CN116877840A - A crawling robot used for chemical pipeline inspection - Google Patents

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of chemical application of bionic robots, and provides a crawling robot for chemical pipeline detection. The caterpillar assembly comprises a caterpillar section and a stretching wire, wherein the caterpillar section and the stretching wire penetrate through the caterpillar section and the arcuate fixing device and are sequentially connected through the arcuate fixing device, and the body part of the caterpillar section is controlled to shrink and stretch through the stretching wire so as to match with the opening and closing of the caterpillar clamping jaw, so that crawling movement is realized; the trunk assembly comprises trunk joints and trunk clamping jaws arranged at the opposite ends of the trunk joints and the caterpillar assembly, and the trunk clamping jaws are controlled to wrap the trunk clamping jaws through pneumatic muscles of the trunk joints to realize deflection, bending and scaling actions. The caterpillar assembly drives the traveling and the trunk assembly to realize the actions such as deflection, so that the crawling robot can flexibly turn or go to the outside of other pipelines in a complex chemical pipeline environment, and the efficiency and the accuracy of chemical pipeline detection are obviously improved.

Description

A crawling robot used for chemical pipeline inspection

Technical field

The invention relates to the technical field of application of bionic robots in chemical industry, and in particular to a crawling robot used for chemical pipeline inspection.

Background technique

In the chemical industry, piping systems are an extremely important component, responsible for transporting raw materials, intermediate products and finished products within the factory. However, piping systems are often in harsh environments and have complex structures, making their maintenance and inspection extremely challenging. Although traditional pipeline inspection methods, such as visual inspection, pressure testing and ultrasonic inspection, can complete basic tasks, they are inefficient and have limited accuracy when dealing with complex environments and hard-to-reach areas.

Contents of the invention

In view of this, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a crawling robot for chemical pipeline inspection to solve the inefficiency and limited accuracy of traditional chemical pipeline inspection methods when dealing with complex environments and difficult-to-reach pipeline areas. question.

The invention provides a crawling robot used for chemical pipeline inspection, which includes:

A caterpillar assembly, which includes one or more caterpillar segments connected in sequence through an arcuate fixing device, and a tensile wire passing through the caterpillar segment and the arcuate fixing device; the caterpillar segment includes a plurality of caterpillars connected in sequence The body part connected between the clamping claw and the caterpillar clamping claw controls the contraction or expansion of the body part through the tensile wire to match the opening or closing of the caterpillar clamping claw, thereby driving the caterpillar. Creeping movement of components outside the pipe;

An elephant trunk assembly is connected to the caterpillar assembly through a connecting steering mechanism and is driven and moved by the caterpillar assembly. The elephant trunk assembly includes one or more trunk segments connected in sequence by connecting bolts, and is arranged between the trunk segment and the caterpillar assembly. The elephant trunk clamp at the opposite end of the connecting end of the caterpillar assembly; the elephant trunk segment includes a plurality of elastic members connected in sequence, a spacer disk for connection between the elastic members, and a spacer plate connected to the spacer. Multiple pneumatic muscles between the discs control the contraction or extension of the pneumatic muscles to achieve the deflection, bending and scaling actions of the elephant trunk assembly;

Camera equipment is installed on the elephant trunk clamp and is used for real-time monitoring during inspection and maintenance of chemical pipelines.

Optionally, the trunk assembly further includes a trachea for wrapping the pneumatic muscles, and the pneumatic muscles can be contracted or stretched through the air delivery and deflation of the trachea.

Optionally, the elephant trunk clamp includes an elephant trunk clamp power source and a clamp portion connected to the elephant trunk clamp power source.

Optionally, a first fixed plate and a second fixed plate are respectively provided at both ends of the elephant trunk assembly. The elephant trunk assembly is connected to the connection steering mechanism through the first fixed plate. The elephant trunk assembly The second fixing plate is connected to the elephant trunk clamp.

Optionally, the caterpillar clamp includes a caterpillar clamp power source and a plurality of connecting rods connected to the caterpillar clamp power source, and the plurality of connecting rods constitute a clamping claw shape.

Optionally, the connection steering mechanism includes two connection handles and two hooks respectively arranged oppositely, the two hooks are arranged between the two connection handles, and the two hooks are connected by a pull pin, so The hook and the connecting handle are connected through a pin; the two connecting handles are respectively connected to the caterpillar component and the elephant trunk component.

Optionally, the spacer plate and the connecting steering mechanism are made of composite materials to make the joint part of the crawling robot lightweight.

Optionally, other components of the crawling robot except the connecting steering mechanism and the spacer plate are made of anti-corrosion and explosion-proof materials.

Optionally, the crawling robot further includes a point light source provided on the trunk gripper to provide illumination when detecting the environment and status outside the chemical pipeline.

Optionally, the elastic member is a spring.

Compared with the existing technology, the present invention provides a crawling robot for chemical pipeline inspection, which includes a caterpillar component, an elephant trunk component, and a camera device provided on the elephant trunk component. The caterpillar component and the elephant trunk component The nose assembly is connected via a connecting steering mechanism. The caterpillar assembly includes one or more caterpillar segments connected in sequence through an arcuate fixing device, and a tensile wire passing through the caterpillar segment and the arcuate fixing device; the caterpillar segment includes a plurality of caterpillar segments connected in sequence. The body part connected between the clamping claw and the caterpillar clamping claw controls the contraction or expansion of the body part through the stretching line to match the opening or closing of the caterpillar clamping claw, thereby driving the crawling The robot crawls outside the pipeline; the elephant trunk assembly is connected to the caterpillar assembly through a connecting steering mechanism and is driven to move by the caterpillar assembly; the elephant trunk assembly includes one or more sections connected in sequence through connecting bolts The elephant trunk segment, and the elephant trunk claw provided at the other end opposite to the connecting end of the caterpillar assembly; the elephant trunk segment includes a plurality of elastic members connected in sequence, used for connection between the elastic members The spacer disks and a plurality of pneumatic muscles connected between the spacer disks control the contraction or extension of the pneumatic muscles to realize the deflection, bending and scaling actions of the elephant trunk assembly; the camera equipment is used Real-time monitoring during inspection and maintenance of chemical pipelines. By driving the caterpillar assembly and the elephant trunk assembly to achieve deflection and other actions, the crawling robot is highly adaptable to complex chemical pipeline environments, and can flexibly turn or go to the outside of other pipelines in complex chemical pipeline environments, significantly It improves the efficiency and accuracy of chemical pipeline inspection, has significant application prospects, and brings revolutionary changes to chemical pipeline inspection work.

Description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the crawling robot provided by the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the caterpillar component of the crawling robot provided by the present invention.

Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the caterpillar gripper of the crawling robot provided by the present invention.

Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of the trunk assembly of the crawling robot provided by the present invention.

Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the trunk gripper of the crawling robot provided by the present invention.

Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of the connecting steering mechanism of the crawling robot provided by the present invention.

The reference symbols are explained as follows:

100. Crawling robot; 10. Caterpillar components; 11. Caterpillar gripper; 111. Caterpillar gripper power source; 112. Connecting rod; 113. Screw; 12. Body part; 13. Stretch wire; 14. Arch fixation device; 20. Elephant trunk assembly; 21. Spacer plate; 22. Elastic member; 23. Pneumatic muscles; 24. Trachea; 25. First fixed plate; 26. Second fixed plate; 27. Connecting bolts; 28. Elephant trunk clamp ; 281. Elephant trunk clamp power source; 282. Claw part; 283. Camera equipment; 284. Point light source; 30. Connecting steering mechanism; 301. Connecting handle; 302. Hook; 303. Pull pin; 304. Pin .

Detailed ways

Typical embodiments embodying the features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail in the following description. It should be understood that the present invention can have various changes in different embodiments, without departing from the scope of the present invention, and the description and illustrations are essentially for illustration, not limitation. this invention.

In the description of this application, it needs to be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", " The directions indicated by "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" etc. or The positional relationship is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, Therefore, it cannot be construed as a limitation on this application. In addition, the terms “first” and “second” are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined as “first” and “second” may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the described features. In the description of this application, "plurality" means two or more than two, unless otherwise explicitly and specifically limited.

In order to further illustrate the principle and structure of the present invention, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Please refer to Figure 1, Figure 2 and Figure 3. This application provides a crawling robot 100 for chemical pipeline inspection, which can be used in complex chemical pipeline environments and is especially suitable for chemical pipeline inspection work. The crawling robot 100 imitates The structural and functional special effects of elephant trunks and caterpillars improve the efficiency and accuracy of chemical pipeline inspection. The crawling robot 100 includes a caterpillar assembly 10, a trunk assembly 20 and a camera device 283. The caterpillar assembly 10 and the trunk assembly 20 are connected through a connecting steering mechanism 30, and the camera device is arranged on the trunk assembly 20. superior.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the caterpillar assembly 10 includes one or more caterpillar segments connected in sequence through an arcuate fixation device 14 , and a tensile wire 13 passing through the caterpillar segments and the arcuate device. Wherein, the caterpillar segment includes a plurality of caterpillar clamping claws 11 connected in sequence and a body part 12 used for connection between the caterpillar clamping claws 11 .

Specifically, in this embodiment, the caterpillar assembly 10 includes a plurality of caterpillar segments connected in sequence, and the caterpillar segments are connected through the arcuate fixing device 14; each caterpillar segment includes a plurality of caterpillar segments connected in sequence. The caterpillar clamps 11 are connected through the body parts 12, and the tensile wires 13 are sequentially connected from the arcuate fixing device 14 connecting the caterpillar segments to the caterpillar body parts. 12 passes through, and the body part 12 can be adjustably contracted or stretched through the tensile wire 13 to match the opening or closing of the caterpillar clamp 11, thereby driving the crawling movement of the caterpillar assembly 10 to achieve Precise control of the caterpillar parts. It can be understood that the number of the caterpillar claws 11 can be adjusted according to the actual application, such as the size and curvature of the pipe.

In some other embodiments, the caterpillar assembly 10 can also be a caterpillar segment, and the tensile wire 13 passes through the body part 12 connected to the caterpillar clamping claw 11 in sequence. According to actual needs, it can also pass through The length of the caterpillar assembly 10 is adjusted by adjusting the number of caterpillar clamping claws 11 .

Further, please refer to Figure 3. The caterpillar clamp 11 includes a caterpillar clamp power source 111 and a plurality of connecting rods 112 connected to the caterpillar clamp power source 111. The plurality of connecting rods 112 are fixedly connected by screws 113. The caterpillar clamp 11 controls the rotation of the connecting rod 112 through the caterpillar clamp power source 111 to realize the adjustable strength of the caterpillar clamp 11 .

Please refer to Figure 4. The elephant trunk assembly 20 includes one or more trunk segments connected in sequence by connecting bolts 27, and an elephant trunk clamp disposed at the other end opposite to the connecting end of the caterpillar assembly 10. 28; The elephant trunk section includes a plurality of elastic members 22 connected in sequence, spacer disks 21 for connection between the elastic members 22, and a plurality of pneumatic muscles 23 connected between the spacer disks 21.

Furthermore, the elephant trunk assembly 20 further includes a trachea 24 for wrapping the pneumatic muscles 23. The contraction or expansion of the pneumatic muscles 23 is achieved through the air transmission and deflation of the trachea 24.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the elephant trunk assembly 20 includes a plurality of elephant trunk segments connected in sequence, and the elephant trunk segments are connected through the connecting bolts 27; each elephant trunk segment includes a plurality of trunk segments. The elastic members 22 are connected in sequence. The elastic members 22 are springs. The springs are connected through the spacer plates 21. The pneumatic muscles 23 are connected between the spacer plates 21. That is, the two The springs and the pneumatic muscles 23 are connected between the spacer plates 21. The pneumatic muscles 23 are wrapped by the trachea 24. Through the contraction of the pneumatic muscles 23 and the work of the elephant trunk clamp 28, The crawling robot 100 can achieve precise operations such as deflection, bending, and contraction outside the chemical pipeline to adapt to the complex environment outside the chemical pipeline. Please refer to Figure 5. The elephant trunk clamp 28 includes an elephant trunk clamp power source 282 and a clamp portion 282 connected to the elephant trunk clamp power source 281. The elephant trunk clamp power source 281 controls The elephant trunk clamp 28 realizes the adjustable strength of the elephant trunk clamp 28 to adapt to different working conditions.

Preferably, the spacer plate 21 is made of innovative composite materials, which can reduce the mass of the crawling robot 100, achieve lightweighting of the crawling robot 100, and enable it to effectively withstand chemicals in complex chemical pipeline environments. Material corrosion and enhanced high temperature resistance, maintaining excellent strength and durability.

The camera device 283 is disposed on the elephant trunk clamp 28. Further, in this embodiment, the camera device 28 is a camera head, and the elephant trunk assembly 20 also includes first fixing members respectively provided at both ends thereof. The disk 25 and the second fixed disk 26, and the point light source 284. Wherein, the elephant trunk assembly 20 is connected to the connecting steering mechanism 30 through the first fixed plate 25, and the elephant trunk assembly 20 is connected to the elephant trunk clamp 28 through the second fixed plate 26; set The point light source 284 in the elephant trunk gripper 28 provides illumination for the detection work of the crawling robot 100. The direction of the camera can be adjusted through bending, rotation, telescoping and other actions performed by the elephant trunk assembly 20. To facilitate real-time monitoring and detection of the environment and status outside the pipeline.

Through the combination of the camera device 283 and the caterpillar gripper 11 and the elephant trunk gripper 28, the crawling robot 100 can perform real-time visual inspection and precise grasping of obstacles outside the chemical pipeline, greatly improving Chemical pipeline inspection efficiency. Due to the particularity of chemical pipelines, some pipelines cannot be manually inspected. The crawling robot 100 can reach areas of chemical pipelines that are difficult to access manually, thereby improving the accuracy of inspection.

It can be understood that, depending on the application, other detection equipment can also be installed on the elephant trunk clamp 28 .

Please refer to Figure 6. The connection steering mechanism 30 includes two connection handles 301 and two hooks 302 respectively arranged oppositely. The two hooks 302 are arranged between the two connection handles 301. The two hooks 301 are arranged opposite each other. 302 are connected through a pull pin 303, and the hook 302 and the connecting handle 301 are connected through a pin 304; the two connecting handles 301 are respectively connected to the caterpillar component 10 and the elephant trunk component 20. Specifically, in this embodiment, the connecting handle 301 is connected to the elephant trunk assembly 20 through the first fixing plate 25 . Preferably, the connecting steering mechanism 30 is made of innovative composite materials, which can reduce the weight of the crawling robot 100 while maintaining excellent strength and durability.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the spacer plate 21 and the connecting steering mechanism 30 of the crawling robot 100 are made of innovative carbon fiber-ABS composite material. The composite material is lightweight and high in strength, and the crawling robot 100 is made of innovative carbon fiber-ABS composite material. Except for the connecting steering mechanism 30 and the spacer plate 21, other components of the robot 100 are made of anti-corrosion and explosion-proof materials, so that the crawling robot 100 can resist corrosion and high temperature when used for inspection and maintenance of chemical pipelines, and maintain lightweight characteristics to maintain long-lasting performance, ensuring its stability and durability in complex chemical environments.

The working principle of the crawling robot 100:

When it is necessary to inspect chemical pipelines, the caterpillar component 10 of the crawling robot 100 controls the contraction or expansion of the body part 12 through the action of the stretching wire 13, and the body part 12 cooperates with the caterpillar. The opening or closing of the clamping claws 11 effectively uses elastic potential energy to drive the entire crawling robot 100 to crawl in the pipeline environment; when it is necessary to turn or move outside other pipelines, the pneumatic muscles of the elephant trunk part 23 The contraction or extension of the pneumatic muscles 23 is controlled through the air transmission and deflation of the trachea 24, thereby realizing the deflection, bending, contraction and other actions of the entire elephant trunk part; through the deflection and bending of the elephant trunk components The direction can be adjusted by movements such as moving, shrinking, etc., and the camera provided on the elephant trunk assembly 20 can perform real-time monitoring and detection. At the same time, the strength of the caterpillar clamp 11 and the elephant trunk clamp 28 can be adjusted to adapt to different working conditions; the spacer plate 21 and the connecting steering mechanism 30 of the crawling robot 100 use lightweight and High-strength composite materials can effectively reduce the weight of the crawling robot 100 and enhance its ability to resist chemical corrosion and high temperatures; except for the spacer plate 21 and the connecting steering mechanism 30, all the crawling robot 100 has Other parts are made of anti-corrosion and explosion-proof materials to adapt to the special environment of chemical pipelines. By driving the caterpillar assembly 10 to travel, the elephant trunk assembly 20 achieving deflection and other actions, and using lightweight and anti-corrosion and explosion-proof materials, the crawling robot 100 is highly adaptable to complex pipeline environments and can operate in the pipeline environment of the current application scenario. Make maneuverable turns or head to the outside of other pipes.

The present invention provides a crawling robot 100 for chemical pipeline inspection, which includes a caterpillar component 10, an elephant trunk component 20, and a camera device 283 provided on the elephant trunk component. The caterpillar component 10 and the elephant trunk component 20 is connected by connecting the steering mechanism 30 . The caterpillar assembly 10 includes one or more caterpillar segments connected in sequence through an arcuate fixing device 14, and a tensile wire 13 passing through the caterpillar segment and the arcuate fixing device 14; the caterpillar segment includes a plurality of The caterpillar clamp 11 and the body part 12 used for connection between the caterpillar clamp 11 are connected in sequence, and the contraction or expansion of the body part 12 is controlled by the tensile wire 13 to match the movement of the caterpillar clamp 11 Open or close, thereby driving the crawling robot 100 to crawl outside the pipeline; the elephant trunk assembly 20 is connected to the caterpillar assembly 10 through the connecting steering mechanism 30 and is driven to move by the caterpillar assembly 10, so The elephant trunk assembly 20 includes one or more trunk segments connected in sequence by connecting bolts 27, and an elephant trunk clamp 28 provided at the other end opposite to the connecting end of the caterpillar assembly 10; the elephant trunk The section includes a plurality of elastic members 22 connected in sequence, spacer disks 21 for connection between the elastic members 22 , and a plurality of pneumatic muscles 23 connected between the spacer disks 21 . By controlling the pneumatic muscles 23 contraction or expansion, thereby realizing the deflection, bending and scaling actions of the elephant trunk assembly 20. The present invention imitates elephant trunks and caterpillars of natural creatures. The caterpillar component 10 is driven to travel and the elephant trunk component 20 implements deflection and other actions, so that the crawling robot 100 can also have very high performance in complex chemical pipeline environments. Flexibility and adaptability; through the contraction of the pneumatic muscles 23 and the work of the elephant trunk clamp 28, precise operations such as deflection, bending, and contraction can be achieved outside the pipeline, making the crawling robot 100 highly adaptable to the chemical pipeline environment and can be used in the chemical pipeline environment. Make flexible turns in complex pipeline environments or go to the outside of other pipelines. Through the cooperation of the camera, the caterpillar gripper 11 and the elephant trunk gripper 28, the crawling robot 100 can perform real-time visual inspection and precise grabbing of obstacles outside the pipeline, greatly improving the efficiency of pipeline inspection. efficiency. Moreover, the crawling robot 100 can perform continuous work for a long time, and can reach places that are difficult to access manually, which improves the accuracy of detection and is especially suitable for the detection of chemical pipelines. Since the crawling robot 100 can perform detailed and accurate detection outside the pipeline, it can prevent and reduce the occurrence of pipeline failures, thereby reducing maintenance costs in the chemical production process.

The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and its core idea of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications to the present invention without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. A crawling robot used for chemical pipeline inspection, which is characterized by including: A caterpillar assembly, which includes one or more caterpillar segments connected in sequence through an arcuate fixing device, and a tensile wire passing through the caterpillar segment and the arcuate fixing device; the caterpillar segment includes a plurality of caterpillars connected in sequence The body part connected between the clamping claw and the caterpillar clamping claw controls the contraction or expansion of the body part through the tensile wire to match the opening or closing of the caterpillar clamping claw, thereby driving the caterpillar. Creeping movement of components outside the pipe; An elephant trunk assembly is connected to the caterpillar assembly through a connecting steering mechanism and is driven and moved by the caterpillar assembly. The elephant trunk assembly includes one or more trunk segments connected in sequence by connecting bolts, and is arranged between the trunk segment and the caterpillar assembly. The elephant trunk clamp at the opposite end of the connecting end of the caterpillar assembly; the elephant trunk segment includes a plurality of elastic members connected in sequence, a spacer disk for connection between the elastic members, and a spacer plate connected to the spacer. Multiple pneumatic muscles between the discs control the contraction or extension of the pneumatic muscles to achieve the deflection, bending and scaling actions of the elephant trunk assembly; Camera equipment is installed on the elephant trunk clamp and is used for real-time monitoring during inspection and maintenance of chemical pipelines. 2. The crawling robot according to claim 1, wherein the trunk assembly further includes a trachea for wrapping the pneumatic muscles, and the contraction of the pneumatic muscles is achieved through the air transmission and deflation of the trachea. stretch. 3. The crawling robot according to claim 1, wherein the trunk gripper includes a trunk gripper power source and a gripper portion connected to the elephant trunk gripper power source. 4. The crawling robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a first fixed plate and a second fixed plate are respectively provided at both ends of the elephant trunk assembly, and the elephant trunk assembly passes through the The first fixed plate is connected to the connecting steering mechanism, and the elephant trunk assembly is connected to the elephant trunk clamping claw through the second fixed plate. 5. The crawling robot according to claim 1, wherein the caterpillar gripper includes a caterpillar gripper power source and a plurality of connecting rods connected to the caterpillar gripper power source, and a plurality of the connecting rods constitute Gripper shape. 6. The crawling robot according to claim 1, wherein the connection steering mechanism includes two connection handles and two hooks respectively arranged oppositely, and the two hooks are arranged between the two connection handles. , the two hooks are connected through a pull pin, the hook and the connecting handle are connected through a pin; the two connecting handles are connected to the caterpillar component and the elephant trunk component respectively. 7. The crawling robot according to claim 1, characterized in that the spacer plate and the connecting steering mechanism are made of carbon fiber-ABS composite material, so as to reduce the weight of the joint parts of the crawling robot. 8. The crawling robot according to claim 7, characterized in that, except for the connecting steering mechanism and the spacer plate, other components of the crawling robot are made of anti-corrosion and explosion-proof materials. 9. The crawling robot according to claim 1, further comprising a point light source disposed on the trunk gripper for providing illumination when detecting the environment and status outside the chemical pipeline. 10. The crawling robot according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a spring.