that, include: S1. A pressurized plugging actuator is provided, wherein the pressurized plugging actuator includes a main feed rod (110) and an inner receiving cavity (120) and a plugging head (210) located at the end of the main feed rod (110). An embedded fine adjustment mechanism (220) is connected between the plugging head (210) and the main feed rod (110). The embedded fine adjustment mechanism (220) is completely received within the cross-sectional projection range of the main feed rod (110) to adapt to the diameter-limited opening valve channel. S2. The plug (210) is inserted into the pipeline. Under the condition that the plug (210) is subjected to high axial back pressure in the pipeline, the compliant control logic based on differential pressure feedback of hydraulic cylinder is activated. S3. Perform contact force distribution monitoring. By monitoring the real-time working pressure of the internal drive component of the embedded fine-tuning mechanism (220), calculate the circumferential contact force distribution data when the plug head (210) contacts the inner wall of the pipe. S4. Based on the contact force distribution data, perform adaptive centering. When the uneven distribution of the circumferential contact force is detected and exceeds the preset deviation threshold, the embedded fine-tuning mechanism (220) automatically drives the plug head (210) to perform high-rigidity pitch or yaw fine-tuning according to the pressure feedback to compensate for the angular deviation between the reference plane of the plug head (210) and the pipeline axis until the adaptive centering of the plug head (210) is achieved. In step S1, the embedded fine-tuning mechanism (220) includes a high-strength flexible hinge (221) and a micro hydraulic cylinder assembly (222). The high-strength flexible hinge (221) connects the main feed rod (110) and the sealing head (210) axially. The micro hydraulic cylinder assembly (222) is integrated in the inner receiving cavity (120) and arranged circumferentially around the high-strength flexible hinge (221). The steps in S3 include: S3.1 Real-time acquisition of the working chamber pressure of each independent hydraulic cylinder in the micro hydraulic cylinder group (222); S3.2 Calculate the differential pressure value between the hydraulic cylinders in relative positions, and establish the mapping relationship between the differential pressure value and the attitude deflection angle of the plug head (210) to characterize the force posture of the plug head (210) on the pipe section.

2. The method for live pipeline plugging operations using a multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, the specific process of the adaptive pairing is as follows: When the pressure value of a hydraulic cylinder in a certain position is detected to be significantly higher than that of the hydraulic cylinder in the symmetrical position, the control system determines that position is a high contact force point and then drives the micro hydraulic cylinder group (222) to move, causing the high-strength flexible hinge (221) to elastically deform towards the side with lower pressure, thereby driving the sealing head (210) to adjust its posture until the pressure difference of all hydraulic cylinders falls back to the preset contact balance range.

3. The method for live pipeline plugging operations using a multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step S4 is followed by: S5. After confirming that the sealing head (210) has achieved adaptive centering and uniform circumferential contact force, lock the current posture of the embedded fine adjustment mechanism (220) and control the main feed rod (110) to continue to perform axial feed action to complete the final seal.

4. A multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic manipulator device for live pipeline plugging operations, using the multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic manipulator method for live pipeline plugging operations as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, include: The main feed module (100) includes a main feed rod (110) for transmitting axial thrust, and the end of the main feed rod (110) is provided with an inner receiving cavity (120) for entering a restricted opening valve channel. The adaptive plugging module (200) includes a plugging head (210) for plugging the pipeline and an embedded fine-tuning mechanism (220) connecting the plugging head (210) and the main feed rod (110). The compliant control assembly (300) includes a sensor group (310) for detecting pressure data and a control unit (320) based on differential pressure feedback of the hydraulic cylinder. The control unit (320) is electrically connected to the embedded fine-tuning mechanism (220) for performing contact force distribution monitoring and drive adaptive centering.

5. The multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic manipulator device for live pipeline plugging operations according to claim 4, characterized in that, The embedded fine-tuning mechanism (220) includes a high-strength flexible hinge (221) and a micro hydraulic cylinder assembly (222). One end of the high-strength flexible hinge (221) is fixed to the inner cavity (120) of the main feed rod (110), and the other end is fixed to the back center of the sealing head (210). The micro hydraulic cylinder assembly (222) is located between the inner cavity (120) and the sealing head (210).

6. The multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic manipulator device for live pipeline plugging operations according to claim 5, characterized in that, The high-strength flexible hinge (221) is made of a high-pressure resistant elastic alloy material with one-piece molding. It is constructed with high axial stiffness and radial bending freedom, and is used to provide pitch and yaw fine adjustment capability while withstanding high axial back pressure.

7. The multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic manipulator device for live pipeline plugging operations according to claim 5, characterized in that, The micro hydraulic cylinder group (222) consists of at least three independently controlled hydraulic cylinders, which are evenly distributed around the circumference of the high-strength flexible hinge (221), and the piston rod (224) of the hydraulic cylinder is hinged to the back of the sealing head (210).

Images