Cleaning robot and cleaning method suitable for various dams

Abstract

The application relates to a cleaning robot and a cleaning method suitable for various dams, belonging to the technical field of dam surface cleaning, and comprising a shell, a navigation assembly, a cleaning assembly, a sensor group and a pump group for providing suction power, wherein the navigation assembly comprises a posture adjusting water tank arranged in the shell, and direction water spraying devices are arranged in the circumferential direction and the axial direction of the shell; the cleaning assembly comprises cleaning water spraying devices arranged in the circumferential direction of the shell, and the cleaning water spraying devices are provided with water pipes; and the sensor group is arranged at the bottom of the shell. The application can be applied to the cleaning of the surface attachments of different dam types, such as face slab dams, gravity dams and arch dams, the landing posture and the moving direction of the robot are determined through the sensor group, the spatial posture of the robot is adjusted through the posture adjusting water tank, and the purposes of cleaning the dam surface, driving the robot to rotate and expanding the cleaning area are simultaneously achieved through the cleaning water spraying devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of dam surface cleaning technology, and in particular to a cleaning robot and cleaning method applicable to various types of dams. Background Technology

[0002] Traditionally, dam cleaning and inspection are mainly carried out by divers, but cleaning such a large number of dams is obviously a very heavy task, and relying on manual cleaning is inefficient. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In response to the shortcomings of the existing production technologies, the applicant provides a reasonably structured cleaning robot and cleaning method suitable for various dams. This robot can be applied to the cleaning of dam surfaces of various dam types and has the advantages of a wide range of mobility and reduced risks associated with manual operations.

[0004] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows:

[0005] A cleaning robot suitable for various dams includes a shell, within which are a navigation component, a cleaning component, a sensor array, and a pump assembly providing suction power.

[0006] The navigation component includes an attitude adjustment water tank installed inside the outer shell, and directional water jet devices are installed in both the circumferential and axial directions of the outer shell.

[0007] The cleaning assembly includes a cleaning water spray device located circumferentially around the housing, the cleaning water spray device having a water pipe;

[0008] The sensor array is located at the bottom of the housing.

[0009] As a further improvement to the above technical solution:

[0010] The outer shell is a rotating body.

[0011] The cleaning spray device is symmetrically arranged on the rotating surface of the outer casing, or arranged in a circular array on the rotating surface of the outer casing.

[0012] The nozzle direction of the cleaning water spray device forms a slant angle with the rotating surface of the outer casing.

[0013] The sensor array is located at the bottom of the robot, and when the robot lands on the dam, the sensor array is facing the dam.

[0014] The water pipe extends from the top of the outer casing, and its length is greater than or equal to the diameter of the cleaning range that the robot can clean in one operation.

[0015] A cleaning method using a cleaning robot suitable for various types of dams, when applied to a conventional dam surface, includes the following steps:

[0016] Before the robot operates, a land inspection is conducted, and after the inspection is completed and no problems are found, it enters the water from the dam surface;

[0017] After entering the water, the robot automatically adjusts the attitude adjustment water tanks in the four circumferential directions inside the robot to control the robot's spatial attitude balance; the six-directional water spray devices combine to spray water, propelling the robot to move towards the target position.

[0018] Once the robot reaches the vicinity of the expected location, the sensor array measures and determines the relative positional relationship between the robot and the dam surface, and determines whether the robot's posture meets the landing conditions;

[0019] If the landing conditions are met, the directional water spray device above will spray water to provide the thrust for the robot to land smoothly on the dam surface. During this process, the directional water spray devices in other directions will not work.

[0020] After landing, the cleaning spray device sprays water to provide circumferential thrust, causing the robot to rotate and remove the debris attached to the dam surface within the rotation range.

[0021] As a further improvement to the above technical solution:

[0022] The robot's landing condition judgment process and landing process are as follows: The robot first moves to the water area near the dam surface to be cleaned, and at this time it is determined whether the robot is in a horizontal state; when the robot is in a horizontal state, the nozzle is adjusted so that the robot tends to be in an inclined state parallel to the dam surface, and then it gradually lands on the dam surface.

[0023] A cleaning method using a cleaning robot suitable for various types of dams, applied to a dam surface covered with sediment, includes the following steps:

[0024] Before the robot operates, a land inspection is conducted, and after the inspection is completed and no problems are found, it enters the water from the dam surface;

[0025] After entering the water, the robot automatically adjusts the attitude adjustment water tanks in the four circumferential directions inside the robot to control the robot's spatial attitude balance; the six-directional water spray devices combine to spray water, propelling the robot to move towards the target position.

[0026] Once the robot reaches the vicinity of the expected location, the sensor array measures and determines the relative positional relationship between the robot and the dam surface, and determines whether the robot's posture meets the landing conditions;

[0027] If the landing conditions are met, the directional water spray device above will spray water to provide the thrust for the robot to land smoothly on the dam surface. During this process, the directional water spray devices in other directions will not work.

[0028] After landing, the pump unit provides suction, and the nozzles of the cleaning spray device are in a water-suction state. The pump unit creates negative pressure at the nozzles, sucking in the sewage. The sewage is then discharged through the water pipe into the water area far away from the cleaning location.

[0029] As a further improvement to the above technical solution:

[0030] The specific steps for controlling the robot's spatial posture balance by adjusting the water tanks are as follows: the water tanks on the same direction line are connected in pairs by pipes, and a shut-off valve is installed in the middle of each pipe. The pipes are positioned slightly below the center of the robot to ensure that the robot's center of gravity is lowered and it is more stable when cleaning and rotating.

[0031] Each regulating water tank initially contains 1 / 2 water. When the robot's posture needs to be adjusted, the regulating water tank in the downward tilt direction will draw a small amount of water from its tank into the regulating water tank in the opposite direction, thus adjusting the robot's tilt posture according to the water volume. Only the water volume of a single water tank is drawn at a time.

[0032] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0033] This invention has a compact and reasonable structure and is easy to operate. It has an attitude adjustment water tank inside the robot to adjust the robot's position underwater, and a directional water spray device to provide navigation power. The cleaning water spray device in this invention has multiple functions, including water spray cleaning, sewage suction cleaning, and driving the robot to expand the cleaning range. It can be applied to various working conditions such as dam surfaces with strong adhesion and dam surfaces with accumulated sewage.

[0034] Since the robot of this invention does not need to crawl on the water for a long time, it greatly reduces the possibility of complex legs such as climbing structures getting tangled and contaminated by dirt compared to conventional climbing robots, thus optimizing the underwater navigation route.

[0035] Compared to the climbing robots already available in the industry, the cleaning robot that travels in water areas provided by this invention has a larger range of activity. Climbing robots need to move underwater and gradually climb up the dam surface to clean, while the cleaning robot of this invention can directly locate the area to be cleaned without having to go to the bottom of the water first and then climb to the designated area, which consumes less energy and is more efficient.

[0036] The cleaning method in this invention also differs from conventional tool cleaning. It can directly utilize the water flow in the underwater environment to clean the dam surface. Compared to cleaning tools that require regular cleaning, the cleaning structure of this invention is more convenient to use. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the robot of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 2 This is a left view of the robot of the present invention, with the water pipe hidden in the figure.

[0039] Figure 3 This is a right view of the robot of the present invention, with the water pipe hidden in the figure.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the interconnected attitude adjustment water tanks in this invention.

[0041] Figure 5 This is a bottom view of the robot of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 6 This is a diagram of the robot's motion trajectory according to the present invention.

[0043] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of the robot's workflow according to the present invention.

[0044] The components include: 1. Outer shell; 2. Sensor group; 3. Attitude adjustment water tank; 4. Directional water spray device; 5. Cleaning water spray device; 6. Water pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0046] like Figures 1-7 As shown, this embodiment of the cleaning robot, applicable to various dams, includes a shell 1. Inside the shell 1 are a navigation component, a cleaning component, a sensor group 2, and a pump group providing suction power.

[0047] The navigation components include an attitude adjustment water tank 3 installed inside the outer shell 1, and directional water jet devices 4 installed in both the circumferential and axial directions of the outer shell 1;

[0048] The cleaning assembly includes a cleaning water spray device 5 located circumferentially in the housing 1, and the cleaning water spray device 5 has a water pipe 6;

[0049] Sensor group 2 is located at the bottom of housing 1.

[0050] The outer shell 1 is a rotating body.

[0051] The cleaning water spray device 5 is centrally symmetrically arranged on the rotating surface of the outer shell 1, or arranged in a circular array on the rotating surface of the outer shell 1.

[0052] The nozzle direction of the cleaning water spray device 5 is at an oblique angle to the rotating surface of the outer casing 1.

[0053] Sensor group 2 is located at the bottom of the robot, and when the robot lands on the dam, sensor group 2 is facing the dam.

[0054] Water pipe 6 extends from the top of outer casing 1, and the length of water pipe 6 is greater than or equal to the diameter of the cleaning range of the robot in one cleaning cycle.

[0055] The cleaning method in this embodiment, which uses cleaning robots applicable to various types of dams, includes the following steps when applied to a conventional dam surface:

[0056] Before the robot operates, a land inspection is conducted, and after the inspection is completed and no problems are found, it enters the water from the dam surface;

[0057] After entering the water, the robot automatically adjusts the attitude adjustment water tank 3 in four circumferential directions inside the robot to control the robot's spatial attitude balance; the six-directional water spray device 4 sprays water in combination to propel the robot to the target position.

[0058] After reaching the vicinity of the expected location, sensor group 2 measures and determines the relative positional relationship between the robot and the dam surface, and determines whether the robot's posture meets the landing conditions;

[0059] If the landing conditions are met, the directional water spray device 4 above sprays water to provide the robot with the thrust to land smoothly on the dam surface. During this process, the directional water spray devices 4 in other directions do not work.

[0060] After landing, the cleaning water spraying device 5 sprays water to provide circumferential thrust, causing the robot to rotate and remove the attached objects on the dam surface within the rotation range.

[0061] The robot's landing condition judgment process and landing process are as follows: The robot first moves to the water area near the dam surface to be cleaned, and at this time it is determined whether the robot is in a horizontal state; when the robot is in a horizontal state, the nozzle is adjusted so that the robot tends to be in an inclined state parallel to the dam surface, and then it gradually lands on the dam surface.

[0062] The cleaning method of this embodiment, which uses a cleaning robot applicable to various types of dams, when applied to a dam surface covered with sediment, includes the following steps:

[0063] Before the robot operates, a land inspection is conducted, and after the inspection is completed and no problems are found, it enters the water from the dam surface;

[0064] After entering the water, the robot automatically adjusts the attitude adjustment water tank 3 in four circumferential directions inside the robot to control the robot's spatial attitude balance; the six-directional water spray device 4 sprays water in combination to propel the robot to the target position.

[0065] After reaching the vicinity of the expected location, sensor group 2 measures and determines the relative positional relationship between the robot and the dam surface, and determines whether the robot's posture meets the landing conditions;

[0066] If the landing conditions are met, the directional water spray device 4 above sprays water to provide the robot with the thrust to land smoothly on the dam surface. During this process, the directional water spray devices 4 in other directions do not work.

[0067] After landing, the pump unit provides suction, and the nozzle of the cleaning spray device 5 is in a water-suction state. The pump unit creates negative pressure at the nozzle to suck in the sewage. The sucked sewage is discharged into the water area far away from the cleaning location through the water pipe 6.

[0068] The specific steps for adjusting the water tanks to control the robot's spatial posture balance are as follows: the water tanks on the same direction line are connected in pairs by pipes, and a shut-off valve is installed in the middle of each pipe. The pipes are positioned slightly below the center of the robot to ensure that the robot's center of gravity is lowered, making it more stable during cleaning and rotation.

[0069] Each regulating water tank initially contains 1 / 2 water. When the robot's posture needs to be adjusted, the regulating water tank in the downward tilt direction will draw a small amount of water from its tank into the regulating water tank in the opposite direction, thus adjusting the robot's tilt posture according to the water volume. Only the water volume of a single water tank is drawn at a time.

[0070] The specific structure and working process of this invention are as follows:

[0071] This invention discloses a cleaning robot applicable to various types of dams, which can be used for dam surface cleaning of different dam types, such as panel dams, gravity dams, and arch dams. It has a wide range of mobility and reduces the risks of manual operation.

[0072] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the robot of this invention is cylindrical, with attitude adjustment water tanks 3 evenly arranged along its circumference, and directional water spray devices 4 arranged between adjacent attitude adjustment water tanks 3. Cleaning water spray devices 5 are also centrally symmetrically arranged on both sides of the robot. Both the directional water spray devices 4 and the cleaning water spray devices 5 use nozzles or spray heads with water spraying function, which are common parts and will not be described in detail here.

[0073] Both the directional water spray device 4 and the cleaning water spray device 5 are powered by water pumps built into the robot to spray water. The cleaning water spray device 5 has both spraying and suction functions.

[0074] like Figure 4 The diagram shows the interconnected structure of the attitude adjustment water tanks 3. The adjustment water tanks on the same line are connected in pairs via pipes. A shut-off valve is installed in the middle of each pipe. The pipes are positioned slightly below the robot's center of gravity to ensure a lower center of gravity and greater stability during cleaning rotation. Initially, each attitude adjustment water tank 3 contains half water, ensuring even weight distribution across the robot and facilitating a horizontal position. When the robot needs to tilt, the attitude adjustment water tank 3 that needs to tilt draws water from the opposite tank 3 in small, repeated cycles, gradually increasing the weight of the tank and causing the robot to tilt. It is important to note that only one attitude adjustment water tank 3 is allowed to draw water at a time; the pumps cannot draw water from two directions simultaneously to ensure precise control of the tilt degree.

[0075] like Figure 5As shown, the center of the circle at the bottom of the outer shell 1 is the location of the sensor group 2. The sensor group 2 can be an infrared laser emitter and receiver, which identifies the relative position and determines the robot's landing posture and direction of movement when the robot lands.

[0076] In this invention, the directional water spraying devices 4 located in six directions (front, back, left, right, up, and down) on the outer shell 1 are used to control the movement of the robot. The two cleaning water spraying devices 5 can directly utilize fresh water from the underwater environment to form jets to clean the dam surface, depending on the dam type, or suck turbid muddy water into the nozzles and then discharge it far away through the flexible water pipe 6. The length of the water pipe 6 is four times the radius of the robot, located above the robot. The length of the water pipe 6 exceeds the robot's cleaning range in one pass to minimize the intake of sewage, while also preventing it from being too long, which could lead to insufficient suction or interfere with the robot's movement.

[0077] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the nozzle direction of the cleaning water spray device 5 is at an oblique angle to the outer casing 1. The cleaning water spray devices 5 on both sides work simultaneously to make the robot rotate, thereby expanding the working area. The cleaning water spray device 5 is connected to the flexible water pipe 6 to ensure that the water intake or inlet is far away from the turbid water flow within the robot's cleaning range.

[0078] Before operation, the robot undergoes a land-based inspection. Once the inspection is completed and no problems are found, it enters the water from the dam surface. After entering the water, the robot's four-directional attitude adjustment water tanks 3 automatically adjust to maintain the robot's spatial attitude balance. The six-directional water spray devices 4 combine to spray water, providing power and propelling the robot to the target location.

[0079] The sensor group 2 at the bottom of the outer shell 1 continuously emits infrared lasers perpendicular to the plane of the bottom base. When the infrared lasers are reflected by the dam surface and received by the receiver, it is determined that the robot's posture meets the landing conditions.

[0080] The directional water spray device 4 above the robot sprays water to provide the robot with a vertical downward thrust to the dam surface, allowing it to move vertically and land smoothly on the dam surface. During the landing process, the directional water spray devices 4 in the other five directions do not work.

[0081] After landing smoothly, the two cleaning spray devices 5 spray or suck water simultaneously. The spray direction of the nozzles is at an oblique angle to the outer shell 1. The two spray or suction forces drive the robot to rotate. The two cleaning spray devices 5 rotate to remove the attached objects on the dam surface within the rotation range.

[0082] For different dam types, two different cleaning methods need to be selected: water suction cleaning or water spraying cleaning.

[0083] The dam surface is mainly covered with sediment, which is quite thick. Robots are needed to remove the sediment to a location far away from the dam surface to reduce water turbidity caused by sediment disturbance. The robot's cleaning spray device 5 is mainly for water suction. The pump group creates negative pressure at the nozzle to suck in the sewage, and then discharges the sewage to a distant location through the water pipe 6.

[0084] The surfaces of gravity dams and arch dams are mainly covered with deposits, which are relatively thin. The robot needs to suck in fresh water to form a jet to blow the deposits off. The fallen deposits will quickly disperse with the flow of water. The robot's cleaning spray device 5 mainly sprays water. Before spraying, relatively clean water is drawn from a distance through a water pipe 6 as the cleaning water source.

[0085] The robot of this invention features an internal posture-adjusting water tank 3 that can regulate the robot's pitch and roll balance, allowing for more selectable postures in the water and making it suitable for various dams. Six-directional water spray devices 4 control the robot's movement in six directions (front, back, left, right, up, and down). A cleaning water spray device 5 can clean using both suction and spray methods. Furthermore, this invention utilizes the centripetal force generated by the two-directional water spray devices 4 during operation to rotate and clean, improving work efficiency. During operation, the water inlet is kept away from turbid water flow within the cleaning range, ensuring separation of clean and contaminated water.

[0086] The above description is an explanation of the present invention and not a limitation thereof. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims. Within the scope of protection of the present invention, any form of modification may be made.

Claims

1. A cleaning robot suitable for use on a variety of dams, characterized in that: The utility model relates to a robot for cleaning dam surface, including shell (1), the navigation subassembly, the cleaning subassembly, sensor group (2) and the pump group of providing suction power are equipped in shell (1), The navigation subassembly includes the attitude adjustment water tank (3) arranged in shell (1), and the circumferential and axial direction water jet device (4) of shell (1) is provided with, The cleaning subassembly includes the cleaning water jet device (5) located in the circumferential of shell (1), and the cleaning water jet device (5) has the water pipe (6), The sensor group (2) is located at the bottom of shell (1), The nozzle direction of cleaning water jet device (5) and the rotary surface of shell (1) form an angle of inclination, The adjustment water tank (3) in the same direction line is connected by pipeline two by two, and a stop valve is installed in the middle position of each pipeline, and the pipeline position is below the center of the robot to ensure that the robot's gravity center moves downward and is more stable when rotating to clean; Each adjustment water tank (3) has 1 / 2 water initially, and when the attitude of the robot needs to be adjusted, the adjustment water tank (3) in the downward inclined direction sucks a small amount of water in the tank into the adjustment water tank (3) in the opposite direction to adjust the inclination attitude of the robot with the adjustment of the water volume. Only the water volume of a single water tank is sucked each time.

2. The cleaning robot suitable for various dams according to claim 1, wherein: The shell (1) is a rotary body.

3. The cleaning robot suitable for a variety of dams according to claim 2, characterized in that: The central symmetry of the cleaning water jet device (5) is arranged on the rotary surface of the shell (1), or the circumferential array is arranged on the rotary surface of the shell (1).

4. The cleaning robot suitable for various dams according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor group (2) is located at the bottom of the robot, and the sensor group (2) faces the dam surface when the robot lands on the dam surface.

5. The cleaning robot suitable for various dams according to claim 1, wherein: The water pipe (6) is led out from above the shell (1), and the length of the water pipe (6) is greater than or equal to the diameter of the robot's cleaning range at a time.

6. A cleaning method using the cleaning robot for various dams according to claim 1, characterized by, When applied to a conventional dam surface, the following steps are included: Before the robot works, land inspection is carried out, and after the inspection is found to be normal, the robot enters the water from the dam surface; After entering the water, the attitude adjustment water tank (3) in the circumferential four directions of the robot is automatically adjusted to control the spatial attitude of the robot to be balanced; the six direction water jet devices (4) are combined to spray water to push the robot to move to the target position; After reaching the vicinity of the expected position, the sensor group (2) measures and judges the relative position relationship between the robot and the dam surface to determine whether the attitude of the robot meets the landing conditions; If the landing conditions are met, the water jet device (4) above sprays water to provide thrust for the robot to land stably on the dam surface, and the water jet devices (4) in the remaining directions do not work during this process; After landing, the cleaning water jet device (5) sprays water to provide circumferential thrust to make the robot rotate and clean the attachments on the dam surface within the rotation range.

7. The cleaning method of claim 6, wherein: The judgment process and landing process of the robot landing conditions are as follows: the robot first moves to the water area near the dam surface to be cleaned, and then it is determined whether the robot is in a horizontal state; when the robot is in a horizontal state, the nozzle is adjusted to make the robot tend to be inclined to the dam surface, and then gradually land on the dam surface.

8. A cleaning method using the cleaning robot for various dams according to claim 1, characterized by, When applied to a dam surface with sediment cover, the following steps are included: Before the robot works, land inspection is carried out, and after the inspection is found to be normal, the robot enters the water from the dam surface; After entering the water, the water tank (3) automatically adjusts the posture of the robot in the circumferential direction, controls the spatial posture of the robot to balance; the six-direction directional water jet device (4) combines water jet to push the robot to move to the target position; After reaching the vicinity of the expected position, the sensor group (2) measures and determines the relative position relationship between the robot and the dam surface, and determines whether the robot posture meets the landing conditions; If the landing conditions are met, the upper directional water jet device (4) sprays water to provide thrust for the robot to land smoothly on the dam surface, and the remaining directional water jet devices (4) do not work during this process; After landing, the pump group provides suction, and the nozzle of the water jet device (5) is in a water suction state at this time. The pump group forms negative pressure at the nozzle to suck in the sewage, and the sucked sewage is discharged through the water pipe (6) to the water area far away from the cleaning position.

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