Novel pipeline inner patch and visual sensor carrying device

Abstract

The invention provides a novel in-pipeline patch and visual sensor carrying device, which integrates in-pipeline movement, patch and pipeline inner diameter measurement functions, and is suitable for measuring the inner diameter of a circular long and narrow pipeline with weak inner surface texture. The device comprises a carrying platform, a chip mounting device and a visual sensor. The device carrying platform is responsible for carrying the chip mounting device and the visual sensor to move in a pipeline, and a six-wheel supporting type design is adopted. And the variable-diameter structure adopts a spring for reducing, so that automatic reducing to a certain degree can be realized. The paster device and the visual sensor are fixed in the middle of the carrying platform and keep moving synchronously with the carrying platform. A lead screw nut mechanism is adopted in a chip mounting device driving structure, motor rotating motion is converted into linear motion, the surface radian of a chip mounting platform is the same as the inner diameter of a pipeline, and the chip mounting platform is used for pasting mark points on the inner wall of the pipeline. The visual sensor adopts a binocular camera to collect images of the inner wall of the pipeline pasted with the round mark points, and the inner diameter of the pipeline is measured in combination with an algorithm.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of research on small-diameter narrow and long pipeline detection equipment, and specifically relates to a novel in-pipe patch and visual sensor mounting device. Background Art

[0002] Precision pipes have excellent carrying and direction restraint functions. As an indispensable component of modern industry, they are widely used in artillery barrels, electromagnetic gun barrels, ship power transmission pipelines, nuclear power plant loop pipelines, aerospace and other fields. High-precision pipes usually have small diameters, lengths of several meters, and relatively narrow internal spaces. At the same time, their inner surface diameters, concentricity and other specifications need to meet strict precision standards. In the early stages of manufacturing, there was a lack of effective testing methods to ensure its accuracy requirements. During use, the special working environment of long-term high temperature and high pressure makes the inner surface of the pipe prone to serious damage, resulting in deviations in caliber and coaxiality. Defects such as dents, cracks and pores may appear on the inner surface, thereby reducing the accuracy of the guidance and posing a major safety hazard, even threatening the safety of workers.

[0003] In response to the challenges of measuring, inspecting, and maintaining internal pipeline parameters, research on pipeline measurement and inspection equipment systems has emerged and rapidly developed. Research institutions and universities worldwide are actively promoting the research and development of pipeline measurement and inspection equipment, and many of the results have been put into practical application. Traditional pipeline measurement equipment systems are typically equipped with advanced sensors and mechanical equipment such as lidar devices. However, due to their large size, they cannot operate inside small-diameter pipelines. Furthermore, pipeline measurement devices require high-precision sensors to obtain the three-dimensional topography of the pipeline's inner surface. However, the interior of the pipeline is often confined to narrow spaces and lacks obvious texture features. These environmental factors pose challenges to sensor performance. The limited field of view of the measurement sensor further limits the accuracy and reliability of the measurement. The development of a pipeline internal diameter measurement system for precision pipelines is of great significance for verifying coaxiality and detecting defects within precision pipelines.

[0004] The pipeline inspection system is a mechatronic intelligent device that integrates multiple measurement sensors (such as cameras, gyroscopes, accelerometers, etc.), inspection equipment, and various operating devices. It relies on its own control or remote manual control to measure parameters, detect defects, and perform repairs within the pipeline. This patent designs a new type of in-pipe patch and visual sensor mounting device that can affix circular markers to specified locations within the pipeline. The onboard visual sensor captures and transmits images of the pipeline interior, and measures the pipeline's inner diameter parameters based on a designed marker detection algorithm. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technology of the present invention solves the following problem: In order to solve the problem that small-diameter precision pipelines cannot be manually entered, high-precision measurement is required, and the features inside the pipeline are not obvious, a robot system device is designed, which can affix a set of circular marking points at specified positions inside the pipeline, collect images in real time, and achieve high-precision measurement of the pipeline inner diameter based on the circular marking points. In addition, the driving structure of the robot system can realize the functions of walking inside the pipeline and changing the diameter.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0007] The present invention proposes a novel in-pipe patch and visual sensor mounting device, comprising a mounting platform external fixing frame (3), a drive variable diameter structure (2), a patch structure (4), and a visual sensor (5). The drive variable diameter structure (2) is mounted on both ends of the mounting platform external fixing frame (3), and the patch structure (4) and the visual sensor (5) are assembled in the middle of the mounting platform external fixing frame (3).

[0008] The drive variable diameter structure (2) mainly includes: a first front drive wheel (1), a second front drive wheel (13), a third front drive wheel (14), a drive motor (15), a first support wheel (6), a second support wheel (7), a third support wheel (8), a drive wheel support cover (21), a connecting cover (23), a bearing sleeve (25), a variable diameter connecting rod, a mobile fixed platform (22), and a spring. The drive variable diameter structure and dimensions at both ends are exactly the same, the only difference is that the front drive wheel is driven by a motor, while the rear support wheel is not driven by a motor. The front and rear ends each adopt an umbrella-shaped structure with an angle of 120 degrees, which is convenient for maintaining the stability and coaxiality of the device when it moves in the pipeline. When the motor provides driving force, the device can move in the pipeline and can independently control its forward or backward movement. The spring of the variable diameter structure drives the mobile fixed platform to move by compression / extension, and the drive wheel expands and contracts synchronously with the connecting rod to achieve adaptive variable diameter. When the inner diameter of the pipeline changes within the adaptation range, the diameter-changing portion is compressed by the spring to drive the movable fixed platform (22) to move, thereby driving the driving wheel fixed thereon to produce an umbrella-like movement and expansion and contraction to achieve diameter change.

[0009] The patch device (4) mainly includes: a reinforced housing (10), a patch platform (26), a screw (31), a nut (32), a screw drive motor (29), and a screw gear set (30). The screw (26) and the screw drive motor (29) are fixed in the outer fixing frame (3) of the mounting platform. The large gear in the screw gear set (30) and the small gear fixed to the screw drive motor (29) are meshed with each other. The patch device (4) is fixed to the outer fixing frame (3) of the mounting platform by screws and nuts. The control system controls the forward and reverse rotation of the screw drive motor (29) to realize the up and down movement of the patch platform, thereby completing the patch.

[0010] The visual sensor (5) mainly includes: a right camera (33), a left camera (34) and a camera fixing shell (35). The camera fixing shell (35) is fixed to the outer fixing frame (3) of the carrying platform by screws and nuts. The left camera (33) and the right camera (34) are fixed to the camera fixing shell (35) by screws and nuts. The left camera (33) and the right camera (34) are at an angle of 150 degrees to obtain a larger public field of view. The circuit board connected to the binocular camera is connected to the host computer through a wired cable. The host computer can realize the real-time transmission of the collected image after the patch is placed in the pipeline. The collected image is detected and identified by the circle detection algorithm. The three-dimensional coordinates of the circle center of the circle mark point are calculated according to the triangulation principle of the binocular camera model to reconstruct the inner surface of the pipeline and calculate the inner diameter parameters of the pipeline.

[0011] The advantages of the present invention compared with the prior art are:

[0012] (1) The present invention integrates patch function, image acquisition function and pipeline walking operation function into one, providing a new solution for pipeline measurement device system;

[0013] (2) The patch device (4) of the present invention adopts a screw-nut type transmission structure to convert the rotational motion of the gear set (30) driven by the screw drive motor (29) into the linear motion of the nut (32), thereby realizing patch operation in a narrow space;

[0014] (3) The visual sensor (5) of the present invention adopts a binocular camera structure, utilizes the common field of view area of ​​the left and right cameras to collect images and the triangulation principle, and combines the image marker recognition algorithm to realize the measurement of the inner diameter of the pipeline based on the patch marker;

[0015] (4) The driving variable diameter structure (2) of the present invention adopts an umbrella-shaped variable diameter structure at both ends, which can realize automatic diameter change within the designed range in the pipeline and provide good coaxiality for the patch device (4) and the visual sensor (5) carried in the middle of the device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a new type of in-pipe patch and visual sensor carrying device of the present invention. Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the single-sided drive variable diameter structure (2); Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a patch device (4); Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the visual sensor (5).

[0017] The meanings of the reference numerals in the figures are:

[0018] 1 is the first front driving wheel, 2 is the driving variable diameter structure, 3 is the external fixing frame of the carrying platform, 4 is the patch device, 5 is the visual sensor, 6 is the first supporting wheel, 7 is the second supporting wheel, 8 is the third supporting wheel, 9 is the rear bearing, 10 is the reinforced shell, 11 is the rotating motor, 12 is the front bearing, 13 is the second front driving wheel, 14 is the third front driving wheel, 15 is the walking driving motor, 16 is the spring bracket of the mobile fixed platform, 17 is the spring bracket of the driving wheel support cover, 18 is the first reducing rod, 19 is the second reducing rod, 20 is the travel drive motor bracket, 21 is the drive wheel support cover, 22 is the mobile fixed platform, 23 is the connecting cover, 24 is the bearing, 25 is the bearing sleeve, 26 is the patch platform, 27 is the patch platform fixing hole, 28 is the nut fixing hole, 29 is the screw drive motor, 30 is the screw gear set, 31 is the screw, 32 is the nut, 33 is the right camera, 34 is the left camera, 35 is the camera fixing shell, and 36 is the circuit support frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following further describes a novel in-pipe patch and visual sensor mounting device of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] The overall structure diagram of the device is as follows Figure 1 As shown, the present invention mainly includes three parts: a driving variable diameter structure (2) on both sides, a patch device (4), and a visual sensor (5). The patch device (4) and the visual sensor (5) are fixed on a fixed frame (3) outside the carrying platform and keep synchronous movement with the entire device. The driving variable diameter structure (2) and the patch device (4) are controlled by the host computer through wireless Bluetooth transmission, and the visual sensor (5) transmits image data through a wired cable.

[0021] When the device is operating in a pipeline, it can complete the functions of walking, patching and image acquisition according to the received instructions. The drive variable diameter structure (2) adopts a front drive structure, and the front drive wheels (first front drive wheel (1), second front drive wheel (13), and third front drive wheel (14)) are powered by an independent travel drive motor. When receiving the control instruction of the upper computer travel motor, the travel drive motor (20) rotates forward or reverse according to the instruction, and the front drive wheels rotate forward or reverse synchronously. The rear support wheel assists the device in walking under the friction force with the pipe wall, so as to realize forward and backward movement in the pipeline. The drive wheel adopts an umbrella structure, that is, the three drive wheels are evenly distributed at 120 degrees, and radial expansion and contraction are achieved by the combination of connecting rods and springs to ensure that the device is coaxial with the pipeline. When encountering obstacles or the pipe diameter changes, the drive variable diameter structure (2) is pressed by the pipe wall, the spring automatically expands and contracts, and the connecting rod drives the mobile fixed platform (22) to move, thereby realizing the umbrella-like movement of the drive wheel and realizing automatic diameter change.

[0022] Upon receiving a rotation instruction from the control system, the rotating motor (11) drives the entire carrying platform to rotate circumferentially within the pipeline through the gears inside the carrying platform external fixing frame (3). The rotating motor (11) drives the carrying platform external fixing frame (3) to achieve ±180° circumferential rotation at the initial position, ensuring that the mounted patch device (4) and visual sensor (5) can operate at any position within the pipeline. The patch device (4) and visual sensor (5) are firmly fixed to the carrying platform external fixing frame (3) by screws and nuts, ensuring the consistency of the overall rotation angle of the carrying platform.

[0023] When the device performs patch operation, a group of circular marking points with non-stick adhesive are fixed on the patch platform (26), and the upper computer sends a patch instruction to the control system. The screw drive motor (29) first drives the screw gear group (30) to rotate in the forward direction, and the screw (31) moves synchronously with the large gear, driving the nut (32) to move upward along the direction of the screw (31). The patch platform (26) and the nut (32) are fixed, so they move upward synchronously until the patch platform (26) is in close contact with the inner wall of the pipeline, and the circular marking points are pasted on the inner wall of the pipeline. The screw drive motor (30) is controlled to reverse, and the nut (32) and the patch platform (26) move downward along the direction of the screw (31) and leave the inner wall of the pipeline. After the patch platform (26) moves downward to the initial position, the screw drive motor (30) stops, and the patch process is completed.

[0024] The visual sensor (5) is equipped with a camera to collect images of the pasted marking points, and the visual sensor (5) transmits the image data in real time via a wired cable. The visual sensor (5) is composed of a right camera (33), a left camera (34), and a binocular camera circuit board. The left camera (33) and the right camera (34) are connected via the binocular camera circuit board. The binocular camera circuit board is fixed to the front end of the circuit support frame (36). The binocular camera circuit board and the host computer PC are transmitted via a wired cable. After the patch device (4) has pasted the circular marking point on the inner wall of the pipe through the above-mentioned patch process, the robot's walking drive motor (20) and the rotating motor (11) are controlled so that the right camera (33) and the left camera (34) of the visual sensor (5) can clearly observe the pasted circular marking point in their field of view, and the right camera (33) and the left camera (34) simultaneously collect images of the same position. For the collected images, a circle marker detection algorithm is designed to calculate the pixel coordinates of the center of the marker point in the right camera (33) and the left camera (34), and the three-dimensional coordinates of the center of the marker point are calculated by the binocular camera calibration parameters and the triangulation method of the binocular system. Based on the three-dimensional coordinates of the center of the marker point, the point cloud of the inner surface of the pipeline is reconstructed, and the surface parameters of the inner surface of the pipeline are calculated, thereby realizing the measurement of the inner diameter parameters of the pipeline.

Claims

1. A novel in-pipe patch and visual sensor carrying device, characterized in that: include: The two ends of the external fixed frame (3) of the carrying platform are provided with a driving variable diameter structure (2), a patch device (4) and a visual sensor (5) are fixed in the middle, wherein: the driving structure is composed of a six-wheel support structure, the front end of the device is composed of three driving wheels, namely the first front driving wheel (1), the second front driving wheel (13), and the third front driving wheel (14), and three independent travel drive motors (15) provide power for the equipment, and the rear end of the device is composed of three supporting wheels, namely the first support wheel (6), the second support wheel (7), and the third support wheel (8), which play a supporting role. The driving wheel and the travel drive motor (15) are fixed to the driving wheel support cover (21) through the travel drive motor bracket (20), and are fixed to the connecting cover (23) and the bearing sleeve (25) through screws and nuts. The driving wheel support cover (21) and the connecting cover (23) are fixedly connected by screws. The variable diameter structure is composed of a group of variable diameter connecting rods (a first variable diameter connecting rod (18), a second variable diameter connecting rod (19)), a movable fixed platform (22), and a spring. The spring is fixed in a spring bracket (16) of the movable fixed platform (22) and a spring bracket (17) of the driving wheel support cover (21). The driving variable diameter structure and the external fixing frame (3) of the carrying platform are connected through the front bearing (12) and the rear bearing (9). A rotating motor (11) is assembled on the front side of the connection cover (23) and meshes with the gear structure on the inner surface of the external fixing frame (3) of the carrying platform to realize the circumferential rotation of the carrying platform. The patch device (4) and the reinforced shell (10) are fixed to the outer fixing frame (3) of the carrying platform by screws and nuts. The patch device consists of a patch platform (26), a lead screw (31), a nut (32), a lead screw drive motor (29), and a lead screw gear set (30). The lead screw (31) and the lead screw drive motor (29) are fixed in the outer fixing frame (3) of the carrying platform. The large gear of the lead screw gear set (30) is fixed on the lead screw (31), and the small gear is fixed on the lead screw drive motor (29). The large and small gears are meshed with each other. There are four groups of fixing holes on the patch platform (26) and the nut (32). Each group of patch platform fixing holes (27) and the corresponding nut fixing holes (28) below are fixed by a cylinder to ensure that the patch platform (26) and the nut (32) move linearly synchronously. The inner diameter of the arc on the upper surface of the patch platform (26) is the same as the inner diameter of the pipeline. The visual sensor (5) is fixed to the external fixing frame (3) of the carrying platform by screws and nuts. The visual sensor (5) is composed of a right camera (33), a left camera (34) and a camera fixing shell (35). The circuit support frame (36) is used to support the binocular camera circuit board.

2. The novel in-pipe patch and visual sensor mounting device according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The driving variable diameter structure (2), the patch device (4) and the visual sensor (5) are integrated into an integrated device. The visual sensor (5) is located at the rear side of the patch device (4). The two move synchronously, thereby realizing a pipeline measurement equipment system integrating the movement in the pipeline, patching and measurement functions.

3. The novel in-pipe patch and visual sensor mounting device according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The driving wheels on both sides of the drive variable diameter structure (2) are both 120° umbrella-shaped structures, the three driving wheels at the front end are connected to the motor, and the three supporting wheels at the rear end are the same size as the driving wheels, ensuring the coaxiality of the carrying platform and ensuring that the carried patch device (4) and the visual sensor (5) remain coaxial.

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