Aerogenerator lightning arrester docking system and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a docking system and method for a lightning arrester of a wind driven generator, and the method comprises the following steps: a controller obtains a picture shot by a visual detection device to control an unmanned mobile platform, and a mechanical arm drives a self-adaptive detection device to be docked with the lightning arrester, so that the ends of a plurality of conductive rods are in preliminary contact with the lightning arrester; the spring is compressed to provide passive pre-tightening force towards the lightning arrester for the conducting rod; the controller controls the linear motion mechanism to extend out of the target displacement to drive the conducting rod to continuously press the lightning arrester; the controller collects the actual displacement of the linear motion mechanism; the controller judges whether the error between the actual displacement and the target displacement is smaller than an error threshold value or not, if not, the controller controls the linear motion mechanism to retreat by the preset displacement, controls the linear motion mechanism to repeatedly execute multiple stretching and retreating operations, and then controls the linear motion mechanism to stretch out by the target displacement; and the end parts of the plurality of conducting rods are in stable contact with the lightning arrester. And safe and reliable automatic detection of the lightning arrester is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wind power equipment operation and maintenance, and in particular to a wind turbine lightning arrester docking system and method. Background Technology

[0002] Wind turbines typically operate in open land or offshore environments, where blades are susceptible to lightning strikes. As a crucial component of the blade's lightning protection system, the lightning arrester's conductivity directly determines whether lightning current can be reliably introduced into the blade's internal conductors and safely discharged. If the lightning arrester has an open circuit, poor contact, or significantly increased contact resistance, it may lead to abnormal lightning current discharge paths, increasing the risk of blade ablation, delamination, and lightning protection system failure. Therefore, periodic testing of the lightning arrester's conductivity is of great importance.

[0003] Traditional testing methods often involve manual climbing, rope work at height, or contact measurement using aerial work platforms, which have problems such as high operational risks, low efficiency, and poor repeatability and consistency.

[0004] In more advanced robot inspection methods, to accommodate the geometry and positioning errors of lightning arresters, the end effector typically employs an elastic pre-tightening or compliant structure for bonding. However, under the influence of long-term high-altitude environments such as salt spray, dust, deposits, and low-temperature condensation, passively telescopic components may experience increased friction, delayed rebound, or even jamming. This makes the contact state unobservable, the contact unstable, and the conduction resistance fluctuate, leading to misjudgments, missed detections, or detection failures. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, there is a need to provide a wind turbine lightning arrester docking system and method to solve the problem of unstable docking between existing robots and lightning arresters during the detection process.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the inventors provide a method for connecting a wind turbine lightning arrester, comprising the following steps:

[0007] The controller acquires images captured by the vision inspection device and controls the unmanned mobile platform and robotic arm to drive the adaptive inspection device to dock with the lightning arrester, so that the ends of multiple conductive rods make initial contact with the lightning arrester, and the spring compression provides a passive preload force for the conductive rods toward the lightning arrester.

[0008] The controller controls the linear motion mechanism to extend to the target displacement, causing the conductive rod to continue pressing the lightning arrester;

[0009] The controller collects the actual displacement of the linear motion mechanism;

[0010] The controller determines whether the error between the actual displacement and the target displacement is less than the error threshold. If not, the controller controls the linear motion mechanism to retract the preset displacement and controls the linear motion mechanism to repeatedly perform the extension and retraction operations. Then, the controller controls the linear motion mechanism to extend to the target displacement, so that the ends of the multiple conductive rods form a stable contact with the lightning arrester.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes the following steps:

[0012] The controller acquires the on-resistance sequence and the drive current sequence;

[0013] The controller obtains the resistance fluctuation using the following formula:

[0014]

[0015] In the formula, This is the resistance fluctuation. For the on-resistance sequence, The average on-resistance;

[0016] The controller obtains the current fluctuation based on the following formula:

[0017]

[0018] In the formula, This refers to the current fluctuation. For the driving current sequence, The average drive current,

[0019] The controller determines whether the resistance fluctuation is less than the resistance fluctuation threshold and whether the current fluctuation is less than the current fluctuation threshold. If so, the controller determines that the ends of the multiple conductive rods have indeed formed a stable contact with the lightning arrester.

[0020] Furthermore, it also includes the following steps:

[0021] The linear motion mechanism is a linear motor. The controller controls the linear motor to extend at a constant speed and collects the driving current of the linear motor. By judging whether the driving current is less than the current threshold, it is indirectly judged whether the error between the actual displacement and the target displacement is less than the error threshold.

[0022] Furthermore, in the step where the controller controls the linear motion mechanism to repeatedly perform multiple extension and retraction operations, the linear motion mechanism is a linear motor, and its commanded displacement is obtained through the following formula:

[0023]

[0024]

[0025] In the formula, For command displacement, For time, For the target displacement, To revert displacement, , For amplitude, For a period of time, For frequency, The number of times the extension and retraction movements are repeated.

[0026] Furthermore, it also includes the following steps:

[0027] The controller obtains the contact normal force when the adaptive detection device docks with the lightning arrester through a force sensor, and finely adjusts the target displacement according to the normal force to keep the contact force within a safe range.

[0028] To achieve the above objectives, the inventors also provide a wind turbine lightning arrester docking system, comprising:

[0029] Unmanned mobile platform;

[0030] A robotic arm is mounted on the unmanned mobile platform;

[0031] The visual inspection device is installed on the robotic arm or unmanned mobile platform;

[0032] An adaptive detection device includes a housing, a first connecting plate, a sleeve assembly, a second connecting plate, multiple conductive rods, and multiple springs. The housing is mounted on the robotic arm, the first connecting plate is mounted on the housing, and the first connecting plate has multiple sleeves. The second connecting plate is mounted on the housing and is parallel to the first connecting plate. The second connecting plate has multiple through holes, and each conductive rod passes through a corresponding through hole and is slidably connected to a corresponding sleeve. The conductive rods, through holes, and sleeves are in one-to-one correspondence. Each conductive rod passes through a sleeve and the first connecting plate. Each conductive rod has a shoulder located on the side of the second connecting plate facing the first connecting plate. A spring is provided between the shoulder of each conductive rod and each sleeve.

[0033] A linear reciprocating device includes a linear motion mechanism and an adjusting plate. The linear motion mechanism is mounted on the housing and located on the side of the first connecting plate away from the second connecting plate. The adjusting plate is mounted on the linear motion mechanism and supports multiple conductive rods that slide along a sleeve as the linear motion mechanism extends and retracts.

[0034] The controller is connected to the linear motion mechanism, the robotic arm, the unmanned mobile platform, and the vision detection device, and executes the wind turbine lightning arrester docking method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0035] Furthermore, the ends of the conductive rods are hemispherical, and the ends of multiple conductive rods form a spherical envelope.

[0036] Furthermore, the interior of the conductive rod is hollow to accommodate the wire. One end of the wire extends into the conductive rod and connects to the conductive end, while the other end extends out of the conductive rod and passes through the electrical interface of the housing to connect to the controller.

[0037] Furthermore, it also includes a force sensor, which is disposed between the end of the robotic arm and the housing and connected to the controller.

[0038] Furthermore, the robotic arm is positioned above the unmanned mobile platform, and the adaptive detection device is located to the side of the robotic arm, moving in sync with the horizontal movement of the robotic arm.

[0039] Unlike existing technologies, the above technical solution has the following beneficial effects:

[0040] The adjustment plate of the center pretension adjustment device is driven by a linear motion mechanism, which pushes all conductive rods to move synchronously towards the lightning arrester, changing the overall pretension of all conductive rods and making the conductive rods and lightning arrester form a more stable contact, so as to realize the subsequent safe, efficient and reliable automated testing of the wind turbine lightning arrester.

[0041] The above description of the invention is merely an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of this application and to implement it based on the description and drawings, and to make the above-mentioned objectives and other objectives, features and advantages of this application easier to understand, the following description is provided in conjunction with the specific embodiments and drawings of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0042] The accompanying drawings are only used to illustrate the principles, implementation methods, applications, features, and effects of specific embodiments of the present invention and other related contents, and should not be considered as limitations on this application.

[0043] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wind turbine lightning arrester in this invention;

[0044] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the adaptive detection device and the center preload adjustment device in this invention, which are not equipped with springs.

[0045] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the adaptive detection device in this invention;

[0046] Figure 4 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the adaptive detection device and the center preload adjustment device equipped with a spring in this invention;

[0047] Figure 5 This is the second schematic diagram of the adaptive detection device and the center preload adjustment device equipped with springs in this invention;

[0048] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first connecting plate and sleeve in this invention;

[0049] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second connecting plate and the through hole in this invention;

[0050] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the conductive rod, spring, and wire in this invention;

[0051] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in this invention where the ends of multiple conductive rods form a spherical envelope surface;

[0052] Figure 10 This is one of the flowcharts for the docking method in this invention;

[0053] Figure 11 This is the second flowchart of the docking method in this invention;

[0054] Figure 12 This is the third flowchart of the docking method in this invention.

[0055] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0056] 1. Unmanned mobile platform; 2. Robotic arm; 3. Adaptive detection device; 31. Housing; 32. First connecting plate; 33. Sleeve; 34. Second connecting plate; 341. Through hole; 35. Conductive rod; 351. Shoulder; 352. End; 36. Spring; 37. Electrical interface; 4. Center preload adjustment device; 41. Linear motion mechanism; 42. Adjustment plate; 5. Wire; 6. Force sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0057] To illustrate the possible application scenarios, technical principles, implementable specific solutions, and achievable objectives and effects of this application in detail, the following description, in conjunction with the listed specific embodiments and accompanying drawings, provides a detailed explanation. The embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the technical solutions of this application and are therefore intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0058] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The term "embodiment" appearing in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it specifically limit its independence or connection with other embodiments. In principle, in this application, as long as there are no technical contradictions or conflicts, the technical features mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any way to form corresponding implementable technical solutions.

[0059] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the use of related terms herein is merely for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to limit this application.

[0060] In the description of this application, the term "and / or" is used to describe the logical relationship between objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B means: A exists, B exists, and A and B exist simultaneously. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following objects have an "or" logical relationship.

[0061] In this application, terms such as “first” and “second” are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual quantity, hierarchy or order relationship between these entities or operations.

[0062] Without further limitations, the use of terms such as “comprising,” “including,” “having,” or other similar open-ended expressions in this application is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, which does not exclude the presence of additional elements in a process, method, or product that includes the stated elements, such that a process, method, or product that includes a list of elements may include not only those defined elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, or product.

[0063] As understood in the Examination Guidelines, in this application, expressions such as "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number; expressions such as "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments in this application, "multiple" means two or more (including two), and similar expressions related to "multiple" are also understood in this way, such as "multiple groups" and "multiple times," unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0064] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the space-related expressions used, such as "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "vertical," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential," indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the specific embodiments or drawings. They are only for the purpose of describing the specific embodiments of this application or for the reader's understanding, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific position, a specific orientation, or be constructed or operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0065] The processor described in the embodiments of this application can be implemented by hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. It can be a circuit, one or more of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a digital signal processing device (DSPD), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a central processing unit (CPU), a controller, a microcontroller, or a microprocessor. It also includes other physical, biological, or chemical structures that can implement the same or equivalent functions as the processors listed above, such as biological neurons, quantum computing units, DNA computing units, etc., so that the processor can execute some or all of the steps in the computer program or method involved in the various embodiments of this application, or any combination of the steps mentioned therein.

[0066] The computer program involved in the embodiments can be stored in a computer device readable storage medium, which includes, but is not limited to, disks, magnetic tapes, magnetic cards, floppy disks, flash memory, optical disks, optical cards, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), and electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), etc., and also includes other biological, physical, or chemical structures that can achieve the same or equivalent functions as the storage media listed above, such as DNA, RNA, proteins, and other units with information storage capabilities. In specific embodiments, the storage medium involved can be one of the above-mentioned media types, or a combination of the above-mentioned media types. In different embodiments, the computer program involved in the embodiments can be centrally stored in a single medium, or distributed and stored in multiple media. The memory containing the computer device readable storage medium can be non-volatile memory or random access memory. These computer device readable storage media can be built into the device, or can be connected to the device involved in the embodiments as an external device or part of an external device. In some embodiments, the memory having a computer device readable storage medium is deployed locally; in other embodiments, the memory may be deployed remotely from the processor, for example, as a network-attached memory accessed via RF circuitry or an external port and a communication network, wherein the communication network may be the Internet, one or more intranets, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WLAN), a storage area network (SAN), or a suitable combination thereof, as long as computer device access to the memory is enabled. Furthermore, the computer program involved in the embodiments may be stored in plaintext / ciphertext form, or it may be designed as training data, integrated and recombined through model training and implicitly stored in the parameter states of a deep neural network or other machine learning model.

[0067] Please see Figures 1 to 9 This embodiment provides a wind turbine lightning arrester docking system, including:

[0068] Unmanned mobile platform 1;

[0069] Robotic arm 2 is mounted on unmanned mobile platform 1;

[0070] A visual inspection device is mounted on an unmanned mobile platform 1 or a robotic arm 2;

[0071] The adaptive detection device 3 includes a housing 31, a first connecting plate 32, a sleeve assembly, a second connecting plate 34, multiple conductive rods 35, and multiple springs 36. The housing 31 is mounted on the robotic arm 2. The first connecting plate 32 is mounted on the housing 31 and has multiple sleeves 33. The second connecting plate 34 is mounted on the housing 31 and is parallel to the first connecting plate 32. The second connecting plate 34 has multiple through holes 341. Each conductive rod 35 passes through the corresponding through hole 341 and is slidably connected to the corresponding sleeve 33. The conductive rods 35, through holes 341, and sleeves 33 correspond one-to-one. Each conductive rod 35 passes through the sleeve 33 and the first connecting plate 32. Each conductive rod 35 has a shoulder 351 located on the side of the second connecting plate 34 facing the first connecting plate 32. A spring 36 is provided between the shoulder 351 of each conductive rod 35 and each sleeve 33.

[0072] The center preload adjustment device 4 includes a linear motion mechanism 41 and an adjustment plate 42. The linear motion mechanism 41 is mounted on the housing 31 and located on the side of the first connecting plate 32 away from the second connecting plate 34. The adjustment plate 42 is mounted on the linear motion mechanism 41 and supports multiple conductive rods 35. The conductive rods 35 slide along the sleeve 33 as the linear motion mechanism 41 extends and retracts.

[0073] The controller is connected to the linear motion mechanism 41, the robotic arm 2, the unmanned mobile platform 1, and the vision inspection device.

[0074] It should be noted that the unmanned mobile platform 1 can be a wheeled or tracked (AGV) ground mobile platform, or it can be an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight platform. The structure of the UAV flight platform is as follows: Figure 1 As shown; the robotic arm 2 is mounted on the unmanned mobile platform 1 and is used to transport the end detection device to the vicinity of the lightning arrester and perform the contact and retraction operations with the lightning arrester.

[0075] It should be noted that the multiple conductive rods 35 are arranged side by side, and each conductive rod 35 corresponds to a sleeve 33. The conductive rod 35 can extend into the corresponding sleeve 33 and pass through the sleeve 33 to be fixed on the adjusting plate 42, as shown in the structure. Figures 2 to 8 As shown. The elastic element can extend into the sleeve 33 and abut against the inner wall of the sleeve 33, or be sleeved on the outer wall of the sleeve 33, as shown in the diagram. Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 8 As shown.

[0076] It should be noted that the controller acquires the images captured by the vision detection device, determines the spatial position and attitude of the lightning arrester, and then coordinates the entire docking process: controls the unmanned mobile platform 1 to move to the target work area near the wind turbine lightning arrester; drives the robotic arm 2 to adjust its attitude and moves the adaptive detection device 3 next to the lightning arrester; and starts the linear motion mechanism 41 to perform the pressing and retraction actions of the conductive rod 35.

[0077] The controller is used to perform logical control and sequence switching of operation processes such as approach, pre-tightening establishment, stability criterion determination, measurement triggering, de-jamming processing and withdrawal, and realizes contact stability determination and jamming determination based on the obtained displacement and drive current signals of the linear motion mechanism 41.

[0078] The working principle of the wind turbine lightning arrester docking system is as follows:

[0079] An unmanned mobile platform 1, equipped with a robotic arm 2, flies to the vicinity of the lightning arrester on the wind turbine blade. An adaptive detection device 3 moves to the side of the lightning arrester via the robotic arm 2. Multiple conductive rods 35 in the adaptive detection device 3 can extend and retract independently, adapting to minor deformations or positional deviations of the lightning arrester surface upon initial contact. Each conductive rod 35 is equipped with a spring 36, which provides a passive preload force towards the lightning arrester. The adjusting plate 42 of the center preload adjusting device 4, driven by a linear motion mechanism 41, pushes all conductive rods 35 synchronously towards the lightning arrester, changing the overall preload of all conductive rods 35 and allowing for a more stable contact between the conductive rods 35 and the lightning arrester, thus enabling safe, efficient, and reliable automated detection of the wind turbine lightning arrester.

[0080] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 9 In some embodiments, the end 352 of the conductive rod 35 (i.e., the end used to contact the lightning arrester) is hemispherical, and the ends 352 of multiple conductive rods 35 (i.e., the ends used to contact the lightning arrester) form a spherical envelope surface S. That is, multiple conductive rods 35 together constitute an approximately spherical envelope surface in three-dimensional space, which can obtain a higher number of initial contact points and better adhesion when facing lightning arrester surfaces with different curvatures.

[0081] Specifically, when the 35 conductive rods extend naturally under the action of the elastic element, their end contacts form a spherical envelope surface S. Taking the end center axis as a reference, if the radial distance from the end point of the i-th rod to the center axis is... The designed sphere radius is Then the axial distribution of the endpoints can satisfy the geometric constraints:

[0082]

[0083] This geometric distribution allows for a higher number of initial contact points and better adhesion when the end faces lightning arrester surfaces with different curvatures.

[0084] Multiple conductive rods 35 form multi-point contact with the flash connector, and the equivalent contact resistance of the multiple contact points can be approximated as being in parallel:

[0085]

[0086] In the formula, For parallel resistors, For the number of effective contact points, The resistance is the shrinkage resistance at a single contact point. Compared to a single-point rigid conductive rod with 35° contact, the multi-point parallel structure can significantly reduce the equivalent contact resistance and has higher robustness to wind disturbances and small attitude errors, thereby improving the stability and repeatability of continuity detection.

[0087] (1) Passive preload model: for the first The contact direction of the conductive rod 35 can be expressed as follows:

[0088]

[0089] In the formula, Let be the spring constant of the i-th spring. Let be the deformation length of the i-th conductive rod. Let be the initial warning force for the i-th conductive rod.

[0090] (2) Theoretical model of contact resistance (Holm contact theory, preferred)

[0091] During continuity testing, the end 352 of the conductive rod 35 forms a metal contact interface with the surface of the lightning arrester. Due to surface micro-roughness and the presence of oxide film / contamination layer, actual conductive contact mainly occurs at several micro-protrusions. According to Holm contact theory, the contraction resistance of a single contact point can be approximately expressed as:

[0092]

[0093] In the formula, The equivalent resistivity of the contact material. Let be the equivalent contact radius of the i-th micro-contact point.

[0094] Under the plastic contact approximation, the micro-contact radius and the normal contact force The following conditions can be approximately met:

[0095]

[0096] In the formula, This refers to the hardness parameter of the contact material.

[0097] Therefore, increasing the contact force will lead to an increase in the contact radius, thereby reducing the contact resistance, i.e.:

[0098]

[0099] Therefore, this application provides passive preload through spring 36, and further superimposes active overall preload adjustment through center preload adjustment device 4, which can reduce contact resistance and suppress contact resistance fluctuations.

[0100] In the presence of an oxide film or contamination layer, the single-point contact resistance may further include a film resistance component, for example:

[0101]

[0102] The pre-tightening adjustment in this application helps reduce the impact of the membrane layer and improve contact consistency.

[0103] Please see Figure 8 In some embodiments, the interior of the conductive rod 35 is hollow to accommodate the wire 5. One end of the wire 5 extends into the conductive rod 35 and connects to the end 352 of the conductive rod 35, while the other end extends out of the conductive rod 35 and passes through the electrical interface 37 of the housing 31 to connect with the controller.

[0104] The conductive rod 35 can be made of a conductive metallic material (such as brass), with its end 352 serving as a conductive contact. Each conductive rod 35 has a hollow structure, with a flexible wire 5 running through it. The front end of the wire 5 is reliably electrically connected to the end 352 of the conductive rod 35 by welding, crimping, or using conductive adhesive, allowing current or detection signals to be conducted to the wire 5 through the end 352. The rear end of the wire 5 extends from the tail of the conductive rod 35, passes through an electrical interface 37 on the housing 31, and can be connected to the controller's signal acquisition or an external continuity testing device. Preferably, an external continuity testing device, preferably a four-wire microohmmeter or a continuity resistance tester, can be connected through the electrical interface 37 to form a measurement circuit, thereby reducing the influence of lead resistance. If necessary, lead resistance calibration compensation can be performed to obtain the resistance to be determined. and with threshold Compare and output the detection results.

[0105] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 In some embodiments, there are multiple conductive rods 35, such as seven, five, or eight, with varying lengths and diameters, forming a stepped rod with a shoulder 351.

[0106] In some embodiments, the housing 31 connects the first connecting plate 32 and the second connecting plate 34 to form an installation frame. The first connecting plate 32 and the second connecting plate 34 are preferably disc-shaped and arranged in parallel. The center of the first connecting plate 32 is provided with an electrical interface 37 for the lead-out of the wire 5.

[0107] Please see Figure 1 In some embodiments, the system further includes a force sensor 6, which is located between the end of the robotic arm 2 and the housing 31 to detect the contact force between them. The force sensor 6 is connected to the controller. When the adaptive detection device 3 approaches and contacts the lightning arrester, the resulting contact force is transmitted through the housing 31 to the force sensor 6, which then outputs a real-time force signal to the controller. The controller obtains the contact normal force when the adaptive detection device 3 docks with the lightning arrester through the force sensor 6, and fine-tunes the target displacement based on the normal force to ensure that the contact force remains within a safe range.

[0108] Please see Figure 1 In some embodiments, the robotic arm 2 is positioned above the unmanned mobile platform 1, and the adaptive detection device 3 is located to the side of the robotic arm 2, moving in tandem with the horizontal movement of the robotic arm 2. The lateral mounting of the adaptive detection device 3 allows the robotic arm 2 to approach the lightning arrester from a more lateral position, facilitating a better fit between the end of the conductive rod 35 and the surface of the lightning arrester.

[0109] Please see Figure 2 In some embodiments, the linear motion mechanism 41 may be a linear motor, a cylinder, or a hydraulic cylinder. Preferably, a linear motor is used as the linear motion mechanism 41. This linear motor integrates a motor body, a driver, a guide structure, and a position feedback component. The position feedback component is preferably a linear encoder, a magnetic scale, or a Hall position detection component, used to output a displacement feedback signal to achieve constant displacement control. The driver has a current sampling function for collecting the drive current. Drive current It can be used for contact condition monitoring and jamming diagnosis, reflecting the resistance change trend during the contact phase, and realizing pre-tightening adjustment and condition monitoring with "integrated drive and sensing". The thrust constant can be obtained through calibration. With bias term It can achieve thrust estimation:

[0110]

[0111] In the formula, It is the equivalent thrust (the component in the overall preload direction).

[0112] This allows for contact status monitoring and jamming diagnosis without the need for an additional force sensor 6. The preload adjustment plate 42 forms a preload transmission relationship with the conductive rod 35 or the spring 36, enabling the displacement output of the linear motor to be converted into adjustment of the overall preload of the conductive rod 35.

[0113] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 8 In some embodiments, the shoulder 351 is used to limit the extension and retraction stroke of the conductive rod 35. For example, the shoulder 351 is constructed as a cylindrical structure protruding outward from the side of the conductive rod 35, with an outer diameter larger than the diameter of the corresponding through hole 341 on the second connecting plate 34 and larger than the port diameter of the sleeve 33, thereby forming a mechanical limit between the opposite side surfaces of the second connecting plate 34 and the first connecting plate 32, limiting the axial movement range of the conductive rod 35, and ensuring motion stability and reliability.

[0114] Please see Figures 10 to 12 This embodiment provides a method for connecting a wind turbine lightning arrester, including the following steps:

[0115] Step S1: The controller acquires the image captured by the vision detection device and controls the unmanned mobile platform 1 and the robotic arm 2 to drive the adaptive detection device 3 to dock with the lightning arrester, so that the ends 352 of multiple conductive rods 35 make initial contact with the lightning arrester, and the spring 36 is compressed to provide a passive preload force towards the lightning arrester for the conductive rods 35.

[0116] Step S2: The controller controls the linear motion mechanism 41 to extend to the target displacement. This causes the conductive rod 35 to continue pressing the lightning arrester.

[0117] Step S3: The controller acquires the actual displacement of the linear motion mechanism 41. ;

[0118] Step S4: The controller determines the actual displacement. With target displacement error Is it less than the error threshold? ,

[0119] If not, the controller controls the linear motion mechanism 41 to retract the preset displacement. The linear motion mechanism 41 is controlled to repeatedly perform extension and retraction operations, and then the linear motion mechanism 41 is controlled to extend to the target displacement. This ensures that the ends 352 of the multiple conductive rods 35 make stable contact with the lightning arrester.

[0120] If so, it means that the actual displacement is very close to the target displacement, and the ends 352 of the multiple conductive rods 35 form a stable contact with the lightning arrester.

[0121] Specifically, actual displacement With target displacement The error can be named displacement tracking error. :

[0122]

[0123] When the displacement tracking error meets the error threshold:

[0124]

[0125] If the current contact state is determined to be abnormal, such as excessive foreign objects causing obstruction, then the release action of the unblocking step is executed: that is, the linear motion mechanism 41 is controlled to retract by a preset displacement. Then, the jittering action of the unblocking step is performed: that is, the linear motion mechanism 41 is controlled to repeatedly perform extension and retraction operations to disturb the contact interface or remove foreign objects. Finally, the tightening action of the unblocking step is performed: the linear motion mechanism 41 is controlled to extend to the target displacement. In order to restore stable contact.

[0126] This de-jamming strategy has self-recovery capabilities. Through coordinated actions of "loosening-shaking-tightening," it effectively addresses jamming or poor contact issues during docking, thereby improving the mission completion rate in long-term high-altitude environments.

[0127] Preferably, the preset displacement is returned. Set to the maximum allowable value to cause the linear motion mechanism 41 to retract to the end of its stroke. Of course, it can also be set to other suitable values ​​according to actual needs.

[0128] Please see Figure 11 In some embodiments, based on the Holm contact theory and multi-point parallel model described above, changes in the number of contact points, contact force, and film state can cause fluctuations in equivalent resistance. To avoid false detections caused by spurious contacts or momentary discontinuities, the docking method further includes the following step S5:

[0129] The controller acquires the on-resistance sequence and the drive current sequence;

[0130] The controller obtains the resistance fluctuation using the following formula:

[0131]

[0132] In the formula, This is the resistance fluctuation. For the on-resistance sequence, The average on-resistance;

[0133] The controller obtains the current fluctuation based on the following formula:

[0134]

[0135] In the formula, This refers to the current fluctuation. For the driving current sequence, This represents the average drive current.

[0136] The controller determines the resistance fluctuation. Is it less than the resistance fluctuation threshold? and current fluctuation Is it less than the current fluctuation threshold? If yes, the controller determines that the ends 352 of the multiple conductive rods 35 have indeed formed a stable contact with the lightning arrester, and can then trigger an external continuity detection device to complete the measurement and recording. If no, the controller determines that the contact is unstable and can repeat the loose-shake-tighten steps.

[0137] It should be noted that this application performs timing sampling on the on-resistance and drive current separately within a preset sampling window to form their respective time series, i.e., the on-resistance sequence. and drive current sequence The elements in each sequence correspond to the measured values ​​at different sampling times.

[0138] It goes without saying that the resistance fluctuation threshold and current fluctuation threshold It can be set according to different working conditions or adaptively adjusted based on wind speed level, surface adhesion status or historical measurement statistics.

[0139] In some embodiments, the docking method further includes the following steps:

[0140] The linear motion mechanism 41 is a linear motor. The output thrust of the linear motor is approximately linearly related to its drive current. Therefore, the drive current... It can reflect the current load on the motor. The controller controls the linear motor to extend at a constant speed and collects the drive current of the linear motor. By determining whether the drive current is less than the current threshold This is used to indirectly determine whether the error between the actual displacement and the target displacement is less than the error threshold.

[0141] In some embodiments, in the step where the controller controls the linear motion mechanism 41 to repeatedly perform multiple extension and retraction operations, the linear motion mechanism 41 is a linear motor, and its commanded displacement is obtained by the following formula:

[0142]

[0143]

[0144] In the formula, For command displacement, For time, For the target displacement, To revert displacement, , For amplitude, For a period of time, For frequency, The number of times the extension and retraction movements are repeated.

[0145] In some embodiments, the docking method further includes the following steps:

[0146] The controller acquires the contact normal force when the adaptive detection device 3 docks with the lightning arrester via force sensor 6. And fine-tune the target displacement according to the normal force. This ensures that the contact force is within a safe range, i.e. .For example:

[0147]

[0148] This redundant feedback can improve robustness in scenarios with strong wind disturbances or severe surface adhesion.

[0149] In some embodiments, after step S4, the following step S6 is further included:

[0150] The controller determines whether the number of repetitions of the loosening-shaking-tightening step in step S4 exceeds the preset number. If so, it exits the measurement point and records the fault information.

[0151] In some embodiments, after the end 352 of the conductive rod 35 forms a stable contact with the lightning arrester, the following step S7 is further included:

[0152] The external continuity testing equipment is connected to the lightning arrester via a conductive rod 35 to measure and record various parameters of the lightning arrester at the testing point. After completing the testing at this point, the equipment is withdrawn and proceeds to the next testing point.

[0153] In some embodiments, step S1 further includes the following steps:

[0154] The controller acquires the lightning arrester's position information measured by the laser sensor and controls the unmanned mobile platform 1 and robotic arm 2 to drive the adaptive detection device 3 to dock with the lightning arrester. The laser sensor can be installed on the unmanned mobile platform 1 and / or robotic arm 2 to measure the relative distance and orientation between the adaptive detection device 3 and the lightning arrester in real time. Based on the measurement results, the controller calculates the spatial coordinates of the lightning arrester and controls the unmanned mobile platform 1 to move to the predetermined working position. At the same time, it drives the robotic arm 2 to adjust its posture so that the adaptive detection device 3 accurately aligns with and approaches the lightning arrester, completing the initial docking.

[0155] A preferred embodiment of this application is described herein:

[0156] 1. The controller plans the path and controls the unmanned mobile platform 1 to navigate to the designated working position under the target wind turbine tower.

[0157] 2. The controller identifies or locates the lightning arrester on the blade using a visual inspection device or pre-set coordinates.

[0158] 3. The controller drives the robotic arm 2 to move the adaptive detection device 3 smoothly and accurately to the vicinity of the lightning arrester.

[0159] 4. The controller slowly advances the robotic arm 2 along the normal direction of the lightning arrester surface, causing the spherical envelope of the multiple conductive rods 35 to contact the lightning arrester surface. During this process, to prevent damage from rigid collisions, the controller employs an impedance control algorithm based on feedback from the force sensor 6. The dynamic equations of the robotic arm 2's end effector in the contact direction are established as follows:

[0160]

[0161] In the formula, The external contact force is detected in real time by force sensor 6. , These represent the desired position and the actual corrected position at the end of robotic arm 2, respectively. , , These are the virtual inertia, damping, and stiffness parameters of the target impedance model, respectively. The controller uses real-time acquired data... Solving the above equations yields the position correction amount, which dynamically adjusts the pose of the robotic arm 2 to make it exhibit compliant characteristics, ensuring that each conductive rod 35 retracts adaptively according to the surface contour, and that the total contact force remains stable within the preset safe range.

[0162] 5. Once the controller determines that the contact is stable, it triggers an external continuity tester to send a detection signal to the lightning arrester through the electrical interface 37 and the wire 5 to measure its resistance value, and records and judges the result.

[0163] 6. After the detection at this point is completed, the controller controls the robotic arm 2 to detach and move to the next detection point, or to be transferred by the mobile platform to the next fan, and the above process is repeated.

[0164] The main technical concept of this application is explained below:

[0165] Based on the adaptive detection device 3, the pre-tightening adjustment of the conductive rod 35 and current / displacement monitoring are introduced to make the contact state observable and verifiable. The success rate and stability of detection in complex environments are improved by triggering measurement with stability criteria and the "loose-shake-tighten" unblocking process, so as to achieve safe, efficient and reliable automated detection of wind turbine lightning arresters.

[0166] Please see Figure 12 In the constant displacement control mode of the linear motion mechanism 41, the conductive rod 35 is pre-tightened as a whole; the measurement is triggered based on the stability criterion of conduction resistance and driving current; when the jamming criterion is met, the "loose-shake-tighten" unblocking action is performed and retried until the stability criterion is met or the number of retried attempts is exceeded, then the process exits.

[0167] If a certain measuring point fails to meet the stability criterion after multiple card unlocking attempts, the system switches to an adjacent measuring point to complete the detection and records the location information of the abnormal measuring point, thereby improving the overall task completion rate and traceability.

[0168] Compared with the prior art, this application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0169] (1) Achieve automated and safe operation: Form a closed-loop process of "positioning - approach - pre-tightening - stability judgment - trigger measurement - de-carding and retry" to reduce the risks of manual high-altitude work;

[0170] (2) High contact reliability: The combination of independent yielding of multiple rods, spherical envelope surface, passive elastic pre-tightening and active overall pre-tightening adjustment enables stable multi-point electrical contact to be formed under different curvature and positioning error conditions;

[0171] (3) Observable contact state: The driving current and displacement signal can reflect the changes in contact resistance and the jamming trend, reducing the probability of false detection caused by false contact;

[0172] (4) Possesses self-recovery capability: Improves the mission completion rate in long-term high-altitude environments through the "loose-shake-tighten" card-unlocking strategy and stable criterion triggering mechanism;

[0173] (5) Strong compatibility: The system does not lock the drive form of independent claims. The preferred embodiment is a linear motor, which is convenient for engineering replacement and serial application.

[0174] Finally, it should be noted that although the above embodiments have been described in the text and drawings of this application, this should not limit the scope of patent protection of this application. Any technical solutions that are based on the essential concept of this application and utilize the content described in the text and drawings of this application, resulting in equivalent structural or procedural substitutions or modifications, as well as the direct or indirect application of the technical solutions of the above embodiments to other related technical fields, are all included within the scope of patent protection of this application.

Claims

1. A method for connecting a lightning arrester to a wind turbine generator, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The controller acquires images captured by the vision inspection device and controls the unmanned mobile platform and robotic arm to drive the adaptive inspection device to dock with the lightning arrester, so that the ends of multiple conductive rods make initial contact with the lightning arrester, and the spring compression provides a passive preload force for the conductive rods toward the lightning arrester. The controller controls the linear motion mechanism to extend to the target displacement, causing the conductive rod to continue pressing the lightning arrester; The controller collects the actual displacement of the linear motion mechanism; The controller determines whether the error between the actual displacement and the target displacement is less than the error threshold. If not, the controller controls the linear motion mechanism to retract the preset displacement and controls the linear motion mechanism to repeatedly perform the extension and retraction operations. Then, the controller controls the linear motion mechanism to extend to the target displacement, so that the ends of the multiple conductive rods form a stable contact with the lightning arrester.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes the following steps: The controller acquires the on-resistance sequence and the drive current sequence; The controller obtains the resistance fluctuation using the following formula: In the formula, This is the resistance fluctuation. For the on-resistance sequence, The average on-resistance; The controller obtains the current fluctuation based on the following formula: In the formula, This refers to the current fluctuation. For the driving current sequence, The average drive current, The controller determines whether the resistance fluctuation is less than the resistance fluctuation threshold and whether the current fluctuation is less than the current fluctuation threshold. If so, the controller determines that the ends of the multiple conductive rods have indeed formed a stable contact with the lightning arrester.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes the following steps: The linear motion mechanism is a linear motor. The controller controls the linear motor to extend at a constant speed and collects the driving current of the linear motor. By judging whether the driving current is less than the current threshold, it is indirectly judged whether the error between the actual displacement and the target displacement is less than the error threshold.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the step of the controller controlling the linear motion mechanism to repeatedly perform multiple extension and retraction operations, the linear motion mechanism is a linear motor, and its commanded displacement is obtained by the following formula: In the formula, For command displacement, For time, For the target displacement, To revert displacement, , For amplitude, For a period of time, For frequency, The number of times the extension and retraction movements are repeated.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes the following steps: The controller obtains the contact normal force when the adaptive detection device docks with the lightning arrester through a force sensor, and finely adjusts the target displacement according to the normal force to keep the contact force within a safe range.

6. A wind turbine lightning arrester docking system, characterized in that, include: Unmanned mobile platform; A robotic arm is mounted on the unmanned mobile platform; The visual inspection device is installed on the robotic arm or unmanned mobile platform; An adaptive detection device includes a housing, a first connecting plate, a sleeve assembly, a second connecting plate, multiple conductive rods, and multiple springs. The housing is mounted on the robotic arm, the first connecting plate is mounted on the housing, and the first connecting plate has multiple sleeves. The second connecting plate is mounted on the housing and is parallel to the first connecting plate. The second connecting plate has multiple through holes, and each conductive rod passes through a corresponding through hole and is slidably connected to a corresponding sleeve. The conductive rods, through holes, and sleeves are in one-to-one correspondence. Each conductive rod passes through a sleeve and the first connecting plate. Each conductive rod has a shoulder located on the side of the second connecting plate facing the first connecting plate. A spring is provided between the shoulder of each conductive rod and each sleeve. A linear reciprocating device includes a linear motion mechanism and an adjusting plate. The linear motion mechanism is mounted on the housing and located on the side of the first connecting plate away from the second connecting plate. The adjusting plate is mounted on the linear motion mechanism and supports multiple conductive rods. The conductive rods slide along the sleeve as the linear motion mechanism extends and retracts. as well as A controller, which is connected to the linear motion mechanism, the robotic arm, the unmanned mobile platform, and the vision detection device, and executes the wind turbine lightning arrester docking method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The ends of the conductive rods are hemispherical, and the ends of multiple conductive rods form a spherical envelope.

8. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The inside of the conductive rod is hollow to accommodate the wire. One end of the wire extends into the conductive rod and connects to the conductive end, while the other end extends out of the conductive rod and passes through the electrical interface of the housing to connect to the controller.

9. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a force sensor, which is located between the end of the robotic arm and the housing and is connected to the controller.

10. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The robotic arm is positioned above the unmanned mobile platform, and the adaptive detection device is located to the side of the robotic arm, moving in sync with the horizontal movement of the robotic arm.

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