Operation robot, pipeline repairing device and pipeline operation method

Abstract

The invention provides an operation robot, a pipeline repairing device and a pipeline operation method.The operation robot comprises a trolley, an inflation assembly and a control system, the trolley is used for moving in a pipeline and can carry an air bag, the inflation assembly is arranged on the trolley and used for inflating the air bag, and the control system is in communication connection with the trolley. The control system is used for controlling the trolley to move and controlling the inflation assembly to conduct inflation operation. According to the operation robot, air inflation operation on the air bag in the pipeline is achieved, and the pressure control precision and the air inflation response speed are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of pipeline repair technology, and specifically relates to a working robot, a pipeline repair device, and a pipeline operation method. Background Technology

[0002] Pipeline repair technology has become the mainstream technology for underground pipeline repair due to its advantages such as minimal impact on surface traffic and the environment. Among them, the airbag local repair method is a common process used to repair local defects in pipelines, such as cracks, misalignments, and disconnections.

[0003] Traditional airbag repair process: The airbag is sent to the predetermined repair location in the pipeline, and then air is inflated into the airbag through an air compressor and a long air delivery hose set on the ground, so that the airbag expands and fits tightly against the pipeline wall. Then, the airbag is used as an inner mold to inject resin or other methods to cure the repair material, thereby completing the repair.

[0004] However, this traditional restoration process has the following drawbacks:

[0005] Poor control precision: Long-distance air supply lines reduce the inflation response speed and also affect the precision of airbag pressure control, thereby reducing repair efficiency and effectiveness.

[0006] Energy loss: Long-distance air delivery hoses can cause air pressure to drop. To achieve the desired pressure, the ground air compressor needs to output higher pressure, resulting in energy waste. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention provides a work robot, a pipeline repair device, and a pipeline operation method. The work robot enables the inflation of airbags inside the pipeline, improving pressure control accuracy and inflation response speed.

[0008] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0009] A work robot, comprising:

[0010] The trolley is used to move inside the pipe and can carry airbags;

[0011] An inflation assembly, which is mounted on the trolley, is used to inflate the airbag;

[0012] The control system is communicatively connected to the trolley and is used to control the movement of the trolley and to control the inflation assembly to perform inflation operations.

[0013] Furthermore, in the aforementioned work robot, the inflation component includes:

[0014] An air pump is used for inflation.

[0015] Pressure sensor used to monitor output air pressure;

[0016] A control valve is used to receive feedback signals from the pressure sensor or instructions from the control system to adjust the air pressure output by the air pump. The input port of the control valve is connected to the output port of the air pump, and the output port of the control valve is used to connect to the airbag.

[0017] Furthermore, the aforementioned work robot also includes a detection component, which is mounted on the vehicle and used to collect image information of the inside of the pipeline and transmit it to the control system; and / or,

[0018] It also includes a positioning component, which is installed on the vehicle and is used to acquire and report the vehicle's position information and transmit it to the control system.

[0019] Furthermore, in the aforementioned work robot, the detection component includes a light source and at least one camera. The camera is rotatably mounted on the trolley and is used to photograph the inside of the pipe to identify the location of pipe defects. The light source is used to illuminate the camera.

[0020] The positioning component includes an odometer and an inertial measurement unit. The control system obtains position information by fusing the odometer data and the inertial measurement unit data.

[0021] Furthermore, in the aforementioned work robot, the output port of the control valve is provided with a quick interface, which is used to connect to the input port of the airbag.

[0022] Furthermore, in the aforementioned work robot, the vehicle includes a vehicle body and a walking mechanism. The walking mechanism is installed at the bottom of the vehicle body and is used to drive the vehicle body to move along the pipeline.

[0023] A pipe repair device, comprising:

[0024] At least one of the aforementioned work robots is used for movement within the pipeline;

[0025] At least one airbag for repairing the pipeline, each airbag being connected to an interface of an inflation assembly of the working robot.

[0026] A pipeline repair method, using the aforementioned pipeline repair device, includes the following steps:

[0027] S2: Install the airbag on the inflation component of the working robot and control the working robot to carry the airbag and walk in the pipe to the pipe defect;

[0028] S3: Control the inflation component to inflate the airbag to a predetermined pressure, so that the airbag expands to repair defects in the pipeline or to serve as an inner mold support;

[0029] S4: After the operation is completed, control the inflation component to deflate the airbag;

[0030] S5: Control the robot to return or move inside the pipeline to repair or support the next defect in the pipeline.

[0031] Furthermore, the pipeline operation method further includes the following steps before step S2:

[0032] S1: Control the robot to move inside the pipe, control the detection component to detect the inside of the pipe to identify pipe defects, control the positioning component to locate the position of the trolley and the pipe defects, generate a walking path, and control the robot to return; or...

[0033] In step S2, during the operation of the robot, the control detection component performs real-time detection on the inside of the pipe to identify pipe defects, and the control positioning component locates the position of the trolley and the pipe defects.

[0034] Furthermore, in the pipeline operation method, the method employs multiple operation robots, with multiple airbags connected to the inflation components of the multiple operation robots, controlling the multiple operation robots to move to different target defects in the pipeline, and simultaneously performing detection and repair operations.

[0035] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0036] The present invention discloses a work robot that, by setting an inflation component on the trolley, realizes the inflation operation of the airbag inside the pipeline, improves the pressure control accuracy and inflation response speed, solves the problem of the constraints of long-distance hoses and the pressure loss caused by long-distance gas transportation, realizes on-demand gas supply, saves energy, and allows operators to complete the work remotely from the ground, improving the convenience of operation, eliminating the need to go down into the well, and improving the safety of the operation.

[0037] This robot achieves precise detection of defects on the inner wall of pipes by employing detection components. It also achieves precise positioning of the pipe defects and the trolley's location by using positioning components, avoiding inaccurate positioning caused by measurement errors inside and outside the pipe in traditional methods. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This is a side view schematic diagram of the working robot and airbag of a pipeline repair device according to the present invention;

[0039] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a working robot of the pipeline repair device of the present invention located inside a pipeline;

[0040] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of a pipe repair device of the present invention before operation inside a pipe;

[0041] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a pipe repair device of the present invention operating inside a pipe;

[0042] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the operation status of the working robot and airbag of a pipeline repair device according to the present invention.

[0043] In the diagram: 1. Car; 11. Car body; 12. Walking mechanism; 121. Track; 122. Wheel; 123. Chassis; 2. Inflatable assembly; 24. Quick connector; 3. Detection assembly; 31. Light source; 32. Camera; 4. Positioning assembly; 5. Airbag; 51. Airbag body; 52. Dotted liner; 6. Pipeline. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description and claims. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0045] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment provides a work robot, including a trolley 1, an inflation component 2, and a control system, and may also include a detection component 3 and a positioning component 4.

[0046] The vehicle 1 is used to move within the pipe 6 and can carry the airbag 5. The vehicle 1 may include a body 11 and a running gear 12. The running gear 12 is mounted on the chassis 123 of the body 11 and is used to drive the body 11 to move along the pipe 6. The body 11 may be waterproof and explosion-proof to adapt to the harsh environment inside the pipe 6. The body 11 may also be equipped with a power supply mechanism (e.g., a rechargeable battery). The running gear 12 may be a tracked running gear 12 or a wheeled running gear 12, with strong obstacle crossing and climbing capabilities. The tracked running gear 12 includes a chassis 123 and two track rolling assemblies, which are rotatably mounted at both ends of the chassis 123. The track rolling assembly includes multiple spaced wheels 122 and tracks 121 wound around the multiple wheels 122. The multiple wheels 122 are rotatably connected to the chassis 123.

[0047] An inflation assembly 2 is mounted on the trolley 1 and is used to inflate the airbag 5. The inflation assembly 2 can be installed inside the body 11 of the trolley 1. The inflation assembly 2 may include an air pump (preferably a miniature high-pressure air pump), a pressure sensor, and a control valve (preferably a proportional valve), and may also include an air tank. The air pump is used for inflation, the pressure sensor is used to monitor the output air pressure in real time, and the control valve is used to receive feedback signals from the pressure sensor or commands from the control system to adjust the air pressure output by the air pump, achieving closed-loop pressure control. The air pump's inlet is connected to the air tank, and the air pump's outlet is connected to the control valve's inlet. The control valve's outlet is connected to the airbag 5. The pressure sensor can be mounted on the control valve or the airbag 5 to monitor the air pressure value in real time. Based on the real-time feedback signal from the pressure sensor or commands from the control system, the control valve precisely adjusts the gas pressure drawn from the air tank by the air pump to ensure the pressure value during the repair or support of the airbag 5, improving operational efficiency.

[0048] The control system is communicatively connected to the trolley 1. The control system controls the movement of the trolley 1 and the inflation assembly 2 to perform inflation operations. The control system is connected to the trolley 1 via cable or wireless communication. The control system receives signals from the detection assembly 3 and the positioning assembly 4, analyzes and processes them, then controls the movement of the trolley 1 and controls the control valve of the inflation assembly 2 to perform inflation operations. The control system is preferably located outside the pipe 6. The control system can be any suitable computing device, such as a personal computer, server, programmable logic controller (PLC), microcontroller, etc., or it can be an integrated computer device. The control system has functions such as receiving information and sending control commands. The control system can control the movement of the trolley 1 and the inflation assembly 2 to perform inflation operations via wired or wireless communication to complete repair or support operations.

[0049] In practical use, the airbag 5 can be connected to the interface of the inflation component 2 so that the radial direction of the airbag 5 is consistent with the extension direction of the pipe 6. The control system controls the trolley 1 to carry the airbag 5 in the pipe 6 and stop when it reaches the defect in the pipe 6. The control system controls the inflation component 2 to inflate the airbag 5 to the predetermined pressure. The airbag 5 expands to repair the defect in the pipe 6 or to act as an inner mold support for 30-60 minutes. After the operation is completed, the control system controls the inflation component 2 to deflate the airbag 5 and controls the trolley 1 to return or move in the pipe 6 to repair or support the next defect in the pipe 6.

[0050] In the above structure, by setting an inflation component 2 on the trolley 1, the inflation operation of the airbag 5 in the pipeline 6 is realized, which improves the pressure control accuracy and inflation response speed, solves the problem of the constraints of long-distance hoses and the pressure loss caused by long-distance gas transmission, realizes on-demand gas supply, saves energy, and allows operators to complete the operation remotely on the ground, which improves the convenience of operation, eliminates the need to go down into the well, and improves the safety of the operation.

[0051] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in a preferred embodiment, a detection component 3 is also included. This component 3 is mounted on the trolley 1 and is used to collect image information of the interior of the pipe 6 and transmit it to the control system. The detection component 3 may include a light source 31 and two cameras 32. The cameras 32 are preferably high-definition cameras, and the light source 31 is preferably an LED light group for illuminating the cameras 32. The two cameras 32 may be a front-facing camera and a rear-facing camera. The two cameras 32 can be mounted on the top of the trolley 1 via a rotation drive mechanism (not shown). The rotation drive mechanism drives the two cameras 32 to rotate, allowing the cameras 32 to capture images of the inner wall of the pipe 6 from all angles, identifying the location of defects in the pipe 6 and assisting the trolley 1 in navigation and positioning. The rotation drive mechanism is, for example, a motor with a reducer. This detection component 3 enables omnidirectional imaging of the inner wall of the pipe 6, thereby achieving accurate identification of defects in the inner wall of the pipe 6. In conjunction with the trolley 1 and the inflation component 2, it enables precise repair or support operations on the inner wall of the pipe 6. Simultaneously, based on a visual SLAM algorithm, it provides crucial positional correction for the trolley 1.

[0052] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in a preferred embodiment, a positioning component 4 is also included. The positioning component 4 is mounted on the vehicle 1 and is used to acquire and feedback the position information of the vehicle 1, transmitting it to the control system. The positioning component 4 may include an odometer (e.g., an encoder odometer) and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The control system obtains the position information of the vehicle 1 by fusing the odometer's mileage data and the IMU's inertial data. In the control system, a fusion positioning technology is used to deeply fuse the odometer's mileage data, the IMU's inertial data, and the visual SLAM information provided by the detection component 3. The visual SLAM of the detection component corrects the accumulated errors of the odometer and the IMU, thereby calculating the vehicle 1's travel distance and precise position within the pipeline 6 in real time. Visual SLAM stands for Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping. This positioning component achieves accurate positioning of the pipeline defect and the vehicle's position, avoiding inaccurate positioning due to measurement errors inside and outside the pipeline in traditional methods. It should be noted that the above-mentioned fusion positioning technology can employ known techniques.

[0053] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in a preferred embodiment, the output port of the control valve is provided with a quick-connect interface 24, which is used to connect to the input port of the airbag 5. The input port of the airbag 5 and the output port of the control valve are connected through the quick-connect interface 24. The quick-connect interface 24 enables the airbag 5 to be detachably connected and improves the connection efficiency.

[0054] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, this embodiment also provides a pipeline repair device, including at least one working robot and at least one airbag 5.

[0055] At least one working robot is used to move within pipe 6.

[0056] At least one airbag 5 is used to repair the pipe 6, and each airbag 5 is connected to an interface of an inflation assembly 2 of the working robot. The airbag 5 may include an airbag body 51 and a dotted liner 52. The resin-impregnated dotted liner 52 is wrapped around the airbag body 51, and the airbag body 51 inflates to allow the dotted liner 52 to adhere to the defect in the pipe 6. The repair is completed after the resin cures.

[0057] Specifically, multiple robots can be set up, each carrying an airbag 5, to enter the pipe 6 and move to different target defect locations within the pipe 6. The robots activate the inflation component 2 to inflate the airbags 5 to a preset pressure. The inflated airbags 5 then repair the defects in the pipe 6 or provide support as an internal mold. This setup enables simultaneous repair work in different sections of the pipe 6, transforming the traditional "serial" construction mode into a highly efficient "parallel" mode, significantly shortening the overall construction time.

[0058] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, this embodiment also provides a pipeline operation method using the pipeline repair device, including the following steps: S2-S5.

[0059] S2: Install the airbag 5 on the inflation component 2 of the working robot, and control the working robot to carry the airbag 5 to walk in the pipe 6 to the defect in the pipe 6.

[0060] Furthermore, in step S2, during the operation of the robot, the control detection component 3 performs real-time detection on the inside of the pipe 6 to identify defects in the pipe 6, and the control positioning component 4 locates the position of the trolley 1 and the defect in the pipe 6.

[0061] S3: Control the inflation component 2 to inflate the airbag 5 to a predetermined pressure, so that the airbag 5 expands to repair defects in the pipe 6 or to serve as an inner mold support.

[0062] S4: After the operation is completed, control the inflation component 2 to deflate the airbag 5.

[0063] S5: Control the robot to return or move within the pipe 6 to repair or support the next defect in the pipe 6.

[0064] The above-mentioned pipeline operation method, through the cooperation of the operation robot and the airbag 5, enables the simultaneous detection, positioning and repair of pipeline 6, which significantly improves the repair efficiency and accuracy of pipeline 6.

[0065] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, this embodiment also provides a pipeline operation method using the pipeline repair device, including the following steps: S1-S5.

[0066] S1: Control the robot to walk inside the pipe 6, control the detection component 3 to detect the inside of the pipe 6 to identify defects in the pipe 6, control the positioning component 4 to locate the position of the trolley 1 and the defect in the pipe 6, generate a walking path, and control the robot to return.

[0067] S2: Install the airbag 5 on the inflation component 2 of the working robot, and control the working robot to carry the airbag 5 along the walking path of the pipe 6 to the defect in the pipe 6.

[0068] S3: Control the inflation component 2 to inflate the airbag 5 to a predetermined pressure, so that the airbag 5 expands to repair defects in the pipe 6 or to serve as an inner mold support.

[0069] S4: After the operation is completed, control the inflation component 2 to deflate the airbag 5.

[0070] S5: Control the robot to return or move within the pipe 6 to repair or support the next defect in the pipe 6.

[0071] The above-described pipeline operation method first uses a robot to detect and locate defects in pipeline 6, forming a travel path. Then, the robot, carrying an airbag 5, travels along the path to the designated location for repair or internal mold support. Alternatively, multiple robots can be deployed, each carrying an airbag 5, to the defect in pipeline 6 to simultaneously perform inflation repair. This method optimizes resource allocation while ensuring efficiency.

[0072] like Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, in a preferred embodiment, the method employs multiple robots, with multiple airbags 5 connected one-to-one to the inflation components 2 of each robot. The robots are then controlled to move to different target defects in the pipe 6, simultaneously performing inspection and repair work. Each robot carries an airbag 5 into the pipe 6 and moves to a different target defect location. Each robot activates its inflation component 2 to inflate the airbag 5 to a preset pressure. The inflated airbag 5 repairs the defect in the pipe 6 or provides support as an internal mold. This setup enables simultaneous repair work in different sections of the pipe 6, transforming the traditional "series" construction mode into a highly efficient "parallel" mode, significantly shortening the overall construction time.

[0073] The above description is merely a description of preferred embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the above disclosure shall fall within the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A work robot, characterized in that, include: A trolley (1) is used to move within the pipe (6) and is capable of carrying an airbag (5); An inflation assembly (2) is mounted on a trolley (1) and is used to inflate the airbag (5). The control system is communicatively connected to the trolley (1) and is used to control the movement of the trolley (1) and to control the inflation assembly (2) to perform inflation operations.

2. The work robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inflation assembly (2) includes: An air pump is used for inflation. Pressure sensor used to monitor output air pressure; A control valve is used to receive feedback signals from the pressure sensor or instructions from the control system to adjust the air pressure output by the air pump. The input port of the control valve is connected to the output port of the air pump, and the output port of the control valve is used to connect to the airbag (5).

3. The work robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a detection component (3), which is mounted on the trolley (1) for acquiring image information inside the pipe (6) and transmitting it to the control system; and / or, It also includes a positioning component (4), which is installed on the vehicle (1) to acquire and feed back the position information of the vehicle (1) and transmit it to the control system.

4. The work robot as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The detection component (3) includes a light source (31) and at least one camera (32). The camera (32) is rotatably mounted on the trolley (1) and is used to take pictures of the inside of the pipe (6) to identify the location of defects in the pipe (6). The light source (31) is used to illuminate the camera (32). The positioning component (4) includes an odometer and an inertial measurement unit. The control system obtains position information by fusing the odometer data and the inertial measurement unit data.

5. The work robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The output port of the control valve is provided with a quick interface (24), which is used to connect to the input port of the airbag (5).

6. The work robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The trolley (1) includes a body (11) and a walking mechanism (12). The walking mechanism (12) is installed at the bottom of the body (11) and is used to drive the body (11) to move along the pipe (6).

7. A pipe repair device, characterized in that, include: At least one working robot as described in any one of claims 1-6 is used for moving within the pipe (6); At least one airbag (5) is used for repairing the pipe (6), and each airbag (5) is connected to an interface of an inflation assembly (2) of the working robot.

8. A pipeline repair method, employing the pipeline repair device as described in claim 7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S2: Install the airbag (5) on the inflation component (2) of the working robot, and control the working robot to carry the airbag (5) to walk in the pipe (6) to the defect of the pipe (6); S3: Control the inflation component (2) to inflate the airbag (5) to a predetermined pressure, so that the airbag (5) expands to repair the defects in the pipe (6) or to serve as an inner mold support; S4: After the operation is completed, control the inflation component (2) to deflate the airbag (5); S5: Control the robot to return or move within the pipe (6) to repair or support the next defect in the pipe (6).

9. The pipeline operation method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The steps preceding step S2 also include: S1: Control the robot to move inside the pipe (6), control the detection component (3) to detect the inside of the pipe (6) to identify defects in the pipe (6), control the positioning component (4) to locate the positions of the trolley (1) and the defects in the pipe (6), generate a walking path, and control the robot to return; or, In step S2, during the operation of the robot, the control detection component (3) detects the inside of the pipe (6) in real time and identifies defects in the pipe (6), and the control positioning component (4) locates the defect positions of the trolley (1) and the pipe (6).

10. The pipeline (6) operation method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The method employs multiple work robots, connecting multiple airbags (5) one by one to the inflation components (2) of the multiple work robots, controlling the multiple work robots to move to different target defects in the pipeline (6) and simultaneously carry out detection and repair operations.

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