Intelligent automatic transportation system and transportation method for duct pieces

Abstract

The invention relates to a duct piece intelligent automatic transportation system and method, and the system comprises a duct piece transportation track which is erected between an unloading area and a releasing area; the crane is movably arranged on the duct piece conveying rail and is used for grabbing, hoisting, rotating, transferring and lowering the duct pieces; the intelligent recognition system is arranged on the crane and can move along with the movement of the crane so as to dynamically recognize the positions and poses of the duct pieces within a certain range below the crane; and the automatic control system is used for acquiring the segment position and the segment pose of the identified segment, and controlling the crane to execute corresponding operation based on the segment position and the segment pose. According to the duct piece conveying device, full-automatic conveying of the duct pieces from the unloading area to the releasing area can be achieved, the duct pieces can be automatically adjusted to be in the posture where the duct pieces are easy to assemble in the conveying process, excessive dependence on manpower is avoided, and the working efficiency and the operation accuracy are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of tunnel construction, and in particular to an intelligent automatic transportation system and method for pipe segments. Background Art

[0002] During tunnel construction, the pipe segments placed in the unloading area at the rear need to be transferred to the feeder in the release area, and then the feeder feeds the pipe segments one by one to the assembly area for assembly by the assembly machine. The existing transfer method is to set up a pipe segment transport track between the unloading area and the release area, install a crane that can travel along the pipe segment transport track on the pipe segment transport track, use the crane to realize the operations of grabbing, lifting and lowering the pipe segments, and cooperate with the pipe segment transport track to realize the transfer operation of the crane on the pipe segment. However, the placement direction of the pipe segments in the unloading area is usually different from the direction in which the assembly machine is easy to assemble. In order to facilitate the feeder to feed the pipe segments to the assembly machine in the direction that is easy to assemble, it is usually necessary to manually adjust the position of the pipe segments before the pipe segments are lowered to the feeder. In addition, the position confirmation of the lifting point and the lowering point of the pipe segment, the fine adjustment of the grab angle of the pipe segment, the fit between the crane gripper and the pipe segment, etc. all rely on manual judgment, identification and operation, which has high labor costs, many uncertain factors, low operation accuracy and low efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0003] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an intelligent automatic transportation system and method for pipe segments, which can realize fully automatic transportation of pipe segments from unloading areas to release areas, and can automatically adjust the pipe segments to a position easy to assemble during transportation, avoiding excessive reliance on manual labor and improving work efficiency and operation accuracy.

[0004] The present invention is implemented through the following scheme: an intelligent automatic transportation system for pipe segments, comprising:

[0005] Segment transport track, erected between the unloading area and the release area;

[0006] A crane is movably mounted on the segment transport track and is used to grab, lift, rotate, transport and lower the segment;

[0007] An intelligent identification system is installed on the crane and can move with the movement of the crane to dynamically identify the segment positions and segment postures of the segments within a certain range below the crane;

[0008] The automatic control system is used to obtain the segment position and segment posture of the identified segment, and control the crane to perform corresponding operations based on the segment position and segment posture. The crane and the intelligent recognition system are both connected to the automatic control system.

[0009] The present invention can accurately locate the position of the pipe segment through the intelligent recognition system, and can obtain the position and posture of the pipe segment. It can further cooperate with the automatic control system to control the lifting, rotation and translation of the crane, so as to realize the fully automatic transportation of the pipe segment from the unloading area to the release area. During the transportation process, the pipe segment can be automatically adjusted to a position that is easy to assemble, avoiding excessive reliance on manual labor and improving work efficiency and operating accuracy.

[0010] A further improvement of the present invention is that it also includes a travel drive mechanism, which is installed on the pipe segment transport track and is used to drive the crane to move along the pipe segment transport track to realize the crane's transfer operation on the pipe segment, and the travel drive mechanism is connected to the automatic control system.

[0011] A further improvement of the present invention is that the crane includes a crane body, a trolley and a rotating mechanism, the trolley is connected to the travel drive mechanism to achieve movement along the segment transport track through the travel drive mechanism, and the crane body is rotatably connected to the trolley through the rotating mechanism; the intelligent identification system is installed on the trolley.

[0012] A further improvement of the present invention is that it also includes a transfer area located below the segment transport track;

[0013] The automatic control system stores a first crane execution program, a second crane execution program, and standard sizes of different segment types. After acquiring the segment posture, the automatic control system can determine the type of the identified segment based on the standard size, and can select the first crane execution program or the second crane execution program to control the crane based on the type of the identified segment; wherein,

[0014] The first crane execution program is set so that the crane moves directly from the unloading area to the release area; the second crane execution program is set so that the crane first moves from the unloading area to the transfer area, and then moves from the transfer area to the release area after receiving the capping instruction.

[0015] A further improvement of the present invention is that the intelligent identification system includes two laser scanning radar components, which are respectively installed at the front end and the rear end of the crane along the moving direction, and the scanning ranges of the two laser scanning radar components intersect with each other to achieve full coverage scanning under the crane.

[0016] The present invention also provides a method for intelligent automatic transportation of pipe segments, comprising the steps of:

[0017] After the segments are transported to the unloading area, the segment intelligent automatic transportation system as described above is started;

[0018] The intelligent recognition system automatically and dynamically identifies the segment position and segment posture of the segments within a certain range below the crane and sends them to the automatic control system;

[0019] The automatic control system controls the crane to move to the top of the unloading area, and controls the crane to accurately grab and lift the identified segment based on the segment position of the segment identified by the intelligent recognition system;

[0020] After the identified segment is grabbed, the automatic control system controls the crane to rotate based on the segment posture, so that the grabbed segment is rotated to an assembly posture;

[0021] The crane is controlled to transfer the pipe segment rotated to the assembly position to the top of the segment feeder in the release area and then lower it.

[0022] A further improvement of the present invention is that: the segment intelligent automatic transport system further comprises a travel drive mechanism, the travel drive mechanism is installed on the segment transport track and is used to drive the crane to move along the segment transport track, and the travel drive mechanism is connected to the automatic control system;

[0023] The automatic control system drives the crane to move by controlling the travel drive mechanism, so as to realize the transportation of the pipe segments by the crane.

[0024] A further improvement of the present invention is that: the intelligent automatic transport system for pipe segments further comprises a transfer area located below the pipe segment transport track;

[0025] The automatic control system stores a first crane execution program, a second crane execution program, and standard sizes of different segment types, wherein the first crane execution program is set so that the crane moves directly from the unloading area to the release area, and the second crane execution program is set so that the crane first moves from the unloading area to the transfer area, and then moves from the transfer area to the release area after receiving a capping instruction;

[0026] After acquiring the segment position and posture, the automatic control system determines whether the type of the identified segment is a capping block based on the standard size:

[0027] If yes, controlling the crane to transfer the grabbed segment according to the execution program of the second crane;

[0028] If not, the crane is controlled to transfer the grabbed pipe segment according to the execution program of the first crane. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 The principle block diagram of the intelligent automatic transportation system for pipe segments of the present invention is shown.

[0030] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the transport state of the intelligent automatic transport system for pipe segments of the present invention is shown.

[0031] Figure 3 The automatic recognition principle diagram of the intelligent recognition system in the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to solve the problems of high cost, low efficiency, insufficient operation precision, etc. caused by the existing tunnel segment transportation mode that needs to rely on manual labor, the present invention provides a segment intelligent automatic transportation system and transportation method, which can realize the full automatic transportation of the segment from the unloading area to the release area, and can automatically adjust the segment to a posture that is easy to assemble during the transportation process, avoiding excessive dependence on manual labor, and improving work efficiency and operation precision. The segment intelligent automatic transportation system and transportation method are further described below with specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0033] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, an intelligent automatic transport system for pipe segments includes a pipe segment transport track 1, a crane 2, an intelligent identification system and an automatic control system. The pipe segment transport track 1 is erected between the unloading area P1 and the release area P2. The crane 2 is movably mounted on the pipe segment transport track 1, and is used to grab, lift, rotate, transfer and lower the pipe segment 3. The intelligent identification system is mounted on the crane 2, and can move with the movement of the crane 2 to dynamically identify the pipe segment position and pipe segment posture of the pipe segment within a certain range below the crane 2. The automatic control system is used to obtain the pipe segment position and pipe segment posture of the identified pipe segment, and control the crane 2 to perform corresponding operations based on the pipe segment position and pipe segment posture, and the crane 2 and the intelligent identification system are both connected to the automatic control system.

[0034] In this embodiment, the intelligent automatic transport system for pipe segments also includes a travel drive mechanism, which is installed on the pipe segment transport track 1 and is used to drive the crane 2 to move along the pipe segment transport track 1 to realize the crane 2 to transfer the pipe segment 3. The travel drive mechanism is connected to the automatic control system. The crane 2 includes a crane body, a trolley and a rotating mechanism. The trolley is connected to the travel drive mechanism to realize the movement along the pipe segment transport track 1 through the travel drive mechanism. The crane body is rotatably connected to the trolley through the rotating mechanism. The intelligent identification system is installed on the trolley. Furthermore, the crane body includes a drum, a motor for driving the drum to rotate, a rope that can be wound around the drum, and a gripper connected to the end of the rope to grasp the pipe segment 3. The gripper can be a mechanical clamp or a vacuum suction cup, which is mainly used to grasp a single pipe segment. The specific structure of the crane 2 and the travel drive mechanism and the coordination between the two can refer to existing crane equipment such as cranes, and will not be repeated here. However, in order to prevent the crane 2 from swaying or loosening of the rope due to inertia when the crane 2 is moving, the crane 2 used in this embodiment also has functions such as anti-swaying and anti-loosening of the rope to improve the safety of transportation.

[0035] See also Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the intelligent recognition system includes two laser scanning radar components, which are respectively installed at the front end and the rear end of the crane along the moving direction, and the scanning ranges of the two laser scanning radar components intersect with each other to achieve full coverage scanning under the crane 2. Specifically, the laser scanning radar component includes a laser radar transmitter 51, an image receiver 52, and a shell for assembling the laser radar transmitter 51 and the image receiver 52 on the crane 2. The assembled image receiver 52 can receive the reflection of all laser lines emitted by the laser radar transmitter 51 to form an image that can reflect the position and posture of the pipe segment to the automatic control system, and the image receiver 52 is connected to the automatic control system. Specifically, the assembled intelligent recognition system satisfies that the focus o of the laser radar transmitter 51 and the image receiver 52 and the target point to be measured Object (mainly corresponding to the pipe segment within a certain range below the crane 2 (i.e., the range that meets the requirements of the aforementioned working area)) are respectively located at the three vertices of the triangle. Through the above definition, it is possible to scan any position within a certain range below the crane 2, and then identify the specific position of the target segment. The automatic control system can automatically calculate the distance d from the laser radar transmitter 51 to the current target point Object based on the installation position of the laser radar transmitter 51 and the image receiver 52 and the image capture point x2 fed back by the image receiver 52. The specific principle is as follows:

[0036] When the laser beam is reflected by the object (i.e., the target point Object) and then captured by the image receiver 52, the capture point x2 is obtained. A dotted line parallel to the laser beam is drawn through the focus o, and the dotted line intersects the image receiver 52 at point x1. Since the triangle 51-o-Object and the triangle x1-x2-o are similar triangles, the following equation can be obtained:

[0037] q / f=s / x (1)

[0038] sinβ=q / d (2)

[0039] Among them: s is the distance from the laser radar transmitter 51 to the focus o, which is known; f is the focal length of the image receiver 52, which is known; β is the angle between the laser beam emission direction and the s direction, which is known; x is the distance between the intersection point x1 and the capture point x2. When β is known, the intersection point x1 can be obtained, and then the distance x can be obtained; q is the distance between the target point to be measured Object and the projection of the target point to be measured Object on the straight line where the distance s is located.

[0040] Substituting the above known parameters into (1) and (2), the value of the distance d from the laser radar transmitter 51 to the target point Object can be calculated.

[0041] The above principle is to abstract the target object as a point, but the actual object (which may be a single tube segment, a laminated tube segment or others) has a certain volume. Therefore, when the laser radar transmitter 51 continuously emits a laser beam, the automatic control system can obtain at least part of the contour of the target object (i.e., the tube segment posture) and its relative position in the target object (i.e., the tube segment position).

[0042] Through the above settings, the intelligent recognition system can identify all objects from the unloading area P1 to the release area P2 as the crane 2 moves, including all pipe segments and other possible objects. If there is any intrusion, it can also be scanned.

[0043] The above-mentioned intelligent recognition system can realize accurate positioning of the position of the pipe segment and obtain the posture of the pipe segment. It can further cooperate with the automatic control system to control the actuators such as the crane 2 and the travel drive mechanism, so as to realize the fully automatic transportation of the pipe segment from the unloading area P1 to the release area P2. During the transportation process, the pipe segment can be automatically adjusted to a posture that is easy to assemble, avoiding excessive reliance on manual labor and improving work efficiency and operation accuracy.

[0044] As a preferred embodiment, see Figure 1As shown: the intelligent automatic transportation system for pipe segments also includes a transfer area P3 located below the pipe segment transportation track 1; the automatic control system stores a first crane execution program, a second crane execution program, and standard sizes of different pipe segment types. After acquiring the position and posture of the pipe segment, the automatic control system can determine the type of the identified pipe segment based on the standard size, and can select the first crane execution program or the second crane execution program to control the crane 2 based on the type of the identified pipe segment. Among them: the first crane execution program is set to allow the crane 2 to move directly from the unloading area P1 to the release area P2; the second crane execution program is set to allow the crane 2 to first move from the unloading area P1 to the transfer area P3, and then move from the transfer area P3 to the release area P2 after receiving the capping instruction.

[0045] This embodiment is based on the recognition function of the intelligent recognition system on the pipe segments, and can distinguish between capping blocks and non-capping blocks, so that the capping blocks can be transported to the transfer area P3, and the capping instructions can be issued when the capping blocks need to be assembled, and then they can be transferred to adapt to the assembly program of the assembly machine.

[0046] The intelligent automatic transport system for pipe segments of the present invention can realize one-key operation of transporting tunnel pipe segments, that is, when the operator in the unloading area confirms that the pipe segment can be transported, he presses the start button to start the intelligent automatic transport system for the pipe segment, and the system automatically transports the pipe segment to the release area, and automatically adjusts the position of the pipe segment during the transportation process, making it easy for the assembly machine to assemble it. Specifically:

[0047] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the pipe segments at the tunnel wellhead are usually transported to the unloading mechanism 4 of the unloading area P1 by a transport train. The operator of the unloading area P1 confirms whether it can be operated safely, and starts the intelligent automatic transportation system of the pipe segments after confirming safety. Of course, the intelligent automatic transportation system of the pipe segments itself also has a self-checking function, which is performed before operation. If any of the conditions required for safe transportation are not met, an alarm will be issued and the start will not be allowed. After the system is started, it will operate according to the following process:

[0048] Step 1: The intelligent recognition system automatically and dynamically identifies the segment position and segment posture of the segments within a certain range below the crane and sends them to the automatic control system. It should be noted here that for the intelligent recognition system that can identify the outer contour of the target object, the automatic control system can determine whether the segment stack is a single-layer segment or a multi-layer segment, the specific position of the segment and the placement posture based on the identified outer contour and the pre-stored segment standard size.

[0049] Step 2: The automatic control system controls the crane 2 to move above the unloading area P1, and controls the crane 2 to accurately grab and lift the identified segment based on the segment position of the segment identified by the intelligent recognition system. The crane 2 of this embodiment is mainly used to realize the grabbing, lifting, rotation, transportation and lowering of a single segment, so as to cooperate with the segment feeder to feed the segments to the assembly machine one by one.

[0050] Step 3, after the identified segment is grabbed, the automatic control system controls the rotating mechanism of the crane 2 to rotate based on the segment's posture, so that the grabbed segment is rotated to the assembly posture. Since the segments transported from the transport train to the unloading area P1 are usually placed longitudinally in the unloading area P1, and the assembler usually assembles the segments transversely (that is, the assembly posture of the segments is a transverse placement posture), in order to facilitate the assembly of the assembler, the crane 2 needs to rotate the segments. For the case where the initial placement direction of the segments is specified as longitudinal, the system can directly set the rotating mechanism to automatically rotate 90°, without calculating and determining the rotation angle based on the segment's posture identified by the intelligent recognition system. The rotating mechanism 3 can adopt any mechanical structure that can achieve the above-mentioned rotation, such as a turntable, a rotating fixture, etc., which will not be elaborated here.

[0051] Step 5: Control the crane 2 to transfer the pipe segments rotated to the assembly position to the top of the release area P2 and then lower them. At this point, the pipe feeder can automatically feed the pipe segments that meet the assembly position to the assembly machine one by one. Figure 1 As shown, the film feeder is provided with a release point 6 for preventing the film from being released.

[0052] Step 6: Return to step 1 until all the segments in the unloading area P1 are transported, and then wait for the transport train to transport them again.

[0053] As a preferred embodiment, the segment intelligent automatic transport system further comprises a travel drive mechanism, which is installed on the segment transport track 1 and is used to drive the crane 2 to move along the segment transport track 1, and the travel drive mechanism is connected to the automatic control system. The automatic control system drives the crane 2 to move by controlling the travel drive mechanism, so as to realize the crane 2 to transport the segment 3.

[0054] As a preferred embodiment, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown: the intelligent automatic transportation system for pipe segments also includes a transfer area P3 located below the pipe segment transportation track 1; for the intelligent recognition system that can recognize the outer contour of the target object, it can determine the type of the identified pipe segment based on the pre-stored standard size; and further cooperate with the first crane execution program and the second crane execution program pre-stored in the automatic control system. After obtaining the position and posture of the pipe segment, the automatic control system first determines whether the type of the identified pipe segment is a capping block based on the standard size:

[0055] If yes, the crane 2 is controlled to transfer the captured pipe segment according to the execution program of the second crane. The capping instruction can be issued by a worker or directly issued by the control system of the assembling machine. When issued by the control system of the assembling machine, the automatic control system needs to be data-connected with the control system of the assembling machine.

[0056] If not, the crane 2 is controlled to transfer the grabbed pipe segment according to the execution program of the first crane.

[0057] This implementation method can distinguish between capping blocks and non-capping blocks based on the recognition function of the intelligent recognition system on the pipe segments, so as to facilitate the transportation of the capping blocks to the transfer area P3 and wait for the capping blocks to be assembled before being transferred to adapt to the assembly program of the assembly machine.

[0058] The present invention is described in detail above in conjunction with the embodiments of the accompanying drawings. A person skilled in the art can make various variations of the present invention according to the above description. Therefore, certain details in the embodiments should not constitute a limitation of the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention shall be defined by the scope of the attached claims.

Claims

1. An intelligent automatic transport system for pipe segments, characterized in that: include: Segment transport track, erected between the unloading area and the release area; A crane is movably mounted on the segment transport track and is used to grab, lift, rotate, transport and lower the segment; An intelligent identification system is installed on the crane and can move with the movement of the crane to dynamically identify the segment positions and segment postures of the segments within a certain range below the crane; The automatic control system is used to obtain the segment position and segment posture of the identified segment, and control the crane to perform corresponding operations based on the segment position and segment posture. The crane and the intelligent recognition system are both connected to the automatic control system.

2. The intelligent automatic transport system for pipe segments according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a travel drive mechanism, which is installed on the pipe segment transport track and is used to drive the crane to move along the pipe segment transport track to realize the crane's transport operation on the pipe segment. The travel drive mechanism is connected to the automatic control system.

3. The intelligent automatic transport system for pipe segments according to claim 2, characterized in that: The crane includes a crane body, a trolley and a rotating mechanism. The trolley is connected to the travel drive mechanism to achieve movement along the segment transport track through the travel drive mechanism. The crane body is rotatably connected to the trolley through the rotating mechanism. The intelligent identification system is installed on the trolley.

4. The intelligent automatic transport system for pipe segments according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also included is a transfer area located below the segment transport track; The automatic control system stores a first crane execution program, a second crane execution program, and standard sizes of different segment types. After acquiring the segment posture, the automatic control system can determine the type of the identified segment based on the standard size, and can select the first crane execution program or the second crane execution program to control the crane based on the type of the identified segment; wherein, The first crane execution program is set so that the crane moves directly from the unloading area to the release area; the second crane execution program is set so that the crane first moves from the unloading area to the transfer area, and then moves from the transfer area to the release area after receiving the capping instruction.

5. The intelligent automatic transport system for pipe segments according to claim 1, characterized in that: The intelligent identification system includes two laser scanning radar components, which are respectively installed at the front end and the rear end of the crane along the moving direction, and the scanning ranges of the two laser scanning radar components intersect with each other to achieve full coverage scanning under the crane.

6. An intelligent automatic transportation method for pipe segments, characterized in that: Includes steps: After the segments are transported to the unloading area, the segment intelligent automatic transportation system according to claim 1 is started; The intelligent recognition system automatically and dynamically identifies the segment position and segment posture of the segments within a certain range below the crane and sends them to the automatic control system; The automatic control system controls the crane to move to the top of the unloading area, and controls the crane to accurately grab and lift the identified segment based on the segment position of the segment identified by the intelligent recognition system; After the identified segment is grabbed, the automatic control system controls the crane to rotate based on the segment posture, so that the grabbed segment is rotated to an assembly posture; The crane is controlled to transfer the pipe segment rotated to the assembly position to the top of the segment feeder in the release area and then lower it.

7. The intelligent automatic transportation method for pipe segments according to claim 6, characterized in that: The segment intelligent automatic transport system further comprises a travel drive mechanism, which is installed on the segment transport track and used to drive the crane to move along the segment transport track, and the travel drive mechanism is connected to the automatic control system; The automatic control system drives the crane to move by controlling the travel drive mechanism, so as to realize the transportation of the pipe segments by the crane.

8. The intelligent automatic transportation method for pipe segments according to claim 6, characterized in that: The segment intelligent automatic transportation system also includes a transfer area located below the segment transportation track; The automatic control system stores a first crane execution program, a second crane execution program, and standard sizes of different segment types, wherein the first crane execution program is set so that the crane moves directly from the unloading area to the release area, and the second crane execution program is set so that the crane first moves from the unloading area to the transfer area, and then moves from the transfer area to the release area after receiving a capping instruction; After acquiring the segment position and posture, the automatic control system determines whether the type of the identified segment is a capping block based on the standard size: If yes, controlling the crane to transfer the grabbed segment according to the execution program of the second crane; If not, the crane is controlled to transfer the grabbed pipe segment according to the execution program of the first crane.

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