JP7637945B2 - Corrosion prevention device and corrosion prevention method - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a corrosion prevention device and a corrosion prevention method.

Conventionally, known corrosion prevention methods for underground pipelines for laying communication cables, etc. include techniques for applying or forming synthetic resins, etc., on the entire inner surface of the pipeline, such as negative pressure lining, ultra-thin film lining, and slim lining (Non-Patent Document 1).

"Communication Civil Engineering Technology Supporting Information Distribution Infrastructure", Information Distribution Infrastructure Research Group (ed.), published by the Telecommunications Association, Ohmsha Co., Ltd., September 30, 2009 (not the first edition, third printing), pp.144-145

Conventional corrosion prevention methods require regular cleaning of the entire inside of a pipeline using negative pressure or water pressure, necessitating large-scale equipment. Furthermore, even when it is desired to perform corrosion prevention treatment on only a portion of the pipeline rather than the entire pipeline, it is necessary to line healthy areas that do not require corrosion prevention treatment, making partial corrosion prevention difficult. When there are many healthy areas in a pipeline, efficient corrosion prevention cannot be achieved, making it difficult to prevent corrosion in the early stages. As such, there is room for improvement in corrosion prevention methods for the inner surface of pipelines.

In light of these circumstances, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a corrosion prevention device and a corrosion prevention method that can improve corrosion prevention methods for the inner surface of a pipeline.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the corrosion prevention device according to the present disclosure is a corrosion prevention device that is inserted inside a pipeline and includes a wheel unit that enables movement inside the pipeline, an imaging unit that takes an image of the surface inside the pipeline, a discharge unit that discharges a corrosion inhibitor inside the pipeline, and a control unit that controls the operation of the discharge unit based on the image.

The corrosion prevention method according to the present disclosure is a corrosion prevention method performed by a corrosion prevention device that includes a wheel section that is inserted into a pipeline and enables movement inside the pipeline, an image capture section that captures an image of the inner surface of the pipeline, and a discharge section that discharges an anticorrosive agent inside the pipeline, and includes a control step that controls the operation of the discharge section based on the image.

According to the present disclosure, anticorrosion treatment can be performed without the need for cleaning the inner surface of the pipeline. In addition, anticorrosion treatment can be performed only on a portion of the pipeline where it is required. This allows for improved anticorrosion methods for the inner surface of the pipeline.

1 is a diagram for explaining a pipeline according to the present disclosure and a corrosion prevention device installed in the pipeline. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the inside of a pipeline in a state in which corrosion products have been generated; FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the inside of a pipeline in a state in which corrosion products have been generated; FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the inside of a pipeline in a state in which corrosion products have been generated; FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the inside of a pipeline in a state in which corrosion products have been generated; FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the amount of corrosion on the inner surface of a pipeline and the elapsed time. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a corrosion prevention device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a corrosion prevention device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a corrosion prevention device according to a first modified example. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating the operation of a corrosion prevention device according to a first modified example. 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating the operation of a corrosion prevention device according to a second modified example.

Below, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In the following description, "upper" and "lower" refer to directions parallel to the Z axis of the coordinate axis display depicted in the drawings, and "horizontal" refers to directions parallel to the XY plane of the coordinate axis display depicted in the drawings. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are used for identical or corresponding parts. In the description of this embodiment, the description of identical or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate. The embodiments described below are examples of the configuration of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments.

With reference to FIG. 1, an overview of the corrosion prevention device 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The corrosion prevention device 20 is inserted inside the pipeline P and can move inside the pipeline P in the direction indicated by the arrow, i.e., in the axial direction of the pipeline P. The pipeline P is, for example, a pipeline for laying communication cables, etc., buried underground and connecting manholes M. The pipeline P may be a water pipeline, a gas pipeline, an electricity pipeline, etc. The output unit 25 and input unit 24 of the corrosion prevention device 20 may be provided inside the manhole M for operation by a user who enters the manhole M to work. The corrosion prevention device 20 can output an image of the inner surface of the pipeline P to the output unit 25, and the output image can be referred to by the user. The user can input operation instructions to the corrosion prevention device 20 while referring to the image.

Not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1, a terminal device held by a user may communicate with the corrosion prevention device 20, and the user may be able to refer to an image displayed on the display unit of the terminal device from the ground. In this case, the user may send instructions for the operation of the corrosion prevention device 20 to the corrosion prevention device 20 via the terminal device.

A thin layer of synthetic resin or the like is applied as a protective agent for corrosion prevention to the inner surface of the pipeline P. The protective agent corrodes over time, generating a corrosion product C. As shown in the following reference, it is known that the corrosion rate of the protective agent increases in stages.
[Reference 1]
Akira Ito et al., "Corrosion rate model for the inner surface of steel pipes in an underground manhole environment," Materials and Environment, Vol. 68, No. 11, pp. 321-325, 2019

The corrosion prevention device 20 discharges an anticorrosive agent onto the corrosion products C that have formed on the inner surface of the pipeline P, allowing them to penetrate. As the anticorrosive agent dries over time, the corrosion products C can be solidified together with the anticorrosive agent, thereby suppressing the progression of corrosion.

2A to 2D are cross-sectional views of the inside of a pipeline P in a state where corrosion products C have been generated. For simplicity, only half of the cross-sectional views are shown. Fig. 2A shows corrosion products C in an early corrosion stage on the inner surface of the pipeline P. The early corrosion stage refers to a state in which the surface of the applied protective agent has discoloration or irregularities, and the protective agent from the surface to a certain depth has changed into corrosion products C and is generated.

In FIG. 2B, the corrosion product C is shown by diagonal lines in a state in which the corrosion inhibitor discharged by the corrosion prevention device 20 has soaked it. The corrosion inhibitor soaks the entire corrosion product C and dries, solidifying the corrosion product C and making it possible to inhibit the progression of corrosion.

Figure 2C shows the corrosion product C in the corrosion progression stage. The corrosion progression stage refers to a state in which the corrosion product C grows, the pressure inside the corrosion product C increases, and the corrosion product C rises toward the radially inward direction of the pipeline P and peels off from the surface of the pipeline P. In the corrosion progression stage, a space S is formed between the corrosion product C and the surface of the pipeline P. As shown in the above reference, the corrosion rate is greatest when the corrosion product C peels off from the surface of the pipeline P. Referring to Figure 2C, at the central lower part of the pipeline P, the corrosion product C peels off toward the radially inward direction of the pipeline, forming a space S.

In FIG. 2D, the corrosion product C in a state in which the corrosion inhibitor discharged by the corrosion inhibitor device 20 has infiltrated is shown by diagonal lines. The corrosion inhibitor filling the space S between the corrosion product C that has peeled off from the surface of the pipeline P and the surface of the pipeline P is shown by black paint. The corrosion inhibitor device 20 infiltrates the peeled corrosion product C with the corrosion inhibitor, and the corrosion inhibitor seeps into the space S between the corrosion product C and the surface of the pipeline P, filling the space S. As the corrosion inhibitor dries and hardens, it adheres the corrosion product C to the surface of the pipeline P, preventing the progression of corrosion.

Figure 3 shows the relationship between the amount of corrosion inside the pipeline P and time, with the solid line showing the progression of the amount of corrosion when the corrosion product C is infiltrated with an anticorrosive agent, and the dashed line showing the progression of the amount of corrosion when the corrosion product C is not infiltrated with an anticorrosive agent. Referring to Figure 3, it can be seen that when the corrosion product C is not infiltrated with an anticorrosive agent, the amount of corrosion increases significantly at times t1 and t2, and the corrosion rate increases. This is thought to be due to the occurrence of peeling of the corrosion product C from the surface of the pipeline P at times t1 and t2. When the corrosion product C is infiltrated with an anticorrosive agent and solidified, the progression of the amount of corrosion can be suppressed after time t1. In this way, it can be seen that by infiltrating the corrosion product C with an anticorrosive agent and solidifying it, peeling of the corrosion product C, which would cause a re-increase in the corrosion rate, does not occur, and it is possible to suppress the progression of corrosion.

<Configuration of corrosion prevention device 20>
The configuration of a corrosion prevention device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. As shown in Figure 4, the corrosion prevention device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, an input unit 24, an output unit 25, a wheel unit 26, an imaging unit 27, and a discharge unit 28. The control unit 21 is connected to the device 20 via a wired or wireless connection.

The memory unit 22 includes one or more memories, and may include, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, an optical memory, etc. Each memory included in the memory unit 22 may function, for example, as a main memory device, an auxiliary memory device, or a cache memory. The memory unit 22 stores any information used in the operation of the corrosion protection device 20. The memory unit 22 does not necessarily need to be provided inside the corrosion protection device 20, and may be configured to be provided outside the corrosion protection device 20.

The communication unit 23 includes at least one communication interface. The communication interface is, for example, an interface compatible with a mobile communication standard such as LTE, 4G standard, or 5G standard, an interface compatible with short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), or a LAN interface. The communication unit 23 receives information used in the operation of the corrosion prevention device 20, and transmits information obtained by the operation of the corrosion prevention device 20.

The communication unit 23 enables the corrosion prevention device 20 to transmit and receive information to and from other devices via a network. The network includes the Internet, at least one wide area network (WAN), at least one metropolitan area network (MAN), or a combination thereof. The network may include at least one wireless network, at least one optical network, or a combination thereof. The wireless network is, for example, an ad-hoc network, a cellular network, a wireless local area network (LAN), a satellite communication network, or a terrestrial microwave network.

The input unit 24 includes at least one input interface. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen integral with a display, or a microphone. The input unit 24 accepts an operation to input information used in the operation of the corrosion prevention device 20. The input unit 24 may be connected to the corrosion prevention device 20 as an external input device instead of being provided in the corrosion prevention device 20. Any connection method may be used, such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The input unit 24 accepts user instructions regarding the operation of the corrosion prevention device 20.

The output unit 25 includes at least one output interface. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The output unit 25 outputs information obtained by the operation of the corrosion prevention device 20. The output unit 25 may be connected to the corrosion prevention device 20 as an external output device instead of being provided in the corrosion prevention device 20. Any method such as USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used as the connection method. The output unit 25 can display images or videos captured by the capture unit 27.

The wheel unit 26 is a tire that can be rotated by a motor, and enables the corrosion protection device 20 to move axially inside the pipeline P. The number of wheel units 26 may be set arbitrarily, but for example, one front wheel and two rear wheels may be provided. The drive of the wheel units 26 is controlled by the control unit 21.

The photographing unit 27 is a camera that photographs the inside of the pipeline P. The photographing unit 27 may be provided at any location, such as the bottom surface of the corrosion prevention device 20 or in the direction of travel of the corrosion prevention device 20. The photographing unit 27 photographs an image of the inside surface of the pipeline P. The photographing unit 27 may photograph a video consisting of multiple images. The photographing unit 27 can output the photographed images to the control unit 21. Adjustments such as the angle or magnification of the photographing unit 27 may be controlled by the control unit 21 so that the inside surface of the pipeline P can be photographed. The corrosion prevention device 20 includes an illumination unit consisting of an LED lamp or the like (not shown), and the output of the illumination unit may be controlled by the control unit 21 so that the brightness of the image photographed by the photographing unit 27 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

The discharge unit 28 discharges the anticorrosive agent inside the pipeline P. The discharge unit 28 may include a discharge port for discharging the anticorrosive agent, a storage unit for storing the anticorrosive agent, and a pump connected to the storage unit and driven by a motor. The discharge unit 28 may include a plurality of storage units, each of which may store a different anticorrosive agent. The drive of the motor of the pump is controlled by the control unit 21, and the pump draws up the anticorrosive agent from the storage unit and sends it to the discharge port, thereby enabling the discharge unit 28 to discharge the anticorrosive agent. The discharge unit 28 may include a valve connected to the storage unit instead of a pump. In this case, the opening degree of the valve may be controlled by the control unit 21, and the amount of anticorrosive agent discharged by the discharge unit 28 may be adjusted.

The discharge part 28 is not limited to the example shown in Fig. 2, and may be provided above, to the side, diagonally above, or diagonally below the corrosion prevention device 20 so as to be able to discharge the anticorrosive agent to any location on the inner surface of the pipeline P. The discharge part 28 may be configured to be extendable and rotatable so as to be able to discharge the anticorrosive agent onto the corrosion product C. The discharge part 28 may be able to discharge the anticorrosive agent by spraying it onto the inner surface of the pipeline P in the form of a shower.

Not limited to the above, the discharge section 28 may be configured using a brush section that can reciprocate or rotate. In this case, the brush section is in contact with the inner surface of the pipeline P, and the anticorrosive agent in the storage section is discharged to the brush section. The anticorrosive agent may be applied to the inner surface of the pipeline P by reciprocating or rotating the brush section under the control of the control section 21.

The corrosion inhibitor includes, for example, resin and glass water. The resin includes resins such as epoxy resin, vinyl ester resin, and polyester resin. The corrosion inhibitor has the property of infiltrating into the corrosion product C. A plurality of corrosion inhibitors are stored in different storage units, and the corrosion inhibitor specified by the control unit 21 is pumped up and discharged by the pump of the discharge unit 28.

The control unit 21 is realized by a control and arithmetic circuit (controller). The control and arithmetic circuit may be configured by dedicated hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or may be configured by a processor, or may be configured to include both. The control unit 21 executes processes related to the operation of the corrosion prevention device 20 while controlling each part of the corrosion prevention device 20. The control unit 21 can send and receive information to and from external devices via the communication unit 23 and a network.

The control unit 21 of the corrosion prevention device 20 controls the photographing unit 27 to photograph an image of the inner surface of the pipeline P, and acquires the image. For example, a user inputs an instruction to move the corrosion prevention device 20 to a predetermined position in the pipeline P and photograph the image. In this case, the control unit 21 accepts the instruction via the input unit 24, and controls the wheel unit 26 to move the corrosion prevention device 20 in accordance with the instruction. For example, the control unit 21 may store information indicating the position of the pipeline P in coordinates in the memory unit 22, and may be able to move the corrosion prevention device 20 by referring to the information. The control unit 21 causes the photographing unit 27 to photograph an image when the corrosion prevention device 20 arrives at the predetermined position. The photographed image by the photographing unit 27 is output to the control unit 21, and the control unit 21 acquires the image.

The control unit 21 may cause the output unit 25 to display an image of the inside of the pipeline P captured by the photographing unit 27 while the corrosion prevention device 20 is moving inside the pipeline P. In this case, while checking the image displayed on the output unit 25, the user inputs an instruction for the photographing unit 27 to capture an image via the input unit 24. The control unit 21 accepts the instruction and controls the photographing unit 27 to capture an image.

The control unit 21 judges the state of the inner surface of the pipeline P based on the image captured by the image capture unit 27. The state of the inner surface of the pipeline P includes three stages: a stage where corrosion products C have not yet been generated, an early corrosion stage, and a corrosion progression stage. The stage where corrosion products C have not yet been generated means that the protective agent such as synthetic resin applied to the inside of the pipeline P has not changed since it was applied, and the corrosion products C have not yet been generated. The early corrosion stage means that the surface of the applied protective agent has discoloration or unevenness, and the protective agent to a certain depth from the surface has changed into corrosion products C and generated. The corrosion progression stage of the corrosion products C means that the corrosion products C grow, the pressure inside the corrosion products C increases, and the corrosion products C bulge toward the radial inside of the pipeline P and peel off from the surface of the pipeline P. In the corrosion progression stage, a space S is formed between the corrosion products C and the surface of the pipeline P. The control unit 21 may judge the state of the inner surface of the pipeline P by analyzing the image using any image analysis method.

The control unit 21 determines the type of anticorrosive agent to be discharged by the discharge unit 28 depending on the state of the inner surface of the pipeline P. The type of anticorrosive agent may be set in advance depending on the state of the corrosion products C. For example, the control unit 21 determines the type of anticorrosive agent to be water glass when the corrosion products C are in a pre-generation stage, and determines the type of anticorrosive agent to be resin when the corrosion products C are in an early corrosion stage or in an advanced corrosion stage. In this way, the control unit 21 determines the operation of the discharge unit 28 to discharge resin when the corrosion products C are generated in the pipeline P, and determines the operation of the discharge unit 28 to discharge water glass when the corrosion products C are not generated.

The control unit 21 determines the amount of anticorrosive agent discharged by the discharge unit 28. The discharge amount may be set in advance according to the state of the corrosion products C. When the corrosion products C are in the corrosion progression stage, the discharge amount may be set to be larger than when they are in the early corrosion stage or in the non-development stage. The control unit 21 may obtain information indicating the value of the inner diameter or inner circumference of the pipeline P, and determine the discharge amount to be larger in proportion to that value.

Without being limited to this, the control unit 21 may use any image analysis method to identify the range in which the corrosion products C exist and determine the discharge amount according to that range. For example, when it is determined that the corrosion products C are in a state of an advanced corrosion stage, the control unit 21 uses a known image analysis method to estimate the volume of the space S between the corrosion products C that have risen and peeled off from the surface of the pipeline P and the inner surface of the pipeline P. The control unit 21 may convert the estimated volume into a liquid amount of anticorrosive agent and determine the discharge amount that can fill the space S.

The state of the corrosion product C, the type of anticorrosive agent to be discharged, or the amount of anticorrosive agent to be discharged may be determined by a user with reference to an image of the inner surface of the pipeline P displayed on the output unit 25. In this case, the control unit 21 accepts the input of the user's judgment or decision via the input unit 24.

In this way, the control unit 21 determines the operation of the discharge unit 28. The operation of the discharge unit 28 that is determined is not limited to the above, and may include, for example, the direction and angle at which the discharge unit 28 discharges the anticorrosive agent, the time during which the discharge unit 28 discharges the anticorrosive agent, the distance that the wheel unit 26 moves while the discharge unit 28 discharges the anticorrosive agent, etc.

The control unit 21 controls the discharge unit 28 to perform the determined operation. The control unit 21 controls the driving of the motor of the pump of the discharge unit 28 connected to the storage unit that stores the determined anticorrosive agent. The pump draws up the anticorrosive agent from the storage unit and sends it out to the discharge port, thereby discharging the anticorrosive agent.

When the determined operation is to discharge a predetermined amount of water glass as an anticorrosive agent, the control unit 21 controls the discharge unit 28 to perform this operation. The water glass discharged from the discharge unit 28 is discharged onto the protective agent on the inner surface of the pipeline P, and dries over time, thereby suppressing the progression of corrosion. When the determined operation is to discharge a predetermined amount of resin as an anticorrosive agent, the control unit 21 controls the discharge unit 28 to perform this operation. The resin discharged from the discharge unit 28 permeates the corrosion product C, and dries over time, thereby solidifying the corrosion product C and suppressing the progression of corrosion.

If the determined operation is to discharge a predetermined amount of resin and fill the space S between the inner surface of the pipeline P and the corrosion products C with the resin, the control unit 21 controls the discharge unit 28 to perform this operation. The discharged anticorrosive agent permeates the corrosion products C, seeps out from the corrosion products C, and fills the space S. As the anticorrosive agent dries over time, it hardens the corrosion products C and inhibits the progression of corrosion. In this way, the discharge unit 28 can fill the space S between the inner surface of the pipeline P and the corrosion products C with the anticorrosive agent.

In this way, when the corrosion product C is in the initial corrosion stage or the corrosion progress stage, the discharged resin as a corrosion inhibitor can infiltrate the corrosion product C. When the corrosion product C is in the non-developed stage, the water glass can form a protective film on the protective agent applied to the inside of the pipeline P or on the surface of the inside of the pipeline P.

In this way, the control unit 21 controls the operation of the discharge unit based on the image of the corrosion product C.

<Program>
A computer capable of executing program instructions may be used to function as the above-described corrosion protection device 20. Here, the computer may be a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, a workstation, a personal computer (PC), an electronic notepad, etc. The program instructions may be program code, code segments, etc. for performing the necessary tasks.

The computer includes a processor, a storage unit, an input unit, an output unit, and a communication interface. The processor may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a SoC (System on a Chip), etc., and may be composed of multiple processors of the same or different types. The processor reads a program from the storage unit and executes it to control each of the above components and perform various arithmetic processing. Note that at least a part of the processing content may be realized by hardware. The input unit is an input interface that receives a user's input operation and obtains information based on the user's operation, such as a pointing device, keyboard, or mouse. The output unit is an output interface that outputs information, such as a display or speaker. The communication interface is an interface for communicating with an external device.

The program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Using such a recording medium, the program can be installed on a computer. Here, the recording medium on which the program is recorded may be a non-transitory recording medium. The non-transitory recording medium is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or a USB memory. In addition, the program may be in a form that is downloaded from an external device via a network.

Next, the operation of the corrosion prevention device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The operation of the corrosion prevention device 20 corresponds to the corrosion prevention method according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 shows an example of the operation of the corrosion prevention device 20.

In step S101 of FIG. 5, the control unit 21 of the corrosion prevention device 20 acquires an image of the inner surface of the pipeline P captured by the photographing unit 27. For example, a user inputs an instruction to move the corrosion prevention device 20 to a predetermined position in the pipeline P and capture an image. In this case, the control unit 21 accepts the instruction via the input unit 24 and controls the wheel unit 26 to move the corrosion prevention device 20 in accordance with the instruction. The control unit 21 causes the photographing unit 27 to capture an image when the corrosion prevention device 20 arrives at the predetermined position. The image captured by the photographing unit 27 is output to the control unit 21, and the control unit 21 acquires the image.

In step S102, the control unit 21 determines the state of the inner surface of the pipeline P. The state of the inner surface of the pipeline P includes three stages: a stage where corrosion products C have not yet been generated, an early corrosion stage of the corrosion products C, and a corrosion progress stage of the corrosion products C. The control unit 21 may determine the state of the inner surface of the pipeline P by analyzing the image using any image analysis method.

In step S103, the control unit 21 determines the type of anticorrosive agent to be discharged by the discharge unit 28 depending on the state of the inner surface of the pipeline P determined in step S102. The type of anticorrosive agent may be set in advance depending on the state of the corrosion products C. For example, the control unit 21 determines water glass as the type of anticorrosive agent to be discharged when the corrosion products C are in a pre-generation stage, and determines resin as the type of anticorrosive agent to be discharged when the corrosion products C are in an early corrosion stage or in an advanced corrosion stage. In this way, the control unit 21 determines the operation of the discharge unit 28 to discharge resin when corrosion products C are generated in the pipeline P, and determines water glass as the operation when the corrosion products C are not generated.

In step S104, the control unit 21 determines the amount of anticorrosive agent to be discharged by the discharge unit 28. The amount of discharge may be set in advance according to the state of the corrosion products C. When the corrosion products C are in the corrosion progression stage, the amount of discharge may be set to be larger than when the corrosion products C are in the initial corrosion stage or the non-occurrence stage. The control unit 21 may obtain information indicating the value of the inner diameter or inner circumference of the pipeline P and determine the amount of discharge proportional to that value. Without being limited to this, the control unit 21 may specify the range in which the corrosion products C exist by any image analysis method and determine the amount of discharge according to that range. The control unit 21 may estimate the volume of the space S between the corrosion products C that have risen and peeled off from the surface of the pipeline P and the inner surface of the pipeline P by a known image analysis method, convert the estimated volume into the amount of anticorrosive agent liquid, and determine the amount of resin that can fill the space S as the amount of discharge.

As shown in steps S103 and S104, the control unit 21 determines the operation of the ejection unit 28.

In step S105, the control unit 21 controls the discharge unit 28 to perform the determined operation. The control unit 21 controls the driving of the motor of the pump of the discharge unit 28 connected to the storage unit that stores the determined anticorrosive agent. The pump draws up the anticorrosive agent from the storage unit and sends it out to the discharge port, thereby discharging the anticorrosive agent.

When the determined operation is to discharge a predetermined amount of water glass as an anticorrosive agent, the control unit 21 controls the discharge unit 28 to perform this operation. The water glass discharged from the discharge unit 28 is discharged onto the protective agent on the inner surface of the pipeline P, and dries over time, thereby suppressing the progression of corrosion. When the determined operation is to discharge a predetermined amount of resin as an anticorrosive agent, the control unit 21 controls the discharge unit 28 to perform this operation. The resin discharged from the discharge unit 28 permeates the corrosion product C, and dries over time, thereby solidifying the corrosion product C and suppressing the progression of corrosion.

If the determined operation is to discharge a predetermined amount of resin and fill the space S between the inner surface of the pipeline P and the corrosion product C with the resin, the control unit 21 controls the discharge unit 28 to perform this operation. The discharged anticorrosive agent permeates the corrosion product C, seeps out from the corrosion product C, and fills the space S. As the anticorrosive agent dries over time, it hardens the corrosion product C and inhibits the progression of corrosion. The processing of the control unit 21 then ends.

As shown in steps S101 to S105, the control unit 21 controls the operation of the discharge unit 28 based on the image of the corrosion product C.

As described above, the corrosion prevention device 20 according to this embodiment is a corrosion prevention device that is inserted inside the pipeline P, and includes a wheel unit 26 that enables movement inside the pipeline P, an image capture unit 27 that captures an image of the inner surface of the pipeline P, a discharge unit 28 that discharges a corrosion inhibitor inside the pipeline P, and a control unit 21 that controls the operation of the discharge unit 28 based on the image.

In this embodiment, the control unit 21 acquires an image of the state of the inner surface of the pipeline P, and the operation of discharging the anticorrosive agent from the discharge unit 28 is determined based on the image. If corrosion products C have been generated, the discharged anticorrosive agent permeates the corrosion products C, and even if corrosion products C have not yet been generated, the anticorrosive agent can be applied to a specific location on the inner surface of the pipeline P. The discharged anticorrosive agent dries and hardens, thereby suppressing the progress of corrosion. Thus, according to this embodiment, compared to the conventional method of performing anticorrosion treatment on the entire inner surface of the pipeline P, a large-scale device is not required, and the progress of corrosion can be efficiently suppressed. Therefore, the anticorrosion method for the inner surface of the pipeline can be improved.

As described above, in the corrosion prevention device 20 according to this embodiment, the discharge unit 28 controls the operation of the discharge unit 28 so as to fill the space S between the inner surface of the pipeline P and the corrosion product C that has developed on the inner surface of the pipeline P with the corrosion inhibitor.

According to this embodiment, the anticorrosive agent is filled into the space S between the inner surface of the pipeline P and the corrosion products C that have peeled off and protruded from the surface, and as the anticorrosive agent dries, the corrosion products C are solidified in their original state, suppressing the progression of corrosion. Anticorrosive treatment can be efficiently applied to the inner surface of the pipeline P without a separate process for removing the corrosion products C that have peeled off and protruded from the surface inside the pipeline P. This makes it possible to improve the anticorrosive method for the inner surface of the pipeline.

As described above, in the corrosion prevention device 20 according to this embodiment, the corrosion inhibitor contains resin and water glass, and the control unit 21 determines the operation of the discharge unit 28 to discharge resin when corrosion products C are generated in the pipeline P, and determines the operation to discharge water glass when corrosion products C are not generated.

According to this embodiment, anticorrosion treatment can be performed using an appropriate anticorrosive agent depending on the condition of the inner surface of the pipeline P. The resin can solidify the corrosion products C that have progressed due to corrosion. The water glass can form an additional protective film on top of the protective agent that has already been applied. Compared to the case where anticorrosion treatment is performed uniformly with the same anticorrosive agent on the entire inside of the pipeline P, an efficient anticorrosion treatment can be achieved at low cost. Therefore, the anticorrosion method for the inner surface of the pipeline can be improved.

Although the present invention has been described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that a person skilled in the art would easily be able to make various modifications and corrections based on the present invention. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and corrections are included in the scope of the present invention.

(First Modification)
Next, a first modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. As shown in Fig. 6, in this modified example, the corrosion prevention device 20 further includes a roughness detection unit 29 that detects the roughness of the inner surface of the pipeline P. The control unit 21 determines the operation of the discharge unit 28 based on the image and roughness of the corrosion product C.

The roughness detection unit 29 may be a known stylus-type roughness meter. As shown in FIG. 6, the roughness detection unit 29 includes a needle 291 that contacts the inner surface of the pipeline P to detect the roughness. More specifically, the needle 291 contacts the surface of the protective agent applied to the inner surface of the pipeline P or the surface of the corrosion product C that is generated by changing the protective agent. The needles 291 may be provided one each in the upper and lower directions as shown in FIG. 6. This is not a limitation, and the number and arrangement of the needles 291 may be freely set. The roughness detection unit 29 outputs the roughness detected by the needle 291 to the control unit 21. When corrosion products C are generated, unevenness occurs on the surface, so the roughness becomes a high value.

The control unit 21 controls the roughness detection unit 29 to detect the roughness of the inner surface of the pipe P, and obtains the detected roughness. The control unit 21 judges whether the detected roughness is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The predetermined value may be set in advance by the user. If the roughness is less than the predetermined value, the control unit 21 judges that no corrosion product C has been generated. In this case, the control unit 21 may display a question to the user via the output unit 25 inquiring whether to discharge the anticorrosive agent. When the user inputs an instruction to perform an operation of discharging water glass, the control unit 21 can accept the input via the input unit 24 and determine the operation of discharging water glass as the operation of the discharge unit 28. If the user's instruction does not include an instruction to operate the discharge unit 28, the control unit 21 can end the anticorrosion treatment without controlling the discharge unit 28.

If the acquired roughness is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control unit 21 further acquires an image of the inner surface of the pipeline P, and determines whether the state of the corrosion products C is in an early stage of corrosion or an advanced stage of corrosion based on the image. As in the above-described embodiment, the control unit 21 may determine the state of the inner surface of the pipeline P using a known image analysis method, and determine the stage of corrosion of the corrosion products C.

The difference between the operation of the corrosion prevention device 20 according to the above embodiment and the operation of the corrosion prevention device 20 according to this modified example will be described below with reference to Figures 5 and 7. The operation of the corrosion prevention device 20 corresponds to the corrosion prevention method according to this modified example.

Step S201 is similar to step S101 in FIG. 5 according to the embodiment described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

In step S202, the control unit 21 controls the roughness detection unit 29 to detect the roughness of the inner surface of the pipeline P, and acquires the detected roughness. Specifically, first, the needle 291 of the roughness detection unit 29 comes into contact with the surface of the protective agent applied to the inner surface of the pipeline P or the surface of the corrosion product C that is generated by changing the protective agent, and detects the roughness. The roughness detection unit 29 outputs the detected roughness to the control unit 21. The control unit 21 acquires the roughness.

In step S203, the control unit 21 determines whether the roughness detected by the roughness detection unit 29 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If the roughness is less than the predetermined value, the control unit 21 proceeds to step S204. If the roughness is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the control unit 21 proceeds to step S205.

If it is determined in step S203 that the roughness is less than the predetermined value, in step S204, the control unit 21 determines that no corrosion product C has been generated, and accepts an operation instruction from the user via the input unit 24. After that, the process of the control unit 21 proceeds to step S205.

In step S205, the control unit 21 determines whether the instructions received in step S204 include an instruction to operate the discharge unit 28. For example, if the user inputs an instruction to discharge a predetermined amount of water glass, the control unit 21 determines that operation as the operation of the discharge unit 28, and the processing of the control unit 21 then proceeds to step S208. If the user's instructions do not include an instruction to operate the discharge unit 28, the processing of the control unit 21 ends.

If it is determined in step S202 that the roughness is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, in step S206, the control unit 21 determines from the acquired image whether the state of the corrosion product C is in the early corrosion stage or the advanced corrosion stage. The control unit 21 may determine the state of the corrosion product C by a known image analysis method. If the control unit 21 determines from the acquired image that the state of the corrosion product C is in the early corrosion stage or the advanced corrosion stage, the processing of the control unit 21 proceeds to step S207. If it is determined from the acquired image that the state of the corrosion product C is neither in the early corrosion stage nor the advanced corrosion stage, the processing of the control unit 21 ends.

Steps S207 to S209 are similar to steps S103 to S105 in FIG. 2 according to the embodiment described above, and therefore will not be described here.

As described above, the corrosion prevention device 20 according to this modified example further includes a roughness detection unit that detects the roughness of the inner surface of the pipeline P, and the control unit 21 determines the operation of the discharge unit 28 based on the image and the roughness.

According to this modified example, the control unit 21 controls the discharge unit 28 to discharge the anticorrosive agent when the roughness detected by the roughness detection unit 29 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and it is determined from the image captured by the image capture unit 27 that the corrosion product C is in the early stage of corrosion or in the advanced stage of corrosion. This allows the condition of the inner surface of the pipeline P to be determined more accurately than when it is determined based only on the image. Therefore, it is possible to improve the anticorrosion method for the inner surface of the pipeline.

(Second Modification)
Next, a second modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In this modified example, similar to the first modified example, the corrosion prevention device 20 further includes a roughness detection unit 29 that detects the roughness of the inner surface of the pipeline P. The control unit 21 acquires a learning model that has learned the classification of the state of the corrosion products C, inputs images and roughness of the corrosion products C to the learning model, and determines the operation of the discharge unit 28 based on the output from the learning model.

The state inside the pipeline P includes a state where corrosion products C have not yet been generated, a state where the corrosion products C are in an early corrosion stage, and a state where the corrosion has progressed. The learning model classifies the state inside the pipeline P from the input image and roughness using a known machine learning method including deep learning, and outputs the classification result. For example, when a raised corrosion product C is reflected in the input image and the input roughness is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the learning model can output a result in which the state inside the pipeline P is classified as a state where the corrosion has progressed. Any method may be adopted to acquire the learning model. The control unit 21 may acquire the learning model from an external device, or may acquire the learning model by generating the learning model using an image previously captured by the imaging unit 27, the roughness detected by the roughness detection unit 29, and the determined operation of the discharge unit 28 as teacher data.

The control unit 21 determines the operation to be performed by the discharge unit 28 according to the results output by the learning model. If the state inside the pipeline P output by the learning model is a state where corrosion products C have not yet been generated, the control unit 21 determines the operation to discharge a predetermined amount of water glass. If the state inside the pipeline P is a state in the early corrosion stage or a state in which corrosion is progressing, the control unit 21 determines the operation to discharge a predetermined amount of resin. The amount of anticorrosive agent to be discharged may be determined in advance, or the control unit 21 may be able to determine it using a known image analysis method, as in the above-mentioned embodiment.

The differences between the operation of the corrosion prevention device 20 according to the above embodiment and the operation of the corrosion prevention device 20 according to this modified example will be described below with reference to Figures 5, 7, and 8. The operation of the corrosion prevention device 20 corresponds to the corrosion prevention method according to this modified example.

Step S301 is similar to step S101 in FIG. 5 according to the embodiment described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

Step S302 is similar to step S202 in FIG. 7 relating to the first modified example described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

In step S303, the control unit 21 acquires a learning model. Any method may be used to acquire the learning model. The control unit 21 may acquire the learning model stored in the storage unit 22 by referring to the storage unit 22, or may communicate with an external device and acquire the learning model from the external device.

In step S304, the control unit 21 inputs the image acquired in step S301 and the roughness acquired in step S302 into the learning model acquired in step S303.

In step S305, the control unit 21 determines the operation to be performed by the discharge unit 28 according to the results output by the learning model. If the state inside the pipeline P output by the learning model is a state where corrosion products C have not yet been generated, the control unit 21 determines the operation to discharge a predetermined amount of water glass. If the state inside the pipeline P is a state in the early corrosion stage or a state in which corrosion has progressed, the control unit 21 determines the operation to discharge a predetermined amount of resin.

Step S306 is similar to step S105 in FIG. 5 according to the embodiment described above, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

As described above, in the corrosion prevention device 20 of this modified example, the control unit 21 obtains a learning model that has learned to classify the internal conditions of the pipeline P, inputs the image and roughness to the learning model, and determines the operation of the discharge unit 28 based on the output from the learning model.

According to this modified example, the state of the inside of the pipeline P is determined by the learning model, so the process in which the user determines the state of the inside of the pipeline P based on the image or roughness can be omitted, and the corrosion prevention process can be made more efficient. Therefore, the corrosion prevention method for the inside surface of the pipeline can be improved.

20 Corrosion prevention device 21 Control unit 22 Memory unit 23 Communication unit 24 Input unit 25 Output unit 26 Wheel unit 27 Photography unit 28 Discharge unit 29 Roughness detection unit 291 Needle unit

Claims (6)

A corrosion prevention device that is inserted into a pipeline,
A wheel unit that enables movement inside the pipeline;
An imaging unit that captures an image of the inner surface of the pipeline;
A discharge part that discharges an anticorrosive agent inside the pipeline;
a control unit that controls the operation of the discharge unit based on the image so as to fill the anticorrosive agent into a space between the inner surface of the pipeline and a corrosion product generated on the inner surface of the pipeline;
A corrosion prevention device comprising: The corrosion inhibitor includes a resin and water glass,
The corrosion prevention device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines an operation of the discharge unit to discharge the resin when the corrosion products are generated in the pipeline, and determines an operation of the discharge unit to discharge the water glass when the corrosion products are not generated. A corrosion prevention device that is inserted into a pipeline,
A wheel unit that enables movement inside the pipeline;
An imaging unit that captures an image of the inner surface of the pipeline;
a roughness detection unit for detecting roughness of an inner surface of the pipeline;
A discharge part that discharges an anticorrosive agent inside the pipeline;
A control unit that determines and controls an operation of the ejection unit based on the image and the roughness ;
A corrosion prevention device comprising : The control unit acquires a learning model that has learned a classification of an internal state of the pipeline,
The corrosion prevention device according to claim 3 , wherein the image and the roughness are input to the learning model, and the operation of the discharge section is determined based on an output from the learning model. It is inserted inside the pipe,
A wheel unit that enables movement inside the pipeline;
An imaging unit that captures an image of the inner surface of the pipeline;
A corrosion prevention method performed by a corrosion prevention device including a discharge unit that discharges an anticorrosive agent inside the pipeline,
A control step of controlling an operation of the discharge unit based on the image so as to fill the anticorrosive agent into a space between an inner surface of the pipeline and a corrosion product generated on the inner surface of the pipeline .
Corrosion prevention methods. It is inserted inside the pipe,
A wheel unit that enables movement inside the pipeline;
An imaging unit that captures an image of the inner surface of the pipeline;
A roughness detection unit that detects the roughness of the inner surface of the pipeline;
A corrosion prevention method performed by a corrosion prevention device including a discharge unit that discharges an anticorrosive agent inside the pipeline,
A control step of determining and controlling an operation of the ejection unit based on the image and the roughness.
Corrosion prevention methods.

Images