Wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing equipment and method based on drone

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of wind turbine detection technology, and discloses a wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing device and method based on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The testing device includes a self-balancing system, a telescopic rod device, a flexible connection device, and a detection device. The self-balancing system is installed between the UAV and the telescopic rod device. When the UAV is operating in the air, the telescopic rod device can rotate left and right, and the telescopic rod device always remains in a horizontal position. The detection device includes a resistance test device, a grinding probe, and a detection probe. The detection device is arranged at the front end of the telescopic rod device and is used to be adsorbed on the blade surface. The grinding probe is extended and retracted to contact the surface of the lightning receptor. After the grinding work is completed, the detection probe is extended and retracted, and the detection probe contacts the surface of the lightning receptor. The resistance test device tests the resistance between the lightning receptor and the blade root. The flexible connection device is connected to the telescopic rod device at one end and connected to the detection device at the other end. The present invention can make the test stable, reliable, and more accurate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of wind turbine detection technology, and in particular to a wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing device and method based on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Background Art

[0002] The current lightning protection system testing method commonly used in the wind power industry requires technicians to manually inspect the blade lightning receptors from a suspended work platform. This method has two technical limitations: first, the blades must maintain a positive Y-shaped, vertical downward posture; second, the blades must rotate to complete the full circumference inspection.

[0003] With the advancement of detection technology, the mainstream solution has gradually transitioned to drone-mounted testing systems, which use a dedicated net-shaped testing device mounted on top to test the resistance of the blade tip lightning receptors. However, existing drone-based wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing equipment is not stable during testing, resulting in low test accuracy and failing to meet practical needs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides a wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing device and method based on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which can make the test stable, reliable and more accurate.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A wind turbine blade lightning protection system test device based on a drone, comprising a self-balancing system, a telescopic rod device, a soft connection device, and a detection device; the self-balancing system is installed between the drone and the telescopic rod device, and when the drone is operating in the air, the telescopic rod device can rotate left and right, and the telescopic rod device always maintains a horizontal position; the detection device comprises a resistance testing device, a grinding probe, and a detection probe; the detection device is arranged at the front end of the telescopic rod device, and is used to be adsorbed on the blade surface, and the grinding probe is extended to contact the surface of the lightning rod; after the grinding work is completed, the detection probe is extended and retracted to contact the surface of the lightning rod, and the detection probe contacts the surface of the lightning rod, and the resistance testing device tests the resistance between the lightning rod and the blade root; one end of the soft connection device is connected to the telescopic rod device, and the other end is used to connect to the detection device. When the detection device is adsorbed on the blade surface, the telescopic rod device releases the soft connection device, so that the detection device eliminates the shaking effect that occurs when the aircraft is hovering.

[0007] The telescopic rod device can rotate left and right up to 180 degrees, and the vertical pitch angle is 15 degrees.

[0008] The telescopic rod device includes a telescopic mechanism, which includes a three-stage telescopic rod and a two-stage screw transmission inside to realize the telescopic movement of the three-section sleeve.

[0009] Among them, the telescopic rod device also includes a counterweight device located at the end, which is used to balance the telescopic rod so that the center of gravity of the telescopic rod is at the center of the drone; the counterweight device includes a telescopic motor counterweight and a vacuum pump counterweight.

[0010] Among them, the detection device also includes a vacuum adsorption device, which is equipped with two groups of spring telescopic vacuum suction cup assemblies, which can reach the blade surface under the support of the drone telescopic rod device and adsorb on the blade surface.

[0011] Wherein, the resistance testing device uses a four-wire measurement method for testing.

[0012] The test equipment further includes a monitor device, which includes a micro camera and is arranged at the front end of the detection device for transmitting real-time images to the remote control end.

[0013] Wherein, the detection device also includes a processing module for performing data processing and analysis on the resistance data.

[0014] A wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing method based on a drone uses the wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing equipment based on a drone as described above. The method includes: when the drone flies to the blade measurement area, the aircraft operator operates the aircraft to align the lightning arrester position and operates the aircraft forward. During the forward movement, the up and down swing of the telescopic rod caused by the up and down swing of the aircraft is eliminated by the self-balancing device; during the operation, the front-end monitoring device transmits the real-time image to the remote control end, and when it reaches the blade surface, the vacuum adsorption device of the detection device starts to work. After contacting the blade surface, the detection device is adsorbed on the blade, and at this time the telescopic rod device releases the soft connection device, and the telescopic rod device and the detection device release the soft connection device. The rigid connection between the devices is eliminated, and the detection device will not be affected by the shaking of the aircraft; after adsorption, the grinding probe begins to extend to grind the surface of the lightning connector; after grinding is completed, the detection probe extends and retracts the grinding probe, the detection probe contacts the surface of the lightning connector, the data detection function is turned on, and the resistance testing device uses a four-wire measurement method to obtain resistance data, transmits the resistance data to the processing module for data processing and analysis, displays the resistance data to the remote control end, and creates a file for data storage for later viewing; after the detection is completed, the telescopic rod device retracts the soft connection device to restore the rigid connection with the detection device, the vacuum adsorption device turns off the adsorption function, and the aircraft returns.

[0015] When conducting the resistance test, the resistance between multiple lightning receptors on the blade and the blade root is tested separately; when the processing module processes and analyzes the resistance data, it determines which lightning receptor is faulty based on the resistance data between each lightning receptor and the blade root.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: the wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing equipment and method based on the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention can always maintain a horizontal position of the telescopic rod device by setting a self-balancing system, a soft connection device, and a detection device, and the resistance testing device, the grinding probe, and the detection probe are adsorbed on the blade surface, and the grinding probe is extended to contact the surface of the lightning rod. After the grinding work is completed, the detection probe is extended and the grinding probe is retracted, and the detection probe contacts the surface of the lightning rod. The resistance testing device tests the resistance between the lightning rod and the blade root, and the soft connection device can enable the detection device to eliminate the shaking effect when the aircraft is hovering, so that the detection device can be kept stable during the test, and adsorbed on the blade surface, and the lightning rod surface is polished before testing, so that the test process can be stable and reliable, and the test results are more accurate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 The figure is a schematic structural diagram of a wind turbine blade lightning protection system test device based on a drone and a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the test equipment shown.

[0019] Figure 3 for Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the structure of the back end part of the test equipment is shown.

[0020] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A partial cross-sectional view of the rear end portion of the test equipment is shown.

[0021] Figure 5 for Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the structure of the front end of the test equipment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

[0023] In this embodiment, Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the wind turbine blade lightning protection system test equipment based on a drone can be installed on a drone 1 through a load interface 8, and includes a self-balancing system 2, a telescopic rod device 3, a soft connection device, a detection device 4, and a monitoring device.

[0024] The self-balancing system 2 is installed between the drone and the telescopic rod assembly. When the drone is in mid-air, the telescopic rod assembly can rotate left and right, while maintaining a horizontal position. In this embodiment, the self-balancing system 2 includes a left-right rotation system 7 (including left and right servo mounts 15 and left-right rotating servos 16) and a vertical rotation system 9 (including upper and lower servo mounts 17 and upper and lower rotating servos 18). These allow the telescopic rod assembly to rotate up to 180° left and right, and a vertical pitch angle of 15°. The left and right servo mounts 15 and upper and lower servo mounts 17 are connected via a rotary bearing 14.

[0025] The telescopic rod assembly includes a telescopic mechanism. In this embodiment, the telescopic mechanism comprises a three-stage telescopic rod (respectively, a fixed sleeve 10, a primary sleeve 11, and a secondary sleeve 12), internally employing a two-stage screw drive to achieve the extension and retraction of the three sleeves. Specifically, the telescopic rod assembly comprises a telescopic rod support 13, a primary hollow screw 19, a primary screw nut 20, a nut holder 21, a secondary screw nut 22, a secondary solid screw 23, and a screw holder 25. A secondary solid screw is mounted within the primary hollow screw. The secondary screw nut of the secondary solid screw is then mounted on the primary hollow screw, which in turn is mounted on the primary sleeve. The secondary screw nut of the secondary solid screw is then mounted on the secondary sleeve. When the motor drives the primary hollow screw, the secondary solid screw also moves, and the primary and secondary sleeves simultaneously retract and retract. In this embodiment, the telescopic rod assembly also includes a counterweight at the end, which balances the telescopic rod so that its center of gravity is at the center of the drone. In this embodiment, the counterweight device includes a telescopic motor counterweight 6 and a vacuum pump counterweight 5 .

[0026] The detection device includes a vacuum suction device, a resistance test device, a grinding probe, a detection probe 33, and a processing module. The detection device is located at the front end of the telescopic rod assembly and is used to attach to the blade surface via the vacuum suction device. The grinding probe 36 then extends to contact the lightning receptor surface. The grinding process is then performed using the grinding motor 35 (which is connected to the grinding motor support 32 via the grinding motor connecting rod 30). After the grinding process is completed, the detection probe 33 extends from the probe support 31 and is retracted using the grinding motor connecting rod 30. The detection probe then contacts the lightning receptor surface. The resistance test device measures the resistance between the lightning receptor and the blade root, and the processing module processes and analyzes the resistance data. In this embodiment, the vacuum suction device includes a suction cup assembly bracket and two sets of spring-loaded vacuum cup assemblies mounted on the bracket: a left spring-loaded vacuum cup assembly 27 and a right spring-loaded vacuum cup assembly 28. Each set of spring-loaded vacuum cup assemblies is equipped with an accordion suction cup 34 at the front end. Supported by the drone's telescopic rod assembly, the suction cups can reach the blade surface and attach to it. The left spring telescopic vacuum suction cup assembly 27 and the right spring telescopic vacuum suction cup assembly 28 are fixed to the telescopic rod device 3 via the suction cup assembly bracket 29. The resistance test device uses a four-wire measurement method for testing.

[0027] One end of the flexible connector is connected to the telescopic rod assembly, and the other end is used to connect to the detection device. When the detection device is attached to the blade surface, the telescopic rod assembly releases the flexible connector, thereby eliminating the shaking effect caused by the aircraft hovering. The flexible connector can be made of elastic materials such as rubber.

[0028] The monitor device is used to transmit the real-time image to the remote control end. In this embodiment, the monitor device includes a micro camera, which is arranged at the front end of the detection device and is used to transmit the real-time image to the remote control end.

[0029] This embodiment also provides a wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing method based on a drone, using the wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing equipment based on a drone as described above, the method includes: when the drone flies to the blade measurement area, the aircraft operator operates the aircraft to align the lightning arrester position, and operates the aircraft to move forward, and the up and down swing of the telescopic rod caused by the up and down swing of the aircraft during the forward movement is eliminated by the self-balancing device; during the operation, the front-end monitoring device will transmit the real-time image to the remote control end, and when it reaches the blade surface, the vacuum adsorption device of the detection device starts to work, and after contacting the blade surface, the detection device is adsorbed on the blade, and at this time the telescopic rod device releases the soft connection device, and the telescopic rod device The rigid connection between the device and the detection device is eliminated, and the detection device will not be affected by the shaking of the aircraft; after adsorption, the grinding probe begins to extend to grind the surface of the lightning connector; after grinding is completed, the detection probe extends and retracts the grinding probe, the detection probe contacts the surface of the lightning connector, the data detection function is turned on, and the resistance testing device uses a four-wire measurement method to test and obtain resistance data, and transmits the resistance data to the processing module for data processing and analysis, displays the resistance data to the remote control end, and creates a file for data storage for later viewing; after the detection is completed, the telescopic rod device retracts the soft connection device to restore the rigid connection with the detection device, the vacuum adsorption device turns off the adsorption function, and the aircraft returns.

[0030] When conducting the resistance test, the resistance between multiple lightning receptors on the blade and the blade root is tested separately; when the processing module processes and analyzes the resistance data, it determines which lightning receptor is faulty based on the resistance data between each lightning receptor and the blade root.

Claims

1. A wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing device based on drone, characterized in that: It includes a self-balancing system, a telescopic rod device, a soft connection device, and a detection device; the self-balancing system is installed between the UAV and the telescopic rod device, and includes a left-right rotation system and an up-down rotation system, so that when the UAV is operating in the air, the telescopic rod device can rotate left-right, and the telescopic rod device always maintains a horizontal position; the detection device includes a resistance testing device, a grinding probe, and a detection probe. The detection device is arranged at the front end of the telescopic rod device, and is used to be adsorbed on the surface of the blade, and the grinding probe is extended to contact the surface of the lightning rod. After the grinding work is completed, the detection probe is extended and retracted to contact the surface of the lightning rod, and the detection probe contacts the surface of the lightning rod. The resistance testing device tests the resistance between the lightning rod and the blade root; one end of the soft connection device is connected to the telescopic rod device, and the other end is used to connect to the detection device. When the detection device is adsorbed on the surface of the blade, the telescopic rod device releases the soft connection device, so that the detection device eliminates the shaking effect that occurs when the aircraft is hovering.

2. The wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing equipment based on drone according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The telescopic rod device can rotate left and right to 180 degrees, and the vertical pitch angle is 15 degrees.

3. The wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing equipment based on drone according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The telescopic rod device comprises a telescopic mechanism, which includes a three-stage telescopic rod and a two-stage screw drive inside to realize the telescoping of the three-section sleeve.

4. The wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing equipment based on drone according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The telescopic rod device also includes a counterweight device located at the end, which is used to balance the telescopic rod so that the center of gravity of the telescopic rod is at the center of the drone; the counterweight device includes a telescopic motor counterweight and a vacuum pump counterweight.

5. The wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing equipment based on drone according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The detection device also includes a vacuum adsorption device, which is provided with two groups of spring telescopic vacuum suction cup assemblies, which can reach the blade surface under the support of the drone telescopic rod device and adsorb on the blade surface.

6. The wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing equipment based on drone according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The resistance testing device uses a four-wire measurement method for testing.

7. The wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing equipment based on drone according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The testing device also includes a monitor device, which includes a micro camera and is arranged at the front end of the detection device for transmitting real-time images to the remote control end.

8. The wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing equipment based on drone according to claim 7 is characterized in that: The detection device also includes a processing module for performing data processing and analysis on the resistance data.

9. A wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing method based on drone, characterized in that: The method of using the wind turbine blade lightning protection system test equipment based on the drone as described in claim 8 includes: when the drone flies to the blade measurement area, the aircraft operator operates the aircraft to align with the lightning arrester position and operates the aircraft forward. During the forward movement, the up and down swing of the telescopic rod caused by the up and down swing of the aircraft is eliminated by the self-balancing device; during operation, the front-end monitor device transmits the real-time image to the remote control end, and when reaching the blade surface, the vacuum adsorption device of the detection device starts to work. After contacting the blade surface, the detection device is adsorbed on the blade, and at this time the telescopic rod device releases the soft connection device, and the telescopic rod device and the detection device are rigidly connected. Eliminate, the detection device will not be affected by the shaking of the aircraft; after adsorption, the grinding probe begins to extend to grind the surface of the lightning connector; after grinding is completed, the detection probe extends and retracts the grinding probe, the detection probe contacts the surface of the lightning connector, the data detection function is turned on, and the resistance testing device uses a four-wire measurement method to test and obtain resistance data, transmits the resistance data to the processing module for data processing and analysis, displays the resistance data to the remote control end, and creates a file for data storage for later viewing; after the detection is completed, the telescopic rod device retracts the soft connection device to restore the rigid connection with the detection device, the vacuum adsorption device turns off the adsorption function, and the aircraft returns.

10. The wind turbine blade lightning protection system testing method based on a drone according to claim 9, characterized in that: When conducting a resistance test, the resistance between multiple lightning receptors on the blade and the blade root is tested separately; when the processing module processes and analyzes the resistance data, it determines which lightning receptor is faulty based on the resistance data between each lightning receptor and the blade root.

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