Nuclear power plant underground pipe gallery liquid leak inspection robot

Abstract

This invention discloses a liquid leak inspection robot for underground pipe racks in nuclear power plants. It includes an installation strip mounted on the top of the pipe rack, a track strip at the bottom of the installation strip, and a driving mechanism located below the track strip. A mobile power supply mechanism is located on the top of the driving mechanism. Ultrasonic probes are mounted on both sides of a support plate, and an infrared camera is mounted on the support plate between the ultrasonic probes. A protective box is located on one side of the driving mechanism, containing a development board with a motion control module and a signal analysis module. The robot synthesizes and analyzes the ultrasonic array feed signals obtained by the ultrasonic probes and the thermal infrared images of the pipe rack area captured by the infrared camera to determine whether a liquid leak exists in the pipe rack area and to analyze the location of the leak. This allows for early detection and location of leaks, facilitating timely pipeline maintenance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of robotics technology, specifically relating to a robot for inspecting liquid leaks in underground pipe corridors of nuclear power plants. Background Technology

[0002] The underground utility tunnels of nuclear power plants are mainly used to lay sewage and water supply pipelines for the nuclear power plant. Their purpose is to isolate the operating area from the pipelines and improve operational safety.

[0003] Due to long-term operation, the connection points of sewage and water supply pipes are prone to leakage risks. If not addressed promptly, especially given the presence of radioactive elements in the sewage pipes, a large volume of leaked sewage in the underground utility tunnel of the nuclear power plant could pose a significant safety hazard to maintenance personnel. Therefore, it is necessary to deploy a robot capable of inspecting for liquid leaks in the utility tunnel area to meet practical needs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a robot for inspecting liquid leaks in underground pipe corridors of nuclear power plants, in order to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a liquid leak inspection robot for underground pipe corridors of nuclear power plants, comprising an installation strip installed on the top of the pipe corridor, a track strip set at the bottom of the installation strip, and a running drive mechanism set at the bottom of the track strip. A mobile power supply mechanism is provided on the top of the running drive mechanism, and the mobile power supply mechanism is used to supply power to the running drive mechanism. The bottom of the running drive mechanism is provided with a support plate, and ultrasonic probes are provided on both sides of the support plate. An infrared camera is provided on the support plate and located between the ultrasonic probes. The running drive mechanism is used to drive the ultrasonic probes and the infrared camera to move along the extension direction of the track, and can also drive the ultrasonic probes and the infrared camera to rotate in all directions. The ultrasonic probes are used to emit ultrasonic waves to the nuclear power plant pipe gallery area and receive ultrasonic array feed signals. The infrared camera is used to capture thermal infrared images of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery area. A protective box is provided on one side of the running drive mechanism. A development board is provided inside the protective box. A motion control module and a signal analysis module are provided on the development board. The motion control module is used to control the automatic operation of the running drive mechanism. The signal analysis module receives the ultrasonic array feed signal obtained by the ultrasonic probe and the thermal infrared image of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery area captured by the infrared camera, and performs composite simulation analysis to determine whether there is a liquid leak in the nuclear power plant pipe gallery area.

[0006] Preferably, the mobile power supply mechanism includes a support frame disposed at the bottom of the track bar, with vertical shafts connected to the top two sides of the support frame, and rollers rotatably disposed on the vertical shafts. The track bar has wheel grooves on both sides, and the rollers slide into the wheel grooves. The support frame has upright plates connected to the top two sides near the rollers. Each upright plate has a sleeve with a rod inserted inside the sleeve. A spring is installed inside the sleeve, and the two ends of the spring are elastically supported on the upright plate and the rod. One end of the rod is connected to a cover. A conductive frame is inserted inside the cover, and a contact block is installed inside the conductive frame. A connector is connected to the bottom of the conductive frame, and the connector is connected to a lead wire. The track bar has sleeves on both sides and conductive strips inside the sleeves, and the contact block presses against the conductive strips.

[0007] Preferably, the running drive mechanism includes a motor 1 disposed on one side of the support frame, the rotor shaft of the motor 1 passing through the support frame and connected to a traveling wheel, the traveling wheel being equipped with a damping tube and the damping tube being in abutting contact with the bottom of the track bar; A driver assembly is provided on one side of the support frame, a connecting frame is connected to the bottom of the support frame, a second motor is provided at the bottom of the connecting frame, the rotor shaft of the second motor passes through the connecting frame and is connected to the support frame, a third motor is provided on one side of the support frame, and the rotor shaft of the third motor passes through the support frame and is connected to one side of the support plate.

[0008] Preferably, an antenna is provided on one side of the protective box, and the antenna is used to transmit and receive signals.

[0009] Preferably, the motion control module includes a control signal receiving module, which is used to store operation control signals and receive temporary operation control signals. The control signal receiving module is connected to a cruise control module, which is connected to a steering CNC input module one, a steering CNC input module two, and a steering CNC input module three. The cruise control module is used to classify the control signals and input them to the steering CNC input module one, steering CNC input module two, and steering CNC input module three respectively. The first steering CNC input module is used to control the operation of the first motor, the second steering CNC input module is used to control the operation of the second motor, and the third steering CNC input module is used to control the operation of the third motor.

[0010] Preferably, the signal analysis module includes an infrared image receiving module and an ultrasonic array signal receiving module. The infrared image receiving module receives thermal infrared images captured in real time by an infrared camera, and the ultrasonic array signal receiving module receives ultrasonic array feed signals obtained by an ultrasonic probe in real time and performs model arrangement. The infrared image receiving module and the ultrasonic array signal receiving module are connected to a matching analysis module. The matching analysis module is used to analyze liquid leakage by overlaying the thermal infrared images of the area and the ultrasonic array feed signals after model arrangement with the BIM model of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery. The matching analysis module is connected to a target point analysis module. The target point analysis module is used to calibrate the area when it is determined that there is a liquid leakage, based on its location in the BIM model of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery. The target point analysis module is connected to a signal output module, which is used to send analysis information.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: In this invention, a mobile power supply mechanism provides real-time power to the driving mechanism, which in turn drives the ultrasonic probe and infrared camera to move along the extension direction of the track. It can also drive the ultrasonic probe and infrared camera to rotate in all directions, thus capturing the ultrasonic array feed point signals and thermal infrared images of various areas of the nuclear power plant tunnel. Under the control of the motion control module, the running drive mechanism can drive the liquid leak inspection robot to move automatically according to the set cruise mode. Under the action of the signal analysis module, based on the BIM model of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery, the ultrasonic array feed point signal obtained by the ultrasonic probe and the thermal infrared image of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery area captured by the infrared camera are synthesized and analyzed to determine whether there is a liquid leak in the nuclear power plant pipe gallery area and to analyze the location of the liquid leak. The analysis results are then input into the computer. Therefore, it is possible to detect and locate the leak in the early stage of the pipeline, which is conducive to early pipeline maintenance. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a front view schematic diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional diagram; Figure 3 for Figure 1 A partial side view; Figure 4 for Figure 2 A magnified structural diagram at point a; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the connections of each module in the motion control module of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the connections of each module in the signal analysis module of the present invention.

[0013] In the diagram: 1. Mounting strip, 2. Track strip, 3. Support frame, 4. Vertical shaft, 5. Roller, 6. Vertical plate, 7. Sleeve, 8. Spring, 9. Insert rod, 10. Cover, 11. Conductive frame, 12. Contact block, 13. Connector, 14. Lead wire, 15. Sleeve, 16. Conductive strip, 17. Damping tube, 18. Driver assembly, 19. Connecting frame, 20. Motor II, 21. Protective box, 22. Development board, 23. Antenna, 24. Support frame, 25. Motor III, 26. Support plate, 27. Ultrasonic probe, 28. Infrared camera, 170. Motor I, 171. Walking wheel. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0015] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 The nuclear power plant underground pipe gallery liquid leak inspection robot includes an installation strip 1 fixed to the top of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery with expansion bolts, a track strip 2 integrally set at the bottom of the installation strip 1, and a running drive mechanism set at the bottom of the track strip 2. The length of the installation strip 1 and the track strip 2 can be set according to the extension length of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery. The end connections of adjacent installation strips 1 and track strips 2 are made by fusion welding and smoothing. A mobile power supply mechanism is set on the top of the running drive mechanism to supply power to the running drive mechanism. A support plate 26 is installed at the bottom of the running drive mechanism. Ultrasonic probes 27 are embedded on the left and right sides of the support plate 26. An infrared camera 28 is screwed on the support plate 26 and located between the ultrasonic probes 27. The running drive mechanism is used to drive the ultrasonic probes 27 and the infrared camera 28 to move along the extension direction of the track 2. It can also drive the ultrasonic probes 27 and the infrared camera 28 to rotate in all directions. The ultrasonic probes 27 are used to emit ultrasonic waves to the nuclear power plant pipe gallery area and receive ultrasonic array feed signals. The infrared camera 28 is used to capture thermal infrared images of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery area. A protective box 21 is installed on the right side of the running drive mechanism. The development board 22 is fixed inside the protective box 21 with insulating pads and screws. The development board 22 is equipped with a motion control module and a signal analysis module. The motion control module is used to control the automatic operation of the running drive mechanism. The signal analysis module receives the ultrasonic array feed signal obtained by the ultrasonic probe 27 and the thermal infrared image of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery area captured by the infrared camera 28, and performs composite simulation analysis to determine whether there is a liquid leak in the nuclear power plant pipe gallery area.

[0016] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 The mobile power supply mechanism includes a support frame 3 installed at the bottom of the track bar 2. The top left and right sides of the support frame 3 are bolted with vertical shafts 4. The vertical shafts 4 are interference-fitted into bearings. The bearings are interference-fitted into the bearing grooves in the center of the rollers 5. The left and right sides of the track bar 2 are provided with wheel grooves and the rollers 5 are slidably inserted into the wheel grooves. With this setup, the smoothness and stability of the support frame 3 and its upper connecting components moving along the extension direction of the track bar 2 can be achieved.

[0017] Upright plates 6 are bolted to the top two sides of the support frame 3 near the rollers 5. Each upright plate 6 is integrally provided with a sleeve 7, and a rod 9 is slidably inserted into the sleeve 7. The sleeve 7 and the rod 9 have a square cross section. The sleeve 7 cannot rotate inside the rod 9. A spring 8 is inserted into the sleeve 7. The spring 8 is a compression-rebound type. In its natural state, the spring 8 is in a compressed state. The two ends of the spring 8 are elastically supported by the upright plate 6 and the rod 9. A cover 10 is integrally provided at one end of the rod 9. The upright plate 6, sleeve 7, rod 9, and cover 10 are made of ABS plastic injection molding. A conductive frame 11 is slidably inserted into the cover 10 and is fixed to the cover 10 with screws. The conductive frame 11 is made of copper. A contact block 12 is embedded in the conductive frame 11. The contact block 12 is a composite impregnated carbon slider with good wear resistance, lubricity, and conductivity. The bottom of the conductive frame 11 is integrally connected to a connector 13, and the connector 13 is crimped with a lead wire 14, while the other end of the lead wire 14 is connected to the main power input terminal of the driver assembly 18.

[0018] Screws on both sides of the track bar 2 are used to fix the sleeve 15. The sleeve 15 is made of ABS plastic. The conductive strip 16 is fixed inside the sleeve 15 by side screws. The conductive strip 16 is made of conductive wear-resistant fiberboard. The contact block 12 presses against the conductive strip 16.

[0019] The contact block 12 is kept in contact with the conductive strip 16 by the elastic support of the spring 8, thus providing power for the operation of the drive mechanism when the movement conditions are met. Secondly, this configuration also facilitates the replacement of the conductive frame 11, contact block 12, and conductive strip 16 during long-term operation.

[0020] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 The running drive mechanism includes a motor 170 bolted to the right side of the support frame 3. The motor 170 is a stepper motor. The rotor shaft of the motor 170 passes through the support frame 3 and is connected to the center of the right end of the walking wheel 171 by an interference key. The damping tube 17 is glued to the walking wheel 171 with resin adhesive. The damping tube 17 is made of neoprene rubber. The damping tube 17 is in contact with the bottom of the track bar 2. When the motor 170 is running, it drives the walking wheel 171 to rotate, thereby driving the support frame 3 and its upper connecting components to move along the extension direction of the track 2.

[0021] The left side of the support frame 3 is bolted with a driver group 18, which consists of three drivers. The power control output terminals of the three drivers are respectively connected to the power control terminals of motor 1 170, motor 2 20 and motor 3 25 via cables. The bottom of the support frame 3 is bolted with a connecting frame 19, and the bottom of the connecting frame 19 is bolted with motor 2 20, which is a stepper motor. The rotor shaft of motor 2 20 passes through the connecting frame 19 and is flanged to the support frame 24. The right side of the support frame 24 is bolted with motor 3 25, and the rotor shaft of motor 3 25 passes through the support frame 24 and is flanged to the right side of the support plate 26.

[0022] With this setup, motor 20 can drive the infrared camera 28 and ultrasonic probe 27 to turn laterally, while motor 3 25 can drive the infrared camera 28 and ultrasonic probe 27 to turn longitudinally, enabling the capture of infrared images and ultrasonic array feed points on various sides of the nuclear power plant tunnel.

[0023] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 Antenna 23 is fixed to the right side of the protective box 21 by bolts. Antenna 23 is a transceiver antenna, which is interconnected with an antenna installed outside the monitoring room. The transceiver access end of the antenna in the monitoring room is connected to the computer in the monitoring room through a signal line to realize wireless interconnection. Antenna 23 is used to transmit and receive signals.

[0024] See Figure 5 The motion control module includes a control signal receiving module, which stores operating control signals and receives temporary operating control signals. The signal input pin of the control signal receiving module is connected to the signal output terminal of antenna 23 via a signal line. This receives steering speed control signals input from an external computer and, without altering the steering speed control signals, maintains the original steering speed control signals being sent to the cruise control module. The control signal receiving module is connected to the cruise control module, which in turn is connected to three steering speed control input modules: Module 1, Module 2, and Module 3. The cruise control module categorizes the control signals and inputs them to these modules respectively. The signal output pins of steering CNC input module one, steering CNC input module two, and steering CNC input module three are respectively connected to the signal input terminals of each driver in driver group 18 via signal lines.

[0025] Steering CNC input module one is used to control the operation of motor one 170, steering CNC input module two is used to control the operation of motor two 20, and steering CNC input module three is used to control the operation of motor three 25.

[0026] Therefore, by programming different control methods into the computer, this type of liquid leakage robot can perform inspection actions in different ways. The control methods must meet the requirement of being able to effectively cover the pipelines in the nuclear power plant's pipe gallery.

[0027] See Figure 6 The signal analysis module includes an infrared image receiving module and an ultrasonic array signal receiving module. The infrared image receiving module receives thermal infrared images captured in real time by the infrared camera 28. The ultrasonic array signal receiving module receives ultrasonic array feed signals obtained by the ultrasonic probe 27 in real time and performs model arrangement. This setup is more conducive to deployment on the BIM model of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery. The infrared image receiving module and the ultrasonic array signal receiving module are connected to a simulation analysis module. The simulation analysis module is used to analyze the liquid leakage situation by superimposing the thermal infrared images of the area and the ultrasonic array feed signals after model arrangement on the BIM model of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery. The simulation analysis module is connected to a target point analysis module. The target point analysis module is used to calibrate the area when it is determined that there is a liquid leakage situation, based on its location in the BIM model of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery. The target point analysis module is connected to a signal output module. The signal output pin of the signal output module is connected to the signal input terminal of the antenna 23 through a signal line. The signal output module is used to send analysis information.

[0028] It is worth noting that during the analysis of thermal infrared images by the simulation module, the original regional thermal infrared images are compared pixel by pixel with the currently acquired regional thermal infrared images. The pixel difference values ​​are extracted to facilitate the calculation of regional temperature changes based on the temperature spectrum corresponding to each pixel. The calculation is performed at intervals of 0.1 seconds, with a critical temperature change interval of 6℃. If the temperature exceeds the critical value, a liquid leak is determined. At this time, the ultrasonic array feed signal superimposed on the model of the region with pixel differences is highlighted. Since the water covering the leak point weakens the ultrasonic feed signal, the intensity changes of the highlighted ultrasonic feed signal are analyzed, and the regions with intensity changes are marked.

[0029] The working principle of this embodiment is as follows: the mobile power supply mechanism provides real-time power to the driving mechanism, and under the drive of the driving mechanism, the ultrasonic probe 27 and the infrared camera 28 are moved along the extension direction of the track 2. It can also drive the ultrasonic probe 27 and the infrared camera 28 to rotate in all directions, so as to capture the ultrasonic array feed point signal and thermal infrared image of each area of ​​the nuclear power plant pipe gallery. Under the control of the motion control module, the running drive mechanism can drive the liquid leak inspection robot to move automatically according to the set cruise mode. Under the action of the signal analysis module, based on the BIM model of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery, the ultrasonic array feed point signal obtained by the ultrasonic probe 27 and the thermal infrared image of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery area captured by the infrared camera 28 are synthesized and analyzed to determine whether there is a liquid leak in the nuclear power plant pipe gallery area and to analyze the location of the liquid leak. The analysis results are then input into the computer. Therefore, it is possible to detect and locate the leak in the early stage of the pipeline, which is conducive to early pipeline maintenance.

[0030] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robot for inspecting liquid leaks in underground pipe corridors of nuclear power plants, characterized by: It includes an installation strip (1) installed on the top of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery, a track strip (2) set at the bottom of the installation strip (1), and a running drive mechanism set at the bottom of the track strip (2). The top of the running drive mechanism is provided with a mobile power supply mechanism, which is used to supply power to the running drive mechanism. The bottom of the running drive mechanism is provided with a support plate (26), and ultrasonic probes (27) are provided on both sides of the support plate (26). An infrared camera (28) is provided on the support plate (26) and located between the ultrasonic probes (27). The running drive mechanism is used to drive the ultrasonic probes (27) and the infrared camera (28) to move along the extension direction of the track (2), and can also drive the ultrasonic probes (27) and the infrared camera (28) to rotate in all directions. The ultrasonic probes (27) are used to emit ultrasonic waves to the nuclear power plant pipe gallery area and receive ultrasonic array feed signals. The infrared camera (28) is used to capture thermal infrared images of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery area. A protective box (21) is provided on one side of the running drive mechanism. A development board (22) is provided inside the protective box (21). A motion control module and a signal analysis module are provided on the development board (22). The motion control module is used to control the running drive mechanism to run automatically. The signal analysis module receives the ultrasonic array feed signal obtained by the ultrasonic probe (27) and the thermal infrared image of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery area captured by the infrared camera (28), and performs a composite simulation analysis to determine whether there is a liquid leak in the nuclear power plant pipe gallery area. The mobile power supply mechanism includes a support frame (3) set at the bottom of the track (2), and vertical shafts (4) are connected to the top two sides of the support frame (3). Rollers (5) are rotatably set on the vertical shafts (4). Wheel grooves are provided on both sides of the track (2) and the rollers (5) slide into the wheel grooves. The support frame (3) has upright plates (6) connected to the top two sides and near the rollers (5). Each upright plate (6) is connected to a sleeve (7) and a rod (9) is inserted into the sleeve (7). A spring (8) is provided inside the sleeve (7) and the two ends of the spring (8) are elastically supported on the upright plate (6) and the rod (9). One end of the rod (9) is connected to a cover (10). A conductive frame (11) is inserted into the cover (10) and a contact block (12) is provided inside the conductive frame (11). A connector (13) is connected to the bottom of the conductive frame (11) and the connector (13) is connected to a lead wire (14). The track bar (2) is provided with sleeves (15) on both sides and a conductive strip (16) is provided inside the sleeves (15), and the contact block (12) presses against the conductive strip (16).

2. The nuclear power plant underground pipe gallery liquid leak inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The running drive mechanism includes a motor (170) set on one side of the support frame (3). The rotor shaft of the motor (170) passes through the support frame (3) and is connected to a traveling wheel (171). A damping tube (17) is installed on the traveling wheel (171) and the damping tube (17) is in abutting contact with the bottom of the track bar (2). A driver assembly (18) is provided on one side of the support frame (3). A connecting frame (19) is connected to the bottom of the support frame (3). A second motor (20) is provided at the bottom of the connecting frame (19). The rotor shaft of the second motor (20) passes through the connecting frame (19) and is connected to a support frame (24). A third motor (25) is provided on one side of the support frame (24). The rotor shaft of the third motor (25) passes through the support frame (24) and is connected to one side of the support plate (26).

3. The nuclear power plant underground pipe gallery liquid leak inspection robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: An antenna (23) is provided on one side of the protective box (21), and the antenna (23) is used to transmit and receive signals.

4. The nuclear power plant underground pipe gallery liquid leak inspection robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The motion control module includes a control signal receiving module, which is used to store operation control signals and receive temporary operation control signals. The control signal receiving module is connected to a cruise control module, which is connected to three steering CNC input modules. The cruise control module is used to classify the control signals and input them to the three steering CNC input modules respectively. The first steering rotary CNC input module is used to control the operation of the first motor (170), the second steering rotary CNC input module is used to control the operation of the second motor (20), and the third steering rotary CNC input module is used to control the operation of the third motor (25).

5. The nuclear power plant underground pipe gallery liquid leak inspection robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The signal analysis module includes an infrared image receiving module and an ultrasonic array signal receiving module. The infrared image receiving module is used to receive thermal infrared images captured in real time from an infrared camera (28). The ultrasonic array signal receiving module is used to receive ultrasonic array feed signals obtained by an ultrasonic probe (27) in real time and perform model arrangement. The infrared image receiving module and the ultrasonic array signal receiving module are connected to a matching analysis module. The matching analysis module is used to analyze the liquid leakage situation by superimposing the thermal infrared images of the area and the ultrasonic array feed signals after model arrangement on the BIM model of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery. The matching analysis module is connected to a target point analysis module. The target point analysis module is used to calibrate the area when it is determined that there is a liquid leakage situation, based on its location in the BIM model of the nuclear power plant pipe gallery. The target point analysis module is connected to a signal output module, which is used to send analysis information.

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