Underwater pipeline inspection robot and autonomous line inspection method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of pipeline inspection, and discloses an underwater pipeline inspection robot and an autonomous line inspection method thereof.The underwater pipeline inspection robot comprises a shell, and a light source, a fish driving device and at least one propeller are arranged on the top face of the shell; the side face and the bottom face of the shell are each provided with a distance sensor used for detecting the distance between the shell and the submarine pipeline, a detector used for detecting leakage points of the submarine pipeline and a camera used for collecting images of the submarine pipeline. A power supply and a control assembly are arranged in the shell, the light source, the fish driving device, the propeller, the distance sensor, the detector and the camera are all electrically connected with the power supply, and the light source, the fish driving device, the propeller, the distance sensor, the detector and the camera are all in signal connection with the control assembly. The distance sensors are arranged on the side faces and the bottom face of the shell, the distance between the shell and the submarine pipeline can be detected and controlled in real time, and the situation that the shell collides with the submarine pipeline when being impacted by seawater or fishes is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of pipeline inspection technology, and more specifically, to an underwater pipeline inspection robot. In addition, the present invention also relates to an autonomous line inspection method for the underwater pipeline inspection robot. Background Art

[0002] Underwater robots are widely used in underwater monitoring, underwater sampling, underwater emergency rescue and other fields.

[0003] Existing underwater pipeline inspection robots can identify pipeline leaks through underwater image detection, significantly improving the efficiency and accuracy of identifying leak points in submarine pipelines. However, they cannot control the distance between the robot body and the submarine pipeline. When impacted by seawater or struck by fish, they are prone to collision with the submarine pipeline, which can cause damage to the detector, image collector, and even the robot body.

[0004] In summary, how to prevent the underwater pipeline inspection robot from colliding with the submarine pipeline is an urgent problem to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an underwater pipeline inspection robot, in which distance sensors are provided on each side and bottom of the shell, which can detect and control the distance from the shell to the submarine pipeline in real time, so as to avoid collision with the submarine pipeline when it is impacted by seawater or hit by fish.

[0006] In addition, the present invention also provides an autonomous line inspection method for an underwater pipeline inspection robot.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0008] An underwater pipeline inspection robot includes a housing, the top surface of which is provided with a light source, a fish repellent, and at least one propeller, and the side and bottom surfaces of the housing are provided with a distance sensor for detecting the distance between the housing and the submarine pipeline, a detector for detecting leaks in the submarine pipeline, and a camera for capturing images of the submarine pipeline;

[0009] A power supply and a control component are provided in the shell; the light source, the fish repeller, the propeller, the distance sensor, the detector and the camera are all electrically connected to the power supply; and the light source, the fish repeller, the propeller, the distance sensor, the detector and the camera are all signal-connected to the control component.

[0010] Preferably, the detector and the camera are both arranged at the center of the side surface of the shell or the center of the bottom surface of the shell, and at least one distance sensor is provided on both sides of the detector and the camera.

[0011] Preferably, the distance sensors are evenly distributed along the length direction of the side surface of the shell, and the distance sensors are evenly distributed along the length direction or width direction of the bottom surface of the shell.

[0012] Preferably, the light source and the fish repellent are both arranged at the center of the top surface of the shell.

[0013] Preferably, a first protective plate is provided at each of the four corners of the side surface of the housing, the first protective plate being connected to the four corners of the housing via a connecting plate, and the first protective plate being higher than the distance sensor, the detector and the camera provided on the same side;

[0014] A second protective plate is provided on the bottom surface of the shell, and the second protective plate is higher than the distance sensor, the detector and the camera arranged on the same side.

[0015] Preferably, the connecting plate and the first protective plate are an integral structure.

[0016] Preferably, the first protective plate comprises an arc-shaped plate, and an opening of the arc-shaped plate is arranged toward a side surface of the shell.

[0017] An autonomous line inspection method, used for any of the above-mentioned underwater pipeline inspection robots, comprising:

[0018] Input the route map, starting point coordinates and end point coordinates of the submarine pipeline;

[0019] Using a thruster to control the underwater pipeline inspection robot to move to the starting point coordinates;

[0020] Control the underwater pipeline inspection robot to move along the submarine pipeline, and use the distance sensor to detect the distance d from the shell to the submarine pipeline, so that d min ≤d≤d max , where d min is the preset minimum distance, d max For the preset maximum distance, when the detector detects a leak, the underwater pipeline inspection robot is controlled to circle the submarine pipeline so as to fully photograph and inspect the leak.

[0021] The underwater pipeline inspection robot provided by the present invention has detectors and cameras on the side and bottom surfaces of the shell. Therefore, each side and bottom surface of the shell can detect leaks in the submarine pipeline and collect images. When the submarine pipeline turns, there is no need to control the shell's rotation, which is convenient for control.

[0022] At the same time, distance sensors are installed on each side and bottom of the shell. The distance sensors can detect the distance from the shell to the submarine pipeline in real time, thereby controlling the distance from the shell to the submarine pipeline, avoiding collision with the submarine pipeline when hit by seawater or fish, which is beneficial to protecting the detectors and cameras outside the shell.

[0023] In addition, the present invention also provides an automatic line inspection method for the above-mentioned underwater pipeline inspection robot. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without paying any creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a specific embodiment of the underwater pipeline inspection robot provided by the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the underwater pipeline inspection robot in another direction;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a working diagram of the underwater pipeline inspection robot.

[0028] Figure 1-Figure 3 middle:

[0029] 01 is the submarine pipeline, 1 is the shell, 2 is the lighting lamp, 3 is the thruster, 4 is the distance sensor, 5 is the camera, 6 is the detector, 7 is the connecting plate, 8 is the first protection plate, 9 is the second protection plate, and 10 is the fish repellent. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] The core of the present invention is to provide an underwater pipeline inspection robot. Distance sensors are installed on the side surfaces and bottom of the shell, which can detect and control the distance between the shell and the submarine pipeline in real time, avoiding collision with the submarine pipeline when it is hit by seawater or fish.

[0032] In addition, the present invention also provides an autonomous line inspection method for an underwater pipeline inspection robot.

[0033] The underwater pipeline inspection robot provided by the present invention includes a housing 1. The top surface of the housing 1 is provided with a light source, a fish repellent 10, and at least one propeller 3. The side and bottom surfaces of the housing 1 are provided with a distance sensor 4 for detecting the distance between the housing 1 and the submarine pipeline 01, a detector 6 for detecting leaks in the submarine pipeline 01, and a camera 5 for capturing images of the submarine pipeline 01.

[0034] A power supply and control components are provided in the housing 1. The light source, fish repeller 10, propeller 3, distance sensor 4, detector 6 and camera 5 are all electrically connected to the power supply, and the light source, fish repeller 10, propeller 3, distance sensor 4, detector 6 and camera 5 are all signal-connected to the control component.

[0035] The shell 1 of the underwater pipeline inspection robot is a waterproof and sealed structure, which is equipped with a power supply and control components inside, and a light source, a fish repellent 10, a propeller 3, a distance sensor 4, a camera 5 and a detector 6 are installed outside.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 1 The light source, fish repellent 10 and propeller 3 are arranged on the top surface of the shell 1. The light source is mostly set as a lighting lamp 2, and the propeller 3 is mostly set as a rotating impeller. The specific types and models of the light source, fish repellent 10 and propeller 3 are determined according to actual production needs and will not be repeated here.

[0037] Considering the limited illumination range of the light source, in order to meet the shooting needs of the cameras 5 on the side and bottom surfaces, the light source is usually set at the center of the top surface of the shell 1; similarly, the effective range of the fish repeller 10 is limited. In order to cover the entire shell 1 within the effective range of the fish repeller 10, the fish repeller 10 is usually set at the center of the top surface of the shell 1.

[0038] The propeller 3 is used to drive the shell 1 to move underwater. In order to prevent the propeller 3 from affecting the normal operation of the distance sensor 4, camera 5 and detector 6, the propeller 3 is arranged on the top surface of the shell 1 rather than the side or bottom surface of the shell 1.

[0039] The movement of the shell 1 includes vertical lifting and horizontal movement. In order to achieve vertical lifting and horizontal movement, a propeller 3 including a vertical propeller and a horizontal propeller can be set. The axis of the vertical propeller is perpendicular to the top surface of the shell 1, and the axis of the horizontal propeller is parallel to the top surface of the shell 1; the axis of the propeller 3 can also be set to be inclined with respect to the top surface of the shell 1 so that the propeller 3 generates a thrust component in the vertical direction and a thrust component in the horizontal direction.

[0040] The camera 5 is used to collect images of the submarine pipeline 01. The specific type and model of the camera 5 are determined according to actual production needs. In order to reduce the risk of collision of the camera 5, the camera 5 is usually placed in the center of the installation surface.

[0041] The detector 6 is used to detect leaks in the submarine pipeline 01. The detector 6 can be specifically configured as a magnetic probe and / or an ultrasonic probe. The specific type and model of the detector 6 is determined according to actual production needs. In order to reduce the risk of collision of the detector 6, the detector 6 is usually located in the center of the mounting surface (the side surface of the shell 1 or the bottom surface of the shell 1).

[0042] The distance sensor 4 is used to detect the distance d from the shell 1 to the submarine pipeline 01, thereby maintaining d min ≤d≤d max , where d min is the preset minimum distance, d max The maximum distance is preset to prevent the distance d from the shell 1 to the submarine pipeline 01 from being too small, which may cause the shell 1 to collide with the submarine pipeline 01 easily when impacted by seawater or hit by fish, or the distance d from the shell 1 to the submarine pipeline 01 from being too large, which may affect the precision and accuracy of the camera 5 and the detector 6.

[0043] It should be noted that d min and d max are not fixed values, d min Determined based on the sea conditions and fish density in the area where submarine pipeline 01 is located, d max It is determined according to the specific models of the camera 5 and the detector 6.

[0044] The distance sensor 4 can be set as an infrared distance sensor, an ultrasonic distance sensor, etc. The specific number, type and model of the distance sensor 4 are determined according to the needs in actual production and will not be repeated here.

[0045] In order to improve the interchangeability of parts, it is usually set that the model and type of the distance sensors 4 on each side and bottom of the shell 1 are the same, the model and type of the detectors 6 on each side and bottom of the shell 1 are the same, and the model and type of the cameras 5 on each side and bottom of the shell 1 are the same.

[0046] In this embodiment, detectors 6 and cameras 5 are provided on the side and bottom of the housing 1. Therefore, each side and bottom of the housing 1 can detect leaks in the submarine pipeline 01 and collect images. When the submarine pipeline 01 turns, there is no need to control the rotation of the housing 1, which is convenient for control.

[0047] At the same time, distance sensors 4 are provided on each side and bottom of the shell 1. The distance sensors 4 can detect the distance between the shell 1 and the submarine pipeline 01 in real time, thereby controlling the distance between the shell 1 and the submarine pipeline 01, avoiding collision with the submarine pipeline 01 when impacted by seawater or fish, which is beneficial to protecting the detector 6 and camera 5 outside the shell 1.

[0048] Based on the above embodiment, the detector 6 and the camera 5 can be arranged at the center of the side of the shell 1 or the center of the bottom of the shell 1, and at least one distance sensor 4 is provided on both sides of the detector 6 and the camera 5.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 1 On the side of the housing 1, the detector 6 and the camera 5 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction of the side 1, and the distance sensor 4 is arranged on the left and right sides of the detector 6 and the camera 5;

[0050] Please refer to Figure 2 On the bottom surface of the housing 1 , the detector 6 and the camera 5 are arranged side by side up and down along the width direction of the bottom surface 1 , and the distance sensor 4 is arranged on the left and right sides of the detector 6 and the camera 5 .

[0051] Of course, the detector 6 and the camera 5 can also be arranged side by side on the left and right.

[0052] In this embodiment, ranging sensors 4 are provided on the left and right sides of the detector 6 and the camera 5, which can reduce the detection distortion problem caused by the inspection robot tilting relative to the submarine pipeline 01, thereby making the distance from the shell 1 to the submarine pipeline 01 measured by the ranging sensor 4 relatively accurate.

[0053] In order to accurately detect the distance between the housing 1 and the submarine pipeline 01, more than one distance sensor 4 can be provided on the left and right sides of the detector 6 and the camera 5 to prevent the inspection robot from tilting relative to the submarine pipeline 01, which may cause the distance measured by a single distance sensor 4 to be relatively distorted.

[0054] When the number of distance sensors 4 on one side is greater than one, the distance sensors 4 can be evenly distributed along the length direction of the side surface of the housing 1, or evenly distributed along the length direction or width direction of the bottom surface of the housing 1.

[0055] On the basis of the above embodiment, a first protective plate 8 may be provided at each of the four corners of the side of the housing 1. The first protective plate 8 is connected to the four corners of the housing 1 through a connecting plate 7. The first protective plate 8 is higher than the distance sensor 4, detector 6 and camera 5 provided on the same side.

[0056] A second protective plate 9 is provided on the bottom surface of the housing 1 , and the second protective plate 9 is higher than the distance sensor 4 , the detector 6 and the camera 5 provided on the same side.

[0057] The first protective plate 8 is arranged at the four corners of the side of the shell 1. Its specific shape is not limited and can be set to an arc plate, a rectangular plate, a corrugated plate, etc.; the material, shape, structure and size of the first protective plate 8 are determined according to the sizes of the distance sensor 4, the detector 6 and the camera 5 set on the same side in actual production.

[0058] The first protective plate 8 is connected to the shell 1 through the connecting plate 7. The connecting plate 7 can be connected to the shell 1 and the first protective plate 8 by a detachable connection method such as bolt connection, pin connection, etc., or it can be connected to the shell 1 and the first protective plate 8 by a welding connection method. The connecting plate 7 and the first protective plate 8 can also be set as an integral structure.

[0059] The second protective plate 9 is arranged on the bottom surface of the shell 1 and is mostly set as a rectangular plate. The material, shape, structure and size of the second protective plate 9 are determined according to the sizes of the distance sensor 4, detector 6 and camera 5 set on the same side in actual production.

[0060] In this embodiment, the first protective plate 8 is higher than the distance sensor 4, detector 6, and camera 5 provided on the same side. When the housing 1 accidentally collides with the submarine pipeline 01, the first protective plate 8 collides with the submarine pipeline 01 first, thereby preventing electronic components such as the distance sensor 4, detector 6, and camera 5 from being directly damaged by the submarine pipeline 01.

[0061] The second protective plate 9 on the bottom surface is higher than the distance sensor 4, detector 6 and camera 5 arranged on the same side. When the bottom surface of the shell 1 accidentally collides with the submarine pipeline 01, the second protective plate 9 collides with the submarine pipeline 01 first, preventing electronic components such as the distance sensor 4, detector 6 and camera 5 from directly colliding with the submarine pipeline 01 and being damaged.

[0062] Preferably, the first protective plate 8 may include an arc-shaped plate, with the bayonet of the arc-shaped plate facing the side of the housing 1 . The arc-shaped structure is beneficial for improving the impact resistance of the first protective plate 8 .

[0063] The radius and curvature of the curved plate are determined according to actual production needs and will not be described in detail here.

[0064] In addition to the above-mentioned underwater pipeline inspection robot, the present invention also provides an autonomous line inspection method including the underwater pipeline inspection robot disclosed in the above embodiment, comprising:

[0065] Step S1, inputting the route map, starting point coordinates and end point coordinates of the submarine pipeline 01;

[0066] Step S2, using the thruster 3 to control the underwater pipeline inspection robot to move to the starting point coordinates;

[0067] Step S3, control the underwater pipeline inspection robot to move along the seabed pipeline 01, and use the distance sensor 4 to detect the distance d from the shell 1 to the seabed pipeline 01, so that d min ≤d≤d max , where d min is the preset minimum distance, d max To preset the maximum distance, when the detector 6 detects a leak, the underwater pipeline inspection robot is controlled to circle the submarine pipeline 01 so as to conduct a comprehensive video and inspection of the leak.

[0068] It is necessary to explain step S3 that the preset maximum distance d max It is mainly affected by the model of the detector 6 and the model of the camera 5. For a certain underwater pipeline inspection robot, the preset maximum distance d max It is usually fixed, so the maximum distance d is preset max It can be pre-entered into the storage module of the control component;

[0069] The preset minimum distance d min It is easily affected by the sea conditions and fish density in the operating area. It is usually determined according to the inspection area before each inspection and then entered into the storage module of the control component.

[0070] Preferably, in order to facilitate the positioning of the leak point on the submarine pipeline 01, a positioning module can be provided in the control component. When the detector 6 detects the leak point, the detector 6 transmits the pipeline leakage signal to the control component. The positioning module in the control component automatically locates the position of the underwater pipeline inspection robot and stores the corresponding leak point location information.

[0071] Of course, a communication module may also be provided in the control component, and the above leakage point location information may also be transmitted to the host computer by the communication module so that the staff can obtain the pipeline leakage information in a timely manner.

[0072] It should be noted that the first and second in the first protective plate 8 and the second protective plate 9 mentioned in this application document are only used to distinguish the difference in position, and do not contain any limitation on the order.

[0073] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0074] The above describes in detail the underwater pipeline inspection robot and its autonomous line inspection method provided by the present invention. This article uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The description of the above examples is only intended to facilitate understanding of the method and core concept of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various improvements and modifications to the present invention without departing from the principles of the present invention, and such improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An underwater pipeline inspection robot, characterized in that: The invention comprises a housing (1), wherein the top surface of the housing (1) is provided with a light source, a fish repellent (10) and at least one propeller (3), and the side and bottom surfaces of the housing (1) are provided with a distance sensor (4) for detecting the distance between the housing (1) and a submarine pipeline (01), a detector (6) for detecting a leak point of the submarine pipeline (01), and a camera (5) for collecting an image of the submarine pipeline (01); A power supply and a control component are provided in the housing (1); the light source, the fish repelling device (10), the propeller (3), the distance sensor (4), the detector (6) and the camera (5) are all electrically connected to the power supply; and the light source, the fish repelling device (10), the propeller (3), the distance sensor (4), the detector (6) and the camera (5) are all signal-connected to the control component.

2. The underwater pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detector (6) and the camera (5) are both arranged at the center of the side surface of the shell (1) or the center of the bottom surface of the shell (1), and at least one distance sensor (4) is provided on both sides of the detector (6) and the camera (5).

3. The underwater pipeline inspection robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The distance sensors (4) are evenly distributed along the length direction of the side surface of the housing (1), and the distance sensors (4) are evenly distributed along the length direction or width direction of the bottom surface of the housing (1).

4. The underwater pipeline inspection robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The light source and the fish repellent (10) are both arranged at the center of the top surface of the housing (1).

5. The underwater pipeline inspection robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: A first protective plate (8) is provided at each of the four corners of the side of the housing (1), the first protective plate (8) being connected to the four corners of the housing (1) via a connecting plate (7), and the first protective plate (8) being higher than the distance sensor (4), the detector (6) and the camera (5) provided on the same side; The bottom surface of the housing (1) is provided with a second protective plate (9), and the second protective plate (9) is higher than the distance sensor (4), the detector (6) and the camera (5) arranged on the same side.

6. The underwater pipeline inspection robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The connecting plate (7) and the first protective plate (8) are an integrated structure.

7. The underwater pipeline inspection robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first protection plate (8) comprises an arc-shaped plate, and the opening of the arc-shaped plate is arranged toward the side of the housing (1).

8. An autonomous line inspection method, used for the underwater pipeline inspection robot according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: include: Input the route map, starting point coordinates and ending point coordinates of the submarine pipeline (01); Using a propeller (3) to control the underwater pipeline inspection robot to move to the starting point coordinates; The underwater pipeline inspection robot is controlled to move along the submarine pipeline (01), and a distance sensor (4) is used to detect the distance d between the housing (1) and the submarine pipeline (01), so that d min ≤d≤d max , where d min is the preset minimum distance, d max To preset the maximum distance, when the detector (6) detects a leak, the underwater pipeline inspection robot is controlled to circle the submarine pipeline (01) so as to fully photograph and inspect the leak.

Images