Multi-pipe-diameter self-adaptive multi-working-condition heat supply pipeline inspection robot and system

Abstract

The invention provides a multi-pipe-diameter self-adaptive multi-working-condition heat supply pipeline inspection robot and system. The multi-pipe-diameter self-adaptive multi-working-condition heat supply pipeline inspection robot comprises a self-adaptive crawler belt moving chassis structure, a machine body structure, a modular operation execution structure, a multi-mode sensing integrated structure and a control and communication integrated structure. The self-adaptive crawler belt moving chassis structure is fixedly connected with the machine body structure; the modular operation execution structure is carried on the top of the machine body; the modular operation execution structure is used for executing specific inspection operation; the multi-modal sensing integrated structure is used for realizing data acquisition; the control and communication integrated structure is used for controlling the execution of the inspection operation based on the collected data; according to the inspection robot disclosed by the invention, the integrated operation of'detection-identification-disposal 'on defects such as dust retention, corrosion and tiny leakage of the pipeline is realized, and the flexibility and task diversity of inspection operation are greatly enhanced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of heating pipeline inspection equipment structure, specifically relating to a multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot and system. Background Technology

[0002] As a core infrastructure for people's livelihood, urban heating pipe networks cover pipe diameters from DN300 to DN1200. The internal environment of the pipes is complex, and existing inspection robot equipment has many shortcomings: 1. Limitations of pipe diameter adaptation structure: Most robot chassis adopt a fixed telescopic stroke structure or a manual adjustment structure, which cannot achieve automatic adaptation to the full pipe diameter range of DN300-DN1200. The moving support is unreasonable, which can easily cause slippage or scratches on the inner wall of the pipe in complex diameter pipes. 2. Simple operation structure: The detection and operation components are fixedly assembled, without quick switching, and lack an effective handling structure when facing scenarios such as dust accumulation and minor leaks; 3. Insufficient stability of mobile support: The wheel set is simple to adjust and mostly uses a single support mode. It has poor mobile stability and weak obstacle crossing ability under complex working conditions such as welds, protrusions, and depressions. 4. Weak environmental protection structure: The sealing and protection structure of the heating pipeline is insufficient and the explosion protection is inadequate for the humid, dusty, high-temperature and potentially flammable and explosive environment, resulting in a high equipment failure rate; To address the aforementioned shortcomings, there is an urgent need to develop an inspection robot with an adaptive structure for all pipe diameters, a flexible operation execution structure, a stable mobile support structure, and a high-safety protection structure, in order to meet the structural reliability requirements of urban heating pipeline inspection equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot and system, which solves the technical problems of existing heating pipeline inspection robots, such as narrow pipe diameter adaptation structure range, insufficient flexibility of operation execution structure, poor stability of mobile support structure and weak protection structure in complex environments. It realizes full-diameter adaptive movement, integration of multiple types of operation execution structure, optimization of stable mobile support structure and upgrading of safety protection structure in complex environments.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot, comprising an adaptive tracked mobile chassis structure, a body structure, a modular operation execution structure, a multimodal perception integrated structure, and a control and communication integrated structure; the adaptive tracked mobile chassis structure is fixedly connected to the body structure; the modular operation execution structure is mounted on the top of the body. The modular operation execution structure is used to perform specific inspection operations; The multimodal sensing integrated structure is used to achieve data acquisition; The control and communication integration structure is used to control the execution of inspection operations based on the collected data.

[0005] Preferably, the adaptive tracked mobile chassis structure includes a lateral telescopic assembly, a track and adjusting wheel assembly, and a bottom vertical support wheel assembly, wherein: There are two lateral telescopic components, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the fuselage structure; each lateral telescopic component is connected to a track and adjusting wheel assembly at its end. The bottom vertical support wheel assembly is located at the bottom of the machine body to provide vertical support and adapt to unevenness of the inner wall of the pipe.

[0006] Preferably, the lateral telescopic mechanism includes a telescopic base, an electric push rod, a guide rail, a two-stage telescopic arm, and a pressure sensor, wherein: The telescopic base is fixed to the side wall of the machine body. An electric push rod is installed on the telescopic base. The electric push rod drives and connects to two-stage telescopic arms. A guide rail is installed on the telescopic base. The two-stage telescopic arms are slidably installed on the guide rail. The ends of the two-stage telescopic arms are connected to a track and an adjusting wheel assembly. The pressure sensor is used to detect the contact pressure between the track and adjusting wheel system and the inner wall of the pipe in real time.

[0007] Preferably, the track and adjusting wheel assembly includes a track frame, a drive wheel, a driven track roller, a support wheel, and a track body, wherein: The track frame is hinged to the end of the lateral telescopic mechanism; the drive wheel, driven track roller and support wheel are mounted on the track frame; the track body is wrapped around the drive wheel, driven track roller and support wheel.

[0008] Preferably, the bottom vertical support wheel assembly includes two independent adjustable support modules symmetrically distributed front and rear, the two adjustable support modules are symmetrically arranged at the bottom of the fuselage, and the two adjustable support modules are arranged along the axial direction of the fuselage.

[0009] Preferably, each support module includes an electric actuator, a pressure sensor, an encoder, and bottom support wheels, wherein: One end of the electric push rod is fixed to the machine body structure, and the end of the electric push rod is driven to be connected to the bottom support wheel; The encoder and pressure sensor are both mounted on the bottom support wheel, and are used to detect the rotational speed of the bottom support wheel and the contact pressure of the bottom support wheel, respectively.

[0010] Preferably, the modular operation execution structure includes a high-precision rotating gimbal, a 4-DOF folding robotic arm, and an end effector, wherein: The high-precision rotating gimbal is mounted on the top of the machine body structure, the 4-DOF folding robotic arm is mounted on the high-precision rotating gimbal, and the end effector is mounted on the end of the 4-DOF folding robotic arm.

[0011] Preferably, the multimodal perception integrated structure includes a visual recognition unit assembly frame and a positioning and navigation unit integrated board, wherein: The visual recognition unit mounting bracket is used to install the recognition module; The positioning and navigation unit integrated board has reserved assembly interfaces for inertial navigation, odometer and QR code recognition modules.

[0012] Preferably, the power protection structure includes a high-capacity lithium battery pack assembly compartment and an intelligent charging management module mounting base.

[0013] Secondly, the present invention provides a heating pipeline inspection system, characterized in that it includes: The multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot based on any one of claims 1-9; A remote control terminal is used to receive data transmitted back by the robot and send control commands to the robot.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: This invention provides a multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot. By integrating an adaptive tracked mobile chassis structure, it achieves automatic adaptation and stable movement within the full pipe diameter range of DN300 to DN1200, effectively overcoming the problems of slippage, jamming, or scratching of the inner wall caused by changes in pipe diameter in existing equipment. The track and adjusting wheel assembly can flexibly switch between flat track, arc track, and stepped track states by adjusting the position of the driven track wheel. This not only ensures the stability of walking along the wall in straight and curved pipes, but also gives the robot a strong obstacle-crossing ability to cross obstacles ≤50mm in height. Combined with the active pressure adjustment and auxiliary shock absorption components of the bottom vertical support wheel assembly, it significantly improves the stability and passability of movement in complex and irregular pipe inner wall conditions such as welds, protrusions, and depressions.

[0015] The inspection robot described in this application realizes an integrated operation of "detection-identification-handling" of defects such as dust accumulation, corrosion, and minor leaks in pipelines, which greatly enhances the flexibility and task diversity of inspection operations.

[0016] The overall structure of this application combines lightweight, high strength and high environmental adaptability, thereby comprehensively improving the efficiency, accuracy and safety of automated inspection of urban heating pipeline networks, and reducing the risks and maintenance costs of manual inspection. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a rear view of the inspection robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the inspection robot involved in an embodiment of the present invention; The components include: 1. Lateral telescopic assembly; 2. Automatic tension adjustment mechanism; 3. Adjustment support module; 4. Electric push rod; 5. 4-DOF folding robotic arm; 6. End effector; 7. Multimodal sensing integrated structure; 8. Control and communication integrated structure; 9. Power protection structure; 10. Active drive wheel; 11. Support wheel; 12. Driven support wheel; and 13. Auxiliary shock absorption assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0018] In the following description, specific details such as particular system architectures and techniques are set forth for illustrative purposes and not for limitation, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will understand that this application may also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, apparatuses, circuits, and methods have been omitted so as not to obscure the description of this application with unnecessary detail.

[0019] It should be understood that, when used in this application specification and the appended claims, the term "comprising" indicates the presence of the described features, integrals, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components and / or a collection thereof.

[0020] It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used in this application specification and the appended claims means any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, and includes such combinations.

[0021] As used in this application specification and the appended claims, the term "if" may be interpreted, depending on the context, as "when," "once," "in response to determination," or "in response to detection." Similarly, the phrase "if determined" or "if detected [the described condition or event]" may be interpreted, depending on the context, as meaning "once determined," "in response to determination," "once detected [the described condition or event]," or "in response to detection [the described condition or event]."

[0022] Furthermore, in the description of this application and the appended claims, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0023] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" as described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0024] Example 1 This embodiment provides a multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot, comprising an adaptive tracked mobile chassis structure, a body structure, a modular operation execution structure, a multimodal perception integrated structure, a control and communication integrated structure, and a power protection structure, wherein: The adaptive tracked mobile chassis structure is fixedly connected to the fuselage structure, the modular operation execution structure is mounted on the top of the fuselage, and the multimodal perception integrated structure, control and communication integrated structure, and power protection structure are integrated inside the fuselage.

[0025] The modular operation execution structure is used to perform specific operations and tasks; the multimodal perception integration structure is used for all-round perception and data acquisition; the control and communication integration structure is used for whole-machine coordination, decision-making and data transmission; the power protection and protection structure is used to provide the robot with lasting and safe energy support and physical protection. All structures work together through modular assembly, adapting to the automated inspection and emergency operation of heating pipelines with diameters of DN300-DN1200.

[0026] Example 2 Based on Example 1, this example provides a multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot. The adaptive tracked mobile chassis structure includes a lateral telescopic assembly, a track and adjusting wheel assembly, a bottom vertical support wheel assembly, and an auxiliary shock absorption assembly, wherein: There are two lateral telescopic components, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the fuselage structure; each lateral telescopic component is connected to a track and adjusting wheel assembly at its end. The bottom vertical support wheel assembly is arranged at the bottom of the machine body to provide vertical support and adapt to the unevenness of the inner wall of the pipe; The auxiliary shock absorption components are arranged at the connection between the chassis and the fuselage structure.

[0027] The signal terminals of the lateral telescopic component, the track and adjusting wheel component, and the vertical support wheel unit are all connected to the main control system of the inspection robot.

[0028] Example 3 Based on Example 2, this example provides a multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot. The lateral telescopic assembly includes a telescopic base, an electric push rod, a guide rail, a two-stage telescopic arm, and a displacement sensor assembly structure, wherein: The telescopic base is fixed to the side wall of the machine body. An electric push rod is installed on the telescopic base. The electric push rod drives and connects to two-stage telescopic arms. A guide rail is installed on the telescopic base. The two-stage telescopic arms are slidably installed on the guide rail. The ends of the two-stage telescopic arms are connected to a track and an adjusting wheel assembly.

[0029] In this embodiment, the lateral telescopic component can achieve a telescopic stroke of 0-500mm.

[0030] The displacement sensor assembly structure is installed at the end of the two-stage telescopic arm to assemble a pressure sensor that detects the contact pressure between the track and adjusting wheel system and the inner wall of the pipeline in real time.

[0031] Example 4 Based on Example 2, this example provides a multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot. The track and adjustment wheel assembly includes a track frame, an active drive wheel, a driven track roller, a support wheel, and a track body. The active drive wheel, the driven track roller, and the support wheel are all equipped with independent micro servo drive structures, which can achieve ±30° independent pitch adjustment.

[0032] The track frame is connected to the ends of the two-stage telescopic boom via a rotating hinge, which allows for ±15° pitch adjustment to accommodate slightly tilted pipelines.

[0033] The active drive wheel, driven track roller, and support wheel are all mounted on the track frame.

[0034] The track body is wrapped around the drive wheel, the driven track roller and the support wheel, and is engaged with the drive wheel.

[0035] The driven track roller and the track frame are assembled in an adjustable manner. By adjusting the assembly position of the driven track roller, the track can be switched between flat track, arc track and stepped track states, which can be adapted to the movement of straight pipe sections, the movement of the inner wall of the pipe and the crossing of obstacles with a height of ≤50mm.

[0036] The track body is made of high wear-resistant nitrile rubber, and the surface is integrally molded with anti-slip texture and heat-conducting protrusions.

[0037] In this embodiment, an automatic tension adjustment mechanism is also included, which is installed on the track frame and is connected to the driven track roller.

[0038] Example 5 Based on Embodiment 2, this embodiment provides a multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot. The bottom vertical support wheel assembly includes two independent adjustment support modules symmetrically distributed front and rear. The two adjustment support modules are symmetrically arranged at the bottom of the body and arranged along the axial direction of the body to provide vertical support and adapt to the unevenness of the inner wall of the pipeline.

[0039] In this embodiment, each support module includes an electric actuator, a pressure sensor, an encoder, and bottom support wheels, wherein: The electric push rod and the bottom support wheel form a lifting drive to achieve 0-100mm lifting adjustment. The pressure sensor and encoder are both mounted on the connection part of the bottom support wheel to detect the contact pressure (accuracy ±0.5N) and rotation speed of the bottom support wheel, respectively.

[0040] The support wheel is made of polyurethane elastic material, which makes flexible contact with the inner wall of the pipe.

[0041] Example 6 Based on Example 2, this example provides a multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot. The auxiliary shock absorption component includes a rubber shock absorption pad and a damper, which are assembled at the connection between the chassis and the body. The rubber shock absorption pad adopts a multi-layer composite structure, and the damper and the rubber shock absorption pad are arranged in parallel.

[0042] Example 7 Based on Example 1, this example provides a multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot. The modular operation execution structure includes a high-precision rotating gimbal, a 4-DOF folding robotic arm, and an end effector, wherein: The high-precision rotating gimbal is mounted on the top of the machine body structure, the 4-DOF folding robotic arm is mounted on the high-precision rotating gimbal, and the end effector is mounted on the end of the 4-DOF folding robotic arm.

[0043] In this embodiment, the high-precision rotating gimbal adopts a hollow rotating platform motor assembly structure, the outer shell adopts a sealed design, the protection level is IP65, and it has a built-in angle encoder and gyroscope assembly slot.

[0044] The 4-DOF folding robotic arm includes a base rotation joint, an upper arm swing joint, a lower arm swing joint, and a wrist rotation joint, and each joint is equipped with a servo motor and a torque sensor. In this embodiment, the maximum extension length of the 4-DOF folding robotic arm is 800mm, and its load-bearing capacity is ≥2kg.

[0045] Example 8 Based on Example 7, this example provides a multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot. The end effector adopts a "magnetic suction + snap-on" dual quick-release assembly structure, including a high-definition sensing unit, a multi-dimensional detection unit, and an emergency operation unit, wherein: The high-definition sensing unit integrates a 1080P low-light industrial camera, a wide-angle + telephoto dual lens, and an LED explosion-proof supplementary light; the multi-dimensional detection unit integrates an ultrasonic flaw detector sensor, an infrared temperature sensor, and a gas sensor mounting base.

[0046] Example 9 Based on Example 1, this example provides a multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot. The multimodal perception integrated structure includes a vision recognition unit assembly frame, a defect detection unit mounting base, and a positioning and navigation unit integrated board, wherein: The visual recognition unit assembly frame is adapted to the installation and fixation of the YOLOv8 recognition module.

[0047] The positioning and navigation unit integrated board has reserved assembly interfaces for inertial navigation, odometer and QR code recognition modules.

[0048] The side of the fuselage is equipped with a lidar mounting bracket for fixing the lidar detection components.

[0049] Example 10 Based on Example 1, this example provides a multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot. The control and communication integrated structure adopts an industrial-grade STM32H743MCU+FPGA modular architecture. The MCU and FPGA are connected through a dedicated interface board. The communication part adopts a dual communication interface assembly structure of "fiber optic + 5G / WiFi". The fiber optic interface is assembled at the rear of the body, and the 5G / WiFi module is integrated at the top of the body. It has a built-in 128GB SSD local storage assembly slot. The control structure supports hardware interface adaptation for both "automatic inspection + manual remote control" modes.

[0050] Example 11 Based on Example 1, this example provides a multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot. The power protection structure includes a high-capacity lithium battery pack assembly compartment and an intelligent charging management module mounting base. The lithium battery pack adopts an 18650 cell array assembly structure, with a voltage of 24V and a capacity of 20Ah. It supports online charging interface and hot-swappable replacement structure. The battery has a built-in overcharge, over-discharge, overcurrent, and short-circuit protection module assembly slot. The body is equipped with temperature sensor and smoke alarm mounting holes. The whole machine adopts an ExdIIBT4 explosion-proof shell structure. All electronic equipment assembly parts adopt a sealed protection design with a protection level of not less than IP65. The body is made of lightweight, high-strength aluminum alloy in one piece, and the parts in contact with the pipeline are all assembled with elastic materials.

[0051] Example 12 This embodiment provides a heating pipeline inspection system, including: Based on the multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot described in Example 1; A remote control terminal is used to receive data transmitted back by the robot and send control commands to the robot.

[0052] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot, characterized in that, It includes an adaptive tracked mobile chassis structure, a fuselage structure, a modular operation execution structure, a multimodal perception integrated structure, and a control and communication integrated structure; the adaptive tracked mobile chassis structure is fixedly connected to the fuselage structure; the modular operation execution structure is mounted on the top of the fuselage. The modular operation execution structure is used to perform specific inspection operations; The multimodal sensing integrated structure is used to achieve data acquisition; The control and communication integration structure is used to control the execution of inspection operations based on the collected data.

2. The multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adaptive tracked mobile chassis structure includes a lateral telescopic assembly, a track and adjusting wheel assembly, and a bottom vertical support wheel assembly, wherein: There are two lateral telescopic components, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the fuselage structure; each lateral telescopic component is connected to a track and adjusting wheel assembly at its end. The bottom vertical support wheel assembly is located at the bottom of the machine body to provide vertical support and adapt to unevenness of the inner wall of the pipe.

3. The multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lateral telescopic mechanism includes a telescopic base, an electric push rod, a guide rail, two-stage telescopic arms, and a pressure sensor, wherein: The telescopic base is fixed to the side wall of the machine body. An electric push rod is installed on the telescopic base. The electric push rod drives and connects to two-stage telescopic arms. A guide rail is installed on the telescopic base. The two-stage telescopic arms are slidably installed on the guide rail. The ends of the two-stage telescopic arms are connected to a track and an adjusting wheel assembly. The pressure sensor is used to detect the contact pressure between the track and adjusting wheel system and the inner wall of the pipe in real time.

4. The multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The track and adjusting wheel assembly includes a track frame, a drive wheel, a driven track roller, a support wheel, and the track body, wherein: The track frame is hinged to the end of the lateral telescopic mechanism; the drive wheel, driven track roller and support wheel are mounted on the track frame; the track body is wrapped around the drive wheel, driven track roller and support wheel.

5. The multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bottom vertical support wheel assembly includes two independent adjustable support modules symmetrically distributed front and rear. The two adjustable support modules are symmetrically arranged at the bottom of the fuselage and are arranged along the axial direction of the fuselage.

6. The multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each support module includes an electric actuator, a pressure sensor, an encoder, and bottom support wheels, wherein: One end of the electric push rod is fixed to the machine body structure, and the end of the electric push rod is driven to be connected to the bottom support wheel; The encoder and pressure sensor are both mounted on the bottom support wheel, and are used to detect the rotational speed of the bottom support wheel and the contact pressure of the bottom support wheel, respectively.

7. The multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The modular operation execution structure includes a high-precision rotating gimbal, a 4-DOF folding robotic arm, and an end effector, wherein: The high-precision rotating gimbal is mounted on the top of the machine body structure, the 4-DOF folding robotic arm is mounted on the high-precision rotating gimbal, and the end effector is mounted on the end of the 4-DOF folding robotic arm.

8. The multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multimodal perception integrated structure includes a visual recognition unit assembly frame and a positioning and navigation unit integrated board, wherein: The visual recognition unit mounting bracket is used to install the recognition module; The positioning and navigation unit integrated board has reserved assembly interfaces for inertial navigation, odometer and QR code recognition modules.

9. The multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power protection structure includes a high-capacity lithium battery pack assembly compartment and an intelligent charging management module mounting base.

10. A heating pipeline inspection system, characterized in that, include: The multi-diameter adaptive multi-condition heating pipeline inspection robot based on any one of claims 1-9; A remote control terminal is used to receive data transmitted back by the robot and send control commands to the robot.

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