Fire-fighting and cleaning interlocking operation unmanned aerial vehicle system for dangerous chemical storage tank and control method thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of fire-fighting and cleaning interlock operation unmanned aerial vehicle system for dangerous chemical storage tank and its control method.System includes flight platform, sensing component, operation load component and control component.Control component forms risk state parameter according to gas category, concentration, temperature, distance and wind direction wind speed, determines dynamic safety boundary, and interlock control is carried out to reconnaissance, cleaning, fire extinguishing, prohibition spraying, limit, evacuation and standby state in combination with dangerous chemical properties, medium adaptation rule and state determination rule.Operation load component is provided with independent cleaning medium loop and fire extinguishing medium loop;When state switches, sequentially execute loop isolation, passway purging and residual determination, only when medium adaptation, residual is qualified and safety boundary allows, release injection.The system is suitable for storage tank routine cleaning, fire extinguishing disposal and residual removal, can reduce medium mis-mixing, mis-spraying and secondary danger risk, improve operation safety, reliability and adaptability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the fields of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operation control technology, hazardous chemical storage tank safety operation technology, and integrated fire-fighting and cleaning technology. Specifically, it relates to a fire-fighting and cleaning interlocking operation UAV system and its control method for performing reconnaissance, fire extinguishing, cleaning, and interlocking switching control in hazardous chemical storage tank scenarios. Background Technology

[0002] Hazardous chemical storage tanks are widely used in petrochemical, fine chemical, energy storage and transportation, and related industrial settings. In the absence of fire, tank areas may require surface contamination, residual liquid buildup, pre-maintenance flushing, cleaning, or decontamination. In the event of leaks, localized fires, or abnormal temperature rises, near-field reconnaissance, risk assessment, and firefighting may be necessary. In some scenarios, further flushing, decontamination, or residue removal may be required after firefighting operations. Therefore, drone operations in hazardous chemical storage tank settings are not limited to single firefighting or cleaning tasks; they may involve the independent execution of cleaning and firefighting operations, as well as interlocking switching when necessary.

[0003] Existing technologies already include solutions for using drones in firefighting. For example, patent CN115783255A discloses an intelligent firefighting drone that identifies the location of a fire through a fire detection component and then uses the drone to carry out firefighting operations. Its key technologies lie in fire detection, deployment of the firefighting component, and flight stability control during the launch of fire extinguishing projectiles. This solution demonstrates that using drones for fire identification and firefighting operations has a certain technological foundation, but it primarily targets general firefighting scenarios and does not offer a systematic solution for the independent release control of firefighting and cleaning operations in hazardous chemical storage tank scenarios, nor for the safe interlocking switching between the two types of operations.

[0004] Existing technologies also include solutions for using drones for surface cleaning. For example, patent CN106184810A discloses a multi-rotor drone cleaning system that uses a water supply system, a cleaning system, and spray nozzles to spray and clean the target surface. Its key technologies lie in the nozzle setup, the liquid supply structure, and flight stability during the cleaning process. While this type of solution can address remote cleaning issues at high or complex locations, it primarily targets the cleaning needs of general target surfaces and does not consider the differences in hazardous chemical properties in hazardous chemical storage tank scenarios, the compatibility limitations between fire extinguishing and cleaning media, or the potential interlocking switching requirements between cleaning and fire extinguishing operations.

[0005] In addition, existing technologies also include solutions for using drones to inspect large storage tanks. For example, patent CN105737770A discloses a thickness measurement mechanism for a large vertical steel storage tank based on a quadcopter drone. Its key technology lies in using drones to inspect the tank body, improving inspection efficiency and operational convenience. This type of solution demonstrates that drones can already enter the tank area environment as a platform for tank inspection and testing operations. However, it primarily focuses on the inspection execution mechanism and the inspection task itself, without addressing the interlocking control of cleaning operations, firefighting operations, and their state switching under multi-dimensional risk conditions such as combustible gases, toxic gases, heat source distribution, and wind field changes.

[0006] Furthermore, in the area of ​​safety monitoring of hazardous chemical storage tanks, there are also technical solutions centered on early warning judgment. For example, patent CN115655347A discloses a monitoring and early warning method and system for atmospheric pressure hazardous chemical storage tanks. By collecting tank operation data and combining it with information such as standard loss rate and temperature, the system classifies the tank status into early warning levels. This type of solution can achieve tank risk monitoring and early warning information output, but it mainly focuses on the monitoring and early warning level and does not directly address the near-field reconnaissance, spray execution, operational status release, medium switching, and abnormal evacuation control of the flight operation platform. It also does not further transform the early warning results into dynamic safety boundaries and interlocking release conditions during UAV operations.

[0007] In summary, existing technologies address the following: firefighting drone solutions primarily address firefighting execution; cleaning drone solutions primarily address remote cleaning; tank inspection drone solutions primarily address inspection or detection; and tank early warning solutions primarily address risk monitoring and alarm functions. While existing technologies cover specific aspects of firefighting, cleaning, detection, and early warning, a unified technical solution for hazardous chemical storage tank scenarios is lacking. This solution should be able to independently control the release of cleaning and firefighting operations based on the on-site risk status and the properties of the hazardous chemicals, interlock the switching of media between the two types of operations when necessary, and implement spray prohibition, access restriction, and evacuation controls in abnormal situations. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Purpose of the invention:

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to provide a drone system and control method for fire fighting and cleaning interlocking operations for hazardous chemical storage tanks, in order to solve the problems in the prior art such as the separation of cleaning and fire fighting operations, the difficulty in independently releasing operations based on on-site risks, the lack of safety switching constraints between the two types of operations, and the susceptibility of sampling and spraying processes to interference from rotor downwash. This invention enables independent execution, interlocking control, and safe switching when necessary for cleaning and fire fighting operations in hazardous chemical storage tank scenarios.

[0010] Technical solution:

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a fire-fighting and cleaning interlocking unmanned aerial vehicle system for hazardous chemical storage tanks, including a flight platform, a sensing component, a work payload component, and a control component.

[0012] The flight platform carries the sensing component, the operational payload component, and the control component, and performs actions such as takeoff, hovering, reconnaissance flyaround, target approach, fixed-point operation, retreat avoidance, withdrawal, and return under the control of the control component. The flight platform is preferably a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform to meet the needs of near-field hovering, localized approach, and precision spraying operations in hazardous chemical storage tank areas; in other embodiments, other unmanned aerial vehicles with close-range stable control capabilities may also be used.

[0013] The sensing components are mounted on the flight platform and are used to acquire environmental sensing information about the target storage tank area. The environmental sensing information includes at least gas type, gas concentration, temperature distribution, target distance, and wind direction and speed information. Preferably, the sensing components include at least a combustible gas detection unit, a toxic gas detection unit, a thermal imaging module, a visible light imaging module, a ranging module, and a wind field sensing module. Specifically, the combustible gas detection unit detects the presence and concentration changes of combustible gases around the target storage tank; the toxic gas detection unit detects the components and concentration changes of toxic gases; the thermal imaging module acquires temperature distribution information of the tank surface and adjacent areas to identify high-temperature areas, abnormal temperature rise areas, or potential reignition areas; the visible light imaging module acquires visible light images of the tank's outer wall, valve assembly, pipelines, and the target work area; the ranging module acquires distance information between the flight platform and the target storage tank or target work point; and the wind field sensing module acquires wind direction, wind speed, and their changing trends in the current work area. Through the coordinated acquisition of the above multi-source sensing information, the control component can make a comprehensive judgment on the current working environment.

[0014] The operational payload assembly is mounted on the flight platform and is used to perform cleaning and firefighting operations. The operational payload assembly includes a cleaning medium circuit, a firefighting medium circuit, an isolation switching assembly, a purging assembly, a residue determination unit, and a spray execution assembly. The cleaning medium circuit is used to deliver the cleaning medium, and the firefighting medium circuit is used to deliver the firefighting medium; each circuit has an independent delivery path. The isolation switching assembly is connected to the cleaning medium circuit, the firefighting medium circuit, and the spray execution assembly, and is used to perform circuit isolation switching between the two circuits. The purging assembly is used to purge the target spray path to be used after switching during the medium switching process. The residue determination unit is used to determine the residual state of the medium in the purged target spray path. The spray execution assembly is used to perform cleaning medium spraying or firefighting medium spraying. Preferably, the cleaning medium circuit and the firefighting medium circuit are each equipped with independent valve groups, anti-backflow structures, and independent spray paths to reduce the risk of cross-contamination, backflow, or mixed residues of different media during the switching process. The residual determination unit can determine whether the target injection path meets the switching allowable conditions based on at least one of the flow parameters, pressure parameters, conductivity parameters, and medium identification signals, or based on any combination of two or more of these parameters.

[0015] The control component is connected to the flight platform, the sensing component, and the operational payload component, respectively, and processes environmental perception information, operational payload status information, and pre-stored rule information. Based on this, it implements interlocked control of flight maneuvers, cleaning operations, firefighting operations, loop switching, and abnormal evacuation processes. Specifically, the control component generates risk status parameters based on the environmental perception information and determines the dynamic safety boundary surrounding the target storage tank area based on these parameters. The risk status parameters characterize the operational risk level and operational permitting conditions of the environment surrounding the hazardous chemical storage tank, and can be formed by one or more of the following: gas type, gas concentration, temperature distribution, target distance, and wind direction and speed. The dynamic safety boundary includes at least a restricted area, a reconnaissance permitted area, and a disposal permitted area. The restricted area indicates the area where the flight platform is not allowed to enter under the current risk conditions; the reconnaissance permitted area indicates the area where the flight platform is allowed to perform non-spraying operations such as image acquisition, gas sampling, thermal imaging identification, and risk verification; and the disposal permitted area indicates the area where cleaning spraying or firefighting spraying operations are permitted when the spraying permitting conditions are met. The control component can also update the boundaries of the restricted area, reconnaissance permitted area, and disposal permitted area in real time based on changes in at least two parameters among gas concentration, temperature distribution, wind direction and speed, and target distance, thereby enabling the approach position, hovering position, and jet position of the flight platform to be dynamically adjusted as on-site risks change.

[0016] The control component is also used to invoke pre-stored hazardous chemical attribute parameters, media compatibility rules, and operational status determination rules to perform interlocking determinations on the current operational status. The hazardous chemical attribute parameters include at least one or more of the following: flammability, toxicity, corrosivity, oxidizing properties, and water reactivity parameters of the medium stored in the target storage tank. The media compatibility rules are used to limit the permissible use conditions, prohibited use conditions, and preconditions for state switching of cleaning and fire extinguishing media under different hazardous chemical attribute conditions. The operational status determination rules include the entry conditions, maintenance conditions, and exit conditions corresponding to each operational status. Based on the above parameters and rules, the control component can perform interlocking determinations on the current system status and perform controlled switching between reconnaissance status, cleaning status, fire extinguishing status, no-spray status, restricted access status, evacuation status, and downgraded standby status.

[0017] In one embodiment, the conditions for entering the cleaning state include at least one or more of the following: there is no open flame in the target area, the local temperature distribution has not reached the threshold for entering the fire extinguishing state, the cleaning medium to be used is compatible with the hazardous chemical property parameters corresponding to the target storage tank, and the current dynamic safety boundary allows for cleaning spraying operations. The conditions for entering the fire extinguishing state include at least one or more of the following: there is an open flame, an abnormally high temperature area, or a potential reignition area in the target area, and the current dynamic safety boundary allows for fire extinguishing spraying operations. The preconditions for state switching include at least one or more of the following: the medium to be used is compatible with the hazardous chemical property parameters corresponding to the target storage tank, the target spraying path to be used meets the switching permission conditions after loop isolation, path purging, and residue determination, and the operation position after switching is still within the allowable range of the dynamic safety boundary. The conditions for triggering the distress call include at least one or more of the following: the fire spread rate exceeds a preset range, the local temperature continues to rise, the combustible gas concentration continues to exceed the limit, changes in wind direction and speed cause a significant contraction of the dynamic safety boundary, or the current scenario does not meet the conditions for entering the drone fire extinguishing state.

[0018] When the interlock determination result indicates that the current scenario meets the conditions for entering the cleaning state, the control component controls the system to enter the cleaning state and activates the cleaning medium circuit, allowing the spray execution component to perform cleaning, rinsing, or decontamination operations. When the interlock determination result indicates that the current scenario meets the conditions for entering the fire extinguishing state, the control component controls the system to enter the fire extinguishing state and activates the fire extinguishing medium circuit, allowing the spray execution component to perform fire extinguishing operations. Therefore, the cleaning and fire extinguishing operations in this invention are not in a fixed sequential order, but can be initiated independently based on the on-site risk status and operational objectives.

[0019] When switching from cleaning to fire extinguishing or vice versa, the control component first controls the isolation switching component to perform a circuit isolation switch, isolating the currently disused medium circuit from the medium circuit to be activated in the path. Then, it controls the purging component to purge the target spray path to be activated, removing any remaining previous medium. Afterward, it controls the residue determination unit to determine the residue in the purged target spray path. The control component only controls the spray execution component to activate the corresponding medium circuit for spraying when the target medium matches the hazardous chemical property parameters corresponding to the target storage tank, the target spray path meets the switching allowable conditions, and the dynamic safety boundary allows for the execution of the corresponding spraying operation. If any of the above conditions are not met, the control component prohibits the activation of the corresponding medium circuit and controls the flight platform to enter a hovering standby, retreating avoidance, evacuation, or downgraded standby state. This integrates independent operation release and state switching release into the same interlocking control chain.

[0020] Furthermore, when at least one of the following abnormal situations is detected, such as gas concentration exceeding the limit, wind direction and speed changes causing dynamic safety boundary contraction, temperature distribution changes causing increased proximity risk, mismatch between target medium and hazardous chemical property parameters, target injection path residue not meeting switching allowable conditions, or insufficient stability of the current attitude and position of the flight platform, the control component can suspend the current injection operation or prohibit state switching, and control the flight platform to perform hovering standby, retreating to avoid, evacuation, or return to base according to the current risk level, so as to form a safe exit control adapted to the on-site risk state.

[0021] Preferably, the sensing component and / or the spray execution component are positioned at the distal end of the offset working arm to deviate the gas sampling point and / or spray point from the main disturbance area of ​​the rotor downwash on the main body of the flight platform, thereby reducing the interference of rotor downwash on gas detection results and spray trajectory. By extending the sampling and spray positions outward from the vicinity of the main body of the aircraft, the reliability of near-field hazardous gas detection can be improved, and the coverage stability and directional control accuracy of cleaning and fire extinguishing sprays can be enhanced.

[0022] Furthermore, the system of the present invention may also include a ground support unit. The ground support unit is communicatively connected to the control component and is used to provide the control component with attribute parameters of the hazardous chemicals stored in the target storage tank, manual verification instructions, and continuous operation support information. In scenarios involving large-capacity storage tanks, long-term continuous operation, or scenarios requiring manual verification, the ground support unit can assist the control component in updating hazardous chemical attribute information, confirming operation switching conditions, correcting operation task strategies, or maintaining continuous supply and scheduling support, thereby improving the stability and reliability of system operation in complex scenarios.

[0023] This invention also provides a control method for the above-mentioned fire-fighting and cleaning interlocking unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, comprising the following steps: first, acquiring environmental perception information of the target storage tank area; then, forming risk status parameters based on the environmental perception information and determining the dynamic safety boundary surrounding the target storage tank area; subsequently, calling pre-stored hazardous chemical attribute parameters, media adaptation rules, and operation status determination rules to perform interlocking determination on the current operation status; when the interlocking determination result indicates that the current scenario meets the conditions for entering the cleaning state, controlling the cleaning media circuit to complete the preparation for spraying and execute the cleaning operation; when the interlocking determination result indicates that the current scenario meets the conditions for entering the fire extinguishing state, controlling the fire extinguishing... The fire medium circuit completes the preparation for spraying and performs fire extinguishing operations. When it is necessary to switch between the cleaning state and the fire extinguishing state, the circuit isolation switch, the target spray path to be activated is purged, and the residual determination of the target spray path after purging is performed in sequence. Only when the target medium is compatible with the hazardous chemical property parameters corresponding to the target storage tank, the target spray path meets the switching allowable conditions, and the dynamic safety boundary allows the corresponding spraying operation, the spraying execution component is controlled to open the corresponding medium circuit to perform spraying. Otherwise, the opening of the corresponding medium circuit is prohibited, and the flight platform is controlled to enter at least one of the following states: no spraying, restricted approach, evacuation, or downgraded standby.

[0024] Beneficial effects:

[0025] Compared to existing technologies, this invention does not simply place cleaning and firefighting functions side-by-side on the same flight platform. Instead, it establishes a unified control chain around the hazardous chemical storage tank scenario, consisting of environmental perception, risk status parameter formation, dynamic safety boundary generation, operational status interlock determination, and safe release of the medium loop. With this control chain, the system can independently control the release of cleaning and firefighting operations based on the on-site risk status and operational objectives. Furthermore, it can implement spray prohibition, access restriction, and evacuation controls in abnormal situations, thereby improving the systematic nature and safety of integrated operations in hazardous chemical storage tank scenarios.

[0026] This invention establishes restricted access zones, reconnaissance permitted zones, and disposal permitted zones around the target storage tank area. The boundaries of each zone are dynamically updated based on changes in parameters such as gas concentration, temperature distribution, wind direction and speed, and target distance. This allows the approach range, reconnaissance position, and spraying position of the flight platform to be adjusted in real time according to the on-site risk status. Compared to existing solutions that use fixed safety distances or single threshold controls, this invention is more suitable for dynamic operational environments where the risks around hazardous chemical storage tanks are constantly changing and the operational target may shift between cleaning and firefighting.

[0027] This invention establishes the cleaning medium circuit and the fire extinguishing medium circuit as independent delivery paths, and performs circuit isolation, target spray path purging, and residue determination when a state switch is required. This ensures that the medium switching process between cleaning and fire extinguishing operations is based on a controlled release chain. This reduces the risk of media mixing, accidental discharge of residual liquid, and secondary reactions or hazards caused by incorrect switching, enhancing the safety and controllability of the switching process between the two types of operations.

[0028] This invention introduces hazardous chemical property parameters, media compatibility rules, and operational status determination rules into the operation release logic. This allows cleaning and firefighting operations under different tank media conditions to no longer be released directly based on a single spraying requirement, but rather based on the joint constraints of hazardous media properties and real-time environmental risks. This enables differentiated operation permits for different hazardous chemical storage tank scenarios, improving the targeting, adaptability, and reliability of integrated cleaning and firefighting operations.

[0029] This invention arranges the sensing components and / or spray execution components at the far end of the offset working arm, so that the sampling point and / or spray point are offset from the main disturbance area of ​​the rotor downwash of the flight platform body, thereby reducing the interference of rotor downwash on gas detection results and spray trajectory, which is beneficial to improving the reliability of hazardous gas detection, the stability of cleaning coverage, and the control accuracy of fire extinguishing spray. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the fire-fighting and cleaning interlocking unmanned aerial vehicle system of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the cleaning medium circuit, the fire extinguishing medium circuit, the isolation switching component, the purging component, the residue determination unit, and the spray execution component in this invention.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the interlocking control relationship between dynamic safety boundaries and operational states in this invention.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the offset working arm, sampling point, and injection point relative to the main body of the flight platform in this invention.

[0034] The component names corresponding to each number in the diagram are as follows: 1-Flight platform; 2-Sensing component; 3-Working payload component; 4-Control component; 5-Offset working arm; 6-Target storage tank; 7-Fire extinguishing medium circuit; 8-Cleaning medium circuit; 9-Isolation switching component; 10-Purge component; 11-Residue determination unit; 12-Spray execution component; 13-Dynamic safety boundary; 14-No-entry zone; 15-Disposal permitted zone; 16-Reconnaissance permitted zone; 17-Wind direction / Risk diffusion direction; 18-Sampling point; 19-Spray point; 20-Main disturbance area of ​​rotor downwash. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the following specific embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, equivalent substitutions, conventional transformations, or combinations of the technical features described in the specific embodiments, without departing from the concept and essence of the present invention, should all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] The specific embodiments of this invention revolve around interlocked operation control in hazardous chemical storage tank scenarios. In various embodiments, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system may include a flight platform, a sensing component, an operational payload component, and a control component; in some embodiments, a ground support unit may be further included. The control component generates risk status parameters based on environmental perception information acquired by the sensing component, and determines dynamic safety boundaries accordingly. Simultaneously, it combines hazardous chemical attribute parameters, media compatibility rules, and operational status determination rules to perform interlocked determination and controlled switching of states such as reconnaissance, cleaning, fire extinguishing, no-spray, restricted access, evacuation, and degraded standby. The differences between different embodiments mainly lie in the operational objectives, state entry conditions, whether switching between cleaning and fire extinguishing states is required, and the different anomaly handling strategies.

[0037] Example 1: Solo Cleaning Operations Under Fire-Free Conditions

[0038] This embodiment is applicable to scenarios where the outer wall of a hazardous chemical storage tank has contamination or residual liquid, requiring pre-maintenance rinsing, routine cleaning, or decontamination, but where there is no open flame and the local temperature distribution does not meet the conditions for entering a fire-extinguishing state. This embodiment corresponds to the most common operating method for hazardous chemical storage tanks, and its key point is to illustrate that the cleaning operation in this invention can be directly entered as an independent operation, without depending on the prior occurrence of fire extinguishing operations.

[0039] At the start of the operation, the flight platform, under the control of the control unit, approaches the target storage tank and initially enters reconnaissance mode. The sensing unit collects data on the distribution of combustible gases, toxic gases, local temperature distribution, distance between the flight platform and the target area, and wind direction and speed. Based on this environmental perception information, the control unit generates risk status parameters for the current scenario and establishes a dynamic safety boundary around the target storage tank area. If the interlocking determination result indicates that the current flight position is within the reconnaissance or disposal permitted zone, there is no open flame on site, the local temperature distribution does not meet the entry conditions for fire extinguishing, and the cleaning medium to be used is compatible with the hazardous chemical property parameters corresponding to the target storage tank, then the control unit directly switches the control system from reconnaissance mode to cleaning mode.

[0040] Once in cleaning mode, the control unit activates the cleaning medium circuit and controls the spraying actuator to perform targeted cleaning, rinsing, or decontamination operations on the contaminated areas, residual liquid areas, or areas awaiting maintenance on the outer wall of the storage tank. During the cleaning process, the sensing unit continuously outputs information on gas concentration, temperature distribution, and wind field changes. The control unit synchronously updates the dynamic safety boundary and adjusts the hovering position, approach distance, and spray direction of the flight platform to prevent the current operating location from exceeding the permissible treatment zone due to gas diffusion, sudden changes in the wind field, or local temperature rise.

[0041] If, during the cleaning process, an increase in combustible gas concentration, an abnormal rise in local temperature, or a contraction of the dynamic safety boundary due to changes in wind direction and speed are detected, or if the interlocking determination indicates that the current scenario no longer meets the conditions for maintaining the cleaning state, the control component will suspend the current cleaning spray and control the system to enter at least one of the following states: no spraying, restricted access, evacuation, or downgraded standby. If subsequent monitoring results show a decrease in risk, the control component can re-determine whether to resume the cleaning operation based on the updated risk status parameters.

[0042] The advantage of this embodiment is that the present invention explicitly supports independent cleaning operations for hazardous chemical storage tanks under fire-free conditions, so that the cleaning state is no longer dependent on the fire-extinguishing state, but can be independently released according to the on-site risks and the properties of hazardous chemicals, thus better meeting the needs of daily maintenance, pre-repair treatment and decontamination operations of hazardous chemical storage tanks.

[0043] Example 2: Individual firefighting operations under localized fire conditions

[0044] This embodiment applies to scenarios where there are open flames, abnormally high temperatures, or reignition risk areas on the outer wall or in certain adjacent areas of hazardous chemical storage tanks, but cleaning operations are not required immediately after fire extinguishing. The key point of this embodiment is to illustrate that fire extinguishing operations in this invention can be initiated as an independent operation and can be exited directly after the fire extinguishing task is completed, without automatically transitioning to a cleaning state.

[0045] At the start of the operation, the flight platform, under the control of the control unit, approaches the target storage tank and initially enters reconnaissance mode. The sensing unit collects data on the concentration of combustible gases, toxic gases, local temperature distribution, target distance, and wind direction and speed in the target area. Based on the acquired information, the control unit generates risk status parameters and establishes dynamic safety boundaries. When the interlocking determination indicates that the high-temperature area of ​​the target meets the conditions for entering fire suppression mode, and the current flight position is within the permissible handling range, the control unit switches the control system from reconnaissance mode to fire suppression mode.

[0046] Once the fire suppression system is activated, the control unit initiates the fire suppression medium circuit and controls the spray execution unit to perform targeted spraying on the high-temperature target area or fire source area. During the spraying process, the sensing unit continuously outputs information on gas concentration, temperature distribution, and wind field changes. The control unit synchronously updates the dynamic safety boundary and corrects the hovering position, approach distance, and spray direction of the flight platform to prevent the current operating location from exceeding the permissible disposal zone due to heat source expansion, gas accumulation, or wind field changes.

[0047] When the sensing component detects that the temperature in the target high-temperature area has dropped to within a preset range, and the concentrations of combustible and toxic gases have fallen back to permissible levels, the control component reassesses the current risk status. If the assessment indicates that the firefighting mission has been completed and there is no need for further flushing, decontamination, or residue removal on site, the control component exits the firefighting state and enters a reconnaissance state, standby state, evacuation state, or return state, without switching media.

[0048] The advantage of this embodiment is that the present invention protects the fire extinguishing function as an independent operating capability, enabling the UAV system to directly undertake fire fighting tasks when a fire occurs, while not setting subsequent cleaning as a fixed step, thus better meeting the application requirements of "only fire extinguishing, no need for cleaning" in real-world situations.

[0049] Example 3: Interlocking switching operation for post-fire extinguishing cleaning

[0050] This embodiment is applicable to near-field reconnaissance, fire suppression, and subsequent residual flushing scenarios after a local fire breaks out on the outer wall of a hazardous chemical storage tank. Its key point is to illustrate that the present invention can safely switch from the fire extinguishing state to the cleaning state when necessary.

[0051] At the start of the operation, the flight platform, under the control of the control unit, approaches the target storage tank and initially enters reconnaissance mode. The sensing unit collects data on the distribution of combustible gases, toxic gases, local temperature distribution, distance between the flight platform and the target area, and wind direction and speed. Based on this environmental perception information, the control unit generates risk status parameters for the current scenario and establishes a dynamic safety boundary around the target storage tank area. When the interlocking determination indicates that the current flight position is within the reconnaissance permitted zone and the high-temperature area of ​​the target meets the conditions for entering fire suppression mode, the control unit switches the control system from reconnaissance mode to fire suppression mode.

[0052] Upon entering fire suppression mode, the control unit activates the fire suppression medium circuit and controls the spray execution unit to perform targeted spraying on the high-temperature target area. During spraying, the sensing unit continuously outputs information on temperature distribution, gas concentration, and wind field changes, while the control unit synchronously updates the dynamic safety boundary and adjusts the hovering position, approach distance, and spray direction of the flight platform.

[0053] When the sensing component detects that the temperature of the target high-temperature area has dropped to within a preset range, and the concentrations of combustible and toxic gases have fallen back to permissible levels, the control component first reassesses the current risk status. If the assessment indicates that the fire extinguishing task has been completed, but there are still fire extinguishing residues, contaminants, or reaction residues on the outer wall of the storage tank, and further flushing or decontamination is indeed required, the control component issues a media switching command. This command sequentially controls the isolation switching component to perform loop isolation switching, controls the purging component to purge the target spray path to be activated, and the residue assessment unit performs residue assessment on the purged target spray path. Simultaneously, the control component determines whether the cleaning medium to be used meets the adaptation conditions of the current scenario based on the hazardous chemical attribute parameters corresponding to the target storage tank and the pre-stored media compatibility rules.

[0054] The control unit switches the system from fire extinguishing to cleaning mode and activates the cleaning medium circuit only when the cleaning medium is compatible with the properties of the target hazardous chemical, the target spray path meets the switching conditions, and the current dynamic safety boundary allows for cleaning spraying operations. This enables targeted flushing of fire extinguishing residues and contaminants on the outer wall of the storage tank. If any condition is not met during the switching process, the control unit does not release the cleaning mode but instead maintains the system in a no-spray state, restricted access state, downgraded standby state, or evacuation state.

[0055] The advantage of this embodiment is that the present invention does not set "cleaning immediately after fire extinguishing" as a fixed process. Instead, it only switches from the fire extinguishing state to the cleaning state when there is a need for subsequent cleaning and the interlocking release conditions are met. This limits "cleaning after fire extinguishing" to a high-value application scenario that can be implemented, rather than the only operation path.

[0056] Example 4: Reporting fire assistance and evacuation operations when conditions for drone firefighting are not met.

[0057] This embodiment applies to scenarios where a fire has occurred, but the current on-site conditions do not meet the requirements for the drone to enter firefighting mode, or although it can enter reconnaissance mode, it is not advisable to continue near-field firefighting operations by the drone. The focus of this embodiment is to illustrate that the invention can not only perform cleaning and firefighting tasks, but also proactively request assistance and provide safe evacuation control when it is unsuitable to continue operations.

[0058] After the operation begins, the flight platform, under the control of the control component, approaches the target storage tank and first enters reconnaissance mode. The sensing component continuously monitors the concentration of combustible gases, toxic gases, local temperature distribution, fire source expansion trend, target distance, and wind direction and speed in the target area. If the control component determines, based on the real-time information, that the fire source is expanding rapidly, the local temperature is too high, the concentration of combustible gases is continuously increasing, wind field changes are causing a significant contraction of the dynamic safety boundary, the flight platform's current stability is insufficient, or the current scenario does not meet the conditions for entering the fire extinguishing state based on the pre-stored operation status judgment rules, then the control component will not control the system to enter the fire extinguishing state, but will directly control the system to enter the no-spray state, restricted approach state, or evacuation state.

[0059] Upon entering the aforementioned state, the control component prohibits the activation of the fire extinguishing medium circuit and the cleaning medium circuit. Simultaneously, it outputs fire alarm and distress information to the ground support unit, the duty terminal, or external linkage devices to trigger manual verification, ground fire-fighting intervention, or external fire-fighting response procedures. It should be noted that in this embodiment, reporting a fire distress request is not limited to situations where "the conditions for drone fire extinguishing are not met." In other fire scenarios, as long as a fire is detected, the control component can also simultaneously output alarm or fire-fighting linkage information. However, in this embodiment, this distress request action, along with the prohibition of fire extinguishing and the control of active evacuation, constitutes the main technical focus.

[0060] If subsequent monitoring results indicate that the risk continues to increase, the control component will further control the flight platform to retreat, evacuate, or return along a preset safe path to avoid entering the restricted area or remaining in the danger zone if it is unsuitable for operation. If the risk decreases and manual verification shows that the scenario once again meets the reconnaissance conditions, the control component can control the flight platform to resume reconnaissance status, but the fire extinguishing medium circuit is still not allowed to be activated until the fire extinguishing release conditions are met.

[0061] The advantage of this embodiment is that the present invention is not only a task execution system, but also a safety decision-making system. When the drone is unsuitable for firefighting, the system can proactively refuse to perform the task, send out a fire emergency request, and execute a safe evacuation, thereby avoiding secondary risks caused by forced operation. This implementation makes the present invention more comprehensively applicable to engineering and has greater safety control value in high-risk fire scenarios.

Claims

1. A drone system for firefighting and cleaning interlocking operations of hazardous chemical storage tanks, characterized in that, include: Flight platform; A sensing component, mounted on the flight platform, is used to acquire environmental sensing information of the target storage tank area. The environmental sensing information includes at least gas type, gas concentration, temperature distribution, target distance, and wind direction and speed information. A working payload assembly, mounted on the flight platform, includes a fire extinguishing medium circuit, a cleaning medium circuit, an isolation switching assembly, a purging assembly, a residue determination unit, and a spray execution assembly. The fire extinguishing medium circuit and the cleaning medium circuit each have independent delivery paths. The isolation switching assembly is connected to the fire extinguishing medium circuit, the cleaning medium circuit, and the spray execution assembly, and is used to perform circuit isolation switching between the fire extinguishing medium circuit and the cleaning medium circuit. The purging assembly is used to purge the target spray path to be activated after switching. The residue determination unit is used to determine the residual state of the medium in the target spray path after purging. The spray execution assembly is used to perform fire extinguishing medium spraying or cleaning medium spraying. The control components are respectively connected to the flight platform, the sensing components, and the operational payload components; The control component is used for: Risk status parameters are generated based on the environmental perception information, and a dynamic safety boundary is determined around the target storage tank area based on the risk status parameters. The dynamic safety boundary includes at least a restricted area, a reconnaissance permitted area, and a disposal permitted area. The system calls upon pre-stored hazardous chemical attribute parameters, media compatibility rules, and operational status determination rules to interlock and determine the current operational status. The operational status includes at least one of the following: reconnaissance status, cleaning status, fire extinguishing status, no-spray status, restricted access status, evacuation status, and downgraded standby status. When the interlock determination result indicates that the current scenario meets the conditions for entering the cleaning state, the cleaning medium circuit and the spray execution component are controlled to perform the cleaning operation. When the interlock determination result indicates that the current scenario meets the conditions for entering the fire extinguishing state, the fire extinguishing medium circuit and the spray execution component are controlled to perform fire extinguishing operations. When it is necessary to switch from cleaning state to fire extinguishing state or vice versa, the following steps are performed sequentially: controlling the isolation switching component to perform loop isolation switching; controlling the purging component to purge the target spray path to be activated; and controlling the residue determination unit to perform residue determination on the purged target spray path. Only when the target medium and the hazardous chemical property parameters corresponding to the target storage tank are compatible, the residue determination unit determines that the target injection path meets the switching permission conditions, and the dynamic safety boundary allows the execution of the corresponding injection operation, the injection execution component is controlled to open the corresponding medium circuit for injection; otherwise, the opening of the corresponding medium circuit is prohibited, and the flight platform is controlled to enter the hovering standby, retreat avoidance, evacuation, or downgrade standby state.

2. The firefighting and cleaning interlocking unmanned aerial vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sensing components include at least a combustible gas detection unit, a toxic gas detection unit, a thermal imaging module, a visible light imaging module, a ranging module, and a wind field sensing module.

3. The firefighting and cleaning interlocking unmanned aerial vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control component updates the boundaries of the restricted area, the reconnaissance permitted area, and the disposal permitted area in real time based on changes in at least two parameters among gas concentration, temperature distribution, wind direction and speed, and target distance.

4. The firefighting and cleaning interlocking unmanned aerial vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The operation status determination rules include entry conditions, maintenance conditions and exit conditions corresponding to each operation status. The control component performs controlled switching between reconnaissance status, fire extinguishing status, cleaning status, no-spray status, restricted access status, evacuation status and downgraded standby status based on the entry conditions, maintenance conditions and exit conditions.

5. The firefighting and cleaning interlocking unmanned aerial vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hazardous chemical property parameters include at least one or more of the following: flammability, toxicity, corrosivity, oxidizing properties, and water reactivity. The media compatibility rules are used to define the permissible use conditions, prohibited use conditions, and preconditions for state switching of fire extinguishing media and cleaning media under different hazardous chemical property conditions.

6. The firefighting and cleaning interlocking unmanned aerial vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fire extinguishing medium circuit and the cleaning medium circuit are respectively equipped with independent valve groups, anti-backflow structures and independent spray paths. The residue determination unit determines whether the target spray path meets the switching allowable conditions based on at least one of the flow parameters, pressure parameters, conductivity parameters and medium identification signals.

7. The firefighting and cleaning interlocking unmanned aerial vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sensing component and / or the jet execution component are positioned at the distal end of the offset working arm to deviate the gas sampling point and / or jet point from the main disturbance area of ​​the rotor downwash of the flight platform body.

8. The firefighting and cleaning interlocking unmanned aerial vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a ground support unit, which is communicatively connected to the control component and is used to provide the control component with attribute parameters of the hazardous chemicals stored in the target storage tank, manual verification instructions, and continuous operation support information.

9. A control method for a fire-fighting and cleaning interlocking unmanned aerial vehicle system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Acquire environmental perception information of the target storage tank area, including at least gas type, gas concentration, temperature distribution, target distance, and wind direction and speed information; Risk status parameters are generated based on the environmental perception information, and a dynamic safety boundary is determined around the target storage tank area based on the risk status parameters. The dynamic safety boundary includes at least a restricted area, a reconnaissance permitted area, and a disposal permitted area. Call the pre-stored hazardous chemical attribute parameters, media adaptation rules, and operation status determination rules to perform interlock determination on the current operation status; When the interlock determination result indicates that the current scenario meets the conditions for entering the cleaning state, the control cleaning medium circuit completes the preparation for spraying and executes the cleaning operation. When the interlocking determination result indicates that the current scenario meets the conditions for entering the fire extinguishing state, the fire extinguishing medium circuit is controlled to complete the preparation for spraying and execute the fire extinguishing operation. When it is necessary to switch from cleaning state to fire extinguishing state or from fire extinguishing state to cleaning state, the following steps are performed in sequence: circuit isolation switching, purging of the target spray path to be activated, and residual determination of the target spray path after purging. The spraying execution component is controlled to open the corresponding medium circuit to perform spraying only when the target medium is compatible with the hazardous chemical property parameters corresponding to the target storage tank, the target injection path meets the switching allowable conditions, and the dynamic safety boundary allows the corresponding injection operation to be performed; otherwise, the opening of the corresponding medium circuit is prohibited, and the flight platform is controlled to enter at least one of the following states: no-spray state, restricted approach state, evacuation state, or downgraded standby state.

10. The control method according to claim 9, characterized in that, When at least one of the following situations is detected: gas concentration exceeding the limit, wind direction and speed changes causing dynamic safety boundary contraction, temperature distribution changes causing increased proximity risk, incompatibility between the target medium and hazardous chemical property parameters, or the target injection path residue not meeting the switching permission conditions, the control flight platform shall suspend the current injection operation and retreat to avoid, evacuate, or return to base.

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