A coal conveyor bridge inspection and drying robot

Abstract

This invention discloses a coal conveyor bridge inspection and drying robot, comprising: a robot main unit and a chain drive device. The robot main unit's cabin houses a control module and a power module, with the power module electrically connected to the control module. The chain drive device includes a driving sprocket and a driven sprocket. The driving sprocket is powered by a drive motor, and a chain is sleeved between the driving sprocket and the driven sprocket. The robot main unit is fixedly connected to the chain below. This invention uses a chain drive device fixed to the intermediate frame or legs of a belt conveyor to drive the inspection and drying robot, replacing the traditional drive motor device of inspection robots. This reduces battery capacity requirements, thereby reducing the robot's weight, and also reduces the difficulty of the robot moving within the bridge, reducing robot energy consumption and the number of charging stations required, saving space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot, belonging to the technical field of power plant operation equipment. Background Technology

[0002] The coal conveying system is a crucial component of coal-fired power plants, responsible for transporting coal from coal yards or unloading trenches to raw coal bunkers via conveyor belts. This process generates dust and spillage, resulting in a harsh environment on the conveyor belts. Traditional rail-mounted robots are suspended from tracks by support mechanisms that can rotate relative to the track, providing the robot with flexible steering capabilities. The drive mechanism clamps to the track on both sides, providing the robot's propulsion. Batteries are used as the power source for the robot's electrical system. Since the power structure is mounted on the robot body, it increases the robot's weight and power consumption, requiring large-capacity batteries, which further increases the robot's weight and power consumption. Furthermore, existing inspection robots have limited functionality; current technologies typically use water washing to clean the coal conveyor belts without drying, resulting in slippery surfaces and safety hazards for workers. Therefore, we propose a coal conveyor belt inspection and drying robot. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot. This invention uses a chain drive device to drag the inspection and drying robot to walk, replacing the traditional drive motor device of the inspection robot. This can reduce the battery capacity requirement and thus reduce the robot's weight, while also reducing the difficulty of the robot walking in the trestle.

[0004] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot, comprising: a robot host and a chain transmission device, wherein the robot host is equipped with a control module and a power module in its cabin, and the power module is electrically connected to the control module;

[0005] The chain drive device includes a driving sprocket and a driven sprocket. The driving sprocket is powered by a drive motor. A chain is sleeved between the driving sprocket and the driven sprocket to realize power transmission between the driving sprocket and the driven sprocket. The robot host is fixedly connected to the lower chain and is placed below the lower chain.

[0006] The present invention installs supports on the intermediate frame or legs at the head and tail of the belt conveyor to fix the driving sprocket and the driven sprocket. A chain drive device installed on the intermediate frame or legs of the belt conveyor provides power for the robot to move. The drive motor of the drive device is located at the head of the belt conveyor. By controlling its forward and reverse rotation, the chain is driven to rotate forward and reverse, thereby moving the robot forward or backward.

[0007] The robot host is equipped with a blowing and drying device at its bottom, and the blowing and drying device is electrically connected to the control module and the power module respectively.

[0008] The aforementioned coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot has connecting columns on the top of the front and rear sides of the robot main unit, and external accessories are provided on the outer links of the chain. The top of the connecting column is installed and connected to the bottom of the external accessory, so that the robot main unit is fixed on the chain.

[0009] The aforementioned coal conveyor bridge inspection and drying robot has a top plate on the top of its main unit's cabin. The bottom of the connecting column is threaded, and the bottom end of the connecting column penetrates the end of the top plate and is fitted with an adjusting nut. The length of the connecting column extending beyond the top plate is adjusted by the adjusting nut, thereby adjusting the installation angle of the robot's main unit.

[0010] The aforementioned coal conveyor bridge inspection and drying robot includes a blowing and drying device comprising a blower main unit and air outlet components. The blower main unit is installed inside the robot main unit's cabin and is connected to the air outlet components via a flexible air duct. The air outlet components are located at the bottom of the robot main unit, and the top of each of the four corners of the air outlet components is connected to the robot main unit via adjustable telescopic rods. A gyroscope is installed inside the robot main unit's cabin. The gyroscope and the adjustable telescopic rods are electrically connected to a control module. The gyroscope acquires the robot main unit's attitude angle data, which is then uploaded to the control module in real time via an RS communication interface. This data serves as the logical input for automatically adjusting the blowing air angle. By adjusting the length of the adjustable telescopic rods, the air outlet angle of the air outlet components is adjusted to ensure that the blowing air direction remains perpendicular to the ground at all times, thereby achieving the highest drying efficiency.

[0011] The aforementioned coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot includes an adjustable telescopic rod comprising an upper rod and a lower rod. The bottom end of the lower rod is fixedly connected to an air vent component, and the top end of the lower rod has a threaded groove. The surface of the upper rod has threads, and the bottom end is screwed into the threaded groove. The top end of the upper rod is rotatably mounted on the lower side wall of the robot host and extends through into the inner cavity of the robot host. An adjustment motor is provided on the bottom surface of the inner cavity of the robot host. The top end of the upper rod is poweredly connected to the output end of the adjustment motor through a gear. The adjustment motor is electrically connected to the control module. The adjustment motor drives the upper rod to rotate eastward, thereby adjusting the length of the upper rod inserted into the threaded groove of the lower rod. Thus, the overall length of the adjustable telescopic rod is adjusted by controlling the forward and reverse rotation and the number of rotations of the adjustment motor.

[0012] The aforementioned coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot includes a power module comprising a battery and a battery management system. The battery provides power to the equipment inside the robot's main unit. The battery management system is equipped with an overcharge protection module, an over-discharge protection module, an overcurrent protection module, a short circuit protection module, and an over-temperature protection module. The battery management system is electrically connected to the control module, and the battery is connected to a wireless charging device.

[0013] The aforementioned coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot is equipped with a position sensor on its main body and adopts a positioning scheme using RFID, encoder, and proximity switch. The RFID and encoder position sensors are used for initial positioning, while the position sensor and magnet are used for precise positioning. The robot's main body is also equipped with ultrasonic radar and anti-collision switch strips around its outer side wall. It adopts a multi-dimensional and multi-layered anti-collision scheme to automatically detect the surrounding environment. When an obstacle is detected on the inspection route that cannot be safely passed, the robot automatically stops and sounds an alarm. The position sensor, ultrasonic radar, and anti-collision switch strips are all electrically connected to the control module.

[0014] The aforementioned coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot is equipped with detection equipment on its main unit. The detection equipment includes an infrared dual-spectrum camera, temperature and humidity, gas and dust concentration detection sensors, and the infrared dual-spectrum camera, temperature and humidity, gas and dust concentration detection sensors are all electrically connected to the control module to monitor the on-site equipment, surrounding personnel and environmental conditions in real time.

[0015] The aforementioned coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot has multiple indicator lights of different colors on its main body housing, and a voice broadcaster is also installed on the outer wall of the main body. Both the indicator lights and the voice broadcaster are electrically connected to the control module.

[0016] The aforementioned coal conveyor bridge inspection and drying robot is equipped with a wireless communication roaming device on its main body. The wireless communication roaming device is electrically connected to the control module and transmits inspection data back to the control room server in real time through various wireless base stations along the line.

[0017] Compared with existing technologies, this invention uses a chain drive device fixed on the intermediate frame or legs of a belt conveyor to drive the inspection and drying robot, replacing the traditional drive motor device of the inspection robot. This reduces battery capacity requirements and thus robot weight, while also reducing the difficulty of the robot walking on the platform, reducing robot energy consumption and the number of charging stations required, and saving space. At the same time, this invention introduces a gyroscope to adjust the blowing angle in real time according to the robot's posture angle to obtain the highest drying efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the chain and the robot host of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the purging and drying device of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the adjustable telescopic rod installation structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an inspection robot in the existing technology.

[0023] Reference numerals: 1-Robot main unit, 2-Chain drive device, 3-Driving sprocket, 4-Driven sprocket, 5-Drive motor, 6-Chain, 7-Blowing and drying device, 701-Fan main unit, 702-Air outlet component, 703-Flexible air duct, 704-Upper rod, 705-Lower rod, 706-Adjusting motor, 8-Connecting column, 9-External accessory, 10-Top plate. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Traditional rail-mounted robot structures are generally as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the robot is mounted on a track via a support mechanism, which can rotate relative to the track, providing the robot with flexible steering capabilities. The drive mechanism clamps onto the track on both sides, providing the robot with propulsion. The internal battery is the sole power source for the robot's electrical system and is the largest and heaviest component in the robot, followed by the motor and its actuator. While the battery capacity varies depending on the inspection mileage, climbing ability, and the type of detection equipment carried, the motor and actuator are the largest power consumers, thus determining the battery capacity. This results in the robot's large weight, high power requirements, and high energy consumption.

[0025] This invention employs a chain drive device fixed to the intermediate frame or legs of a belt conveyor to drive the inspection and drying robot, replacing the traditional drive motor device of the inspection robot. This reduces battery capacity requirements, thereby reducing the robot's weight, while also reducing the difficulty of the robot walking on the platform, and reducing robot energy consumption and the number of charging stations required.

[0026] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0027] Embodiment 1 of the present invention: A coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot, comprising: a robot host 1 and a chain transmission device 2, wherein the robot host 1 is equipped with a control module and a power module in its cabin, and the power module is electrically connected to the control module;

[0028] The chain drive device 2 includes a drive sprocket 3 and a driven sprocket 4. The drive sprocket 3 is powered by a drive motor 5. A chain 6 is sleeved between the drive sprocket 3 and the driven sprocket 4 to realize power transmission between the drive sprocket 3 and the driven sprocket 4. The robot host 1 is fixedly connected to the lower chain 6 and is placed below the lower chain 6.

[0029] Specifically, supports are installed on the intermediate frame or legs at the head and tail of the belt conveyor to fix the drive sprocket 3 and the driven sprocket 4. A chain drive device 2 installed on the intermediate frame or legs of the belt conveyor provides power for the robot host 1 to move. The drive motor 5 of the drive device 2 is located at the head of the belt conveyor. By controlling its forward and reverse rotation, the chain 6 is driven to rotate forward and backward, thereby moving the robot host 1 forward or backward.

[0030] The robot host 1 is equipped with a blowing and drying device 7 at its bottom, and the blowing and drying device 7 is electrically connected to the control module and the power module respectively.

[0031] Embodiment 2 of the present invention: A coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot, comprising: a robot host 1 and a chain transmission device 2, wherein the robot host 1 is equipped with a control module and a power module in its cabin, and the power module is electrically connected to the control module;

[0032] The chain drive device 2 includes a drive sprocket 3 and a driven sprocket 4. The drive sprocket 3 is powered by a drive motor 5. A chain 6 is sleeved between the drive sprocket 3 and the driven sprocket 4 to achieve power transmission between them. The robot host 1 is fixedly connected to the lower chain 6 and is positioned below it. Connecting posts 8 are provided on the top of the front and rear sides of the robot host 1. The outer links of the chain 6 are provided with external attachments 9. The top of the connecting post 8 is installed and connected to the bottom of the external attachment 9, thus fixing the robot host 1 to the chain 6. A top plate 10 is provided on the top of the robot host 1's cabin. The bottom of the connecting post 8 is threaded, and the bottom end of the connecting post 8 passes through the end of the top plate 10 and is provided with an adjusting nut. The length of the connecting post 8 extending out of the top plate 10 is adjusted by adjusting the nut, thereby adjusting the installation angle of the robot host 1.

[0033] Specifically, supports are installed on the intermediate frame or legs at the head and tail of the belt conveyor to fix the drive sprocket 3 and the driven sprocket 4. A chain drive device 2 installed on the intermediate frame or legs of the belt conveyor provides power for the robot host 1 to move. The drive motor 5 of the drive device 2 is located at the head of the belt conveyor. By controlling its forward and reverse rotation, the chain 6 is driven to rotate forward and backward, thereby moving the robot host 1 forward or backward.

[0034] The robot host 1 is equipped with a blowing and drying device 7 at its bottom, which is electrically connected to the control module and the power module. The blowing and drying device 7 includes a blower host 701 and an air outlet component 702. The blower host 701 is located inside the robot host 1's cabin and is connected to the air outlet component 702 via a flexible air duct 703. The air outlet component 702 is located at the bottom of the robot host 1, and its four corners are connected to the robot host 1 via adjustable telescopic rods. The robot host 1's cabin is equipped with a gyroscope, and the gyroscope and adjustable telescopic rods are electrically connected to the control module. The gyroscope acquires the robot host 1's attitude angle data, which is then uploaded to the control module in real time via an RS485 communication interface. This data serves as the logic input for automatically adjusting the blowing angle. By adjusting the length of the adjustable telescopic rods, the air outlet angle of the air outlet component 702 is adjusted to ensure that the blowing direction remains perpendicular to the ground at all times, thereby achieving the highest drying efficiency.

[0035] The adjustable telescopic rod includes an upper rod 704 and a lower rod 705. The bottom end of the lower rod 705 is fixedly connected to the air vent component 702, and the top end of the lower rod 705 has a threaded groove. The surface of the upper rod 704 has threads, and the bottom end is screwed into the threaded groove. The top end of the upper rod 704 is rotatably mounted on the lower side wall of the robot host 1 and extends through into the inner cavity of the robot host 1. An adjustment motor 706 is provided on the bottom surface of the inner cavity of the robot host 1. The top end of the upper rod 704 is poweredly connected to the output end of the adjustment motor 706 through a gear. The adjustment motor 706 is electrically connected to the control module. The adjustment motor 706 drives the upper rod 704 to rotate eastward, thereby adjusting the length of the upper rod 704 inserted into the threaded groove of the lower rod 705. Thus, the overall length of the adjustable telescopic rod is adjusted by controlling the forward and reverse rotation and the number of rotations of the adjustment motor 706.

[0036] Specifically, the power module includes a battery and a battery management system. The battery is used to provide power to the devices inside the robot host 1. The battery management system is equipped with an overcharge protection module, an over-discharge protection module, an overcurrent protection module, a short circuit protection module, and an over-temperature protection module. The battery management system is electrically connected to the control module, and the battery is connected to a wireless charging device.

[0037] Among them, the use of a chain drive device 2 fixed on the middle frame or legs of the belt conveyor to drive the inspection and drying robot instead of the traditional inspection robot's drive motor greatly reduces the robot's power consumption and weight. As a result, the robot's battery capacity can be reduced from DC24V 20Ah to 7.5Ah. When equipped with a 5A wireless charging device, the charging time is also shortened from about 5 hours to 2 hours, achieving fast charging.

[0038] Specifically, the robot host 1 is equipped with a position sensor and adopts a positioning scheme of RFID, encoder and proximity switch. The RFID and encoder position sensing is used for initial positioning, and the position sensor and magnet are used for precise positioning. The positioning accuracy is less than ±1cm. The outer wall of the robot host 1 is equipped with ultrasonic radar and anti-collision switch strip. It adopts a multi-dimensional and multi-layer anti-collision scheme to automatically detect the surrounding environment. When it detects an obstacle on the inspection route that cannot be passed safely, it automatically stops and alarms. The position sensor, ultrasonic radar and anti-collision switch strip are all electrically connected to the control module.

[0039] Specifically, the robot host 1 is equipped with detection equipment, which includes an infrared dual-spectrum camera, temperature and humidity, gas and dust concentration detection sensors. The infrared dual-spectrum camera, temperature and humidity, gas and dust concentration detection sensors are all electrically connected to the control module to monitor the on-site equipment, surrounding personnel and environmental conditions in real time. This enables real-time video synchronization of the on-site situation during robot inspection, acquisition of the current environmental status, equipment status recognition and autonomous identification and alarm of abnormal conditions.

[0040] Specifically, the robot host 1 has multiple indicator lights of different colors on its housing, and a voice broadcaster is also provided on the outer wall of the robot host 1. Both the indicator lights and the voice broadcaster are electrically connected to the control module.

[0041] The system uses different colors or flashing frequencies to indicate the current status of the inspection robot. When the robot is performing a task or encounters a malfunction, a voice announcer continuously plays the current status to remind staff. Based on the robot's pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) device's voice intercom function, and with the mobile robot equipped with a microphone and speaker, full-duplex voice intercom is possible via on-site wireless AP network transmission. This allows control room staff and on-site staff to maintain smooth communication through voice intercom, with clear and loud sound.

[0042] Specifically, the robot host 1 is equipped with a wireless communication roaming device, which is electrically connected to the control module and transmits inspection data back to the control room server in real time through each wireless base station along the line.

[0043] The inspection data is transmitted back to the control room server in real time through each wireless base station along the line. The wireless base station adopts multi-link transmission technology, which supports high-speed seamless roaming between different APs and achieves seamless switching with "0" packet loss.

[0044] The working principle of one embodiment of the present invention: During use, the present invention can be set to three operating states: manual mode, semi-automatic mode, and automatic mode, wherein:

[0045] Manual mode: From the robot control interface of the control room station, remotely turn the power circuit of the robot body's blowing and drying device on and off, and start and stop the blowing and drying operation.

[0046] Semi-automatic mode: The operation time can be set on the robot control interface deployed on the control room station, and the blowing and drying operation can be performed at regular intervals.

[0047] (1) Start-up: When the preset operation time arrives, the robot control system issues an operation instruction and sends it to the robot main control unit via wireless communication. The robot automatically connects the power circuit of the blowing and drying device and starts the blowing and drying operation.

[0048] (2) Stop: After the robot travels back and forth along the chain drive track twice, it automatically returns to the starting position (charging station) and automatically cuts off the power circuit of the blowing and drying device, stopping the blowing and drying operation.

[0049] Automatic mode: The robot control system deployed on the control room operator station reads the working status of the intelligent water flushing system via OPC communication and sends it to the robot main control unit in real time via wireless communication.

[0050] (1) Start-up: When the robot main control unit receives the signal that the intelligent water flushing system has ended its operation, it automatically connects the power circuit of the blowing and drying device and starts the blowing and drying operation.

[0051] (2) Stop: After the robot travels back and forth along the chain drive track twice, it automatically returns to the starting position (charging station) and automatically cuts off the power circuit of the blowing and drying device, stopping the blowing and drying operation.

Claims

1. A coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot, characterized in that, include: The robot host (1) and the chain drive device (2) are provided. The robot host (1) is equipped with a control module and a power module in its cabin, and the power module is electrically connected to the control module. The chain drive device (2) includes a drive sprocket (3) and a driven sprocket (4). The drive sprocket (3) is powered by a drive motor (5). A chain (6) is sleeved between the drive sprocket (3) and the driven sprocket (4) to realize power transmission between the drive sprocket (3) and the driven sprocket (4). The robot host (1) is fixedly connected to the lower chain (6) and is placed below the lower chain (6). The robot host (1) is equipped with a blowing and drying device (7) at the bottom, and the blowing and drying device (7) is electrically connected to the control module and the power module respectively; The robot host (1) has connecting posts (8) on the top of the front and rear sides, and the outer links of the chain (6) are provided with external attachments (9). The top of the connecting posts (8) is installed and connected to the bottom of the external attachments (9). The top of the robot host (1) is provided with a top plate (10), the bottom of the connecting column (8) is provided with a thread, the bottom end of the connecting column (8) passes through the end of the top plate (10) and is provided with an adjusting nut, the length of the connecting column (8) when it extends out of the top plate is adjusted by adjusting the adjusting nut, thereby adjusting the installation angle of the robot host (1). The blowing and drying device (7) includes a blower host (701) and an air outlet component (702). The blower host (701) is installed in the cabin of the robot host (1). The blower host (701) is connected to the air outlet component (702) through a flexible air duct (703). The air outlet component (702) is installed at the bottom of the robot host (1). The top of the four corners of the air outlet component (702) is connected to the robot host (1) through adjustable telescopic rods. The robot host (1) is equipped with a gyroscope in its cabin. The gyroscope and the adjustable telescopic rods are electrically connected to the control module. The gyroscope is used to obtain the attitude angle data of the robot host (1). The air outlet angle of the air outlet component (702) is adjusted by adjusting the length of the adjustable telescopic rods to ensure that the blowing direction is always perpendicular to the ground.

2. The coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustable telescopic rod includes an upper rod (704) and a lower rod (705). The bottom end of the lower rod (705) is fixedly connected to the air vent component (702). The top end of the lower rod (705) is provided with a threaded groove. The surface of the upper rod (704) is provided with threads and the bottom end is screwed into the threaded groove. The top end of the upper rod (704) is rotatably mounted on the lower side wall of the robot host (1) and extends through into the inner cavity of the robot host (1). An adjustment motor (706) is provided on the bottom surface of the inner cavity of the robot host (1). The top end of the upper rod (704) is poweredly connected to the output end of the adjustment motor (706) through gears. The adjustment motor (706) is electrically connected to the control module.

3. The coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power module includes a battery and a battery management system. The battery is used to provide power to the devices inside the robot host (1). The battery management system is equipped with an overcharge protection module, an over-discharge protection module, an overcurrent protection module, a short circuit protection module, and an over-temperature protection module. The battery management system is electrically connected to the control module. The battery is connected to a wireless charging device.

4. The coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robot host (1) is equipped with a position sensor, and an ultrasonic radar and an anti-collision switch strip are arranged around the outer wall of the robot host (1). The position sensor, ultrasonic radar and anti-collision switch strip are all electrically connected to the control module.

5. The coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robot host (1) is equipped with a detection device, which includes an infrared dual-spectrum camera, temperature and humidity, gas and dust concentration detection sensors, and the infrared dual-spectrum camera, temperature and humidity, gas and dust concentration detection sensors are all electrically connected to the control module.

6. The coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robot host (1) is equipped with multiple indicator lights of different colors on its housing, and a voice broadcaster is also provided on the outer side wall of the robot host (1). Both the indicator lights and the voice broadcaster are electrically connected to the control module.

7. The coal conveying trestle inspection and drying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robot host (1) is equipped with a wireless communication roaming device, which is electrically connected to the control module.

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