A robot system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates of a car dumper and a method of using the same

Abstract

The application discloses a robot system for intelligent unblocking of a coal grate of a dumper and a use method thereof. The system comprises a sweeper mechanical arm unit, an adjustable grate hole coal grate unit and an intelligent collaborative control system. The sweeper mechanical arm unit is installed on the side of the dumper and comprises a track chassis or a track chassis, a base, a large arm, a small arm, a bucket, a hydraulic system and a control system. The adjustable grate hole coal grate unit comprises a mesh structure formed by the intersection of steel plates in the transverse and longitudinal directions, and the grate bar spacing can be flexibly adjusted according to the characteristics of the coal. The intelligent collaborative control system integrates a sensor module, a logic control module and a man-machine interaction interface, and realizes the full-process automation of blocking detection, path planning and action execution. The application realizes the full automation of the unblocking operation of the coal grate of the dumper, greatly reduces the labor intensity and safety risk, and improves the unblocking efficiency and the operation efficiency of the dumper.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automation equipment technology for coal conveying systems in power plants, specifically to a robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in tippers and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] In the coal unloading system of a thermal power plant's tippler, the coal grate is a core piece of equipment for raw coal unloading, particle size screening, and interception of large debris. It plays a crucial role in filtering oversized coal chunks, regulating the coal flow, and protecting downstream feeders, conveyor belts, and crushing equipment. It is a key upstream device ensuring the continuous and stable operation of the coal conveying system. The actual coal unloading conditions in power plants are complex, with a high proportion of blended coal and a high percentage of high-viscosity, high-moisture coal. This type of coal is highly prone to adhesion, caking, and accumulation on the surface of the coal grate and inside the grate openings. Long-term accumulation will directly cause large-area blockage of the coal grate openings. When the coal grate is blocked, it will significantly reduce the raw coal feeding throughput, causing frequent failures such as poor unloading, coal flow bridging, coal bridging, and blockage. This will directly lead to the interruption of the tippler's coal unloading operation, a significant decrease in unloading efficiency, and a shortage of transport capacity in the coal conveying system. In severe cases, it will lead to insufficient coal supply to the unit and load limitation, affecting the safe and stable operation of the generator unit. At the same time, it is very easy to cause problems such as car congestion, coal accumulation and dust on site, which will greatly trouble the safe production and efficient operation of the power plant.

[0003] Currently, domestic thermal power plants generally employ a combination of traditional manual cleaning and high-pressure water flushing to address coal grate blockage in tippers. Manual cleaning relies on personnel and is a high-risk, repetitive task with significant safety hazards. High-pressure water flushing consumes large amounts of water, incurs high environmental treatment costs, and results in extremely low overall cost-effectiveness. To replace manual cleaning and improve cleaning conditions, automated cleaning solutions, such as single-function mechanical vibration cleaning and single-function water flushing, are gradually emerging. However, most existing cleaning equipment is designed for a single function—cleaning accumulated coal—without considering the structural characteristics of the coal grate and the unloading conditions for collaborative structural optimization and intelligent adaptation. This makes it impossible to achieve integrated operations of blockage prediction, precise location, and dynamic cleaning, and it is difficult to adapt to the complex and variable coal quality conditions and continuous coal unloading production requirements of power plants.

[0004] In summary, existing coal grate unblocking technologies generally suffer from numerous drawbacks, including high safety risks, low operational efficiency, significant resource consumption, poor adaptability to operating conditions, susceptibility to equipment damage, and inability to perform continuous intelligent unblocking. They struggle to simultaneously address the multiple demands of unblocking efficiency, energy consumption control, equipment protection, and safe production, and fail to meet the requirements of modern thermal power plant coal conveying systems for automation, intelligence, unmanned operation, and continuous operation. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an intelligent unblocking robot system that is adapted to the working conditions of tippler coal grates, can autonomously identify blockages, perform precise and efficient unblocking, and boasts low energy consumption and high safety, in order to solve the various technical pain points of existing technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a robotic system and its method for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in tippers, in order to solve the technical problems of high safety risks, low efficiency, non-adjustable grate holes, and lack of intelligent monitoring and control methods in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in tippers, comprising a scavenger robotic arm unit, an adjustable grate unit, and an intelligent collaborative control system.

[0007] The scavenger robotic arm unit is installed beside the tipper and includes a mobile chassis, base, boom, forearm, bucket, and hydraulic system. The robotic arm base is mounted on the mobile chassis, the bottom of the boom is hinged to the mobile chassis, one end of the forearm is hinged to the top of the boom, and the bucket is hinged to the other end of the forearm. The hydraulic system provides power to drive the boom, forearm, and bucket. The adjustable grate unit is located below the tipper's unloading port. The adjustable grate unit includes an adjustable grate assembly, and the grate bar spacing of the adjustable grate assembly is adjusted according to the characteristics of the coal type. The intelligent collaborative control system includes a sensor module, a logic control module, and a human-machine interface. The sensor module monitors the degree of grate blockage and the height of the coal pile in real time. When a preset threshold is reached, it sends a clearing command to the logic control module. The logic control module plans the robotic arm's movement trajectory according to the blockage location and drives the scavenger robotic arm unit to perform the clearing action.

[0008] The sensor module includes a coal pile thickness sensor, a grate clogging status sensor, a temperature sensor, and a vibration sensor. The coal pile thickness sensor is installed above the coal grate and connected to the logic control module via a signal cable. The transmitter of the grate clogging status sensor is installed below the coal grate, and the receiver is installed above the coal grate. Both are connected to the logic control module via a signal cable. The temperature sensor is installed on the side above the coal grate and connected to the logic control module via a signal cable. The vibration sensor is installed at the base of the boom and connected to the logic control module via a signal cable.

[0009] According to an embodiment of this application, the mobile chassis is a track or track chassis laid on both sides of the coal grate layer of the tipper, used to fix the base of the robotic arm and ensure that its levelness deviation is ≤2mm / m.

[0010] According to an embodiment of this application, the adjustable grate assembly includes a fixed frame, a transverse grate assembly, and a longitudinal grate assembly; the fixed frame is installed on a support structure below the coal unloading port of the tipper;

[0011] The transverse grate assembly includes multiple steel plates arranged in parallel transverse directions, and the longitudinal grate assembly includes multiple steel plates arranged in parallel longitudinal directions. The two sets of steel plates intersect to form a mesh structure. The grate spacing of at least one set of the transverse grate assembly and the longitudinal grate assembly is adjustable to adapt to the material drop size requirements of different coal types.

[0012] According to an embodiment of this application, the transverse grate assembly and the longitudinal grate assembly are installed on a fixed frame by a spacing adjustment mechanism. The spacing adjustment mechanism includes a slide groove, a locking bolt, and an adjusting screw. The grate bars slide in the slide groove to adjust the spacing and are then fixed by the locking bolt.

[0013] According to an embodiment of this application, the logic control module includes a blockage location identification unit, a motion trajectory planning unit, and a coordinated action control unit; the blockage location identification unit determines the location and range of the blockage area based on the monitoring data of the sensor module; the motion trajectory planning unit plans the motion path of the robotic arm based on the blockage location; and the coordinated action control unit coordinates and controls the coordinated actions of the boom pitch, the forearm extension, the bucket tilt, and the chassis movement.

[0014] According to the embodiments of this application, the scavenger robotic arm unit has a digging width of 12000mm, a digging distance of 6000mm, a digging height of 0-2300mm, and a loading capacity of 0-50m³ / h. It can accurately crush caking coal blocks larger than 300mm, and the single unblocking response time is ≤15 minutes.

[0015] According to an embodiment of this application, the scavenger robotic arm unit further includes a pre-crushing module, which is either a high-pressure water jet module or a pneumatic hammer module. The high-pressure water jet module is installed on the bucket or independently set at the end of the robotic arm, with a jet pressure of 200-300 bar, and pre-crushes slab coal by impacting it with a fan-shaped water curtain. The pneumatic hammer module is installed on the bucket or the boom, with an impact force of 5-10 kN, and is used to pre-crush large pieces of coal.

[0016] According to embodiments of this application, the human-computer interaction interface supports local control mode and remote control mode; in local control mode, the operator manually controls the interface through a control handle; in remote control mode, the operator monitors and controls the interface through a remote control terminal.

[0017] According to an embodiment of this application, the front end of the bucket is provided with a toothed crushing structure, which is used to assist in crushing caking coal blocks during the unblocking process of the robotic arm.

[0018] According to an embodiment of this application, the maximum rotation angle of the scavenger robotic arm unit is ±87.5°, and the single blockage clearing response time is ≤15 minutes.

[0019] According to the embodiments of this application, each tippler is equipped with a set of sweeper robotic arm units, and multiple tipplers can share the same intelligent collaborative control system for unified scheduling and management.

[0020] Another aspect of this application discloses a method for using a robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in a tipper, as described above, specifically including the following steps:

[0021] S1: Standby monitoring: The coal pile thickness sensor continuously scans the coal grate surface, the grate hole blockage status sensor continuously monitors the permeability of each zone, the temperature sensor continuously monitors the coal pile surface temperature, the vibration sensor monitors the status of the robotic arm equipment, and the intelligent collaborative control system collects data from each sensor every 500ms and makes a comprehensive judgment on whether to trigger the unblocking.

[0022] S2: Blockage Detection and Location: The intelligent collaborative control system integrates data from multiple sensors. First, it uses a coal pile thickness sensor to preliminarily determine the blockage area, and then uses a grate blockage status sensor to accurately locate the blockage location coordinates and range.

[0023] S3: Path planning: The motion trajectory planning unit plans the motion path of the robotic arm based on the coordinates of the blockage location, and generates the motion sequence of mobile chassis displacement, base rotation, boom pitch, forearm extension and bucket tilt;

[0024] S4: Pre-crushing treatment: The intelligent collaborative control system selectively activates the high-pressure water jet module or the pneumatic hammer module according to the severity of the blockage, and the vibration sensor monitors the pre-crushing feedback in real time.

[0025] S5: Robotic arm unblocking: The collaborative motion control unit drives the robotic arm to perform unblocking actions. Vibration sensors monitor the bucket cutting force in real time to adjust the strategy, coal pile thickness sensors monitor thickness changes in real time to judge the unblocking effect, and grate blockage status sensors monitor permeability changes in real time to confirm the unblocking progress, forming a closed-loop control with real-time sensor feedback.

[0026] S6: Operation Feedback and Re-verification: After the robotic arm returns to the safe position, the coal pile thickness sensor and the grate blockage status sensor re-detect and confirm that the blockage is cleared, and the system returns to standby mode; if there is still residual blockage, the secondary clearing will be started automatically, and if it is not cleared after 3 consecutive attempts, a manual intervention alarm will be issued.

[0027] The advantages of the present invention over the prior art are:

[0028] 1. This application achieves full automation of the blockage detection, path planning, and action execution through an intelligent collaborative control system. Operators do not need to enter the tippler area to manually clear blockages, thus fundamentally eliminating the safety hazards of manual blockage clearing.

[0029] 2. By monitoring the coal grate blockage status in real time through sensors, the scavenger robotic arm is automatically triggered to perform crushing, excavation and coal unloading operations, achieving a blockage clearing response time of ≤15 minutes, which significantly improves the coal unloading efficiency of the tipper.

[0030] 3. The grate spacing of the adjustable grate unit can be flexibly adjusted according to the characteristics of the coal type. The same set of coal grates can adapt to different coal types (such as high-moisture lignite, low-moisture bituminous coal, etc.), solving the problem of poor adaptability of traditional fixed-length grate.

[0031] 4. High-pressure water jet module (200-300 bar) or pneumatic hammer module (5-10 kN) can pre-crush caking coal blocks, reduce the workload of the robotic arm, improve the efficiency of clearing blockages, and extend the service life of the equipment.

[0032] 5. The adjustable grate unit is made of high-strength wear-resistant steel to withstand coal impact and bucket collision; the scavenger robotic arm unit adopts mature hydraulic drive technology, which is highly reliable and easy to maintain. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the composition of a robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in a tipper, as exemplified by the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the use of a robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in a tipper, as an example of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0036] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, one aspect of this application exemplifies a robotic system for intelligent unclogging of coal grates in a tipper, comprising a scavenger robotic arm unit, an adjustable grate unit, and an intelligent collaborative control system. The scavenger robotic arm unit is installed beside the tipper and includes a tracked or crawler chassis, a base, a boom, a forearm, a bucket, a hydraulic system, and a control system. The adjustable grate unit comprises a mesh structure formed by intersecting horizontal and vertical steel plates, with the grate spacing flexibly adjustable according to the characteristics of the coal type. The intelligent collaborative control system integrates a sensor module, a logic control module, and a human-machine interface to achieve full automation of the blockage detection, path planning, and action execution. The working principle is as follows: sensors monitor the grate blockage status in real time, automatically triggering the unclogging process when a threshold is reached; high-pressure water jet or pneumatic hammer can be optionally used for pre-crushing treatment; the robotic arm coordinates actions to break up clumps of coal and dump them into the next funnel; after the operation is completed, the sensors confirm the blockage is cleared, and the system returns to standby mode. This invention achieves full automation of coal grate unblocking operations on tipper machines, significantly reducing manual labor intensity and safety risks, and improving unblocking efficiency and tipper machine operating efficiency.

[0037] In this embodiment, a robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in tippers includes a scavenger robotic arm unit, an adjustable grate unit, and an intelligent collaborative control system. For example... Figure 1As shown in the diagram, the system composition block diagram illustrates three core units: the scavenger robotic arm unit: a mechanical transmission chain of mobile chassis → base → boom → arm → bucket, driven by a hydraulic system and operated by a control handle; the adjustable grate unit: horizontal and vertical grate bars intersect to form a mesh structure, and the grate size can be adjusted through a spacing adjustment mechanism; and the intelligent collaborative control system: a complete information chain of sensor module (4 types of sensors) → logic control module (identification → planning → control) → human-machine interface.

[0038] In this embodiment, the scavenger robotic arm unit is installed next to the tipper and includes a mobile chassis, a base, a boom, a forearm, a bucket, and a hydraulic system. The robotic arm base is installed on the mobile chassis, the bottom of the boom is hinged to the mobile chassis, one end of the forearm is hinged to the top of the boom, and the bucket is hinged to the other end of the forearm. The hydraulic system provides power drive for the boom, forearm, and bucket.

[0039] Specifically, the mobile chassis is a track or track chassis laid on both sides of the coal grate layer of the tipper, used to fix the base of the mechanical arm and ensure that its levelness deviation is ≤2mm / m.

[0040] Specifically, the base is mounted on a mobile chassis and can rotate around a vertical axis (maximum rotation angle ±87.5°). The base rotation is driven by a hydraulic motor, which allows for adjustment of the horizontal coverage range of the robotic arm.

[0041] Specifically, the front end of the bucket is equipped with a toothed crushing structure to assist in crushing caking coal blocks. The toothed structure of the bucket can be inserted into the caking coal seam, and the caking coal blocks are torn and crushed by the rotation and pitching forces of the robotic arm.

[0042] Specifically, the hydraulic system includes a hydraulic pump, hydraulic cylinders, hydraulic motors, hydraulic valve groups, and an oil tank, providing power for the rotation of the base, the pitching of the boom, the extension of the boom, and the tilting of the bucket. The hydraulic system uses electro-hydraulic proportional control, enabling precise speed and force adjustment for each movement.

[0043] Specifically, each tipper is equipped with a set of scavenger robotic arm units, with a maximum rotation angle of ±87.5° and a single clearing response time of ≤15 minutes.

[0044] Specifically, the scavenger robotic arm unit also includes a control handle, which allows operators to control the robotic arm's rotation, boom tilt, forearm extension, and bucket tilting, thus enabling manual unblocking mode.

[0045] Specifically, the scavenger robotic arm unit has a digging width of 12000mm, a digging distance of 6000mm, a digging height of 0-2300mm, and a loading capacity of 0-50m³ / h. It can accurately crush caking coal blocks larger than 300mm, and the single blockage clearing response time is ≤15 minutes.

[0046] Specifically, the scavenger robotic arm unit also includes a pre-crushing module, which can be a high-pressure water jet module or a pneumatic hammer module. The high-pressure water jet module is installed on the bucket or independently at the end of the robotic arm, with a jet pressure of 200-300 bar, and pre-crushes brittle coal blocks by impacting them with a fan-shaped water curtain; the pneumatic hammer module is installed on the bucket or the boom, with an impact force of 5-10 kN, and is used to pre-crush large pieces of coal.

[0047] In this embodiment, the adjustable grate unit is located below the coal unloading port of the tipper. The adjustable grate unit includes an adjustable grate assembly, and the grate bar spacing of the adjustable grate assembly is adjusted according to the characteristics of the coal type.

[0048] Specifically, the adjustable grate assembly includes a fixed frame, transverse grate assemblies, and longitudinal grate assemblies. The fixed frame is installed on the support structure below the coal unloading port of the tipper; the transverse grate assembly includes multiple horizontally parallel steel plates, and the longitudinal grate assembly includes multiple vertically parallel steel plates, with the two sets of steel plates intersecting to form a mesh structure; the grate spacing of at least one set of transverse and longitudinal grate assemblies is adjustable to adapt to the material discharge size requirements of different coal types. The transverse and longitudinal grate assemblies are installed on the fixed frame via a spacing adjustment mechanism, which includes a chute, locking bolts, and adjusting screws. After the grate bars slide within the chute to adjust the spacing, they are fixed by the locking bolts. The grate spacing adjustment method is as follows: loosen the locking bolts, rotate the adjusting screws, and the grate bars slide along the chute to the target spacing. After checking and confirming that the spacing is uniform, tighten the locking bolts.

[0049] Specifically, the steel plate thickness of the adjustable grate unit is preferably 20-40mm, and the steel plate material is high-strength wear-resistant steel (such as NM400 or NM500) to withstand coal impact and bucket collision.

[0050] In this embodiment, the intelligent collaborative control system includes a sensor module, a logic control module, and a human-machine interface. The sensor module monitors the degree of blockage of the grate and the height of the coal pile in real time. When a preset threshold is reached, it sends a clearing command to the logic control module. The logic control module plans the movement trajectory of the robotic arm according to the blockage location and drives the scavenger robotic arm unit to perform the clearing action.

[0051] Specifically, the sensor modules of the intelligent collaborative control system are distributed above and below the coal grate to monitor the status of the coal grate in real time; the logic control module is set in the control cabinet; and the human-machine interface is set in the local operation room and the remote control center.

[0052] Specifically, the sensor module includes a coal pile thickness sensor, a grate clogging status sensor, a temperature sensor, and a vibration sensor. The coal pile thickness sensor is installed above the coal grate and connected to the logic control module via a signal cable. The transmitter of the grate clogging status sensor is installed below the coal grate, and the receiver is installed above the coal grate, connected to the logic control module via a signal cable. The temperature sensor is installed on the side above the coal grate and connected to the logic control module via a signal cable. The vibration sensor is installed at the base or the root of the boom and connected to the logic control module via a signal cable.

[0053] Specifically, the signal cables and motor cables are designed to be stored in separate troughs.

[0054] Specifically, the coal pile thickness sensor uses an ultrasonic ranging sensor or a laser ranging sensor, installed 500-800mm above the coal grate. A signal cable is led out from the end of the sensor, threaded through a metal flexible conduit or cable tray, and led along the tippler column to the control cabinet.

[0055] Specifically, the grate clogging status sensor uses either a photoelectric through-beam sensor or an industrial camera. When using a photoelectric through-beam sensor, the transmitter is installed below the grate, and the receiver is installed above the grate (or at a corresponding position on the grate frame). The optical axis passes through the grate opening, with each group of photoelectric through-beam sensors corresponding to one grate area, and a total of 4-8 groups are arranged for zone coverage. The signal cable is led out from the transmitter / receiver, threaded through a flexible metal tube, and led to the control cabinet, outputting a switch signal (photoelectric continuity = unobstructed, photoelectric disconnection = blocked). When using an industrial camera, 1-2 explosion-proof industrial cameras are used.

[0056] Specifically, an infrared temperature sensor is used to monitor the surface temperature of the coal pile to prevent spontaneous combustion. The output signal is a PT100 resistance signal or a thermocouple mV signal, which is transmitted to the temperature acquisition module in the control cabinet via an analog cable.

[0057] Specifically, the vibration sensor uses a piezoelectric vibration accelerometer to monitor the vibration state of the robotic arm during operation and determine whether the bucket is in contact with hard objects or hardened layers. It outputs an acceleration voltage signal, which is transmitted to the vibration acquisition module in the control cabinet via an analog cable.

[0058] In this embodiment, the logic control module includes a blockage location identification unit, a motion trajectory planning unit, and a coordinated motion control unit. The blockage location identification unit determines the location and extent of the blockage area based on the monitoring data from the sensor module; the motion trajectory planning unit plans the motion path of the robotic arm based on the blockage location; and the coordinated motion control unit coordinates and controls the coordinated actions of the boom pitch, forearm extension, bucket tilt, and chassis movement.

[0059] Specifically, the human-computer interaction interface supports local control mode and remote control mode; in local control mode, the operator manually controls the interface through the control handle; in remote control mode, the operator monitors and controls the interface through a remote control terminal.

[0060] Another aspect of this application discloses a method for using a robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in tippers, as described above. Figure 2 As shown, the specific steps include:

[0061] S1: Standby monitoring: The coal pile thickness sensor continuously scans the coal grate surface, the grate hole blockage status sensor continuously monitors the permeability of each zone, the temperature sensor continuously monitors the coal pile surface temperature, the vibration sensor monitors the status of the robotic arm equipment, and the intelligent collaborative control system collects data from each sensor every 500ms and makes a comprehensive judgment on whether to trigger the unblocking.

[0062] S2: Blockage Detection and Location: The intelligent collaborative control system integrates data from multiple sensors. First, it uses a coal pile thickness sensor to preliminarily determine the blockage area, and then uses a grate blockage status sensor to accurately locate the blockage location coordinates and range.

[0063] S3: Path planning: The motion trajectory planning unit plans the motion path of the robotic arm based on the coordinates of the blockage location, and generates the motion sequence of mobile chassis displacement, base rotation, boom pitch, forearm extension and bucket tilt;

[0064] S4: Pre-crushing treatment: The intelligent collaborative control system selectively activates the high-pressure water jet module or the pneumatic hammer module according to the severity of the blockage, and the vibration sensor monitors the pre-crushing feedback in real time.

[0065] S5: Robotic arm unblocking: The collaborative motion control unit drives the robotic arm to perform unblocking actions. Vibration sensors monitor the bucket cutting force in real time to adjust the strategy, coal pile thickness sensors monitor thickness changes in real time to judge the unblocking effect, and grate blockage status sensors monitor permeability changes in real time to confirm the unblocking progress, forming a closed-loop control with real-time sensor feedback.

[0066] S6: Operation Feedback and Re-verification: After the robotic arm returns to the safe position, the coal pile thickness sensor and the grate blockage status sensor re-detect and confirm that the blockage is cleared, and the system returns to standby mode; if there is still residual blockage, the secondary clearing will be started automatically, and if it is not cleared after 3 consecutive attempts, a manual intervention alarm will be issued.

[0067] In this embodiment, the workflow of a robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in tippers is as follows:

[0068] (a) Automatic congestion clearing mode

[0069] Blockage detection: Sensors monitor the height of the coal pile on the surface of the coal grate and the grate hole throughput in real time. When the blockage exceeds the set threshold (e.g., grate hole blockage rate > 30%), a signal is sent to the control system.

[0070] Pre-crushing (optional):

[0071] High-pressure water jet mode: The nozzle rotates and sprays 200-300 bar high-pressure water to cut up caking coal blocks for 5-10 minutes.

[0072] Pneumatic hammering mode: The pneumatic hammers on both sides alternately strike the coal grate at a preset frequency (such as once every 10 seconds) to break large pieces of coal down to <200mm.

[0073] Robotic arm operation:

[0074] The control system generates the optimal motion trajectory based on the location of the blockage, driving the robotic arm to complete the cycle of "rotation positioning → boom pitch adjustment → forearm extension and demolition → bucket coal removal".

[0075] A single unblocking operation takes approximately 20-30 minutes, until the sensor confirms that the grate pass rate is >90%.

[0076] Operation complete: The robotic arm returns to its initial position and stands by, while the system records data such as the clearing time and coal quantity.

[0077] (ii) Manual intervention mode

[0078] Local control: The robotic arm's joints can be manually controlled via a control box handle installed on the coal grate, making it suitable for emergency unblocking or system debugging scenarios.

[0079] Remote control: By accessing the robotic arm's camera footage in real time through the power plant's central control room monitoring platform, operating parameters can be adjusted remotely to achieve unmanned operation.

[0080] In summary, the technical solution of this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0081] 1. This application achieves full automation of the blockage detection, path planning, and action execution through an intelligent collaborative control system. Operators do not need to enter the tippler area to manually clear blockages, thus fundamentally eliminating the safety hazards of manual blockage clearing.

[0082] 2. By monitoring the coal grate blockage status in real time through sensors, the scavenger robotic arm is automatically triggered to perform crushing, excavation and coal unloading operations, achieving a blockage clearing response time of ≤15 minutes, which significantly improves the coal unloading efficiency of the tipper.

[0083] 3. The grate spacing of the adjustable grate unit can be flexibly adjusted according to the characteristics of the coal type. The same set of coal grates can adapt to different coal types (such as high-moisture lignite, low-moisture bituminous coal, etc.), solving the problem of poor adaptability of traditional fixed-length grate.

[0084] 4. High-pressure water jet module (200-300 bar) or pneumatic hammer module (5-10 kN) can pre-crush caking coal blocks, reduce the workload of the robotic arm, improve the efficiency of clearing blockages, and extend the service life of the equipment.

[0085] 5. The adjustable grate unit is made of high-strength wear-resistant steel to withstand coal impact and bucket collision; the scavenger robotic arm unit adopts mature hydraulic drive technology, which is highly reliable and easy to maintain.

[0086] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the implementation methods and protection scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should recognize that any equivalent substitutions and obvious changes made based on the description and illustrations of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in tippers, characterized in that, It includes a cleaner robotic arm unit, an adjustable grate coal grate unit, and an intelligent collaborative control system; The scavenger robotic arm unit is installed next to the tipper and includes a mobile chassis, a base, a boom, a forearm, a bucket, and a hydraulic system. The robotic arm base is installed on the mobile chassis. The bottom of the boom is hinged to the mobile chassis. One end of the forearm is hinged to the top of the boom. The bucket is hinged to the other end of the forearm. The hydraulic system provides power to drive the boom, forearm, and bucket. The adjustable grate unit is located below the coal unloading port of the tipper. The adjustable grate unit includes an adjustable grate assembly, and the grate bar spacing of the adjustable grate assembly is adjusted according to the characteristics of the coal type. The intelligent collaborative control system includes a sensor module, a logic control module, and a human-machine interface. The sensor module monitors the degree of blockage of the grate and the height of the coal pile in real time. When a preset threshold is reached, it sends a clearing command to the logic control module. The logic control module plans the movement trajectory of the robotic arm according to the blockage location and drives the scavenger robotic arm unit to perform the clearing action. The sensor module includes a coal pile thickness sensor, a grate clogging status sensor, a temperature sensor, and a vibration sensor. The coal pile thickness sensor is installed above the coal grate and connected to the logic control module via a signal cable. The transmitter of the grate clogging status sensor is installed below the coal grate, and the receiver is installed above the coal grate, both connected to the logic control module via a signal cable. The temperature sensor is installed on the upper side of the coal grate and connected to the logic control module via a signal cable. The vibration sensor is installed at the root of the boom and connected to the logic control module via a signal cable.

2. The robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in tippers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mobile chassis is a track or track chassis laid on both sides of the coal grate layer of the tipper, used to fix the base of the mechanical arm and ensure that its levelness deviation is ≤2mm / m.

3. The robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in tippers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustable grate assembly includes a fixed frame, a transverse grate assembly, and a longitudinal grate assembly; The fixed frame is installed on the support structure below the coal unloading port of the tipper; The transverse grate assembly includes multiple steel plates arranged in parallel transverse directions, and the longitudinal grate assembly includes multiple steel plates arranged in parallel longitudinal directions. The two sets of steel plates intersect to form a mesh structure. The spacing between the bars of at least one of the transverse and longitudinal grate assemblies is adjustable to accommodate the material drop size requirements of different coal types.

4. The robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in tippers according to claim 3, characterized in that, The transverse grate assembly and the longitudinal grate assembly are installed on the fixed frame through a spacing adjustment mechanism. The spacing adjustment mechanism includes a slide groove, a locking bolt, and an adjusting screw. The grate bars slide in the slide groove to adjust the spacing and are then fixed by the locking bolt.

5. The robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in tippers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The logic control module includes a blockage location identification unit, a motion trajectory planning unit, and a coordinated action control unit; The blockage location identification unit determines the location and extent of the blockage area based on the monitoring data from the sensor module; The motion trajectory planning unit plans the motion path of the robotic arm based on the blockage location; The coordinated motion control unit coordinates and controls the coordinated motions of boom pitch, boom extension, bucket tilt, and chassis movement.

6. The robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in tippers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The scavenger robotic arm unit has a digging width of 12000mm, a digging distance of 6000mm, a digging height of 0-2300mm, and a loading capacity of 0-50m³ / h. It can accurately crush caking coal blocks larger than 300mm, and the single blockage clearing response time is ≤15 minutes.

7. The robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in tippers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The scavenger robotic arm unit also includes a pre-crushing module, which is either a high-pressure water jet module or a pneumatic hammer module. The high-pressure water jet module is installed on the bucket or independently set at the end of the robotic arm, with a jet pressure of 200-300 bar, and pre-crushes the slab coal blocks by impacting them with a fan-shaped water curtain. The pneumatic hammer module is installed on the bucket or the boom, with an impact force of 5-10kN, and is used to pre-crush large pieces of coal.

8. A robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in tippers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The human-computer interface supports both local and remote control modes. In local control mode, operators manually control the interface using a control handle. In remote control mode, operators monitor and control the interface via a remote control terminal.

9. A robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in tippers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front end of the bucket is equipped with a toothed crushing structure, which is used to assist in crushing caking coal blocks during the unblocking process of the robotic arm.

10. A method of using a robotic system for intelligent unblocking of coal grates in a tipper, as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Specifically, the following steps are included: S1: Standby monitoring: The coal pile thickness sensor continuously scans the coal grate surface, the grate hole blockage status sensor continuously monitors the permeability of each zone, the temperature sensor continuously monitors the coal pile surface temperature, the vibration sensor monitors the status of the robotic arm equipment, and the intelligent collaborative control system collects data from each sensor every 500ms and makes a comprehensive judgment on whether to trigger the unblocking. S2: Blockage Detection and Location: The intelligent collaborative control system integrates data from multiple sensors. First, it uses a coal pile thickness sensor to preliminarily determine the blockage area, and then uses a grate blockage status sensor to accurately locate the blockage location coordinates and range. S3: Path planning: The motion trajectory planning unit plans the motion path of the robotic arm based on the coordinates of the blockage location, and generates the motion sequence of mobile chassis displacement, base rotation, boom pitch, forearm extension and bucket tilt; S4: Pre-crushing treatment: The intelligent collaborative control system selectively activates the high-pressure water jet module or the pneumatic hammer module according to the severity of the blockage, and the vibration sensor monitors the pre-crushing feedback in real time. S5: Robotic arm unblocking: The collaborative motion control unit drives the robotic arm to perform unblocking actions. Vibration sensors monitor the bucket cutting force in real time to adjust the strategy, coal pile thickness sensors monitor thickness changes in real time to judge the unblocking effect, and grate blockage status sensors monitor permeability changes in real time to confirm the unblocking progress, forming a closed-loop control with real-time sensor feedback. S6: Operation Feedback and Re-verification: After the robotic arm returns to the safe position, the coal pile thickness sensor and the grate blockage status sensor re-detect and confirm that the blockage is cleared, and the system returns to standby mode; if there is still residual blockage, the secondary clearing will be started automatically, and if it is not cleared after 3 consecutive attempts, a manual intervention alarm will be issued.

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