Tank wall cleaning robot
By designing a tank wall cleaning robot, using a pneumatic motor and nylon anti-static brush for spiral movement, combined with the adsorption function of rare earth permanent magnets, the problems of high manpower consumption and large equipment occupying space in the existing technology are solved, and the problem of high labor consumption and large equipment occupancy is realized. Efficient and safe oil tank wall cleaning reduces resource consumption and capital investment.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202010409008.9
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2020-05-14
- Publication Date
- 2024-12-20
- Estimated Expiration
- Not applicable · inactive patent
AI Technical Summary
The existing oil tank cleaning technology consumes a lot of manpower and material resources or high capital investment, and takes up a lot of space for staff safety and equipment. Improper chemical reagents may cause accidents.
A tank wall cleaning robot is designed, including cleaning device, driving device, adsorption device, retracting device and positioning device. It uses a pneumatic motor and nylon anti-static brush to perform spiral movement, combined with the adsorption function of rare earth permanent magnets. Achieve automated cleaning, reduce manual intervention and improve safety.
It realizes time-saving and safety compared with traditional manual cleaning, and is lighter and simpler than COWS mechanical cleaning devices, save resources, lower prices, and has efficient cleaning effects and safety, which simplifies equipment structure and maintenance and reduces capital investment.
Smart Images

Figure CN111451226B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The invention relates to a storage tank wall cleaning device used in the storage tank cleaning field, and in particular to a storage tank wall cleaning robot. Background Art
[0002] The current oil tank cleaning technology is mainly divided into three types: manual cleaning, chemical cleaning, and jet cleaning, as follows:
[0003] Manual cleaning usually requires workers to enter the oil tank in person to clean the sludge and other sediments on the bottom and side walls of the oil tank. Steaming the tank is a common method for manual cleaning. After the "steaming", a series of operations such as ventilation, gas detection, and explosion detection are required. Only when the tank is safe can they enter. The workers use professional tools to remove dirt from the tank wall and bottom, and finally dry the oil tank. This method is relatively clean, but it poses a certain threat to the personal safety of the workers, and it also consumes a lot of manpower, material resources and time.
[0004] Chemical cleaning is to use chemical reagents to remove oil stains in the tank. After chemical reactions occur between chemical reagents and sludge inside the oil tank, soluble liquids will be generated and discharged to the outside of the oil tank. Chemical reagents can not only dissolve oil stains, but also absorb hydrocarbon substances deposited in the oil tank, and finally obtain a stable solution. Compared with traditional manual cleaning, this method can save a lot of human resources and produce less residue, which is especially convenient for oil tanks with complex internal structures. However, improper handling of chemical reagents can cause serious accidents.
[0005] The third is the more advanced oil tank cleaning technology, which is completed with the help of crude oil cleaning system (COWS). Before COWS cleaning, the cleaning device needs to be connected to the oil tank and then the cleaning medium needs to be sprayed into the tank to flush away the dirt inside the oil tank. The sludge is extracted with the help of the extraction system to recycle the recyclable part. Finally, the staff enters the tank to clean and dry it. This method can achieve a higher crude oil recovery rate, and at the same time can greatly reduce the intensity of manual labor and increase safety, but the whole set of equipment occupies a large space, requires more capital investment, and has higher technical requirements for the staff. Summary of the invention
[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a tank wall cleaning robot, which is used to solve the problem of high labor and material resources or capital investment in oil tank cleaning in the prior art.
[0007] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problems is: the tank wall cleaning robot includes a cleaning device, a driving device, an adsorption device, a retracting device, and a positioning device. The driving device includes a driving pneumatic motor, a control device, a steering wheel, and a chassis. The steering wheel is arranged at the front end of the chassis, and two driving wheels are arranged at the rear of the chassis. The driving pneumatic motor is connected to the two driving wheels through a differential, and the control device is connected to the steering wheel through a hydraulic rod; the cleaning device includes a nylon anti-static brush, a cleaning pneumatic motor, a cleaning agent storage box, and a nozzle. The nylon anti-static brush is arranged under the bracket, and the bracket is connected to the chassis through a hinge connecting beam and a spring. The cleaning pneumatic motor is arranged on the bracket, and the cleaning pneumatic motor is connected to the nylon anti-static brush. The cleaning agent storage box is arranged on the chassis A liquid infusion tube is arranged on the top of the cleaning agent storage box, and a nozzle is arranged on the side of the cleaning agent storage box. The nozzle extends from the top of the chassis with its nozzle facing downward; an adsorption device is arranged under the chassis, and the adsorption device includes a rare earth permanent magnet, which is connected to the chassis through a retractable device; the driving pneumatic motor and the cleaning pneumatic motor are connected by an air hose; the tank wall cleaning robot descends along the top of the tank wall along a spiral trajectory, and the nozzle sprays the cleaning agent on the next spiral trajectory route, so that the cleaning agent and the dirt are mixed and reacted for a period of time. When the cleaning robot moves to the next spiral trajectory route, the sludge is brushed off the position where the cleaning agent has been sprayed with a nylon anti-static brush, and the nozzle sprays the cleaning agent on the next spiral trajectory route again, and this cycle is repeated until the sludge at the bottom of the tank wall is removed.
[0008] In the above scheme, a shell is placed on the chassis, and an antistatic coating layer is applied on the outer surface of the shell. The shell and the chassis form a vehicle body, a nozzle extends from the side of the shell, an air pipe and a liquid pipe extend from the top of the shell respectively, and an exhaust pipe also extends from the top of the shell.
[0009] In the above scheme, a baffle is fixed at the front end of the bracket, and the baffle stands at the front end of the bracket. The front of the baffle is connected to the chassis through a hinge beam and a spring. The two ends of the baffle are arc-shaped. The baffle is made of lightweight aluminum alloy. The lower edge of the baffle is in the shape of a shovel. A layer of anti-static coating is applied on the surface of the baffle. On the one hand, the baffle prevents sludge from splashing during cleaning. On the other hand, the shovel at the bottom can further shovel away the sludge on the movement path of the cleaning robot, providing conditions for the subsequent adsorption of the permanent magnet.
[0010] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:
[0011] 1. Compared with traditional manual cleaning, this invention saves time, is highly efficient, and can ensure the safety of workers. Compared with COWS mechanical cleaning, it has the advantages of being light and simple, saving resources, and being cheaper. It makes spiral motion in the tank, and its motion mode is simple. At the same time, the spiral motion can give the cleaning enough reaction time before brushing off, and the cleaning effect is more obvious.
[0012] 2. The present invention uses pneumatic motors and smaller electrical signal transmission to ensure safety in the tank and provide power and good controllability. The special movement mode requires lower power output from the motor, and a differential similar to that on a car is added, making the cleaning robot more stable when turning, easier to maintain or assemble, and smaller in size with fewer parts.
[0013] 3. The present invention uses a strong magnetic detector when detecting the movement of the cleaning robot in the storage tank, and can roughly detect the position of the cleaning robot.
[0014] 4. In order to solve the problems mentioned in the prior art, such as "certain threats to the personal safety of staff, high technical requirements for personnel, serious accidents caused by improper handling of chemical reagents, large space occupied by equipment, and large capital investment", the present invention provides an energy-saving and fast-type device. The present invention has a simple structure, ingenious design, easy disassembly and installation, and at the same time has the functions of monitoring and real-time control, which can effectively respond to the occurrence of emergencies. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of the present invention.
[0016] Figure 2 It is a top view of the present invention.
[0017] Figure 3 It is a bottom view of the present invention.
[0018] In the figure: 1 nylon antistatic brush, 2 nozzle, 3 cleaning air motor, 4 bracket, 5 baffle, 6 spring, 7 hinge connecting beam, 8 driving wheel, 9 rare earth permanent magnet, 10 differential, 11 driving air motor, 12 cleaning agent storage box, 13 nozzle, 14 retracting device, 15 chassis, 16 steering wheel, 17 shell, 18 infusion tube, 19 air tube, 20 exhaust pipe, 21 hydraulic rod, 22 control device, 23 air hose. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:
[0020] Combination Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the tank wall cleaning robot includes a cleaning device, a driving device, an adsorption device, a retracting device, and a positioning device.
[0021] The driving device includes a driving pneumatic motor 11, a control device 22, a steering wheel 16, and a chassis 15. The steering wheel 16 is arranged at the front end of the chassis 15. Two driving wheels 8 are arranged at the rear of the chassis 15. The driving pneumatic motor 11 is connected to the two driving wheels 8 through a differential 10. The control device 22 is connected to the steering wheel 16 through a hydraulic rod 21. The two driving wheels 8 provide the cleaning robot with forward power and provide support for the chassis 15. When used in conjunction with the control device 22 and the driving pneumatic motor 11, the steering wheel 16 can change direction slightly according to the signal transmitted from the outside to provide support for the chassis 15. The hydraulic rod 21 controls the deflection of the steering wheel 16 by telescopic deflection. The control device 22 receives the signal to control the telescopic movement of the hydraulic rod 21. A shell 17 is placed on the top of the disk 15, and an antistatic coating layer is applied on the outer surface of the shell 17. The shell 17 and the chassis 15 form a vehicle body. The nozzle 2 extends from the side of the shell 17, and the air pipe 19 and the liquid pipe 18 extend from the top of the shell 17 respectively. The exhaust pipe 20 also extends from the top of the shell 17. The shell 17 isolates the external environment and provides protection for the internal devices. The driving pneumatic motor 11, the control device 22, the differential 10, and the cleaning agent storage box 12 are all arranged in the shell 17; the liquid pipe 18 inputs cleaning liquid from the outside to the cleaning agent storage box 12; the air pipe 19 transports gas from the outside to the two pneumatic motors; the exhaust pipe 20 exhausts gas from the two pneumatic motors; the air hose 23 is a gas transport hose with a certain elasticity.
[0022] The differential 10 includes a differential lock inside, which is connected to the driving air motor 11 and the driving wheel 8, so that when turning, the two driving wheels 8 have different rotation speeds and the driving wheel 8 will not slip against the tank wall. The differential 10 is also connected to the driving air motor 11 and the cleaning air motor 3. The moving speed of the cleaning robot can be controlled by controlling the size of the incoming air pressure in the outside world. The differential 10 is set in the differential case. Inside the differential case, the cleaning air motor 3 and the driving air motor 11 are connected by an air hose 23, and the air hose 23 is respectively connected to the air pipe 19 and the exhaust pipe 20.
[0023] The cleaning device includes a nylon anti-static brush 1, a cleaning pneumatic motor 3, a cleaning agent storage box 12, and a nozzle 13. The nylon anti-static brush 1 is arranged under a bracket 4, and washes off the treated tank wall sludge by rotation. The nylon anti-static brush can control the static electricity generated by the friction between the brush head and the pipe wall within a safe range; the bracket 4 is connected to the chassis 15 through a hinge connecting beam 7 and a spring 6, and the cleaning pneumatic motor 3 is arranged on the bracket 4. The hinge connecting beam 7 can rotate within a certain angle and cooperate with the spring 6 to provide an elastic connection between the baffle 5 and the chassis 15, so that the cleaning robot can adapt to the sludge environment of different thicknesses in the storage tank; the cleaning pneumatic motor 3 is connected to the nylon anti-static brush 1 and is used in conjunction with the brush to provide power for the rotation of the brush. The cleaning agent storage tank 12 is arranged on the chassis 15, and an infusion tube 18 is arranged on the top of the cleaning agent storage tank 12. A nozzle 13 is arranged on the side of the cleaning agent storage tank 12. The nozzle 13 extends from the top of the chassis 15, and its nozzle 2 is downward. The cleaning agent storage tank 12 stores cleaning liquid and is used in conjunction with the nozzle 13 and the infusion tube 18. The nozzle 13 sprays the cleaning liquid onto the next moving track of the cleaning robot, providing the prerequisite for the brush to brush away the sludge later; the bracket 4 is used to fix the nylon anti-static brush 1 and support the cleaning pneumatic motor. It can be folded by itself and can be quickly disassembled to provide convenient conditions for entering the storage tank.
[0024] In actual storage tanks, the distribution of oil stains on the tank wall gradually increases from top to bottom, while there is almost no oil stain near the top of the tank, so this spiral motion is adopted. Spraying the cleaning liquid is one cycle ahead of brushing, that is, during the movement, the cleaning agent can be sprayed on the next cycle track in advance, and the brush is used to brush when it moves to this track, repeating the cycle, spraying and brushing at the same time.
[0025] A baffle 5 is fixed at the front end of the bracket 4, and the baffle 5 stands at the front end of the bracket 4. The front of the baffle 5 is connected to the chassis 15 through a hinge beam 7 and a spring 6. The two ends of the baffle 5 are arc-shaped. The baffle 5 is made of lightweight aluminum alloy. The lower edge of the baffle 5 is in the shape of a shovel. A layer of anti-static coating is applied on the surface of the baffle 5. On the one hand, the baffle 5 prevents sludge from splashing during cleaning. On the other hand, the shovel at the bottom can further shovel away the sludge on the movement path of the cleaning robot, providing conditions for the subsequent adsorption of the permanent magnet.
[0026] An adsorption device is arranged under the chassis 15, and the adsorption device includes a rare earth permanent magnet 9, and the rare earth permanent magnet 9 is connected to the chassis 15 through a retractable device 14; the air pipe 19 is respectively connected to the driving pneumatic motor 11 and the cleaning pneumatic motor 3. The retractable device 14 adjusts the rare earth permanent magnet 9 within the effective working range, and provides sufficient magnetic force for the cleaning robot, so that the cleaning robot can move against the wall. At the end of the work, the retractable device retracts the rare earth permanent magnet 9 to make it out of the effective working range, so as to facilitate the recovery of the entire cleaning robot. The rare earth permanent magnet 9 is selected to play an adsorption role in the tank, and electric sparks will not be generated due to excessive current during use, making the cleaning process safer. During the startup and recovery process of the cleaning robot, the retractable device 14 will separate the magnet from the inner wall of the storage tank to make it more convenient to recover.
[0027] The invention adopts a pneumatic motor, which has the advantage that no dangerous sparks are generated during the movement, and the control operation is relatively convenient in the flammable and explosive crude oil storage tank. The rotation speed can be controlled by simply adjusting the air pressure outside, and then the movement speed of the device can be controlled. The safety of the cleaning robot at work is improved. The movement mode is spiral from top to bottom starting from the tank top and then recovered from the manhole at the bottom.
[0028] During operation, gas is input from an external pipeline through a long pipeline and enters the driving air motor 11 from the air pipe 19. The driving air motor 11 is connected to the differential 10 to provide power for the driving wheel 8. The function of the differential 10 is to prevent the driving wheel 8 from slipping when the cleaning robot turns, causing unstable operation. The cleaning liquid is input from the outside and transported into the cleaning agent storage tank 12 through the infusion pipe 18 and then sprayed out by the nozzle 13. The cleaning device descends in a spiral shape, and its cleaning agent nozzle will spray the cleaning agent (crude oil) on the next track that the cleaning robot will move to so that it mixes with the dirt and reacts for a period of time. The cleaning robot will move to the previous spraying position and use a brush to brush off the treated sludge, and the cycle repeats. The brush material is an anti-static brush, which effectively reduces the static electricity generated by the brush when it rubs against the pipe wall. Figure 3, the retractable device 14 is below the chassis 15 of the cleaning robot, and its function is to adjust the rare earth permanent magnet 9 within the effective working range when starting or recovering, and provide sufficient magnetic force for the cleaning robot so that the cleaning robot can move against the wall. At the end of the work, the retractable device 14 retracts the rare earth permanent magnet 9 to make it out of the effective working range, so as to facilitate the recovery of the entire cleaning robot. The present invention has a structural fixing function with a bracket 4, a baffle 5, a hinged connecting beam 7, a spring 6, a chassis 15, and a shell 17 (the shell is not fully drawn). Among them, the bracket 4 fixes two nylon antistatic brushes, and the baffle 5 is fixed to the bracket 4. The lower half of the baffle 5 is fixed to the chassis 15 through the hinged connecting beam 7, and the upper half is fixed to the chassis 15 through the spring 6, so that a slight rotation can be achieved. The driving device, the cleaning device and the adsorption device are connected to the chassis 15. Finally, the chassis 15 is wrapped by the shell 17. The electrical signals transmitted in the control device 22, the rare earth permanent magnet 14 and the retractable device 14 are bundled together with the hoses of the gas pipe 19 and the liquid pipe 18 through electric wires and lead to the outside.
[0029] In the preparation stage, the staff will splice the nylon antistatic brush 1 part and the main part in the tank, connect the infusion pipe 18 and the two gas pipes 19 through the flange, and place the cleaning robot on the side wall of the tank top. The outside personnel control the retracting device 14 through the electric signal to lower the rare earth permanent magnet 9 to adsorb the cleaning robot on the side wall of the tank top. The outside personnel can control the input air pressure and electric signal to fine-tune the direction and speed while closing the differential lock (closing the differential lock can make the two driving wheels rotate in the same direction, and opening the differential lock can make the two driving wheels move relative to each other). The cleaning robot moves along the tank wall spirally from top to bottom while the nozzle sprays the cleaning liquid on the track of the next movement cycle (in order to give the cleaning liquid enough reaction time, it does not spray directly to improve the cleaning efficiency). When the cleaning robot moves to the track of the next cycle, the rotating brush can be used to wash away the sludge that reacts with the cleaning liquid. By spraying and washing, the tank wall can be cleaned repeatedly. Fixed-point cleaning can also be performed. The differential lock needs to be opened, and the cleaning robot can change direction and move to the required position through the steering wheel. Since the cleaning robot has a strong magnet, the position of the cleaning robot can be roughly located through an external strong magnetic detector.
Claims
1. A tank wall cleaning robot, characterized in that: The tank wall cleaning robot comprises a cleaning device, a driving device, an adsorption device, a retracting device (14), and a positioning device. The driving device comprises a driving pneumatic motor (11), a control device (22), a steering wheel (16), and a chassis (15). The steering wheel (16) is arranged at the front end of the chassis (15). Two driving wheels (8) are arranged at the rear of the chassis (15). The driving pneumatic motor (11) is connected to the two driving wheels (8) via a differential (10). The control device (22) is connected to the steering wheel (16) via a hydraulic rod (21). The cleaning device comprises a nylon antistatic brush (1), a cleaning pneumatic motor (3), a cleaning agent storage box (12), and a nozzle (13). The nylon antistatic brush (1) is arranged under a bracket (4). The bracket (4) is connected to the chassis (15) via a hinged connecting beam (7) and a spring (6). The cleaning pneumatic motor (3) is arranged on the bracket (4). The cleaning pneumatic motor (3) is connected to the nylon antistatic brush (1). The cleaning agent storage box (12) is connected to the cleaning agent storage box (13). 2) is arranged on the chassis (15), a liquid infusion tube (18) is arranged on the top of the cleaning agent storage box (12), a nozzle (13) is arranged on the side of the cleaning agent storage box (12), the nozzle (13) extends from the top of the chassis (15), and its nozzle (2) is downward; an adsorption device is arranged under the chassis (15), the adsorption device includes a rare earth permanent magnet (9), and the rare earth permanent magnet (9) is connected to the chassis (15) through a retractable device (14); the driving pneumatic motor (11) and the cleaning pneumatic motor (3) are driven by The tank wall cleaning robot moves downward along the spiral track along the top of the tank wall, and the nozzle (13) sprays cleaning agent on the next spiral track route, so that the cleaning agent and dirt are mixed and reacted for a period of time. When the cleaning robot moves to the next spiral track route, the sludge is brushed off the position where the cleaning agent has been sprayed with a nylon antistatic brush (1). At this time, the nozzle (13) sprays cleaning agent on the next spiral track route again, and the cycle is repeated until the sludge at the bottom of the tank wall is removed. A housing (17) is placed on the chassis (15), and an antistatic coating layer is applied to the outer surface of the housing (17). The housing (17) and the chassis (15) form a vehicle body. The nozzle (2) extends from the side of the housing (17), the air delivery pipe (19) and the liquid delivery pipe (18) extend from the top of the housing (17), and the exhaust pipe (20) also extends from the top of the housing (17). A baffle (5) is fixed at the front end of the bracket (4). The baffle (5) stands at the front end of the bracket (4). The front of the baffle (5) is connected to the chassis (15) through a hinged connecting beam (7) and a spring (6). Both ends of the baffle (5) are arc-shaped. The lower edge of the baffle (5) is in the shape of a shovel. A layer of antistatic coating is applied on the surface of the baffle (5). The baffle (5) can prevent sludge from splashing during cleaning on the one hand, and shovel away sludge on the tank wall on the other hand.
