Inspection system and method for photo-thermal mirror field

Abstract

The invention provides an inspection system and method for a photo-thermal mirror field, and can be used in the technical field of photo-thermal power generation. The inspection system comprises an inspection unmanned aerial vehicle and an inspection management system, an infrared imager and a laser radar are hung on the inspection unmanned aerial vehicle, and the inspection management system is in communication connection with the inspection unmanned aerial vehicle; the inspection unmanned aerial vehicle is used for receiving the control instruction sent by the inspection management system and inspecting the photo-thermal mirror field at night according to the control instruction so as to obtain inspection data of the heliostats in the photo-thermal mirror field; wherein the inspection data comprises a first mirror surface infrared image and a first mirror surface model of the heliostat, the first mirror surface infrared image is acquired through an infrared imager, and the first mirror surface model is acquired through a laser radar; and the routing inspection management system is used for receiving the routing inspection data of the heliostat transmitted by the routing inspection unmanned aerial vehicle, analyzing and processing the routing inspection data and generating a routing inspection result of the heliostat. According to the inspection system, inspection of the photo-thermal mirror field can be rapidly completed, and the inspection efficiency of the photo-thermal mirror field is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of solar thermal power generation technology, and in particular to an inspection system and method for a solar thermal mirror field. Background Art

[0002] As a clean and renewable energy, solar energy has the advantages of abundant resources, no pollution and renewable. Among the solar power generation technologies, the more mature ones are solar photovoltaic power generation technology and solar thermal power generation technology.

[0003] Solar thermal power generation technology is a unique renewable energy technology that converts the sun's thermal radiation into heat energy, and then further converts this heat energy into electrical energy. In a tower solar thermal power generation system, the solar thermal mirror field is an important part of the power generation system, mainly used to reflect and focus sunlight onto the absorber through the heliostats arranged in the mirror field, thereby realizing the conversion of light energy into heat energy.

[0004] In the long-term operation of heliostats, it is inevitable that heliostats will fail due to internal and external forces. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically inspect the heliostats in the solar thermal mirror field and arrange personnel for maintenance. However, since there are usually thousands to tens of thousands of heliostats deployed in a solar thermal mirror field, the number of heliostats installed is large and the installation density is high, which makes manual inspections time-consuming and inefficient. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a system and method for inspecting a photothermal mirror field, which are used to solve the technical problem of low efficiency of inspecting a photothermal mirror field in the prior art.

[0006] According to the first aspect disclosed in the present application, the present application provides an inspection system for a photothermal mirror field, including an inspection drone and an inspection management system, wherein the inspection drone is mounted with an infrared imager and a laser radar, and the inspection management system is communicatively connected with the inspection drone;

[0007] The inspection drone is used to receive the control instructions sent by the inspection management system, and inspect the photothermal mirror field at night according to the control instructions to obtain the inspection data of the heliostats in the photothermal mirror field; wherein the inspection data includes a first mirror infrared image and a first mirror model of the heliostat, the first mirror infrared image is obtained by the infrared imager, and the first mirror model is obtained by the laser radar;

[0008] The inspection management system is used to receive the inspection data of the heliostat transmitted by the inspection drone, analyze and process the inspection data, and generate the inspection result of the heliostat.

[0009] In a feasible implementation, the inspection drone further includes a positioning module;

[0010] The positioning module is used to position the heliostat in the photothermal mirror field to obtain the position information of the heliostat;

[0011] The inspection management system is used to receive the position information of the heliostat transmitted by the inspection drone, and associate the position information of the heliostat with the inspection result.

[0012] In a feasible implementation manner, the inspection drone is also equipped with a high-definition full-color night vision camera;

[0013] The high-definition full-color night vision camera is used to photograph the heliostats in the photothermal mirror field to obtain a full-color image of the mirror surface of the heliostat.

[0014] In a feasible implementation manner, the inspection system further comprises a plurality of communication micro base stations arranged in the photothermal mirror field, and the communication micro base stations are respectively connected to the inspection drone and the inspection management system for communication;

[0015] The communication micro base station is used to send the inspection data transmitted by the inspection drone to the inspection management system.

[0016] In a feasible implementation, the inspection system further comprises a plurality of drone hangars arranged in the photothermal mirror field, and the drone hangars are provided with an uninterruptible power supply;

[0017] The drone hangar is used to park the inspection drone;

[0018] The uninterruptible power supply is used to supply power to the inspection drone.

[0019] According to the second aspect disclosed in the present application, the present application provides a method for inspecting a photothermal mirror field, which is applied to an inspection system for a photothermal mirror field. The inspection system includes an inspection drone and an inspection management system. The inspection drone is equipped with an infrared imager and a laser radar. The inspection management system is connected to the inspection drone in communication. The method includes:

[0020] The inspection drone receives the control instruction sent by the inspection management system, and inspects the photothermal mirror field at night according to the control instruction, and obtains the inspection data of the heliostats in the photothermal mirror field; wherein the inspection data includes a first mirror infrared image and a first mirror model of the heliostat, the first mirror infrared image is obtained by the infrared imager, and the first mirror model is obtained by the laser radar;

[0021] The inspection management system receives the inspection data transmitted by the inspection drone, analyzes and processes the inspection data, and generates an inspection result of the heliostat.

[0022] In a feasible implementation manner, analyzing and processing the inspection data to generate the inspection result of the heliostat includes:

[0023] The inspection management system compares the first mirror infrared image of the heliostat with a pre-stored reference image to obtain a first analysis result; wherein the reference image is an infrared image of the second mirror of the heliostat in a non-destructive state;

[0024] The inspection management system compares the first mirror model of the heliostat with a pre-stored reference model to obtain a second analysis result, wherein the reference model is the second mirror model of the heliostat in a non-destructive state;

[0025] The inspection management system generates an inspection result of the heliostat based on the first analysis result and the second analysis result.

[0026] In a feasible implementation manner, the inspection drone is further mounted with a positioning module, and the method further comprises:

[0027] The positioning module positions the heliostat in the photothermal mirror field to obtain position information of the heliostat;

[0028] The inspection management system receives the position information of the heliostat transmitted by the inspection drone, and associates the position information of the heliostat with the inspection result.

[0029] In a feasible implementation manner, the inspection drone is also equipped with a high-definition full-color night vision camera, and the method further includes:

[0030] If the inspection result indicates that the heliostat is abnormal, the inspection management system controls the inspection drone to fly above the heliostat, and uses the high-definition full-color night vision camera to photograph the heliostat to obtain a full-color image of the mirror surface of the heliostat;

[0031] The inspection management system receives the full-color image of the heliostat transmitted by the inspection drone, and detects the full-color image of the mirror based on a preset fault detection model to obtain a fault detection result of the heliostat.

[0032] In a feasible implementation manner, the method further includes:

[0033] When the inspection drone inspects the photothermal mirror field for the first time, the laser radar acquires environmental data of the photothermal mirror field, and constructs a mirror field model of the photothermal mirror field based on the environmental data;

[0034] The inspection management system receives the mirror field model transmitted by the inspection drone, and plans an automatic inspection path for the inspection drone based on the mirror field model.

[0035] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0036] The present application provides a patrol system and method for a thermal mirror field, which patrols the thermal mirror field by controlling a drone, and uses an infrared imager and a laser radar mounted on the patrol drone to obtain patrol data of heliostats in the thermal mirror field, and then analyzes and processes the patrol data through the patrol management system, and finally obtains the patrol results of the heliostats in the thermal mirror field until the patrol of the entire thermal mirror field is completed. Compared with the traditional manual patrol method, the patrol system constructed based on the patrol drone and the patrol management system can quickly complete the patrol of the thermal mirror field, greatly improving the patrol efficiency of the thermal mirror field and saving labor costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0038] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a photothermal mirror field inspection system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an inspection drone provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a process flow of a method for inspecting a photothermal mirror field provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 4 A schematic flow chart of another inspection method for a photothermal mirror field provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0042] Description of reference numerals:

[0043] 100-Inspection management system;

[0044] 200-Inspection drone;

[0045] 201-positioning module;

[0046] 202-Infrared imager;

[0047] 203-LiDAR;

[0048] 204-HD full-color night vision camera;

[0049] 300-communication micro base station;

[0050] 400-heat absorption tower;

[0051] 500-heliostat;

[0052] 600 - Drone hangar.

[0053] The above drawings have shown clear embodiments of the present application, which will be described in more detail later. These drawings and text descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way, but to illustrate the concept of the present application to those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The implementations described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the present application. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0055] With the rapid development of economy and the increasing energy consumption, the excessive development and utilization of fossil energy has led to environmental pollution and energy crisis. The demand for alternative energy has increased dramatically. As a clean and renewable energy, solar energy has the advantages of abundant resources, no pollution and renewable. Its development and utilization has attracted more and more attention. Among them, the more mature solar power generation technologies are solar photovoltaic power generation technology and solar thermal power generation technology.

[0056] Solar thermal power generation technology is a unique renewable energy technology that converts the sun's thermal radiation energy into heat energy, and then further converts this heat energy into electrical energy. In a tower solar thermal power generation system, the solar thermal mirror field is an important component of the power generation system. It is mainly used to reflect and focus sunlight onto the absorber through the heliostats arranged in the mirror field, thereby realizing the conversion of light energy into heat energy. And because the incident angle of sunlight changes with the movement of celestial bodies, in order to ensure that the heliostat can accurately reflect sunlight onto the collector, the angle of the heliostat will be adjusted in real time to reflect sunlight.

[0057] During the long-term operation of heliostats, it is inevitable that heliostats will fail due to internal and external forces. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically monitor the heliostats in the CSP field and arrange personnel for maintenance. At present, the inspection of CSP fields is mainly done manually. However, in order to maximize the efficiency of tower solar thermal power generation systems, thousands to tens of thousands of heliostats are usually deployed in CSP fields. The large number of heliostats and the high installation density make manual inspections time-consuming and inefficient, making it impossible to conduct effective inspections and monitoring of CSP fields.

[0058] In response to the above technical problems, the present application proposes a patrol system for a photothermal mirror field. The patrol system constructed based on patrol drones and a patrol management system can quickly complete the patrol of the photothermal mirror field, greatly improving the patrol efficiency of the photothermal mirror field.

[0059] The following is a detailed description of the technical solution of the inspection system for the photothermal mirror field provided by the present application through specific embodiments. It should be noted that the following embodiments can exist independently or in combination with each other, and the same or similar contents may not be repeatedly described in different embodiments.

[0060] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a photothermal mirror field inspection system provided in an embodiment of the present application, see Figure 1 In some embodiments, the inspection system of the photothermal mirror field includes an inspection drone 200 and an inspection management system 100, the inspection drone 200 is mounted with an infrared imager 202 and a laser radar 203, and the inspection management system 100 is in communication with the inspection drone 200; the inspection drone 200 is used to receive control instructions sent by the inspection management system 100, and inspect the photothermal mirror field at night according to the control instructions to obtain inspection data of the heliostat 500 in the photothermal mirror field; wherein the inspection data includes a first mirror infrared image and a first mirror model of the heliostat 500, the first mirror infrared image is obtained by the infrared imager 202, and the first mirror model is obtained by the laser radar 203; the inspection management system 100 is used to receive the inspection data of the heliostat 500 transmitted by the inspection drone 200, and analyze and process the inspection data to generate an inspection result of the heliostat 500.

[0061] Among them, compared with the traditional manual inspection method, the inspection drone 200 can quickly cover a large area and will not be affected by the complex environment. It can quickly and accurately complete the inspection of the photothermal mirror field, greatly improving the inspection efficiency of the photothermal mirror field.

[0062] Specifically, the inspection drone 200 can be a fixed-wing drone or a multi-rotor drone. Among them, the multi-rotor drone is equipped with four or more rotors, which enables it to hover in the air, facilitating hovering monitoring of specific locations in the photothermal mirror field. At the same time, the multi-rotor drone also has the ability to take off and land vertically, and can take off and land in a very small space without a runway or taxiway, and is flexible in take-off and landing.

[0063] Specifically, the inspection drone 200 is flying above the solar thermal mirror field during inspection, with a flight altitude of 20-30 times that of the heliostat 500, and the number of mirrors photographed is 3-500. For example, the heliostat 500 is generally 2 meters high, and the normal inspection altitude of the drone is set to about 50 meters.

[0064] The infrared imager 202 uses infrared imaging technology to measure the infrared radiation of the heliostat 500 and convert it into an infrared image. Its essence is to image the energy of the infrared band and use different colors to represent different temperatures through pseudo-coloring processing, so as to intuitively see the temperature distribution on the surface of the object. The first mirror infrared image taken by the infrared imager 202 can be used to determine whether the heliostat 500 is abnormal.

[0065] Specifically, the infrared imager 202 can be an active infrared imager 202. The active infrared imager 202 is an infrared imaging device that uses an infrared light source searchlight to emit infrared light, which is reflected by an object and received by an optical system, and then converts the infrared radiation signal into an image that can be distinguished by human vision. Because it has its own light source, it can work in total darkness, and can use the light beam concentrated by the infrared light source to illuminate the object in a targeted manner, so that the target stands out from the background and obtains a clearer image. The use of the active infrared imager 202 is more suitable for the nighttime inspection environment of the photothermal mirror field.

[0066] Among them, the laser radar 203 determines the distance, speed, shape and other parameters of the target object by emitting a laser beam and measuring the time difference of its reflection. The laser radar 203 is used to perform a three-dimensional spatial scan of the target, accurately measure the geometric shape and position deviation of the target, and thus the three-dimensional point cloud model of the scanned target can be constructed using the relevant data. Therefore, the mirror model of the heliostat 500 in the photothermal mirror field can be constructed by the laser radar 203. The first mirror model constructed by the laser radar 203 can also be used to determine whether there is an abnormality in the heliostat 500.

[0067] The inspection management system 100 is mainly used to realize the control of the drone and the processing of data, and analyze whether the heliostat 500 is abnormal from the inspection data of the heliostat 500, so as to quickly obtain the inspection status of the heliostat 500. For the control of the drone, the inspection management system 100 can send control instructions to the inspection drone 200 to control the flight route, flight speed, etc. of the inspection drone 200.

[0068] Specifically, the inspection management system 100 generally includes server equipment, network equipment and terminal equipment. Among them, the server equipment is used to store and process system data and is the core of the entire inspection management system 100; the network equipment is used to realize data communication and interaction within the system and with the external network, such as communication and interaction with the inspection drone 200; the terminal equipment is used for users to directly operate and manage the system, and specifically, the terminal equipment can be a computer, a smart phone, a tablet computer, etc.

[0069] In this embodiment, the solar thermal mirror field is inspected by controlling the drone, and the inspection data of the heliostat 500 in the solar thermal mirror field is obtained by using the infrared imager 202 and the laser radar 203 mounted on the inspection drone 200, and then the inspection data is analyzed and processed by the inspection management system 100, and finally the inspection results of the heliostat 500 in the solar thermal mirror field are obtained until the inspection of the entire solar thermal mirror field is completed. Compared with the traditional manual inspection method, the inspection system constructed based on the inspection drone 200 and the inspection management system 100 can quickly complete the inspection of the solar thermal mirror field, greatly improve the inspection efficiency of the solar thermal mirror field, and save labor costs.

[0070] See also Figure 2 In some embodiments, the inspection drone 200 further includes a positioning module 201; the positioning module 201 is used to locate the heliostat 500 in the solar thermal mirror field to obtain the position information of the heliostat 500; the inspection management system 100 is used to receive the position information of the heliostat 500 transmitted by the inspection drone 200, and associate the position information of the heliostat 500 with the inspection result.

[0071] The positioning module 201 can accurately position the heliostat 500 by receiving satellite signals (such as GPS, Beidou, etc.) or other wireless signals, thereby obtaining the location information of the heliostat 500. The inspection management system 100 can associate the location information of the heliostat 500 with the inspection result, so that when the inspection result shows that the heliostat 500 has a fault, it is convenient to locate and repair the heliostat 500.

[0072] In addition to positioning the heliostat 500, the positioning module 201 can also provide navigation support for the inspection drone 200, helping the inspection drone 200 to fly according to the predetermined route or mission requirements. In combination with other sensors and control systems on the drone, the attitude control and direction adjustment of the inspection drone 200 can be achieved to ensure flight stability and safety.

[0073] Specifically, the positioning module 201 may be a GPS positioning module 201 or a Beidou positioning module 201 .

[0074] See also Figure 2 In some embodiments, the inspection drone 200 is also equipped with a high-definition full-color night vision camera 204; the high-definition full-color night vision camera 204 is used to photograph the heliostat 500 in the photothermal mirror field to obtain a full-color image of the mirror surface of the heliostat 500.

[0075] Among them, the high-definition full-color night vision camera 204 is a monitoring device that can still provide clear color images at night or in a dimly lit environment. The high-definition full-color night vision camera 204 uses an ultra-large aperture lens and a high-sensitivity sensor to enhance weak ambient light and achieve color imaging. If the ambient light is extremely low or there is no light, the camera will automatically turn on the soft light to fill in the light to keep the picture in color. This technology allows the camera to capture clear and colorful images at night or in low light conditions. The heliostat 500 in the photothermal mirror field can be photographed by the high-definition full-color night vision camera, so that a clear mirror full-color image of the heliostat 500 can be obtained at night.

[0076] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, the inspection system also includes a plurality of communication micro base stations 300 arranged in the photothermal mirror field, and the communication micro base stations 300 are respectively communicatively connected with the inspection drone 200 and the inspection management system 100; the communication micro base stations 300 are used to send the inspection data transmitted by the inspection drone 200 to the inspection management system 100.

[0077] Among them, since there are tens of thousands of heliostats 500 in the solar thermal mirror field, the number of heliostats 500 in the twin-tower solar thermal mirror field can reach more than 30,000. During the inspection of the solar thermal mirror field, the number of photos taken by the inspection drone 200 is many times this number. The storage capacity of the storage on the general drone cannot meet the storage requirements of the inspection data, and it will also lead to a slow data transmission rate in the later stage, which is very inconvenient for the entire night drone inspection work. At the same time, the drone storage also has potential risks such as unrecognizable and crashing. Therefore, by setting up a communication micro base station 300 as a communication relay station, the inspection data of the drone can be transmitted to the inspection management system 100 in real time, so that the storage of the drone is set as a data transfer and initial processing link, reducing a series of problems caused by storage failure.

[0078] In addition, the communication micro base station 300 can also improve the speed and stability of data transmission between the inspection drone 200 and the inspection management system 100. As a relay station for data transmission, it can significantly improve the data transmission speed between the inspection drone 200 and the inspection management system 100. The data transmitted through the micro base station has higher real-time and stability, which is particularly important for the inspection drone 200 to perform tasks in the complex environment of the photothermal mirror field; the micro base station usually has a smaller coverage range and lower latency, which means that the inspection drone 200 can receive the inspection management system 100 control instructions faster during the flight, and feedback the flight status and data in real time, adding safety protection for the night inspection of the inspection drone 200.

[0079] At the same time, the communication micro base station 300 can also expand the coverage and reliability of the communication between the inspection drone 200 and the inspection management system 100. Deploying the communication micro base station 300 between the inspection drone 200 and the inspection management system 100 can effectively expand the communication coverage, so that the inspection drone 200 can maintain a stable communication connection at a longer distance. This is of great significance for the inspection drone 200 that performs remote or cross-regional tasks; the communication micro base station 300 can provide a more stable communication signal and reduce the communication interruption problem caused by signal interference or attenuation. This helps to ensure the safety and stability of the inspection drone 200 when performing tasks.

[0080] Specifically, the communication micro base station 300 refers to a small base station with low power and limited coverage, but flexible deployment and low cost. The communication micro base station 300 can be installed on the ground or on the top of the heat absorption tower 400. Installing it on the top of the heat absorption tower 400 can increase the installation height of the communication micro base station 300 and maximize its communication coverage.

[0081] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, the inspection system further includes a plurality of drone hangars 600 arranged in the photothermal mirror field, and the drone hangars 600 are provided with an uninterruptible power supply; the drone hangars 600 are used to park the inspection drones 200; and the uninterruptible power supply is used to supply power to the inspection drones 200.

[0082] The photothermal mirror field can be divided into multiple areas, and a drone hangar 600 is set in each area. The drone hangar 600 can be used to park drones, and the drones can be charged, maintained and managed in the hangar, and can be used to respond to the needs of returning to the nearest place in case of unexpected drone failures, bad weather and other emergencies.

[0083] Specifically, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is an uninterruptible power supply system containing an energy storage device, which can provide a stable and uninterrupted power supply to protect key equipment from power failures. The uninterruptible power supply can continuously and stably charge the inspection drone 200 parked in the Wujiren hangar to ensure that it can complete the inspection task of the photothermal mirror field. The uninterruptible power supply can output stable voltage and frequency to ensure the power quality of the inspection drone 200 during the charging process, reduce damage to the drone battery and charging system, and extend the battery life.

[0084] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a process flow of a photothermal mirror field inspection method provided in an embodiment of the present application, see Figure 3 In some embodiments, the inspection method of the photothermal mirror field is applied to the inspection system of the photothermal mirror field. The inspection system includes an inspection drone and an inspection management system. The inspection drone is equipped with an infrared imager and a laser radar. The inspection management system is connected to the inspection drone in communication. The inspection method includes the following steps:

[0085] S301, the inspection drone receives the control command sent by the inspection management system, and inspects the solar thermal mirror field at night according to the control command, and obtains the inspection data of the heliostats in the solar thermal mirror field; wherein the inspection data includes the first mirror infrared image and the first mirror model of the heliostat, the first mirror infrared image is obtained by the infrared imager, and the first mirror model is obtained by the laser radar.

[0086] Among them, during the inspection process, the inspection drone uses the mounted infrared imager and lidar to obtain the infrared image and mirror model of the heliostat mirror respectively.

[0087] Among them, the inspection of the solar thermal mirror field is carried out at night because the solar thermal mirror field stops operating at night and the heliostats no longer reflect sunlight, which makes it convenient for the infrared imager to collect the mirror infrared image of the heliostat and avoids the interference of sunlight on the subsequent mirror infrared image analysis.

[0088] S302, the inspection management system receives the inspection data transmitted by the inspection drone, analyzes and processes the inspection data, and generates the inspection results of the heliostat.

[0089] Among them, the inspection management system can receive the inspection data sent back by the inspection drone in real time, and analyze and process the inspection data to obtain the inspection results of the heliostat.

[0090] Preferably, the inspection management system can also aggregate the inspection results of each heliostat into an inspection report to facilitate the generation of inspection records.

[0091] Preferably, after the inspection result is generated, if the inspection result indicates that the heliostat is abnormal, the inspection management system may generate a maintenance work order and send the maintenance work order to a corresponding maintenance personnel to remind the maintenance personnel to repair the faulty heliostat.

[0092] In this embodiment, the inspection method of the present application is applied to the inspection system constructed by the inspection drone and the inspection management system. By inspecting the status of the heliostats in the solar thermal mirror field when no power is generated at night, not only the availability of the mirror field equipment is improved, but also the problem of cumbersome manual inspection is solved, labor costs are saved, inspection efficiency is improved, the reliability of the solar thermal mirror field is improved, and the difficulty of operation and maintenance of the solar thermal project is reduced.

[0093] exist Figure 3 Based on the embodiment shown, the following Figure 4 , the technical solution of the inspection method of the above-mentioned photothermal mirror field is further introduced.

[0094] S401, the inspection management system sends control instructions to the inspection drone.

[0095] S402, the inspection drone inspects the solar thermal mirror field at night according to the control command, and obtains the inspection data of the heliostats in the solar thermal mirror field.

[0096] The inspection data includes a first mirror infrared image and a first mirror model of the heliostat. The first mirror infrared image is obtained by an infrared imager, and the first mirror model is obtained by a laser radar.

[0097] Preferably, in order to further improve the inspection efficiency of the photothermal mirror field, when the inspection drone inspects the photothermal mirror field for the first time, the inspection method further includes:

[0098] Step 1: The inspection drone obtains the environmental data of the photothermal mirror field through the lidar, and builds a mirror field model of the photothermal mirror field based on the environmental data.

[0099] Step 2: The inspection management system receives the mirror field model transmitted by the inspection drone, and plans the automatic inspection path of the inspection drone based on the mirror field model.

[0100] Among them, after obtaining the mirror field model of the solar thermal mirror field, the inspection management system can clarify the terrain, obstacles, etc. in the inspection area based on the mirror field model, and use the preset path planning algorithm to plan an automatic inspection path for the inspection drone. After the initial inspection, the inspection drone can automatically inspect according to the automatic inspection path, further improving the inspection efficiency of the solar thermal mirror field. For example, common drone path planning algorithms include A* algorithm, Dijkstra algorithm, etc.

[0101] For example, the shape of the twin-tower solar thermal mirror field is the number "8", with the two heat-absorbing towers located at the center of the circle. Therefore, for the twin-tower solar thermal mirror field, an 8-shaped flight path can be designed that flies from the outside to the inside and around the edge.

[0102] In addition, the mirror field model can also be used to evaluate the accuracy and structural integrity of the mirror field layout, and can also assist UAVs in obstacle avoidance flight.

[0103] S403, the inspection drone transmits the inspection data of the heliostat to the inspection management system.

[0104] S404, the inspection management system compares the first mirror infrared image of the heliostat with a pre-stored reference image to obtain a first analysis result; wherein the reference image is an infrared image of the second mirror of the heliostat in a non-destructive state.

[0105] The first mirror infrared image is compared with the reference image. If the first mirror infrared image is inconsistent with the second mirror infrared image, it indicates that the mirror surface of the heliostat is abnormal. For example, if the first mirror infrared image shows abnormal reflection or partial shadow compared with the second mirror infrared image, it indicates that the mirror surface of the heliostat is faulty or the mirror cleanliness is too low. If the boundary image of the first mirror infrared image is incomplete, it indicates that the boundary of the mirror surface of the heliostat is damaged.

[0106] In addition, the heliostat has a withdrawn state and a working state. In the withdrawn state, the heliostat is level with the ground, and in the working state, the heliostat is at an angle to the ground. At night, the solar thermal mirror field stops operating, and the heliostat should be in the withdrawn state. If the heliostat is still in the working state, it indicates that there is a fault in its angle adjustment function. A heliostat with a failed angle adjustment function cannot dynamically track the sun, resulting in its inability to operate normally. Therefore, by comparing the size of the mirror area in the infrared image of the first mirror and the infrared image of the second mirror, it can also be determined whether there is an abnormality in the angle adjustment function of the heliostat.

[0107] Correspondingly, by calculating the pixel size of the first mirror infrared image, the mirror area of ​​the heliostat can also be measured, and the state of the heliostat can be determined by the size of the mirror area. Specifically, when the mirror area of ​​the heliostat is not less than the preset area in the withdrawn state, the heliostat is determined to be in the withdrawn state, and when the mirror area is less than the preset area, the heliostat is determined to be in the working state.

[0108] S405, the inspection management system compares the first mirror surface model of the heliostat with a pre-stored reference model to obtain a second analysis result, wherein the reference model is the second mirror surface model of the heliostat in an undamaged state.

[0109] The first mirror surface model is compared with the reference model. If the first mirror surface model is inconsistent with the second mirror surface model, it indicates that the mirror surface of the heliostat is abnormal. For example, if there is a defect on the first mirror surface model, it indicates that the heliostat is abnormal.

[0110] S406: The inspection management system generates an inspection result of the heliostat based on the first analysis result and the second analysis result.

[0111] The first analysis result and the second analysis result are summarized and integrated to generate the inspection result of the heliostat. Specifically, if an abnormality appears in the first analysis result or the second analysis result, it indicates that an abnormality exists in the heliostat.

[0112] S407, the inspection drone locates the heliostats in the photothermal mirror field through the positioning module to obtain the position information of the heliostats.

[0113] The positioning module is used to locate the heliostat and obtain the position information of the heliostat.

[0114] Specifically, the location information is expressed in latitude and longitude.

[0115] S408, the inspection drone transmits the location information of the heliostat to the inspection management system.

[0116] S409, the inspection management system receives the location information of the heliostat transmitted by the inspection drone, and associates the location information of the heliostat with the inspection result.

[0117] Among them, the position information of the heliostat is associated with the inspection result. When the inspection result shows that the heliostat is faulty, the position of the heliostat can be quickly located, so that maintenance personnel can quickly navigate to the faulty heliostat for fault handling, thereby improving the speed and accuracy of subsequent on-site maintenance work.

[0118] Preferably, since the position of each heliostat is unique, the position information of the heliostat may be used to generate a unique code for the heliostat, so as to facilitate the naming and management of the heliostat.

[0119] S410, if the inspection result shows that the heliostat is abnormal, the inspection management system controls the inspection drone to fly above the heliostat.

[0120] Among them, after the inspection results preliminarily determine that the heliostat has a fault, the inspection drone can be flown above the heliostat to perform further fault judgment to further improve the accuracy of the heliostat fault judgment.

[0121] S411, the inspection drone takes a picture of the heliostat through a high-definition full-color night vision camera to obtain a full-color image of the heliostat's mirror surface.

[0122] Among them, the infrared imaging effect of the infrared imager is not good when there is no power generation at night, and it may not be possible to accurately determine the fault detection results of the heliostat. The installation of a high-definition full-color night vision camera can assist infrared imaging, improve pixel calculation accuracy, and provide a basis for image screening in the fault type determination of the drone inspection background. After receiving the maintenance task, the maintenance personnel can use the infrared imaging and night vision imaging of the heliostat for another manual screening, preliminarily determine the fault detection results of the heliostat, and determine the maintenance plan in advance to ensure that errors are minimized and the workload of maintenance personnel is reduced.

[0123] Specifically, when the inspection result indicates that the heliostat is abnormal, the inspection management system further analyzes the fault of the heliostat through the full-color image of the mirror surface.

[0124] S412, the inspection drone transmits the full-color image of the heliostat to the inspection management system.

[0125] S413, the inspection management system receives the full-color image of the heliostat transmitted by the inspection drone, and detects the full-color image of the mirror based on a preset fault detection model to obtain a fault detection result of the heliostat.

[0126] Among them, the fault of the heliostat can be automatically identified through the fault detection model.

[0127] Specifically, the fault detection model is built based on the target detection algorithm. The target detection algorithm can use YOLO, R-CNN, SSD, etc. The process of obtaining the fault detection model through the target detection algorithm generally includes:

[0128] Step 1: Use training samples to build an initial model for deep learning training of the target detection algorithm to obtain a fault detection model that can identify and detect faults of the heliostat; wherein the training samples refer to full-color images of the mirror surface containing various types of faults.

[0129] Step 2: After the fault detection model is trained, the full-color mirror image is input into the fault detection model to obtain the fault detection result output by the fault detection model.

[0130] Among them, the fault detection model can accurately locate the fault target in the full-color image of the mirror, including its position, size and shape, as well as type, which is crucial for quickly and accurately identifying heliostat faults. In addition, through advanced technologies such as deep learning, the fault detection model can learn and identify complex fault features, improving the accuracy and reliability of fault identification.

[0131] In this embodiment, the inspection method of the present application can quickly complete the inspection of the solar thermal mirror field, greatly improving the inspection efficiency of the solar thermal mirror field and saving labor costs. It can also accurately identify the fault detection results of the heliostat, making it convenient for subsequent maintenance personnel to inspect the heliostat and improving the maintenance efficiency of the solar thermal mirror field.

[0132] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For the part not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant description of other embodiments. The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are not described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0133] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present application after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. The present application is intended to cover any modification, use or adaptation of the present application, which follows the general principles of the present application and includes common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed in the present application. The specification and examples are intended to be exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present application are indicated by the appended claims.

[0134] It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the precise structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A patrol system for a photothermal mirror field, characterized in that: It includes an inspection drone and an inspection management system, the inspection drone is equipped with an infrared imager and a laser radar, and the inspection management system is connected to the inspection drone in communication; The inspection drone is used to receive the control instructions sent by the inspection management system, and inspect the photothermal mirror field at night according to the control instructions to obtain the inspection data of the heliostats in the photothermal mirror field; wherein the inspection data includes a first mirror infrared image and a first mirror model of the heliostat, the first mirror infrared image is obtained by the infrared imager, and the first mirror model is obtained by the laser radar; The inspection management system is used to receive the inspection data of the heliostat transmitted by the inspection drone, analyze and process the inspection data, and generate the inspection result of the heliostat.

2. The inspection system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inspection drone also includes a positioning module; The positioning module is used to position the heliostat in the photothermal mirror field to obtain the position information of the heliostat; The inspection management system is used to receive the position information of the heliostat transmitted by the inspection drone, and associate the position information of the heliostat with the inspection result.

3. The inspection system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inspection drone is also equipped with a high-definition full-color night vision camera; The high-definition full-color night vision camera is used to photograph the heliostats in the photothermal mirror field to obtain a full-color image of the mirror surface of the heliostat.

4. The inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The inspection system further includes a plurality of communication micro base stations arranged in the photothermal mirror field, and the communication micro base stations are respectively connected to the inspection drone and the inspection management system for communication; The communication micro base station is used to send the inspection data transmitted by the inspection drone to the inspection management system.

5. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The inspection system also includes a plurality of drone hangars arranged in the photothermal mirror field, and the drone hangars are provided with an uninterruptible power supply; The drone hangar is used to park the inspection drone; The uninterruptible power supply is used to supply power to the inspection drone.

6. A method for inspecting a photothermal mirror field, characterized in that: An inspection system applied to a photothermal mirror field, the inspection system comprising an inspection drone and an inspection management system, the inspection drone is mounted with an infrared imager and a laser radar, the inspection management system is communicatively connected with the inspection drone, and the method comprises: The inspection drone receives the control instruction sent by the inspection management system, and inspects the photothermal mirror field at night according to the control instruction, and obtains the inspection data of the heliostats in the photothermal mirror field; wherein the inspection data includes a first mirror infrared image and a first mirror model of the heliostat, the first mirror infrared image is obtained by the infrared imager, and the first mirror model is obtained by the laser radar; The inspection management system receives the inspection data transmitted by the inspection drone, analyzes and processes the inspection data, and generates an inspection result of the heliostat.

7. The inspection method according to claim 6, characterized in that: Analyzing and processing the inspection data to generate an inspection result of the heliostat includes: The inspection management system compares the first mirror infrared image of the heliostat with a pre-stored reference image to obtain a first analysis result; wherein the reference image is an infrared image of the second mirror of the heliostat in a non-destructive state; The inspection management system compares the first mirror model of the heliostat with a pre-stored reference model to obtain a second analysis result, wherein the reference model is the second mirror model of the heliostat in a non-destructive state; The inspection management system generates an inspection result of the heliostat based on the first analysis result and the second analysis result.

8. The inspection method according to any one of claims 6 to 7, characterized in that: The inspection drone is also equipped with a positioning module, and the method further includes: The positioning module positions the heliostat in the photothermal mirror field to obtain position information of the heliostat; The inspection management system receives the position information of the heliostat transmitted by the inspection drone, and associates the position information of the heliostat with the inspection result.

9. The inspection method according to any one of claims 6 to 7, characterized in that: The inspection drone is also equipped with a high-definition full-color night vision camera, and the method further includes: If the inspection result indicates that the heliostat is abnormal, the inspection management system controls the inspection drone to fly above the heliostat, and uses the high-definition full-color night vision camera to photograph the heliostat to obtain a full-color image of the mirror surface of the heliostat; The inspection management system receives the full-color image of the heliostat transmitted by the inspection drone, and detects the full-color image of the mirror based on a preset fault detection model to obtain a fault detection result of the heliostat.

10. The inspection method according to any one of claims 6 to 7, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When the inspection drone inspects the photothermal mirror field for the first time, the laser radar acquires environmental data of the photothermal mirror field, and constructs a mirror field model of the photothermal mirror field based on the environmental data; The inspection management system receives the mirror field model transmitted by the inspection drone, and plans an automatic inspection path for the inspection drone based on the mirror field model.

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