Method for detecting leaks in buried thermal energy distribution pipes

Abstract

The present invention provides a buried heat transmission pipe leak detection method comprising: a path driving and scanning step; a leak suspected area prediction step; a ground condition determination and leak detection system fixing step; and a detection method selection step to automate heat transmission pipe leak detection work using a heat transmission pipe leak detection system, wherein if the ground determined in the detection method selection step is a hard paved surface terrain, a first process detection step is selected, and if the ground is an unpaved surface terrain, a second process detection step is selected.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for detecting leaks in buried heat transmission pipes, and more specifically, to a method for detecting leaks in buried heat transmission pipes that utilizes an unmanned vehicle capable of autonomous driving and an inspection unit included in the unmanned vehicle to effectively identify the location of a heat transmission pipe buried underground and to facilitate the detection of leaks in said buried heat transmission pipes. Background Technology

[0003] Heat transmission pipes refer to an underground pipeline network that supplies hot water or steam produced at heat generation facilities, such as combined heat and power plants or waste incinerators, to apartments or buildings. These pipes are buried underground at a certain depth. They are manufactured from metal or synthetic resin materials and are installed underground as insulated pipes equipped with insulation to prevent heat loss.

[0004] Buried heat transfer pipes may develop cracks or localized penetrations caused by corrosion at pipe joints or within the pipe body due to aging or pressure applied from above. When cracks or localized penetrations occur in heat transfer pipes, the fluid flowing inside the pipe may leak to the outside. While the amount of fluid leaking may be small in the initial stages of the crack or penetration, the volume of leakage can increase significantly over time as the crack or penetration grows in size.

[0005] If cracks or localized penetrations gradually expand, the heat transfer pipe may rupture, resulting in severe economic losses due to fluid leakage. Furthermore, if high-temperature hot water or steam leaks from within the pipe, there is a risk of casualties in the vicinity of the leak.

[0006] Accordingly, leak detection is periodically conducted at locations where heat transmission pipes are buried. However, conventional leak detection is carried out by multiple inspectors walking along the roadside where the buried heat transmission pipes are located to check for leaks. This method has the problem of requiring a significant amount of time because it relies on burial maps showing the installation paths of the buried heat transmission pipes and requires inspectors to directly select multiple locations to ensure accuracy. This conventional method has the problem that even if the inspector is an experienced expert, the location of a leaked buried heat transmission pipe can only be detected after multiple attempts, resulting in a large workforce being deployed for leak detection and a significant workload for the inspectors.

[0007] Furthermore, regarding leak inspection of heat transmission pipes, nighttime hours after sunset are more effective for thermal imaging surveys than daytime hours when geothermal heat rises; however, since workers must move on foot to conduct surveys during these nighttime hours, it is very difficult to apply this to actual sites due to visibility and safety issues. The problem to be solved

[0009] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a method for detecting leaks in buried heat transmission pipes that can resolve the issues of excessive manpower input and inspector workload associated with conventional human-walking heat transmission pipe exploration methods by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) data analysis technology into an unmanned driving system.

[0010] Furthermore, the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a method for detecting leaks in buried heat transmission pipes that can reduce misjudgments caused by geothermal interference or other heat sources and automatically and rapidly identify valid suspected leak zones by precisely analyzing thermal image data of the ground surface acquired while autonomously driving even in low-light nighttime environments through an artificial intelligence-based image analysis algorithm in real time.

[0011] Furthermore, the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a method for detecting leaks in buried heat transmission pipes that can improve the reliability of determining the leak point by cross-checking multiple data collected from a suspected leak zone predicted by artificial intelligence using an artificial intelligence algorithm. means of solving the problem

[0013] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a method for detecting leakage in a heat transmission pipe buried underground using a heat transmission pipe leakage detection system including a control unit, comprising: a path driving and scanning step in which the control unit determines a real-time optimal movement path of the heat transmission pipe leakage detection system and controls driving to scan a leakage detection area based on a previously stored underground buried object drawing and data transmitted to the control unit from a device included in the heat transmission pipe leakage detection system using artificial intelligence; and a leakage suspected area prediction step in which the control unit inputs road surface temperature profile data accumulated in real-time through the path driving and scanning step into a previously trained artificial intelligence neural network model to statistically predict and estimate the core location of the leakage and the scale of the defect in the underground heat transmission pipe. A method for detecting leaks in a buried heat transmission pipe is provided, comprising: a ground condition determination and leak detection system fixing step in which, when the heat transmission pipe leak detection system is positioned and stopped at a key leak location calculated through the above leak suspected area prediction step, the control unit identifies the ground pavement condition, physical hardness of the ground, and terrain using artificial intelligence and controls the heat transmission pipe leak detection system to be fixed in a horizontal state in response; and a detection method selection step (S40) in which a detection method is determined and selected based on the terrain condition identified in the ground condition determination and leak detection system fixing step; wherein, if the ground determined in the detection method selection step is a hard paved surface terrain, a first process detection step is selected, and if the ground is an unpaved surface terrain, a second process detection step is selected.

[0014] In addition, the present invention provides a method for detecting leakage in a buried heat transmission pipe, comprising: a first process exploration step in which a drilling drill included in the heat transmission pipe leakage detection system is operated to drill a road surface pavement layer; a boring bar insertion step in which a boring bar included in the heat transmission pipe leakage detection system is positioned in the hole formed by the drilling drill and the boring bar is lowered and vertically inserted into the ground through the hole; an exploration step using the boring bar in which the boring bar collects data on temperature and humidity through a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor of a sensor unit embedded in the boring bar and collects image data through a shooting unit; and a boring bar withdrawal step in which, when the exploration step using the boring bar is completed, the boring bar inserted into the ground is safely withdrawn and recovered to the outside of the ground.

[0015] In addition, the present invention provides a method for detecting leakage in a buried heat transmission pipe, wherein the second process exploration step comprises: a boring bar insertion step in which a boring bar included in the heat transmission pipe leakage detection system is lowered and vertically inserted into the ground; an exploration step using the boring bar in which the boring bar collects data regarding temperature and humidity through a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor of a sensor unit embedded in the boring bar and collects image data through a shooting unit; and a boring bar withdrawal step in which, when the exploration step using the boring bar is completed, the boring bar inserted into the ground is safely withdrawn and recovered to the outside of the ground. Effects of the invention

[0017] The present invention provides a method for detecting leaks in buried heat transmission pipes using a heat transmission pipe leak detection system, thereby automating the heat transmission pipe leak detection work, which minimizes manpower input and reduces the time and cost required for detection. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figures 2 and 3 are schematic diagrams viewed from direction A of Figure 1. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a heat transfer pipe leak detection method according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the first process exploration stage. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the second process exploration stage. FIGS. 7 to 21 are schematic diagrams illustrating a method for conducting a buried heat transfer pipe leak detection using a buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system in an area including a paved surface according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 22 to 28 are schematic diagrams illustrating a method for conducting a buried heat transfer pipe leak detection using a buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system in an area without a paved surface according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 29 is a schematic diagram of a boring bar according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but can be implemented in various different forms, and these embodiments are provided merely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to more fully inform those skilled in the art of the contents of the present invention.

[0021] It should be noted that the technical terms used in this invention are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, unless specifically defined otherwise in this invention, the technical terms used in this invention should be interpreted in the sense generally understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, and should not be interpreted in an overly broad or overly narrow sense. Additionally, if a technical term used in this invention is an incorrect technical term that fails to accurately express the concept of the invention, it should be replaced with a technical term that can be correctly understood by those skilled in the art. Moreover, general terms used in this invention should be interpreted according to their prior definitions or the context, and should not be interpreted in an overly narrow sense.

[0022] Furthermore, when it is stated that one component is 'connected,' 'supported,' 'connected,' 'supplied,' 'transmitted,' or 'contacted' with another component, it should be understood that while the connection, support, connection, supply, transmission, or contact may be direct to that other component, there may also be other components present in between.

[0023] Furthermore, it should be noted in advance that expressions such as front, rear, top, and bottom in this specification are described based on the drawings, and may be expressed differently if the orientation of the object changes. For the same reason, some components in the attached drawings are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically depicted, and the size of each component does not entirely reflect its actual size.

[0025] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are schematic diagrams viewed from direction A of FIG. 1.

[0028] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured to detect whether there is a leak in a heat transfer pipe buried underground, and may include an unmanned vehicle unit (100), an inspection unit (200), and a control unit (300).

[0029] The unmanned vehicle unit (100) can be equipped with various drive and control components inside or outside so as to enable autonomous driving along the paved surface or ground surface.

[0030] The unmanned vehicle unit (100) may include a secondary battery (101) that supplies power necessary for the operation of the unmanned vehicle unit (100), the inspection unit (200), and the control unit (300). At this time, the secondary battery (101) may include a lithium-ion battery, a lithium-polymer battery, a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery, or a nickel-hydrogen (Ni-MH) battery, and may include a wide range of power supply means capable of supplying power at all times by converting chemical energy into electrical energy, such as a hydrogen fuel cell, but is not limited thereto. Additionally, the secondary battery (101) may be configured in the form of a high-output, large-capacity battery pack to support long-term operation and high-load equipment operation of the buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1). In addition, the secondary battery (101) may be implemented as a modular (or cartridge structure) battery pack that can be attached and detached by sliding through the outer side of the unmanned vehicle unit (100) in order to ensure the continuity of the exploration work.

[0031] The unmanned vehicle unit (100) may include a plurality of drive wheels (102) and a drive wheel drive motor (103) for driving each drive wheel (102) at the bottom of the unmanned vehicle unit (100). At this time, the drive wheels (102) may be driven to rotate independently of each other by the drive wheel drive motor (103), and may be implemented as an independent suspension structure including actuators so that steering and vertical height (vertical position) adjustment can be performed individually and independently. Accordingly, when the unmanned vehicle unit (100) is located on an uneven pavement or ground surface, the height of the drive wheels (102) can be adjusted independently to maintain the horizontal position of the unmanned vehicle unit (100). Through an independent attitude control mechanism by such a drive wheel (102) and a drive wheel drive motor (103), the attitude of the unmanned vehicle unit (100) can be controlled so that it can be driven vertically to the ground when the drilling drill (220) included in the inspection unit (200) drills the pavement surface or when the boring bar (210) enters the ground to perform heat transfer pipe leak detection, thereby preventing eccentric loads applied to the drilling and detection equipment, preventing damage to the equipment, and maximizing the precision of the detection.

[0032] The unmanned vehicle unit (100) may include a plurality of support members (106) on the left and right sides. When the support member (106) reaches the exploration location, the support member (106) can extend (pull out) the support legs downward to pressurize and support the paved surface or ground, thereby acting as an outrigger to stably fix the main body so that the unmanned vehicle unit (100) does not shake or slide while the buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) performs drilling and leak detection operations. At this time, the support member (106) may include a sensor capable of detecting whether the condition of the ground is a paved surface (asphalt, concrete, etc.) or an unpaved surface (soil, grass, greenery, etc.), or checking the degree of hardness of the ground surface (ground hardness). For example, the support member (106) may include a load cell sensor or a pressure sensor that measures the pressure or load applied when in contact with the ground. The control unit (300) can determine the hardness of the ground based on the repulsion force value measured by the pressure sensor and can appropriately control the downward pressure of the support (106) in response to the determined ground condition. As another example, the lower part of the support (106) is equipped with an ultrasonic sensor, a laser sensor, or a light sensor that detects the material or reflective characteristics of the ground surface, so that the ground can be pre-determined non-contactually, but is not limited thereto. Through this, the control unit (300) can activate the drilling drill (220) described later if the ground condition is a paved surface, and control the boring bar (210) to be directly inserted without a drilling process if it is an unpaved soil surface or green land.

[0033] The unmanned vehicle unit (100) may include a high-pressure gas storage unit (104) that stores high-pressure gas, such as compressed air or nitrogen gas, inside. The high-pressure gas storage unit (104) may be connected to a boring bar head (211) provided at the top of the boring bar (210) of the inspection unit (200) to be described later via a gas supply hose (108). Accordingly, the high-pressure gas of the high-pressure gas storage unit (104) is supplied to the boring bar head (211), and can be controlled so that it is supplied from the boring bar head (211) to the inner cylinder (Fig. 29, 212) of the boring bar (210) at all times or intermittently. Accordingly, as high-pressure gas is injected downward from the inside of the boring bar (210) or the internal pressure is maintained higher than the outside, foreign substances such as dust, soil, and groundwater can be prevented from entering the inside of the boring bar (210) during the process of the boring bar (210) being inserted into the ground or performing exploration work.

[0034] In addition, when the imaging part (Fig. 29, 214) of the probe (Fig. 29, 213) equipped in the inner cylinder (212) visually inspects the area around underground obstacles or heat transfer pipes, the imaging part (Fig. 29, 214), such as the lens and sensor, is prevented from being contaminated, thereby enabling the acquisition of clear underground images at all times and providing the effect of preventing malfunction and damage to precision sensors caused by foreign substances.

[0035] The unmanned vehicle unit (100) may further include a metal detection unit (109) at the bottom. For example, the metal detection unit at the bottom of the unmanned vehicle unit (100) can continuously perform metal detection toward the ground while the buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) is moving. Accordingly, the metal detection unit (109) can continuously identify the location of metal obstructions underground and can accurately detect and determine the location and burial direction of the metal pipe. In particular, when the buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) performs a buried heat transmission pipe leak detection, the control unit (300) can set the optimal location for inserting the boring bar (210) so that it is not interfered with by metal obstructions when inserting the boring bar (210) into the ground, based on the data detected by the metal detection unit (109).

[0036] The unmanned vehicle unit (100) may include a position sensor (107) on the upper part to determine the current real-time location. The position sensor (107) can measure the coordinates and location of the buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) in real time so that when the buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) is operated in autonomous driving mode, it can find the buried path of the heat transmission pipe buried underground based on underground buried object information or drive along the extension direction of the heat transmission pipe. At this time, the position sensor (107) may include a GPS sensor and an RTK-GPS (Real-Time Kinematic GPS) sensor, but is not limited thereto.

[0037] The buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) may include an inspection unit (200) in front of the unmanned vehicle unit (100).

[0038] The inspection unit (200) may include lights (201) on the front and sides of the inspection unit (200). The lights (201) can irradiate light on the front and sides of the buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1). At this time, the light may include light in the infrared (IR) region as well as the visible light region, and visible light and infrared light may be irradiated selectively or in combination as needed, but are not limited thereto. Accordingly, a plurality of vision sensors (202) located in front of the inspection unit (200) can easily recognize the surroundings so that the heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) can autonomously drive by the unmanned vehicle unit (100).

[0039] The inspection unit (200) may include a thermal imaging camera (203) for detecting a heat source that leaks from a heat transfer pipe buried underground and is transferred to the pavement surface or the ground. The thermal imaging camera (203) may be positioned to face the road surface from the bottom of the inspection unit (200) and may be installed to be horizontally movable along the left and right directions of the inspection unit (200). For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the thermal imaging camera (203) can move left and right from the bottom of the inspection unit (200) to check the temperature distribution from the ground, and based on this, it can check whether a leak has occurred in the heat transfer pipe. Accordingly, while the heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) is stationary or driving, the thermal imaging camera (203) can move back and forth left and right to scan the temperature distribution of the road surface more densely over a wider width, thereby minimizing blind spots in the inspection and effectively detecting leaks in the heat transfer pipe by detecting changes in the temperature distribution.

[0040] The thermal imaging camera (203) can capture the temperature distribution of the road surface in real time and transmit it to the control unit (300) while the heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) is traveling along the buried path of the heat transmission pipe by the unmanned vehicle unit (100). When high-temperature hot water or steam leaks from the underground heat transmission pipe, the temperature of the pavement surface above that point rises locally compared to the surroundings, so the control unit (300) can determine the suspected leak area through the analysis of image data from the thermal imaging camera (203).

[0041] The inspection unit (200) may include a jig (205) in front and a jig moving unit (204) that guides the movement of the jig (205). The jig (205) can be moved in the left and right directions via a guide rail or a driving actuator provided in the jig moving unit (204), and can also be implemented to enable multi-axis movement in the forward / backward direction and the up / down direction. For example, the jig moving unit (204) can move the jig (205) forward, backward, left, or right according to a signal from the control unit (300) to precisely adjust the position of the drilling drill (220) and boring bar (210) mounted on the jig (205).

[0042] A drilling drill (220) and a boring bar (210) may be mounted on the jig (205). The jig (205) may provide driving force so that the drilling drill (220) and the boring bar (210) can be independently raised and lowered and driven. For example, the jig (205) may provide a raising and lowering driving force so that the drilling drill (220) and the boring bar (210) can enter and return in a vertical direction through an internally provided raising and lowering actuator and a rotary motor, and at the same time provide a rotary driving force to enable mechanical drilling and insertion.

[0043] Additionally, the jig (205) can measure the physical resistance force (e.g., motor load current, torque, or compressive force) applied during the up-and-down driving of the drilling drill (220) in real time and transmit it to the control unit (300). Accordingly, the control unit (300) can determine in real time whether the drilling of the pavement surface is completed based on the trend of change of the resistance force. For example, the load resistance force decreases rapidly the moment the drilling drill (220) passes through the hard pavement surface and reaches a relatively soft soil layer (underground). Therefore, the control unit (300) can detect this rapid decrease in resistance force (torque decrease), determine that the drilling of the pavement surface is completed, and stop and resume the driving of the drilling drill (220).

[0044] Additionally, the jig (205) can continuously measure the upward and downward resistance force generated when the boring bar (210) is vertically inserted into the ground through a hole formed by the drilling drill (220). For example, if the resistance force increases rapidly above a threshold value during the insertion process of the boring bar (210), the control unit (300) can determine that the tip of the boring bar (210) has come into contact (collision) with an obstruction or target, such as a heat transfer pipe, buried in the ground. Accordingly, the control unit (300) can immediately stop the downward insertion drive of the boring bar (210) when the resistance force threshold value is exceeded, thereby preventing damage to the underground obstruction and simultaneously preventing bending or damage to the boring bar (210) itself. Furthermore, by comparing the resistance force pattern or depth data at the moment of contact with a previously stored underground buried object drawing, it is possible to identify and confirm whether the contacted object is another obstruction.

[0045] The drilling drill (220) is provided to rapidly penetrate a hard surface of the ground, such as asphalt or concrete, in a vertical direction to form an inlet passage (drill) of the boring bar (210). For example, the drilling drill (220) may be in the form of a shank drill or hole cutter equipped with a high-hardness processing tip at the tip (bottom), but is not limited thereto. Preferably, the drilling drill (220) may be implemented as a diamond core bit type with diamond particles electrodeposited or sintered at the tip to prevent damage to the road surface and the spread of micro-cracks when drilling a hard stone or concrete surface and to form a clean vertical circular hole, or a carbide tip step drill type having a structure in which the diameter increases stepwise along the outer surface to prevent slipping during initial insertion and to gradually expand the drilling diameter according to the depth of descent, but is not limited thereto.

[0046] The boring bar (210) is formed in the shape of a tubular body with a hollow interior, and is equipped with a boring bar head (211) connected to a gas supply hose (108) at the top.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 29, an inner cylinder (212) in the form of a hollow tube that is spaced apart from the outer wall at a certain distance or extends along the inner wall may be disposed in the inner hollow of the boring bar (210).

[0048] High-pressure gas introduced into the inner cylinder (212) through the boring bar head (211) can maintain pressure inside the inner cylinder (212), and can be injected into the underground through the boring bar tip (216) when the boring bar tip (216) formed at the bottom of the boring bar (210) is opened. At this time, the boring bar tip (216) can be opened and closed by the inner cylinder (212), which is driven by the boring bar head (211) and moves up and down. For example, when the inner cylinder (212) is lowered inside the boring bar (210) by the boring bar head (211), the slit of the boring bar tip (216) can be opened. Additionally, when the inner cylinder (212) descends inside the boring bar (210) by the boring bar head (211), the boring bar tip (216) may be closed by elastic force, but is not limited thereto.

[0049] A sensor unit (217) for measuring the temperature and humidity inside the ground in real time may be included inside the inner cylinder (212) of the boring bar (210). At this time, it is preferable that the sensor unit (217) be located near the boring bar tip (216) in the innermost lower region of the inner cylinder (212). Accordingly, when the boring bar (210) is inserted into the ground, the temperature change according to the depth of the ground and the local temperature around the heat transfer pipe, which is the target object, can be precisely measured, and the change in humidity inside the ground can be measured.

[0050] At this time, the temperature sensor measuring the temperature in the sensor unit (217) is advantageous if it is small enough to be mounted in a limited space inside the inner cylinder (212), and may include a chip-type thermistor sensor or a thin-film platinum resistance temperature sensor (Thin-film RTD) to enable miniaturization and high-precision temperature measurement. Additionally, it may include, but is not limited to, an ultra-small infrared temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the surrounding ground in real time in a non-contact manner.

[0051] In addition, the humidity sensor that measures humidity in the sensor unit (217) can be implemented as a single-chip, ultra-small MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) based digital temperature and humidity sensor that is advantageous for miniaturization so that it can be mounted in a limited space inside the boring bar (210).

[0052] Accordingly, the buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) can receive temperature data and humidity data measured by the sensor unit (217) by inserting a boring bar (210) into the ground in a suspected leak area initially determined by the thermal imaging camera (203) in the control unit (300) described later. If both the measured underground temperature and underground humidity values ​​rise above their respective preset thresholds, the control unit (300) can finally determine that the point is the actual leak point of the heat transmission pipe.

[0053] Accordingly, even if errors occur in the thermal imaging camera (203) data due to road surface conditions or external interference, the reliability of leak detection can be improved by verifying the temperature and humidity data through the sensor part (217) of the boring bar (210) inside the ground. In addition, it is possible to clearly cross-check simple temperature rise signals caused by other buried objects (e.g., power cables, etc.) existing inside the ground with high temperature and high humidity environment signals caused by hot water or steam leakage from actual heat transfer pipes, thereby maximizing the detection accuracy of the system and reducing malfunctions and misjudgments. A probe rod (213) may be included in the central axis space of the inner cylinder (212). The probe rod (213) may have a shooting part (214) for visually capturing the inside of the ground or securing image data at the lowest part, and a lighting part (215) may be mounted above the shooting part (214) at a predetermined distance. Accordingly, the interior of the underground can be easily inspected.

[0054] Even if the boring bar (210) is driven deep into the ground filled with soil and sand through the perforated pavement surface, it prevents soil or foreign matter from entering the inner cylinder (212) by high-pressure gas, prevents the lens of the imaging unit (214) from being contaminated by dust or moisture, and guides the light emitted from the lighting unit (215) to clearly illuminate the buried underground object without being obscured by soil. Through this, the control unit (300) can check the situation using underground image data and can determine and acquire the condition around the heat transfer pipe using image data.

[0055] Accordingly, the buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) can identify a suspected leak area of ​​the buried heat transmission pipe using a thermal imaging camera (203), and accurately determine the leak of the buried heat transmission pipe by inserting a boring bar (210) into the suspected leak area of ​​the buried heat transmission pipe. In particular, by opening the bottom boring bar tip (216) of the boring bar (210) underground, the system can accurately determine whether there is a leak in the buried heat transmission pipe by utilizing temperature data and humidity data measured from the temperature sensor and humidity sensor of the sensor unit (217) and image data acquired from the shooting unit (214).

[0056] Referring again to FIGS. 1 to 3, the control unit (300) may be included inside the unmanned vehicle unit (100).

[0057] The control unit (300) is electrically or communically connected to each component of the heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) and can comprehensively control the operation and data processing of the entire system.

[0058] For example, the control unit (300) may include an artificial intelligence model and may include a computing infrastructure to ensure real-time operation of autonomous driving computation and the operation of the artificial intelligence model. Specifically, the control unit (300) includes a main processor (CPU), a large-capacity memory (RAM / ROM), and an artificial intelligence acceleration device that are interconnected via a data bus within the system. At this time, it is preferable that the artificial intelligence acceleration device be implemented in the form of a hardware chipset including at least one of a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) or a High Performance Embedded Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) so as to be able to perform parallel computation processing of high-capacity image frame data input from the vision sensor (202) and the thermal imaging camera (203) at low power and high speed. Additionally, the control unit (300) may further include a high-speed microcontroller (MCU) for precise feedback control of mechanical drive signals of motors and actuators in milliseconds, and a software middleware platform based on a real-time operating system (RTOS) or a robot operating system (ROS) may be installed and operated to control priority control and real-time linkage of multiple sensor data on these hardware. Additionally, the control unit (300) may be equipped with multiple channels of a Controller Area Network (CAN) communication module, a high-speed Ethernet switch, and an industrial serial communication interface chipset to support noise-free high-speed data transmission and reception between hardware within the vehicle, but is not limited thereto.

[0059] Additionally, for example, the control unit (300) can collect real-time coordinates from the position sensor (107) to determine the location of the heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1). Furthermore, the control unit (300) can be connected to an inertial measurement device that measures the acceleration and rotational angular velocity of the vehicle included in the unmanned vehicle unit (100), and can be connected to a wheel odometry sensor that calculates the distance traveled based on the number of rotations of the drive wheel (102), thereby enabling precise continuous location tracking without interruption in shadow areas where satellite signal reception is unstable, such as urban building forests, street trees, or under elevated roads, based on sensor data obtained from the position sensor (107), the inertial measurement device, and the wheel odometry.

[0060] Additionally, for example, the control unit (300) can calculate a suspected leak area by matching road surface temperature data scanned by the thermal imaging camera (203).

[0061] Additionally, for example, the control unit (300) can drive the support (106) to fix the main body and control the jig moving unit (204) and the jig (205) to sequentially and automatically control the process of drilling the pavement surface with the drilling drill (220) and inserting the boring bar (210) into the ground. In this process, the change in resistance force (load value) fed back from the jig (205) is calculated in real time to determine whether the drilling is complete and whether there is a collision with an obstacle. Furthermore, the exact location and scale of leakage of the heat transfer pipe can be determined by finally synthesizing the underground image captured by the camera unit (214) inside the boring bar (210) and the data collected through the temperature sensor and humidity sensor of the sensor unit (217) of the boring bar (210).

[0062] Additionally, for example, the control unit (300) can receive underground temperature data and humidity data from the sensor unit (217) when the boring bar (210) is inserted into the ground. Accordingly, the control unit (300) can determine the exact location and magnitude of the leakage of the heat transfer pipe based on the temperature and humidity values ​​obtained from the sensor unit (217).

[0063] The controller (105) may be included in the unmanned vehicle unit (100). At this time, the controller (105) may include an interface module connected to the control unit (300), and an operator may operate the control unit (300) using the interface module, but is not limited thereto.

[0064] In addition, the controller (105) can be connected to the control terminal (not shown) to enable data transmission and reception via a wireless communication network (e.g., Wi-Fi, LTE, 5G, RF communication, etc.) so that the operator can remotely control it using the remote control terminal.

[0065] Accordingly, the operator can check status information such as the current driving status, battery level, and high-pressure gas filling amount of the buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) in real time using the controller (105). In addition, if an unexpected obstacle occurs during autonomous driving or an exceptional situation requiring a precise investigation occurs, the operator can forcibly control the driving of the unmanned vehicle unit (100) and the drilling and exploration operation of the inspection unit (200) through the controller (105), or immediately receive and monitor the acquired shooting and exploration data.

[0067] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a heat transfer pipe leak detection method according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a first process detection step, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a second process detection step.

[0068] Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the heat transfer pipe leak detection method may include a path driving and scanning step (S10), a leak suspected area prediction step (S20), a ground condition determination and leak detection system fixing step (S30), a detection method selection step (S40), a first process detection step (S50-1), and a second process detection step (S50-2).

[0069] The path driving and scanning step (S10) is a step in which the control unit (300) determines the real-time optimal movement path of the heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) and controls driving to scan the leak detection area using artificial intelligence based on the previously stored underground buried object drawing (GIS data) and data transmitted to the control unit (300) from a device included in the heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1), for example, a thermal imaging camera. At this time, the artificial intelligence may include a learned neural network model, and the learned neural network model may include a Deep Neural Network (DNN), a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based model, a Transformer based model, and a hybrid model combining CNN and Transformer, but is not limited thereto.

[0070] For example, in the path driving and scanning step (S10), the control unit (300) inputs high-precision coordinate data from the collected position sensor (107) and spatial pixel data from multiple vision sensors (202) positioned in the front and side into an artificial intelligence model based on an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) or Visual-SLAM algorithm. Through this, the heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) can correct its position error in centimeters (cm) and continuously update and track the autonomous driving path even in GPS blind spots where satellite signals are temporarily disrupted or cut off due to building forests or street trees.

[0071] Additionally, for example, during the path driving and scanning step (S10), while the heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) is driving along the buried path aligned by the artificial intelligence, the thermal imaging camera (203) at the bottom of the inspection unit (200) can move back and forth horizontally in the width direction while facing downward, thereby acquiring temperature scan data of the entire road surface. At this time, the control unit (300) recognizes the material of the road surface (asphalt, concrete, etc.), the shading state of the road surface recognized through the vision sensor (202), and the variable illumination environment according to the line of sight using a convolutional neural network-based environment analysis tool, and in response to the recognized pavement state, the control unit (300) controls the scan cycle of the thermal imaging camera (203) and the optimal driving speed of the heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) in conjunction through a deep reinforcement learning model, thereby enabling the movement to build up high-resolution 2D heat distribution temperature profile data with external road surface noise removed in real time and map it in a manner such as a heat distribution map. Accordingly, the heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) can move accurately along the heat transfer pipe burial path.

[0072] In addition, for example, during the route driving and scanning step (S10), the control unit (300) can collect front road surface image scan data in real time through a plurality of vision sensors (202) and input it into a 3D surface segmentation and depth estimation AI model, which is a deep neural network-based underground / above 3D terrain restoration tool. The AI ​​model can preemptively identify topological geometric structures such as fine curvature, unevenness, slope, and potholes on the front road surface to be entered by the heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) before the vehicle enters. Accordingly, the control unit (300) controls the driving pressure or pressurization height of the actuators of the independent suspension structure linked to the multiple driving wheels (102) in real-time feedforward based on the curvature and elevation change map of the road surface ahead predicted by artificial intelligence, so that the heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) can operate stably in response to the curved road surface and can control the unmanned vehicle unit (100) and inspection unit (200) to maintain a horizontal posture.

[0073] Additionally, for example, in the path driving and scanning step (S10), the control unit (300) can analyze time series data of frequency and amplitude changes of electromagnetic induction signals collected in real time from a metal detector (109) mounted on the lower center of the vehicle using a deep neural network (DNN) or LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory) algorithm. The artificial intelligence model can compare the previously learned underground buried object behavior pattern with the buried path of the heat transmission pipe on the previously stored underground buried object drawing, and determine whether obstructions other than the heat transmission pipe are distributed around the heat transmission pipe.

[0074] The leak suspected area prediction step (S20) is a step in which the control unit (300) inputs road surface temperature profile data, accumulated in real time through the path driving and scanning step (S10), into a pre-trained artificial intelligence (AI) neural network model to statistically predict and estimate the exact core location of the leak and the scale of the defect in the underground heat transmission pipe.

[0075] For example, the control unit (300) preprocesses a two-dimensional thermal distribution image frame of the road surface input from the thermal imaging camera (203) using a convolutional neural network-based U-Net or FCN (Fully Convolutional Network) model. The artificial intelligence model can cancel out background noise values ​​based on the vehicle's driving time (day / night), ambient temperature, and thermal conductivity of the road surface material such as asphalt or concrete, and then separate and extract only the unique heat diffusion pattern area that is conducted to the road surface by underground hot water or steam leakage in pixel units. At the same time, the control unit (300) can calculate fine temperature gradient information based on the travel distance of the heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) within the separated heat diffusion area. Since the high-temperature fluid leaked from the fault point of the heat transmission pipe buried underground diffuses radially, the surface temperature profile exhibits a non-linear peak characteristic in which the temperature rises rapidly as it approaches the core location of the leak. Accordingly, the control unit (300) inputs the slope change pattern of the extracted temperature gradient and the spatial distribution characteristics of the point where the highest temperature is reached into a CNN-based multi-regression model. The multi-regression model may be, but is not limited to, an artificial intelligence model that has been supervised and learned based on big data of temperature changes under actual leakage conditions of heat transfer pipes according to various depths, pressures, and defect sizes in the past, which is stored in a database (DB). Based on the temperature distribution data input in real time, the artificial intelligence model can accurately estimate the two-dimensional key location (X, Y coordinates) of where the actual penetration defect occurred at which depth and horizontal coordinate underground, and at the same time, calculate the scale of leakage (outflow amount and outflow pressure level) ejected from the defect by back-estimating it into continuous quantitative values.Accordingly, the control unit (300) can update and confirm the area where the probability value of the core leakage location calculated by artificial intelligence exceeds a preset standard reliability as the 'final precision exploration target area' and control the location so that the heat transmission pipe leakage exploration system (1) can be positioned therein.

[0076] The ground condition determination and leak detection system fixing step (S30) is a step in which, when the heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) is positioned and stopped at the key leak location calculated through the leak suspected area prediction step (S20), the control unit (300) identifies the ground paving condition, physical hardness of the ground, and topography using artificial intelligence, and in response to this, actively controls a plurality of supports (106) so that the heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) can be fixed in a horizontal state.

[0077] For example, in the ground condition determination and leak detection system fixing step (S30), the control unit (300) inputs the vision sensor (202) image data at the point where the heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) is stopped into a deep learning-based road surface texture classification model and terrain recognition model. The artificial intelligence model analyzes the surface roughness and color feature patterns of pixels based on machine learning to finally determine whether the current terrain is a 'hard paved surface' (asphalt, concrete, etc.) structure where drilling is essential in a subsequent process, or an 'unpaved ground' (soil, grass, gravel, etc.) structure where exploration can be performed immediately using a boring bar (210) without drilling, and selects a control method that matches each terrain.

[0078] For example, in the ground condition determination and leak detection system fixing step (S30), the control unit (300) can control a plurality of supports (106) provided on one side of the unmanned vehicle unit (100) of the heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) to extend downward toward the ground. The front end of the support (106) may include a hardness measuring sensor in the form of a load cell or strain gauge that can check the degree of hardness (ground hardness) of the ground surface.

[0079] For example, in the ground condition determination and leak detection system fixing step (S30), the control unit (300) can reflect the time-dependent arrival slope and pressure change pattern of the repulsive force applied from each sensor at the moment when a plurality of supports (106) are grounded to the ground in a ground hardness prediction neural network algorithm. The algorithm can calculate a ground bearing capacity coefficient by calculating the physical hardness of the ground currently being stepped on and the possibility of ground subsidence relative to the applied load as a quantitative value. At this time, the control unit (300) can cross-verify the terrain judgment data based on the vision sensor (202) and the ground hardness value based on the sensor on the support (106) side. For example, if a physical contradiction occurs where the hardness sensor signal of the actual support (106) is measured as soft even though it is perceived as a pavement surface on the vision sensor (202), the control unit (300) may determine this as a 'pavement surface crack or lower sinkhole area' and process to switch to an emergency control mode or send a warning signal to the worker controller (105), but is not limited thereto.

[0080] In addition, the ground condition determination and leak detection system fixing step (S30) can be performed by the control unit (300) so that the heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) can maintain a horizontal state in response to the unevenness or slope of the ground where each support (106) is located, once the terrain and ground condition are determined to be a normal matching result. Specifically, the control unit (300) can individually finely vary the stroke length of a plurality of support members (106) based on the vertical pressure balance applied to each support member (106) and the rolling / pitching detection value fed back from the inertial measurement sensor (IMU) inside the vehicle, and can control the height of the drive wheel (102) using the drive wheel drive motor (103). Accordingly, the unmanned vehicle unit (100) and the inspection unit (200) can be horizontally fixed while forming a perfect vertical reference axis with respect to the road surface, thereby preventing mechanical damage such as breaking or bending due to eccentric load when the drilling drill (220) or boring bar (210) enters the ground and securing stable driving shear force.

[0081] The exploration method selection step (S40) is a step of determining and selecting an exploration method using an inspection unit (200) based on the terrain and ground conditions (presence or absence of pavement and ground hardness value) identified through an artificial intelligence algorithm in the ground condition determination and leak detection system fixing step (S30).

[0082] For example, if the control unit (300) determines that the current ground identified in the ground condition determination and leak detection system fixing step (S30) is a 'hard paved surface terrain' consisting of asphalt or concrete, making direct physical insertion of the boring bar (210) impossible, it may select the main sequence of the subsequent process as the first process exploration step (S50-1), where driving the drilling drill (220) is essential. Additionally, if the control unit (300) determines that the current ground identified in the ground condition determination and leak detection system fixing step (S30) is a 'unpaved ground terrain' consisting of soil or greenery, making direct insertion of the boring bar (210) possible without separate drilling, it may select the second process exploration step (S50-2), where the boring bar (210) is directly lowered and inserted without using the drilling drill (220), in order to maximize the process efficiency of the system.

[0083] Accordingly, the exploration method selection step (S40) can select an exploration method that consumes the optimal time and minimum driving energy in accordance with the physical conditions of the road surface terrain where the buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) is safely fixed.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 5, the first process exploration step (S50-1) may include a drilling operation step (S51-1), a boring bar insertion step (S52-1), an exploration step using the boring bar (S53-1), and a boring bar withdrawal step (S54-1).

[0085] The drilling drill operation step (S51-1) is a step in which the jig moving unit (204) and the jig (205) are controlled by the control unit (300) to operate the drilling drill (220), drive it up and down, and drill the road surface pavement layer. At this time, a time-series change pattern of physical resistance force (repulsion torque and indentation load) that is fed back in real time from a sensor of the jig (205), for example, a load cell, can be detected. When a pattern is detected in which the value of the physical resistance force applied during the paving layer drilling operation using the drilling drill (220) decreases rapidly below a preset lower threshold value, the control unit (300) can determine that the tip of the drilling drill (220) has completely penetrated the hard paving layer and entered the lower soil layer, which is the 'paving surface drilling completion point'. Immediately upon determination, the control unit (300) stops the downward pressing of the drilling drill (220) and returns it upward, and moves the jig (205) horizontally to position the boring bar (210) directly above the center axis of the hole formed by the drilling drill (220).

[0086] The boring bar insertion step (S52-1) is a step in which, when the boring bar (210) is positioned in the hole formed by the drilling drill (220), the boring bar (210) descends and is vertically inserted into the ground through the hole. At this time, the control unit (300) can control the injection of high-pressure gas from the high-pressure gas storage unit (104) into the inner cylinder (212) of the boring bar (210) via the gas supply hose (108) and the boring bar head (211). Accordingly, since the internal pressure of the boring bar (210) is always maintained in a positive pressure state higher than the external soil and groundwater pressure, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering through the gap of the boring bar tip (216) during the insertion process and contaminating the internal probe rod (213) or sensor unit (217).

[0087] The exploration step (S53-1) using the boring bar is an underground exploration step in which the boring bar (210) collects data on temperature and humidity through the temperature sensor and humidity sensor of the sensor unit (217) embedded in the boring bar (210) in the ground, and detects the time-series change pattern of physical resistance force (repulsion torque and indentation load) that is fed back in real time from the sensor of the jig (205) that drives the boring bar (210) up / down, e.g., the load cell.

[0088] For example, in the exploration step (S53-1) using a boring bar, the control unit (300) can measure and receive underground temperature data and underground humidity data by burial depth and zone in real time through the temperature sensor and humidity sensor of the sensor unit (217) embedded in the boring bar (210) to determine whether there is a leak in the heat transmission pipe. At this time, if the control unit (300) detects a pattern matching of a high temperature and high humidity environment where both the collected underground temperature and underground humidity values ​​simultaneously exceed the set threshold for leak confirmation and rise rapidly, it can confirm and determine the corresponding zone as the final leak point of the heat transmission pipe where actual hot water or steam is leaking, and stop the descent of the boring bar (210). Subsequently, the boring bar tip (216) is opened so that the temperature sensor and humidity sensor of the sensor unit (217) embedded in the boring bar (210) can measure temperature and humidity more accurately, and the lighting unit (215) provided in the probe rod (213) is illuminated and the shooting unit (214) is activated to collect real-time video data of the underground condition through the opened boring bar tip (216). At this time, when the video data is analyzed by the control unit (300), if no suspected leak area or trace of leak is confirmed, the boring bar (210) may be further lowered because a leak may be occurring on the side or bottom of the heat transfer pipe.

[0089] Additionally, for example, in the exploration step (S53-1) using the boring bar, if a pattern is detected where the physical resistance force (repulsion torque and indentation load) fed back from the sensor of the jig (205), for example, the load cell, increases rapidly above a set threshold during the descent of the boring bar (210), the control unit (300) stops the descent of the boring bar (210), opens the boring bar tip (216) to check the object in contact with the boring bar (210), emits light from the lighting unit (215) provided on the probe rod (213), and activates the shooting unit (214) to collect real-time video data of the underground condition and the object.

[0090] The boring bar withdrawal step (S54-1) is a step in which, when the exploration step (S53-1) using the boring bar is completed, the control unit (300) safely withdraws and retrieves the boring bar (210) that was inserted into the ground to the outside of the ground. At this time, the boring bar (210) can be withdrawn after closing the open boring bar tip (216).

[0091] Afterward, when the extraction of the boring bar (210) is completed, the buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) can move at a predetermined interval from the location where the exploration was completed and perform the first process exploration step (S50-1) again. In addition, the buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) can move to the next suspected leak area and perform the heat transmission pipe leak detection method again starting from the path driving and scanning step (S10).

[0092] Referring to FIG. 6, the second process exploration step (S50-2) may include a boring bar insertion step (S51-2), an exploration step using the boring bar (S52-2), and a boring bar withdrawal step (S53-2).

[0093] The boring bar insertion step (S51-2) is a step in which the boring bar (210) is lowered and vertically inserted into the ground to conduct an exploration of an area suspected of leakage. At this time, the control unit (300) can control the injection of high-pressure gas from the high-pressure gas storage unit (104) through the gas supply hose (108) and the boring bar head (211) into the inner cylinder (212) of the boring bar (210). Accordingly, since the internal pressure of the boring bar (210) is always maintained in a positive pressure state higher than the external soil and groundwater pressure, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering through the gap of the boring bar tip (216) during the insertion process and contaminating the internal probe rod (213) or sensor unit (217).

[0094] The exploration step (S52-2) using the boring bar is an underground exploration step in which the boring bar (210) collects data on temperature and humidity through the temperature sensor and humidity sensor of the sensor unit (217) embedded in the boring bar (210) in the ground, and detects the time-series change pattern of physical resistance force (repulsion torque and indentation load) that is fed back in real time from the sensor of the jig (205) that drives the boring bar (210) up / down, e.g., a load cell.

[0095] For example, in the exploration step (S52-2) using a boring bar, the control unit (300) can measure and receive underground temperature data and underground humidity data by burial depth and zone in real time through the temperature sensor and humidity sensor of the sensor unit (217) embedded in the boring bar (210) to determine whether there is a leak in the heat transmission pipe. At this time, if the control unit (300) detects a pattern matching of a high temperature and high humidity environment in which both the collected underground temperature and underground humidity values ​​simultaneously exceed the set threshold for leak confirmation and rise rapidly, it can confirm and determine the corresponding zone as the final leak point of the heat transmission pipe where actual hot water or steam is leaking, and stop the descent of the boring bar (210). Subsequently, the boring bar tip (216) is opened so that the temperature sensor and humidity sensor of the sensor unit (217) embedded in the boring bar (210) can measure temperature and humidity more accurately, and the lighting unit (215) provided in the probe rod (213) is illuminated and the shooting unit (214) is activated to collect real-time video data of the underground condition through the opened boring bar tip (216). At this time, when the video data is analyzed by the control unit (300), if no suspected leak area or trace of leak is confirmed, the boring bar (210) may be further lowered because a leak may be occurring on the side or bottom of the heat transfer pipe.

[0096] Additionally, for example, in the exploration step (S52-2) using the boring bar, if a pattern is detected where the physical resistance force (repulsion torque and indentation load) fed back from the sensor of the jig (205), for example, the load cell, increases rapidly above a set threshold during the descent of the boring bar (210), the control unit (300) stops the descent of the boring bar (210), opens the boring bar tip (216) to check the object in contact with the boring bar (210), emits light from the lighting unit (215) provided on the probe rod (213), and activates the shooting unit (214) to collect real-time video data of the underground condition and the object.

[0097] The boring bar withdrawal step (S53-2) is a step in which, when the exploration step (S52-2) using the boring bar is completed, the control unit (300) safely withdraws and retrieves the boring bar (210) that was inserted into the ground to the outside of the ground. At this time, the boring bar (210) can be withdrawn after closing the open boring bar tip (216).

[0098] Afterward, when the extraction of the boring bar (210) is completed, the buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) can move at a predetermined interval from the location where the exploration was completed and perform the second process exploration step (S50-2) again. In addition, the buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) can move to the next suspected leak area and perform the heat transmission pipe leak detection method again starting from the path driving and scanning step (S10).

[0100] FIGS. 7 to 21 are schematic diagrams sequentially illustrating a method of conducting a buried heat transmission pipe leak detection using a buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system in an area including a paved surface according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 22 to 28 are schematic diagrams sequentially illustrating a method of conducting a buried heat transmission pipe leak detection using a buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system in an area without a paved surface, for example, a green space, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0101] This will be explained sequentially with reference to FIGS. 7 to 21.

[0102] Referring to FIG. 7, the buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) can be positioned in a suspected leak zone through the analysis of image data from a thermal imaging camera (203), and then the support (106) can be extended to stably fix the heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) to the pavement surface. At this time, the position of the drilling drill (220) can be determined by the control unit (300). For example, the control unit (300) can position the drilling drill (220) at the location where the highest temperature is measured in the image data of the thermal imaging camera (203). At this time, based on the data detected by the metal detection unit (109), the optimal position can be designated so that the boring bar (210) is not interfered with by a metal obstruction when the boring bar (210) is inserted into the ground, and the position of the drilling drill (220) can be designated by moving the jig (205) in the jig moving unit (204) so ​​that the drilling drill (220) is positioned.

[0103] Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) can be fixed stably to the pavement surface and then a first hole can be drilled in the pavement surface using a drilling drill (220). Accordingly, a first hole can be formed in the pavement surface into which a boring bar (210) can be inserted into the ground.

[0104] Referring to FIG. 10, the buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) can position a boring bar (210) at the first drilling location. For example, the jig (205) can move horizontally at a predetermined interval in the jig moving part (204) to position the boring bar (210) at the first drilling location on the pavement surface formed by the drilling drill (220). The movement interval can be based on the mutual spacing value between the drilling drill (220) and the boring bar (210), but is not limited thereto.

[0105] Referring to FIGS. 11 to 13, the buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) can vertically lower a boring bar (210) at the first drilling location and insert it into the ground. At this time, if the boring bar (210) comes into contact with an obstruction, the descent of the boring bar (210) is stopped, and the object can be confirmed whether it is an obstruction or a heat transfer pipe using the camera unit (214) of the boring bar (210).

[0106] Referring to FIG. 14, when the buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) confirms that the object contacted by the boring bar (210) is an obstruction, the boring bar (210) can be vertically withdrawn from the first bore hole.

[0107] Referring to FIGS. 15 to 17, the buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) can insert a boring bar (210) into the ground while avoiding previously identified obstacles by moving the jig (205) horizontally at a predetermined interval in the jig moving part (204) to position the drilling drill (220) at a location different from the conventional first drilling location, and can drill a second hole in the pavement surface using the drilling drill (220).

[0108] Referring to FIG. 18, the buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) can position a boring bar (210) at the second drilling location. For example, the jig (205) can move horizontally at a predetermined interval from the jig moving part (204) to position the boring bar (210) at the second drilling location on the pavement surface formed by the drilling drill (220).

[0109] Referring to FIG. 19, the buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) can vertically lower the boring bar (210) through the second drilling and insert it into the ground. At this time, when the temperature sensor and humidity sensor of the sensor part (217) of the boring bar (210) detect an increase in temperature and humidity, the descent of the boring bar (210) is stopped, and the recording part (214) of the boring bar (210) can be used to check whether a leak has occurred due to damage to the heat transfer pipe.

[0110] Referring to FIG. 20, when the buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) vertically lowers the boring bar (210) through the second drilling to a normal depth of insertion into the ground, for example, 1.2 m, the temperature sensor and humidity sensor of the sensor part (217) of the boring bar (210) detect an increase in temperature and humidity, stop the descent of the boring bar (210), and check whether there is a leak due to damage to the heat transfer pipe using the imaging part (214) of the boring bar (210), but a direct change due to leakage may not be detected. At this time, the buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) can drill a third hole by moving at a predetermined interval from the second hole as shown in FIG. 21, and then vertically lower the boring bar (210) through the third hole to a depth greater than the normal insertion depth, for example, 1.6m, to check for leakage caused by damage to the side or bottom of the heat transfer pipe.

[0112] Referring to FIG. 22, the buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) can be positioned in a suspected leak zone through the analysis of image data from a thermal imaging camera (203), and then the support (106) can be extended to stably fix the heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) to the green area. At this time, if it is determined that the current location of the buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) is an unpaved green area, the boring bar (210) can be positioned at the location to be explored underground without using a drilling drill (220). For example, the control unit (300) can designate the position of the boring bar (210) by moving the jig (205) in the jig moving unit (204) so ​​that the boring bar (210) is positioned at the location where the highest temperature is measured in the image data of the thermal imaging camera (203), but is not limited thereto.

[0113] Referring to FIGS. 23 to 25, the buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) can vertically lower the boring bar (210) and bring it into the ground. At this time, if the boring bar (210) comes into contact with an obstruction, the lowering of the boring bar (210) is stopped, and the object can be confirmed whether it is an obstruction or a heat transfer pipe using the camera unit (214) of the boring bar (210).

[0114] Referring to FIG. 26, the buried heat transfer pipe leak detection system (1) can vertically withdraw the boring bar (210) when the object contacted by the boring bar (210) is identified as an obstruction.

[0115] Referring to FIGS. 27 and 28, the buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) can position the boring bar (210) at a different location from the conventional location by moving the jig (205) horizontally at a predetermined interval in the jig moving part (204) to insert the boring bar (210) into the ground while avoiding previously identified obstacles. Subsequently, the buried heat transmission pipe leak detection system (1) can vertically lower the boring bar (210) to bring it into the ground. At this time, if the temperature sensor and humidity sensor of the sensor part (217) of the boring bar (210) detect an increase in temperature and humidity, the lowering of the boring bar (210) is stopped, and the recording part (214) of the boring bar (210) can be used to check whether a leak has occurred due to damage to the heat transmission pipe.

[0117] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all technical concepts of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications that can replace them may exist at the time of filing this application. Accordingly, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims set forth below rather than by the detailed description. Furthermore, all modifications or variations derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0119] 1 : Buried Heat Transfer Pipe Leak Detection System 100 : Unmanned Vehicle Division 101 : Secondary battery 102 : Drive wheel 103 : Drive wheel drive motor 104 : High-pressure gas storage unit 105 : Controller 106 : Support 107 : Position sensor 108 : Gas supply hose 109 : Metal Detector 200 : Inspection Department 201 : Light 202 : Vision Sensor 203 : Thermal imaging camera 204 : Zig-moving 205 : Jig 210 : Boring bar 211 : Boring bar head 212 : Inner cylinder 213 : Probe 214 : Filming Department 215 : Lighting section 216 : Boring bar tip 217 : Sensor section 220 : Drilling drill 300 : Control unit

Claims

Claim 1 A method for detecting leakage in a heat transmission pipe buried underground using a heat transmission pipe leakage detection system including a control unit, comprising: a path driving and scanning step in which the control unit determines a real-time optimal movement path of the heat transmission pipe leakage detection system and controls driving to scan a leakage detection area based on one or more of the following: a previously stored underground buried structure drawing, road surface temperature data measured by a thermal imaging camera, a position sensor, and a vision sensor included in the heat transmission pipe leakage detection system and transmitted to the control unit, coordinate data of the heat transmission pipe leakage detection system, and road surface image data; a leakage suspected area prediction step in which the control unit inputs road surface temperature profile data accumulated in real-time through the path driving and scanning step into a previously trained artificial intelligence neural network model to statistically predict and estimate the core leakage location and defect scale of the underground heat transmission pipe; and when the heat transmission pipe leakage detection system is positioned and stops at the core leakage location calculated through the leakage suspected area prediction step, the vision sensor, the hardness measurement sensor of the support included in the heat transmission pipe leakage detection system, and A method for detecting leakage in a buried heat transmission pipe, comprising: a ground condition determination and leakage detection system fixing step in which the control unit identifies the pavement condition of the ground, the physical hardness of the ground, and the terrain using artificial intelligence based on image data, ground hardness measurement data, vertical pressure data, and rolling / pitching detection numerical data measured by an inertial measurement sensor and transmitted to the control unit, and controls the heat transmission pipe leakage detection system to be fixed in a horizontal state in response thereto; and a detection method selection step in which the detection method determines and selects a detection method based on the pavement condition of the ground, the physical hardness of the ground, and the terrain identified in the ground condition determination and leakage detection system fixing step; wherein, if the ground determined in the detection method selection step is a hard paved surface terrain, a first process detection step is selected, and if the ground is an unpaved surface terrain, a second process detection step is selected. Claim 2 A method for detecting leakage in a buried heat transmission pipe according to claim 1, wherein the first process exploration step comprises: a drilling drill operation step of operating a drilling drill included in the heat transmission pipe leakage exploration system to drill a road surface pavement layer; a boring bar insertion step in which a boring bar included in the heat transmission pipe leakage exploration system is positioned in the hole formed by the drilling drill and the boring bar is lowered and vertically inserted into the ground through the hole; an exploration step using the boring bar in which the boring bar collects data on temperature and humidity through a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor of a sensor unit embedded in the boring bar in the ground, and collects image data through a shooting unit; and a boring bar withdrawal step in which, when the exploration step using the boring bar is completed, the boring bar inserted in the ground is safely withdrawn and recovered to the outside of the ground. Claim 3 A method for detecting leakage in a buried heat transmission pipe according to claim 1, wherein the second process exploration step comprises: a boring bar insertion step in which a boring bar included in the heat transmission pipe leakage detection system is lowered and vertically inserted into the ground; an exploration step using the boring bar in which the boring bar collects data on temperature and humidity through a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor of a sensor unit embedded in the boring bar in the ground, and collects image data through a shooting unit; and a boring bar withdrawal step in which, when the exploration step using the boring bar is completed, the boring bar inserted into the ground is safely withdrawn and recovered to the outside of the ground.

Images