An ultrasonic pipeline inspection apparatus

Abstract

The application discloses an ultrasonic pipeline detection device, and belongs to the technical field of pipeline nondestructive testing. The device comprises a pipeline walking unit, an ultrasonic detection unit, a spraying unit and a polishing unit which are coaxially and sequentially fixedly connected along the pipeline advancing direction of the device. The pipeline walking unit is used for driving the device to move along the pipeline axial direction and adapt to different inner diameter pipelines. The ultrasonic detection unit drives a detection head to adhere to the inner wall of the pipeline to complete detection through a telescopic mechanism. The spraying unit is used for spraying ultrasonic coupling agent to the inner wall of the pipeline. The polishing unit realizes self-adaptation of the pipeline diameter through a rotary expansion mechanism to complete the pretreatment of the inner wall of the pipeline. The device integrates polishing pretreatment, coupling agent spraying and ultrasonic detection, and can complete the whole process operation once the device is lowered into the pipeline. The device can adapt to pipelines with different inner diameters, is stable in walking and centering, has high detection precision, is reliable in equipment operation, and is suitable for nondestructive testing operation of various industrial pipelines and municipal pipelines.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of pipeline non-destructive testing technology, specifically relating to an adaptive pipe diameter ultrasonic pipeline testing device that integrates pipeline inner wall pretreatment, automatic coupling agent spraying, and ultrasonic non-destructive testing functions. Background Technology

[0002] In fields such as oil and gas transportation, municipal water supply and drainage, chemical production, and power engineering, pipelines are the core equipment for fluid transportation. During long-term service, the inner walls of pipelines are prone to corrosion, cracks, weld defects, and thinning. If these problems are not detected and repaired in time, they can easily lead to safety accidents such as leaks and bursts, causing economic losses and environmental hazards. Ultrasonic non-destructive testing is the mainstream technology for pipeline defect detection, with advantages such as high detection accuracy, no radiation, and strong sensitivity to defects.

[0003] Existing ultrasonic pipeline inspection devices have the following core defects: The work process is fragmented. Most existing devices only have a single detection function. The grinding and rust removal of the inner wall of the pipe, the spraying of coupling agent, and the defect detection need to be completed in multiple pipe runs. The work process is cumbersome and the construction efficiency is extremely low. Moreover, multiple pipe runs can easily cause detection positioning errors, affecting the accuracy of the detection results. Poor pipe diameter adaptability: Most existing pipe traveling mechanisms are fixed-size structures that can only adapt to pipes of a single specification. A few adjustable traveling mechanisms use a single independent adjustment method, which easily leads to inconsistent extension of each group of traveling parts, resulting in poor coaxiality of the device. During travel, the device is prone to slipping, deflection, or even getting stuck in the pipe. The detection accuracy and stability are insufficient. The probes of existing ultrasonic detection units are mostly fixed and cannot be adaptively adjusted according to changes in the inner diameter of the pipe. The fit between the probe and the inner wall of the pipe is poor, and the shaking of the device during movement will further aggravate the detection error, which is prone to missed detection and false detection. The equipment has low operational reliability. The existing pipeline pretreatment grinding unit lacks an overload protection structure. When it encounters obstacles such as protrusions or weld beads in the pipeline, it is easy to cause the drive motor to burn out. At the same time, the coupling agent spraying structure has low integration and occupies a large space, making it unsuitable for the operation requirements of narrow pipelines.

[0004] In view of the many shortcomings of existing technologies, there is an urgent need to develop an ultrasonic pipeline inspection device that integrates full-process operation, full-system pipe diameter self-adaptation, high detection accuracy, and stable and reliable operation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an ultrasonic pipeline inspection device that integrates grinding pretreatment, coupling agent spraying, and ultrasonic testing, while also enabling adaptive pipe diameter matching for multiple units across the entire system, thereby improving the efficiency, accuracy, and reliability of pipeline inspection.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: An ultrasonic pipeline inspection device includes a pipeline traveling unit for driving the device to move axially inside the pipeline, and an ultrasonic inspection unit for performing ultrasonic detection on the inner wall of the pipeline. Along the pipeline travel direction of the device, the ultrasonic inspection unit, a spraying unit, and a grinding unit are sequentially and coaxially fixedly connected to the front end of the pipeline traveling unit. The ultrasonic testing unit includes a mounting sleeve body fixedly connected to the front end of the pipeline traveling unit, at least three sets of telescopic mechanisms evenly distributed along the circumference of the mounting sleeve body, an ultrasonic testing head, and positioning auxiliary wheels; the fixed end of the telescopic mechanism is rigidly connected to the mounting sleeve body, and the movable end is set towards the inner wall of the pipeline; the ultrasonic testing head and the positioning auxiliary wheels are both installed on the movable end of the telescopic mechanism, the positioning auxiliary wheels are used for rolling contact with the inner wall of the pipeline, and the testing working surface of the ultrasonic testing head is set towards the inner wall of the pipeline; The spraying unit includes a sleeve coaxially connected to the ultrasonic detection unit, a spraying box communicating with the internal cavity of the sleeve, an electric pump, and several nozzles; the air outlet of the electric pump is connected to the air inlet of the spraying box, and the nozzles are evenly distributed along the circumference of the sleeve for spraying ultrasonic coupling agent onto the inner wall of the pipe; the polishing unit includes a hard brush plate unit, a soft brush unit, and a rotary expansion mechanism; the rotary expansion mechanism is drivenly connected to the hard brush plate unit for driving the hard brush plate unit to expand outward or contract inward along the radial direction of the pipe to adapt to pipes with different inner diameters.

[0007] Furthermore, the pipeline traveling unit includes a power component, at least three sets of traveling components evenly distributed circumferentially along the power component, and a hinge mechanism connecting the power component and the traveling components. Each set of traveling components is equipped with a drive component and a drive pulley assembly. The power component is used to output linear telescopic power, which synchronously drives each set of traveling components to expand outward or contract inward along the radial direction of the pipeline through the hinge mechanism, so that the drive pulley assembly presses tightly against the inner wall of the pipeline. The drive component is driven by the drive pulley assembly and is used to drive the drive pulley assembly to rotate, thereby moving the device axially along the pipeline. Employing a single power source in conjunction with a hinge mechanism, the synchronous radial extension and retraction of all traveling components is achieved, ensuring that the displacement of each group of traveling components is completely consistent. This keeps the device coaxial with the pipeline at all times, completely avoiding slippage, skewness, and jamming caused by poor fit on one side, and significantly improving the traveling stability under complex pipeline conditions. By adjusting the extension and retraction of the power components, the clamping force between the drive pulley assembly and the inner wall of the pipeline can be precisely controlled, ensuring sufficient traveling friction without increasing traveling resistance due to excessive pressure. It can be adapted to pipelines of different inner diameters and materials, making it extremely versatile.

[0008] Furthermore, the positioning auxiliary wheels are respectively disposed on the side ends of the ultrasonic detection head along the circumference of the pipe; the positioning auxiliary wheels adopt a wear-resistant polyurethane roller structure and are rotatably mounted on the movable end of the telescopic mechanism through bearings. The auxiliary wheels can ensure that the gap between the ultrasonic detection head and the inner wall of the pipe is constant and the fit is uniform, completely avoiding the detection error caused by the one-sided tilting of the detection head, and greatly improving the repeatability and accuracy of the detection data.

[0009] Furthermore, the telescopic mechanism employs an electric push rod; the ultrasonic detection head uses a piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer, with its detection working surface being an arc-shaped structure adapted to the inner wall of the pipe. The electric push rod enables precise closed-loop control of the telescopic range, offering high adjustment accuracy and fast response speed. It can precisely control the contact pressure between the ultrasonic detection head and the inner wall of the pipe, ensuring long-term stable coupling effect, while also quickly adapting to the adjustment needs of pipes with different inner diameters. The piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer boasts high detection sensitivity and fast response speed, providing high accuracy in identifying defects such as microcracks, corrosion pits, and wall thinning on the inner wall of the pipe. It can effectively capture minute defect signals, avoiding missed detections. The arc-shaped detection working surface perfectly matches the curvature of the inner wall of the pipe, significantly increasing the contact area between the detection surface and the inner wall of the pipe, reducing interface loss of ultrasonic energy, improving coupling effect, and completely solving the detection failure problem caused by poor contact of planar probes.

[0010] Furthermore, the sleeve is a hollow cylindrical structure with mounting flanges at both ends. The internal cavity of the sleeve is used to store the ultrasonic coupling agent. The spraying box and electric pump are both fixed to the outer wall of the sleeve via mounting brackets. The hollow sleeve simultaneously serves as both the coupling agent storage chamber and the docking base for the front and rear units, eliminating the need for a separate storage tank, significantly improving structural integration, reducing the radial dimensions of the device, and adapting to the needs of smaller inner diameter pipelines. The sleeve has nozzles evenly distributed around its circumference, achieving 360° uniform spraying, ensuring that all areas of the pipeline's inner wall are covered with coupling agent, eliminating spray dead zones, and providing a stable coupling foundation for full-circumference detection.

[0011] Furthermore, a second motor is fixedly installed at the center of the sleeve, and the output shaft of the second motor is connected to the grinding unit. The ultrasonic coupling agent stored inside the sleeve is used to cool the second motor. The second motor, built into the center of the sleeve, can be directly connected to the front-end grinding unit, resulting in a short transmission path and high power transmission efficiency. It also fully utilizes the unused internal space of the sleeve, further reducing the radial dimension of the device and avoiding the use of an external motor in the limited space within the pipe. Utilizing the ultrasonic coupling agent stored inside the sleeve to cool the second motor eliminates the need for additional cooling fans, fins, or other heat dissipation structures, simplifying the equipment structure. The continuous heat exchange of the coupling agent removes the heat generated by the motor, ensuring that the motor will not burn out due to overheating during long-term continuous operation, significantly improving the continuous operating time and operational reliability of the equipment.

[0012] Furthermore, the grinding unit also includes a first rotating shaft and a second rotating shaft; the soft brush unit is fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft, and the hard brush plate unit is fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft; a magnetic rotary joint is provided between the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, and the magnetic rotary joint adopts a symmetrical permanent magnet coupling transmission structure to transmit the rotational power of the second rotating shaft to the first rotating shaft without contact. The dual-stage grinding structure combining the hard brush plate unit and the soft brush unit allows the hard brush plate unit to remove hard deposits such as rust, welding slag, and old coatings from the inner wall of the pipe, while the soft brush unit can clean the residual dust after grinding, achieving refined pretreatment of the inner wall of the pipe and completely avoiding the influence of impurities on the coupling effect and detection accuracy. The magnetic rotary joint using symmetrical permanent magnet coupling transmission achieves contactless and flexible power transmission, eliminating the need for rigid mechanical connections; when the grinding unit encounters obstacles such as protrusions or weld beads in the pipe and gets stuck, it can automatically slip to achieve overload protection, completely preventing the second motor from burning out due to stalling, and significantly improving the operational reliability and service life of the equipment.

[0013] Furthermore, the rotating expansion mechanism includes a guide shaft, a rotating wheel plate, a guide seat, and a guide rail. The guide shaft is coaxially fixed to the front end of the first rotating shaft. The rotating wheel plate has an arc-shaped guide groove, and the guide shaft is slidably installed within the guide groove. The guide rail is fixedly connected to the guide shaft and slidably installed within the guide seat. The front end of the guide rail is fixedly connected to the hard brush plate unit. The cooperative structure of the guide seat and the guide rail ensures that the hard brush plate unit moves precisely in a straight line along the radial direction of the pipe, avoiding radial offset, ensuring that the contact between the grinding brush head and the inner wall of the pipe remains stable, and that the grinding effect is uniform and consistent, without any problems of incomplete grinding in certain areas.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: This invention employs a forward-oriented layout of a grinding unit, a spraying unit, an ultrasonic testing unit, and a pipe-walking unit arranged coaxially along the forward direction. This allows for the simultaneous completion of the entire process of pipe inner wall grinding pretreatment, coupling agent spraying, and ultrasonic defect detection in a single pipe placement, eliminating the need for multiple pipe placements. This significantly shortens the construction cycle and reduces operating costs. Simultaneously, it ensures that the clean substrate after grinding is immediately sprayed with coupling agent and the testing is completed immediately, resulting in excellent coupling effect and improving the accuracy of the test data from the source.

[0015] The pipeline walking unit, ultrasonic testing unit, and grinding unit of this invention are all equipped with a radial telescopic adjustment structure. Through synchronous drive, the pipe diameter of multiple units can be adaptively matched, which can be adapted to pipes with different inner diameter specifications without the need to replace the working parts, and has a wide range of applications. The pipeline walking unit adopts a central power component in conjunction with a scissor hinge mechanism to synchronously drive multiple sets of circumferential walking components to radially extend and retract, ensuring that the displacement of each set of walking components is consistent. The device has a good coaxial centering effect, and the walking belt is evenly attached to the inner wall of the pipe, effectively avoiding slippage and deflection problems, and greatly improving the walking stability.

[0016] The ultrasonic testing unit of this invention uses a circumferentially distributed telescopic mechanism to drive the radial adjustment of the testing head. With the help of the positioning auxiliary wheels on both sides of the testing head, it can ensure that the testing working surface is always in close contact with the inner wall of the pipe. At the same time, the positioning auxiliary wheels provide rolling support for the device, effectively suppressing shaking and deflection during the movement, ensuring the relative position of the testing head and the inner wall of the pipe is stable, greatly improving the testing accuracy and data repeatability, and reducing missed detections and false detections.

[0017] The spraying unit of this invention uses a hollow sleeve as a couplant storage cavity, and simultaneously utilizes the couplant as the center of a drive motor for cooling and heat dissipation. This multi-functional design significantly improves structural integration, reduces device size, and adapts to the operational needs of narrow pipes. The grinding unit uses a symmetrical permanent magnet coupled magnetic rotary joint to achieve contactless and flexible power transmission. When the grinding components encounter obstacles and become stuck, they can automatically slip, achieving overload protection, effectively preventing the drive motor from burning out, and improving the operational reliability and service life of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the ultrasonic pipeline inspection device described in this invention; Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the pipeline traveling unit described in this invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the radial cross-sectional structure of the pipeline traveling unit described in this invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ultrasonic detection unit described in this invention; Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the spraying unit described in this invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the radial cross-sectional structure of the spraying unit described in this invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the polishing unit described in this invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rotary extension mechanism described in this invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the transmission principle of the magnetic rotary joint described in this invention.

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: In the diagram: 1-Pipeline walking unit, 11-Power component, 12-Drive component, 13-Drive pulley component, 14-Walking component, 15-Hinge mechanism; 2-Ultrasonic detection unit, 21-Mounting sleeve body, 22-Telescopic mechanism, 23-Ultrasonic detection head, 24-Positioning auxiliary wheel; 3-Spraying unit, 30-Sleeve, 31-Spraying box, 32-Electric pump, 33-Battery unit box, 34-Nozzle, 35-Second motor, 36-Mounting bracket; 4-Grinding unit, 41-Hard brush plate unit, 42-Soft brush unit, 43-Rotation extension mechanism, 431-Guide shaft, 432-Rotating wheel plate, 433-Guide slide, 434-Guide seat, 435-Guide rail, 44-First rotating shaft, 45-Magnetic rotary joint, 46-Second rotating shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0020] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be practiced without one or more of these details. In other instances, certain technical features well-known in the art have not been described in order to avoid obscuring the invention.

[0021] Depend on Figure 1 As shown, the ultrasonic pipeline inspection device of the present invention includes a pipeline traveling unit 1 for moving the inspection device inside the pipeline; an ultrasonic detection unit 2 for conforming to the inner wall of the pipeline and performing ultrasonic detection on the inner wall of the pipeline, and installed at the front end of the pipeline traveling unit 1; a spraying unit 3 for fixing a spraying box 31 on the pipeline and installed at the front end of the ultrasonic detection unit 2, for spraying ultrasonic coupling agent onto the inner wall of the pipeline; and a grinding unit 4 for grinding and cleaning the inner wall of the pipeline, and installed at the front end of the spraying unit 3.

[0022] Depend on Figure 1 , 2As shown in Figure 3, the pipeline traveling unit 1 includes a power component 11, a drive component 12, a drive pulley assembly 13, a traveling component 14, and a hinge mechanism 15. With the power component 11 as the central base of the unit, at least three sets of traveling components 14 are evenly arranged along the circumference of the power component 11. The hinge mechanism 15 is located in the connection area between the power component 11 and the traveling component 14. The drive component 12 and the drive pulley assembly 13 are both fixed on the traveling component 14 and are arranged sequentially along the length direction of the traveling component 14.

[0023] In this embodiment, the power component 11 is the core power source and mounting base of the pipeline traveling unit 1. In this embodiment, a ball screw pair structure driven by a stepper motor is preferably adopted, but linear drive mechanisms such as electric push rods and electric cylinders can also be selected as needed. The power component 11 serves as the supporting foundation of the entire unit, and its output end is used to install the hinge mechanism 15 to output linear telescopic power, drive the hinge mechanism 15 to move, and thus drive the traveling component 14 to synchronously expand outward or contract inward along the radial direction of the pipeline, so that the traveling belt of the drive pulley assembly 13 is pressed tightly against the inner wall of the pipeline, providing sufficient positive pressure and friction for traveling.

[0024] In this embodiment, the hinge mechanism 15 adopts a scissor-type linkage telescopic structure, installed at the output end of the power component 11, i.e., the lead screw sliding seat. Multiple output ends of the hinge mechanism 15 are respectively hinged to each group of traveling components 14. Specifically, the hinge mechanism 15 consists of multiple sets of cross-hinged links. Adjacent links are hinged together by pins to form an X-shaped scissor unit. One end of the scissor unit is hinged to the sliding seat of the power component 11, and the other end is hinged to the inner side of the traveling component 14. When the power component 11 outputs linear power, it drives the scissor unit to expand or retract, thereby synchronously driving all traveling components 14 to move radially along the pipe, ensuring consistent displacement of each group of traveling components, and ensuring that the drive pulley assembly 13 uniformly conforms to the inner wall of the pipe, achieving balanced force. In this embodiment, the walking assembly 14 serves as the mounting carrier for the drive assembly 12 and the drive pulley assembly 13. This embodiment employs a high-strength, lightweight alloy plate structure, balancing strength and weight reduction. The walking assembly 14 is evenly arranged along the circumference of the power assembly 11. Three sets are exemplarily shown in the accompanying drawings of this embodiment. The inner side of the walking assembly 14 is hinged to the output end of the hinge mechanism 15, and a pulley mounting bracket and a drive assembly mounting seat are fixedly provided on the outer side for supporting and mounting the drive pulley assembly 13 and the drive assembly 12.

[0025] In this embodiment, the drive assembly 12 provides walking power to the drive pulley assembly 13. This embodiment includes a drive motor, preferably a DC geared motor / closed-loop stepper motor, and a bevel gear transmission pair. The drive assembly 12 is fixedly mounted on the mounting base of the walking assembly 14. Its output shaft is connected to the driving bevel gear of the bevel gear transmission pair, and the driven bevel gear is coaxially fixed to the driving pulley of the drive pulley assembly 13. The bevel gear transmission pair is used to change the direction of power transmission, converting the axial power of the drive motor into the rotational power of the pulley, adapting to the limited installation space of the walking assembly, and significantly improving the structural compactness.

[0026] The drive pulley assembly 13 in this embodiment includes a driving pulley, a driven pulley, and a travel belt wound between the driving pulley and the driven pulley. The driving pulley is coaxially fixed to the driven bevel gear of the drive assembly 12 and rotatably mounted on the pulley bracket of the travel assembly 14; the driven pulley is rotatably mounted at the end of the travel assembly 14. The travel belt is made of wear-resistant and non-slip polyurethane synchronous belt or high-friction rubber belt, increasing the contact area and friction with the inner wall of the pipe, effectively preventing slippage during travel, and extending service life.

[0027] Specifically, after inspecting the inside of the pipeline, the power assembly 11 is activated first. The power assembly 11 outputs linear power through the ball screw pair, which drives the scissor linkage mechanism of the hinge mechanism 15 to unfold. The hinge mechanism 15 simultaneously pushes each group of walking components 14 to move radially outward along the pipeline until the walking belt of the drive pulley assembly 13 presses tightly against the inner wall of the pipeline. At this time, the power assembly 11 locks to maintain the stable pressing force of the walking belt and provide sufficient friction driving force for subsequent movement.

[0028] For pipes with different inner diameters, the extension degree of the hinge mechanism 15 can be precisely adjusted through the power component 11, thereby adjusting the radial extension of the traveling component 14 to ensure that the traveling belt always maintains a suitable clamping force, achieving adaptive adaptation to different pipe diameters. After the pipe diameter adaptive adjustment is completed, the drive component 12 is activated: the drive motor of the drive component 12 outputs rotational power, which is transmitted to the drive pulley of the drive pulley component 13 through a bevel gear transmission pair. The drive pulley drives the traveling belt to rotate cyclically around the drive pulley and the driven pulley. The friction between the traveling belt and the inner wall of the pipe drives the entire pipe traveling unit 1 to move stably along the pipe axis. By controlling the speed and direction of the drive motor, functions such as forward, backward, and speed adjustment within the pipe can be realized to meet the needs of different scenarios such as pipe inspection and operation.

[0029] After the work inside the pipeline is completed, first turn off the drive assembly 12 to stop the walking belt from rotating; then control the power assembly 11 to reverse the action, drive the scissor linkage mechanism of the hinge mechanism 15 to retract, and then drive the walking assembly 14 to retract radially inward along the pipeline, so that the walking belt is separated from the inner wall of the pipeline, and the pipeline walking unit 1 can be smoothly removed from the pipeline.

[0030] Depend on Figure 1 , 4 As shown, the ultrasonic testing unit 2 includes a mounting sleeve body 21, a telescopic mechanism 22, an ultrasonic testing head 23, and a positioning auxiliary wheel 24. The mounting sleeve body 21 is fixedly installed at the front end of the pipeline traveling unit 1. The telescopic mechanism 22 is evenly distributed along the radial circumference of the pipeline with the mounting sleeve body 21 as the center. The ultrasonic testing head 23 and the positioning auxiliary wheel 24 are integrated on the outer side of the telescopic mechanism 22. The positioning auxiliary wheel 24 is located on the outermost side and directly contacts the inner wall of the pipeline. The ultrasonic testing head 23 is sandwiched between the telescopic mechanism 22 and the inner wall of the pipeline to ensure the testing fit. Specifically, in this embodiment, the mounting sleeve body 21 is the mounting and bearing base of the ultrasonic detection unit 2. It has a flange-type support structure with a central through hole. The central through hole is used to install the grinding motor. It is located at the center of the ultrasonic detection unit 2 and is arranged along the pipeline axis. The rear end is connected to the pipeline traveling unit 1, and the front end carries the detection execution component. Specifically, in this embodiment, the fixed seat of the telescopic mechanism 22 is rigidly fixed to the front mounting surface of the mounting sleeve body 21; the movable end of the telescopic mechanism 22 is also fixedly connected to the ultrasonic detection head 23, which is used to drive the two to synchronously extend and retract along the radial direction of the pipeline, adapt to pipelines with different inner diameters, and ensure the fit between the detection head and the inner wall of the pipeline. In this embodiment, the telescopic mechanism 22 adopts an electric push rod active drive form to achieve precise control of the extension and retraction amount. Specifically, in this embodiment, the ultrasonic testing head 23 is the execution component for non-destructive testing of pipelines. It adopts a piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer structure and is installed on the telescopic end of the telescopic mechanism 22. It is located on the outside of the telescopic mechanism 22, i.e., on the side close to the inner wall of the pipeline. The detection working surface faces the inner wall of the pipeline and is the terminal part that directly performs the detection operation. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the ultrasonic testing head 23 adopts an arc-shaped detection probe to realize real-time detection and data acquisition of defects in the inner wall of the pipeline. Specifically, in this embodiment, the positioning auxiliary wheel 24 adopts a wear-resistant polyurethane roller structure, which is installed on the telescopic end of the telescopic mechanism 22. It is distributed on both sides of the ultrasonic detection head 23 along the circumference of the pipe, located on the outermost side of the ultrasonic detection unit 2, and directly rolls in contact with the inner wall of the pipe. Furthermore, the positioning auxiliary wheel 24 is rotatably mounted on the wheel frame through bearings, and can roll freely along the axial direction of the pipe, providing rolling support for the ultrasonic detection unit 2, stabilizing the walking posture of the pipe walking unit 1, preventing the device from tilting or shaking during the detection process, ensuring the relative position of the ultrasonic detection head 23 and the inner wall of the pipe is stable, and greatly improving the detection accuracy and repeatability.

[0031] like Figure 5 , 6As shown, in this embodiment, the spraying unit 3 is integrated and installed at the rear end of the ultrasonic detection unit 2. It can also be flexibly arranged according to the work process. It can move along the pipeline synchronously with the pipeline walking unit 1 to realize the automated spraying of ultrasonic coupling agent on the inner wall of the pipeline. It can also be used for anti-corrosion, repair and coating spraying operations on the inner wall of the pipeline. The spraying unit 3 structure includes a sleeve 30, a spraying box 31, an electric pump 32, a battery unit box 33, a nozzle 34, a second motor 35, and a mounting bracket 36. The sleeve 30 is a hollow cylindrical sleeve structure with mounting flanges at both ends, supported by aluminum metal. The cavity inside the sleeve body is connected to the box body of the spraying box 31 above it for storing ultrasonic coupling agent. The second motor 35 is installed in the center of the sleeve. The second motor 35 is a cylindrical motor and is fixedly connected to the sleeve. Three sets of mounting brackets 36 are fixedly installed on the outer wall of the sleeve by bolts. The mounting brackets 36 are respectively equipped with a battery unit box 33 for placing battery components, an electric pump 32 for pressurizing air into the spraying box 31 to generate pressure and spray the ultrasonic coupling agent into the pipeline, and a spraying box 31 for storing ultrasonic coupling agent. The ultrasonic coupling agent stored inside the sleeve 30 body and the aluminum metal structure of the body can cool and dissipate heat for the second motor 35.

[0032] Furthermore, nozzles 34 are evenly distributed on the outer side of the sleeve 30, and the air outlet of the electric pump 32 is connected to the air nozzle of the spray box 31. The electric pump 32 pressurizes air into the interior of the spray box 31. Since the spray box 31 and the hollow part of the sleeve 30 are connected, the ultrasonic coupling agent is pressed out from the nozzle 34 and sprayed onto the inner wall of the pipe.

[0033] Depend on Figure 7 , 8 As shown in Figure 9, this embodiment provides a grinding unit 4, integrated at the very front of the pipeline inspection and spraying robot. Located along the pipeline's travel direction, it lies before the ultrasonic inspection unit 2 and the spraying unit 3, and is used for pre-treatment of the pipeline's inner wall. It can move synchronously along the pipeline's axial direction with the pipeline travel unit 1, automating the grinding and removal of rust, welding slag, debris, and old coatings from the pipeline's inner wall, providing a clean working surface for subsequent ultrasonic inspection and anti-corrosion spraying. The grinding unit 4 includes a hard brush plate unit 41 and a soft brush unit 42; the hard brush plate unit 41 is equipped with a rotating extension mechanism 43. The hard brush plate unit 41 is fixedly connected to a second rotating shaft 46, and the soft brush unit 42 is fixedly connected to a first rotating shaft 44; a magnetic rotary joint 45 is provided between the first rotating shaft 44 and the second rotating shaft 46.

[0034] Furthermore, the rotating expansion mechanism 43 is used to drive the hard brush head of the hard brush plate unit 41 to expand or contract synchronously along the radial direction of the pipe. It can not only adapt to pipes with different inner diameters, but also serve as a temporary support ring during testing. Together with the pipe walking unit 1 in front, it provides a good stable structure for the device, preventing the equipment from moving during the testing process and causing testing errors, thus making the testing data more accurate.

[0035] The rotating extension mechanism 43 of this embodiment includes a guide shaft 431 coaxially fixed to the front end of the first rotating shaft 44, which rotates synchronously with the first rotating shaft 44 to drive the rotating wheel plate 432 to rotate and provide power for the extension mechanism. The rotating wheel plate 432 is provided with a guide groove 433, which is an arc-shaped slot. The guide shaft 431 is installed in the guide groove 433. The guide shaft 431 and the guide rail 435 are fixedly connected. The guide rail 435 is slidably installed in the guide seat 434. The front end of the guide rail 435 is fixedly connected to the hard brush plate unit 41.

[0036] Furthermore, the magnetic rotary joint 45 is a contactless power transmission component, adopting a symmetrical permanent magnet coupling transmission structure, and is installed between the first rotating shaft 44 and the second rotating shaft 46. Through the magnetic coupling effect of the permanent magnet, the rotational power of the second rotating shaft 46 is transmitted to the first rotating shaft 44 without contact, realizing flexible power transmission. It has an overload protection function, and automatically slips when the hard brush plate unit 41 of the grinding unit gets stuck, protecting the power component and improving the reliability of the equipment.

[0037] The working process of the ultrasonic pipeline inspection device described in this embodiment is as follows: After the detection device is placed inside the pipe to be tested, the power assembly 11 is first started. The power assembly 11 outputs linear power through the ball screw pair, which drives the scissor linkage mechanism of the hinge mechanism 15 to unfold. The hinge mechanism 15 simultaneously pushes each group of walking components 14 to move radially outward along the pipe until the walking belt of the drive pulley assembly 13 presses tightly against the inner wall of the pipe. At this time, the power assembly 11 locks to maintain the stable pressing force of the walking belt. At the same time, the telescopic mechanism 22 of the ultrasonic detection unit 2 synchronously drives the ultrasonic detection head 23 and the positioning auxiliary wheel 24 to extend radially, so that the positioning auxiliary wheel 24 is in contact with the inner wall of the pipe. The rotation expansion mechanism 43 of the grinding unit 4 drives the hard brush plate unit 41 to extend radially, so that the grinding brush head is in contact with the inner wall of the pipe, thus completing the adaptive adjustment of the pipe diameter of the entire system.

[0038] The second motor 35 and drive assembly 12 are started. The second motor 35 drives the grinding unit 4 to rotate through the magnetic rotary joint 45. The hard brush plate unit 41 and soft brush unit 42 grind and clean the inner wall of the pipe to remove rust, welding slag and dust. The drive assembly 12 drives the drive pulley assembly 13 to rotate through the bevel gear transmission pair. The friction between the travel belt and the inner wall of the pipe drives the entire device to move forward along the pipe axis. During the forward movement of the device, the electric pump 32 of the spraying unit 3 is started, and the ultrasonic coupling agent is evenly sprayed onto the ground inner wall of the pipe through the nozzle 34. The ultrasonic detection head 23 of the ultrasonic detection unit 2, which follows closely behind, performs real-time ultrasonic detection on the inner wall of the pipe under the coupling effect of the coupling agent, and collects defect data. The entire detection process can be completed in one forward movement.

[0039] After the pipeline inspection is completed, first turn off the drive assembly 12 and the second motor 35 to stop the device from moving and grinding; then control the power assembly 11 to move in the opposite direction, drive the scissor linkage mechanism of the hinge mechanism 15 to retract, and then drive the walking assembly 14 to retract radially inward along the pipeline. At the same time, the ultrasonic detection unit 2 and the grinding unit 4 retract synchronously, so that each component is separated from the inner wall of the pipeline, and the inspection device can be easily removed from the pipeline.

[0040] It should be noted that in this article, relational terms such as one and two are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations.

[0041] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art 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 appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic pipeline inspection device, comprising a pipeline traveling unit (1) for driving the device to move axially inside the pipeline, and an ultrasonic inspection unit (2) for performing ultrasonic detection on the inner wall of the pipeline, characterized in that, Along the pipeline travel direction of the device, the front end of the pipeline traveling unit (1) is coaxially fixedly connected to the ultrasonic detection unit (2), the spraying unit (3) and the grinding unit (4). The ultrasonic testing unit (2) includes a mounting sleeve body (21) fixedly connected to the front end of the pipeline traveling unit (1), at least three sets of telescopic mechanisms (22) evenly distributed around the circumference of the mounting sleeve body (21), an ultrasonic testing head (23), and positioning auxiliary wheels (24); the fixed end of the telescopic mechanism (22) is rigidly connected to the mounting sleeve body (21), and the movable end is set towards the inner wall of the pipeline; the ultrasonic testing head (23) and the positioning auxiliary wheels (24) are both installed on the movable end of the telescopic mechanism (22), the positioning auxiliary wheels (24) are used to roll in contact with the inner wall of the pipeline, and the testing working surface of the ultrasonic testing head (23) is set towards the inner wall of the pipeline; The spraying unit (3) includes a sleeve (30) coaxially connected to the ultrasonic detection unit (2), a spraying box (31) communicating with the internal cavity of the sleeve (30), an electric pump (32), and a plurality of nozzles (34); the outlet of the electric pump (32) is connected to the inlet of the spraying box (31), and the nozzles (34) are evenly distributed along the circumference of the sleeve (30) for spraying ultrasonic coupling agent onto the inner wall of the pipe; The polishing unit (4) includes a hard brush plate unit (41), a soft brush unit (42), and a rotating expansion mechanism (43); the rotating expansion mechanism (43) is connected to the hard brush plate unit (41) for driving the hard brush plate unit (41) to expand outward or contract inward along the radial direction of the pipe to adapt to pipes with different inner diameters.

2. The ultrasonic pipeline inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pipeline traveling unit (1) includes a power component (11), at least three sets of traveling components (14) evenly distributed around the circumference of the power component (11), and a hinge mechanism (15) connecting the power component (11) and the traveling components (14). Each set of traveling components (14) is provided with a drive component (12) and a drive pulley assembly (13). The power component (11) is used to output linear telescopic power and synchronously drive each set of traveling components (14) to expand outward or contract inward along the radial direction of the pipeline through the hinge mechanism (15), so that the drive pulley assembly (13) presses against the inner wall of the pipeline. The drive component (12) is connected to the drive pulley assembly (13) for driving the drive pulley assembly (13) to rotate and drive the device to move along the axial direction of the pipeline.

3. The ultrasonic pipeline inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning auxiliary wheel (24) is located on the side end of the ultrasonic detection head (23) along the circumference of the pipe; the positioning auxiliary wheel (24) adopts a wear-resistant polyurethane roller structure and is rotatably mounted on the movable end of the telescopic mechanism (22) through bearings.

4. The ultrasonic pipeline inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The telescopic mechanism (22) is an electric push rod; the ultrasonic detection head (23) is a piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer, and its detection working surface is an arc-shaped structure adapted to the inner wall of the pipe.

5. The ultrasonic pipeline inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sleeve (30) is a hollow cylindrical structure with mounting flanges at both ends. The internal cavity of the sleeve (30) is used to store ultrasonic coupling agent. The spray box (31) and the electric pump (32) are both fixed to the outer wall of the sleeve (30) by mounting brackets (36).

6. The ultrasonic pipeline inspection device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second motor (35) is fixedly installed at the center of the sleeve (30), and the output shaft of the second motor (35) is connected to the grinding unit (4) for transmission. The ultrasonic coupling agent stored inside the sleeve (30) is used to cool and dissipate heat for the second motor (35).

7. The ultrasonic pipeline inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The polishing unit (4) also includes a first rotating shaft (44) and a second rotating shaft (46); the soft brush unit (42) is fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft (44), and the hard brush plate unit (41) is fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft (46); a magnetic rotary joint (45) is provided between the first rotating shaft (44) and the second rotating shaft (46), and the magnetic rotary joint (45) adopts a symmetrical permanent magnet coupling transmission structure to transmit the rotational power of the second rotating shaft (46) to the first rotating shaft (44) without contact.

8. The ultrasonic pipeline inspection device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The rotating extension mechanism (43) includes a guide shaft (431), a rotating wheel plate (432), a guide seat (434), and a guide rail (435). The guide shaft (431) is coaxially fixed to the front end of the first rotating shaft (44). An arc-shaped guide groove (433) is provided on the rotating wheel plate (432). The guide shaft (431) is slidably installed in the guide groove (433). The guide rail (435) is fixedly connected to the guide shaft (431). The guide rail (435) is slidably installed in the guide seat (434). The front end of the guide rail (435) is fixedly connected to the hard brush plate unit (41).

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