Wind turbine blade radial flow impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot

Abstract

The utility model relates to a wind driven generator blade radial flow type impeller negative pressure adsorption climb inspection robot, including negative pressure adsorption system, wheeled moving system and detection system, negative pressure adsorption system includes radial flow type impeller, negative pressure chamber, brushless motor, brushless motor support and sealing washer, wheeled moving system includes drive motor, shaft coupling and rubber wheel, detection system includes drive motor support, drive motor, driven crank, driving crank, camera support and camera. The robot reaches the wind driven generator blade surface designated work position by deploying the unmanned plane, utilizes the negative pressure adsorption system to be adsorbed stably on the blade surface, starts to carry out the inspection according to the established inspection route, utilizes the detection system to shoot the blade surface defect feature and transmits the image to the ground operation and maintenance center. The utility model has the advantages of simple structure, convenient control, stronger adsorption, close-range observation of the blade surface, high inspection safety and high detection precision.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of climbing robot technology, and specifically relates to a wind turbine blade radial flow impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot. Background Technology

[0002] Wind energy, as the clean energy source with the greatest potential for large-scale development, has been widely used by various countries due to its comprehensive advantages such as abundant resources, flexible development, and low cost. Wind turbines efficiently convert wind energy into usable electrical energy by capturing and utilizing the kinetic energy of airflow. They consist of four parts: blades, nacelle, tower, and foundation. The cost of the blades accounts for approximately 23% of the total cost of a wind turbine. From the perspective of component value, the blades have the highest value, and they are the most critical component affecting the wind turbine's power generation efficiency, operational stability, and service life.

[0003] Wind turbine blades are made of composite materials composed of fibers and a matrix. Although this material possesses excellent properties such as lightweight, high strength, fatigue resistance, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance, it is susceptible to damage and defects during production and use due to manufacturing processes and the inherent characteristics of the material itself. During blade manufacturing, initial defects such as inclusions and porosity are easily generated. These initial defects, subjected to vibration, impact, and clamping stress during blade transportation and installation, may further propagate into microcracks. Once in service, the blades are exposed to complex wind load environments, subjected to abrasion from salt and sand particles, and intense ultraviolet radiation, causing some microcracks to continue expanding into main cracks. When the blades are subjected to extreme wind loads or sudden impact loads, the main cracks may further propagate, leading to severe defects such as blade breakage and wind turbine malfunction. Therefore, regular inspections of wind turbine blades are essential.

[0004] Currently, there are two main methods for inspecting the surface of wind turbine blades: manual inspection and drone inspection. Manual inspection involves personnel using suspended platforms or similar methods to inspect the blades. While manual inspection allows for close-up observation, it requires personnel to work at heights, posing significant safety hazards and offering limited accuracy. Drone inspection involves inspection using manually operated or autonomously planned drones. This method offers higher accuracy, but drones are significantly affected by wind conditions at high altitudes, making it difficult to precisely approach the blade surface. Therefore, existing inspection methods fail to combine close-up observation of the blade surface, high safety, and high accuracy all in one.

[0005] To address the aforementioned issues, this utility model patent proposes a wind turbine blade radial flow type impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot. It features a simple structure, convenient control, and stronger adsorption force, enabling stable adsorption and free climbing on wind turbine blades, and allowing it to carry out in-situ inspection operations with inspection equipment. This utility model not only combines the advantages of drone inspection and manual inspection but also overcomes their disadvantages: the robot can observe the blade surface at close range, offering high inspection safety and high detection accuracy. Utility Model Content

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a wind turbine blade radial flow type impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot. It achieves stable adsorption on the surface of the wind turbine blade through adsorption force, and achieves free climbing on the surface of the wind turbine blade through the combined action of adsorption force and driving force. It performs non-destructive testing through onboard detection equipment and transmits the images to the ground operation and maintenance center.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0008] A wind turbine blade radial flow type impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot includes a negative pressure adsorption system 1, a wheeled movement system 2 and a detection system 3.

[0009] The negative pressure adsorption system 1 includes a radial impeller 4, a negative pressure chamber 5, a brushless motor 6, a brushless motor bracket 7, and a sealing ring 8; the power output shaft of the brushless motor 6 is tightly connected to the hub of the radial impeller 4, the brushless motor 6 is fixed on the brushless motor bracket 7, the brushless motor bracket 7 is fixed on the negative pressure chamber 5, and a sealing ring 8 is provided at the bottom edge of the negative pressure chamber 5.

[0010] The sealing ring 8 of the negative pressure adsorption system 1 has a certain gap with the surface of the wind turbine blade. While ensuring the adsorption effect of the negative pressure chamber 5, it avoids the negative pressure chamber 5 being adsorbed too tightly on the blade surface and unable to move.

[0011] The brushless motor 6 of the negative pressure adsorption system 1 drives the radial impeller 4 to rotate at high speed. The high-speed rotating radial impeller 4 exhausts most of the air inside the negative pressure chamber 5, reducing the pressure inside the negative pressure chamber 5. Due to the pressure difference, the external atmospheric pressure presses the negative pressure chamber 5 tightly against the surface of the wind turbine blade, achieving stable adsorption of the wind turbine blade radial impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot on the surface of the wind turbine blade.

[0012] The wheeled mobile system 2 includes a first drive motor 9, a coupling 10, and a rubber wheel 11; the first drive motor 9 is fixedly connected to the external extension platform of the negative pressure chamber 5, and the power output shaft of the first drive motor 9 is tightly connected to the hub shaft of the rubber wheel 11 through the coupling 10.

[0013] A first drive motor 9, a coupling 10 and a rubber wheel 11 constitute a moving mechanism. The wheeled moving system 2 has four pairs of moving mechanisms, and each moving mechanism is symmetrical about the longitudinal center of the negative pressure chamber.

[0014] In the wheeled mobile system 2, the connection between the power output shaft of the first drive motor 9 and the coupling 10, and between the coupling 10 and the hub shaft of the rubber wheel 11, is a tight connection to prevent radial and axial movement of the coupling 10, the power output shaft of the first drive motor 9, and the hub shaft of the rubber wheel 11, and to ensure that the output torque of the first drive motor 9 can be reliably transmitted to the rubber wheel 11.

[0015] The wheeled mobile system 2 achieves straight-line movement by controlling the four rubber wheels 11 to rotate at the same speed, and turns by controlling the speed difference between the left and right rubber wheels 11. The driving force generated by the wheeled mobile system 2 and the adsorption force generated by the negative pressure adsorption system 1 work together to enable the wind turbine blade radial flow impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot to climb freely on the surface of the wind turbine blade.

[0016] The detection system 3 includes a drive motor bracket 12, a second drive motor 13, a driven crank 14, a driving crank 15, a camera bracket 16, and a camera 17. The second drive motor 13 is fixedly connected to the drive motor bracket 12, and the camera 17 is fixedly connected to the camera bracket 16. The power output shaft of the second drive motor 13 is tightly connected to the driving crank 15. The driving crank 15 is connected to the camera bracket 16 through a cylindrical pin and rotates relative to it. The driven crank 14 is connected to the camera bracket 16 and the drive motor bracket 12 through a cylindrical pin and rotates relative to it.

[0017] During operation, the camera 17 of the detection system 3 maintains an angle of 15° between the camera lens axis and the surface of the wind turbine blade.

[0018] The power output shaft of the second drive motor 13 drives the active crank 15 to rotate, and the three driven cranks 14 rotate synchronously with the active crank 15, so that the camera 17 and the camera bracket 16 can swing up and down, flexibly adjusting the shooting range of the camera 17; while the wind turbine blade radial flow impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot freely climbs on the surface of the wind turbine blade, it uses the camera 17 to complete the non-destructive inspection of the surface of the wind turbine blade and transmits the images to the ground operation and maintenance center.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0020] 1. This utility model has a simple structure and is easy to control;

[0021] 2. This utility model comprehensively designs and optimizes the centrifugal impeller, negative pressure chamber, and sealing mechanism in the negative pressure adsorption system, thereby making the adsorption force generated by the negative pressure adsorption system stronger;

[0022] 3. This utility model not only combines the advantages of drone inspection and manual inspection, but also overcomes the disadvantages of both: the robot can observe the blade surface at close range, the inspection is safe and the detection accuracy is high;

[0023] 4. The camera has dual functions: it can detect whether the robot is on the correct inspection path, and it can also perform non-destructive testing on the surface of wind turbine blades.

[0024] 5. This utility model adopts a lightweight and miniaturized design during the design process, which improves its battery life while ensuring its operational performance. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wind turbine blade radial flow impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a side view of the wind turbine blade radial flow impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot of this utility model.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a bottom-view schematic diagram of the wind turbine blade radial flow impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the negative pressure adsorption system 1 of the wind turbine blade radial flow type impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot of this utility model;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the wheeled mobile system 2 of the wind turbine blade radial flow type impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot of this utility model;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the detection system 3 of the wind turbine blade radial flow impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot of this utility model.

[0031] The reference numerals in the attached figures are:

[0032] 1- Negative pressure adsorption system;

[0033] 2-Wheeled mobile system;

[0034] 3-Detection system;

[0035] 4-Radial flow impeller;

[0036] 5-Negative pressure chamber;

[0037] 6-Brushless motor;

[0038] 7-Brushless motor bracket;

[0039] 8-Sealing ring;

[0040] 9-First drive motor;

[0041] 10 - Coupling;

[0042] 11-Rubber wheel;

[0043] 12-Drive motor bracket;

[0044] 13-Second drive motor;

[0045] 14-Driven crank;

[0046] 15-Active crank;

[0047] 16-Camera bracket;

[0048] 17-Camera. Detailed Implementation

[0049] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0050] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a wind turbine blade radial flow type impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot includes a negative pressure adsorption system 1, a wheeled movement system 2 and a detection system 3.

[0051] The detection system 3 is located in front of the robot.

[0052] like Figure 4 As shown, the negative pressure adsorption system 1 includes a radial flow impeller 4, a negative pressure chamber 5, a brushless motor 6, a brushless motor bracket 7, and a sealing ring 8.

[0053] In the negative pressure adsorption system 1, the power output shaft of the brushless motor 6 is tightly connected to the hub of the radial impeller 4. The brushless motor 6 is fixed on the brushless motor bracket 7, and the brushless motor bracket 7 is fixed on the negative pressure chamber 5. A sealing ring 8 is provided at the bottom edge of the negative pressure chamber 5.

[0054] The brushless motor 6 of the negative pressure adsorption system 1 drives the radial impeller 4 to rotate at high speed. The high-speed rotating radial impeller 4 exhausts most of the air inside the negative pressure chamber 5, reducing the pressure inside the negative pressure chamber 5. Due to the pressure difference, the external atmospheric pressure presses the negative pressure chamber 5 tightly against the surface of the wind turbine blade, achieving stable adsorption of the wind turbine blade radial impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot on the surface of the wind turbine blade.

[0055] like Figure 5 As shown, the wheeled mobile system 2 includes a first drive motor 9, a coupling 10, and rubber wheels 11;

[0056] The first drive motor 9 of the wheeled mobile system 2 is fixedly connected to the external extension platform of the negative pressure chamber 5, and the power output shaft of the first drive motor 9 is tightly connected to the hub shaft of the rubber wheel 11 through the coupling 10.

[0057] The wheeled mobile system 2 has four pairs of moving mechanisms. Each moving mechanism consists of a first drive motor 9, a coupling 10 and a rubber wheel 11. Each moving mechanism is symmetrical about the longitudinal center of the negative pressure chamber.

[0058] The wheeled mobile system 2 achieves straight-line movement by controlling the four rubber wheels 11 to rotate at the same speed, and turns by controlling the speed difference between the left and right rubber wheels 11. The driving force generated by the wheeled mobile system 2 and the adsorption force generated by the negative pressure adsorption system 1 work together to enable the wind turbine blade radial flow impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot to climb freely on the surface of the wind turbine blade.

[0059] like Figure 6 As shown, the detection system 3 includes a drive motor bracket 12, a second drive motor 13, a driven crank 14, a driving crank 15, a camera bracket 16, and a camera 17.

[0060] The second drive motor 13 is fixedly connected to the drive motor bracket 12, and the camera 17 is fixedly connected to the camera bracket 16. The power output shaft of the second drive motor 13 is tightly connected to the drive crank 15. The drive crank 15 is connected to the camera bracket 16 through a cylindrical pin and rotates relative to it. The driven crank 14 is connected to the camera bracket 16 and the drive motor bracket 12 through a cylindrical pin and rotates relative to it.

[0061] During operation, the camera 17 maintains an angle of 15° between its lens axis and the surface of the wind turbine blade.

[0062] The power output shaft of the second drive motor 13 drives the active crank 15 to rotate, and the three driven cranks 14 rotate synchronously with the active crank 15, so that the camera 17 and the camera bracket 16 can swing up and down, flexibly adjusting the shooting range of the camera 17; while the wind turbine blade radial flow impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot freely climbs on the surface of the wind turbine blade, it uses the camera 17 to complete the non-destructive inspection of the surface of the wind turbine blade and transmits the images to the ground operation and maintenance center.

[0063] The working process of this utility model is as follows:

[0064] This utility model's wind turbine blade radial impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot uses a deployed drone to reach the designated work position on the wind turbine blade. After contacting the blade surface, the brushless motor 6 of the negative pressure adsorption system 1 drives the radial impeller 4 to rotate at high speed. The high-speed rotating radial impeller 4 expels most of the air from the negative pressure chamber 5, reducing the pressure inside the negative pressure chamber 5. Due to the pressure difference, the external atmospheric pressure presses the negative pressure chamber 5 tightly against the surface of the wind turbine blade, and the robot stably adheres to the surface of the wind turbine blade. The deployed drone then withdraws.

[0065] The robot wheeled mobile system 2 is activated and climbs along the planned inspection path. At the same time, the camera 17 adaptively adjusts to the most suitable observation height to observe whether the robot is on the correct inspection path and to perform non-destructive testing on the surface of the wind turbine blades. After the camera 17 detects defects on the surface of the wind turbine blades, it will take pictures of the defect features and transmit the images to the ground operation and maintenance center.

[0066] After the robot completes the inspection of one wind turbine blade, a drone is deployed to send the robot to the next wind turbine blade to continue the inspection. After inspecting all the wind turbine blades that need to be inspected, the robot returns to the ground command center.

Claims

1. A wind turbine blade radial flow type impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot, characterized in that, It includes a negative pressure adsorption system (1), a wheeled moving system (2), and a detection system (3). The negative pressure adsorption system (1) includes a radial flow impeller (4), a negative pressure chamber (5), a brushless motor (6), a brushless motor bracket (7), and a sealing ring (8). The power output shaft of the brushless motor (6) in the negative pressure adsorption system (1) is tightly connected to the hub of the radial impeller (4). The brushless motor (6) is fixed on the brushless motor bracket (7), and the brushless motor bracket (7) is fixed on the negative pressure chamber (5). The bottom edge of the negative pressure chamber (5) is provided with a sealing ring (8). The brushless motor (6) of the negative pressure adsorption system (1) drives the radial impeller (4) to rotate at high speed. The high-speed rotating radial impeller (4) exhausts most of the air inside the negative pressure chamber (5) and reduces the pressure inside the negative pressure chamber (5). Due to the pressure difference, the external atmospheric pressure presses the negative pressure chamber (5) tightly onto the surface of the wind turbine blade, thus achieving stable adsorption of the wind turbine blade radial impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot on the surface of the wind turbine blade. The wheeled mobility system (2) includes a first drive motor (9), a coupling (10), and rubber wheels (11). The first drive motor (9) of the wheeled mobile system (2) is fixedly connected to the external extension platform of the negative pressure chamber (5), and the power output shaft of the first drive motor (9) is tightly connected to the hub shaft of the rubber wheel (11) through the coupling (10); The wheeled mobile system (2) achieves straight-line movement by controlling the four rubber wheels (11) to rotate at the same speed, and turns by controlling the speed difference between the left and right rubber wheels (11). The driving force generated by the wheeled mobile system (2) and the adsorption force generated by the negative pressure adsorption system (1) work together to realize the free climbing of the wind turbine blade radial flow impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot on the surface of the wind turbine blade. The detection system (3) includes a drive motor bracket (12), a second drive motor (13), a driven crank (14), an active crank (15), a camera bracket (16), and a camera (17). The second drive motor (13) of the detection system (3) is fixedly connected to the drive motor bracket (12), and the camera (17) is fixedly connected to the camera bracket (16). The power output shaft of the second drive motor (13) is tightly connected to the active crank (15). The active crank (15) is connected to the camera bracket (16) through a cylindrical pin and rotates relative to it. The driven crank (14) is connected to the camera bracket (16) and the drive motor bracket (12) through a cylindrical pin and rotates relative to it. The power output shaft of the second drive motor (13) in the detection system (3) drives the active crank (15) to rotate. The three driven cranks (14) rotate synchronously with the active crank (15), so that the camera (17) and the camera bracket (16) can swing up and down, and flexibly adjust the shooting range of the camera (17). The wind turbine blade radial flow type impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot can climb freely on the surface of the wind turbine blade while using a camera (17) to complete the non-destructive inspection of the surface of the wind turbine blade and transmit the images to the ground operation and maintenance center.

2. The wind turbine blade radial flow type impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing ring (8) of the negative pressure adsorption system (1) has a certain gap with the surface of the wind turbine blade. While ensuring the adsorption effect of the negative pressure chamber (5), it avoids the negative pressure chamber (5) being too tightly adsorbed on the blade surface and unable to move.

3. The wind turbine blade radial flow impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wheeled mobile system (2) has four pairs of moving mechanisms. Each moving mechanism is symmetrical about the longitudinal center of the negative pressure chamber. A first drive motor (9), a coupling (10) and a rubber wheel (11) constitute a moving mechanism. In the wheeled mobile system (2), the connection between the power output shaft of the first drive motor (9) and the coupling (10) and the hub shaft of the rubber wheel (11) is a tight connection to prevent radial and axial movement of the power output shaft of the first drive motor (9) and the coupling (10) and the hub shaft of the rubber wheel (11), and to ensure that the output torque of the first drive motor (9) can be reliably transmitted to the rubber wheel (11).

4. The wind turbine blade radial flow type impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, During operation, the camera (17) of the detection system (3) maintains an angle of 15° between the camera lens axis and the surface of the wind turbine blade.

5. The wind turbine blade radial flow impeller negative pressure adsorption climbing inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The detection system (3) is installed in front of the robot.

Images