Pumped-storage power station inspection device based on drone

Abstract

The present invention discloses a pumped-storage power station inspection device based on a drone, comprising a drone and a charging pile for charging the drone, wherein a camera is installed on the drone, support frames are evenly arranged at the four corners of the lower surface of the drone, a mounting column is arranged in the middle of the lower surface of the drone body, a connection port for data transmission and charging is opened on the lower surface of the mounting column, two positioning columns are fixedly arranged on the lower surface of the drone, and two visual sensors for auxiliary positioning are also arranged on the lower surface of the drone, and a plurality of charging piles are arranged at fixed points on the edge of the inspection area to charge the drone, so that the inspection drone can be automatically charged at a fixed point and temporarily store data without having to fly back to the hands of staff for charging, thereby realizing full-process automated inspection, improving the degree of automation and intelligence, shortening the inspection time and the flight distance of the drone, and improving the inspection efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of transformer substation inspection, and in particular to a pumped storage power station inspection device based on an unmanned aerial vehicle. Background Art

[0002] With the development of drone technology, inspection drones are increasingly being used in different use scenarios. In the inspection of power stations, especially large pumped storage power stations, due to the large inspection area (usually about 100 acres for conventional stations) and the high inspection height (with dams), the inspection time is long, and the ordinary inspection drones have a short endurance. Usually, they cannot complete an inspection. They need to fly back to the staff for manual operation and charging during the flight. They need to be charged multiple times during the inspection work, which prolongs the inspection time and flight distance, and the degree of automation and intelligence is low. Summary of the invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the existing defects and provide a pumped-storage power station inspection device based on drones. The inspection drones can automatically charge at a fixed point and temporarily store data without having to fly back to the staff for charging. Fully automated inspections can be achieved, the degree of automation and intelligence can be improved, the inspection time and the flight distance of the drones can be shortened, the inspection efficiency can be improved, and the problems in the background technology can be effectively solved.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solutions: a pumped-storage power station inspection device based on a drone, comprising a drone and a charging pile for charging the drone, the drone being equipped with a camera, support frames being evenly arranged at the four corners of the lower surface of the drone, a mounting column being arranged in the middle of the lower surface of the drone body, a connection port for data transmission and charging being provided on the lower surface of the mounting column, two positioning columns being fixedly arranged on the lower surface of the drone, and two visual sensors for auxiliary positioning being also arranged on the lower surface of the drone.

[0005] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the upper surface of the charging pile is provided with an installation groove corresponding to the installation column, a charging column is arranged in the installation groove, a connecting head corresponding to the connecting port is arranged on the upper surface of the charging column, and two positioning holes corresponding to the positioning column are arranged on the upper surface of the charging pile, and an identification card for auxiliary positioning is arranged on the upper surface of the charging pile.

[0006] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, a cavity is provided inside the charging pile, which is respectively connected to the mounting groove and the positioning hole. Two rotating plates are symmetrically arranged in the cavity with the axis of the mounting groove as the symmetry axis. A fixed axis corresponding to the rotating plate is arranged in the cavity. Reset springs are arranged on the lower surfaces of both ends of the rotating plate. The charging column is slidably arranged in the mounting groove, and the bottom end of the charging column is hinged to the ends of the two rotating plates; a sliding column is slidably arranged on the inner bottom of the two mounting grooves, and the bottom end of the sliding column is hinged to the end of the rotating plate.

[0007] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the middle part of the drone body is a control box, the top of the control box is fixedly connected to a signal receiver, the bottom of the inner surface of the control box is fixedly installed with a controller, the right side of the inner surface is fixedly connected to a thermal imaging module and a ranging module, the left side of the inner surface is fixedly installed with an information collector and a memory, and a battery is arranged inside the control box.

[0008] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the controller is respectively connected to the thermal imaging module, the distance measuring module, the information collector, and the memory signal.

[0009] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, a baffle is fixedly connected to the top of the battery, a positioning plate is fixedly connected to the surface of the control box, the surface of the positioning plate is rotatably connected to a rotating rod through a bearing, the surface of the rotating rod is fixedly connected to a push plate, a torsion spring is fixedly connected between the push plate and the positioning plate, and the push plate is in contact with the baffle.

[0010] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the baffle contacts the top of the control box, a positioning block is fixedly connected to the bottom of the inner surface of the control box, a slide groove is provided on the surface of the positioning block, and the battery is engaged with the slide groove; a plurality of heat dissipation holes are provided on the rear surface of the control box; a through hole is provided on the surface of the control box, and the battery is slidably connected to the through hole.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: a number of charging piles are set at fixed points on the edge of the inspection area to charge the drones, so that the inspection drones can automatically charge at fixed points and temporarily store data without having to fly back to the staff for charging. This can achieve fully automated inspections, improve the degree of automation and intelligence, shorten the inspection time and the flight distance of the drones, and improve inspection efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the UAV of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 3 For the present invention Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure after being turned upside down;

[0015] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the charging pile of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the charging pile of the present invention in standby state;

[0017] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the charging pile of the present invention when in working state;

[0018] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the control box of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the side structure of the control box of the control box of the present invention;

[0020] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the control box of the control box of the present invention;

[0021] Fig.10 For the present invention Figure 8 The enlarged structural diagram at A in the middle;

[0022] In the figure: 1-charging pile, 11-positioning hole, 12-identification card, 13-mounting slot, 14-charging column, 15-connector, 16-rotating plate, 17-reset spring, 18-sliding column, 2-drone, 21-camera, 22-support frame, 23-positioning column, 24-mounting column, 25-connector, 26-visual sensor, 3-control box, 303-signal receiver, 304-controller, 305-thermal imaging module, 306-ranging module, 307-information collector, 308-memory, 311-battery, 312-baffle, 313-positioning plate, 314-rotating rod, 315-retaining plate, 316-torsion spring, 317-positioning block, 318-heat dissipation hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] See also Figure 1-6The present invention provides a technical solution: a pumped storage power station inspection device based on a drone, including a drone 2 and a charging pile 1 for charging the drone 2. The charging pile 1 is evenly set at a fixed point at the edge of the inspection area and away from places with more lines to avoid danger when the drone is shut down for charging.

[0025] The drone is equipped with commonly used controllers such as XMOS XCORE multi-core microcontrollers or Samsung Artik chips or Qualcomm Snapdragon Flight series, which are also equipped with 5G communication modules and Beidou positioning modules. It communicates with the remote control terminal through the 5G communication module and transmits the images taken by the camera. The drone is positioned through the Beidou positioning module so that it can be remotely controlled to fly and stop at the nearest charging station for charging and temporary data storage.

[0026] The drone 2 is equipped with a camera 21, which is preferably an Intel RealSense D455 depth camera. Support frames 22 are evenly arranged at the four corners of the lower surface of the drone 2 to support and protect the drone when it lands.

[0027] Optionally, the camera 21 can be rotated up and down to adjust the shooting angle, and the adjustment is controlled by gears and micro motors.

[0028] As a further option, if night patrols are required, a professional infrared camera can be equipped to facilitate nighttime drone inspections.

[0029] A mounting post 24 is provided in the middle of the lower surface of the main body of the drone 2, and a connection port 25 for data transmission and charging is provided on the lower surface of the mounting post 24. A mounting groove 13 corresponding to the mounting post 24 is provided on the upper surface of the charging pile 1. When the drone 2 is charging, the mounting post 24 enters the mounting groove 13, and a charging post 14 is provided in the mounting groove 13. A connector 15 corresponding to the connection port 25 is provided on the upper surface of the charging post 14. After the mounting post 24 enters the mounting groove 13, the connector 15 is inserted into the connector 25. A storage device and a charger connected to an external power source are provided in the charging pile 1. The data interfaces of the charger and the storage device are connected to the connector 15. A corresponding lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 5000 to 12000 mAh is also provided on the body for powering the drone. The charging end is connected to the connector on the mounting column, and the connector 25 is also provided with a contact connected to the data transmission end of the controller. After the connector 15 is inserted into the connector 25, the drone can be charged. At the same time, data is automatically transferred remotely or through a set program, so that the images captured and stored by the drone camera are transferred to the storage device (such as a mobile hard disk, etc.) provided in the charging pile 1 for temporary storage. At the same time, the storage space of the drone is cleared to avoid insufficient storage space to save inspection images and data. The stored images and data are used for later retrieval and inspection work.

[0030] The connector 25 and the connector 15 are preferably of Type-C type. There is no need to distinguish between the forward and reverse directions when connecting, which makes it easier to locate the drone and the charging pile. Moreover, Type-C interfaces and data cables are becoming more and more common, which makes it very convenient for both repairing and charging the drone.

[0031] Furthermore, more sensors can be integrated on the drone according to detection needs, such as infrared temperature detectors, smoke detectors, etc., to meet different detection needs.

[0032] Two positioning posts 23 are fixedly provided on the lower surface of the drone 2, and two positioning holes 11 corresponding to the positioning posts 23 are provided on the upper surface of the charging pile 1. The positioning posts 23 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the connecting port 25, and the positioning holes 11 are also symmetrically arranged on both sides of the connecting head 15. In this way, when positioning the drone, the Type-C connector interface can be used without distinguishing between the front and the back, thereby improving the positioning efficiency.

[0033] Furthermore, the charging port can adopt the popular 30W or 60W fast charging technology to increase the charging rate and thus improve the inspection efficiency.

[0034] Preferably, a protective rubber sheet is provided on the upper inner surface of the mounting groove 13, which is surrounded by a number of fan-shaped rubber pads to form a circle, and can push the mounting post 23 down when it enters the mounting groove 13. When not charging, that is, when the mounting post 23 is separated from the mounting groove 13, the protective rubber sheet returns to its original shape under its own elasticity, thereby protecting and dustproofing the connector 15.

[0035] To ensure the safety of the charging pile, it can be installed in a small pavilion or simple shed that can shelter from wind and rain.

[0036] Preferably, the positioning column 23 includes a truncated cone and a hemispherical body. The truncated cone is fixedly connected to the main body of the drone 2, and the hemispherical body is arranged at the bottom end of the truncated cone. The shape of the positioning hole 11 matches the positioning column 23. The bottom end of the positioning column 23 is hemispherical and the lower diameter is small, so that it can quickly and conveniently enter the positioning hole 11, reducing the possibility of collision, thereby protecting the drone and the charging pile; and the hemispherical bottom reduces the friction between it and the positioning hole 11, making it easier to enter the positioning hole.

[0037] Furthermore, a limit block is fixedly arranged on the outer side of the top end of the positioning column 23. The limit block is made of a material with a certain elasticity such as rubber. After the positioning column 23 completely enters the positioning hole 11, the limit block can limit the main body of the drone and at the same time have a buffering and shock-absorbing effect between the drone and the charging pile.

[0038] Preferably, the distance from the bottom of the support frame 22 to the main body of the drone 2 is greater than the distance from the bottom of the positioning column 23 to the main body of the drone 2, and is greater than 5 centimeters. When the drone 2 lands on the platform through the support frame 22, the positioning column 23 will not contact the platform and cause the drone to be unable to stop.

[0039] Preferably, the lower surface of the drone 2 is also provided with two visual sensors 26 for auxiliary positioning, and the upper surface of the charging pile 1 is provided with an identification card 12 for auxiliary positioning. The identification card 12 is set to a color that is easily recognized by the visual sensor 26, such as bright colors such as red, or a color that is conspicuous compared to the surrounding environment (mainly the charging pile body), so as to improve the recognition rate of the visual sensor 26, so that the drone can correctly hover above the charging pile and then locate at the charging position.

[0040] The present invention also provides a further embodiment, which is substantially the same as the above embodiment, except that:

[0041] The charging pile 1 is provided with a cavity inside which is connected with the mounting groove 13 and the positioning hole 11 respectively. Two rotating plates 16 are symmetrically arranged in the cavity with the axis of the mounting groove 13 as the symmetry axis. A fixed axis corresponding to the rotating plate 16 is arranged in the cavity. A corresponding through hole is provided in the middle of the rotating plate 16, and the rotating plate 16 is rotatably arranged on the fixed axis through the through hole; reset springs 17 are provided on the lower surfaces of both ends of the rotating plate 16, and the charging column 14 is slidably arranged in the mounting groove 13, and the bottom end of the charging column 14 is hinged to the upper side of the end of the two rotating plates 16; a sliding column 18 is slidably arranged at the inner bottom of the two mounting grooves 13, and the bottom end of the sliding column 18 is hinged to the upper side of the end of the rotating plate 16.

[0042] When the UAV lands on the charging pile, the positioning column 23 enters the positioning hole 11, the positioning column 23 descends and presses the two sliding columns 18 to move downward, the sliding column 18 presses down one end of the rotating plate 16, and the other end of the rotating plate 16 rises, and the two rotating plates 16 push the charging column 14 upward, so that the charging column 14 drives the connecting head 15 to connect with the connecting port 25 on the UAV; in the standby state, the two rotating plates 16 remain horizontal under the action of the reset spring 17, so that the charging column 14 remains in a lower position, thereby providing a certain protection for the connecting head 15.

[0043] like Figure 5-10 As shown, as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the middle part of the main body of the drone 2 is a control box 3, the top of the control box 3 is fixedly connected to a signal receiver 303, the bottom of the inner surface of the control box 3 is fixedly installed with a controller 304, the right side of the inner surface is fixedly connected to a thermal imaging module 305 and a ranging module 306, the left side of the inner surface is fixedly installed with an information collector 307 and a memory 308, and a battery 11 is arranged inside the control box 3.

[0044] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the controller 404 is signal-connected to the thermal imaging module 405 , the distance measuring module 406 , the information collector 407 , and the memory 408 , respectively.

[0045] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a baffle 312 is fixedly connected to the top of the battery 311, a positioning plate 313 is fixedly connected to the surface of the control box 3, a rotating rod 314 is rotatably connected to the surface of the positioning plate 313 through a bearing, a push plate 315 is fixedly connected to the surface of the rotating rod 314, a torsion spring 316 is fixedly connected between the push plate 315 and the positioning plate 313, and the push plate 315 is in contact with the baffle 312.

[0046] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the baffle 312 contacts the top of the control box 3, and a positioning block 317 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the inner surface of the control box 3. A slide groove is provided on the surface of the positioning block 317, and the battery 311 is engaged with the slide groove; a plurality of heat dissipation holes 318 are provided on the rear surface of the control box 3; a through hole is provided on the surface of the control box 3, and the battery 311 is slidably connected to the through hole.

[0047] like Figure 7-10 As shown, in the above preferred embodiment, when the drone is running, the thermal imaging module can detect the surrounding organisms and measure the distance of the detected organisms, so as to avoid them. The whole device can safely avoid the surrounding objects, so that the safety performance of the drone body 1 is improved during operation. By pulling the baffle upward, the plate can be rotated, and the baffle drives the battery 11 to be taken out. The two plates are rotated, and the battery is placed inside the control box along the through hole, and the battery is inserted into the slide groove on the positioning block. The plate is acted on by the torsion spring, and the plate rotates and resists the baffle, so that the battery can be installed. The whole device is convenient for installing and disassembling the battery 11, and convenient for replacing and repairing the battery. The convenient replacement structure is added to the battery, so that the present invention can quickly replace the battery on the basis of on-site charging. In this way, it brings a variety of reliable endurance methods to the inspection of large-scale pumped storage power stations, greatly improving the reliability of drone inspections.

[0048] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various changes can be made within the knowledge scope of ordinary technicians in the field without departing from the purpose of the present invention. These changes involve related technologies well known to those skilled in the art, which all fall within the scope of protection of the patent of the present invention.

[0049] Many other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the concept and scope of the present invention.It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A pumped storage power station inspection device based on a drone, comprising a drone (2) and a charging pile (1) for charging the drone (2), wherein a camera (21) is mounted on the drone (2), and support frames (22) are evenly arranged at four corners of the lower surface of the drone (2), characterized in that: A mounting column (24) is provided in the middle of the lower surface of the main body of the drone (2), and a connection port (25) for data transmission and charging is provided on the lower surface of the mounting column (24). Two positioning columns (23) are fixedly provided on the lower surface of the drone (2), and two visual sensors (26) for auxiliary positioning are also provided on the lower surface of the drone (2); The upper surface of the charging pile (1) is provided with a mounting groove (13) corresponding to the mounting column (24), a charging column (14) is arranged in the mounting groove (13), a connector (15) corresponding to the connecting port (25) is arranged on the upper surface of the charging column (14), and two positioning holes (11) corresponding to the positioning columns (23) are arranged on the upper surface of the charging pile (1), and an identification card (12) for auxiliary positioning is arranged on the upper surface of the charging pile (1); The charging pile (1) has a cavity inside which is connected to the mounting groove (13) and the positioning hole (11), two rotating plates (16) are symmetrically arranged in the cavity with the axis of the mounting groove (13) as the symmetry axis, a fixed axis corresponding to the rotating plate (16) is arranged in the cavity, and the lower surfaces of both ends of the rotating plate (16) are provided with return springs (17), the charging column (14) is slidably arranged in the mounting groove (13), and the bottom end of the charging column (14) is hinged to the ends of the two rotating plates (16); a sliding column (18) is slidably arranged at the inner bottom of the two mounting grooves (13), and the bottom end of the sliding column (18) is hinged to the end of the rotating plate (16).

2. The pumped storage power station inspection device based on drone according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The positioning column (23) comprises a truncated cone body and a hemispherical body, the truncated cone body is fixedly connected to the main body of the drone (2), and the hemispherical body is arranged at the bottom end of the truncated cone body.

3. The inspection device for pumped storage power station based on drone according to claim 1 is characterized in that: A limiting block is fixedly arranged on the outer side of the top end of the positioning column (23).

4. The inspection device for pumped storage power station based on drone according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The distance from the bottom end of the support frame (22) to the main body of the drone (2) is greater than the distance from the bottom end of the positioning column (23) to the main body of the drone (2).

5. The inspection device for pumped storage power station based on drone according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The middle part of the main body of the drone (2) is a control box (3), the top of the control box (3) is fixedly connected to a signal receiver (303), the bottom of the inner surface of the control box (3) is fixedly installed with a controller (304), the right side of the inner surface is fixedly connected to a thermal imaging module (305) and a distance measurement module (306), the left side of the inner surface is fixedly installed with an information collector (307) and a memory (308), and a battery (311) is arranged inside the control box (3).

6. The inspection device for pumped storage power station based on drone according to claim 5 is characterized in that: The controller (304) is respectively connected to the thermal imaging module (305), the distance measuring module (306), the information collector (307), and the memory (308) via signals.

7. The inspection device for pumped storage power station based on drone according to claim 5 is characterized in that: A baffle (312) is fixedly connected to the top of the battery (311), a positioning plate (313) is fixedly connected to the surface of the control box (3), a rotating rod (314) is rotatably connected to the surface of the positioning plate (313) via a bearing, a resisting plate (315) is fixedly connected to the surface of the rotating rod (314), a torsion spring (316) is fixedly connected between the resisting plate (315) and the positioning plate (313), and the resisting plate (315) is in contact with the baffle (312).

8. The inspection device for pumped storage power station based on drone according to claim 7 is characterized in that: The baffle (312) contacts the top of the control box (3); a positioning block (317) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the inner surface of the control box (3); a sliding groove is provided on the surface of the positioning block (317); the battery (311) is engaged with the sliding groove; a plurality of heat dissipation holes (318) are provided on the rear surface of the control box (3); and a through hole is provided on the surface of the control box (3); the battery (311) is slidably connected to the through hole.

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