A tower cleaning robot and its control method

Abstract

This application relates to a tower cleaning robot and its control method. The tower cleaning robot includes a cleaning brush, multiple adjustment devices, a data acquisition device, and a control unit. The cleaning brush includes a central rod and multiple mounting plates. Each adjustment device corresponds to one of the mounting plates. The data acquisition device is used to collect the position and posture information of the tower cleaning robot. The control unit is electrically connected to the adjustment devices and the data acquisition device. In this application, the control unit can control the adjustment devices to perform actions based on the position and posture information of the tower cleaning robot, thereby adjusting the distance between the mounting plates of the cleaning brush and the central rod, and thus adjusting the friction force between the bristles on the mounting plates and the side wall of the tower. This ensures that the tower cleaning robot has appropriate friction force at various positions on the wind turbine tower, ensuring cleaning effect while preventing the bristles from scratching the side wall of the tower.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wind turbine tower cleaning technology, and in particular to a tower cleaning robot and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] During use, wind turbine towers may be corroded, leading to a reduction in wall thickness. Related technologies typically use wall-climbing robots to clean the side walls of wind turbine towers.

[0003] However, since the surface of wind turbine towers is not flat and the shape of different parts of the tower may vary, existing wall-climbing robots cannot adapt to the complex tower walls, resulting in poor cleaning performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the problems existing in related technologies, this application provides a tower cleaning robot and its control method.

[0005] According to a first aspect of this application, a tower cleaning robot is provided, comprising:

[0006] A cleaning brush includes a central rod and multiple mounting plates, the mounting plates being arranged along the circumferential direction of the central rod, and bristles being provided on the radially outer side of the mounting plates;

[0007] Multiple adjustment devices are connected one-to-one with multiple mounting plates. Each adjustment device includes a main body and an output end. The main body is connected to the central rod, and the output end is connected to the mounting plate.

[0008] A data acquisition device is used to acquire the pose information of the tower cleaning robot;

[0009] The control unit is electrically connected to the adjustment device and the data acquisition device. The control unit is used to receive the pose information acquired by the data acquisition device and control the adjustment device to adjust the distance between the mounting plate and the center rod in the radial direction of the center rod according to the pose information.

[0010] In some embodiments, the data acquisition device includes an attitude sensor and / or a distance encoder and / or a lidar.

[0011] In some embodiments, the main body of the adjusting device and the mounting plate correspondingly connected to the adjusting device are respectively disposed on both sides of the central rod;

[0012] The output end of the adjustment device passes through the central rod and is connected to the mounting plate.

[0013] In some embodiments, the tower cleaning robot further includes a power wheel assembly, each of the power wheel assemblies including at least two power wheels and a connecting shaft connecting the at least two power wheels;

[0014] The connecting shaft is coaxially arranged with the central rod, and the connecting shaft passes through the central rod and is rotatably connected to the central rod.

[0015] In some embodiments, the tower cleaning robot includes multiple supports, each of which is equipped with the power wheel set;

[0016] Any adjacent supports are rotatably connected around a first preset pivot, which is parallel to the roll axis of the tower cleaning robot.

[0017] In some embodiments, in the extension direction of the central rod, each of the brackets has a cleaning brush comprising a first cleaning element and at least one second cleaning element that are separated from each other, with the power wheel disposed between the first cleaning element and the second cleaning element;

[0018] The first cleaning component has a drive wheel on the side away from the second cleaning component, and at least two second cleaning components on two adjacent brackets are located between two first cleaning components.

[0019] In some embodiments, the size of the first cleaning element is larger than the size of the second cleaning element in the axial direction of the central rod.

[0020] In some embodiments, the tower cleaning robot further includes balancing wheels, which are disposed in front of and / or behind the plurality of supports in the extension direction of the roll shaft;

[0021] The balance wheel can rotate around a second preset axis, which is parallel to the yaw axis of the tower cleaning robot.

[0022] In some embodiments, the balance wheel is rotatably connected to the bracket via a first preset pivot.

[0023] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a control method for a tower cleaning robot is provided, comprising:

[0024] The tower cleaning robot is controlled to move along a preset path, and the data acquisition device is controlled to acquire the position and posture information of the tower cleaning robot;

[0025] Based on the pose information, the control adjustment device adjusts the distance between the mounting plate of the cleaning brush and the center rod in the radial direction of the center rod.

[0026] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application may include the following beneficial effects: the control unit can control the adjustment device to perform actions according to the position information of the tower cleaning robot, so as to adjust the distance between the mounting plate of the cleaning brush and the center rod, thereby adjusting the friction force between the bristles on the mounting plate and the side wall of the tower, ensuring that the tower cleaning robot has appropriate friction force when it is in various positions of the wind turbine tower, and preventing the bristles from scratching the side wall of the tower while ensuring the cleaning effect.

[0027] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0028] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a tower cleaning robot according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating a tower cleaning robot according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a partial schematic diagram of a tower cleaning robot according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a cleaning brush according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0033] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of a cleaning brush and adjustment device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0034] Figure 6 This is an axial view of a cleaning brush and adjustment device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0035] Figure 7 This is a partial schematic diagram of a tower cleaning robot according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0036] Figure 8 This is an exploded view of a tower cleaning robot according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0037] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating a control method for a tower cleaning robot according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0038] Figure label:

[0039] 10. Cleaning brush; 10a. First cleaning component; 10b. Second cleaning component; 11. Center rod; 111. Pre-set through hole; 112. Rolling bearing; 113. Through hole; 12. Mounting plate; 13. Brush bristles; 14. Limiting component; 15. First drive motor;

[0040] 20. Adjustment device; 21. Main body; 22. Output end;

[0041] 30. Data acquisition device;

[0042] 40. Control Department;

[0043] 50. Drive wheel assembly; 51. Drive wheel; 52. Connecting shaft; 53. Second drive motor;

[0044] 60. Chassis; 61. First preset pivot; 62. Second preset pivot;

[0045] 70. Balance wheel;

[0046] 80. Obstacle avoidance components. Detailed Implementation

[0047] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0048] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a tower cleaning robot and its control method. The tower cleaning robot includes a cleaning brush, multiple adjustment devices, a data acquisition device, and a control unit. The cleaning brush includes a central rod and multiple mounting plates. Each adjustment device corresponds to one of the mounting plates. The data acquisition device collects the tower cleaning robot's position and orientation information. The control unit is electrically connected to the adjustment devices and the data acquisition device. The control unit can control the adjustment devices to adjust the distance between the mounting plates and the central rod in the radial direction of the central rod based on the position and orientation information. In this application, the control unit can control the adjustment devices to adjust the distance between the mounting plates and the central rod of the cleaning brush, thereby adjusting the friction force between the bristles on the mounting plates and the tower sidewall. This ensures that the tower cleaning robot has appropriate friction force at all positions on the wind turbine tower, guaranteeing cleaning effectiveness while preventing the bristles from scratching the tower sidewall.

[0049] According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in the figure, this application provides a tower cleaning robot that can climb the side wall of a wind turbine tower to clean impurities attached to the side wall of the tower.

[0050] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the tower cleaning robot includes a cleaning brush 10, which is connected to a first drive motor 15. The first drive motor 15 outputs torque to drive the cleaning brush 10 to rotate, scraping off impurities from the tower sidewall through friction. (See reference...) Figure 3 To the diagram Figure 6 The cleaning brush 10 includes a central rod 11 and multiple mounting plates 12. The multiple mounting plates 12 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the central rod 11. In the radial direction of the central rod 11, at least one mounting plate 12 has bristles 13 arranged on its radial outer side. It should be noted that the multiple mounting plates 12 can be provided with the same bristles 13, or they can be provided with bristles 13 of different lengths and materials. This embodiment will not elaborate further.

[0051] like Figures 3 to 6 As shown, the tower cleaning robot includes multiple adjustment devices 20. One side of each adjustment device 20 is mounted on a central rod 11, and the other side of each adjustment device 20 is connected to a corresponding mounting plate 12. The adjustment devices 20 have functions such as telescopic and rotational, and can adjust the distance between the central rod 11 and the mounting plate 12, thereby adjusting the distance between the bristles 13 of the mounting plate 12 and the central rod 11 (that is, adjusting the radius / diameter of the cleaning brush 10), and further adjusting the distance between the bristles 13 and the tower sidewall, ensuring that the bristles 13 and the tower sidewall have appropriate friction, ensuring the cleaning effect, and avoiding excessive cleaning force that could scratch the tower sidewall.

[0052] In one example, see Figure 5 and Figure 6 The adjusting device 20 has a telescopic function. The adjusting device 20 can be an electric push rod or a cylinder. The telescopic direction of the adjusting device 20 can be parallel to the radial direction of the center rod 11 or have a certain angle. By telescopically extending or retracting, the mounting plate 12 can be moved closer to or away from the center rod 11.

[0053] In another example (not shown in the attached diagram), the adjustment device has a rotation function. The adjustment device can be, for example, a servo motor. The adjustment device is rotatably connected to the center rod through a preset rotating shaft. The axis of the preset rotating shaft is parallel to the axis of the center rod. When the mounting plate, the preset rotating shaft, and the center rod are collinear, the mounting plate and the center rod have the maximum distance. When the adjustment device rotates around the preset rotating shaft by a certain angle, the distance between the mounting plate and the center rod decreases, thereby adjusting the distance between the mounting plate and the center rod.

[0054] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the tower cleaning robot also includes a data acquisition device 30 and a control unit 40. The data acquisition device 30 is used to acquire the position and posture information of the tower cleaning robot. The control unit 40 can acquire the position and posture information acquired by the data acquisition device 30 and control the adjustment device 20 to perform actions based on the position and posture information, thereby adjusting the distance between the mounting plate 12 and the center rod 11 in the radial direction, ensuring that the bristles 13 on the mounting plate 12 are always in contact with the side wall of the tower, thus improving the cleaning effect.

[0055] It should be noted that the diameter of the wind turbine tower decreases with height. This change in diameter results in varying curvature at different locations on the tower. With the cleaning brush 10 remaining constant in size, when the tower cleaning robot cleans different locations on the tower sidewall, the varying curvature of the sidewall leads to different contact areas between the cleaning brush 10 and the sidewall, affecting the cleaning effect. Therefore, in this embodiment, a data acquisition device 30 is used to acquire the position and posture information of the tower cleaning robot. The control unit 40 determines the position and orientation of the tower cleaning robot based on this information, and determines the radius of the cleaning brush 10 required for cleaning based on the robot's position and orientation. Then, it controls the adjustment device 20 to adjust the radius of the cleaning brush 10 to ensure effective cleaning.

[0056] In this embodiment, the control unit 40 can control the adjustment device 20 to perform actions based on the position information of the tower cleaning robot, so as to adjust the distance between the mounting plate 12 of the cleaning brush 10 and the center rod 11, thereby adjusting the friction force between the bristles 13 on the mounting plate 12 and the side wall of the tower, ensuring that the tower cleaning robot has appropriate friction force when it is in various positions of the wind turbine tower, and ensuring the cleaning effect while avoiding the bristles 13 scratching the side wall of the tower.

[0057] In one exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment provides a tower cleaning robot, which includes a cleaning brush 10, multiple adjustment devices 20, a data acquisition device 30, and a control unit 40. The cleaning brush 10 includes a central rod 11 and multiple mounting plates 12. The multiple adjustment devices 20 correspond one-to-one with the multiple mounting plates 12. The data acquisition device 30 is used to collect the position and posture information of the tower cleaning robot. The control unit 40 is electrically connected to the adjustment devices 20 and the data acquisition device 30. The control unit 40 can control the adjustment devices 20 to adjust the spacing between the mounting plates 12 and the central rod 11 in the radial direction of the central rod 11 according to the position and posture information.

[0058] In this embodiment, as Figure 2As shown, the data acquisition device 30 includes an attitude sensor, such as a gyroscope. In one example, the attitude sensor can monitor and acquire the tower cleaning robot's attitude data in space (such as pitch angle, heading angle, etc.). By combining the spatial attitude data with the structural information of the wind turbine tower, the height of the tower cleaning robot and its direction of travel can be determined. In another example, the attitude sensor can monitor and acquire the internal structural attitude data of the tower cleaning robot. The tower cleaning robot will have different internal attitudes when moving along the height and circumferential directions of the wind turbine tower. Therefore, by combining the internal structural attitude data with the structural information of the wind turbine tower, the heading of the tower cleaning robot can be determined.

[0059] The data acquisition device 30 includes a distance encoder, such as an odometer. The distance encoder can be configured to detect the rotation angle and number of revolutions of the drive wheels 51, thereby calculating the travel distance. The distance encoder can also determine the current heading angle of the tower cleaning robot based on the rotation angles of the drive wheels 51 on both sides.

[0060] In some optional embodiments, the tower cleaning robot has one roller on each of its left and right sides. These rollers are driven wheels. The data acquisition device 30 can acquire the rotation angle of the rollers and calculate their rolling distance based on their radius. The current height of the tower cleaning robot can be calculated based on the rolling distances of the two rollers. Furthermore, the heading of the tower cleaning robot can be determined based on the difference in the rolling distances of the two rollers, thus determining the spatial pose of the tower cleaning robot. For example, the rollers are connected to the support 60 of the tower cleaning robot (described in detail below) via elastic members. The elastic members provide a force to the rollers away from the support 60, ensuring that the rollers always abut against the side wall of the tower. Since the rollers are driven wheels, they only rotate synchronously when the tower cleaning robot is moving, avoiding detection errors caused by slippage of the drive wheel 51 when the distance encoder is set on it, thus improving the reliability of pose detection.

[0061] The data acquisition device 30 includes a lidar. The lidar can scan and model the sidewall of the tower, and the position of the tower cleaning robot in three-dimensional space can be determined based on the coordinates of the tower cleaning robot.

[0062] It is understood that in the tower cleaning robot provided in this application embodiment, the data acquisition device 30 can be any one of the attitude sensor, distance encoder, and lidar, or any combination of two or three. As the types of data acquisition devices 30 gradually increase, the control unit 40 can integrate multiple data to determine the position and posture of the tower cleaning robot, which helps to improve the accuracy of position and posture monitoring, thereby ensuring that the control unit 40 controls the adjustment device 20 to make correct adjustments.

[0063] Among them, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the adjustment device 20 is a power device such as an electric push rod or a cylinder that can output linear motion. The main body 21 of each adjustment device 20 and the mounting plate 12 connected to the adjustment device 20 are respectively disposed on both sides of the central rod 11. The output end 22 of each adjustment device 20 passes through the preset through hole 111 in the central rod 11 and is connected to the mounting plate 12.

[0064] It should be noted that the cleaning brush 10 needs to rotate at high speed during movement, and the bristles 13 on each mounting plate 12 will rub against the side wall of the tower. As can be seen from the above, the mounting plate 12 will be subjected to a force along the circumferential direction of the central rod 11. In the tower cleaning robot provided in this embodiment, the hole through the central rod 11 with the output end 22 provides a fixing function for the output end 22, thereby preventing the friction force on the mounting plate 12 from being directly transmitted to the main body 21 and causing damage to the adjustment device 20. This helps to improve the assembly reliability of the adjustment device 20 and extend its service life. Furthermore, by distributing the main body 21 and the mounting plate 12 on both sides of the central rod 11, the space between the mounting plate 12 and the central rod 11 is not occupied by the main body 21, thereby increasing the adjustable range of the mounting plate 12. For example, the mounting plate 12 can be adjusted to fit snugly against the central rod 11, expanding the applicable scenarios.

[0065] In some alternative implementations, see Figures 4 to 6 The cleaning brush 10 has multiple limiting members 14 arranged in the circumferential direction of the central rod 11. Each limiting member 14 corresponds to a main body 21 of a multiple adjusting device 20. The limiting member 14 can be detachably connected to the central rod 11 by fasteners (bolts). The side of the limiting member 14 facing the central rod 11 is provided with a groove that can accommodate the main body 21. In the assembled state, the main body 21 is located between the limiting member 14 and the central rod 11 and is located in the groove, thereby forming a reliable connection between the main body 21 of the adjusting device 20 and the cleaning brush 10.

[0066] In one exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, this embodiment provides a tower cleaning robot, which includes a cleaning brush 10, multiple adjustment devices 20, a data acquisition device 30, and a control unit 40. The cleaning brush 10 includes a central rod 11 and multiple mounting plates 12. The multiple adjustment devices 20 correspond one-to-one with the multiple mounting plates 12. The data acquisition device 30 is used to collect the position and posture information of the tower cleaning robot. The control unit 40 is electrically connected to the adjustment devices 20 and the data acquisition device 30. The control unit 40 can control the adjustment devices 20 to adjust the spacing between the mounting plates 12 and the central rod 11 in the radial direction of the central rod 11 according to the position and posture information.

[0067] The tower cleaning robot provided in this embodiment can include any structure of the tower cleaning robot provided in the above embodiments.

[0068] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 and Figure 7 As shown, the tower cleaning robot also includes a power wheel assembly 50, which includes at least two power wheels 51 and a connecting shaft 52 connecting the at least two power wheels 51. The connecting shaft 52 is coaxially arranged with the central rod 11 of the cleaning brush 10, and passes through the central rod 11 and is rotatably connected to the central rod 11. The power wheels 51 can be magnetic wheels. The second drive motor 53 drives the power wheels 51 to rotate through the connecting shaft 52. The magnetic wheels generate magnetic attraction between themselves and the side wall of the tower, thereby adsorbing and fixing the tower cleaning robot to the side wall of the tower, and also driving the tower cleaning robot to move. In one example, the drive wheel 51 includes a wheel body and multiple magnets on the outer peripheral surface of the wheel body. The wheel body has an arc length of about 25 mm. A single drive wheel 51 can provide at least 800 N of magnetic attraction force. Therefore, the four drive wheels 51 provide at least 3200 N of magnetic attraction force, with an equivalent pressure of 0.4 MPa and a tower paint surface pressure of 0.97 MPa. This ensures that the tower cleaning robot, weighing about 60 kg, can be reliably adsorbed and fixed to the side wall of the tower. The second drive motor 53 can be, for example, a 600 W brushless DC motor.

[0069] See Figure 5 and combined Figure 7 The cleaning brush 10 has a cylindrical central rod 11, for example, a through hole extending through the central rod 11 along its axis. The diameter of the through hole is larger than the diameter of the connecting shaft 52. A rolling bearing 112 is installed inside the through hole. The outer ring of the rolling bearing 112 is connected to the inside of the through hole, and the inner ring of the rolling bearing 112 is connected to the connecting shaft 52. When the second drive motor 53 drives the power wheel 51 to rotate through the connecting shaft 52, it will not affect the cleaning brush 10. Correspondingly, when the cleaning brush 10 rotates at high speed for cleaning, it will not affect the power wheel 51.

[0070] In this embodiment, by making the drive wheel 51 and the connecting shaft 52 for connecting the drive wheel 51 coaxial with the cleaning brush 10, the overall size of the tower cleaning robot can be reduced to decrease its overall weight, which helps to improve the reliability of adsorption and avoids falling during operation. Furthermore, the coaxial arrangement also reduces the difficulty of turning the tower cleaning robot.

[0071] Among them, such as Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the tower cleaning robot includes multiple supports 60, each of which is equipped with a power wheel set 50. Any adjacent supports 60 are rotatably connected around a first preset rotating shaft 61, which is parallel to the roll axis of the tower cleaning robot.

[0072] For example, see Figure 8 , Figure 8 An exemplary illustration shows two supports 60, which can determine the direction of travel of the first preset rotating shaft 61 relative to the tower cleaning robot. Figure 1 As shown in the y-direction, the two supports 60 rotate around the first preset pivot 61 in a V-shape to adapt to the curved surface of the wind turbine tower.

[0073] Among them, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, in the extension direction of the central rod 11, the cleaning brush 10 on each bracket 60 includes a first cleaning component 10a and at least one second cleaning component 10b that are separated from each other. A power wheel 51 is provided between the first cleaning component 10a and the second cleaning component 10b. At least two second cleaning components 10b on two adjacent brackets 60 are located between two first cleaning components 10a. It should be noted that, along the axial direction of the central rod 11, the length of the first cleaning component 10a is greater than that of the second cleaning component 10b. The first cleaning component 10a serves as the main cleaning component, while the second cleaning component 10b serves as an auxiliary cleaning component for supplementary cleaning of the tower sidewall between two adjacent supports 60. In this embodiment, by setting the cleaning brush 10 as a first cleaning component 10a and a second cleaning component 10b that are separate from each other, the cleaning brush 10 is supported by the power wheels 51 located at both ends of the first cleaning component 10a. One end of the second cleaning component 10b is not provided with a power wheel 51, and the side of the second cleaning component 10b without a power wheel 51 is located between two adjacent supports 60. Thus, the second cleaning component 10b can clean the area between two adjacent supports 60, which helps to reduce the number of times the tower cleaning robot needs to adjust along the circumferential direction of the wind turbine tower, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0074] Each cleaning brush 10 includes a first cleaning element 10a and at least one second cleaning element 10b, and the number of second cleaning elements 10b can be one or two.

[0075] In one example, see Figure 3 The diagram shows that the cleaning brush 10 includes a first cleaning component 10a and a second cleaning component 10b. The tower cleaning robot includes two supports 60. Both sides of the first cleaning component 10a of the two cleaning brushes 10 on the two supports 60 are provided with a power wheel 51, and the second cleaning component 10b of the two cleaning brushes 10 is provided with a power wheel 51 on only one side.

[0076] In another example (not shown in the attached figure), the cleaning brush includes a first cleaning component and two second cleaning components, which are respectively disposed at both ends of the first cleaning component along the axial direction of the central rod. The tower cleaning robot includes more than two supports.

[0077] Among them, such as Figure 3 As shown, the tower cleaning robot also includes a balance wheel 70, which is a magnetic wheel. In the lateral roll axis direction of the tower cleaning robot, the balance wheel 70 is located in front of or behind multiple supports 60. The balance wheel 70 can rotate around a second preset rotating shaft 62. The axis direction of the second preset rotating shaft 62 is parallel to the yaw axis of the tower cleaning robot.

[0078] See Figure 8 The balance wheel 70 is rotatably connected to the support 60 via a first preset rotating shaft 61. By configuring the balance wheel 70 to rotate around the first preset rotating shaft 61 and the support 60, when the tower cleaning robot turns, the balance wheel 70 can rotate relative to the support 60 around the first preset rotating shaft 61, causing the power wheel 51 and the balance wheel 70 to twist in the circumferential direction of the first preset rotating shaft 61. This ensures that both the power wheel 51 and the balance wheel 70 are in contact with the tower sidewall, improving the adhesion reliability between the tower cleaning robot and the tower sidewall.

[0079] In some embodiments, the tower cleaning robot further includes an obstacle avoidance component 80, which may include an obstacle avoidance sensor and a camera. The obstacle avoidance sensor and camera are electrically connected to the control unit 40. For example, the obstacle avoidance sensor can emit infrared light. If the infrared light encounters an obstacle, it will be reflected and received by the obstacle avoidance sensor. The camera can identify obstacles through image recognition. In this embodiment, the control unit 40 can adjust the preset path of the tower cleaning robot according to the information collected by the obstacle avoidance sensor and camera, thereby avoiding obstacles on the side wall of the tower.

[0080] According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, such as Figure 9 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment also provides a control method for a tower cleaning robot, the control method including the following steps:

[0081] Step S110: Control the tower cleaning robot to move along the preset path and control the data acquisition device to obtain the position and posture information of the tower cleaning robot.

[0082] In this step, a three-dimensional model of the wind turbine tower can be constructed, and a preset path can be determined in the three-dimensional model. The tower cleaning robot can then clean along the preset path to clean a designated area or the entire surface of the wind turbine tower.

[0083] For example, the control unit can pre-store cleaning instructions related to the travel path. The control unit sends control signals to the second drive motor of the tower cleaning robot according to the pre-stored cleaning instructions. The second drive motor outputs torque to drive the power wheel to rotate, thereby enabling the tower cleaning robot to travel along the preset path.

[0084] Data acquisition devices can collect the pose information of the tower cleaning robot. These devices can be, for example, attitude sensors, which acquire the robot's spatial pose in three-dimensional space and its internal structural pose. Distance encoders can also be used to determine the robot's height and heading. LiDAR can scan the surface of the wind turbine tower; combining the LiDAR scan images with a 3D model of the wind turbine tower determines the robot's current position. In this embodiment, multiple data acquisition devices can be used simultaneously. Comprehensive analysis of the collected data improves the accuracy and reliability of the tower cleaning robot's pose detection, facilitating accurate adjustments to the cleaning brushes during subsequent processes.

[0085] Step S120: Based on the pose information, control the adjustment device to adjust the distance between the mounting plate of the cleaning brush and the center rod in the radial direction of the center rod.

[0086] In this step, the control unit can determine the position, spatial posture, and internal structural posture of the tower cleaning robot based on the pose information. Then, the control unit can combine the pose information with 3D modeling to determine the distance between the mounting plate and the tower sidewall, and then control the adjustment device to adjust the distance between the mounting plate and the center rod, so as to adjust the cleaning force of the brush on the mounting plate on the tower sidewall.

[0087] Understandably, as the wind turbine tower rises higher, its diameter gradually decreases while its curvature gradually increases. For example, when the tower cleaning robot is at the bottom of the wind turbine tower, the tower's diameter is larger and its curvature is smaller. The adjustment device adjusts the mounting plate of the cleaning brush to have a small gap with the center rod, thereby reducing the friction between the brush bristles and the tower's sidewall. When the tower cleaning robot is at a higher position on the wind turbine tower, the tower's diameter is smaller and its curvature is larger. The adjustment device adjusts the mounting plate of the cleaning brush to have a larger gap with the center rod, thereby increasing the friction between the brush bristles and the tower's sidewall.

[0088] Other embodiments of this application will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this application that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this application are indicated by the following claims.

[0089] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A tower cleaning robot, characterized in that, include: A cleaning brush includes a central rod and multiple mounting plates, the mounting plates being arranged along the circumferential direction of the central rod, and bristles being provided on the radially outer side of the mounting plates; Multiple adjustment devices are connected one-to-one with multiple mounting plates. Each adjustment device includes a main body and an output end. The main body is connected to the central rod, and the output end is connected to the mounting plate. A data acquisition device is used to acquire the pose information of the tower cleaning robot; The control unit is electrically connected to the adjustment device and the data acquisition device. The control unit is used to receive the pose information acquired by the data acquisition device and control the adjustment device to adjust the distance between the mounting plate and the center rod in the radial direction of the center rod according to the pose information.

2. The tower cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data acquisition device includes an attitude sensor and / or a distance encoder and / or a lidar.

3. The tower cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main body of the adjusting device and the mounting plate correspondingly connected to the adjusting device are respectively disposed on both sides of the central rod; The output end of the adjustment device passes through the central rod and is connected to the mounting plate.

4. The tower cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tower cleaning robot also includes a power wheel assembly, each of which includes at least two power wheels and a connecting shaft connecting the at least two power wheels; The connecting shaft is coaxially arranged with the central rod, and the connecting shaft passes through the central rod and is rotatably connected to the central rod.

5. The tower cleaning robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The tower cleaning robot includes multiple supports, and each support is equipped with the power wheel set; Any adjacent supports are rotatably connected around a first preset pivot, which is parallel to the roll axis of the tower cleaning robot.

6. The tower cleaning robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, In the extending direction of the central rod, each of the brackets has a cleaning brush that includes a first cleaning element and at least one second cleaning element that are separated from each other, and the power wheel is disposed between the first cleaning element and the second cleaning element. The first cleaning component has a drive wheel on the side away from the second cleaning component, and at least two second cleaning components on two adjacent brackets are located between two first cleaning components.

7. The tower cleaning robot according to claim 6, characterized in that, In the axial direction of the central rod, the size of the first cleaning component is larger than the size of the second cleaning component.

8. The tower cleaning robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The tower cleaning robot also includes balancing wheels, which are located in front of and / or behind the plurality of supports in the extension direction of the roll shaft. The balance wheel can rotate around a second preset axis, which is parallel to the yaw axis of the tower cleaning robot.

9. The tower cleaning robot according to claim 8, characterized in that, The balance wheel is rotatably connected to the bracket via a first preset rotating shaft.

10. A control method for a tower cleaning robot, characterized in that, The control method, applied to the tower cleaning robot as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, comprises: The tower cleaning robot is controlled to move along a preset path, and the data acquisition device is controlled to acquire the position and posture information of the tower cleaning robot; Based on the pose information, the control adjustment device adjusts the distance between the mounting plate of the cleaning brush and the center rod in the radial direction of the center rod.

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