Multi-mode aircraft capable of being used for pipeline survey
By designing a multimodal aircraft, it has the ability to fly, ground walking and pipeline travel, which solves the problem of insufficient data acquisition by traditional pipeline survey methods and realizes efficient and flexible pipeline detection and pollution cleaning functions.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510876365.9
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-27
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-29
- Estimated Expiration
- 2045-06-27
AI Technical Summary
Traditional pipeline survey methods are difficult to obtain high-precision data inside and outside the pipeline in a comprehensive and fast manner, and the application flexibility of drones inside and outside the pipeline is insufficient.
A multimodal aircraft is designed, with three modal motion capabilities: flight, ground walking and pipeline walking. It is equipped with a foldable rotor, a McNum wheel ground walking mechanism and a fuselage detection mechanism to realize detection and cleaning functions in various environments.
It has achieved comprehensive and efficient inspection and pollution cleaning of pipelines, improved the flexibility and accuracy of pipeline surveys, and adapted to inspection needs in different environments.
Smart Images

Figure CN120383027A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of multimodal unmanned aerial vehicles, and particularly relates to a multimodal aerial vehicle that can be used for pipeline surveying. Background Art
[0002] In modern industrial and infrastructure management, the safe and efficient operation of pipeline systems is of crucial importance. Traditional pipeline surveying methods, such as manual inspections and ground vehicle inspections, are limited by factors such as terrain, environment, and human resources, and it is difficult to comprehensively and quickly obtain high-precision data inside and outside the pipeline. With the rapid development of unmanned aerial vehicle technology, multimodal UAVs have shown great potential in pipeline surveying, providing innovative solutions for pipeline safety management. Unmanned aerial vehicles, as a type of unpiloted aircraft, have been widely used in multiple fields due to their flexibility, high efficiency, and low cost.
[0003] During the pipeline surveying process, a dedicated pipeline robot can be equipped with various sensors such as high-definition cameras, lidar sensors, infrared sensors, and multispectral cameras to achieve comprehensive information collection inside the pipeline, and the UAV can scan and survey the periphery of the pipeline.
[0004] Therefore, designing a multimodal aerial vehicle that can be used for pipeline surveying is an urgent technical problem to be solved in this technical field. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a multimodal aerial vehicle that can be used for pipeline surveying. This multimodal aerial vehicle can complete movements in three modes: flight, ground walking, and in-pipeline traveling, and the rotors used for flight can be folded, which is convenient for carrying and recovery.
[0006] A multimodal aerial vehicle that can be used for pipeline surveying includes a foldable rotor mechanism, an auxiliary wheel mechanism, a Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanism, and a fuselage detection mechanism; The Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanisms are symmetrically installed at both ends of the fuselage detection mechanism, and a foldable rotor mechanism is connected to the outside of each Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanism. Two auxiliary wheel mechanisms are symmetrically and rotatably connected to the fuselage detection mechanism; After the auxiliary wheel mechanism is unfolded, it rotates in the same direction as the two Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanisms to achieve the ground walking of the multimodal aerial vehicle; The two Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanisms rotate in opposite directions to achieve the in-pipeline walking of the multimodal aerial vehicle; After the foldable rotor mechanism is unfolded, it realizes the aerial flight of the multimodal aerial vehicle; The detection unit installed on the fuselage detection mechanism realizes the detection of the pipeline.
[0007] Preferably, the detection unit is a high-definition micro camera.
[0008] Preferably, the fuselage detection mechanism includes a fuselage and a gimbal, and the high-definition micro camera is rotatably connected to the gimbal, and the gimbal is rotatably connected to the fuselage.
[0009] Preferably, the fuselage detection mechanism further includes a battery. There are a battery slot, a motor mounting slot, an air pump mounting slot and two arc-shaped slots on the fuselage, and the battery is installed in the battery slot.
[0010] Preferably, the auxiliary wheel mechanism includes a foldable bracket, an auxiliary wheel and a bracket control motor. The outer shell of the bracket control motor is fixedly connected to the fuselage, the foldable bracket is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the bracket control motor, and the auxiliary wheel is rotatably connected to the outside of the foldable bracket.
[0011] Preferably, the auxiliary wheel mechanism further includes a nozzle pipe, a nozzle and an air pump. The nozzle pipe is installed on the foldable bracket, the air outlet end of the nozzle pipe is telescopically connected with the nozzle, the air inlet end of the nozzle pipe is connected with the air pump, and the air pump is installed in the air pump mounting slot.
[0012] Preferably, the Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanism includes Mecanum wheels, Mecanum wheel drive shafts and wheel motors. The Mecanum wheels are fixedly connected to the Mecanum wheel drive shafts, the Mecanum wheel drive shafts are fixedly connected to the output shafts of the wheel motors, and the outer shells of the wheel motors are fixedly connected to the motor mounting slots.
[0013] Preferably, the foldable rotor mechanism includes foldable rotors, rotor arms, rotor arm control motors and rotor motors. The foldable rotors are fixedly connected to the output shafts of the rotor motors, the outer shells of the rotor motors are fixedly connected to the rotor arms, the rotor arms are rotatably connected to the output shafts of the rotor arm control motors, and the outer shells of the rotor arm control motors are fixedly connected to the outside of the Mecanum wheel drive shafts.
[0014] Preferably, the foldable rotor includes two propeller blades and a blade clip, and the two propeller blades are symmetrically and rotatably connected to the blade clip.
[0015] The beneficial effects are as follows: The present invention can achieve flight inspection, ground inspection, and inspection inside pipelines. In the flight inspection state, the rotor arm control motor controls the opening of the rotor arms. The rotor motors drive the folding rotors to rotate to provide flight lift. The wheel motors control the drive shafts of the Mecanum wheels to drive the rotor arms and the folding rotors to tilt, realizing the functions of forward flight and steering. The high-definition micro camera completes the monitoring task in the air. In the ground inspection state, the rotor arm control motor controls the closing of the rotor arms. The wheel motors control the drive shafts of the Mecanum wheels to drive the Mecanum wheels to rotate. The folding bracket is in a fully open state, and the auxiliary wheels contact the ground. The two Mecanum wheels rotate in the same direction, forming a stable four-wheel ground mechanism. The two wheel motors control the ground travel direction through differential control. In the pipeline inspection state, the rotor motors control the closing of the rotor arms. The auxiliary wheel structure is semi-closed. The two Mecanum wheels move in opposite directions to complete the movement inside the pipeline. The folding bracket is in a semi-closed state, and the nozzle extends. The air pump compresses the gas, and the nozzle sprays high-pressure gas to complete the cleaning inside the pipeline. The high-definition micro camera performs detection and takes pictures inside the pipeline. Description of the Drawings
[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the multi-modal aircraft in the flight mode; Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the multi-modal aircraft in the pipeline survey mode; Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the multi-modal aircraft in the ground movement mode; Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of the fuselage; Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the folding rotor; Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of the connection between the nozzle, the nozzle, the auxiliary wheel and the folding bracket; Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the state where the nozzle does not extend; Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the state where the nozzle extends; In the figure: 1: folding rotor; 2: rotor arm; 3: rotor arm control motor; 4: Mecanum wheel; 5: Mecanum wheel drive shaft; 6: folding bracket; 7: rotor motor; 8: high-definition micro camera; 9: fuselage; 10: pan-tilt head; 11: nozzle; 12: nozzle; 13: battery; 14: wheel motor; 15: bracket control motor; 16: air pump; 17: battery slot; 18: motor mounting slot; 19: propeller blade; 20: blade clamp; 21: auxiliary wheel. Detailed Embodiment
[0017] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0018] As Figures 1 to 8As shown in the figure, a multi-modal aircraft that can be used for pipeline survey includes a foldable rotor mechanism, an auxiliary wheel mechanism, a Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanism, and a fuselage detection mechanism; The Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanisms are symmetrically installed at both ends of the fuselage detection mechanism. A foldable rotor mechanism is connected to the outside of each Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanism, and two auxiliary wheel mechanisms are symmetrically and rotatably connected to the fuselage detection mechanism; After the auxiliary wheel mechanisms are unfolded, they cooperate with the two Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanisms to rotate in the same direction to achieve the ground walking of the multi-modal aircraft; The two Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanisms rotate in opposite directions to achieve the in-pipeline walking of the multi-modal aircraft; After the foldable rotor mechanism is unfolded, it realizes the aerial flight of the multi-modal aircraft; The detection unit installed on the fuselage detection mechanism realizes the detection of the pipeline.
[0019] Furthermore, the detection unit is a high-definition micro camera 8.
[0020] Furthermore, the fuselage detection mechanism includes a fuselage 9 and a pan-tilt 10. The high-definition micro camera 8 is rotatably connected to the pan-tilt 10, and the pan-tilt 10 is rotatably connected to the fuselage 9.
[0021] Furthermore, the fuselage detection mechanism also includes a battery 13. The fuselage 9 is provided with a battery slot 17, a motor mounting slot 18, an air pump mounting slot, and two arc-shaped slots. The battery 13 is installed in the battery slot 17.
[0022] Furthermore, the auxiliary wheel mechanism includes a foldable bracket 6, an auxiliary wheel 21, and a bracket control motor 15. The outer shell of the bracket control motor 15 is fixedly connected to the fuselage 9. The foldable bracket 6 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the bracket control motor 15. The auxiliary wheel 21 is rotatably connected to the outside of the foldable bracket 6; when completing the ground movement, the foldable bracket 6 is in a fully open state, and the auxiliary wheel 21 contacts the ground. When completing the flight movement, the foldable bracket 6 is in a closed state. The nozzle 12 is connected to the inside of the nozzle pipe 11 through a spring. When moving in the pipeline, the foldable bracket 6 is in a semi-closed state, the nozzle 12 extends out, the air pump 16 compresses the gas, and the nozzle 12 sprays out high-pressure gas to complete the pipeline cleaning.
[0023] Furthermore, the auxiliary wheel mechanism also includes a nozzle pipe 11, a nozzle 12, and an air pump 16. The nozzle pipe 11 is installed on the foldable bracket 6. The nozzle pipe 11 is connected to the nozzle 12 through a spring. When jetting, the nozzle 12 is in an extended state driven by the high-pressure gas. After the jetting ends, under the action of the spring, the nozzle 12 retracts into the nozzle pipe 11. The air intake end of the nozzle pipe 11 is connected to the air pump 16, and the air pump 16 is installed in the air pump mounting slot.
[0024] Furthermore, the Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanism includes Mecanum wheels 4, Mecanum wheel drive shafts 5, and wheel motors 14. The Mecanum wheels 4 are fixedly connected to the Mecanum wheel drive shafts 5, the Mecanum wheel drive shafts 5 are fixedly connected to the output shafts of the wheel motors 14, and the outer shells of the wheel motors 14 are fixedly connected to the motor mounting grooves 18. When the multi-modal aircraft is in the ground movement state, the Mecanum wheels 4 on both sides rotate in the same direction, the auxiliary wheel mechanism opens, and they jointly complete the ground movement. When in the pipeline survey state, the auxiliary wheel structure is semi-closed, and the Mecanum wheels 4 on both sides move in opposite directions to complete the movement inside the pipeline.
[0025] Furthermore, the foldable rotor mechanism includes foldable rotors 1, rotor arms 2, rotor arm control motors 3, and rotor motors 7. The foldable rotors 1 are fixedly connected to the output shafts of the rotor motors 7, the outer shells of the rotor motors 7 are fixedly connected to the rotor arms 2, the rotor arms 2 are rotatably connected to the output shafts of the rotor arm control motors 3, and the outer shells of the rotor arm control motors 3 are fixedly connected to the outside of the Mecanum wheel drive shafts 5. When the multi-modal aircraft is in the flight state, the rotor arm control motors 3 control the rotor arms 2 to open, and the rotor motors 7 drive the foldable rotors 1 to rotate to provide flight lift. When the multi-modal aircraft is in the pipeline survey and ground walking states, the foldable rotors 1 are in the folded state, and the rotor arm control motors 3 control the rotor arms 2 to retract.
[0026] Furthermore, when the foldable bracket 6 is in the fully open state, the auxiliary wheels 21 contact the ground. When the foldable bracket 6 is in the semi-closed state, the nozzle 12 extends, the air pump 16 compresses the gas, and the nozzle 12 ejects high-pressure gas to complete the cleaning of the pipeline.
[0027] Furthermore, the Mecanum wheels 4 on both sides rotate in the same direction, the auxiliary wheel mechanism opens, and they jointly complete the ground movement. When in the pipeline survey state, the auxiliary wheel structure is semi-closed, and the Mecanum wheels on both sides move in the opposite direction to complete the movement inside the pipeline.
[0028] Furthermore, the materials of the auxiliary wheel mechanism and the Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanism are photosensitive resin, and the material of the foldable rotor mechanism is carbon fiber.
[0029] Furthermore, the foldable rotor 1 includes two propeller blades 19 and blade clamps 20. The two propeller blades 19 are symmetrically rotatably connected to the blade clamps 20. A tight fit is adopted between the propeller blades 19 and the blade clamps 20. When in the pipeline or ground movement state, the propeller blades 19 are manually folded to the ideal state. When in the flight mode, the propeller blades 19 are driven by the rotor motor 7 and unfold under the action of inertia to reach the flight mode. When recovering, the propeller blades 19 need to be manually folded.
[0030] The working principle and usage process of the present invention: As Figure 1When the multimodal aircraft of the present invention is in the flight mode, the foldable bracket 6 is in the closed state, the nozzle 12 is retracted into the nozzle pipe 11, the rotor motor 7 controls the rotor arm 2 to open, the rotor motor 7 drives the foldable rotor 1 to rotate to provide flight lift, the wheel motor 14 controls the Mecanum wheel drive shaft 5 to drive the rotor arm 2 and the foldable rotor 1 to tilt to achieve the functions of forward flight and steering, and the high-definition micro camera 8 completes the monitoring task in the air.
[0031] As Figure 2 When the multimodal aircraft of the present invention is in the pipeline survey mode, the rotor motor 7 controls the rotor arm 2 to close, the auxiliary wheel structure is semi-closed, the two Mecanum wheels 4 move in opposite directions to complete the movement in the pipeline, the foldable bracket 6 is in the semi-closed state, the nozzle 12 extends out, the air pump 16 compresses the gas, and the nozzle 12 sprays high-pressure gas to achieve the function of cleaning the pipeline, and the high-definition micro camera 8 performs detection and photographing in the pipeline; when moving in the pipeline, the two Mecanum wheels 4 of the multimodal aircraft are placed along the extension direction of the pipeline.
[0032] As Figure 3 When the multimodal aircraft of the present invention is in the ground movement state, the rotor motor 7 controls the rotor arm 2 to close, the wheel motor 14 controls the Mecanum wheel drive shaft 5 to drive the Mecanum wheel 4 to rotate, the foldable bracket 6 is in the fully open state, the auxiliary wheel 21 contacts the ground, the two Mecanum wheels rotate in the same direction to form a stable ground four-wheel mechanism, and the two wheel motors 14 control the ground travel direction through differential control.
[0033] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and other terms shall be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two components or the interaction relationship between two components, unless otherwise clearly limited. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.
[0034] In the description of this specification, the descriptions referring to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples", etc., mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples.
[0035] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A multimodal aircraft that can be used for pipeline survey, characterized in that: It includes a foldable rotor mechanism, an auxiliary wheel mechanism, a Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanism, and a fuselage detection mechanism; The Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanisms are symmetrically installed at both ends of the fuselage detection mechanism. A foldable rotor mechanism is connected to the outside of each Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanism. Two auxiliary wheel mechanisms are symmetrically and rotatably connected to the fuselage detection mechanism; After the auxiliary wheel mechanism is unfolded, it rotates in the same direction as the two Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanisms to realize the ground walking of the multimodal aircraft; The two Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanisms rotate in opposite directions to realize the in-pipe walking of the multimodal aircraft; After the foldable rotor mechanism is unfolded, it realizes the aerial flight of the multimodal aircraft; The detection unit installed on the fuselage detection mechanism realizes the detection of the pipeline.
2. The multimodal aircraft applicable to pipeline survey according to claim 1, wherein: The detection unit is a high-definition micro camera (8).
3. The multimodal aircraft according to claim 2, which is applicable to pipeline survey, is characterized in that: The fuselage detection mechanism includes a fuselage (9) and a pan-tilt (10). The high-definition micro camera (8) is rotatably connected to the pan-tilt (10), and the pan-tilt (10) is rotatably connected to the fuselage (9).
4. A multimodal aircraft applicable to pipeline survey according to claim 3, characterized in that: The fuselage detection mechanism also includes a battery (13). The fuselage (9) is provided with a battery slot (17), a motor mounting slot (18), an air pump mounting slot, and two arc-shaped slots. The battery (13) is installed in the battery slot (17).
5. The multimodal aircraft applicable to pipeline survey according to claim 4, characterized in that: The auxiliary wheel mechanism includes a foldable bracket (6), an auxiliary wheel (21), and a bracket control motor (15). The outer shell of the bracket control motor (15) is fixedly connected to the fuselage (9). The foldable bracket (6) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the bracket control motor (15). The auxiliary wheel (21) is rotatably connected to the outside of the foldable bracket (6).
6. The multimodal aircraft applicable to pipeline survey according to claim 5, characterized in that: The auxiliary wheel mechanism also includes a nozzle pipe (11), a nozzle (12), and an air pump (16). The nozzle pipe (11) is installed on the foldable bracket (6). The outlet end of the nozzle pipe (11) is telescopically connected to the nozzle (12). The inlet end of the nozzle pipe (11) is connected to the air pump (16). The air pump (16) is installed in the air pump mounting slot.
7. The multimodal aircraft applicable to pipeline survey according to claim 6, wherein: The Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanism includes a Mecanum wheel (4), a Mecanum wheel drive shaft (5), and a wheel motor (14). The Mecanum wheel (4) is fixedly connected to the Mecanum wheel drive shaft (5). The Mecanum wheel drive shaft (5) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the wheel motor (14). The outer shell of the wheel motor (14) is fixedly connected to the motor mounting slot (18).
8. The multimodal aircraft applicable to pipeline survey according to claim 7, characterized in that: The foldable rotor mechanism includes a foldable rotor (1), a rotor arm (2), a rotor arm control motor (3), and a rotor motor (7). The foldable rotor (1) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the rotor motor (7). The outer shell of the rotor motor (7) is fixedly connected to the rotor arm (2). The rotor arm (2) is rotatably connected to the output shaft of the rotor arm control motor (3). The outer shell of the rotor arm control motor (3) is fixedly connected to the outside of the Mecanum wheel drive shaft (5).
9. A multimodal aircraft applicable to pipeline survey according to claim 8, characterized in that: The foldable rotor (1) includes two propeller blades (19) and a blade clamp (20). The two propeller blades (19) are symmetrically and rotatably connected to the blade clamp (20).
Citation Information
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