Self-growing robot for connection detection of lightning arrester on surface of fan blade and use method of self-growing robot

Abstract

The self-growing robot for connection detection of the lightning arrester on the surface of the fan blade comprises a control platform, the lower portion of the control platform is connected with the rear end of a main body, the main body is a cylindrical film cavity, and the rear end of the main body is fixed to the control platform in a sealed mode; the main body front end is connected with the execution assembly; the control platform comprises a vacuum pump, an air compressor and multiple sets of steering motors. The vacuum pump is connected with the execution assembly through a vacuum pipe. The air compressor is communicated with an inner cavity of the main body through a pressurizing pipe, so that the main body has rigidity; multiple groups of steering motors are connected with the main body to realize shrinkage, growth and steering of the main body; multiple groups of stay wire fixing pieces are fixed on the surface of the main body, one end of each stay wire is fixed on a corresponding steering motor shaft, and the other end is fixed on the execution assembly; the execution assembly comprises an actuator and an actuator fixing piece connected with the actuator. The unmanned aerial vehicle is used for carrying the self-growing robot to fly to the lightning arrester on the surface of the fan blade for detection, the blade automatic detection level is improved, the maintenance cost is reduced, and the detection danger is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of robots, and in particular to a self-growing robot for detecting the connection of lightning receptors on the surface of wind turbine blades and a method for using the robot. Background Art

[0002] With the booming wind power industry, wind turbine blades, as key components of wind turbines, are crucial for their safety and stability. Testing the ground continuity loop of blade lightning receptors plays a crucial role in routine wind turbine maintenance, but existing testing methods face numerous challenges.

[0003] Mainstream wind turbine blades are made of fiberglass composites, which are inherently non-conductive and located at the top of the turbine, making them susceptible to damage from lightning strikes. The industry typically installs lightning receptors on the blade surface and arranges down conductors internally for lightning protection. Lightning receptors play a critical role in this lightning protection solution, effectively blocking lightning strikes while withstanding complex mechanical effects. However, after prolonged exposure to outdoor conditions for several months, the surface resistance of blade lightning receptors often exceeds the specified resistance value, and corrosion degrades the lightning protection performance of these receptors.

[0004] Currently, lightning rod inspections primarily involve workers climbing to the turbine blade lightning rod locations and using portable testing equipment to perform ground loop resistance and continuity tests. However, these tests present several challenges: First, portable testing equipment lacks precision, and contact between workers and the equipment introduces additional contact resistance, affecting test accuracy. Second, blade tip lightning rods are located at both the root and tip of the blades, which are small and difficult for workers to reach. Blade tip lightning rods are often inspected from an external hanging basket, which is inefficient, costly, and poses a risk of injury or death. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the above-mentioned prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a self-growing robot for detecting the connection of lightning rods on the surface of wind turbine blades and a method of using the same, so as to improve the level of automated blade detection, reduce maintenance costs, and reduce detection risks.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0007] A self-growing robot for detecting the connection of lightning receptors on the surface of wind turbine blades includes a control platform 1. The lower part of the control platform 1 is connected to the rear end of a main body 2. The main body 2 is a cylindrical thin film cavity with a rear end sealed and fixed on the control platform 1; the front end of the main body 2 is connected to an actuator 3.

[0008] The control platform 1 includes a vacuum pump 11, an air compressor 13 and multiple steering motors 15. The vacuum pump 11 is connected to the actuator 3 through a vacuum tube 12; the air compressor 13 is connected to the inner cavity of the main body 2 through a pressurizing tube 14 to pressurize the main body 2 to make the main body 2 rigid; the multiple steering motors 15 are connected to the main body 2 through a pull wire 22 to realize the contraction, growth and steering of the main body 2.

[0009] A plurality of groups of pull wire fixings 21 are fixed on the surface of the main body 2. Each group of pull wire fixings 21 is evenly distributed around the axis on the main body 2. Each group of pull wire fixings 21 has several pull wire fixings 21 along the axial direction. One end of the pull wire 22 is fixed on the corresponding steering motor 15 shaft, and after passing through the corresponding pull wire fixing 21, the other end is fixed on the actuator 3.

[0010] The actuator assembly 3 includes an actuator 32 and an actuator fixing part 31 connected thereto. The actuator fixing part 31 is fixed to the front end of the main body 2 through a pull wire 22, and the actuator 32 is fixed to the front end of the actuator fixing part 31; the actuator 32 is connected to the vacuum pump 11 through a vacuum tube 12 to evacuate the actuator 32.

[0011] The actuator 32 includes a suction cup 321 and a contact spring 322 . The contact spring 322 is evenly distributed and fixed inside the suction cup 321 .

[0012] A method for using a self-growing robot for detecting the connection of a lightning receptor on the surface of a wind turbine blade comprises: after the main body 2 is retracted by a steering motor 15, the self-growing robot is carried by a drone 4 to fly to the vicinity of the lightning receptor 51 on the surface 5 of the wind turbine blade and hover; pressure is applied to the main body 2 by an air compressor 13 to make the main body 2 rigid, and the steering motor 15 releases the pull wire 22 to make the main body 2 grow and turn toward the lightning receptor 51 on the surface 5 of the wind turbine blade, so that the actuator 32 is close to the lightning receptor 51 and the lower surface of the suction cup 321 is relatively parallel to the surface 5 of the wind turbine blade; the drone 4 is controlled to make the actuator 32 contact the surface 5 of the wind turbine blade, and the suction cup 321 connects the lightning receptor to the wind turbine blade surface 5. 51 is wrapped inside, and the vacuum pump 11 works while in contact, so that there is negative pressure in the suction cup 321, and the suction cup 321 is compressed. During the compression process, the contact spring 322 contacts the surface 5 of the wind turbine blade and the lightning receptor 51. Under the action of negative pressure, the actuator 32 is stably connected to the surface 5 of the wind turbine blade and the lightning receptor 51. By reducing and releasing the air pressure in the main body 2, the state of the main body 2 is changed from rigidity to flexibility, and the connection between the drone 4 and the actuator 32 is changed from a rigid hard connection to a flexible soft connection; the lightning receptor 51 is connected to the detection circuit to perform a resistance test on the lightning receptor 51; after the test is completed, the vacuum pump 11 is controlled to stop working to complete the disconnection of the actuator 32 and the surface 5 of the wind turbine blade.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0014] Since the present invention adopts a self-growing robot detection method and is equipped with professional detection components, it can more accurately measure the grounding resistance and continuity of the lightning rod, avoiding the problems of insufficient accuracy of traditional portable equipment and additional contact resistance introduced by human contact, providing more reliable detection data and providing an accurate basis for the lightning protection performance evaluation of wind turbine blades.

[0015] During the detection process, since the present invention adopts a contact connection structure that combines a suction cup and a contact spring, the robot can maintain a stable contact state, reduce measurement errors caused by environmental factors or unstable human operation, ensure the consistency and stability of the detection results, and help to timely discover potential problems with the lightning rod.

[0016] Since the present invention uses a self-growing robot carried by a drone, all lightning rods on the wind turbine blades can be quickly inspected in sequence (rather than just the blade tip lightning rods), batch inspection can be achieved, and the inspection efficiency can be further improved to meet the inspection needs of large-scale wind turbines and provide more efficient support for the daily maintenance and inspection of wind farms.

[0017] Since the present invention adopts a vacuum adsorption actuator, it is suitable for wind turbine blades of different models and structures and can be widely used in the lightning arrester detection of various types of wind turbine generator sets. It has good versatility and adaptability, and provides a universal detection solution for the wind power industry. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 It is a structural diagram of a robot control platform according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the installation of the robot execution component of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the robot execution component of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 2 is a schematic diagram of a method for using the robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0024] Reference Figure 1 A self-growing robot for detecting the connection of lightning rods on the surface of wind turbine blades includes a control platform 1, the bottom of the control platform 1 is connected to the rear end of the main body 2, the main body 2 is a cylindrical film cavity, and the rear end is sealed and fixed on the control platform 1; the front end of the main body 2 is connected to the execution component 3.

[0025] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 The control platform 1 includes a vacuum pump 11, an air compressor 13 and a steering motor 15. The vacuum pump 11 is connected to the actuator 3 through a vacuum tube 12; the air compressor 13 is connected to the inner cavity of the main body 2 through a pressurizing tube 14 to pressurize the main body 2 so that the main body 2 has a certain rigidity; the three groups of steering motors 15 and the main body 2 are connected by pull wires 22 to realize the contraction, growth and steering of the main body 2.

[0026] Reference Figure 1 Three groups of wire fixings 21 are fixed on the surface of the main body 2. The three groups of wire fixings 21 are divided 120 degrees around the axis on the main body 2. Each group of wire fixings 21 has several wire fixings along the axial direction. One end of the wire 22 is fixed on the corresponding steering motor 15 shaft, and after passing through the corresponding wire fixing 21, the other end is fixed on the actuator 3.

[0027] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 3 The actuator assembly 3 includes an actuator 32 and an actuator fixing part 31 connected thereto. The actuator fixing part 31 is fixed to the front end of the main body 2 through a pull wire 22, and the actuator 32 is fixed to the front end of the actuator fixing part 31; the actuator 32 is connected to the vacuum pump 11 through a vacuum tube 12 to evacuate the actuator 32.

[0028] Reference Figure 4 The actuator 32 includes a suction cup 321 and a contact spring 322 , and the contact spring 322 is evenly distributed and fixed inside the suction cup 321 .

[0029] Reference Figure 1-Figure 5, a method for using a self-growing robot for detecting the connection of a lightning receptor on the surface of a wind turbine blade, comprising: after shrinking the main body 2 by a steering motor 15, using a drone 4 to carry the self-growing robot to fly to the vicinity of the lightning receptor 51 on the surface 5 of the wind turbine blade and hovering; applying pressure to the main body 2 by an air compressor 13 to make the main body 2 rigid, releasing the pull wire 22 by three sets of steering motors 15 to make the main body 2 grow and turn toward the lightning receptor 51 on the surface 5 of the wind turbine blade, so that the actuator 32 approaches the lightning receptor 51, and the lower surface of the suction cup 321 is relatively parallel to the surface 5 of the wind turbine blade; controlling the drone 4 to make the actuator 32 contact with the surface 5 of the wind turbine blade, the suction cup 321 covers the lightning receptor 51 inside, and while in contact, the vacuum pump 11 works to make a certain negative pressure inside the suction cup 321, and the suction cup 321 will be compressed during the adsorption process, During the contraction process, the contact spring 322 contacts the surface of the wind turbine blade 5 and the lightning receptor 51 and has a certain contact pressure. The greater the contact pressure, the smaller the contact resistance between the contact spring 322 and the lightning receptor 51. Under the action of negative pressure, the actuator 32 is stably connected to the surface of the wind turbine blade 5 and the lightning receptor 51. After the connection is completed, the state of the main body 2 can be changed from having a certain rigidity to being flexible by reducing and releasing the air pressure in the main body 2. At this time, the connection between the drone 4 and the actuator 32 changes from a rigid hard connection to a flexible soft connection. Even if there is a certain disturbance on the surface of the wind turbine blade 5, the hovering posture of the drone 4 will not be affected. Since the contact spring 322 is a conductor, the lightning receptor 51 can be connected to the detection circuit to perform resistance detection of the lightning receptor 51. After the detection is completed, the vacuum pump 11 is controlled to stop working to complete the disconnection of the actuator 32 from the surface of the wind turbine blade 5.

Claims

1. A self-growing robot for detecting the connection of lightning receptors on the surface of wind turbine blades, comprising a control platform (1), characterized in that: The lower portion of the control platform (1) is connected to the rear end of the main body (2); the main body (2) is a cylindrical film cavity, and the rear end is sealed and fixed on the control platform (1); the front end of the main body (2) is connected to the execution component (3).

2. The self-growing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control platform (1) comprises a vacuum pump (11), an air compressor (13) and a plurality of steering motors (15); the vacuum pump (11) is connected to the actuator (3) via a vacuum tube (12); the air compressor (13) is connected to the inner cavity of the main body (2) via a pressurizing tube (14) to pressurize the main body (2) so that the main body (2) has rigidity; the plurality of steering motors (15) are connected to the main body (2) via a pull line (22) to achieve contraction, growth and steering of the main body (2).

3. The self-growing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the main body (2) is fixed with a plurality of groups of wire fixing members (21), and each group of wire fixing members (21) is evenly distributed around the axis on the main body (2). Each group of wire fixing members (21) has a plurality of wire fixing members along the axial direction. One end of the wire (22) is fixed to the corresponding steering motor (15) shaft, and after passing through the corresponding wire fixing member (21), the other end is fixed to the actuator (3).

4. The self-growing robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The actuator assembly (3) includes an actuator (32) and an actuator fixing member (31) connected thereto. The actuator fixing member (31) is fixed to the front end of the main body (2) via a pull wire (22), and the actuator (32) is fixed to the front end of the actuator fixing member (31). The actuator (32) is connected to a vacuum pump (11) via a vacuum tube (12) to evacuate the actuator (32).

5. The self-growing robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The actuator (32) comprises a suction cup (321) and a contact spring (322), wherein the contact spring (322) is evenly distributed and fixed inside the suction cup (321).

6. A method for using a self-growing robot for detecting connection of lightning receptors on wind turbine blade surfaces according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: include: After the main body (2) is contracted by the steering motor (15), the self-growing robot is carried by the drone (4) to fly to the vicinity of the lightning receptor (51) on the surface (5) of the wind turbine blade and to hover; pressure is applied to the main body (2) by the air compressor (13) to make the main body (2) rigid; the steering motor (15) releases the pull line (22) to make the main body (2) grow and turn toward the lightning receptor (51) on the surface (5) of the wind turbine blade, so that the actuator (32) is close to the lightning receptor (51), and the lower surface of the suction cup (321) is relatively parallel to the surface (5) of the wind turbine blade; the drone (4) is controlled to make the actuator (32) contact the surface (5) of the wind turbine blade, and the suction cup (321) covers the lightning receptor (51) inside, and at the same time, vacuum The pump (11) works to create a negative pressure in the suction cup (321), causing the suction cup (321) to be compressed. During the compression process, the contact spring (322) contacts the surface of the fan blade (5) and the lightning receptor (51). Under the action of the negative pressure, the actuator (32) is stably connected to the surface of the fan blade (5) and the lightning receptor (51). By reducing and releasing the air pressure in the main body (2), the state of the main body (2) is changed from rigidity to flexibility, and the connection between the drone (4) and the actuator (32) is changed from a rigid hard connection to a flexible soft connection. The lightning receptor (51) is connected to the detection circuit to perform resistance detection on the lightning receptor (51). After the detection is completed, the vacuum pump (11) is controlled to stop working, completing the disconnection between the actuator (32) and the surface of the fan blade (5).

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