Crawler-type pipeline robot for pipeline operation

Abstract

The utility model discloses a crawler-type pipeline robot for pipeline operation. The crawler-type pipeline robot comprises a crawler-type traveling device and a robot body installed over the crawler-type traveling device. The robot body comprises a supporting frame, a buoyancy shell, a propeller, an electronic bin and a battery bin, and the supporting frame is installed on the crawler belt advancing device and is of an open structure; the buoyancy shell is mounted above the supporting frame, and the buoyancy shell is of a circular-arc-shaped structure; the propeller is mounted in the supporting frame; the electronic bin and the battery bin are located between the supporting frame and the buoyancy shell. The pipe joint has a smaller size and can adapt to a smaller pipeline, and meanwhile, the buoyancy of the pipe joint is increased; the four horizontal propellers and the two vertical propellers are distributed around the equipment, so that the equipment is simple and flexible to operate, and the robot main body can be supported to advance on the land and in the pipeline environment with insufficient water level by using the modularized track advancing device, so that the environmental adaptability of the robot is higher.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of pipeline robots, in particular to a crawler-type pipeline robot used for pipeline operations. Background Art

[0002] Existing pipeline detection operations generally use direct method, electromagnetic induction method, clamp method, geological radar method, seismic wave method, high-density resistivity method, and well magnetic gradient method. However, traditional pipeline detection methods cannot meet the needs of current pipelines, especially in extremely harsh working environments inside pipelines, with multiple safety hazards such as humidity, narrowness, darkness, toxicity, and explosion.

[0003] A pipeline robot is a mechanical integrated system that can automatically move inside or outside a small pipeline and can carry one or more sensors and detection equipment. Therefore, pipeline robots can be used for pipeline detection operations and perform a series of pipeline operations under remote control by personnel or automatic control by computers. However, traditional pipeline robots generally use wheeled structures or underwater spiral drives. When they travel on uneven, soft or smooth working surfaces, the tires are unstable. Especially when passing through rugged and uneven terrain, the traditional tire structure has obvious deficiencies in the ability to balance the center of gravity and disperse pressure, which can easily cause damage to the working surface; when the water level is insufficient, floating or suspended spiral drives cannot be used. Utility Model Content

[0004] In order to solve the problems existing in the prior art, the utility model provides a tracked pipeline robot for pipeline operations. The tracked pipeline robot adopts a semi-open structure, and the outside of the equipment uses a lightweight arc-shaped buoyancy material to reduce the overall volume of the equipment, so that the equipment has a smaller size and can adapt to smaller pipelines, while increasing its own buoyancy; and four horizontal thrusters and two vertical thrusters are distributed around the equipment, so that the equipment is simple and flexible to operate, and the use of a modular crawler travel device can support the robot body to travel on land and in pipeline environments with insufficient water levels, making the robot more adaptable to the environment.

[0005] The utility model is implemented as follows: a tracked pipeline robot for pipeline operations comprises a tracked travel device and a robot body installed directly above the tracked travel device; the robot body comprises a support frame, a buoyancy shell, a thruster, an electronic compartment and a battery compartment, the support frame is installed on the tracked travel device, and the support frame is an open structure; the buoyancy shell is installed above the support frame, and the buoyancy shell is an arc-shaped structure; the thruster is installed in the support frame; the electronic compartment and the battery compartment are located between the support frame and the buoyancy shell.

[0006] In the above technical solution, preferably, the robot body also includes a lighting lamp, a camera, a laser ranging device and a pipeline sonar, and the buoyancy shell is provided with interfaces for installing the lighting lamp, the camera, and the laser ranging device, respectively, and the lighting lamp, the camera, and the laser ranging device are respectively installed on the corresponding interfaces provided on the buoyancy shell, and the pipeline sonar is installed in the supporting frame.

[0007] In the above technical solution, preferably, the four bottom corners of the support frame are fixed to the crawler travel device by butterfly screws.

[0008] In the above technical solution, preferably, the support frame includes an upper frame plate, a lower frame plate and ribs, and the upper frame plate and the lower frame plate are connected by the ribs; the upper frame plate and the lower frame plate are both light plastic frame plates.

[0009] In the above technical solution, preferably, the buoyancy shell is made of a lightweight solid buoyancy material to improve the buoyancy of the equipment.

[0010] In the above technical solution, preferably, the thrusters include horizontal thrusters for controlling the horizontal movement of the equipment and vertical thrusters for controlling the surfacing and diving of the equipment, the horizontal thrusters are located at the four corners of the support frame, and the vertical thrusters are located in the middle of the support frame.

[0011] In the above technical solution, preferably, the lighting lamp is a cylindrical closed structure, the front end of the lighting lamp is a transparent ball cover, and the rear end of the lighting lamp is a single-hole cover; the lighting lamp is placed at the front end of the robot body for underwater auxiliary lighting.

[0012] In the above technical solution, preferably, the camera is a cylindrical closed structure, and the camera is placed at the front end of the robot body to shoot underwater video and transmit it in real time.

[0013] In the above technical solution, preferably, there are two laser ranging devices, which are respectively located behind and above the buoyancy shell, and are used to detect the distance between the robot and surrounding objects in real time and transmit distance data.

[0014] In the above technical solution, preferably, the pipeline sonar is a cylindrical closed structure, the front end of the pipeline sonar is a probe, and the rear end is connected to a steering gear connecting rod telescopic mechanism that controls its telescopic movement, and is used for detecting inside the pipeline.

[0015] In the above technical scheme, preferably, the electronic compartment and the battery compartment are an integrated compartment structure to form an electronic battery compartment; the electronic battery compartment is a cylindrical closed structure, the front end of the electronic battery compartment is a single-hole front cover, and the single-hole front cover is threadedly connected to the compartment body of the electronic battery compartment; the rear end of the electronic battery compartment is provided with a threading bolt connection hole and a watertight plug-in connection hole, and the electronic battery compartment and the support frame are connected with a semicircular metal connector.

[0016] The utility model has the following advantages and beneficial effects:

[0017] (1) The crawler-type pipeline robot of the utility model can integrate a support frame, a buoyancy shell, a thruster, an electronic compartment, a battery compartment, a lighting lamp, a camera, a laser ranging device, a pipeline sonar, and a crawler travel device, and can replace manual work in pipeline detection operations, so that the robot can move efficiently when the water level is high or insufficient. At the same time, the use of an arc-shaped buoyancy shell and an open support frame makes the robot have a smaller size and can be used in a narrower pipeline environment.

[0018] (2) The tracked pipeline robot of the utility model has significantly improved its adaptability through a unique modular design, and adopts a semi-open structure, which simplifies the maintenance and replacement of components, and can be assembled and disassembled flexibly and quickly. At the same time, it integrates intelligent sensing technology, so that the robot can accurately navigate and avoid obstacles, and successfully cope with complex pipeline environments. The device uses a light arc-shaped buoyancy shell on the outside to reduce the overall volume of the device while increasing its own buoyancy, and uses four horizontal thrusters and two vertical thrusters distributed around the device, making the robot simple and flexible to operate, flexible to move, and adaptable to various pipeline shapes and angles.

[0019] (3) The utility model has the ability to carry a variety of pipeline detection sensors, and has reserved interfaces including lighting, cameras, pipeline sonar and laser ranging devices, which can be selected according to needs. The functions are more flexible and diverse, and the pipeline survey capability is enhanced; the integrated electronic and battery compartment structure also reduces the overall size and weight of the equipment.

[0020] (4) The utility model adopts a modular combination of the robot body and the crawler travel device, which is more flexible to use and has stronger environmental adaptability. With comprehensive consideration of energy efficiency, energy management, remote control and autonomous navigation, the crawler pipeline robot not only improves operational efficiency, but also demonstrates excellent performance in terms of safety and diversity of application scenarios. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a front view of the crawler-type pipeline robot provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 It is a side view of the crawler-type pipeline robot provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0023] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A top view of

[0024] Figure 4 is a three-dimensional diagram of a robot body provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0025] Figure 5 is a side view of the robot body provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0026] Figure 6 It is a rear view of the robot body provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0027] Figure 7 It is a three-dimensional diagram of a crawler traveling device provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0028] Figure 8 It is a top view of the crawler traveling device provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0029] Fig. 9 It is a bottom view of the crawler traveling device provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0030] Fig.10 It is a structural schematic diagram of a crawler track assembly provided in an embodiment of the utility model.

[0031] In the figure: 10, robot body; 101, support frame; 1011, upper frame plate; 1012, lower frame plate; 1013, rib support; 102, buoyancy shell; 103, thruster; 1031, horizontal thruster; 1032, vertical thruster; 104, electronic battery compartment; 105, steering gear connecting rod telescopic mechanism; 106, lighting; 107, camera; 108, laser ranging device; 109, pipeline sonar;

[0032] 20. Crawler travel device; 201. Crawler frame; 2011. Mounting hole; 202. Electronic compartment; 203. Battery compartment; 204. Crawler assembly; 2041. Transmission chain; 2042. Crawler drive wheel; 2043. Crawler driven wheel; 2044. Crawler rubber block; 2045. Connecting shaft; 205. Waterproof reduction motor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the utility model more clear, the utility model is further described in detail in combination with the embodiments and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the utility model and are not used to limit the utility model.

[0034] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc., are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features.

[0035] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0036] Example

[0037] See also Figure 1 to Figure 6 An embodiment of the utility model provides a tracked pipeline robot for pipeline operations, including a tracked traveling device 20 and a robot body 10 installed directly above the tracked traveling device 20, wherein the tracked traveling device 20 supports the robot body 10 to travel on land or in a pipeline environment with insufficient water level.

[0038] The robot body 10 includes a supporting frame 101, a buoyancy shell 102, a thruster 103, a first electronic compartment, a first battery compartment, a lighting lamp 106, a camera 107, a laser ranging device 108 and a pipeline sonar 109. The four bottom corners of the supporting frame 101 are fixedly mounted on the track frame 201 of the tracked traveling device 20 by butterfly screws; the buoyancy shell 102 is mounted above the supporting frame 101, and the buoyancy shell 102 is in an arc-shaped structure. The buoyancy shell 102 is provided with interfaces for installing the lighting lamp 106, the camera 107 and the laser ranging device 108 respectively. The lighting lamp 106, the camera 107 and the laser ranging device 108 are respectively installed on the corresponding interfaces provided on the buoyancy shell 102, and the pipeline sonar 109 is installed in the supporting frame 101; the thruster 103 is installed in the supporting frame 101; the first electronic compartment and the first battery compartment are located between the supporting frame 101 and the buoyancy shell 102.

[0039] Specifically, the support frame 101 is an open structure, and the support frame 101 includes an upper frame plate 1011, a lower frame plate 1012 and ribs 1013. The ribs 1013 are located between the upper frame plate 1011 and the lower frame plate 1012. The upper frame plate 1011 and the lower frame plate 1012 are connected by the ribs 1013 to stabilize the upper and lower structures of the robot body. Corner pieces are respectively arranged at the connection between the ribs 1013 and the upper frame plate 1011 and the lower frame plate 1012 to improve the structural stability. The upper frame plate 1011 and the lower frame plate 1012 are both light plastic frame plates.

[0040] The buoyancy shell 102 is made of a light solid buoyancy material to increase the buoyancy of the robot in a pipe that is not filled with water.

[0041] There are 6 propellers 103, including four horizontal propellers 1031 for controlling the horizontal movement of the device and two vertical propellers 1032 for controlling the buoyancy of the device. The four horizontal propellers 1031 are located at the four corners of the support frame 101, and the two vertical propellers 1032 are located in the middle of the support frame 101.

[0042] The first electronic compartment and the first battery compartment are an integrated compartment structure to form an electronic battery compartment 104; the electronic battery compartment 104 is a cylindrical closed structure, the front end of the electronic battery compartment 104 is a single-hole front cover, and the hole of the single-hole front cover is processed with a thread, in which an M6 screw can be installed, which is used to add a force point when removing the front cover. The single-hole front cover is threadedly connected to the compartment body of the electronic battery compartment 104, which is convenient for loading and unloading the compartment body and is also used for waterproof sealing of electronic equipment; the rear end of the electronic battery compartment 104 is provided with a threading bolt connection hole and a watertight plug-in connection hole, and the electronic battery compartment 104 is connected to the support frame 101 with a semicircular metal connector.

[0043] The lighting lamp 106 is a cylindrical closed structure, the front end of the lighting lamp 106 is a transparent ball cover to provide uniform lighting, and the rear end of the lighting lamp 106 is a single-hole cover; the lighting lamp 106 is placed at the front end of the robot body for underwater auxiliary lighting.

[0044] The camera 107 is a cylindrical closed structure, and the camera 107 is placed at the front end of the robot body, and is used to shoot underwater videos and transmit them in real time.

[0045] There are two laser distance measuring devices 108, which are respectively located behind and above the buoyancy shell 102, and are used to detect the distance between the robot and surrounding objects in real time and transmit distance data.

[0046] The pipeline sonar 109 is a cylindrical closed structure, the front end of the pipeline sonar 109 is a probe, and the rear end is connected to the steering gear connecting rod telescopic mechanism 105 that controls its telescopic movement, and is used for pipeline internal detection. The steering gear connecting rod telescopic mechanism 105 is located behind the pipeline sonar 109, and the steering gear acts on the connecting rod telescopic mechanism to facilitate the disassembly of the pipeline sonar 109; when the pipeline sonar 109 is used, the pipeline sonar 109 can be extended out of the support frame 101, and when the pipeline sonar 109 is stopped and during transportation, the pipeline sonar 109 can be retracted into the support frame 101, which plays a role in protecting the pipeline sonar 109.

[0047] See also Figure 7 to Figure 10 The crawler travel device 20 includes a crawler frame 201, a second electronic compartment 202, a second battery compartment 203, and two crawler assemblies 204; the second electronic compartment 202 and the second battery compartment 203 are installed in the middle of the crawler frame 201, and the second battery compartment 203 is connected to the second electronic compartment 202 through a waterproof cable; the two crawler assemblies 204 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the crawler frame 201, and the crawler assembly 204 includes a transmission chain 2041, a crawler transmission wheel 204 2. Track driven wheel 2043, the transmission chain 2041 is connected to the track driving wheel 2042 and the track driven wheel 2043; the track assembly 204 on each side is equipped with a waterproof reduction motor 205, the output shaft of the waterproof reduction motor 205 is key-connected with the track driving wheel 2042, the waterproof reduction motor 205 is connected to the second electronic warehouse 202 through a waterproof cable, the waterproof reduction motor 205 receives the output signal of the second electronic warehouse 202 and provides power for the track assembly 204 to move.

[0048] Specifically, a plurality of mounting holes 2011 are reserved on the crawler frame 201, so that the crawler frame 201 can be conveniently and reliably connected to the robot body.

[0049] The second battery compartment 203 is a cylindrical closed structure, which is used to supply power to the tracked traveling device 20 . A hole is reserved at the tail of the second battery compartment 203 for connecting with the second electronic compartment 202 via a cable.

[0050] The second electronic warehouse 202 is a cylindrical closed structure. The front side of the second electronic warehouse 202 is equipped with a non-porous front cover, which is threadedly connected to the warehouse body of the electronic warehouse for easy loading and unloading, and is also used for waterproof sealing of electronic equipment. The back cover of the second electronic warehouse 202 is equipped with a waterproof plug, and a control signal input interface is reserved for convenient access to motor control signals such as the robot body or wireless signal receiving module, as well as output interfaces of two waterproof reduction motors 205.

[0051] A track rubber block 2044 is installed on the outer surface of the transmission chain 2041. The track rubber block 2044 is a rectangular black rubber block. The track rubber block 2044 is fixed to the side of the transmission chain 2041 by angle pieces and screws, and is used for waterproof track travel and shock absorption to achieve efficient travel of the underwater robot chassis.

[0052] The waterproof reduction motor 205 is a cylindrical closed structure, installed on both sides of the crawler frame 201, and is connected to the second electronic compartment 202 through a waterproof cable to transmit signals and provide power for the crawler travel device 20 to travel. The waterproof reduction motor 205 is a brushless reduction motor.

[0053] The track driving wheel 2042 and the track driven wheel 2043 are gear structures. The track driving wheel 2042 and the track driven wheel 2043 are meshed with the transmission chain 2041 , and the two track driven wheels 2043 are connected by a connecting shaft 2045 .

[0054] The track frame 201 is made of lightweight and corrosion-resistant steel material to ensure a long service life and stability of the overall structure in an underwater environment; a second electronic compartment 202 and a second battery compartment 203 are installed in the middle of the track frame 201, and are fixed by screws on the left and right side baffles; a plurality of mounting holes 2011 are reserved on the track frame 201, which can be conveniently and reliably connected to the robot body 10; two waterproof reduction motors 205 are arranged on both sides of the track frame 201, and the waterproof reduction motors 205 are key-connected to the track drive wheel 2042, and the track drive wheel 2042 and the track driven wheel 2043 are connected by a transmission chain 2041, and a track rubber block 2044 is installed on the transmission chain 2041; the design of this overall structure enables the track travel device 20 to travel efficiently in an underwater environment.

[0055] The design of this utility model simplifies maintenance and component replacement, allowing the robot to move efficiently when the water level is low or high. Its flexibility is reflected in the rapid assembly and disassembly, and the integration of intelligent sensing technology enables the robot to accurately navigate and avoid obstacles and successfully cope with complex pipeline environments. The robot's mobility in the horizontal and vertical directions is improved, allowing it to adapt to various pipeline shapes and angles. With comprehensive considerations of energy efficiency, energy management, remote control and autonomous navigation, the crawler pipeline robot not only improves operational efficiency, but also demonstrates excellent performance in safety and diversity of application scenarios.

[0056] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the utility model, rather than to limit it. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, ordinary technicians in the field should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents, and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the utility model.

Claims

1. A crawler pipeline robot for pipeline operation, characterized in that: It comprises a crawler travel device and a robot body installed directly above the crawler travel device; the robot body comprises a support frame, a buoyancy shell, a thruster, an electronic compartment and a battery compartment, the support frame is installed on the crawler travel device, and the support frame is an open structure; the buoyancy shell is installed above the support frame, and the buoyancy shell is an arc-shaped structure; the thruster is installed in the support frame; The electronic compartment and the battery compartment are located between the supporting frame and the buoyancy shell.

2. The crawler pipeline robot for pipeline operation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robot body also includes a lighting lamp, a camera, a laser ranging device and a pipeline sonar. The buoyancy shell is provided with interfaces for installing the lighting lamp, the camera and the laser ranging device respectively. The lighting lamp, the camera and the laser ranging device are respectively installed on the corresponding interfaces provided on the buoyancy shell, and the pipeline sonar is installed in the supporting frame.

3. The crawler pipeline robot for pipeline operation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The four bottom corners of the support frame are fixed to the crawler travel device by butterfly screws; The support frame comprises an upper frame plate, a lower frame plate and ribs, wherein the upper frame plate and the lower frame plate are connected via the ribs; the upper frame plate and the lower frame plate are both light plastic frame plates.

4. The crawler-type pipeline robot for pipeline operation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The buoyancy shell is made of lightweight solid buoyancy material.

5. The crawler-type pipeline robot for pipeline operation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thrusters include a horizontal thruster for controlling the horizontal movement of the device and a vertical thruster for controlling the surfacing and diving of the device. The horizontal thrusters are located at the four corners of the supporting frame, and the vertical thruster is located in the middle of the supporting frame.

6. The crawler-type pipeline robot for pipeline operation according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lighting lamp is a cylindrical closed structure, the front end of the lighting lamp is a transparent ball cover, and the rear end of the lighting lamp is a single-hole cover; the lighting lamp is placed at the front end of the robot body and is used for underwater auxiliary lighting.

7. The crawler-type pipeline robot for pipeline operation according to claim 2, characterized in that: The camera is a cylindrical closed structure, which is placed at the front end of the robot body and is used to shoot underwater videos and transmit them in real time.

8. The crawler-type pipeline robot for pipeline operation according to claim 2, characterized in that: There are two laser distance measuring devices, which are respectively located behind and above the buoyancy shell and are used to detect the distance between the robot and surrounding objects in real time and transmit distance data.

9. The crawler-type pipeline robot for pipeline operation according to claim 2, characterized in that: The pipeline sonar is a cylindrical closed structure, the front end of the pipeline sonar is a probe, and the rear end is connected to a steering gear connecting rod telescopic mechanism that controls its telescopic movement, and is used for detecting inside the pipeline.

10. The crawler pipeline robot for pipeline operation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electronic compartment and the battery compartment are an integrated compartment structure to form an electronic battery compartment; the electronic battery compartment is a cylindrical closed structure, the front end of the electronic battery compartment is a single-hole front cover, and the single-hole front cover is threadedly connected to the compartment body of the electronic battery compartment; the rear end of the electronic battery compartment is provided with a threading bolt connection hole and a watertight plug-in connection hole, and the electronic battery compartment and the support frame are connected with a semicircular metal connector.

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