A cable de-icing device for large unmanned aerial vehicles

Abstract

This invention discloses a cable de-icing device for large unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), belonging to the field of power system maintenance technology. It includes a UAV body, a lifting and adjusting mechanism, a carrier plate, a closing assembly, a first semi-annular cylinder, a second semi-annular cylinder, a first de-icing unit, and a second de-icing unit. The closing assembly drives the first and second semi-annular cylinders to open and close, forming an annular channel through which the cable can pass. The first de-icing unit is located at the end of the annular channel and is used for preliminary scraping and removal of ice covering the cable surface. The second de-icing unit includes an ice-breaking ring formed by the magnetic closure of two ice-breaking semi-annular rings and a rotation drive mechanism. The inner wall of the ice-breaking ring is provided with multiple ice-breaking teeth, which can rotate at high speed within the annular channel to impact and break up residual ice. This invention adopts a two-stage composite de-icing mode of first scraping for pre-de-icing and then rotating for impact and breaking, which can efficiently remove thick layers of ice.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of power system maintenance technology, and specifically discloses a cable de-icing device for large unmanned aerial vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] Cable icing is one of the serious natural disasters threatening the safe and stable operation of power grids. Traditional cable de-icing methods mainly include manual knocking, short-circuit melting, and mechanical vibration de-icing. Manual knocking is inefficient and carries a high risk of falling from heights; short-circuit melting can effectively melt the ice layer, but it requires power outages, affecting normal power supply, and is energy-intensive; mechanical vibration de-icing has high requirements for equipment installation and limited applicability.

[0003] In recent years, with the rapid development of drone technology, using drones equipped with de-icing devices for high-altitude cable de-icing operations has gradually become a research hotspot. For example, invention patent application number 202411724180.8 discloses a high-efficiency de-icing robot for power grids. This patent uses the drone itself to drive the de-icing device to move along the cable. During the movement, the support frame heats the ice on the cable surface, while a cam and torsion spring drive the ice-breaking plate to rotate back and forth, repeatedly impacting the heated ice layer, achieving a dual de-icing effect of heating and mechanical impact. Another example is invention patent application number 202510275564.4, which discloses a cable de-icing device based on drone-mounted linkage self-locking. This patent uses two tracked de-icing components to clamp the iced cable in a figure-eight structure, and the ice is squeezed off the cable by the crushing action during the movement.

[0004] However, existing drone de-icing devices still have significant technical limitations in practical applications. Current devices generally employ a single de-icing mode, relying solely on one of mechanical crushing, vibration impact, or thermal melting. When the cable surface is covered with a thick, hard ice layer, mechanical crushing alone is often insufficient to completely break and peel off the ice, leaving stubborn ice residue. Furthermore, thermal melting consumes enormous amounts of energy, severely compressing the drone's endurance, and its heating efficiency drops significantly in low-temperature environments. Vibration impact has limited effectiveness in breaking up layered and hard ice, resulting in incomplete de-icing. Based on this, this application proposes a large-scale drone cable de-icing device that employs a multi-mode collaborative de-icing mechanism to achieve efficient and thorough removal of various types of ice on the cable surface, especially thick, hard ice, while controlling energy consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a cable de-icing device for large unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to perform multi-mode collaborative de-icing of cables, achieving efficient and thorough removal of various types of ice covering the cable surface, especially thick layers of solid ice.

[0006] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution: A cable de-icing device for large unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) includes a UAV body, a carrier plate, a closing assembly, a first semi-annular cylinder and a second semi-annular cylinder, a first de-icing unit, and a second de-icing unit. Wherein: The carrier plate is attached to the lower end of the drone's main body; A closing assembly is disposed on the carrier plate, which includes a first clamping part and a second clamping part symmetrically arranged, and a transmission assembly for driving the first clamping part and the second clamping part to move closer or further apart. The first half-ring and the second half-ring are respectively fixed on the first clamping part and the second clamping part, and they close together under the action of the transmission assembly to form an annular channel for passing through the cable. The first de-icing unit is located at one end of the annular channel and is used to initially remove ice from the surface of the cable when the cable passes through. The second de-icing unit is rotatably disposed inside the annular channel. It includes an ice-breaking ring consisting of two ice-breaking semi-rings and a rotary drive mechanism for driving the ice-breaking ring to rotate. The inner wall of the ice-breaking ring is provided with multiple ice-breaking teeth for impacting and breaking the residual ice layer during rotation.

[0007] As a further provision of the above solution, the closing assembly includes a dual-axis servo motor mounted on a carrier plate, a power gear connected to the two ends of the dual-axis servo motor, and a first rack and a second rack respectively meshing with the upper and lower ends of the power gear; the first rack is connected to the first clamping part, and the second rack is connected to the second clamping part.

[0008] As a further feature of the above scheme, the first de-icing unit includes two ice-breaking blades, which are respectively fixedly disposed on the inner walls of the ports of the first semi-annular cylinder and the second semi-annular cylinder; the ice-breaking blades are arc-conical in shape, and their cutting edges are tapered toward the central axis of the annular channel.

[0009] As a further feature of the above scheme, the second de-icing unit also includes a semi-circular slide rail disposed on the inner wall of the first clamping part and the second clamping part, and a limiting slide opening adapted to the semi-circular slide rail is provided on the ice-breaking semi-ring.

[0010] As a further provision of the above scheme, the rotary drive mechanism includes a power motor mounted on the first semi-ring or the second semi-ring, the output shaft of the power motor being provided with a gear extending into the annular channel, and the outer circumference of the ice-breaking semi-ring being provided with an arc-shaped tooth surface that meshes with the gear.

[0011] As a further feature of the above scheme, magnetic components are provided on the opposite sides of the two ice-breaking semi-rings. When the two ice-breaking semi-rings approach each other, they are attracted together by the magnetic components to form a complete ice-breaking ring.

[0012] As a further feature of the above scheme, both the lower ends of the first and second semi-annular cylinders are provided with ice discharge ports, and the ice discharge ports are located at the downstream end of the second de-icing unit.

[0013] As a further feature of the above scheme, a blower is provided on the carrier plate, and the air outlet of the blower is connected to a blower pipe. The air outlet of the blower pipe is oriented towards the inside of the annular channel, and is used to blow the broken ice chips to the ice discharge port.

[0014] As a further provision of the above scheme, a cable centering and holding mechanism is provided in the annular channel. The cable centering and holding mechanism includes at least one pair of clamping wheel sets. A connecting rod that radially penetrates the first half-annular cylinder or the second half-annular cylinder is connected to the clamping wheel sets. A limiting part is provided at the radially outer end of the connecting rod. An elastic element is provided between the limiting part and the first half-annular cylinder or the second half-annular cylinder.

[0015] As a further feature of the above solution, a lifting and adjusting mechanism is also included, wherein the upper end of the lifting and adjusting mechanism is connected to the main body of the drone, and the lower end is connected to the carrier plate.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: This invention constructs a two-stage composite de-icing operation mode by setting up a closed component, forming an openable and closable annular channel with a first semi-annular cylinder and a second semi-annular cylinder, and setting a first de-icing unit at the end of the annular channel and a second de-icing unit inside the annular channel. This involves first scraping for pre-de-icing, followed by rotary impact crushing. The device can be mounted on a large drone, using the drone's propulsion to drive the first de-icing unit to initially peel off loose ice from the cable surface, and then using the second de-icing unit to further crush the remaining solid ice. Compared to existing single de-icing methods, it effectively solves the industry pain point of being unable to completely remove thick layers of ice, achieving a high removal rate. Furthermore, the entire process is mechanical, resulting in low energy consumption and helping to ensure the drone's endurance.

[0017] The second de-icing unit in this invention employs an ice-breaking ring structure composed of two ice-breaking semi-rings. During the closing process, the two semi-rings automatically engage via a magnetic attraction component to form a complete ice-breaking ring, which can rotate within the annular channel. During rotation, multiple ice-breaking teeth on the inner wall of the ring exert circumferential impact and cutting action on the residual ice layer on the cable surface, effectively removing hard ice layers that are difficult to remove with a single scraping. This "split-type magnetic connection + gear-driven rotation" structural design not only solves the installation problem of the ring on the cable but also allows the ice-breaking ring to achieve a sufficiently high rotational speed, generating powerful impact kinetic energy and significantly improving its ability to break up hard ice.

[0018] The invention further includes ice discharge ports at the downstream ends of the first and second semi-annular cylinders, equipped with blowers and air pipes. These ports promptly blow ice debris generated by the rotating ice-breaking ring to the discharge ports, effectively preventing ice debris accumulation that could cause the ice-breaking ring to jam or re-ice. Simultaneously, a cable centering mechanism is installed in the annular channel. This mechanism includes elastically pre-loaded clamping wheels that automatically keep the cable positioned along the central axis of the channel during cylinder closure, preventing direct contact between the ice-breaking teeth and the cable surface, thus avoiding insulation damage. Furthermore, a lifting and adjusting mechanism allows for precise lifting and lowering of the de-icing device relative to the drone body, facilitating online and offline operations and further improving operational convenience and applicability. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention from a first angle; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the second-angle three-dimensional structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the lifting adjustment mechanism and the composite de-icing operation mechanism in this invention; Figure 4 This is a partial three-dimensional cross-sectional structural diagram of the composite de-icing mechanism in this invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal three-dimensional structure of the first clamping part, the first semi-annular cylinder, etc. in this invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the external three-dimensional structure of the first clamping part, the first semi-annular cylinder, etc. in this invention; Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure after the two ice-breaking semi-rings are closed in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0022] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The following will refer to the appendix... Figures 1-7 This application will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments. Example 1

[0023] Example 1 discloses a cable de-icing device for large unmanned aerial vehicles, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the main body of the cable de-icing device includes a drone body 10 and a composite de-icing mechanism 20. The drone body 10 includes a fuselage 11 containing a battery, control module, and wireless transmission module. Multiple wing arms 12 are evenly distributed around the fuselage 11; ten wing arms are shown in this illustration, and each wing arm has a rotor 13 at its outer end. Furthermore, two symmetrical support frames 14 are provided on the lower surface of the fuselage 11. The composite de-icing mechanism 20 is positioned between the two support frames 14, and a lifting adjustment mechanism 30 is connected to the upper end of the composite de-icing mechanism 20, with the upper end of the lifting adjustment mechanism 30 located on the lower surface of the fuselage 11.

[0024] like Figure 3 As shown, the lifting and adjusting mechanism 30 includes a servo electric cylinder 31 fixed to the lower end of the body 11 and a fork-type telescopic frame 32 connected to the lower end of the body 11. The lower end of the body 11 is provided with an upper connecting part 33, and the composite de-icing mechanism 20 is provided with a lower connecting part 34. The upper and lower ends of the fork-type telescopic frame 32 are connected to the upper connecting part 33 and the lower connecting part 34, respectively. The telescopic end of the servo electric cylinder 31 acts on the upper end of the fork-type telescopic frame 32.

[0025] like Figures 3-7 As shown, the composite de-icing mechanism 20 includes a horizontal base plate 21 fixedly connected to the lower connecting part 34. Vertically arranged transmission boxes 22 are connected to both ends of the horizontal base plate 21, and the lower end of the transmission boxes 22 is open. A closing assembly 23 with its lower end protruding is provided in each of the two transmission boxes 22. A first de-icing unit 24 and a second de-icing unit 25 are provided on the closing assembly 23.

[0026] The closing assembly 23 includes a dual-axis servo motor 231 fixed to the upper surface of the horizontal base plate 21. Both output shafts of the dual-axis servo motor 231 are connected to rotating shafts 232 extending into the transmission housing 22. A power gear 233 is mounted on the rotating shafts 232. A first rack 234 and a second rack 235 are respectively meshed at the upper and lower ends of the power gear 233. The end of the first rack 234 is connected to a first clamping part 236 extending vertically downwards from the transmission housing 22, and the end of the second rack 235 is connected to a second clamping part 237 extending vertically downwards from the transmission housing 22. An arc-shaped groove is formed at the opposite end of the first clamping part 236 and the second clamping part 237. A first semi-annular cylinder 238 is fixedly mounted in the arc-shaped groove of the first clamping part 236, and a second semi-annular cylinder 239 is fixedly mounted in the arc-shaped groove of the second clamping part 237. When the first semi-annular cylinder 238 and the second semi-annular cylinder 239 approach and close, they form a complete annular channel for the cable to pass through.

[0027] The first de-icing unit 24 includes two ice-breaking blades 241, the inner ends of which are fixed to the inner walls of one end of the first semi-annular cylinder 238 and the second semi-annular cylinder 239, respectively. The ice-breaking blades 241 are arc-conical in shape, with their cutting edges tapering towards the center.

[0028] The second de-icing unit 25 includes two ice-breaking semi-rings 251. Each of the outer circular surfaces of the ice-breaking semi-rings 251 has a limiting slide 252 at both ends. An arc-shaped toothed surface 253 is provided on the outer circular surface of the semi-ring between the two limiting slides 252. Multiple radially inwardly extending ice-breaking teeth 254 are provided on the inner wall of the ice-breaking semi-ring 251. Two semi-circular slide rails 255 are fixed to the inner walls of both the first semi-ring cylinder 238 and the second semi-ring cylinder 239. The two ice-breaking semi-rings 251 are respectively positioned in the first semi-ring cylinder 238 and the second semi-ring cylinder 239 through a sliding fit between the limiting slide 252 and the semi-circular slide rails 255. A power motor 256 is provided on the outer circular surface of either the first semi-ring cylinder 238 or the second semi-ring cylinder 239. This power motor 256 is a servo motor or a stepper motor, capable of precisely controlling its rotation number and angle. A gear is provided on the output shaft of the power motor 256. The gear extends through a notch into the first semi-ring cylinder 238 or the second semi-ring cylinder 239 and meshes with the arc-shaped tooth surface 253. At the same time, the gear is isolated from the external environment by the gear cover 257.

[0029] Finally, magnetic components 258 are respectively provided at the upper and lower ends of the opposite sides of the two ice-breaking semi-rings 251. The magnetic components 258 can adopt a structure of convex and concave magnetic strips. When the two ice-breaking semi-rings 251 are close to each other, they can be closed together by the magnetic components 258 to form a complete ice-breaking ring.

[0030] In the operation of the large UAV cable de-icing device disclosed in Embodiment 1, the UAV body 10 first carries the composite de-icing mechanism 20 to the top of the target cable. Then, the servo cylinder 31 in the lifting adjustment mechanism 30 drives the fork telescopic frame 32 to extend downward, so that the composite de-icing mechanism 20 descends to the height of the cable.

[0031] Subsequently, the closing component 23 begins to operate. The dual-axis servo motor 231 drives the power gear 233 to rotate via the rotating shaft 232. The power gear 233 simultaneously drives the first rack 234 and the second rack 235 to move in opposite directions, thereby causing the first clamping part 236 and the second clamping part 237 to move away from each other, and the first semi-annular cylinder 238 and the second semi-annular cylinder 239 to open. The UAV adjusts its position to allow the cable to enter between the two semi-annular cylinders. Then, the dual-axis servo motor 231 rotates in the opposite direction, and the first clamping part 236 and the second clamping part 237 move closer to each other. The first semi-annular cylinder 238 and the second semi-annular cylinder 239 close to form a complete annular channel, and the cable is surrounded in the center of the channel. At the same time, the two ice-breaking semi-annular cylinders 251 are attracted together by the magnetic attraction component 258 to form a complete ice-breaking annular cylinder.

[0032] As the drone body 10 slowly travels along the cable, the first de-icing unit 24, located at the port of the annular channel, first contacts the ice covering the cable surface. Using its conical cutting edge, it scrapes and compresses the ice layer, initially removing the surface snow and loose ice. Next, the power motor 256 starts, driving the ice-breaking ring to rotate at high speed within the annular channel through the meshing of gears and arc-shaped tooth surfaces 253. Multiple ice-breaking teeth 254 on the inner wall of the ice-breaking ring exert circumferential impact and cutting action on the remaining hard ice layer, further breaking it up. During rotation, the limiting slide 252 and the semi-circular slide rail 255 maintain precise guidance, ensuring the smooth rotation of the ice-breaking ring. After two stages of de-icing, the ice layer on the cable surface is completely removed. Example 2

[0033] Example 2 discloses a large-scale UAV cable de-icing device that is optimized and improved based on the technical solution in Example 1. The similarities between it and Example 1 will not be described again.

[0034] like Figures 3-6As shown, in this embodiment 2, ice discharge ports 230 are provided at the lower ends of the first semi-annular cylinder 238 and the second semi-annular cylinder 239, which are located away from the first de-icing unit 24. The ice discharge ports 230 are located downstream of the ice-breaking semi-annular cylinder 251. At the same time, a blower 26 is provided at the lower end of the horizontal base plate 21. The air outlet of the blower 26 is connected to a blower pipe 261. The end of the blower pipe 261 passes through the gap between the two closed ice-breaking blades and is positioned towards the lower end of the annular cylinder channel. This allows the high-speed airflow discharged from the blower pipe 261 to blow the ice chips that have been broken and accumulated in the annular cylinder channel to the ice discharge ports 230, and then discharge the ice chips through the ice discharge ports 230.

[0035] In addition, in this embodiment 2, a cable centering and holding mechanism 27 is provided on the first half-ring cylinder 238 and the second half-ring cylinder 239 at the end away from the first de-icing unit 24. Through the clamping and guiding effect of the cable centering and holding mechanism 27, the cable is centered at the center of the ice-breaking ring, so as to avoid the ice-breaking teeth 254 directly acting on the cable surface and causing damage to the cable when the cable deviates.

[0036] The specific cable centering and holding mechanism 27 includes a pair of clamping wheel sets 271. Each clamping wheel in the pair of clamping wheel sets 271 is connected to a connecting rod 272 that radially penetrates the first semi-annular cylinder 238 or the second semi-annular cylinder 239. A limiting part 273 is provided at the radially outer end of the connecting rod 272, and a spring 28 is provided between the limiting part 273 and the first semi-annular cylinder 238 or the second semi-annular cylinder 239. When the first semi-annular cylinder 238 or the second semi-annular cylinder 239 aligns with the cable and then approaches and closes with each other, the clamping wheel sets 271 on both sides will clamp the cable from both sides. At the same time, under the elastic support force of the spring 28, the pair of clamping wheel sets 271 will clamp, limit and guide the cable from both ends, preventing the cable from shaking or shifting during the two ice-breaking processes.

[0037] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cable de-icing device for large unmanned aerial vehicles, comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle body, characterized by, Also includes: The carrier plate is attached to the lower end of the drone's main body; A closing assembly is disposed on the carrier plate, which includes a first clamping part and a second clamping part symmetrically arranged, and a transmission assembly for driving the first clamping part and the second clamping part to move closer or further apart. The first half-ring and the second half-ring are respectively fixed on the first clamping part and the second clamping part, and they close together under the action of the transmission assembly to form an annular channel for passing through the cable. The first de-icing unit is located at one end of the annular channel and is used to initially remove ice from the surface of the cable when the cable passes through. The second de-icing unit is rotatably disposed inside the annular channel. It includes an ice-breaking ring consisting of two ice-breaking semi-rings and a rotary drive mechanism for driving the ice-breaking ring to rotate. The inner wall of the ice-breaking ring is provided with multiple ice-breaking teeth for impacting and breaking the residual ice layer during rotation.

2. The cable de-icing device for large unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The closing assembly includes a dual-axis servo motor mounted on a carrier plate, a power gear connected to the two ends of the dual-axis servo motor, and a first rack and a second rack that mesh with the upper and lower ends of the power gear, respectively; the first rack is connected to the first clamping part, and the second rack is connected to the second clamping part.

3. The cable de-icing device for large unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first de-icing unit includes two ice-breaking blades, which are respectively fixed on the inner walls of the ports of the first semi-annular cylinder and the second semi-annular cylinder; the ice-breaking blades are arc-conical in shape, and their cutting edges are tapered toward the central axis of the annular channel.

4. The cable de-icing device for large unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second de-icing unit also includes a semi-circular slide rail disposed on the inner wall of the first and second semi-circular cylinders, and a limiting slide opening adapted to the semi-circular slide rail is provided on the ice-breaking semi-circular cylinder.

5. The cable de-icing device for large unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 4, characterized in that, The rotary drive mechanism includes a power motor mounted on the first or second semi-annular cylinder. A gear extending into the annular channel is mounted on the output shaft of the power motor. An arc-shaped tooth surface that meshes with the gear is mounted on the outer circumference of the ice-breaking semi-annular cylinder.

6. A cable de-icing device for large unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, Magnetic components are provided on the opposite sides of the two ice-breaking semi-rings. When the two ice-breaking semi-rings come close to each other, they are attracted together by the magnetic components to form a complete ice-breaking ring.

7. The cable de-icing device for large unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower ends of both the first and second semi-annular cylinders are provided with ice discharge ports, and the ice discharge ports are located at the downstream end of the second de-icing unit.

8. The cable de-icing device for large unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 7, characterized in that, A blower is installed on the carrier plate, and the air outlet of the blower is connected to a blower pipe. The air outlet of the blower pipe is set facing the inside of the annular channel to blow the broken ice chips to the ice discharge port.

9. The cable de-icing device for large unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The annular channel is provided with a cable centering and holding mechanism, which includes at least one pair of clamping wheel sets. A connecting rod that radially penetrates the first or second semi-annular cylinder is connected to the clamping wheel sets. A limiting part is provided at the radial outer end of the connecting rod, and an elastic element is provided between the limiting part and the first or second semi-annular cylinder.

10. The cable de-icing device for large unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a lifting and adjusting mechanism, the upper end of which is connected to the main body of the drone, and the lower end of which is connected to the carrier plate.

Images