Drone Power Line Installation With Pre-Locking Position Constraint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for installing objects on power lines, particularly electronic devices for monitoring, face challenges in achieving precise and predictable positioning due to wind and other environmental conditions, leading to unreliable locking and potential functional issues.
Innovation Solution
A drone system with a connection means, engagement members, and a power source to actuate a locking mechanism, equipped with a device to limit one or more degrees of freedom relative to the power line, ensuring precise positioning and orientation of the object before locking, using mechanical or hydraulic actuators and sensors for control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a drone is used to install objects on power lines, then installation time and resource requirements are reduced, but positioning precision and reliability deteriorate due to wind and environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by equipping the drone with a positioning device that limits the degrees of freedom of the object relative to the power line before the locking mechanism is engaged. This preliminary positioning ensures the object is correctly aligned with the power line, preventing positioning errors that would occur under wind influence during the locking process. The limitation of degrees of freedom is established in advance, before the actual installation action completes.
2Ease of operation
If clamping is actuated immediately upon approaching the power line, then installation process is simplified, but positioning accuracy deteriorates due to inability to control object movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the installation process into distinct phases: first, the positioning phase where the positioning device limits degrees of freedom to establish correct alignment; second, the locking phase where the locking mechanism is actuated. This segmentation allows the system to maintain operational simplicity while ensuring reliability, as each phase has a dedicated function rather than attempting to do both simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning device performs preliminary action by constraining the object's movement degrees of freedom before the locking mechanism engages. This ensures the object is properly positioned relative to the power line in advance, so that when the locking mechanism is actuated, the object is already in the correct position, guaranteeing reliable locking.
3Ease of operation
If the object is allowed to move freely relative to the power line during installation, then ease of positioning is improved, but locking precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the degree of freedom limitation conditional and time-dependent. The positioning device limits degrees of freedom only during the critical positioning phase before locking, and does not restrict the drone's overall movement capability. This dynamic approach allows ease of positioning during approach while ensuring precision when needed for locking.
Data Source
AI summary
A drone is for installing an object on a power line. The drone has a connection means for connecting the drone to the object, so that the drone may carry the object. A first engagement member is for engaging a second engagement member on the object. A power source is for operating the first engagement member so as to actuate a locking means on the object, via the second engagement member, for securely locking the object to the power line. The drone further has a device for limiting one or more degrees of freedom of the object relative to the power line before engaging the locking means.