Aircraft engine intake and exhaust duct detection robot

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of aircraft engine intake and exhaust passage detection, and particularly relates to an aircraft engine intake and exhaust passage detection robot which comprises a driving rod, a telescopic support arm, universal wheels and a detection device. An axial propulsion motor is arranged in the driving rod, the axial propulsion motor is connected with a lead screw of a lead screw nut, a nut of the lead screw nut is connected with a rotary driving motor, and the rotary driving motor is arranged in the driving rod in a sliding manner and is connected with a central rotating rod; the telescopic support arms are electric telescopic arms and are connected to the center rotating rod in the circumferential direction. The universal wheels are mounted at the tail ends of the telescopic support arms and are used for being in direct contact with the inner wall of an air intake and exhaust passage of the engine; the multiple detection devices are arranged at the tail ends of the telescopic supporting arms and used for detecting the inner walls of the air inlet and exhaust channels of the engine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of aircraft engine intake and exhaust duct inspection technology, specifically relating to an aircraft engine intake and exhaust duct inspection robot. Background Technology

[0002] For frequently used aircraft, rapid inspection of the engine intake and exhaust ducts is required after landing. Currently, the main methods for inspecting engine intake and exhaust ducts are manual inspection and tracked robot solutions.

[0003] Manual inspection method: After the high-temperature components in the engine intake and exhaust manifolds have cooled to a temperature tolerable for the human body, inspectors climb inside to conduct the inspection. This method has the following drawbacks:

[0004] Due to environmental temperature limitations, the high-temperature components must be allowed to cool naturally to a temperature that is tolerable to the human body before testing. The testing waiting time is too long, and the testing response speed cannot meet the high-frequency use requirements of aircraft.

[0005] Inspectors must crawl through narrow, winding inlet and outlet airways. Due to limitations in human size and posture, it is difficult to cover the entire area of ​​the curved or uneven structure inside the tube wall, resulting in blind spots that may miss defects such as minute cracks or coating peeling.

[0006] Testing personnel working in high-temperature, confined spaces are prone to fatigue or misoperation, increasing the risk of deviation in test results. Furthermore, safety hazards such as high-temperature burns and mechanical damage cannot be completely eliminated.

[0007] It relies on the skills and qualifications of the testing personnel, requires long-term training and certification, and often requires multiple people to work together for a single test, resulting in low efficiency and high human and time costs.

[0008] Tracked robot solution: This solution uses a tracked robot to enter the engine's air intake and exhaust manifolds for inspection. However, this solution has the following drawbacks:

[0009] Tracked robots have a rigid structure, which is limited by the curved contour and spatial constraints of the air intake and exhaust channels. Their movement speed within the air intake and exhaust channels is limited, making it difficult to efficiently complete full-area inspection tasks and failing to meet the engineering requirements for rapid inspection.

[0010] High deployment costs and debugging cycles, complex operation affecting efficiency, slow inspection speed, and high failure rate make it difficult to achieve widespread engineering application.

[0011] In view of the aforementioned technical deficiencies, this application is hereby filed. Summary of the Invention

[0012] The purpose of this application is to provide a robot for inspecting the intake and exhaust ducts of an aircraft engine, in order to overcome or mitigate at least one of the known technical defects.

[0013] The technical solution of this application is:

[0014] A robot for inspecting the intake and exhaust ducts of an aircraft engine includes a drive rod, a telescopic arm, casters, and an inspection device;

[0015] An axial drive motor is installed inside the drive rod. The axial drive motor is connected to the lead screw of the lead screw nut. The lead screw nut is connected to a rotary drive motor. The rotary drive motor is slidably installed inside the drive rod and is connected to the central rotating rod.

[0016] The telescopic boom is an electric telescopic boom, and there are multiple booms connected circumferentially to the central rotating rod.

[0017] There are multiple casters, which are installed at the ends of each telescopic arm and are used to directly contact the inner wall of the engine's intake and exhaust ports.

[0018] There are multiple testing devices, which are set at the ends of each telescopic outrigger and are used to inspect the inner walls of the engine's intake and exhaust ports.

[0019] According to at least one embodiment of this application, in the above-mentioned aircraft engine intake and exhaust duct inspection robot, the axial propulsion motor is connected to the lead screw nut through a planetary gear reducer to provide adjustable axial power, drive the central rotating rod to move forward and backward, and provide real-time feedback of displacement accuracy through an encoder.

[0020] The rotary drive motor is connected to the nut of the lead screw nut through a harmonic reducer, driving the central rotating rod to rotate continuously, and the rotation angle is controlled by an absolute encoder in a closed loop.

[0021] According to at least one embodiment of this application, in the above-mentioned aircraft engine intake and exhaust duct inspection robot, the telescopic arm is made of aviation aluminum alloy.

[0022] A central controller is set up to independently control the extension and retraction length of each telescopic arm.

[0023] According to at least one embodiment of this application, in the above-described aircraft engine intake and exhaust duct inspection robot, the inspection device is connected to the telescopic arm via a detachable mounting base.

[0024] The detection device can be a visual inspection device, an ultrasonic flaw detection module, a laser rangefinder sensor, or a gas sensor array.

[0025] According to at least one embodiment of this application, the above-described aircraft engine intake and exhaust duct inspection robot further includes a layered rotating peristaltic unit;

[0026] There are multiple layered rotary peristaltic units, which are set between the central rotating rod and each telescopic arm. They include independent axial movement joints and rotation joints. The axial movement joints can drive the telescopic arms to move axially along the central rotating rod, and the rotation joints can drive the telescopic arms to rotate around the central rotating rod axis.

[0027] According to at least one embodiment of this application, in the above-mentioned aircraft engine intake and exhaust duct inspection robot, the axial movement joint includes a sliding sleeve, which is sleeved on the outer periphery of the central rotating rod shaft and driven by a linear motor connected to the central rotating rod shaft, and an axial guide rail is provided between the sliding sleeve and the central rotating rod shaft for guidance.

[0028] The rotary joint includes a slewing support bearing, which is sleeved on the outer circumference of the sliding sleeve. Its outer ring is connected to the telescopic arm, and its outer ring is driven by a servo motor connected to the sliding sleeve. The servo motor is connected to the outer ring of the slewing support bearing through a planetary reducer. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the aircraft engine intake and exhaust duct inspection robot provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 2 This is an axial view of the aircraft engine intake and exhaust duct inspection robot provided in this application embodiment;

[0031] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Partial view within the middle frame;

[0032] in:

[0033] 1-Drive rod; 2-Telescopic support arm; 3-Wheel caster; 4-Layered rotating peristaltic unit; 5-Detection device.

[0034] To better illustrate this embodiment, some content in the accompanying drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced. They are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To make the technical solution and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solution of this application will be described in a clearer and more complete manner below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only some embodiments of this application, and are only used to explain this application, not to limit this application. It should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts related to this application are shown in the accompanying drawings, and other related parts can be referred to the general design.

[0036] Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this application description shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The word "comprising" as used in this application description indicates that the concept preceding the word encompasses the concepts listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other related concepts.

[0037] Furthermore, the terms indicating location used in the description of this application are only used to indicate relative directions or positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, its relative positional relationship may also change accordingly. It should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, terms such as "installation" and "connection" used in the description of this application should be interpreted broadly. For example, a connection can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand its specific meaning in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0038] This application provides a robot for inspecting the intake and exhaust ducts of aircraft engines. It is a dedicated robot for inspecting engine intake and exhaust ducts. It integrates a deformable umbrella-shaped support structure with the inspection module, making it easy to operate and quick to respond. It can achieve rapid full-area inspection of the pipe wall and meet the requirements for rapid equipment deployment.

[0039] Aircraft engine intake and exhaust duct inspection robot, such as Figure 1 As shown, it includes: a drive rod 1, a telescopic support arm 2, a caster wheel 3, a layered rotating creeping unit 4, and a detection device 5. It achieves rapid detection of the aircraft engine's intake and exhaust ducts by advancing and rotating simultaneously.

[0040] The drive lever 1 provides adjustable speed power output for the robot's forward and backward movements.

[0041] Drive lever 1 serves as the core power source for the robot and employs a dual-motor composite drive system.

[0042] An axial propulsion motor is installed inside the drive rod 1. The axial propulsion motor is connected to the lead screw of the lead screw nut through a planetary gear reducer. The nut of the lead screw nut is connected to a rotary drive motor. The rotary drive motor is slidably installed inside the drive rod 1 and is connected to the nut of the lead screw nut through a harmonic reducer.

[0043] The axial drive motor provides adjustable axial power to drive the central rotating rod forward and backward, and the displacement accuracy is fed back in real time through the encoder. The rotation drive motor drives the central rotating rod to continuously rotate, and the rotation angle is controlled by the absolute encoder in a closed loop.

[0044] Under normal operating conditions, the drive rod 1 drives the entire robot to move forward spirally along the inner wall of the engine's intake and exhaust passages through a combination of rotation and axial propulsion, thereby enabling rapid 360° detection in conjunction with the detection device 5.

[0045] Telescopic boom 2 is an electric telescopic boom made of aviation aluminum alloy. There are multiple booms, which are connected circumferentially to the central rotating rod.

[0046] A central controller can be set to independently control the extension length of each telescopic arm 2, so as to fit the circular, as well as irregular inner walls such as square and polygonal ones. It is an adaptive and deformable umbrella-shaped support structure that can meet the support requirements of different inner wall shapes of the engine intake and exhaust ports.

[0047] There are multiple casters 3, which are installed at the ends of each telescopic arm 2 and are used to directly contact the inner wall of the engine intake and exhaust passages.

[0048] The omnidirectional wheel 3 can be equipped with an electromagnetic adaptive adjustment device and a pressure sensor to monitor the contact pressure in real time and feed it back to the controller. The support angle is adjusted by the servo motor, and the air pressure of the telescopic arm 2 is adjusted by the proportional valve to ensure smooth movement with low friction on rough surfaces, and to move forward and rotate.

[0049] The layered rotating peristaltic unit 4 achieves layered connection of the telescopic arm 2 through multi-segment connection, and completes rotation and peristalsis under layered support. As an emergency propulsion mechanism for complex engine intake and exhaust passage inner wall parts, such as steps, depressions, protrusions, etc., it adopts a modular layered design.

[0050] There are multiple layered rotating peristaltic units 4, which are arranged between the central rotating rod and each telescopic arm 2. They include independent axial movement joints and rotation joints. The axial movement joints can drive the telescopic arms 2 to move axially along the central rotating rod, and the rotation joints can drive the telescopic arms 2 to rotate around the central rotating rod axis.

[0051] The axially movable joint can be specifically designed to include a sliding sleeve, which is fitted around the outer circumference of the central rotating shaft and driven by a linear motor connected to the central rotating shaft. An axial guide rail is provided between the sliding sleeve and the central rotating shaft for guidance.

[0052] The rotary joint includes a slewing support bearing, which is sleeved on the outer circumference of the sliding sleeve. Its outer ring is connected to the telescopic support arm 2, and its outer ring is driven by a servo motor connected to the sliding sleeve. The servo motor is connected to the outer ring of the slewing support bearing through a planetary reducer.

[0053] A sensor can be set to detect the resistance to the advancement of drive rod 1. When the resistance exceeds a threshold, the robot switches to a layered peristaltic mode for alternating support and advancement. The logic for alternating support and advancement is as follows:

[0054] The upper telescopic support arm 2 is extended and the universal wheel 3 is locked to achieve fixed support in the engine intake and exhaust ports. The lower telescopic support arm 2 is retracted and driven to rotate through the rotary joint, while simultaneously advancing one step through the axial movement joint. Then the lower telescopic support arm 2 is locked, the upper telescopic support arm 2 is retracted and driven to rotate through the rotary joint, while simultaneously advancing one step through the axial movement joint. Through the cyclic action of "support-retraction-rotation-advancement" of the upper and lower telescopic support arms 2, rotation and creep are achieved at steps and in rough surface environments.

[0055] If a circumferential obstacle is detected on the inner wall of the engine's intake and exhaust ducts, the upper and lower rotating joints can be rotated in opposite directions, such as 30° clockwise for the upper layer and 30° counterclockwise for the lower layer, causing the entire robot to deflect around the axis, avoid the obstacle, and then resume the spiral propulsion mode.

[0056] There are multiple detection devices 5, which are set at the ends of each telescopic arm 2, and are used to detect the inner walls of the engine intake and exhaust passages.

[0057] The detection device 5 is connected to the telescopic support arm 2 with a detachable mounting base. It can be a visual inspection device, which, together with an LED ring light, can realize real-time imaging of defects such as cracks and corrosion on the inner wall of the engine intake and exhaust passages. Depending on the inspection requirements, it can also be replaced with an ultrasonic flaw detection module, a laser rangefinder sensor, or a gas sensor array.

[0058] The aircraft engine intake and exhaust duct inspection robot disclosed in the above embodiments has a simple and efficient structure. Through forward and rotational coordinated motion, it can achieve a one-time rapid full-area inspection of the inner wall of the engine intake and exhaust duct, which can significantly shorten the inspection time. It adopts a parasol-type multi-arm layered rapid retraction design, combined with a creep-rotation composite movement mode, to achieve rapid adaptive movement and stable support in complex curved surface environments, and meet the requirements of rotation and creep in any inner wall shape and complex inner wall environment.

[0059] The technical solution of this application has been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of protection of this application is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of this application, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after these changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An aircraft engine inlet and exhaust path inspection robot, characterized by, Drive rod (1), telescopic arm (2), universal wheel (3), detection device (5); The drive rod (1) is provided with an axial propulsion motor, the axial propulsion motor is connected with the lead screw of the screw nut, the screw nut is connected with the rotary drive motor, the rotary drive motor is slidingly arranged in the drive rod (1), and the rotary drive motor is connected with the central rotating rod through the connecting center rotating rod; The telescopic arm (2) is an electric telescopic arm, and a plurality of telescopic arms are connected on the central rotating rod in a circumferential direction; The universal wheel (3) is provided with a plurality of universal wheels, which are installed at the end of each telescopic arm (2) and used for directly contacting the inner wall of the engine intake and exhaust passage; The detection device (5) is provided with a plurality of detection devices arranged at the end of each telescopic arm (2) and used for detecting the inner wall of the engine intake and exhaust passage.

2. The aircraft engine access tunnel inspection robot of Claim 1, wherein, The axial propulsion motor is connected with the lead screw of the screw nut through a planetary gear reducer, and provides adjustable speed axial power to drive the central rotating rod to move forward and backward, and the displacement accuracy is fed back in real time through an encoder; The rotary drive motor is connected with the screw nut of the screw nut through a harmonic reducer, and drives the central rotating rod to continuously rotate and output, and the rotation angle is controlled through an absolute value encoder in a closed loop.

3. The aircraft engine access tunnel inspection robot of Claim 2, wherein, The telescopic arm (2) is made of aviation aluminum alloy; A central controller is arranged to independently control the telescopic length of each telescopic arm (2).

4. The aircraft engine access way inspection robot of claim 3, wherein, The detection device (5) is connected to the telescopic arm (2) through a detachable mounting seat; The detection device (5) is a visual detection device, an ultrasonic flaw detection module, a laser ranging sensor or a gas sensor array.

5. The aircraft engine access way inspection robot of claim 4, wherein, Further comprising a layered rotary peristaltic unit (4); The layered rotary peristaltic unit (4) is provided between the central rotating rod and each telescopic arm (2) and comprises an independent axial movement joint and a rotary joint, wherein the axial movement joint can drive the telescopic arm (2) to move axially along the central rotating rod, and the rotary joint can drive the telescopic arm (2) to rotate around the central rotating rod.

6. The aircraft engine access way inspection robot of claim 5, wherein, The axial movement joint comprises a sliding sleeve, the sliding sleeve is sleeved on the outer periphery of the central rotating rod shaft, and a linear motor connected on the central rotating rod shaft is used for driving, and an axial guide rail is arranged between the sliding sleeve and the central rotating rod shaft for guiding; The rotary joint comprises a slewing bearing, the slewing bearing is sleeved on the outer periphery of the sliding sleeve, the outer ring of the slewing bearing is connected with the telescopic arm (2), and a servo motor connected on the sliding sleeve is used for driving the outer ring of the slewing bearing, and the servo motor is connected with the outer ring of the slewing bearing through a planetary reducer.

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