Concrete-filled steel tube structure defect detection robot based on ultrasonic array

Abstract

The utility model provides a concrete filled steel tube structure defect detection robot based on an ultrasonic array, which belongs to the technical field of engineering detection and comprises a robot trolley, a mechanical arm, an ultrasonic array instrument, a battery and a main control board, one end of the mechanical arm is rotatably arranged on the robot trolley, the ultrasonic array instrument is arranged at the other end of the mechanical arm, and the battery is arranged on the main control board. The battery and the main control board are both arranged on the robot trolley, and the ultrasonic array instrument is connected with the main control board through a wire. The ultrasonic scanning technology and the robot are combined, and the problems that an existing ultrasonic robot is low in detection efficiency, and an ultrasonic scanner is inconvenient to apply in actual detection engineering and small in detection range are solved. Meanwhile, a two-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm is arranged, wall attachment of the scanner can be completed, and enough adsorption force and power can be provided through matching of a permanent magnet and a motor to move on the steel pipe concrete structure. Detection can be completed only through a single robot, and the detection efficiency is greatly improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to nondestructive testing equipment field especially relates to the steel pipe concrete structure internal hidden defect detection robot based on ultrasonic array. BACKGROUND

[0002] The detection of internal defects and voids in steel pipe concrete is crucial for ensuring the integrity, safety, and long-term performance of this structural material commonly used in infrastructure. Internal defects such as voids, cracks, and debonding between the concrete and steel pipe can significantly impact the material's load-bearing capacity and durability, increasing the risk of potential structural failure. By utilizing advanced detection techniques, these defects can be identified in a timely manner, allowing for repairs before the problem worsens. This not only helps extend the service life of the structure but also significantly reduces the high maintenance costs required for large-scale repairs later on.

[0003] Ultrasonic testing can effectively detect cracks, voids, and other structural defects within steel pipe concrete and is widely used in practical engineering detection. However, existing ultrasonic testing primarily uses double-probe opposite detection, requiring at least two people to hold the probes for emission and reception, resulting in extremely low detection efficiency. To address the above issues, some technologies use two robot cars each carrying a probe to complete opposite detection, but it is difficult to achieve complete opposition of the probes in actual engineering, and the probes need to be coated with coupling agent, making it difficult to significantly improve detection efficiency. Meanwhile, ultrasonic testing typically only provides single waveform data, making it impossible to achieve precise defect detection. Ultrasonic scanning imaging can provide two-dimensional or three-dimensional images, enhancing effectiveness in complex engineering detection. However, the large size of the scanner makes handheld operation inconvenient in actual engineering detection, reducing efficiency and limiting the detection range, making it difficult to complete comprehensive detection of the entire structure. SUMMARY

[0004] The utility model aims at providing steel pipe concrete structure defect detection robot based on ultrasonic array, solves the problems of low detection efficiency of existing detection robot, inconvenient application of ultrasonic scanner in actual detection engineering, and small detection range. The combination of ultrasonic technology and robot is optimized.

[0005] To achieve the above purpose, the utility model adopts the following technical scheme:

[0006] The steel pipe concrete structure defect detection robot based on ultrasonic array comprises a robot car, a mechanical arm, an ultrasonic array instrument, a battery, and a main control panel. The mechanical arm is rotatably arranged at one end of the robot car. The ultrasonic array instrument is arranged at the other end of the mechanical arm. The battery and the main control panel are arranged on the robot car. The ultrasonic array instrument is connected to the main control panel through wires.

[0007] Further, the robot trolley comprises a trolley body, rubber wheels, a strong magnet, a driving motor and a motor set, the rubber wheels are arranged at four corners of the trolley body, the strong magnet is arranged at a bottom end of the trolley body, the driving motor is arranged on the trolley body, the motor set is arranged at a lower end of the trolley body, the driving motor is drivingly connected with the motor set, and the motor set is connected with the rubber wheels.

[0008] Further, the mechanical arm comprises a first connecting arm, a second connecting arm and a transmission motor, one end of the first connecting arm is connected with the upper end of the trolley body and is rotatably arranged, the second connecting arm is hingedly connected with the other end of the first connecting arm, the transmission motor is arranged on the first connecting arm and drives the first connecting arm and the second connecting arm to move through a transmission belt, and the second connecting arm drives the ultrasonic array instrument to move.

[0009] Further, the main control board is arranged on a trolley chassis of the trolley body, the main control board is provided with a control chip and a position sensor, the position sensor is connected with the control chip, and the position sensor is used for GPS positioning.

[0010] Further, the main control board is further provided with an SD card slot, and the trolley position and collected images are stored through the SD card.

[0011] Further, the strong magnet is externally provided with a plastic 3D printed part, so that the magnet and the steel pipe cannot be directly adsorbed to cause movement, a screw is arranged above to control the distance between the magnet and the surface of the steel pipe, and thus the adsorption force is controlled.

[0012] Further, the main control board is wirelessly connected with an external remote controller, movement is controlled wirelessly, instructions are transmitted through the SD card or controlled by downloading an APP of a smart phone.

[0013] The utility model discloses a kind of robots, which is used for the detection of steel pipe concrete structure, comprising trolley body, ultrasonic array instrument, mechanical arm and main control board, trolley body is provided with two wheels, and the bottom of trolley body is provided with strong magnet.

[0014] The utility model discloses the combination of ultrasonic technology and robot is optimized, and the ultrasonic tomograph can image the inside of steel pipe concrete, and compared to the measuring method, the inside defect can be imaged directly, so that the inside defect can be positioned and quantitatively evaluated better. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 It is the front structure schematic view of robot in the utility model embodiment;

[0016] Figure 2 It is the bottom plate structure schematic view of robot in the utility model embodiment;

[0017] Figure 3 It is the front view and side view schematic diagram of the ultrasonic scanner in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0018] Figure 4 It is the result display drawing after scanning in the embodiment of the utility model.

[0019] In the drawings, 1-robot trolley, 11-rubber wheel, 12-powerful magnet, 13-driving motor, 14-motor set, 2-mechanical arm, 21-first connecting arm, 22-second connecting arm, 23-transmission motor, 3-ultrasonic array instrument, 4-battery, 5-main control panel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the utility model more clearly, the following preferred embodiments are referred to the drawings and are further explained in detail. However, it should be pointed out that many details listed in the specification are only for the reader to have a thorough understanding of one or more aspects of the utility model, and the aspects of the utility model can be realized without these specific details.

[0021] As Figure 1 shown, the steel pipe concrete structure defect detection robot based on ultrasonic array includes robot trolley 1, mechanical arm 2, ultrasonic array instrument 3, battery 4 and main control panel 5. The robot trolley 1 includes high-performance rubber wheel 11, powerful magnet 12, driving motor 13 and motor set 14 for controlling each wheel separately. The mechanical arm 2 includes two connecting arms 21 and 22 and transmission motor 23. The mechanical arm 2 is fixed in the middle of the robot trolley 1, connected by two connecting arms 21 and 22, and controlled by two transmission motors 23. The end mechanical arm can drive the movement of the end ultrasonic array instrument 3. The control panel 5 is mounted on the trolley chassis, and the embedded control chip is connected to other modules through wires for control. The position sensor performs GPS positioning, the motor driving module controls the motor through the motor driver.

[0022] The control panel 5 is also equipped with an SD card slot for unlimited transmission of the trolley position, images collected and the like through the SD card. The powerful magnet 12 has a plastic 3D printed part outside for avoiding direct adsorption of the magnet and the steel pipe, which causes the trolley to be unable to move. The distance between the magnet and the surface of the steel pipe is controlled by using screws on the top, thereby controlling the adsorption force. The robot trolley can be controlled by a wireless remote controller, and the instructions are transmitted through the SD card. The robot trolley can also be controlled by downloading an APP on a smart phone.

[0023] As Figures 1-4As shown, the ultrasonic array-based steel pipe concrete structure defect detection robot is used to detect the actual steel pipe concrete column and steel pipe concrete arch bridge and the like, and the specific process is as follows: the robot trolley is placed at the bottom of the steel pipe concrete structure, the adsorption force is adjusted, the position of the magnet is adjusted, the wireless transmission control function is tested, and it is ensured that each function of the robot is normal. The robot trolley is controlled to start moving, data is collected once at a fixed distance, the mechanical arm is rotated to cover different positions, and it is ensured that the detection instrument is completely attached to the wall. The collected information is transmitted to the remote control center through the SD card, the collected two-dimensional image is analyzed by using the existing image analysis method, and a three-dimensional model of the void is spliced. The detection is performed at different positions on the side and the bottom until the entire structure is detected.

[0024] The ultrasonic array instrument 3 is fixed at the end of the mechanical arm, and an ultrasonic array imaging algorithm is embedded. The method uses the difference of ultrasonic signals to process data into two-dimensional tomographic images through an algorithm, and directly displays the void area between the steel pipe and the pipe wall. The ultrasonic array instrument can effectively identify the thickness and internal defects of the steel pipe concrete void, and provide a basis for subsequent grouting and repair.

[0025] The generated detection image is shown in Figures A and 4B, which is the ultrasonic tomographic result. As can be seen from the figure, the width and depth of the void in the region are shown. Figure 4

[0026] After the picture is returned to the remote end in real time, the detection personnel can decide whether to recheck or roughly judge the situation of the region according to experience according to the detection situation, and decide the path planning to improve the detection efficiency. The detection personnel can also combine the existing deep learning and image segmentation means to further improve the detection accuracy.

[0027] The mechanical arm is controlled by two motors, which are connected to the main control board through a motor driver. Each of the four wheels is equipped with a motor for separate control of the four wheels.

[0028] Round magnets with different diameters and thicknesses are prepared, and corresponding 3D printed parts are printed out. The specifications of the magnets are not limited, but the magnetic force should be greater than 100N, and the neodymium iron boron magnet (strong magnet) is a preferred solution. The lengths of the two ends of the mechanical arm are 300mm and 300mm respectively. The length of the mechanical arm can also be adjusted, but the end load capacity will be reduced after the mechanical arm is lengthened, so 300mm is a preferred solution.

[0029] The above only describes preferred embodiments of the present application, and it should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and refinements without departing from the principles of the present application. These improvements and refinements should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present application.​

Claims

1. A robot for detecting defects in steel-concrete composite structures based on an ultrasonic array, characterized in that: The system includes a robot car (1), a robotic arm (2), an ultrasonic array device (3), a battery (4), and a main control board (5). One end of the robotic arm (2) is mounted on the robot car (1) and can be rotated. The ultrasonic array device (3) is mounted on the other end of the robotic arm (2). The battery (4) and the main control board (5) are both mounted on the robot car (1). The ultrasonic array device (3) is connected to the main control board (5) via wires.

2. The ultrasonic array-based defect detection robot for steel-concrete composite structures according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robot car (1) includes a frame, rubber wheels (11), strong magnets (12), drive motors (13) and motor assembly (14). The rubber wheels (11) are located at the four corners of the frame, the strong magnets (12) are located at the bottom of the frame, the drive motors (13) are located on the frame, and the motor assembly (14) is located at the bottom of the frame. The drive motors (13) and motor assembly (14) are connected and driven, and the motor assembly (14) is connected to the rubber wheels (11).

3. The ultrasonic array-based defect detection robot for steel-concrete composite structures according to claim 2, characterized in that: The robotic arm (2) includes a first connecting arm (21), a second connecting arm (22), and a drive motor (23). One end of the first connecting arm (21) is connected to the upper end of the vehicle frame and can be rotatably set. The other end of the second connecting arm (22) is hinged to the first connecting arm (21). The drive motor (23) is set on the first connecting arm (21) and drives the first connecting arm (21) and the second connecting arm (22) to move through the transmission belt. The end of the second connecting arm (22) drives the ultrasonic array instrument (3) to move.

4. The ultrasonic array-based defect detection robot for steel-concrete composite structures according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main control board (5) is set on the chassis of the vehicle frame. The main control board (5) is equipped with a control chip and a position sensor. The position sensor is connected to the control chip and is used for GPS positioning.

5. The ultrasonic array-based defect detection robot for steel-concrete composite structures according to claim 4, characterized in that: The main control board (5) is also equipped with an SD card slot, which is used to store the position of the vehicle and the acquired images.

6. The ultrasonic array-based defect detection robot for steel-concrete composite structures according to claim 2, characterized in that: The strong magnet (12) has a plastic 3D printed part on its exterior to prevent the magnet from being directly attracted to the steel pipe and thus unable to move. A screw is set on the top to control the distance between the magnet and the surface of the steel pipe, thereby controlling the attraction force.

7. The ultrasonic array-based defect detection robot for steel-concrete composite structures according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main control board (5) is wirelessly connected to an external remote control and can be moved wirelessly. Commands are transmitted via SD card or controlled by an app downloaded to a smartphone.

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