JP2022036467A - Facility inspection system, flying body, repeating device, and facility inspection method - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce maintenance of a facility inspection system by using a flying body.SOLUTION: The facility inspection system inspects a facility to be inspected. The facility inspection system has a flight body that captures an image of the facility while flying in the air and a sensor installed on the facility that measures predetermined facility-related information. The flight body collects the facility-related information from the sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to equipment inspection systems, flying objects, relay devices and equipment inspection methods.

A sensor may be installed in a predetermined facility to inspect the facility (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-201276

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique capable of reducing the maintenance of an equipment inspection system by utilizing an air vehicle.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure
It is an equipment inspection system that inspects the equipment to be inspected.
An air vehicle that captures the above equipment while flying in the air,
A sensor installed in the equipment to measure predetermined equipment-related information,
Have,
The flying object is provided with an equipment inspection system that collects the equipment-related information from the sensor.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure.
An air vehicle provided with the equipment inspection system according to the above embodiment is provided.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure.
A relay device included in the equipment inspection system according to the above embodiment is provided.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure.
This is an equipment inspection method for inspecting the equipment to be inspected.
The process of imaging the equipment while flying the aircraft in the air,
A process of measuring predetermined equipment-related information by a sensor provided in the equipment, and
The process of collecting the equipment-related information from the sensor by the flying object, and
Equipment inspection methods are provided.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the maintenance of the equipment inspection system by utilizing the flying object.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the equipment inspection system which concerns on one Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the flashing sensor as an example of the sensor which concerns on one Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the tilt sensor as an example of the sensor which concerns on one Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a block diagram which shows the equipment inspection system which concerns on one Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a block diagram which shows the flying object which concerns on one Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a block diagram which shows the relay device which concerns on one Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a flowchart which shows the equipment inspection method which concerns on one Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a flowchart which shows the equipment inspection method which concerns on the modification of one Embodiment of this disclosure.

[Explanation of Embodiments of the present disclosure]
<Knowledge obtained by the inventor>
First, the findings obtained by the inventor will be described.

Conventionally, as in Patent Document 1, for example, information measured by a sensor installed in a facility such as a steel tower to be inspected is wirelessly transmitted by a host terminal (hereinafter referred to as a management center) located far from the facility. It was acquired by communication. As a power source for supplying electric power to the sensor, for example, a storage battery or a solar cell is often used in order to avoid using a special long-distance power transmission means.

However, in the conventional configuration as described above, regular maintenance of the power supply (for example, battery replacement) is required. For power supply maintenance, workers had to go to remote equipment to perform maintenance work such as battery replacement. Therefore, the maintenance cost of the entire system has increased.

On the other hand, in recent years, in the inspection of equipment, it has been attempted to image the equipment and its surroundings by using a flying object such as a so-called drone. Attempts have been made to detect the presence or absence of equipment abnormalities and changes in surrounding conditions by diagnostic imaging using images captured by an aircraft using a management server or cloud server. Attempts have also been made to autonomously navigate an air vehicle based on its own position information obtained by GPS (Global Positioning System) or the like.

Therefore, as a result of diligent studies, the present inventor has found a configuration and a method capable of reducing the maintenance of the equipment inspection system by using the above-mentioned flying object.

The present disclosure is based on the above findings found by the inventors.

<Embodiment of the present disclosure>
Next, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[1] The equipment inspection system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is
It is an equipment inspection system that inspects the equipment to be inspected.
An air vehicle that captures the above equipment while flying in the air,
A sensor installed in the equipment to measure predetermined equipment-related information,
Have,
The flying object collects the equipment-related information from the sensor.
According to this configuration, the maintenance of the equipment inspection system can be reduced.

[2] In the equipment inspection system described in [1] above,
The flying object supplies electric power to the sensor and collects the equipment-related information from the sensor driven by the supplied electric power.
According to this configuration, maintenance work related to the power supply of the sensor can be reduced.

[3] In the equipment inspection system described in [2] above,
The flying object supplies electric power to the sensor in a non-contact manner.
According to this configuration, it is possible to achieve both ease and stability of power supply from the air vehicle.

[4] In the equipment inspection system according to the above [2] or [3],
Further provided in the equipment is a relay device that relays the transmission of the equipment-related information from the sensor to the flying object and the supply of the electric power from the flying object to the sensor.
According to this configuration, the sensor can be placed at any optimum position in the equipment.

[5] In the equipment inspection system according to any one of the above [1] to [4].
The air vehicle transmits the equipment-related information collected from the sensor to the outside.
According to this configuration, equipment-related information can be collected and transmitted more stably by the flying object.

[6] The aircraft according to another aspect of the present disclosure is
The equipment inspection system according to any one of the above [1] to [5] has.
According to this configuration, the maintenance of the equipment inspection system can be reduced.

[7] The aircraft according to another aspect of the present disclosure is
The equipment inspection system described in the above [4] has.
According to this configuration, the maintenance of the equipment inspection system can be reduced.

[8] The equipment inspection method according to another aspect of the present disclosure is described.
This is an equipment inspection method for inspecting the equipment to be inspected.
The process of imaging the equipment while flying the aircraft in the air,
A process of measuring predetermined equipment-related information by a sensor provided in the equipment, and
The process of collecting the equipment-related information from the sensor by the flying object, and
Have.
According to this configuration, the maintenance of the equipment inspection system can be reduced.

[Details of Embodiments of the present disclosure]
Next, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is shown by the scope of claims and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims. At least a part of the embodiments described below may be arbitrarily combined.

<Embodiment of the present disclosure>
(1) Equipment Inspection System The outline of the equipment inspection system 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an equipment inspection system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a flash sensor as an example of the sensor according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a displacement sensor as an example of the sensor according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the equipment inspection system 10 of the present embodiment is configured to inspect the equipment 90 to be inspected by using, for example, a flying object 100. Specifically, the equipment inspection system 10 includes, for example, a flying object 100, a sensor 200, a relay device 300, and a management center 400.

(Facility)
The equipment 90 to be inspected in this embodiment is, for example, a power transmission equipment. The equipment 90 as a power transmission facility has, for example, a plurality of steel towers 920 and electric wires 910. The plurality of steel towers 920 are provided, for example, at predetermined intervals. The electric wire 910 is, for example, overheaded between a plurality of steel towers 920. The electric wire 910 is configured as, for example, a so-called overhead power transmission line. An overhead ground wire (not shown) is laid between the tops of the plurality of steel towers 920.

(Flying body)
The flying object 100 is configured to fly in the air. The flying object 100 of the present embodiment is configured to be capable of autonomous flight, for example, unmanned. Specifically, the flying object 100 is configured as a so-called drone.

Autonomous flight is carried out, for example, by existing known technology or in accordance with standardized standards. The aircraft 100 may be configured to fly autonomously based on, for example, a predetermined route, its own position information obtained by GPS, or the like, or may be instructed (signal) of the management center 400 to be described later. It may be configured to fly autonomously based on it.

Further, the flying object 100 is configured to image the equipment 90 while flying in the air, for example. As a result, it is possible to confirm whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment 90 or a change in the surrounding conditions based on the image captured by the flying object 100. Specifically, when the equipment 90 is a power transmission equipment as in the present embodiment, the image captured by the flying object 100 is the detection of a broken wire of the electric wire 910 and the damage caused by a natural disaster (earthquake, typhoon, etc.). It is used to grasp the situation and check the progress during the construction of the tower. The image captured by the flying object 100 may be a still image or a moving image.

On the other hand, the flying object 100 of the present embodiment does not have a sensor for measuring equipment-related information other than the image pickup unit 120, which will be described later and has an image pickup function. In the present embodiment, the flying object 100 is configured to acquire equipment-related information from, for example, a sensor 200 provided in the equipment 90.

Further, the flying object 100 of the present embodiment is configured to supply electric power to the sensor 200 via the relay device 300 and collect equipment-related information from the sensor 200 driven by the supplied electric power, for example. ..

Further, the flying object 100 of the present embodiment is configured to transmit, for example, equipment-related information collected from the sensor 200 to the outside. Specifically, the flying object 100 is configured to transmit, for example, an image captured by the flying object 100 and equipment-related information collected by the flying object 100 from the sensor 200 to a management center 400 described later.

The details of the flying object 100 will be described later.

(Sensor)
The sensor 200 is provided in the equipment 90. The sensor 200 is configured to measure, for example, predetermined equipment-related information. The "equipment-related information" here means information related to the equipment 90 and its surroundings, and is, for example, physical information and characteristic information of the equipment 90 itself, environmental information around the equipment 90, and the like. ..

For example, a plurality of sensors 200 are provided. Specifically, the sensor 200 is provided for each steel tower 920, for example. A plurality of types of sensors 200 may be provided for one tower 920.

The sensor 200 of the present embodiment is not particularly limited as long as it measures equipment-related information. However, the sensor 200 of the present embodiment is not configured to constantly, continuously or periodically measure equipment-related information from the viewpoint of reducing power consumption, but rather equipment when a predetermined trigger is received. It is preferable that the related information is measured temporarily (for example, instantaneously or for a few seconds to a few minutes).

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, at least one sensor 200 is configured as, for example, a flash sensor 220. The flash sensor 220 has, for example, a detection unit 222 and a contact management unit 224. For example, when an accident current (lightning strike current) caused by a lightning strike or the like flows through a steel tower 920 (or an overhead ground wire (not shown)), the detection unit 222 detects the accident current and turns on the contact of the contact management unit 224. Switch. The contact management unit 224 stores the contact state. The information regarding the contact state obtained in this way is hereinafter referred to as "contact information".

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3, at least one sensor 200 is configured as, for example, a tilt sensor 240. The tilt sensor 240 is provided near the top of the tower 920, for example, and is configured to measure the tilt (displacement) of the tower 920. Specific examples of the tilt sensor 240 include a strain cage type tilt meter and a differential transformer type tilt meter. Information regarding the tilt angle of the tower 920 obtained by the tilt sensor is hereinafter referred to as "tilt angle information of the tower 920".

In the present embodiment, for example, since electric power is supplied from the flying object 100 to the sensor 200, the sensor 200 itself does not have a power supply unit for storing electric power. The power consumption required for the measurement of the sensor 200 itself is, for example, 10 W or less.

(Relay device)
The relay device 300 is provided in the equipment 90. The relay device 300 is configured to relay, for example, the transmission of equipment-related information from the sensor 200 to the flying object 100 and the supply of electric power from the flying object 100 to the sensor 200.

The relay device 300 is preferably provided near the top of the tower 920, for example. As a result, information transmission from the relay device 300 to the flight object 100 and power reception from the flight object 100 to the relay device 300 can be stably performed.

For example, a plurality of relay devices 300 are provided. Specifically, the relay device 300 is provided for each steel tower 920 in which the sensor 200 is provided, for example.

The details of the relay device 300 will be described later.

(Management center)
The management center (management server) 400 is provided, for example, at a position far away from the equipment 90. Specifically, the management center 400 is, for example, an electric power company that manages power transmission to equipment 90 as power transmission equipment.

The management center 400 is configured to collect, for example, an image captured by the flying object 100 and equipment-related information collected by the flying object 100. As a result, the management center 400 stores the image data in association with the image captured by the flying object 100 and the equipment-related information collected by the flying object 100. The image is subjected to image diagnosis processing by AI or the like to detect the presence or absence of an abnormality. The equipment-related information determines the excess of a predetermined reference value and detects the presence or absence of an abnormality. As a result, it is possible to accurately grasp the situation of the equipment 90 and its surroundings, such as detecting an abnormality of the equipment that cannot be found only by image diagnosis.

The management center 400 is configured to, for example, transmit an instruction (signal) to the flying object 100.

Examples of the method of transmitting information or signals between the aircraft 100 and the management center 400 include wireless communication by the transmission unit 160 of the aircraft 100, which will be described later.

(2) Flying Body Next, the flying body 100 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an equipment inspection system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an air vehicle according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the flying object 100 of the present embodiment includes, for example, a flight unit 110, an image pickup unit 120, a power supply unit 130, a power transmission unit 140, a reception unit 150, and a transmission unit 160. , And a control unit 170.

The flight unit 110 is configured to, for example, generate at least lift to fly in the air. The flight unit 110 is preferably configured to generate further horizontal propulsion, for example. Specifically, the flight unit 110 has, for example, a plurality of rotor blades (not shown) and a motor for driving the rotor blades (not shown).

The image pickup unit 120 is configured to image, for example, the equipment 90 to be inspected.

The power supply unit 130 is configured to store, for example, the electric power required for the operation of each unit of the flying object 100. The power supply unit 130 is configured as, for example, a rechargeable battery, and is, for example, a lithium ion battery, a nickel hydrogen battery, or the like. Examples of the electric power stored in the power supply unit 130 include electric power required for driving the flight unit 110 and electric power for supplying the sensor 200. The current supplied from the power supply unit 130 is, for example, a direct current (DC).

The power transmission unit 140 is configured to supply electric power from the power supply unit 130 to the sensor 200 via the relay device 300, for example.

The power transmission unit 140 of the present embodiment is configured to supply power to the sensor 200 (via the relay device 300) in a non-contact manner (wirelessly), for example. As a result, electric power can be supplied from the flying object 100 to the sensor 200 while the flying object 100 is located in the air.

The specific method of wireless power feeding by the power transmission unit 140 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a method using any one of electromagnetic induction, magnetic resonance, and microwave.

The receiving unit 150 is configured to receive predetermined equipment-related information from, for example, a sensor 200 provided in the equipment 90, and collect the equipment-related information. The receiving unit 150 of the present embodiment is configured to receive predetermined information from the sensor 200 via the relay device 300, for example, by wireless communication.

The specific wireless communication method by the receiving unit 150 is not particularly limited, but for example, a short-range wireless system, that is, a narrow area (Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like) or a quasi-wide area (Wiress Smart). Standard communication standards such as quasi-LPWA (Low-Power Wide-Area Network) such as Utility Network) can be mentioned. Considering the power capacity of the aircraft 100, a method with as low power as possible is desirable.

The transmission unit 160 is configured to transmit predetermined information or a signal between the management center 400 and itself, for example. Specifically, for example, as described above, the transmission unit 160 is configured to transmit the image captured by the image pickup unit 120 and the equipment-related information collected by the reception unit 150 to the management center 400. .. Further, the transmission unit 160 is configured to receive the flight control signal from the management center 400, for example, as described above.

In the present embodiment, the transmission unit 160 is configured to transmit predetermined information or a signal between the management center 400 and itself, for example, by wireless communication.

The specific wireless communication method is not particularly limited, but is, for example, LPWA (LoRaWAN (Low-Power Wide-Area Network), ELTRES (registered trademark), etc.), mobile communication (4G-LTE (Long), etc.). Standard communication standards such as Term Evolution), 5G) can be mentioned. Considering the power capacity of the aircraft 100, a method with as low power as possible is desirable.

The control unit 170 is configured to control each unit of the flying object 100, for example.

Specifically, the control unit 170 is configured as a computer, and has, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 171, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 176, a storage device 177, and an I / O port 178. ing. The RAM 176, the storage device 177, and the I / O port 178 are configured to exchange data with the CPU 171. The I / O port 178 is connected to each part of the flying object 100, for example.

The storage device 177 is configured to store, for example, a flight object control program, an image captured by the image pickup unit 120 of the equipment 90, and equipment-related information collected from the sensor 200 via the relay device 300 and the receiver unit 150. There is. The storage device 177 is, for example, an HDD (Hard disk drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive).

The RAM 176 is configured to temporarily hold programs, information, and the like read from the storage device 177 by the CPU 171.

The CPU 171 is configured to function as, for example, a flight control unit 172, an image pickup control unit 173, an information collection unit 174, and a power control unit 175 by executing a predetermined program stored in the storage device 177. ..

The flight control unit 172 is configured to control the flight unit 110 so as to generate at least lift to fly in the air, for example.
The image pickup control unit 173 is configured to control the image pickup unit 120 so as to image the equipment 90, for example.
The information collecting unit 174 is configured to receive predetermined equipment-related information from the sensor 200 provided in the equipment 90 via the relay device 300 and the receiving unit 150, and collect the equipment-related information.
The electric power control unit 175 is configured to supply electric power to the sensor 200 from, for example, a power supply unit 130 that stores electric power via a relay device 300.

The details of the equipment inspection method by each part of the control unit 170 described above will be described later.

The predetermined program for realizing each part of the control unit 170 described above is installed and used in, for example, a computer configured by the control unit 170. The program may be provided, for example, stored in a computer-readable storage medium prior to its installation. Alternatively, the program may be provided to the computer, for example, through the receiving unit 150 or the transmitting unit 160.

(3) Relay device Next, the relay device 300 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 6. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a relay device according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the relay device 300 of the present embodiment includes, for example, a power receiving unit 310, a DC / DC conversion unit 320, a voltage output unit 330, an input / output unit 340, and a transmitting unit 350. , And a control unit 370.

The power receiving unit 310 is configured to relay the supply of electric power from the flying object 100 to the sensor 200, for example. The power receiving unit 310 may supply, for example, the electric power supplied from the flying object 100 to each unit of the relay device 300.

The power receiving unit 310 of the present embodiment is configured to relay, for example, the electric power from the flying object 100 in a non-contact manner (wirelessly). The wireless power feeding method by the power receiving unit 310 is set to the same method as the wireless power feeding method by the power transmitting unit 140 of the flying object 100.

The DC / DC conversion unit 320 is configured to convert the voltage of the electric power relayed by the power receiving unit 310 into a voltage suitable for supply to the sensor 200.

The voltage output unit 330 is connected to the sensor 200, outputs the voltage converted by the DC / DC conversion unit 320 to the sensor 200, and is configured to drive the sensor 200.

The input / output unit 340 is configured to receive predetermined equipment-related information from the sensor 200 activated by the voltage output from the voltage output unit 330, for example.

The transmission unit 350 is configured to transmit, for example, equipment-related information from the sensor 200 to the flight object 100. The method of wireless communication by the transmitting unit 350 is set to the same method as the method of wireless communication by the receiving unit 150 of the flying object 100.

The control unit 370 is configured to control each unit of the relay device 300, for example.

Specifically, the control unit 370 is configured as a computer and has, for example, a CPU 371, a RAM 376, a storage device 377, and an I / O port 378. The RAM 376, the storage device 377, and the I / O port 378 are configured to be data exchangeable with the CPU 371. The I / O port 378 is connected to, for example, each part of the relay device 300.

The storage device 377 is configured to store, for example, a relay device control program. The storage device 377 may be configured to store, for example, an image captured by the imaging unit 120 of the flying object 100, equipment-related information collected from the sensor 200, and the like. The storage device 377 is, for example, an HDD or an SSD.

The RAM 376 is configured to temporarily hold programs, information, and the like read from the storage device 377 by the CPU 371.

The CPU 371 is configured to function as, for example, a power relay unit 372 and an information relay unit 373 by executing a predetermined program stored in the storage device 377.

The power relay unit 372 is configured to relay the power supply from the flying object 100 to the sensor 200 via the power receiving unit 310, the DC / DC conversion unit 320, and the voltage output unit 330, for example. Further, the power relay unit 372 is configured to drive the sensor 200 so as to measure predetermined equipment-related information, for example, by using the power supplied to the sensor 200 as a trigger.
The information relay unit 373 is configured to relay the transmission of equipment-related information measured by the sensor 200 from the sensor 200 to the flying object 100 via the input / output unit 340 and the transmission unit 350, for example.

The equipment inspection method by each part of the control unit 370 described above will be described in detail later together with the method by the control unit 170 of the flying object 100.

The predetermined program for realizing each part of the control unit 370 described above is installed and used in, for example, a computer configured by the control unit 370. As the method of installing the program, for example, the same method as the method of installing the program of the control unit 170 can be used.

(4) Equipment Inspection Method Next, the equipment inspection method of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the equipment inspection method according to the present embodiment.

The equipment inspection method of the present embodiment includes, for example, a flight process S110, a relay device approach process S115, a relay device approach determination process S120, a power supply process S130, a measurement process S140, an information collection process S150, and information aggregation. It has a step S160 and an inspection end determination step S190. Hereinafter, the operation of each part of the flying object 100 and the operation of each part of the relay device 300 are controlled by the control unit 170 and the control unit 370, respectively.

(S110: Flight process)
The aircraft body 100 autonomously flies along a predetermined route passing through the equipment 90 to be inspected. At this time, as described above, the flying object 100 may fly autonomously based on, for example, a predetermined route or its own position information obtained by GPS or the like, or is instructed by the management center 400. You may fly autonomously based on (signal).

At this time, in the present embodiment, the equipment 90 is imaged by the image pickup unit 120 while the flying object 100 is flying in the air. When the image pickup unit 120 captures the image of the equipment 90, the captured image is stored in the storage device 177.

The transmission unit 160 of the flying object 100 may sequentially transmit real-time images (for example, moving images) captured by the imaging unit 120 toward the management center 400.

(S115: Relay device approaching process)
When the flying object 100 arrives at the tower 920 to be inspected, the flying object 100 approaches the relay device 300 of the tower 920 to be inspected.

The method of approaching the relay device 300 is not particularly limited, but for example, the following method can be adopted. First, when the flying object 100 arrives at the steel tower 920 to be inspected, the flying object 100 transmits a request for approaching the relay device 300 to the management center 400, including its own current position information by GPS or the like. When the management center 400 receives the approach request, the management center 400 determines whether the flying object 100 is located above the steel tower 920 to be inspected. When it is determined that the flying object 100 is located above the steel tower 920 to be inspected, the management center 400 instructs the flying object 100 to approach the relay device 300 of the steel tower 920 to be inspected. Based on this, the aircraft body 100 starts approaching the relay device 300. The flying object 100 approaches the relay device 300 based on at least one of the image captured by the image pickup unit 120 and its own position information by GPS or the like. When the flying object 100 has a laser, the flying object 100 may approach the relay device 300 based on the measurement result of the separation distance between the flying object 100 and the relay device 300 by the laser. ..

(S120: Relay device approach determination step)
After that, the flying object 100 determines whether or not the separation distance between the flying object 100 and the relay device 300 is within the allowable distance based on any of the above information.

If it is determined that the flying object 100 is not approaching the relay device 300 within the allowable distance (No in S120), the relay device approaching step S115 is continued.

(S130: Power supply process)
If it is determined that the flying object 100 has approached the relay device 300 within an allowable distance (Yes in S120), the flying object 100 supplies electric power to the sensor 200, and the sensor 200 driven by the supplied electric power. Collect equipment-related information from.

Specifically, the power transmission unit 140 of the flying object 100 supplies the electric power from the power supply unit 130 to the power receiving unit 310 of the relay device 300 in a non-contact manner. When the relay device 300 receives the power supply from the flying object 100, the relay device 300 relays the power supply to the sensor 200 via the power receiving unit 310, the DC / DC conversion unit 320, and the voltage output unit 330.

(S140: Measurement process)
Next, the relay device 300 relays the supply of electric power to the sensor 200 as described above, and drives the sensor 200 with the electric power supplied to the sensor 200 as a trigger. The sensor 200 measures predetermined equipment-related information by the electric power supplied via the relay device 300.

Specifically, when the sensor 200 is configured as the flash sensor 220, the relay device 300 receives the accident current caused by a lightning strike or the like due to the voltage applied to the flash sensor 220 via the relay device 300. Contact information corresponding to the occurrence status is acquired from the contact management unit 224 of the flash sensor 220 via the input / output unit 340. After acquiring the contact information, the relay device 300 sends a reset signal to the contact management unit 224 of the flash sensor 220 to return (reset) the contact state to OFF.

Alternatively, when the sensor 200 is configured as the tilt sensor 240, the relay device 300 supplies electric power from the voltage output unit 330 to the tilt sensor 240 to drive the tilt sensor 240. The tilt sensor 240 measures the tilt angle of the tower 920 for a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute). The relay device 300 acquires the tilt angle information of the tower 920 from the tilt sensor 240 via the input / output unit 340.

When the relay device 300 receives the above-mentioned equipment-related information from the sensor 200, the relay device 300 relays the transmission of the equipment-related information from the sensor 200 to the flying object 100 via the input / output unit 340 and the transmission unit 350.

(S150: Information collection process)
When the measurement step S140 is completed, the equipment-related information from the sensor 200 is collected by the flying object 100.

Specifically, the transmission unit 350 of the relay device 300 transmits equipment-related information from the sensor 200 to the reception unit 150 of the flight object 100. After the equipment-related information is transmitted by the transmission unit 350, the equipment-related information from the sensor 200 is received by the reception unit 150 of the flying object 100. After receiving the equipment-related information by the receiving unit 150, the flying object 100 stores the equipment-related information in the storage device 177 of the control unit 170. In this way, the equipment-related information from the sensor 200 is collected by the flying object 100.

After the aircraft 100 collects the equipment-related information from the sensor 200, the power supply from the aircraft 100 to the sensor 200 via the relay device 300 is stopped. As a result, the sensor 200 is stopped.

(S160: Information aggregation process)
When the collection of the equipment-related information from the sensor 200 is completed, the transmission unit 160 of the flying object 100 transmits the image captured by the image pickup unit 120 and the equipment-related information collected by the reception unit 150 to the management center 400. ..

If the radio wave condition between the flight object 100 and the management center 400 is poor, the information aggregation step S160 is performed when the flight object 100 moves to a place where the radio wave condition is good.

After the flying object 100 transmits various information to the management center 400, the management center 400 receives the image captured by the flying object 100 (for example, the image near the steel tower 920 of the current measurement) and the equipment-related information collected by the flying object 100. , Are aggregated.

(S190: Inspection end judgment process)
After the information aggregation to the management center 400 is completed, it is determined whether or not to end the equipment inspection.

As a method of determining the end of the equipment inspection, for example, in the management center 400, when the aggregation of the equipment-related information from the sensor 200 provided in the predetermined steel tower 920 is completed, the management center 400 decides whether or not to end the equipment inspection. To judge. That is, the management center 400 confirms whether or not the aggregation of equipment-related information from the other towers 920 constituting the equipment 90 has been completed, and determines whether or not to continue the equipment inspection.

If it is determined that the equipment inspection is not completed (No in S190), the flight body 100 continues to collect equipment-related information from the remaining towers 920 by repeating the steps after the flight process S110.

If it is determined that the equipment inspection is completed (Yes in S190), the aircraft 100 is returned to the management center 400.

As described above, the equipment inspection process of the present embodiment is completed.

(5) Effects of the present embodiment According to the present embodiment, one or more of the following effects are exhibited.

(A) In the present embodiment, the flying object 100 is configured to take an image of the equipment 90 while flying in the air while collecting equipment-related information from the sensor 200. At least one of the power supply function that supplies the power required for the measurement of the sensor 200 by the aircraft 100 collecting the equipment-related information from the sensor 200 and the information transmission function that transmits the equipment-related information to the management center 400. The function can be entrusted (consigned or transferred) to the flying object 100. In other words, the function on the sensor 200 side fixed to the equipment 90 far from the management center 400 can be reduced. As a result, maintenance on the sensor 200 side can be reduced.

(B) In the present embodiment, as described above, the flying object 100 is provided with a power supply function for measuring the sensor 200. That is, the flying object 100 is configured to supply electric power to the sensor 200 via the relay device 300 and collect equipment-related information from the sensor 200 driven by the supplied electric power. That is, the sensor 200 of the present embodiment does not have a power source such as a storage battery or a solar cell. As a result, maintenance work related to the power supply of the sensor 200 can be reduced (preferably unnecessary). As a result, the maintenance cost related to the sensor 200 can be reduced.

(C) In the present embodiment, as described above, the flying object 100 is provided with an information transmission function to the management center 400. That is, the flying object 100 is configured to transmit the equipment-related information collected from the sensor 200 to the outside (management center 400). As a result, the freely movable flying object 100 can transmit the equipment-related information to the management center 400 in a place where the communication environment is good. As a result, equipment-related information can be stably collected and transmitted by the flying object 100.

(D) In the present embodiment, the flying object 100 is configured to supply electric power to the sensor 200 in a non-contact manner. As a result, electric power can be supplied from the flying object 100 to the sensor 200 while the flying object 100 is located in the air. Power can be easily supplied from the flying object 100 to the sensor 200 by making it non-contact when supplying power, that is, by eliminating the need for connecting a connector or the like. Further, for example, even when the steel tower 920 is installed on a slope or the equipment 90 is installed on a bad ground, power can be stably supplied from the flying object 100. As a result, it is possible to achieve both ease and stability of power supply from the flying object 100.

(E) The relay device 300 is configured to relay the transmission of equipment-related information from the sensor 200 to the flying object 100 and the supply of electric power from the flying object 100 to the sensor 200. By relaying the relay device 300 between the flying object 100 and the sensor 200, the sensor 200 can be arranged at an arbitrary optimum position in the equipment 90. Further, even if the sensor 200 is arbitrarily arranged, it is possible to stably transmit equipment-related information from the sensor 200 to the flying object 100 and supply electric power from the flying object 100 to the sensor 200.

(F) The management center 400 aggregates the images captured by the flying object 100 and the equipment-related information collected by the flying object 100. As a result, in the management center 400, the image captured by the flying object 100 and the equipment-related information collected by the flying object 100 can be associated with each other, and the situation of the equipment 90 and its surroundings can be accurately grasped. That is, the abnormality of the equipment 90, which cannot be found only by the image (still image or moving image) captured by the flying object 100, can be grasped and determined based on the equipment-related information by the sensor 200 or their mutual relationship. As a result, it becomes possible to realize advanced maintenance and inspection in the equipment inspection system 10.

(6) Modification Example of One Embodiment of the Present Disclosure The above-described embodiment can be modified as a modification shown below, if necessary. Hereinafter, only the elements different from the above-described embodiment will be described, and the elements substantially the same as the elements described in the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the modified example, the equipment inspection method is different from the above-described embodiment. The equipment inspection system 10 of the modified example is the same as the equipment inspection system 10 of the above-described embodiment.

The equipment inspection method according to the modified example will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an equipment inspection method according to a modified example of the present embodiment. Hereinafter, in the equipment inspection method of the modified example, only the steps different from the method of the above-described embodiment will be described.

(S110: Flight process)
The aircraft body 100 autonomously flies along a predetermined route passing through the equipment 90 to be inspected.

At this time, in this modification, it is not necessary to take an image of the equipment 90 by the image pickup unit 120 of the flying object 100. Alternatively, even if the image pickup unit 120 captures the image of the equipment 90, the storage device 177 does not have to record the high-resolution image data.

(S162: Information transmission process)
When the collection of the equipment-related information from the sensor 200 is completed, the transmission unit 160 of the flying object 100 transmits the equipment-related information collected by the reception unit 150 to the management center 400. At this time, the image captured by the imaging unit 120 does not have to be transmitted.

(S164: Abnormality determination process)
When the information transmission to the management center 400 is completed, the management center 400 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment 90 based on the equipment-related information.

Specifically, when the sensor 200 is configured as the flash sensor 220, the management center 400 determines the abnormality of the equipment 90 based on the contact information in the flash sensor 220. For example, when the contact information in the flash sensor 220 is ON, the management center 400 determines that an accident current caused by a lightning strike or the like has occurred in the steel tower 920 provided with the flash sensor 220.

Alternatively, when the sensor 200 is configured as the tilt sensor 240, the management center 400 determines the abnormality of the equipment 90 based on the tilt angle information of the steel tower 920 in the tilt sensor 240. For example, the amount of tilt displacement is obtained from the tilt angle of the steel tower 920 in the tilt sensor 240. For example, when the amount of tilt displacement is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, the management center 400 determines that the steel tower 920 provided with the tilt sensor 240 has an abnormality.

If it is determined that there is no abnormality in the equipment 90 (No in S164), the flight body 100 continues to collect equipment-related information from the other towers 920 by repeating the steps after the flight process S110.

(S170: Designated position imaging process)
When it is determined that the equipment 90 has an abnormality (Yes in S190), the position where the equipment 90 is determined to have an abnormality is designated, and the designated position is imaged by the flying object 100.

Specifically, the management center 400 instructs the flying object 100 to permit shooting of the equipment 90 in which the abnormality is detected, and the flying object 100 flies to the designated equipment 90 based on the instruction, and the image pickup unit 120 makes an abnormality. The part is automatically photographed. The flight of the flying object 100 is switched from the fully autonomous flight to the flight instructed by the management center 400, and the management center 400 instructs the shooting permission while checking the image sent from the flying object 100 in real time, and the flying object. Based on this, 100 can also take an image of an abnormal portion.

(S180: Information aggregation process)
When the imaging of the flying object 100 at the designated position is completed, the image captured by the imaging unit 120 is transmitted to the management center 400 by the transmission unit 160 of the flying object 100.

When the flying object 100 transmits an image to the management center 400, the management center 400 aggregates the image of the designated position captured by the flying object 100 and the equipment-related information collected by the flying object 100 in the previous steps. As a result, the management center 400 can consider countermeasures against the abnormality of the equipment 90 based on the aggregated images and the equipment-related information.

Subsequent steps are the same as those in the above-described embodiment.

(Effects related to this modification)
In this modification, a position where an abnormality is found in the equipment 90 is designated, and the designated position is imaged by the flying object 100.

Here, when the flying object 100 images the entire equipment 90 along a predetermined route, the data capacity of the image captured by the flying object 100 may be excessively increased. Therefore, the image transmission to the management center 400 may be delayed. Further, the data capacity of the image may exceed the storage capacity of the storage device 177 of the flying object 100.

On the other hand, in the modified example, as described above, the data capacity of the image captured by the flying object 100 can be minimized by having the flying object 100 image only the designated position where the abnormality is determined. .. As a result, the image can be quickly transmitted to the management center 400. Further, even if a high-resolution image at a designated position is acquired, it is possible to prevent the data capacity of the image from exceeding the storage capacity of the storage device 177 of the flying object 100. As a result, it becomes possible to further improve the operational efficiency of the equipment inspection system 10.

As a specific application example of this modification, there is a patrol work of a transmission line accident caused by a lightning strike or the like. Normally, in the patrol work of a power transmission line accident, the local equipment 90 is rushed to check the equipment abnormality and the accident situation. By applying the modified example and utilizing the flying object 100, it is possible to carry out patrol work without going to the site.

First, the flying object 100 rotates around the equipment 90 in which the flash sensor 220 is installed, collects equipment-related information (in that case, contact information of the flash sensor 220), and transmits it to the management center 400. The management center 400 detects the equipment 90 in which the contact information of the flash sensor 220 is ON, and instructs the flying object 100 to permit the shooting of the equipment 90 in which the abnormality is detected. The flying object 100 flies to the designated equipment 90 and takes an image. The management center 400 can confirm the status of the transmission equipment abnormality or the accident point by looking at the image sent from the flight object 100.

<Other Embodiments of the present disclosure>
Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist thereof.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the equipment 90 to be inspected is a power transmission equipment has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this case. The equipment 90 may be other than the power transmission equipment, and may be, for example, a pier, a slope on a mountain road, or the like.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the flying object 100 is configured as a drone has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this case. The flying object 100 may be other than a drone, and may be, for example, a multicopter, a helicopter, an airplane, a flying robot, or the like.

In the above-described embodiment, the flash sensor 220 and the tilt sensor 240 have been described as examples of the sensor 200, but the present invention is not limited to this case. The sensor 200 may be configured to measure, for example, the state of deterioration or corrosion in the tower 920 or the wire 910. Examples of the sensor 200 in this case include a sensor that measures the amount of salt that is a cause of rust and the like in the equipment 90.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the power transmission unit 140 of the flying object 100 is configured to supply electric power to the sensor 200 in a non-contact manner (wirelessly) via the relay device 300 has been described, but only in this case. I can't. The power transmission unit 140 of the aircraft 100 may be configured to, for example, directly contact the relay device 300 or the sensor 200 to supply electric power to the sensor 200. Specifically, the power transmission unit 140 of the flying object 100 is configured to be directly connected to the power receiving unit 310 of the relay device 300 by a predetermined connector or a wire, and to supply electric power to the sensor 200 via the relay device 300. You may be. In this case, it is preferable that the relay device 300 has a stage on which the flying object 100 can land.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the receiving unit 150 of the flying object 100 is configured to receive predetermined equipment-related information from the sensor 200 via the relay device 300 by wireless communication has been described. Not limited. The receiving unit 150 of the flying object 100 may be configured to directly contact, for example, the relay device 300 or the sensor 200 to receive equipment-related information from the sensor 200. Specifically, the receiving unit 150 of the flying object 100 may be configured to directly connect to the transmitting unit 350 of the relay device 300 by a predetermined connector or by wire to receive equipment-related information from the sensor 200.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the transmission unit 160 of the flight object 100 is configured to transmit predetermined information or a signal between the management center 400 and itself by wireless communication has been described. Not limited. As another method of transmitting equipment-related information from the transmission unit 160 of the aircraft 100 to the management center 400, for example, when the aircraft 100 returns to the management center 400, it is managed with the transmission unit 160 of the aircraft 100. Equipment-related information may be directly transmitted from the aircraft 100 to the management center 400 by connecting to the center 400 by a predetermined connector or by wire, or by using a predetermined external recording medium.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the control unit 170 of the flying object 100 and the control unit 370 of the relay device 300 are respectively configured as a computer having a CPU, RAM, and a storage device has been described, but only in this case. do not have. For example, the control unit 170 of the flying object 100 and the control unit 370 of the relay device 300 may be configured as so-called one-chip microcomputers in which a CPU, RAM, a storage device, and the like are mounted on one semiconductor chip, respectively.

<Preferable aspect of the present disclosure>
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be added.

(Appendix 1)
It is an equipment inspection system that inspects the equipment to be inspected.
An air vehicle that captures the above equipment while flying in the air,
A sensor installed in the equipment to measure predetermined equipment-related information,
Have,
The flying object is an equipment inspection system that collects the equipment-related information from the sensor.

(Appendix 2)
The equipment inspection system according to Appendix 1, wherein the flying object supplies electric power to the sensor and collects the equipment-related information from the sensor driven by the supplied electric power.

(Appendix 3)
The equipment inspection system according to Appendix 2, wherein the flying object supplies electric power to the sensor in a non-contact manner.

(Appendix 4)
The description in Appendix 2 or Appendix 3, further comprising a relay device provided in the equipment and relaying the transmission of the equipment-related information from the sensor to the flying object and the supply of the electric power from the flying object to the sensor. Equipment inspection system.

(Appendix 5)
The equipment inspection system according to any one of Supplementary note 1 to Supplementary note 4, wherein the flying object transmits the equipment-related information collected from the sensor to the outside.

(Appendix 6)
The equipment inspection system according to any one of Supplementary note 1 to Supplementary note 5, further comprising a management center for aggregating the image captured by the flying object and the equipment-related information collected by the flying object from the sensor.

(Appendix 7)
An air vehicle included in the equipment inspection system according to any one of Supplementary note 1 to Supplementary note 6.

(Appendix 8)
An air vehicle used to inspect the equipment to be inspected.
At least the flight part that creates lift to fly in the air,
An image pickup unit that captures images of the equipment and
A receiving unit that receives predetermined equipment-related information from a sensor provided in the equipment and collects the equipment-related information.
Aircraft with.

(Appendix 9)
The power supply unit that stores electric power and
A power transmission unit that supplies power from the power supply unit to the sensor,
The flying object according to the appendix 8 having the above.

(Appendix 10)
An air vehicle control program that controls the air vehicle used to inspect the equipment to be inspected.
A flight control unit that controls the flight unit to generate at least lift when flying in the air,
An imaging control unit that controls the imaging unit to image the equipment,
An information collecting unit that receives predetermined equipment-related information from a sensor provided in the equipment via a receiving unit and collects the equipment-related information, and an information collecting unit.
A flying object control program that makes a computer function as a computer, and a recording medium that records it.

(Appendix 11)
The flight object control program according to Appendix 10, wherein the computer functions as a power control unit that supplies electric power from a power supply unit that stores electric power to the sensor.
Alternatively, a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded.

(Appendix 12)
A relay device included in the equipment inspection system described in Appendix 4.

(Appendix 13)
A relay device installed in the equipment to be inspected and used for inspection of the equipment.
A power receiving unit that relays the supply of electric power from the flying object to the sensor,
A transmission unit that relays the transmission of equipment-related information measured by the sensor from the sensor provided in the equipment to the flying object flying in the air.
A relay device having.

(Appendix 14)
It is a relay device control program that is installed in the equipment to be inspected and controls the relay device used for the inspection of the equipment.
A power relay unit that relays the power supply from the flying object to the sensor,
An information relay unit that relays the transmission of equipment-related information measured by the sensor from the sensor provided in the equipment to the flying object flying in the air.
Relay device control program, which makes the computer function as
Alternatively, a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded.

(Appendix 15)
This is an equipment inspection method for inspecting the equipment to be inspected.
The process of imaging the equipment while flying the aircraft in the air,
A process of measuring predetermined equipment-related information by a sensor provided in the equipment, and
The process of collecting the equipment-related information from the sensor by the flying object, and
Equipment inspection method.

10 Equipment inspection system 90 Equipment 100 Aircraft 110 Flying unit 120 Imaging unit 130 Power supply unit 140 Transmission unit 150 Reception unit 160 Transmission unit 170 Control unit 171 CPU
172 Flight control unit 173 Image control unit 174 Information collection unit 175 Power control unit 176 RAM
177 Storage device 178 I / O port 200 Sensor 220 Flash sensor 222 Coil 224 Contact management unit 240 Tilt sensor 300 Relay device 310 Power receiving unit 320 DC / DC conversion unit 330 Voltage output unit 340 Input / output unit 350 Transmission unit 370 Control unit 371 CPU
372 Power relay unit 373 Information relay unit 376 RAM
377 Storage device 378 I / O port 400 Management center 910 Wire 920 Tower

Claims (8)

It is an equipment inspection system that inspects the equipment to be inspected.
An air vehicle that captures the above equipment while flying in the air,
A sensor installed in the equipment to measure predetermined equipment-related information,
Have,
The flying object is an equipment inspection system that collects the equipment-related information from the sensor. The equipment inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the flying object supplies electric power to the sensor and collects the equipment-related information from the sensor driven by the supplied electric power. The equipment inspection system according to claim 2, wherein the flying object supplies electric power to the sensor in a non-contact manner. 3. Equipment inspection system described in. The equipment inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the flying object transmits the equipment-related information collected from the sensor to the outside. An air vehicle included in the equipment inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The relay device included in the equipment inspection system according to claim 4. This is an equipment inspection method for inspecting the equipment to be inspected.
The process of imaging the equipment while flying the aircraft in the air,
A process of measuring predetermined equipment-related information by a sensor provided in the equipment, and
The process of collecting the equipment-related information from the sensor by the flying object, and
Equipment inspection method.

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