Real-time cable deformation detector and cable laying process deformation supervision device

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of deformation monitoring in the cable laying process, and provides a cable deformation real-time detector and a cable laying process deformation supervision device, the cable deformation real-time detector is characterized in that a bearing structure is provided with a center hole, and a cable is arranged in the center hole in a penetrating manner; the basic measuring unit comprises a plurality of laser distance measuring sensors, the plurality of laser distance measuring sensors are symmetrically arranged along the circumferential direction of the cable, the laser distance measuring sensors are used for measuring distance data, and the basic measuring unit processes the distance data through a preset algorithm and calculates the radius of the cable; the main controller is in communication connection with the basic measurement unit, receives the distance data and the calculation result of the cable radius, judges whether the cable is deformed or not, and triggers an alarm when the cable is deformed. The whole monitoring process is completed in continuous laying of the cable, construction does not need to be suspended, construction period delay caused by manual measurement and later faults caused by laying quality reduction from the source can be avoided, and the quality management and control efficiency and accuracy of the cable laying process are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cable laying process deformation monitoring technology, specifically a real-time cable deformation detector and a cable laying process deformation monitoring device. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous expansion of urban power grid planning and investment, more and more overhead transmission lines are being replaced by underground power cables to support municipal planning. Based on analysis of emergency repair records, accident scene photos, and faulty cable samples from major cities across the country, the causes of power cable malfunctions can be categorized into four types: external force damage, cable accessory manufacturing quality, cable laying and installation quality, and cable body manufacturing quality, accounting for 58%, 27%, 12%, and 3% respectively. With the widespread application of high-voltage cables, defects and faults in the cable sheaths are increasingly occurring during construction and operation, becoming a prominent issue affecting the safe operation of cables.

[0003] Generally, cables can withstand significant lateral pressure and tensile force. However, when the line has sharp bends, or when construction personnel are unqualified or lack cable laying experience, installation quality problems such as indentations, sheath damage, and armor deformation are very likely to occur. If these quality problems are not addressed promptly, air and moisture can penetrate the cable, accelerating corrosion of the metal sheath or shielding layer, increasing the probability of partial discharge, and further expanding the damage to the outer sheath. In severe cases, this can lead to breakdown of the main insulation and grounding short circuit faults.

[0004] To avoid the aforementioned problems, the power grid company has formulated quality control standards for infrastructure projects, stipulating that supervisors must be present throughout the cable laying process to promptly identify quality issues. However, due to a lack of effective monitoring methods, traditional on-site supervision primarily relies on visual inspection of the cable's appearance, supplemented by measuring tools such as tape measures to measure the cable diameter. The entire process depends on the supervisor's experience to determine if there are any laying quality problems. This manual on-site supervision method has many drawbacks: 1) Limited application scenarios: The cable laying site environment is harsh, the space inside the cable trench is small and often underground or inside the duct, and the light is dim, making it difficult to achieve full-range, all-angle visual observation; 2) Low measurement efficiency: It is impossible to use auxiliary tools such as tape measures to measure the cable diameter in real time. Each measurement requires pausing construction, which will inevitably delay the cable laying period as the number of measurements increases.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a portable, high-precision cable deformation real-time detection and alarm device to replace manual labor and achieve "mechanized" on-site supervision, thereby improving the efficiency and accuracy of quality control in the cable laying process. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a real-time cable deformation detector and a cable laying process deformation monitoring device.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A real-time cable deformation detector is provided, comprising: several basic measuring units, a main controller, and a load-bearing structure; The supporting structure has a central hole, through which the cable passes. The basic measuring unit and the main controller are integrated on the supporting structure. The basic measurement unit includes multiple laser ranging sensors, which are symmetrically arranged along the circumference of the cable. The laser ranging sensors are used to collect distance data between themselves and the cable surface. The basic measurement unit processes the distance data using a preset algorithm to calculate the cable radius. The main controller is communicatively connected to the basic measurement unit, receives distance data and the calculation results of the cable radius, determines whether the cable is deformed, and triggers an alarm when deformation occurs.

[0008] In some embodiments, the ranging lenses of the laser rangefinder are all positioned directly opposite the cable.

[0009] In some embodiments, the preset algorithm is a four-point diameter measurement algorithm, which calculates the coordinates of the cable center and the radius based on the geometric theorem of a circle. When the calculated radius value deviates from the standard radius value or when the two radius values ​​deviate, the cable is determined to be deformed.

[0010] In some embodiments, the number of basic measurement units is ≥ Dπ / 4, where D is the diameter of the cable to be monitored, and each of the basic measurement units is arranged 90° / n apart along the circumference of the cable by a bearing structure, where n is the number of the basic measurement units.

[0011] In some embodiments, the main controller includes a power supply module, a control module, an audible and visual alarm module, and a human-machine interaction unit. The power supply module supplies power to the remaining components of the real-time cable deformation detector. The control module receives distance data and calculation results to determine whether the cable is deformed and controls the audible and visual alarm module to sound an alarm when deformation occurs. The human-machine interaction unit is communicatively connected to the control module and is used to adjust the standard radius and alarm threshold of the cable.

[0012] In some embodiments, the support structure is configured as an openable / closable structure.

[0013] In some embodiments, the load-bearing structure is rotatably provided with at least two rotating members to reduce friction during cable laying.

[0014] A cable laying process on-site monitoring device based on laser ranging is provided, including at least one cable deformation real-time detector as described in any of the above embodiments, and a data centralized monitor; The centralized data monitor and each of the real-time cable deformation detectors form a communication network through a wireless communication module. The centralized data monitor is used to receive, store, and display monitoring data and alarm information.

[0015] In some embodiments, the wireless communication module is a LoRa module, the communication network is a master-slave star network, and the data central monitor collects data from each cable deformation real-time detector through polling.

[0016] In some embodiments, the sampling frequency of the laser ranging sensor is higher than the cable laying length per second, ensuring that at least one monitoring point is covered per square centimeter on the cable surface; The data central monitor uses a computer as its core hardware and manages and queries data through a database and visualization software. When an abnormal alarm signal is collected, it simultaneously collects the waveform data of the corresponding cable deformation real-time detector.

[0017] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention are as follows: the central hole of the supporting structure allows the cable to pass through, and the basic measuring unit and main controller are integrated on the supporting structure, making the detector more compact and directly adaptable to cable laying scenarios without complex installation, thus solving the problem of poor adaptability of traditional monitoring equipment. Furthermore, in the detector, the laser ranging sensors of several basic measuring units are symmetrically arranged along the circumference of the cable. During detection, the cable can slide forward along the sidewall of the central hole to complete the laying process, and each segment during the laying process can be monitored by the detector in real time; it eliminates the need for visual observation, and can comprehensively collect distance data even in dimly lit and confined environments such as cable trenches and ductwork, overcoming the environmental limitations of manual on-site monitoring. Subsequently, the basic measuring units calculate the cable radius based on the distance data using a preset algorithm, and the main controller receives the data in real time and determines deformation and triggers alarms, replacing manual experience-based judgment with objective data, avoiding misjudgments and omissions, and improving detection accuracy. As can be seen, the entire monitoring process is completed during the continuous laying of the cable without interrupting construction. This avoids delays caused by manual measurement and reduces subsequent failures caused by laying quality issues from the source. Therefore, it improves the efficiency and accuracy of quality control during the cable laying process. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the real-time cable deformation detector along its central axis. Figure 2 A functional block diagram of the main controller; Figure 3 Functional block diagram of the basic measurement unit; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the laser rangefinder sensor in the basic measurement unit; Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the four-point diameter measurement software algorithm; Figure 6 This is a side view of a cable deformation monitoring instrument. Figure 7 This is a front view of the cable deformation monitor; Figure 8 A functional block diagram of the on-site monitoring device for cable laying using laser ranging.

[0019] 100. Laser rangefinder sensor; 200. Load-bearing structure; 300. Cable; 400. Rotating component. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0021] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0022] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a real-time cable deformation detector is provided, including several basic measuring units, a main controller and a load-bearing structure 200.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the support structure 200 includes a frame and a mounting ring. The mounting ring is configured with an inner circle and an outer square shape so that the outer surface of the mounting ring is connected to the frame, and the inner center hole can be used to allow the cable 300 to pass through.

[0024] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the main controller is mounted on the frame and includes a power supply module, a control module, an audible and visual alarm module, and a human-machine interface unit. The power supply module can be, but is not limited to, a 12V lithium battery, used to provide power to the control module, audible and visual alarm module, human-machine interface unit, and various basic measurement units via cables. The lithium battery supports rechargeable cycles and is suitable for construction scenarios where there is no external power supply for the 300-channel cable. The control module includes an STM32F429IGT6 development board, a CAN bus interface, and a LoRa wireless communication module. It establishes wired communication with each basic measurement unit via the CAN bus interface, collecting raw data on the 300-channel cable distance and preliminary radius values ​​uploaded by each unit. The STM32F429IGT6 development board performs secondary integration, deviation verification, and deformation determination on the multi-unit data before uploading it to external monitoring instruments via the LoRa wireless communication module. The audible and visual alarm module includes a relay and an audible and visual alarm. When the STM32F429IGT6 development board determines that cable 300 is deformed (radius deviation exceeds a preset threshold), it immediately sends a trigger signal to the relay, which drives the audible and visual alarm to activate (a buzzer sounds and a red indicator light flashes), reminding workers to stop construction and address the defect promptly. The human-machine interface unit can be, but is not limited to, a 4.3-inch RGB touchscreen. Connected to the STM32F429IGT6 development board via a hardware interface, it can intuitively display real-time monitoring data (cable 300 radius, operating status of each unit), deformation alarm information, and instrument operating parameters. Engineers can also adjust key parameters such as the standard radius and deviation alarm threshold of cable 300 according to its specifications (e.g., different diameter cables 300). Adjusted parameters are synchronized to the STM32F429IGT6 development board's storage unit in real time.

[0025] like Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, each basic measurement unit consists of multiple laser rangefinders 100 and an RS485 bus board. The number of laser rangefinders 100 can be selected, but is not limited to, 32. Every two laser rangefinders 100 are symmetrically arranged on the same circumference centered on the cable 300, and all 16 pairs of laser rangefinders 100 are arranged on the same circumference. The multiple laser rangefinders 100 are communicatively connected to the RS485 bus board, which is mounted on the frame. The multiple laser rangefinders 100 are mounted on the mounting ring and arranged symmetrically in space. The ranging lenses of the laser rangefinders 100 are all positioned directly facing the cable 300 to measure the distance between them and the surface of the cable 300, with the distance measured to a precision of mm. Furthermore, the laser rangefinders 100 can be, but are not limited to, infrared laser rangefinders 100. It is worth mentioning that using laser ranging technology for cable defect detection is a mature, reliable, and safe technology, and it is a non-contact detection method, so the measurement results are not affected by the mechanical vibration during cable laying. The designed basic measurement unit can quickly estimate the radius of the cable and detect its possible deformation defects based on the measurement values ​​of multiple symmetrically arranged laser rangefinders. It has low computational load, high sensitivity, and can detect any deformation defect larger than 1 mm.

[0026] The basic measurement unit is used to detect and determine whether the surface of the cable 300 facing the sensor is on the standard outer diameter circle according to the four-point diameter measurement algorithm. Furthermore, to improve the system's anti-interference capability, the ranging results from multiple laser rangefinders 100 are first converted into digital signals and then uploaded to the RS485 bus board via the RS485 bus. The core chip STM32F103RTC of the RS485 bus board completes the corresponding four-point diameter measurement software algorithm, and then uploads the processed data to the main controller via the CAN bus.

[0027] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the four-point diameter measurement software algorithm is designed based on the geometric theorem that the perpendicular bisector of any two points on a circle passes through the center of the circle. For ease of calculation and explanation, each basic measurement unit here includes four laser rangefinders 100, with each laser rangefinder 100 spaced 90° apart. The specific calculation steps of the real-time cable deformation detector are as follows: Step 1: Determine the coordinates of the four laser rangefinders: Number the four laser rangefinders J1, J2, J3, and J4 in clockwise order. Assume the line connecting laser rangefinders J3 and J1 is the y-axis, pointing from J3 to J1, and the line connecting laser rangefinders J4 and J2 is the x-axis, pointing from J4 to J2. The planar coordinates of the four laser rangefinders are then: J1(0, l), J2(l, 0), J3(0, -l), and J4(-l, 0), where l is the radius of the circle in which the four laser rangefinders are arranged.

[0028] Step 2: Measure and calculate the coordinates of four points on the cable sheath: Send a command via the RS485 interface to obtain the real-time measurement values ​​of each laser ranging sensor; based on this, the coordinates of the points corresponding one-to-one with the measurement spots of the laser ranging sensors on the cable sheath can be calculated as follows: C1(0, l-l1), C2(l-l2, 0), C3(0, l3-l), C4(0, l4-l), where l1, l2, l3, and l4 are the measurement values ​​of laser ranging sensors J1, J2, J3, and J4, respectively.

[0029] Step 3: Calculate the coordinates of the cable's center: First, draw the perpendicular bisector of the line connecting points C1 and C3, which is: y = (l3 - l1) / 2. Then, draw the perpendicular bisector of the line connecting points C2 and C4, which is: x = (l4 - l2) / 2. The intersection of these two lines is the coordinate of the cable's center O, which is: [(l4 - l2) / 2, (l3 - l1) / 2].

[0030] Step 4: Calculate the radius r of the cable by using the Pythagorean theorem to represent the distance from the four points on the cable sheath to the center of the circle. The formula is: .

[0031] Since the center O of the cable lies on the perpendicular bisector of the line connecting points C1 and C3, the distances r1 and r3 from C1 and C3 to the center are always equal. Therefore, only one of them needs to be calculated: .

[0032] Similarly, the center O of the cable lies on the perpendicular bisector of the line connecting points C2 and C4. Therefore, the distances r2 and r4 from C2 and C4 to the center are always equal, and only one of them needs to be calculated: .

[0033] Step 5: Determine whether the cable is deformed based on the two calculated radius values: Under normal circumstances, these two radius values ​​are equal, and the error between them and the standard radius value of the cable does not exceed the set threshold. Otherwise, if the deviation between the two radius values ​​exceeds the set threshold, or if either of them deviates from the standard radius of the cable by more than the set threshold, the cable is determined to be deformed.

[0034] Step 6: Upload the measurement and calculation results for this time, and return to Step 2 to start the next measurement and calculation.

[0035] It can be seen that the main controller and several basic measurement units together constitute a cable deformation monitoring instrument.

[0036] Furthermore, each basic measuring unit needs to be staggered by an equal distance of 90° / n angles (where n is the total number of basic measuring units) during arrangement, so that all laser rangefinders 100 in the instrument are symmetrically arranged in space on the same circumference around the cable 300. In this way, by adopting a dual-layer bus distributed processor architecture, the sampling rate of the laser rangefinders 100 and the parallel processing computing power of each microprocessor can be maximized, thereby achieving high-speed sampling of 100Hz and compressing the response time of the detector to detect defects and issue warnings to 0.1 seconds.

[0037] Preferably, to ensure that there is at least one monitoring point per square centimeter on the surface of the cable 300 during its laying process, the sampling frequency (in Hz) of each laser ranging sensor 100 in the basic measurement unit needs to be higher than the length of the cable 300 laid per second (in cm, typically 25); and the number of basic measurement units should not be less than Dπ / 4 (D is the diameter of the cable 300 to be monitored, in cm). For example, when the diameter of the cable 300 to be monitored is 10 cm, the number of basic measurement units required is ≥10π / 4, i.e., ≥8. With a large number of laser ranging sensors 100 arranged at a high sampling frequency, the outer sheath of the cable 300 can be completely covered without gaps, without missing any deformation defects.

[0038] Preferably, the cable deformation monitor should be installed in locations where quality problems are likely to occur during cable laying (300mm), such as bends in the cable line. Figure 6 As shown, the instrument can be equipped with rotating parts 400 at both the front and rear ends of the frame. The rotating parts 400 are set as wire-laying pulleys, and the number is set to four. The wire-laying pulleys rotate in the frame through bearings, and the two wire-laying pulleys at each end are set on the upper and lower sides of the cable 300, so that the cable deformation monitoring instrument can contact the cable 300 through the four wire-laying pulleys. That is, the front, rear, upper and lower parts of the cable are connected by rolling wire-laying pulleys to avoid friction between the cable and the side wall of the central hole during cable laying.

[0039] Furthermore, such as Figure 7As shown, the cable deformation monitor can also be connected to nearby fixed points (such as columns, beams, etc.) via a traction rope to prevent the cable deformation monitor from moving with the cable 300. Of course, it can also be directly fixed to the ground via a retractable base.

[0040] Preferably, for ease of installation and use, the cable deformation monitor is designed with an openable structure (similar to an open-face CT scanner), meaning the entire device is divided into upper and lower halves, which are connected by hinges and latches. During installation, the user first opens the latches and separates the upper and lower halves of the instrument along the hinges; then, the cable deformation monitor is fitted onto the cable 300; finally, the latches are used to secure the two halves as a single unit.

[0041] like Figure 8 As shown, a laser ranging-based on-site monitoring device for cable laying is provided, including at least one real-time cable deformation detector as described in the above embodiment and a centralized data monitor. The real-time cable deformation detector and the centralized data monitor are communicatively connected. The centralized data monitor, through a LoRa wireless transmission module, forms a master-slave star communication network with multiple cable deformation detectors deployed at different locations on site.

[0042] In this system, the centralized data monitor acts as the master unit, and each cable 300 deformation monitor acts as a slave unit. The centralized data monitor sends data acquisition commands to each cable deformation monitor in a polling manner. When an abnormal alarm signal is acquired, the monitor further acquires the waveform data recorded by that cable 300 deformation monitor.

[0043] Preferably, the centralized data monitor can directly use a laptop computer as the core hardware, and manage the monitoring data by combining a database with visualization software, including alarm, display, query and storage.

[0044] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0045] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of this invention is in use. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention. In addition, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0046] Furthermore, terms such as "horizontal," "vertical," and "sag" do not imply that components must be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but rather that they can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0047] In this invention, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above or below" a first feature may include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on" the first feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the first feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0048] Although the description of the invention has been given in conjunction with the specific embodiments described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many substitutions, modifications, and variations can be made based on the foregoing. Therefore, all such substitutions, modifications, and variations are included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cable deformation real-time detector, characterized in that, The cable deformation real-time detector comprises a plurality of basic measuring units, a main controller and a bearing structure. The bearing structure has a central hole in which a cable is arranged, and the basic measuring units and the main controller are integrated on the bearing structure. The basic measuring unit comprises a plurality of laser ranging sensors symmetrically arranged along the circumference of the cable, and the laser ranging sensors are used to collect distance data between the laser ranging sensors and the surface of the cable. The main controller is in communication connection with the basic measuring unit, receives the distance data and the calculation result of the cable radius, judges whether the cable is deformed, and triggers an alarm when the cable is deformed. The ranging lens of the laser ranging sensor is arranged opposite to the cable.

2. The cable deformation real-time detector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset algorithm is a four-point diameter calculation algorithm, and the cable center coordinates and the radius are calculated based on the geometric theorem of a circle.

3. The cable deformation real-time detector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the basic measuring units is greater than or equal to Dπ / 4, wherein D is the diameter of the cable to be monitored, and the basic measuring units are arranged at an angle of 90° / n along the circumference of the cable through the bearing structure, wherein n is the number of the basic measuring units.

4. The cable deformation real-time detector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main controller comprises a power supply module, a control module, an audible and visual alarm module and a human-computer interaction unit.

5. The cable deformation real-time detector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power supply module supplies power to the remaining parts of the cable deformation real-time detector.

6. The cable deformation real-time detector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control module receives the distance data and the calculation result to judge whether the cable is deformed, and controls the audible and visual alarm module to alarm when the cable is deformed.

7. The cable deformation real-time detector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The human-computer interaction unit is in communication connection with the control module and is used to adjust the standard radius of the cable and the alarm threshold.

8. A laser ranging based cable laying process walkover monitoring device, characterized in that, The bearing structure is provided as a foldable structure. At least two rotating members are rotatably arranged on the bearing structure to reduce the friction when the cable is laid.

9. A laser distance measurement based cable laying process overseer device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The cable deformation real-time detector comprises at least one cable deformation real-time detector according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and a data centralized monitor.

10. The laser ranging based cable laying process bystander supervising device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The data centralized monitor and each cable deformation real-time detector are connected through a wireless communication module to form a communication network. The wireless communication module is an LORA module, the communication network is a star network with a master-slave structure, and the data centralized monitor collects data of each cable deformation real-time detector through polling. The sampling frequency of the laser ranging sensor is higher than the laying length of the cable per second to ensure that there is at least one monitoring point per square centimeter on the surface of the cable. The data centralized monitor takes a computer as the core hardware, realizes data management and query through a database and visual software, and synchronously collects the recording data of the corresponding cable deformation real-time detector when an abnormal alarm signal is collected.

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