JP2006234728A - Movable checking system and method used inside cave passage - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively check a conduit pipe over a long distance, which is used for conveying fluid in a cave passage. <P>SOLUTION: A checking system is provided, comprising the conduit pipe 2 disposed for conveying the fluid into the cave passage 1; a rail 5 disposed along with the conduit pipe 2; a traveling vehicle 10 which travels along the rail 5; a sensor 20 which is mounted on the traveling vehicle 10 and collects data of the inside of the cave passage 1; a power supply (e.g. , battery 40) which supplies electric power to a motor, causing the traveling vehicle 10 to travel; a plurality of signal transmission devices 30, which are disposed along with the rail 5 and conduct wireless communication with the sensor 20; and an operation control device 50 which is disposed on the ground and transmits/receives signals to/from the signal transmission devices 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a movement inspection system in a sinus and a method thereof for inspecting a conduit laid in a sinus and transporting a fluid.

  In general, fluids such as combustible gas, water, oil, etc. are transported through long-distance pipelines. The conduit for transporting the fluid constructs a cave in the ground or underwater and is laid in the cave.

  The conduit laid in the cave may be bent, cracked, cracked, or other defects due to corrosion, earthquake or crustal deformation. In addition, various facilities or fixed sensors installed in the cave may cause a failure or abnormality.

  When such an abnormal situation occurs or periodically, it is necessary to check and inspect the state of the conduits and equipment in the sinus. As a means for automatically inspecting a conduit laid in the cave, there is generally an intra-cave movement inspection system.

  As such a movement inspection system in a cave, a linear guide in which a plurality of linear coils and sensors are arranged at regular intervals in the length direction along a conduit laid in the cave is provided. A method for inspecting defects such as cracks and cracks in a conduit is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

A traveling body on which an inspection device is mounted is suspended from this linear guide so that it can travel freely. The traveling body is moved at a high speed by suction and repulsion between the permanent magnet provided on the traveling body and the linear coil provided on the linear guide. Let it run. The inspection equipment mounted on the traveling body is used to inspect defects such as cracks and cracks in the conduit.
JP 05-322777 A

  However, in the above-described conventional intra-cave movement inspection system, since it is necessary to install the linear coil over a long distance, there is a problem that it takes enormous time and cost to install the coil.

  Moreover, since the inspection equipment is suspended, there is a limit to the weight to be mounted due to a problem in strength, and there is a possibility that the function may be limited. In particular, in order to obtain an explosion-proof specification, it is necessary to select an explosion-proof specification device or to store the device in a strong explosion-proof storage case, and it is necessary to consider a weight several times to several tens of times that of a normal case. For this reason, there existed a subject that system configuration was difficult.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an intra-way movement inspection system and method that can be easily installed and can easily take explosion-proof measures.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an in-site movement inspection system for inspecting a conduit laid in a sinus and transporting a fluid, and a conduit installed for transporting a fluid into the sinus, and the conduit. Rail, a traveling vehicle that travels along the rail, a sensor that is provided on the traveling vehicle and collects data in the tunnel, a power supply that supplies power to a motor that travels the traveling vehicle, and the rail The apparatus includes a plurality of signal transmission apparatuses that are provided side by side and perform wireless communication with the sensor, and an operation control apparatus that is installed on the ground and that transmits and receives signals from the signal transmission apparatuses.

    Further, in order to achieve the above object, in the intra-cave movement inspection robot method of the present invention, in the intra-cave movement inspection method for inspecting a conduit laid in the cave and transporting the fluid, for transporting the fluid into the cave A conduit installation step for installing a conduit, a rail-attached step for providing a rail along the installed conduit, a vehicle travel step for traveling vehicle along the rail, and a sensor provided on the traveling vehicle A data collection step for collecting data in the cave, and a data transmission step for transmitting this data to an operation control device installed on the ground via a plurality of signal transmission devices provided on the rail. It is characterized by having.

  According to the intra-cave movement inspection system of the present invention, by providing a traveling vehicle that travels along a rail attached to a conduit for transporting fluid in the cave, the installation is simple and the explosion-proof measures can be easily obtained. Can be taken.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a movement inspection system for caves according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, the same or similar parts are denoted by common reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire intra-cave movement inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, for example, a conduit 2 for transporting a fluid is installed in the sinus 1, and two traveling rails 5 are installed in the lower part of the sinus 1. A traveling vehicle 10 travels along the rail 5. The traveling vehicle 10 is equipped with a sensor 20 and a rechargeable battery 40 for collecting data in the sinus 1. A motor 12 (see FIG. 2) for driving the traveling vehicle 10 is connected to the rechargeable battery 40 by wiring.

  A plurality of signal transmission devices 30 by wireless communication are installed in the upper part of the sinus 1. The signal transmission device 30 is composed of explosion-proof parts such as measures for airtightness. Even if the flammable fluid in the conduit 2 fills the cave 1 and the flammable fluid enters the explosion-proof signal transmission device 30, the combustion of the flammable fluid due to the electrical system of the signal transmission device 30 Can be prevented.

  On the other hand, a control room 70 is installed on the ground. The operation control device 50 in the control room 70 and the signal transmission device 30 in the tunnel 1 are connected by a cable 60. A signal from the signal transmission device 30 is transmitted to the sensor 20 of the traveling vehicle 10 by radio.

  In the present embodiment configured as described above, an operation command from the operation control device 50 is issued via the cable 60 and a plurality of explosion-proof signal transmission devices 30 installed in the tunnel 1. The operation command transmitted to the signal transmission device 30 is transmitted to the traveling vehicle 10. In accordance with this operation command, the traveling vehicle 10 moves on the rail 5 and collects data in the tunnel 1. The collected data is transmitted from the traveling vehicle 10 to the operation control device 50 via the signal transmission device 30 and the cable 60 in close proximity or in a good radio wave state, and displayed and recorded.

    According to the present embodiment, it is possible to collect data of an arbitrary place in the sinus 1 without approaching an operator, and it is possible to secure safety and save labor. Since the quantity laid in the tunnel 1 is divided into the rail and the signal transmission device (cable), it can be constructed easily and at low cost. For this reason, the sensors mounted on the traveling vehicle 10 can be added or replaced in various ways, and a flexible system can be constructed in response to future design changes.

  In addition, since this traveling vehicle 10 employs wireless communication by the sensor 20, a cable processing device is unnecessary and it is easy to arrange a plurality of vehicles on the rail 5. Furthermore, by configuring the traveling vehicle 10 with explosion-proof parts and making the signal transmission device 10 explosion-proof, the present invention can be applied even when the fluid in the conduit 2 is flammable.

  2 is a perspective view showing the basic configuration of the explosion-proof traveling vehicle of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a front view showing the configuration of the explosion-proof traveling vehicle of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is the explosion-proof specification of FIG. It is a side view which shows the structure of a traveling vehicle.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the traveling vehicle 10 includes explosion-proof parts and the like. Two axles 25 are rotatably supported on the lower part of the vehicle body 9 of the traveling vehicle 10 via bearings (not shown). Wheels 11 are attached to both ends of the axle 25. The rotation of the motor 12 attached to the vehicle body 9 is transmitted to the wheels 11 via the drive system 13.

  A pulley 13 b is attached to the inside of the axle 25. The drive system 13 includes a pulley 13b, a motor 12, and a pulley 13a attached to the shaft of the motor 12, and a belt 13c that couples the pulley 13a and the pulley 13b. A traveling system 28 is formed by the drive system 13.

  A rechargeable battery 40 housed in an airtight explosion-proof case 40a is detachably installed on the vehicle body 9. Further, the vehicle body 9 is provided with a power supply device 15 including an inverter and a DC-DC converter housed in an explosion-proof case 15a. Further, a control / wireless transmission device 16 including a control computer, a motor amplifier, and a wireless signal transmission device housed in the explosion-proof case 16a is provided. An antenna 18 is attached to the upper part of the vehicle body 9. In addition, an explosion-proof sensor amplifier 17, an explosion-proof television camera 20 a, a sensor 20 such as a gas sensor, and a cable 35 connecting them are configured.

  Electricity from the rechargeable battery 40 is supplied to the power supply device 15. In the power supply device 15, it is converted into an alternating current or a direct current voltage as necessary, and supplied to the control / wireless transmission device 16 and the sensor amplifier 17.

  In the present embodiment, when inspection inspection becomes necessary, when the rechargeable battery 40 is stored in another place, the rechargeable battery 40 is moved and attached. When the rechargeable battery 40 is already attached, the traveling vehicle 10 is turned on by remote control from the operation control device 50. Next, a predetermined program or an operator instruction is transmitted to the control / radio transmission device 16 of the traveling vehicle 10 via the signal transmission device 30. The traveling vehicle 10 is caused to travel while controlling the traveling system 28 based on the instruction of the operator. At the same time, the signal from the sensor 20 is transmitted to the signal transmission device 30 via the sensor amplifier 17 or directly from the control / radio transmission device 16 via the antenna 18. Thus, the signal from the sensor 20 is sent to the operation control device 50 via the cable 60 and displayed as data.

  According to the present embodiment, since the intra-cave movement inspection system can remotely inspect and inspect the cave, it is possible to grasp the safety state and the environmental state in the cave 1 even if an operator does not enter the cave. can do. Furthermore, since the inspection vehicle 10 itself has an electrically explosion-proof structure, even if flammable gas is present in the cave, the inspection vehicle can be safely inspected and monitored.

  The material of the wheel 11 is plastic, rubber, or copper beryllium alloy. When the traveling vehicle 10 travels on the rail 5, in the case of a normal cast iron wheel, sparks may occur due to sliding or impact of the wheel 11 and the rail 5 at the time of braking or at the joint portion of the rail.

  By using plastic, rubber, or copper beryllium alloy, the generation of sparks is suppressed, and the traveling vehicle 10 that can travel safely even in an environment filled with flammable gas can be obtained.

  According to the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain a movement inspection system in a sinus that is electrically and mechanically explosion-proof.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the entire intra-cave movement inspection system including the non-contact charging structure according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a non-contact power feeding device 81 is added to the embodiment of FIG. 1, and the same or similar parts as in FIG. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a non-contact power supply device 81 is installed at a predetermined charging place 80 in the sinus 1. The non-contact power feeding device 81 and the operation control device 50 are connected by a cable 61. On the other hand, a non-contact type power receiving device 82 is installed on the side surface of the traveling vehicle 10.

  In the present embodiment, charging is performed as follows. After the traveling vehicle 10 is moved to the charging location 80 and positioned, the non-contact power feeding device 81 is operated by a command from the operation control device 50 and the rechargeable battery 40 is charged via the non-contact power receiving device 82 of the traveling vehicle 10. The state of charge of the rechargeable battery 40 is transmitted to the operation control device 50 via the signal transmission device 30. Based on the information from the signal transmission device 30, the operation of the non-contact power feeding device 81 is stopped.

  According to the present embodiment, it is possible to appropriately charge by remote operation, and battery replacement and manual charging work can be reduced. Further, if the standby location of the traveling vehicle 10 and the charging location 80 are matched, the rechargeable battery 40 of the traveling vehicle 10 can always maintain the charged state, and therefore the intra-way movement inspection system can be operated flexibly.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a video concept of obstacle detection of the explosion-proof traveling vehicle of FIG.

FIG. 6 shows an image from the ITV camera 101 (see also FIG. 7) mounted on the traveling vehicle 10. When there is no obstacle 90 on the normal rail 5, the two rails 5 look straight in a C shape toward the far point as shown in FIG. However, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the obstacle 90 is recognized on the rail 5, the straight line of the rail 5 is interrupted. At this time, the obstacle 90 on the rail 5 can be detected by processing the image in which the obstacle 90 exists and extracting the straight line of the rail 5.

  In addition, since the illumination conditions in the sinus 1 are almost constant, the conditions are advantageous for image processing. There is an advantage that it is not necessary to add a new sensor by using it as a camera for inspection and monitoring.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the traveling vehicle 10 to which the obstacle detection method using laser light is applied, and FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an image concept of obstacle detection by the laser light of the traveling vehicle 10 in FIG. (A) is a perspective view which shows the condition where an obstacle does not exist, (b) is a perspective view which shows the condition where an obstacle exists.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a laser oscillator 100 that emits two fan beams and an ITV camera 101 are mounted on a traveling vehicle 10. The shape of the surface of the rail 5 is analyzed by processing the laser beam image on the screen of the ITV camera 101. In this way, it is detected whether there is an abnormality that interferes with the rail 5 on which the traveling vehicle 10 travels. This detection signal is reported to the operation control device 50, and the traveling vehicle 10 is automatically stopped simultaneously.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the surface of the rail 5 is normally flat, so that the laser beam on the rail 5 is a straight line. However, as shown in (b), if there are irregularities on the rail 5, the laser beam is not a straight line because it represents a cut surface.

  According to the present embodiment, it is possible to detect an abnormality on the surface of the rail 5 by processing a laser light image on the screen of the ITV camera 101.

  FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the switch (closed state) of the explosion-proof case 41 for the rechargeable battery, and FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the switch (open state) of the explosion-proof case 41 for the rechargeable battery. is there.

  As shown in FIG. 9, a switch 42 is provided on the wiring 42 a in the rechargeable battery explosion-proof case 41. The switch 42 has an operation rod 44 attached thereto via a spring 43. The operation rod 44 passes through the explosion-proof case 41 and engages with the guide 45. A pin 46 is attached to the operation rod 44 in a right angle direction. When the operating rod 44 is lifted from the pulling guide 45 and the pin 46 is removed, the operating rod 44 becomes rotatable. An O-ring 49 is provided between the operation rod 44 and the explosion-proof case 41 to maintain airtightness. This figure shows a state in which the switch 42 is turned on.

  FIG. 10 shows a state where the operating rod 44 is operated and the switch 42 is turned OFF before the explosion-proof connector 48 is detached from the rechargeable battery explosion-proof case 41.

  According to the present embodiment, the rechargeable battery 40 is disconnected before the explosion-proof connector 48 is detached from the rechargeable battery explosion-proof case 41, so that the rechargeable battery 40 is not exposed to the outside air, thereby further improving safety. Can do.

  FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the structure of the explosion-proof case 41 for the rechargeable battery with wheels, and FIG. 12 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the platform of the explosion-proof case 41 for the rechargeable battery with wheels.

  As shown in FIG. 11, four wheels 110 are installed at the bottom of the rechargeable battery explosion-proof case 41. The explosion-proof case 41 is provided with a fixing portion 111 to the traveling vehicle 10. In addition, a handle 112 for movement is attached.

  As shown in FIG. 11, a platform 115 with a slope is provided at the place where the rechargeable battery 40 is replaced in order to adjust it to the same plane as the place where the rechargeable battery explosion-proof case 41 of the traveling vehicle 10 is attached.

  According to the present embodiment, it is possible to easily replace the rechargeable battery 40 that is a heavy object of the traveling vehicle 10.

  Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and is changed to a structure in which one rail 5 on which the traveling vehicle 10 travels is installed in the upper part of the tunnel 1 or the like. Various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The perspective view which cuts and shows the whole movement inspection system in the sinus of the embodiment of this invention partially cut. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the basic configuration of the explosion-proof traveling vehicle of FIG. 1. The front view which shows the structure of the traveling vehicle of explosion-proof specification of FIG. The side view which shows the structure of the traveling vehicle of explosion-proof specification of FIG. The perspective view which partially cuts and shows the whole movement inspection system in a sinus including the non-contact charge structure of other embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the image | video concept of the obstacle detection by the camera of the traveling vehicle of FIG. 1, (a) is a perspective view which shows the condition where an obstacle does not exist, (b) is a perspective view which shows the condition where an obstacle exists. The perspective view which shows the traveling vehicle to which the obstacle detection method by a laser beam is applied. 7A and 7B are explanatory views showing an image concept of obstacle detection by laser light of the traveling vehicle of FIG. 7, wherein FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing a situation where no obstacle exists, and FIG. 7B is a perspective view showing a situation where an obstacle exists. . The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the switch (closed state) of the explosion-proof case for rechargeable batteries. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the switch (open state) of the explosion-proof case for rechargeable batteries. The perspective view which shows the structure of the explosion-proof case for rechargeable batteries with a wheel. The schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the platform of the explosion-proof case for rechargeable batteries with a wheel.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Cave, 2 ... Conduit, 5 ... Rail, 10 ... Traveling vehicle, 20 ... Sensor, 30 ... Signal transmission device, 40 ... Rechargeable battery, 50 ... Operation control device, 60 ... Cable, 70 ... Control room, 80 ... Charging place, 90 ... obstacle.

Claims (13)

In the intra-site movement inspection system for inspecting a conduit that is laid in the path and transports fluid,
A conduit installed to transport fluid into the sinus;
A rail attached to this conduit,
A traveling vehicle traveling along this rail;
A sensor provided on the traveling vehicle for collecting data in the cave;
A power supply device for supplying power to a motor that drives the traveling vehicle;
A plurality of signal transmission devices that are attached to the rail and perform wireless communication with the sensor;
An operation control device installed on the ground for transmitting and receiving signals from the signal transmission device;
A movement inspection system in a cave characterized by comprising:   The in-cave movement inspection system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the power supply device and the signal transmission device is housed in an explosion-proof case and an explosion-proof measure is taken.   The intra-cave movement inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the wheels of the traveling vehicle are made of a material that does not generate a spark due to friction with the rail.   The in-cave movement inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the material that does not generate sparks is at least one of plastic, rubber, and copper beryllium.   The in-cave movement inspection system according to claim 1, further comprising a rechargeable battery that supplies power to the power supply device.   The explosion-proof connector provided between the cable connecting the explosion-proof case for the rechargeable battery and the explosion-proof case for the power supply device, and the switch provided in the middle of the wiring in the explosion-proof case for the rechargeable battery are operated from the outside of the explosion-proof case. The intra-cave movement inspection system according to claim 5, further comprising an operation rod that can be operated.   The intra-cave movement inspection system according to claim 6, wherein the operation rod includes a mechanical interlock that links the explosion-proof connector and the operation of the switch.   The in-cave movement inspection system according to claim 6, further comprising a platform with a slope that can easily move the explosion-proof case for the rechargeable battery at the rechargeable battery replacement place.   The said power supply device is equipped with the non-contact electric power feeder installed in the predetermined charging place in the said cave, and the non-contact electric power receiving apparatus installed in the said traveling vehicle, The 1 thru | or characterized by the above-mentioned. The intra-cave movement inspection system according to any one of 8.   The intra-cave movement inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the sensor is at least one of a television camera, a temperature sensor, an oxygen concentration meter, and a gas concentration meter.   Means for image-processing the video of the TV camera, detecting an abnormality that hinders traveling on the rail and transmitting an abnormality signal to the operation control device; means for stopping the traveling vehicle by the abnormality signal; The intra-cave movement inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising:   The traveling vehicle includes a laser oscillator that emits a fan-shaped beam and a television camera, and includes means for analyzing the shape of the rail surface and detecting an abnormality by processing a laser light image on the image of the television camera. The intra-cave movement inspection system according to claim 1, wherein: In the inspection method for movement in a cave that inspects a conduit that is laid in a cave and transports fluid,
A conduit installation step for installing a conduit for transporting fluid in the sinus;
A rail-equipped step that installs a rail along the installed conduit,
A vehicle travel step in which the traveling vehicle travels along the rail;
A data collection step of collecting data in the sinus by a sensor provided in the traveling vehicle;
A data transmission step of transmitting this data to an operation control device installed on the ground via a plurality of signal transmission devices provided alongside the rail;
A method for checking movement in a cave characterized by comprising:

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