Highly efficient and safe dredging system and method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of high-efficiency safe dredging system and dredging method, by camera, can real-time understand dredging situation and material accumulation and cleaning condition in hopper, when material in hopper is filled, find the nearest maintenance well or equipment drop opening by combining with meter and camera, make robot move to the place, simultaneously utilize telescopic frame and non-destructive excavation suction vehicle to carry out material cleaning, and by observing material cleaning condition, timely adjust robot position, avoid to appear cleaning dead angle.Otherwise, by combining with original maintenance well of culvert, can effectively reduce the number of robot returning to equipment drop opening and the excavation quantity of road equipment drop opening and the number of equipment re-arrangement, greatly save manpower, material resources and time, simultaneously, by the combination use of non-destructive excavation suction vehicle, can reduce the blockage problem of suction pipe and the number of hopper replacement, improve dredging efficiency, simultaneously reduce the danger that personnel hoist and drop hopper at the fence edge of equipment drop opening, make dredging work more safe.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of sludge removal technology, and in particular to a highly efficient and safe sludge removal system and method. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid urbanization in my country, the scale of urban drainage systems has also expanded. Long-term silt accumulation in urban drainage pipes and culverts has led to blockages, sewage overflows, and even flooding, necessitating regular cleaning. Similarly, environmental pollution caused by urbanization has made sludge collection and harmless treatment in factories a top priority. Sludge from rivers, ditches, and sludge ponds also requires regular collection and cleaning. Large underground sewer pipes and culverts have traditionally been dredged manually, but this method is difficult and unsafe, especially given the presence of toxic gases in the culverts, which can easily cause personal injury. Therefore, the dredging industry urgently needs unmanned dredging equipment. Currently, the main unmanned dredging equipment on the market is the pump-suction dredging robot, equipped with a slurry pump to extract sludge from underground culverts. However, this equipment cannot extract large-diameter solid particles, easily causing blockages at the pump inlet.

[0003] In the prior art, patent CN108930328A discloses a robot for cleaning silt from rainwater pipes. It includes a steel cable frame and a robot body. The robot body comprises a controller, a shovel assembly, a connecting assembly, a moving assembly, and a storage assembly. The shovel assembly scoops up silt and debris from inside the rainwater pipe into a bucket. A roller assembly inside the bucket pushes the scooped debris towards the inlet of a first lifting assembly. The first and second lifting assemblies then place the silt and debris into a storage tank. When the storage tank is full, the robot body is dragged to the ground by a steel cable to dump the silt or debris. This robot can solve the problem of difficult rainwater pipe cleaning; however, each time the silt or debris in the storage tank is cleaned, the robot needs to be moved to a lowering position, resulting in a long travel time and significantly reducing cleaning efficiency.

[0004] In addition, when cleaning up the silt stored by the dredging robot, some existing methods involve moving the robot to the discharge port and replacing the hopper using a lifting device. However, this method requires workers to perform related operations at the discharge port fence, which can easily lead to safety accidents.

[0005] In view of this, it is necessary to design an efficient and safe dredging system and dredging method to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a highly efficient and safe dredging system and method that can combine the use of the existing maintenance well in the culvert, reduce the number of times the robot returns to the equipment lowering port, save robot walking time, reduce the problem of clogging of the suction pipe and the number of hopper replacements, reduce safety risks and improve dredging efficiency.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides an efficient and safe dredging system, including a shovel-dredging robot and a non-destructive excavation and suction truck that cleans the material in the hopper of the shovel-dredging robot through a suction pipe at the inspection well or equipment lowering point. The shovel-dredging robot is equipped with a camera for observing the dredging situation and a telescopic frame for controlling the height of the hopper.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, the rear end of the shovel-dredging robot is equipped with a gimbal, and the camera is mounted on the gimbal. The observation direction of the camera changes accordingly according to the rotation of the gimbal.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, a control system is also provided on the ground. The control system is connected to the shovel-dredging robot via a communication cable. The communication cable transmits the information collected by the camera to the control system for analysis, thereby sending corresponding instructions to control the shovel-dredging robot's shovel-dredging process. A meter counter is provided on the communication cable.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, the telescopic frame is disposed on the lower side of the hopper and is used to raise the hopper to the vicinity of the maintenance well opening or the equipment lowering opening; a proximity switch is provided on the hopper.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the front end of the shovel-dredging robot is provided with a bucket, and the movement and adjustment of the bucket are performed by a mechanical arm connected to the bucket.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, the end of the robotic arm away from the bucket is connected to a support assembly below the telescopic frame.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the robotic arm is rotated and adjusted by a linear hydraulic cylinder, one end of which is connected to the robotic arm and the other end is connected to a support assembly located below the telescopic frame.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, a rotary hydraulic cylinder is provided at the end of the robotic arm connected to the bucket, and the rotation of the bucket is adjusted by the rotary hydraulic cylinder.

[0015] As a further improvement of the present invention, the lower end of the shovel dredging robot is provided with walking wheels for controlling the movement of the shovel dredging robot and tracks provided on the walking wheels.

[0016] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a dredging method for the above-mentioned efficient and safe dredging system, comprising the following steps:

[0017] S1. The shovel dredging robot enters the underground area to be dredged from the equipment lowering port. The control system is operated to drive the track to rotate through the walking wheels, so that the shovel dredging robot moves to the front of the silt. The shovel dredging robot is dredged and the silt is transferred to the hopper by the combined control of the rotary hydraulic cylinder and the linear hydraulic cylinder.

[0018] S2. Observe the material storage in the hopper through the camera. After the hopper is full, use the meter counter to preliminarily determine the position of the shovel dredging robot and judge the distance between the shovel dredging robot and the nearest maintenance well or equipment lowering point. Control the shovel dredging robot to quickly walk the corresponding distance to the vicinity of the maintenance well or equipment lowering point. At the same time, use the camera to make the shovel dredging robot accurately walk to the bottom of the nearest maintenance well or equipment lowering point.

[0019] S3. At the inspection well or equipment lowering point, control the shovel dredging robot to stop moving, open the telescopic frame, and raise the hopper. When the hopper approaches the opening, the proximity switch transmits the stop raising information to the control system. The control system issues a corresponding command to control the telescopic frame to stop raising. The staff removes the manhole cover or inserts the suction pipe under the material at the fence. The non-destructive excavation suction truck sucks the material into the suction truck. The camera observes the material handling in the hopper and controls the shovel dredging robot to move back and forth to avoid suction dead zones.

[0020] S4. After the material in the hopper has been sucked up, retract the telescopic frame to its original position and control the robot to continue cleaning.

[0021] S5. When there is too much material in the hopper that cannot be handled by the vacuum truck, control the shovel and dredging robot to move to the nearest equipment lowering port for processing.

[0022] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0023] 1. This invention, through the use of a camera, allows for real-time monitoring of underground dredging operations and the accumulation and cleaning of materials in the hopper. During the bucket unloading process, the camera observes the material accumulation and adjusts the robotic arm's rotation angle to distribute the material evenly across different locations within the hopper. Once the hopper is full, the synchronizing action of the meter counter and camera initially determines the position of the dredging robot and guides it quickly to the vicinity of the nearest maintenance well or equipment lowering point. The camera then precisely positions the robot below the nearest maintenance well or equipment lowering point, significantly reducing the robot's travel time in searching for these locations. Simultaneously, the telescopic frame and proximity switch work together to rapidly raise the hopper to near the opening, facilitating non-destructive excavation and suction truck cleaning. The robot's position is adjusted promptly by observing the cleaning progress through the well opening, preventing blind spots and ensuring rapid and effective material removal, thus significantly improving sludge removal efficiency.

[0024] 2. The dredging method of the present invention cleans the material in the hopper through the nearest maintenance well or equipment lowering port, which can effectively reduce the number of times the robot returns to the equipment lowering port, saving robot travel time. At the same time, the combined use of non-destructive excavation and sewage suction truck can reduce the problem of sewage suction pipe blockage and the number of hopper replacements, improve dredging efficiency, and reduce the danger of personnel lifting and lowering the hopper at the fence of the equipment lowering port, making the dredging process safer.

[0025] 3. The dredging method of the present invention makes comprehensive use of the existing maintenance wells of the culvert, which can reduce the number of excavations for road equipment lowering points and the number of times equipment is redeployed, greatly saving manpower, material resources and time. At the same time, it can ensure the cleanliness of the ground while efficiently dredging, and minimize the impact of dredging work on the surrounding life. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the efficient and safe sludge removal system of the present invention in the process of suctioning sludge.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the shoveling and dredging robot of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the material dumping process of the shovel-dredging robot of the present invention.

[0029] Figure Labels

[0030] 11. Bucket; 12. Rotary hydraulic cylinder; 13. Robotic arm; 14. Linear hydraulic cylinder; 20. Support assembly; 30. Telescopic frame; 41. Pan-tilt unit; 42. Camera; 50. Hopper; 51. Proximity switch; 61. Wheels; 62. Tracks; 70. Control system; 71. Communication cable; 72. Meter counter; 81. Non-destructive excavation vacuum truck; 82. Suction pipe; 91. Inspection well; 92. Manhole cover; 93. Equipment lowering opening; 94. Fence. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0032] It should also be noted that, in order to avoid obscuring the present invention with unnecessary details, only the structures and / or processing steps closely related to the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, while other details that are not closely related to the present invention are omitted.

[0033] Additionally, it should be noted that the terms “comprising,” “including,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0034] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the present invention provides a high-efficiency and safe dredging system, including a shovel-dredging robot and a non-destructive excavation suction truck 81 that cleans the material in the hopper 50 of the shovel-dredging robot through a suction pipe 82 at the inspection well 91 or equipment lowering port 93. The shovel-dredging robot is equipped with a camera 42 for observing the dredging situation and a telescopic frame 30 for controlling the height of the hopper 50. The camera 42 is mounted on a gimbal 41 at the rear of the shovel-dredging robot, and the observation direction of the camera 42 is changed by rotating the gimbal 41.

[0035] Specifically, a control system 70 is also installed on the ground. The control system 70 is connected to the shovel dredging robot via a communication cable 71. The communication cable 71 transmits the information collected by the camera 42 to the control system 70 for analysis, thereby sending corresponding instructions to control the dredging process of the shovel dredging robot. A meter counter 72 is installed on the communication cable 71, which can be used to preliminarily determine the distance between the shovel dredging robot and the nearest maintenance well.

[0036] Specifically, the telescopic frame 30 is located below the hopper 50 and is used to raise the hopper 50 to the vicinity of the wellhead 91 or the equipment lowering port 93; the hopper 50 is equipped with a proximity switch 51 to prevent the hopper 50 from hitting the bottom plate during the rising process.

[0037] Specifically, the bucket 11 is located at the front end of the shoveling and dredging robot. The movement of the bucket 11 is controlled by the robotic arm 13 connected to the bucket 11. A rotary hydraulic cylinder 12 is provided at the end of the robotic arm 13 connected to the bucket 11. The rotation direction of the bucket 11 is adjusted by the rotary hydraulic cylinder 12. The end of the robotic arm 13 away from the bucket 11 is connected to the support component 20 below the telescopic frame 30.

[0038] Specifically, the robotic arm 13 is rotated and adjusted by a linear hydraulic cylinder 14. One end of the linear hydraulic cylinder 14 is connected to the robotic arm 13, and the other end is connected to the support assembly 20 located below the telescopic frame 30.

[0039] Specifically, the lower end of the shovel dredging robot is equipped with a walking wheel 61 for controlling the robot's movement and a track 62 mounted on the walking wheel 61.

[0040] The present invention also provides a dredging method, wherein the dredging method performs dredging treatment according to any one of the above technical solutions using a high-efficiency and safe dredging system, comprising the following steps:

[0041] S1. The shovel-dredging robot enters the underground shovel-to-be-dredged area from the equipment lowering port 93. The control system 70 is operated to drive the track 62 to rotate through the walking wheels 61, so that the shovel-dredging robot moves to the front of the sludge. The rotating hydraulic cylinder 12 and the linear hydraulic cylinder 14 are used to control the bucket 11 to dredge the sludge and transfer the sludge into the hopper 50. During the process of dumping material from the bucket 11, the camera 42 is used to observe the material accumulation in the hopper 50. By adjusting the rotation angle of the robotic arm 13, the material in the bucket 11 is poured into different positions in the hopper 50, so that the material in the hopper 50 is evenly distributed.

[0042] S2. Observe the material storage status in the hopper 50 through the camera 42. After the material in the hopper 50 is full, use the meter counter 72 to preliminarily determine the position of the shovel dredging robot and judge the distance between the shovel dredging robot and the nearest maintenance well 91 or equipment lowering port 93. Control the shovel dredging robot to quickly move the corresponding distance to the vicinity of the maintenance well 91 or equipment lowering port 93. At the same time, use the camera 42 to make the shovel dredging robot move accurately to the bottom of the nearest maintenance well 91 or equipment lowering port 93.

[0043] S3. At the inspection well 91 or equipment lowering opening 93, control the shovel dredging robot to stop moving, open the telescopic frame 30, and raise the hopper 50. When the hopper 50 approaches the opening, the proximity switch 51 transmits the stop raising information to the control system 70. The control system 70 issues a corresponding command to control the telescopic frame 30 to stop raising. The staff removes the well cover 92 or inserts the suction pipe 82 under the material at the fence 94. The non-destructive excavation suction truck 81 sucks the material into the suction truck. The staff observes the material processing status in the hopper 50 through the well opening and controls the shovel dredging robot to move back and forth to avoid suction dead zones.

[0044] S4. After the material in the hopper 50 has been sucked up, retract the telescopic frame 30 to its original position and control the robot to continue cleaning.

[0045] S5. When there is too much material in the hopper 50 that cannot be handled by the vacuum truck, control the shovel and dredging robot to move to the nearest equipment lowering port 93 for processing.

[0046] The working principle of the efficient and safe dredging system and dredging method provided by this invention will be explained below.

[0047] When carrying out dredging work, the shovel dredging robot enters the underground area to be dredged from the equipment lowering port 93. The control system 70 is operated to drive the track 62 to rotate counterclockwise through the walking wheels 61, so that the shovel dredging robot can move forward. Combined with the camera 42 to observe the situation ahead, the shovel dredging robot moves to the front of the silt. The sludge scooping is controlled by the combined control of the rotary hydraulic cylinder 12 and the linear hydraulic cylinder 14. After the sludge scooping is filled with sludge, the rotary hydraulic cylinder 12 drives the sludge scooping to rotate, so that the opening of the sludge scooping is parallel to the ground. The linear hydraulic cylinder 14 retracts, driving the robotic arm 13 and the sludge scooping to rotate clockwise as a whole. When the sludge scooping is above the hopper 50, the rotary hydraulic cylinder 12 drives the sludge scooping to rotate 180°, pouring the material in the sludge scooping to the hopper 50. During the entire scooping process, the height and direction of the sludge scooping are controlled by the combined use of the rotary hydraulic cylinder 12 and the linear hydraulic cylinder 14. At the same time, the camera 42 on the gimbal 41 is used to observe the material accumulation in the hopper 50. By adjusting the rotation angle of the robotic arm 13, the material in the sludge scooping is poured into different positions in the hopper 50, so that the material in the hopper 50 is evenly distributed. The camera 42 observes the material storage in the hopper 50. Once the hopper 50 is full, the meter counter 72 preliminarily determines the position of the shovel and dredging robot and judges the distance between the shovel and dredging robot and the nearest maintenance well 91 or equipment lowering port 93. The walking wheels 61 rotate, driving the tracks 62 to rotate, controlling the shovel and dredging robot to quickly walk the corresponding distance to the vicinity of the maintenance well 91 or equipment lowering port 93. At the same time, the gimbal 41 rotates, driving the camera 42 to rotate, using the camera 42 to make the shovel and dredging robot accurately walk to the bottom of the nearest maintenance well 91 or equipment lowering port 93, and control the robot to stop walking. The telescopic frame 30 is opened, raising the hopper 50. When the hopper 50 approaches the opening, the proximity switch 51 transmits a stop-raising signal to the control system 70. The control system 70 then issues a corresponding command to stop the telescopic frame 30 from rising. Workers remove the manhole cover 92 or insert the suction pipe 82 under the material near the fence 94. The non-destructive excavation suction truck 81 sucks the material into the suction truck. The worker observes the material handling in the hopper 50 through the manhole opening and controls the shovel-dredging robot to move back and forth. When most of the material in the hopper 50 has been sucked away, suction stops, the telescopic frame 30 retracts to its original position, and the robot continues shoveling. When there is too much material in the hopper 50 that cannot be handled by the suction truck, the shovel-dredging robot is controlled to move to the nearest equipment lowering port 93 for processing.

[0048] In summary, this invention discloses a highly efficient and safe dredging system and method. With the camera 42 installed, the underground dredging situation and the material accumulation and cleaning status in the hopper 50 can be monitored in real time. When the hopper 50 is full, the meter counter 72 and camera 42 are used to locate the nearest maintenance well 91 or equipment lowering port 93, allowing the robot to quickly move to that location. Simultaneously, the telescopic frame 30 and proximity switch 51 are used to raise the hopper 50 to near the opening, facilitating the non-destructive excavation and suction truck 81 to clean the material. The robot's position can be adjusted promptly by observing the material cleaning status through the well opening, ensuring rapid and effective material removal. The aforementioned dredging method, which utilizes the existing inspection well 91 in the culvert, can effectively reduce the number of times the robot returns to the equipment lowering port 93, saving robot travel time. It can also reduce the number of excavations at the equipment lowering port 93 and the number of times the equipment is redeployed, significantly saving manpower, material resources, and time. At the same time, the combined use of the non-destructive excavation suction truck 81 can reduce the clogging problem of the suction pipe 82 and the number of times the hopper 50 needs to be replaced, improving dredging efficiency. Furthermore, it reduces the danger of personnel lifting and lowering the hopper 50 at the fence 94 of the equipment lowering port 93, making the dredging work safer.

[0049] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A dredging method, characterized in that, A highly efficient and safe dredging system is used for dredging. This system includes a shovel-dredging robot and a non-destructive excavation and suction truck that uses a suction pipe to clean the material from the shovel-dredging robot's hopper at the inspection well or equipment lowering point. The shovel-dredging robot is equipped with a camera for observing the dredging process and a telescopic frame for controlling the hopper's height. The telescopic frame is located under the hopper and is used to raise the hopper to near the inspection well opening or equipment lowering point. A proximity switch is installed on the hopper. The dredging robot is equipped with a bucket at its front end, and the bucket is moved and adjusted by a robotic arm connected to it. The end of the robotic arm away from the bucket is connected to a support assembly below the telescopic frame. The robotic arm is rotated and adjusted by a linear hydraulic cylinder, one end of which is connected to the robotic arm and the other end of which is connected to the support assembly below the telescopic frame. A rotary hydraulic cylinder is provided at the end of the robotic arm connected to the bucket, and the rotation of the bucket is adjusted by the rotary hydraulic cylinder. The dredging method includes the following steps: S1. The shovel dredging robot enters the underground area to be dredged from the equipment lowering port. The control system is operated to drive the track to rotate through the walking wheels, so that the shovel dredging robot moves to the front of the silt. The shovel dredging robot is dredged and the silt is transferred to the hopper by the combined control of the rotary hydraulic cylinder and the linear hydraulic cylinder. S2. Observe the material storage in the hopper through the camera. After the hopper is full, use the meter counter to preliminarily determine the position of the shovel dredging robot and judge the distance between the shovel dredging robot and the nearest maintenance well or equipment lowering point. Control the shovel dredging robot to quickly walk the corresponding distance to the vicinity of the maintenance well or equipment lowering point. At the same time, use the camera to make the shovel dredging robot accurately walk to the bottom of the nearest maintenance well or equipment lowering point. S3. At the inspection well or equipment lowering point, control the shovel dredging robot to stop moving, open the telescopic frame, and raise the hopper. When the hopper approaches the opening, the proximity switch transmits the stop raising information to the control system. The control system issues a corresponding command to control the telescopic frame to stop raising. The staff removes the manhole cover or inserts the suction pipe under the material at the fence. The non-destructive excavation suction truck sucks the material into the suction truck. The camera observes the material handling in the hopper and controls the shovel dredging robot to move back and forth to avoid suction dead zones. S4. After the material in the hopper has been sucked up, retract the telescopic frame to its original position and control the robot to continue cleaning. S5. When there is too much material in the hopper that cannot be handled by the vacuum truck, control the shovel and dredging robot to move to the nearest equipment lowering port for processing.

2. The dredging method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shovel-dredging robot is equipped with a gimbal at its rear end, and the camera is mounted on the gimbal. The camera's observation direction changes accordingly based on the rotation of the gimbal.

3. The dredging method according to claim 2, characterized in that: A control system is also installed on the ground. The control system is connected to the shovel-dredging robot via a communication cable. The communication cable transmits the information collected by the camera to the control system for analysis, thereby sending corresponding instructions to control the shovel-dredging robot's dredging process. A meter counter is installed on the communication cable.

4. The dredging method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the shovel-dredging robot is equipped with wheels for controlling the robot's movement and tracks mounted on the wheels.

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