Pipe Inspection System

Abstract

To provide a pipe inspection system capable of performing an inspection of pipes installed in a factory for liquid leaks, which was conventionally performed visually by a person walking under the pipes.SOLUTION: The pipe inspection system for inspecting pipes for liquid leaks includes: a moving body mounted with a light and a camera; and a control unit that performs communication with the moving body. The moving body moves along a preset route, illuminates the pipe to be inspected with the light, and when finding a bright spot on the underside of the pipe with the camera, records the observed position. With this, the pipe inspection system is capable of finding pipe leaks early and mechanically.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pipe inspection system for inspecting pipes arranged in a factory facility for liquid leaks. [Background technology]

[0002] Factory sites are often large, and piping is often located outside the buildings along with various buildings. Liquids often flow through these pipes, and leaks require prompt repair.

[0003] However, pipes are often located several meters above ground, and it is extremely rare for the bottom of the pipe to be at eye level. Therefore, conventionally, leaks from pipes could only be detected when there was a pool of liquid on the ground below the pipe, or when the liquid had an odor, when it smelled bad. Also, having people patrol a vast site to inspect it alone was costly. This led to a demand for mechanizing leak inspection.

[0004] As an example of an invention that mechanically inspects for fluid leakage, Patent Document 1 discloses a device that inspects for water leakage in the passenger compartment and luggage compartment of an automobile, etc. In this device, infrared rays are irradiated onto the target surface, and the reflected waves when there is no fluid leakage are stored as reference data, and the presence or absence of fluid leakage is inspected by comparing with the reference data. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-160185 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Although the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 can detect minute water leaks, it only inspects a relatively small area, and therefore takes too much time to inspect leaks in pipes arranged across a vast site. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention has been devised in view of the above problems, and provides a pipe inspection system capable of early detection of liquid leakage from long pipes arranged over a vast site.

[0008] More specifically, the pipe inspection system according to the present invention comprises: 1. A pipe inspection system for inspecting a pipe for liquid leaks, comprising: A mobile object equipped with a light and a camera, a control device in communication with the moving object; The moving object moves along a set route, The light is irradiated onto the pipe to be inspected, and when a bright spot is observed on the underside of the pipe by the camera, the position of the observed spot is recorded. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The pipe inspection system of the present invention is equipped with a light and a camera on a mobile body, and the light is shone on the pipe being inspected, and the location of the bright spot created when the light is reflected off droplets that form on the underside of the pipe is recorded as the location of the leak, making it possible to mechanically inspect pipes over a large area for early detection of leaks. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a pipe inspection system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a first flying object. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a second flying object. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing image processing performed by the second flying object. [Diagram 5]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between a first aircraft and a second aircraft during flight. [Figure 6] 13A to 13C are diagrams showing other positional relationships between the first and second aircraft during flight. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the processing of the first flying object. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the processing during inspection of the first flying object. [Figure 9] 11A-11C are diagrams illustrating the movements of the first and second flying bodies when inspecting a connecting flange. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the processing of the second flying object. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the processing of the control device. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of another embodiment of a pipe inspection system. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram showing the process when a squadron deviates from its flight route. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the process of a control device in another embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an autonomous vehicle. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 illustrates an autonomous vehicle inspecting a pipe. [Figure 17] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an autonomous vehicle equipped with an infrared camera. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] A pipe inspection system 1 according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description illustrates one embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following description. The following description can be modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0012] In the present invention, in order to monitor for leaks in pipes arranged within a vast factory site, a mobile object is made to travel along a set route or along a set pipe for monitoring. Here, the mobile object may be an air vehicle (a mobile object that flies in the air) or an autonomous vehicle (that travels on land). Below, embodiments in the case of an air vehicle and an autonomous vehicle are described.

[0013] (Embodiment 1) The pipe inspection system 1 according to this embodiment is a system for early detection of liquid leakage from piping installed in a factory. More specifically, when a liquid leakage occurs in a pipe, liquid droplets first accumulate on the bottom surface of the pipe. The pipe inspection system 1 detects the liquid droplets on the bottom surface of the pipe. In this embodiment, the moving body 9 will be described as an aircraft 10 and an aircraft 20.

[0014] FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a pipe inspection system 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of an inspected pipe 50, which is the object of inspection. The pipe inspection system 1 according to this embodiment has a first aircraft 10, a second aircraft 20, a control device 30, and a base 40. The inspected pipe 50 is a pipe located outside a factory building. Generally, liquid is transported through the pipe. The pipe inspection system 1 according to this embodiment inspects whether or not there is a liquid leak at the joint of the pipe or in the middle of the pipe.

[0015] The first aircraft 10 and the second aircraft 20 fly on opposite sides of the inspected pipe 50. The first aircraft 10 and the second aircraft 20 may be collectively referred to as a "flight squadron." The first aircraft 10 is equipped with a light 12. The second aircraft 20 is equipped with a camera 22. The first aircraft 10 illuminates the underside of the inspected pipe 50. The second aircraft 20 photographs the underside of the inspected pipe 50 from the opposite side of the inspected pipe 50.

[0016] Here, if a liquid leak occurs in the inspected pipe 50, liquid droplets 55 will appear on the underside of the inspected pipe 50. Then, the light 12L emitted by the light 12 from the first flying object 10 is refracted by the liquid droplets 55, and is observed as a bright spot 55F by the camera 22 of the second flying object 20. In particular, such liquid droplets 55 can often be observed on the underside of the joint flange 50f of the joint between the pipes.

[0017] When the second flying object 20 observes a bright spot 55F on the underside of the inspected pipe 50, it records the observed position. The observed position here refers to the position of the second flying object 20 within the factory premises when the droplet 55 is observed, but it may also be the position of the inspected pipe 50 where the droplet 55 is observed. In the pipe inspection system 1 according to this embodiment, it is important to find a leak early, and the detailed location of the leak and its repair are left to manual labor. Therefore, it is sufficient to know the approximate location where the droplet 55 was found.

[0018] When the second aircraft 20 records the bright spot 55F, it wirelessly transmits the position information to the control device 30. However, in a factory where buildings and equipment are installed, real-time communication with the control device 30 installed at the base 40 may not be possible. Therefore, if it is not possible to contact the control device 30, the second aircraft 20 only needs to record the position information.

[0019] In the pipe inspection system 1 according to this embodiment, it is preferable that the first flying body 10 and the second flying body 20 fly at night, because it is difficult to distinguish the bright spot 55F of light from the droplet 55 during the day.

[0020] <Squadron> The configuration of the first aircraft 10 is shown in Fig. 2, and the configuration of the second aircraft 20 is shown in Fig. 3. In each figure, (a) is a plan view from above, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a front view. In (b), the arrow indicates the normal forward direction of travel. In the following explanation, common components are indicated by the same reference numerals. The aircraft (10, 20) are composed of propellers (10a, 20a), housings (10d, 20d), and legs (10g, 20g).

[0021] The housings (10d, 20d) include communication units (10c, 20c), a battery (not shown), and a control unit (not shown). The propellers (10a, 20a) are multiple and their rotation is controlled by motors (10b, 20b). A type that can hover in the air is preferable, because during the pipe inspection stage, it is necessary to hover and change altitude at that position.

[0022] The squadron also has the means to obtain information about its position, direction and altitude, since autonomous flight would not be possible without such capabilities. These means can be provided by known methods and equipment.

[0023] The first flying object 10 further carries a light 12. The central axis of the light irradiation is called the irradiation axis 12ax. The light 12 faces perpendicular to the direction of travel, but it is preferable that the light 12 is formed so that it can rotate and swing within a predetermined range of angles in the horizontal plane and in the elevation angle direction.

[0024] The light 12 may be white light, or may be light of a specific wavelength. Mercury lamps or LED lights are often used as illumination within the factory premises at night. These light sources often emit a specific wavelength. Therefore, by using light of a wavelength not used for illumination within the factory premises, it is possible to eliminate cases where the bright spot 55F observed by the second flying object 20 is caused by the illumination within the premises.

[0025] In addition, the vehicle may have a forward light 14 that illuminates the direction of travel, a forward camera 16 that photographs the front, and a side camera 18 that is parallel to the illumination axis 12ax. The inspected pipe 50 has a connecting flange 50f, and the first aircraft 10 and the second aircraft 20 must also change altitude at the connecting flange 50f. This is because the aircraft must detect the presence or absence of the connecting flange 50f ahead of the flight. In addition, if there is a side camera 18 that can photograph the illumination direction of the light 12, the underside of the inspected pipe 50 can be confirmed more reliably.

[0026] The second aircraft 20 is equipped with a camera 22. When the first aircraft 10 irradiates light of a specific wavelength, the camera 22 has a filter for that wavelength. The filter may be a physical filter, or a digital filter that essentially identifies only that wavelength through image processing. The center of the lens of the camera 22 is called the optical axis 22ax.

[0027] The control unit (not shown) of the second aircraft 20 also has an image processing unit (not shown) that processes images captured by the camera 22. FIG. 4 shows the flow of processing by the image processing unit. When the image processing unit starts (step S100), it makes an end decision (step S102). The end decision may be made when the inspection is completed. For example, the inspection area is completed and the aircraft moves to another area or returns to the base 40.

[0028] The inspection section refers to one section when the area inspected by the pipe inspection system 1 is divided into multiple sections. The squadron flies on batteries, so there is a limit to the flight time. Therefore, the area that can be flown on a single charge is used as the inspection unit.

[0029] If it is to be ended (Y branch of step S102), it ends (step S104). If it is not to be ended (N branch of step S102), the process continues.

[0030] The image processing unit first imports the image captured by the camera 22 (step S106). Then, it performs binarization processing (step S108). By binarizing, dark parts such as the inspected pipe 50 and the background become black, and the droplet 55 part that collects the light irradiated by the first flying object 10 becomes a bright spot 55F (white).

[0031] Next, it is determined whether or not the bright spot 55F exists in the binarized image (step S110). The bright spot 55F may be determined to be a bright spot 55F if it has a predetermined radius or more.

[0032] If it is determined that there is a bright spot 55F (Y branch in step S110), the validity of the bright spot 55F being a droplet 55 is determined (step S112). As described below, the first and second flying bodies (10, 20) fly while maintaining a constant positional relationship with respect to the inspected pipe 50.

[0033] Therefore, it is possible to roughly determine whether or not the camera 22 of the second flying object 20 is capturing the position of the inspected pipe 50. If the discovered bright spot 55F is near the bottom surface of the inspected pipe 50, it is determined to be a liquid droplet 55. On the other hand, if the bright spot 55F occurs in a position unrelated to the position of the inspected pipe 50, it is determined to be noise.

[0034] If it is determined that the bright spot 55F is a droplet 55 (Y branch in step S112), the current position is recorded (step S114). This may be the position of the second flying object 20, or may be the position of the inspected pipe 50 where the droplet 55 was observed.

[0035] If the bright spot 55F is not determined to be a droplet 55 (N branch in step S112), the process returns to the end determination (step S102).

[0036] Also, when it is determined that there is no bright spot 55F (N branch in step S110), the process returns to the end determination (step S102).

[0037] By repeating the above process, the second flying object 20 can search for the presence or absence of the bright spot 55F in the image captured by the camera 22.

[0038] <Flight formation> The first and second aircraft (10, 20) fly while maintaining a constant position relative to the inspected pipe 50. Fig. 5 shows the positional relationship of each aircraft with respect to the inspected pipe 50. Fig. 5(a) shows a view of the inspected pipe 50 from below. The first and second aircraft (10, 20) fly on opposite sides of the inspected pipe 50.

[0039] The first flying object 10 irradiates the light 12 toward the inspected pipe 50. On the other hand, it is preferable that the second flying object 20 flies within an angle (θ) of ±10° with respect to the irradiation axis 12ax of the light 12 of the first flying object 10. If the angle deviates from this range, it becomes difficult to observe the light passing through the droplets 55 of the irradiated light.

[0040] 5(b) shows the positional relationship from a cross-sectional direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the inspected pipe 50. The first aircraft 10 flies so that the irradiation axis 12ax is in the same plane as the vicinity of the underside of the inspected pipe 50. Meanwhile, the second aircraft 20 flies so that the optical axis 22ax of the camera 22 is located at a position where the underside of the inspected pipe 50 is observed from a height within an angle (φ) of 10° from the irradiation axis 12ax.

[0041] The first and second aircraft (10, 20) should fly so that they are each present within the ranges θ and φ shown in Fig. 5(a) and (b). As an example, referring to Fig. 6, the first aircraft 10 flies ahead, and the second aircraft 20 flies a predetermined distance DL behind. Since the inspected pipe 50 has a connecting flange 50f, it is necessary to change the altitude. This is because the first aircraft 10 detects the approach to the connecting flange 50f and notifies the second aircraft 20 to decelerate.

[0042] The first aircraft 10 and the second aircraft 20 may be programmed with a flight formation in advance. However, errors occur in actual flight due to various factors. Therefore, it is desirable for them to communicate with each other so that they can adjust their positions and speeds. The first aircraft 10 transmits data regarding the current position (including altitude information), current speed, and the direction of the illumination axis 12ax to the second aircraft 20. Meanwhile, the second aircraft 20 can transmit the current position (including altitude), current speed, and the direction of the optical axis 22ax of the camera 22 to the first aircraft 10.

[0043] In addition, the second flying object 20 may transmit a signal to the first flying object 10 requesting it to decelerate when it is about to go out of the detection range of the bright spot 55F from the light 12.

[0044] <Flight plan> The pipe inspection system 1 according to this embodiment enables early detection of liquid leakage from pipes by finding liquid droplets 55 that appear on the underside of the pipe when a liquid leakage occurs. Usually, such liquid leakage occurs at the joint of the pipes (the joint flange 50f). However, when the pipes are arranged vertically, liquid leakage from the upper pipe drips onto the lower pipe, and as a result, liquid droplets 55 may appear on the underside of the lower pipe in places other than the joint flange 50f.

[0045] Furthermore, a crack in the pipe itself may also cause liquid leakage from portions other than the connecting flange 50f. Therefore, it is preferable that the pipe inspection system 1 also inspects the lower surface of the pipe and the lower surface of the connecting flange 50f.

[0046] However, the connecting flange 50f is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe. Therefore, the first and second aircraft (10, 20) need to change the flight altitude. The position of the connecting flange 50f may be given in advance, or the first aircraft 10 may discover it by itself.

[0047] FIG. 7 shows a process flow for the inspection flight of the first flying object 10. The pipe inspection system 1 is assumed to have received position information required for inspection, such as the position of the pipe 50 to be inspected and a map of the premises, input in advance from the control device 30. The first and second flying objects (10, 20) fly on batteries, and therefore the range they can fly on a single charge is fixed. Therefore, the range within the factory premises that will be inspected at one time is determined in advance. This range is called the "inspection section."

[0048] When the process is started (step S200), an end determination is made (step S202). The end determination may be based on the end of the inspection section or an emergency. If the process is to be ended (Y branch in step S202), the process returns to base 40 and ends (step S204). If the process is to be continued (N branch in step S202), the process proceeds to the next flow.

[0049] Next, the aircraft flies to the inspection section within the premises (step S206). The flight to the inspection section follows a predetermined route. Once the aircraft flies to the inspection section, preparations for inspection are made (step S208). Preparations for inspection include checking that the light 12 is on and that the aircraft and the second aircraft 20 arrive at the designated positions.

[0050] Next, the inspection is started (step S210). The first flying object 10 flies along the pipe 50 to be inspected while irradiating the underside of the pipe 50 with light from the light 12. The inspection steps are described in detail in FIG. 8. When the inspection is completed, the process returns to the end determination (step S202) to determine whether or not there is a next inspection section.

[0051] FIG. 8 illustrates the inspection process (step S210) in detail. When the inspection is started, the first aircraft 10 flies along the pipe 50 to be inspected while illuminating the underside of the pipe 50 with the light 12. Then, it is determined whether or not a change in altitude occurs after a predetermined time (step S252). A change in altitude may occur when the piping of the pipe 50 to be inspected changes in the vertical direction, or when a connecting flange 50f is present or absent. This determination may be made using the forward camera 16 mounted on the first aircraft 10, or may be incorporated in advance as a flight plan.

[0052] If there is no altitude change (N branch of step S252), it is determined whether the current inspection section has ended (step S254). If it has not ended (N branch of step S254), the process returns to step S252 and the flight (inspection) continues.

[0053] When the current inspection section has ended (Y branch of step S254), the inspection process (step S210) is exited (step S256).

[0054] If there is an elevation change (Y branch in step S252), it is determined whether the elevation change is due to the connecting flange 50f or the piping arrangement (step S260). Here, the elevation change due to the connecting flange 50f is represented by "F" and the elevation change due to the piping arrangement is represented by "A".

[0055] The movements of the first aircraft 10 and the second aircraft 20 at this time are shown in Fig. 9. Also refer to Fig. 9 below. In the case of the connecting flange 50f (flange (F) branch of step S260), communication is made to the second aircraft 20, and the second aircraft 20 stops in front of the connecting flange 50f at a constant acceleration and lowers its altitude (step S262, Figs. 9(a) and (b)).

[0056] After confirming that the second aircraft 20 has reached the designated position, a start signal is sent to the second aircraft 20, and only the second aircraft 20 advances until it passes the connecting flange 50f (step S264, position 20' in FIG. 9(b)). After that, both aircraft increase their altitude again (step S266, FIG. 9(c)). After confirming that the second aircraft 20 has reached the designated position, only the first aircraft 10 advances a designated distance DL (step S268, FIG. 9(d)). After that, both aircraft advance and resume inspection of the underside of the inspected pipe 50 (pipe body 50b) (step S270, FIG. 9(e)).

[0057] On the other hand, if the altitude change is due to piping (branch A of step S260), the second aircraft 20 is notified of the rate of change of altitude (step S272), and the flight (inspection) continues.

[0058] 10(a) will now be described with reference to the processing flow of the second aircraft 20. The overall flow is almost the same as the processing flow of the first aircraft 10 in FIG.

[0059] When the process is started (step S300), an end determination is made (step S302). The end determination may be based on the end of the inspection section or an emergency. If the process is to be ended (Y branch at step S302), the process returns to base 40 and ends (step S304). If the process is to be continued (N branch at step S302), the process proceeds to the next flow.

[0060] Next, the second aircraft 20 flies to the inspection section within the premises (step S306). The flight to the inspection section follows a predetermined route. Once the second aircraft 20 has flown to the inspection section, preparations for inspection are made (step S308). In preparation for inspection, the second aircraft 20 is positioned at a predetermined altitude on the opposite side of the first aircraft 10, across the pipe 50 to be inspected. The optical axis 22ax of the camera 22 is also aligned with the underside of the pipe 50 to be inspected. Then, when preparations are complete, the first aircraft 10 is notified that preparations are complete.

[0061] Next, the inspection is started (step S310). When the first flying object 10 receives a notification of the start of the inspection from the first flying object 10, the flying object 10 accelerates at a predetermined acceleration rate and flies while photographing the underside of the pipe 50 to be inspected with the camera 22 and inspecting whether or not a bright spot 55F appears on the underside of the pipe 50 to be inspected.

[0062] Here, it is preferable for the second aircraft 20 to fly at a position behind the first aircraft 10 in the direction of travel. This is because the first aircraft 10 decelerates just before the connecting flange 50f, and the second aircraft 20 must follow that movement. If the second aircraft 20 flies behind the first aircraft 10, it can also roughly follow the deceleration of the first aircraft 10. When the inspection is completed, the process returns to the end judgment (step S302) and it is judged whether there is a next inspection section.

[0063] 10(b) details the process corresponding to the inspection step (step S310) of the second aircraft 20. When the inspection starts, the second aircraft 20 flies on the opposite side to the first aircraft 10, sandwiching the pipe 50 to be inspected, while photographing the underside of the pipe 50 to be inspected with the camera 22.

[0064] During the flight, the system tries to find the bright spot 55F by image analysis according to the flowchart shown in Fig. 4. Then, it is determined whether or not an altitude change will occur after a predetermined time (step S352). The altitude change may be determined by a notification from the first aircraft 10, or may be previously incorporated into the flight plan.

[0065] If there is no altitude change (N branch of step S352), it is determined whether the current inspection section has ended (step S354). If it has not ended (N branch of step S354), the process returns to step S352 and the inspection flight continues.

[0066] When the current inspection section has ended (Y branch of step S354), the inspection process (step S310) is exited (step S356).

[0067] If there is a change in altitude (Y branch in step S352), the second aircraft 20 follows the instructions in the notification from the first aircraft 10 (step S360). This is because the second aircraft 20 checks for the presence or absence of bright spot 55F while moving in accordance with the movement of the first aircraft 10. In other words, while flying along the course indicated by the first aircraft 10, the camera 22 photographs the inspected pipe 50 and performs the image processing shown in Fig. 4 to check for the presence or absence of bright spot 55F.

[0068] <Base> Referring again to FIG. 1, the first and second aircraft (10, 20) take off from and return to the base 40. The base 40 has at least a charging facility 40a and a data transmission facility (not shown). The control device 30 may be installed in the base 40 or may be installed in another location. Here, it is assumed that the control device 30 is installed in the base 40.

[0069] The base 40 is equipped with a clock, an anemometer, and a rain gauge (not shown). The pipe inspection system 1 according to this embodiment cannot perform inspections on rainy days because it is not possible to distinguish between liquid leakage and raindrops. Also, if the wind is too strong, it is difficult for the aircraft to fly.

[0070] The base 40 stores at least two flying objects and charges the batteries of each flying object. It also transfers map information of the planned inspection section and data related to the bright spot 55F acquired by the second flying object 20 to the control device 30. The operation of the base 40 may be performed by the control device 30.

[0071] <Control device> The control device 30 controls the operation of the base 40, issues instructions to the first aircraft 10 and the second aircraft 20, and collects data. The control device 30 is equipped with an MPU (Micro Processor Unit) 30a, a controller 30r, a display 30d, and a communication device 30c. In the pipe inspection system 1 according to this embodiment, the aircraft flies autonomously, but the inspection flight may be operated by a human. In that case, the controller 30r is used. The control device 30 may be a mobile terminal itself, or a configuration including a fixed station and a mobile terminal.

[0072] 11 shows a process flow of the control device 30. When the process starts (step S400), an end determination is made (step S402). The end determination may be based on an end instruction from a person or an end determined by a program.

[0073] If the process is to be ended (Y branch at step S402), the data is backed up and the process is ended (step S404).If the process is to be continued (N branch at step S402), the process proceeds to the next flow.

[0074] In the next flow, the scheduled inspection time is confirmed (step S406). An inspection schedule is determined in advance for the pipe inspection system 1. For example, the inspection schedule may be to inspect all pipes every day, to inspect all pipes every other day, or to inspect all pipes within the site in three days.

[0075] In addition, if one formation consists of two aircraft, multiple formations may be used to divide the site into sections, and each section may be inspected by a separate formation. In this case, the control device 30 is input with the times associated with the inspection, such as the charging start time for each formation, the departure time, and the scheduled return time.

[0076] Therefore, the control device 30 is in a waiting state until the scheduled time arrives. When the scheduled time arrives (Y branch of step S406), the weather is checked (step S408). This is because the inspection cannot be performed if it is raining. Therefore, if it is raining even when the scheduled time arrives (N branch of step S408), it is decided to postpone the inspection (step S410), and the process returns to step S402.

[0077] If it is not raining (Y branch of step S408), a departure command is issued to the first aircraft 10 and the second aircraft 20 (step S412). As a result, the first and second aircraft (10, 20) start their flight for inspection. If communication with the squadron is possible, the current location of the squadron is monitored.

[0078] After the squadron is departed, the system goes into a waiting state until it returns (step S414). Also, if communication with the squadron is possible, information from the second flying object 20 (the discovered position of the bright spot 55F) is received and recorded together with the time.

[0079] After the squadron returns (Y branch in step S414), if the inspection information has not been acquired in real time, the inspection data is collected from the second aircraft 20 (step S416). Then, the control device 30 edits the position and image data of the bright spot 55F observed by the squadron into a predetermined format, outputs the data, and returns the process to S402.

[0080] In addition, to check whether a leak has actually occurred and whether repair is necessary, it is best for a person to go to the location and visually check it, because identifying the location of the leak and repairing it require skill. However, while manually inspecting the initial location of the leak in pipes arranged within a vast factory site takes a lot of time, the pipe inspection system according to the present embodiment allows automatic inspection by drone at night, which contributes favorably to piping maintenance.

[0081] (Embodiment 2) In the first embodiment, the second flying object 20 inspects for liquid leakage by detecting, as a bright spot 55F, the illumination from the first flying object 10 passing through the droplets 55 generated in the inspected pipe 50. However, the inspected pipe 50 is placed outdoors, and depending on the windy area or the layout of buildings within the factory site, the flying object may be blown by the wind near the inspected pipe 50, and the flying object may not fly the set route accurately.

[0082] 12 shows a case where the second flying object 20 is blown by the wind and goes out of the area where the bright spot 55F can be photographed. The second flying object 20 is shown by a dotted line when it goes off course downward.

[0083] Even in such a situation, the pipe inspection system 2 according to this embodiment can detect liquid leakage from the inspected pipe 50. Note that the configurations and technical ideas described in the first embodiment that can be applied to this embodiment are also applicable even if not described.

[0084] In the pipe inspection system 2 of this embodiment, the elements constituting the system are the same as those shown in Fig. 1 of the first embodiment. However, the control device includes new processing, so it is called a control device 32. Therefore, the control device 32 is equipped with an MPU (Micro Processor Unit) 32a, a controller 32r, a display 32d, and a communication device 32c.

[0085] In the pipe inspection system 2 of this embodiment, the light 12 mounted on the first flying object 10 emits infrared light, and the side camera 18 also has an infrared camera. The camera 22 of the second flying object 20 has a camera 22 capable of receiving infrared light.

[0086] Here, in the pipe inspection system 2 of this embodiment, the first flying object 10 emits infrared light from the light 12 and captures the underside of the inspected pipe 50 with the side camera 18. The operation of the second flying object 20 is the same as in the first embodiment. By receiving the infrared light 12Lr from the first flying object 10, the droplets 55 are captured as luminance 55F, and it is determined whether or not there is a water leak.

[0087] On the other hand, if the second aircraft 20 strays from the course or is blown off course by the wind, leakage is judged based on the images taken by the first aircraft 10. More specifically, for sections that the second aircraft 20 was unable to inspect, the presence or absence of leakage is judged based on the infrared images taken by the first aircraft 10 during the previous inspection.

[0088] Figure 13 shows the processing applied to the first aircraft 10 and the second aircraft 20. Except for the processing shown in Figure 13, the first aircraft 10 follows the flows shown in Figures 7 and 8, and the second aircraft 20 follows the flow shown in Figure 10. Note that Figure 13 may be inserted anywhere in the processing flow of the first aircraft 10 and the second aircraft 20, and may also be processing that is constantly executed in a separate routine.

[0089] For example, for the first aircraft 10, it is preferable to insert it immediately after the inspection (step S210) of Fig. 7 (before step S252), and for the second aircraft 20, it is preferable to insert it immediately after the inspection (step S310) of Fig. 10(b) (just before returning from step S360). Also, it may be included in the inspection (step S210) of Fig. 8 and step S360 of Fig. 10(b), respectively.

[0090] 13, when the process starts (step S500), it is determined whether or not there has been a change in flight conditions (step S502). A change in flight conditions refers to a deviation from a predetermined flight route (direction and altitude) beyond a predetermined range. It may also include a deviation in the relative positions between two aircraft.

[0091] If the flight route is deviated from (Y branch in step S502), the route is corrected (step S504). This is controlled by a controller mounted on each aircraft. The route is corrected until it can be corrected (step S504).

[0092] When the correction is completed (Y branch of step S506), the range of deviation from the route (hereinafter referred to as "deviation range Ro") is recorded, and this process is terminated (step S510). Also, if there is no change in the flight state in step S502 (N branch of step S502), this process is similarly terminated (step S510). The above process is performed in both the first aircraft 10 and the second aircraft 20.

[0093] Next, a description will be given of the processing of the control device 32 of the pipe inspection system 2. The processing of the control device 32 is almost the same as the processing of the control device 30 of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 11. However, in the pipe inspection system 2, since it is assumed in advance that there may be a section where the squadron is unable to inspect, it is necessary to collect and analyze the data after the squadron returns to base.

[0094] 14 shows detailed processing of data collection (step S416) in the pipe inspection system 2. When data processing (step S416) begins, the recorded data of the first aircraft 10 and the second aircraft 20 is downloaded (step S600). The recorded data includes the position where the bright spot 55F was observed, the infrared image IR recorded by the first aircraft 10, and the position where the bright spot 55F was observed. k In addition to the deviation range Ro, data such as flight route and date and time are included. k " is a subscript indicating the order of measurement.

[0095] Next, it is checked whether or not the deviation range Ro is recorded (step S602). If the deviation range Ro is not recorded (N branch in step S602), the position where the bright spot 55F is observed is selected (step S604). Here, "selecting" means making it possible to output (step S614).

[0096] If there is a deviation range Ro (Y branch of step S602), the infrared image IR captured by the side camera 18 of the first flying object 10 is k In the image, the temperature range TR is different from the surroundings. k However, infrared images taken during the previous flight k-1 Temperature range TR different from the surroundings k-1 A comparison is made to see if it is greater (step 608).

[0097] The temperature distribution of the area where the liquid leak occurred is different from the surrounding area, so it can often be found by using an infrared camera. However, there may be other reasons why the temperature range is low. k-1 And this infrared image IR k The purpose of this is to determine whether or not a liquid leak is occurring by comparing the areas TR shown in the image, where the temperature distribution is different from the surrounding area.

[0098] Temperature range TR different from the surroundings k TR k-1 If the temperature is greater than the ambient temperature range TR (Y branch in step S608), it is determined that there is a high possibility that a liquid leak is occurring (step S612). k TR k-1 If it is equal to or smaller than (N branch in step S608), it can be determined that no liquid leakage has occurred (step S610). These results are then output (step S614), and the routine ends (step S616).

[0099] As described above, if there is an area where the first aircraft 10 and the second aircraft 20 cannot conduct inspection together, the presence or absence of liquid leakage can be determined from images taken by the side camera 18 (infrared camera) mounted on the first aircraft 10.

[0100] (Embodiment 3) In the first and second embodiments, the mobile body 9 has been described as a plurality of flying bodies 10 and 20, but in the pipe inspection system 3 of this embodiment, an example of a single ground-based autonomous vehicle will be described as the mobile body 9. Compared to flying bodies, this has the advantage that a large-capacity battery can be mounted and the running time can be extended, and a single vehicle can be equipped with devices with various functions.

[0101] This embodiment can be applied when the underside of a pipe where early detection of leakage is required can be directly seen from the ground, and can also be applied indoors, where this is difficult for an aircraft.

[0102] It should be noted that the configurations and technical ideas described in the first and second embodiments that can be applied to this embodiment are also applicable even if not described.

[0103] When the autonomous vehicle reaches a pipe inspection position where early detection of leaks is required during its patrol, the light shines light on the underside of the pipe and the camera takes a picture of the underside of the pipe. The image is sent in real time to a control device with which the autonomous vehicle communicates, and the presence or absence of bright spots due to leaks is judged by an image processing unit. If communication is not possible, the autonomous vehicle may be equipped with an image processing unit. The light irradiation diameter can be set arbitrarily, but for example, in the case of a 2m diameter, the light irradiation and camera photography can be repeated every 2m to automatically inspect the entire length of the pipe for leaks.

[0104] Adjustments to the elevation angles of the lights and cameras in response to horizontal and vertical bends in the pipe are stored in a control unit within the vehicle or in a control device external to the vehicle during a prior test drive.

[0105] <Autonomous vehicles> FIG. 15 shows the configuration of an autonomous vehicle 60. FIG. 15(a) is a plan view from above, FIG. 15(b) is a side view, and FIG. 15(c) is a front view. FIG. 15(d) shows a control device 70. In FIG. 15(a) and FIG. 15(b), an arrow indicates the normal forward direction of travel. The autonomous vehicle 60 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped pedestal 64 on the upper surface of a four-wheel drive vehicle body 63 having four tires 63a, and a rotating platform 66 is provided on the top surface of the pedestal 64. The rotating platform 66 can rotate 360 ​​degrees horizontally, and a light 61 and a camera 62 are attached to both sides of the rotating platform 66. The light 61 and the camera 62 can rotate 90 degrees vertically.

[0106] The vehicle body 63 includes a communication unit (not shown), a battery (not shown), and a control unit (not shown). Also, by providing a 3D laser sensor, the vehicle can create a route map and travel autonomously.

[0107] 16, an autonomous vehicle 60 travels beside or diagonally below an inspected pipe 50. An autonomous vehicle 60 is equipped with a light 61 and a camera 62. The autonomous vehicle 60 illuminates the underside of the inspected pipe 50 and captures an image of the underside of the inspected pipe 50.

[0108] Here, if a liquid leak occurs in the inspected pipe 50, liquid droplets 55 will appear on the underside of the inspected pipe 50. Then, light 61L emitted by a light 61 from an autonomous vehicle 60 is refracted by the liquid droplets 55, and is observed as a bright spot 55F by a camera 62. In particular, such liquid droplets 55 can often be observed on the underside of a joint flange 50f at the joint between the pipes.

[0109] When the autonomous vehicle 60 observes a bright spot 55F on the underside of the inspected pipe 50, it records the observed position. The observed position here refers to the position of the autonomous vehicle 60 within the factory premises when the droplet 55 is observed, but it may also be the position of the inspected pipe 50 where the droplet 55 is observed. In the pipe inspection system 3 according to this embodiment, it is important to find a liquid leak early, and the detailed location of the leak and its repair are left to manual labor. Therefore, it is sufficient to know the approximate location where the droplet 55 was found.

[0110] When the autonomous vehicle 60 records the bright spot 55F, it wirelessly transmits the location information to the control device 70. However, in a factory where buildings and equipment are installed, real-time communication with the control device 70 installed at the base 80 (see FIG. 15(b)) may not be possible. Therefore, if it is not possible to contact the control device 70, it is sufficient for the autonomous vehicle 60 to simply record the location information.

[0111] The process flow for the inspection run of the autonomous vehicle 60 is the same as that shown in FIG. 7. Referring to FIG. 7, it is assumed that the position information required for inspection, such as the position of the inspected pipe 50 and a map of the premises, is input in advance from the control device 70 to the pipe inspection system 3. Since the autonomous vehicle 60 runs on a battery, the range that it can run on a single charge is fixed. Therefore, the range within the factory premises that will be inspected at one time is determined in advance. This range is called the "inspection section."

[0112] When the process is started (step S200), an end determination is made (step S202). The end determination may be based on the end of the inspection section or an emergency. If the process is to be ended (Y branch of step S202), the process returns to the base 80 and ends (step S204). If the process is to be continued (N branch of step S202), the process proceeds to the next flow.

[0113] Next, the vehicle travels to an inspection section within the premises (step S206). The vehicle travels to the inspection section along a predetermined route. When the vehicle travels to the inspection section, preparation for inspection is performed (step S208). Preparation for inspection is performed by turning on the light 61.

[0114] Next, the inspection is started (step S210). The autonomous vehicle 60 illuminates the underside of the inspected pipe 50 with light from the light 61, takes pictures with the camera 62 at predetermined intervals, and tries to find the bright spot 55F by image analysis according to the flowchart shown in Figure 4, while traveling along a preset patrol route. When the inspection is completed, the process returns to the end determination (step S202), and determines whether or not there is a next inspection section.

[0115] <Base> 15(b) again. The autonomous vehicle 60 starts from the base 80 and returns to the base 80. The base 80 has at least a charging facility 80a and a data transfer facility (not shown). The control device 70 may be provided in the base 80 or may be installed in another location. Here, it is assumed that the control device 70 is provided in the base 80.

[0116] The base 80 at least houses the autonomous vehicle 60 and charges the battery of the autonomous vehicle 60. In addition, the base 80 transfers map information of the section to be inspected and data related to the bright spot 55F acquired by the autonomous vehicle 60 to the control device 70. The operation of the base 80 may be performed by the control device 70. As shown in FIG. 15, the base 80 may be in the form of a stage.

[0117] <Control device> The control device 70 operates the base station 80, gives instructions to the autonomous vehicle 60, and collects data. The control device 70 is equipped with an MPU (Micro Processor Unit) 70a, a controller 70r, a display 70d, and a communication device 70c. In the pipe inspection system 3 according to this embodiment, the autonomous vehicle 60 travels autonomously, but the vehicle may also be operated by a human for inspection. In that case, the controller 70r is used. The control device 70 may be a mobile terminal itself, or may be configured to include a fixed station and a mobile terminal.

[0118] The process flow of the control device 70 is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 11. When the process starts (step S400), an end determination is made (step S402). The end determination may be based on an end instruction from a person or end determined by a program.

[0119] If the process is to be ended (Y branch at step S402), the data is backed up and the process is ended (step S404).If the process is to be continued (N branch at step S402), the process proceeds to the next flow.

[0120] In the next flow, the scheduled inspection time is confirmed (step S406). An inspection schedule is determined in advance for the pipe inspection system 3. For example, the inspection schedule may be to inspect all pipes every day, to inspect all pipes every other day, or to inspect all pipes within the site in three days.

[0121] Furthermore, the site may be divided into sections using a plurality of autonomous vehicles 60, and each section may be inspected by a different autonomous vehicle 60. In this case, the control device 70 is input with times associated with the inspection, such as the charging start time for each autonomous vehicle 60, the departure time, and the scheduled return time.

[0122] Therefore, the control device 70 is in a waiting state until the scheduled time arrives. When the scheduled time arrives (Y branch of step S406), if the inspection location is outdoors, the weather is checked (step S408). This is because the inspection cannot be performed if it is raining. Therefore, if it is raining even when the scheduled time arrives (N branch of step S408), it is decided to postpone the inspection (step S410), and the process returns to step S402. If the inspection location is indoors, the process of checking the weather (step S408) can be skipped.

[0123] If it is not raining (Y branch in step S408), a departure command is issued to the autonomous vehicle 60 (step S412). This causes the autonomous vehicle 60 to start traveling for the inspection. After the autonomous vehicle 60 has departed, it goes into a waiting state until it returns (step S414).

[0124] After the autonomous vehicle 60 returns (Y branch in step S414), if the inspection information has not been acquired in real time, the inspection data is collected from the autonomous vehicle 60 (step S416). Then, the control device 70 edits the position and image data of the bright spot 55F observed by the autonomous vehicle 60 into a predetermined format, outputs the data, and returns the process to S402.

[0125] In addition, to check whether a leak has actually occurred and whether repair is necessary, it is best for a person to go to the location and check with the naked eye, because identifying the location of the leak and repairing it require skill. However, manually inspecting the initial location of the leak in pipes arranged within a vast factory site takes a lot of time, whereas the pipe inspection system according to this embodiment allows automatic inspection both indoors and outdoors using the autonomous vehicle 60, which contributes favorably to the maintenance of piping.

[0126] (Embodiment 4) In the pipe inspection system 4 of this embodiment, the system components are different from those shown in FIG. 15 of the third embodiment in that there is no light and an infrared camera is installed as the camera.

[0127] With reference to FIG. 17, in the pipe inspection system 4 of this embodiment, the autonomous vehicle 90 photographs the underside of the inspected pipe 50 with an infrared camera 91. The autonomous vehicle 90 judges whether there is a leak based on the image photographed. More specifically, the autonomous vehicle 90 judges whether there is a leak based on the infrared image photographed during the previous inspection. If the control unit of the autonomous vehicle 90 stores the infrared image photographed during the previous inspection, or if communication is possible between the autonomous vehicle 90 and the control device 92, the autonomous vehicle 90 can judge whether there is a leak during the inspection, and can also record the location of the leak. In FIG. 17, the same elements as those in the third embodiment (FIG. 15) are denoted by the same reference numerals. The explanation is the same as that in the third embodiment, and may be omitted.

[0128] Next, a description will be given of the processing of the control device 92 of the pipe inspection system 4. The control device 92 is equipped with an MPU (Micro Processor Unit) 92a, a controller 92r, a display 92d, and a communication device 92c. The processing of the control device 92 is almost the same as the processing of the control device 30 of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

[0129] Specifically, the same process as that in the case where the deviation range Ro in Fig. 14 exists (Y branch in step S602) is performed. k In the image, the temperature range TR is different from the surroundings. k However, the infrared image IR taken during the previous run k-1 Temperature range TR different from the surroundings k-1 A comparison is made to see if it is greater (step 608).

[0130] The temperature distribution of the area where the liquid leak occurred is different from the surrounding area, so it can often be found by using an infrared camera. However, there may be other reasons why the temperature range is low. k-1 And this infrared image IR k The purpose of this is to determine whether or not a liquid leak is occurring by comparing the areas TR shown in the image, where the temperature distribution is different from the surrounding area.

[0131] Temperature range TR different from the surroundings k TR k-1 If the temperature is greater than the ambient temperature range TR (Y branch in step S608), it is determined that there is a high possibility that a liquid leak is occurring (step S612). k TR k-1 If it is equal to or smaller than (N branch in step S608), it can be determined that no liquid leakage has occurred (step S610). These results are then output (step S614), and the routine ends (step S616).

[0132] As described above, the self-driving car 90 is equipped with only the infrared camera 91 without the light 61 of the third embodiment, and can determine the presence or absence of a liquid leak from the captured infrared image. [Industrial Applicability]

[0133] The pipe inspection system according to the present invention can be suitably used for automatically inspecting pipes installed in a factory for liquid leaks. [Explanation of symbols]

[0134] 1 Pipe Inspection System 2 Pipe Inspection System 3 Pipe Inspection System 4 Pipe Inspection System 10 First Aircraft 12 Light 12Lr infrared light 12ax irradiation axis 22ax optical axis 12L irradiation light 14 Front Light 16 Front Camera 18 Side Camera 20 Second Aircraft 22 Camera 30 Control device 32 Control device 30r Controller 30d display 30c communication device 40 base 50 Pipe to be inspected 50b Pipe body 50f coupling flange 55 droplets 55F bright spot DL predetermined distance Ro deviation range IR k Infrared imaging TR k Different temperature range from the surroundings 60 Self-driving cars 61 Light 62 Camera 63 Vehicle body 64 Pedestal 70 Control device 80 base 90 Self-driving cars 91 Infrared Camera 92 Control device

Claims

1. 1. A pipe inspection system for inspecting a pipe for liquid leaks, comprising: A mobile object equipped with a light and a camera, a control device in communication with the moving object; The moving object moves along a set route, A pipe inspection system characterized in that the light is applied to a pipe to be inspected, and when a bright spot is observed on the underside of the pipe by the camera, the position of the observation is recorded.

2. The moving body is The first flying vehicle carrying the light It consists of a second flying vehicle carrying a camera, a controller in communication with the first air vehicle and the second air vehicle; The first flying body and the second flying body fly along a pipe to be inspected, The first flying object irradiates the inspected pipe with light from the light, 2. The pipe inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the second flying object records the observed position when a bright spot is observed on the underside of the pipe by the camera.

3. The first flying vehicle; and 3. The pipe inspection system according to claim 2, wherein the second flying object flies on the opposite side of the pipe to be inspected.

4. The light emits light of a specific wavelength, 4. The pipe inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the camera has a filter that passes light of the specific wavelength.

5. The specific wavelength is a wavelength in the infrared region, The pipe inspection system according to claim 4, which cites claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the first flying object is equipped with an infrared camera that photographs the range illuminated by the light.

Images