RU2758808C1 - Method for remote sampling of soil and snow using a copter-type unmanned aerial vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: environmental monitoring.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of environmental monitoring, and specifically to a method for sampling light and heavy soils or snow. A boom is installed on a copter-type unmanned aerial vehicle (CT UAV), to which a sampler is rigidly attached, which is a drill with a glass, equipped with a rotation drive. The sampling of soil and snow is carried out in an automatic mode by moving the CT UAV into the sampling area, lowering the CT UAV until it touches the ground, rotating around its axis or starting the rotation drive of the sampler drill, lifting the CT UAV with the sampled sample to its original position and returning to the ground control point.

EFFECT: payload is created, including a rigid attachment to the uav of the sampler structure.

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Description

G01N1 / 02 - Investigation or analysis of materials by determining their chemical or physical properties (separation of materials in general B01D, B01J, WHO, B07; for apparatus fully covered by a subclass, see the corresponding subclass, for example B01L; measurement or testing with enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q; study of the base soil on the construction site E02D 1/00; monitoring or diagnostic devices for equipment for exhaust gas treatment F01N 11/00; determination of changes in humidity during compensatory measurements of other variables or for correcting instrument readings with changes in humidity, see G01D or the appropriate subclass related to the measurand;

Е21В 3/03 - rotary drilling - with intermittent rotation of the tool in one direction;

Е21В 49/02 - taking soil samples by mechanical means (devices for obtaining undisturbed cores Е21В 25/00; study of the base soil at the construction site E02D 1/00);

E02D 1/04 - Bases and foundations; pits; embankments (for hydraulic structures Е02В); underground and underwater structures.

1. The field of technology to which the invention relates

The invention relates to the field of environmental monitoring, and specifically to a method for sampling light and heavy soils or snow.

2. State of the art

A known method of sampling soil and a device for its implementation [1], in which the soil carrier is immersed by pressing on the surface of the soil to the depth of sampling, then removed. When the grubber is immersed in the ground, the latter passes through the inner cavity of the grubber and open covers. When removing the soil carrier, the covers are closed under the action of the soil.

The disadvantage of this method during implementation with the help of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of a copter type is the need to create a large effort to immerse the ground carrier in the ground, which does not allow this type of UAV to be provided, as well as a high probability of its spontaneous removal from the cavity during the transportation of a sampled portion of snow. grubber. In addition, the need for pressure on the ground when removing the covers is an obstacle for this type of UAV to take off.

The known method of sampling liquid, implemented using a remotely controlled UAV [2], in which a fully prepared UAV vertical takeoff and landing (GDP) is launched by commands from the ground control point. The control of the UAV GDP is carried out according to the program included in the onboard computer before the start. If it is necessary to intervene in the flight program, control can be carried out remotely from a ground control point. After takeoff, the UAV's GDP makes a flight to the mission area, upon reaching which, at a given altitude, it switches to hovering mode. On command from the ground control station, the winch begins to unwind the cable. The liquid flows into the sampler from the surface or from a given depth, as well as together with bottom sediments, depending on the immersion depth of the sampler. Further, on command from the ground control station, the winch reels the cable, raising the sampler with the liquid sample to the UAV.

This method is not intended for sampling soil and snow. Therefore, it is difficult to take a soil or snow sample from the required sampling zone when the UAV is equipped with a cable (plus or minus 1 m), and even in the presence of wind, it is difficult. In addition, in the case of sampling soil or snow, the presence of a rope is always a danger of its catching on trees, tall bushes, buildings, structures.

The closest in principle of operation and technical essence is the method of remote sampling of soil (soil) using a UAV [3], which consists in remote sampling of soil (soil), including a drone-type UAV, a sampler, a system for dumping and returning the latter to the original position. This method is implemented in order to exclude the presence of the operator in the contaminated area, as well as the possibility of taking and delivering samples from hard-to-reach places, sampling soil (soil) in an automatic mode by moving the UAV into the sampling area, dropping the sampler at a free fall speed from a pre-programmed height, lifting the sampler with the taken sample to the initial position on the UAV using a cable and an electric motor and returning to the ground control station.

This method, due to the presence of a cable, has the above disadvantages, such as: low accuracy of the sampler hitting the sampling zone, the danger of being caught in trees, bushes, buildings and structures.

3. Disclosure of the essence of the invention

In case of accidents at radiation, chemically and biologically hazardous facilities, dangerous contamination (contamination) of large areas within which it is impossible to find people can form. Many areas can be difficult to access due to terrain or natural and water obstacles. In such cases, for the operational sampling of contaminated soil (snow), the use of UAVs is of great importance, among which the most common are UAVs of the copter type.

The aim of the invention is to create conditions for the implementation of remote sampling of soil and snow using a drone-type UAV from hard-to-reach pre-established (plus or minus 1 m) sections of the contaminated area.

The technical problem of the claimed invention is the creation of a payload, including a rigid (as opposed to a cable) attachment to the UAV of a special design of the sampler.

The task is achieved by the fact that a rod is installed on a drone-type UAV, to which a sampler is rigidly attached, which is a drill with a glass, equipped with a rotation drive.

When using a drone-type UAV, sampling can be carried out by rotating the UAV around its axis or by rotating the drive built into the sampler. In this case, the soil (snow) during the rotation of the drill rises along the guides of the rod and gets inside the glass. When soil (snow) appears in special holes in the upper part of the glass, the rotation stops.

The essence of the proposed method is illustrated by diagrams (see Fig. 1-4), where the following designations are used:

1 - drone-type UAV;

2 - barbell;

3 - drill with a glass;

4 - ground control point.

Figure 2 shows the position of the UAV with the payload at the initial moment of soil sampling.

FIG. 3 shows the position of a drone-type UAV with a payload at the time of sampling soil (snow) (side and top view), where the arrows show the translational and rotational movements of the UAV.

FIG. 4 shows the position of a drone-type UAV with a payload at the time of sampling soil (snow), where the arrows show the translational and rotational movements of the sampler equipped with a rotation drive.

4. Implementation of the invention

An example of using the proposed method.

Visual reconnaissance of the terrain is carried out before sampling or in the process of performing a flight mission. In the process of visual reconnaissance of the terrain, points (plus or minus 1 m) are determined at which it is necessary to take a soil or snow sample.

On the ground, before the start, a drone-type UAV is prepared for operation, a boom and a drill with a glass are connected to the UAV, and a flight task is set with the coordinates of the sampling points.

A drone-type UAV with a payload prepared for operation is launched by commands from a ground control station (pos. 4 in Fig. 1). Performing the flight task program in automatic mode or in manual control mode, a drone-type UAV flies up to the sampling point. Further, the UAV is reduced to a height corresponding to the length of the boom with the drill, i.e. until the drill touches the ground (snow), after which the drone, on command, rotates around its axis, or a command is sent from the ground control station to start the drill rotation drive. As a result of all the described actions, the cutting edge of the drill cuts into the soil (snow), when it moves downward, it deepens, and the soil moves upward in the cavity of the sampler along the blades of the drill. If there is a large number of stones at the sampling point or the stiffness of the soil does not allow taking a sample with this sampler design (using a video camera, its presence or absence in the glass is observed), the operator gives the UAV command to take off and repeat the previously described operations near (plus or minus 1 m) from a previously established point.

After that, on command from the ground control station, the copter gains altitude and moves to the ground control station or to the laboratory to which the sample must be delivered.

The entire sampling process can be carried out both automatically and manually.

LIST OF SOURCES USED

1 Patent for a useful model of the Russian Federation No. 1534366 A1 - IPC G01N 1/04, 07.01.1990

2 Patent for a useful model of the Russian Federation No. 71628 - IPC В64С, 23.07.2007

3 Application for a patent of the Russian Federation No. 2018119227 "Method for remote sampling of soil (soil) using an unmanned aerial vehicle" IPC В64С 39/00 dated May 24, 2018

Claims (1)

A method for remote sampling of soil, snow using a copter-type unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV KT), which consists in remote sampling of soil, soil, snow, including a KT UAV, a boom, a sampler consisting of a drill placed in a glass, equipped if necessary driven by the rotation of the drill, characterized in that in order to exclude the presence of the operator in the contaminated area during sampling, as well as the possibility of taking and delivering samples from hard-to-reach places, sampling of soil, snow is carried out automatically by moving the UAV KT into the sampling area, reducing the UAV CT until it touches the ground, rotates around its axis or starts the rotation drive of the sampler drill, lifts the CT UAV with the taken sample to its original position and returns to the ground control station.

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