CN217320711U - Underwater robot for submarine cable maintenance - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model discloses an underwater robot for submarine cable overhauls relates to and overhauls equipment technical field under water. This underwater robot includes: a main body; the first power mechanism is arranged on the main body and used for driving the main body to move; the fixed end of the manipulator mechanism is connected with the main body, and the free end of the manipulator mechanism is provided with a cutting part and a digging and filling part; the detection imaging mechanism is arranged on the main body and used for acquiring image information of an object near the underwater robot; and the signal transmission mechanism is in communication connection with the detection imaging mechanism and is used for transmitting the image information acquired by the detection imaging mechanism to external equipment. When the underwater robot runs, the underwater robot can be close to the submarine cable, so that a maintainer can directly check the damage condition of the submarine cable, and more accurate information is provided for the maintainer.

Description

Underwater robot for submarine cable maintenance

Technical Field

The utility model relates to an overhaul equipment technical field under water, concretely relates to underwater robot for submarine cable overhauls.

Background

With the rise of the domestic marine new energy strategy, the marine wind power industry develops rapidly. Offshore wind farms are often deployed in offshore sea areas, where vessel navigation, fishery activities, etc. are frequent. Because the buried depth is usually only 3 meters during submarine cable construction, and even is less than 2 meters under many conditions, frequent ship navigation and fishery activities often cause damage to submarine cables, and further cause large-scale units in a wind power plant to stop running, and huge economic loss is caused.

At present, in order to overhaul a submarine cable, technicians adopt an underwater robot for launching operation, and the underwater robot is provided with a detection device and can detect the damage condition of the submarine cable. However, the submarine environment often has sundries such as fishing nets and the like, and the submarine cable is covered by silt, so the existing underwater robot is often difficult to approach the submarine cable, cannot directly image the submarine cable, can only perform fuzzy scanning detection on the submarine cable at a far place, and cannot obtain the accurate damage condition of the submarine cable.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

Therefore, the to-be-solved technical problem of the utility model lies in overcoming the defect that underwater robot among the prior art is difficult to obtain submarine cable's the accurate damage condition to a underwater robot for submarine cable overhauls is provided.

In order to solve the problem, the utility model provides an underwater robot for submarine cable overhauls, it includes: a main body; the first power mechanism is arranged on the main body and used for driving the main body to move; the fixed end of the manipulator mechanism is connected with the main body, and the free end of the manipulator mechanism is provided with a cutting part and a digging and filling part; the detection imaging mechanism is arranged on the main body and is used for acquiring image information of an object near the underwater robot for submarine cable maintenance; and the signal transmission mechanism is in communication connection with the detection imaging mechanism and is used for transmitting the image information acquired by the detection imaging mechanism to external equipment.

Optionally, a storage compartment is provided on the main body, and the manipulator mechanism is telescopically or foldably provided in the storage compartment.

Optionally, the manipulator mechanism includes a manipulator arm, the manipulator arm includes a plurality of telescopic joints or folding joints connected in sequence, and the cut-fill part and the cutting part are both connected with the manipulator arm.

Optionally, the cutting member is provided as a cutting blade or a dicing saw.

Optionally, the front side of the body is provided with at least two manipulator mechanisms.

Optionally, the underwater robot for submarine cable maintenance further comprises a second power mechanism, and the second power mechanism is connected with the manipulator mechanism and used for driving the manipulator mechanism to operate.

Optionally, the second power mechanism is in communication connection with the detection imaging mechanism to control the operation of the manipulator mechanism according to image information acquired by the detection imaging mechanism.

Optionally, at least two detection imaging mechanisms are provided on each of the front and rear sides of the main body.

Optionally, the underwater robot for submarine cable maintenance further comprises a traction fixing mechanism. The traction fixing mechanism is arranged on the main body and is used for being connected with an external traction rope.

Optionally, the traction fixation mechanism is disposed on a rear side of the main body.

The utility model has the advantages of it is following:

when the submarine cable needs to be detected, the underwater robot enters the water, and the main body of the underwater robot can be driven by the first power mechanism to move towards an area needing important investigation. In the process, if sundries such as fishing nets or ropes and the like which influence the advance of the underwater robot are encountered, the sundries can be cut by the cutting piece on the mechanical hand mechanism so as to ensure that the underwater robot continues to advance. And then, when the underwater robot reaches the position near the submarine cable, the silt can be excavated through the excavating and filling part, so that the submarine cable is exposed, the submarine cable is directly imaged through the detection imaging mechanism, the damage condition of the submarine cable is checked in a short distance, and more accurate information is obtained. Meanwhile, the image information collected by the detection imaging mechanism can be transmitted to external equipment through the signal transmission mechanism, so that a maintainer can observe the image information in real time.

In a whole view, when the underwater robot runs, the underwater robot can approach the submarine cable, so that a maintainer can directly check the damage condition of the submarine cable, and more accurate information is provided for the maintainer.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments or the technical solutions in the prior art will be briefly described below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to these drawings without creative efforts.

Fig. 1 shows the overall structure schematic diagram of the underwater robot provided by the embodiment of the present invention.

Description of reference numerals:

1. a main body; 11. a storage compartment; 2. a first power mechanism; 3. a manipulator mechanism; 31. cutting the piece; 32. digging and filling parts; 33. a robot arm; 4. detecting an imaging mechanism; 5. a signal transmission mechanism; 6. a second power mechanism; 7. a traction fixing mechanism; 8. and a controller.

Detailed Description

The technical solution of the present invention will be described clearly and completely with reference to the accompanying drawings, and obviously, the described embodiments are some, but not all embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by a person skilled in the art without creative work belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for convenience of description and simplification of description, but do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus, should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

In the description of the present invention, it is to be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, and may be, for example, fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally connected; can be mechanically or electrically connected; they may be connected directly or indirectly through intervening media, or they may be interconnected between two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific situations by those skilled in the art.

Furthermore, the technical features mentioned in the different embodiments of the invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

The embodiment provides an underwater robot for submarine cable maintenance, which comprises a main body 1, a first power mechanism 2, a manipulator mechanism 3, a detection imaging mechanism 4 and a signal transmission mechanism 5, as shown in fig. 1. The first power mechanism 2 is arranged on the main body 1 and used for driving the main body 1 to move; the manipulator mechanism 3 is provided with a fixed end and a free end, wherein the fixed end is connected with the main body 1, and the free end is provided with a cutting part 31 and a digging and filling part 32; the detection imaging mechanism 4 is arranged on the main body 1 and used for acquiring image information of an object near the underwater robot; the signal transmission mechanism 5 is in communication connection with the detection imaging mechanism 4 and is used for transmitting the image information acquired by the detection imaging mechanism 4 to external equipment.

According to the arrangement, when the submarine cable needs to be detected, the underwater robot enters the water, the main body 1 can be driven to move through the first power mechanism 2, and the underwater robot is driven to move to an area needing important investigation. In the process, if sundries such as fishing nets or ropes and the like which affect the advancing of the underwater robot are encountered, the sundries can be cut by the cutting part 31 on the mechanical hand mechanism 3, so that the underwater robot can be ensured to continue to advance. Then, when the underwater robot reaches the position near the submarine cable, silt can be excavated through the excavating and filling part 32, the submarine cable is exposed, the submarine cable is imaged through the detection imaging mechanism 4, the damage condition of the submarine cable is checked in a short distance, and more accurate information is obtained. Meanwhile, the image information collected by the detection imaging mechanism 4 can be transmitted to external equipment through the signal transmission mechanism 5, so that a maintainer can observe the image information in real time.

In a whole view, when the underwater robot runs, the underwater robot can approach to the submarine cable, so that a maintainer can directly check the damage condition of the submarine cable, and more accurate information is provided for the maintainer.

In this embodiment, after the submarine cable is inspected, if the submarine cable is found to be not damaged, the submarine cable can be re-buried by the cut-and-fill member 32, so as to prevent the submarine cable from being exposed.

In the aspect of specific parameters, the underwater robot provided by the embodiment can meet the water depth operation environment within 40 meters, can resist the water flow impact acting force of 4m/s, and can realize the super-long-time and super-long-distance walking on the seabed.

The arrangement of the underwater robot will be further described below.

In this embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, two robot mechanisms 3 are provided at the front side of the main body 1 to enhance cutting and cut-and-fill capability and facilitate cutting and cut-and-fill. Preferably, the two manipulator mechanisms 3 are located on the left and right halves of the front side of the main body 1, respectively.

Of course, in other embodiments, three or more robot mechanisms 3 may be provided on the front side of the main body 1 according to actual needs.

In terms of installation, as shown in fig. 1, a storage compartment 11 is provided in the main body 1. In this embodiment, the robot mechanism 3 is telescopically arranged in the storage compartment 11 to make the entire structure more compact. Specifically, when work is required, the robot mechanism 3 is extended to extend the free end out of the storage compartment 11 to work with the cutting member 31 and the cut and fill member 32; when the work is finished, the manipulator mechanism 3 is shortened, and the free end can be extended into the storage cabin 11 to realize the storage.

Preferably, as shown in fig. 1, the manipulator mechanism 3 includes a manipulator arm 33, and the manipulator arm 33 includes a plurality of telescopic joints connected in sequence to achieve the telescopic movement. In this embodiment, one end of the robot arm 33 is connected to the main body 1, and the end is a fixed end of the robot mechanism 3; the other end of the robot arm 33, which is the free end of the robot mechanism 3, is not connected to the main body 1. Both the cutting member 31 and the cut and fill member 32 are connected to the end of the robot arm 33 which is not connected to the body 1.

In other embodiments, the robot mechanism 3 may be foldably provided in the storage compartment 11 to make the overall structure more compact. In a specific arrangement, the mechanical arm 33 may include a plurality of folding sections connected in sequence to achieve folding.

Preferably, both the cutter 31 and the cut-and-fill 32 are removably connected to a robotic arm 33 for ease of replacement and maintenance. It is understood that in other embodiments, other functional elements may be mounted on the robot arm 33.

As for the specific arrangement of the cutting member 31, in the present embodiment, it is configured as a dicing saw, and the cutting member can cut sundries such as fishing nets or ropes. When the cutting member 31 is provided as a dicing saw, a circular saw may be used as the dicing saw to achieve cutting by rotation of the circular saw.

In other embodiments, the cutting member 31 may also be provided as a cutting knife. When the cutter 31 is set as a cutter, the cutter may be driven to reciprocate in a predetermined reverse direction to perform cutting.

Regarding the specific arrangement of the digging and filling member 32, in this embodiment, the digging and filling member 32 is in a human palm structure to complete the grabbing action and realize the digging of the sediment. In contrast, the cut-and-fill members 32 can be used for landfill, so that the undamaged submarine cable can be protected to a certain extent. Of course, in other embodiments, the bucket 32 may be configured as a bucket structure to perform digging or landfill.

In this embodiment, in order to facilitate driving of the manipulator mechanism 3, a second power mechanism 6 is further provided in the underwater robot. The second power mechanism 6 is connected with the manipulator mechanism 3, and the manipulator mechanism 3 can be driven to operate through the second power mechanism 6. At this time, the second power mechanism 6 and the first power mechanism 2 are relatively independent, so that the movement of the underwater robot and the operation of the manipulator mechanism 3 are relatively independent, and the overall control is more flexible.

Further, the second power mechanism 6 is also in communication connection with the detection imaging mechanism 4, and the second power mechanism 6 can control the operation of the manipulator mechanism 3 according to the image information collected by the detection imaging mechanism 4, so as to realize automatic control.

As for the detection imaging mechanism 4, as shown in fig. 1, two detection imaging mechanisms 4 are provided on the front side of the main body 1, and two detection imaging mechanisms 4 are also provided on the rear side of the main body 1, so as to obtain more comprehensive information. Of course, in other embodiments, more detection imaging mechanisms 4 may be provided on the front or rear side of the main body 1.

Preferably, the inspection imaging mechanism 4 includes a side scan sonar and an underwater camera. The side-scan sonar can detect the topography of the seabed surface, and is high in penetrability and clear in imaging; the underwater camera can intuitively acquire images near the underwater robot. After the information provided by the side scan sonar and the underwater camera is combined, the damage condition of the submarine cable can be accurately known.

In this embodiment, the detection imaging mechanism 4 and the manipulator mechanism 3 cooperate to work, and the working process is as follows: firstly, integrally scanning a submarine cable installation area through a side scan sonar to find the position of a submarine cable suspected of having anchor chain scratches or other damages; these locations are then screened for emphasis, where the silt on the surface of the submarine cable is excavated by the excavation elements 32 and the submarine cable is observed by the underwater camera to obtain accurate information about the damage to the submarine cable at these locations.

It can be understood that after scanning is performed through the side scan sonar, no investigation is needed for determining that no damaged submarine cable exists, so that the maintenance efficiency is guaranteed.

For the signal transmission mechanism 5, which includes an optical transceiver, the remote transmission of signals can be realized through the optical transceiver, and the stability of signal transmission is ensured. Furthermore, a data output interface is further arranged on the underwater robot, and the optical transceiver can output image information acquired by the detection imaging mechanism 4 to external monitoring equipment through the data output interface for examining and repairing personnel.

In order to facilitate information transmission, in this embodiment, a wireless communication module is further disposed in the signal transmission mechanism 5, and the wireless communication module can transmit the image information collected by the detection imaging mechanism 4 to the external monitoring device in a wireless transmission manner. In practice, signals are covered nearby the offshore wind power plant, the external monitoring equipment can be set to be a mobile phone at the moment, and a client matched with the wireless communication module is arranged on the mobile phone, so that a maintainer can check the damage condition of the submarine cable in real time through the client, and the overhauling efficiency is improved.

It is understood that in other embodiments, the detection imaging mechanism 4 and the signal transmission mechanism 5 may be integrated to improve the system integration.

To better resist the impact of water currents, a traction fixing mechanism 7 is also provided in the underwater robot, as shown in fig. 1. The traction fixing mechanism 7 is arranged on the main body 1 and is used for being connected with an external traction rope so as to prevent the underwater robot from being washed away by water flow. In particular, one end of the external hauling cable can be tied up on the shore or on the ship, and the other end is connected with the hauling fixing mechanism 7. In the aspect of structure, the traction fixing mechanism 7 is provided with a lockable lifting hook to ensure the connection reliability of the traction rope and avoid the traction rope from being disengaged.

Preferably, the traction fixing mechanism 7 is provided at the rear side of the main body 1 to avoid interference with the operation of the robot mechanism 3.

In other aspects, in the embodiment, a controller 8 is further disposed in the underwater robot, the controller 8 is in communication connection with the first power mechanism 2, the second power mechanism 6, the detection imaging mechanism 4 and the signal transmission mechanism 5, and the controller 8 can play a role in sending a control instruction, acquiring a real-time signal, performing micro-processing, and the like.

On the whole, when the underwater robot is used for detecting the submarine cable, the following technical effects can be realized:

(1) and (4) accurate routing. When the underwater robot is used for detection, an effective and rapid detection route can be formulated according to a route map in a construction period, submarine cable coordinates of a checking section are input and are close to an actual submarine cable route as much as possible, the nearest, the most rapid and the highest efficiency of an operation route are ensured, and the situations of long checking time and low efficiency caused by inaccurate route are avoided.

(2) And (4) reliable signal connection. Before troubleshooting, a reasonable signal connection mode is selected according to the signal coverage area and the intensity distribution of the corresponding wind power plant, the stability and the continuity of signal transmission are guaranteed, and the phenomenon that the underwater robot stops or loses due to signal loss is avoided.

(3) And 4, reasonable operation period. The underwater robot has strong water flow impact resistance, is not influenced by water level change, water depth and the like in a damp period, can operate in other time periods except that a large surge ship cannot sail during investigation, avoids time waste and shortens the shutdown time.

(4) And no danger exists. The underwater robot is provided with a traction fixing mechanism 7, and can perform traction fixing to a certain degree according to the surge condition, so that equipment loss is avoided; meanwhile, the detection imaging mechanism 4 can automatically operate without the assistance of divers, thereby avoiding the hidden danger of accidents of personnel and ensuring the safety of equipment.

(5) The equipment is convenient to operate. The underwater robot is simple and rapid to integrally control, only coordinate points need to be input before troubleshooting, and after the underwater robot is started according to corresponding operation, complex operation does not need to be carried out in the troubleshooting and detection process.

(6) The investigation is visual, easy judgement. The underwater robot can be directly connected with a mobile phone client to transmit the state information of the submarine cable in real time, so that a maintainer can clearly see whether the cable is damaged without strong professional knowledge as a support, and key investigation is realized on an area which is marked by an anchor chain; under the condition that the network allows, the mobile phone client can enable a plurality of people to check the detection condition together, discuss and analyze the detection condition together, and accelerate the confirmation or elimination of the cable problem.

It should be understood that the above examples are only for clarity of illustration and are not intended to limit the embodiments. Other variations and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art in light of the above description. And are neither required nor exhaustive of all embodiments. And obvious variations or modifications therefrom are within the scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

1. An underwater robot for subsea cable service, comprising:

a main body (1);

the first power mechanism (2) is arranged on the main body (1) and used for driving the main body (1) to move;

the fixed end of the manipulator mechanism (3) is connected with the main body (1), and the free end of the manipulator mechanism (3) is provided with a cutting part (31) and a digging and filling part (32);

the detection imaging mechanism (4) is arranged on the main body (1) and is used for acquiring image information of objects near the underwater robot for overhauling the submarine cable;

and the signal transmission mechanism (5) is in communication connection with the detection imaging mechanism (4) and is used for transmitting the image information acquired by the detection imaging mechanism (4) to external equipment.

2. Submarine robot for submarine cable service according to claim 1, where a storage compartment (11) is provided on the main body (1), and where the manipulator mechanism (3) is telescopically or foldably arranged in the storage compartment (11).

3. Underwater robot for submarine cable service according to claim 2, where the manipulator mechanism (3) comprises a manipulator arm (33), where the manipulator arm (33) comprises a plurality of telescopic or folding joints connected in series, and where the cut and fill part (32) and the cutting part (31) are both connected to the manipulator arm (33).

4. Underwater robot for subsea cable servicing according to claim 1, characterized in that the cutting member (31) is arranged as a cutter or a dicing saw.

5. Underwater robot for submarine cable service according to claim 1, where the front side of the main body (1) is provided with at least two of the manipulator mechanisms (3).

6. The underwater robot for submarine cable maintenance according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the underwater robot for submarine cable maintenance further comprises a second power mechanism (6), and the second power mechanism (6) is connected with the manipulator mechanism (3) and is used for driving the manipulator mechanism (3) to operate.

7. The underwater robot for submarine cable maintenance according to claim 6, wherein the second power mechanism (6) is in communication connection with the detection imaging mechanism (4) to control the operation of the manipulator mechanism (3) according to image information collected by the detection imaging mechanism (4).

8. Underwater robot for subsea cable servicing according to any of claims 1-5, characterized in that at least two of said detection imaging means (4) are arranged at each of the front and rear sides of the body (1).

9. An underwater robot for submarine cable service according to any of claims 1-5, wherein the underwater robot for submarine cable service further comprises:

the traction fixing mechanism (7) is arranged on the main body (1), and the traction fixing mechanism (7) is used for being connected with an external traction rope.

10. Underwater robot for submarine cable service according to claim 9, where the towing attachment (7) is arranged at the rear side of the body (1).

Images