Composite multi-frequency marine ultrasonic antifouling system and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a composite multi-frequency marine ultrasonic anti-fouling system and method, relates to the technical field of marine anti-fouling, and aims to change a single-frequency or simple-pulse ultrasonic transmitting mode, transmit composite multi-frequency ultrasonic waves in a wide frequency band, and superpose the ultrasonic waves of multiple frequencies in a transmission medium to generate a cavitation effect so as to achieve the anti-fouling effect. The method is used for avoiding the tolerance of marine organisms, improving the anti-adhesion efficiency and enhancing the effect of a specific area; the wave generating frequency and the working frequency are dynamically adjusted according to the running state and the environment condition of the ship, the energy consumption and the biological adhesion rate of the ship are reduced, and the relation among the biological adhesion rate, low energy consumption and the environment protection requirement is balanced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of marine antifouling technology, and in particular to a composite multi-frequency marine ultrasonic antifouling system and method. Background Art

[0002] After being on the sea for a long time, various marine organisms will be attached to the bottom of the ship, such as oysters, barnacles and other algae. Whenever the ship is docked, the exposed bottom is really terrible. As one of the main means of transportation, ships also have a large number of barnacles on their bottoms. It is very troublesome to clean their bottoms. According to statistics, it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean the bottom of a ship once. Not only is it troublesome to clean, but it is also very expensive. During the cleaning process, these organisms must be constantly scraped off.

[0003] While ships are sailing, these organisms on the bottom of the ship go unnoticed. However, these marine organisms on the bottom of the ship have a significant impact on the ship. First, a large number of organisms gather on the bottom of the ship, which increases the weight of the ship. The ship itself is large and heavy, so it needs more power to operate. Not only does it consume more energy, but the attachment of marine organisms increases the obstructed area and the resistance to the ship's navigation. It also requires more fuel, increasing the cost of navigation. It is estimated that a ship that has not been cleaned for three years consumes 1 / 10 more fuel and 1 / 7 more heavy oil than a brand new ship.

[0004] Furthermore, these organisms are corrosive. Living on the bottom of ships for extended periods, they secrete substances that can cause serious damage. Ships are typically coated with special antifouling paint to prevent rust and corrosion, but it can't withstand the constant corrosion of so many organisms. Failure to clean the paint regularly shortens the lifespan of the steel and affects the overall maintenance of the ship.

[0005] Ultrasonic antifouling systems use ultrasonic waves between 20kHz and 40kHz to create a high-pressure barrier along the surface. This microscopic barrier is only a few microns thick. Small organisms cannot occupy this high-pressure space and are prevented from attaching and repelled from the surface.

[0006] Other frequencies have different functions. At frequencies above 40kHz, the cell structure of fouling organisms attached to surfaces begins to be affected. Common tasks associated with the life processes and reproductive cycles of organisms are disrupted in this frequency range.

[0007] Ultrasonic antifouling achieves a cleaner hull and running gear in two ways. First, it prevents new fouling from attaching to protected surfaces. Second, it disrupts the ability of fouling organisms to reproduce and spread on protected surfaces. It's important to note that ultrasonic antifouling systems do not reverse existing fouling that was present on the hull before the system was installed; therefore, the effects of ultrasonic antifouling are preventative in nature.

[0008] Current ultrasonic antifouling systems use ultrasonic waves to repel organisms and reduce biofouling rates on ships. A single ultrasonic emission mode increases the ship's energy consumption, while excessively high ultrasonic waves can affect marine life. A cyanobacteria bloom treatment vessel and treatment method (Patent Publication No.: CN 118993239 B) utilizes a controller to receive water quality parameters transmitted by a water quality monitoring sensor and, in response, to determine the operating mode of the ultrasonic algae control device. These water quality parameters reflect the growth phases of cyanobacteria. The ultrasonic transducer's operating mode is adjusted in real time to treat cyanobacteria blooms and improve water quality. However, this technical solution only removes cyanobacteria and cannot effectively prevent biofouling on ships.

[0009] A high-power ultrasonic pipeline antifouling device for ships and its control method (Patent Publication No.: CN 119549483 A) provides a control method, comprising the following steps: activating a group of ultrasonic transducers after a preset interval time T0, and shutting down each group of ultrasonic transducers after operating for a preset time T1. Next, cyclic switching control is performed on the four ultrasonic transducers within each group, specifically, each ultrasonic transducer within the same group is shut down after operating for a preset time T2, and the next adjacent ultrasonic transducer is activated. The preset interval time T0 is adjusted in real time based on the flow rate in the ship's seawater pipeline. This technical solution adjusts time T0 based on the flow rate in the ship's seawater pipeline. As long as the ship is in water, the water in the ship's seawater pipeline is likely to flow. That is, whether the ship is moving or not will not affect the flow of water in the ship's seawater pipeline, and time T0 is not adjusted based on the ship's speed. Therefore, this technical solution does not consider the impact of ship speed on the likelihood of biofouling, and fails to maintain a balance between biofouling rate, low power consumption, and environmental protection requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The present application provides a composite multi-frequency marine ultrasonic antifouling system and method, which changes the ultrasonic emission mode of a single frequency or simple pulse to emit composite multi-frequency ultrasonic waves within a wide frequency band. The system utilizes the superposition of multiple frequencies of ultrasonic waves in a transmission medium to produce a cavitation effect, which is used to avoid marine organism tolerance, improve anti-adhesion efficiency, and enhance the effect in specific areas. The system also dynamically adjusts the wave transmission frequency and operating frequency according to the operating status and environmental conditions of the vessel, reducing the vessel's energy consumption and biological adhesion rate, and balancing the relationship between biological adhesion rate, low energy consumption, and environmental protection requirements.

[0011] The present application provides a composite multi-frequency marine ultrasonic anti-fouling system, which is arranged on a vessel and includes a control unit, a sensor unit, and an ultrasonic transducer, wherein: The sensing unit is used to obtain GPS data in real time and generate relevant information that can affect the attachment of organisms to the vessel based on the GPS data; the relevant information includes the vessel's speed, current month, and location data; The control unit simultaneously drives multiple ultrasonic transducers, generates multiple control signals according to a pre-designed composite frequency band that can produce efficient cavitation, acoustic streaming and mechanical vibration effects, each control signal has a target frequency and carries a target power, and each control signal generates a driving signal that meets the target power and target frequency, and controls the multiple ultrasonic transducers to emit ultrasonic waves within a wide frequency band, and uses the superposition of ultrasonic waves of multiple frequencies in the transmission medium to produce a cavitation effect, which is used to avoid the tolerance of marine organisms, improve anti-attachment efficiency and enhance the effect in specific areas; it also obtains relevant information that can affect the attachment of organisms to the ship from the sensing unit in real time, and matches the data-driven rule library based on the relevant information, obtains the ultrasonic sound intensity based on the "speed-month-intensity" mapping rule, and adaptively adjusts the wave frequency and operating frequency of the ultrasonic transducer to reduce the ship's energy consumption and biological attachment rate, and balance the relationship between biological attachment rate, low energy consumption and environmental protection requirements.

[0012] The control unit includes a control chip and multiple drive circuits. The drive circuits include a PWM generation module and a power amplifier. The control chip generates multiple control signals based on a pre-designed composite frequency band that can produce efficient cavitation, acoustic streaming, and mechanical vibration effects. Each control signal has a target frequency and carries a target power. Each control signal controls the corresponding PWM generation module to generate a drive signal that meets the target power and target frequency. After amplification by the power amplifier, the ultrasonic transducer is controlled to emit ultrasonic waves within a wide frequency band.

[0013] The control unit also includes a broadband impedance adaptive matching network and an analog-to-digital converter. The broadband impedance adaptive matching network is used to dynamically adjust the impedance, optimize the power transmission efficiency, and ensure the overall efficiency of the marine ultrasonic anti-fouling system. The broadband impedance adaptive matching network monitors the current and voltage feedback from the ultrasonic transducer and converts them into digital signals for the control chip, so that the drive circuit of each channel reaches the optimal output power after automatic correction and fine-tuning. The associated information also includes the spatial location attributes of the vessel and / or the living habits of the attached organisms corresponding to the current month and location attributes. The associated information affects the biological attachment rate of the organisms attached to the vessel.

[0014] The present application provides a composite multi-frequency marine ultrasonic antifouling method, comprising the following steps: Step S110: During the design phase, the effects of different frequencies on cavitation, acoustic streaming, and mechanical vibration are studied. A composite multi-frequency and amplitude control strategy is adopted to generate a composite frequency band for efficient cavitation, acoustic streaming, and mechanical vibration effects. Furthermore, a "speed-month-intensity" mapping rule is formulated by combining GPS speed data, location data, and month information to build a data-driven rule library. Step S120: The control unit simultaneously drives multiple ultrasonic transducers. The control unit generates multiple control signals based on a pre-designed composite frequency band that can produce efficient cavitation, acoustic streaming, and mechanical vibration effects. Each control signal has a target frequency and carries a target power. Each control signal generates a drive signal that meets the target power and target frequency. The control unit controls the ultrasonic transducers to transmit ultrasonic waves within a wide frequency band. The ultrasonic waves of multiple frequencies are superimposed in the transmission medium to produce a cavitation effect, which is used to reduce marine organism tolerance, improve anti-adhesion efficiency, and enhance the effect in specific areas. Step S130: The sensing unit acquires GPS data in real time and generates, based on the GPS data, correlation information that can affect biological attachment to the vessel; the correlation information includes the vessel's speed, current month, and location data; Step S140: The control unit obtains the associated information that can affect the attachment of organisms to the ship from the sensor unit in real time, matches the data-driven rule library according to the associated information, obtains the ultrasonic sound intensity based on the "speed-month-intensity" mapping rule, adaptively adjusts the wave frequency and operating frequency of the ultrasonic transducer, and outputs the adjusted drive signal to the corresponding multiple ultrasonic transducers.

[0015] The control unit includes a control chip and multiple drive circuits. The drive circuits include a PWM generation module and a power amplifier. The control chip generates multiple control signals based on a pre-designed composite frequency band that can produce efficient cavitation, acoustic streaming, and mechanical vibration effects. Each control signal has a target frequency and carries a target power. Each control signal controls the corresponding PWM generation module to generate a drive signal that meets the target power and target frequency. After amplification by the power amplifier, the ultrasonic transducer is controlled to emit ultrasonic waves within a wide frequency band.

[0016] The method also includes step S150: a broadband impedance adaptive matching network is used to dynamically adjust the impedance, optimize the power transmission efficiency, and ensure the overall efficiency of the marine ultrasonic anti-fouling system. The broadband impedance adaptive matching network monitors the current and voltage feedback from the ultrasonic transducer and converts them into digital signals for the control chip, so that the drive circuit of each channel reaches the optimal output power after automatic correction and fine-tuning. The associated information also includes the spatial location attributes of the vessel and / or the living habits of the attached organisms corresponding to the current month and location attributes. The associated information affects the biological attachment rate of the organisms attached to the vessel.

[0017] The composite multi-frequency marine ultrasonic antifouling system and method provided in this application has the following beneficial effects: (1) Since the control unit of the marine ultrasonic anti-fouling system drives multiple ultrasonic transducers at the same time, it generates multiple control signals according to the pre-designed composite frequency band that can produce efficient cavitation, acoustic streaming and mechanical vibration effects, controls the ultrasonic transducers to emit ultrasonic waves in a wide frequency band, and uses the superposition of multiple frequencies of ultrasonic waves in the transmission medium to produce cavitation effects, which are used to avoid marine biological tolerance, improve anti-attachment efficiency and enhance the effect in specific areas; (2) Since the control unit obtains the relevant information on the influence of biological attachment generated by the sensor unit based on GPS data in real time, and matches the data-driven rule base according to the relevant information, the wave frequency and working frequency of the ultrasonic transducer are adaptively adjusted based on the mapping rule of "speed-month-intensity", which can reduce the energy consumption of the ship and the biological attachment rate, and balance the relationship between the biological attachment rate, low energy consumption and environmental protection requirements. It can not only inhibit the attachment of marine organisms more comprehensively and lastingly, effectively avoid the problem of biological tolerance, but also extend the effective life of the ship's ultrasonic anti-fouling system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a marine ultrasonic anti-fouling system provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a process flow of a marine ultrasonic antifouling method provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 This is the framework diagram of the design phase of the marine ultrasonic anti-fouling system for this application; Figure 4 This is the design flow chart of the marine ultrasonic antifouling system for this application.

[0020] The above drawings illustrate specific embodiments of the present application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and the textual description are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way, but rather to illustrate the concepts of the present application to those skilled in the art by reference to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Exemplary embodiments are described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, identical numerals in different drawings represent identical or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all embodiments consistent with this application.

[0022] The terms "first", "second", etc. involved in this application are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features.

[0023] The following first describes the relevant technology: Biofouling, the attachment of marine organisms to the surface of ships, is known as biofouling. It poses a threat to ship operations and marine ecosystems, leading to reduced ship performance. Current marine ultrasonic antifouling systems use ultrasonic waves to repel organisms and reduce biofouling rates. However, using a fixed ultrasonic emission frequency increases energy consumption and reduces vessel endurance. Excessively high ultrasonic waves can also affect marine life.

[0024] Furthermore, some marine organisms adapt to sustained, single-frequency, or simple-pulse ultrasonic stimulation, reducing their sensitivity to ultrasound and leading to reduced antifouling effectiveness. This tolerance may involve multiple mechanisms, including adaptive changes in biofilms, cellular adaptation, and selective tolerance of populations. Most existing commercial ultrasonic antifouling products remain at the single-frequency or simple-pulse stage, with little consideration given to biological tolerance, resulting in reduced antifouling effectiveness after long-term use.

[0025] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the composite multi-frequency marine ultrasonic antifouling system of the present application. The marine ultrasonic antifouling system 100 is installed on a vessel (not shown). The marine ultrasonic antifouling system 100 includes at least a control unit 10, a sensor unit 20, and an ultrasonic transducer 30, wherein: The sensing unit 20 is configured to acquire GPS data in real time and, based on the GPS data, generate correlation information that can influence biofouling on the vessel. The GPS data includes ephemeris data, satellite clock correction parameters, and ranging codes. The GPS data is combined with a satellite navigation positioning algorithm to generate correlation information, including the vessel's speed, the current month, the vessel's spatial location attributes, and / or the living habits of the attached organisms corresponding to the current month and location attributes. The vessel's spatial location attributes include whether the vessel is located in a marine protected area, or in sea areas or bays far from or close to shore. It is understood that the speed, the current month, the living habits of the attached organisms, and the vessel's spatial location attributes all affect the rate of biofouling on the vessel. The control unit 10 drives multiple ultrasonic transducers 30 at the same time, and generates multiple control signals according to a pre-designed composite frequency band that can produce efficient cavitation, acoustic flow and mechanical vibration effects. Each control signal has a target frequency and carries a target power. Each control signal controls the generation of a driving signal that meets the target power and target frequency, controls the ultrasonic transducer 30 to emit ultrasonic waves within a wide frequency band, and uses ultrasonic waves of multiple frequencies to superimpose in the transmission medium to produce a cavitation effect, which is used to avoid marine biological tolerance, improve anti-attachment efficiency and enhance the effect of specific areas; and also obtains information that can affect biological performance from the sensing unit 20 in real time. The system uses GPS data to generate information related to biofouling, and then uses a data-driven rule library to match the information. The system then uses the "speed-month-intensity" mapping rule to obtain the ultrasonic sound intensity, and then adaptively adjusts the wave frequency and operating frequency of the ultrasonic transducer 30. In this way, the ultrasonic sound intensity can be adaptively adjusted based on the information related to biofouling generated based on GPS data, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the vessel and the biofouling rate, balancing the biofouling rate, low energy consumption, and environmental protection requirements. This system can more comprehensively and persistently inhibit the attachment of marine organisms, effectively avoiding biological tolerance issues and extending the effective life of the marine ultrasonic antifouling system 100. Specifically, if Figure 1 As shown, the control unit 10 includes a control chip 11 and multiple driving circuits 12, which drive multiple ultrasonic transducers 30 at the same time. It can be understood that through the multiple driving circuits 12, the control chip 11 can individually adjust the wave frequency and operating frequency of each ultrasonic transducer 30 to achieve precise control of each ultrasonic transducer 30, so that the control chip 11 can dynamically adjust the ultrasonic sound intensity according to the operating status and environmental conditions of the ship, which can reduce the energy consumption and biological attachment rate of the ship, and balance the relationship between biological attachment rate, low energy consumption and environmental protection requirements.

[0026] Furthermore, if Figure 1 As shown, the drive circuit 12 includes a PWM generation module 121 and a power amplifier 122. The control chip 11 in the control unit 10 generates multiple control signals based on a pre-designed composite frequency band that can produce efficient cavitation, acoustic streaming, and mechanical vibration effects. Each control signal has a target frequency and carries a target power. Each control signal controls the corresponding PWM generation module 121 to generate a drive signal that meets the target power and target frequency. After being amplified by the power amplifier 122, it controls the ultrasonic transducer 30 to emit ultrasonic waves within a wide frequency band.

[0027] The control unit 10 also includes a broadband adaptive impedance matching network 13 and an analog-to-digital converter 14. The broadband adaptive impedance matching network 13 dynamically adjusts impedance, optimizes power transmission efficiency, and ensures the overall efficiency of the marine ultrasonic antifouling system 100. The analog-to-digital converter 14 monitors the current and voltage feedback from the ultrasonic transducer 30 through the broadband adaptive impedance matching network 13 and converts them into digital signals for the control chip 11. This allows the driver circuit 12 of each channel to achieve optimal output power through automatic calibration and fine-tuning. The pre-designed composite frequency band refers to the study of the effects of different frequencies on cavitation effect, acoustic streaming effect and mechanical vibration effect during the design phase, and the use of composite multi-frequency and amplitude control strategies to generate a composite frequency band with high efficiency cavitation, acoustic streaming and mechanical vibration effects, such as Figure 3 and 4 As shown, specifically: (1) Analyze the effects of different frequency bands on the acoustic field distribution and biofouling inhibition effect; (2) Test the quantitative effects of different pulse widths, sweep frequency ranges, duty cycles and other parameters on anti-adhesion performance, and determine the optimal parameter combination by combining orthogonal experimental method; (3) Composite frequency band generation: Design multi-frequency superposition and implement complex programming through DSP to enhance sound field coverage and energy utilization.

[0028] The data-driven rule base refers to the core logic of the intelligent adaptive control algorithm developed during the design phase based on the vessel's operating state and environmental conditions. First, an adaptive control strategy is developed based on the vessel's speed. Since a vessel is most susceptible to biofouling when moored, and least susceptible to biofouling at high speeds, moored is typically when the entire vessel is powered off. Therefore, the ultrasonic transmission and operating frequencies can be significantly reduced, or even shut down, at high speeds (e.g., above 10 knots). As speed decreases, the transmission and operating frequencies are gradually increased, reaching their maximum value at moored. This adaptive control strategy significantly reduces energy consumption during unnecessary operations, extending the battery (or solar-powered system) lifespan, making it particularly suitable for solar-powered yachts. Second, it reduces the potential impact of ultrasonic waves on the marine environment, further aligning with environmental principles. Third, it dynamically adjusts the antifouling intensity based on actual needs, avoiding over-fouling and extending the lifespan of the transducer. Finally, the adaptive control strategy is tailored to the vessel's environmental conditions, including seasonal and spatial factors. Taking into account the characteristics of lower biological attachment activity and weak solar radiation in winter, the system can automatically reduce the wave frequency and operating frequency in winter to further save energy consumption, optimize the load of the solar power supply module, and based on the precise time and location data provided by GPS, consider the living habits of marine attached organisms and spatial location attributes (whether it is a marine protected area, open sea, nearshore, bay, etc.).

[0029] This application generates information related to biofouling on ships based on GPS data. Based on the ship's operating status and environmental conditions, an intelligent adaptive control algorithm is developed. This algorithm fully considers the particularities of ship applications and strikes a balance between performance, power consumption, and environmental protection. Specifically, the algorithm: (1) Build a data-driven rule base: Combine GPS speed data, location data, and month information (e.g., summer / winter) to formulate “speed-month-intensity” mapping rules; (2) Adaptive control framework design: using data logic or PID control algorithm to dynamically adjust the ultrasonic output power, and verifying the response speed and stability of the algorithm through simulation; (3) Low power consumption optimization: Integrate solar power supply module, design sleep mode and wake-up mechanism to ensure that the system operates with minimum energy consumption under high-speed navigation state.

[0030] In some embodiments, after the multiple ultrasonic transducers 30 each feed back voltage to the control unit 10, the control unit 10 is further configured to, for each ultrasonic transducer 30, control the ultrasonic transducer 30 to enter a sleep mode if the voltage is lower than at least one voltage value within a first voltage range. If the voltage is within a second voltage range, control the ultrasonic transducer 30 to enter a power-saving mode. If the voltage is higher than at least one voltage value within a third voltage range, control the ultrasonic transducer 30 to enter a normal mode. The voltage values ​​within the ranges are, from smallest to largest, the first voltage range, the second voltage range, and the third voltage range.

[0031] In energy-saving mode, the ultrasonic transducer 30 operates for a first preset time period, then stops for a second preset time period, and then stops for a third preset time period after operating for the first preset time period. In normal mode, the ultrasonic transducer 30 operates for a first preset time period, then stops for a second preset time period, and then stops for the first preset time period after operating for the first preset time period. The durations, from longest to shortest, are the third preset time period (e.g., 0.6s), the first preset time period (e.g., 0.2s), and the second preset time period (e.g., 0.03s).

[0032] Both energy-saving mode and normal mode further instruct the ultrasonic transducer 30 to perform a calibration process every preset time interval (e.g., 6 hours). The calibration process operates for a fourth preset time interval (e.g., 9 seconds) and then stops for a third preset time interval. The calibration process is first initiated before the ultrasonic transducer 30 operates for the first preset time interval.

[0033] For example, if the voltage is lower than 12V±0.1V (ie, lower than at least one voltage value in the first voltage range), the ultrasonic transducer 30 is controlled to be in the sleep mode, and the LED light 50 (eg, Figure 1 and 3 As shown, the marine ultrasonic anti-fouling system 100 further includes an LED light 50) which flashes briefly every 2 seconds.

[0034] For example, if the voltage is between 12.1 and 12.6 V (within the second voltage range), the ultrasonic transducers 30 are controlled to be in the energy-saving mode, that is, each ultrasonic transducer 30 continuously performs the following steps: a. Perform the calibration process: work for 9 seconds and then stop working for 0.6 seconds.

[0035] b. Work for 0.2 seconds and rest for 0.03 seconds, then work for 0.2 seconds and rest for 0.06 seconds, until the total working time is 6 hours, and then perform step a.

[0036] For example, if the voltage is higher than 12.7±0.1V (higher than at least one voltage value in the third voltage range), the ultrasonic transducers 30 are controlled to be in normal mode, that is, each ultrasonic transducer 30 continuously performs the following steps: a. Perform the calibration process: work for 9 seconds and then stop working for 0.6 seconds.

[0037] b. Work for 0.2 seconds and rest for 0.03 seconds, then work for 0.2 seconds and rest for 0.2 seconds, until the total working time is 6 hours, and then perform step a.

[0038] It is understandable that the performance and energy efficiency of the marine ultrasonic anti-fouling system 100 can be further balanced by setting different working modes (sleep mode, energy-saving mode and normal mode).

[0039] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, when the ultrasonic transducer 30 is working, the control unit 10 is also used to continuously adjust the current and power of the driving signal if the voltage is not within the second voltage range and not higher than at least one voltage value in the third voltage range, and output the adjusted driving signal to the ultrasonic transducer 30 until the voltage is within the second voltage range or higher than at least one voltage value in the third voltage range, thereby detecting whether the ultrasonic transducer 30 is working normally.

[0040] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, the marine ultrasonic anti-fouling system 100 further includes a communication unit 60 , which is used to support monitoring and remote control of the control unit 10 .

[0041] The present application also provides a vessel, which is provided with a marine ultrasonic anti-fouling system 100 .

[0042] The following specific embodiments are used to describe in detail the technical solution of the present application and how the technical solution of the present application solves the technical problem. The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments.

[0043] See also Figure 2 As shown, the composite multi-frequency marine ultrasonic antifouling method of the present application includes the following steps: Step S110: During the design phase, the effects of different frequencies on cavitation, acoustic streaming, and mechanical vibration are studied. Strategies such as composite multi-frequency and amplitude control are used to generate composite frequency bands for efficient cavitation, acoustic streaming, and mechanical vibration effects. Furthermore, GPS speed data, location data, and month information are combined to formulate “speed-month-intensity” mapping rules and build a data-driven rule library. Step S120: The control unit 10 simultaneously drives the multiple ultrasonic transducers 30. The control unit 10 generates multiple control signals based on a pre-designed composite frequency band that can produce efficient cavitation, acoustic streaming, and mechanical vibration effects. Each control signal has a target frequency and carries a target power. Each control signal generates a drive signal that meets the target power and target frequency, controls the ultrasonic transducers 30 to transmit ultrasonic waves within a wide frequency band, and utilizes the superposition of ultrasonic waves of multiple frequencies in the transmission medium to produce a cavitation effect, which is used to avoid marine organism tolerance, improve anti-adhesion efficiency, and enhance the effect in specific areas. Step S130: The sensing unit 20 acquires GPS data in real time and generates, based on the GPS data, association information that can affect biological attachment to the vessel. The GPS data includes data such as ephemeris data, satellite clock correction parameters, and ranging codes. The GPS data is combined with a satellite navigation positioning algorithm to obtain association information, which includes the vessel's speed, the current month, the vessel's spatial location attributes, and / or the living habits of attached organisms corresponding to the current month and location attributes. The vessel's spatial location attributes include whether it is located in a marine protected area, a sea area or bay far from or close to the shore, etc. The speed, the current month, the living habits of attached organisms, and the vessel's spatial location attributes all affect the rate of biological attachment to the vessel. Step S140: The control unit 10 obtains relevant information that can affect biological attachment to the vessel from the sensor unit 20 in real time, matches the relevant information with a data-driven rule library, obtains the ultrasonic sound intensity based on the "speed-month-intensity" mapping rule, adaptively adjusts the wave frequency and operating frequency of the ultrasonic transducer 30, and outputs the adjusted drive signal to the corresponding multiple ultrasonic transducers 30; The system further includes step S150 : the broadband impedance adaptive matching network 13 in the control unit 10 monitors the current and voltage fed back by the ultrasonic transducer 30 , dynamically adjusts the impedance, optimizes the power transmission efficiency, and converts the current and voltage into digital signals for the control chip 11 . This allows the drive circuit 12 of each channel to achieve optimal output power after automatic correction and fine-tuning, thereby ensuring the overall efficiency of the marine ultrasonic anti-fouling system 100 . In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer feeds back a voltage to the control unit, and the control unit is further configured to, if the voltage is lower than at least one voltage value in a first voltage range, control the ultrasonic transducer to be in a sleep mode; if the voltage is in a second voltage range, control the ultrasonic transducer to be in a power-saving mode; and if the voltage is higher than at least one voltage value in a third voltage range, control the ultrasonic transducer to be in a normal mode, where the voltage values ​​in the range are, from small to large, the first voltage range, the second voltage range, and the third voltage range. Among them, the energy-saving mode instructs the ultrasonic transducer to work for the first preset time and then stop working for the second preset time, and then work for the first preset time and then stop working for the third preset time; the normal mode instructs the ultrasonic transducer to work for the first preset time and then stop working for the second preset time, and then work for the first preset time and then stop working for the first preset time; among them, the time lengths from long to short are the third preset time, the first preset time and the second preset time.

[0044] In some embodiments, both the energy-saving mode and the normal mode also instruct the ultrasonic transducer to perform a calibration process after every preset time interval. The calibration process works for the fourth preset time and then stops working for the third preset time; wherein, the calibration process is first started before the ultrasonic transducer works for the first preset time.

[0045] In some embodiments, when the ultrasonic transducer is operating, the control unit is also used to continuously adjust the current and power of the driving signal if the voltage is not within the second voltage range and not higher than at least one voltage value in the third voltage range, and output the adjusted driving signal to the ultrasonic transducer until the voltage is within the second voltage range or higher than at least one voltage value in the third voltage range.

[0046] The marine ultrasonic anti-fouling method has similar implementation principles and technical effects to the technical solutions provided in any of the aforementioned marine ultrasonic anti-fouling system embodiments, and will not be described in detail here.

[0047] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or part of the steps in the above-described method embodiments can be implemented using hardware associated with program instructions. The aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When executed, the program performs the steps of the above-described method embodiments. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0048] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A composite multi-frequency marine ultrasonic antifouling system, which is installed on a vessel and includes a control unit, a sensor unit, and an ultrasonic transducer, and is characterized by: The sensing unit is used to obtain GPS data in real time and generate relevant information that can affect the attachment of organisms to the vessel based on the GPS data; the relevant information includes the vessel's speed, current month, and location data; The control unit simultaneously drives multiple ultrasonic transducers to generate multiple control signals based on a pre-designed composite frequency band capable of producing efficient cavitation, acoustic streaming, and mechanical vibration effects. Each control signal has a target frequency and carries a target power. Each control signal generates a drive signal that meets the target power and target frequency, and controls the multiple ultrasonic transducers to emit ultrasonic waves within a wide frequency band. Ultrasonic waves of multiple frequencies are superimposed in a transmission medium to produce a cavitation effect, which is used to avoid marine organism tolerance, improve anti-adhesion efficiency, and enhance the effect in specific areas. The control unit also obtains relevant information that can affect biological adhesion to the ship from the sensing unit in real time, matches the relevant information with a data-driven rule library, and obtains the ultrasonic sound intensity based on the "speed-month-intensity" mapping rule. The control unit adaptively adjusts the ultrasonic transducer's wave frequency and operating frequency to reduce the ship's energy consumption and biological adhesion rate, and balance the relationship between biological adhesion rate, low energy consumption, and environmental protection requirements.

2. The composite multi-frequency marine ultrasonic antifouling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit includes a control chip and multiple drive circuits. The drive circuits include a PWM generation module and a power amplifier. The control chip generates multiple control signals based on a pre-designed composite frequency band that can produce efficient cavitation, acoustic streaming, and mechanical vibration effects. Each control signal has a target frequency and carries a target power. Each control signal controls the corresponding PWM generation module to generate a drive signal that meets the target power and target frequency. After amplification by the power amplifier, the ultrasonic transducer is controlled to emit ultrasonic waves within a wide frequency band.

3. The composite multi-frequency marine ultrasonic antifouling system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control unit also includes a broadband impedance adaptive matching network and an analog-to-digital converter. The broadband impedance adaptive matching network is used to dynamically adjust the impedance, optimize the power transmission efficiency, and ensure the overall efficiency of the marine ultrasonic anti-fouling system. The broadband impedance adaptive matching network monitors the current and voltage feedback from the ultrasonic transducer and converts them into digital signals for the control chip, so that the drive circuit of each channel reaches the optimal output power after automatic correction and fine-tuning.

4. The composite multi-frequency marine ultrasonic antifouling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The associated information also includes the spatial location attributes of the vessel and / or the living habits of the attached organisms corresponding to the current month and location attributes. The associated information affects the biological attachment rate of the organisms attached to the vessel.

5. Composite multi-frequency marine ultrasonic antifouling method, characterized by The steps include: Step S110: During the design phase, the effects of different frequencies on cavitation, acoustic streaming, and mechanical vibration are studied. A composite multi-frequency and amplitude control strategy is adopted to generate a composite frequency band for efficient cavitation, acoustic streaming, and mechanical vibration effects. Furthermore, GPS speed data, location data, and month information are combined to formulate a "speed-month-intensity" mapping rule and build a data-driven rule library. Step S120: The control unit simultaneously drives multiple ultrasonic transducers. The control unit generates multiple control signals based on a pre-designed composite frequency band that can produce efficient cavitation, acoustic streaming, and mechanical vibration effects. Each control signal has a target frequency and carries a target power. Each control signal generates a drive signal that meets the target power and target frequency. The control unit controls the ultrasonic transducers to transmit ultrasonic waves within a wide frequency band. The ultrasonic waves of multiple frequencies are superimposed in the transmission medium to produce a cavitation effect, which is used to reduce marine organism tolerance, improve anti-adhesion efficiency, and enhance the effect in specific areas. Step S130: The sensing unit acquires GPS data in real time and generates, based on the GPS data, correlation information that can affect biological attachment to the vessel; the correlation information includes the vessel's speed, current month, and location data; Step S140: The control unit obtains relevant information that can affect the attachment of organisms to the ship from the sensor unit in real time, matches the data-driven rule library based on the relevant information, obtains the ultrasonic sound intensity based on the "speed-month-intensity" mapping rule, adaptively adjusts the wave frequency and operating frequency of the ultrasonic transducer, and outputs the adjusted drive signal to the corresponding multiple ultrasonic transducers.

6. The composite multi-frequency marine ultrasonic antifouling method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The control unit includes a control chip and multiple drive circuits. The drive circuits include a PWM generation module and a power amplifier. The control chip generates multiple control signals based on a pre-designed composite frequency band that can produce efficient cavitation, acoustic streaming, and mechanical vibration effects. Each control signal has a target frequency and carries a target power. Each control signal controls the corresponding PWM generation module to generate a drive signal that meets the target power and target frequency. After amplification by the power amplifier, the ultrasonic transducer is controlled to emit ultrasonic waves within a wide frequency band.

7. The composite multi-frequency marine ultrasonic antifouling method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The method also includes step S150: a broadband impedance adaptive matching network is used to dynamically adjust the impedance, optimize the power transmission efficiency, and ensure the overall efficiency of the marine ultrasonic anti-fouling system. The broadband impedance adaptive matching network monitors the current and voltage feedback from the ultrasonic transducer and converts them into digital signals for the control chip, so that the drive circuit of each channel reaches the optimal output power after automatic correction and fine-tuning.

8. The composite multi-frequency marine ultrasonic antifouling method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The associated information also includes the spatial location attributes of the vessel and / or the living habits of the attached organisms corresponding to the current month and location attributes. The associated information affects the biological attachment rate of the organisms attached to the vessel.

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