Visual guidance directional measurement device and method for hidden recess of boiler shielding area

Abstract

The present application provides a kind of visual guidance directional measurement device of boiler shelter area hidden pit, including data processing and result output part and the sequentially connected rear end operation and control part, middle section delivery and guiding part, front end circumferential adjustment and directional measurement part;Rear end operation and control part is used for artificial propulsion, connection and layer information acquisition;Middle section delivery and guiding part is used for sending detection head into boiler shelter area and reaches target layer nearby;Front end circumferential adjustment and directional measurement part is used for identifying pit direction in target layer nearby and completing detection head in place;Data processing and result output part is used for completing visual guidance discrimination, deflection control, profile measurement processing and result output.The device can systematically solve the arrival, positioning, measurement and data processing problem in the detection of boiler shelter area hidden pit, improve the feasibility and integration of detection;It can realize the reachable, alignable and quantitatively detectable detection of boiler shelter area hidden pit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of in-service inspection and maintenance auxiliary technology for power plant boilers, specifically relating to a visually guided orientation measurement device and method for concealed pits in the boiler's obstructed area. Background Technology

[0002] The boiler's heating surfaces and tail flue are subjected to multiple effects over a long period, including high-temperature flue gas, fly ash erosion, soot blowing medium disturbance, thermal stress circulation, and relative displacement of local structures. Some shielded areas are prone to blow damage, wear, and localized material thinning, with typical damage morphologies including pits, grooves, and irregular depressions. These defects are often discontinuous and non-continuous in their initial stages, but if left undetected and unaddressed for a long time, they can easily expand, leading to significant weakening of the local wall thickness and ultimately affecting the safe operation of the equipment.

[0003] In the boiler tail flue area, due to the long-term operation of the sootblowers, components near the sootblower channels are prone to directional blow-through damage and wear. During actual operation, the combined effects of sootblowing medium injection, flue gas flow deflection, and fly ash particle erosion easily cause localized pitting damage in the vicinity and roots of the tube banks, finned tubes, and vertically suspended tubes within the tail flue. Because these areas are typically narrow, heavily obstructed, and often located behind, below, or adjacent to components, maintenance personnel cannot directly observe them visually. On-site assessments often rely on touch or experience for preliminary judgment, making rapid, accurate, and repeatable quantitative evaluation difficult.

[0004] Especially at the junction of the horizontal serpentine pipe and the vertical suspended pipe in the tail flue, numerous pit-like defects have been found during on-site inspections, some of which are deep enough to require pipe replacement. The formation of these pits is typically related to two mechanisms: first, localized vortex zones easily form near the fins of the suspended pipe, and under the long-term scouring of flue gas and fly ash, the root of the horizontal serpentine pipe is prone to blow damage, gradually forming pits; second, there may be contact, friction, and vibration coupling between the suspended pipe fins and surrounding components, causing the root area to simultaneously bear the combined effects of wear and blow damage, resulting in complex damage. These defects are usually not located on the exposed front but are mostly distributed in concealed areas such as the underside or lower side of the pipe, making it difficult to directly determine their exact location before maintenance. For these workstations, even if ordinary observation methods can reach the adjacent area, it is often difficult to obtain reliable information on the depth, length, and range due to a lack of effective identification of the pit's location, a lack of stable target alignment capabilities, and a lack of reliable local measurement benchmarks.

[0005] Besides the area near the soot blower channel in the tail flue and the root area of ​​finned tubes and suspended tubes, there are many other hidden work areas with similar characteristics inside the boiler. For example, the areas obstructed between closely packed tube layers, the areas obstructed by adjacent support structures, the back side area of ​​the flow guiding components, and the areas near local reinforcements or connectors can all form typical hidden defect areas dominated by pit-like geometric damage. These types of areas typically present the following common problems during on-site inspection: First, the target area is located inside multi-layered pipe rows or behind obstructed components, making it difficult to reach deeper and lower layers by manual touch alone; second, defects are usually located on the lower, left, or right side of the pipe root, making it difficult to determine the specific orientation beforehand, and even if the inspection head is delivered nearby, it is difficult to accurately align with the target; third, in the absence of a stable local benchmark, the observation results are difficult to convert into reliable quantitative parameters such as pit depth, length, and width; fourth, the traditional method of relying on increasing the spacing, partial dismantling, or enlarging the observation window before inspection is cumbersome, inefficient, and unsuitable for large-scale rapid inspection and batch screening.

[0006] Therefore, especially for hidden pit defects in the serpentine pipes and suspended pipe roots of boiler tail flues, as well as other similar obstructed areas, there is an urgent need for a dedicated detection device and method that can be delivered to the vicinity of the target layer, visually assist in the identification of the pit's location, accurately position the detection head through a front-end orientation mechanism, establish a local measurement benchmark, and complete the quantitative measurement of the pit. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and provides a visually guided orientation measurement device and method for concealed pits in the boiler shielding area.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention provides a visually guided orientation measurement device for concealed pits in the boiler shielding area, comprising a data processing and result output unit and a rear-end operation and control unit, a middle-section delivery and guidance unit, and a front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit connected in sequence. The back-end operation and control unit is used for manual advancement, connection, and acquisition of layer information; The middle delivery and guide section is used to deliver the detection head into the boiler shielding area and reach the vicinity of the target layer; The front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit is used to identify the location of the pit near the target layer and complete the positioning of the detection head; The data processing and result output unit is used to complete visual guidance and discrimination, deflection control, contour measurement processing and result output.

[0009] Optionally, the mid-section delivery and guiding section includes an elongation measuring sleeve, a retractable slender delivery rod, a guide ring assembly, and a front-end circumferential adjustment structure; The first end of the elongation measuring sleeve is fixedly connected to the rear operation and control unit, and the second end of the elongation measuring sleeve is retractably inserted with the retractable slender delivery rod. The surface of the elongation measuring sleeve is provided with a scale for acquiring and marking the extension length information of the retractable slender delivery rod; The retractable slender delivery rod is used to deliver the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit from the upper part of the boiler or the accessible interlayer inlet to the vicinity of the target layer in the shielded area; The guide ring assembly is sleeved on the front end of the retractable slender delivery rod and is used to guide and limit the delivery process of the retractable slender delivery rod; The front-end circumferential adjustment structure is connected to the front end of the retractable slender delivery rod and is used to perform circumferential pre-adjustment of the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit near the target layer.

[0010] Optionally, the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit includes a front-end orientation deflection connection section assembly and a front-end detection head assembly connected thereto; The front-end directional deflection connection assembly is used to drive the front-end detection head to make a small-range, controllable directional deflection near the target layer, so that the front-end detection head assembly is positioned in the direction of the target pit. The front-end detection head assembly is used to establish a local geometric reference, acquire images and contour data of the target pit area after it is in place, and assist in cleaning and lighting to support visual guidance and contour measurement of the pit.

[0011] Optionally, the front-end detection head assembly includes an attitude detection unit, an auxiliary lighting module, an industrial camera module, a near-end sensing unit, and a line laser profile measurement window; The attitude detection unit is used to obtain the current attitude or pose feedback information of the front-end detection head; The auxiliary lighting module is used to provide supplemental lighting to the target area; The industrial camera module is used to acquire local images of the target layer; The near-end sensing unit is used to acquire the neighboring state of the target area or supplement sensing information; The line laser contour measurement window is used to acquire the contour of the target pit area.

[0012] Optionally, the front-end detection head assembly further includes an elastically spaced support contact, an elastic element, an elastically spaced support base, a right reference slide shoe, and a left reference slide shoe. The right reference slipper and the left reference slipper are disposed on both sides of the bottom of the front detection head assembly, and are used to form a close contact or adjacent support with the adjacent complete surface; The elastic distance support contact, the elastic element, and the elastic distance support base together constitute an elastic distance support component. The elastic distance support component is used to provide elastic support and control the relative distance between the front end detection head assembly and the adjacent surface after the front end detection head assembly is in place, thereby cooperating with the reference slipper to establish a local geometric reference.

[0013] Optionally, the front-end detection head assembly further includes a front-end working window, a dustproof and anti-glare protective end cover, a front guide cone nose, and a micro-blowing spray nozzle; The front working window is used to form the main observation and measurement area for the detection head to work externally. The dustproof and anti-glare protective end cover is located on the outside of the front working window to reduce the impact of floating dust, pollutants and reflections on imaging and measurement; The front guide cone nose is located at the front end of the front detection head assembly to reduce collisions and scratches when entering narrow workstations and to improve the smoothness of the detection head being guided into the target area. The micro-blowing nozzles are used to blow away floating dust and attached particles in the target area.

[0014] Optionally, the data processing and result output unit includes a main control processing module, a visual guidance and discrimination module, a deflection control module, a contour measurement and processing module, a layer information output module, and a result display and storage module; The main control processing module is used to receive image, contour, layer and position signals transmitted by the front-end detection head assembly and related detection units, and to coordinate and control each functional module. The visual guidance and discrimination module is used to analyze the local image of the target layer and identify the location range of the suspected pit. The deflection control module is used to output control commands based on the visual guidance and discrimination results, drive the front-end circumferential adjustment structure and the front-end directional deflection connection segment to move, so that the front-end detection head assembly is positioned in the direction of the target pit; The contour measurement and processing module is used to process the contour data of the target area and output the maximum depth of the pit and contour feature parameters. The layer information output module is used to output the layer information corresponding to the current detection position; The result display and storage module is used to associate, display, record, and save the measurement results with the stratigraphic information.

[0015] Optionally, the visual guidance and discrimination module adopts a machine vision-based intelligent recognition algorithm to extract features, identify suspected pit areas and determine the orientation interval of the target tube root region in the local image of the target layer, and output the visual guidance result to the main control processing module. The main control processing module generates a front-end deflection control strategy based on the visual guidance results. First, it drives the front-end circumferential adjustment structure to complete the target orientation pre-adjustment, and then drives the front-end directional deflection connecting section to perform a small-range directional deflection, so that the detection head working window, industrial camera module and line laser contour measurement window all face the target pit area. After the front-end detection head assembly is in place and a local reference is established, the contour measurement and processing module accurately identifies the contour and calculates the size of the target pit.

[0016] Optionally, the rear-end operation and control unit includes: a tail-end battery compartment, a handheld operating main body, a button function control area, a control connection transition section, a switch / start button, and a grip ring; The tail-end battery compartment is used to house the device power supply unit and provide power for front-end detection, control and signal processing; The handheld operating body is used for holding, pushing, and manually operating the device; The button function control area is used to arrange start / stop, mode switching, lighting control, measurement trigger or other function control buttons required during the operation of the device; The control connection transition section is used to realize the structural connection and electrical signal transmission transition between the back-end operation and control unit and the front-end terminal processing area or delivery part. The switch / start button is used to power on the device, start or stop the corresponding workflow; The grip ring is used to improve grip stability and provide auxiliary anti-slip and anti-dislodge protection during pushing, pulling and posture adjustment.

[0017] Another aspect of the present invention provides a visually guided orientation measurement method for concealed pits in boiler obstruction areas, employing the visually guided orientation measurement device for concealed pits in boiler obstruction areas described above; the method includes: Step 1: Send the retractable slender delivery rod in the middle delivery and guide section from the upper part of the boiler or the accessible interlayer inlet into the shielded area, deliver it to the vicinity of the target layer, and obtain the current layer information; Step 2: The industrial camera module in the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit acquires local images of the target layer, and the visual guidance and discrimination module in the data processing and result output unit identifies the directional range of the suspected pit. Step 3: The main control processing module of the data processing and result output unit controls the front-end circumferential adjustment structure and the front-end orientation deflection connection section assembly in the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit according to the recognition result, so that the front-end detection head assembly deflects into place in the direction of the target pit; Step 4: The reference slipper and elastic distance support of the front-end detection head assembly form a local geometric reference with the adjacent intact surface, the auxiliary lighting module provides supplementary lighting, and the micro-blowing nozzles clean up floating dust. Step 5: The line laser contour measurement window acquires the contour of the pit, and the contour measurement and processing module outputs the maximum depth of the pit and the contour feature parameters. Step 6: Associate the measurement results with the current stratum information and output, display, or store them.

[0018] The present invention provides a visually guided orientation measurement device and method for detecting hidden pits in boiler obstruction areas. This device, through the integrated operation and control unit, the mid-section delivery and guiding unit, the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit, and the data processing and result output unit, forms a complete detection system. It systematically solves the problems of arrival, positioning, measurement, and data processing in detecting hidden pits in boiler obstruction areas, improving the feasibility and integration of the detection. It enables the reachable, alignable, and quantitative detection of hidden pits in boiler obstruction areas without extensive dismantling or manual estimation, and has high field application value. It solves the problems in existing technologies for detecting hidden pit defects near the sootblower channel in the boiler tail flue, at the root of finned tubes and suspension pipes, and in other similar obstruction areas, such as difficulty in reaching the target layer, difficulty in predicting the specific location of the defect, difficulty in orienting and aligning the detection head, difficulty in establishing local measurement benchmarks, and difficulty in quickly quantifying the pit size. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a front view schematic diagram of a visually guided orientation measurement device for concealed pits in a boiler shielding area according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the front circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit according to another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working environment and operation mode of a visually guided orientation measurement device for concealed pits in the boiler shielding area, according to another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0021] This invention addresses the problems in existing technologies for detecting hidden pit defects near the sootblower channel in the boiler tail flue, at the root of finned tubes and suspension pipes, and in other similar obstructed areas. These problems include difficulty in reaching the target layer, difficulty in predicting the specific location of the defect, difficulty in orienting the detection head, difficulty in establishing local measurement benchmarks, and difficulty in quickly quantifying the size of the pit. Figure 1 As shown, a visual guidance and orientation measurement device for concealed pits in the boiler shielding area is provided, including a data processing and result output unit and a rear-end operation and control unit, a middle-section delivery and guidance unit, and a front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit connected in sequence.

[0022] The back-end operation and control unit is used for manual advancement, connection, and acquisition of layer information.

[0023] The middle delivery and guide section is used to send the detection head into the boiler shielding area and reach the vicinity of the target layer.

[0024] The front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit is used to identify the location of the pit near the target layer and complete the positioning of the detection head.

[0025] The data processing and result output unit is used to complete visual guidance and discrimination, deflection control, contour measurement processing and result output.

[0026] The visually guided orientation measurement device for hidden pits in boiler obstruction areas provided by this invention forms a complete detection device through the overall coordination of the rear-end operation and control unit, the middle-section delivery and guidance unit, the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit, and the data processing and result output unit. It can systematically solve the problems of arrival, positioning, measurement, and data processing in the detection of hidden pits in boiler obstruction areas, improving the feasibility and integration of detection. It can achieve the reachability, alignment, and quantitative detection of hidden pits in boiler obstruction areas without large-scale dismantling and modification or relying on manual estimation, and has high field application value. It solves the problems of difficulty in reaching the target layer, difficulty in predicting the specific location of the defect, difficulty in orienting and aligning the detection head, difficulty in establishing local measurement benchmarks, and difficulty in quickly quantifying the size of the pit in the detection of hidden pit defects near the soot blower channel of the boiler tail flue, the root of the finned tube and the suspension pipe, and other similar obstruction areas in the prior art.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the mid-section delivery and guiding section includes an elongation measuring sleeve 11, a retractable slender delivery rod 12, a guide ring assembly 13, and a front-end circumferential adjustment structure 14. The first end of the elongation measuring sleeve 11 is fixedly connected to the rear-end operation and control section, and the second end of the elongation measuring sleeve 11 is retractably inserted with the retractable slender delivery rod 12.

[0028] The surface of the elongation measuring sleeve 11 is provided with a scale to obtain and mark the extension length information of the retractable slender delivery rod 12, so as to determine the relative position when the device is delivered to the vicinity of the target layer, and to serve as a sleeve component for retracting and storing the retractable slender delivery rod 12 before and after operation.

[0029] The retractable slender delivery rod 12 is used to deliver the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit from the upper part of the boiler or the accessible interlayer inlet to the vicinity of the target layer in the shielded area.

[0030] The guide ring assembly 13 is sleeved on the front end of the retractable slender delivery rod 12 and is used to guide and limit the delivery process of the retractable slender delivery rod 12, reduce the collision, swing and offset between the rod and the surrounding pipes or components, and improve the stability of the delivery process.

[0031] The front-end circumferential adjustment structure 14 is connected to the front end of the retractable slender delivery rod 12 and is used to pre-adjust the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement part near the target layer, so as to provide an orientation basis for the local positioning of the subsequent front-end orientation deflection connection section.

[0032] In this embodiment, the combination of the elongation measuring sleeve and the retractable slender delivery rod enables long-distance delivery of the detection head and quantitative control of the elongation length; the guide ring assembly reduces swaying and offset during delivery, improving delivery stability; the front-end circumferential adjustment structure provides azimuth pre-adjustment capability for subsequent local directional deflection, enhancing the flexibility and accuracy of overall control.

[0033] For example, such as Figure 1 As shown, the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit includes a front-end orientation deflection connection section assembly 15 and a front-end detection head assembly 16 connected thereto.

[0034] The front-end directional deflection connection assembly 15 is used to drive the front-end detection head to make a small-range, controllable directional deflection near the target layer, so that the front-end detection head assembly is positioned in the direction of the target pit.

[0035] The front-end detection head assembly 16 is used to establish a local geometric reference, acquire images and contour data of the target pit area after it is in place, and assist in cleaning and lighting to support visual guidance and contour measurement of the pit.

[0036] In this embodiment, the front-end detection head assembly is driven by the front-end directional deflection connection assembly to perform a small-range, controllable directional deflection, which enables the front-end detection head assembly to accurately position itself near the target layer. After positioning itself, the front-end detection head assembly can establish a local reference and acquire image and contour data, providing a physical basis and data support for subsequent visual discrimination and contour measurement.

[0037] For example, such as Figure 2 As shown, the front-end detection head assembly 16 includes an attitude detection unit 21, an auxiliary lighting module 22, an industrial camera module 23, a camera module mounting base 24, a near-end sensing unit 25, a front-end working window 26, a dustproof and anti-glare protective end cover 27, a front guide cone nose 28, a micro-blowing spray nozzle 29, a right reference slip shoe 30, an elastic fixed-distance support contact 31, an elastic element 32, an elastic fixed-distance support base 33, a line laser profile measurement window 34, a left reference slip shoe 35, and a front-end transition connection section 36.

[0038] The attitude detection unit 21 is used to obtain the current attitude or pose feedback information of the front-end detection head.

[0039] The auxiliary lighting module 22 is used to provide supplemental lighting to the target area.

[0040] The industrial camera module 23 is used to acquire local images of the target layer.

[0041] The camera module mounting bracket 24 is used for installing and positioning the industrial camera module; the near-end sensing unit 25 is used to acquire the nearby status of the target area or supplement the sensing information.

[0042] The front working window 26 is used to form the main observation and measurement area for the detection head to work externally, ensuring the effectiveness of the observation and measurement area.

[0043] Dustproof and anti-glare protective end cover 27 is set on the outside of the front working window to reduce the impact of floating dust, pollutants and reflections on imaging and measurement.

[0044] The front guide cone nose 28 is located at the front end of the front inspection head assembly 16 to reduce collisions and scratches when entering narrow workstations and to improve the smoothness of the front inspection head assembly 16 guiding into the target area.

[0045] The micro-purge nozzle 29 is used to purge floating dust and attached particles from the target area, improving the clarity and reliability of imaging and measurement.

[0046] The right reference slipper 30 and the left reference slipper 35 are located on both sides of the bottom of the front detection head assembly 16, and are used to form abutment or adjacent support with the adjacent intact surface.

[0047] The elastic distance support contact 31, the elastic element 32, and the elastic distance support seat 33 together constitute an elastic distance support component, which is used to provide elastic support and control the relative distance between the detection head and the adjacent surface after the front detection head assembly 16 is in place, thereby cooperating with the reference slipper to establish a local geometric reference.

[0048] The line laser profile measurement window 34 is used to acquire the profile of the target pit area. The front transition connection section 36 is used to connect and transition between the front detection head assembly and the front orientation deflection connection section assembly.

[0049] For example, such as Figure 1 As shown, the data processing and result output unit includes a main control processing module 5, a visual guidance and discrimination module 6, a deflection control module 7, a contour measurement and processing module 8, a layer information output module 9, a connecting flange 10, a result display and storage module 17, and a terminal processing area shell 18.

[0050] The main control processing module 5 is used to receive the image, contour, layer and position signals transmitted by the front-end detection head 16 and related detection units, and to coordinate and control each functional module.

[0051] The visual guidance and discrimination module 6 is used to analyze the local image of the target layer and identify the location range of the suspected pit.

[0052] The deflection control module 7 is used to output control commands based on the visual guidance and discrimination results, drive the front-end circumferential adjustment structure 14 and the front-end directional deflection connection segment to move, so that the front-end detection head assembly 16 is positioned in the direction of the target pit.

[0053] The contour measurement and processing module 8 is used to process the contour data of the target area and output the maximum depth of the pit and contour feature parameters.

[0054] The layer information output module 9 is used to output the layer information corresponding to the current detection position.

[0055] The result display and storage module 17 is used to associate, display, record, and save the measurement results with the stratum information.

[0056] The connecting flange 10 is used to realize the structural connection between the rear operation and control unit and the middle delivery and guide unit.

[0057] The terminal processing area housing 18 is used to house and protect the aforementioned functional modules.

[0058] For example, the visual guidance and discrimination module 6 uses a machine vision-based intelligent recognition algorithm to extract features, identify suspected pit areas, and determine the orientation range of the target tube root region in the local image of the target layer, and outputs the visual guidance results to the main control processing module 5.

[0059] The main control processing module 5 generates a front-end deflection control strategy based on the visual guidance results. First, it drives the front-end circumferential adjustment structure 14 to complete the target orientation pre-adjustment, and then drives the front-end directional deflection connecting section 15 to perform a small-range directional deflection, so that the detection head working window, the industrial camera module 23 and the line laser contour measurement window all face the target pit area.

[0060] After the front-end detection head assembly 16 is in place and a local reference is established, the contour measurement and processing module 8 accurately identifies the contour of the target pit and calculates its size, thereby forming a closed loop of detection: visual guidance for coarse positioning, mechanism orientation, and contour-based pit identification.

[0061] For example, such as Figure 1As shown, the rear operation and control unit includes: a tail battery compartment 1, a handheld operating body 2, a button function control area 3, a control connection transition section 4, a switch / start button 19, and a grip ring 20.

[0062] The tail-end battery compartment 1 is used to house the device power supply unit and provide power for front-end detection, control and signal processing.

[0063] The handheld operating body 2 is used for holding, pushing, and manually operating the device; The button function control area 3 is used to arrange the start / stop, mode switching, lighting control, measurement trigger or other function control buttons required during the operation of the device.

[0064] The control connection transition section 4 is used to realize the structural connection and electrical signal transmission transition between the back-end operation and control unit and the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit or the middle delivery and guidance unit.

[0065] The switch / start button 19 is used to power on the device and start or stop the corresponding workflow. The grip ring 20 is used to improve grip stability and provide auxiliary anti-slip and anti-dislodge protection during pushing, pulling and posture adjustment.

[0066] It should be noted that: 1) The division of labor between the mid-section delivery and guiding section and the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement section is as follows: In this invention, the long-distance delivery process and the local target alignment process are implemented in a hierarchical manner. The telescopic slender delivery rod 12 is used to deliver the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement section from the upper part of the boiler or the accessible interlayer inlet to the vicinity of the target layer. It remains basically straight during the long-distance delivery process to ensure delivery rigidity and work station feasibility. The front-end circumferential adjustment structure and the front-end orientation deflection connecting section assembly are only used for small-range orientation adjustment and orientation positioning near the target layer, and do not undertake the function of large-angle turning along the entire long path. Through the above division of labor, both the ability to reach deep work stations and the ability to align the local orientation of the target pit can be taken into account.

[0067] 2) Explanation of the Boundary of the Function of Visual Guidance and Judgment: The visual guidance and judgment module 6 in this invention is mainly used to analyze the local image of the target layer, identify the root region of the target tube, and determine whether the suspected pit is located in the lower left, lower right, or other directional ranges, thereby providing guidance information for the front-end circumferential adjustment structure 14 and the front-end directional deflection connection assembly 15. The visual guidance and judgment module 6 is used to complete the coarse positioning of the target. The precise identification of the pit and the calculation of the maximum depth are completed by the contour measurement and processing module after the detection head is in place, thus forming a closed loop of visual guidance for coarse positioning, mechanism orientation, and contour precision for pit detection.

[0068] 3) Explanation of the necessity of establishing a local benchmark: Since the target pit within the boiler obstruction area is usually located below or to the lower side of the horizontal pipe root, and the work surface is covered with dust, obstructed significantly, and the viewing distance is limited, without a local geometric benchmark, ordinary observation results are difficult to convert into reliable maximum pit depth and contour feature parameters. This invention, through reference slippers and elastic distance-fixed supports set at the bottom or lower sides of the detection head, enables the detection head to form a close or adjacent support with the nearby intact surface, establishing a local geometric benchmark, thereby improving the stability and reliability of pit contour measurement.

[0069] 4) Typical Application Scenarios: This invention is preferably applied near the sootblower channel in the boiler tail flue, at the root of horizontal serpentine pipes and vertical suspended pipes, in the area of ​​densely packed pipe layers with obstructions, and in other workstations with multiple layers of obstruction, where the target is located on the lower or lower side of the root and is difficult for humans to directly see and touch. In the above scenarios, the specific location of the defect to be measured is usually uncertain, and it is difficult to directly determine whether it is located in the lower left, directly below, or lower right area before detection. Therefore, the visual-guided orientation measurement method described in this invention is more suitable.

[0070] This invention employs a retractable, slender delivery rod to reach the vicinity of the target layer and a front-end circumferential adjustment and deflection mechanism to achieve local positioning, thus solving the problem of simultaneously achieving target layer arrival and local orientation alignment within the obstructed area. It uses a visual guidance and discrimination method to identify the orientation of the local root region of the target layer, enabling the detection head to orient itself towards the target pit even when the specific location of the defect is unknown. A reference slipper and elastic distance-fixed support are used to establish a local geometric benchmark, allowing the detection results to be converted into reliable maximum pit depth and contour feature parameters. This forms a closed-loop detection system encompassing target layer arrival, visual guidance, orientation deflection, local benchmark establishment, and contour measurement output, improving the feasibility and quantitative reliability of detecting hidden defects in boiler obstructed areas.

[0071] The beneficial effects achieved by this invention are as follows: Compared with existing technologies, this invention addresses key issues in detecting hidden pits in boiler obstruction areas, such as difficulty in reaching the target layer, determining the defect location, aligning the detection head, and quantifying the maximum pit depth. It proposes a complete solution with strong engineering feasibility. The core of this invention lies in integrating target layer delivery, visual guidance, front-end orientation deflection, local benchmark establishment, and contour measurement into a single closed-loop detection process. A retractable, slender delivery rod ensures stable delivery of the device to the vicinity of the target layer. A visual guidance and discrimination module identifies the location range of the pit. A front-end circumferential adjustment structure and a front-end orientation deflection connection assembly guide the detection head towards the target area. A reference slipper and elastic distance support establish a local geometric benchmark. Finally, the contour measurement module outputs key quantitative results such as the maximum pit depth. Therefore, this invention enables accessible, alignable, and quantitative detection of hidden pits in boiler obstruction areas without extensive disassembly or manual estimation, demonstrating high field application value.

[0072] This invention is preferably applied to the obstructed area near the sootblower passage in the boiler tail flue. In this type of workstation, the vertically suspended pipes are arranged vertically, and the horizontal serpentine pipes are arranged in multiple layers, one above the other. The hidden pit to be measured is usually located on the lower, lower left, or lower right side of the root of the horizontal pipe in a certain target layer, such as... Figure 3 As shown. Because these types of defects are hidden in location, space is limited, and they are difficult for humans to see or touch directly, the visual-guided orientation measurement method described in this invention is suitable for detection.

[0073] In another aspect, the present invention provides a visually guided orientation measurement method for concealed pits in boiler shading areas, using the visually guided orientation measurement device for concealed pits in boiler shading areas described above. The specific structural features of the visually guided orientation measurement device for concealed pits in boiler shading areas have been described in detail above and will not be repeated here.

[0074] Specifically, the visual-guided orientation measurement method for the concealed pits in the boiler shielding area may include: Step 1: Send the retractable slender delivery rod in the middle delivery and guide section from the upper part of the boiler or the accessible interlayer inlet into the shielded area, deliver it to the vicinity of the target layer, and obtain the current layer information.

[0075] Specifically, the detection entry point, layer counting direction, and target layer range are determined based on the on-site workstation. The working status of each functional module in the tail battery compartment 1, switch / start button 19, button function control area 3, and terminal processing area is checked.

[0076] The operator uses the handheld operating unit 2 to push the retractable, slender delivery rod 12 from the upper part of the boiler or the accessible inter-layer entrance into the obstructed area, and delivers it along the confined space between layers towards the vicinity of the target layer. During delivery, the extension length measuring sleeve 11 provides extension length information, and the layer information output module 9 outputs the current layer information.

[0077] Step 2: The industrial camera module in the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit acquires local images of the target layer, and the visual guidance and discrimination module in the data processing and result output unit identifies the directional range of the suspected pit.

[0078] Specifically, after the device reaches the vicinity of the target layer, the industrial camera module 23 acquires images of the horizontal pipe root area of ​​that layer, and the visual guidance and discrimination module 6 identifies the location range of the suspected pit.

[0079] Step 3: The main control processing module of the data processing and result output unit controls the front-end circumferential adjustment structure and the front-end orientation deflection connection section assembly in the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit according to the recognition result, so that the front-end detection head assembly deflects into place in the direction of the target pit.

[0080] Specifically, the main control processing module 5 controls the front-end circumferential adjustment structure 14 and the front-end directional deflection connection assembly 15 to move according to the visual guidance results, so that the front-end detection head deflects into position in the direction of the target pit.

[0081] Step 4: The reference slipper and elastic distance support of the front-end detection head assembly form a local geometric reference with the adjacent intact surface, the auxiliary lighting module provides supplementary lighting, and the micro-blowing nozzles clean up floating dust.

[0082] Step 5: The line laser contour measurement window acquires the contour of the pit, and the contour measurement and processing module outputs the maximum depth of the pit and the contour feature parameters.

[0083] Specifically, the line laser contour measurement window 34 acquires the contour of the target pit, and the contour measurement and processing module 8 outputs the maximum depth of the pit and contour feature parameters.

[0084] Step 6: Associate the measurement results with the current stratum information and output, display, or store them.

[0085] Afterwards, retract or move to the next detection position. Once the detection of the current target layer is completed, the device can be retracted or moved to the next detection position, and the above process can be repeated.

[0086] The visually guided orientation measurement method for concealed pits in boiler obstruction areas of this invention employs the visually guided orientation measurement device for concealed pits in boiler obstruction areas described throughout the text. It sequentially completes delivery, image acquisition, orientation recognition, deflection to position, benchmark establishment, contour acquisition, and result output, achieving fully automated detection from target arrival, visual guidance, orientation alignment to quantitative measurement. This significantly improves the efficiency and reliability of concealed pit detection in boiler obstruction areas. It solves the problems in existing technologies for detecting concealed pit defects near the sootblower channel in the boiler tail flue, at the root of finned tubes and suspension pipes, and in other similar obstruction areas, such as difficulty in reaching the target layer, difficulty in predicting the specific location of the defect, difficulty in orienting the detection head, difficulty in establishing local measurement benchmarks, and difficulty in quickly quantifying the pit size.

[0087] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A visually guided orientation measurement device for concealed pits in a boiler shielding area, characterized in that, It includes a data processing and result output unit, as well as a back-end operation and control unit, a mid-section delivery and guidance unit, and a front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit connected in sequence; The back-end operation and control unit is used for manual advancement, connection, and acquisition of layer information; The middle delivery and guide section is used to deliver the detection head into the boiler shielding area and reach the vicinity of the target layer; The front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit is used to identify the location of the pit near the target layer and complete the positioning of the detection head; The data processing and result output unit is used to complete visual guidance and discrimination, deflection control, contour measurement processing and result output.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mid-section delivery and guiding section includes an elongation measuring sleeve, a retractable slender delivery rod, a guide ring assembly, and a front-end circumferential adjustment structure; The first end of the elongation measuring sleeve is fixedly connected to the rear operation and control unit, and the second end of the elongation measuring sleeve is retractably inserted with the retractable slender delivery rod. The surface of the elongation measuring sleeve is provided with a scale for acquiring and marking the extension length information of the retractable slender delivery rod; The retractable slender delivery rod is used to deliver the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit from the upper part of the boiler or the accessible interlayer inlet to the vicinity of the target layer in the shielded area. The guide ring assembly is sleeved on the front end of the retractable slender delivery rod and is used to guide and limit the delivery process of the retractable slender delivery rod; The front-end circumferential adjustment structure is connected to the front end of the retractable slender delivery rod and is used to perform circumferential pre-adjustment of the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit near the target layer.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit includes a front-end orientation deflection connection section assembly and a front-end detection head assembly connected thereto; The front-end directional deflection connection assembly is used to drive the front-end detection head to make a small-range, controllable directional deflection near the target layer, so that the front-end detection head assembly is positioned in the direction of the target pit. The front-end detection head assembly is used to establish a local geometric reference, acquire images and contour data of the target pit area after it is in place, and assist in cleaning and lighting to support visual guidance and contour measurement of the pit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The front-end detection head assembly includes an attitude detection unit, an auxiliary lighting module, an industrial camera module, a near-end sensing unit, and a line laser profile measurement window; The attitude detection unit is used to obtain the current attitude or pose feedback information of the front-end detection head; The auxiliary lighting module is used to provide supplemental lighting to the target area; The industrial camera module is used to acquire local images of the target layer; The near-end sensing unit is used to acquire the proximity state of the target area or supplement sensing information; The line laser contour measurement window is used to acquire the contour of the target pit area.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The front-end detection head assembly also includes an elastic distance support contact, an elastic element, an elastic distance support base, a right reference slide shoe, and a left reference slide shoe. The right reference slipper and the left reference slipper are disposed on both sides of the bottom of the front detection head assembly, and are used to form a close contact or adjacent support with the adjacent complete surface; The elastic distance support contact, the elastic element, and the elastic distance support base together constitute an elastic distance support component. The elastic distance support component is used to provide elastic support and control the relative distance between the front end detection head assembly and the adjacent surface after the front end detection head assembly is in place, thereby cooperating with the reference slipper to establish a local geometric reference.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The front-end detection head assembly also includes a front-end working window, a dustproof and anti-glare protective end cover, a front guide cone nose, and a micro-blowing spray nozzle; The front working window is used to form the main observation and measurement area for the detection head to work externally. The dustproof and anti-glare protective end cover is located on the outside of the front working window to reduce the impact of floating dust, pollutants and reflections on imaging and measurement; The front guide cone nose is located at the front end of the front detection head assembly to reduce collisions and scratches when entering narrow workstations and to improve the smoothness of the detection head being guided into the target area. The micro-blowing nozzles are used to blow away floating dust and attached particles in the target area.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The data processing and result output unit includes a main control processing module, a visual guidance and discrimination module, a deflection control module, a contour measurement and processing module, a layer information output module, and a result display and storage module. The main control processing module is used to receive image, contour, layer and position signals transmitted by the front-end detection head assembly and related detection units, and to coordinate and control each functional module. The visual guidance and discrimination module is used to analyze the local image of the target layer and identify the location range of the suspected pit. The deflection control module is used to output control commands based on the visual guidance and discrimination results, drive the front-end circumferential adjustment structure and the front-end directional deflection connection segment to move, so that the front-end detection head assembly is positioned in the direction of the target pit; The contour measurement and processing module is used to process the contour data of the target area and output the maximum depth of the pit and contour feature parameters. The layer information output module is used to output the layer information corresponding to the current detection position; The result display and storage module is used to associate, display, record, and save the measurement results with the stratigraphic information.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The visual guidance and discrimination module uses a machine vision-based intelligent recognition algorithm to extract features, identify suspected pit areas, and determine the orientation range of the target tube root region in the local image of the target layer, and output the visual guidance results to the main control processing module. The main control processing module generates a front-end deflection control strategy based on the visual guidance results. First, it drives the front-end circumferential adjustment structure to complete the target orientation pre-adjustment, and then drives the front-end directional deflection connecting section to perform a small-range directional deflection, so that the detection head working window, the industrial camera module and the line laser contour measurement window all face the target pit area. After the front-end detection head assembly is in place and a local reference is established, the contour measurement and processing module accurately identifies the contour of the target pit and calculates its dimensions.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rear operation and control unit includes: a tail battery compartment, a handheld operating unit, a button function control area, a control connection transition section, a switch / start button, and a grip ring; The tail-end battery compartment is used to house the device power supply unit and provide power for front-end detection, control and signal processing; The handheld operating body is used for holding, pushing, and manually operating the device; The button function control area is used to arrange start / stop, mode switching, lighting control, measurement trigger or other function control buttons required during the operation of the device; The control connection transition section is used to realize the structural connection and electrical signal transmission transition between the back-end operation and control unit and the front-end terminal processing area or delivery part. The switch / start button is used to power on the device, start or stop the corresponding workflow; The grip ring is used to improve grip stability and provide auxiliary anti-slip and anti-dislodge protection during pushing, pulling and posture adjustment.

10. A visually guided orientation measurement method for concealed pits in a boiler shielding area, characterized in that, The method employs the visually guided orientation measurement device for concealed pits in the boiler shielding area as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; the method includes: Step 1: Send the retractable slender delivery rod in the middle delivery and guide section from the upper part of the boiler or the accessible interlayer inlet into the shielded area, deliver it to the vicinity of the target layer, and obtain the current layer information; Step 2: The industrial camera module in the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit acquires local images of the target layer, and the visual guidance and discrimination module in the data processing and result output unit identifies the directional range of the suspected pit. Step 3: The main control processing module of the data processing and result output unit controls the front-end circumferential adjustment structure and the front-end orientation deflection connection section assembly in the front-end circumferential adjustment and orientation measurement unit according to the recognition result, so that the front-end detection head assembly deflects into place in the direction of the target pit; Step 4: The reference slipper and elastic distance support of the front-end detection head assembly form a local geometric reference with the adjacent intact surface, the auxiliary lighting module provides supplementary lighting, and the micro-blowing nozzles clean up floating dust. Step 5: The line laser contour measurement window acquires the contour of the pit, and the contour measurement and processing module outputs the maximum depth of the pit and the contour feature parameters. Step 6: Associate the measurement results with the current stratum information and output, display, or store them.

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