Algorithmization of motion control of a two-link wheeled robot for in-pipe diagnostics of gas distribution networks

Abstract

Pipelines provide the most cost-effective way of transporting various gases and liquids. During operation, pipelines are exposed to various external influences, leading to the appearance of a number of defects. Therefore, it is necessary to peri-odically perform pipeline diagnostics in order to reduce the likelihood of emergency situations. Distribution gas pipelines have the greatest length among various pipelines. It is advisable to use mobile wheeled robots to perform their diagnostics. The two-link design of the robot improves its maneuverability when passing complex sections of the pipeline (turns, bends, descents, ascents). This design also allows you to easily replace one diagnostic module with another depending on the tasks of flaw detection and the material of the gas pipeline pipes. The following modes are supposed to be used to control the robot's movement: 1) control using the operator's console with signal transmission via fiber optic cable; 2) control using the robot's on-board microcontroller. The first mode is intended to control the robot's movement inside the pipeline during the diagnostic procedure. The second mode is used when the robot returns to the starting point on the operator's command or when the fiber-optic cable breaks. The peculiarity of this approach is that in the first mode, control information about the robot's passage through complex sections of the pipeline is stored in the microcontroller's memory. This information is then used in the second mode when the robot returns to the starting point. The considered enlarged algorithms are neces-sary to substantiate conceptual solutions when implementing a control system for a two-link wheeled robot for in-pipe di-agnostics of gas distribution networks.