Open-air pipeline detection robot, detection system and detection method

Abstract

The present invention provides an open-air pipeline inspection robot, an inspection system and an inspection method, wherein the open-air pipeline inspection robot comprises: a detachably connected driving body and a detection body, and a control system; the driving body comprises an upper shell and a driving device, the middle portion of the upper shell is provided with an upper groove, a driving wheel is provided in the upper groove, and the driving device is drivingly connected to the driving wheel; the detection body comprises a lower shell adapted to the upper shell, the middle portion of the lower shell is provided with a lower groove, a supporting wheel matching the driving wheel is provided in the lower groove, and an image camera, an infrared camera and an acoustic sensor are respectively provided in the two side walls of the lower groove; the upper groove and the lower groove are relatively buckled and arranged to form an accommodating space for the target inspection pipeline to pass through; the control system comprises a data processing module and a communication positioning module. The present invention can perform rapid and comprehensive inspection of the pipeline health status without stopping production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of pipeline detection, and in particular to an open-air pipeline detection robot and a detection method. Background Art

[0002] In rare earth mining, solution leaching is often used to extract rare earth elements. This method uses a specific chemical solution (such as sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, or lye) as a leaching agent to dissolve the rare earth elements from the solid ore into a liquid phase, facilitating subsequent separation and purification. However, in actual operation, the transportation of the filtrate is a critical step.

[0003] The highly corrosive and erosive chemical media used in the rare earth ore leaching process, coupled with the potential for solid particle deposition during transportation, gradually wear out the inner walls of the pipelines, making them susceptible to leakage and wear. Furthermore, because the leaching pipelines are exposed to the surface and have complex internal structures, blockages and poor flow are inevitable, impacting the long-term stability and reliability of the pipelines. Once a failure or blockage occurs, it is difficult to quickly locate and repair it, increasing maintenance costs and time while also negatively impacting production efficiency.

[0004] Conventional pipeline inspections rely on manual inspections. However, faced with complex terrain and widespread pipeline distribution, manual inspections are characterized by long inspection cycles, high risks, and incomplete inspections.

[0005] Existing pipeline defect detection equipment is mostly used for drainage pipelines or gas pipelines. During the detection process, the water or gas needs to be stopped, and the detection equipment needs to enter the detection pipeline for detection. However, traditional pipeline defect detection equipment needs to enter the pipeline to detect, which will inevitably suspend production and seriously affect production efficiency. In addition, the strong corrosiveness and erosion of chemical products have high requirements for pipeline detection equipment, which will inevitably increase equipment costs.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an open-air pipeline inspection robot and inspection method that can quickly and comprehensively inspect the health status of the pipeline without stopping production. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an open-air pipeline inspection robot and inspection method, aiming to solve the technical problems that traditional pipeline defect detection equipment needs to stop production for inspection, affecting production efficiency, and manual inspection has low efficiency and incomplete detection.

[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, in a first aspect, the present invention provides an open-air pipeline inspection robot, comprising: a detachably connected driving body for driving movement and a detection body for collecting data, and a control system;

[0009] The driving body includes an upper shell and a driving device arranged in the upper shell. The middle part of the upper shell is provided with an upper groove. The upper groove is provided with a driving wheel for walking on the outer wall of the target detection pipe. The driving device is drivingly connected to the driving wheel.

[0010] The detection body includes a lower shell matched with the upper shell, a lower groove is provided in the middle of the lower shell, and a supporting wheel matched with the driving wheel is provided in the lower groove.

[0011] The two side walls of the lower groove are respectively provided with an image camera for acquiring images of defects on the exterior of the pipeline, an infrared camera for acquiring images of blockages inside the pipeline, and an acoustic sensor array for detecting wear and leakage on the inner wall of the pipeline;

[0012] The upper groove and the lower groove are relatively buckled and arranged to form an accommodating space for the target detection pipeline to pass through;

[0013] The control system includes a data processing module and a communication positioning module. The data processing module is used to receive the collected data of the detection subject and perform pre-processing;

[0014] The communication and positioning module is used to transmit detection data and positioning information to the ground control center in real time.

[0015] As a further improvement of the above solution, a lighting device is provided at the bottom of the lower groove to provide lighting for the image camera; preferably, the lighting device is an array of lamp beads arranged along the length direction of the bottom of the groove.

[0016] As a further improvement of the above solution, the driving body further includes walking wheels, and the walking wheels and the driving wheels are matched and arranged in pairs, and are respectively arranged at the two ends of the upper groove;

[0017] The traveling wheel comprises a traveling wheel shaft and two rollers rotatably arranged on the traveling wheel shaft;

[0018] The driving wheel includes a driving shaft and two rollers rotatably arranged on the driving shaft, and driving gears are respectively provided at both ends of the driving shaft for meshing and connecting with the driving device.

[0019] As a further improvement of the above solution, the driving device includes a driving motor, a driving gear drivingly connected to the driving motor, and a driven shaft;

[0020] A first driven gear meshing with the driving gear is provided in the middle of the driven shaft, and second driven gears are provided at both ends of the driven shaft. The second driven gears are respectively meshed and connected with the driving gears to drive the driving wheel to move.

[0021] As a further improvement of the above solution, the driving body further includes a battery for supplying power to the driving motor; preferably, two groups of batteries are provided, and the two groups of batteries are symmetrically arranged about the upper groove.

[0022] As a further improvement of the above solution, at least two of the image cameras and at least two of the infrared cameras are provided on the side wall of the lower groove;

[0023] The image camera and the infrared camera are respectively arranged on two side walls of the lower groove relative to each other, and each pair of the image camera and the infrared camera are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the lower groove;

[0024] At least three acoustic sensors are provided on the side walls of the lower groove, respectively located on the two side walls of the lower groove, and are staggered with the image camera and the infrared camera.

[0025] As a further improvement to the above solution, the support wheel is arranged in the lower groove near the bottom thereof, and is arranged in pairs with the driving wheel and the walking wheel in the upper groove, so that the detection robot can walk outside the target detection pipeline;

[0026] The supporting wheel comprises a supporting wheel shaft and two rollers rotatably arranged on the supporting wheel shaft.

[0027] As a further improvement of the above solution, the driving body and the detecting body are detachably connected via a connecting structure;

[0028] Preferably, the connecting structure includes a first connecting lug arranged on both sides of the upper shell, and a second connecting lug arranged on both sides of the lower shell, and the first connecting lug and the second connecting lug are matched and correspondingly arranged; the first connecting lug and the second connecting lug are detachably connected by bolts and / or positioning pins.

[0029] In a second aspect, the present invention further provides an open-air pipeline detection system, comprising:

[0030] An open-air pipeline inspection robot as provided in the first aspect;

[0031] a remote control terminal, communicating with the open-air pipeline detection robot, for issuing a target detection task of a target open-air pipeline to the open-air pipeline detection robot and obtaining detection data during the robot's execution of the target detection task;

[0032] The remote control terminal is equipped with an image detection algorithm for detecting and identifying anomalies in the real-time video obtained by the image camera and the infrared camera; preferably, the image detection algorithm adopts the yolov8 target detection algorithm;

[0033] A sound detection algorithm is also deployed to pick up the sound signals obtained by the acoustic sensor and capture the acoustic signals of pipeline leakage.

[0034] In a third aspect, the present invention further provides an open-air pipeline detection method, which performs pipeline health detection based on the open-air pipeline detection system provided in the second aspect, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

[0035] S1: Install the driving body and the detection body on the outer wall of the target detection pipe by connecting them up and down;

[0036] S2: Starting the open-air pipeline inspection robot, the open-air pipeline inspection robot moves along the outer wall of the target inspection pipeline, and turning on the lighting device at the same time;

[0037] The image camera records the outer wall of the target detection pipeline and transmits the obtained real-time appearance image information to the data processing module and the remote control terminal;

[0038] The infrared camera obtains the temperature distribution image information inside the target detection pipeline and transmits the real-time internal temperature image information to the data processing module and the remote control terminal;

[0039] The acoustic sensor obtains the acoustic signal of the target detection pipeline and transmits the obtained real-time acoustic signal to the data processing module and the remote control terminal;

[0040] S3: The image detection algorithm deployed on the remote control terminal performs abnormality recognition on the appearance image information and the internal temperature image information respectively;

[0041] If, within the preset time range, the internal temperature image shows an abnormal temperature distribution area exceeding the preset area, the corresponding section of the pipeline is judged to be blocked and a blockage abnormality report is generated;

[0042] If the detected appearance image information is different from the normal pipeline appearance information, the corresponding section of the pipeline is judged to be abnormal and an appearance abnormality report is generated;

[0043] A sound detection algorithm deployed on the remote control terminal identifies abnormalities in the sound signal;

[0044] If the detected real-time acoustic signal triggers the sound threshold, it is determined that the corresponding section of the pipeline has leaked and a leak report is generated.

[0045] As a further improvement of the above solution, the data processing module pre-processes the real-time appearance image information, the real-time internal temperature image information and the real-time sound signal, including denoising, enhancement and format conversion.

[0046] As a further improvement to the above solution, the image detection algorithm adopts the YOLOv8 target detection algorithm; the sound detection algorithm performs anomaly recognition based on the frequency and amplitude of the sound signal.

[0047] As a further improvement of the above solution, the blockage abnormality report, appearance abnormality report and leakage report include abnormality location, abnormality type and abnormality degree.

[0048] Since the present invention adopts the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of this application are:

[0049] 1. The present invention provides an open-air pipeline inspection robot. Its detachable drive and inspection bodies facilitate its installation on the outer wall of a target pipeline. Drive and support wheel limiters enable the robot to stably travel along the outer wall of the pipeline without requiring production downtime or additional track installation. This configuration enables the robot to adapt to pipeline inspection tasks in complex terrain, comprehensively monitor the health of pipelines, significantly improve inspection efficiency and coverage, and reduce the limitations and risks of manual inspections.

[0050] Furthermore, the present invention utilizes advanced acoustic sensors, infrared cameras, imaging cameras, and efficient data analysis algorithms to monitor the external and internal conditions of pipelines in real time, including information such as wall thickness changes, surface damage, and sediment distribution. This allows for the effective identification of pipeline blockages, leaks, or surface damage. This multi-sensor fusion design enables comprehensive analysis of acoustic, optical, and imaging information, effectively predicting potential risk points and providing early warnings. This significantly improves the intelligence level of pipeline inspection, effectively preventing emergencies and ensuring the safe operation of pipelines.

[0051] The present invention is not only suitable for the detection of conventional open-air pipelines, but can also be widely used in pipeline health monitoring in fields such as rare earth leaching mining, thereby improving rare earth extraction efficiency, optimizing pipeline management processes, and providing strong support for the sustainable development of the industry.

[0052] 2. The present invention provides an open-air pipeline inspection method. Through automated and intelligent inspection methods, the present invention significantly improves the management efficiency of open-air pipelines, reduces manpower input and inspection time, and simultaneously, enables more scientific and timely pipeline maintenance decisions through real-time data transmission and intelligent analysis, thereby reducing operating costs and improving the overall efficiency of pipeline management.

[0053] This invention uses intelligent detection methods to reduce the time personnel spend working in hazardous environments and mitigate the threat to personnel safety caused by accidents such as pipeline leaks and blockages. Furthermore, timely detection of potential pipeline problems can effectively prevent the leakage of harmful substances, thus playing a positive role in environmental protection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0055] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an open-air pipeline inspection robot disclosed in the present invention being arranged on a target inspection pipeline;

[0056] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the driving body disclosed in the present invention;

[0057] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an open-air pipeline inspection robot disclosed in the present invention with the upper shell removed;

[0058] Figure 4 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the detection subject disclosed in the present invention;

[0059] Figure 5 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the imaging camera or infrared camera disclosed in the present invention;

[0060] Figure 6 A schematic three-dimensional diagram of the acoustic sensor disclosed in the present invention;

[0061] Figure 7 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the driving device disclosed in the present invention;

[0062] Figure 8 The present invention is a flow chart of an open-air pipeline detection method disclosed in the present invention.

[0063] Reference numerals:

[0064] 0. Target detection pipeline; 1. Driving body; 11. Upper shell; 111. Upper groove; 12. Driving device; 121. Driving motor; 122. Driving gear; 123. Driven shaft; 124. First driven gear; 125. Second driven gear; 13. Driving wheel; 131. Driving shaft; 132. Driving gear; 14. Traveling wheel; 141. Traveling wheel shaft; 16. Roller; 17. Battery; 2. Detection body; 21. Lower shell; 22. Lower groove; 23. Support wheel; 231. Support wheel shaft; 3. Image camera; 4. Infrared camera; 5. Acoustic sensor; 6. Data processing module; 7. Communication and positioning module; 8. Illuminating device; 9. Connecting structure; 91. First connecting lug; 92. Second connecting lug; 10. Control system.

[0065] The realization of the objectives, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] 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 the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0067] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0068] In addition, the terms "first," "second," and so on, used in this disclosure are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of these features.

[0069] Moreover, the technical solutions between the various embodiments of the present invention may be combined with each other, but this must be based on the fact that ordinary technicians in this field can implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0070] Example 1

[0071] See also Figure 1-Figure 7 This embodiment discloses an open-air pipeline inspection robot, which adopts a modular design and can be adapted to pipelines of different diameters and specifications, and realizes efficient and multi-dimensional pipeline health status monitoring;

[0072] Specifically, the open-air pipeline inspection robot includes: a detachably connected driving body 1 for driving and walking, a detection body 2 for collecting data, and a control system 10. In this embodiment, the driving body 1 and the detection body 2 are quickly assembled and disassembled via a connecting structure 9, making them easy to install on the outer wall of the target inspection pipeline 0.

[0073] The driving body 1 includes an upper shell 11 and a driving device 12 arranged in the upper shell 11, an upper groove 111 is provided in the middle of the upper shell 11, and a driving wheel 13 and a walking wheel 14 for walking on the outer wall of the target detection pipe 0 are provided in the upper groove 111, and the driving device 12 is driven and connected to the driving wheel 13; specifically, the driving wheel 13 is connected to the driving device 12 through a driving shaft 131, and driving gears 132 are provided at both ends of the driving shaft 131; the driving device 12 includes a driving motor 121, a driving gear 122 driven and connected to the driving motor 121, and a driven shaft 123, the driving gear 122 is meshed with a first driven gear 124 in the middle of the driven shaft 123, and the second driven gears 125 at both ends of the driven shaft 123 are meshed with the driving gear 132 to form a two-stage transmission structure (see Figure 7 ), significantly improve the driving torque;

[0074] In this embodiment, two sets of running wheels 14 are provided; the driving wheel 13 is arranged at one end of the upper groove 111, one set of running wheels 14 is arranged at the other end of the upper groove 111, and the other set of running wheels 14 is arranged in the middle of the upper groove 111, and two rollers 16 are respectively provided on the corresponding wheel axles of the driving shaft 131 and the driven wheel; the arrangement of the driving wheel 13 and the running wheel 14 with two rollers 16 can increase the contact area between the rollers 16 and the target detection pipe 0, thereby improving the walking stability;

[0075] The detection body 2 includes a lower shell 21 adapted to the upper shell 11, and a lower groove 22 is provided in the middle of the lower shell 21. A support wheel 23 is provided in the lower groove 22, and a support wheel shaft 231 of the support wheel 23 is arranged parallel to the drive wheel 13 axis and the walking wheel shaft 141; correspondingly, in this embodiment, three groups of support wheels 23 are provided in the lower groove 22, which are respectively arranged corresponding to the drive wheel 13 and the two groups of walking wheels 14, and form a three-point clamping structure for the target detection pipe 0; the combination of the two-stage gear transmission and the three-point clamping structure ensures stable walking on inclined and slippery pipe surfaces;

[0076] The two side walls of the lower groove 22 are respectively provided with an image camera 3 for acquiring images of defects on the exterior of the pipeline, an infrared camera 4 for acquiring images of blockages inside the pipeline, and an array of acoustic sensors 5 for detecting wear and leakage on the inner wall of the pipeline;

[0077] The upper groove 111 and the lower groove 22 are relatively buckled and arranged to form an accommodating space for the target detection pipe 0 to pass through; the arrangement of the accommodating space enables the detection robot to closely fit the outer wall of the target detection pipe 0, ensuring the stability and accuracy of the detection;

[0078] The control system 10 includes a data processing module 6 and a communication positioning module 7. The data processing module 6 is used to receive the collected data of the detection subject 2 and perform pre-processing;

[0079] The communication and positioning module is used to transmit detection data and positioning information to the ground control center in real time;

[0080] In the present invention, the detachable drive body 1 and detection body 2 facilitate the installation of the pipeline inspection robot on the outer wall of the target inspection pipeline 0. Relying on the limited design of the drive wheel 13 and the support wheel 23, the robot can stably move on the outer wall of the pipeline without stopping production or setting up additional tracks. This configuration enables the robot to adapt to pipeline inspection tasks in complex terrain conditions, comprehensively monitor the health status of the pipeline, greatly improve inspection efficiency and coverage, and reduce the limitations and risks of manual inspection.

[0081] Furthermore, the present invention is equipped with advanced acoustic sensors 5, infrared cameras 4, imaging cameras 3, and efficient data analysis algorithms, which enable real-time monitoring of the external and internal conditions of the pipeline, including information such as wall thickness changes, surface damage, and sediment distribution, thereby effectively identifying pipeline blockages, pipeline leaks, or pipeline surface damage. This multi-sensor fusion design enables comprehensive analysis of sound-light-image multi-field information, effectively predicting potential risk points and providing early warnings, thereby significantly improving the intelligent level of pipeline detection, effectively preventing the occurrence of emergencies, and ensuring the safe operation of the pipeline.

[0082] The present invention is not only suitable for the detection of conventional open-air pipelines, but can also be widely used in pipeline health monitoring in fields such as rare earth leaching mining, thereby improving rare earth extraction efficiency, optimizing pipeline management processes, and providing strong support for the sustainable development of the industry.

[0083] As a preferred embodiment, the bottom of the lower groove 22 is provided with a lighting device 8 to provide lighting for the image camera 3; preferably, the lighting device 8 is an array of lamp beads arranged along the length direction of the bottom of the groove; specifically, in this embodiment, the bottom of the lower groove 22 is provided with LED array lamp beads extending along the length direction, and the light intensity is automatically adjusted by the ambient light sensor to ensure that the image camera 3 can clearly image at night or in low illumination environments; at the same time, the design of the LED array lamp beads extending along the length direction of the bottom of the lower groove 22 can evenly illuminate the outer wall of the pipe, improve the imaging quality of the image camera 3, and ensure the accuracy of the detection results.

[0084] As a preferred embodiment, the driving body 1 also includes a battery 17 for powering the driving motor 121; preferably, two groups of batteries 17 are provided, and the two groups of batteries 17 are symmetrically arranged about the upper groove 111; in this embodiment, the battery 17 supports hot-swappable replacement, which can extend the battery life.

[0085] As a preferred embodiment, at least two image cameras 3 and at least two infrared cameras 4 are provided on the side walls of the lower groove 22; and the image cameras 3 and the infrared cameras 4 are respectively arranged on the two side walls of the lower groove 22, and each pair of the image cameras 3 and the infrared cameras 4 are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the lower groove 22; in this embodiment, two image cameras 3 and two infrared cameras 4 are provided, one image camera 3 and one infrared camera 4 are respectively arranged on the two opposite side walls of the lower groove 22, and are respectively used to obtain the appearance image information and internal temperature image information of one side at that position. The two image cameras 3 and the two infrared cameras 4 are respectively arranged in an interlaced manner relative to each other, and can obtain the appearance image information of the entire pipeline and the internal temperature image information of the entire pipeline, thereby detecting the internal and external health conditions of the pipeline (appearance defects and internal blockages);

[0086] At least three acoustic sensors 5 are provided on the side walls of the lower groove 22 , respectively located on the two side walls of the lower groove 22 , and are staggered with the image camera 3 and the infrared camera 4 ;

[0087] In this embodiment, six acoustic sensors 5 are provided to form an acoustic sensor 5 array. The six acoustic sensors 5 are arranged in pairs on two opposite side walls of the lower groove 22. Three pairs of acoustic sensors 5 are respectively arranged near both ends and in the middle of the lower groove 22. The arrangement of the acoustic sensor 5 array can comprehensively detect pipe inner wall wear and leakage points through sound wave reflection.

[0088] Visible light, infrared and acoustic sensors 5 work together to synchronously obtain data on the inner and outer walls and internal status of the pipeline, solving the blind spot problem of traditional single-mode detection and realizing multi-dimensional health detection of the pipeline.

[0089] As a preferred embodiment, the driving body 1 and the detecting body 2 are detachably connected via a connecting structure 9;

[0090] Preferably, the connecting structure 9 includes a first connecting lug 91 arranged on both sides of the upper shell 11, and a second connecting lug 92 arranged on both sides of the lower shell 21, and the first connecting lug 91 and the second connecting lug 92 are matched with each other; the first connecting lug 91 and the second connecting lug 92 are detachably connected by bolts and / or positioning pins; optionally, the connecting lugs can be replaced with electromagnetic locks or quick-connect mechanisms to adapt to the disassembly and assembly efficiency requirements under different working conditions.

[0091] Example 2

[0092] The present invention also provides an open-air pipeline detection system, comprising:

[0093] An open-air pipeline inspection robot as provided in the first aspect;

[0094] a remote control terminal, communicating with the open-air pipeline detection robot, for issuing a target detection task of a target open-air pipeline to the open-air pipeline detection robot and obtaining detection data during the robot's execution of the target detection task;

[0095] The remote control terminal is equipped with an image detection algorithm for detecting and identifying anomalies in the real-time video obtained by the image camera 3 and the infrared camera 4; preferably, the image detection algorithm adopts the yolov8 target detection algorithm;

[0096] A sound detection algorithm is also deployed to pick up the acoustic signal obtained by the acoustic sensor 5 to capture the pipeline leakage acoustic signal;

[0097] The image camera 3 and infrared camera 4 carried by the robot are used to obtain the appearance image information and internal temperature image information of the pipeline respectively, while the acoustic sensor 5 is used to capture the acoustic signals around the pipeline.

[0098] During the inspection process, the robot moves along the pipeline according to a preset path or through autonomous navigation, while collecting real-time video, infrared image and acoustic signal data, and transmits this data to the remote control terminal through the communication positioning module;

[0099] The remote control terminal establishes a connection with the open-air pipeline inspection robot via the communication and positioning module. The operator sets the inspection task parameters for the target open-air pipeline on the terminal interface, such as the inspection path, inspection speed, and data collection frequency, and then sends these parameters to the robot in the form of task instructions.

[0100] While performing its inspection tasks, the robot transmits collected video, infrared images, and acoustic signal data back to the remote control terminal in real time. The terminal's image detection algorithm (using the YOLOv8 object detection algorithm) analyzes the real-time video captured by camera 3 and infrared camera 4 to identify abnormalities such as cracks, corrosion, and deformation on the pipeline surface. Simultaneously, the sound detection algorithm analyzes the acoustic signals captured by acoustic sensor 5 to identify the specific acoustic signatures of pipeline leaks.

[0101] The operator can view the test results in real time through the display screen of the remote control terminal and remotely control the robot as needed, such as adjusting the test speed, changing the test path, or pausing the test task.

[0102] During the inspection process, the remote control terminal summarizes and analyzes all collected data and generates a detailed inspection report. The report includes information such as the location, type, and severity of the pipeline anomaly, and also provides raw data such as appearance images, infrared images, and acoustic signals for further analysis.

[0103] If a leak or other serious abnormality is detected in the pipeline, the system will automatically trigger an alarm and push relevant information to the maintenance personnel's mobile terminal or monitoring platform for timely repair and processing.

[0104] By integrating multiple detection devices such as an imaging camera 3, an infrared camera 4, and an acoustic sensor 5, the present invention can simultaneously inspect open-air pipelines from both visual and acoustic dimensions. The application of the YOLOv8 target detection algorithm enables the system to quickly and accurately identify abnormalities on the pipeline surface, while the sound detection algorithm can accurately capture the acoustic signals generated by pipeline leaks, thereby achieving all-round detection of the pipeline and effectively improving the accuracy and reliability of detection. Furthermore, the open-air pipeline inspection robot of the present invention can move autonomously and complete inspection tasks without the need for direct human contact with the pipeline, greatly reducing the workload and safety risks of inspectors. At the same time, the deployment of a remote control terminal makes the inspection process more flexible and efficient, reducing the cost of using and maintaining the equipment.

[0105] Example 3

[0106] See also Figure 8 The present invention further provides an open-air pipeline detection method, which performs pipeline health detection based on the open-air pipeline detection system provided in the second aspect, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

[0107] First, the open-air pipeline inspection robot's driving body 1 and detection body 2 are docked and mounted on the outer wall of the target inspection pipe 0. The driving body 1, through its bottom drive mechanism 12, tightly adheres to the outer wall of the pipe, ensuring stable robot movement. The detection body 2 is equipped with an imaging camera 3, an infrared camera 4, and an acoustic sensor 5 to capture images of the pipe's exterior, internal temperature distribution, and acoustic signals.

[0108] After the installation is completed, start the open-air pipeline inspection robot. The robot travels along the outer wall of the target detection pipeline 0, and at the same time turns on the lighting device 8 to ensure that the image camera 3 can clearly capture the appearance image of the outer wall of the pipeline. The image camera 3 records the outer wall of the target detection pipeline 0, and transmits the obtained real-time appearance image information to the data processing module 6 and the remote control terminal. At the same time, the infrared camera 4 obtains the temperature distribution image information inside the target detection pipeline 0 through the heat conduction characteristics of the outer wall of the pipeline, and transmits the real-time internal temperature image information to the data processing module 6 and the remote control terminal. The acoustic sensor 5 collects the sound signals around the pipeline in real time, and transmits the signals to the data processing module 6 and the remote control terminal;

[0109] After receiving the appearance image information, internal temperature image information, and sound signal data from the inspection robot, the remote control terminal activates the image detection algorithm and sound detection algorithm deployed on the terminal to identify abnormalities;

[0110] Image detection algorithm: The image detection algorithm analyzes the exterior and internal temperature images captured by camera 3 and infrared camera 4, respectively. If, within a preset time range, the internal temperature image shows an abnormal temperature distribution exceeding a preset area (for example, if the abnormal temperature area exceeds 10% of the pipe's cross-sectional area), the corresponding pipe section is deemed blocked and a blockage anomaly report is generated, including information such as the blockage location and the area of ​​the abnormal area.

[0111] For appearance image information, the image detection algorithm (using the YOLOv8 object detection algorithm) compares it with preset normal pipeline appearance information. If a difference is detected between the appearance image information and the normal pipeline appearance information (for example, cracks, corrosion, or deformation), the corresponding pipeline section is judged to have an appearance abnormality and an appearance abnormality report is generated, including information such as the abnormality type and location.

[0112] Sound Detection Algorithm: The sound detection algorithm analyzes the acoustic signals collected by the acoustic sensor 5. If the intensity or frequency characteristics of the real-time acoustic signal trigger a preset sound threshold (for example, the acoustic signal intensity exceeds three times the background noise), the corresponding pipeline segment is judged to have a leak and a leak report is generated, including information such as the leak location and acoustic signal characteristics;

[0113] During the inspection process, the remote control terminal generates real-time blockage anomaly reports, appearance anomaly reports, and leak reports based on anomaly identification results. These reports are stored in a local database. Operators can also view inspection results and anomaly reports in real time through the remote control terminal's interface. If a serious anomaly is detected, the system automatically triggers an alarm and pushes the anomaly report to the maintenance personnel's mobile terminal or monitoring platform, enabling timely repair measures.

[0114] By integrating an imaging camera 3, an infrared camera 4, and an acoustic sensor 5, the present invention can simultaneously inspect open-air pipelines from three dimensions: appearance, internal temperature, and acoustic signals. The application of image and sound detection algorithms enables the system to quickly and accurately identify pipeline health issues such as blockages, abnormal appearance, and leaks, enabling comprehensive health monitoring and precise diagnosis of pipelines.

[0115] The inspection robot collects data in real time as it drives and transmits it to a remote control terminal. The terminal's detection algorithm analyzes the data and generates anomaly reports, allowing operators to monitor the inspection process in real time. If an anomaly is detected, the system quickly issues an alarm and notifies maintenance personnel, significantly reducing incident handling time and improving pipeline safety and reliability.

[0116] As a preferred embodiment, the data processing module 6 pre-processes the real-time appearance image information, the real-time internal temperature image information and the real-time sound signal, including denoising, enhancement and format conversion.

[0117] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present description and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An open-air pipeline inspection robot, characterized in that: include: A driving body and a detection body, and a control system that are detachably connected via a connecting structure; The driving body includes an upper shell and a driving device arranged in the upper shell, an upper groove is provided in the middle of the upper shell, a driving wheel for walking on the outer wall of the target detection pipe is provided in the upper groove, and the driving device is drivingly connected to the driving wheel; the driving body also includes a walking wheel, and the walking wheel and the driving wheel are matched and arranged in pairs, respectively corresponding to the two ends of the upper groove; The traveling wheel comprises a traveling wheel shaft and two rollers rotatably arranged on the traveling wheel shaft; The driving wheel includes a driving shaft and two rollers rotatably arranged on the driving shaft, and driving gears are respectively provided at both ends of the driving shaft for meshing and connecting with the driving device; The driving device includes a driving motor, a driving gear drivingly connected to the driving motor, and a driven shaft; A first driven gear meshing with the driving gear is provided at the middle of the driven shaft, and second driven gears are provided at both ends of the driven shaft, and the second driven gears are respectively meshed and connected with the driving gears to drive the driving wheel to move; The detection body includes a lower shell matched with the upper shell, a lower groove is provided in the middle of the lower shell, and a supporting wheel matched with the driving wheel is provided in the lower groove. An image camera for acquiring images of defects on the exterior of the pipeline, an infrared camera for acquiring images of blockages inside the pipeline, and an acoustic sensor array for detecting wear and leakage on the inner wall of the pipeline are respectively provided on the two side walls of the lower groove; at least two of the image cameras and at least two of the infrared cameras are provided on the side walls of the lower groove; The image camera and the infrared camera are respectively arranged on two side walls of the lower groove relative to each other, and each pair of the image camera and the infrared camera are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the lower groove; At least three acoustic sensors are provided on the side walls of the lower groove, respectively located on the two side walls of the lower groove, and are staggered with the image camera and the infrared camera; The upper groove and the lower groove are relatively buckled and arranged to form an accommodating space for the target detection pipe to pass through; The control system includes a data processing module and a communication positioning module. The data processing module is used to receive the collected data of the detection subject and perform pre-processing; The communication and positioning module is used to transmit detection data and positioning information to the ground control center in real time.

2. The open-air pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A lighting device is provided at the bottom of the lower groove to provide lighting for the image camera.

3. An open-air pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The driving body further includes a battery for supplying power to the driving motor.

4. The open-air pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The connection structure includes a first connection lug arranged on both sides of the upper shell and a second connection lug arranged on both sides of the lower shell, and the first connection lug and the second connection lug are matched and correspondingly arranged; the first connection lug and the second connection lug are detachably connected by bolts and / or positioning pins.

5. An open-air pipeline detection system, characterized in that: include: An open-air pipeline inspection robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a remote control terminal, communicating with the open-air pipeline detection robot, for issuing a target detection task of a target open-air pipeline to the open-air pipeline detection robot and obtaining detection data during the robot's execution of the target detection task; The remote control terminal is equipped with an image detection algorithm for detecting and identifying anomalies in the real-time video obtained by the image camera and the infrared camera; A sound detection algorithm is also deployed to pick up the sound signals obtained by the acoustic sensor and capture the acoustic signals of pipeline leakage.

6. A method for detecting an open-air pipeline, wherein the method performs pipeline health detection based on the open-air pipeline detection system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The method comprises the following steps: S1: Install the driving body and the detection body on the outer wall of the target detection pipe by connecting them up and down; S2: Starting the open-air pipeline inspection robot, the open-air pipeline inspection robot moves along the outer wall of the target inspection pipeline, and turning on the lighting device at the same time; The image camera records the outer wall of the target detection pipeline and transmits the obtained real-time appearance image information to the data processing module and the remote control terminal; The infrared camera obtains the temperature distribution image information inside the target detection pipeline and transmits the real-time internal temperature image information to the data processing module and the remote control terminal; The acoustic sensor obtains the acoustic signal of the target detection pipeline and transmits the obtained real-time acoustic signal to the data processing module and the remote control terminal; S3: The image detection algorithm deployed on the remote control terminal performs abnormality recognition on the appearance image information and the internal temperature image information respectively; If, within the preset time range, the internal temperature image shows an abnormal temperature distribution area exceeding the preset area, the corresponding section of the pipeline is judged to be blocked and a blockage abnormality report is generated; If the detected appearance image information is different from the normal pipeline appearance information, the corresponding section of the pipeline is judged to be abnormal and an appearance abnormality report is generated; A sound detection algorithm deployed on the remote control terminal identifies abnormalities in the sound signal; If the detected real-time acoustic signal triggers the sound threshold, it is determined that the corresponding section of the pipeline has leaked and a leak report is generated.

7. The open-air pipeline detection method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The image detection algorithm adopts the YOLOv8 target detection algorithm; the sound detection algorithm performs anomaly recognition based on the frequency and amplitude of the sound signal.

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