Climbing traction module-based cable type tracked robot for detecting in intelligent pipeline

Abstract

The utility model discloses an intelligent cable type tracked robot for detecting in a pipeline based on a climbing traction module. The intelligent cable type tracked robot comprises a walking module, the climbing traction module, an adsorption module, a camera shooting unit, a laser radar unit, a control panel and an upper computer. The climbing traction module is installed on the walking module, the adsorption module is installed at the bottom of the walking module, the camera shooting unit is installed on the front portion of the climbing traction module, and the laser radar unit is installed on the front portion of the walking module. The walking module, the adsorption module, the camera shooting unit and the laser radar unit are connected with the control panel through cables, and the control panel and the camera shooting unit communicate with an upper computer; the climbing traction module comprises a steering engine, a mechanical arm and an electromagnet fixing body; the steering engine is connected with the control panel through a cable; the adsorption module comprises four permanent magnets, an electromagnet and a magnet fixing plate; the four permanent magnets are located at the four corners of the magnet fixing plate, and the electromagnet is located in the center of the magnet fixing plate and connected with the control panel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of crawler robots, and in particular relates to an intelligent cable-type crawler robot for detecting inside pipelines based on a climbing and traction module. Background Art

[0002] With technological advancements, pipeline maintenance technology is also evolving. Modern maintenance techniques place greater emphasis on preventive and predictive maintenance. Advanced monitoring and diagnostic technologies can proactively identify potential equipment failures and reduce the likelihood of sudden breakdowns. Maintenance methods are becoming increasingly diverse, including disassembly and non-disassembly maintenance, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, corrective maintenance, predictive maintenance, and overhauls. Different maintenance methods are suitable for different equipment and fault conditions, improving the relevance and efficiency of maintenance.

[0003] However, analysis reveals that while existing maintenance methods can ensure the completion of maintenance tasks to a certain extent, they are labor-intensive and inefficient. For example, some power plants face severe equipment aging, resulting in poor operational stability and frequent failures, placing significant pressure on maintenance efforts. The continuous upgrading of power generation equipment and the application of new technologies and equipment require maintenance personnel to continuously learn and master new knowledge and techniques to meet these challenges. The maintenance costs of some high-value, high-tech power generation equipment are also relatively high. Reducing maintenance costs while ensuring the safe and stable operation of equipment is also a critical issue for power plants. Utility Model Content

[0004] Purpose of the utility model: In order to solve the defects of the existing maintenance methods, the utility model proposes an intelligent pipeline detection cable-type crawler robot based on a climbing and traction module. By entering the interior of the pipeline, it can realize the safety inspection of the internal structure without disassembling the equipment. The robot's actions can be operated in real time, and the internal image data of the equipment can be transmitted back in real time, thereby reducing the equipment maintenance cost and improving the safety and convenience of equipment maintenance.

[0005] Technical solution: An intelligent pipeline in-line detection cable-type crawler robot based on a climbing and traction module, including: a walking module, a climbing and traction module, an adsorption module, a camera unit, a laser radar unit, a control panel and a host computer;

[0006] The climbing and traction module is installed on the walking module, the adsorption module is installed at the bottom of the walking module, the camera unit is installed at the front of the climbing and traction module, and the laser radar unit is installed at the front of the walking module; the walking module, adsorption module, camera unit and laser radar unit are connected to the control board via cables, and the control board and camera unit communicate with the host computer;

[0007] The climbing and traction module includes: two servos placed side by side on the walking module, a mechanical arm connected to the servo shaft, and an electromagnet fixed to the front of the mechanical arm; the servos are connected to the control panel via cables;

[0008] The adsorption module includes: four permanent magnets, an electromagnet and a magnet fixing plate; the four permanent magnets are located at the four corners of the magnet fixing plate, the electromagnet is located in the center of the magnet fixing plate, and the electromagnet is connected to the control board.

[0009] Furthermore, the walking module includes: a front reduction motor, a rear reduction motor, a walking inner cavity, a crawler belt, a driving wheel, a driven wheel, left and right outer plates and a radian guide plate;

[0010] The front reduction motor and the rear reduction motor are both arranged in the walking inner cavity; the front reduction motor is connected to the driving wheel, and the rear reduction motor is connected to the driven wheel; the crawler belt is connected to the driving wheel and the driven wheel;

[0011] The left and right outer plates are arranged on the outside of the walking inner cavity, and the crawler track is located between the left and right outer plates and the walking inner cavity;

[0012] The arc guide plate is arranged at the front of the walking module, and four guide wheels are arranged on the arc surface of the arc guide plate.

[0013] Furthermore, the robotic arm includes: an active rod, a driven rod and an extension rod; the active rod is connected to the servo shaft, the upper part of the active rod is fixed to the driven rod, the extension rod is fixed to the front end of the driven rod, and an electromagnet fixing body is fixed to the front end of the extension rod.

[0014] Furthermore, the servo is a 270° servo.

[0015] Furthermore, the inner running cavity is composed of multiple FR-4 circuit boards.

[0016] Furthermore, the upper part of the arc guide plate is a horizontal plane, and the laser radar unit is installed on the horizontal plane of the arc guide plate.

[0017] Furthermore, the laser radar unit is a single-point laser radar.

[0018] Beneficial effects: Compared with the prior art, the utility model has the following advantages:

[0019] (1) The utility model adopts a walking module, a climbing and traction module, an adsorption module, a camera unit and a laser radar unit. All materials have a temperature resistance higher than 100°C, which can meet the daily use needs of large equipment without stopping maintenance;

[0020] (2) The walking module and adsorption module adopted by the present invention can enable the robot to move forward and backward at a speed of twice the vehicle length per second on flat ground, curved surfaces, and upside down adsorption in a pipe, and to turn and turn around on the spot by relying on the differential speed of the two tracks;

[0021] (3) The climbing and traction module adopted by the present invention can lift the vehicle body through the mechanical arm in the climbing and traction module when encountering an obstacle higher than the robot, and then rely on the tracks to pass the obstacle; the combined action of the mechanical arm and the front electromagnet increases the traction force of the robot, which is convenient for later engineering expansion; the camera angle is adjusted by the mechanical arm to help the robot obtain a wider field of view during the movement;

[0022] (4) The single-point laser radar used in the present invention can scan the environment inside the pipeline and perform three-dimensional modeling. Combined with the pipeline drawings, it can achieve precise positioning inside the pipeline, reach the designated location in the pipeline more quickly and accurately, and complete the maintenance task. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 This is one of the overall three-dimensional diagrams of the utility model;

[0024] Figure 2 This is the second overall stereogram of the utility model;

[0025] Figure 3 This is the third overall stereogram of the utility model;

[0026] Figure 4 This is one of the exploded perspective views of the walking module provided by the utility model;

[0027] Figure 5 The second exploded perspective view of the walking module is provided for the present utility model;

[0028] Figure 6 Provides a design drawing of the upper fixed plate in the walking module of the utility model;

[0029] Figure 7 Provide the design drawings of the left and right inner panels in the walking module of the utility model;

[0030] Figure 8 Provides an exploded perspective view of the climbing and traction module of the utility model;

[0031] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the bottom of the adsorption module is provided for the utility model;

[0032] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the connections between the various components and the host computer platform of an intelligent pipeline detection cable-type crawler robot based on a climbing and traction module provided by the utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clear, the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these descriptions are only exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0034] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," "fifth," and "sixth" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first," "second," "third," "fourth," "fifth," and "sixth" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features.

[0035] Furthermore, in this utility model, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, terms such as "mounted" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integral connection; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will be able to understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this utility model based on specific circumstances.

[0036] In the present invention, up, down, left and right are descriptions of specific directions in actual use according to the drawings in the specification.

[0037] See also Figures 1-10 This embodiment proposes an intelligent pipeline in-line detection cable-type crawler robot based on a climbing and traction module, which is used for pipeline maintenance of large equipment without stopping or dismantling. It mainly includes: a walking module 1, a climbing and traction module 2, an adsorption module, a camera unit 3, a laser radar unit 4, a control board and a host computer.

[0038] In this embodiment, the climbing and traction module 2 is installed on the walking module 1, the adsorption module is installed at the bottom of the walking module 1, the camera unit 3 is installed in the front of the climbing and traction module 2, and the laser radar unit 4 is installed in the front of the walking module 1. By adjusting the mechanical arm of the climbing and traction module 2, it can help the robot to cross obstacles such as steps, increase the robot's traction force, and increase the camera unit's field of view. The camera unit 3 can send back pictures of the pipeline in real time, and the laser radar unit 4 can scan and model the environment in which the robot is located to achieve accurate positioning of the robot inside the pipeline. Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, in this embodiment, the walking module 1 includes two front and rear reduction motors 13, left and right inner plates 8, two crawler tracks 7, two driving wheels 9, two driven wheels 10, left and right outer plates 12, arc guide plates 6, a rear plate and an upper fixed plate 5. In this embodiment, the upper fixed plate 5 and the left and right inner plates 8 are all made of FR-4 circuit boards, and the left and right outer plates 12, the arc guide plates 6 and the rear plate are all made of ABS. Figure 6 As shown, four conductive welding points 14 for cable connection are provided at the rear of the upper fixed plate 5, with two conductive welding points in a group. Each group of conductive welding points is connected to two conductive welding points 15 located at the left front and right rear of the upper plate through the wiring of the upper fixed plate 5. These two conductive welding points 15 are connected to the conductive welding points 15 on the left and right inner plates 8, and the two reduction motors 13 are connected to the conductive welding points 17 of the left and right inner plates 8 through wiring to realize the control of the motor by external signals.

[0039] In this embodiment, if Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the upper fixing plate 5 has two non-conductive solder joints 16 on the right front and left rear, which connect to the non-conductive solder joints 16 on the left and right inner plates 8, securing the upper fixing plate 5 to the left and right inner plates 8. The tracks 7 are bonded to both the left and right inner plates 8 and the left and right outer plates 12. The driving wheel 9 is connected to the reduction motor 13, and the driven wheel 10 is screwed to the outer plate 12. Both the driving wheel 9 and the driven wheel 10 are mounted in the cavity between the inner and outer plates, surrounded by the tracks. The inner and outer plates are secured via fixing holes 11. The curved guide plate 6 is mounted on the front of the walking module 1, with four guide wheels disposed on its curved surface.

[0040] The operating principle of the walking module 1 proposed in this embodiment is as follows: the driving wheel 9 is driven by the reduction motor 1313, which in turn drives the driven wheel 10 and the track 7. The reduction motor 13 at the front controls the left track, while the reduction motor 13 at the rear controls the right track. The robot can turn and turn in place by using the differential speed of the left and right tracks. The curved guide plate 6 at the front of the walking module 1 operates as follows: when the robot encounters a circular arc surface in the pipeline, the guide wheels on the curved guide plate 6 can guide the robot into the arc surface, preventing the track from slipping.

[0041] like Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the climbing and traction module 2 proposed in this embodiment comprises two 270° servos 18 placed side by side on an upper fixed plate 5, a mechanical arm connected to the servo shaft, and an electromagnet fixture 22 at the front of the mechanical arm. The mechanical arm is connected to the servo shaft via two active rods 19. The upper portions of the two active rods 19 are screwed to a driven rod 20. The driven rod 20 is screwed to an extension rod 21 at the front of the driven rod 20. The front portion of the extension rod 21 serves as an electromagnet fixture 22, which houses a cylindrical electromagnet.

[0042] The working principle of the climbing traction module 2 of this embodiment for climbing over obstacles such as steps higher than the robot is as follows: in the normal state, the angles between the two active rods 19 of the robotic arm and the direction of the robot head are 80° and 160° respectively. When encountering a step higher than the robot, the different angles of the two active rods 19 are controlled by the servo, the positions of the driven rod 20 and the extension rod 21 are adjusted, and the electromagnet at the front of the extension rod 21 is used to adsorb on the obstacle surface. Then, the front part of the robot body is lifted by the robotic arm, so that the arc guide plate 6 and the crawler track 7 can be lifted to touch the obstacle surface, and then the obstacle is passed by utilizing the guiding function of the arc guide plate 6 and the obstacle-crossing function of the crawler track 7.

[0043] like Figure 9 The suction module is installed in the cavity formed by the left and right inner plates 8 of the walking module 1 and the upper fixing plate 5. It includes four circular permanent magnets 24, a rectangular electromagnet 23, and a rectangular magnet fixing plate 25. The circular permanent magnets 24 are located at the four corners of the magnet fixing plate 25, and the rectangular electromagnet 23 is located in the center of the magnet fixing plate 25. The suction module enables the robot to pass through the curved surface inside the pipe. It is attached to a 90-degree vertical surface. At this time, the robot is attached by the suction force of the permanent magnets 24, and the rectangular electromagnet 23 is in the off state.

[0044] The working process of the climbing traction module 2 and the adsorption module in this embodiment, which increase the robot's traction force, can be divided into two states. State 1: The rectangular electromagnet 23 is adsorbed, increasing friction and preventing the robot from slipping. During this state, the robot arm extends forward until the electromagnet fixture 22 in front of the arm touches the ground. State 2: The electromagnet in the electromagnet fixture 22 is adsorbed, and the rectangular electromagnet 23 ceases adsorption. By pulling the robot forward, the combined forces of the motor 13 and the servo 18 create traction, pulling the robot forward. This two-state cycle repeats, with the robot arm moving back and forth to increase the robot's traction force.

[0045] In this embodiment, the upper portion of the curved guide plate 6 is a horizontal surface, and the laser radar unit 4 is mounted on this upper horizontal surface of the curved guide plate 6. The laser radar unit 6 scans the robot's environment and creates a three-dimensional model. By comparing it with a blueprint of the pipeline being inspected, the robot's position can be accurately determined.

[0046] The camera unit 3 of this embodiment is mounted on the front of the electromagnet fixed body 22 via a fixed bracket. The different states of the mechanical arm can be adjusted by the servo 18 to increase the camera's field of view. The camera unit 3 used in this embodiment is a wireless camera with night vision function, which communicates with the host computer 27 via WiFi.

[0047] The laser radar unit 4 used in this embodiment is a single-point laser radar.

[0048] like Figure 10 As shown, the reduction motor 13, the steering gear 18 and the rectangular electromagnet 23 of this embodiment are connected to the control board 26 through cables, and are powered and controlled by the control board 26. The control board 26 then communicates with the host computer platform 27 through cables.

Claims

1. An intelligent pipeline in-line detection cable-type crawler robot based on a climbing and traction module, characterized by: include: Walking module, climbing and traction module, adsorption module, camera unit, lidar unit, control panel and host computer; The climbing and traction module is installed on the walking module, the adsorption module is installed at the bottom of the walking module, the camera unit is installed at the front of the climbing and traction module, and the laser radar unit is installed at the front of the walking module; the walking module, adsorption module, camera unit and laser radar unit are connected to the control board via cables, and the control board and camera unit communicate with the host computer; The climbing and traction module includes: two servos placed side by side on the walking module, a mechanical arm connected to the servo shaft, and an electromagnet fixed to the front of the mechanical arm; the servos are connected to the control panel via cables; The adsorption module includes: four permanent magnets, an electromagnet and a magnet fixing plate; the four permanent magnets are located at the four corners of the magnet fixing plate, the electromagnet is located in the center of the magnet fixing plate, and the electromagnet is connected to the control board.

2. The intelligent pipeline in-line detection cable-type crawler robot based on a climbing and traction module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The walking module includes: a front reduction motor, a rear reduction motor, a walking inner cavity, a crawler belt, a driving wheel, a driven wheel, left and right outer plates and a radian guide plate; The front reduction motor and the rear reduction motor are both arranged in the walking inner cavity; the front reduction motor is connected to the driving wheel, and the rear reduction motor is connected to the driven wheel; the crawler belt is connected to the driving wheel and the driven wheel; The left and right outer plates are arranged on the outside of the walking inner cavity, and the crawler track is located between the left and right outer plates and the walking inner cavity; The arc guide plate is arranged at the front of the walking module, and four guide wheels are arranged on the arc surface of the arc guide plate; The front reduction motor and the rear reduction motor are connected to the control board via cables.

3. The intelligent pipeline in-line detection cable-type crawler robot based on a climbing and traction module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mechanical arm includes: an active rod, a driven rod and an extension rod; the active rod is connected to the steering gear shaft, the upper part of the active rod is fixed to the driven rod, the extension rod is fixed to the front end of the driven rod, and an electromagnet fixing body is fixed to the front end of the extension rod.

4. The intelligent pipeline in-line detection cable-type crawler robot based on a climbing and traction module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steering gear is a 270° steering gear.

5. The intelligent pipeline in-line detection cable-type crawler robot based on a climbing and traction module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The running inner cavity is composed of multiple FR-4 circuit boards.

6. The intelligent pipeline in-line detection cable-type crawler robot based on a climbing and traction module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper portion of the radian guide plate is a horizontal plane, and the laser radar unit is installed on the horizontal plane of the radian guide plate.

7. The intelligent pipeline in-line detection cable-type crawler robot based on a climbing and traction module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The laser radar unit is a single-point laser radar.

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