Method and system for combing catwalk bearing cables

Abstract

According to the catwalk bearing cable combing method and system, firstly, a monitoring unmanned aerial vehicle is used for conducting cruise scanning, images of catwalk bearing cables are collected in real time, parameters of an intertwining area are determined, the step overcomes the hysteresis quality of traditional manual inspection, the intertwining problem can be found in the early stage, and construction delay is avoided; in the equipment initialization stage, the cable combing device is adjusted according to the intertwining parameters, the pertinence of cable combing operation is ensured, and resource waste is reduced; in the cable combing operation, the operation unmanned aerial vehicle hoists a cable combing device to an intertwining area, cable combing is completed in a pulling mode, traditional gravity dependence is replaced with the method, the risk of high-altitude manual intervention is reduced, and operation safety is improved; according to the whole method, automatic closed-loop management is achieved, manual close-range operation is not needed in the whole process from detection to processing to verification, the method is particularly suitable for large-span catwalk construction, and the construction efficiency and precision are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of suspension bridge construction technology, specifically relating to a method and system for combing the load-bearing cables of a catwalk. Background Technology

[0002] A catwalk is a high-altitude work platform commonly used in bridge construction. In the construction of bridges, especially suspension bridges, the catwalk is erected below the main cable through cable saddles and load-bearing cables, forming a temporary construction access road that is basically parallel to the main cable. It serves as a key temporary facility for the passage of construction personnel, material transportation, and main cable erection throughout the entire construction process of the bridge superstructure, and is of great significance to the construction of the bridge.

[0003] As a crucial temporary facility for construction personnel passage, material transportation, and main cable erection, the quality of the catwalk's load-bearing cables directly impacts subsequent construction safety. During the tensioning and erection of the catwalk's load-bearing cables, factors such as wind loads, construction disturbances, and uneven weight distribution can easily cause adjacent catwalk load-bearing cables to spin. Furthermore, the entanglement of catwalk load-bearing cables increases significantly with span length. This entanglement not only leads to deviations in the catwalk's alignment but can also cause localized stress concentrations in the load-bearing cables, necessitating work stoppages in severe cases and significantly impacting construction progress.

[0004] In existing technologies, a common method is to suspend weights at both ends of the catwalk support cable to break up tangles, using gravity to cause the weights to slide down the cable. However, this method suffers from slow response, poor controllability, difficulty in effectively untangling tangles, and the need for manual climbing to the ends of the catwalk support cable to remove the weights, which poses significant safety risks and is time-consuming and labor-intensive, thus affecting the overall construction progress. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the technical problems in the prior art, which involves suspending heavy objects at both ends of the catwalk support cable and using gravity to cause them to slide down the cable and break up the entanglement, resulting in slow response, poor controllability, difficulty in effectively untangling the entanglement, and the need for manual climbing to the ends of the catwalk support cable to remove the heavy objects, which poses significant safety risks and is time-consuming and labor-intensive, thus affecting the overall construction progress, this invention provides a catwalk support cable combing method and system.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for combing the load-bearing cable of a catwalk, comprising:

[0008] S1: Drone patrol scan: During the erection of the catwalk load-bearing cable, a monitoring drone is used to patrol along the catwalk load-bearing cable, collect images of the catwalk load-bearing cable in real time, and determine whether entanglement has occurred and the parameters of the entanglement area based on the images of the catwalk load-bearing cable.

[0009] S2: Equipment initialization: Adjust the comb according to the parameters of the entangled area;

[0010] S3: Cable combing operation: Use a drone to hoist the cable comber onto the catwalk support cable in front of the entanglement area, and make the cable comber fit onto the catwalk support cable accordingly. Use the drone to pull the cable comber through the entanglement area to complete the cable combing operation and retrieve the cable comber.

[0011] S4: Inspection: Use lidar and monitoring drones to inspect the catwalk load-bearing cables after the cable combing operation is completed. If the entanglement has been eliminated, repeat step S1 until the catwalk construction is completed; if the entanglement still exists, repeat step S3.

[0012] Optionally, step S1 includes:

[0013] S1.1: During the erection of the catwalk load-bearing cable, the monitoring drone shall be positioned at a height of 1.5m to 2m above the catwalk load-bearing cable and shall cruise back and forth along the extension direction of the catwalk load-bearing cable.

[0014] S1.2: Use a monitoring drone to collect images of the catwalk load-bearing cables in real time and transmit them to the central control unit;

[0015] S1.3: The central control component determines whether there is any entanglement of the catwalk load-bearing cables based on the real-time acquired images of the catwalk load-bearing cables, and determines the parameters of the entanglement area; wherein, the parameters of the entanglement area include the number of entangled catwalk load-bearing cables, the starting position and the ending position.

[0016] Optionally, step S2 specifically includes:

[0017] S2.1: Based on the parameters of the entanglement area, splice the corresponding combers so that the comber grooves correspond to the number of catwalk load-bearing cables that have become entangled;

[0018] S2.2: The comber is hoisted under the operating drone using the connector;

[0019] S2.3: Start the operation drone.

[0020] Optionally, step S3 includes:

[0021] S3.1: Use a drone to hoist the comber onto the catwalk support cable of the parallel segment before the entanglement area;

[0022] S3.2: Gradually lower the drone to ensure that the combing groove of the comber is fitted onto the catwalk load-bearing cable where entanglement occurs;

[0023] S3.3: The cable comber is pulled through the tangled area by the operation drone, and the cable comber impacts the tangled area to complete the cable combing operation;

[0024] S3.4: The comber is pulled up by the operation drone, so that it is detached from the load-bearing cable and retrieved.

[0025] Optionally, step S4 includes:

[0026] S4.1: Use lidar to detect the spacing data between the catwalk load-bearing cables after the cable combing operation, and use a monitoring drone to collect image data of the catwalk load-bearing cables after the cable combing operation, and transmit the spacing data and image data to the central control unit.

[0027] S4.2: In the central control component, the spacing data between the catwalk load-bearing cables after the cable combing operation is compared with the design spacing of the catwalk load-bearing cables, and the real-time acquired images of the catwalk load-bearing cables are used to determine whether there are still catwalk load-bearing cables intertwined.

[0028] S4.3: If the spacing between the catwalk load-bearing cables after the cable combing operation is greater than or equal to 1 / 3 of the design spacing of the catwalk load-bearing cables, and the image of the catwalk load-bearing cables after the cable combing operation shows that no catwalk load-bearing cables are entangled, then the inspection result is that the entanglement has been eliminated, and step S1 is executed again until the catwalk construction is completed; otherwise, step S3 is executed again.

[0029] Optionally, the method further includes step S5: storing the parameters and images of the entangled region and the generated images of the catwalk load-bearing cables after the combing operation.

[0030] Secondly, the present invention provides a catwalk load-bearing cable combing system for implementing the above-mentioned catwalk load-bearing cable combing method, comprising:

[0031] The monitoring drone, equipped with a data acquisition module, is used to cruise along the catwalk support cable during the installation process and collect images of the catwalk support cable in real time.

[0032] The operation drone is used to lift the cable comber onto the catwalk support cable in front of the entanglement area, and to fit the cable comber onto the catwalk support cable accordingly. The drone then pulls the cable comber through the entanglement area to complete the cable combing operation and retrieves the cable comber.

[0033] A connector for attaching the comber to the underside of the operating drone;

[0034] The cable comber has multiple detachable cable combing units. The lower side of each cable combing unit is provided with cable combing grooves, which are used to adjust the number of cable combing grooves according to the parameters of the entanglement area during use, so that they correspond to the catwalk load-bearing cables that are entangled.

[0035] The central control unit is communicatively connected to the monitoring drone and the operation drone, and is used to acquire images of the catwalk load-bearing cable in real time and to control the operation drone and the monitoring drone.

[0036] Optionally, the comb unit includes at least two connecting units and multiple intermediate units;

[0037] The upper side of the connecting unit is provided with a connecting ring for connecting to the connecting piece;

[0038] Both the connecting unit and the intermediate unit are provided with comb grooves on their lower sides;

[0039] The connecting unit and the intermediate unit, as well as the intermediate unit and other intermediate units, are detachably connected by bolts.

[0040] Optionally, the comb cable groove includes: a groove body that matches the catwalk load-bearing cable;

[0041] The guide opening, which is an open opening, is located on the lower side of the trough and is used to guide the catwalk load-bearing cable into the trough.

[0042] Optionally, a wear-resistant layer is provided in the inner wall of the tank.

[0043] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0044] This invention provides a method for combing the load-bearing cables of a catwalk. First, a monitoring drone is used for cruise scanning, acquiring real-time images of the catwalk's load-bearing cables and determining the parameters of the entanglement area. This step overcomes the lag of traditional manual inspection, enabling early detection of entanglement problems and avoiding construction delays. During equipment initialization, the comber is adjusted according to the entanglement parameters, ensuring targeted combing operations and reducing resource waste. During the combing operation, the drone hoists the comber to the entanglement area and completes the combing by pulling. This method replaces traditional gravity reliance, reducing the risk of high-altitude manual intervention and improving operational safety. The inspection step utilizes both lidar and the monitoring drone for dual verification, ensuring reliable combing results and avoiding rework. The overall method of this invention achieves automated closed-loop management, eliminating the need for close-range manual operation throughout the entire process from detection to processing and verification. It is particularly suitable for large-span catwalk construction, improving construction efficiency and accuracy.

[0045] Meanwhile, this method ensures the continuity of catwalk construction through cyclic execution, reduces downtime caused by entanglement, provides a stable guarantee for suspension bridge construction, is easy to integrate into existing construction processes, has strong compatibility, can adapt to complex environments such as strong winds or canyon terrain, and enhances the adaptability of the project. Attached Figure Description

[0046] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the catwalk load-bearing cable combing method in this invention;

[0047] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the catwalk load-bearing cable comb system in this invention;

[0048] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the comb tool in this invention;

[0049] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the working process of the catwalk load-bearing cable combing system in this invention;

[0050] Figure 5 This is a top view of the comber in this invention;

[0051] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the comb groove in this invention.

[0052] The components are: 1. Catwalk load-bearing cable; 2. Operation drone; 3. Cable comber; 31. Cable combing groove; 311. Groove body; 312. Guide opening; 32. Connecting unit; 33. Intermediate unit; 34. Connecting ring; 4. Connecting piece. Detailed Implementation

[0053] 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. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0054] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of exemplary embodiments according to the invention. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0055] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0056] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is generally based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms 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 on the scope of protection of this invention. The directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0057] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0058] Example 1

[0059] See Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the catwalk load-bearing cable combing method of the present invention, including:

[0060] S1: Drone patrol scan: During the erection of catwalk load-bearing cable 1, a monitoring drone is used to patrol along the catwalk load-bearing cable to collect images of the catwalk load-bearing cable 1 in real time, and to determine whether entanglement has occurred and the parameters of the entanglement area based on the images of the catwalk load-bearing cable 1.

[0061] S2: Equipment initialization: Adjust the comb according to the parameters of the entangled area;

[0062] S3: Cable combing operation: The operation drone 2 is used to hoist the cable comber 3 onto the catwalk load-bearing cable 1 in front of the entanglement area, and the cable comber 3 is correspondingly fitted onto the catwalk load-bearing cable 1. The operation drone 2 pulls the cable comber 3 through the entanglement area to complete the cable combing operation and retrieve the cable comber 3.

[0063] S4: Inspection: Use lidar and monitoring drones to inspect the catwalk load-bearing cable 1 after the cable combing operation is completed. If the entanglement has been eliminated, repeat step S1 until the catwalk construction is completed; if the entanglement still exists, repeat step S3.

[0064] In this embodiment, a monitoring drone is first used for cruise scanning to collect images of the catwalk's load-bearing cables in real time and determine the parameters of the entanglement area. This step overcomes the lag of traditional manual inspection, enabling early detection of entanglement problems and avoiding construction delays. During the equipment initialization phase, the cable comber is adjusted according to the entanglement parameters, ensuring the targeted nature of the cable combing operation and reducing resource waste. During the cable combing operation, the drone hoists the cable comber to the entanglement area and completes the combing by pulling. This method replaces the traditional reliance on gravity, reducing the risk of high-altitude manual intervention and improving operational safety. The inspection step uses both lidar and the monitoring drone for dual verification to ensure reliable cable combing results and avoid rework. The overall method of this invention achieves automated closed-loop management. From detection to processing to verification, no close-range manual operation is required throughout the entire process, making it particularly suitable for the construction of large-span catwalks and improving construction efficiency and accuracy.

[0065] Optionally, step S1 in this invention includes:

[0066] S1.1: During the erection of the catwalk load-bearing cable, the monitoring drone shall be positioned at a height of 1.5m to 2m above the catwalk load-bearing cable and shall cruise back and forth along the extension direction of the catwalk load-bearing cable.

[0067] S1.2: Use a monitoring drone to collect images of the catwalk load-bearing cables in real time and transmit them to the central control unit;

[0068] S1.3: The central control component determines whether there is any entanglement of the catwalk load-bearing cables based on the real-time acquired images of the catwalk load-bearing cables, and determines the parameters of the entanglement area; wherein, the parameters of the entanglement area include the number of entangled catwalk load-bearing cables, the starting position and the ending position.

[0069] In this embodiment, the monitoring drone is limited to circling back and forth at a height of 1.5m to 2m above the catwalk support cables. This height range optimizes the clarity and coverage of image acquisition, avoids blind spots caused by flying too high or too low, and ensures that parameters of the entanglement area (such as the number of entangled catwalk support cables, their start and end positions) can be accurately captured. The operator or central control component makes judgments based on real-time images and other information, reducing the risk of misjudgment. This height and circling mode setting also reduces the possibility of wind load interference on the drone, enhances monitoring stability, thereby improving the reliability of the entire cable combing method, refining the circling scanning steps of the monitoring drone, and improving the accuracy and operability of entanglement detection.

[0070] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the central control component determines whether there is entanglement of the catwalk load-bearing cables based on the real-time acquired images of the catwalk load-bearing cables, it can be done manually or automatically by the central control component in combination with image analysis and other technical means.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the monitoring drone, during its patrol and data collection process, can be equipped with an image acquisition module to capture real-time images of the catwalk load-bearing cables and transmit them to the central control unit. Specifically, the image acquisition module is configured with an industrial camera of at least 12 megapixels, a fixed-focus lens, and electronic image stabilization. During the data collection process, the monitoring drone is positioned 1.5m to 2m above the catwalk load-bearing cable 1, and each frame should cover at least 2 to 3 catwalk load-bearing cables to meet the identification requirements.

[0072] Furthermore, during the data collection process, the monitoring drone must capture at least one static image every 1 meter along the extension direction of the catwalk support cable, with an overlap rate of 10% between images, to prevent missed detections, and record the corresponding image location and shooting time.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the central control component needs to perform at least image preprocessing and entanglement recognition steps during the process of automatically determining whether the catwalk load-bearing cable 1 is entangled based on the real-time acquired image of the catwalk load-bearing cable 1.

[0074] Specifically, image preprocessing is used to quickly optimize image quality, and its specific steps include:

[0075] (1) Defogging treatment:

[0076] (1.1) Brightness judgment: Statistically analyze the average pixel values ​​of the RGB three channels of the collected image. If the average brightness is <80, it is judged as a foggy / low light environment. Multiply all pixel RGB values ​​by 1.2-1.5. The lower the brightness, the larger the coefficient.

[0077] (1.2) Background suppression: Set the grayscale threshold to 150, reduce the grayscale value of areas with a brightness higher than 150, such as the sky and strong light background, by 20%, highlight the difference in brightness between the load-bearing cable and the background, and eliminate environmental interference.

[0078] (2) Edge enhancement processing: The contrast stretching algorithm is used to compress the grayscale range of the image from [0,255] to [50,200] to enhance the edge clarity of the catwalk load-bearing cable. Specifically, it can be directly implemented through the OpenCV cv2.normalize function without complex gradient calculation. It should be noted that this is existing technology, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand how to perform the relevant operations, so it will not be elaborated here.

[0079] (3) Noise reduction: 3×3 Gaussian filtering is used to remove random noise in the image, simplify the filtering process, and ensure that the outline of the cat weighing cable in the image is smooth and burr-free.

[0080] Specifically, the entanglement identification step is used to rule-based detect entanglement features, and its specific steps include:

[0081] (1) Catwalk load-bearing cable contour extraction: After the image is grayscaled, the grayscale threshold is used for binarization to convert the catwalk load-bearing cable into a white area and the background into a black area; the contour can be extracted by OpenCV’s cv2.findContours function, filtering out small contours (impurities, noise) with an area of ​​less than 500 pixels, and retaining the long strip-shaped load-bearing cable contour.

[0082] (2) Intertwining determination rules:

[0083] Spacing rule: Calculate the minimum distance between adjacent load-bearing cable profiles. If it is less than 1 / 3 of the design spacing of the catwalk load-bearing cables, it is judged as "abnormal spacing".

[0084] Crossover rule: Check if there are overlapping pixels between any two load-bearing cable outlines. If the overlapping area is greater than 100 pixels, it is determined as "outline crossover".

[0085] Result determination: If either "abnormal spacing" or "contour intersection" is met, entanglement is determined to have occurred, the entangled area is marked with a red rectangle, and the result "entangled" is output; otherwise, "no entanglement" is determined.

[0086] Optionally, step S2 in this invention specifically includes:

[0087] S2.1: Based on the parameters of the entanglement area, splice the corresponding combers so that the comber grooves correspond to the number of catwalk load-bearing cables that have become entangled;

[0088] S2.2: The comber is hoisted under the operating drone using the connector;

[0089] S2.3: Start the operation drone.

[0090] In this embodiment, the flexibility and operational efficiency of the cable comber are improved through modular design. The cable comber is spliced ​​according to the parameters of the entanglement area so that the number of cable combing slots corresponds to the number of catwalk load-bearing cables that are entangled, ensuring that the cable comber can adapt to different scales of entanglement and avoiding the problem of over-configuration or under-configuration of resources. The cable comber is hoisted under the operation drone through connectors so that the cable comber can be hoisted and pulled by the operation drone in subsequent steps for cable combing operations.

[0091] Furthermore, the drone used in this embodiment is a multi-rotor drone, preferably a six-rotor or higher industrial heavy-duty drone, equipped with a three-axis stabilization gimbal and a high-precision flight control system. Its load capacity is at least 40 kg and its working time is at least 40 minutes to drive the comber to complete the combing operation. Specific models can be selected from industrial heavy-duty drones such as DJIFlyCart100 (FC100), WK1800, TianTu M10, DJIFlyCart30 (FC30).

[0092] Furthermore, the flight control system of the operational drone in this embodiment needs to support custom path import, real-time data comparison and dynamic correction functions, and have a real-time communication interface with the monitoring drone, lidar and central control components to achieve precise and safe operation of the operational drone, ensure that the comber moves stably along the catwalk load-bearing cable line, and efficiently complete the combing task.

[0093] Furthermore, the operation drone 2 is also equipped with an image acquisition component. Through the image acquisition component, images of the cable comber 3, the entanglement area, and the catwalk weighing cable are acquired in real time during the cable combing operation and transmitted to the central control component for display in real time, so that the staff can control and adjust the operation drone in real time.

[0094] Optionally, step S3 in this invention includes:

[0095] S3.1: Use a drone to hoist the comber onto the catwalk support cable of the parallel segment before the entanglement area;

[0096] S3.2: Gradually lower the drone to ensure that the combing groove of the comber is fitted onto the catwalk load-bearing cable where entanglement occurs;

[0097] S3.3: The cable comber is pulled through the tangled area by the operation drone, and the cable comber impacts the tangled area to complete the cable combing operation;

[0098] S3.4: The comber is pulled up by the operation drone, so that it is detached from the load-bearing cable and retrieved.

[0099] In this embodiment, a drone is used to hoist the cable comber to the parallel segment before the entanglement area and gradually lower it so that the cable comber groove is fitted onto the load-bearing cable. This process achieves precise alignment, avoids collisions or jamming between the cable comber and the load-bearing cable, and reduces the risk of equipment damage. The design of pulling the cable comber through the entanglement area uses mechanical impact force to separate the entanglement, replacing the traditional gravity-based method, which improves the success rate and controllability of cable combing. After completion, the step of using a drone to pull up the cable comber for recovery simplifies equipment management, avoids the dangers of manual recovery at high altitudes, and reduces construction costs.

[0100] Furthermore, in this embodiment, step S3.1 specifically involves the operation drone 2 driving the comber 3 to hover above the catwalk load-bearing cable of the parallel segment before the entanglement area, so that the comber 3 is at a height of 3 to 5 meters above the entanglement area. This not only avoids collision between the comber 3 and the catwalk load-bearing cable 1, but also provides a clear operating view and reduces the impact of airflow on the stability of the operation drone 2 and the comber 3.

[0101] Furthermore, in this embodiment, step S3.2 specifically involves: gradually lowering the drone 2 so that the comber 3 gradually descends from a height of 3 to 5 meters above the entanglement area to a height of 0.8 to 1.2 meters above the entanglement area; based on the real-time collected images of the catwalk load-bearing cable 1 and the comber 3, the comber 3 continues to descend slowly, and the comber 3 is adjusted in real time so that its guide port is accurately aligned with the catwalk load-bearing cable 1 and fitted onto the catwalk load-bearing cable 1.

[0102] Specifically, during the execution of step S3.2, a monitoring drone can also be used to collect images collaboratively to ensure that the comber 3 is accurately fitted onto the catwalk load-bearing cable 1 corresponding to the entanglement area.

[0103] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the drone is equipped with a tension sensor, which collects the traction force on the connector in real time and transmits it to the central control component in real time, so that the operator can dynamically adjust the drone based on the traction force value on the connector.

[0104] Furthermore, in step S3.3 of this embodiment, the operating drone 2 maintains a stable flight at a relative height of 1 to 1.5 meters with the load-bearing cable, and uses the cable comber 3 to impact the entangled area to complete the cable combing operation.

[0105] Specifically, during the cable combing operation, the operation drone 2 pulls the cable comber 3 to move unidirectionally from the beginning to the end of the entanglement area, so that the impact force of the cable comber 3 is consistent, and the pulling force is used to break the entanglement to the maximum extent.

[0106] Specifically, in the use of the long-span catwalk weighing cable 1, there will be an arc shape. During the movement of the operation drone 2, the height can be adjusted in the vertical direction to ensure that the comb 3 is always in contact with the catwalk weighing cable 1.

[0107] Furthermore, the degree of entanglement within the entanglement area can be specifically divided into light entanglement, moderate entanglement, and severe entanglement. Specifically, an entanglement area with 3 or fewer entangled catwalk load-bearing cables and an entanglement length of less than 5 meters is considered light entanglement; an entanglement area with 3 or fewer entangled catwalk load-bearing cables and an entanglement length of 5 to 15 meters is considered moderate entanglement; and an entanglement area with more than 3 entangled catwalk load-bearing cables or an entanglement length greater than 15 meters is considered severe entanglement.

[0108] Furthermore, the pulling force applied by the drone to the comber 3 needs to be adjusted according to the degree of entanglement of the catwalk load-bearing cables. Specifically, when dealing with a lightly entangled area, the pulling force applied by the drone to the comber 3 is 80N to 150N; when dealing with a moderately entangled area, the pulling force applied by the drone to the comber 3 is 150N to 300N; and when dealing with a heavily entangled area, the pulling force applied by the drone to the comber 3 is 300N to 500N. The pulling force applied to the comber 3 should not exceed 500N and should not exceed 10% of the design tensile strength of the catwalk load-bearing cables to ensure operational safety.

[0109] Furthermore, during the cable combing operation, the tension force is fed back to the central control component in real time through the tension sensor mounted on the operation drone 2. When the tension sensor detects a sudden change in the tension force, such as exceeding 30% of the current set value, the central control component immediately controls the operation drone 2 to decelerate. If the tension force detected by the tension sensor in real time still does not decrease, the operation is immediately suspended. The entanglement status is judged by monitoring the images transmitted back by the drone, so as to avoid damage to the load-bearing cable or damage to the cable comber and the operation drone due to brute force traction.

[0110] Furthermore, in this embodiment, step S3.4 specifically includes: after completing the cable combing operation, adjusting the operation drone 2 to rise, lifting the cable comber 3 away from the catwalk support cable 1, so that the cable comber 3 is at a height of 3 to 5 meters above the catwalk support cable 1, so as to avoid secondary interference with the catwalk support cable 1 that has completed the cable combing operation during the retrieval process.

[0111] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the monitoring drone and the operation drone 2 fly along the catwalk support cable 1, they adopt a "triple positioning + dynamic correction" flight control logic, specifically including:

[0112] (1) Importing the preset alignment data: The design alignment parameters (including span, radius of curvature, etc.) of the catwalk load-bearing cable are obtained in advance and entered into the flight control system of the UAV through the central control component to generate the basic flight path. Combined with the actual position data of the load-bearing cable collected by the UAV during the cruise phase, the basic path is corrected to eliminate the deviation between the design value and the actual erection value.

[0113] (2) Real-time positioning and navigation: Based on the main positioning module on the UAV, the "GPS + Beidou dual-mode positioning" is adopted to improve the positioning accuracy to the centimeter level. The spatial position of the load-bearing cable is captured in real time by the operation UAV. Combined with the auxiliary positioning module: the operation UAV is equipped with a laser radar sensor to scan the catwalk load-bearing cable in real time, generate real-time point cloud data, compare it with the preset path, and dynamically adjust the flight attitude.

[0114] (3) Anti-interference and stability control: By compensating for airflow, when the wind speed exceeds level 4, the flight stability redundancy is improved, such as by increasing the rotor speed adjustment frequency and appropriately reducing the applied traction force, such as by reducing it by 10% to 20%, to avoid trajectory deviation caused by airflow.

[0115] Optionally, step S4 in this invention includes:

[0116] S4.1: Use lidar to detect the spacing data between the catwalk load-bearing cables after the cable combing operation, and use a monitoring drone to collect image data of the catwalk load-bearing cables after the cable combing operation, and transmit the spacing data and image data to the central control unit.

[0117] S4.2: In the central control component, the spacing data between the catwalk load-bearing cables after the cable combing operation is compared with the design spacing of the catwalk load-bearing cables, and the real-time acquired images of the catwalk load-bearing cables are used to determine whether there are still catwalk load-bearing cables entangled.

[0118] S4.3: If the spacing between the catwalk load-bearing cables after the cable combing operation is greater than or equal to 1 / 3 of the design spacing of the catwalk load-bearing cables, and the image of the catwalk load-bearing cables after the cable combing operation shows that no catwalk load-bearing cables are entangled, then the inspection result is that the entanglement has been eliminated, and step S1 is executed again until the catwalk construction is completed; otherwise, step S3 is executed again.

[0119] In this embodiment, the high reliability of the combing quality is ensured by dual data comparison; the spacing data is detected by LiDAR and combined with the image data of the monitoring drone, providing both objective and subjective verification methods, reducing the subjective bias of human judgment; the spacing after combing is compared with the design spacing, such as the standard of being greater than or equal to 1 / 3 of the design spacing between the catwalk load-bearing cables, and a quantitative threshold is set to avoid excessive or insufficient combing operations and improve the comprehensiveness of the inspection.

[0120] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the process of acquiring image data of the catwalk load-bearing cable using a monitoring drone and making a judgment in the central control component is consistent with the method used in step S1 above, and will not be repeated here. Meanwhile, the cable combing effect verification in the central control component may specifically include:

[0121] (1) Data association: By using “construction section number + shooting time”, match the images before cable combing (collected in stage S1) and the images after cable combing (collected in stage S4) in the same area to ensure that the comparison objects are consistent.

[0122] (2) Effect comparison: Repeat the “preprocessing-entanglement recognition” process in step S1 on the image after combing. If no entanglement features are detected, it is determined that “combing is effective” and step S1 is executed to re-cruise. If entanglement features are still detected, it is determined that “combing is ineffective” and step S3 is automatically triggered to re-combine and mark the entanglement positions that have not been eliminated.

[0123] (3) Result output: The image before and after combing is displayed in the central control component through the display screen and other components, and the judgment result is output at the same time.

[0124] Optionally, the method of the present invention further includes step S5: storing the parameters and images of the entangled region and the generated images of the catwalk load-bearing cables after the combing operation.

[0125] In this embodiment, a complete database is established by storing parameters and images of the entangled area, as well as images after cable combing. This provides historical reference for subsequent construction, helping to optimize cable combing strategies and prevent similar problems. This data accumulation supports big data analysis, can identify entanglement patterns, improve predictive capabilities, and reduce uncertainties in future construction.

[0126] Example 2

[0127] Secondly, referring to Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The present invention also provides a catwalk load-bearing cable combing system for implementing the catwalk load-bearing cable combing method in Embodiment 1, comprising:

[0128] The monitoring drone is equipped with a data acquisition module and is used to cruise along the catwalk support cable 1 during the erection of the catwalk support cable and acquire images of the catwalk support cable 1 in real time.

[0129] The operation drone 2 is used to hoist the cable comber 3 onto the catwalk support cable 1 in front of the entanglement area, and to make the cable comber 3 correspondingly sleeved on the catwalk support cable 1. It pulls the cable comber 3 through the entanglement area to complete the cable combing operation and retrieves the cable comber 3.

[0130] Connector 4 is used to connect the comber 3 to the underside of the operating drone 2;

[0131] The cable comber 3 has multiple detachable cable combing units. The lower side of the cable combing unit is provided with a cable combing groove 31, which is used to adjust the number of cable combing grooves according to the parameters of the entanglement area during use, so that it corresponds to the catwalk load-bearing cable 1 where entanglement occurs.

[0132] The central control unit is communicatively connected to the monitoring drone and the operation drone 2, and is used to acquire images of the catwalk load-bearing cable 1 in real time and to control the operation drone 2 and the monitoring drone.

[0133] In this embodiment, the monitoring drone is responsible for patrol scanning, providing real-time monitoring capabilities and enabling timely and accurate entanglement detection. The cooperation between the operation drone 2 and the cable comber 3 enables mobile cable combing operations, replacing the existing method of suspending heavy objects at both ends of the catwalk support cable 1 and using gravity to slide down the catwalk support cable 1 to break up the entanglement. The adjustable cable combing unit of the cable comber 3 allows for adaptation to different entanglement situations, improving resource utilization and solving the technical problems of slow response, poor controllability, difficulty in effectively breaking up entanglement, and the need for manual climbing to the end of the catwalk support cable to remove heavy objects, which poses high safety risks and is time-consuming and labor-intensive, thus affecting the overall construction progress.

[0134] Furthermore, the operational drone 2 in this invention is a multi-rotor configuration, which can operate stably in wind environments of at least level 6.

[0135] Furthermore, the comb 3 in this invention is made of aerospace aluminum alloy.

[0136] Optionally, the comb unit in this invention includes at least two connecting units 32 and a plurality of intermediate units 33;

[0137] A connecting ring 34 is provided on the upper side of the connecting unit 32 for connecting to the connector 4;

[0138] Both the connecting unit 32 and the intermediate unit 33 are provided with comb grooves 31 on their lower sides;

[0139] The connecting unit 32 and the intermediate unit 33, as well as the intermediate unit 33 and other intermediate units 33, are detachably connected by bolts.

[0140] In this embodiment, the detachable connection between the connecting unit and the intermediate unit allows for rapid assembly and replacement, adapting to entanglement problems of varying scales and reducing equipment inventory costs. The design of the connecting lifting ring simplifies the docking with the connectors, improving deployment efficiency; this modular structure also facilitates transportation and storage, reduces logistical complexity, and enhances the system's practicality and economy.

[0141] Furthermore, in this invention, there are at least four connecting lifting rings 34, symmetrically arranged at the edge of the comber 3, so as to achieve balanced lifting of the comber 3.

[0142] Optionally, the comb groove 31 in this invention includes: a groove body 311, which matches the catwalk load-bearing cable 1;

[0143] The guide opening 312 is an open opening located on the lower side of the trough 311, used to guide the catwalk load-bearing cable into the trough 312.

[0144] In this embodiment, the design of the groove and guide port improves the guidance and safety of the combing; the groove matches the load-bearing cable to ensure close contact and improve combing efficiency; the open design of the guide port facilitates the entry of the load-bearing cable and avoids jamming, making it particularly suitable for complex entanglement scenarios. This structure enhances the durability and adaptability of the combing device and reduces maintenance requirements.

[0145] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the guide opening angle is 45 degrees to 60 degrees.

[0146] Optionally, the inner wall of the tank in this invention is provided with a wear-resistant layer.

[0147] In this embodiment, a wear-resistant layer is installed on the inner wall of the tank to reduce wear on the inner wall, making it suitable for high-frequency use and lowering replacement frequency and cost. Simultaneously, it improves the smoothness of the cable combing process, reduces damage to the load-bearing cables, and ensures construction quality. This design is simple and effective, enhancing the system's economy and sustainability.

[0148] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0149] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for combing load-bearing cables in a catwalk, characterized in that, include: S1: Drone cruise scan: During the erection of the catwalk load-bearing cable (1), a monitoring drone is used to cruise along the catwalk load-bearing cable (1) to collect images of the catwalk load-bearing cable (1) in real time, and to determine whether entanglement occurs and the parameters of the entanglement area based on the images of the catwalk load-bearing cable (1). S2: Equipment initialization: Adjust the comb (3) according to the parameters of the entanglement area; S3: Cable combing operation: The cable comber (3) is hoisted onto the catwalk load-bearing cable (1) in front of the entanglement area using the operation drone (2), and the cable comber (3) is correspondingly fitted onto the catwalk load-bearing cable (1). The cable comber (3) is pulled through the entanglement area by the operation drone (2) to complete the cable combing operation and retrieve the cable comber (3). S4: Inspection: Use lidar and monitoring drones to inspect the catwalk load-bearing cable (1) after the cable combing operation is completed. If the entanglement has been eliminated, repeat step S1 until the catwalk construction is completed. If entanglement still exists, repeat step S3.

2. The method for combing the load-bearing cable of a catwalk according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S1 includes: S1.1: During the erection of the catwalk load-bearing cable (1), the monitoring drone is positioned at a height of 1.5m to 2m above the catwalk load-bearing cable (1) and cruises back and forth along the extension direction of the catwalk load-bearing cable (1); S1.2: Use a monitoring drone to collect images of the catwalk load-bearing cable (1) in real time and transmit them to the central control unit; S1.3: In the central control component, it is determined whether there is any entanglement of the catwalk load-bearing cables (1) based on the real-time acquired image of the catwalk load-bearing cables (1), and the parameters of the entanglement area are determined; wherein, the parameters of the entanglement area include the number of catwalk load-bearing cables (1) that have entangled, the starting position and the ending position.

3. The method for combing the load-bearing cable of a catwalk according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S2 specifically includes: S2.1: Based on the parameters of the entanglement area, splice the corresponding comber (3) so that the comber groove (31) of the comber (3) corresponds to the number of catwalk load-bearing cables that have entangled; S2.2: The comber (3) is hoisted under the operating drone (2) via the connector (4); S2.3: Start the operation drone (2).

4. The method for combing the load-bearing cable of a catwalk according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S3 includes: S3.1: Use the operation drone (2) to hoist the comb (3) onto the catwalk load-bearing cable (1) of the parallel segment in front of the entanglement area; S3.2: Gradually lower the operation drone (2) so that the comb groove (31) of the comber (3) is fitted onto the catwalk load-bearing cable (1) corresponding to the entanglement; S3.3: The comber (3) is pulled by the operation drone (2) through the entanglement area, and the comber (3) impacts the entanglement area to complete the combing operation; S3.4: The comber (3) is pulled up by the operation drone (2) so that it is detached from the load-bearing cable and retrieved.

5. The method for combing the load-bearing cable of a catwalk according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S4 includes: S4.1: Use lidar to detect the spacing data between the catwalk load-bearing cables (1) after the cable combing operation, and use a monitoring drone to collect image data of the catwalk load-bearing cables (1) after the cable combing operation, and transmit the spacing data and image data to the central control unit; S4.2: In the central control component, the spacing data between the catwalk load-bearing cables (1) after the cable combing operation is compared with the design spacing of the catwalk load-bearing cables (1), and the real-time acquired images of the catwalk load-bearing cables (1) are used to determine whether there are still catwalk load-bearing cables (1) intertwined. S4.3: If the spacing between the catwalk load-bearing cables (1) after the cable combing operation is greater than or equal to 1 / 3 of the design spacing of the catwalk load-bearing cables (1), and the image of the catwalk load-bearing cables (1) after the cable combing operation shows that no catwalk load-bearing cables (1) are entangled, then the inspection result is that the entanglement has been eliminated and step S1 is executed again until the catwalk construction is completed; otherwise, step S3 is executed again.

6. The method for combing the load-bearing cable of a catwalk according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes step S5: storing the parameters and images of the entangled area and the generated image of the catwalk load-bearing cable (1) after the combing operation.

7. A catwalk load-bearing cable combing system for implementing the catwalk load-bearing cable combing method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, include: The monitoring drone is equipped with a data acquisition module and is used to cruise along the catwalk load-bearing cable (1) during the erection of the catwalk load-bearing cable (1) and collect images of the catwalk load-bearing cable (1) in real time. The operation drone (2) is used to lift the comber (3) onto the catwalk load-bearing cable (1) in front of the entanglement area, and to make the comber (3) be fitted onto the catwalk load-bearing cable (1) accordingly. The comber (3) is pulled through the entanglement area to complete the combing operation and retrieve the comber (3). Connector (4) for connecting the comber (3) to the underside of the operating drone (2); The cable comber (3) has multiple detachable cable combing units. The lower side of the cable combing unit is provided with a cable combing groove (31) for adjusting the number of cable combing grooves (31) according to the parameters of the entanglement area during use, so that they correspond to the catwalk load-bearing cable (1) where entanglement occurs. The central control unit is connected in communication with the monitoring drone and the operation drone (2) to acquire images of the catwalk load-bearing cable (1) in real time and to control the operation drone (2) and the monitoring drone.

8. The catwalk load-bearing cable comb system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The comb unit includes at least two connecting units (32) and multiple intermediate units (33); The upper side of the connecting unit (32) is provided with a connecting ring (34) for connecting with the connecting piece (4); The lower side of both the connecting unit (32) and the intermediate unit (33) is provided with a comb groove (31); The connecting unit (32) and the intermediate unit (33) are detachably connected by bolts, as are the intermediate unit (33) and other intermediate units (33).

9. The catwalk load-bearing cable comb system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The comb groove (31) includes: a groove body (311) that matches the catwalk load-bearing cable (1); The guide opening (312) is an open opening located on the lower side of the trough (311) and is used to guide the catwalk load-bearing cable (1) into the trough (311).

10. The catwalk load-bearing cable comb system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The inner wall of the tank (311) is provided with a wear-resistant layer.

Images