A low-altitude inspection drone for long-distance oil and gas pipelines

Abstract

This utility model relates to the technical field of oil and gas pipeline inspection equipment, and discloses a low-altitude inspection drone for long-distance oil and gas pipelines. It includes a drone body and a positioning frame fixedly connected to the bottom of the drone body. The positioning frame is inverted U-shaped, and an extension is fixedly connected to the side wall of the positioning frame. An adjusting rod is connected through the interior of the extension, and a driving mechanism is provided inside the extension to drive the adjusting rod to move in the left-right direction. This utility model provides a low-altitude inspection drone for long-distance oil and gas pipelines. Through the coordinated arrangement of the extension, adjusting rod, and positioning plate, if a pipeline leak is detected during the drone's inspection, the positioning plates on both sides can be pushed inward by the adjusting rod. Combined with the clamping plate located inside the positioning plate, the leak location can be sealed, preventing continuous leakage and providing pre-treatment for operators to handle the situation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of oil and gas pipeline inspection equipment, specifically to a low-altitude inspection drone for long-distance oil and gas pipelines. Background Technology

[0002] As the "artery" of national energy transportation, the safe and stable operation of long-distance oil and gas pipelines is of paramount importance. However, due to the long distances the pipelines are laid and the complex geographical and environmental conditions, they are subject to the long-term effects of geological changes, corrosion, and third-party damage. Oil and gas leaks may occur in the pipelines. Once a leak occurs, it will not only cause huge economic losses and energy waste, but may also trigger serious safety accidents such as fires and explosions.

[0003] Currently, using drones for pipeline inspection has become a mainstream technology in the industry. With their advantages of maneuverability, high efficiency, and wide coverage, drones can quickly detect abnormalities along the pipeline, such as suspected leaks, third-party intrusions, and ground deformation.

[0004] However, the existing inspection drones mainly focus on "detection and identification," that is, using onboard optical cameras, infrared thermal imagers, gas sensors and other equipment to discover and locate problems. When a drone detects a minor oil or gas leak in a pipeline, it does not have any emergency response capabilities. Operators need to receive the alarm information and then rush to the scene to confirm and handle the situation. This "discovery-reporting-dispatch-handling" process has a significant time lag. Before personnel arrive at the scene, the leak may continue to spread. Therefore, a device is needed to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this utility model provides a low-altitude inspection drone for long-distance oil and gas pipelines, solving the problem that current inspection equipment cannot handle minor leaks, causing delays in the processing flow.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model is implemented through the following technical solution: a low-altitude inspection drone for long-distance oil and gas pipelines, comprising a drone body and a positioning frame fixedly connected to the bottom of the drone body. The positioning frame is inverted U-shaped, and an extension is fixedly connected to the side wall of the positioning frame. An adjusting rod is connected through the interior of the extension, and a driving mechanism is provided inside the extension to drive the adjusting rod to move in the left and right directions. There are two adjusting rods, which are respectively located on both sides of the positioning frame. The end of the adjusting rod located inside the positioning frame is rotatably connected to a positioning plate. The positioning plate is arc-shaped, and a clamping plate is detachably connected to one side of the positioning plate. The two corresponding clamping plates can wrap the damaged pipe under the relative movement of the adjusting rods.

[0007] Optionally, a positioning post is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the positioning plate, and a positioning hole adapted to the positioning post is opened on the outer circular surface of the clamping plate. The positioning post is inserted into the positioning hole to splice the clamping plate and the positioning plate.

[0008] Optionally, there are two clamping plates, and each of the two clamping plates has an insert plate and a slot at its end. The insert plate and the slot are inserted to fit the two clamping plates together into a complete circle.

[0009] Optionally, guide blocks are fixedly connected to both the outer surface of the insert plate and the inner wall of the slot, and multiple guide blocks are interlocked to restrict the insertion plate from being pulled out.

[0010] Optionally, the extension is rotatably connected to a movable sleeve, which is threadedly connected to an adjusting rod. Rotating the movable sleeve allows the adjusting rod to move back and forth.

[0011] Optionally, the driving mechanism is a drive motor, which is fixedly connected to one side of the extension. The output end of the drive motor penetrates into the interior of the extension and is fixedly connected to a drive gear at its end. The drive gear meshes with the outer surface of the movable sleeve to drive the movable sleeve to rotate.

[0012] Optionally, a guide wheel is rotatably provided on the top of the positioning plate, and the guide wheel is in rolling connection with the inner top wall of the positioning frame.

[0013] Optionally, sealing gaskets are fixedly connected to both sides of the inner wall of the clamping plate, and the inner wall of the sealing gaskets is in contact with the outer wall of the oil and gas pipeline.

[0014] This utility model provides a low-altitude inspection drone for long-distance oil and gas pipelines, which has the following advantages: This utility model provides a low-altitude inspection drone for long-distance oil and gas pipelines. Through the coordinated arrangement of an extension section, an adjusting rod, and a positioning plate, if a pipeline leak is detected during the drone's inspection, the adjusting rod can push the positioning plates on both sides inward. Combined with the clamping plates located inside the positioning plates, the leak can be sealed, preventing further leakage and providing pre-treatment for on-site personnel. A drive mechanism within the extension section allows the adjusting rod to move remotely while sealing the leak, achieving remote sealing. The positioning plates and clamping plates allow for the selection of clamping plates of appropriate size based on the diameter of the inspected pipeline, ensuring the clamping plates can effectively seal the leak. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure during the clamping process of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention after clamping the pipe; Figure 4 This utility model Figure 3 Enlarged structural diagram at point A; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the inner wall of the positioning plate of this utility model.

[0016] In the diagram: 1. UAV body; 2. Positioning frame; 3. Extension section; 4. Adjustment rod; 5. Positioning plate; 6. Clamping plate; 7. Positioning post; 8. Positioning hole; 9. Insert plate; 10. Slot; 11. Guide block; 12. Movable sleeve; 13. Drive motor; 14. Drive gear; 15. Guide wheel; 16. Sealing gasket. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0018] Please see Figures 1 to 5 This utility model provides a technical solution: a low-altitude inspection drone for long-distance oil and gas pipelines, including a drone body 1 and a positioning frame 2 fixedly connected to the bottom of the drone body 1. The positioning frame 2 is inverted U-shaped. An extension part 3 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the positioning frame 2. An adjusting rod 4 is connected through the inside of the extension part 3. A driving mechanism is provided inside the extension part 3 to drive the adjusting rod 4 to move in the left and right directions. There are two adjusting rods 4, which are respectively located on both sides of the positioning frame 2. The end of the adjusting rod 4 located inside the positioning frame 2 is rotatably connected to the positioning plate 5. The positioning plate 5 is arc-shaped, and a clamping plate 6 is detachably connected to one side of the positioning plate 5. The two corresponding clamping plates 6 can wrap the damaged pipe under the relative movement of the adjusting rod 4.

[0019] During the inspection, the main body of the drone 1 moves along with the positioning frame 2 below. The main body of the drone 1 carries a variety of sensors to identify whether there is a leak in the pipeline. When a minor leak is encountered, the positioning frame 2 at the bottom can be clamped on both sides of the pipeline by moving the main body of the drone 1. The position of the internal positioning plate 5 can be adjusted by adjusting the adjusting rod 4, so that the clamping plate 6 installed on the positioning plate 5 can be closed, thereby covering the leak location, reducing the leakage of the pipeline, and providing a buffer time for maintenance personnel to come for maintenance. The operation mode of the main body of the drone 1 is a current technical solution of existing large drones, which is a technical means well known to those skilled in the art, and will not be described in detail here.

[0020] During drone inspections, auxiliary equipment such as infrared and optical sensors can be mounted on the drone's bottom to capture and record images of the surrounding environment. If any "occupancy" occurs near the pipeline, it can be reported promptly for on-site handling. Compared to manual inspections, drone inspections reduce the operational difficulty and labor intensity of manual inspections. Through drone inspections and the various sensors mounted on the drone, the surrounding environment can be collected in real time. Combined with a hardware platform, remote sensing images of the pipeline can be analyzed to quickly identify problems. After the drone-captured video is uploaded, the system generates an alarm based on the video, pushing it to the relevant pipeline management unit. The unit responsible for the pipeline handles the alarm and provides online feedback on the results and progress, ultimately forming a closed-loop management system for alarm handling.

[0021] In this embodiment, as a preferred solution, a positioning post 7 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the positioning plate 5, and a positioning hole 8 adapted to the positioning post 7 is opened on the outer circular surface of the clamping plate 6. The positioning post 7 is inserted into the positioning hole 8 to splice the clamping plate 6 and the positioning plate 5. There are two clamping plates 6, and the ends of the two clamping plates 6 are respectively provided with an insert plate 9 and a slot 10. The insert plate 9 and the slot 10 are inserted to splice the two clamping plates 6 into a complete circle. Guide blocks 11 are fixedly connected to the outer surface of the insert plate 9 and the inner wall of the slot 10. Multiple guide blocks 11 are interlocked to restrict the insertion plate 9 from being pulled out.

[0022] The clamping plate 6 can be inserted into the positioning post 7 through the positioning hole 8 on the back, thereby fixing the clamping plate 6 onto the positioning plate 5. Both the clamping plate 6 and the positioning plate 5 are semi-circular. By moving them towards each other, the two semi-circles can be joined together to form a complete circle to cover the leaking part of the pipe. During the process of covering the pipe, the insert plate 9 will be inserted into the slot 10. Guide blocks 11 are provided on the outer surface of the insert plate 9 and the inner wall of the slot 10. Through the action of the guide blocks 11, the insert plate 9 can only move into the slot 10, preventing the insert plate 9 from falling out of the slot 10. The clamping plate 6 is pulled out from within 0, thus avoiding the possibility of loosening and falling off, and improving the stability of clamping. The positioning plate 5 is detachably connected by the positioning post 7 and the positioning hole 8. According to the different diameters of the pipeline being inspected, a clamping plate 6 with a suitable inner diameter can be selected and installed on the positioning plate 5 to improve the versatility of the inspection process. The positioning hole 8 and the positioning post 7 fit tightly to ensure a stable connection between the positioning plate 5 and the clamping plate 6 during the flight of the UAV body 1. After the insert plate 9 is inserted into the slot 10, the positioning plate 5 can be pulled apart to the sides to separate the positioning plate 5 from the clamping plate 6.

[0023] In this embodiment, as a preferred option, a movable sleeve 12 is rotatably connected inside the extension part 3. The movable sleeve 12 is threadedly connected to the adjusting rod 4. Rotating the movable sleeve 12 causes the adjusting rod 4 to move back and forth. The driving mechanism is a drive motor 13, which is fixedly connected to one side of the extension part 3. The output end of the drive motor 13 penetrates into the interior of the extension part 3 and is fixedly connected to a drive gear 14 at its end. The drive gear 14 meshes with the outer surface of the movable sleeve 12 to drive the movable sleeve 12 to rotate. A guide wheel 15 is rotatably provided on the top of the positioning plate 5. The guide wheel 15 is rolledly connected to the inner top wall of the positioning frame 2.

[0024] The drive motor 13 drives the drive gear 14 at the output end to rotate. During the rotation of the drive gear 14, it drives the outer meshing movable sleeve 12 to rotate. The movable sleeve 12 is threadedly connected to the adjusting rod 4. By rotating the movable sleeve 12, the adjusting rod 4 can be moved to one side, causing the positioning plate 5 on one side of the adjusting rod 4 to close or separate. During the process of the adjusting rod 4 pushing the positioning plate 5 to move towards the middle, the positioning plate 5 will move towards the middle along with the clamping plate 6. After the clamping plates 6 on both sides are spliced ​​together, the drive motor 13 reverses to retract the positioning plate 5. During the retraction of the positioning plate 5, since the clamping plate 6 has been fixed to the pipe through the insert plate 9 and the slot 10, the clamping plate 6 no longer moves. The positioning plate 5 will separate from the clamping plate 6, leaving the clamping plate 6 alone on the outer wall of the pipe to clamp the pipe leakage position. During the movement of the positioning plate 5, the guide wheel 15 at the top of the positioning plate 5 will always be in contact with the positioning frame 2, restricting the axial rotation of the positioning plate 5 and reducing the friction between the positioning plate 5 and the positioning frame 2.

[0025] In this embodiment, as a preferred option, sealing gaskets 16 are fixedly connected to both sides of the inner wall of the clamping plate 6, and the inner wall of the sealing gasket 16 is in contact with the outer wall of the oil and gas pipeline.

[0026] After the clamping plate 6 is closed, the sealing gasket 16 can fill the gaps and prevent oil and gas from leaking out.

[0027] In this invention, the working steps of the device are as follows: 1. The main body of the drone 1, carrying the positioning frame 2 below, conducts regular inspections of the pipeline. If a leak is detected during the inspection, the maintenance personnel are notified, and the main body of the drone 1, carrying the positioning frame 2, moves to the outside of the leak point. 2. After the clamping plate 6 is aligned with the pipe, the drive motors 13 on both sides rotate to push the positioning plate 5 towards the middle, so that the clamping plates 6 on both sides are spliced ​​together to seal the leak point. After the sealing is completed, the drive motor 13 reverses to retract the positioning plate 5. Then the drone returns, and the operator rushes to the scene for detailed handling. 3. Based on the diameter of the pipeline being inspected, select the appropriate size clamping plate 6 and install it on the positioning plate 5, ensuring that the positioning post 7 is inserted into the positioning hole 8 for use in the next inspection.

[0028] The specific embodiments provided by this utility model have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principle and implementation of this utility model. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core idea of ​​this utility model. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation and application scope based on the idea of ​​this utility model. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

Claims

1. A low-altitude inspection unmanned aerial vehicle for long-distance oil and gas pipelines, characterized in that: The device includes a drone body (1) and a positioning frame (2) fixedly connected to the bottom of the drone body (1). The positioning frame (2) is inverted U-shaped. An extension part (3) is fixedly connected to the side wall of the positioning frame (2). An adjustment rod (4) is connected through the inside of the extension part (3). A drive mechanism is provided inside the extension part (3) to drive the adjustment rod (4) to move in the left and right directions. There are two adjusting rods (4), which are respectively located on both sides of the positioning frame (2). The end of the adjusting rod (4) located inside the positioning frame (2) is rotatably connected to a positioning plate (5). The positioning plate (5) is arc-shaped, and a clamping plate (6) is detachably connected to one side of the positioning plate (5). The two corresponding clamping plates (6) can wrap the damaged pipe under the relative movement of the adjusting rod (4).

2. The low-altitude inspection unmanned aerial vehicle for long-distance oil and gas pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the positioning plate (5) is fixedly connected with a positioning post (7), and the outer surface of the clamping plate (6) is provided with a positioning hole (8) that is compatible with the positioning post (7). The positioning post (7) and the positioning hole (8) are inserted to splice the clamping plate (6) and the positioning plate (5).

3. The low-altitude inspection UAV for oil and gas long-distance pipelines according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of clamping plates (6) is two, and the ends of the two clamping plates (6) are respectively provided with insert plates (9) and slots (10). The insert plates (9) and slots (10) are inserted to fit the two clamping plates (6) into a complete circle.

4. The low-altitude inspection drone for long-distance oil and gas pipelines according to claim 3, characterized in that: Guide blocks (11) are fixedly connected to the outer surface of the insert plate (9) and the inner wall of the slot (10). Multiple guide blocks (11) are interlocked to restrict the insertion plate (9) from being pulled out.

5. A low-altitude inspection drone for long-distance oil and gas pipelines according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: The extension part (3) is rotatably connected to a movable sleeve (12), which is threadedly connected to the adjusting rod (4). Rotating the movable sleeve (12) allows the adjusting rod (4) to move back and forth.

6. A low-altitude inspection drone for long-distance oil and gas pipelines according to claim 5, characterized in that: The driving mechanism is a drive motor (13), which is fixedly connected to one side of the extension (3). The output end of the drive motor (13) penetrates into the interior of the extension (3) and is fixedly connected to a drive gear (14) at its end. The drive gear (14) meshes with the outer surface of the movable sleeve (12) to drive the movable sleeve (12) to rotate.

7. A low-altitude inspection drone for long-distance oil and gas pipelines according to claim 6, characterized in that: The top of the positioning plate (5) is rotatably provided with a guide wheel (15), which is in rolling connection with the inner top wall of the positioning frame (2).

8. A low-altitude inspection drone for long-distance oil and gas pipelines according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: Both sides of the inner wall of the clamping plate (6) are fixedly connected with sealing gaskets (16), and the inner wall of the sealing gaskets (16) is in contact with the outer wall of the oil and gas pipeline.

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