CN-122014956-A - Pipeline detection robot based on echinoderm inspired bionic variable stiffness structure

CN122014956ACN 122014956 ACN122014956 ACN 122014956ACN-122014956-A

Abstract

The invention discloses a pipeline detection robot based on a echinoderm inspired bionic variable stiffness structure, which is suitable for detection, maintenance and obstacle avoidance operation of pipelines in complex environments such as space stations and the like, and the robot is formed by connecting a plurality of platform monomers in series through universal joint shaft couplers, wherein each monomer comprises a platform, thighs, shanks, a power output system and foot end actuators, a motor is arranged in the middle of the platform, and the output drives the thighs to swing through straight bevel gears and wheel shafts; the platform flank steering engine drives the shank to pitch around the rotating shaft, so that the double-freedom-degree motion is realized. The foot end actuator adopts a roller mechanism with a switchable mode, and supports two working states of rolling and rigid support. All modules are mechanically connected through self-lubricating universal joints, have the deflection capacity of +/-30 degrees, and realize module posture coordination and structure reconstruction. The system has high flexibility, high adaptability and dynamic stability, and can stably operate in reducing, bending, vertical and other pipeline sections.

Inventors

ZHANG YIXIN
WANG SHAOPING
ZHENG ZHENG
WANG XINGJIAN
MIAO YINAN
JIA LE
LI XIAOYAN
ZHANG SHAOHAN
WAN WENJING
YI ZHIHENG
WANG GUANZHE
WU TONG

Assignees

北京航空航天大学

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20260311

Claims (10)

1. The utility model provides a pipeline detection robot based on echinoderm heuristic bionical variable stiffness structure, includes two robot monomer and two running gear totality (8), its characterized in that, robot monomer with running gear totality (8) are in turn alternate series connection and are made up the modularization robot of linear structure, robot monomer with running gear totality (8) are connected through universal joint coupling (1), every universal joint coupling (1) include cross axle pin and self-lubricating copper bush structure, its axle pin inserts in the axle hole of robot monomer lateral platform (11), realizes the mechanical and electrical dual connection between the module to allow between the adjacent module to realize the biggest relative deflection of + -30 in a plurality of directions, the yaw friction moment is not more than 1.5N.m, thereby make the robot possess flexible pivoted initiative and close ability in order to adapt to complicated pipeline environment.
2. The robot for detecting the pipeline based on the echinoderm-inspired bionic variable stiffness structure is characterized in that the robot monomer comprises a platform (11), a thigh (6), a shank (13), a bevel gear transmission mechanism, an axle (12), a steering engine (4), a rotating shaft (14), a gear box module (2), a monomer (7) with the platform and a foot end roller (10), the platform (11) is used as a supporting matrix of the monomer structure, the centers of the platform are vertically provided with a direct current motor (3), an output shaft of the motor (3) is coaxially connected with a straight bevel gear (5) through a flat key coupler, the straight bevel gear (5) and the transversely arranged axle (12) realize 90-degree orthogonal meshing transmission in space, one end of the axle (12) is inserted into the root of the thigh (6) through a D-shaped axle end to realize torque transmission, the thigh (6) can swing around the axle (12) by 30 degrees, the far end of the thigh (6) is hinged with the shank (13) through the rotating shaft (14), the shank (13) is driven by the steering engine (4) arranged on the side wings, the tail end (13) is provided with a driving end (13) for driving the foot end of the steering engine (4) to form a supporting structure, and the foot end (13) is used for driving the robot to form a free fitting structure.
3. The pipeline detection robot based on the echinoderm inspired bionic variable stiffness structure is characterized in that an ISO P4-precision class deep groove ball bearing is integrated in the foot roller (10) and is coated with polyurethane materials, the Shore hardness is 80A so as to improve the adaptability of the foot roller on a wet sliding or corrosion pipe wall, the roller (10) is installed at the tail end of a shank (13) through a quick-release pin structure and has two working states of a rolling mode and a supporting mode, the bearing is unlocked in the rolling mode, the roller (10) can freely rotate to reduce friction, the friction coefficient is not more than 0.05, the rigid foot support leg is locked in the supporting mode, the bearing capacity can exceed 200N, and the robot is suitable for climbing, braking or obstacle crossing and other working situations.
4. The pipeline detection robot based on the echinoderm heuristic bionic variable stiffness structure is characterized in that pitching control of the lower leg (13) is achieved by a bus type steering engine (4) fixedly installed on a side wing of a platform (11), the steering engine (4) is locked on a side installation hole of the platform (11) through a high-strength aluminum alloy integral milling steering engine clamp (9), an output shaft of the steering engine (4) is connected with a rotating shaft (14) of the lower leg (13) through an Oldham coupling, the coupling can absorb radial assembly errors of +/-0.1 mm to ensure transmission stability, the maximum output torque of the steering engine (4) is 30Kg cm, the pitching adjustment angle range is-45 DEG to +45 DEG, closed loop control precision is better than +/-0.5 DEG, dynamic response time is less than 0.2 seconds, and rapidness and stability of leg movement are guaranteed.
5. The pipeline detection robot based on the echinoderm inspired bionic variable stiffness structure is characterized in that the bevel gear transmission mechanism adopts a 2:1 transmission ratio, the 2000 rpm output by the direct current motor (3) is reduced to 1000 rpm output by the wheel shaft (12), the meshing clearance between the bevel gear and the wheel shaft (12) is not more than 0.05mm under the control of processing precision, the efficient and low-noise power transmission performance is ensured, the transmission efficiency is not less than 92%, the excellent gear meshing state can be maintained in the long-term operation process, and the pipeline detection robot is suitable for the requirements of frequent start-stop and stable operation in complex path environments.
6. The pipeline detection robot based on the echinoderm-inspired bionic variable stiffness structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the wheel axle (12) is formed by processing nitriding 40Cr steel, the surface hardness reaches HRC 50-HRC 55 so as to improve the wear resistance and fatigue life of the wheel axle, one end of the wheel axle (12) is provided with a D-shaped key slot structure, the wheel axle is embedded with a metal jack at the root of a thigh (6) in a matched manner, the anti-skid and anti-deflection capacity in the torque transmission process is ensured, and the other end of the wheel axle (12) is installed in the internal structure of a platform (11) through a double-support bearing so as to maintain the coaxial stability of the wheel axle during rotation.
7. The pipeline detection robot based on the echinoderm inspired bionic variable stiffness structure is characterized in that the steering engine clamp (9) is of an aluminum alloy integral forging forming structure, the surface of the steering engine clamp is subjected to hard anodic oxidation treatment to improve corrosion resistance and structural rigidity, a plurality of groups of standard mounting holes are formed in the bottom of the steering engine clamp (9) to be suitable for steering engine (4) equipment of different specifications, an embedded rubber buffer pad is used for damping and eliminating assembly stress, the mounting stability of the steering engine (4) can be kept under a high-frequency vibration working condition, and the service life of the steering engine (4) is effectively prolonged.
8. The pipeline detection robot based on the echinoderm inspired bionic variable stiffness structure is characterized in that the connecting structure of the universal joint coupler (1) consists of a central shaft pin of a cross structure, an oil-containing copper sleeve and a shell dust ring, shaft holes of two end platforms (11) are of interference fit structures, the coupler is assembled and has an angle deflection capacity of +/-30 degrees to adapt to the change of a complex pipeline path, and the self-lubricating copper sleeve ensures that the self-lubricating copper sleeve keeps a high-efficiency low-friction state in long-period operation and is suitable for pipeline passing requirements with a minimum bending radius of 150 mm.
9. The pipeline detection robot based on the echinoderm heuristic bionic variable stiffness structure is characterized in that the robot is controlled by an ESP32 series main control unit, a control system integrates PWM output and bus communication functions, the action of a motor (3) and a steering engine (4) is periodically issued by the main control system, a rhythm control instruction is issued by combining with a wheel shaft (12) position signal acquired by a Hall encoder for feedback correction, the overall control is based on an incremental PID algorithm to realize closed-loop adjustment of the pitching angle of the steering engine (4) and the positive pressure of the wheel shaft (12), wherein a foot pressure control threshold is set to 15+/-2N, and the dynamic optimization of gesture adjustment and ground fitting force of the robot is ensured under different working conditions.
10. The pipeline detection robot based on the echinoderm-inspired bionic variable stiffness structure, according to claim 9, is characterized in that the modular structure is connected through a quick-plug mechanical-electrical interface, so that the rapid deployment and module topology reconstruction of the robot can be realized, the robot is suitable for the internal operation of a special-shaped space pipeline with the diameter of 150-350 mm and comprising a bending section, a vertical section, a reducing section and a T-shaped branching section, the cooperative control of the swing of a thigh (6) and the pitching action of a shank (13) is combined with the deflection freedom degree of a universal joint, the omnidirectional movement capacity of the whole robot with high adaptability is realized, compared with the traditional wheel type structure, the energy consumption of the robot in the obstacle crossing process is reduced by about 38%, and the radial space occupied in the pipeline is reduced by about 40%.

Description

Pipeline detection robot based on echinoderm inspired bionic variable stiffness structure Technical Field The invention relates to the technical field of robots, in particular to a small pipeline detection robot based on a echinoderm inspired bionic variable stiffness structure design, and a pipeline detection robot based on an echinoderm inspired bionic variable stiffness structure. Background The pipeline is an indispensable part of modern industry and civil infrastructure, and is a main means for conveying fluid and gas in industries and application fields such as oil refineries, chemical plants, power plants, outer space stations and the like. The space station pipeline has a complex structure, large pipe diameter span, abrupt change and discontinuity, and the robot is suitable for the space station pipeline to complete autonomous movement, which is a great challenge. Inspection of these pipes is critical because failure can lead to catastrophic accidents and even threatens personnel life safety. If the pipeline leaks, the cabin pressure can be reduced, the life of astronauts is threatened, and if the propellant pipeline breaks, hydrazine fuel leakage can be caused, so that the propulsion system is paralyzed. While regular maintenance and overhaul is an effective means of reducing the risk of accidents, not all pipes are easy to do. The special robot is used for carrying the detection equipment, and automatic detection is carried out along the inner wall or the outer wall of the pipeline, so that not only are the overhaul efficiency and safety improved, but also the risk of manual operation is reduced, and an effective way for solving the overhaul problem of the pipeline is provided. The existing pipeline robot has three pain points, namely, most of the pipeline robot is a wheeled trolley and a crawler trolley, the pipeline robot does not have the capability of detecting vertical pipelines, the pipeline robot occupies a large volume, is easy to clamp when capsizing or encountering sediment and pipeline damage, and communication signals in the pipeline are not or are weaker, and communication has delay. Therefore, the development of the pipeline detection robot suitable for the complex environment has important strategic significance for safe operation in the extreme environment, improving the detection efficiency and reliability, breaking through the bottleneck of the communication technology and guaranteeing the industrial safety. Disclosure of Invention The invention provides a pipeline detection robot, which aims to solve the problems in the current pipeline detection, such as the blockage of the motion state of the robot caused by pipeline breakage, sediment accumulation, a pipeline with a complex shape and the like. Therefore, the robot provided by the invention imitates the motion mechanism of echinoderm, including the foot organs of starfish, sea urchin, sea cucumber and the like, which shrink in the body when in static state and extend outwards when in motion, and provides a bionic variable stiffness design thought of passive stretching and stress shrinkage, so that the flexible telescopic pipeline detection robot is designed. The robot can passively adjust the angle of outwards extending according to the pipeline diameter, and the torsional spring is used as energy storage device to produce pressure and makes it closely laminate with the pipe wall, makes the robot have very big flexibility. The universal joint mechanism and the driving device are connected together innovatively, so that the forward-rotary coupling motion of the robot can be realized, the change of the running route of the robot is realized, and the corresponding obstacle avoidance function is realized. The robot can adaptively deform in a complex pipeline network, improves the detection efficiency and fault tolerance, and has wide industrial application prospect. In order to achieve the above purpose, the present invention adopts the following technical scheme: A small pipeline detection robot based on a echinoderm inspired bionic variable stiffness structure adopts a modularized design, each module consists of three telescopic leg-joint units (A) and a tripod-connecting unit (B), the telescopic leg-joint units (A) are responsible for adapting to different pipe diameters and driving control, the tripod-connecting units (B) are responsible for connecting different monomers and adaptively adjusting 'passive stretching and stress shrinking', and the different monomers are connected through the tripod-connecting units so as to form the modularized variable structure robot, so that flexible reconstruction can be carried out according to task requirements. Preferably, the telescopic leg-joint unit (a) comprises a tripod hinge (A1), a telescopic leg inner core (A2) and an outer sleeve (A3), the tripod hinge (A1) is movably connected to the tripod-connecting unit (B) and forms a first end of the telescopic leg-joint unit (a), the teles