KR20200038126A - Drone-bot apparatus for plant inspection - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the features of the present invention, a drone-bot apparatus for plant inspection for inspecting defects having occurred in a plant (P) including a storage tank or a pipe comprises: a drone body (110) for flying through the air according to a control signal of a ground control device (200) and capable of hovering with a plurality of propellers (111) mounted therearound to rotate about vertical axes; an arm module (120) mounted on the drone body (110) and having a structure in which the length thereof is extended and reduced laterally according to a control signal; a probe (130) mounted at the tip of the arm module (120); an electromagnet (140) mounted on the probe (130) and forming a magnetic field according to a control signal to selectively fix the probe (130) to the surface of the plant (P); an inspection module (150) mounted on the probe (130) and generating non-destructive inspection data for an inspection portion (A) of the plant (P); and a control module (160) for driving and controlling the arm module (120), the electromagnet (140), and the inspection module (150). Therefore, the drone-bot apparatus can ensure inspection reliability.

Description

DRONE-BOT DEVICE FOR PLANT INSPECTION {DRONE-BOT APPARATUS FOR PLANT INSPECTION}

The present invention relates to a dronebot device for plant inspection used to inspect defects in a plant such as a storage tank or a pipe, and more specifically, performs a precise and safe inspection operation even in a high location or a dangerous place that is difficult for an operator to access. It is related to a dronebot device for plant inspection that can be performed.

In general, plants such as storage tanks and pipes are subjected to non-destructive inspection using ultrasonic waves or lasers to check whether there are defects such as cracks or thickness changes due to external shocks or secular changes periodically during and after manufacturing and after use. lost.

To this end, the operator who carried the non-destructive inspection equipment had to inspect the surface of the plant with a large ladder by moving the surface of the plant using an elevated ladder, so the inspection time and inspection cost increased, and accidents between work could occur. In the case of a plant generating harmful gas or radioactivity, there was a problem in that the work efficiency and the accuracy of inspection were remarkably deteriorated because the workers had to have protective clothing.

In order to solve this problem, recently, attempts have been made to ultrasonically inspect plant defects using a drone, but due to the nature of the drone that easily flows by the wind, the inspection itself was not possible during strong winds, and even when the weather was good, in flight There was a problem that the inspection reliability was deteriorated due to the frequent occurrence of noise in the inspection data by influencing the reflected waves of the emitted ultrasonic waves.

Published Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0025413 (2018.03.09), ultrasonic inspection method for large structures using drones.

The present invention was created to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the object of the present invention is to securely fix the probe to the surface of the plant during non-destructive inspection using the adsorption power of an electromagnet, so that inspection can be performed even in strong windy weather and drones. It is to provide a dronebot device for plant inspection that can secure the inspection reliability by blocking the minute vibrations generated during flight.

Another object of the present invention is to measure the separation distance between the probe and the surface of the plant with a distance measuring module, the dronebot device for plant inspection that can minimize the inspection error because the inspection module can perform non-destructive inspection in a state perpendicular to the surface of the plant. In providing.

According to a feature of the present invention, in a dronebot device for inspecting a plant for inspecting a defect occurring in a plant (P) including a storage tank or a pipe, a vertical axis while flying over the control signal of the ground control device 200 A plurality of rotating propeller 111 is mounted around the drone body 110 capable of hovering; An arm module 120 mounted on the drone body 110 and having a structure in which a length extends laterally according to a control signal; A probe 130 mounted on the front end of the arm module 120; An electromagnet 140 mounted on the probe 130 and forming a magnetic field according to a control signal to selectively fix the probe 130 to the surface of the plant P; An inspection module 150 mounted on the probe 130 and generating non-destructive inspection data for the inspection portion A of the plant P; And a control module 160 for driving and controlling the arm module 120, the electromagnet 140, and the inspection module 150. A dronebot device for plant inspection is provided.

According to another feature of the present invention, a plurality of dispersively arranged at regular intervals on the front surface 131 of the probe 130 and a distance measuring module 170 for measuring a separation distance from the surface of the plant P; Further included, the control module 160, if the distance value measured in each distance measurement module 170 are all the same or within the tolerance range from the reference distance value, the probe 130 by the electromagnet 140 Provided is a dronebot device for plant inspection, characterized in that driving control is performed so as to be non-destructive inspection by the inspection module 150 in a state fixed to the surface of the plant (P).

According to another feature of the invention, the inspection module 150 emits ultrasonic waves on the surface of the inspection portion (A) of the plant (P) and receives reflected waves reflected therein to generate non-destructive inspection data, and the probe ( Dronebot device for plant inspection, characterized in that it further comprises; ultrasonic gel injection module 180 that is mounted on the front surface 131 of the 130 to spray the ultrasonic gel toward the inspection portion (A) according to the control signal; Is provided.

According to another feature of the invention, the defect display module 190 is mounted on the probe 130 to display the detected defect location by spraying paint toward the inspection portion (A) according to a control signal; Dronebot device for plant inspection is provided, characterized in that.

According to another feature of the present invention, a plurality of electromagnets 140 are distributed at regular intervals on the front surface 131 of the probe 130, and each electromagnet ( 140) is mounted to the actuator 141 that is driven forward and backward, and the control module 160 controls each actuator 141 individually to control the distance value of each distance measurement module 170. A dronebot device for plant inspection is provided.

According to the present invention as described above,

First, the drone body 110 flying in the air by the ground control device 200 is capable of hovering by having a plurality of propellers 111 rotating around a vertical axis and capable of hovering, and an arm module mounted on the drone body 110 120 is composed of a structure in which the length is extended in the lateral direction, the probe 130 is mounted on the tip, and the probe 130 is an inspection module that generates non-destructive inspection data for the inspection portion (A) of the plant (P). (150) is mounted, it is possible to perform a non-destructive test in a state in which the probe 130 is in close contact with the inspection portion (A) in the flying state of the drone body 110, the probe 130 has a magnetic field according to the control signal By forming the probe 130 can be selectively fixed to the surface of the plant P, inspection can be performed even in strong windy weather, and microscopic vibrations generated during the flight of the drone are blocked to ensure inspection reliability.

Second, on the front surface 131 of the probe 130, a plurality of distance measurement modules 170 for measuring the separation distance from the surface of the plant P are distributedly distributed, and the control module 160 includes a distance measurement module ( If the separation distance values measured at 170) are all the same or within the tolerance range from the reference separation distance value, the probe 130 is fixed to the surface of the plant P by the electromagnet 140 to the inspection module 150. By driving control so that the non-destructive inspection is performed, the non-destructive inspection can be performed while the inspection module 150 is vertically disposed on the surface of the plant P, thereby minimizing inspection errors.

Third, the inspection module 150 emits ultrasonic waves on the surface of the inspection portion (A) of the plant P and receives reflected waves reflected therein to generate non-destructive inspection data, and the front surface 131 of the probe 130 ) Since the ultrasonic gel injection module 180 is mounted, the ultrasonic gel can be injected toward the inspection portion (A) according to the control signal, so that there is an air gap between the inspection surface of the inspection module 150 and the surface of the inspection portion (A). This can be prevented from occurring and contact friction between surfaces can be prevented to provide a condition for continuous sliding inspection.

Fourth, the probe 130 is equipped with a defect display module 190 that sprays paint toward the inspection portion (A) according to a control signal, so that non-destructive inspection and defect display operations can be performed at the same time. It can be easier.

Fifth, a plurality of electromagnets 140 are distributedly distributed at regular intervals on the front surface 131 of the probe 130, and each electromagnet 140 is driven forward and backward according to a control signal inside the probe 130. The actuator 141 is mounted, and the control module 160 controls the distance of each distance measuring module 170 by driving and controlling each actuator 141 individually, so that the plant of the inspection module 150 can be controlled. P) If not perpendicular to the surface, the inspection module 150 can be easily adjusted to the vertical state using each actuator 141 without having to adjust the position of the probe 130 by moving the drone body 110.

1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a dronebot device for plant inspection according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a dronebot device for plant inspection according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the ground control device is installed in a drone mobile station according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
4 and 5 is a side view showing a configuration in which the arm module is folded and stretched according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
Figure 6 is a side view showing a configuration in which the arm module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is retracted and stretched inside each frame,
7 is an enlarged perspective view showing the main configuration of a dronebot device for plant inspection according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
8 is a side view showing the configuration in which the ultrasonic gel is injected from the ultrasonic gel injection module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
Figure 9 is a side view showing a state in which the probe is fixed to the surface of the plant by an electromagnet according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
10 is a side view showing a state in which the inspection module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention inspects the inspection site non-destructively;
11 is a side view showing a configuration in which a defect location is displayed by applying a coating material from a defect display module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
12 is a side view showing a configuration in which the electromagnet according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is length-adjusted by an actuator,
13 is a side view showing a configuration in which a curved surface is formed in an electromagnet and an inspection module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The objects, features and advantages of the present invention described above will become more apparent through the following detailed description. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A dronebot device for plant inspection according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a device used to inspect defects in a plant P, such as a storage tank or a pipe, using a drone, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 It includes a drone body 110, an arm module 120, a probe 130, an electromagnet 140, an inspection module 150, and a control module 160.

First, the drone body 110 is a means for moving the inspection module 150 required for non-destructive inspection of the plant P to the inspection site A of the plant P, and the control signal of the ground control device 200 According to a plurality of propellers 111 that rotate in the vertical axis while flying in the sky, it is possible to hover. This hovering function is used to minimize the flow of the probe 130 by stopping the movement of the drone body 110 during non-destructive inspection by the inspection module 150.

Here, the drone main body 110 is provided with a flight control means (Flying Control) can be steered to fly to a specified position according to the control signal (movement command) of the ground control device 200, not shown, but the gyroscope, Various sensors and propeller driving means including an acceleration sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, and a pressure sensor are provided, and the flight control means uses each sensed value according to a control signal according to a manual operation or automatic control of the ground control device 200. By driving and controlling the propeller driving means, the drone body 110 operates to fly to a designated position while maintaining balance.

Here, the ground control device 200 is a control means having a GCS (Ground Control System) for driving control so that the drone body 110 can fly to a desired position, and is disposed on the ground, so that the drone body 110 It controls the flight movement and receives an image captured by the camera 130 mounted on the probe 130 or the drone body 110, and outputs the image on the display 210 so that the operator can monitor it.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, an input unit 220 for manipulating the operating state and setting items of the device is provided. In addition, a communication unit (not shown) and a drone body 110 for data transmission and reception with the drone body 110 are provided. A control unit (not shown) for generating a control signal for driving control is provided, and an automatic navigation system, an automatic take-off and landing system, and a control / monitoring system are installed. Other functions include temperature check function, cooling fan automatic start function, and operating voltage current A check function, a battery level check function, and an audio on / off function may be implemented.

In addition, the ground control device 200 may be mounted on the drone mobile station 300 to have mobility. More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the drone mobile station 300 is movable along a movement path. The mobile vehicle 310, a control room 321 loaded on the mobile vehicle 310 and providing space for flight control and monitoring, and a drone waiting room 322 providing space for accommodating the drone 200 are provided. Each includes a console box 320 provided inside, and the ground control device 200 is installed and operated in a control room 321 and is signal-connected to the drone body 110 to control the drone body 110 for flight control. The signal is transmitted and the received image is displayed on the display 210.

And, as shown in Figure 3, the drone waiting room 322 is equipped with an opening / closing door 312 that opens and closes to allow the drone 200 to enter and exit, and the opening / closing door 312 is mounted on the bottom surface of the drone waiting room 322. The rail 341 extended in the entry / exit direction and the plate shape horizontally arranged so that the drone 200 may be seated on the upper portion and is supported on the rail 341 and slide out in the exit direction. Drone withdrawal means is provided that includes a plate 342 and a driving unit 313 that provides a driving force required for the drawing plate 342 to slide. Here, the opening / closing door 312 is preferably operated in an automatic opening / closing method that is automatically opened or closed while being automatically wound or unwound by the driving means 313. Through the drone mobile station 300, it is possible to effectively solve the hassle of setting and removing the ground control device 200 at the start or end of the operation of the drone body 110.

In addition, the ground control device 200 may receive the non-destructive inspection data generated by the inspection module 150 and analyze the inspection data using the stored analysis program to display the effect derived by analyzing the inspection data on the display 210.

The arm module 120 is mounted on the drone body 110 as a frame structure that mounts the probe 130 and maintains a safe distance from the plant (P) at the same time. Have Here, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the arm module 120 is formed in a bar shape and disposed at a fastening portion between the plurality of frames 121 to which each end is fastened and each frame so as to be foldable between each other. It consists of a hinge (122) to minimize the volume by folding each frame in the normal as shown in Figure 4, and during the inspection operation, the drone body (110) plant (P) by unfolding each frame 121 as shown in Figure 5 (P ), The probe 130 can be brought into contact with the surface of the plant P in a state spaced apart from a certain distance. In addition, a driving motor (not shown) that is driven and controlled by the control module 160 may be mounted at each hinge part 122 to automatically fold the folding operation.

In addition to the foldable structure, as shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of expansion and contraction frames 123 having different inner diameters are formed in a series of assembled structures, so that the expansion and contraction frame 123 having a relatively small inner diameter inside the expansion and contraction frame 123 with a large inner diameter ) As it is inserted or withdrawn, its extended length may be adjusted.

The probe 130 provides a space in which the electromagnet 140, the inspection module 150 and the ultrasonic gel injection module 180 and the defect display module 190, which will be described later, can be mounted, and is provided at the tip of the arm module 120. Mounted and selectively close to the surface of the plant P, as shown in FIG. 8, a hemispherical rotation groove 124 is provided on the rear surface of the probe 130, and a spherical shape is formed at the tip of the arm module 120. The rotating ball 132 is mounted, the rotating ball 132 is inserted into the rotating groove 124, and the probe 130 can be freely rotated with respect to the arm module 120.

The electromagnet 140 is mounted on the front surface 131 of the probe 130 and forms a magnetic field according to a control signal to selectively fix the probe 130 to the surface of the plant P. Here, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of electromagnets 140 are distributedly disposed at regular intervals on the front surface 131 of the probe 130 so that the front surface 131 of the probe 130 is of the plant P. Make sure to adhere evenly to the surface.

The inspection module 150 is mounted on the front surface 131 of the probe 130 and generates non-destructive inspection data for the inspection part A of the plant P, preferably the inspection part of the plant P ( A) It is preferable to generate non-destructive inspection data by radiating ultrasonic waves from the surface toward the inside and receiving the reflected wave reflected from the inside.

Here, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, an ultrasonic gel injection module 180 is mounted on the front surface 131 of the probe 130 to inject the ultrasonic gel toward the inspection site A according to a control signal. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of voids between the inspection surface of the inspection module 150 and the surface of the inspection area (A), and to prevent contact friction between the surfaces to provide conditions for continuous sliding inspection.

In addition to these ultrasonic testing methods, Magnetic Particle Testing, Liquid Penetrant Test, Eddy Current Testing, Radiation Testing, and Leak Testing ), Acoustic Emission Testing, Infraed Thermographic Testing, Neutron Radiographic Testing and Stress Measurement Testing can be used. An appropriate inspection method is used according to the type, scale, and surrounding environment of the plant, and inspection means mounted on the inspection module 150 varies according to the inspection method.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the surface of the plant P can be partially detected by dividing a large inspection area of the plant P in the non-destructive inspection by using the inspection module 150 on the surface of the plant P. In addition, it may further include a guide marking (M) indicating the inspection direction while being spaced apart at regular intervals. Here, the guide marking (M) is made of a + -shape as shown in the drawing, and the inspection area can be systematically spaced apart. In addition, various identification symbols or patterns used to display each position, such as a grid shape and a × shape Can be used. The guide marking (M) may be arranged in a form in which a small adhesive tape is attached to the surface of the plant (P) or a coating or ink is applied to the surface, and it is preferable to use a means that is easy to remove after work.

The control module 160 is a controller that drives and controls the ultrasonic gel injection module 180 and the defect display module 190, which will be described later, including the arm module 120, the electromagnet 140, and the inspection module 150. It may be mounted inside the main body 110 or the probe 130. The control module 160 drives and controls each part and module by controlling the ground control device 200 or a separate motor-learning means through the communication means of the drone body 110 or a separate communication means, and the inspection module 150 ) Performs the function of transmitting and controlling the non-destructive inspection data generated in.

Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, a plurality of distance measuring modules 170 for measuring the separation distance from the surface of the plant P are distributed on the front surface 131 of the probe 130, If the separation distance values measured by the distance measurement module 170 are all the same or within the tolerance range from the reference separation distance value, the control module 160 causes the probe 130 to be attached to the surface of the plant P by the electromagnet 140. By driving control so that the non-destructive inspection is performed by the inspection module 150 in a fixed state, the inspection module 150 can perform a non-destructive inspection in a state perpendicular to the surface of the plant P, thereby minimizing inspection errors. can do. As such a distance measuring module 170, a laser range finder (LRF) may be preferably used, and various measuring means capable of measuring a separation distance from an opposite surface in the technical field to which the present invention pertains are provided. Can be used.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, the probe 130 is equipped with a defect display module 190 for spraying paint toward the inspection portion A according to a control signal, so that non-destructive inspection and defect display operations can be performed simultaneously. Thereby, defect repair work can be made easier.

In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 12, an actuator 141 for mounting each electromagnet 140 forward and backward according to a control signal is mounted inside the probe 130, and the control module 160 includes each actuator 141. ) Can be individually controlled to control the distance value of each distance measurement module 170, so that the probe 130 is moved by moving the drone body 110 when it is not perpendicular to the surface of the plant P of the inspection module 150. ) It is possible to easily adjust the inspection module 150 in a vertical state by using each actuator 141 without having to adjust the position.

Here, when the length of each electromagnet 140 is increased or decreased as a whole, the inspection module 150 may be spaced apart from the surface of the plant P or interference may occur, thereby limiting the length of the electromagnet 140. Accordingly, as shown in the drawing, it is preferable that a module actuator 171 is mounted inside the probe 130 to urge the inspection module 150 forward according to a control signal.

On the other hand, when the surface curvature of the plant P exceeds a certain level, the contact force of each electromagnet 140 mounted on the probe 130 is limited or the contact area is small, so that the fixing force may be weakened. 13, a curved surface 142 having a curvature corresponding to the surface of the plant P is formed on the front surface of the electromagnet 140, and the plant P is similarly formed on the front surface of the inspection module 150. ) It is preferable that the curved surface 152 having a curvature corresponding to the surface. Here, the front end of the electromagnet 140 or the inspection module 150 is equipped with a detachable plate material and curved surfaces 142 and 152 having different curvatures are formed on a plurality of plate materials to match the curvature of the plant P. It is preferable that the curved surfaces 142 and 152 of curvature are provided to mount the plate material.

Next, the operation principle of the dronebot device for plant inspection according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, the user uses the ground control device 200 to fly control the drone body 110 so that the drone body 110 approaches the plant P. Thereafter, when the arm module 120 is driven and controlled, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the arm module 120 is extended to the side, so that the probe 130 at the distal end approaches the inspection portion A of the plant P.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 8, the ultrasonic gel injection module 180 is driven and controlled so that the ultrasonic gel is applied to the inspection part A, and when the application is completed, the probe 130 is inspected as shown in FIG. 9. To be in close contact with the inspection module 150 so as to contact the inspection site (A). In this state, it is checked whether the distance values measured in each distance measurement module 170 are all the same or within the tolerance range from the reference distance value. Here, the measurement procedure can be repeatedly performed multiple times (for example, three times in a row).

Then, when all the separation distance values are the same or within the tolerance range, the driving of each electromagnet 140 is controlled so that the probe 130 is fixed to the surface of the inspection part A, and the same or outside the tolerance range While the drone body 110 is moved so that the position of the probe 130 is slightly changed, the separation distance value is adjusted to be within the same or tolerance range. At this time, by using the actuator 141 to adjust the appearance length of each electromagnet 140, it is also possible to adjust the distance value without moving the drone body 110.

Here, after fixing the probe 130 through the electromagnet 140 in a state where the probe 130 is in close contact with the inspection portion A, separation distance measurement by each distance measuring module 170 may be performed. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10, the non-destructive inspection is performed by the inspection module 150, and the non-destructive inspection data according to the inspection is transmitted to the ground control device 200 to perform an analysis procedure, and a defect occurs according to the analysis result. If it is determined to be the position, as shown in FIG. 11, the defect display module 190 is driven and controlled to display the location where the defect is detected on the surface of the plant P. After that, the inspection area (A) is changed and a defect inspection is performed on the inspection area of the plant (P).

The present invention described above is not limited by the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings, and various substitutions, modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the present invention without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. It will be apparent to those who have knowledge.

110 ... drone body 111 ... propeller
120 ... arm module 130 ... probe
140 ... electromagnet 141 ... actuator
150 ... Inspection module 160 ... Control module
170 ... Distance measurement module 180 ... Ultrasonic gel injection module
190 ... Defect display module 200 ... Ground control device
A ... inspection site 300 ... drone mobile station
M ... Guide marking P ... Plant

Claims (3)

In the dronebot device for plant inspection for inspecting the defects in the plant (P) containing a storage tank or pipe,
A drone body 110 capable of hovering with a plurality of propellers 111 that fly in the air and rotate in the vertical axis according to the control signal of the ground control device 200;
An arm module 120 mounted on the drone body 110 and having a structure in which a length extends laterally according to a control signal;
A probe 130 mounted on the front end of the arm module 120;
An electromagnet 140 mounted on the probe 130 and forming a magnetic field according to a control signal to selectively fix the probe 130 to the surface of the plant P;
An inspection module 150 mounted on the probe 130 and generating non-destructive inspection data for the inspection portion A of the plant P; And
A control module 160 for driving control of the arm module 120, the electromagnet 140, and the inspection module 150; a dronebot device for plant inspection.
The method according to claim 1,
It further includes a distance measuring module 170 for distributing a plurality of pieces at regular intervals on the front surface 131 of the probe 130 and measuring a separation distance from the surface of the plant P.
In the control module 160, if the separation distance values measured in each distance measurement module 170 are all the same or within the tolerance range from the reference separation distance value, the probe 130 is installed by the electromagnet 140 by the electromagnet 140. Drone bot device for plant inspection, characterized in that the driving control so that the non-destructive inspection by the inspection module 150 in a state fixed to the surface of the.
The method according to claim 1 or claim 2,
The inspection module 150 emits ultrasonic waves to the surface of the inspection portion (A) of the plant P and receives reflected waves reflected therein to generate non-destructive inspection data,
It is mounted on the front surface 131 of the probe 130, the ultrasonic gel injection module 180 for spraying the ultrasonic gel toward the inspection site (A) according to the control signal; plant inspection characterized in that it further comprises a Dronebot device.

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