Underwater welding device

Abstract

The underwater welding device comprises a water drainage cover and a first positioner connected with the water drainage cover, the water drainage cover is provided with an air channel allowing air to pass through and a first side wall provided with an air channel opening, and the water drainage cover can move to enable the first side wall to face a to-be-welded workpiece and be spaced from the surface of the to-be-welded workpiece; an inflation area is formed between the first side wall and the surface of the to-be-welded workpiece, and after gas is introduced into the gas channel, the gas channel and the inflation area are at least filled with the gas; the first positioner is used for detecting position information of the drainage cover and comprises a first probe, and the first probe is arranged in the inflation area. The first probe is arranged in the air inflation area, the air inflation area does not contain water or is relatively low in water content, the first probe can not be influenced by water flow, namely, the water area condition does not influence the precision of the first probe, and therefore the detection precision of the first positioner can be guaranteed, and the relative position between the drainage cover and the workpiece to be welded is guaranteed; and the welding effect can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of underwater welding, and more specifically, relates to an underwater welding device. Background Art

[0002] Underwater welding maintenance technology is a key technology for repairing nuclear reactor-related equipment in nuclear power plants. Underwater welding technology is divided into underwater dry welding, underwater wet welding and underwater local dry welding. Among them, underwater local dry welding uses drainage equipment to drain the water around the welding area so that the arc can burn stably in the local water-free area.

[0003] The drainage equipment for underwater local dry welding includes a compressor, a drainage hood connected to the compressor, and a positioner arranged on the drainage hood, wherein the drainage hood is used to cover the surface of the workpiece to be welded, the positioner is used to position the workpiece to be welded, the compressor is used to compress the gas and pass the compressed gas into the drainage hood. After the gas enters the drainage hood, the water inside the drainage hood can be squeezed out from the opening of the drainage hood, thereby draining the water in the area covered by the drainage hood.

[0004] For some workpieces with larger areas to be welded, the drain hood cannot completely cover the entire area to be welded. Therefore, the drain hood needs to move with the welding torch during welding to drain the water in the welding area. However, as the welding torch and drain hood move, the gas escaping from the drain hood opening creates bubbles that disrupt the water flow. The bubbles can also block the locator, affecting its positioning accuracy. This can cause the moving drain hood to shift position from the workpiece to be welded, affecting the welding effect. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide an underwater welding device to solve the technical problem in the prior art that bubbles formed by gas escaping from the opening of the drainage hood easily block the locator and affect the positioning accuracy of the locator.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted in this application is:

[0007] Provided is an underwater welding device, comprising:

[0008] a drain cover having an air passage for gas to pass through and a first side wall provided with an opening for the air passage, the drain cover being movable so that the first side wall faces the workpiece to be welded and is spaced apart from the surface of the workpiece to be welded, so that an air-filled area is formed between the first side wall and the surface of the workpiece to be welded, and when gas is introduced into the air passage, the gas fills at least the air passage and the air-filled area; and

[0009] The first locator is connected to the drain cover and is used to detect the position information of the drain cover. The first locator includes a first probe, and the first probe is arranged in the inflation area.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first probe is disposed on the first side wall.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first probe protrudes from the first sidewall.

[0012] In some embodiments, the height of the first probe protruding from the first side wall is 1 mm to 2 mm.

[0013] In some embodiments, the drain cover is further provided with a mounting groove formed by recessing from the first side wall, and the first probe is disposed in the mounting groove.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first positioner further includes a second probe, which is movably disposed on the drainage cover. When the first side wall faces the workpiece to be welded, the second probe is located on a side of the first probe away from the workpiece to be welded.

[0015] In some embodiments, the underwater welding device also includes a laser welding head connected to the drainage hood, and the opening of the air duct at one end away from the first side wall is connected to the light emitting part of the laser welding head, and the laser emitted by the light emitting part can pass through the air duct and be emitted toward the workpiece to be welded.

[0016] In some embodiments, the underwater welding device further includes a wire feeding module, which includes a pipeline and a wire feeder connected to the pipeline. The wire feeder is also connected to the drainage hood, and the wire feeder is used to deliver the welding wire into the inflation area.

[0017] In some embodiments, the wire feeder is movably arranged on the drainage cover, and the drainage cover is also provided with an angle adjustment assembly connected to the wire feeder, and the angle adjustment assembly is used to adjust the wire output angle of the wire feeder so that the intersection of the welding wire and the laser can fall on the surface of the workpiece to be welded.

[0018] In some embodiments, the underwater welding device further includes a second locator for detecting the welding position of the workpiece to be welded, the second locator being connected to the drain cover, the second locator including a third probe, the detection center of the third probe being located at a point where the laser beam lands on the surface of the workpiece to be welded;

[0019] The drain cover is further provided with a first channel communicating with the airway, and the third probe is arranged in the first channel.

[0020] The beneficial effects of the underwater welding device provided by the present application are: by providing a drainage hood and an air duct provided in the drainage hood, when gas is introduced into the air duct, the gas can fill the inflation zone between the first side wall and the surface of the workpiece to be welded, thereby quickly providing a relatively dry environment for dry welding. On the one hand, the water in the air duct can flow out through the gap formed between the first side wall and the workpiece to be welded, and there is no need to additionally provide a water outlet structure in the drainage hood, thereby simplifying the structure of the drainage hood; on the other hand, by providing the first probe in the inflation zone, the inflation zone does not contain water or contains relatively little water, and the first probe will not be affected by the water flow, that is, the water condition will not affect the accuracy of the first probe, thereby ensuring the detection accuracy of the first locator, so that the relative position between the drainage hood and the workpiece to be welded is relatively fixed, which helps to improve the welding effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or descriptions of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an underwater welding device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of an underwater welding device is shown;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 An enlarged schematic diagram of point A in FIG.

[0025] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the pipeline and wire feeder assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0026] Among them, the reference numerals in the figures are:

[0027] 100, inflation area; 200, workpiece to be welded;

[0028] 1. Drain cover; 11. Air duct; 12. First side wall; 13. Mounting slot; 14. First channel; 15. Second channel; 16. Mounting bracket; 17. First hole; 18. Second hole;

[0029] 21. First probe; 22. Second probe;

[0030] 3. The third probe;

[0031] 4. Wire feeding module; 41. Wire feeder; 411. Threaded section; 412. Slide; 42. Pipe; 421. Nut; 422. Bump. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the following Figures 1 to 4 It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0033] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being “fixed on” or “disposed on” another element, it may be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being “connected to” another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0034] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply 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 this application.

[0035] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, "multiple groups" means two or more groups, "multiple pieces" means two or more pieces, and "several" means one or more, unless otherwise clearly defined.

[0036] Underwater welding maintenance technology is a key technology for repairing nuclear reactor-related equipment in in-service nuclear power plants. Underwater welding technology is divided into underwater dry welding, underwater wet welding and underwater partial dry welding. Among them, underwater partial dry welding uses drainage equipment to artificially drain the water around the welding area so that the arc can burn stably in the local water-free area. This welding method combines the high weld quality of dry welding and the simplicity and ease of wet welding technology. In addition, the equipment of underwater partial dry welding is simple, the operation cycle is short, the cost is low, and it has good versatility and environmental adaptability.

[0037] The drainage equipment for underwater local dry welding includes a compressor, a drainage hood connected to the compressor, and a positioner arranged on the drainage hood, wherein the drainage hood is used to cover the surface of the workpiece to be welded, the positioner is used to position the workpiece to be welded, the compressor is used to compress the gas and pass the compressed gas into the drainage hood. After the gas enters the drainage hood, the water inside the drainage hood can be squeezed out from the opening of the drainage hood, thereby draining the water in the area covered by the drainage hood.

[0038] For some workpieces with larger areas to be welded, the drain hood cannot completely cover all the areas to be welded. Therefore, during the welding process, the drain hood needs to move with the welding torch to drain the water in the welding area. During the movement of the welding torch and the drain hood, they need to be positioned relative to the workpiece to be welded to ensure that the position of the drain hood and the workpiece to be welded does not shift. However, during the movement, the bubbles formed by the gas escaping from the opening of the drain hood and flowing to the area near the probe can easily disrupt the water flow in the area, and the bubbles may also block the locator, thereby affecting the positioning accuracy of the locator, causing a positional offset between the moving drain hood and the workpiece to be welded, affecting the welding effect.

[0039] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides an underwater welding device to solve the above problems.

[0040] Please also refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the underwater welding device provided in the embodiment of the present application is now described.

[0041] The underwater welding device provided in an embodiment of the present application includes a drain hood 1 and a first positioner. The drain hood 1 has an air duct 11 for gas to pass through and a first side wall 12 provided with an opening of the air duct 11. The drain hood 1 can be moved so that the first side wall 12 is set toward the workpiece 200 to be welded and is spaced from the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded, so that an inflation area 100 is formed between the first side wall 12 and the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded. When gas is passed into the air duct 11, the gas fills at least the air duct 11 and the inflation area 100; the first positioner is connected to the drain hood 1, and the first positioner is used to detect the position information of the drain hood 1. The first positioner includes a first probe 21, and the first probe 21 is set in the inflation area 100.

[0042] It should be noted that the position information of the drain cover 1 may be the position information of the drain cover 1 relative to the environment, or the relative position information between the drain cover 1 and the workpiece 200 to be welded.

[0043] It should be noted that the gas introduced into the air duct 11 can be a gas with a certain flow rate. In the process of the gas in the air duct 11 flowing toward the inflation area 100, the water in the inflation area 100 will be squeezed, and the water in the inflation area 100 will be squeezed and flow toward the outside of the inflation area 100. In this way, the inflation area 100 does not contain water or the water content is relatively small. A local water-free area can be formed on the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded, and the arc can burn stably in this area. When the inflation area 100 covers the part to be welded on the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded, dry welding can be performed on this part to be welded.

[0044] Please combine Figure 2 ,in, Figure 2 The dashed arrows in the figure indicate the direction of gas flow. When the underwater welding apparatus of this embodiment is in use, the first side wall 12 of the drainage hood 1 is spaced from the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded. After gas is introduced into the gas passage 11, water within the gas passage 11 can flow out through the gap formed between the first side wall 12 and the workpiece 200 to be welded. As gas continues to flow through the gas passage 11, the gas can flow into the gap between the first side wall 12 and the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded, displacing the water between the first side wall 12 and the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded, thereby forming an aerated area 100 between the first side wall 12 and the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded.

[0045] In this way, the underwater welding device of the embodiment of the present application is provided with a drainage hood 1 and an air duct 11 provided in the drainage hood. When gas is passed into the air duct 11, the gas can fill the inflation area 100 between the first side wall 12 and the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded, thereby quickly providing a relatively dry environment for dry welding. On the one hand, the water in the air duct 11 can flow out through the gap formed between the first side wall 12 and the workpiece 200 to be welded, and there is no need to additionally provide a water outlet structure in the drainage hood 1, thereby simplifying the structure of the drainage hood 1; on the other hand, by providing the first probe 21 in the inflation area 100, the inflation area 100 does not contain water or the water content is relatively small, and the first probe 21 can be unaffected by the water flow, that is, the water condition will not affect the accuracy of the first probe 21, thereby ensuring the detection accuracy of the first locator, so that the relative position between the drainage hood 1 and the workpiece 200 to be welded is relatively fixed, which helps to improve the welding effect.

[0046] In some embodiments, a processor is provided in the first locator, and the processor can be provided outside the first probe 21. The information detected by the first probe 21 can be fed back to the processor in the first locator, and the processor determines the position of the drain cover 1 based on the information fed back by the first probe 21; in other embodiments, the processor can be provided in the first probe 21, and the information detected by the first probe 21 can be directly processed by the processor in the first probe 21, and the processor in the first probe 21 can determine the position of the drain cover 1 based on the received information.

[0047] In some embodiments, the underwater welding device further includes a driving module (not shown in the figure), the driving module is communicatively connected to the first positioner, the driving module is connected to the drain cover 1, and drives the drain cover 1 to move. For a workpiece 200 to be welded with a larger portion to be welded, the drain cover 1 may not be able to completely cover the portion to be welded, that is, the various parts of the entire portion to be welded may not be located in the inflation area 100 at the same time. In this case, it is necessary to first cover a portion of the portion to be welded with the drain cover 1, that is, the inflation area 100 covers the portion to be welded. After welding of the portion to be welded is completed, the drain cover 1 is moved so that the drain cover 1 moves to cover other parts of the portion to be welded. In this way, by moving the drain cover 1, the inflation area 100 is gradually moved and sequentially covers the various parts of the portion to be welded, so that the underwater welding device can also weld a workpiece 200 to be welded with a larger portion to be welded. In this way, the driving module can drive the drain hood 1 to move, and by changing the relative position of the drain hood 1 and the workpiece 200 to be welded, continuous welding of the workpiece 200 to be welded with a larger welding area can be achieved; in addition, the drain hood 1 and the workpiece 200 to be welded are arranged at intervals, and in the process of moving the drain hood 1, no friction will occur between the drain hood 1 and the workpiece 200 to be welded, that is, the workpiece 200 to be welded will not affect the movement of the drain hood 1, thereby improving the stability of the movement of the drain hood 1; in addition, during the movement of the drain hood 1, it can be positioned by the first positioner to ensure that the position between it and the workpiece 200 to be welded will not be offset, thereby ensuring the improvement of the welding accuracy.

[0048] Exemplarily, the driving module may be an underwater robot, which is connected to the drainage cover 1 and the first positioner. When the underwater robot moves, it drives the drainage cover 1 to move.

[0049] It should be noted that the communication connection can be achieved through a wired method such as a cable or optical fiber, or through a wireless method such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or a mobile network. For example, the drive module and the first locator can be connected through a wired method such as a cable or optical fiber, or can be connected wirelessly through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or a mobile network. The detection result of the first locator can be transmitted to the drive module through the above connection path. After receiving the information detected by the first locator, the drive module can respond accordingly, such as adjusting the position of the drain cover 1, so as to ensure that there is no positional offset between the drain cover 1 and the workpiece 200 to be welded.

[0050] In some embodiments, the first probe 21 is provided on the first side wall 12. It is understandable that, when the flow rate of the gas introduced into the gas passage 11 remains unchanged, the closer the distance between the first side wall 12 and the workpiece 200 to be welded is, the greater the air pressure generated by the gas therebetween, and the more obvious the squeezing effect of the gas on the water is, which can push the water to a position farther from the center of the gas passage 11, thereby expanding the coverage of the inflatable area 100 on the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded. In addition, it is more difficult for water outside the inflatable area 100 to re-enter the inflatable area 100, which is conducive to the gas being able to continuously fill the inflatable area 100, reduce the water content in the inflatable area 100, and improve the inflatable area 100. Dryness; in this embodiment, during the welding process, the first side wall 12 faces the workpiece 200 to be welded, and an inflation zone 100 is formed between the first side wall 12 and the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded. The first probe 21 is set on the first side wall 12, so that the first probe 21 can accurately measure the distance between the first side wall 12 and the workpiece 200 to be welded. In this way, the size of the inflation zone 100 formed between the first side wall 12 and the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded can be conveniently controlled, which is conducive to emptying the water in the inflation zone 100, so that the underwater welding device can provide a relatively dry environment for dry welding.

[0051] In some embodiments, the first probe 21 protrudes from the first side wall 12. In this embodiment, the gas blown from the opening of the gas channel 11 is blown toward the workpiece 200 to be welded. The pressure of the gas can act on the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded, thereby draining the water on the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded. The gas bounces off the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded and blows toward the first side wall 12 of the drainage cover 1, thereby draining the water between the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded and the first side wall 12 to the outside. It can be understood that the flow rate of the gas blown out from the opening of the air duct 11 gradually decreases during the flow process, that is, the flow rate of the gas blown from the opening of the air duct 11 to the surface of the workpiece to be welded 200 is greater than the flow rate of the gas blown to the first side wall 12 of the drainage hood 1 after rebounding from the surface of the workpiece to be welded 200. The higher the flow rate of the gas, the more water flow it can blow, thereby blowing more water flow in the area to flow outward. In this way, the higher the flow rate of the gas in the area, the lower the water content in the area. Then, the first probe 21 is protruded from the first side wall 12. After the positioning of the drainage hood 1 and the workpiece to be welded 200 is completed, the distance between the first probe 21 and the workpiece to be welded 200 is closer. In this way, the first probe 21 can be located in an area with a higher compressed air flow rate, that is, the first probe 21 can be located in an area with a lower water content, which can reduce the mutual disturbance of air flow and water flow and affect the detection accuracy of the first probe 21.

[0052] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some embodiments, the height of the first probe 21 protruding from the first side wall 12 is 1 mm to 2 mm, wherein the height of the first probe 21 protruding from the first side wall 12 is L1 shown in the figure, and the range of L1 is between 1 mm and 2 mm.

[0053] It should be noted that the height of the first probe 21 protruding from the first side wall 12 may be the maximum distance between the end of the first probe 21 and the first side wall 12 .

[0054] The height of the first probe 21 protruding from the first side wall 12 is set to be no more than 2 mm. During the movement of the drainage cover 1, the possibility of the first probe 21 colliding with the workpiece 200 to be welded due to its excessive protrusion from the first side wall 12 can be reduced; it is understandable that a portion of residual water may adhere to the surfaces of the first side wall 12 and the workpiece 200 to be welded. Setting the height of the first probe 21 protruding from the first side wall 12 to be no less than 1 mm can make the first probe 21 closer to the center of the inflation area 100, reducing the possibility of the first probe 21 being interfered by the residual water attached to the surface of the first side wall 12 due to its excessive protrusion from the first side wall 12, which helps to improve the detection accuracy of the first probe 21.

[0055] Illustratively, the height L1 of the first probe 21 protruding from the first sidewall 12 may be 1 mm, 1.1 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.3 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.7 mm, 1.8 mm, 1.9 mm, or 2 mm.

[0056] In some embodiments, during welding, the distance L2 between the first side wall 12 of the drain hood 1 and the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded can be 3 mm to 5 mm. Setting the distance L2 between the first side wall 12 of the drain hood 1 and the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded to between 3 mm and 5 mm ensures sufficient space between the first side wall 12 and the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded for welding, and ensures that, under the pressure of the gas, water outside the aeration zone 100 does not re-enter the aeration zone 100 and affect the welding operation. Exemplarily, the distance L2 between the first side wall 12 and the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded can be 3 mm, 3.5 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm, or 5 mm.

[0057] In some embodiments, the drain cover 1 is further provided with a mounting groove 13 recessed from the first side wall 12 , and the first probe 21 is disposed in the mounting groove 13 .

[0058] It should be noted that the first side wall 12 may be the surface of the drainage cover 1 , and during welding, the surface faces the workpiece 200 to be welded.

[0059] The installation groove 13 can provide a space for installing the first probe 21 , so that the first probe 21 can be conveniently installed on the drain cover 1 .

[0060] For example, a portion of the first probe 21 may be located in the mounting groove 13 , and another portion may protrude from the mounting groove 13 .

[0061] Of course, in other embodiments, the first probe 21 may also be completely disposed in the mounting groove 13 . The first probe 21 may be embedded in the mounting groove 13 or may be flush with the first side wall 12 .

[0062] In other embodiments, the first probe 21 may not protrude from the first side wall 12 . For example, the first probe 21 may be flush with the first side wall 12 or recessed relative to the first side wall 12 . In this way, the entire first probe 21 is located in the mounting groove 13 .

[0063] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 In this embodiment, a portion of the first probe 21 is located in the mounting groove 13, and the other portion protrudes from the mounting groove 13. The distance between the end of the first probe 21 outside the mounting groove 13 and the first side wall 12 is the height L1 of the first probe 21 protruding from the first side wall 12.

[0064] In some embodiments, one end of the mounting groove 13 away from the first side wall 12 passes through the surface of the drain cover 1 , so that the first probe 21 can be inserted into the mounting groove 13 from the end of the mounting groove 13 away from the first side wall 12 .

[0065] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The first positioner also includes a second probe 22, which is movably mounted on the drain cover 1. When the first sidewall 12 faces the workpiece 200 to be welded, the second probe 22 is located on the side of the first probe 21 facing away from the workpiece 200. The movably mounted second probe 22 on the drain cover 1, i.e., the position of the second probe 22 is variable, allowing the relative position of the second probe 22 and the drain cover 1 to be adjusted as required for testing, thereby improving testing accuracy.

[0066] The second probe 22 is used in conjunction with the first probe 21 , and the first locator can make a comprehensive judgment based on the information of the second probe 22 and the first probe 21 , thereby further improving the accuracy of the detection.

[0067] For example, the second probe 22 can be used to make a preliminary observation of the external environment to facilitate rapid positioning of the relative position of the workpiece 200 to be welded and the drainage cover 1, and the first probe 21 can be used to accurately find the welding position on the workpiece 200 to be welded.

[0068] In some embodiments, when the first side wall 12 faces the workpiece 200 to be welded, the second probe 22 can be located on the side of the first probe 21 away from the workpiece 200 to be welded. In this way, the first probe 21 and the second probe 22 can be in different orientations, thereby obtaining different information. The first locator can make a comprehensive judgment based on the information of the second probe 22 and the first probe 21, thereby further improving the accuracy of detection.

[0069] In some embodiments, an annular mounting bracket 16 is movably provided on the outer periphery of the drain cover 1. The mounting bracket 16 can rotate around the central axis of the drain cover 1, and the second probe 22 is disposed on the mounting bracket 16. An annular mounting bracket 16 that can rotate around the central axis of the drain cover 1 is provided on the outer periphery of the drain cover, and the second probe 22 is disposed on the mounting bracket 16. Thus, when the mounting bracket 16 is rotated, the second probe 22 can rotate around the central axis of the drain cover 1. Thus, the position of the second probe 22 can be adjusted 360° around the central axis of the drain cover 1, so that the second probe 22 can accurately obtain position information of the drain cover 1, thereby improving detection accuracy.

[0070] In some embodiments, the underwater welding device also includes a laser welding head (not shown in the figure) connected to the drainage hood 1, and the opening at the end of the air duct 11 away from the first side wall 12 is connected to the light emitting part of the laser welding head, and the laser emitted by the light emitting part can pass through the air duct 11 and be emitted toward the workpiece 200 to be welded.

[0071] It should be noted that laser welding is a high-energy-density welding method with obvious advantages over other underwater welding methods: the laser beam can be precisely positioned, the weld heat-affected zone is smaller, and it will not affect the surrounding undamaged materials; laser underwater welding has low heat input and small welding deformation, and can overcome problems such as cracks caused by arc welding gas. At the same time, the laser beam can be transmitted arbitrarily through an optical system or by using optical fibers. The laser beam can be easily guided into the radiation zone and active zone of a nuclear power plant, realizing welding in locations that are difficult or inconvenient to access by other welding methods, and is easy to control and adapt to welding maintenance at precise locations.

[0072] In this embodiment, the laser emitted by the light emitting part is emitted toward the workpiece 200 to be welded through the air channel 11, that is, the air channel 11 serves as the laser emission channel of the underwater welding device. The air channel 11 serves as both a gas flow channel and a laser emission channel. In this way, the volume of the drainage cover 1 can be saved, which is conducive to the miniaturized design of the underwater welding device.

[0073] In some embodiments, the underwater welding device also includes a driving module (not shown in the figure), which can be directly connected to the laser welding head. At this time, the driving module is indirectly connected to the drain cover 1 through the laser welding head. The driving module drives the drain cover 1 to move while driving the laser head to move.

[0074] Continue to refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the underwater welding device further includes a wire feeding module 4, which includes a pipeline 42 and a wire feeder 41 connected to the pipeline 42. The wire feeder 41 is also connected to the drainage cover 1. The wire feeder 41 is used to feed the welding wire into the inflation area 100. The wire feeding module 4 is provided in the underwater welding device. The welding wire can be fed into the wire feeder 41 through the pipeline 42. The wire feeder 41 of the wire feeding module 4 can feed the welding wire to the inflation area 100, so that during the welding process of the workpiece 200 to be welded, the welding wire can be automatically and continuously replenished into the inflation area 100. This can reduce the difficulty of welding and help improve the degree of automation of the underwater welding device.

[0075] In some embodiments, the wire feeder 41 is movably mounted on the drain cover 1. The drain cover 1 is further provided with an angle adjustment assembly (not shown) connected to the wire feeder 41. The angle adjustment assembly is used to adjust the wire delivery angle of the wire feeder 41 so that the intersection of the welding wire and the laser can fall on the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded. The angle adjustment assembly connected to the wire feeder 41 is provided on the drain cover 1. The wire delivery angle of the wire feeder 41 can be adjusted by the angle adjustment assembly, thereby adjusting the direction of the welding wire, so that the laser can act on the welding wire and the workpiece 200 to be welded at the same time, which is beneficial to improving the quality of welding.

[0076] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The drain cover 1 is provided with a second channel 15 connected to the air duct 11, and the wire feeder 41 is provided in the second channel 15. The drain cover 1 is also provided with a first hole 17 and a second hole 18, both of which are connected to the second channel 15. The central axes of the first hole 17 and the second hole 18 are set at an angle, and the ends of the first hole 17 and the second hole 18 away from the second channel 15 both pass through the surface of the drain cover 1. The angle adjustment assembly includes a plurality of top screws, which can be respectively set in the first hole 17 and the second hole 18, and the ends of the top screws are pressed against the wire feeder 41. The angle of the wire feeder 41 can be adjusted by pushing the top screws; illustratively, the first hole 17 and the second hole 18 can be set vertically.

[0077] In other embodiments, the angle adjustment assembly may also include a mounting base hingedly connected to the drain cover 1, and the wire feeder 41 may be set on the mounting base. The relative position of the mounting base and the drain cover 1 can be adjusted by rotating the mounting base, thereby adjusting the angle of the wire feeder 41 relative to the drain cover 1, that is, adjusting the position of the mounting base to achieve the adjustment of the wire output angle of the wire feeder 41.

[0078] Reference Figure 4 In some embodiments, the pipeline 42 is slidably connected to the wire feeder 41, a protrusion 422 is provided on the inner wall of the pipeline 42, and a slide groove 412 is provided on the outer periphery of the wire feeder 41. The length of the slide groove 412 extends along the axial direction of the wire feeder 41, and the protrusion 422 is inserted into the slide groove 412. A rotatable nut 421 is provided on the pipeline 42, and the wire feeder 41 is provided with a threaded section 411. The nut 421 is screwed into the threaded section 411. When the nut 421 is rotated, the rotational motion of the nut 421 can be converted into a linear movement of the wire feeder 41, so that the position of the wire feeder 41 can be adjusted in the axial direction of the wire feeder 41, thereby adjusting the distance between the end of the wire feeder 41 and the laser, thereby reducing the risk of the wire feeder 41 being burned by the laser.

[0079] In some embodiments, the underwater welding apparatus further includes a second locator for detecting the welding position of the workpiece 200 to be welded. The second locator is connected to the drain cover 1 and includes a third probe 3. The detection center of the third probe 3 is aligned with the laser's landing point on the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded. Aligning the detection center of the third probe 3 with the laser's landing point on the surface of the workpiece 200 to be welded allows the second locator to be used to locate the welding position, improving welding accuracy. Furthermore, the second locator can be used to observe the welding process and, after welding, to perform a preliminary inspection of the weld area's quality. In some embodiments, the underwater welding apparatus further includes a drive module. The second locator can be communicatively connected to the drive module. Before and during the welding operation, the drive module can use the second locator to precisely control the welding position of the underwater welding apparatus on the workpiece 200 to be welded, thereby further improving welding accuracy.

[0080] It should be noted that the driving module and the second locator can be connected by wire through cables or optical fibers, or can be connected wirelessly through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or mobile networks. The detection results of the second locator can be transmitted to the driving module through the above-mentioned connection path. After receiving the information detected by the second locator, the driving module can make corresponding response actions, such as adjusting the position of the drain cover 1, so as to ensure that the welding position will not be offset.

[0081] In some embodiments, the light emitting portion of the laser welding head can emit visible light. Thus, before the welding operation, the visible light emitted by the light emitting portion can be observed through the second positioner to calibrate the detection direction of the third probe 3. Thus, before the welding operation, the second positioner can be used to accurately locate the welding position.

[0082] In some embodiments, a first channel 14 communicating with the air channel 11 is provided in the drain cover 1, and the third probe 3 is provided in the first channel 14. The first channel 14 is provided in the drain cover 1 to provide an installation position for the third probe 3, thereby facilitating the installation of the third probe 3; the first channel 14 is connected to the air channel 11, that is, the first channel 14 is connected to the light output channel of the laser, so that when gas is passed into the air channel 11, the gas can enter the first channel 14, thereby blowing the water in the first channel 14 out of the first channel 14, so that the first channel 14 can be filled with gas, and the first channel 14 does not contain water or contains less water. In this way, the third probe 3 will not be disturbed by the flow of water, and the detection accuracy of the third probe 3 can be guaranteed, which is conducive to improving the accuracy of welding.

[0083] In some embodiments, the end of the first channel 14 away from the air channel 11 passes through the surface of the drain cover 1. In this way, the third probe 3 can be inserted into the first channel 14 from the end of the first channel 14 away from the air channel 11, which facilitates the installation of the third probe 3.

[0084] In some embodiments, the gas introduced into the gas channel 11 may be an inert gas, such as argon, helium, neon, krypton, xenon, or radon, or may be nitrogen or other gas that does not affect the laser welding operation.

[0085] In some embodiments, the underwater welding device further includes a gas storage tank, in which gas is stored. The opening of the gas storage tank is connected to the air duct 11 of the drainage hood 1, and the opening of the gas storage tank is provided with a valve. When the valve is opened, the gas in the gas storage tank can enter the air duct 11 of the drainage hood 1; illustratively, the valve can be an electromagnetic valve or a rotary switch.

[0086] In some embodiments, welding operations may be performed using an underwater welding device according to the following steps:

[0087] Step 1: On shore, adjust the laser power of the laser welding head, set the laser parameters, and adjust the distance between the welding wire and the laser through the wire feeder 41 and the angle adjustment component. Open the electromagnetic valve of the gas storage tank before entering the water.

[0088] Step 2: The underwater welding device is carried on a three-axis platform to the top of the workpiece 200 to be welded;

[0089] The three-axis platform may be a work platform having X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis degrees of freedom;

[0090] Step 3: The underwater robot is equipped with a laser welding head and a drainage cover 1, and uses a first positioner to locate the relative position between the drainage cover 1 and the workpiece 200 to be welded, and uses a second positioner to accurately locate the welding position on the workpiece 200 to be welded;

[0091] Step 4: The underwater robot is equipped with a laser head and a drainage cover 1 to perform welding at a certain speed along a set path, and the weld quality is observed using a second positioner after welding;

[0092] Step 5: Use the first positioner, the second positioner and the underwater robot to move the laser welding head and the drain cover 1 to the next position where welding is required;

[0093] Step 6: Repeat steps 4 and 5 until all the required welding positions are completed;

[0094] Step 7: After welding is completed, the three-axis platform carrying the underwater welding device returns to the starting position.

[0095] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. An underwater welding device, characterized in that: include: a drain cover having an air passage for gas to pass through and a first side wall provided with an opening for the air passage, the drain cover being movable so that the first side wall faces the workpiece to be welded and is spaced apart from the surface of the workpiece to be welded, so that an air-filled area is formed between the first side wall and the surface of the workpiece to be welded, and when gas is introduced into the air passage, the gas fills at least the air passage and the air-filled area; and The first locator is connected to the drain cover and is used to detect the position information of the drain cover. The first locator includes a first probe, and the first probe is arranged in the inflation area.

2. The underwater welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first probe is disposed on the first side wall.

3. The underwater welding device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first probe protrudes from the first side wall.

4. The underwater welding device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The height of the first probe protruding from the first side wall is 1 mm to 2 mm.

5. The underwater welding device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The drain cover is further provided with a mounting groove formed by being recessed from the first side wall, and the first probe is arranged in the mounting groove.

6. The underwater welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first positioner further includes a second probe, which is movably arranged on the drainage cover. When the first side wall faces the workpiece to be welded, the second probe is located on a side of the first probe away from the workpiece to be welded.

7. The underwater welding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The underwater welding device also includes a laser welding head connected to the drainage cover. The opening of the air duct at one end away from the first side wall is connected to the light emitting part of the laser welding head. The laser emitted by the light emitting part can pass through the air duct and be emitted toward the workpiece to be welded.

8. The underwater welding device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The underwater welding device also includes a wire feeding module, which includes a pipeline and a wire feeder connected to the pipeline. The wire feeder is also connected to the drainage cover, and the wire feeder is used to transport the welding wire into the inflation area.

9. The underwater welding device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The wire feeder is movably arranged on the drainage cover, and the drainage cover is also provided with an angle adjustment component connected to the wire feeder. The angle adjustment component is used to adjust the wire output angle of the wire feeder so that the intersection of the welding wire and the laser can fall on the surface of the workpiece to be welded.

10. The underwater welding device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The underwater welding device further includes a second locator for detecting the welding position of the workpiece to be welded, the second locator being connected to the drainage cover, the second locator including a third probe, the detection center of the third probe being located at a point on the surface of the workpiece to be welded that coincides with the point at which the laser beam lands on the surface of the workpiece to be welded; The drain cover is further provided with a first channel communicating with the airway, and the third probe is arranged in the first channel.

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