Hydropower station Z-shaped flow channel detection system and method based on unmanned hovercraft

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of Z-shaped flow channel detection, in particular to a hydropower station Z-shaped flow channel detection system and method based on an unmanned hovercraft and a hovercraft body, and the hovercraft body is composed of an air cushion and an aluminum alloy frame. The kinetic energy module is used for providing power for normal driving of the ship body; the camera shooting and light supplementing module is used for supplementing light and shooting pipeline walls on the water surface and under the water; the sensing and positioning module comprises a depth finder, a range finder and a positioning unit and is used for measuring the water depth and determining the position of the unmanned hovercraft in the flow channel; position information and sensor information obtained by the sensing and positioning module are transmitted to the autonomous navigation control module, and the kinetic energy module receives control signals and outputs power. Image acquisition of the pipe wall of the Z-shaped pipeline is achieved through automatic navigation shooting of the unmanned hovercraft, and potential safety hazards caused by working of workers in a traditional detection mode are avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of Z-shaped flow channel detection, and in particular, to a detection system and method for a Z-shaped flow channel of a hydropower station based on an unmanned hovercraft. Background Art

[0002] Under long-term dynamic water operation conditions, the pipe walls of the flow channels in hydropower stations will be damaged to varying degrees due to chemical, stress, humidity and other reasons. If the pipe wall defects are not detected in time, the pipe walls of the flow channels will further crack, age, etc. Therefore, the detection of the flow channels in hydropower stations is particularly important for the normal operation of the units.

[0003] In the actual working environment, most of the flow channels with small diameters and inconvenient for people to pass through lack detection means, and a few use intelligent devices such as pipeline robots for detection; while for the flow channels with large diameters, manual detection is usually used, and the staff can use a self-climbing device to enter the flow channel. Due to the long and wide pipeline, manual detection usually has inspection blind spots, low detection efficiency, and serious personal safety problems. At the same time, manual detection cannot be carried out during the drainage operation of the flow channel.

[0004] In summary, there is a blank in the unmanned hovercraft detection system and method for Z-shaped flow channels. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a fast and automated unmanned hovercraft detection system. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this part is to outline some aspects of the embodiments of the present invention and briefly introduce some preferred embodiments. Some simplifications or omissions may be made in this part, as well as in the abstract and title of the present application, to avoid obscuring the purpose of this part, the abstract and the title. However, such simplifications or omissions shall not be used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0006] In view of the above problems that there are blanks in the existing unmanned hovercraft detection system and method for Z-shaped flow channels, the present invention is proposed.

[0007] Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a detection system for a Z-shaped flow channel of a hydropower station based on an unmanned hovercraft.

[0008] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions: an air-cushion hull, which is composed of an air cushion and an aluminum alloy frame; a kinetic energy module, the function of the kinetic energy system is to provide power for the normal driving of the hull; a camera and light supplement module, which is used to supplement light and photograph the pipe walls on the water surface and underwater; a sensing and positioning module, which includes a depth finder, a rangefinder and a positioning unit, and is used to measure the water depth and determine the position of the unmanned air-cushion vehicle in the flow channel; a remote control and autonomous navigation module, the remote control and autonomous navigation module can adopt two methods: manual remote control and automatic control; the position information and sensor information obtained by the sensing and positioning module are transmitted to the autonomous navigation control module, and the kinetic energy module receives the control signal and outputs power; the remote control module and the camera and light supplement module are connected to the shore-based console through the communication module to control the unmanned air-cushion vehicle in real time and obtain the pipe wall image.

[0009] As a preferred solution of the hydropower station Z-shaped flow channel detection system based on the unmanned air-cushion vehicle of the present invention, wherein: the air-cushion hull and the kinetic energy module use an inflatable airbag and an aluminum alloy structure to form the basic hull, and the inflatable airbag adopts a multi-chamber design.

[0010] As a preferred solution of the hydropower station Z-shaped flow channel detection system based on the unmanned air-cushion vehicle of the present invention, wherein: the kinetic energy module uses a dual-motor to drive the unmanned air-cushion vehicle to travel, selects a DC brushless motor to provide driving force, and uses a high-performance lithium battery as an energy storage device.

[0011] As a preferred solution of the hydropower station Z-shaped flow channel detection system based on the unmanned air-cushion vehicle of the present invention, wherein: the camera and light supplement module includes 4 cameras and 4 7500-lumen supplementary lights, and the maximum viewing angle of each camera reaches 100 degrees.

[0012] As a preferred solution of the hydropower station Z-shaped flow channel detection system based on the unmanned air-cushion vehicle of the present invention, wherein: the sensing and positioning module includes a depth finder, a rangefinder and a positioning unit, and the sensor of the depth finder is arranged at the bottom of the ship to measure the water depth.

[0013] As a preferred solution of the hydropower station Z-shaped flow channel detection system based on the unmanned air-cushion vehicle of the present invention, wherein: the communication module is used for the real-time transmission and display of the images taken by the camera system B, and the communication module can remotely control the remote communication, motion control and status monitoring functions of the remote control and autonomous navigation module.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the hydropower station Z-shaped flow channel detection system based on an unmanned hovercraft of the present invention, the rangefinders are respectively installed at the tail and both sides of the hull. The rangefinders determine the distance between the hull and the pipe wall based on the reflection of the pipe wall. The hovercraft hull determines its position and angle while traveling in the flow channel through laser ranging and a magnetic compass.

[0015] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention also provides a method for detecting a hydropower station Z-shaped flow channel based on an unmanned hovercraft, which further includes autonomously planning a route according to the flow channel information; the hovercraft hull sails downstream along the horizontal flow channel of the Z-shaped pipe to detect the distance from the corner of the Z-shaped flow channel; when reaching a suitable position, the hovercraft hull stops, and after draining water, the hovercraft hull descends along the water surface in the vertical pipe; the hovercraft hull provides supplementary lighting for the flow channel with insufficient brightness throughout the whole journey, takes pictures of the upper and lower pipe walls, and after the detection work is completed, the hovercraft hull is recovered.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of the hydropower station Z-shaped flow channel detection system based on an unmanned hovercraft of the present invention, the hovercraft hull automatically sails according to the planned travel route and collects surrounding environment information through built-in sensors.

[0017] As a preferred embodiment of the hydropower station Z-shaped flow channel detection system based on an unmanned hovercraft of the present invention, the hovercraft hull automatically adjusts its navigation state according to the collected surrounding environment information.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the present invention: The present invention realizes the image acquisition of the Z-shaped pipe wall through the automatic navigation and shooting of the unmanned hovercraft, avoids the potential safety hazards of the traditional detection method for the operators, solves the disadvantages of a large number of visual blind spots and low detection quality in manual detection, improves the detection efficiency, and has good economic efficiency and social benefits. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the following drawings are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts. Among them:

[0020] Figure 1 It is a system schematic diagram of the hydropower station Z-shaped flow channel detection system based on an unmanned hovercraft of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the hovercraft hull of the hydropower station Z-shaped flow channel detection system based on an unmanned hovercraft of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3This is the bottom view of the air-cushion hull of the hydropower station Z-shaped flow channel detection system based on an unmanned air-cushion vehicle according to the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 This is the schematic diagram of the steps of the method for detecting the Z-shaped flow channel of a hydropower station based on an unmanned air-cushion vehicle according to the present invention.

[0024] In the figure: 100, air-cushion hull; 101, ducted propeller; 102, water camera and fill light; 103, underwater camera and fill light; 104, depth sounder; 105, rangefinder; 106, communication antenna; G, remote control and autonomous navigation module. Specific embodiments

[0025] In order to make the above objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the specification.

[0026] In the following description, many specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0027] Secondly, the so-called "one embodiment" or "embodiment" herein refers to a specific feature, structure or characteristic that may be included in at least one implementation manner of the present invention. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing in different places in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that excludes other embodiments.

[0028] Furthermore, the present invention is described in detail with reference to the schematic diagrams. When describing the embodiments of the present invention in detail, for the sake of clarity, the cross-sectional views showing the device structures will be enlarged locally out of the general scale, and the schematic diagrams are only examples and should not limit the scope of protection of the present invention herein. In addition, in actual production, three-dimensional spatial dimensions including length, width and depth should be included.

[0029] Example 1, refer to Figures 1 to 3, which is the first embodiment of the present invention, provides a detection system for the Z-shaped flow channel of a hydropower station based on an unmanned hovercraft, including a hovercraft hull 100, which is composed of an air cushion and an aluminum alloy frame; a kinetic energy module, the function of the kinetic energy system is to provide power for the normal driving of the hull; a camera and lighting module, which is used for lighting and photographing the pipe wall on the water surface and underwater; a sensing and positioning module, which includes a depth finder 104, a rangefinder 105 and a positioning unit, and is used for measuring the water depth and determining the position of the unmanned hovercraft in the flow channel; a remote control and autonomous navigation module G, which can adopt two modes: manual remote control and automatic control; the position information and sensor information obtained by the sensing and positioning module are transmitted to the autonomous navigation control module, and the kinetic energy module receives the control signal and outputs power; the remote control module and the camera and lighting module are connected to the shore-based console through the communication module to control the unmanned hovercraft in real time and obtain the pipe wall image.

[0030] Specifically, the hovercraft hull 100 and the kinetic energy module use inflatable airbags and an aluminum alloy structure to form the basic hull, and the inflatable airbags adopt a multi-chamber design.

[0031] Among them, the kinetic energy module uses a dual-motor to drive the unmanned hovercraft to travel, selects a direct current brushless motor (ducted propeller 101) to provide driving force, and uses a high-performance lithium battery as an energy storage device.

[0032] Furthermore, the camera and lighting module includes 4 cameras and 4 7500-lumen floodlights. The maximum viewing angle of each camera reaches 100 degrees. It should be noted that when the unmanned hovercraft is traveling on the water surface of the pipeline, 2 water cameras cover and photograph the water pipeline, and at the same time, 2 underwater cameras are placed at the bottom of the ship to completely photograph the underwater pipe wall. The 7500-lumen floodlights are used to make up for the insufficient brightness in the pipeline. The camera and lighting module is built-in with a memory card and can store video images for no less than 3 hours.

[0033] It should be noted that the hovercraft hull 100 and the kinetic energy module use inflatable airbags and an aluminum alloy structure to form the basic hull, and the inflatable airbags adopt a multi-chamber design. The multi-chamber structure enables the airbag to disperse the pressure, makes the deformation of each part more uniform, can improve the overall load-bearing capacity, reduce local wear, ensure the safety of the airbag hull, and extend the service life of the airbag hull. Among them, the kinetic energy module uses a dual-motor to drive the unmanned hovercraft to travel, selects a direct current brushless motor (ducted propeller 101) as the drive, and a high-performance lithium battery as the energy storage device. Ensure the efficiency and endurance performance of the hovercraft.

[0034] Embodiment 2, refer to Figures 2 to 3, what is different from the first embodiment in this embodiment is that the sensing and positioning module includes a depth sounder 104, a rangefinder 105 and a positioning unit. The sensor of the depth sounder 104 is arranged at the bottom of the ship for measuring the water depth. It should be noted that the sensor of the depth sounder 104 is installed at the bottom of the ship for measuring the water depth. The Z-shaped flow channel applied in the present invention includes a horizontal flow channel and a vertical pipeline. When the unmanned hovercraft is traveling in the horizontal flow channel, the depth sounder 104 measures the water depth to prevent the hull from running aground due to too low water surface. When the unmanned hovercraft is descending with the water surface in the vertical flow channel, the depth sounder 104 measures the distance between the hull and the bottom end of the vertical pipeline. Three rangefinders 105 are respectively installed at the tail and both sides of the hull. The rangefinder 105 determines the distance between the hull and the pipe wall according to the reflection of the pipe wall. The unmanned hovercraft determines its position and angle in the flow channel through laser ranging and a magnetic compass.

[0035] Specifically, the communication module is used for the real-time transmission and display of the images taken by the camera and lighting module. The communication module can remotely control the remote communication, motion control, and status monitoring functions of the remote control and autonomous navigation module G. It should be noted that the unmanned hovercraft can be manually remotely controlled through a remote control handle / shore-based console to meet remote real-time motion control. At the same time, the unmanned hovercraft plans its travel route and sails automatically, collects information on the surrounding environment through built-in sensors, and automatically adjusts dangerous behaviors to ensure the overall safe and stable operation of the unmanned hovercraft.

[0036] Furthermore, the rangefinders 105 are respectively installed at the tail and both sides of the hull. The rangefinder 105 determines the distance between the hull and the pipe wall according to the reflection of the pipe wall. The hovercraft hull 100 determines its position and angle in the flow channel through laser ranging and a magnetic compass.

[0037] It should be noted that the hovercraft hull 100 is composed of an air cushion and an aluminum alloy frame, and has the characteristics of safety and stability. The kinetic energy module ensures that the hull travels normally on the water surface of the flow channel. The camera and lighting system is used for lighting and photographing the pipe walls above and below the water surface. The sensing and positioning system includes a depth sounder 104, rangefinders 105 and a positioning unit, which are used for measuring the water depth and determining the position of the unmanned hovercraft in the flow channel. The remote control and autonomous navigation system includes two methods: manual remote control and automatic control. The position information and sensor information obtained by the sensing and positioning system are transmitted to the autonomous navigation control system, and the kinetic energy system receives the control signal and outputs power. The remote control system and the camera and lighting system establish a connection with the shore-based console through the communication system to control the unmanned hovercraft in real time and obtain the images of the pipe walls.

[0038] Refer to Figure 2 、 Figure 3It is a schematic diagram of the structure of an unmanned hovercraft, wherein the cushion hull 100 is the main structure of the unmanned hovercraft, and the ducted propeller 101 is placed at the rear side of the cushion hull 100 to drive the unmanned hovercraft; the above-water camera and fill light 102 are above the cushion hull 100, and the underwater camera and fill light 103 are at the bottom of the cushion hull 100, and each pair of cameras has a certain angle to cover the pipe wall; the depth sounder 104 is placed at the bottom of the cushion hull 100, and the laser rangefinder measures the distance between the tail of the hull and the left and right sides and the pipe wall respectively; the control and navigation system is placed on the ship, including two functions of manual remote control and autonomous navigation; the communication antenna 106 is fixed on the cushion hull 100 to realize the remote communication of the unmanned hovercraft.

[0039] The rest of the structure is the same as that of Example 1.

[0040] Example 3, reference Figures 1 to 4 A method for detecting a Z-shaped flow channel of a hydropower station based on an unmanned hovercraft is provided, including a Z-shaped flow channel detection system of a hydropower station based on an unmanned hovercraft, and also including: autonomously planning a route according to flow channel information; driving an air cushion hull 100 downstream in a horizontal flow channel of a Z-shaped pipe to detect the distance to a corner of the Z-shaped flow channel; the air cushion hull 100 is stationary when reaching a suitable position, and in the later stage of drainage, the air cushion hull 100 descends along the water surface in a vertical pipe; during the entire driving process, the air cushion hull 100 is used to fill in light for a flow channel with insufficient brightness, and photographs are taken to record the above-water and underwater pipe walls, and the air cushion hull 100 is recovered after the detection work is completed.

[0041] Specifically, the air cushion hull 100 automatically navigates according to the planned driving route and collects surrounding environment information through built-in sensors.

[0042] Furthermore, the air cushion hull 100 automatically adjusts the navigation state according to the collected surrounding environment information.

[0043] The rest of the structure is the same as that of Example 2.

[0044] Operation process: First, the system will autonomously plan the inspection route of the air cushion hull 100 according to the specific information of the Z-shaped flow channel of the hydropower station; the air cushion hull 100 will travel downstream in the horizontal flow channel of the Z-shaped pipe, while detecting the distance from the corner of the Z-shaped flow channel; after reaching the appropriate position, the air cushion hull 100 will stop so as to descend along the water surface of the vertical pipe after drainage; during the entire driving process, the air cushion hull 100 will fill in the light for the flow channel with insufficient brightness, and use the camera and fill-in light module to shoot and record the pipe wall images above and below the water;

[0045] The hovercraft hull 100 sails automatically according to the planned travel route and collects information on the surrounding environment through built-in sensors; based on this information, the hovercraft hull 100 can automatically adjust its sailing state to ensure the safety and stability of the sailing; after the detection work is completed, the hovercraft hull 100 will be recovered for subsequent data analysis and maintenance; this process realizes the automatic acquisition of the Z-shaped pipeline wall image, avoids the safety hazards of the staff's operation in the traditional detection method, and improves the detection efficiency.

[0046] Importantly, it should be noted that the construction and arrangement of the present application shown in multiple different exemplary embodiments are only illustrative. Although only a few embodiments are described in detail in this disclosure, those who refer to this disclosure should easily understand that many modifications are possible without substantially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described in this application (for example, the dimensions, scales, structures, shapes and proportions of various elements, and parameter values (such as temperature, pressure, etc.), installation arrangements, use of materials, color, orientation changes, etc.). For example, an element shown as integrally formed may be composed of multiple parts or elements, the position of the element may be inverted or otherwise changed, and the nature or number or position of discrete elements may be changed or altered. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be changed or reordered according to alternative embodiments. In the claims, any "means-plus-function" clause is intended to cover the structure that performs the recited function herein, and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to a specific embodiment, but extends to various modifications that still fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0047] In addition, in order to provide a concise description of the exemplary embodiments, not all features of the actual embodiments may be described (i.e., those features that are not relevant to the currently considered best mode of implementing the present invention or those that are not relevant to the implementation of the present invention).

[0048] It should be understood that in the development of any actual implementation, such as in any engineering or design project, a large number of specific implementation decisions may be made. Such development efforts may be complex and time-consuming, but for those of ordinary skill in the art who benefit from this disclosure, without excessive experimentation, such development efforts will be a routine task of design, manufacturing and production.

[0049] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention rather than to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present invention can be modified or equivalently replaced without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A Z-type flow channel detection system for a hydropower station based on an unmanned hovercraft, characterized in that: include, An air cushion hull (100), wherein the air cushion hull (100) is composed of an air cushion and an aluminum alloy frame; A kinetic energy module, the function of which is to provide power for the normal travel of the ship; A camera and fill-in-light module, which is used for fill-in-light shooting of the pipe wall above and below the water surface; a sensing and positioning module, comprising a depth sounder (104), a range finder (105) and a positioning unit, for measuring the water depth and determining the position of the unmanned hovercraft in the flow channel; A remote control and autonomous navigation module (G), wherein the remote control and autonomous navigation module (G) can be controlled by manual remote control or automatic control; The position information and sensor information obtained by the sensing and positioning module are transmitted to the autonomous navigation control module, and the kinetic energy module receives the control signal and outputs power; the remote control and autonomous navigation module (G) and the camera and fill-light module establish a connection with the shore-based control console through the communication module to control the unmanned hovercraft in real time and obtain the pipe wall image.

2. The Z-type flow channel detection system for a hydropower station based on an unmanned hovercraft as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The air cushion hull (100) and the kinetic energy module use an inflatable airbag and an aluminum alloy structure to form a basic hull, and the inflatable airbag adopts a multi-chamber design.

3. The Z-type flow channel detection system for a hydropower station based on an unmanned hovercraft as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The kinetic energy module adopts dual motors to propel the unmanned hovercraft, selects a DC brushless motor to provide driving force, and adopts a high-performance lithium battery as an energy storage device.

4. The Z-type flow channel detection system for a hydropower station based on an unmanned hovercraft as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The camera and fill light module includes 4 cameras and 4 7500 lumen fill lights, and the maximum viewing angle of each camera is 100 degrees.

5. The Z-type flow channel detection system for a hydropower station based on an unmanned hovercraft as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The sensing and positioning module comprises a depth sounder (104), a range finder (105) and a positioning unit, wherein the sensor of the depth sounder (104) is arranged on the bottom of the ship for measuring the water depth.

6. The Z-type flow channel detection system for a hydropower station based on an unmanned hovercraft as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: The communication module is used for real-time transmission and display of images captured by the camera system B. The communication module can remotely control the remote communication, motion control and status monitoring functions of the remote control and autonomous navigation module (G).

7. The Z-type flow channel detection system for a hydropower station based on an unmanned hovercraft as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The rangefinders (105) are respectively installed at the stern of the hull and at both sides of the hull. The rangefinders (105) determine the distance between the hull and the pipe wall according to the reflection of the pipe wall. The air cushion hull (100) determines the position and angle of the air cushion hull in the flow channel through laser ranging and a magnetic compass.

8. A method for detecting a Z-shaped flow channel of a hydropower station based on an unmanned hovercraft, characterized in that: The Z-type flow channel detection system for a hydropower station based on an unmanned hovercraft as described in any one of claims 1 to 7 further includes: Autonomously plan routes based on flow information; The air cushion hull (100) travels downstream in the horizontal flow channel of the Z-shaped pipe to detect the distance from the corner of the Z-shaped flow channel; When reaching a suitable position, the air cushion hull (100) is stationary, and in the later stage of drainage, the air cushion hull (100) descends along the water surface in the vertical pipe; The air cushion hull (100) provides supplementary lighting for the insufficiently bright flow channel during the entire travel, and takes photos to record the above-water and underwater pipe walls; After the inspection is completed, the air cushion hull (100) is recovered.

9. The method for detecting a Z-shaped flow channel of a hydropower station based on an unmanned hovercraft as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that: The air cushion hull (100) automatically navigates according to a planned travel route and collects surrounding environment information through built-in sensors.

10. The method for detecting a Z-shaped flow channel of a hydropower station based on an unmanned hovercraft according to claim 9, characterized in that: The air cushion hull (100) automatically adjusts the navigation state according to the collected surrounding environment information.

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