A boiler header scale cleaning flexible robot based on muscle bionics

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of boiler tube bar scale cleaning, and discloses a flexible robot for cleaning boiler header scale based on muscle bionics, comprising: an airbag assembly for movement and sealing, including a first airbag, a second airbag, a third airbag, a first rigid connector, a second rigid connector, a third rigid connector, a first support, a third support, a fourth support, a fifth support, and a corrugated pipe; and a fan assembly for extracting scale, including a vortex fan, a cyclone dust collector, and a flexible hose. Through the above structure, the scale is extracted and cleaned by the fan, eliminating the need for traditional chemical cleaning and pipe cutting, thus saving economic costs and environmental pollution associated with cleaning the tube bars, and significantly increasing the lifespan of the boiler tube bars.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of boiler tube scale cleaning technology, and in particular to a flexible robot for cleaning boiler header scale based on muscle bionics. Background Technology

[0002] Boiler superheaters are widely used in power plants and other similar applications. Because their headers and tube banks are constantly exposed to high-temperature steam, large areas of oxide scale can easily detach and flake off. If this oxide scale is not cleaned promptly, it can lead to tube blockage, overheating, or even tube rupture, causing significant losses to the power plant.

[0003] However, existing cleaning methods are cumbersome and inefficient, with many problems. For example, pipe cutting cleaning requires shutdown for inspection and carries welding risks; material upgrading pipe methods are costly and cannot completely avoid oxidation; chemical cleaning methods are ineffective for thick oxide scale and require the treatment of large amounts of waste liquid. To address these issues, a flexible robot for cleaning boiler header oxide scale based on muscle biomimetic technology is proposed. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by proposing a flexible robot for cleaning boiler header oxide scale based on muscle bionics.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A flexible robot for cleaning boiler header oxide scale based on muscle bionics includes: an airbag assembly for movement and sealing, comprising airbag 1, airbag 2, airbag 3, a first rigid connector, a second rigid connector, a third rigid connector, a first support, a third support, a fourth support, a fifth support, and a corrugated pipe; a fan assembly for removing oxide scale, comprising a vortex fan, a cyclone dust collector, and a hose; a drive assembly connected to the airbag assembly via a hose, comprising an air pump, a pressure regulating valve, a drive plate, a first solenoid valve, a second solenoid valve, and a third solenoid valve; and a vision assembly mounted on the support of the airbag assembly, comprising an industrial endoscope and an image processor.

[0007] Preferably, the first airbag and the second airbag are connected by a first rigid connector, which penetrates the end face of the support member of the first airbag and the second airbag; the second airbag and the third airbag are connected by a third support member, which integrates a rolling bearing assembly. The rolling bearing assembly includes an outer ring, a special inner ring, rolling elements, and a cage. The outer ring has a bearing seat with a central opening in the third support member, and the rolling elements are evenly installed between the special inner ring and the outer ring.

[0008] Preferably, the bellows of the airbag assembly is axially installed between support member 1 and support member 3, and support member 3 and support member 5, to maintain the axial rigidity of the airbag assembly; support member 1, support member 3, and support member 5 are made of 45 steel, and have openings on their end faces for the passage of the hose of the drive assembly and the wiring of the vision assembly.

[0009] Preferably, the industrial endoscope of the vision component is a waterproof probe with an integrated LED light, installed at the flange opening of the third support member, with the lens facing outwards from the airbag, and connected to an external image processor via wireless technology. The wiring of the industrial endoscope passes through the opening of the third support member and runs through the inside of the airbag.

[0010] Preferably, the air pump of the drive assembly is connected to the pressure regulating valve via a hose, and the pressure regulating valve is connected to the first solenoid valve, the second solenoid valve, and the third solenoid valve via three hoses respectively; the first solenoid valve, the second solenoid valve, and the third solenoid valve are connected to the opening of the fifth support member via hoses, and are used to control the inflation and deflation of the first airbag, the second airbag, and the third airbag.

[0011] Preferably, the air inlet of the vortex fan of the fan assembly is connected to the air outlet of the cyclone dust collector through a flexible hose. The flexible hose passes through and is fixed to the fourth support member between the second and third air bags. The air outlet is open as a free end between the first and second rigid connectors for extracting oxide scale.

[0012] Preferably, the first and second airbags of the airbag assembly jointly perform the sealing function, and the first, second and third airbags perform gait movement through the inflation and deflation control of the drive assembly; the first, second and third rigid connectors are hollow inside to guide air to maintain the airtightness of the airbag.

[0013] Preferably, the special inner ring of the rolling bearing assembly is fixedly connected to the connecting bend, which is used to guide the direction of the hose of the fan assembly to prevent the hose from being crushed when the second airbag inflates. The opening of the connecting bend is always vertically downward and aligned with the bottom of the pipe row.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0015] 1. It uses its own pneumatic muscles for sealing, which reduces the requirements for the performance of the fan. The actual manufacturing cost is relatively cheap, and the oxide scale is cleaned by extracting the gas in the header, which has minimal impact on the header.

[0016] 2. Vacuum extraction cleaning can quickly and effectively remove oxide scale from the superheater pipes. A highly efficient vacuum or negative pressure system can directly extract the oxide scale from the pipes. Because vacuum extraction cleaning is fast, it can significantly reduce boiler downtime.

[0017] 3. This invention reduces the risk of direct human contact with pipes, as suction cleaning is typically performed using automated equipment. This improves the safety of the cleaning process and reduces the risk of injury to personnel.

[0018] 4. This utility model still uses the original industrial endoscope, retaining the usage habits of the original tools used in industrial exploration. It utilizes the characteristics of industrial endoscopes, such as strong detection capabilities, dust and water resistance, and the ability to work in dark environments, to ensure the exploration capabilities of the flexible cleaning robot in the face of complex and harsh environments.

[0019] 5. The pneumatic muscle and control system accurately determines the path for movement, demonstrating advantages such as path determination, timely stopping, and real-time observation, while avoiding the disadvantages of manual endoscope delivery, such as high uncertainty, missed detection, and blind spots. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure;

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the airbag section;

[0022] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the connector;

[0023] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the driving section;

[0024] Figure 5 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the suction head section;

[0025] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A cross-sectional schematic diagram.

[0026] In the diagram: 1. Airbag assembly, 11. Airbag No. 1, 12. Airbag No. 2, 13. Airbag No. 3, 111. Support component No. 1, 121. Support component No. 3, 123. Support component No. 4, 133. Support component No. 5, 1121. First rigid connector, 1122. Second rigid connector, 1123. Third rigid connector, 132. Bellows, 124. Suction tube and suction head, 2. Drive assembly, 22. Pressure regulating valve, 221. First solenoid valve, 222. Second solenoid valve, 223. Third solenoid valve, 23. Drive plate, 24. Inflation pump, 3. Fan assembly, 32. Cyclone dust collector, 33. Hose, 34. Vortex fan, 4. Vision assembly, 41. Industrial endoscope, 42. Image processor, 141. Connecting bend, 142. Special inner ring, 1421. Rolling element, 1422. Cage, 143. Outer ring. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments.

[0028] Reference Figure 1-6 .

[0029] Airbag assembly 1, its function is to move and block.

[0030] Composition and details: Three airbags: Airbag 11, Airbag 2, and Airbag 3. Among them, Airbag 11 and Airbag 2 jointly perform the sealing function, and the three airbags control the gait movement through the inflation and deflation of the drive component 2.

[0031] Rigid connectors: First rigid connector 1121, second rigid connector 1122, and third rigid connector 1123, hollow inside for air conduction to maintain the airtightness of the airbag. Airbag 11 and airbag 12 are connected by the first rigid connector 1121, which passes through the end face of the support member of both airbags; airbag 12 and airbag 13 are connected by the third support member 121.

[0032] Support components: Support component 111, support component 321, support component 423, and support component 533 are all made of 45 steel. The end face openings are used to pass through the flexible hose 33 of the drive component 2 and the wiring of the vision component 4.

[0033] Bellows 132: Axially installed between support member 111 and support member 321, and support member 321 and support member 53, it is made of elastic rubber and has compression rebound capability to maintain the axial rigidity of airbag assembly 1.

[0034] Rolling bearing assembly 14: Integrated into support member 3 121, including outer ring 143, special inner ring 142, rolling elements 1421, and cage 1422. The outer ring 143 uses the central opening of support member 3 121 as a bearing seat, concentric with the end face. The rolling elements 1421 are evenly installed between the special inner ring 142 and the outer ring 143. The special inner ring 142 is fixedly connected to the connecting bend 141, used to guide the direction of the hose 33 of the fan assembly 3, preventing the hose 33 from being crushed when the second airbag 12 inflates, and ensuring that the opening of the connecting bend 141 is always vertically downward and aligned with the bottom of the pipe row.

[0035] Fan assembly 3, its function is to remove oxide scale.

[0036] Composition and details: Includes vortex fan 34, cyclone dust collector 32 and hose 33.

[0037] The air inlet of the vortex blower 34 is connected to the air outlet of the cyclone dust collector 32 via a flexible hose 33. The flexible hose 33 passes through and is fixed to the fourth support member 123 between the second airbag 12 and the third airbag 13. The air outlet, as a free end, is open between the first rigid connector 1121 and the second rigid connector 1122 for extracting oxide scale. The cyclone dust collector 32 can settle the oxide scale and protect the blower blades.

[0038] Drive component 2, its function is to connect to airbag component 1 via hose 33, control the inflation and deflation of airbag, and realize movement and sealing.

[0039] Composition and details: Includes an air pump 24, a pressure regulating valve 22, a drive plate 23, a first solenoid valve 221, a second solenoid valve 222, and a third solenoid valve 223.

[0040] The air pump 24 is connected to the pressure regulating valve 22 via a hose 33. The pressure regulating valve 22 is connected to the first solenoid valve 221, the second solenoid valve 222, and the third solenoid valve 223 via three hoses 33, respectively. These three solenoid valves are connected to the opening of the fifth support member 133 via hoses 33, and are used to control the inflation and deflation of the first airbag 11, the second airbag 12, and the third airbag 13. The drive board 23 includes a two-position three-way normally closed solenoid valve and a PLC board. The solenoid valve is electrically connected to the PLC board and receives electromagnetic signals from the PLC to control the expansion and contraction of the airbags.

[0041] The vision component 4 is mounted on the support of the airbag assembly 1 and is used to explore the interior of the tube array.

[0042] Composition and details: Includes an industrial endoscope 41 and an image processor 42.

[0043] The industrial endoscope 41 is a waterproof probe with an integrated LED light. It is installed at the flange opening of the third support member 121, with the lens facing outwards from the airbag. It is connected to the external image processor 42 via wireless technology. Its wiring passes through the opening in the third support member 121 and runs through the inside of the airbag, enabling it to work in dark, complex and harsh environments.

[0044] All standard parts used in this application can be purchased from the market, and can be customized according to the description and drawings. The specific connection methods of each part adopt conventional methods such as bolts, rivets, and welding that are mature in the prior art. The machinery, parts and equipment adopt conventional models in the prior art. The control method is automatic control through a controller. The control circuit of the controller can be implemented by simple programming by those skilled in the art and is common knowledge in the field. Since this application is mainly used to protect mechanical devices, the control method and circuit connection will not be explained in detail in this application.

[0045] Working principle of this utility model:

[0046] Gait control:

[0047] The robot's movement is achieved by controlling the inflation and deflation sequence of the three airbags through drive component 2. The specific gait is as follows:

[0048] Gait 1: Airbag 11 deflates, and airbag 13 inflates.

[0049] Gait 2: After the third airbag 13 is inflated, the second airbag 12 deflates, pushing the first airbag 11 forward as a whole.

[0050] Gait 3: Inflate airbag 11 and deflate airbag 13.

[0051] Gait 4: After the third airbag 13 is deflated, the second airbag 12 is inflated, pulling the third airbag 13 forward.

[0052] This cycle repeats to complete the robot's movement within the pipe array. The air pump 24 continuously supplies air, and the three-position two-way three-way solenoid valves (first solenoid valve 221, second solenoid valve 222, and third solenoid valve 223) receive electromagnetic signals from the PLC board to control the inflation and deflation status of each airbag.

[0053] Sealing and clearing process:

[0054] When the robot observes its movement into the work area via vision component 4, drive board 23 controls it to stop its gait, maintaining gait 1, causing airbags 1 and 2 to inflate and complete the sealing. Fan component 3 is activated, and vortex fan 34 generates negative pressure airflow, which extracts oxide scale through hose 33. The oxide scale settles through cyclone dust collector 32, protecting the fan blades. After cleaning, the fan system is shut down, and the gait cycle restarts, allowing the robot to move to the next work area or exit the pipe array.

[0055] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, but the protection scope of the present utility model is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or changes made by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present utility model, based on the technical solution and the inventive concept of the present utility model, should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A boiler drum head scale cleaning flexible robot based on muscle emulation, characterized in that, include: Airbag assembly (1): used for movement and sealing, including airbag No. 1 (11), airbag No. 2 (12), airbag No. 3 (13), first rigid connector (1121), second rigid connector (1122), third rigid connector (1123), support No. 1 (111), support No. 3 (121), support No. 4 (123), support No. 5 (133) and bellows (132); fan assembly (3): used for removing oxide scale, including Vortex blower (34), cyclone dust collector (32) and hose (33); Drive assembly (2): connected to airbag assembly (1) via hose (33), including air pump (24), pressure regulator (22), drive plate (23), first solenoid valve (221), second solenoid valve (222) and third solenoid valve (223); Vision assembly (4): mounted on support of airbag assembly (1), including industrial endoscope (41) and image processor (42).

2. The boiler drum head scale cleaning flexible robot based on muscle bionics according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first airbag (11) and the second airbag (12) are connected by a first rigid connector (1121), which penetrates the end face of the support member of the first airbag (11) and the second airbag (12). The second airbag (12) and the third airbag (13) are connected by a third support member (121), which integrates a rolling bearing assembly (14). The rolling bearing assembly (14) includes an outer ring (143), a special inner ring (142), rolling elements (1421), and a cage (1422). The outer ring (143) has a bearing seat with a hole in the middle of the third support member (121). The rolling elements (1421) are evenly installed between the special inner ring (142) and the outer ring (143).

3. The boiler drum head scale cleaning flexible robot based on muscle bionics according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bellows (132) of the airbag assembly (1) is axially installed between the first support member (111) and the third support member (121), and between the third support member (121) and the fifth support member (133) to maintain the axial rigidity of the airbag assembly (1). The first support member (111), the third support member (121), and the fifth support member (133) are made of 45 steel, and the end face openings are used to pass through the hose (33) of the drive assembly (2) and the wiring of the vision assembly (4).

4. The boiler drum head scale cleaning flexible robot based on muscle bionics according to claim 1, characterized in that, The industrial endoscope (41) of the vision component (4) is a waterproof probe with integrated LED light. It is installed at the flange opening of the third support (121), with the lens facing the outside of the airbag. It is connected to the external image processor (42) via wireless technology. The wiring of the industrial endoscope (41) passes through the opening of the third support (121) and runs through the inside of the airbag.

5. The boiler drum head scale cleaning flexible robot based on muscle bionics according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air pump (24) of the drive assembly (2) is connected to the pressure regulating valve (22) via a hose (33). The pressure regulating valve (22) is connected to the first solenoid valve (221), the second solenoid valve (222), and the third solenoid valve (223) via three hoses (33). The first solenoid valve (221), the second solenoid valve (222), and the third solenoid valve (223) are connected to the opening of the fifth support member (133) via hoses (33) to control the inflation and deflation of the first airbag (11), the second airbag (12), and the third airbag (13).

6. The boiler drum head scale cleaning flexible robot based on muscle bionics according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air inlet of the vortex fan (34) of the fan assembly (3) is connected to the air outlet of the cyclone dust collector (32) through a hose (33). The hose (33) passes through and is fixed to the fourth support member (123) between the second airbag (12) and the third airbag (13). The air outlet is open as a free end between the first rigid connector (1121) and the second rigid connector (1122) for extracting oxide scale.

7. The boiler drum head scale cleaning flexible robot based on muscle bionics according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first airbag (11) and the second airbag (12) of the airbag assembly (1) jointly undertake the sealing function. The first airbag (11), the second airbag (12) and the third airbag (13) perform gait movement through the inflation and deflation control of the drive assembly (2). The first rigid connector (1121), the second rigid connector (1122) and the third rigid connector (1123) are hollow inside and are used to guide air to maintain the airtightness of the airbag.

8. The boiler drum head scale cleaning flexible robot based on muscle bionics according to claim 2, characterized in that, The special inner ring (142) of the rolling bearing assembly (14) is fixedly connected to the connecting bend (141). The connecting bend (141) is used to guide the direction of the hose (33) of the fan assembly (3) to prevent the hose (33) from being crushed when the second airbag (12) expands. The opening of the connecting bend (141) is always vertically downward aligned with the bottom of the pipe row.

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