A substation inspection robot and a method for detecting grounding faults in power equipment

Abstract

This invention discloses a substation inspection robot, including a chassis with a protective box fixedly connected to the left side of the chassis bottom. Slide rail one and slide rail two are fixedly connected to the left and right sides of the bottom of the protective box, respectively. A protective cover one, a shaking plate, and a protective cover two are installed between slide rail one and slide rail two, arranged from front to back as protective cover one, shaking plate, and protective cover two. The shaking plate is located between protective cover one and protective cover two. Both protective cover one and protective cover two are foldable and retractable soft rubber plates. The protective box provides safety protection for the testing instruments. When the inspection robot encounters water accumulation sections during its movement and cannot bypass them, it prevents water from splashing onto the testing instruments, ensuring the accuracy of the testing. Simultaneously, a non-contact ground resistance tester provides quantitative data on grounding resistance, while an infrared thermal imager provides information on the thermal distribution of the grounding system. The combination of these two provides a more comprehensive assessment of the grounding system's condition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automatic substation inspection equipment technology, and in particular to a substation inspection robot and a method for detecting grounding faults in power equipment. Background Technology

[0002] To ensure the safety and stability of electrical equipment, substation equipment is in continuous operation. On-site operators often need to conduct regular or irregular inspections of the equipment. With the advancement of intelligent equipment, substation intelligent inspection robots integrate functions such as intelligent inspection, video monitoring, and infrared detection. They can perform daily inspections according to preset paths, check the operating status of substation equipment, improve the safety and reliability of substation operation and maintenance, and reduce the number of inspection personnel, thus lowering labor costs.

[0003] Inspection robots carry contact-type ground resistance testers. After reaching the designated grounding electrode location, they extend test probes to contact the grounding electrode and accurately measure the resistance value. However, some inspection robots' chassis lack dedicated shielding components, failing to protect the contact-type ground resistance testers. In extreme weather conditions such as rain or snow, the testers are directly exposed to the external environment. If the inspection robot encounters flooded areas that it cannot bypass, water may splash onto the testing instrument. Water ingress can affect the accuracy of subsequent testing. Furthermore, the contact-type ground resistance tester requires physical contact grounding, limiting the robot's application range. For grounding devices that are difficult to access or reach, the robot may be unable to perform effective testing. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a substation inspection robot and a method for detecting grounding faults in power equipment. A protective enclosure safeguards the testing instruments, preventing water from splashing onto them when the robot encounters flooded areas and cannot avoid them, thus ensuring the accuracy of the testing. Simultaneously, a non-contact ground resistance tester provides quantitative data on grounding resistance, while an infrared thermal imager provides information on the thermal distribution of the grounding system. The combination of these two methods allows for a more comprehensive assessment of the grounding system's condition.

[0005] This application provides a substation inspection robot, including a chassis. The robot is characterized by: a mounting plate fixedly connected to the middle of the upper surface of the chassis; a mounting box fixedly connected to the upper side of the mounting plate; mounting rod one and mounting rod two rotatably connected to the front and rear sides of the mounting box, respectively; a base plate fixedly connected to the upper sides of mounting rod one and mounting rod two; a camera fixedly connected to the upper side of the base plate; a protective cover covering the camera; and a rotating motor installed inside the mounting box. The front side of the rotating motor's output shaft passes through the mounting box and is fixedly connected to mounting rod one for adjusting the camera angle.

[0006] The chassis is equipped with a partition that divides the internal space into upper and lower layers. The upper surface of the partition is equipped with a battery panel and a processor.

[0007] The bottom surface of the chassis has four mounting slots, in which drive wheel one, drive wheel two, drive wheel three, and drive wheel four are rotatably connected respectively. Drive motor one and drive motor two are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the bottom side of the chassis. The rear side of the output shaft of drive motor one is fixedly connected to drive wheel one, and the front side of the output shaft of drive motor two is fixedly connected to drive wheel two, which provides power for the rotation of drive wheel one and drive wheel two, thereby enabling the robot to walk.

[0008] A protective box is fixedly connected to the left side of the bottom end face of the chassis, and an opening is reserved on the bottom end face of the protective box; slide rail one and slide rail two are fixedly connected to the left and right sides of the bottom of the protective box respectively, and a protective cover one, a shaking plate and a protective cover two are installed between slide rail one and slide rail two, which are arranged from front to back as protective cover one, shaking plate and protective cover two.

[0009] The shaking plate is located between the first protective cover and the second protective cover. Both the first and second protective covers are designed as foldable and retractable soft rubber plates. The first protective cover is fixedly connected to two sliders on the left and right sides, and the two sliders are slidably connected to the first and second slide rails respectively. The second protective cover is fixedly connected to two sliders on the left and right sides, and the two sliders are slidably connected to the first and second slide rails respectively.

[0010] Both slide rail one and slide rail two are equipped with transmission components to provide power for sliding slider one and slider two, thereby realizing the retraction or extension of protective cover one and protective cover two, and realizing the opening and closing of the bottom side opening of the protective box;

[0011] The transmission assembly includes a transmission motor and a transmission shaft. The transmission shaft is rotatably connected to slide rail one and slide rail two respectively, and passes through slide rail one and slide rail two from front to back. The rear end of the transmission shaft is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the rear side of the protective box, and the front side of the transmission shaft passes through the protective box and extends to its outer side. The transmission motor is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the front side of the protective box, and the rear side of the output shaft of the transmission motor is fixedly connected to the transmission shaft to provide power for the rotation of the transmission shaft.

[0012] The transmission shaft is further configured as a threaded rod, and threaded through holes are opened on both slider one and slider two. The transmission shaft is rotatably connected to slider one and slider two through the thread. It should be noted that the thread direction of the threaded through hole on slider one is opposite to that of the threaded through hole on slider two.

[0013] Further protective covers one, two protective covers, and a shaking plate are all slidably installed between slide rail one and slide rail two; the front side of the shaking plate is fixedly connected to the rear side of protective cover one, and the rear side of the shaking plate is fixedly connected to the front side of protective cover two.

[0014] Further, the vibration plate uses an airbag, with an air inlet and an air outlet reserved on its upper side. A horizontal spring is fixedly filled inside the vibration plate; an air inlet pipe is fixedly connected inside the air inlet, and the front side of the air inlet pipe passes through the protective box and extends to its outer side.

[0015] Furthermore, a solenoid valve is installed on the intake pipe, and a solenoid valve is installed on the exhaust port.

[0016] A small air pump is fixedly connected to the front outer wall of the protective box, and its air outlet is connected to the air inlet pipe.

[0017] The protective enclosure is further reinforced with a detection component, which consists of two sets located above the first and second protective covers, respectively.

[0018] The testing components include a motor, shaft, sleeve, and testing instruments;

[0019] The motor is fixedly connected to the upper inner wall of the protective box to provide power for the rotation of the shaft; the shaft is fixedly connected to the bottom side of the motor's output shaft; the sleeve is fitted onto the outside of the shaft, the shaft is made of threaded rod, and the sleeve has a threaded hole, the shaft is rotatably connected to the sleeve through the thread; the testing instrument is fixedly connected to the bottom side of the sleeve.

[0020] The sleeve is further designed to be square, and a limiting plate is fixedly connected inside the protective box. A square through hole is opened on the plate, and the sleeve is slidably fitted into the square through hole opened on the limiting plate.

[0021] Further testing instruments were selected from a non-contact ground resistance tester and an infrared thermal imager; the testing instrument above the first protective cover was a non-contact ground resistance tester, and the testing instrument above the second protective cover was an infrared thermal imager.

[0022] The processor, acting as the main control unit, is electrically connected to the camera, rotating motor, battery panel, drive motor one, drive motor two, transmission motor, solenoid valve one, solenoid valve two, small air pump, motor, and detection instrument via wires.

[0023] A method for detecting grounding faults in power equipment specifically includes the following processes:

[0024] (1) The inspection robot moves to the vicinity of the detection point of the grounding system according to the planned path. The processor starts the transmission motor to drive the transmission shaft to rotate. As the transmission shaft rotates clockwise, slider one and slider two slide in opposite directions, thereby causing protective cover one and protective cover two to retract. After the opening on the bottom side of the protective box opens, the transmission motor is closed.

[0025] (2) Then the motor on the upper side of the protective cover is turned on and the sleeve is driven to move down through the rotating shaft, thereby extending the non-contact ground resistance tester out of the protective box. The non-contact ground resistance tester measures the ground resistance value without contact through the principle of electromagnetic induction and transmits the data to the processor. The processor analyzes the ground resistance data in real time to determine whether it is within the normal range.

[0026] (3) Afterwards, the non-contact ground resistance tester is retracted into the protective box. The motor on the upper side of the second protective cover is turned on and the sleeve is driven down through the rotating shaft to extend the infrared thermal imager of the testing instrument out of the protective box. The infrared thermal imager scans the grounding equipment and captures the thermal distribution image on the surface of the equipment. The infrared thermal imager transmits the thermal distribution image and related data to the processor. By analyzing the thermal image, abnormal hot spots in the grounding system are identified. Then the infrared thermal imager is retracted into the protective box. The first and second protective covers are extended to close the opening on the bottom side of the protective box.

[0027] (4) The data from the non-contact ground resistance tester and the infrared thermal imager are fused together to comprehensively analyze the status of the grounding system. The processor is used to diagnose the grounding system for faults and identify possible causes and locations of faults.

[0028] (5) If an abnormality or fault is detected in the grounding system, the robot control system will trigger an alarm to notify the maintenance personnel.

[0029] One or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0030] 1. The inspection robot moves to the vicinity of the grounding system's detection point according to the planned path. The processor starts the drive motor, driving the drive shaft to rotate. As the drive shaft rotates clockwise, slider one and slider two slide in opposite directions, causing protective covers one and two to retract. After the opening on the bottom side of the protective box opens, the drive motor closes. Then, the motor on the upper side of protective cover one starts, driving the sleeve downwards via a rotating shaft, thus extending the non-contact ground resistance tester out of the protective box. The non-contact ground resistance tester measures the grounding resistance value non-contactly using the principle of electromagnetic induction and transmits the data to the processor for processing. The system analyzes the grounding resistance data in real time to determine if it is within the normal range. Then, the non-contact ground resistance tester retracts into the protective box. The motor on the upper side of the second protective cover activates, driving a sleeve downwards via a rotating shaft, extending the infrared thermal imager out of the protective box. The infrared thermal imager scans the grounding equipment, capturing the thermal distribution image on the equipment surface. The infrared thermal imager transmits the thermal distribution image and related data to the processor. By analyzing the thermal image, abnormal hot spots in the grounding system are identified. The infrared thermal imager is then retracted into the protective box, and the first and second protective covers extend to close the opening at the bottom of the protective box. The protective box provides safety protection for the testing instrument. When the inspection robot encounters waterlogged areas during its operation and cannot avoid them, it prevents water from splashing onto the testing instrument, ensuring the accuracy of the test. Simultaneously, the non-contact ground resistance tester provides quantitative data on grounding resistance, while the infrared thermal imager provides information on the thermal distribution of the grounding system. The combination of these two provides a more comprehensive assessment of the grounding system's condition.

[0031] 2. The vibrating plate is inflated by a small air pump. With the cooperation of solenoid valve 2, the vibrating plate is inflated and expanded or deflated. With the bottom opening of the protective box always closed, the protective cover 1 and the protective cover 2 can be retracted or extended, which can shake off the water or silt adhering to the bottom outer wall of the protective cover 1, the bottom outer wall of the protective cover 2 and the bottom outer wall of the vibrating plate. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the substation inspection robot structure for this application. Figure 1 .

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the substation inspection robot structure for this application. Figure 2 .

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the chassis in this application.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the chassis in this application.

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the mounting box in this application.

[0037] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the protective box structure in this application.

[0038] Figure 7 Cross-section of the protective box for this application Figure 1 .

[0039] Figure 8 Cross-section of the protective box for this application Figure 2 .

[0040] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of Protective Cover 1, Vibration Plate, and Protective Cover 2 in this application.

[0041] Figure 10 The top view shows the installation of Protective Cover 1, Vibration Plate, and Protective Cover 2 in this application.

[0042] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the protective cover in this application.

[0043] Figure 12 This is an enlarged structural diagram of Part A of this application.

[0044] Figure 13 This is an enlarged structural diagram of Part B of this application.

[0045] In the diagram: 10 Chassis, 11 Mounting Plate, 12 Mounting Box, 13 Rotary Motor, 14 Mounting Rod 1, 15 Mounting Rod 2, 16 Base Plate, 17 Protective Cover, 18 Camera, 19 Battery Board, 110 Processor, 111 Drive Motor 1, 112 Drive Wheel 1, 113 Drive Motor 2, 114 Drive Wheel 2, 115 Drive Wheel 3, 116 Drive Wheel 4, 20 Protective Box, 21 Slide Rail 1, 22 Slide Rail 2, 30 Limiting Plate, 40 Detection Components, 41 Motor, 42 Rotating Shaft, 43 Sleeve, 44 Detection Instrument, 50 Protective Cover 2, 51 Slider 2, 60 Protective Cover 1, 61 Slider 1, 70 Vibration Plate, 71 Solenoid Valve 2, 72 Air Inlet Pipe, 73 Solenoid Valve 1, 74 Small Air Pump, 80 Drive Shaft, 81 Drive Motor. Detailed Implementation

[0046] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more complete description will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings. However, the invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of the invention.

[0047] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" another element, it can be directly attached to the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0048] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the description of this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0049] Example 1: Please refer to Figure 1-13 A substation inspection robot includes a chassis 10. A mounting plate 11 is fixedly connected to the middle of the upper surface of the chassis 10. A mounting box 12 is fixedly connected to the upper side of the mounting plate 11. Mounting rod 14 and mounting rod 15 are rotatably connected to the front and rear sides of the mounting box 12, respectively. A base plate 16 is fixedly connected to the upper side of mounting rod 14 and mounting rod 15. A camera 18 is fixedly connected to the upper side of the base plate 16. A protective cover 17 is fixedly connected to the upper side of the base plate 16 to protect the camera 18. A rotating motor 13 is installed inside the mounting box 12. The front side of the output shaft of the rotating motor 13 passes through the mounting box 12 and is fixedly connected to mounting rod 14 to adjust the angle of the camera 18.

[0050] The chassis 10 is equipped with a partition that divides the internal space of the chassis 10 into upper and lower layers. The upper surface of the partition is equipped with a battery panel 19 and a processor 110.

[0051] The bottom surface of the chassis 10 has four mounting slots, in which drive wheel 112, drive wheel 214, drive wheel 315, and drive wheel 416 are rotatably connected respectively. Drive motor 111 and drive motor 213 are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the bottom side of the chassis 10. The rear side of the output shaft of drive motor 111 is fixedly connected to drive wheel 112, and the front side of the output shaft of drive motor 213 is fixedly connected to drive wheel 214, which provides power for the rotation of drive wheel 112 and drive wheel 214, thereby enabling the robot to walk.

[0052] A protective box 20 is fixedly connected to the left side of the bottom end face of the chassis 10, and an opening is reserved on the bottom end face of the protective box 20; a slide rail 1 21 and a slide rail 22 are fixedly connected to the left and right sides of the bottom of the protective box 20 respectively, and a protective cover 1 60, a vibration plate 70 and a protective cover 2 50 are installed between the slide rail 1 21 and the slide rail 2 22, which are arranged from front to back as follows: protective cover 1 60, vibration plate 70 and protective cover 2 50;

[0053] The shaking plate 70 is located between the first protective cover 60 and the second protective cover 50. Both the first protective cover 60 and the second protective cover 50 are designed as foldable and retractable soft rubber plates. The first protective cover 60 is fixedly connected to two sliders 61 on its left and right sides. The two sliders 61 are slidably connected to the first slide rail 21 and the second slide rail 22, respectively. The second protective cover 50 is fixedly connected to two sliders 51 on its left and right sides. The two sliders 51 are slidably connected to the first slide rail 21 and the second slide rail 22, respectively.

[0054] Both slide rail 1 21 and slide rail 2 22 are equipped with transmission components to provide power for sliding slider 1 61 and slider 2 51, thereby realizing the retraction or extension of protective cover 1 60 and protective cover 2 50, and realizing the opening and closing of the bottom opening of protective box 20.

[0055] The transmission assembly includes a transmission motor 81 and a transmission shaft 80. The transmission shaft 80 is rotatably connected to slide rail 21 and slide rail 22 respectively, and passes through slider 61 and slider 51 from front to back. The rear end of the transmission shaft 80 is rotatably connected to the inner rear wall of the protective box 20, and the front side of the transmission shaft 80 passes through the protective box 20 and extends to its outer side. The transmission motor 81 is fixedly connected to the outer front wall of the protective box 20, and the rear side of the output shaft of the transmission motor 81 is fixedly connected to the transmission shaft 80 to provide power for the rotation of the transmission shaft 80.

[0056] The drive shaft 80 is configured as a threaded rod, and threaded through holes are provided on both slider 1 61 and slider 2 51. The drive shaft 80 is rotatably connected to slider 1 61 and slider 2 51 through the thread. It should be noted that the thread direction of the threaded through hole on slider 1 61 is set opposite to the thread direction of the threaded through hole on slider 2 51, so that when the drive shaft 80 rotates clockwise, slider 1 61 and slider 2 51 rotate in opposite directions, thereby realizing the retraction of protective cover 1 60 and protective cover 2 50.

[0057] Protective cover 1 60, protective cover 2 50 and shaking plate 70 are all slidably installed between slide rail 1 21 and slide rail 2 22; the front side of shaking plate 70 is fixedly connected to the rear side of protective cover 1 60, and the rear side of shaking plate 70 is fixedly connected to the front side of protective cover 2 50.

[0058] The shaking plate 70 is an airbag with an air inlet and an air outlet reserved on its upper side; an air inlet pipe 72 is fixedly connected inside the air inlet, and the front side of the air inlet pipe 72 passes through the protective box 20 and extends to its outer side.

[0059] The air inlet pipe 72 is equipped with a solenoid valve 73 and the air outlet is equipped with a solenoid valve 71, which are used to charge and depress the shaking plate 70. By expanding or contracting the shaking plate 70, the bottom opening of the protective box 20 is always closed, which can make the protective cover 60 and the protective cover 50 contract or extend, and shake off the water or silt adhering to the bottom outer wall of the protective cover 60, the bottom outer wall of the protective cover 50, and the bottom outer wall of the shaking plate 70.

[0060] A small air pump 74 is fixedly connected to the front outer wall of the protective box 20. Its air outlet is connected to the air inlet pipe 72, which is used to provide the power source for inflating the shaking plate 70.

[0061] A transverse spring is fixedly filled inside the shaking plate 70, which can accelerate the deflating speed of the shaking plate 70 when it deflates.

[0062] The protective box 20 is fixedly connected to the detection component 40, which is provided in two sets, located above the first protective cover 60 and the second protective cover 50 respectively;

[0063] The detection component 40 includes a motor 41, a rotating shaft 42, a sleeve 43, and a detection instrument 44;

[0064] The motor 41 is fixedly connected to the upper inner wall of the protective box 20 to provide power for the rotation of the shaft 42; the shaft 42 is fixedly connected to the bottom side of the output shaft of the motor 41; the sleeve 43 is fitted onto the outside of the shaft 42; and the testing instrument 44 is fixedly connected to the bottom side of the sleeve 43.

[0065] The rotating shaft 42 is made of a threaded rod, and the sleeve 43 has a threaded hole. The rotating shaft 42 is rotatably connected to the sleeve 43 through the thread.

[0066] The sleeve 43 is square, and a limiting plate 30 is fixedly connected inside the protective box 20. A square through hole is opened on the limiting plate 30. The sleeve 43 is slidably fitted into the square through hole opened on the limiting plate 30. The rotating shaft 42 is driven to rotate by the motor 41. Through the limiting plate 30, the sleeve 43 slides up and down as the rotating shaft 42 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, so that the detection instrument 44 can be extended or retracted from the protective box 20.

[0067] The testing instruments 44 are a non-contact ground resistance tester and an infrared thermal imager, respectively; the testing instrument above the protective cover 60 is a non-contact ground resistance tester, which is a device that can measure grounding resistance without direct contact with the grounding body. It usually uses the principle of electromagnetic induction or other non-contact technology to measure the performance of the grounding system; the testing instrument above the protective cover 50 is an infrared thermal imager, which mainly uses the non-contact temperature detection capability of the infrared thermal imager to realize real-time monitoring and fault diagnosis of the substation equipment status.

[0068] A charging port is reserved on the chassis 10 for charging the battery panel 19 later.

[0069] The processor 110 serves as the main control unit and is electrically connected to the camera 18, the rotating motor 13, the battery panel 19, the drive motor 111, the drive motor 113, the transmission motor 81, the solenoid valve 73, the solenoid valve 71, the small air pump 74, the motor 41, and the detection instrument 44 via wires.

[0070] In actual operation of this embodiment, the inspection robot moves to the vicinity of the grounding system detection point according to the planned path. The processor 110 starts the drive motor 81, driving the drive shaft 80 to rotate. As the drive shaft 80 rotates clockwise, slider 1 61 and slider 2 51 slide in opposite directions, causing protective covers 1 60 and 2 50 to retract. After the opening on the bottom side of the protective box 20 opens, the drive motor 81 is turned off. Then, the motor 41 on the upper side of protective cover 1 60 turns on, driving the sleeve 43 downward via the rotating shaft 42, thus extending the non-contact ground resistance tester 44 out of the protective box 20. The non-contact ground resistance tester measures the grounding resistance value non-contactly through electromagnetic induction and transmits the data to the processor. The processor 110 analyzes the grounding resistance data in real time to determine whether it is within the normal range. Then, the non-contact grounding resistance tester is retracted into the protective box 20. The motor 41 on the upper side of the second protective cover 50 is turned on and drives the sleeve 43 to move down via the rotating shaft 42, thereby extending the infrared thermal imager 44 out of the protective box 20. The infrared thermal imager scans the grounding equipment and captures the thermal distribution image on the surface of the equipment. The infrared thermal imager transmits the thermal distribution image and related data to the processor 110. By analyzing the thermal image, abnormal hot spots in the grounding system are identified. Then, the infrared thermal imager is retracted into the protective box 20. The first protective cover 60 and the second protective cover 50 are extended to close the bottom opening of the protective box 20.

[0071] It should be noted that waterproof covers can be installed on the outside of the small air pump and the drive motor. At the same time, the outer wall of the protective cover one, the protective cover two, and the bottom side of the shaking plate are all coated with a layer of waterproof material.

[0072] The technical solutions described in the above embodiments of this application have at least the following technical effects or advantages: The protective box provides safety protection for the testing instruments; when the inspection robot encounters waterlogged sections during its movement and cannot bypass them, water splashes onto the testing instruments, ensuring the accuracy of the testing; simultaneously, the non-contact ground resistance tester provides quantitative data on grounding resistance, while the infrared thermal imager provides information on the thermal distribution of the grounding system. The combination of these two methods allows for a more comprehensive assessment of the grounding system's condition.

[0073] Example 2: The path planning and precise positioning of the inspection robot to the required grounding body location is a complex process, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0074] A three-dimensional model of the substation is created using high-precision maps or laser scanning technology, marking the locations of all grounding electrodes that need to be detected.

[0075] The key points of the inspection are determined based on the distribution of the grounding electrodes; Dijkstra's algorithm is applied to the path planning algorithm to calculate the shortest or optimal path from the starting point to all inspection points and back to the starting point.

[0076] The inspection robot uses Beidou navigation for positioning. Based on landmarks or reference points set up within the substation, the robot identifies these landmarks to assist in positioning.

[0077] By combining pre-built maps and real-time sensor data (such as cameras), the robot can achieve centimeter-level positioning accuracy. When the robot approaches the target ground body, more sophisticated sensors (such as ultrasonic sensors) are used to ensure precise docking.

[0078] Upon reaching the designated location, the robot extends its detection equipment (such as a non-contact ground resistance tester and an infrared thermal imager) in the existing sequence to perform the detection.

[0079] The method for detecting grounding faults in power equipment specifically includes the following processes:

[0080] (1) The inspection robot moves to the vicinity of the detection point of the grounding system according to the planned path. The processor starts the transmission motor to drive the transmission shaft to rotate. As the transmission shaft rotates clockwise, slider one and slider two slide in opposite directions, thereby causing protective cover one and protective cover two to retract. After the opening on the bottom side of the protective box opens, the transmission motor is closed.

[0081] (2) Then the motor on the upper side of the protective cover is turned on and the sleeve is driven to move down through the rotating shaft, thereby extending the non-contact ground resistance tester out of the protective box. The non-contact ground resistance tester measures the ground resistance value without contact through the principle of electromagnetic induction and transmits the data to the processor. The processor analyzes the ground resistance data in real time to determine whether it is within the normal range.

[0082] (3) Afterwards, the non-contact ground resistance tester is retracted into the protective box. The motor on the upper side of the second protective cover is turned on and the sleeve is driven down through the rotating shaft to extend the infrared thermal imager of the testing instrument out of the protective box. The infrared thermal imager scans the grounding equipment and captures the thermal distribution image on the surface of the equipment. The infrared thermal imager transmits the thermal distribution image and related data to the processor. By analyzing the thermal image, abnormal hot spots in the grounding system are identified. Then the infrared thermal imager is retracted into the protective box. The first and second protective covers are extended to close the opening on the bottom side of the protective box.

[0083] (4) The data from the non-contact ground resistance tester and the infrared thermal imager are fused together to comprehensively analyze the status of the grounding system. The processor is used to diagnose the grounding system for faults and identify possible causes and locations of faults.

[0084] (5) If an abnormality or fault is detected in the grounding system, the robot control system will trigger an alarm to notify the maintenance personnel.

[0085] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention can have various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A substation inspection robot, comprising a chassis, characterized in that: A protective box is fixedly connected to the left side of the bottom end face of the chassis, and an opening is reserved on the bottom end face of the protective box; a slide rail one and a slide rail two are fixedly connected to the left and right sides of the bottom side of the protective box respectively, and a protective cover one, a shaking plate and a protective cover two are installed between slide rail one and slide rail two, which are arranged from front to back as protective cover one, shaking plate and protective cover two. The shaking plate is located between the first protective cover and the second protective cover. Both the first and second protective covers are foldable and retractable soft rubber plates. The first protective cover is fixedly connected to two sliders on its left and right sides, and the two sliders are slidably connected to the first and second slide rails respectively. The second protective cover is fixedly connected to two sliders on its left and right sides, and the two sliders are slidably connected to the first and second slide rails respectively. Both slide rail one and slide rail two are equipped with transmission components; the transmission components include a transmission motor and a transmission shaft; the transmission shaft is rotatably connected to slide rail one and slide rail two respectively, passing through slide rail one and slide rail two sequentially from front to back, the rear end of the transmission shaft is rotatably connected to the inner rear wall of the protective box, and the front side of the transmission shaft passes through the protective box and extends to its outer side; the transmission motor is fixedly connected to the outer front wall of the protective box, and the rear side of the output shaft of the transmission motor is fixedly connected to the transmission shaft. The first protective cover, the second protective cover, and the shaking plate are all slidably installed between the first slide rail and the second slide rail; the front side of the shaking plate is fixedly connected to the rear side of the first protective cover, and the rear side of the shaking plate is fixedly connected to the front side of the second protective cover. The shaking plate is made of airbag, with an air inlet and an air outlet reserved on its upper side. A horizontal spring is fixedly filled inside the shaking plate. An air inlet pipe is fixedly connected inside the air inlet, and the front side of the air inlet pipe passes through the protective box and extends to its outer side. A solenoid valve one is installed on the air inlet pipe, and a solenoid valve two is installed on the air outlet. A small air pump is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the front side of the protective box, and its air outlet is connected to the air inlet pipe. The protective box contains two sets of detection components, located above the first and second protective covers respectively. The detection components include a motor, a rotating shaft, a sleeve, and a detection instrument. The motor is fixedly connected to the upper inner wall of the protective box. The rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the bottom of the motor's output shaft. The sleeve is fitted onto the outside of the rotating shaft, which is a threaded rod. The sleeve has a threaded hole, and the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the sleeve through the thread. The detection instrument is fixedly connected to the bottom of the sleeve.

2. The substation inspection robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The drive shaft is configured as a threaded rod, and threaded through holes are provided on both slider one and slider two. The drive shaft is rotatably connected to slider one and slider two through threads. The thread direction of the threaded through hole on slider one is opposite to the thread direction of the threaded through hole on slider two.

3. The substation inspection robot as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The sleeve is square in shape, and a limiting plate is fixedly connected inside the protective box. A square through hole is opened on the limiting plate, and the sleeve is slidably fitted into the square through hole opened on the limiting plate.

4. A substation inspection robot as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The testing instruments selected are a non-contact ground resistance tester and an infrared thermal imager; the testing instrument above the first protective cover is a non-contact ground resistance tester, and the testing instrument above the second protective cover is an infrared thermal imager.

5. A substation inspection robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A mounting plate is fixedly connected to the middle of the upper end face of the chassis. A mounting box is fixedly connected to the upper side of the mounting plate. Mounting rod one and mounting rod two are rotatably connected to the front and rear sides of the mounting box, respectively. A base plate is fixedly connected to the upper side of mounting rod one and mounting rod two. A camera is fixedly connected to the upper side of the base plate. A protective cover is covered to the outside of the camera. The protective cover is fixedly connected to the upper side of the base plate. A rotating motor is installed inside the mounting box. The front side of the output shaft of the rotating motor passes through the mounting box and is fixedly connected to mounting rod one. The chassis is equipped with a partition that divides the internal space into upper and lower layers. The upper surface of the partition is equipped with a battery panel and a processor. The processor serves as the main control unit and is electrically connected to the camera, rotating motor, battery panel, drive motor one, drive motor two, transmission motor, solenoid valve one, solenoid valve two, small air pump, motor, and detection instrument via wires. The bottom face of the chassis has four mounting slots, and drive wheel one, drive wheel two, drive wheel three and drive wheel four are rotatably connected in the mounting slots respectively; drive motor one and drive motor two are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the bottom side of the chassis. The rear side of the output shaft of drive motor one is fixedly connected to drive wheel one, and the front side of the output shaft of drive motor two is fixedly connected to drive wheel two.

6. A method for detecting grounding faults in power equipment, employing a substation inspection robot as described in any one of claims 1 to 5; characterized in that: Specifically, it includes the following processes: (1) The inspection robot moves to the vicinity of the detection point of the grounding system according to the planned path. The processor starts the transmission motor to drive the transmission shaft to rotate. As the transmission shaft rotates clockwise, slider one and slider two slide in opposite directions, thereby causing protective cover one and protective cover two to retract. After the opening on the bottom side of the protective box opens, the transmission motor is closed. (2) Then the motor on the upper side of the protective cover is turned on and the sleeve is driven to move down through the rotating shaft, thereby extending the non-contact ground resistance tester out of the protective box. The non-contact ground resistance tester measures the ground resistance value without contact through the principle of electromagnetic induction and transmits the data to the processor. The processor analyzes the ground resistance data in real time to determine whether it is within the normal range. (3) Afterwards, the non-contact ground resistance tester is retracted into the protective box. The motor on the upper side of the second protective cover is turned on and the sleeve is driven down through the rotating shaft to extend the infrared thermal imager of the testing instrument out of the protective box. The infrared thermal imager scans the grounding equipment and captures the thermal distribution image on the surface of the equipment. The infrared thermal imager transmits the thermal distribution image and related data to the processor. By analyzing the thermal image, abnormal hot spots in the grounding system are identified. Then the infrared thermal imager is retracted into the protective box. The first and second protective covers are extended to close the opening on the bottom side of the protective box. (4) The data from the non-contact ground resistance tester and the infrared thermal imager are fused together to comprehensively analyze the status of the grounding system. The processor is used to diagnose the grounding system for faults and identify possible causes and locations of faults. (5) If an abnormality or fault is detected in the grounding system, the robot control system will trigger an alarm to notify the maintenance personnel.

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