Portable pressure pipeline weld digital X-ray detection remote control positioning device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable remote control positioning device for digital X-ray inspection of pressure pipeline welds, comprising: a synchronous belt, a positioning trolley consisting of a trolley frame, a driving bracket, a driving reduction motor, a coupling, a driving shaft, a driving bearing, a driving wheel, a driven bracket, a driven shaft, a driven wheel bearing, a driven wheel, a tensioning bracket, a tensioning shaft, a tensioning wheel bearing, and a tensioning wheel, a flexible arm, a trolley control unit, and a control terminal. The device uses a synchronous belt as a restraining device and also serves as a rotating track for the positioning trolley, thereby reducing the weight and size of the device and making it easier to carry on site. The flexible arm and the positioning trolley are used to connect the digital X-ray emission source and the imaging plate together, so that after the inspection personnel fix the positioning trolley, they do not need to install and position the two sets of devices separately, thereby improving the efficiency of the first positioning. The positioning trolley is remotely controlled by a wireless image transmission module and a wireless remote control switch, so that the inspection personnel do not need to run back and forth to inspect other circumferential positions of the same weld, thereby greatly improving the efficiency of re-positioning.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a positioning device for digital X-ray detection of pressure pipeline welds, and in particular to a portable remote control positioning device for digital X-ray detection of pressure pipeline welds used in engineering sites. Background Art

[0002] Pressure pipelines are a type of specialized equipment closely tied to people's daily lives and production. As crucial infrastructure, they are numerous, diverse, and rapidly developing in my country. Consequently, pressure pipeline safety has become a crucial component of public safety. Accidents involving pressure pipelines often result in significant economic losses, significant social impacts, severe environmental pollution, and high fire and explosion risks. Therefore, pressure pipeline safety testing has long been a critical task, strictly regulated worldwide.

[0003] Digital X-ray detection technology is a new non-destructive testing method developed and applied after conventional radiographic detection technology. In recent years, it has been widely used in the weld inspection process in pressure pipelines and other fields.

[0004] However, a current challenge is that, during the inspection of circumferential welds on various pressure pipelines, digital X-ray inspection is unlike traditional film imaging. With film imaging, after the X-ray source equipment is properly positioned, the film can be easily attached and fixed. However, with digital X-ray inspection, both the source and the imaging device are relatively heavy, requiring precise manual installation and positioning before inspection can be carried out. Furthermore, after the source and imaging device are installed and positioned, to avoid harmful radiation exposure, inspectors must travel to a location far away from the X-ray source (generally at least 50 meters) before activating the source and taking images. Only after the image is taken can they return to the site and reposition the source and imaging device to the next circumferential position on the same weld. This means that inspecting a single weld requires three to six round trips, making the inspection process labor-intensive and difficult to improve efficiency.

[0005] Currently, there are numerous studies on digital X-ray inspection and positioning devices, most of which rely on cable ties or mechanical brackets for fixed positioning. These devices fail to meet the requirements of both remote control and portable field use. In February 2013, Zhang Yanling (Daqing Oilfield Engineering Construction Co., Ltd.) and Pang Zhongrui (China National Petroleum and Natural Gas Pressure Pipeline Bureau) published their paper, "Development and Application of a Digital Imaging Inspection and Positioning Device for Welded Pipe Specimens." Their device, developed in the paper "Development and Application of a Digital Imaging Inspection and Positioning Device for Welded Pipe Specimens," can achieve three degrees of freedom: rotation, forward and backward movement, and elevation. Rotation is driven by a stepper motor with controllable speed. However, this positioning device can only be used to inspect welded pipe specimens and is not suitable for on-site inspection of pressure pipeline welds. Furthermore, it is not portable. In June 2016, Zhou Wucheng and Sun Zhenyu (Zhuzhou CRRC Special Equipment Technology Co., Ltd.) published "Positioning Device for X-ray Inspection of Transverse Tube Components," describing the structure and principles of a positioning device for X-ray inspection of transverse tube components in train bogies. This device provided a simple and economical method for X-ray inspection of transverse tube components. However, this device was a fixed device within the train manufacturer and could not meet the requirements for on-site inspection and portability of pressure pipeline welds. In June 2017, Zhang Lubin (Anhui University of Science and Technology) published "Design of a Positioning Device for X-ray Inspection of Film Strips in the CFETR Vacuum Chamber." This proposed an automated positioning device for X-ray inspection of austenitic stainless steel splice welds in the vacuum chamber of the China Nuclear Fusion Engineering Test Reactor. However, this positioning device was limited to film stripping within the vacuum chamber and could not meet the requirements for on-site inspection and positioning of pressure pipeline welds. In April 2017, Cui Yunlong, Li Chengchao, and Liu Liangliang proposed a positioning device design for overhead pressure pipelines with girth welds in the article "Design of Radiographic Detection Device for Pressure Pipelines". This positioning device mainly solved the problem of difficult installation of radiographic detection equipment for overhead pressure pipelines, but did not consider the portability of the positioning device. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a portable remote control and positioning device for digital X-ray detection of pressure pipeline welds. Its purpose is to provide a portable positioning device for on-site digital X-ray detection of pressure pipeline welds. The positioning device is equipped with a positioning device that facilitates the detection personnel to fix the radiation source and imaging plate of the digital X-ray machine on the pressure pipeline to be detected. It also has a remote control device for synchronously rotating the radiation source and imaging plate, so as to achieve efficient detection of circumferential weld joints of pressure pipelines.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the portable pressure pipeline weld digital X-ray detection remote control positioning device provided by the present invention is implemented as follows:

[0008] The portable remote control and positioning device for digital X-ray inspection of pressure pipeline welds includes: a synchronous belt, a positioning trolley consisting of a trolley frame, a driving bracket, a driving reduction motor, a coupling, a driving shaft, a driving bearing, a driving wheel, a driven bracket, a driven shaft, a driven wheel bearing, a driven wheel, a tensioning bracket, a tensioning shaft, a tensioning wheel bearing, and a tensioning wheel; a flexible arm, a trolley control unit consisting of a 12V lithium battery for the trolley, a main power switch for the trolley, a remote control switch receiving module, a driving reduction motor, a camera, and an image transmission transmitting module; and a control terminal consisting of a 12V lithium battery for the terminal, a main power switch for the terminal, an image transmission receiving module, a liquid crystal display module, a remote control switch transmitting module, a forward button, and a reverse button.

[0009] Two synchronous belts are used to tie the positioning trolley to the pressure pipe being inspected along the circumference of the weld. When tying, the belt's toothed surface faces outward, while the smooth surface faces inward, pressing against the pipe surface. After the belt's toothed surface engages the teeth of the drive wheel, the smooth surface is raised against the tread of the tensioning pulley and wound downward. The belt's toothed surface then engages the teeth of the driven wheel and winds outward. After wrapping around the pipe once, it's tightened and secured. In addition to restraining the positioning trolley, the synchronous belt also serves as the trolley's rotating track, acting as a rotational guide.

[0010] The positioning trolley includes a trolley frame, a drive bracket, a drive reduction motor, a coupling, a drive shaft, a drive bearing, a drive wheel, a driven bracket, a driven shaft, a driven wheel bearing, a driven wheel, a tensioning bracket, a tensioning shaft, a tensioning wheel bearing, and a tensioning wheel. The drive bracket is secured to two corresponding sets of mounting screw holes on the left side of the trolley frame via two positioning bolts. By selecting the two sets of mounting screw holes in different positions, the distance between the drive bracket and the driven bracket can be adjusted, thereby changing the wheelbase of the drive and driven wheels. This allows the trolley to operate with different pipe diameters. When the pressure pipe diameter being inspected is small, the wheelbase of the drive and driven wheels is reduced; otherwise, the wheelbase is increased. The drive reduction motor is a dual-shaft, high-reduction-ratio DC motor bolted to the center of the drive bracket. The output shafts on either side are connected to the drive shafts via drive couplings. The drive shafts are interference-fitted into the drive bearings on either side of the drive bracket, and then into the drive wheels on either side. The drive wheels are synchronous pulleys, and their specifications should match the timing belt. The driven bracket is fixed to the right side of the trolley frame with two locating bolts, each secured to a corresponding set of mounting screws. By selecting the different sets of mounting screws, the distance between the driven and driving brackets can be adjusted, thereby varying the wheelbase between the driven and driving wheels to accommodate different pipe diameters. For smaller pressure pipes, the wheelbase is reduced; for smaller pipes, the wheelbase is increased. The driven shafts are interference-fitted through the driven bracket and then into the driven wheel bearings on either side. The driven wheels have toothed treads and flanges on both sides, and their specifications should match the timing belt. The tensioning bracket is integrated with the trolley frame. The tensioning shaft penetrates the bracket with an interference fit and then is inserted into the tensioning pulley bearings on both sides with an interference fit. The tensioning pulleys have a smooth tread and flanges on both sides, and their specifications should also match the timing belt. The right side of the trolley frame has four source fixing screw holes for fixing the digital X-ray source probe equipment.

[0011] The flexible arm is used to secure the imaging plate of the digital X-ray inspection equipment. A commonly available commercially available flexible tablet computer bracket can be used. The arm must be both manually adjustable and stable once positioned. The flexible arm is bolted to the arm-fixing screw holes on the left side of the positioning trolley frame. The imaging plate is also bolted to the imaging plate-fixing screw holes at the end of the flexible arm, allowing it to rotate synchronously with the positioning trolley.

[0012] The trolley control unit primarily includes: a 12V lithium battery, a main power switch, a remote control receiver module, a drive reduction motor, a camera, and an image transmission module. The 12V lithium battery, main power switch, remote control receiver module, and image transmission module are all installed in an electrical box, which is bolted to the trolley frame. The camera is bolted to the top of the electrical box, with its lens facing toward the right drive wheel of the positioning trolley. When the main power switch is turned on, the forward relay contacts of the remote control receiver module activate, driving the reduction motor in the forward direction, moving the positioning trolley forward. When the reverse relay contacts of the remote control receiver module activate, driving the reduction motor in the reverse direction, moving the positioning trolley backward. After the main power switch of the trolley is turned on, the camera and image transmission module are also powered at the same time. The image transmission module wirelessly transmits the image near the lower right driving wheel of the inspection site positioning trolley collected by the camera to the control terminal. The inspection personnel can make inspection positioning marks at the corresponding circumferential positions of the pressure pipeline where the positioning trolley is located in advance. When the inspection personnel return to the safe area, they can rely on the positioning mark image received on the control terminal to control the positioning trolley in real time to realize remote control inspection.

[0013] The control terminal includes: a control box, a 12V lithium battery, a main power switch, a video transmitter module, an LCD display module, a remote control transmitter module, and forward and reverse buttons. These components are housed within the control box. The LCD screen is located in the center of the front panel of the terminal control box. The main power switch is located in the upper right corner of the front panel, and the forward and reverse buttons are located on the right side of the panel.

[0014] Since the present invention adopts a synchronous belt, a positioning trolley, a flexible arm, a wireless image transmission module and a wireless remote control switch to realize the positioning and remote control of the digital X-ray emission source and the imaging plate, the following beneficial effects can be obtained: the synchronous belt is used as a restraining device and also serves as a rotating track of the positioning trolley, so that the weight of the entire device is reduced and the size is reduced, making it convenient to carry to the construction site for use; the flexible arm and the positioning trolley are used to connect the digital X-ray emission source and the imaging plate together, so that after the inspection personnel fix the positioning trolley, the positioning of the digital X-ray emission source and the imaging plate becomes simple and can rotate synchronously, without the need to install and position the two sets of devices separately, and the efficiency of the first positioning is improved; the wireless image transmission module and the wireless remote control switch are used to realize remote control of the positioning trolley, so that the inspection personnel do not need to run back and forth to inspect other circumferential positions of the same weld, and the efficiency of re-positioning is greatly improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The present invention is described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] AttachmentFigure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0017] Attachment Figure 2 This is an electrical schematic diagram of the vehicle control unit of the present invention;

[0018] Attachment Figure 3 It is an electrical schematic diagram of the control terminal of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The preferred embodiment of the present invention is:

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, the portable remote control positioning device for digital X-ray inspection of pressure pipeline welds includes: a synchronous belt 8, a positioning trolley consisting of a trolley frame 1, a driving bracket 14, a driving reduction motor 16, a coupling 27, a driving shaft 19, a driving bearing 26, a driving wheel 13, a driven bracket 5, a driven shaft 6, a driven wheel bearing 9, a driven wheel 10, a tensioning bracket 20, a tensioning shaft 21, a tensioning wheel bearing 12, and a tensioning wheel 11; a flexible arm 17, a trolley control unit consisting of an electrical box 25, a 12V lithium battery 28, a main power switch 35, a remote control switch receiving module 31, a driving reduction motor 16, a camera 30, and an image transmission transmitting module 29; and a control terminal consisting of a terminal 12V lithium battery 37, a terminal main power switch 36, an image transmission receiving module 38, a liquid crystal display module 39, a remote control switch transmitting module 40, a forward button 41, and a reverse button 42.

[0021] Two synchronous belts 8 are used to tie the positioning trolley to the pressure pipe being inspected along the circumference of the weld. During this tie, the toothed surface of the synchronous belt 8 faces outward, while the smooth surface faces inward, pressing against the pipe surface. After the toothed surface of the synchronous belt 8 is inserted into the tooth grooves of the drive wheel 13, the smooth surface is raised against the grooves of the tension pulley 11 and wound downward. The toothed surface is then inserted into the tooth grooves of the driven pulley 10 and wound out. After wrapping around the pipe once, it is tightened and secured. In addition to restraining the positioning trolley, the synchronous belt 8 also serves as the trolley's rotating track, acting in conjunction with the wheel grooves to provide a rotational guide.

[0022] The positioning trolley includes: a trolley frame 1, a driving bracket 14, a driving reduction motor 16, a coupling 27, a driving shaft 19, a driving bearing 26, a driving wheel 13, a driven bracket 5, a driven shaft 6, a driven wheel bearing 9, a driven wheel 10, a tensioning bracket 20, a tensioning shaft 21, a tensioning wheel bearing 12, and a tensioning wheel 11. The driving bracket 14 is fixed to two corresponding sets of driven bracket fixing screw holes 23 at the lower end of the trolley frame 1 by two positioning bolts. By selecting the screw holes in different positions of the driving bracket fixing screw holes 23 or the driving bracket fixing screw holes 24, the distance between the driving bracket 14 and the driven bracket 5 can be adjusted, thereby changing the wheelbase of the driving wheel 13 and the driven wheel 10, so that the trolley can operate with different pipe diameters. When the diameter of the pressure pipe being inspected is small, the wheelbase of the driving wheel 13 and the driven wheel 10 is reduced, and vice versa. The drive reduction motor 16 is a dual-shaft, high-reduction-ratio DC motor bolted to the center of the drive bracket 14. Its output shafts are connected to the drive shafts 19 on either side via drive couplings 27. The drive shafts 19 are interference-fitted into the drive bearings 26 on either side of the drive bracket 14. These are then interference-fitted into the drive wheels 13 on either side. The drive wheels 13 are synchronous pulleys, with specifications matching those of the timing belt 8. The driven bracket 5 is secured to the right side of the trolley frame via two locating bolts, one to each of the two corresponding sets of driven bracket fixing screw holes 3. By selecting the two sets of driven bracket fixing screw holes (driven bracket fixing screw holes 3 or driven bracket fixing screw holes 4), the distance between the driven bracket 5 and the drive bracket 14 can be adjusted, thereby varying the wheelbase between the driven wheel 10 and the drive wheel 13, allowing the trolley to operate with varying pipe diameters. For smaller pressure pipes, the wheelbase between the driven wheel 10 and the drive wheel 13 is reduced; for smaller pipes, the wheelbase is increased. The driven shaft 6 is inserted through the driven bracket 5 with an interference fit and then inserted into the driven wheel bearings 9 on either side with an interference fit. The driven wheel 10 has a toothed tread and flanges on both sides, and its specifications should match those of the timing belt 8. The tensioning bracket 20 is integral with the trolley frame 1. The tensioning shaft 21 is inserted through the tensioning bracket 20 with an interference fit and then inserted into the tensioning wheel bearings 12 on either side with an interference fit. The tensioning wheel 11 has a smooth tread and flanges on both sides, and its specifications should also match those of the timing belt 8. The right side of the trolley frame 1 has four source fixing screw holes 2 for securing the digital X-ray source probe equipment.

[0023] Flexible arm 17 is used to secure the imaging plate of the digital X-ray inspection equipment. A commonly available commercially available flexible tablet computer bracket can be used. Flexible arm 17 must be both manually adjustable and stable once positioned. Flexible arm 17 is bolted to flexible arm mounting screw holes 18 on the left side of the positioning trolley frame 1. The imaging plate is also bolted to imaging plate mounting screw holes 15 at the end of flexible arm 17, allowing the imaging plate to rotate synchronously with the positioning trolley.

[0024] like Figure 2 As shown, the trolley control unit mainly includes: a 12V lithium battery 28, a main power switch 35, a remote control switch receiving module 31, a drive reduction motor 16, a camera 30, and an image transmission transmitter module 29. The trolley's 12V lithium battery 28, the trolley's main power switch 35, the remote control switch receiving module 31, and the image transmission transmitter module 29 are all installed in the electrical box 25, which is fixed to the trolley frame 1 by bolts. The camera 30 is fixed to the upper part of the electrical box 25 by bolts, with the lens facing near the drive wheel 13 on the right side of the positioning trolley. After the trolley's main power switch 35 is turned on, when the forward relay contact 33 of the remote control switch receiving module 31 is activated, the reduction motor 16 is driven in the forward direction, positioning the trolley forward; when the reverse relay contact 34 of the remote control switch receiving module 31 is activated, the reduction motor 16 is driven in the reverse direction, positioning the trolley backward. After the main power switch 35 is turned on, the camera 30 and the image transmission module 29 are also powered at the same time. The image transmission module 29 wirelessly transmits the image near the lower right driving wheel 13 of the detection site positioning trolley collected by the camera 30 to the control terminal. The inspection personnel can make inspection positioning marks at the corresponding circumferential positions of the pressure pipeline where the positioning trolley is located in advance. When the inspection personnel return to the safe area, they can rely on the positioning mark image received on the control terminal to control the positioning trolley in real time to realize remote control inspection.

[0025] like Figure 3As shown, the control terminal includes: a 12V lithium battery 37, a main power switch 36, an image transmission receiving module 38, an LCD display module 39, a remote control transmitter module 40, a forward button 41, and a reverse button 42. When the main power switch 36 is turned on, the terminal, the image transmission receiving module 38, the LCD display module 39, and the remote control transmitter module 40 are all powered. If the main power switch 35 of the vehicle control unit is turned on, the LCD display module 39 will instantly display the image of the positioning vehicle. By pressing the forward button 41 or reverse button 42, the movement of the positioning vehicle can be observed in real time through the LCD display module 39. The 12V lithium battery 37, the image transmission receiving module 38, and the remote control transmitter module 40 are all installed in the terminal control box. The LCD display module 39's LCD screen is located in the center of the terminal control box's front panel. The main power switch 36 is located in the upper right corner of the terminal control box's front panel, and the forward button 41 and reverse button 42 are located on the right side of the terminal control box's front panel.

[0026] In addition, in order to reduce the weight of the entire device and facilitate portability, on the basis of ensuring a certain strength and rigidity, the aforementioned trolley frame 1, driving bracket 14, driving wheel 13, driven bracket 5, driven wheel 10, tensioning bracket 20, tensioning wheel 11, and flexible arm 17 should all be made of lightweight materials such as aluminum alloy.

[0027] The working principle and working process of the present invention are as follows: First, an inspector holds the positioning trolley and holds it at the corresponding girth weld of the pressure pipe to be inspected, so that the girth weld of the pressure pipe is located at the midpoint of the line connecting the left and right driving wheels 13 and the left and right driven wheels 10 of the positioning trolley. Another inspector winds the two synchronous belts 8 into the wheel grooves on the left and right sides of the positioning trolley respectively, and tightens the synchronous belts 8 to fix them; after ensuring that the positioning trolley is securely fixed, the imaging plate is installed on the imaging plate fixing screw hole 15 of the flexible arm 17, and the X-ray emission source probe is installed on the emission source fixing screw hole 3 (or emission source Fix the screw hole 4), make the emission source probe on the front side of the positioning trolley driven bracket 5, and the imaging board on the other side of the pipeline relative position, and adjust the position according to the requirements of relevant inspection standards and specifications; turn on the trolley main power switch 35 of the trolley control unit and the terminal main power switch 36 of the control terminal respectively, operate the forward button 41 and the reverse button 42 of the control terminal to verify the operation of the positioning trolley. At the same time, make the inspection position mark at the corresponding position of the inspected pipeline to ensure that the display image field and angle of the control terminal are appropriate; after completing the verification, the inspection personnel go to the inspection safety area and rely on the control terminal to complete the inspection of each position of the weld.

Claims

1. Portable pressure pipeline weld digital X-ray detection remote control positioning device, characterized by: include: Synchronous belt (8), a positioning trolley consisting of a trolley frame (1), a driving bracket (14), a driving reduction motor (16), a coupling (27), a driving shaft (19), a driving bearing (26), a driving wheel (13), a driven bracket (5), a driven shaft (6), a driven wheel bearing (9), a driven wheel (10), a tensioning bracket (20), a tensioning shaft (21), a tensioning wheel bearing (12), and a tensioning wheel (11), a flexible arm (17), a trolley control unit consisting of a trolley 12V lithium battery (28), a trolley main power switch (35), a remote control switch receiving module (31), a driving reduction motor (16), a camera (30), and an image transmission transmitting module (29), and a control terminal consisting of a terminal 12V lithium battery (37), a terminal main power switch (36), an image transmission receiving module (38), a liquid crystal display module (39), a remote control switch transmitting module (40), a forward button (41), and a reverse button (42); A synchronous belt (8) is used as a restraining device for the positioning trolley and also serves as a rotating track for the positioning trolley, thereby reducing the weight and size of the device; The digital X-ray emission source and the imaging plate are connected together by using a flexible arm (17) and a positioning trolley, so that the digital X-ray emission source and the imaging plate can rotate synchronously with the positioning trolley.

2. The portable pressure pipeline weld digital X-ray detection remote control positioning device according to claim 1 adopts components such as a camera (30), an image transmission transmitting module (29), an image transmission receiving module (38), a remote control switch transmitting module (40), and a remote control switch receiving module (31), and relies on the positioning mark image received on the control terminal to control the positioning vehicle in real time to achieve remote control detection.

3. According to the portable pressure pipeline weld digital X-ray detection remote control positioning device of claim 1, the driving bracket (14) is fixed to two sets of corresponding driving bracket fixing screw holes at the lower end of the trolley frame (1) by two positioning bolts, and by selecting the first driving bracket fixing screw hole (23) or the second driving bracket fixing screw hole (24) at two sets of screw holes in different positions, the distance between the driving bracket (14) and the driven bracket (5) can be adjusted, thereby changing the wheelbase of the driving wheel (13) and the driven wheel (10), so that the trolley can adapt to different pipe diameters.

4. According to the portable pressure pipeline weld digital X-ray detection remote control positioning device as described in claim 1, the driven bracket (5) is fixed to two groups of corresponding driven bracket fixing screw holes on the upper end of the trolley frame (1) by two positioning bolts, and by selecting the first driven bracket fixing screw hole (3) or the second driven bracket fixing screw hole (4) with two groups of screw holes in different positions, the distance between the driven bracket (5) and the driving bracket (14) can be adjusted, thereby changing the wheelbase of the driven wheel (10) and the driving wheel (13), so that the trolley can adapt to different pipe diameters.

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