Endoscope device for water-cooled wall header of boiler in power plant
By designing a device with a power component and a serpentine actuator in conjunction with a capsule endoscope, the problem of difficult observation in the narrow water-cooled wall pipes was solved, wide-angle internal inspection was achieved, and inspection efficiency and accuracy were improved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511229334.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-29
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-28
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, boiler water-cooled wall pipes are narrow and manual operation makes it difficult to achieve all-round observation, resulting in difficulties in detecting blockages in water-cooled wall pipes and making it impossible to directly determine the internal condition.
A device comprising a power assembly, a segmented serpentine actuator assembly, and a capsule endoscope was designed. Through the cooperation of multiple drivers and cables, the capsule endoscope can be used for multi-angle observation within a water-cooled wall header. It is fixed at the through-hole using an expansion positioning mounting assembly and is further aided by LED lights.
The water-cooled wall header endoscope has a reasonable structure, is easy to use, has a wide range of observation angles, is highly practical, can conveniently adjust the observation range, and improves detection efficiency and accuracy.
Smart Images
Figure CN120845748A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of boiler water-cooled wall headers, specifically relating to an endoscope device for a power plant boiler water-cooled wall header. Background Technology
[0002] Boiler headers (also known as manifolds) are key components of boiler systems. Their core function is to collect or distribute steam and water working fluids, reducing the number of connecting pipes and boiler drum openings, thereby improving boiler operational safety. Structurally, they are made of seamless steel pipes with welded flat end caps or end caps at both ends. The header has multiple pipe holes connecting to the water-cooled walls, economizers, superheaters, and other heating surface tubes. They are classified into various types, including water-cooled wall headers, economizer headers, and superheater headers. Water-cooled wall lower headers (anti-coking headers) are often installed on the side walls of the furnace near the grate to prevent coking on the grate sides. The headers expand the heat transfer area by integrating tube bundles, optimizing working fluid flow and heat absorption efficiency, and are further improved through material modification and structural optimization. To enhance the resistance to steam oxidation and high-temperature durability; in practical applications, to prevent water-cooled wall tubes from bursting due to blockage by foreign objects, ball-passing tests are frequently performed during boiler water-cooled wall maintenance. When conducting a ball-passing test on the entire water-cooled wall tube from inside the upper header, manual operation is generally used. However, due to the narrow scope, manual operation is limited, hindering the smooth progress of the work. Furthermore, operators cannot directly observe the internal conditions, making it impossible to directly assess the internal working status. Therefore, it is essential to provide a power plant boiler water-cooled wall header endoscope device that is structurally sound, easy to use, has a wide observation angle range, and is highly practical. Summary of the Invention
[0003] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a power plant boiler water-cooled wall header endoscope device that is structurally reasonable, easy to use, has a wide range of observation angles, and is highly practical.
[0004] The objective of this invention is achieved as follows: An endoscope device for a water-cooled wall header of a power plant boiler, comprising a power assembly and a capsule-type endoscope. An expansion positioning and mounting assembly is disposed above the power assembly. A segmented serpentine actuator is disposed inside the expansion positioning and mounting assembly. The lower end of the segmented serpentine actuator extends into the expansion positioning and mounting assembly and connects to the upper surface of the power assembly. A fixing seat is mounted on the upper end of the segmented serpentine actuator extending from the expansion positioning and mounting assembly. The capsule-type endoscope is mounted on the fixing seat. A segmented serpentine actuator frame is disposed inside the segmented serpentine actuator. The power assembly is connected to the segmented serpentine actuator frame via a drive cable assembly, enabling adjustment of the observation range of the capsule-type endoscope within the header.
[0005] The power assembly includes a frame, with a first driver and a second driver respectively arranged on the upper left and right sides of the frame, and a third driver arranged at the rear of one side and a fourth driver arranged at the front of the other side of the frame. The output ends of the first driver and the second driver are respectively equipped with a first unwinding pulley and a second unwinding pulley.
[0006] The output ends of the third driver and the fourth driver are respectively equipped with a first gear set and a second gear set. The first gear set and the second gear set are respectively powered to a shaft. The shaft is equipped with a third unwinding pulley and a fourth unwinding pulley. Both ends of the shaft are connected to the inner wall of the frame through bearing seats.
[0007] In this invention, the power component serves as the base control component. Through the coordinated control of multiple drivers and unwinding wheels, or individual control, different motion states of the segmented serpentine actuator are achieved, facilitating adjustments based on the actual needs of internal detection in the water-cooled system.
[0008] The drive cable assembly includes a first cable, a second cable, a third cable, and a fourth cable, which are evenly spaced on a horizontal circumferential surface at left, right, front, and back intervals.
[0009] The lower end of the first cable is wound and connected to the first unwinding pulley, the lower end of the second cable is wound and connected to the second unwinding pulley, the lower end of the third cable is wound and connected to the third unwinding pulley, and the lower end of the fourth cable is wound and connected to the fourth unwinding pulley.
[0010] In this invention, the drive cable assembly serves as a power transmission component, with multiple cables connected to the corresponding unwinding pulleys respectively, facilitating individual or combined control. Furthermore, the multiple cables are positioned on the left, right, top, and bottom respectively, allowing for better control of the segmented serpentine actuator by pulling and releasing the corresponding cables.
[0011] The segmented serpentine execution component is composed of multiple circular flexible shells spliced together, and the segmented serpentine execution skeleton is located inside the flexible shells.
[0012] The segmented serpentine actuator skeleton includes a bottom skeleton unit connected to the upper surface of the frame and a top skeleton unit connected to the fixed base. The bottom skeleton unit and the top skeleton unit are linked by a number of modular middle skeleton units. Several springs are evenly spaced on the upper surface of the bottom skeleton unit, the lower surface of the top skeleton unit, and the circumferential surface between the middle skeleton units.
[0013] In this invention, the spring is positioned in the same direction as the cable and is located outside the respective cable, forming a system composed of the cable and the spring to control the movement of the segmented serpentine actuator skeleton.
[0014] The bottom frame unit has a hinge seat on its upper surface and the top frame unit has a lower surface. The middle frame unit has a coupler unit inside. The coupler units are connected to each other and to the hinge seat through movable joints. The top frame unit has multiple cable top fixers for fixing the corresponding cables on its upper surface. Each pair of cable top fixers has an LED light between them.
[0015] In this invention, multiple modular central skeleton units can be added or removed according to actual needs to adjust their required length, thus improving practicality. The coupler has an overall "H"-shaped structure, which facilitates modular assembly. Moreover, the couplers and the coupler-hinged seat are connected by movable joints, which also enables movable connections between multiple central skeleton units. This allows four actuators to pull and release cables to control the relative movement between the bottom, middle, and top skeleton units of the segmented serpentine execution skeleton, achieving angle and orientation adjustment of the capsule endoscope. Multiple LED lights are installed at the end of the top skeleton unit, which facilitates the control of LED lights for supplementary lighting when the capsule endoscope requires light-assisted examination.
[0016] The expansion positioning installation assembly includes a central tube for installing a segmented serpentine actuator assembly. An expansion corrugated sleeve is provided on the outside of the central tube. The expansion corrugated sleeve is symmetrically provided with an expansion upper end cap and an expansion lower end cap with a "T" shape structure on its upper and lower sides.
[0017] In this invention, the expansion positioning mounting component is fixedly connected to the through hole on the water-cooled box, thereby fixing the entire device and ensuring its stability and reliability during use.
[0018] The capsule endoscope includes a capsule shell, a camera assembly is mounted on the upper end of the capsule shell, and an arc-shaped transparent end cap is provided on the outside of the camera assembly.
[0019] In this invention, a capsule-type endoscope is used. The overall capsule shape allows it to pass through the through-hole on the water-cooled box more easily, and the overall protection performance is better. The front end is made of transparent end cap, which makes the overall sealing better. It can be used in different working conditions, and provides good protection for internal electronic components such as camera components, and has a long service life.
[0020] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention is an endoscope device for a water-cooled wall header of a power plant boiler. In use, the segmented serpentine actuator and the capsule-type endoscope are first inserted into the water-cooled box through a through hole at the top. Then, the expansion positioning and mounting assembly expands and locks into the through hole, connecting the entire device to the water-cooled box. The movement direction and angle of the segmented serpentine actuator can be adjusted and controlled from outside the box via a power assembly, thereby adjusting the observation range of the capsule-type endoscope inside the box. This invention has the advantages of reasonable structure, convenient use, wide observation angle range, and strong practicality. Attached Figure Description
[0021] Figure 1 This is a front view of the present invention.
[0022] Figure 2 For the present invention Figure 1 Partial three-dimensional structural diagram.
[0023] Figure 3 For the present invention Figure 2 A partial internal structure diagram.
[0024] Figure 4 For the present invention Figure 3 Detailed schematic diagram of the power components.
[0025] Figure 5 For the present invention Figure 4 The front view.
[0026] Figure 6 For the present invention Figure 3 An enlarged schematic diagram of the segmented serpentine execution skeleton structure.
[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the expansion positioning and mounting assembly of the present invention.
[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the capsule endoscope of the present invention.
[0029] In the diagram: 1. Power assembly; 11. Frame; 12. First driver; 13. Second driver; 14. Third driver; 15. Fourth driver; 16. First unwinding pulley; 17. Second unwinding pulley; 18. First gear set; 19. Third unwinding pulley; 101. Second gear set; 102. Fourth unwinding pulley; 103. Shaft; 104. Bearing housing; 2. Drive cable assembly; 21. First cable; 22. Second cable; 23. Third cable; 24. Fourth cable; 3. Expansion positioning mounting assembly; 31. 32. Central tube, 33. Expansion corrugated sleeve, 34. Expansion upper end cap, 4. Expansion lower end cap, 41. Segmented serpentine actuator assembly, 5. Flexible housing, 6. Fixing seat, 61. Capsule-type examination endoscope, 62. Capsule shell, 63. Transparent end cap, 7. Camera assembly, 71. Segmented serpentine actuator skeleton, 72. Bottom skeleton unit, 73. Top skeleton unit, 74. Hinge seat, 75. Middle skeleton unit, 76. Coupler unit, 77. Movable joint, 78. Spring, 79. Cable top retainer, LED light. Detailed Implementation
[0030] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0031] Example 1 like Figure 1-8 As shown, an endoscope device for a water-cooled wall header of a power plant boiler includes a power assembly 1 and a capsule-type inspection endoscope 6. An expansion positioning and mounting assembly 3 is disposed above the power assembly 1. A segmented serpentine actuation assembly 4 is disposed inside the expansion positioning and mounting assembly 3. The lower end of the segmented serpentine actuation assembly 4 extends into the expansion positioning and mounting assembly 3 and connects to the upper surface of the power assembly 1. A fixing seat 5 is mounted on the upper end of the segmented serpentine actuation assembly 4 extending out of the expansion positioning and mounting assembly 3. The capsule-type inspection endoscope 6 is mounted on the fixing seat 5. A segmented serpentine actuation frame 7 is disposed inside the segmented serpentine actuation assembly 4. The power assembly 1 is connected to the segmented serpentine actuation frame 7 via a drive cable assembly 2, enabling adjustment of the observation range of the capsule-type inspection endoscope 6 within the header.
[0032] The power assembly 1 includes a frame 11. A first driver 12 and a second driver 13 are respectively arranged on the upper left and right sides of the frame 11. A third driver 14 is arranged on the lower rear side of one side and a fourth driver 15 is arranged on the lower front side of the other side. A first unwinding pulley 16 and a second unwinding pulley 17 are respectively installed at the output end of the first driver 12 and the output end of the second driver 13.
[0033] The output ends of the third driver 14 and the fourth driver 15 are respectively equipped with a first gear set 18 and a second gear set 101. The first gear set 18 and the second gear set 101 are respectively powered to a shaft 103. The shaft 103 is equipped with a third unwinding pulley 19 and a fourth unwinding pulley 102. Both ends of the shaft 103 are connected to the inner wall of the frame 11 through bearing seats 104.
[0034] In this embodiment, the first driver and the first unwinding pulley are located on the left side of the frame, the second driver and the second unwinding pulley are located on the right side of the frame, the third driver and the third unwinding pulley are located at the rear of the frame, and the fourth driver and the fourth unwinding pulley are located at the front of the frame, so that they correspond to the orientation of each cable in the corresponding waving cable group, which facilitates driving the movement of each cable and avoids interference or tangling between the cables.
[0035] The drive cable group 2 includes a first cable 21, a second cable 22, a third cable 23, and a fourth cable 24, which are evenly spaced on a horizontal circumferential surface in the left, right, front, and back directions.
[0036] The lower end of the first cable 21 is wound and connected to the first unwinding pulley 16, the lower end of the second cable 22 is wound and connected to the second unwinding pulley 17, the lower end of the third cable 23 is wound and connected to the third unwinding pulley 19, and the lower end of the fourth cable 24 is wound and connected to the fourth unwinding pulley 102.
[0037] In this embodiment, each cable is installed in the left, right, front, and rear positions, corresponding not only to the positions of the corresponding unwinding pulleys but also to the positions of the springs. One end of each cable is wound around the corresponding unwinding pulley, and the other end passes through the corresponding springs on the upper surface of the bottom frame unit, between the middle frame units, and on the lower surface of the top frame unit, and is then fixedly connected to the cable top retainer above the top frame unit. The springs not only allow the cables to be spaced out in segments to prevent tangling, but also help to better drive the various components of the segmented serpentine actuator to move.
[0038] The segmented serpentine execution component 4 is composed of multiple annular flexible shells 41 spliced together, and the segmented serpentine execution skeleton 7 is located inside the flexible shell 41.
[0039] The segmented serpentine execution frame 7 includes a bottom frame unit 71 connected to the upper surface of the frame 11 and a top frame unit 72 connected to the fixed base 5. The bottom frame unit 71 and the top frame unit 72 are connected by a plurality of modular middle frame units 74. A plurality of springs 77 are evenly spaced on the circumferential surface between the upper surface of the bottom frame unit 71, the lower surface of the top frame unit 72 and the middle frame unit 74.
[0040] The upper surface of the bottom frame unit 71 and the lower surface of the top frame unit 72 are both provided with hinge seats 73. The middle frame unit 74 is provided with a coupler unit 75. The coupler units 75 are connected to each other and to the hinge seats 73 through movable joints 76. The upper surface of the top frame unit 72 is provided with a plurality of cable top fixers 78 for fixing the corresponding cables. Each pair of cable top fixers 78 is provided with an LED light 79.
[0041] In this embodiment, the segmented serpentine actuator skeleton connects the bottom and top skeleton units through multiple modular middle skeleton units. Each middle skeleton unit can independently achieve pitch and yaw movements, simulating the "ball joint" characteristics of snake vertebrae. Cable is wound and unwound via a cable reel, enabling the cable to be pulled and released. This, in conjunction with corresponding springs, drives the middle skeleton units (the pre-tensioned cable connects to the joint modules of the middle skeleton units; when the actuator pulls the cable using the cable reel, the joints of the middle skeleton units bend; when relaxed, they return to their original shape due to the elasticity of the springs). Ultimately, this achieves the overall bending adjustment function of the segmented serpentine actuator skeleton, for example, when... When adjusting the angle, the angle is adjusted by controlling the difference in rotation speed between the left and right joints. For example, when adjusting to the left, the first driver on the left side uses the first unwinding pulley to wind up the corresponding cable, so that the movement angle of the left joint is greater than that of the right side, thus achieving left-side orientation adjustment. Similarly, the second driver on the right side, the third driver behind, and the fourth driver in front can be used to achieve left-side orientation adjustment and pitch angle adjustment. In actual use, in order to further improve the performance, each central skeleton unit joint can also be equipped with a micro motor and an angle sensor to control the corresponding central skeleton unit joint for fine-tuning in real time according to needs and to provide feedback on joint position information.
[0042] This invention relates to an endoscope device for a water-cooled wall header in a power plant boiler. In use, the segmented serpentine actuator 4 and the capsule-type endoscope 6 are first inserted into the water-cooled chamber through a through-hole at the top. Then, the expansion positioning and mounting assembly 3 expands and locks into the through-hole, connecting the entire device to the water-cooled chamber. The movement direction and angle of the segmented serpentine actuator 4 can be adjusted and controlled from outside the chamber via the power assembly 1, thereby adjusting the observation range of the capsule-type endoscope 6 within the chamber. This invention has the advantages of reasonable structure, ease of use, wide observation angle range, and strong practicality.
[0043] Example 2 like Figure 1-8 As shown, an endoscope device for a water-cooled wall header of a power plant boiler includes a power assembly 1 and a capsule-type inspection endoscope 6. An expansion positioning and mounting assembly 3 is disposed above the power assembly 1. A segmented serpentine actuation assembly 4 is disposed inside the expansion positioning and mounting assembly 3. The lower end of the segmented serpentine actuation assembly 4 extends into the expansion positioning and mounting assembly 3 and connects to the upper surface of the power assembly 1. A fixing seat 5 is mounted on the upper end of the segmented serpentine actuation assembly 4 extending out of the expansion positioning and mounting assembly 3. The capsule-type inspection endoscope 6 is mounted on the fixing seat 5. A segmented serpentine actuation frame 7 is disposed inside the segmented serpentine actuation assembly 4. The power assembly 1 is connected to the segmented serpentine actuation frame 7 via a drive cable assembly 2, enabling adjustment of the observation range of the capsule-type inspection endoscope 6 within the header.
[0044] The expansion positioning installation assembly 3 includes a central tube 31 for installing the segmented serpentine execution assembly 4. An expansion corrugated sleeve 32 is provided on the outside of the central tube 31. The expansion corrugated sleeve 32 is symmetrically provided with an expansion upper end cap 33 and an expansion lower end cap 34 with a "T" shape structure on its upper and lower sides.
[0045] In this embodiment, the capsule endoscope and the segmented serpentine actuator are first inserted into the water-cooled box through a through-hole, positioning the expansion and positioning mounting assembly at the through-hole, with the expansion corrugated sleeve inside the through-hole. The "T"-shaped expansion upper and lower caps are located on the upper and lower surfaces of the through-hole, respectively. Then, the expansion and positioning mounting assembly is expanded as a whole. After expansion, the expansion corrugated sleeve is locked inside the through-hole, and the expansion upper and lower caps are locked inside the through-hole, extending upwards to the upper surface and downwards to the lower surface, respectively. This ensures that the segmented serpentine actuator is reliably locked in the through-hole and effectively positioned with the water-cooled box. When the device needs to be disassembled after testing, simply release the expansion of the expansion and positioning mounting assembly to remove the capsule endoscope and the segmented serpentine actuator from the water-cooled box.
[0046] The capsule endoscope 6 includes a capsule shell 61, a camera assembly 63 is mounted on the upper end of the capsule shell 61, and an arc-shaped transparent end cap 62 is provided on the outside of the camera assembly 63.
[0047] In this embodiment, a capsule endoscope is installed at the tail end of the segmented serpentine actuator and extends into the water-cooled box as a visual detection component, using a camera assembly to observe the situation inside the box.
[0048] This invention relates to an endoscope device for a water-cooled wall header in a power plant boiler. In use, the segmented serpentine actuator 4 and the capsule-type endoscope 6 are first inserted into the water-cooled chamber through a through-hole at the top. Then, the expansion positioning and mounting assembly 3 expands and locks into the through-hole, connecting the entire device to the water-cooled chamber. The movement direction and angle of the segmented serpentine actuator 4 can be adjusted and controlled from outside the chamber via the power assembly 1, thereby adjusting the observation range of the capsule-type endoscope 6 within the chamber. This invention has the advantages of reasonable structure, ease of use, wide observation angle range, and strong practicality.
Claims
1. An endoscope device for a water-cooled wall header of a power plant boiler, comprising a power unit and a capsule-type examination endoscope, characterized in that: An expansion positioning mounting assembly is disposed above the power component. Inside the expansion positioning mounting assembly is a segmented serpentine actuator. The lower end of the segmented serpentine actuator extends into the expansion positioning mounting assembly and connects to the upper surface of the power component. A mounting base is installed on the upper end of the segmented serpentine actuator extending from the expansion positioning mounting assembly, and a capsule endoscope is mounted on the mounting base. Inside the segmented serpentine actuator is a segmented serpentine actuator skeleton. The power component is connected to the segmented serpentine actuator skeleton via a drive cable assembly, enabling adjustment of the observation range of the capsule endoscope within the housing.
2. The endoscope device for the water-cooled wall header of a power plant boiler as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The power assembly includes a frame, with a first driver and a second driver respectively arranged on the upper left and right sides of the frame, and a third driver arranged at the rear of one side and a fourth driver arranged at the front of the other side of the frame. The output ends of the first driver and the second driver are respectively equipped with a first unwinding pulley and a second unwinding pulley.
3. The endoscope device for the water-cooled wall header of a power plant boiler as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The output ends of the third driver and the fourth driver are respectively equipped with a first gear set and a second gear set. The first gear set and the second gear set are respectively powered to a shaft. The shaft is equipped with a third unwinding pulley and a fourth unwinding pulley. Both ends of the shaft are connected to the inner wall of the frame through bearing seats.
4. The endoscope device for the water-cooled wall header of a power plant boiler as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The drive cable assembly includes a first cable, a second cable, a third cable, and a fourth cable, which are evenly spaced on a horizontal circumferential surface at left, right, front, and back intervals.
5. The endoscope device for the water-cooled wall header of a power plant boiler as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The lower end of the first cable is wound and connected to the first unwinding pulley, the lower end of the second cable is wound and connected to the second unwinding pulley, the lower end of the third cable is wound and connected to the third unwinding pulley, and the lower end of the fourth cable is wound and connected to the fourth unwinding pulley.
6. The endoscope device for the water-cooled wall header of a power plant boiler as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The segmented serpentine execution component is composed of multiple circular flexible shells spliced together, and the segmented serpentine execution skeleton is located inside the flexible shells.
7. The endoscope device for the water-cooled wall header of a power plant boiler as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The segmented serpentine actuator skeleton includes a bottom skeleton unit connected to the upper surface of the frame and a top skeleton unit connected to the fixed base. The bottom skeleton unit and the top skeleton unit are linked by a number of modular middle skeleton units. Several springs are evenly spaced on the upper surface of the bottom skeleton unit, the lower surface of the top skeleton unit, and the circumferential surface between the middle skeleton units.
8. The endoscope device for the water-cooled wall header of a power plant boiler as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The bottom frame unit has a hinge seat on its upper surface and the top frame unit has a lower surface. The middle frame unit has a coupler unit inside. The coupler units are connected to each other and to the hinge seat through movable joints. The top frame unit has multiple cable top fixers for fixing the corresponding cables on its upper surface. Each pair of cable top fixers has an LED light between them.
9. The endoscope device for the water-cooled wall header of a power plant boiler as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The expansion positioning installation assembly includes a central tube for installing a segmented serpentine actuator assembly. An expansion corrugated sleeve is provided on the outside of the central tube. The expansion corrugated sleeve is symmetrically provided with an expansion upper end cap and an expansion lower end cap with a "T" shape structure on its upper and lower sides.
10. The endoscope device for the water-cooled wall header of a power plant boiler as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The capsule endoscope includes a capsule shell, a camera assembly is mounted on the upper end of the capsule shell, and an arc-shaped transparent end cap is provided on the outside of the camera assembly.