Unmanned aerial vehicle for power transmission grid inspection

Abstract

The unmanned aerial vehicle comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle body and an image acquisition assembly, the unmanned aerial vehicle is a four-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle, and an outer cover is arranged on the unmanned aerial vehicle body and comprises a protection ring, an upper protection net cage, an upper supporting column, a lower protection net cage and a plurality of lower supporting columns; the upper protective mesh cage is fixed at the upper part of the protective ring; and the lower protective mesh cage is fixed at the lower part of the protective ring. According to the unmanned aerial vehicle for power transmission grid inspection, through the design of the outer cover, protruding structural components can be effectively enveloped in the outer cover, the unmanned aerial vehicle is prevented from being hung on a line when misoperation and air crash occur, in addition, the outer cover is simple in structure and can be conveniently installed on an unmanned aerial vehicle body, rotor wing airflow is basically not influenced, and the unmanned aerial vehicle is convenient to use. And the influence of the outer cover on flight control is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of circuit inspection technology, specifically to a drone for power transmission grid inspection. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous advancement of drone technology, the use of drones for power grid inspection is becoming increasingly common. This technology enables comprehensive, high-precision inspections of power lines. At the monitoring end, inspectors can clearly observe every detail of the towers and lines, thus promptly identifying potential hazards and defects. The application of drone inspections significantly improves the efficiency of inspection work and effectively reduces the risks and costs associated with traditional manual inspections.

[0003] However, in actual operation of inspection drones, accidents may occur due to operators' lack of control skills or adverse weather conditions (such as strong winds). Currently widely used quadcopter drones have several prominent structural components, such as rotors, rotor racks, landing gear, and gimbals. If these components come into contact with power lines during flight, the drone will be damaged, potentially threatening the safe operation of the power grid and causing serious consequences such as power outages. Furthermore, rescue operations for such accidents often require temporary power outages or other preparatory work, further negatively impacting the power grid's operation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a drone for power grid inspection, in order to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a UAV for power transmission grid inspection, comprising a UAV body and an image acquisition component. The UAV is a quadcopter UAV. The UAV for power transmission grid inspection also includes an outer cover, which is mounted on the UAV body and includes a protective ring, an upper protective net cage, an upper support column, a lower protective net cage, and several lower support columns. The protective ring is an irregular ring or circular ring, surrounding the four rotors of the UAV body. The upper protective net cage is fixed to the upper part of the protective ring. The lower protective net cage is fixed to the lower part of the protective ring. The upper support columns connect the upper protective net cage and the UAV body. The lower support columns connect the lower protective net cage and the UAV body.

[0006] Furthermore, the height of the protective ring is greater than the height from the top surface of the motor to the top of the rotor on the drone body.

[0007] Furthermore, the upper protective net cage includes curved protective rods arranged in a cross shape, and the connection position between the protective rods and the protective ring is located between two adjacent rotors.

[0008] Furthermore, the top center of the upper protective net cage is connected to the upper central area of ​​the drone body via an upper support column. The bottom of the upper support column is fixedly connected to the upper part of the drone body by adhesive or vacuum adsorption, and the top is connected to the upper protective net cage by bolts.

[0009] Furthermore, the lower protective cage includes four lower protective rods and a landing gear arranged in a circular array around the central axis of the UAV. The top of the lower protective rod is fixedly connected to the protective ring and the connection position is located between two adjacent rotors. The bottom of the lower protective rod is connected to the landing gear. The landing gear has a frame structure.

[0010] Furthermore, the top of the lower support column is connected to the landing gear mounting hole of the UAV body via a threaded or snap-fit ​​structure, and the bottom is fixed to the landing gear frame with bolts.

[0011] Furthermore, the protective ring, upper protective net cage, and lower protective net cage are an integrated structure. The image acquisition component is fixed to the lower part of the UAV body and is located in the space between the UAV body and the landing gear.

[0012] Furthermore, a protruding support bend is provided at the lower part of the lower guard bar, and the bottom of the protruding support bend is slightly higher than the bottom of the landing gear.

[0013] Furthermore, the upper support column includes a base, a spring, and an upper seat. The upper part of the base is tubular, and the upper seat is inserted into the upper part of the base and connected by the spring.

[0014] Furthermore, the bolt holes connecting the landing frame to the lower support column are stepped holes, with a larger diameter near the bottom of the landing frame. After the bolt passes through the stepped hole, it is threaded to the bottom of the lower support column. After the bolt extends out of the landing frame, there is a gap between it and the bottom of the lower support column, and a lower spring is installed in the gap.

[0015] The UAV for power transmission grid inspection proposed in this utility model can effectively enclose protruding structural components within its outer casing design, preventing the UAV from getting caught on power lines in the event of operational errors or crashes. In addition, the outer casing has a simple structure, can be easily installed on the UAV body, and has virtually no impact on rotor airflow, reducing the impact of the outer casing on flight control. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall design of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a partial schematic diagram of the lower support column area of ​​this utility model.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the lower protective net cage of another embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the upper support column according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the landing gear area according to another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0022] As attached Figure 1 As shown, the UAV for power transmission grid inspection involved in this utility model includes a UAV body 1, an outer cover 2, and an image acquisition component 3.

[0023] The drone body 1 is a quadcopter drone.

[0024] The outer cover 2 is installed on the body of the drone and includes a protective ring 21, an upper protective net cage 22, an upper support column 23, a lower protective net cage 24, and several lower support columns 25.

[0025] The protective ring 21 is an irregular ring or circle, surrounding the four rotors of the UAV body. The height of the protective ring 21 is greater than the height from the top surface of the motor to the top of the rotor of the UAV body, which can prevent the motor and rotor from being caught on the wiring.

[0026] The upper protective net cage 22 is fixed to the upper part of the protective ring 21, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 1 As shown, the upper protective net cage 22 includes curved protective rods 221 arranged in a cross shape, and the connection position between the protective rods 221 and the protective ring 21 is located between two adjacent rotors, which can effectively avoid the influence of the protective rods 221 and the protective net cage 22 on the rotor airflow.

[0027] The upper protective net cage 22 is connected to the upper central area of ​​the drone body 1 via an upper support column 23 at the top center. Specifically, the bottom of the upper support column 23 is fixedly connected to the upper part of the drone body 1 by adhesive or vacuum adsorption, and the top of the upper support column 23 is connected to the upper protective net cage 22 by bolts.

[0028] The lower protective net cage 24 is fixed to the lower part of the protective ring 21, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 2As shown, the lower protective cage 24 includes four lower protective rods 241 arranged in a circular array around the central axis of the UAV and a landing gear 242. The top of the lower protective rods 241 is fixedly connected to the protective ring 21, and the connection position is located between two adjacent rotors. The bottom of the lower protective rods 241 is connected to the landing gear 242. The landing gear 242 has a frame structure.

[0029] As attached Figure 2 As shown, the top of the lower support column 25 is connected to the landing gear mounting hole of the UAV body 1 by a thread or snap-fit ​​structure, and the bottom is fixed to the landing frame 242 by bolts.

[0030] The protective ring 21, the upper protective net cage 22, and the lower protective net cage 24 can be an integral structure.

[0031] The image acquisition component 3 is fixed to the lower part of the UAV body 1, located in the space between the UAV body 1 and the landing gear 242. It includes a gimbal and an infrared / visible dual-sensor camera. The infrared / visible dual-sensor camera can acquire visible light images / videos and infrared images. By combining high-definition visible light and infrared images, inspection personnel can accurately determine abnormal conditions of the lines, such as overheating, damage, or foreign object adhesion, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of inspections.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in the attached document. Figure 3 As shown, the areas where line patrol operations are conducted are sometimes remote and inaccessible by vehicles, lacking flat landing surfaces. A protruding support rod 243 is installed at the lower part of the lower guard rod 241. The bottom of the protruding support rod 243 is slightly higher than the bottom of the landing gear 242. During normal landing on flat ground, the protruding support rod 243 does not contact the ground. During landing on uneven ground, the protruding support rod 243 provides more support points, preventing the drone from tipping over. The protruding support rod 243 is C-shaped, with both ends connected to the lower guard rod 241.

[0033] In addition to preventing it from getting caught on power lines, the outer cover can also provide cushioning and protection in the event of a crash. The protective ring 21, the upper protective net cage 22, and the lower protective net cage 24 have a certain deformation capacity.

[0034] Furthermore, to optimize cushioning performance, the upper support column 23, lower support column 25, or landing gear 242 possess a certain capacity for cushioning deformation. (See attached image) Figure 4 As shown, the upper support column 23 includes a base 231, a spring 232, and an upper seat 233. The upper part of the base 231 is tubular, and the upper seat 233 is inserted into the upper part of the base 231 and connected by the spring 232, thereby achieving buffering.

[0035] As attached Figure 5As shown, the landing frame 242 is 2-3cm thick. The bolt hole h1 connecting the landing frame 242 to the lower support column 25 is a stepped hole. The hole diameter is larger near the bottom of the landing frame 242. After the bolt l passes through the stepped hole, it is threaded to the bottom of the lower support column 25. After the connection, there is a gap between the bolt extending out of the landing frame and the bottom of the lower support column 25. A lower spring h2 is installed in the gap, thereby achieving a certain buffer.

[0036] It should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," "fixing," and "setting" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

Claims

1. A drone for inspecting power transmission grids, comprising a drone body and an image acquisition component, wherein the drone is a quadcopter drone, characterized in that, The power grid inspection drone also includes an outer cover, which is installed on the drone body and includes a protective ring, an upper protective net cage, an upper support column, a lower protective net cage, and several lower support columns. The protective ring is an irregular ring or circular ring that surrounds the four rotors of the drone body. The upper protective net cage is fixed to the upper part of the protective ring. The lower protective net cage is fixed to the lower part of the protective ring. The upper support column connects the upper protective net cage and the drone body. The lower support column connects the lower protective net cage and the drone body.

2. The UAV for power transmission grid inspection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height of the protective ring is greater than the height from the top surface of the motor to the top of the rotor on the drone body.

3. The UAV for power transmission grid inspection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper protective net cage includes curved protective rods arranged in a cross shape, and the connection between the protective rods and the protective rings is located between two adjacent rotors.

4. The UAV for power transmission grid inspection according to claim 3, characterized in that, The top center of the upper protective net cage is connected to the upper central area of ​​the drone body via an upper support column. The bottom of the upper support column is fixedly connected to the upper part of the drone body by adhesive or vacuum adsorption, and the top is connected to the upper protective net cage by bolts.

5. The UAV for power transmission grid inspection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower protective cage includes four lower protective rods and a landing gear arranged in a circular array around the central axis of the UAV. The top of the lower protective rod is fixedly connected to the protective ring and the connection position is located between two adjacent rotors. The bottom of the lower protective rod is connected to the landing gear. The landing gear has a frame structure.

6. The UAV for power transmission grid inspection according to claim 5, characterized in that, The top of the lower support column is connected to the landing gear mounting hole of the UAV body via a threaded or snap-fit ​​structure, and the bottom is fixed to the landing gear frame with bolts.

7. The UAV for power transmission network inspection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protective ring, upper protective net cage, and lower protective net cage are an integrated structure; the image acquisition component is fixed to the lower part of the UAV body and is located in the space between the UAV body and the landing gear.

8. The UAV for power transmission grid inspection according to claim 6, characterized in that, A protruding support bend is provided at the lower part of the lower guard bar, and the bottom of the protruding support bend is slightly higher than the bottom of the landing frame.

9. The UAV for power transmission grid inspection according to claim 6, characterized in that, The upper support column includes a base, a spring, and an upper seat. The upper part of the base is tubular, and the upper seat is inserted into the upper part of the base and connected by the spring.

10. The UAV for power transmission network inspection according to claim 9, characterized in that, The bolt holes connecting the landing frame to the lower support column are stepped holes. The diameter of the holes near the bottom of the landing frame is larger. After the bolt passes through the stepped hole, it is threaded to the bottom of the lower support column. After the bolt extends out of the landing frame, there is a gap between it and the bottom of the lower support column. A lower spring is installed in the gap.

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