A dexterous manipulator intelligent cooling system and control method

Abstract

The present application belongs to the field of dexterous manipulator intelligent cooling technology, and discloses a dexterous manipulator intelligent cooling system and a control method, which is installed in the palm of the dexterous manipulator, close to the wrist joint, and comprises a control system, a wireless transmission module, a shell, a one-way air permeable film, a temperature sensor and a cooling device. The side wall and the bottom can be ventilated. The control system and the wireless transmission module are installed on the top of the shell. The cooling device is installed in the shell and is electrically connected with the control system. The one-way air permeable film comprises a side one-way air permeable film and a bottom one-way air permeable film. The side one-way air permeable film is wrapped on the outer surface of the side of the shell, and the gas flows unidirectionally from outside to inside. The bottom one-way air permeable film is wrapped on the outer surface of the bottom of the shell, and the gas flows unidirectionally from inside to outside. The temperature sensor is arranged on the side of the shell. The present application mainly adopts the evaporation cooling principle and the closed-loop feedback control strategy in the whole system, so as to ensure the safety and stability of the whole dexterous manipulator system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of intelligent cooling technology for dexterous robotic arms, and particularly relates to an intelligent cooling system and method for dexterous robotic arms. Background Technology

[0002] High-temperature work scenarios are unavoidable in industrial production processes, especially in high-temperature environments or industrial settings that require handling hot materials, such as steel smelting, oil refining and chemical processing, glass manufacturing, ceramics production, metal processing, and thermal power generation. However, prolonged exposure to high-temperature industrial work environments poses significant health risks to workers. These environments contain heat sources and hot surfaces, such as molten metal, high-temperature equipment, or heated surfaces. Contact with these heat sources or surfaces can lead to burns or scalds, and may also cause elevated body temperature, resulting in symptoms such as dizziness, weakness, nausea, and vomiting. In severe cases, it can lead to heatstroke, causing breathing difficulties, wheezing, dry and irritated throat, and even death. Therefore, specific safety measures and process controls are necessary in high-temperature industrial work environments to ensure worker health, a safe working environment, and the efficient operation of industrial processes.

[0003] With the continuous development and application of the robotics industry, robots are gradually replacing humans in more production fields, especially in hazardous locations where they can significantly improve work efficiency, protect personal safety, reduce risks, and provide timely and effective support and rescue in emergencies. As an important component of robots, dexterous robotic arms have been widely used in industrial manufacturing, medical surgery, agriculture, and education, and are gradually attracting attention. In industrial manufacturing, dexterous robotic arms are mainly used for assembly, packaging, handling, and precision machining. They can handle objects of various shapes and sizes and perform high-precision operations, serving as a supplement or replacement for human labor to help companies address labor shortages. In high-risk, high-temperature environments, dexterous robotic arms can replace humans in completing tasks, reducing labor intensity, and improving production efficiency and product quality.

[0004] Dexterous robotic arms typically possess a high degree of joint freedom to achieve a wider range of complex movements. They usually utilize power source components such as motors, servos, and electric cylinders to drive the joints and actuators. During operation, motors generate heat, especially the rotors and coils, which heat up significantly under high loads or during prolonged operation. Furthermore, the drivers and power amplifiers, used to control the motor's motion and force output, need to handle high currents and large power outputs, which can also lead to internal heat generation. In addition, electronic components such as microprocessors, sensors, and circuit boards can also generate localized heat during operation, potentially damaging the device. Therefore, appropriate heat dissipation measures must be implemented during robot design and manufacturing to ensure that the dexterous robotic arm does not overheat and become damaged during prolonged operation. The design and optimization of the cooling system must also be considered to ensure that the robot maintains a suitable operating temperature under high loads and long-term operation. Especially in high-temperature working scenarios, the high temperature environment can easily cause the internal temperature of the dexterous manipulator to be high. At the same time, with the gradual development of unmanned operation in industrial scenarios, the internal components of the dexterous manipulator will generate heat during long-term unsupervised operation, which will affect the service life and control accuracy of the motor, and even cause major safety hazards. Therefore, a stable, reliable, simple and effective intelligent cooling system for dexterous manipulators is needed to ensure the safe and effective operation of the equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a dexterous robotic arm intelligent cooling system and method to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the specific technical solution of the intelligent cooling system and method of the dexterous robotic arm of the present invention is as follows: A smart cooling system for a dexterous robotic hand is installed inside the hand, near the wrist joint. It includes a control system, a wireless transmission module, a housing, a one-way breathable membrane, a temperature sensor, and a cooling device. The housing is cylindrical with breathable sidewalls and bottom. The control system and wireless transmission module are mounted on the top of the housing. The cooling device is installed inside the housing and electrically connected to the control system. The one-way breathable membrane is electrically connected to the control system and includes a side one-way breathable membrane and a bottom one-way breathable membrane. The side one-way breathable membrane covers the outer surface of the side of the housing, allowing gas to flow unidirectionally from the outside to the inside. The bottom one-way breathable membrane covers the outer surface of the bottom of the housing, allowing gas to flow unidirectionally from the inside to the outside. The temperature sensor is located on the side of the housing and connected to the control system via the wireless transmission module. It detects the temperature of the gas passing through the one-way breathable membrane and uploads the data to the control system.

[0007] Furthermore, the cooling device includes a micro water pump, a water pipe, and an evaporative cooling curtain. The micro water pump is installed inside the control system and is electrically connected to the control system. The water pipe is connected to the micro water pump and extends to the side of the outer casing. The evaporative cooling curtain is located inside the one-way breathable membrane on the side and is connected to the water pipe for evaporative heat dissipation.

[0008] Furthermore, the cooling device also includes a miniature fan, which is installed inside the housing to accelerate the drying of the gas.

[0009] Furthermore, it includes a smooth guide rod, one end of which is fixedly connected to the control system on the top of the housing and its movement is controlled by the control system, and the other end is fixedly connected to a micro fan. The smooth guide rod extends and retracts to drive the micro fan to move up and down.

[0010] Furthermore, it includes a gas drying module and a humidity sensor. The gas drying module is located inside the bottom one-way breathable membrane and is used to dry the gas. The humidity sensor is located inside the gas drying module and is connected to the control system via a wireless transmission module to detect the humidity of the gas.

[0011] Furthermore, the one-way breathable membrane has tiny pores, the size and distribution of which are precisely controlled by the controlled system.

[0012] Furthermore, the smooth guide rod is a linear slide rail, a ball screw, or a linear guide rail, and the movement speed of the smooth guide rod is determined by the value of the temperature sensor and adjusted by the control system.

[0013] Furthermore, the aperture size and opening angle of the gas drying module surface are both controlled by the control system.

[0014] This invention also discloses a control method for a dexterous robotic arm intelligent cooling system, comprising the following steps: Step 1: The high-temperature air inside the dexterous robotic arm first passes through the one-way breathable material on the side of the cylindrical cooling system, meaning that the gas can only enter from the side and cannot exit from the side. Step 2: The temperature sensor installed on the side of the cylindrical cooling system immediately obtains the air temperature value T, and the wireless transmission module uploads the air temperature value T to the control system. Step 3: When the air temperature T is higher than the instrument's preset safe temperature Ts, the control system will automatically adjust the pore size of the one-way breathable material; Step 4: Based on the difference ΔT between the air temperature T and the safe temperature Ts, linearly adjust the air permeability rate of the side one-way breathable material to a suitable range to ensure that air of different volume requirements can smoothly pass through the side one-way breathable material and enter the cooling system. Step 5: the micro water pump delivers the stored water to the evaporative cooling curtain through the water pipe, and the micro fan starts working to ensure that the evaporative cooling curtain is uniformly wetted as much as possible; Step 6: after the evaporative cooling curtain is uniformly wetted, the system automatically adjusts the speed of the micro fan according to the difference ΔT between the air temperature T and the safe temperature Ts, so as to allow more air to pass through the evaporative cooling curtain; Step 7: the micro fan performs up-down and rotational movements on the smooth guide rod, and parameters such as its moving speed are determined by the value of the ambient temperature sensor and adjusted by the control system, so as to ensure that the air passing through the evaporative cooling curtain is cooled quickly and uniformly; Step 8: at this time, the temperature of the air passing through the side one-way breathable material and the wet evaporative cooling curtain is appropriately lowered. Since the gas passing through the side one-way breathable material can only enter from the side and cannot be discharged from the side, the air inside the cooling system can only be discharged through the bottom one-way breathable material, that is, the gas is discharged from the bottom surface; Step 9: when the gas passes through the bottom surface, the current air humidity information is recorded in real time by the humidity sensor on the surface of the bottom surface, and the current air temperature value RH is uploaded to the control system by the wireless transmission module; Step 10: when the air humidity value RH is higher than the preset safe humidity RHs of the instrument, the control system will automatically adjust the porosity of the gas drying module on the bottom surface; Step 11: according to the difference ΔRH between the air humidity RH and the safe humidity RHs, linearly adjust the drying capacity of the bottom gas drying module to an appropriate range, so as to ensure that air with appropriate humidity is discharged out of the cooling system after passing through the bottom one-way breathable material; Step 12: repeat steps 1-11 until both the air temperature and humidity reach the safe range, that is, air temperature T<Ts and air humidity RH<RHs.

[0015] The intelligent dexterous manipulator cooling system and method of the present invention has the following advantages: compared with traditional dexterous manipulators, the present invention can realize accurate regulation of the internal temperature state of the dexterous manipulator in industrial high-temperature operation scenarios, and the whole system mainly adopts the evaporative cooling principle and closed-loop feedback control strategy, so as to ensure the safety and stability of the whole dexterous manipulator system. Description of Drawings

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic view of the installation position of the intelligent cooling system for dexterous manipulator of the present invention; Figure 2 is a structural schematic view of the intelligent cooling system for dexterous manipulator of the present invention; Figure 3 is a three-dimensional structural schematic view of the intelligent cooling system for dexterous manipulator of the present invention; The markings in the diagram are as follows: 1. Control system; 2. Wireless transmission module; 3. Miniature water pump; 4. Water pipe; 5. Outer shell; 6. One-way breathable membrane; 61. Side one-way breathable membrane; 62. Bottom one-way breathable membrane; 7. Temperature sensor; 8. Evaporative cooling curtain; 9. Gas drying module; 10. Humidity sensor; 11. Miniature fan; 12. Smooth guide rod. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To better understand the purpose, structure, and function of this invention, the following detailed description of a dexterous robotic arm intelligent cooling system and method is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0018] like Figure 1-3 As shown, the present invention discloses an intelligent cooling system for a dexterous robotic hand, which is installed inside the palm of the dexterous robotic hand, near the wrist joint, as follows: Figure 2 As shown, the system includes a control system 1, a wireless transmission module 2, a miniature water pump 3, a water pipe 4, a housing 5, a one-way breathable membrane 6, a temperature sensor 7, an evaporative cooling curtain 8, a gas drying module 9, a humidity sensor 10, a miniature fan 11, and a smooth guide rod 12.

[0019] The outer casing 5 is cylindrical, with breathable sidewalls and bottom. The control system 1 and wireless transmission module 2 are mounted on the top of the casing 5. A miniature water pump 3 is installed inside the control system 1 and electrically connected to it. A water pipe 4 is connected to the miniature water pump 3 and extends to the side of the casing 5. A one-way breathable membrane 6 is electrically connected to the control system 1. The one-way breathable membrane 6 includes a side one-way breathable membrane 61 and a bottom one-way breathable membrane 62. The side one-way breathable membrane 61 covers the outer surface of the side of the casing 5, allowing gas to flow unidirectionally from the outside to the inside. The bottom one-way breathable membrane 62 covers the outer surface of the bottom of the casing 5, allowing gas to flow unidirectionally from the inside to the outside. A temperature sensor 7 is located on the side of the casing 5 and connected to the control system 1 via the wireless transmission module 2. It detects the temperature of the gas passing through the one-way breathable membrane 6 and uploads the data to the control system 1. An evaporative cooling curtain 8 is located inside the side one-way breathable membrane 61 and connected to the water pipe 4 for evaporative heat dissipation. A gas drying module 9 is located inside the bottom one-way breathable membrane 62 for drying the gas. A humidity sensor 10 is installed inside the gas drying module 9 and is connected to the control system 1 via a wireless transmission module 2 to detect the humidity of the gas. One end of the smooth guide rod 12 is fixedly connected to the control system 1 on the top of the housing 5 and its movement is controlled by the control system 1. The other end is fixedly connected to a miniature fan 11. The smooth guide rod 12 can extend and retract to drive the miniature fan 11 to move up and down. The miniature fan 11 is used to accelerate the drying of the gas.

[0020] Specifically, a one-way breathable membrane 6 is a special structural material that allows gas or liquid to pass through in only one direction, while exhibiting barrier properties in the other. The principle of one-way breathable membranes can be designed based on various physical mechanisms, including but not limited to microporous structures, surface tension and wettability, material hierarchical structure, and differential pressure excitation. Taking the microporous structure principle as an example, the one-way breathable material has tiny pores, the size and distribution of which can be precisely controlled by the control system 1. Gas or liquid can pass through these micropores from the high-pressure side to the low-pressure side, while when pressure is applied from the other side, the material does not allow it to pass through due to the special structural arrangement of the pores. The development and optimization of one-way breathable materials can be customized according to the usage environment and performance requirements.

[0021] The smooth guide rod 12 is used to ensure that objects moving along the guide rod can move smoothly and accurately. It includes, but is not limited to, linear guides, ball screws, linear guides, etc. Its moving speed and other parameters are determined by the value of the ambient temperature sensor 7 and adjusted by the control system 1.

[0022] The gas drying module 9 is a module used to remove moisture from the gas, including but not limited to adsorption dryers, absorption dryers, membrane dryers, etc. Taking the membrane dryer as an example, it mainly uses a drying membrane material with selective air permeability. This membrane can be porous or non-porous. Since the molecular size or diffusion rate of water vapor is different from that of other gas molecules, the drying membrane material can effectively separate and remove water vapor. The pore size and opening angle of the drying membrane surface can be precisely controlled by the control system 1.

[0023] The present invention provides a control method for a dexterous robotic arm intelligent cooling system, comprising the following steps: Step 1: The high-temperature air inside the dexterous robotic arm first passes through the one-way breathable material 61 on the side of the cylindrical cooling system, meaning that the gas can only enter from the side and cannot be discharged from the side. Step 2: The temperature sensor 7 installed on the side of the cylindrical cooling system immediately obtains the air temperature value T, and the wireless transmission module 2 uploads the air temperature value T to the control system 1. Step 3: When the air temperature T is higher than the instrument's preset safe temperature Ts, the control system 1 will automatically adjust the pore size of the one-way breathable material 6; that is, when the internal temperature of the manipulator is high, the pores on the one-way breathable material are larger, and more air can pass through per unit area per unit time; conversely, when the internal temperature of the manipulator is low, the pores on the one-way breathable material are smaller, and relatively less air can pass through per unit area per unit time.

[0024] Step 4: According to the value of the difference ΔT between the air temperature T and the safe temperature Ts, linearly adjust the air permeability rate of the lateral one-way air-permeable material 61 to a suitable range, thereby ensuring that air with different volume requirements can smoothly pass through the lateral one-way air-permeable material 6 and enter the cooling system; Step 5: The micro water pump 3 delivers the stored water to the evaporative cooling curtain 8 through the water pipe 4, and the micro fan 11 starts to work to ensure that the evaporative cooling curtain 8 is uniformly wetted as much as possible; Step 6: After the evaporative cooling curtain 8 is uniformly wetted, according to the value of the difference ΔT between the air temperature T and the safe temperature Ts, the system automatically adjusts the speed of the micro fan 11 to ensure that more air passes through the evaporative cooling curtain 8; when the ambient temperature is relatively high, the speed of the micro fan is higher, that is, the gas will quickly pass through the wet evaporative cooling curtain at this time, and when the ambient temperature is relatively low, the speed of the micro fan is also lower, and the gas will pass through the wet evaporative cooling curtain at a slower speed at this time.

[0025] Step 7: The micro fan 11 can perform up-down and rotational movements on the smooth guide rod 12, parameters such as its movement speed are determined by the value of the ambient temperature sensor 7 and adjusted by the control system 1, so as to ensure that the air passing through the evaporative cooling curtain 8 is rapidly and uniformly cooled as much as possible, thereby accelerating the cooling process of the entire system; Step 8: At this time, the temperature of the air passing through the lateral one-way air-permeable material 61 and the wet evaporative cooling curtain 8 is appropriately lowered. Since the gas passing through the lateral one-way air-permeable material 61 can only enter from the side and cannot be discharged from the side, the air inside the cooling system can only be discharged through the bottom one-way air-permeable material 62, that is, the gas is discharged from the bottom surface; Step 9: When the gas passes through the bottom surface, the current air humidity information is recorded in real time by the humidity sensor 10 on the surface of the bottom surface, and the air humidity value RH at this time is uploaded to the control system 1 by the wireless transmission module 2; Step 10: When the air humidity value RH is higher than the preset safe humidity RHs of the instrument, the control system 1 automatically adjusts the porosity of the gas drying module 9 on the bottom surface; Step 11: According to the value of the difference ΔRH between the air humidity RH and the safe humidity RHs, linearly adjust the drying capacity of the bottom gas drying module 9 to a suitable range, so as to ensure that air with appropriate humidity is discharged out of the cooling system after passing through the bottom one-way air-permeable material 6; Step 12: Repeat the above steps until both the air temperature and humidity reach the safe range, that is, the air temperature T<Ts and the air humidity RH<RHs.

[0026] It is understood that the present invention has been described through some embodiments, and those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes or equivalent substitutions can be made to these features and embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, under the teachings of the present invention, these features and embodiments can be modified to adapt to specific situations and materials without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims of this application are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A smart cooling system for a dexterous robotic hand, installed inside the palm of the dexterous robotic hand, near the wrist joint, characterized in that... The system includes a control system (1), a wireless transmission module (2), a housing (5), a one-way breathable membrane (6), a temperature sensor (7), and a cooling device. The housing (5) is cylindrical, with breathable sidewalls and bottom. The control system (1) and the wireless transmission module (2) are installed on the top of the housing (5). The cooling device is installed inside the housing (5) and electrically connected to the control system (1). The one-way breathable membrane (6) is electrically connected to the control system (1). The one-way breathable membrane (6) includes a side one-way breathable membrane (61) and a bottom one-way breathable membrane (62). The side one-way breathable membrane (61) covers the outer side surface of the housing (5), allowing gas to flow unidirectionally from the outside to the inside. The bottom one-way breathable membrane (62) covers the outer bottom surface of the housing (5), allowing gas to flow unidirectionally from the inside to the outside. The temperature sensor (7) is located on the side of the housing (5) and is connected to the control system (1) via the wireless transmission module (2) to detect the temperature of the gas passing through the one-way breathable membrane (6). The cooling device includes a micro water pump (3), a water pipe (4) and an evaporative cooling curtain (8). The micro water pump (3) is installed in the control system (1) and electrically connected to the control system (1). The water pipe (4) is connected to the micro water pump (3) and extends to the side of the outer shell (5). The evaporative cooling curtain (8) is set inside the side one-way breathable membrane (61) and connected to the water pipe (4) for evaporative heat dissipation. The cooling device also includes a micro fan (11), which is set inside the outer shell (5) for accelerating the drying of the gas. The system also includes a gas drying module (9), which is set inside the bottom one-way breathable membrane (62) for drying the gas. The one-way breathable membrane (6) has tiny pores on its surface. The size and distribution of the pores are precisely controlled by the control system (1). The size and opening angle of the pores on the surface of the gas drying module (9) are controlled by the control system (1).

2. The intelligent cooling system for a dexterous robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, Includes a smooth guide rod (12), one end of which is fixedly connected to the control system (1) at the top of the outer shell (5) and its movement is controlled by the control system (1), and the other end is fixedly connected to a micro fan (11). The smooth guide rod (12) extends and retracts to drive the micro fan (11) to move up and down.

3. The intelligent cooling system for a dexterous robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, Includes a humidity sensor (10), which is located inside the gas drying module (9) and connected to the control system (1) via a wireless transmission module (2) to detect the humidity of the gas.

4. The intelligent cooling system for a dexterous robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that, The smooth guide rod (12) is a linear slide rail, a ball screw or a linear guide rail. The moving speed of the smooth guide rod (12) is determined by the value of the temperature sensor (7) and adjusted by the control system (1).

5. A control method for the intelligent cooling system of a dexterous robotic arm as described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: The high-temperature air inside the dexterous robotic arm first passes through the one-way breathable material on the side of the cylindrical cooling system, meaning that the gas can only enter from the side and cannot exit from the side. Step 2: The temperature sensor (7) installed on the side of the cylindrical cooling system immediately acquires the air temperature value T, and the wireless transmission module (2) uploads the current air temperature value T to the control system (1); Step 3: When the air temperature value T is higher than the preset safe temperature Ts of the instrument, the control system (1) automatically adjusts the pore size of the unidirectional air-permeable material; Step 4: According to the value of the difference ΔT between the air temperature T and the safe temperature Ts, the air permeability rate of the side unidirectional air-permeable material is linearly adjusted to a suitable range, so as to ensure that air with different volume requirements can smoothly pass through the side unidirectional air-permeable material and enter the cooling system; Step 5: The micro water pump (3) delivers the stored water to the evaporative cooling curtain (8) through the water pipe (4), and the micro fan (11) starts to operate to ensure that the evaporative cooling curtain (8) is uniformly wetted as much as possible; Step 6: After the evaporative cooling curtain (8) is uniformly wetted, according to the value of the difference ΔT between the air temperature T and the safe temperature Ts, the system automatically adjusts the speed of the micro fan (11) to ensure that more air passes through the evaporative cooling curtain (8); Step 7: The micro fan (11) performs up-down and rotational movements on the smooth guide rod (12), and parameters such as its moving speed are determined by the value of the ambient temperature sensor (7) and adjusted by the control system (1), so as to ensure that the air passing through the evaporative cooling curtain (8) is cooled rapidly and uniformly; Step 8: At this time, the temperature of the air passing through the side unidirectional air-permeable material and the wetted evaporative cooling curtain (8) is appropriately lowered. Since the gas passing through the side unidirectional air-permeable material can only enter from the side and cannot be discharged from the side, the air inside the cooling system can only be discharged through the bottom unidirectional air-permeable material, that is, the gas is discharged from the bottom surface; Step 9: When the gas passes through the bottom surface, the current air humidity information is recorded in real time by the humidity sensor (10) on the bottom surface, and the wireless transmission module (2) uploads the current air humidity value RH to the control system (1); Step 10: When the air humidity value RH is higher than the preset safe humidity RHs of the instrument, the control system (1) automatically adjusts the porosity of the gas drying module (9) on the bottom surface; Step 11: According to the value of the difference ΔRH between the air humidity RH and the safe humidity RHs, the drying capacity of the bottom gas drying module (9) is linearly adjusted to a suitable range, so as to ensure that air with appropriate humidity is discharged out of the cooling system after passing through the bottom unidirectional air-permeable material; Step 12: Repeat steps 1 to 11 until both the air temperature and humidity reach the safe range, that is, the air temperature T<Ts and the air humidity RH<RHs.

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