Wind turbine inspection route planning method, system, equipment and medium based on drone

Abstract

The present application proposes a method, system, equipment and medium for planning wind turbine inspection routes based on drones, and relates to the field of drone inspection technology. The method includes: when the target wind turbine is shut down and locked, control the drone to fly to a preset position directly in front of its hub. Subsequently, the drone is controlled to use a laser ranging device to mark the center of the wind turbine hub and the tip of the blade, and record the coordinate information. This information needs to be checked by preset verification rules, and if it fails, it is re-marked. Once the verification is passed, the inspection route will be planned according to the coordinate information and the drone's own status. Each waypoint clearly specifies the coordinates, drone yaw angle and gimbal angle to ensure the accuracy and efficiency of the inspection. This solution combines precise positioning with intelligent planning, which can improve the inspection efficiency of drones on wind turbines and the standardization of the generated routes, and can meet the needs of automatic generation of inspection routes at any posture angle of the wind turbine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of drone inspection technology, and more specifically, to a method, system, equipment and medium for planning a wind turbine inspection route based on a drone. Background Art

[0002] Traditional wind turbine inspection methods usually require manual climbing of wind turbines, which is not only inefficient but also poses safety hazards. With the development of drone technology, drone inspections provide a new efficient and safe method. However, existing drone inspection methods are mainly achieved by inspectors operating drones to collect waypoints and finally generate inspection routes or directly conduct manual inspections. Since the rotation angle of the fan blades and the direction of the fan fan are variable, the angle state of the fan is inconsistent each time it is shut down, which results in the need to collect the route of the fan in its current state for each inspection, which makes the inspection inefficient and the generated route substandard. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a method, system, equipment and medium for planning wind turbine inspection routes based on drones, which can improve the inspection efficiency of drones on wind turbines and the standardization of the generated routes, and can meet the needs of automatic generation of inspection routes at any posture angle of the wind turbine.

[0004] This application is implemented as follows:

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a wind turbine inspection route planning method based on a drone, comprising the following steps:

[0006] When the target wind turbine is shut down and locked, control the drone to fly to a preset position directly in front of the central hub of the target wind turbine. At the preset position, use the laser ranging equipment carried by the drone to mark the hub center of the target wind turbine and the tip of each wind turbine blade to obtain the coordinate information of the hub center and the tips of multiple wind turbine blades. Verify the coordinate information of the hub center and multiple wind turbine blades according to the preset verification rules. If the verification fails, use the laser ranging equipment carried by the drone again to mark the hub center of the target wind turbine and the tip of each wind turbine blade; if the verification passes, proceed to the next step. According to the coordinate information of the hub center and the tips of multiple wind turbine blades after verification, the current coordinate information of the drone and the yaw angle, plan the route for the drone to inspect the target wind turbine; each waypoint in the route includes the waypoint coordinates, the drone yaw angle and the gimbal angle.

[0007] Further, based on the aforementioned scheme, the preset verification rules include: verifying whether the pairwise distances between points corresponding to multiple coordinate information are within a first preset range, if not, the verification fails, otherwise proceeding to the next step; determining the coordinate information corresponding to the hub center point according to the height value in each coordinate information, and verifying whether the distance between the hub center and the tip of each wind turbine blade is within a second preset range.

[0008] Further, based on the above scheme, the routes of the drone for inspecting the target wind turbine include a first route for inspecting wind turbine blades, a second route for inspecting the cabin, and a third route for inspecting the tower.

[0009] Further, based on the above scheme, the first route includes a front route and a side route, and the generation process of the first route includes: according to the coordinate information of the hub center and the blade tips of multiple wind turbine blades after verification, a front route for inspecting wind turbine blades consisting of multiple inspection key points from the hub center to the blade tips of the wind turbine blades is obtained; at any inspection key point, the steering behavior of the drone and the camera video acquisition switch behavior must be controlled. According to the yaw angle of the drone at the preset position and the preset translation distance, the front route is translated to obtain the corresponding side route.

[0010] Further, based on the aforementioned scheme, the translation operation includes up and down translation or left and right translation, and the selection basis of the translation operation includes: if the height difference is less than or equal to the horizontal distance value, up and down translation is performed, otherwise, left and right translation is performed; wherein, the height difference is the difference in height between the center of the hub and the tip of the fan blade, and the horizontal distance value is the difference in level between the center of the hub and the tip of the fan blade.

[0011] Further, based on the aforementioned scheme, the second route includes a first waypoint, a second waypoint and a third waypoint; the first waypoint is a point reached by taking the UAV at a preset position as a reference point, controlling the UAV to rise a preset safety distance, move forward a preset distance, and then descend a preset safety distance; the second waypoint and the third waypoint are waypoints obtained after the first waypoint is translated left and right.

[0012] Further, based on the aforementioned scheme, the third route is a straight line starting from the first waypoint and terminating at a point with a preset height value translated downward; the preset height value is N times the length of the wind turbine blade, N≥1.

[0013] In the second aspect, the present application provides a wind turbine inspection route planning system based on a drone, which includes: a control module, which is used to control the drone to fly to a preset position directly in front of the central hub of the target wind turbine when the target wind turbine is shut down and locked. A dot module, which is used to use the laser ranging device carried by the drone to dot the hub center of the target wind turbine and the tip of each wind turbine blade at the preset position to obtain the coordinate information of the hub center and the tips of multiple wind turbine blades. A verification module, which is used to verify the coordinate information of the hub center and multiple wind turbine blades according to the preset verification rules. If the verification fails, the laser ranging device carried by the drone is used again to dot the hub center of the target wind turbine and the tip of each wind turbine blade; if the verification passes, the next step is entered. A planning module, which is used to plan the route of the drone inspection target wind turbine according to the coordinate information of the hub center and the tips of multiple wind turbine blades after the verification, the current coordinate information of the drone and the yaw angle; each waypoint in the route includes the waypoint coordinates, the drone yaw angle and the gimbal angle.

[0014] In a third aspect, the present application provides an electronic device, comprising a memory for storing one or more programs; a processor; when the one or more programs are executed by the processor, a method as described in any one of the first aspects is implemented.

[0015] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements a method as described in any one of the above-mentioned first aspects.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0017] This application proposes a wind turbine inspection route planning method based on drones, which plans the route of the drone inspection target wind turbine according to the coordinate information after verification, the current coordinate information of the drone, and the yaw angle, and can intelligently plan the route of the drone inspection target wind turbine. This route planning method not only takes into account the current position and attitude of the drone, but also takes into account the specific structure and characteristics of the target wind turbine, thereby ensuring that the drone can inspect along the optimal path. In short, it can not only greatly improve the inspection efficiency of drones on wind turbines, but also is more standardized than manual inspections, and the materials collected during inspections are also more standardized, which is conducive to improving the effect of AI defect recognition, and can realize the automatic generation of inspection routes at any attitude angle of the wind turbine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a flow chart of an embodiment of a method for planning a wind turbine inspection route based on a drone in the present application;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an up and down translation operation in an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a left-right translation operation in an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a front view of the OA waypoint in one embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a side view of the OA waypoint in one embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a top view of the OA waypoint in one embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a structural block diagram of an embodiment of a wind turbine inspection route planning system based on a drone in the present application;

[0026] Figure 8 A structural block diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0027] Icons: 101, control module; 102, dot module; 103, verification module; 104, planning module; 201, processor; 202, memory; 203, communication interface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present application described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0029] In conjunction with the accompanying drawings, some embodiments of the present application are described in detail below. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0030] Example 1

[0031] See also Figure 1 The wind turbine inspection route planning method based on UAV includes the following steps:

[0032] Step S101: When the target wind turbine is shut down and locked, the UAV is controlled to fly to a preset position directly in front of the central hub of the target wind turbine.

[0033] In the operation and management of wind farms, regular inspections of wind turbines are an important part of ensuring the stable operation of wind turbines and preventing potential failures. With its high efficiency and precision, drone technology has become the preferred tool for inspection tasks. When it is detected that the target wind turbine is shut down and locked due to maintenance or failure, the drone inspection route planning system will be activated, and the drone will first be controlled to fly to the front of the center hub of the target wind turbine. This preset position is carefully selected (generally the distance is 20m-30m directly in front of the center hub of the target wind turbine) to ensure that the drone can observe and mark the wind turbine from the best angle. The drone follows the preset route, using the built-in navigation system and sensors to accurately reach this position, making full preparations for subsequent inspections.

[0034] Step S102: At the preset position, the hub center of the target wind turbine and the tip of each wind turbine blade are dotted and marked using a laser ranging device carried by the drone to obtain coordinate information of the hub center and the tips of multiple wind turbine blades.

[0035] Once the drone reaches the preset location, it will use the laser rangefinder on board to start marking the target wind turbine. This step is extremely important for subsequent route planning, because the accuracy and detail of the marking will directly affect the accuracy of subsequent route planning. The laser rangefinder can accurately measure the center of the wind turbine hub and the position of the tip of each wind turbine blade, and convert this position information into coordinate data. This data will form an important basis for wind turbine inspection route planning.

[0036] Step S103: Verify the coordinate information of the hub center and multiple wind turbine blades according to preset verification rules. If the verification fails, use the laser ranging equipment carried by the drone to mark the hub center of the target wind turbine and the tip of each wind turbine blade; if the verification passes, proceed to the next step.

[0037] After completing the dot marking, the acquired coordinate information needs to be verified. This is to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data and avoid interference with subsequent work caused by erroneous data due to measurement errors or equipment failures. According to the preset verification rules, the coordinate information of the hub center and multiple wind turbine blades are compared and verified one by one. If the verification fails, it means that there is a problem with the data, and the process of re-dot marking needs to be automatically triggered until the data meets the verification requirements.

[0038] Step S104: Plan the route of the UAV for inspecting the target wind turbine based on the coordinate information of the hub center and the blade tips of multiple wind turbine blades after verification, the current coordinate information of the UAV, and the yaw angle; each waypoint in the route includes the waypoint coordinates, the UAV yaw angle, and the gimbal angle.

[0039] When the coordinate information is verified, the drone inspection route planning system will enter the next step. Based on the verified coordinate information, the drone's current coordinate information and the yaw angle, the system will begin to plan the drone's route for inspecting the target wind turbine. This route planning process needs to consider multiple factors, including the structural characteristics of the wind turbine, the specific requirements of the inspection task, and the flight performance of the drone. Through carefully designed algorithms and calculation models, the system can plan an inspection route that is both efficient and safe. In the planned route, each waypoint contains rich information. The waypoint coordinates indicate the specific location that the drone needs to reach during the inspection process; the drone's yaw angle guides the drone's direction adjustment during flight; and the gimbal angle ensures that the drone's camera can capture the best picture effect. Through the comprehensive application of this information, the drone can inspect the target wind turbine in a comprehensive and detailed manner according to the planned route to ensure that the wind turbine can operate continuously and stably.

[0040] Based on the aforementioned scheme, in one implementation of the present application, the preset verification rules include: verifying whether the pairwise distances between points corresponding to multiple coordinate information are within a first preset range, if not, the verification fails, otherwise proceeding to the next step; determining the coordinate information corresponding to the hub center point based on the height value in each coordinate information, and verifying whether the distance between the hub center and the tip of each wind turbine blade is within a second preset range.

[0041] In the wind turbine inspection mission of the wind farm, the coordinate information collected by the drone is verified to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the inspection data. When the drone flies to the preset position in front of the central hub of the target wind turbine and uses the laser ranging equipment to mark the center of the wind turbine hub and the tip of each blade, the coordinate information needs to be checked in detail according to a series of preset verification rules.

[0042] First, it is necessary to verify the pairwise distances between points corresponding to multiple coordinate information. This is to ensure that the distances between the collected coordinate points are reasonable and that there are no abnormal values ​​due to measurement errors or equipment failures. A first preset range can be set according to the actual size and structural characteristics of the fan, that is, the normal distance range between the various components of the fan. If the distance between any two coordinate points exceeds this range, the verification will be judged as failed and the points will be marked again. If the pairwise distances of all points are within the first preset range, the verification passes and proceeds to the next step.

[0043] Next, it is necessary to determine the coordinate information corresponding to the hub center point based on the height values ​​in each coordinate information. Since the center of the fan hub is the reference point of the entire fan, its height value is usually relatively stable and can be identified by the relative height difference with other points. Once the coordinate information of the hub center point is determined, the distance between the hub center and the tip of each fan blade can be further verified. This distance also needs to conform to the actual structural characteristics of the fan, so a second preset range can be set, that is, the normal distance range between the hub center and the blade tip. If the distance between the hub center and any blade tip exceeds this range, the verification will be judged as failed and the dot marking will be performed again.

[0044] Through these two steps of verification, it can be ensured that the collected coordinate information conforms to the normal distance relationship between the various components of the wind turbine, as well as the normal distance relationship between the hub center and the blade tip. Only when all the verifications are passed, these coordinate information, the current coordinate information of the drone, and the yaw angle will be used to plan the route of the drone to inspect the target wind turbine. This verification process not only improves the accuracy of the inspection data, but also ensures that the drone can conduct a comprehensive and detailed inspection of the target wind turbine according to the planned route.

[0045] Based on the above scheme, in one implementation of the present application, the routes of the drone for inspecting the target wind turbine include a first route for inspecting wind turbine blades, a second route for inspecting the cabin, and a third route for inspecting the tower.

[0046] When the UAV flies to the preset position directly in front of the center hub of the target wind turbine and completes the dot marking and coordinate information verification, a route for inspecting different parts of the wind turbine can be planned based on the verified coordinate information, the UAV's current coordinate information and the yaw angle.

[0047] Among them, wind turbine blades are important components for wind turbines to capture wind energy and convert it into mechanical energy. The first route will be designed around the wind turbine blades to ensure that the drone can observe the surface conditions of the blades at close range and from multiple angles, such as cracks, wear, dirt, etc. According to the length and number of blades, the route will set a suitable flight altitude and path to ensure that the drone can cover all blades and capture clear images for subsequent analysis.

[0048] The cabin is the brain of the wind turbine, containing important components such as the control system and generator. The second route will guide the drone to fly above or to the side of the cabin to observe the external structure and components of the cabin. The drone can record the real-time status of the cabin by taking high-definition images or videos, such as whether there are abnormal noises, oil leaks, overheating, etc.

[0049] The tower is the structure that supports the wind turbine blades and the nacelle. Its stability and safety are directly related to the normal operation of the wind turbine. The third route will guide the drone to rise or fall along the tower to carefully inspect every part of the tower. The drone can take pictures of key parts such as the tower's welds and bolted joints to promptly detect potential hidden dangers such as rust and cracks.

[0050] When planning these routes, it is necessary to comprehensively consider the structural characteristics of the wind turbine, the specific requirements of the inspection task, and the flight performance of the drone. Through carefully designed algorithms and calculation models, an efficient and safe inspection route can be planned. At the same time, the route can be dynamically adjusted and optimized according to the real-time location and status information of the drone to ensure that the drone can inspect the target wind turbine comprehensively and carefully according to the planned route. This inspection method can not only improve the efficiency and quality of inspections, but also reduce inspection costs and risks.

[0051] Based on the above scheme, in one implementation of the present application, the first route includes a front route and a side route, and the generation process of the first route includes: according to the coordinate information of the hub center and the blade tips of multiple wind turbine blades after verification, a front route for inspecting wind turbine blades consisting of multiple inspection key points from the hub center to the blade tips of the wind turbine blades is obtained; at any inspection key point, the steering behavior of the drone and the camera video acquisition switch behavior must be controlled. According to the yaw angle of the drone at the preset position and the preset translation distance, the front route is translated to obtain the corresponding side route.

[0052] Based on the coordinate information of the hub center and the blade tips of multiple wind turbine blades after verification, the path from the hub center to the blade tip of each wind turbine blade is first calculated. These paths are usually composed of multiple inspection key points, each of which is a position that the drone needs to pay special attention to during the inspection process. Then, when planning the front route, the system will consider the flight capability, safety and shooting requirements of the drone. Ensure that the drone can fly stably along the planned path and perform necessary steering and camera operations at each inspection key point. At any inspection key point, the steering behavior of the drone will be controlled to ensure that the drone can observe the blade surface at the best angle. At the same time, the on-off behavior of the camera video acquisition will also be controlled to ensure that clear images or videos can be captured at key locations. In addition, the side route is generated based on the front route and is used to observe the wind turbine blades from a side angle. This helps to find problems that are difficult to detect from the front, such as cracks or dirt on the back of the blade. Specifically, the front route is translated according to the yaw angle of the drone at the preset position and the preset translation distance to obtain the side route. The choice of translation distance depends on the size of the wind turbine and the length of the blades to ensure that the side route can cover the side area of ​​the blades. During the translation process, the system will keep the relative positions of the key inspection points in the route unchanged, and just translate the entire route to the side position.

[0053] Through carefully planned frontal and side routes, drones can comprehensively and meticulously inspect all aspects of wind turbine blades. This can not only improve inspection efficiency and quality, but also reduce inspection costs and risks. At the same time, the use of drones also reduces the risk of personnel working at high altitudes and improves the safety and reliability of wind farms.

[0054] Based on the aforementioned scheme, in one implementation of the present application, the translation operation includes up and down translation or left and right translation, and the selection basis of the translation operation includes: if the height difference is less than or equal to the horizontal distance value, up and down translation is performed, otherwise, left and right translation is performed; wherein, the height difference is the difference in height between the center of the hub and the tip of the fan blade, and the horizontal distance value is the difference in level between the center of the hub and the tip of the fan blade.

[0055] The translation operation includes up and down translation and left and right translation. The translation mode selected depends on the height difference and horizontal distance between the hub center and the specific fan blade tip. The height difference is the difference between the hub center and the fan blade tip in the vertical direction (height), which represents the vertical distance from the hub center to the blade tip. The horizontal distance is the distance between the hub center and the fan blade tip in the horizontal direction, which represents the horizontal projection distance from the hub center to the blade tip.

[0056] If the height difference is less than or equal to the horizontal distance, it means that the distance from the hub center to the blade tip is relatively short from a vertical perspective, or is close to the distance in the horizontal direction. In this case, in order to maintain the stability and safety of the drone during the inspection, choose to translate up and down. In this way, the drone can observe the blade from a side angle while maintaining a height close to the blade tip. If the height difference is greater than the horizontal distance, it means that the distance from the hub center to the blade tip is relatively long from a vertical perspective. In this case, up and down translation may cause the drone to face large height changes during the inspection, increasing the difficulty and risk of flight. Therefore, choose to translate left and right. In this way, the drone can observe the blade from a side angle while maintaining a relatively stable flight altitude.

[0057] Based on the above scheme, in one implementation of the present application, the second route includes a first waypoint, a second waypoint and a third waypoint; the first waypoint is a point reached after the drone is controlled to rise a preset safety distance, move forward a preset distance, and then descend a preset safety distance with the drone at a preset position as a reference point; the second waypoint and the third waypoint are waypoints obtained after the first waypoint is translated left and right. Through such route planning, the drone can comprehensively and carefully inspect the cabin part of the wind turbine, obtain images and data of the cabin from different angles, and provide important reference information for subsequent maintenance and inspection. At the same time, through the preset safety distance and forward distance, the drone can efficiently complete the task while ensuring safety.

[0058] Specifically, it is based on the drone's preset position as the reference point, and controls the drone to rise a preset safety distance. This distance is usually determined according to the size of the wind turbine and the height of the cabin to ensure that the drone can safely avoid the cabin and other possible obstacles. Then, the drone moves forward a preset distance in the direction of the wind turbine cabin while maintaining this height. This preset distance also takes into account the size of the wind turbine cabin and the field of view of the drone camera. After the drone moves to the predetermined position, it descends a preset safety distance to observe the cabin details at a closer distance, but still maintains a safe height. Finally, the drone will stay here (at the first waypoint) to inspect the cabin. The second and third waypoints are obtained by left and right translation based on the first waypoint, in order to obtain more observation angles and image data from the left and right sides of the cabin. The translation distance is usually determined according to the size of the wind turbine, the width of the cabin, and the field of view of the drone camera. The translation operation must ensure that the drone can obtain clear cabin images on both sides, while avoiding collisions with the wind turbine or other obstacles. During the translation process, the drone will maintain the same altitude as the first waypoint to ensure the continuity and accuracy of observation.

[0059] Based on the aforementioned scheme, in one implementation of the present application, the third route is a straight line starting from the first waypoint and ending at a point with a preset height value translated downward; the preset height value is N times the length of the wind turbine blade, N≥1.

[0060] The end point of the third route is obtained from the first waypoint by translating downward a preset height value. This preset height value is calculated based on the length of the wind turbine blades, specifically N times the length of the wind turbine blades (N≥1). This design is to ensure that the drone can descend to a low enough altitude to clearly photograph and inspect the bottom and surrounding areas of the wind turbine tower. The selection of the preset height value requires comprehensive consideration of multiple factors, including the length of the wind turbine blades, the flight performance of the drone, shooting requirements, and safety factors. Generally speaking, in order to obtain better shooting effects and a more comprehensive inspection range, the value of N can be slightly larger (generally 1.3), but it is also necessary to ensure that the drone will not collide with the wind turbine blades or tower and the ground during the descent.

[0061] It should be noted that when planning the third route, it is necessary to ensure that the drone can maintain a stable flight state during the descent process and be ready to respond to possible emergencies (such as sudden changes in wind force, obstacles, etc.). And when selecting the value of N, it is necessary to conduct sufficient testing and verification to ensure that the drone will not collide with the wind turbine blades or tower and the ground during the descent process, and to obtain satisfactory shooting effects and inspection range. In addition, during the actual inspection process, the third route can be fine-tuned or optimized as needed to adapt to different wind turbine models, environments and mission requirements.

[0062] In order to enable those skilled in the art to understand the present application more intuitively, a specific example will be used here to illustrate.

[0063] Since the fan blade rotation angle and the direction of the fan fan are changing, the angle state of the fan is inconsistent each time it stops, which results in the need to collect the route of the fan in the current state for each inspection, which will make the inspection inefficient and the generated route substandard. To this end, this application adopts a new idea to carry out inspection work. First, a laser ranging device is used on a drone to mark the hub center of the fan and the blade tips of the three fan blades (the number of blades of the fan in this example is 3) with laser dots (laser ranging will obtain the latitude and longitude altitude of the target point and the yaw angle of the drone at this time), and obtain the coordinate information of the four points (the hub center and the blade tips of the three fan blades). Among them, when the hub is dotted, the drone head needs to face the fan to obtain the direction of the fan fan. Because the direction of the fan shutdown is different from the rotation angle of the fan blades each time, the dot marking needs to be performed before each inspection, and the dot marking distance is about 20m-30m (the dot marking distance depends on the situation, just hit it accurately).

[0064] After obtaining the coordinate information of the four points (OABC is used to represent these four points, where point O is the center point of the hub, and points A, B, and C represent the tips of the three wind turbine blades respectively), it is necessary to determine whether the coordinates of the four points meet the requirements for route generation. The judgment rules include:

[0065] 1) Before making the judgment, convert the latitude and longitude coordinates of the four points into Mercator projection coordinates (unit: m) for easy use in subsequent calculations.

[0066] 2) Determine whether the distance between each point is within the preset range.

[0067] 3) Determine the hub center point: first obtain the heights of the four points and arrange them in order of size, then the two middle points may be the hub center points; then calculate the distances between these two points and the other three points and take the corresponding maximum values ​​to obtain the values ​​max1 and max2; then compare the values ​​max1 and max2, if max1 is less than max2, then the point corresponding to max1 is the hub center point (point O). It should be noted that if the number of wind turbine blades is an even number, then the number after adding the hub center is an odd number, in which case the point corresponding to the median can be directly determined as the hub center point (point O).

[0068] 4) Calculate the distances between the hub center point (point O) and the other three points, and obtain distance values ​​d1, d2, and d3 respectively. The differences between the three distance values ​​are within the preset range.

[0069] If the above verification is passed, the route will be generated. The generation parameters include the coordinates of the four points, the yaw angle of the drone at point O, as well as the shooting distance (the distance from the lens to the target), gimbal resources, shooting spacing (the distance between adjacent waypoints), shooting focal length and other customizable parameters.

[0070] The steps to generate a waypoint algorithm include:

[0071] 1. The steps for generating waypoints for inspecting wind turbine blades include (taking the wind turbine blade where the line connecting the two points OA is located as an example, the waypoints are distributed on the front and two sides of the line connecting the two points OA):

[0072] (1) According to the shooting distance and the distance between the two points OA, the two points OA are taken as the starting point and the end point respectively, and the points are split into n points. These n points together constitute the route line1 corresponding to the surface. Among them, n is determined by the shooting distance and the distance between the two points OA, and the calculation formula is: n = distance between the two points OA / shooting distance (rounded). For example, assume that the line between the two points OA is inclined, and the coordinates of the two points OA are (0,0,10) and (10,20,20) respectively. Then it can be calculated that the distance between the two points OA is approximately 25. If the shooting distance is 5 at this time, then the composition of the route line1 should include the waypoints [(0,0,10), (2,4,12), (4,8,14), (6,12,16), (8,16,18), (10,20,20)].

[0073] (2) Take the yaw angle heading+180° of point O as the front translation angle (denoted as translationAngle), take the shooting distance as the translation distance (denoted as distance), translate the route line1 to obtain the route lineFrontA composed of all the waypoints on the front of the line connecting the two points OA. At this time, the gimbal angle is 0° and the yaw angle is heading. (It should be noted that this yaw angle heading represents the yaw angle of the drone when the drone hits the center point of the hub when marking the dot. Here, it will constrain the inspection personnel to face the fan of the wind turbine when marking the coordinate information of the center point of the hub. At this time, the yaw angle heading of the drone is facing the direction of the wind turbine, and the direction of the fan of the wind turbine is actually heading+180°. The route lineFrontA is actually the route obtained by translating the route line1 to the direction facing the fan of the wind turbine by the translation distance corresponding to the distance). The waypoint translation formula is as follows:

[0074] x Direction Translation

[0075] y Direction Translation

[0076] in, θ It is heading+180°. dx and dy They are x Direction and y The translation distance value of the direction. Assume that the three-dimensional coordinates of the waypoint are ( x , y , z ), since the translation from line1 to lineFrontA does not involve a change in altitude, all waypoints on line1 can be moved along thex and y By translating the direction, you can get the translated route lineFrontA.

[0077] (3) Calculate the height difference (denoted as a) and the horizontal distance difference (denoted as b) between the two points OA. If a≤b, perform an up-down translation, otherwise perform a left-right translation (using a sideways shooting method to ensure the safety of the drone's navigation). Here, the order of route lineFrontA, route lineSide1A, and route lineSide2A in subsequent execution is that the drone first flies route lineFrontA, and then flies the other two routes after completing route lineFrontA.

[0078] 1) Up and down translation: Figure 2 As shown in the figure, based on the route lineFrontA, the translation distance corresponding to the translation distance is translated upward to obtain the route lineSide1A. At this time, the gimbal angle pitch is set to -45° and the yaw angle is heading. Based on the route lineFrontA, the translation distance corresponding to the translation distance is translated downward to obtain the route lineSide2A. At this time, the gimbal angle pitch is set to 45° and the yaw angle is heading.

[0079] 2) Left and right translation: Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the yaw angle heading+90° is used as the translation angle, and the translation distance corresponding to the translation distance is obtained to obtain the route lineSide1A. At this time, the gimbal angle is 0° and the yaw angle is heading+45°. The yaw angle heading-90° is used as the translation angle, and the translation distance corresponding to the translation distance is obtained to obtain the route lineSide2A. At this time, the gimbal angle is 0° and the yaw angle is heading-45°.

[0080] 3) Let the three-dimensional coordinates of the tip of the fan blade be (x1, y1, z1) and the three-dimensional coordinates of the hub center point be (x, y, z). The left / right / up / down translation calculation formula includes:

[0081] Compute the 2D distance:

[0082] Calculate the difference on the Z axis: |z1-z|=|z1|-|z|

[0083] Up and down translation condition: |z1-z|≤d 2D

[0084] Left and right translation condition: |z1-z|>d 2D

[0085] It should be noted that the two-dimensional distance value d 2D In fact, it is the length of the blade projected to the ground, and the difference on the Z axis |z1-z| is the height difference from the center point of the hub to the tip of the fan blade.

[0086] (4) Arrange all the waypoints on route lineSide1 in reverse order to ensure that the route is the shortest path. The three views of the waypoints on the line connecting the two points OA are as follows: Figure 4-6 shown.

[0087] (5) The routes and waypoints on the line connecting two points OB and OC are obtained in the same way.

[0088] 2. Steps for generating waypoints for inspecting the nacelle and tower:

[0089] (1) Cabin

[0090] Taking the first point of lineFrontA (the closest waypoint to point O) as the reference, ascend 100m (preset safety distance), advance the preset distance in the direction corresponding to the yaw angle heading, and then descend 100m. Set the coordinate point at this time as D. At this time, the gimbal angle is 0°, and the yaw angle is heading+180° (cabin waypoint 1, the first waypoint); the translation distance value corresponding to the translation distance in the heading+90° direction, at this time the gimbal angle is 0°, and the yaw angle is heading-45° (cabin waypoint 2, the second waypoint); the translation distance value corresponding to the translation distance in the heading-90° direction, at this time the gimbal angle is 0°, and the yaw angle is heading+45° (cabin waypoint 3, the third waypoint). It should be noted that the cabin is located behind point O, and only three positions of the back need to be photographed (one front and back, and two sides of the back).

[0091] (2) Tower section

[0092] The steps for constructing the waypoint on the back of the tower include: starting from point D, adjusting the altitude, and taking the point whose altitude and longitude after altitude adjustment are consistent with point D as the end point to obtain the route towerLine1. At this time, the gimbal angle is 0° and the yaw angle is heading+180°. The calculation formula for altitude adjustment is: the altitude of the end point = the altitude of point D-(blade length OA×1.3). It should be noted that the reason why the tower height is not used here but the blade length OA×1.3 is used is out of consideration for the risk of the drone colliding with obstacles (such as trees / buildings, etc.).

[0093] The steps for constructing the tower front waypoint (in front of the tower) include: taking the first point of the route lineFrontA as the starting point, adjusting the altitude, and taking the point whose altitude and longitude after the altitude adjustment are consistent with point D as the end point to obtain the route towerLine2. At this time, the gimbal angle is 0° and the yaw angle is heading. The calculation formula for the altitude adjustment is also: the altitude of the end point = the height of point D - (blade length OA×1.3).

[0094] 3. Finally, arrange the waypoints in all the above routes in order, and use the gimbal angle and yaw angle as parameters to generate a standardized route file.

[0095] In short, through the above process, the efficiency of drone inspection of wind turbines can be greatly improved, and it is more standardized than manual inspection. The materials collected during the inspection are also more standardized, which is conducive to improving the effect of AI defect recognition and can realize the automatic generation of inspection routes at any posture angle of the wind turbine.

[0096] Example 2

[0097] See also Figure 7 The embodiment of the present application provides a wind turbine inspection route planning system based on a drone, which includes:

[0098] The control module 101 is used to control the drone to fly to a preset position directly in front of the central hub of the target wind turbine when the target wind turbine is shut down and locked. The dotting module 102 is used to use the laser ranging device carried by the drone to dot the hub center of the target wind turbine and the tip of each wind turbine blade at the preset position to obtain the coordinate information of the hub center and the tips of multiple wind turbine blades. The verification module 103 is used to verify the coordinate information of the hub center and multiple wind turbine blades according to the preset verification rules. If the verification fails, the laser ranging device carried by the drone is used again to dot the hub center of the target wind turbine and the tip of each wind turbine blade; if the verification passes, the next step is entered. The planning module 104 is used to plan the route of the drone to inspect the target wind turbine according to the coordinate information of the hub center and the tips of multiple wind turbine blades after the verification, the current coordinate information of the drone and the yaw angle; each waypoint in the route includes the waypoint coordinates, the drone yaw angle and the gimbal angle.

[0099] The information interaction process between the modules of the system includes: when the target wind turbine is shut down and locked, the control module 101 starts the drone and guides it to fly to the preset position just in front of the central hub of the target wind turbine, so as to ensure that the drone stably hovers at the preset position and provides a suitable working environment for the dotting module 102. Then, the dotting module 102 receives the instruction from the control module 101, and uses the laser ranging device carried by the drone to dot the hub center of the target wind turbine and the tip of each wind turbine blade. That is, the dotting module 102 collects and processes these dotting data, generates the coordinate information of the hub center and the blade tips of multiple wind turbine blades, and passes these coordinate information to the verification module 103. The verification module 103 will verify the coordinate information according to the preset verification rules (such as the rationality of the coordinates, the accuracy of the data, etc.). If the verification fails, send an instruction to the dotting module 102 to request re-dotting; if the verification passes, pass the verified coordinate information to the planning module 104. Finally, the planning module 104 receives the coordinate information after verification transmitted by the verification module 103, and obtains the current coordinate information and yaw angle of the drone. Then, the planning module 104 can use this information to plan the route of the drone to inspect the target wind turbine, ensuring that each waypoint contains accurate waypoint coordinates, drone yaw angle and gimbal angle. Then, the planned route information is transmitted to the control module 101 to perform subsequent inspection tasks.

[0100] For the specific implementation process of the above system, please refer to the wind turbine inspection route planning method based on drone provided in Example 1, which will not be repeated here.

[0101] Example 3

[0102] See also Figure 8 , the embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device, which includes at least one processor 201 and at least one memory 202; wherein the processor 201 and the memory 202 are directly connected to each other, or communicate with each other through a communication interface 203, or are electrically connected through one or more communication buses or signal lines to achieve data transmission or interaction; the memory 202 stores program instructions that can be executed by the processor 201, and the processor 201 calls the program instructions to execute a wind turbine inspection route planning method based on a drone. For example, the following is realized:

[0103] When the target wind turbine is shut down and locked, control the drone to fly to a preset position directly in front of the central hub of the target wind turbine. At the preset position, use the laser ranging equipment carried by the drone to mark the hub center of the target wind turbine and the tip of each wind turbine blade to obtain the coordinate information of the hub center and the tips of multiple wind turbine blades. Verify the coordinate information of the hub center and multiple wind turbine blades according to the preset verification rules. If the verification fails, use the laser ranging equipment carried by the drone again to mark the hub center of the target wind turbine and the tip of each wind turbine blade; if the verification passes, proceed to the next step. According to the coordinate information of the hub center and the tips of multiple wind turbine blades after verification, the current coordinate information of the drone and the yaw angle, plan the route for the drone to inspect the target wind turbine; each waypoint in the route includes the waypoint coordinates, the drone yaw angle and the gimbal angle.

[0104] Among them, the memory 202 can be, but is not limited to, a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc.

[0105] The processor 201 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capability. The processor 201 may be a general-purpose processor, including a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), etc.; it may also be a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components.

[0106] Understandably, Figure 8 The structure shown is for illustration only. The electronic device may also include Figure 8 More or fewer components as shown, or with Figure 8 Different configurations are shown. Figure 8Each component shown in the figure can be implemented by hardware, software or a combination thereof.

[0107] Example 4

[0108] The present application provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor 201, implements a method for planning a wind turbine inspection route based on a drone. For example, the following is implemented:

[0109] When the target wind turbine is shut down and locked, control the drone to fly to a preset position directly in front of the central hub of the target wind turbine. At the preset position, use the laser ranging equipment carried by the drone to mark the hub center of the target wind turbine and the tip of each wind turbine blade to obtain the coordinate information of the hub center and the tips of multiple wind turbine blades. Verify the coordinate information of the hub center and multiple wind turbine blades according to the preset verification rules. If the verification fails, use the laser ranging equipment carried by the drone again to mark the hub center of the target wind turbine and the tip of each wind turbine blade; if the verification passes, proceed to the next step. According to the coordinate information of the hub center and the tips of multiple wind turbine blades after verification, the current coordinate information of the drone and the yaw angle, plan the route for the drone to inspect the target wind turbine; each waypoint in the route includes the waypoint coordinates, the drone yaw angle and the gimbal angle.

[0110] If the above functions are implemented in the form of software function modules and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application can be essentially or partly embodied in the form of a software product that contributes to the prior art. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM, Read-Only Memory), random access memory (RAM, Random Access Memory), disk or optical disk, and other media that can store program codes.

[0111] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present application is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the present application can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential features of the present application. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered exemplary and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of the present application is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description, and it is intended that all changes falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims be included in the present application. Any reference numeral in a claim should not be considered as limiting the claim to which it relates.

Claims

1. A wind turbine inspection route planning method based on drone, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: When the target wind turbine is shut down and locked, the drone is controlled to fly to a preset position just in front of the central hub of the target wind turbine; At the preset position, the hub center of the target wind turbine and the tip of each wind turbine blade are marked by using the laser ranging device carried by the drone to obtain the coordinate information of the hub center and the tips of multiple wind turbine blades; The hub center and the coordinate information of multiple wind turbine blades are verified according to the preset verification rules. If the verification fails, the laser ranging equipment carried by the drone is used again to mark the hub center of the target wind turbine and the tip of each wind turbine blade; If the verification passes, proceed to the next step; According to the coordinate information of the hub center and the blade tips of multiple wind turbine blades after verification, the current coordinate information and yaw angle of the drone, the route of the drone for inspecting the target wind turbine is planned; each waypoint in the route includes the waypoint coordinates, the yaw angle of the drone and the gimbal angle; the route of the drone for inspecting the target wind turbine includes a first route for inspecting the wind turbine blades, a second route for inspecting the cabin, and a third route for inspecting the tower; The first route includes a front route and a side route, and the generation process of the first route includes: According to the coordinate information of the hub center and the blade tips of multiple wind turbine blades after verification, the front route of the wind turbine blade inspection consisting of multiple inspection key points from the hub center to the blade tips is obtained; at any inspection key point, the steering behavior of the drone and the camera video acquisition switch behavior need to be controlled; According to the yaw angle of the UAV at a preset position and a preset translation distance, a translation operation is performed on the front route to obtain a corresponding side route, and the translation operation includes up and down translation or left and right translation. The selection basis of the translation operation includes: if the height difference is less than or equal to the horizontal distance value, up and down translation is performed, otherwise, left and right translation is performed; wherein the height difference is the difference in height between the center of the hub and the tip of the fan blade, and the horizontal distance value is the difference in level between the center of the hub and the tip of the fan blade.

2. A wind turbine inspection route planning method based on a drone as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The preset verification rules include: Verify whether the distances between the points corresponding to the multiple coordinate information are within the first preset range. If not, the verification fails. Otherwise, proceed to the next step. According to the height values ​​in each coordinate information, the coordinate information corresponding to the hub center point is determined, and it is checked whether the distance between the hub center and the blade tip of each wind turbine blade is within a second preset range.

3. A wind turbine inspection route planning method based on a drone as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The second route includes a first waypoint, a second waypoint and a third waypoint; the first waypoint is a point reached after the drone is controlled to ascend a preset safety distance, advance a preset distance, and then descend a preset safety distance, with the drone at a preset position as a reference point; The second waypoint and the third waypoint are waypoints obtained after the first waypoint is translated left and right.

4. A wind turbine inspection route planning method based on a drone as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The third route is a straight line starting from the first waypoint and ending at a point at a preset height value translated downward; the preset height value is N times the length of the wind turbine blade, N≥1.

5. A wind turbine inspection route planning system based on drones, characterized in that: include: A control module, used to control the UAV to fly to a preset position directly in front of the central hub of the target wind turbine when the target wind turbine is shut down and locked; A dotting module is used to mark the hub center of the target wind turbine and the tip of each wind turbine blade at the preset position using a laser ranging device carried by the drone to obtain coordinate information of the hub center and the tips of multiple wind turbine blades; A verification module is used to verify the coordinate information of the hub center and multiple wind turbine blades according to preset verification rules. If the verification fails, the laser ranging device carried by the drone is used again to mark the hub center of the target wind turbine and the tip of each wind turbine blade; If the verification passes, proceed to the next step; A planning module is used to plan the route of the drone for inspecting the target wind turbine according to the coordinate information of the hub center and the blade tips of multiple wind turbine blades after verification, the current coordinate information of the drone and the yaw angle; each waypoint in the route includes the waypoint coordinates, the yaw angle of the drone and the gimbal angle; the route of the drone for inspecting the target wind turbine includes a first route for inspecting the wind turbine blades, a second route for inspecting the engine room, and a third route for inspecting the tower; The first route includes a front route and a side route, and the generation process of the first route includes: According to the coordinate information of the hub center and the blade tips of multiple wind turbine blades after verification, the front route of the wind turbine blade inspection consisting of multiple inspection key points from the hub center to the blade tips is obtained; at any inspection key point, the steering behavior of the drone and the camera video acquisition switch behavior need to be controlled; According to the yaw angle of the UAV at a preset position and a preset translation distance, a translation operation is performed on the front route to obtain a corresponding side route, and the translation operation includes up and down translation or left and right translation. The selection basis of the translation operation includes: if the height difference is less than or equal to the horizontal distance value, up and down translation is performed, otherwise, left and right translation is performed; wherein the height difference is the difference in height between the center of the hub and the tip of the fan blade, and the horizontal distance value is the difference in level between the center of the hub and the tip of the fan blade.

6. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: A memory for storing one or more programs; processor; When the one or more programs are executed by the processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is implemented.

7. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is implemented.

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