Ice breaking device

Abstract

The invention discloses an icebreaking device which comprises a shell, a base, a trigger module, an icebreaking mechanism and a reset mechanism. The trigger module comprises a one-way elastic expansion cavity and an icing expansion working medium; the icebreaking mechanism penetrates through the top opening of the shell and comprises a thorn body, a lifting plate and a vibration unit, and the lifting plate is located at the top of the cavity; the reset mechanism comprises an elastic piece and a heat transfer unit used for melting the frozen expansion working medium. The ice breaking thorns are directionally driven to move by utilizing volume expansion energy of water icing, and a self-circulation system of icing triggering, mechanical ice breaking and hot melting resetting is formed by combining piezoelectric vibration synergistic ice breaking and a shape memory alloy resetting mechanism triggered by hull waste heat, so that passive ice breaking operation with low external energy is realized, and the ice breaking efficiency is improved. The real-time performance and the coverage rate of the ice breaking response of the polar region ship key area are improved, the problems that an existing device is high in energy consumption, limited in deployment and complex in maintenance due to the fact that the existing device depends on external energy supply are solved, and the safety protection efficiency of the ship sailing in the ice region is remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to ship icebreaking technology, in particular to an icebreaking device. Background Art

[0002] During polar navigation, critical areas such as the waterline and propeller shrouds face persistent challenges with sea ice adhesion and ice thickening, severely impacting navigation safety and energy efficiency. Current mainstream icebreaking technologies fall into three categories: active mechanical icebreakers, such as spiral blade cutting mechanisms, can handle thick ice, but rely on continuous power input and are bulky, making them difficult to deploy densely within the confines of a ship's confined spaces. Electric de-icing systems, which melt ice by heating the hull surface, consume significant energy and suffer from delayed response due to thermal inertia. Passive chemical anti-icing coatings, however, only reduce ice adhesion but fail to break up existing ice, requiring frequent maintenance and replenishment. These existing technologies share common drawbacks: high energy consumption significantly increases the ship's fuel burden, bulky mechanical systems restrict localized protection, and single-function solutions fail to simultaneously achieve ice breaking and re-adhesion prevention. These issues directly impact polar ship propulsion efficiency, frequent ice blockages and failures of critical equipment, and increased operating costs due to frequent maintenance. These issues particularly restrict the maneuverability and endurance of small and medium-sized vessels in ice. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Purpose of the invention: The purpose of the present invention is to provide an ice-breaking device with low external energy consumption and both ice-breaking and self-resetting functions.

[0004] Technical solution: The ice-breaking device described in the present invention includes a shell, a base fixedly connected to the lower surface of the shell for fixing the device to the surface of the hull, a trigger module located in the shell, an ice-breaking mechanism, and a reset mechanism; the trigger module includes a cavity that elastically expands unidirectionally toward the top of the shell and an ice-expanding working medium sealed and filled therein; the ice-breaking mechanism passes through the top opening of the shell, includes a thorn body, a lifting plate connected to the surface of the thorn body, and a vibration unit, the lifting plate is located at the top of the cavity, and the volume change caused by the cold expansion of the ice-expanding working medium in the cavity pushes the lifting plate to move upward, driving the thorn body to extend out of the shell to play an ice-breaking role; the reset mechanism includes an elastic member and a heat transfer unit for melting the ice-expanding working medium, the two ends of the elastic member are fixedly connected to the thorn body and the inner cavity of the shell respectively, when the ice-expanding working medium melts, the thorn body is stretched back into the shell by the elastic force of the elastic member, completing automatic reset.

[0005] Preferably, the cavity is made of low-temperature resistant silicone material, the side wall thickness thereof varies nonlinearly along the height direction, and the outer wall is provided with a rigid constraint layer to suppress radial deformation, thereby limiting the expansion of the cavity in all directions and controlling the expansion of the cavity in one direction.

[0006] Preferably, the thorn body comprises a tip section, a sliding section and a limiting portion, the tip section has an angle of 30°-45°, and is provided with two or more symmetrically distributed ice-breaking blades, and the surface of the ice-breaking blades is covered with a diamond-like coating.

[0007] Preferably, the limiting portion is an annular boss, and the opening diameter is larger than the diameter of the thorn body sliding section and smaller than the diameter of the limiting portion, so as to limit the displacement of the thorn body and prevent it from escaping from the shell.

[0008] Preferably, the base includes an upper base and a lower base, the upper base is fixedly connected to the bottom of the shell, and the lower base fixes the entire device on the surface of the hull; the upper base and the lower base are rotatably connected through a rotating shaft, and a sliding claw and an annular groove matching structure are provided on the joint surface, and a ball bearing is embedded in the groove to reduce friction resistance.

[0009] Preferably, the vibration unit includes a piezoelectric vibration piece, the electrodes of the piezoelectric vibration piece are connected to a thermoelectric power generation piece, and the thermoelectric power generation piece is attached to the bottom surface of the base to absorb waste heat from the hull to generate electricity.

[0010] Preferably, the heat transfer unit includes a heat conduction component and a heat conduction path; the heat conduction component is arranged at the bottom of the shell and thermally coupled with the bottom surface of the cavity; the heat conduction path extends from the hull surface to the heat conduction component, conducting the waste heat of the hull into the cavity to melt the liquid.

[0011] Preferably, the device further comprises a control module and a power supply module, wherein the control module is disposed inside the housing and comprises a temperature sensor and a signal processing circuit; the power supply module is electrically connected to the control module and comprises a lithium battery pack or an external power supply interface; the vibration unit comprises a micro motor or an electromagnetic driver, the input end of which is connected to the power supply module and the output end is mechanically connected to the thorn body to generate axial vibration; the heat transfer unit comprises a thin film heating plate or a semiconductor heating module, which is attached to the bottom surface of the elastic expansion cavity and connected to the power supply module;

[0012] When the temperature sensor detects that the ambient temperature is lower than the set threshold, the control module starts the vibration unit or the heat transfer unit to drive the thorn body to vibrate or heat to melt the liquid in the cavity.

[0013] Preferably, drainage holes are provided on the bottom and side walls of the shell to drain rainwater or seawater that enters the device and prevent the inside of the shell from freezing. The lifting plate is slidably connected to the inner surface of the shell.

[0014] Preferably, the outer surface of the shell is provided with a thermal insulation layer, the thermal insulation layer is made of aerogel material, and the outer surface of the thermal insulation layer is provided with a hydrophobic coating.

[0015] Preferably, the thorn body and the lifting plate are connected by bolts or welding.

[0016] Beneficial effects: Compared with the existing technology, the present invention has the following significant advantages: by utilizing the volume expansion energy of water ice to directionally drive the movement of icebreakers, and combining piezoelectric vibration to enhance icebreaking and the shape memory alloy reset mechanism triggered by the residual heat of the hull, a self-circulating system of "ice triggering-mechanical icebreaking-thermal melting reset" is formed, which realizes passive icebreaking operations with low external energy, improves the real-time and coverage of icebreaking response in key areas of polar ships, and solves the problems of high energy consumption, limited deployment and complex maintenance caused by dependence on external power supply in existing devices, and significantly improves the safety protection efficiency of ships sailing in ice areas. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of the ice-breaking device of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the ice-breaking mechanism of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the connection between the upper base and the lower base of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] like Figure 1-3 As shown, the main body of the icebreaking device of the present invention consists of a shell 1, a trigger module 2, an icebreaking mechanism 3, a reset mechanism 4, and a base 5. The shell 1 is a cylindrical cavity with an opening 101 at the top for the icebreaking mechanism 3 to pass through, and the bottom is fixedly connected to the base 5. The outer wall of the shell 1 is covered with an aerogel insulation layer 102, and the surface of the insulation layer 102 is sprayed with a hydrophobic nano-coating to prevent ice crystals from adhering; drainage holes 103 are provided on the side walls and bottom of the shell 1 to drain infiltrated liquids. The base 5 is divided into an upper base 501 and a lower base 502. The upper base 501 is welded to the bottom of the shell 1, and the lower base 502 is fixed to the preset anchor point of the hull by bolts. The two bases are rotatably connected by a rotating shaft 503. The joint surface is provided with a sliding claw 504 and a matching structure with an annular groove 505. The groove is embedded with a ball bearing 506 to ensure smooth rotation.

[0022] The trigger module 2, located in the lower portion of the housing 1, contains a cavity 201, injection-molded from low-temperature-resistant silicone, and a sealed, ice-expanding fluid 202 within it. The sidewalls of the cavity 201 exhibit a nonlinear gradient in thickness, thicker at the bottom and thinner at the top. A rigid, aluminum alloy restraining layer 204 is applied to the outer wall to inhibit radial expansion, allowing the fluid to expand only axially when ice forms. The ice-breaking mechanism 3 extends through the opening 101 of the housing 1 and comprises a spike 301, a lifting plate 302, and a vibrating unit 303. The spike 301 consists of three sections: a tip with a 30° taper angle and two symmetrically welded diamond-like carbon-coated ice-breaking blades 304; a sliding section with a clearance fit within the opening 101 of the housing 1; and a stopper, an annular boss with a larger diameter than the opening, to prevent the spike 301 from dislodging. The lifting plate 302 is a circular metal plate bolted to the end of the sliding section of the spike 301 and positioned at the top of the cavity 201. The piezoelectric vibrating piece of the vibration unit 303 is attached to the bottom surface of the limiting part of the thorn body 301, and its electrodes are connected to the thermoelectric power generation piece through wires. The thermoelectric power generation piece is attached to the bottom surface of the base 5 to absorb the waste heat of the hull to generate electricity.

[0023] The reset mechanism 4 comprises an elastic member 401 and a heat transfer unit 402. The elastic member 401 is a memory alloy spring, its upper end connected to the stopper of the thorn body 301 and its lower end fixed to the bottom surface of the inner cavity of the shell 1. The heat transfer unit 402's heat-conducting component adheres to the bottom surface of the cavity 201 with thermally conductive silicone grease and is thermally coupled to a heat conduction path extending to the hull surface, directing excess heat from the hull into the cavity 201 to melt the ice.

[0024] The device works as follows: When ice-breaking is triggered (when the ambient temperature drops below freezing), the ice-expansion medium 202 in the cavity 201 freezes and expands. Restricted by the rigid constraint layer 204, it generates an upward thrust, pushing the lifting plate 302 and driving the thorn body 301 upward. The tip of the thorn body 301 penetrates the ice layer, and the mechanical stress simultaneously induces high-frequency vibrations in the piezoelectric vibrator, which are transmitted through the thorn body 301 to the ice layer, expanding the crack.

[0025] During the reset phase, the temperature rises or residual heat from the hull is introduced into the cavity 201 via the heat transfer unit 402, melting the ice. The elastic member 401, composed of a shape memory alloy spring, contracts, pulling the spike 301 back into the housing 1. At this point, the rotating shaft 503 of the base 5 allows the device to rotate passively due to the impact of the water flow. The sliding claw 504 slides along the groove 505 to adjust the angle, causing the ice-breaking blade 304 to change position during the next ice-breaking operation, achieving better ice-breaking results.

[0026] To use the device, bolt it to the vessel's waterline or a pre-set anchor point on the thruster shroud via base 5. In low-temperature environments, the device automatically cycles through the following steps: "ice expansion - ice penetration - ice melting using residual heat - and piercing body repositioning," requiring no external energy or human intervention. Drain holes 103 promptly drain water, while the insulation layer 102 and hydrophobic coating delay secondary freezing. Individual devices can be replaced independently, requiring only the base for maintenance.

Claims

1. An ice breaking device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a shell (1), a base (5) fixedly connected to the lower surface of the shell (1) for fixing the device to the surface of the hull, a trigger module (2) located in the shell (1), an ice-breaking mechanism (3), and a reset mechanism (4); the trigger module (2) comprises a cavity (201) elastically expanding in one direction toward the top of the shell (1) and an ice-expanding medium (202) sealed and filled therein; the ice-breaking mechanism (3) passes through the top opening (101) of the shell (1), comprises a thorn body (301), a lifting plate (302) connected to the surface of the thorn body (301), and a vibration unit (303); the lifting plate (302) is located at the top of the cavity (201); the reset mechanism (4) comprises an elastic member (401) and a heat transfer unit (402) for melting the ice-expanding medium (202); the two ends of the elastic member (401) are respectively fixedly connected to the thorn body (301) and the inner cavity of the shell (1).

2. The ice breaking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cavity (201) is made of low-temperature resistant silicone material, the side wall thickness thereof changes nonlinearly along the height direction, and the outer wall is provided with a rigid constraint layer (204) for suppressing radial deformation.

3. The ice breaking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thorn body (301) comprises a tip section, a sliding section and a limiting portion, the tip section has an angle of 30°-45°, and is provided with two or more symmetrically distributed ice-breaking blades (304), the surface of the ice-breaking blades (304) being covered with a diamond-like coating.

4. The ice breaking device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The limiting portion is an annular boss, and the diameter of the opening (101) is larger than the diameter of the sliding section of the thorn body (301) and smaller than the diameter of the limiting portion, so as to limit the displacement of the thorn body (301) and prevent it from escaping from the shell (1).

5. The ice breaking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base (5) comprises an upper base (501) and a lower base (502), wherein the upper base (501) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the shell (1), and the lower base (502) fixes the entire device on the surface of the hull; the upper base (501) and the lower base (502) are rotatably connected via a rotating shaft (503), and a sliding claw (504) and an annular groove (505) matching structure are provided on the joint surface thereof, and a ball bearing (506) is embedded in the groove (505) to reduce friction resistance.

6. The ice breaking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vibration unit (303) comprises a piezoelectric vibration piece, the electrodes of which are connected to a thermoelectric power generation piece, and the thermoelectric power generation piece is attached to the bottom surface of the base (5) to absorb waste heat from the hull to generate electricity.

7. The ice breaking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat transfer unit (402) comprises a heat conduction component and a heat conduction path; the heat conduction component is arranged at the bottom of the shell (1) and is thermally coupled to the bottom surface of the cavity (201); the heat conduction path extends from the hull surface to the heat conduction component, and conducts the residual heat of the hull into the cavity (201) to melt the liquid.

8. The ice breaking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom and side walls of the shell (1) are provided with drainage holes (103), and the lifting plate (302) is slidably connected to the inner cavity surface of the shell (1).

9. The ice breaking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer surface of the shell (1) is provided with a thermal insulation layer (102), the thermal insulation layer (102) is made of an aerogel material, and a hydrophobic coating is provided on the outer surface thereof.

10. The ice breaking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thorn body (301) and the lifting plate (302) are connected by bolts or welding.

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