大直径长引水隧洞水下检测机器人系统关键技术

[Significance] Headrace tunnels are key structures of major projects characterized by long tunnel lines, large tunnel diameters, high water pressure, and complex surrounding rock geology. Typical defects, such as cracks, landslides, and exposed reinforcement, will occur during long years of operation. If they are not prevented, the safe operation of the project will be seriously affected. Long cycles, high safety risk, high leak rate, and insufficient information are all issues with traditional manual inspection. Given the urgent need for regular inspection of large-diameter and super-long headrace tunnels in super-large water conservancy and hydropower projects, this study solved key scientific issues, such as the adaptability of robot underwater environment tasks, the active detection of super-long headrace tunnel apparent defects, and the safety risk assessment of tunnel structures based on robot inspection data. The key technology breakthroughs include the sub-parent cooperation of complex underwater environments, the fine operation of load manipulator, ultra-long distance underwater high-voltage power supply, umbilical cable safe release and recovery, ultra-long distance human-machine cooperative control, special environment adaptation of underwater robots, active defect detection and identification based on multi-sensor fusion. Structural safety classification, risk analysis and evaluation, and virtual drills were also carried out. The developed underwater robot inspection system was successfully applied to large-diameter and long headrace tunnels for comprehensive verification. [Progress] The application performance of underwater robots in special environments has improved due to breakthroughs in key technologies such as remote power supply, cooperative operation, intelligent patrol inspection, defect identification, and safety assessment of robots in complex underwater environments including water turbidity, high water pressure, adhesion and siltation, and local accessibility difficulties. The safety classification and risk assessment of the headrace tunnel structure are completed through the research and development of the multi-function “sub-parent” underwater robot system, and the whole process integration of “inspection, inspection, control, diagnosis, and use” of the underwater robot is realized, which has been demonstrated and verified in the eastern route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project, Jinping II Hydropower Station, and other major national projects, to improve the intelligent degree of the inspection of the headrace tunnel of large water conservancy and hydropower projects and support the safe operation of large projects. [Conclusions and Prospects] The research findings can significantly improve the accuracy of the headrace tunnel inspection, reduce the headrace tunnel inspection cost, and improve the guaranteed rate of the safe operation of large water conservancy and hydropower projects; promote the interdisciplinary integration of artificial intelligence and water conservancy disciplines to form interdisciplinary advantages; promote the application of robots in special environments, especially in the inspection of headrace tunnels, and guide the development of robots in special environments; promoting the application of artificial intelligence and intelligent management of water conservancy projects, as well as improving the level of technology and equipment in relevant fields in China and cultivating a large number of versatile talents, will have significant social, economic and scientific values.