JP2019048488A - Mobile system in pipe and program to detect mobile body in stuck state - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a system which has a mobile body moving in a pipe in a relatively simple constitution and a method which automatically detects a situation where a mobile body becomes immobile in a pipe or detects occurrence of the body falling in stuck state, and controls movement of the mobile body to dissolve the stuck state.SOLUTION: A mobile system in a pipe 10 comprises a stuck state detecting means 44 which, when a part of a mobile body 11 touches an inner surface of a gas pipe P, depending on a friction noise state of the touching, detects occurrence of a stuck state where the mobile body 11 becomes immobile in the pipe P, being caused by the touching and a drive command instructing means 45 which, when the stuck state occurs, instructs an air supplying or exhausting unit 12 to carry out a drive command to make the mobile body 11 dissolve the stuck state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-pipe movement system for moving a self-propelled mobile body in a tubular body, and a stack detection program for automatically detecting a stack where the mobile body becomes immobile, more specifically, a mobile body The present invention relates to an intra-pipe moving system and a program for detecting stacks of moving bodies, which contribute to the elimination of the stack when the stack is generated when passing through a bend or the like of a tubular body.

  In recent years, in Japan, the importance of anti-aging measures for social infrastructure is increasing, and it is possible to prevent accidents by early detection and early response to abnormalities, and to take some measures before the stage where large-scale repair is required. It is required to establish a preventive maintenance method to In order to do so, it is necessary to inspect the social infrastructure, but most of the lifeline is buried under the road, and it is not practical to use the road for excavating and digging only for the purpose of checking the inside of the piping. Among them, in the gas infrastructure, gas pipes buried in the ground during the period of high economic growth are aged and become aging pipes, and development of inspection technology is particularly required.

  Therefore, for inspection of gas infrastructure, an inspection device capable of detecting the state inside the gas pipe is required without performing stoppage of gas supply and road excavation, and as an inspection device for piping, for example, Patent Document 1 In -3, what utilizes the self-propelled movable body which can be self-propelled in piping is disclosed.

  The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a self-propelled piping inspection apparatus comprising a mobile vehicle that moves in the piping by remote control and photographs the surrounding condition with a camera.

  Further, Patent Document 2 discloses an in-pipe self-propelled inspection apparatus which inspects the inside of a pipe by running a pneumatically driven self-propelled unit in which an imaging element for in-pipe inspection is attached at the tip end side. The self-propelled unit here includes a front and rear structure including balloons provided in the front and back of the traveling direction, and a rubber tube which connects these structures and can extend and contract in the direction in which the respective structures are separated and approached. . Air is supplied to and discharged from the balloon and the rubber tube at different timings, thereby locking the inner wall of the pipe by the expansion of each balloon in the radial direction of the pipe, releasing the lock by the same contraction, and the pipe By repeatedly performing the expansion and contraction of the rubber tube in the inner axial direction at different timings, the self-propelled unit moves in the pipe like wormworms.

  Furthermore, in Patent Document 3, a camera for inspection, etc. is mounted, and by providing driving force to a plurality of vehicles connected with each other by cables, a moving system in a pipe in which the respective vehicles run continuously in the piping. Is disclosed. In this system, each vehicle travels in the piping by driving the wheels while making the wheels respectively provided on the upper and lower sides of each vehicle contact the inner wall surface of the piping. In addition, this system is such that when each vehicle passes through a curved portion of the pipe, the cable is caught on the inner wall of the curved portion and an abnormal condition that the vehicle can not run occurs, the front and rear of the cable caught on the inner wall By changing the traveling speed of the vehicle, the abnormal state is automatically eliminated. This abnormal state is detected based on the measurement results of various sensors attached to each vehicle, and specifically, it is provided in the change of the measurement value of the tension sensor that measures the tension of the cable or the motor that drives the wheels. It is detected by the change of the measurement value of the encoder which measures the number of rotations of the motor.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-147506 Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 5-126752 JP, 2015-123908, A

  However, in each of the apparatuses of Patent Documents 1 and 2, there is a limit in advancing the inside of the gas pipe having many bent portions toward the back, and a car or a self-propelled unit is inserted. In some cases, the inspection at the part away from the gas inlet on the ground side becomes impossible. That is, the main pipe which is buried in the ground under the road, the supply pipe which branches from the main pipe and extends to the site of the user, the inner pipe from the supply pipe to the gas meter, etc. There is a kind of. Here, the main branch pipe is provided with an inner diameter of about 53 mm, and has a four-curved shape that bends vertically and horizontally in order to avoid a water pipe and a hard hole coexisting in the ground. On the other hand, the supply pipe and the lamp outer inner pipe are provided with an inner diameter of about 28 mm and have a shape of eight or more bends. When the apparatus of Patent Document 1 is applied to a gas pipe having a relatively small diameter and a complicated curved portion as described above, a mechanism that easily makes it impossible to advance at a complicated curved portion due to its structure, and enables the advancement. If mounted, the entire device becomes larger and can not fit in the gas pipe. Further, in the apparatus of Patent Document 2, when passing through the curved portion of the gas pipe, the expansion tube connecting the front and rear structures may be caught on the inner wall of the gas pipe, and there is a fear that the inside of the gas pipe can not move There is.

  On the other hand, in the system of Patent Document 3, when an abnormal state occurs in which the cable connecting each vehicle is caught on the inner wall of the gas pipe and travel is inhibited, the operation to eliminate the abnormal state is performed. In order to detect an abnormal state, a sensor such as a tension sensor or an encoder must be attached to each vehicle, and as in the case of the structure of Patent Document 1, an increase in the size of the entire device is caused. May not fit in the gas pipe of the Moreover, in this system, the wheels on both the upper and lower sides of the vehicle need to be in constant contact with the inner wall surface of the pipe, and it can not be applied to piping where the inner diameter of the pipe changes in the middle like gas pipes. Therefore, temporarily making it possible to apply to such piping also requires a mechanism or the like for changing the position of the wheel with respect to the vehicle, which leads to a further increase in the size and complexity of the entire device. The introduction into a small diameter gas pipe becomes more difficult. Further, in the structure in which the movable body is caused to travel by the electric drive as in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 3, since a case where an electrical leakage occurs in the movable body is assumed, sufficient safety measures are taken. Unless it is, inspection use in the state where gas exists in a gas pipe is difficult.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and its object is to make a moving body moving in a tubular body a relatively simple configuration, and a stack in which the moving body can not move in the tubular body. The present invention is to provide an in-pipe movement system and a program for detecting a stack of a moving body for automatically detecting the occurrence of the moving body and performing operation control of the moving body to eliminate the stack.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention mainly relates to a movable body of a structure movable within the pipe while being in contact with the inner wall of a predetermined tubular body, a drive device for driving the movable body, and the drive device. In the in-pipe movement system including an operation control device that controls an operation of the movable body by a drive command, the operation control device determines the contact according to a state of friction noise when a part of the movable body contacts the inner wall. Stack detection means for detecting the occurrence of a stack in which the movable body can not move in the pipe due to the cause; and the driving device to cause the movable body to release the stack when the stack is generated. And a drive command means for performing a drive command.

  Further, according to the present invention, a computer that performs operation control of a movable body having a structure movable in the pipe while contacting the inner wall of a predetermined tubular body, the movable body can not move in the pipe due to the contact. A program for detecting a stack of a mobile unit which functions as a means for detecting the occurrence of a stack, storing time data on an operation phase of contacting the inner wall when the mobile unit is moved, storing sound from sound information generated in the pipe Sound pressure data indicating pressure change with time is acquired, and based on the time data and the sound pressure data, generation of a stack sound caused by the stack in the friction sound when a part of the moving body contacts the inner wall The presence or absence of the stack is detected, and the presence or absence and the type of occurrence of the stack are specified from the detection result.

  In the claims and the present specification, the term “front”, which indicates the position or direction, unless otherwise specified, means “front” in the traveling direction of the moving body toward the back of the tubular body. "Means" and "after" means "after" in the same traveling direction.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to detect the occurrence of the stack that is the movement obstacle of the moving body by the state of the frictional noise when a part of the moving body contacts the inner wall of the tubular body. The sound information can be acquired from the introduction port on the ground side into which the mobile unit is introduced, and the device need not necessarily be provided to the mobile unit. For this reason, it is possible to automatically detect the occurrence of the stack with a relatively simple configuration, and to perform the operation control of the moving body for eliminating the stack.

  In addition, by making the movable body pneumatically driven, it is possible to cope with the case where the inner diameter changes in the course of the tubular body like the gas pipe by adjusting the air pressure in each balloon, and the number of parts is simple and simple With this structure, it is possible to move the movable body in a small diameter tubular body having various shapes. In addition, if a pneumatically driven moving body is used, electricity is not used for the driving, which is suitable for introduction into a gas pipe in which gas is present.

It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating the structure of the in-pipe movement system which concerns on this embodiment. (A) is a schematic side view of the mobile unit in the straight posture, and (B) is a schematic side view of the mobile unit in the bending posture. (A)-(F) is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating each operation phase of the basic propulsion drive of a mobile body. It is a block diagram showing the concrete composition of an air supply and discharge unit and an operation control device. (A) is a conceptual diagram for explaining the state of the front end side stack, (B) is a conceptual diagram for explaining the state of the front side stack, (C) is a state of the rear side stack It is a conceptual diagram for explaining. (A) is a conceptual diagram for explaining the movement of the movable body in the normal traveling mode in the straight posture, and (B) is for illustrating the movement of the movable body in the normal traveling mode in the bending posture. (C) is a conceptual diagram for explaining the movement of the movable body in the front end side stack cancellation mode, and (D) is a conceptual view for explaining the movement of the movable body in the front stack cancellation mode. FIG. 6E is a conceptual diagram for explaining the movement of the mobile unit in the rear stack cancellation mode. It is a flowchart showing the process sequence in an operation control apparatus. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating the structural example of the gas pipe which a moving body moves. FIG. 9 is a state transition diagram when the movable body moves in the gas pipe of FIG. 8;

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The conceptual diagram for demonstrating the structure of the in-pipe movement system which concerns on FIG. 1 at this embodiment is shown. In these figures, the in-pipe movement system 10 is a driving device for driving the moving body 11 and a pneumatically driven moving body 11 provided so as to be able to self-propelled in the gas pipe P as a tubular body by driving by pneumatic pressure. The air supplying and discharging unit 12 functions to supply and discharge compressed air to the moving body 11, and the operation control device 13 controls the operation of the moving body 11 by a drive command to the air supplying and discharging unit 12. There is.

  The in-pipe movement system 10 according to the present embodiment collects information in the gas pipe P while the movable body 11 travels in the gas pipe P embedded underground, and generates an abnormality in the gas pipe P, etc. Is used for the inspection system in the piping to confirm the situation of the above from the ground side.

  The movable body 11 has a structure capable of moving like a worm in the gas pipe P while being in contact with the inner wall of the gas pipe P, and specifically, the gas is supplied by the air pressure supplied from the air supply and discharge unit 12 A propulsion movable unit 15 operates so as to be capable of generating a propulsion force for traveling the inside of the pipe P, and a tip portion 16 which is bendably connected at one end side of the propulsion movable unit 15.

  The propelled movable portion 15 is constituted by an elastically deformable telescopic hose 18 and a pair of balloons 20 and 21 attached to both end sides of the telescopic hose 18 in the extension direction, and the movable body 11 is an extension of the telescopic hose 18 The inside of the gas pipe P is moved so that the outlet direction is along the extension direction of the gas pipe P. In the following description, of the balloons 20 and 21, the one existing on the front side of the expansion hose 18 is referred to as the front balloon 20, and the one existing on the rear side is referred to as the rear balloon 21.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the elastic hose 18 is disposed in an elastic covering cover 23 having a hollow part and in the hollow part of the elastic covering cover 23 to form an internal space connected to the air supply / discharge unit 12. And a bag-like elastic tube 24. The expandable hose 18 uses the air supply and discharge unit 12 as a drive source, and can expand and contract within a predetermined range that is deformation in the extension direction, that is, in the axial direction, but can not expand radially. .

  The elastic cover 23 is formed of a material having elasticity capable of bending deformation and expansion and contraction in the axial direction, and has a bellows-like outer shape that exerts resistance in the twisting direction, and elastic in the radial direction. It has a structure in which deformation is regulated.

  The elastic tube 24 is formed of an elastic body such as rubber, and can expand and contract by the internal air being pressurized or depressurized at a predetermined timing by the air supply / discharge unit 12. There is. As a result, when the elastic tube 24 expands, the elastic cover 23 surrounding the outer side is deformed so as to extend in the axial direction, and the stretchable hose 18 is extended entirely from the predetermined reference length. Then, when the elastic tube 24 contracts from the extended state, the elastic cover 23 is deformed so as to be compressed in the axial direction by its elasticity, and the stretchable hose 18 is entirely contracted to return to the state of the reference length. Further, when the pressure in the elastic tube 24 is maintained by the drive control of the air supply / discharge unit 12, the length of the telescopic hose 18 at that time is maintained.

  Each of the balloons 20 and 21 is formed into a bag shape by an elastic body such as rubber or a flexible material such as vinyl, and the internal air is pressurized or decompressed at a predetermined timing by the air supply / discharge unit 12. , Expansion and contraction can be done. Air is supplied to and discharged from the balloons 20 and 21 at mutually different timings, as described later. The distal end portion 16 is disposed in front of the front balloon 20.

  In the propulsion movable unit 15 having the above configuration, the operation with the six operation phases of the movable body 11 shown in FIG. 3 as one cycle is repeatedly performed in order. The moving body 11 can be advanced toward the back of the gas pipe P. In the following description, the drive of the movable body 11 by the operation of the propulsion movable unit 15 at the time of forward movement is referred to as “basic propulsion drive”.

  First, in the first phase of FIG. 3 (A), the left rear balloon 21 in the figure is pressurized and expanded, and is pressed against the inner wall of the gas pipe P to be locked to the inner wall It has become. On the other hand, the front balloon 20 on the right side in the same drawing is decompressed and is in the most contracted state, and is not in contact with the inner wall of the gas pipe P and in the non-locked state. Furthermore, the expansion hose 18 is decompressed and is in the state of the reference length which is the shortest.

  From this state, in the second phase of FIG. 7B, the extension hose 18 of the reference length is pressurized and deformed in the axial direction. At this time, the internal pressure of the rear balloon 21 is maintained and the locked state is maintained, while the front balloon 20 is maintained in the non-locked state, the telescopic hose 18 is moved forward. It extends towards.

  Next, in the third phase of FIG. 6C, the front balloon 20 is pressurized to change to the above-mentioned locked state to the inner wall. At this time, the telescopic hose 18 and the rear balloon 21 are maintained in the same state as the second phase.

  Further, in the fourth phase of FIG. 6D, the rear balloon 21 is depressurized and contracted to be in the non-locked state where the locking on the inner wall is released. At this time, the telescopic hose 18 and the front balloon 20 are maintained in the same state as the third phase.

  And in the 5th phase of the figure (E), when the expansion-contraction hose 18 is pressure-reduced and shrink | contracted, it resets to the state of the original reference length by the elasticity. At this time, since the front balloon 20 is maintained in the locked state, and the rear balloon 21 is maintained in the non-locked state, the telescopic hose 18 is contracted forward. .

From this state, in the sixth phase of FIG. 6F, the front balloon 20 is decompressed again to be in the non-engaged state as shown by the solid line in the same figure, and then the state of the expansion hose 18 Is maintained, the process returns to the first phase in which the rear balloon 21 is pressurized, and these phases are repeated. The operation of the sixth phase here is applied when moving the movable body 11 in the gas pipe P extending in the horizontal direction (hereinafter, simply referred to as “moving in the horizontal pipe”).
On the other hand, the operation of the sixth phase at the time of movement of the movable body 11 in the gas pipe P extending in the vertical direction (hereinafter simply referred to as “when moving in the vertical pipe”) is performed in the gas pipe P by gravity. In order to prevent the mobile body 11 from falling, it is set to be different from the time of movement in the horizontal pipe. That is, at the time of movement in the vertical pipe, the rear balloon 21 is pressurized, and the front balloon 20 and the rear balloon 21 are brought into the locked state as shown by the broken lines in the figure. Then, while the state of the expansion hose 18 is maintained, the front balloon 20 returns to the first phase in which the pressure is reduced, and these respective phases are repeated.

  In addition, if the above-mentioned each operation phase is performed in reverse order, the mobile body 11 will move in the opposite direction to the above-mentioned inside of the gas pipe P, and the backward movement of the mobile body 11 becomes possible.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the front end portion 16 has a rocket-like main body 27 whose front end side is narrowed, a camera 28 provided on the front end side of the main body 27, and a light emitting forward. It is comprised by 29 and three pneumatic cylinders 30 which function as a movable joint which connects the main body 27 and the front end side of the propulsion movable part 15.

  The camera 28 is disposed so as to be able to capture the space in the gas pipe P in front of the moving body 11 illuminated by the light 29. The image information acquired from the camera 28 is transmitted to the ground side through the cable 32 connected to the mobile body 11, and can be monitored on the ground for the purpose of checking the state in the gas pipe P, etc. Thus, it is also used for the operation control of the moving body 11 in the operation control device 13. The camera 28 is not particularly limited as long as it is an apparatus capable of photographing the space.

  The movable portions of the pneumatic cylinders 30 are rotatably mounted at three positions at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the main body 27. The pneumatic cylinders 30 are supplied and discharged independently of each other by the air supply and discharge unit 12 and can be advanced and retracted in the axial direction of the expandable hose 18. As shown in FIG. 2A, in the initial state in which the pneumatic cylinder 30 is completely retracted, the pneumatic cylinder 30 is maintained in a linear posture in which the main body 27 is axially aligned with the propulsion movable portion 15, When the driving state of the pneumatic cylinder 30 changes, as shown in FIG. 2B, the main body 27 bends in the opposite direction of the pneumatic cylinder 30 with a large amount of extension. Here, the bending angle of the main body 27 with respect to the propulsion movable part 15 can be varied by adjusting the amount of extension of the pneumatic cylinder 30. Thus, the tip end portion 16 can be bent in any direction forward of the movable body 11 and in a linear posture aligned axially in the axial direction with respect to the propulsion movable portion 15 by driving the pneumatic cylinder 30 by the air supply / discharge unit 12 It is possible to displace between different bending postures.

  In the above, the balloons 20 and 21, the expansion hose 18 and the pneumatic cylinders 30 respectively function as pneumatic actuators 34 (see FIG. 4) for causing the moving body 11 to perform a desired operation, and in the following description, As appropriate, the balloons 20 and 21, the expansion hose 18 and the pneumatic cylinders 30 are collectively referred to as a pneumatic actuator 34.

  The air supply / discharge unit 12 is disposed on the ground side as shown in FIG. 1 and is connected to each pneumatic actuator 34 via a tube 36. As shown in FIG. 4, the air supply / discharge unit 12 supplies air from the pump unit 38 to the respective pneumatic actuators 34 based on a command from the operation unit 13 and a pump unit 38 for supplying / discharging air. It is comprised by the solenoid valve 39 which switches an exhaust state.

  Although the pump unit 38 does not show the detailed structure, a pressure pump for pressurizing air of each pneumatic actuator 34, a vacuum pump for decompressing air of each pneumatic actuator 34, and tanks connected to these pumps , And a pressure control valve etc.

  The solenoid valve 39 is switchable between a position where the pressure pump and the desired pneumatic actuator 34 communicate with each other, and a position where the vacuum pump and the desired pneumatic actuator 34 communicate with each other. The communication state between each pneumatic actuator 34 and the pump unit 38 is independently controlled based on the command.

  The operation control device 13 introduces image information acquired by the camera 28 for capturing the inner space of the movable body 11 and an introduction port D for introducing the movable body 11 into the gas pipe P from the ground side (see FIG. 1) The operation control of the movable body 11 advancing in the gas pipe P is performed using sound information acquired by a microphone 41 which is installed in the vicinity and collects generated sound in the gas pipe P. In addition, as long as the microphone 41 can collect the generated sound in the gas pipe P, various types of microphones can be adopted.

  The operation control device 13 is disposed on the ground side and is configured by a computer including an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU and a storage device such as a memory and a hard disk, and a program for causing the computer to function as the following means. Is installed.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the operation control device 13 is based on an image processing unit 43 that processes image data acquired by the camera 28, sound information from the microphone 41, and an image processing result of the image processing unit 43. Stack detection means 44 for detecting the occurrence of a stack in which the moving body 11 can not move in the gas pipe P due to the contact due to the state of frictional noise when a part of the moving body 11 contacts the inner wall of the gas pipe P And a drive command means 45 for giving a drive command to each pneumatic actuator 34 through the operation control of the air supply / discharge unit 12 based on the processing results of the image processing means 43 and the stack detection means 44.

  The image processing means 43 determines whether the front end of the movable body 11 is approaching the inner wall of the gas pipe P, based on the determination result of the inner wall approach determination unit 47 and the inner wall approach determination unit 47. And a traveling direction specifying unit 48 for specifying the traveling direction in the forward space of 11. The following processing is performed using a known image processing technique.

  The inner wall approach determination unit 47 first determines whether the brightness of the entire image in the forward space in the gas pipe P acquired by the camera 28 exceeds a preset threshold. At this time, when the brightness is equal to or less than the threshold value, the amount of light emitted from the light 29 (see FIG. 2) emitted toward the front space is less reflected by the inner wall of the gas pipe P, and the entire image is dark. As a result, it is determined that the distal end side of the movable body 11 is not approaching the inner wall and is not in the approaching state. On the other hand, when the luminance exceeds the threshold value, most of the irradiation light of the light 29 is reflected by the presence of the inner wall, and the entire image becomes bright. It is determined that

  In the traveling direction identification unit 48, when the inner wall approach determination unit 47 determines that the mobile body 11 is not in the approaching state, it is determined that the traveling direction of the movable body 11 is the straight direction. On the other hand, when the inner wall approach determination unit 47 determines the approach state, the luminance distribution of each part of the acquired image is obtained, and the darkest part in the acquired image is recognized as a space where the inner wall does not exist ahead. The dark part of the acquired image is determined to be the traveling direction of the mobile object 11.

  The stack detection means 44 performs the following based on the approach situation to the inner wall of the tip end portion 16 of the moving body 11 determined by the inner wall approach determination unit 47 and the state of the sound pressure with respect to the time of the sound information acquired from the microphone 41. The presence or absence of occurrence of various stacks of is detected.

  As the stack, as schematically shown in FIG. 5, there are the following three types according to the cause, and as will be described later, in order to eliminate the stack, the autonomy of the mobile object 11 according to each of these types It needs an action.

  As the first type, as shown in FIG. 5 (A), the moving body 11 contacts the inside of the gas pipe P by the tip portion 16 of the moving body 11 coming into contact with the inner wall without bending the bent pipe portion. There is a tip stack that can not be advanced.

  As the second type, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the movable body 11 passes through the curved pipe portion, the front side portion of the expansion hose 18 abuts on the inner wall and is hooked. There is a front stack 11 in which 11 can not advance in the gas pipe P.

  As the third type, as shown in FIG. 6C, when the movable body 11 passes through the curved pipe portion, the rear side portion of the expansion hose 18 abuts on the inner wall and is hooked. There is a rear stack 11 where 11 can not advance in the gas pipe P.

  By the way, the inventors of the present invention have shown in FIG. 3 by the state of abnormal noise generated in the gas pipe P and the generation timing thereof when the movable body 11 is advancing in the gas pipe P according to test research. It has been found that it is possible to identify which type of stack is generated during basic propulsion driving of the mobile unit 11 in the operation phase.

  Specifically, when the movable body 11 advances in the gas pipe P while sequentially repeating the above-mentioned operation phases, the front end side stack of FIG. 5 (A) and the front side stack of the same (B) are generated. In this case, in the process of transitioning from the third phase in FIG. 3C to the fourth phase in FIG. Occurs.

  That is, in this case, in the process in which the extension hose 18 extends in the second phase of FIG. 3B, the movement of the frontward portion is restrained, and the third phase is reached. At this point, the stretch hose 18 is in a non-stretched state where it is not stretched to a normal length. From this state, when shifting to the fourth phase, the front balloon 20 is still locked to the inner wall, and the internal pressure of the expansion hose 18 is maintained, so the rear balloon 21 gradually becomes When the pressure on the inner wall is gradually released, the rear balloon 21 is pulled backward while being in contact with the inner wall so that the expansion hose 18 is in a completely extended state. Therefore, in the time period between the third and fourth phases, that is, the time from when the rear balloon 21 starts depressurization until the contraction is completed, when the friction noise continues to some extent, the distal stack or the front side It is considered that a stack has occurred.

  Also, when moving body 11 moves forward in the gas pipe P while repeating the respective operation phases in the case where the rear side stack of FIG. 5 (C) described above occurs, when moving in the horizontal pipe, In the process of transitioning from the fifth phase of FIG. 3E to the sixth phase of FIG. 3F, frictional noise is generated from the front balloon 20 as if it were dragged to the inner wall of the gas pipe P. On the other hand, when the rear side stack is generated when moving in the vertical pipe, the process from the front balloon 20 in the process of transitioning from the sixth phase of (F) to the first phase of (A) in the figure. Friction noise is generated.

That is, when the rear side stack occurs, in the process of contraction of the extension hose 18 in the fifth phase, the movement of the subsequent part is restrained, and the time when the fifth phase is reached Thus, the expansion hose 18 is in an incompletely contracted state not shortened to the shortest reference length. From that state, when moving to the sixth phase, since the expansion hose 18 is in a pressure-reduced state, the pressure in the front balloon 21 is gradually reduced during movement in the horizontal pipe, and the engagement state with the inner wall is gradually When it is released, the front balloon 20 is pulled backward while in contact with the inner wall so that the expansion hose 18 is in a completely contracted state. Therefore, it is considered that the rear side stack is generated when the frictional noise continues to some extent in the sixth phase time period from the start of the decompression of the front balloon 20 to the completion of the contraction.
Similarly, when moving within the vertical pipe, if a frictional noise is generated during the first phase, which is the time from when the front balloon 20 starts depressurizing to when the contraction is completed, It is considered that the rear side stack has occurred.

  From the above, when the frictional noise continued to some extent is generated only from the front balloon 20, the rear side stack is generated, and when the frictional noise continued to some extent is generated only from the rear balloon 21, the front end side stack or the front side It will be stuck.

  The stack detection means 44 adopts a configuration capable of automatically detecting the stack based on the above phenomenon, and from the time data storage unit 54 in which data is stored for a predetermined time, and the sound information acquired by the microphone 41 Sound pressure data acquisition unit 55 for acquiring sound pressure data indicating temporal change of sound pressure, and a stack sound for detecting the presence or absence of generation of a stack sound among the friction sounds based on the time data and the sound pressure data It comprises a detection unit 56 and a stack information acquisition unit 57 that uses the detection result of the stack sound detection unit 56 to specify the presence / absence of stack occurrence and the type.

  The time data storage unit 54 sets the start time of the first phase (FIG. 3A) in one cycle as the start time for the phase in which the balloons 20 and 21 contract during the basic propulsion drive. The time data of is stored in advance.

That is, in the time data storage unit 54, as time data, a pressure reduction start time t _{rs at} which the rear balloon 21 starts to reduce pressure, and a time until the rear balloon 21 completely contracts from the pressure reduction start time t _rs (hereinafter, The “rear balloon contraction time t _rd ”, the decompression start time t _{fs at} which the front balloon 20 starts decompression, and the time until the front balloon 20 completely contracts from the decompression start time t _fs , “Front balloon contraction time t _fd ”, a threshold time for detecting the stuck sound of the rear balloon 21 (hereinafter referred to as “rear balloon time threshold t _rth ”), and a stack sound of the front balloon 20 A threshold for detection time (hereinafter, referred to as “front balloon time threshold t _fth ”) is stored.
The start time of the fourth phase (FIG. 3D) is stored as the decompression start time t _rs of the rear balloon 21, and the rear balloon contraction time t _rd is the fourth from the start time of the fourth phase. The time until the start time of the fifth phase ((E) in the figure) is stored.
In addition, as the decompression start time t _fs in the front balloon 20, the start time of the sixth phase (the same figure (F)) used when moving in the horizontal pipe, and the first phase used when moving in the vertical pipe Two types with the start time of the figure (A) are stored. Also, as the front balloon contraction time t _fd , the time from the start time of the sixth phase when moving in the horizontal pipe to the start time of the first phase in which the front balloon 20 completely contracts, and in the vertical pipe The time from the start time of the first phase at the time of movement to the start time of the second phase (the same figure (B)) in which the front balloon 20 completely contracts is stored.

Here, although not particularly limited, the front balloon time threshold t _fth is obtained in advance by multiplying the front balloon contraction time t _fd by a predetermined coefficient K _t1 (0 <K _t1 <1), and the rear The balloon time threshold value t _rth is obtained in advance by multiplying the rear balloon contraction time t _rd by a predetermined coefficient K _t2 (0 <K _t2 <1). The coefficients K _t1 and K _t2 may be the same value or different values.

  In the present embodiment, the time data is stored in advance, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the decompression time of each balloon 20, 21 is sequentially changed every cycle or the like in the basic propulsion drive. In the case of control, it is also possible to provide a timing unit that counts the time data for each cycle based on the operating condition of the air supply and discharge unit 12.

  In the sound pressure data acquisition unit 55, when the above-described basic propulsion drive in which each operation phase in FIGS. 3A to 3F is one cycle is being performed, the same diagram (A in FIG. The sound pressure data over time is acquired, with the start time of the first phase of 1) as the start time.

  In the stack sound detection unit 56, as described above, when any stack is generated, friction noise is generated continuously in a certain time in any of the front and rear balloons 20 and 21. It is determined whether or not the generated frictional noise is generated. That is, here, in the sound pressure data in each time zone of the operation phase of the movable body 11 in which the stack can occur, the sound pressure exceeding the preset threshold is continuously generated for a predetermined time or more. It is determined that the stuck sound is occurring.

  Specifically, for the front balloon 20, it is determined whether or not the stuck sound is generated as follows.

That is, here, first, from the pressure reduction start time t _fs and the front balloon contraction time t _fd stored in the time data storage unit 54, a target until the front balloon 20 completely contracts from the locked state. Sound pressure data in the phase is extracted.

Then, with regard to the sound pressure data of the target phase, the sound pressure threshold P _th obtained by multiplying the maximum sound pressure P _max in one cycle by a predetermined coefficient K _p (0 <K _p <1) is obtained. It is determined whether the pressure P continuously exists. Specifically, the continuous time t _{f of the} sound pressure higher than the sound pressure threshold P _th is determined, and the continuous time t _f exceeds the front balloon time threshold t _fth stored in the time data storage unit 54. It is determined that the stack sound is generated in the front balloon 20. On the other hand, when the continuous time t _{f of the} sound pressure higher than the sound pressure threshold P _th is _{equal to} or less than the front balloon time threshold t _fth , it is determined that the front balloon 20 is not generating a stuck sound.

  As in the case of the front balloon 20, the occurrence of stuck sound is also detected for the rear balloon 21.

That is, here, from the aforementioned decompression start time t _rs and rear balloon contraction time t _rd stored in the time data storage unit 54, the sound in the target phase until the rear balloon 21 completely contracts from the locked state is described. pressure data is extracted, for the sound pressure data, continuous time t _r of the sound pressure threshold value P is higher than _th sound pressure is obtained. Then, the continuous time t _r is exceed the rear balloon time threshold t _rth, it is determined that the stack sound is generated in the rear balloon 21. On the other hand, the sound pressure threshold P continuous time t _r of the high sound pressure than _th is equal to or smaller than the rear balloon time threshold t _rth, the rear balloon 21 is determined to stack sound is not generated.

  The stack information acquisition unit 57 identifies the presence / absence and type of occurrence of stack in the following manner.

If the stack sound detector 56 detects that the stack sound is generated only in the front balloon 20, it is determined that the rear side stack is generated.
On the other hand, when the stack sound detection unit 56 detects that the stack sound is generated only in the rear balloon 21, either the front end side stack or the front side stack is generated. Therefore, in this case, it is determined by the processing of the inner wall approach determination unit 47 of the image processing means 43 whether the tip portion 16 is in the approach state or the non-approach state with respect to the inner wall. Then, in the approaching state, it is determined that the tip side stack is generated, and when it is determined that the approaching state is not performed, it is determined that the front side stack is generated.
In the case other than these, it is specified that no stack is generated.

  The drive command means 45 issues a drive command to each pneumatic actuator 34 according to the next case at the time of movement of the movable body 11 as follows in each cycle of the basic propulsion drive. In particular, when it is determined by the stack information acquisition unit 57 that a stack has occurred, the mobile unit 11 is made to perform an operation for clearing the stack.

  As a first case, when the stack detection means 44 specifies that no stack is generated, the expansion and contraction of the propulsion movable unit 15 is performed so that the operation control in the normal traveling mode in which the basic propulsion drive is repeated is performed. Adjustment of the air pressure to the hose 18 and each balloon 20 and 21 is performed. In the normal traveling mode, as described above, the advancing direction identification unit 48 of the image processing unit 43 determines the approach situation to the inner wall of the tip portion 16 and identifies the advancing direction. Then, when it is determined that the tip end portion 16 is not in proximity to the inner wall, as shown in FIG. 6A, the tip end portion 16 is in a linear posture in line with the expansion hose 18. The driving of each pneumatic cylinder 30 is controlled, and the moving body 11 is moved in the normal traveling mode for going straight. On the other hand, in the normal traveling mode, when the traveling direction identification unit 48 determines that the tip end portion 16 approaches the inner wall and a direction for avoiding the inner wall is identified, (B) in the figure. The driving of each pneumatic cylinder 30 is controlled so that the tip end portion 16 bends with respect to the expansion hose 18 along the direction, as shown in FIG. It will move in mode.

  As a second case, when the stack detection means 44 specifies that the tip side stack is generated, the operation is repeated in the reverse order to the basic propulsion drive, as shown in FIG. 6C, A front end side stack cancellation mode for retracting the moving body 11 is performed for a predetermined time.

  In the third case, when the stack detection means 44 specifies that the front side stack is generated, the rear balloon 21 is locked so as to repeat the first and second phases of the basic propulsion drive a predetermined number of times. By alternately applying pressure to the expansion hose 18 and reducing pressure, as shown in FIG. 6 (D), a front stack cancellation mode is performed in which the front side portion of the movable body 11 is repeatedly moved forward and backward.

  In the fourth case, when the stack detection means 44 determines that the rear stack is generated, the front balloon 20 is locked so as to repeat the fourth and fifth phases of the basic propulsion drive a predetermined number of times. As a state, pressurization and depressurization to the expansion hose 18 are alternately performed, and as shown in FIG. 6E, a rear stack cancellation mode is performed in which the rear side portion of the movable body 11 is repeatedly moved forward and backward.

  The procedure of each process in the operation control apparatus 13 described above will be described below using the flowchart of FIG. 7.

  Specifically, first, the basic propulsion drive is performed (step S100), and it is determined whether or not the stack sound is generated for the front balloon 20 (step S101). Next, with respect to the rear balloon 21 as well as with the front balloon 20, it is determined whether or not the stack sound is generated (step S102).

  Then, when it is determined that the stack sound is generated only in the front balloon 20, it is specified that the above-mentioned rear side stack is generated (step S103). On the other hand, when it is determined that the stack sound is generated only in the rear balloon 21, the distal end side of the movable body 11 approaches or does not approach the inner wall of the gas pipe P by the processing in the image processing means 43. It is determined whether it is in the approaching state (step S104). Then, when it is determined that the approaching state is made, it is identified that the above-mentioned tip side stack is generated (step S105), and when it is determined that the above-mentioned not approaching state, the above-mentioned front side stack is generated. And (step S106). In any other case, it is specified that no stack is generated (step S107).

  Therefore, when it is specified that no stack is generated, it is determined whether the tip end side of the movable body 11 is in the approach state or the non-approach state to the inner wall of the gas pipe P (step S108). Therefore, in the case of the non-approaching state, the moving body 11 is advanced in the normal traveling mode for going straight in FIG. 6A (step S109). On the other hand, in the case of the approaching state, the moving body 11 is advanced in the normal traveling mode for changing direction of FIG. 7B (step S110).

  Further, when it is specified that the tip side stack is generated, the movable body 11 operates in the tip side stack cancellation mode of FIG. 6C for a predetermined time (step S111).

  Furthermore, when it is specified that the front side stack is generated, the movable body 11 operates in the front side stack cancellation mode of FIG. 6D for a predetermined time (step S112).

  Also, when it is specified that the rear side stack is generated, the mobile unit 11 operates in the rear side stack elimination mode of FIG. 6 (E) for a predetermined time (step S113).

  Then, the above-described processing is repeatedly performed until the moving object 11 reaches the target final point (step S114).

  The movement of the movable body 11 by the in-pipe movement system 10 having the above configuration will be described next using the state transition diagram of FIG. 9 as an example of the movement within the gas pipe P of eight bends shown in FIG.

  The movement of the movable body 11 here is performed by self-running in the gas pipe P of FIG. 8 in order to check the state in the pipe from the home side to the main branch pipe through the lamp outer pipe and the supply pipe. It is pre-programmed to enable. In the description of the gas pipe P in FIG. 8, the vertical direction is referred to as “longitudinal direction”, and the horizontal direction is referred to as “horizontal direction”.

  The gas pipe P includes a first area P1 on the household H side and a second area P2 connected between the first area P1 and the main branch M. The first area P1 is connected to a first straight pipe S1 which is a vertical pipe extending vertically downward from the introduction port D of the movable body 11 present on the ground on the household H side and the first straight pipe S1 An elbow E forming a bent pipe turning in the longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, a first bend B1 connecting the elbow E forming a bending pipe turning in the lateral direction, and a first bend B1 connected in the lateral direction Connected to the second straight pipe S2 which is a horizontal pipe extending in the second direction and the second straight pipe S2 and connected to a second bend B2 and a second bend B2 forming a bent pipe which changes direction in the lateral direction And a service channel T including a bent portion that changes direction in the longitudinal direction. The second area P2 has a piping configuration that is substantially the same as the first area P1, and the service area T of the first area P1 is a first straight line of the second area P2. By connecting the pipe S1, the first and second regions P1 and P2 are connected. Then, the service team T in the second area P2 is connected to the main branch M.

  The mobile body 11 is introduced from the introduction port D on the ground, and then self-propelled in the first region P1.

  That is, first, the movable body 11 moves forward in the first straight pipe S1 of the broken line area A in FIG. 9 in the normal traveling mode for straight-ahead movement in which the tip end side is straight.

  Then, when the tip end portion 16 of the moving body 11 reaches the elbow E and the first bend B1, as shown by the broken line area B in FIG. 9, the tip end side moves in the normal traveling mode for turning. The body 11 advances (action M2). At this time, when the leading end side stack is generated, the moving body 11 once retracts in the leading end side stack cancellation mode (operation M3), and then advances again in the normal traveling mode for going straight (operation M1). Furthermore, when passing through the elbow E and the first bend B1, when the front side stack occurs, the moving body 11 is operated in the front side stack cancellation mode (operation M4), and then again for the straight advance Forward in the running mode (action M1). Also, at the time of passing here, when the rear side stack occurs, the moving body 11 is operated in the rear side stack cancellation mode (operation M5), and thereafter, is advanced again in the normal traveling mode for straight ahead To do (action M1). In addition, when each stack is not eliminated or each stack is generated again, the operation for eliminating the stack is repeatedly performed.

  Next, as shown by the broken line area C in FIG. 9, when the moving body 11 reaches inside the second straight pipe S2, it moves forward in the normal traveling mode for going straight (action M1).

  Thereafter, when the mobile body 11 reaches the second bend B2 and the service charge T, as shown by the broken line area D in FIG. 9, when the mobile body 11 moves the elbow E or the first bend B1. The same operation as described is performed.

  Then, when the moving body 11 moves to the second area P2, the moving body 11 operates in the same order as the first area P1 described above (transition part of E in FIG. 9), and after passing through the second area P2. , Toward the main branch M (transition part of F in the same figure).

  Therefore, according to such an embodiment, the movable body 11 is an air pressure driven type having a relatively simple structure with a small number of parts, and can be self-propelled even within the small diameter gas pipe P. Moreover, in such a pneumatic drive type, the generation of the stack at the time of movement of the movable body 11 in the gas pipe P can be automatically detected from the generation state of the frictional noise in the gas pipe P, and the operation of eliminating the stack Can be automatically performed by the mobile unit 11. Moreover, since the mobile body 11 advancing in the gas pipe P is not electrically driven, it is suitable for inspection in the gas pipe P in the presence of gas.

  In the above embodiment, image data acquired by the camera 28 is used to detect a stack. However, in the present invention, the use of the image data is not essential. Depending on the difference in sound, various aspects can be taken according to the structure of the tubular body and the moving body 11 as long as each stack can be identified.

  In the present embodiment, the microphone 41 is installed in the vicinity of the inlet D of the gas pipe P. However, the microphone 41 may be attached to the movable body 11 as long as the generated sound in the gas pipe P can be detected. You may install in the predetermined position inside.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, although the aspect of moving the movable body 11 in the gas pipe P for inspection in the gas pipe P has been illustrated and described, the present invention is not limited thereto, and other pipes and tunnels are included. The present invention is applicable to a system for remotely confirming the condition of the internal space by moving any moving body in the internal space of the tubular body of the present invention.

  Further, in the present invention, the movable body 11 is not limited to the structure described above, and has a structure movable while being in contact with the inner wall of the tubular body, and when the stack is generated in the tubular body, Any noise may be generated as long as noise such as frictional noise can be generated between them. For example, as a means for moving the moving body 11, a structure in which a wheel is driven while being in contact with an inner wall may be adopted, and a type in which unique frictional noise may be generated in the wheel may be adopted.

  Furthermore, the stack detection means 44 of the above embodiment detects the stack of the self-propelled mobile body 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is possible by the operator's operation such as pumping type or pushing type. It is also possible to detect stacks for other mobiles that can move within the tubular body. That is, the algorithm in the stack detection means 44 can be used in various cases in order to recognize the presence or absence and the type of the stack in a place where the operator can not visually recognize.

  In addition, the configuration of each part of the device in the present invention is not limited to the illustrated configuration example, and various modifications can be made as long as substantially the same function is exhibited.

10 pipe moving system 11 moving body 12 air supply and discharge unit (drive means)
13 motion control unit 15 propulsion movable unit 18 telescopic hose 20 front balloon 21 rear balloon 28 camera 41 microphone 43 image processing means 44 stack detection means 45 drive command means 47 inner wall approach judgment unit 54 time data storage unit 55 sound pressure data acquisition unit 56 Stack sound detection unit 57 Stack information acquisition unit P Gas pipe (tubular body)

Claims (9)

A movable body having a structure movable within the pipe while in contact with the inner wall of a predetermined tubular body, a drive device for driving the movable body, and operation control for controlling the operation of the movable body by a drive command to the drive device And an apparatus for
The motion control device detects a generation of a stack in which the moving body can not move in the pipe due to the contact due to a state of frictional noise when a part of the moving body contacts the inner wall; And a drive command means for commanding the drive device to drive the drive device to cause the movable body to perform an operation to clear the stack when the stack is generated. The microphone further comprises a microphone for collecting sound information generated in the tube,
The stack detection means is a time data storage unit in which time data on an operation phase of contacting the inner wall when moving the moving body is stored, and sound pressure data indicating sound pressure temporal change from sound information acquired by the microphone Sound pressure data acquisition unit for acquiring the sound, a stack sound detection unit for detecting the presence or absence of generation of the stack sound among the friction sounds based on the time data and the sound pressure data, and the stack sound detection The in-pipe movement system according to claim 1, further comprising: a stack information acquisition unit that specifies the presence or absence and the type of occurrence of the stack using a detection result of the unit.   In the sound stack data detection unit, the sound pressure data in the operation phase in which generation of the stack is supposed to occur, in the case where sound pressure exceeding a preset threshold is continuously generated for a predetermined time or more. The in-pipe movement system according to claim 2, wherein it is determined that a sound is generated.   The in-pipe movement system according to claim 3, wherein the stack information acquisition unit identifies the type of the stack corresponding to the operation phase in which the stack sound is generated. The movable body further includes a camera for acquiring image data in the pipe in the forward traveling direction,
The operation control device further includes an image processing unit that processes image data from the camera,
The image processing means includes an inner wall approach determination unit which determines whether or not the front end side of the movable body approaches the inner wall based on luminance information of the entire image data.
The in-pipe movement system according to claim 4, wherein the stack information acquisition unit uses the determination result of the inner wall approach determination unit when specifying the type of the stack. The movable body has a structure capable of self-propelled in the form of a worm in the pipe by pneumatic drive, and a propelling movable portion operable to generate a propulsive force for moving in the pipe by the pneumatic pressure supplied from the drive device. Equipped with
The propelling movable portion is configured of an elastically deformable telescopic hose, and balloons provided on both sides of the telescopic hose.
The expansion hose is adjusted in internal air pressure by the drive device, and is provided so as to be extensible and contractible in the front-rear direction by the change in the air pressure.
Each of the balloons has its internal air pressure adjusted by the drive device, and is provided so as to be changeable between a locked state and a non-locked state with respect to the inner wall by expansion and contraction due to the change in the air pressure. In the normal travel mode in which the vehicle moves forward in the pipe, the operation phase when transitioning from the locked state to the non-locked state is performed at different timings before and after,
In the stack information acquisition unit, the type of the stack is determined according to which of the front and rear balloons of the moving body the stack sound is generated when the respective balloons shift from the locked state to the non-locked state. The in-pipe movement system according to claim 4, characterized in that it is specified. The movable body further includes a camera for acquiring image data in the pipe in the forward traveling direction,
The operation control device further includes an image processing unit that processes image data from the camera,
The image processing means includes an inner wall approach determination unit that determines whether the front end side of the movable body is in the approach state or the non-approach state with respect to the inner wall based on luminance information of the entire image data.
In the stack information acquisition unit, when the stack sound is generated only from the balloon on the front side, the rear side of the telescopic tube is caught on the inner wall and the rear side stack in which the movable body can not be advanced is generated. When the stack sound is generated only from the balloon on the rear side, and the distal end side of the movable body is determined to be the approaching state, the distal end portion of the movable body abuts on the inner wall Is identified as having the distal stack where the movable body can not be advanced, the stuck sound is generated only from the rear balloon, and the distal end portion of the movable body is in the non-approaching state When it is determined that the front side of the telescopic tube is in contact with the inner wall, it is identified that a front stack where the movable body can not be advanced is generated. Motomeko 6 tube movement system described.   In the drive command means, when the rear side stack is generated, the front balloon is put into the locked state, and a rear side stack cancellation mode is made to repeatedly extend and retract the elastic hose backward, and the front side stack When it occurs, the rear balloon is placed in the locked state, the extension hose is repeatedly extended and retracted forward, and the rear stack cancellation mode is performed, and the movement is performed when the tip side stack is generated. The in-pipe movement system according to claim 7, wherein the drive unit is commanded to perform the tip side stack cancellation mode for retracting the body. A computer for controlling the operation of a movable body having a movable structure in the pipe while being in contact with the inner wall of a predetermined tubular body, and detecting the occurrence of a stack in which the movable body can not move in the pipe due to the contact. A program for detecting a stack of a mobile unit to function as a means, comprising
The time data on the operation phase of contacting the inner wall when moving the moving body is stored, and the sound pressure data indicating the temporal change of the sound pressure is acquired from the sound information generated in the pipe, the time data and the sound pressure data And detecting the presence or absence of generation of a stack sound caused by the stack among friction noise when a part of the moving body contacts the inner wall, and specifying the presence or absence and type of generation of the stack from the detection result A program for detecting stacks of mobiles characterized by

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