Battery electrolyte filling robot for narrow space

Abstract

In order to solve the problems of heavy workload and safety risk of manual electrolyte filling in a narrow space at present, the invention provides a battery electrolyte filling robot for a narrow space, which comprises a driving mechanism, a filling mechanism, an electrolyte supply mechanism, an autonomous navigation module, a distance measurement module, a communication module, a visual module and a control module. The driving mechanism provides power for movement of the robot; the filling mechanism is used for adjusting the filling device to a filling position; the electrolyte supply mechanism is used for conveying electrolyte into the filling device; the autonomous navigation module is used for planning a moving route for the robot to enable the robot to accurately arrive at a specified working area; the distance measuring module is used for providing obstacle avoidance information for the robot; the communication module enables the robot to interact with external equipment; the visual module helps the robot to collect visual information; the control module controls and coordinates operation of other modules. The electrolyte filling device can replace manual electrolyte filling in a narrow area, the filling efficiency and precision are improved, and the working pressure of manual maintenance is relieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automated maintenance in narrow areas, and in particular to a battery electrolyte filling robot for narrow spaces. Background Art

[0002] Lead-acid batteries are widely used in the marine, energy, and industrial sectors due to their cost-effectiveness, technological maturity, safety, reliability, and recycling systems. They play a particularly important role in the marine sector. Batteries within ships are not only a vital source of power but also crucial energy storage devices. However, due to the limited space within ships and the compact layout of batteries, maintenance personnel face difficulties, low efficiency, and poor precision when maintaining batteries in such a confined space. Furthermore, lead-acid batteries release a variety of toxic and hazardous gases during operation, and the high temperature and humidity conditions within the battery compartment further complicate battery maintenance and upkeep.

[0003] Electrolyte filling is an important part of lead-acid battery maintenance and support. Currently, it is mainly done manually, and the following operations are required: (1) opening the battery filling cap; (2) using a hydrometer to measure the specific gravity of the electrolyte; (3) checking the electrolyte level and manually adding distilled water or professional supplementary fluid. Due to the small space inside the ship and the corrosive nature of the electrolyte, hydrogen may be generated during battery operation, posing a safety risk. The electrolyte filling work has brought a huge workload and physical and mental pressure to the maintenance and support personnel. Therefore, the need to develop an intelligent and automated electrolyte filling robot is very urgent. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the current technical problems of heavy workload and safety risks in manually filling electrolyte in a narrow space, the present invention provides a battery electrolyte filling robot for narrow spaces.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in the present invention is:

[0006] The battery electrolyte filling robot for narrow spaces has the following special features:

[0007] The drive mechanism is used to enable the robot to reach the specified position quickly and accurately, including a frame, a DC reduction motor arranged at the bottom of the frame, a Mecanum wheel connected to the DC reduction motor, a Hall encoder for detecting the rotation angle and direction of the output shaft of the DC reduction motor, and a motor drive module for driving the DC reduction motor;

[0008] The filling mechanism is used to measure the electrolyte level in the battery and send it to the control module, and fill the electrolyte therein; the filling mechanism includes a six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm and an end effector installed at the end of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm; a first single-axis digital servo is provided at each joint of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm; the end effector includes a servo interface disk, an end effector fixing plate, a right-angle support plate and a second single-axis digital servo; one end of the servo interface disk is connected to the rotating shaft of the first single-axis digital servo at the end joint of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, and the other end is connected to the end effector fixing plate Then, the second single-axis digital servo and the right-angle support plate are located on both sides of the end effector fixed plate; the right-angle support plate includes a center plate and two support arms extending outward from the center plate at 90 degrees, and the two support arms are respectively mounted with a first ultrasonic ranging module for measuring the liquid level and a filler for filling the electrolyte. The rotating shaft of the second single-axis digital servo passes through the end effector fixed plate and is connected to the center plate to drive the right-angle support plate to rotate; the first single-axis digital servo, the second single-axis digital servo, and the first ultrasonic ranging module are all controlled by the control module;

[0009] The electrolyte supply mechanism is used to inject electrolyte into the filler of the filling mechanism under the control of the control module, and has a liquid filling amount sensing function;

[0010] Autonomous navigation module, used to collect environmental data around the robot and send it to the control module;

[0011] The ranging module is used to detect the distance between the robot and surrounding obstacles and send it to the control module;

[0012] A communication module, used to realize wireless communication between the control module and external devices;

[0013] A visual module is used to capture image data of a specified area;

[0014] The control module is used to cooperate with the drive mechanism, filling mechanism, electrolyte supply mechanism, autonomous navigation module, ranging module, communication module and vision module to achieve coordinated execution of environmental perception, path planning, six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm control and filling logic.

[0015] Furthermore, the control module includes a main control chip, ROS2 and a servo driver board; the servo driver board communicates with the main control chip and controls all single-axis digital servos in the robot according to the control instructions issued by the main control chip; ROS2 is an open source robot operation framework running on the main control chip, which is used to perform path planning, six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm control and electrolyte filling control based on the environmental data fed back by the autonomous navigation module, the distance information fed back by the ranging module, and the image data fed back by the data module.

[0016] Furthermore, the main control chip adopts a Raspberry Pi mainboard, and a function adapter board is installed at the interface slot of the Raspberry Pi mainboard.

[0017] Furthermore, the servo drive board adopts PCA9685PWM, and the first single-axis digital servo adopts TBS-K20 single-axis digital servo.

[0018] Furthermore, the electrolyte supply mechanism includes a shoulder-pole-shaped liquid storage component, a relay, a water pump and a flow sensor; the shoulder-pole-shaped liquid storage component includes a strip plate, each end of the strip plate is connected to a trough frame, and a liquid storage tank is provided in the trough frame; a plurality of buffer partitions are evenly spaced in the liquid storage tank, and each buffer partition is provided with a hole for reducing the adverse effect of the electrolyte vibration in the liquid storage tank on the stability of the vehicle body; the water pump is built into the liquid storage tank, and the relay is arranged outside the liquid storage tank, and the water pump is connected to the relay; the liquid outlet of the water pump is connected to the inlet end of the water flow sensor through a hose, and the outlet end of the water flow sensor is connected to the inlet of the filler of the end effector in the filling mechanism through a hose.

[0019] Furthermore, the water flow sensor adopts the Shitangyin YF water flow sensor.

[0020] Furthermore, the motor drive module uses two TB6612 dual-channel drive modules, and a single TB6612 dual-channel drive module can drive two DC reduction motors at the same time.

[0021] Furthermore, the vision module includes a two-degree-of-freedom gimbal and a high-definition, high-frame-rate camera; the high-definition, high-frame-rate camera is installed on the two-degree-of-freedom gimbal, and is driven by the two-degree-of-freedom gimbal to perform two-degree-of-freedom movement in the horizontal and vertical directions to capture image data of a specified area.

[0022] Furthermore, the ranging module includes the first ultrasonic ranging module and three second ultrasonic ranging modules; the three second ultrasonic ranging modules are respectively installed on the left side, right side and rear side of the vehicle frame.

[0023] The present invention also provides a method for filling electrolyte into a battery using the above-mentioned battery electrolyte filling robot facing a narrow space, which is special in that it includes the following steps:

[0024] Step 1: The control module receives a refueling task instruction from the outside;

[0025] Step 2: The control module relies on the autonomous navigation module to perceive its surrounding environment and cooperates with the vision module to determine whether the robot's current location is the designated working area. If so, it proceeds to step 3; if not, it proceeds to step 2;

[0026] Step 2: The control module plans the path and navigates the robot to the designated work area, proceeding to step 3;

[0027] Step 3: The control module uses the autonomous navigation module and the ranging module to assist in determining the relative position between the current robot position and the battery electrolyte filling port. Based on the relative position, the control module calculates the target working posture of the six-degree-of-freedom manipulator. The control module generates a control signal based on the calculated target working posture and sends it to the first single-axis digital servo to enable the six-degree-of-freedom manipulator to reach the target working posture, ensuring that the filler of the end effector on the six-degree-of-freedom manipulator accurately reaches the electrolyte filling port of the battery.

[0028] Step 4: Use the first ultrasonic ranging module on the end effector to measure the electrolyte level in the battery, calculate the amount of liquid added for this task, and send it to the control module;

[0029] Step 5: The control module turns on the electrolyte supply mechanism to add electrolyte. During this period, the control module receives real-time feedback from the electrolyte supply mechanism on the current amount of electrolyte added. When the amount of electrolyte added reaches the filling requirement, the control module turns off the electrolyte supply mechanism.

[0030] Step 6: The control module controls the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm to return to its original position.

[0031] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0032] 1. The robot of the present invention includes a driving mechanism, a filling mechanism, an electrolyte supply mechanism, an autonomous navigation module, a distance measurement module, a communication module, a vision module and a control module. The driving mechanism provides power for the robot's movement and can accurately control the robot's movement distance; the filling mechanism's main function is to adjust the filler in the filling mechanism to a reasonable filling position, and has an electrolyte level measurement function to ensure the accuracy and amount of the filling action; the electrolyte supply mechanism delivers electrolyte to the filler in the filling mechanism to complete the filling action; the autonomous navigation module is used to help the robot plan its movement route in a narrow area, thereby ensuring that the robot can quickly and accurately reach the designated work area; the distance measurement module is used to measure the distance between the robot and surrounding obstacles to avoid collisions during the robot's movement; the communication module enables the robot to maintain contact with the staff, and is used to help the staff understand the robot's status in real time; the vision module helps the robot collect visual information and assists the robot in completing the entire workflow; the control module, as the control core of the robot, is responsible for controlling and coordinating the operation of other modules to ensure the normal operation of the robot. The robot of the present invention can replace manual labor to perform the electrolyte filling task of lead-acid batteries in a narrow area, which not only improves the efficiency and accuracy of electrolyte filling, but also greatly reduces the workload of manual maintenance, which is beneficial to the physical and mental health of maintenance personnel.

[0033] 2. The robot's drive mechanism utilizes a Mecanum wheel combined with a Hall effect encoder. The Mecanum wheel enables omnidirectional movement, allowing the robot to nimbly navigate the narrow and irregularly shaped battery compartment of a ship, avoiding obstacles and quickly reaching the target battery location. The Hall effect encoder provides real-time feedback on wheel speed, enabling precise control of the robot's travel distance, ensuring accurate docking at the refueling location even when the ship is rocking.

[0034] 3. Reasons and advantages of using Mecanum wheels in the drive mechanism of the present invention:

[0035] Traditional wheels with independent steering mechanisms: Traditional wheels with independent steering mechanisms can theoretically achieve omnidirectional movement by adjusting the wheel angle, but there are many problems in operating in the narrow space of the ship. The internal battery compartment of the ship has a complex layout, many obstacles, and narrow and winding passages. The turning radius of traditional wheels with independent steering mechanisms is relatively large. When turning frequently in a small space, it is difficult to flexibly avoid surrounding obstacles, and collisions are prone to occur, affecting the operating efficiency and the safety of the robot and surrounding equipment. In addition, the response speed of this steering method is slow, and it takes a certain amount of time to adjust the wheel angle to change the direction of movement. The operating scenario of the present invention requires the robot to reach the designated position quickly and accurately, and traditional solutions are difficult to meet this requirement. The shaking generated during the operation of the ship will interfere with the precise control of the steering mechanism, further reducing its applicability in narrow spaces.

[0036] Other omnidirectional wheels: There are many types of omnidirectional wheels on the market, such as spherical omnidirectional wheels. Although they can also achieve omnidirectional movement, they are insufficient in the application scenarios of the present invention compared to Mecanum wheels. The spherical omnidirectional wheel has a complex structure and high cost, which increases the manufacturing cost and maintenance difficulty of the robot. Its motion control is relatively complex and requires more sophisticated algorithms and control systems to achieve stable movement. This places higher demands on the robot's control module and increases the difficulty of system development. In terms of carrying capacity, spherical omnidirectional wheels are generally not as good as Mecanum wheels. In the narrow space of a ship, the robot may need to move on complex terrain and a deck with a certain slope. Insufficient carrying capacity may cause the robot to move unstably or even fail to operate normally. Moreover, the friction force of the spherical omnidirectional wheel when it contacts the ground is unevenly distributed. In complex ship cabin environments such as humidity and oil pollution, its grip and stability are not as good as Mecanum wheels, affecting the robot's mobility and operational safety.

[0037] In summary, the Mecanum wheel used as the driving mechanism in the present invention can better adapt to the task of filling the electrolyte of lead-acid batteries in the narrow space of ships.

[0038] 4. The filling mechanism in the robot of the present invention achieves the filling function through the cooperation of a six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm and a specially designed end effector. Considering the limited space within a ship's battery compartment, it is difficult to simultaneously align the filler with the battery filling port and measure the liquid level using only the end effector of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm. Therefore, the present invention designs a right-angle support plate in the end effector, on which the first ultrasonic ranging module and the filler are integrated and mounted. The 90-degree vertical arrangement of the right-angle support plate optimizes the spatial layout, allowing the first ultrasonic ranging module to measure the electrolyte level in the battery vertically downward. After the measurement is completed, the second single-axis digital motor of the end effector drives the right-angle support plate to rotate, switching the position of the filler to align with the battery's electrolyte filling port, thereby completing the filling. This design of the present invention not only resolves the spatial conflict between the first ultrasonic ranging module and the filler, but also, through the multi-dimensional motion capabilities of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, enables flexible adjustment of the end effector within a confined space.

[0039] 5. The main control chip of the control module in the present invention adopts the Raspberry Pi motherboard, which has the comprehensive advantages of a mature ecosystem, high cost performance, hardware compatibility and industry reliability, and improves the core performance of the robot such as autonomous navigation, robotic arm control and electrolyte filling accuracy in the narrow space of the ship.

[0040] 6. The present invention provides a plurality of buffer partitions with holes in the liquid storage tank of the electrolyte supply mechanism. This design can effectively reduce the electrolyte vibration in the liquid storage tank when the ship is shaking during navigation, thereby avoiding the influence of liquid shaking on the robot's center of gravity, movement accuracy and filling accuracy, and ensuring the stable supply of electrolyte.

[0041] 7. The present invention can be expanded and applied to electrolyte filling of other types of batteries.

[0042] Taking lithium-ion batteries as an example, they are widely used in some high-precision electronic equipment on ships (such as navigation systems and precision monitoring instruments). Lithium-ion batteries have extremely high requirements for the accuracy of electrolyte filling. The deviation of the filling amount will seriously affect the performance and life of the battery. The first ranging module and the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm of the present invention can accurately locate the tiny filling port of the lithium-ion battery and control the filling amount to meet its high-precision filling requirements. In addition, the robot can move autonomously in the narrow space of the ship's electronic equipment compartment with the help of the autonomous navigation module, and quickly complete the task of filling the lithium-ion battery with electrolyte.

[0043] Another example is nickel-metal hydride batteries, commonly used in ships' emergency backup power systems. These batteries are typically installed in hidden locations within cramped spaces, making manual maintenance difficult. The vision module and autonomous navigation module of the present invention work together to quickly identify the location and refill port of the nickel-metal hydride batteries. The six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm flexibly adjusts its posture to complete the refilling operation, effectively improving the maintenance efficiency of the emergency backup power system and ensuring its proper operation during critical moments.

[0044] 8. The present invention can be expanded and applied to other confined space scenarios, not just inside ships.

[0045] 9. The present invention overcomes the following technical difficulties:

[0046] 9.1) Difficulties in coordinated control of Mecanum wheels and Hall effect encoders;

[0047] While existing Mecanum wheels enable omnidirectional movement, accurate positioning within a rocking ship or confined spaces remains challenging. This invention combines a Mecanum wheel with a Hall effect encoder, which provides real-time wheel speed feedback to compensate for the robot's travel distance, effectively alleviating positioning errors caused by ship motion. This improves the robot's stability and flexibility within confined spaces, enabling it to quickly avoid obstacles and accurately dock at refueling locations in complex environments.

[0048] 9.2) Difficulty in filling the end effector in a narrow space;

[0049] In the confined space of a ship's battery compartment, traditional designs face the technical difficulty of integrating multiple functions while conflicting spatial layout: The need to ensure the dispenser is precisely aligned with the battery's electrolyte filling port while also measuring the electrolyte level makes it difficult to rationally arrange the first ranging module and dispenser in the limited space. The present invention addresses this challenge by integrating the right-angle support plate within the end effector: the first ultrasonic ranging module and dispenser are orthogonally mounted on the right-angle support plate, perpendicular to each other. A 90° vertical arrangement optimizes space utilization, allowing the first ranging module to monitor the liquid level vertically downward. After monitoring, the single-axis digital motor within the end effector rotates the right-angle support plate, simultaneously driving the dispenser to align with the battery filling port and complete the filling task. This resolves the spatial conflict between the functional modules from a physical structural perspective.

[0050] 9.3) Difficulty in electrolyte supply stability under ship sway;

[0051] The liquid reservoir is susceptible to oscillations caused by the ship's rocking motion, affecting the robot's center of gravity and filling accuracy. This invention utilizes a shoulder-pole-shaped liquid reservoir assembly with a perforated buffer baffle. This physical design effectively suppresses liquid oscillations and reduces their impact on the robot's stability. Furthermore, the coordinated control of the water pump and water flow sensor enables precise regulation of the electrolyte flow rate during the filling process, ensuring stable and accurate filling despite the ship's rocking motion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] Figure 1 It is a first stereoscopic schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 2is a second perspective schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 3 is a third perspective schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the two-degree-of-freedom pan-tilt structure of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the two-degree-of-freedom platform of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of the robotic arm and end effector mechanism in the present invention;

[0058] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a right-angled support plate;

[0059] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the liquid storage tank;

[0060] Reference numerals in the figures:

[0061] 1. Chassis; 2. Motor bracket; 3. DC reduction motor; 4. Mecanum wheel; 5. Hall encoder; 6. Main control chip; 7. Bottom support frame; 8. Chassis upper plate; 9. Six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm; 10. End effector; 11. Servo interface plate; 12. End effector fixing plate; 13. First ultrasonic ranging module; 14. Filler; 15. Hose; 16. Strip plate; 17. Slot frame; 18. Autonomous navigation module; 19. Two-degree-of-freedom gimbal; 20. First rotating bracket; 21. Rotating paddle; 22 , support frame; 23. Second rotating bracket; 24. Camera; 25. First single-axis digital servo; 26. Motor drive module; 27. Communication module; 28. Function adapter board; 29. Second single-axis digital servo; 30. Third single-axis digital servo; 31. Fourth single-axis digital servo; 32. Pan / tilt bracket; 33. Second ultrasonic ranging module; 111. Right-angle support plate; 112. Liquid storage tank; 113. Buffer partition; 114. Center plate; 115. Support arm; 116. First mounting hole; 117. Second mounting hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0063] Reference Figure 1 The battery electrolyte filling robot for narrow spaces provided by the present invention includes a driving mechanism, a filling mechanism, an electrolyte supply mechanism, an autonomous navigation module, a ranging module, a communication module, a vision module and a control module.

[0064] 1. Driving mechanism;

[0065] The driving mechanism includes a vehicle frame, a motor bracket 2, a DC reduction motor 3, a Mecanum wheel 4, a Hall encoder 5 and a motor driving module.

[0066] The vehicle frame comprises a vehicle frame upper plate 8 and a vehicle frame chassis 1 which are arranged up and down.

[0067] There are two groups of DC reduction motors 3, two in each group, which are respectively installed on both sides of the bottom of the frame chassis 1 through motor brackets 2. A Mecanum wheel 4 is connected to the rotating shaft of each DC reduction motor 3 and can drive the Mecanum wheel 4 to operate.

[0068] There are two Hall effect encoders 5, one mounted on each of the two DC reduction motors 3. These encoders are used to convert the rotation angle and direction of the output shaft of the DC reduction motor 3 into digital signals in real time and transmit them to the control module. This provides the control module with the information necessary for closed-loop control of the speed of the DC reduction motor 3. This allows the DC reduction motor 3 to adjust according to the actual load and target speed under the control of the control module, improving motion accuracy and stability. Each Hall effect encoder 5 consists of a stator and a rotor. The stator is mounted on the motor housing of the DC reduction motor 3, and the rotor is mounted on the output shaft of the DC reduction motor 3.

[0069] The motor drive module 26 is mounted on the upper surface of the chassis 1, below the upper frame plate 8, and is used to drive the DC reduction motor 3. Specifically, the motor drive module 26 can use two TB6612 dual-channel drive modules; the TB6612 dual-channel drive module is a commonly used dual full-bridge motor drive module with a high-current MOSFET-H bridge structure and dual-channel circuit output. It can simultaneously drive a group (two) of DC reduction motors 3, with a maximum input voltage of 15V. It integrates motor forward, reverse, stop, and brake functions, and uses PWM (pulse width modulation) speed regulation technology to accurately control the robot's movement speed, providing strong support for the robot's motion control.

[0070] 2. Filling mechanism;

[0071] Reference Figure 1-3 , 6-7, the filling mechanism includes a bottom support frame 7, a six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 9 and an end effector 10.

[0072] The bottom support frame 7 is installed on the upper surface of the vehicle frame upper plate 8 , and the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 9 is installed on the bottom support frame 7 .

[0073] The six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 9 has six joints, each of which is provided with a 25. The first single-axis digital servo 25 is connected to and controlled by the servo drive board in the control module. By controlling the first single-axis digital servo 25 in each joint, the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 9 can reach the desired working posture.

[0074] The end effector 10 is mounted at the end of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 9 ; the end effector 10 includes a servo interface plate 11 , an end effector fixing plate 12 , a second single-axis digital servo 29 , a right-angle support plate 111 , a filler 14 and a first ultrasonic ranging module 13 .

[0075] One end of the servo interface plate 11 is splined to the shaft of the first single-axis digital servo 25 at the distal end joint of the six-degree-of-freedom manipulator 9. The other end of the servo interface plate 11 is bolted to the end effector mounting plate 12. A second single-axis digital servo 29 is bolted to one side of the end effector mounting plate 12, with a right-angle support plate 111 located on the other side. The shaft of the second single-axis digital servo 29 passes through the end effector mounting plate 12 and connects to the right-angle support plate 111, driving the right-angle support plate 111 to rotate.

[0076] The right-angle support plate 111 includes a center plate 114 and two support arms 115 extending outward from the center plate 114 and perpendicular to each other. The center plate 114 is provided with a plurality of first mounting holes 116 , and the two support arms 115 are each provided with a plurality of second mounting holes 117 .

[0077] The rotating shaft of the second single-axis digital servo 29 passes through the end effector fixing plate 12 and is connected with the first mounting hole 116 located in the middle of the center disk of the right-angle support plate 111 through interference fit, driving the right-angle support plate 111 to rotate.

[0078] The filler 14 and first ultrasonic ranging module 13 are mounted on the two support walls 115 through the second mounting holes 117 on the two support arms 115 of the right-angle support plate 111. The inlet of the filler 14 is connected to the electrolyte supply mechanism via a hose 15, which is used to inject electrolyte into the battery. The first ultrasonic ranging module 13 is used to measure the electrolyte level in the battery and also sense the distance between the robot and obstacles in front of it.

[0079] When the right-angle support plate 111 is rotated by the second single-axis digital servo 29 , the filler 14 and the first ultrasonic ranging module 13 also rotate accordingly, thereby switching the positions of the filler 14 and the first ultrasonic ranging module 13 so that they can work alternately.

[0080] 3. Electrolyte supply mechanism;

[0081] The electrolyte supply mechanism includes a shoulder pole-shaped liquid storage component, a relay, a water pump and a flow sensor.

[0082] The shoulder-pole-shaped liquid storage assembly includes a strip plate 16, each connected to a trough frame 17 at either end. A liquid storage tank 112 is housed within frame 17. Multiple buffer baffles 113 are evenly spaced within reservoir 112, each with a hole to mitigate the adverse effects of electrolyte oscillations within the reservoir on vehicle body stability. A water pump is built into the reservoir, while a relay is installed outside the reservoir, connecting the water pump and relay. The water pump's outlet is connected to the inlet of a water flow sensor via a flexible hose, and the water flow sensor's outlet is also connected to the inlet of the filler 14, the end effector in the filling mechanism, via a flexible hose. The relay controls the water pump's on and off based on the output signal from the control module. When the water pump is on, it pumps the electrolyte from the reservoir into the filler 14.

[0083] There are many water flow sensors on the market. Taking into account factors such as volume, starting flow, cost, interface compatibility, stability, and reliability, the water flow sensor of choice is the Shitangyin YF water flow sensor. The Shitangyin YF water flow sensor uses the Hall effect principle to output a pulse signal through the linear relationship between the magnetic rotor speed and flow rate. It has high measurement accuracy (error ≤ 3%) and a starting flow rate as low as 1.5L / min. It can accurately control the electrolyte filling volume to meet the needs of delicate operations in the narrow space of the ship. It is compact and obtains flow data in real time through pulse counting, without the need for additional signal conversion, simplifying the integration process with the control module. It provides open source resources to facilitate developers' rapid debugging and optimization, reducing the difficulty of system development. It uses a copper valve body design with a long life. Its structural design can still maintain stable pulse output in the ship's swaying environment, ensuring the reliability of the filling process.

[0084] 4. Autonomous navigation module;

[0085] The autonomous navigation module includes a laser radar 18, which is arranged on the upper plate 8 of the vehicle frame; the laser radar is connected to the main control chip in the control module, and the ROS2 loaded on the main control chip obtains the environmental scanning data collected by the laser radar.

[0086] 5. Ranging module;

[0087] The ranging module includes three second ultrasonic ranging modules 33, all of which are installed on the upper plate 8 of the frame, located on the left and right sides and the rear side of the entire frame respectively; the ranging module also includes a first ultrasonic ranging module 13 in the filling mechanism; the first ultrasonic ranging module 13 and the second ultrasonic ranging module 33 are both connected to the main control chip in the control module through signal lines, used to detect the distance information between the robot and its surrounding obstacles and output it to the main control chip; the distance information obtained by the ranging module is used to assist the autonomous navigation module in accurate obstacle avoidance.

[0088] 6. Communication module;

[0089] The communication module 27 is installed on the upper plate 8 of the frame. The communication module 27 is connected to the control module to realize wireless communication between the robot and external equipment (such as a remote control terminal), and supports data transmission, command reception and system status monitoring.

[0090] 7. Visual module;

[0091] Reference Figure 4-5 The visual module includes a two-degree-of-freedom pan-tilt platform and a high-definition, high-frame-rate camera 24. The high-definition, high-frame-rate camera 24 is mounted on the two-degree-of-freedom pan-tilt platform, which drives it to move in two degrees of freedom in the horizontal and vertical directions to capture image data of a specified area.

[0092] The two-degree-of-freedom platform includes a pan / tilt bracket 32 , a third single-axis digital servo 30 , a fourth single-axis digital servo 31 , a rotary paddle 21 , a first rotary bracket 20 , a support bracket 22 , and a second rotary bracket 23 .

[0093] The gimbal bracket 32 is installed on the frame chassis 1 and is located on the front side of the frame chassis 1; the third single-axis digital servo 30 is installed on the gimbal bracket 1, and the rotating paddle 21 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft of the third single-axis digital servo 30 by screws. At the same time, the rotating paddle 21 is also fixedly connected to the movable plate of the first rotating bracket 20 by bolts, and the fixed plate of the first rotating bracket 20 is connected to the gimbal bracket 32 by bolts; the body of the fourth single-axis digital servo 31 is fixed to the support frame 22 by screws, and the rotating shaft of the fourth single-axis digital servo 31 passes through the support frame 22 and is interference fit connected to the mounting hole on one side of the second rotating bracket 23; the other side of the second rotating bracket 23 is connected to the support frame 22 by a pin hinge.

[0094] The horizontal degree of freedom of the two-degree-of-freedom platform is achieved by the third single-axis digital servo 30: the third single-axis digital servo 30 drives the rotating paddle 21, the movable plate of the first rotating bracket 20, the second rotating bracket 23, and the support frame 22 to rotate as a whole parallel to the bottom surface.

[0095] The vertical degree of freedom of the two-degree-of-freedom platform is achieved by the fourth single-axis digital servo 31: when the rotating shaft of the fourth single-axis digital servo 31 rotates, the body of the fourth single-axis digital servo 31 drives the support frame 22 to rotate, thereby causing the high-definition and high-frame rate camera 24 installed on the support frame 22 to rotate in the vertical plane.

[0096] The high-definition and high-frame-rate camera 24 is fixed to the support frame 22 by screws, and is connected to the main control chip in the control module to transmit image data to it; the high-definition and high-frame-rate camera has a built-in searchlight.

[0097] 8. Control module;

[0098] The control module is mounted on the upper frame plate 8 and is used to cooperate with the communication module, autonomous navigation module, ranging module, vision module, and electrolyte supply mechanism to achieve coordinated execution of environmental perception, path planning, robotic arm control, and filling logic.

[0099] The control module includes the main control chip, ROS2 (Robot Operating System 2) and the servo driver board.

[0100] The main control chip can be NVIDIA Jetson Nano, Intel NUC mini computer, Rockchip RK3568 or Raspberry Pi motherboard. The servo driver board communicates with the main control board and controls all single-axis digital servos in the robot of the present invention according to the control instructions issued by the main control chip.

[0101] ROS2 is an open source robot operating framework that runs on a main control chip (the main control chip serves as the hardware operating carrier of ROS2). As the "software hub" of the entire robot control system, it is responsible for integrating hardware resources such as lidar 18, six-degree-of-freedom robotic arms 9, and sensors, and realizes the coordinated execution of environmental perception, path planning, six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm control, and injection logic through modular design (such as nodes, topics, services, and other mechanisms).

[0102] ROS2 includes the cartographer package, the Nav2 navigation framework, and a robotic arm motion control module. The cartographer package is used to build maps in conjunction with the LiDAR 18 in the autonomous navigation module, which provides precise environmental distance information. The Nav2 navigation framework is crucial for autonomous robot navigation and provides comprehensive navigation capabilities, including global and local path planning, obstacle avoidance, and cost map management. The robotic arm motion control module is used to control the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 9. ROS2 is compatible with both 2D and 3D environments and supports a variety of sensor inputs, including LiDAR, cameras, and IMUs. Its modular design allows for easy expansion and customization, adapting to diverse application scenarios and requirements.

[0103] Considering the ecosystem, cost-effectiveness, hardware compatibility, and reliability, the Raspberry Pi motherboard is the preferred main control chip, and ROS2 is built into the Raspberry Pi motherboard.

[0104] Furthermore, a function adapter board 28 can be installed in the interface slot of the Raspberry Pi mainboard to achieve functional expansion. The ROS2 built into the Raspberry Pi mainboard communicates with and controls the communication module, autonomous navigation module, ranging module, vision module, and electrolyte supply mechanism through the function adapter board 28. The function adapter board 28 integrates multiple functional modules to increase the communication and control capabilities between the Raspberry Pi riser and other modules. For example, through the dedicated interface on the function adapter board 28, it can be conveniently connected to the motor drive module 26 in the drive mechanism, thereby enhancing the driving control signal strength of the Raspberry Pi mainboard to the DC reduction motor 3 in the drive mechanism, and realizing precise control of the robot's movement speed and direction; at the same time, the I2C expansion interface on the function adapter board 28 can effectively improve the communication stability between the Raspberry Pi mainboard and the servo driver board, ensuring precise control of the first single-axis digital servo 25 in each joint of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 9, the second single-axis digital motor 29 of the end actuator, and the third single-axis digital servo 30 and the fourth single-axis digital servo 31 of the two-degree-of-freedom cloud platform, so that the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 9 and the filler 14 on the end actuator can be accurately positioned to the electrolyte filling port on the battery, so that the high-definition high-frame rate camera 24 installed on the two-degree-of-freedom cloud platform can be accurately positioned to the required position. In addition, the power management module on the function adapter board 28 can uniformly distribute and manage power to the Raspberry Pi mainboard and the connected sensors (ultrasonic ranging module, flow sensor, lidar) and actuators (DC reduction motor, single-axis digital servo, water pump, high-frequency and high-frame-rate camera), ensuring the stable operation of various components when operating in the complex electromagnetic environment and confined space of the ship, and reducing the risk of equipment failure due to power fluctuations.

[0105] The servo drive board communicates with the main control chip and receives the control instructions of the main control chip to drive the rotation and start and stop of each single-axis digital servo. Preferably, the servo drive board can use PCA9685PWM, which is a chip based on I 2 The chip with 12-bit precision and 16-channel PWM wave output based on I2C bus communication can be used to control any electrical equipment that can be controlled by PWM, such as servos and motors, and can control up to 16 objects at the same time. 2 The functional characteristics of C-bus communication expand the control capabilities of the main control chip and save the main control chip resources, especially when the number of controlled devices exceeds the number of available GPIO pins of the main control chip.

[0106] Preferably, each single-axis digital servo in the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 9 can adopt a TBS-K20 single-axis digital servo with a torque of 20 kg.cm. The large torque can improve the motion stability of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 9.

[0107] Working principle of the present invention:

[0108] When the battery electrolyte filling robot of the present invention moves, it uses the ranging module installed on the upper plate 8 of the frame to perceive the surrounding environment and determine the distance between the current robot position and surrounding obstacles to prevent the robot from colliding with obstacles. At the same time, it relies on the autonomous navigation module to perceive the complex environment around it in real time and cooperates with the vision module to determine whether the robot's current position is within the designated working area:

[0109] If the current position is within the designated working area, the refueling task will be started immediately;

[0110] If the current position is not in the designated working area, ROS2 in the control module will autonomously plan the path and navigate the robot to the designated working area to prepare for the next refueling task.

[0111] The process of carrying out refueling tasks:

[0112] The robot first uses its autonomous navigation module (lidar 18) and ranging module (three second ultrasonic ranging modules) to assist in determining the relative position between its current position and the battery's electrolyte filling port. Based on this relative position data, the robot calculates the target working position of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 9 using conventional algorithms. Based on this calculated target working position, control signals are derived for the first single-axis digital servos 25 at each joint of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 9. These signals are then sent to the servo driver board to control the rotation angle and speed of each first single-axis digital servo 25, ensuring that each joint of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 9 moves as required, thereby enabling the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 9 to reach the target working position and ensuring that the filler 14 of the end effector 10 on the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 9 accurately reaches the top of the battery's electrolyte filling port.

[0113] When the end effector 10 reaches above the battery electrolyte filling port (the electrolyte filling port needs to be opened and closed manually), the first ultrasonic ranging module 13 on the end effector 10 is first used to measure the electrolyte level in the battery to determine the current battery electrolyte storage status and calculate the amount of liquid added for this task; the amount of liquid added data is then returned to the main control chip of the control module, and the main control chip controls the relay to turn on the water pump to add electrolyte; during the electrolyte filling period, the main control chip receives real-time feedback from the water flow sensor on the current amount of liquid added until the water flow sensor detects that the liquid filling amount reaches the filling requirement. After receiving this information, the main control chip controls the relay to turn off the water pump, and this electrolyte filling task is completed.

[0114] After the current filling task is completed, the main control chip returns the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 9 to its original position through the servo drive board, and the robot continues to move to the next designated working area.

[0115] During the operation of the robot, if encountering special circumstances, the robot can get in touch with external equipment through the communication module and provide timely feedback to avoid accidents.

Claims

1. A battery electrolyte filling robot for narrow spaces, characterized by: include: The drive mechanism is used to enable the robot to reach the specified position quickly and accurately, including a frame, a DC reduction motor arranged at the bottom of the frame, a Mecanum wheel connected to the DC reduction motor, a Hall encoder for detecting the rotation angle and direction of the output shaft of the DC reduction motor, and a motor drive module for driving the DC reduction motor; The filling mechanism is used to measure the electrolyte level in the battery and send it to the control module, and fill the electrolyte therein; the filling mechanism includes a six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm and an end effector installed at the end of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm; a first single-axis digital servo is provided at each joint of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm; the end effector includes a servo interface disk, an end effector fixing plate, a right-angle support plate and a second single-axis digital servo; one end of the servo interface disk is connected to the rotating shaft of the first single-axis digital servo at the end joint of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, and the other end is connected to the end effector fixing plate Then, the second single-axis digital servo and the right-angle support plate are located on both sides of the end effector fixed plate; the right-angle support plate includes a center plate and two support arms extending outward from the center plate at 90 degrees, and the two support arms are respectively mounted with a first ultrasonic ranging module for measuring the liquid level and a filler for filling the electrolyte. The rotating shaft of the second single-axis digital servo passes through the end effector fixed plate and is connected to the center plate to drive the right-angle support plate to rotate; the first single-axis digital servo, the second single-axis digital servo, and the first ultrasonic ranging module are all controlled by the control module; The electrolyte supply mechanism is used to inject electrolyte into the filler of the filling mechanism under the control of the control module, and has a liquid filling amount sensing function; Autonomous navigation module, used to collect environmental data around the robot and send it to the control module; The ranging module is used to detect the distance between the robot and surrounding obstacles and send it to the control module; A communication module, used to realize wireless communication between the control module and external devices; A visual module is used to capture image data of a specified area; The control module is used to cooperate with the drive mechanism, filling mechanism, electrolyte supply mechanism, autonomous navigation module, ranging module, communication module and vision module to achieve coordinated execution of environmental perception, path planning, six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm control and filling logic.

2. The battery electrolyte filling robot for narrow spaces according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control module includes a main control chip, ROS2, and a servo driver board. The servo driver board communicates with the main control chip and controls all single-axis digital servos in the robot according to control instructions issued by the main control chip. ROS2 is an open source robot operation framework running on the main control chip. It is used to perform path planning, six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm control, and electrolyte filling control based on environmental data fed back by the autonomous navigation module, distance information fed back by the ranging module, and image data fed back by the data module.

3. The battery electrolyte filling robot for narrow spaces according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main control chip uses the Raspberry Pi mainboard, and a function adapter board is installed at the interface slot of the Raspberry Pi mainboard.

4. The battery electrolyte filling robot for narrow spaces according to claim 3, characterized in that: The servo driver board uses PCA9685PWM, and the first single-axis digital servo uses TBS-K20 single-axis digital servo.

5. The battery electrolyte filling robot for narrow spaces according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The electrolyte supply mechanism includes a shoulder-pole-shaped liquid storage component, a relay, a water pump and a flow sensor; the shoulder-pole-shaped liquid storage component includes a strip plate, each end of the strip plate is connected to a trough frame, and a liquid storage tank is provided in the trough frame; a plurality of buffer partitions are evenly spaced in the liquid storage tank, and each buffer partition is provided with a hole to reduce the adverse effect of the electrolyte vibration in the liquid storage tank on the stability of the vehicle body; the water pump is built into the liquid storage tank, and the relay is arranged outside the liquid storage tank, and the water pump is connected to the relay; the liquid outlet of the water pump is connected to the inlet end of the water flow sensor through a hose, and the outlet end of the water flow sensor is connected to the inlet of the filler of the end effector in the filling mechanism through a hose.

6. The battery electrolyte filling robot for narrow spaces according to claim 5, characterized in that: The water flow sensor uses the Shitangyin YF water flow sensor.

7. The battery electrolyte filling robot for narrow spaces according to claim 5, characterized in that: The motor drive module uses two TB6612 dual-channel drive modules. A single TB6612 dual-channel drive module can drive two DC reduction motors at the same time.

8. The battery electrolyte filling robot for narrow spaces according to claim 5, characterized in that: The vision module includes a two-degree-of-freedom gimbal and a high-definition, high-frame-rate camera; the high-definition, high-frame-rate camera is installed on the two-degree-of-freedom gimbal, which drives it to move in two degrees of freedom in the horizontal and vertical directions to capture image data of the specified area.

9. The battery electrolyte filling robot for narrow spaces according to claim 5, characterized in that: The ranging module includes the first ultrasonic ranging module and three second ultrasonic ranging modules; the three second ultrasonic ranging modules are respectively installed on the left side, right side and rear side of the vehicle frame.

10. A method for filling electrolyte into a battery using the battery electrolyte filling robot for narrow spaces according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 1: The control module receives a refueling task instruction from the outside; Step 2: The control module relies on the autonomous navigation module to perceive its surrounding environment and cooperates with the vision module to determine whether the robot's current location is the designated working area. If so, it proceeds to step 3; if not, it proceeds to step 2; Step 2: The control module plans the path and navigates the robot to the designated work area, proceeding to step 3; Step 3: The control module uses the autonomous navigation module and the ranging module to assist in determining the relative position between the current robot position and the battery electrolyte filling port. Based on the relative position, the control module calculates the target working posture of the six-degree-of-freedom manipulator. The control module generates a control signal based on the calculated target working posture and sends it to the first single-axis digital servo to enable the six-degree-of-freedom manipulator to reach the target working posture, ensuring that the filler of the end effector on the six-degree-of-freedom manipulator accurately reaches the electrolyte filling port of the battery. Step 4: Use the first ultrasonic ranging module on the end effector to measure the electrolyte level in the battery, calculate the amount of liquid added for this task, and send it to the control module; Step 5: The control module turns on the electrolyte supply mechanism to add electrolyte. During this period, the control module receives real-time feedback from the electrolyte supply mechanism on the current amount of electrolyte added. When the amount of electrolyte added reaches the filling requirement, the control module turns off the electrolyte supply mechanism. Step 6: The control module controls the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm to return to its original position.

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