BG112867A - Robot for internal pipeline inspection - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a robot that moves in pipelines and is used to inspect the condition of the inner surface of the pipes. One distinctive feature of this robot is a structure that is based on a body to which two forks are connected by hinge blades, to each of which there are two flexible drive wheels with broken periphery and an elastic mechanism consisting of two support wheels, an elastic element, prismatic channels and screw-nut connections. The constant contact of the drive wheels with the inner surface of the pipe, the necessary contact forces and areas are provided by a balance of elastic forces obtained from the elastic mechanisms and the flexible wheels with broken periphery. It finds application for inspection and service of the inner surface of the pipes for gas and oil pipelines, water pipes, sewerage, etc. The pipe inspection robot comprises a body (1) to which are attached by means of two hinges with parallel axes (2 and 3), two forks (4 and 5), and perpendicular to the axis of the hinges to each fork are connected two flexible drive wheels with broken periphery (6 and 7), respectively (8 and 9), which are driven by gear motors (10, 11, 12 and 13) and to each of the two forks (4 and 5) is mounted an elastic mechanism consisting of an elastic element (14) and support wheels (15 and 16), as the mounting to the forks is performed by means of prismatic channels (17 and 18) with screw-nut connections (19 and 20). When the pipelines have frequent turns with a small radius and arbitrary spatial orientation, the cylindrical joints with parallel axes (2 and 3) between the body (1) and the forks (4 and 5) are replaced by spherical connections (21).

Description

PIPELINE INTERNAL INSPECTION ROBOT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a robot for internal inspection of pipelines, which moves on the inner surface of the pipes, consists of the body to which they are attached, by means of two cylindrical hinges with parallel axes, two forks, perpendicular to the axis of the hinges to each fork are connected by two driving flexible wheels with interrupted periphery which are driven by gear motors and also to each of the two forks is mounted an elastic mechanism consisting of an elastic element, support wheels, and mounting to the forks is by means of prismatic grooves and screw connections . Maintaining constant contact with the unevenly worn, with different in shape and size deposits on the surface is achieved by balancing elastic forces obtained from elastic mechanisms and flexible wheels, as their interrupted periphery helps to improve the contact area with the pipe and allows climbing and descending slopes, including vertical ones. A distinctive feature of the robot is a construction with mobility in the body, obtained by articulated joints (cylindrical joints or spherical connections) between the body and the forks, which provides better adaptability when turning with small radii. The robot is used for inspection and service of the inner surface of the pipes for gas and oil pipelines, water pipes, sewerage, etc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

During the operation period of the industrial and energy pipelines, a scheduled inspection is required during a certain period of time to establish wear, deposits and narrowing of the free cross-section, as well as other types of expected damages. Accidents and leaks can lead to serious economic losses as well as environmental pollution, and in some cases endanger the lives and health of the population. The external view, when accessible, does not always give a real picture of the internal condition, and in most cases access is possible only from the inside of the pipeline. Devices are known to move in tubes and inspect their condition [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6] and [7]. The existing known devices for moving in pipes for the purpose of their inspection consist of a body and driven wheels which are pressed into the walls of the pipe so as to provide the friction necessary for the movement. The pressure of the wheels on the surface of the pipes is most often done by elastic elements (springs). Some of the known pipelines for inspection [6] have a special construction, allowing them to overcome bends through curves at both ends of the body, claiming that they provide the passage through bends. By turning the wheels a certain amount, this robot can also rotate around the tube, ie. "Radial" motion in addition to the basic "axial motion".

The known pipelines for inspection of pipelines have a complex construction and very limited flexibility, which does not allow them to overcome arbitrary bends and branches in the pipes. Also low possibilities for adaptability to irregularities of the internal surfaces and deposits and residues of transported liquids. A disadvantage of some of them is their inability for radial orientation of the robot in the tube.

Robots [1], [2], [3] and [4] do not have the ability to overcome sharp turns less than or equal to 90 ° due to lack of sufficient flexibility and adaptability of their construction.

The robot [5] has a complex structure, which consists of 2 or more identical modules with 3 wheels on each module, located on a fork that can be 2 rotated, thus turning at a bend of the pipe at 90 ° .

The robot [6] has no flexibility, relying only on the rounding of the chassis at both ends and in the middle to overcome bends, in order to avoid contact of the chassis and the walls of the pipe when passing through bends.

The robot [7] has an overly complex structure, which consists of modules that have an arched shape, on which are located many wheels, which aims to successfully overcome bends and branches of the pipeline.

The robots [1] and [7] do not have the possibility of radial orientation along the pipe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the invention is to provide a robot for internal inspection of pipelines, whose design allows to adapt to changes in the inner surface of the pipe due to uneven wear and deposits, to pass through bends formed by the contour of the pipeline, to have high maneuverability and ability to overcome obstacles, to make the necessary contact of the wheels with the inner surface of the pipe, sufficient for ascent and descent on slopes, including vertical, and for horizontal parts even if there is residual liquid or powdery material, to have easily feasible, reliable and stable construction.

This task is solved by means of a robot for internal inspection of pipelines with a body to which they are attached, by means of two hinges with parallel axes, two forks, perpendicular to the axis of the hinges to each fork are connected by two driving flexible wheels with broken periphery, , which are driven by gear motors and to each of the two forks is mounted an elastic mechanism consisting of an elastic element and two support wheels, the mounting to the forks is by means of prismatic channels with screw-nut connections. The elastic mechanisms press the four driven flexible wheels with an interrupted period to the inner surface of the pipeline and by means of a balance of elastic forces the robot adapts to the relief of the

pipeline and provide the necessary forces and contact areas for movement, ascent and descent on slopes, including vertical.

This task is also solved with the help of a robot variant, in the construction of which you replace hinges between the body and the forks with spherical connections, which increases the flexibility of the robot and improves its ability to make turns regardless of angle and spatial orientation. .This solution is especially effective in cases where at short distances are common and with any spatial position, turn.

An advantage of the proposed robot for internal inspection of pipelines is the simple construction, composed of a small number of units, flexible wheels with broken periphery and elastic mechanisms providing the necessary pressure (contact forces and area) according to the relief of the inner surface of the pipe.

An advantage of the proposed robot for internal inspection of pipelines is the construction with parallel cylindrical joints (hinges) through which two forks are attached to the body, which provide passive adaptation and finding the road with the least resistance when moving the robot.

It is also an advantage that by means of the proposed elastic mechanism all the wheels of the robot are in constant contact with the pipe, both in a straight section and in bends, regardless of the relief obtained as a result of uniform wear and deposits.

An advantage of the proposed robot for internal inspection of pipelines is the possibility of replacing the cylindrical joints between the body and the forks with spherical connections, which increases the flexibility of the robot in common turns, regardless of their spatial orientation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ATTACHED FIGURES

Fig.1 - Structural diagram of a robot for internal inspection of pipelines with four drive wheels and hinged connections between the body and the forks ,,

Fig.2 - Two projections of the robot with four drive wheels and hinged connections between the body and the forks in a pipeline with opposite arrangement of the clamping mechanisms;

Fig. 3 - Two projections of the robot with four drive wheels and hinged connections between the body and the forks; in a pipeline with one-sided arrangement of the clamping mechanisms; .

Fig.4 Disassembled robot for internal inspection of pipelines;

FIG. 5 Disassembled fork with elastic mechanism and driving bastards;

FIG. 6 Section of the hinged connections between the body and the forks;

Fig. 7 - Structural diagram of a robot for internal inspection of pipelines with four drive wheels and spherical hinges between the body and the forks;

The invention is illustrated in more detail by two exemplary embodiments.

EXAMPLES OF IMPLEMENTATION

Example 1. Robot for internal inspection of pipelines with four drive wheels and hinged connections between the body and the forks;

The robot for internal inspection of pipelines with four drive wheels and hinged connections between the body and the forks is shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, consists of a body (1) to which are attached by means of two hinges with parallel axles (2) and (3), two forks (4) and (5), perpendicular to the axes of the hinges to each fork are connected by two drive flexible wheels with interrupted periphery (6) and (7), respectively (8) and (9), which are driven by gear motors (10), (11), (12) and (13) and to each of the two forks (4) and (5) is mounted an elastic mechanism consisting of an elastic element (14). ) and support wheels (15) and (16), the mounting to the forks being by means of prismatic channels (17) and (18) with screw-nut connections (19) and (20).

Example 2. Robot for internal inspection of pipelines with four drive wheels and spherical connections between the body and the forks;

The robot for internal inspection of pipelines with four drive wheels and spherical connections between the body and the forks is presented in Figure 7. The construction is analogous to that proposed in Example 1, with the hinges with parallel axes (2) and (3) being replaced by spherical connections 21),.

USE OF THE INVENTION

The pipeline internal inspection robot is used to assess the condition of the inner surface of the pipes. The robot moves along the pipe by means of four flexible drive wheels with broken flanges (6) and (7), respectively (8) and (9), each of which is driven by a gear motor located in the forks (4) and (5). ). The robot can also rotate around the axis of the tube by means of the four independently controlled gear motors (10), (11), (12) and (13), realizing different speeds in value and sign (forward or backward). Resistance to external forces is achieved with a design that uses two elastic mechanisms, one for each fork, so that the robot comes into contact with the tube in four contact areas based on an equilibrium of elastic forces from the elastic mechanisms and the resilient wheels. periphery.

The movement along the length of the pipe is carried out by setting the same control signal to the motors that drive the wheels (6) and (7), respectively (8) and (9) (Figure 1 and Figure 3). Rotation around the axis of the pipe is carried out by setting a suitable speed control of the motors that drive the wheels (6) and (7), respectively (8) and (9) (Figure 1) with different values and, if necessary, directions. The necessary contact and friction of the wheels with the surface of the pipe is achieved by mounting to each of the two forks (4) and (5) an elastic mechanism consisting of an elastic element (14) and support wheels (15) and (16), as the mounting to the forks is by means of the prismatic channels (17) and (18) with screw-nut connections (19) and (20). The initial adjustment is realized through the prismatic channels (17) and (18) and screw-nut connections (19) and (20).

Passing through the bend of the pipe is carried out using appropriate control of the drive wheels and the passive degrees of freedom (hinged joints (2) and (3)) of the forks connected to the body. The changed geometry and dimensions of the internal pipe inspection robot provide the ability to adapt to pipe changes, as the continuous contact ensures successful ascent and descent on slopes, including vertical ones, passing through bends regardless of angle and spatial orientation. To improve the flexibility of the body in common turns with arbitrary spatial orientation, the cylindrical hinges (2) and (3) are replaced with spherical connections (21), (Figure 7).

LITERATURE

1. United States Patent No. 4 369 713, Pipeline Crawler, 1980

2. United States Patent No. 4 537 136, Pipeline Vehicle, 1983

3. United States Patent No. 4,677,865, Pipe Pig with Running Gear, 1985

4. United States Patent No. 6 123 027, Self-Propelled Vehicle within Pipe, 1998

5. United States Patent No. 4,862,808, Robotic Pipe Crawling Device, 1988

6. United States Patent No. 5 392 715, In-Pipe Running Robot and Method of Running the Robot, 1993

7. United States Patent No. 7 143 659 B2, Pipe-Inspection System, 2002

Claims (3)

PATENT CLAIMS 1- Robot for internal inspection of pipelines, consisting of a body (1), CHARACTERIZED in that to the body (1) are attached, by means of two 3 cylindrical hinges with parallel axes (2) and (3), two forks 4) and (5), as perpendicular to the axis of the hinges to each fork are connected two drive flexible wheels with interrupted periphery (6) and (7), respectively (8) and (9), which are driven by gearmotors (10). ), (11), (12) and (13) and also to each of the two forks (4) and (5) is mounted an elastic mechanism consisting of an elastic element (14) and support wheels (15) and (16) , the mounting to the forks (4) and (5) is by means of the prismatic channels (17) and (18), and the screw-nut connections (19) and (20). A pipe inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that the cylindrical hinges with parallel axes (2) and (3) are replaced by spherical connections (21) to the body (1); Pipe inspection robot according to Claim 1 and / or 2, CHARACTERIZED in that the body (1), the cylindrical hinges (2), (3), the spherical connections (21) and the forks (4) and (5) are made together by means of 3D printing and do not have connecting elements.