A dredging and repair integrated robot

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of dredging and repairing integrated robots, including integrated bearing main cabin, adaptive walking chassis, hierarchical dredging module, endoscopy flaw detection module, food-grade silicone coating module, explosion-proof electric control module and safety protection module;Walking chassis adapts DN80-DN1200 full pipe diameter and special-shaped pipeline, and dredging module is realized by the linkage of rotary cutting cutter and high-pressure pure water knife to achieve global hard-core dredging, and flaw detection module identifies pipe wall defects in real time, and silicone coating module uses food-grade silicone in-situ forming anti-seepage lining layer, and explosion-proof electric control module realizes remote unattended control.The application integrates all processes of dredging, flaw detection and repair, and can operate without stopping water with water, without chemical pollution, safely and efficiently, adapt to all-scene pipe network operation and maintenance, greatly reduce cost, and improve pipe network safety and service life.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of special robots for the operation and maintenance of urban municipal water supply and drainage pipe networks, specifically involving an integrated robot for dredging and repair. Background Technology

[0002] As urbanization continues to advance in my country, the service life of urban municipal water supply and drainage pipe networks is constantly increasing, and a large number of these networks are entering a period of high incidence of defects. During long-term operation, these networks are prone to accumulating silt, grease, and crystalline scale. Simultaneously, they are affected by factors such as foundation settlement, soil corrosion, and load compaction, leading to hidden defects in the pipe walls, including honeycomb-like pitting, micropores, leakage cracks, and misaligned joints. This results in a series of problems, including decreased water flow efficiency, water waste, increased risk of drinking water pollution, and exacerbated urban flooding hazards.

[0003] Currently, the pipeline network operation and maintenance equipment and processes in the industry suffer from several insurmountable defects: First, dredging, inspection, and repair equipment operate independently, requiring multiple site visits and repeated disassembly and reassembly, resulting in discontinuous processes, long construction periods, and high costs; Second, the dredging process is crude, relying heavily on manual labor to use high-pressure water guns to flush away debris, which can only remove surface sludge and cannot handle solidified scale and stubborn grease. Furthermore, manual labor in wells faces high risks such as oxygen deficiency, poisoning, drowning, and collapse, leading to frequent safety accidents; Third, repair materials are mostly asphalt, Non-food grade substrates such as industrial epoxy resins pose a risk of toxic substance leaching, making them unsuitable for drinking water pipe networks. Furthermore, the rigidity of these substrates makes them difficult to adapt to irregularly shaped pipe sections such as elbows, tees, and reducers, leading to delamination and cracking. Fourth, most equipment cannot operate while the water supply is running, requiring the shutdown of the water supply network, severely impacting water use for residents and businesses, and highlighting livelihood issues. Fifth, large equipment is only compatible with main trunk pipes of large diameter, and there is a lack of dedicated lightweight equipment for small branch pipes (DN80-DN300), resulting in long-term ineffective treatment of branch pipe defects.

[0004] Based on the aforementioned industry pain points, existing technologies cannot meet the integrated operation and maintenance needs of municipal water supply and drainage pipe networks for high efficiency, safety, cleanliness, trenchless operation, and uninterrupted water supply. There is an urgent need to develop an integrated dredging and repair robot that is highly integrated, safe to operate, highly adaptable, and environmentally friendly. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide an integrated robot for dredging and repair, which solves the core problems such as low efficiency of separate operations, high risk of manual operations, non-environmentally friendly repair materials, poor compatibility with irregularly shaped pipelines, inability to operate with water and without interruption of water supply, and lack of compatible equipment for small branch pipes. It realizes integrated, unmanned, and closed-loop operation of the entire process of dredging, flaw detection, and repair of water supply and drainage pipe networks.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an integrated dredging and repair robot, comprising an integrated main load-bearing body, a pipe diameter attitude closed-loop adaptive walking chassis, a graded full-domain hard core dredging module, an endoscopic flaw detection and positioning module, a food-grade silicone coating and lining module, an explosion-proof and water-proof electrical control module, and a safety protection auxiliary module; the integrated main load-bearing body is a lightweight, high-strength, corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy integrally cast closed-loop frame, with an external waterproof passivation and wear-resistant layer, and a mutually isolated electrical protection cavity and material buffer cavity in the middle; the pipe diameter attitude closed-loop adaptive walking chassis is fixedly connected to the bottom center of the integrated main load-bearing body, including multiple sets of independent servo explosion-proof drive wheel sets, follow-up adaptive attitude adjustment and shock-absorbing outriggers, and a pipe diameter real-time laser ranging closed-loop sensing unit; the graded full-domain hard core dredging module is coaxially fixed to the main load-bearing body. The front end of the integrated main body includes a multi-stage coaxial rotary cutting hard alloy sludge removal cutter head, a circumferential high-pressure pulse pure water jet array, and a floating flexible scraper and sludge collection component; the endoscopic flaw detection and positioning module is sealed and installed on the upper part of the graded full-domain hard core sludge removal module, including a waterproof and explosion-proof high-definition camera unit, a ring-shaped supplementary light source, a micron-level laser scanning sensor, and a defect coordinate traceability encoding and transmission unit; the food-grade silicone coating and lining module is coaxially connected to the rear of the integrated main body, including a sealed hopper, a constant temperature material control unit, a pressure-stabilized quantitative pumping unit, and a ring-shaped spraying and finishing integrated working end; the explosion-proof and water-proof electrical control module is sealed and installed in the electrical protection cavity, and is electrically connected to the walking chassis, the sludge removal module, the flaw detection module, and the silicone coating and lining module respectively; the safety protection auxiliary module is installed on both sides and the rear of the integrated main body.

[0007] Furthermore, the multi-stage coaxial rotary cutting carbide dredging cutter head has a modular quick-change structure, with carbide teeth embedded in the cutter head and an elastic buffer sleeve covering the outer periphery of the cutter head.

[0008] Furthermore, the high-pressure pulse pure water jet array includes a variable frequency high-pressure pure water booster and stabilizer unit and a 360° circumferentially adjustable jet joint.

[0009] Furthermore, the sealed silo stores high-purity silicone composite substrates that conform to GB 4806.1-2023 standards.

[0010] Furthermore, the annular spraying and finishing integrated operation end includes a multi-ring layered annular micro-pore atomizing nozzle and a flexible biomimetic curved finishing pressing lip, with an adjustable coating thickness range of 1.5mm-4.0mm.

[0011] Furthermore, the independent servo explosion-proof drive wheel assembly is covered with a wear-resistant, non-slip, and water-resistant rubber layer on the outside, and integrates a speed closed-loop feedback unit inside; the follow-up adaptive attitude adjustment and shock absorption support leg has a built-in micro pressure closed-loop sensor array.

[0012] Furthermore, the explosion-proof and water-proof electrical control module includes an intrinsically safe explosion-proof power management unit, a water-immersed short-circuit emergency disconnection protection unit, a wired armored communication and wireless IoT dual-redundant signal transmission unit, and an intelligent programmable control unit.

[0013] Furthermore, the robot as a whole has a front-to-back coaxial symmetrical modular quick-release structure, and each functional module is equipped with a standardized quick docking and locking interface.

[0014] Furthermore, the graded, full-area hardcore dredging module is equipped with a water suction pump, with the water inlet facing the inside of the pipe and the water outlet facing the outside of the robot.

[0015] Furthermore, a data transmission line is provided between the endoscopic flaw detection and positioning module and the food-grade silicone coating lining module to achieve synchronous transmission of defect coordinate data.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: (1) This invention integrates multiple processes such as dredging, flaw detection, positioning, coating, polishing, and curing into a single piece of equipment. It adopts a front and rear coaxial integrated structure design to achieve continuous operation of a single pipe laying, eliminating the need for multiple visits, repeated disassembly and reassembly, and repositioning of dredging equipment, testing equipment, and repair equipment. Compared with the traditional relay construction mode of multiple separate equipment, the process is seamless and there is no redundancy in the construction process. The maintenance period of a single section of pipeline can be shortened by more than 60%, and the equipment utilization rate is increased by more than 3 times. It can quickly respond to high-time-demand needs such as the integrated quality improvement and renovation of old urban pipelines, emergency repairs during the flood season, and emergency repairs of drinking water pipelines, and greatly improve the response speed and handling capacity of municipal pipeline network maintenance.

[0017] (2) This invention adopts a ground-based remote wireless and wired dual-link control system, and is fully mechanically and electrically operated. It eliminates the need for personnel to enter the confined space underground or to operate in close proximity while wading through water, thereby preventing multiple safety risks such as oxygen deficiency, methane poisoning, hydrogen sulfide hazards, drowning, pipe wall collapse, and methane explosion from the source. The equipment itself is equipped with multiple safety structures such as explosion-proof waterproofing, emergency shutdown, fault self-locking, and overload protection. It can operate stably for a long time in humid, waterlogged, and flammable and explosive environments inside pipes, achieving zero casualties and zero accidents in pipeline operation and maintenance, and significantly reducing the safety management investment and accident compensation risks of construction units.

[0018] (3) The front end of this invention adopts a multi-stage coaxial rotary cutting carbide cutter head combined with a circumferential high-pressure pulse pure water jet array structure, along with a floating flexible scraper and collector. This structure can perform layered crushing, directional peeling, and concentrated pushing of solidified mud and sand at the bottom of the pipe, grease and biological scale on the pipe wall, mineral crystallized scale, and floating and entangled debris at the top of the pipe. The dredging coverage rate reaches over 98%, leaving no residual impurities or scale layer on the pipe wall, fully meeting the clean, dry, and rough interface requirements for silicone lining bonding. The dredging process does not damage the original structure of the pipe or the inner wall of intact pipe sections, avoiding secondary damage to the pipe wall caused by dredging, and significantly improving the adhesion strength and service life of the subsequent lining layer.

[0019] (4) This invention uses high-purity silicone substrate and achieves in-situ molding through a closed silo, constant temperature material control, stable pressure quantitative pumping, and annular atomization spraying structure. The lining layer is free of formaldehyde, heavy metals, benzene compounds, and volatile organic compounds, and can directly contact the drinking water supply medium, fully meeting the hygiene and safety requirements of drinking water pipe networks. Compared with traditional industrial-grade repair materials such as asphalt, epoxy resin, and polyurethane, this invention completely solves the public safety hazards such as water supply medium pollution, odor residue, and leaching of harmful substances, and comprehensively improves the level of urban water supply safety.

[0020] (5) The bottom of this invention is equipped with an independent servo explosion-proof drive wheel group, adaptive posture adjustment and shock absorption support legs, and a real-time laser ranging closed-loop sensing unit for pipe diameter. It can dynamically match the inner wall curvature of all specifications of circular water supply and drainage pipes from DN80 to DN1200, and autonomously adapt to horizontal straight pipes, vertical risers, 90° elbows, tees, diameter changes, and locally settled and deformed pipe sections to travel smoothly without slipping, tipping over, deviating, or getting stuck. The tail end of the annular spraying and finishing integrated operation head is equipped with a multi-ring layered annular micro-pore atomizing nozzle and a flexible bionic curved surface finishing and pressing lip. It can adaptively fit with the irregular curved surface of the pipe wall, local depressions, and misaligned interfaces. The lining layer is uniform and dense, without hollows, delamination, or cracks, solving the industry problems of stress concentration, easy damage, and easy leakage of traditional rigid repair materials in irregular pipe sections.

[0021] (6) All functional modules of this invention adopt a waterproof and explosion-proof sealed structure, which can operate normally in pipelines with water, full water, or flowing water without the need to close pipeline valves, drain water from the pipes, or shut off water supply and reduce pressure in the area. The entire process does not affect the water supply for residential use, business operations, or public buildings, fundamentally avoiding public complaints, public opinion risks, and emergency supply pressure caused by water outages during construction. It is especially suitable for pipeline operation and maintenance in key areas such as hospitals, schools, commercial areas, and old residential areas where water outages are not possible, achieving both operation and maintenance and supply assurance without any disruption.

[0022] (7) The present invention adopts a front and rear coaxial symmetrical modular quick-disassembly structure. Each functional module is equipped with a standardized quick docking and locking interface. A single person can complete the disassembly, assembly, transportation and maintenance without the need for heavy equipment such as large cranes, road breakers and transport vehicles. The body is made of lightweight, high-strength and corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy integral casting. It is small in size and light in weight. It can be used for convenient pipe laying construction in narrow alleys in old urban areas, micro inspection wells in residential areas, narrow entrances in building ceilings and restricted spaces in underground pipe corridors. It can achieve zero excavation, low disturbance and no road breaking construction, which greatly reduces the road area occupied, shortens the time of enclosure and reduces traffic diversion costs. The overall operation and maintenance cost can be reduced by 45%-55%.

[0023] (8) The endoscopic flaw detection and positioning module of this invention is equipped with a waterproof and explosion-proof high-definition camera unit, a ring-shaped supplementary light source, a micron-level laser scanning sensor, and a defect coordinate traceability coding transmission unit. It can collect the morphology of the entire pipe wall in real time, accurately identify hidden defects such as micropores, honeycomb pitting, hairline cracks, and misaligned interfaces, and simultaneously transmit defect coordinates, dimensions, and depth data to the ground terminal. It automatically generates a visualized defect ledger, image data, and operation and maintenance report, enabling early detection, early location, and early repair of pipeline defects. The explosion-proof water-proof electrical control module has real-time operating condition monitoring, data storage, remote program control, and fault self-diagnosis functions. The entire construction process can be traced back, verified, and supervised. It seamlessly connects to the smart water platform, promoting the transformation of pipeline operation and maintenance from "passive emergency repair" to "proactive prevention" and from "experience-based management" to "digital management". Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 Overall structural diagram of the invention; Figure 2 Control flow diagram. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The following will be based on embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention are clearly and completely described. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0028] Example 1 A dredging and repair integrated robot is constructed with a main body made of 6061-T6 high-strength aluminum alloy through integral casting. The exterior is treated with hard anodizing and waterproof passivation. The main body is 1200mm long and has a maximum outer diameter that can accommodate DN300 pipes. The middle is divided into an electrical cavity and a silicone material hopper, which physically isolates the electrical components from the materials.

[0029] The walking chassis uses four sets of independent servo explosion-proof drive wheels with a wheel diameter of 80mm, covered with wear-resistant and anti-slip rubber. Each set of drive wheels is equipped with a speed sensor and an anti-slip module. It has eight sets of adaptive posture-adjusting hydraulic outriggers with built-in miniature pressure sensors and laser ranging units to detect the inner diameter of the pipe in real time and automatically adjust the outrigger stroke to ensure that the robot walks smoothly and centrally in pipes of DN80-DN1200 and can pass through 90° bends and tee sections.

[0030] The front-end dredging module is equipped with a detachable carbide rotary cutter head, the diameter of which is adaptively adjustable according to the pipe diameter. The cutter head has a hardness of HRC60 and is surrounded by a polyurethane buffer sleeve. Eight high-pressure pulse pure water nozzles are arranged circumferentially, with an adjustable pressure of 0-30MPa. They rotate and sweep 360°, and together with the floating scraper, they push the sludge to the rear of the robot. The accompanying water pump has a flow rate of 5m³ / h to promptly discharge sewage.

[0031] The flaw detection module uses a starlight-level 1080P waterproof and explosion-proof camera, ring LED supplementary lighting, and a micron-level laser scanner with a scanning accuracy of 0.1mm. It acquires pipe wall images in real time and identifies defects such as honeycomb pitting, cracks, and misalignments through AI algorithms. The positioning accuracy is ±5mm. The data is wirelessly transmitted to the ground industrial control computer, which automatically generates a ledger of defect coordinates, dimensions, and depth.

[0032] The tail silicone coating module has a 5L capacity hopper, a constant temperature control of 25-35℃, an adjustable pumping pressure of 0-1.5MPa, an annular spray head diameter that adapts to the pipeline, a finishing lip made of flexible silicone material, a coating thickness of 2.0mm, uniform speed coating, and curing at room temperature for 10 minutes. The bonding strength between the lining layer and the pipe wall is ≥1.5MPa.

[0033] The explosion-proof electrical control module has a built-in intrinsically safe lithium battery with a battery life of 8 hours. It features wired armored communication and wireless IoT dual-link transmission, allowing the ground terminal to view video, equipment status, and operation data in real time. It also has automatic shutdown protection functions for overload, short circuit, and signal loss.

[0034] The safety protection module uses activated carbon filtration and a positive pressure fresh air system to isolate toxic gases such as biogas and hydrogen sulfide inside the pipe. The pressure inside the chamber is 50Pa higher than that inside the pipe to prevent the intrusion of polluted gases and ensure the stable operation of the electrical control system.

[0035] During on-site operations, the robot is lowered into the pipeline from the inspection well and remotely started from the ground. The robot automatically walks, clears silt, detects flaws, and repairs. It can operate with water throughout the entire process without interrupting the water supply. The operation time for a single 200m section of pipeline is ≤2 hours. After completion, it automatically returns to the wellhead and is disassembled and transported to the next work site by a single person.

[0036] Example 2 Based on Example 1, for DN1200 large-diameter pipes, a larger rotary cutting disc and spraying end are replaced, the drive wheel and support legs are lengthened, the dredging pressure is increased to 40MPa, and the coating thickness can be adjusted to 4.0mm. It is suitable for dredging and repairing large-diameter rainwater main pipes, with a dredging cleanliness of ≥98%, and the pipe seepage prevention level reaches P6 after repair.

[0037] Example 3 Based on Example 1, a lightweight and compact design is adopted for DN80 small drinking water branch pipes, shortening the body to 800mm, miniaturizing the cutter head and spray head, and using food-grade silicone that strictly meets drinking water hygiene standards. After repair, there is no odor or pollutant leaching when water is turned on, meeting the safety requirements for residents' direct drinking water.

[0038] This invention comprehensively addresses the technical pain points of existing water supply and drainage network operation and maintenance through integrated design, modular quick-disassembly structure, adaptive walking system, pure water core dredging, food-grade silicone repair, and remote unmanned control. It achieves efficient, safe, environmentally friendly, and low-cost trenchless operation without interrupting water supply, applicable to all scenarios including municipal waterworks, renovation of old residential areas, and park network operation and maintenance, possessing extremely high engineering application value and market promotion prospects. Compared to existing separate equipment for dredging, inspection, and repair of water supply and drainage networks and traditional manual underground operations, this invention achieves fundamental technological breakthroughs in eight dimensions: operational efficiency, construction safety, material environmental protection, pipeline compatibility, public supply security, operation and maintenance costs, digital management and control, and green construction. This is achieved through the coordinated operation of seven core structures: integrated coaxial configuration, adaptive all-condition walking, graded core dredging, high-definition endoscopic flaw detection, food-grade silicone in-situ lining, explosion-proof intrinsically safe electrical control, and safe pollution isolation protection.

Claims

1. A robot integrating dredging and repair, characterized in that, The system includes an integrated main load-bearing body, a pipe diameter attitude closed-loop adaptive walking chassis, a graded full-area hardcore dredging module, an endoscopic flaw detection and positioning module, a food-grade silicone coated lining module, an explosion-proof and water-proof electrical control module, and a safety protection auxiliary module. The integrated main load-bearing body is a lightweight, high-strength, corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy integrally cast closed-loop frame with an external waterproof, passivated, and wear-resistant layer, and a centrally isolated electrical protection cavity and material buffer cavity. The pipe diameter attitude closed-loop adaptive walking chassis is fixedly connected to the bottom center of the integrated main load-bearing body and includes multiple sets of independent servo explosion-proof drive wheels, adaptive attitude-adjusting and shock-absorbing outriggers, and a real-time laser ranging closed-loop sensing unit for pipe diameter. The graded full-area hardcore dredging module is coaxially fixed to the front end of the integrated main load-bearing body and includes multiple levels of coaxial rotation... The system comprises a carbide-cutting dredging cutter head, a circumferential high-pressure pulse pure water jet array, and a floating flexible scraper and collector. The endoscopic flaw detection and positioning module is sealed and installed on top of the graded, full-area hard-core dredging module, including a waterproof and explosion-proof high-definition camera unit, a ring-shaped supplementary lighting source, a micron-level laser scanning sensor, and a defect coordinate traceability encoding and transmission unit. The food-grade silicone coating and lining module is coaxially connected to the rear of the integrated main body, including a sealed hopper, a constant temperature material control unit, a pressure-stabilized quantitative pumping unit, and a ring-shaped spraying and finishing integrated working end. The explosion-proof and water-proof electrical control module is sealed and installed within the electrical protection cavity, and is electrically connected to the chassis, dredging module, flaw detection module, and silicone coating and lining module. The safety protection auxiliary module is installed on both sides and the rear of the integrated main body.

2. The integrated dredging and repair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multi-stage coaxial rotary cutting carbide dredging cutter head has a modular quick-change structure, with carbide teeth embedded in the cutter head and an elastic buffer sleeve covering the outer periphery of the cutter head.

3. The integrated dredging and repair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The high-pressure pulse pure water jet array includes a variable frequency high-pressure pure water booster and stabilizer unit and a 360° circumferentially adjustable jet joint.

4. The integrated dredging and repair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The annular spraying and finishing integrated working end includes a multi-ring layered annular micro-pore atomizing nozzle and a flexible biomimetic curved finishing pressing lip, with an adjustable coating thickness range of 1.5mm-4.0mm.

5. The integrated dredging and repair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The independent servo explosion-proof drive wheel assembly is covered with a wear-resistant, non-slip, and water-resistant rubber layer on the outside, and integrates a speed closed-loop feedback unit inside; the follow-up adaptive attitude adjustment and shock absorption support leg has a built-in micro pressure closed-loop sensor array.

6. The integrated dredging and repair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The explosion-proof and water-proof electrical control module includes an intrinsically safe explosion-proof power management unit, a water-immersed short-circuit emergency cut-off protection unit, a wired armored communication and wireless IoT dual-redundant signal transmission unit, and an intelligent programmable control unit.

7. The integrated dredging and repair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robot is a modular quick-release structure with front and rear coaxial symmetry, and each functional module is equipped with a standardized quick docking and locking interface.

8. The integrated dredging and repair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The graded, full-area hardcore dredging module is equipped with a water suction pump, with the water inlet facing the inside of the pipe and the water outlet facing the outside of the robot.

9. The integrated dredging and repair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A data transmission line is provided between the endoscopic flaw detection and positioning module and the food-grade silicone coating lining module to achieve synchronous transmission of defect coordinate data.

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