A multi-mode aircraft for pipeline survey

Abstract

The present invention provides a multimodal aircraft that can be used for pipeline surveying, belonging to the field of multimodal unmanned aerial vehicles. The multimodal aircraft comprises a foldable rotor mechanism, an auxiliary wheel mechanism, a Mecanum wheel ground running mechanism, and a fuselage detection mechanism. The Mecanum wheel ground running mechanisms are symmetrically mounted at both ends of the fuselage detection mechanism, each Mecanum wheel ground running mechanism is connected to a foldable rotor mechanism on the outside, and the two auxiliary wheel mechanisms are symmetrically rotatably connected to the fuselage detection mechanism. After the auxiliary wheel mechanism is deployed, the two Mecanum wheel ground running mechanisms rotate in the same direction to enable the multimodal aircraft to run on the ground. The two Mecanum wheel ground running mechanisms rotate in opposite directions to enable the multimodal aircraft to run in a pipeline. After the foldable rotor mechanism is deployed, the multimodal aircraft can fly in the air. A detection unit mounted on the fuselage detection mechanism can detect the pipeline. The present invention can realize flight inspection, ground inspection, and pipeline inspection, and is easy to use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of multi-modal unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular relates to a multi-modal aerial vehicle that can be used for pipeline surveying. Background Art

[0002] The safe and efficient operation of pipeline systems is crucial in modern industrial and infrastructure management. Traditional pipeline survey methods, such as manual inspections and ground vehicle inspections, are limited by terrain, environmental factors, and human resources, making it difficult to quickly and comprehensively acquire high-precision data from both inside and outside the pipeline. With the rapid development of drone technology, multimodal drones have demonstrated tremendous potential in pipeline surveys, providing innovative solutions for pipeline safety management. Drones, as unmanned aerial vehicles, have gained widespread application in various fields due to their flexibility, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.

[0003] During the pipeline survey process, dedicated pipeline robots can be equipped with multiple sensors such as high-definition cameras, lidar sensors, infrared sensors, multispectral cameras, etc. to realize all-round information collection inside the pipeline, and drones can scan and survey the periphery of the pipeline.

[0004] Therefore, designing a multi-mode aircraft that can be used for pipeline survey is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently in this technical field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-modal aircraft that can be used for pipeline surveying. The multi-modal aircraft can complete three modes of movement: flying, walking on the ground, and traveling in pipelines. The rotors used for flying can be folded for easy carrying and recovery.

[0006] A multi-mode aircraft that can be used for pipeline surveying, comprising a foldable rotor mechanism, an auxiliary wheel mechanism, a Mecanum wheel ground running mechanism, and a fuselage detection mechanism;

[0007] Mecanum wheel ground running mechanisms are symmetrically installed at both ends of the fuselage inspection mechanism. The outer side of each Mecanum wheel ground running mechanism is connected to a foldable rotor mechanism, and two auxiliary wheel mechanisms are symmetrically connected to the fuselage inspection mechanism.

[0008] After the auxiliary wheel mechanism is deployed, it cooperates with the two Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanisms to rotate in the same direction to realize the ground walking of the multi-mode aircraft;

[0009] The two Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanisms rotate in opposite directions to enable the multi-mode aircraft to move in the pipe;

[0010] The foldable rotor mechanism can be unfolded to enable the multi-mode aircraft to fly in the air;

[0011] The detection unit installed on the fuselage detection mechanism realizes the detection of the pipeline.

[0012] Preferably, the detection unit is a high-definition miniature camera.

[0013] Preferably, the fuselage detection mechanism includes a fuselage and a pan-tilt platform, the high-definition micro camera is rotatably connected to the pan-tilt platform, and the pan-tilt platform is rotatably connected to the fuselage.

[0014] Preferably, the fuselage detection mechanism also includes a battery, and the fuselage is provided with a battery slot, a motor mounting slot, an air pump mounting slot and two arc-shaped slots, and the battery is installed in the battery slot.

[0015] Preferably, the auxiliary wheel mechanism includes a foldable bracket, auxiliary wheels and a bracket control motor, the bracket control motor housing is fixedly connected to the fuselage, the foldable bracket is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the bracket control motor, and the auxiliary wheels are rotatably connected to the outside of the foldable bracket.

[0016] Preferably, the auxiliary wheel mechanism also includes a nozzle, a nozzle and an air pump. The nozzle is installed on a foldable bracket. The air outlet end of the nozzle is telescopically connected to the nozzle. The air inlet end of the nozzle is connected to the air pump, and the air pump is installed in the air pump installation slot.

[0017] Preferably, the Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanism includes a Mecanum wheel, a Mecanum wheel drive shaft and a wheel motor, the Mecanum wheel is fixedly connected to the Mecanum wheel drive shaft, the Mecanum wheel drive shaft is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the wheel motor, and the wheel motor housing is fixedly connected to the motor mounting slot.

[0018] Preferably, the foldable rotor mechanism includes a foldable rotor, a rotor arm, a rotor arm control motor and a rotor motor, the foldable rotor is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the rotor motor, the rotor motor housing is fixedly connected to the rotor arm, the rotor arm is rotatably connected to the output shaft of the rotor arm control motor, and the housing of the rotor arm control motor is fixedly connected to the outside of the Mecanum wheel drive shaft.

[0019] Preferably, the foldable rotor includes two propeller blades and a blade clamp, and the two propeller blades are symmetrically rotatably connected to the blade clamp.

[0020] The beneficial effects are as follows:

[0021] The present invention can realize flight inspection, ground inspection and pipeline inspection. In the flight inspection state, the rotor arm control motor controls the rotor arm to open, the rotor motor drives the foldable rotor to rotate to provide flight lift, the wheel motor controls the Mecanum wheel drive shaft to drive the rotor arm and the foldable rotor to tilt to achieve forward flight and steering functions, and the high-definition miniature camera completes the monitoring task in the air; in the ground inspection state, the rotor arm control motor controls the rotor arm to close, the wheel motor controls the Mecanum wheel drive shaft to drive the Mecanum wheel to rotate, the foldable bracket is in a fully open state, the auxiliary wheel contacts the ground, and the Mecanum wheels on both sides rotate in the same direction to form a stable ground four-wheel mechanism, and the wheel motors on both sides control the ground travel direction through differential speed; in the pipeline inspection state, the rotor motor controls the rotor arm to close, the auxiliary wheel structure is semi-closed, the Mecanum wheels on both sides move in opposite directions to complete the movement in the pipeline, the foldable bracket is in a semi-closed state, the nozzle extends, the air pump compresses gas, and the nozzle sprays high-pressure gas to complete the pollution cleaning in the pipeline, and the high-definition miniature camera performs detection and photography in the pipeline. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multi-mode aircraft when it is in flight mode;

[0023] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multi-modal aircraft in the pipeline survey mode;

[0024] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of the multi-modal aircraft in the ground motion mode;

[0025] Figure 4 It is a structural diagram of the fuselage;

[0026] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the foldable rotor;

[0027] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the connection between the nozzle, the nozzle and the auxiliary wheel and the foldable bracket;

[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the nozzle not extending;

[0029] Figure 8 1. Schematic diagram of the nozzle extended state;

[0030] In the figure: 1: foldable rotor; 2: rotor arm; 3: rotor arm control motor; 4: Mecanum wheel; 5: Mecanum wheel drive shaft; 6: foldable bracket; 7: rotor motor; 8: high-definition micro camera; 9: fuselage; 10: gimbal; 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: training wheel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 8 As shown, a multi-mode aircraft 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;

[0033] Mecanum wheel ground running mechanisms are symmetrically installed at both ends of the fuselage inspection mechanism. The outer side of each Mecanum wheel ground running mechanism is connected to a foldable rotor mechanism, and two auxiliary wheel mechanisms are symmetrically connected to the fuselage inspection mechanism.

[0034] After the auxiliary wheel mechanism is deployed, it cooperates with the two Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanisms to rotate in the same direction to realize the ground walking of the multi-mode aircraft;

[0035] The two Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanisms rotate in opposite directions to enable the multi-mode aircraft to move in the pipe;

[0036] The foldable rotor mechanism can be unfolded to enable the multi-mode aircraft to fly in the air;

[0037] The detection unit installed on the fuselage detection mechanism realizes the detection of the pipeline.

[0038] Furthermore, the detection unit is a high-definition micro camera 8.

[0039] Furthermore, the body detection mechanism includes a body 9 and a pan-tilt platform 10 , the high-definition micro camera 8 is rotatably connected to the pan-tilt platform 10 , and the pan-tilt platform 10 is rotatably connected to the body 9 .

[0040] 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, and the battery 13 is installed in the battery slot 17 .

[0041] 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, and the auxiliary wheel 21 is rotatably connected to the outside of the foldable bracket 6; when completing the ground moving 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, and the nozzle 12 is connected to the nozzle 11 through a spring. When moving in the pipeline, the foldable bracket 6 is in a semi-closed state, the nozzle 12 is extended, the air pump 16 compresses the gas, and the nozzle 12 sprays high-pressure gas to complete the cleaning of the pipeline.

[0042] Furthermore, the auxiliary wheel mechanism also includes a nozzle 11, a nozzle 12 and an air pump 16. The nozzle 11 is installed on the foldable bracket 6. The nozzle 11 is connected to the nozzle 12 through a spring. When spraying, the nozzle 12 is in an extended state driven by the high-pressure gas. After the spraying is completed, the nozzle 12 is retracted into the nozzle 11 under the action of the spring. The air inlet end of the nozzle 11 is connected to the air pump 16, and the air pump 16 is installed in the air pump mounting groove.

[0043] Furthermore, 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, which is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the wheel motor 14. The housing of the wheel motor 14 is fixedly connected to the motor mounting slot 18. When the multimodal aircraft is in a ground motion state, the Mecanum wheels 4 on both sides rotate in the same direction, and the auxiliary wheel mechanism is opened to jointly complete the ground motion. When the multimodal aircraft is in a 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 pipeline motion.

[0044] Furthermore, 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 housing 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, and the housing of the rotor arm control motor 3 is fixedly connected to the outside of the Mecanum wheel drive shaft 5; when the multimodal aircraft is in flight, the rotor arm control motor 3 controls the rotor arm 2 to open, and the rotor motor 7 drives the foldable rotor 1 to rotate to provide flight lift. When the multimodal aircraft is in pipeline survey and ground walking state, the foldable rotor 1 is in a folded state, and the rotor arm control motor 3 controls the rotor arm 2 to be folded.

[0045] Furthermore, the foldable bracket 6 is in a fully open state, the auxiliary wheel 21 contacts the ground, the foldable bracket 6 is in a semi-closed state, the nozzle 12 extends, the air pump 16 compresses the gas, and the nozzle 12 sprays high-pressure gas to complete the cleaning of the pipeline.

[0046] Furthermore, the Mecanum wheels 4 on both sides rotate in the same direction, and the auxiliary wheel mechanism is opened to 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 opposite directions to complete the movement in the pipeline.

[0047] Furthermore, the auxiliary wheel mechanism and the Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanism are made of photosensitive resin, and the foldable rotor mechanism is made of carbon fiber.

[0048] Furthermore, the foldable rotor 1 includes two propeller blades 19 and a blade clamp 20, and the two propeller blades 19 are symmetrically connected to the blade clamp 20; the propeller blades 19 and the blade clamp 20 are tightly fitted, and when in motion in a pipe or on the ground, the propeller blades 19 are manually folded to an ideal state. In flight mode, the propeller blades 19 are driven by the rotor motor 7 and unfolded under the action of inertia to reach the flight mode. When recovered, the propeller blades 19 need to be manually folded.

[0049] The working principle and use process of the present invention:

[0050] like Figure 1 The figure shows the multimodal aircraft of the present invention in flight mode, with the foldable support 6 in a closed state, the nozzle 12 retracted into the nozzle 11, the rotor motor 7 controlling the rotor arm 2 to open, and the rotor motor 7 driving the foldable rotor 1 to rotate to provide lift for flight. 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 forward flight and steering functions, and the high-definition miniature camera 8 completes the monitoring task in the air.

[0051] like Figure 2 The figure shows the multimodal aircraft of the present invention in a pipeline survey mode. The rotor motor 7 controls the rotor arm 2 to close, the auxiliary wheel structure is semi-closed, and the Mecanum wheels 4 on both sides move in opposite directions to complete the movement in the pipeline. The foldable bracket 6 is in a semi-closed state, the nozzle 12 is extended, the air pump 16 compresses the gas, and the nozzle 12 sprays high-pressure gas to achieve the pipeline cleaning function. The high-definition miniature camera 8 performs inspection and photography 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.

[0052] like Figure 3 The figure shows the multimodal aircraft of the present invention in a ground motion state. The rotor motor 7 controls the rotor arm 2 to close, the wheel motor 14 controls the Mecanum wheel drive shaft 5 to rotate the Mecanum wheel 4, the foldable bracket 6 is in the fully open state, the auxiliary wheel 21 contacts the ground, and the Mecanum wheels on both sides rotate in the same direction, forming a stable ground four-wheel mechanism. The wheel motors 14 on both sides control the ground travel direction through differential speed.

[0053] In the present invention, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection, electrical connection; direct connection, or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two components, or interaction between two components, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0054] In the description of this specification, the reference terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example" or "some examples" mean that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and features of different embodiments or examples without contradiction.

[0055] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it will be understood that the above embodiments are illustrative and are not to be construed as limitations on the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-modal aircraft that can be used for pipeline surveying, characterized by: It includes a foldable rotor mechanism, auxiliary wheel mechanism, Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanism and fuselage detection mechanism; Mecanum wheel ground running mechanisms are symmetrically installed at both ends of the fuselage inspection mechanism. The outer side of each Mecanum wheel ground running mechanism is connected to a foldable rotor mechanism, and two auxiliary wheel mechanisms are symmetrically connected to the fuselage inspection mechanism. After the auxiliary wheel mechanism is deployed, it cooperates with the two Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanisms to rotate in the same direction to realize the ground walking of the multi-mode aircraft; The two Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanisms rotate in opposite directions to enable the multi-mode aircraft to move in the pipe; The foldable rotor mechanism can be unfolded to enable the multi-mode aircraft to fly in the air; The detection unit installed on the fuselage detection mechanism realizes the detection of the pipeline; The fuselage detection mechanism also includes a battery (13), and 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, and the battery (13) is installed in the battery slot (17); The auxiliary wheel mechanism comprises a foldable bracket (6), an auxiliary wheel (21) and a bracket control motor (15), wherein the housing 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), and the auxiliary wheel (21) is rotatably connected to the outside of the foldable bracket (6); The auxiliary wheel mechanism further comprises a nozzle (11), a nozzle (12) and an air pump (16), wherein the nozzle (11) is mounted on the foldable bracket (6), the air outlet end of the nozzle (11) is retractably connected to the nozzle (12), the air inlet end of the nozzle (11) is connected to the air pump (16), and the air pump (16) is mounted in the air pump mounting groove; When in the pipeline survey mode, the rotor motor (7) controls the rotor arm (2) to close, the auxiliary wheel structure is semi-closed, and the Mecanum wheels (4) on both sides move in opposite directions to complete the movement in the pipeline. The foldable bracket (6) is in a semi-closed state, the nozzle (12) extends, the air pump (16) compresses the gas, and the nozzle (12) sprays high-pressure gas to achieve the pipeline cleaning function. The high-definition micro camera (8) performs detection and photography in the pipeline; when moving in the pipeline, the two Mecanum wheels (4) of the multi-mode aircraft are placed along the extension direction of the pipeline.

2. The multi-mode aircraft for pipeline survey according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection unit is a high-definition micro camera (8).

3. The multi-mode aircraft for pipeline survey according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fuselage detection mechanism comprises a fuselage (9) and a pan-tilt platform (10), the high-definition micro camera (8) is rotatably connected to the pan-tilt platform (10), and the pan-tilt platform (10) is rotatably connected to the fuselage (9).

4. The multi-mode aircraft for pipeline survey according to claim 3, characterized in that: The Mecanum wheel ground walking mechanism comprises a Mecanum wheel (4), a Mecanum wheel drive shaft (5) and a wheel motor (14), wherein 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), and the housing of the wheel motor (14) is fixedly connected to the motor mounting groove (18).

5. The multi-mode aircraft for pipeline survey according to claim 4, characterized in that: The foldable rotor mechanism comprises a foldable rotor (1), a rotor arm (2), a rotor arm control motor (3) and a rotor motor (7), wherein the foldable rotor (1) is fixedly connected to an output shaft of the rotor motor (7), a housing 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), and the housing of the rotor arm control motor (3) is fixedly connected to the outside of a Mecanum wheel drive shaft (5).

6. The multi-mode aircraft for pipeline survey according to claim 5, characterized in that: The foldable rotor (1) comprises two propeller blades (19) and a blade clamp (20), wherein the two propeller blades (19) are symmetrically rotatably connected to the blade clamp (20).

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