A track power supply system for a wind turbine nacelle inspection robot

Abstract

The track power supply system for the wind turbine nacelle inspection robot of the present application comprises a wire supply mechanism arranged at one end of the track; the wire supply mechanism comprises a box body, a screw cavity is arranged in the box body and is connected with the inner cavity of the track, a screw rod driven by a screw rod motor is arranged in the screw cavity; the screw rod is used for supplying or recovering the spring wire to the inspection robot moving along the track through the screw thread rotating through the inner cavity of the track. The track deployment path freedom is maximally released, the limitation of the track deployment in the way of the drag chain is well solved; the power supply wires are all built-in wires, the risk of the wire harness being hooked and broken with the internal equipment of the nacelle is reduced, meanwhile, many power utilization safety problems such as the positive and negative short circuit after the wire harness is broken and the electric shock of the staff are reduced; the rotating power supply wire eliminates the possibility of jamming, breaking and blocking in the process of cable pulling; the tension sensor can monitor the working condition, the stability of the power supply wire supply and the safety of power utilization are ensured through controlling the motors at both ends.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a track power supply system, specifically a track power supply system for a wind turbine nacelle inspection robot. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of automation and artificial intelligence, track-mounted intelligent inspection robots are widely used in various occasions. The safety of robots operating in different scenarios is receiving increasing attention, and higher requirements are being placed on the safety characteristics of robots in order to adapt to various operating environments.

[0003] Question 1: Currently, most robot systems on the market are powered by lithium batteries. The thermal runaway characteristics of lithium batteries themselves pose significant safety risks to robots operating in high-temperature and high-humidity environments.

[0004] Question 2: The operating temperature inside the nacelle of existing wind turbines varies greatly depending on the location and season. Low-temperature nacelle temperatures can reach below -30°C, while high-temperature nacelle temperatures can reach above +50°C, with even greater temperature differences in northern regions. Lithium batteries cannot charge and discharge normally under these extreme low and high temperature conditions, causing inspection robots to malfunction inside the nacelle.

[0005] Question 3: To avoid the impact of high and low temperature environments inside the wind turbine nacelle on the normal operation of the machine, most manufacturers use cable chains to power the robot system, that is, the robot drags the power supply cable along the track. Although this power supply method solves the problems of the inability of batteries to charge and discharge at high and low temperatures and the safety of replacing lithium batteries, the cable chain method can only solve simple path robot inspection tasks, and simple path tasks such as straight lines and L-shaped paths. For working conditions with complex equipment structures and complex paths inside the wind turbine nacelle, such as S-shaped, U-shaped or other more complex irregular paths, the cable chain power supply method cannot meet the requirements of on-site use. Moreover, the space inside the wind turbine nacelle is very narrow, and the cable chain method is prone to the cable harness getting caught on the internal structure of the machine, resulting in cable harness breakage that affects the normal operation of the robot and may even cause certain electrical safety hazards. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide a track power supply system for a wind turbine nacelle inspection robot.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A track power supply system for a wind turbine nacelle inspection robot includes a wire supply mechanism located at one end of the track.

[0009] The wire supply mechanism includes a housing, and a screw cavity that connects with the inner cavity of the track is provided inside the housing. A screw driven by a screw motor is provided inside the screw cavity.

[0010] The screw is used to supply or retrieve spring wire to the inspection robot moving along the track via the rotating thread through the inner cavity of the track.

[0011] A tension sensor is connected to the end of the screw, and the control device adjusts the speed of the screw motor based on the feedback from the tension sensor.

[0012] Furthermore, the front and rear shafts of the aforementioned screw are respectively mounted on the shaft brackets inside the housing, and a tension sensor is fixedly connected to the end of the rear shaft.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes a cable reel-up mechanism mounted on the track and accompanying the inspection robot;

[0014] The take-up mechanism includes a slip ring located inside the track cavity, and the spring wire leads out after passing through the slip ring to the inspection robot; the slip ring is equipped with a matching slip ring motor;

[0015] The slip ring is driven by a slip ring motor to provide torque to the spring wire.

[0016] Furthermore, the control device adjusts the moving speed of the inspection robot and / or the rotation speed of the screw motor based on feedback from the tension sensor.

[0017] Furthermore, based on the movement direction of the inspection robot, the control device adjusts the movement speed of the inspection robot and / or the rotation speed of the screw motor according to the feedback from the tension sensor.

[0018] The aforementioned track includes a circular track with a cavity at the upper end and a plate-shaped track fixed at the lower end of the circular track; and the top of the circular track is open;

[0019] The circular track is used for the spring wire; the plate track is used for the inspection robot.

[0020] Furthermore, along its length, the track is any one of the following: S-shaped, linear, U-shaped, or L-shaped.

[0021] The advantages of this invention are:

[0022] The present invention provides a track power supply system for a wind turbine nacelle inspection robot, which has the following advantages:

[0023] 1. The track power supply system can meet the usage requirements of complex tracks inside the cabin. The power supply method of drag chain can only meet the requirements of simple path operation. The flexibility of the inspection robot and the field of vision coverage of complex path inspection scenarios inside the cabin are severely limited. The track power supply system of the present invention maximizes the freedom of track deployment and effectively solves the limitations of drag chain track deployment.

[0024] 2. All power supply lines of the track power supply system are internally routed, and there are no exposed wire harnesses in the power supply box. This reduces the risk of wire harnesses getting caught on the equipment inside the cabin and breaking in the small and limited space. At the same time, the internal routing of power lines also reduces many electrical safety issues such as short circuits between positive and negative poles and electric shock to personnel after wire harness breakage.

[0025] 3. The power cord rotates forward, eliminating the possibility of jamming, breakage, or blockage during cable pulling.

[0026] 4. The tension sensor can monitor the working status and adjust the moving speed of the inspection robot and the rotation speed of the screw motor according to the tension, thus ensuring the stability of the power supply and the safety of electricity use from both directions. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the track power supply system.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the wire supply mechanism.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the take-up mechanism.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the track structure.

[0031] The meanings of the markings in the attached diagram are as follows: 1. Wire feeding mechanism, 2. Wire take-up structure, 3. Inspection robot, 4. Track, 5. Box body, 6. Screw, 7. Spring wire, 8. Screw motor, 9. Tension sensor, 10. Slip ring, 11. Slip ring motor, 12. Lead wire, 13. Circular track, 14. Plate track. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0033] A track power supply system for a wind turbine nacelle inspection robot consists of a track 4, a wire supply mechanism 1, and a wire take-up structure 2.

[0034] Track 4 consists of a circular track 13 and a plate track 14. Along its length, the circular track 13 is fixed to the top surface of the plate track 14, and the top of the circular track 13 is open; that is, the plate track 14 extends outwards from the bottom of the circular track 13 with two side plates. The circular track 13 is used to carry the spring wire 7; the plate track 14 is used to carry the inspection robot 3.

[0035] Depending on the usage requirements, along the length direction, track 4 can be S-shaped, linear, U-shaped, L-shaped, or other types.

[0036] The wire supply mechanism 1 is located at one end of the track 4. In actual use, the track 4 can be divided into several sections, and the wire supply mechanism 1 can move to one end of each section according to the stage.

[0037] The cable supply mechanism 1 uses a housing 5 as its outer shell. Preferably, the housing 5 can be hung on the track 4 and can move along the track 4; for example... Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment takes the case where the box body 5 is located at the end of the track 4 as an example. The box body 5 has a screw cavity that mates with the inner cavity of the track 4. The screw cavity contains a screw 6 driven by a screw motor 8. The gap between the threaded groove on the screw 6 and the wall of the screw cavity is used to accommodate the spring wire 7. That is, the screw motor 8 drives the screw 6 to rotate in the screw cavity, so that the spring wire 7 in the threaded groove is supplied to the inner cavity of the track 4, or the spring wire 7 is withdrawn (retrieved) from the inner cavity of the track 4.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown, the front end and rear end of the screw 6 are respectively provided with a front shaft and a rear shaft, which are respectively mounted on a shaft bracket. The rear shaft is connected to the tension sensor 9 through the shaft bracket.

[0039] The cable reel mechanism is mounted on track 4 and moves with the inspection robot 3. The cable reel mechanism consists of a slip ring 10 located within a circular track 13. This slip ring 10 is equipped with a matching slip ring motor 11, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the spring wire 7, after passing through the slip ring 10, leads out to the inspection robot 3 via the lead wire 12.

[0040] Working principle:

[0041] As the inspection robot 3 moves forward, the control device drives the screw motor 8 to rotate in conjunction with the screw 6, feeding the spring wire 7 into the circular track 13. Since the spring wire 7 rotates clockwise, it can move forward in a straight line in a spiral direction within the circular track 13. At the end of the inspection robot 3, the slip ring motor 11 rotates the spring wire 7 at the same speed, providing torque to the spring wire 7.

[0042] When the inspection robot 3 moves backward, the screw motor 8 and the slip ring motor 11 rotate in opposite directions, causing the spring wire 7 to rotate counterclockwise while retracting the wire, and then spiral backward within the track 4.

[0043] Meanwhile, at the tension sensor at the end of screw 6, there will be approximately 2N of tension on the spring wire 7 when the robot is moving normally. This tension will change as the two motors at the front and rear ends are out of sync. The tension sensor detects this change and then adjusts the wire supply mechanism 1 and the robot's own walking speed to ensure that the spring wire 7 always maintains a certain tension and will not break or pile up in the track 4.

[0044] Based on the movement direction of the inspection robot 3, the control device adjusts the movement speed of the inspection robot 3 and the rotation speed of the screw motor 8 according to the tension balance feedback from the tension sensor 9, as shown in the table below:

[0045] When moving forward When moving backward Insufficient tension The robot accelerates, while the feed mechanism decelerates. The robot slows down, while the feed mechanism accelerates. Excessive tension The robot slows down, while the feed mechanism accelerates. The robot accelerates, while the feed mechanism decelerates.

[0046] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments do not limit the present invention in any way, and all technical solutions obtained by equivalent substitution or equivalent transformation fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A track power supply system for a wind turbine nacelle inspection robot, characterized in that, This includes a wire supply mechanism located at one end of the track; The wire supply mechanism includes a housing, and a screw cavity that connects with the inner cavity of the track is provided inside the housing. A screw driven by a screw motor is provided inside the screw cavity. The screw is used to supply or retrieve spring wire to the inspection robot moving along the track via the rotating thread through the inner cavity of the track.

2. The track power supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that, A tension sensor is connected to the end of the screw, and the control device adjusts the speed of the screw motor based on the feedback from the tension sensor.

3. The track power supply system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The front and rear shafts of the screw are respectively mounted on the shaft bracket inside the housing, and a tension sensor is fixedly connected to the end of the rear shaft.

4. The track power supply system according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a cable reel-up mechanism mounted on the track and carried by the inspection robot; The take-up mechanism includes a slip ring located inside the track cavity, and the spring wire leads out after passing through the slip ring to the inspection robot; the slip ring is equipped with a matching slip ring motor; The slip ring is driven by a slip ring motor to provide torque to the spring wire.

5. The track power supply system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The control device adjusts the moving speed of the inspection robot and / or the rotation speed of the screw motor based on the feedback from the tension sensor.

6. The track power supply system according to claim 5, characterized in that, Based on the movement direction of the inspection robot, the control device adjusts the movement speed of the inspection robot and / or the rotation speed of the screw motor according to the feedback from the tension sensor.

7. The track power supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The track includes a circular track with a cavity at the upper end and a plate-shaped track fixed at the lower end of the circular track; and the top of the circular track is open; The circular track is used for the spring wire; the plate track is used for the inspection robot.

8. The track power supply system according to claim 7, characterized in that, Along its length, the track is any one of the following: S-shaped, linear, U-shaped, or L-shaped.

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