Rotating mechanism of pipe and pipe plate detection robot

Abstract

The invention discloses a rotating mechanism of a pipe and pipe plate detection robot. The rotating mechanism comprises an outer square inner gear, a middle rack and a driving motor. The outer square internal gear is fixed on the middle machine frame, a gear is arranged on the inner side of the outer square internal gear, the gear is meshed with the outer square internal gear, an output shaft of the driving motor is connected with the gear, and the mechanism has the advantages of being simple in structure, stable in transmission and convenient to disassemble and assemble.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of heat exchanger tube and tube sheet weld detection, and relates to a rotating mechanism of a tube and tube sheet detection robot. Background Art

[0002] The connection between the heat exchange tubes and tubesheets of a heat exchanger is typically welded. The quality of the welded joints directly affects the safe operation of the heat exchanger. Effective nondestructive testing of fillet welds is a key means of ensuring weld quality. High-temperature and high-pressure heat exchangers have a large number of fillet welds on the tubesheets and operate under harsh conditions. The quality of these welds is crucial to ensuring the long-term normal operation of the entire equipment and preventing leakage accidents. Robotic testing is widely used in the nondestructive testing of heat exchanger tubesheet fillet welds, especially those of inserted tubesheet fillet welds, due to its ease of operation, low testing cost, and wide applicability.

[0003] Currently, heat exchanger tube and tubesheet inspections are mostly performed manually. However, manual inspections are time-consuming and labor-intensive, and can even result in missed or false positives. Therefore, to improve inspection efficiency and prevent these issues, robots are being used to perform automated inspections of heat exchanger tube and tubesheet systems. The rotation mechanism is a key component of these robots, and its principle structure ensures their safe operation.

[0004] Commonly used rotary mechanisms include screw, cam, crank, and gear transmissions. Screw mechanisms often convert rotational motion into linear motion. In cam mechanisms, the cam is a component with a curved profile or grooves, typically the active component, performing constant-speed rotational motion or reciprocating linear motion. Cam design and manufacturing are relatively complex. Crank mechanisms are typically the kinematic mechanisms of engines, converting the reciprocating motion of the piston into the rotational motion of the crankshaft. Gear transmissions are relatively flexible and can achieve rotational motion at various speeds. However, designing a gear transmission for a tubesheet crawling robot requires a design tailored to the robot's structure, ensuring a simple rotational structure, smooth transmission, and easy assembly and disassembly. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the above-mentioned prior art and provide a rotation mechanism of a tube and tube sheet inspection robot, which has the characteristics of simple structure, smooth transmission and easy disassembly and assembly.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the rotating mechanism of the tube and tube sheet inspection robot of the present invention comprises an outer block, an inner gear, a middle frame and a drive motor;

[0007] The outer block inner gear is fixed on the middle frame, a gear is provided on the inner side of the outer block inner gear, the gear is meshed with the outer block inner gear, and the output shaft of the driving motor is connected to the gear.

[0008] The further improvement of the rotation mechanism of the tube and tube sheet inspection robot of the present invention is as follows:

[0009] Furthermore, the inner gear of the outer block is fixed to the middle frame by screws.

[0010] Furthermore, dovetail sliders are provided on both sides of the middle frame.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes a rotating base, and a driving motor and gears are connected to the rotating base.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes a gear shaft, the output shaft of the driving motor is connected to one end of the gear shaft, and the other end of the gear shaft passes through the gear and is connected to the rotating base.

[0013] During operation, the driving motor located above the gear drives the gear to rotate, thereby driving the inner gear of the outer block to rotate, and the inner gear of the outer block drives the middle frame to rotate.

[0014] The invention discloses a rotating mechanism of a tube and tube sheet inspection robot, comprising a controller, an outer block and an inner gear, a middle frame and a driving motor;

[0015] The inner gear of the outer block is fixed on the middle frame. A gear is provided on the inner side of the inner gear of the outer block. The gear is engaged with the inner gear of the outer block. The output shaft of the drive motor is connected to the gear. The output end of the controller is connected to the control end of the drive motor.

[0016] The further improvement of the rotation mechanism of the tube and tube sheet inspection robot of the present invention is as follows:

[0017] Furthermore, the controller is connected to the control end of the drive motor via wireless communication.

[0018] Furthermore, it also includes a touch screen connected to the controller, wherein the rotation angle of the middle rack is set and displayed through the touch screen.

[0019] Furthermore, the controller is connected to external equipment.

[0020] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] During specific operation, the rotating mechanism of the tube and tube sheet inspection robot described in the present invention drives the gear to rotate through a driving motor, the gear drives the inner gear of the outer block to rotate, and the inner gear of the outer block drives the middle frame to rotate. The structure is simple and the design is novel. Through the design of internal and external meshing gears, the control of the selection mechanism can be achieved by simply controlling the rotation of the inner gear. The control is simple and efficient, the transmission efficiency is high, and the movement is smoother.

[0022] Furthermore, the controller is connected to a touch screen and an external device. The controller obtains the rotation angle of the middle frame from the touch screen or the external device, determines the rotation angle of the drive motor according to the rotation angle of the middle frame, the size of the gear, and the size of the inner gear of the outer block, and controls the drive motor accordingly to achieve accurate control of the rotation angle of the middle frame. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The accompanying drawings, which constitute part of the present invention, are intended to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are intended to explain the present invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0024] Figure 1 It is the overall structural diagram of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 It is a partial structural diagram of the rotating base 3 in the present invention.

[0026] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the internal and external gear rotation mechanism in the present invention.

[0027] Figure 4 It is a structural diagram of the rotating base 3 in the present invention.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the outer block inner gear 2 in the present invention.

[0029] Among them, 1 is the middle frame, 2 is the inner gear of the outer block, 3 is the rotating base, 4 is the gear, 5 is the gear shaft, and 6 is the drive motor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms “include” and “comprise” indicate the presence of the described features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or collections thereof.

[0032] It should also be understood that the terms used in the present specification are only for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used in the present specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0033] It should be further understood that the term "and / or" as used in the present specification and the appended claims refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. For example, A and / or B may represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in the present invention generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0034] It should be understood that although the terms "first," "second," and "third" may be used to describe preset ranges in embodiments of the present invention, these preset ranges should not be limited to these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one preset range from another. For example, without departing from the scope of embodiments of the present invention, the first preset range may also be referred to as the second preset range, and similarly, the second preset range may also be referred to as the first preset range.

[0035] The word "if," as used herein, may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting," depending on the context. Similarly, the phrases "if it is determined" or "if (stated condition or event) is detected" may be interpreted as "when it is determined" or "in response to the determination" or "when detecting (stated condition or event)" or "in response to detecting (stated condition or event)," depending on the context.

[0036] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] The accompanying drawings illustrate various schematic diagrams of structures according to embodiments disclosed herein. These figures are not drawn to scale; for clarity, some details are exaggerated and some details may be omitted. The shapes of the various regions and layers shown in the figures, as well as their relative sizes and positional relationships, are merely exemplary and may deviate in practice due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations. Those skilled in the art may design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions as needed.

[0038] It's well known that tubes and tubesheets are two crucial components of a heat exchanger, working together to achieve efficient heat transfer. The following is a detailed introduction to heat exchanger tubes and tubesheets: Heat exchange tubes are the core components of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, responsible for transferring heat from one fluid to another. Heat exchange tubes are typically made of materials with good thermal conductivity, such as brass, copper fins, or steel. They are arranged in parallel or spirally within the shell, with varying numbers of tube passes depending on the application. The tubesheet is a round steel plate with holes drilled slightly larger than the outer diameter of the tubes to secure the tubes and seal the medium. The tubesheet inserts the tubes and welds them in place, providing support and stability. The tubesheet also seals the medium to prevent leakage. Tubesheets are typically made of thick steel, providing sufficient strength and rigidity to withstand fluctuations in fluid pressure and temperature. Tubesheets can be made of various materials depending on the application environment. For example, in applications where non-corrosive media circulate, Q345R container plates can be used. However, in environments involving strong acids, high pressures and temperatures, and nuclear power, corrosion-resistant materials such as stainless steel, 16 manganese, and titanium alloys are required. Tube sheets are widely used in industries such as shell-and-tube heat exchangers, boilers, pressure vessels, steam turbines, and large central air conditioners. They are primarily used in chemical containers such as shell-and-tube heat exchangers, pressure vessels, boilers, condensers, central air conditioners, evaporators, and desalination systems, supporting and securing the tubes. Welding is most commonly used to connect tubes to tube sheets: it offers simple processing, high connection strength, and guaranteed tightness and pull-off resistance at high temperatures and high pressures. However, welding can generate residual thermal stresses and stress concentrations, leading to stress corrosion and fatigue failure.

[0039] Example 1

[0040] refer to Figures 1 to 4 The rotating mechanism of the tube and tube sheet inspection robot of the present invention includes a middle frame 1, an outer block inner gear 2, a rotating base 3, a gear 4, a gear shaft 5 and a driving motor 6;

[0041] The outer block inner gear 2 is fixed to the middle frame 1 by screws. Dovetail sliders are provided on both sides of the middle frame 1. A gear 4 is provided on the inner side of the outer block inner gear 2. The gear 4 is meshed with the outer block inner gear 2, and the output shaft of the drive motor 6 is connected to the gear 4.

[0042] As an embodiment of the present invention, a rotating base is further included, and a driving motor 6 and a gear 4 are connected to the rotating base 3.

[0043] As an embodiment of the present invention, the output shaft of the driving motor 6 is connected to one end of the gear shaft 5 , and the other end of the gear shaft 5 passes through the gear 4 and is connected to the rotating base 3 .

[0044] Working principle of the present invention:

[0045] First, the pipe and tube sheet inspection robot is fixed on the plate surface to be inspected. At this time, the middle frame 1 is fixed on the plate surface. The drive motor 6 located above the gear 4 drives the gear 4 to rotate, and then drives the inner gear 2 of the outer block to rotate. The inner gear 2 of the outer block drives the middle frame 1 to rotate, and finally completes the rotation work of the pipe and tube sheet inspection robot.

[0046] Example 2

[0047] The rotation mechanism of the tube and tube sheet inspection robot described in the present invention includes a controller, an outer block internal gear 2, a middle frame 1 and a drive motor 6; the outer block internal gear 2 is fixed on the middle frame 1, and a gear 4 is provided on the inner side of the outer block internal gear 2, and the gear 4 is engaged with the outer block internal gear 2. The output shaft of the drive motor 6 is connected to the gear 4, and the output end of the controller is connected to the control end of the drive motor 6; the controller and the control end of the drive motor 6 are connected via wireless communication.

[0048] As an embodiment of the present invention, a touch screen connected to the controller is further included, wherein the rotation angle of the middle rack 1 is set and displayed through the touch screen.

[0049] As an embodiment of the present invention, the controller is connected to an external device.

[0050] Example 3

[0051] This embodiment discloses a method for operating the rotation mechanism of the tube and tubesheet inspection robot described in the second embodiment, comprising the following steps:

[0052] Get the rotation angle of the middle rack 1;

[0053] The rotation angle of the drive motor 6 is determined according to the angle to be rotated of the middle frame 1, the size of the gear 4 and the size of the outer block inner gear 2;

[0054] generating a control signal according to the determined conversion angle of the drive motor 6;

[0055] The driving motor 6 is controlled to rotate according to the control signal, and the driving motor 6 drives the gear 4 to rotate, thereby driving the outer block inner gear 2 to rotate, and the outer block inner gear 2 drives the middle frame 1 to rotate.

[0056] It should be noted that the angle to be rotated of the middle frame 1 can come from a touch screen, an external device, or the controller itself.

[0057] Example 4

[0058] A computer device includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the steps of the method for operating the rotation mechanism of the tube and tubesheet inspection robot are implemented, for example, including: obtaining the desired rotation angle of the middle frame 1; determining the rotation angle of the drive motor 6 based on the desired rotation angle of the middle frame 1, the size of the gear 4, and the size of the outer block inner gear 2; generating a control signal based on the determined conversion angle of the drive motor 6; and controlling the drive motor 6 to rotate based on the control signal, whereby the drive motor 6 drives the gear 4 to rotate, thereby driving the outer block inner gear 2 to rotate, and the outer block inner gear 2 drives the middle frame 1 to rotate. The memory may include internal memory, such as high-speed random access memory, or may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk drive. The processor, network interface, and memory are interconnected via an internal bus, which may be an Industrial Standard Architecture bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnection Standard bus, an Extended Industrial Standard Architecture bus, etc. The bus may be classified as an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. The memory is used to store programs. Specifically, the programs may include program code, and the program code includes computer operating instructions. The memory may include internal memory and nonvolatile memory and provides instructions and data to the processor.

[0059] Example 5

[0060] A computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program. When executed by a processor, the computer program implements the steps of a method for operating a rotation mechanism of a tube and tubesheet inspection robot. For example, the method includes: obtaining a desired rotation angle of the middle frame 1; determining a rotation angle of the drive motor 6 based on the desired rotation angle of the middle frame 1, the size of the gear 4, and the size of the outer block inner gear 2; generating a control signal based on the determined conversion angle of the drive motor 6; and controlling the drive motor 6 to rotate based on the control signal. The drive motor 6 drives the gear 4 to rotate, which in turn drives the outer block inner gear 2 to rotate, and the outer block inner gear 2 drives the middle frame 1 to rotate. Specifically, the computer-readable storage medium includes, but is not limited to, volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. The volatile memory may include random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory. The non-volatile memory may include read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk, a flash memory, an optical disk, a magnetic disk, etc.

[0061] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application can adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the present application can adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0062] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that each process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the processes and / or boxes in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the steps in the process. Figure 1 a process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0063] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to work in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer readable memory produce an article of manufacture comprising an instruction device, which implements the process Figure 1 a process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0064] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operational steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device for implementing the process. Figure 1 a process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A step that specifies a function in one or more boxes.

[0065] Those skilled in the art will readily identify other embodiments of the present invention after considering the specification and disclosure of the invention. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present invention that follow the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

[0066] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exact construction described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

[0067] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the present invention in any way. Any simple modification, change and equivalent structural change made to the above embodiment based on the technical essence of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of protection of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rotating mechanism of a tube and tube sheet inspection robot, characterized in that: It comprises an outer block inner gear (2), a middle frame (1) and a driving motor (6); The outer block internal gear (2) is fixed on the middle frame (1); a gear (4) is arranged inside the outer block internal gear (2); the gear (4) is meshed with the outer block internal gear (2); and the output shaft of the driving motor (6) is connected to the gear (4).

2. The rotating mechanism of the tube and tube sheet inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer block inner gear (2) is fixed on the middle frame (1) by screws.

3. The rotating mechanism of the tube and tube sheet inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Dovetail sliders are provided on both sides of the middle frame (1).

4. The rotating mechanism of the tube and tube sheet inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a rotating base, and a driving motor (6) and a gear (4) are connected to the rotating base (3).

5. The rotating mechanism of the tube and tube sheet inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a gear shaft (5), the output shaft of the driving motor (6) is connected to one end of the gear shaft (5), and the other end of the gear shaft (5) passes through the gear (4) and is connected to the rotating base (3).

6. The rotating mechanism of the tube and tube sheet inspection robot according to claim 1 is characterized in that When working, the driving motor (6) located above the gear (4) drives the gear (4) to rotate, thereby driving the inner gear (2) of the outer block to rotate, and driving the middle frame (1) to rotate through the inner gear (2) of the outer block.

7. A rotating mechanism of a tube and tube sheet inspection robot, characterized in that: It comprises a controller, an outer block inner gear (2), a middle frame (1) and a driving motor (6); The outer block inner gear (2) is fixed on the middle frame (1); a gear (4) is arranged inside the outer block inner gear (2); the gear (4) is meshed with the outer block inner gear (2); the output shaft of the drive motor (6) is connected to the gear (4); and the output end of the controller is connected to the control end of the drive motor (6).

8. The rotating mechanism of the tube and tube sheet inspection robot according to claim 7 is characterized in that , the controller is connected to the control end of the drive motor (6) by wireless communication.

9. The rotating mechanism of the tube and tube sheet inspection robot according to claim 7 is characterized in that , and also includes a touch screen connected to the controller, wherein the rotation angle of the middle rack (1) is set and displayed through the touch screen.

10. The rotating mechanism of the tube and tube sheet inspection robot according to claim 7, characterized in that ,The controller is connected to external devices.

Images