Anti-biofouling device, seawater refrigeration system and anti-biofouling method
By adjusting the start and stop of the electrolysis module and ultrasonic module through the flow rate detection and control module, the problems of pollution, inconvenient maintenance and high cost of existing marine organism attachment prevention measures are solved, and the system achieves stable operation and improved economic efficiency throughout its entire life cycle.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHENZHEN HILAN CLOUD DATA CENT TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-30
AI Technical Summary
Existing measures for preventing marine organism attachment have problems such as metal pollution, inconvenient maintenance, poor effectiveness in preventing marine organism attachment, and high cost. They cannot simultaneously achieve the effects of pollution prevention, environmental protection, economic operation, and ease of maintenance for the entire area, and they cannot adapt to the operating characteristics of seawater systems with varying loads and flow rates.
The flow velocity detection module detects the seawater flow velocity, and the control module controls the start and stop of the electrolysis module and the ultrasonic module according to the flow velocity output signal. The electrolysis module is turned off when the flow velocity is high and turned on and the electrolysis current is adjusted when the flow velocity is low to ensure that the metal ion concentration is within the effective range. The ultrasonic module only works in the low flow velocity area to cover the protection blind zone.
It achieves operational stability throughout the entire life cycle, reduces heavy metal ion emissions, lowers operation and maintenance costs, improves system operating efficiency and economy, avoids pipeline blockage and equipment corrosion and leakage, and ensures the stable operation of the seawater cooling system.
Smart Images

Figure CN122308139A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of marine protection equipment technology, specifically to a device for preventing marine organism attachment, a seawater cooling system, and a method for preventing marine organism attachment. Background Technology
[0002] In seawater utilization scenarios, especially in systems such as seawater refrigeration, seawater circulation cooling, and marine seawater pipelines, marine organisms such as barnacles, shellfish, and algae are highly susceptible to attachment and growth inside the pipelines and equipment. This attachment reduces pipe diameter, decreases flow rate, and significantly reduces heat exchange efficiency. Furthermore, the attached organisms are extremely difficult to remove, significantly increasing the difficulty and cost of system maintenance. In severe cases, it can even cause pipe blockage, equipment corrosion and leaks, affecting the safe and stable operation of the system.
[0003] Current common anti-marine biofouling measures have many drawbacks: electrolytic copper ion methods can cause heavy metal pollution, and the copper electrodes need to be replaced regularly, making maintenance inconvenient; anti-marine biofouling coatings are easily worn off and cannot be maintained after failure; increasing seawater flow velocity cannot cover low-velocity areas in pipelines, such as vortex zones and dead flow zones, where marine biofouling can still occur, resulting in poor anti-marine biofouling effects; sodium hypochlorite anti-fouling methods can corrode metal pipes and equipment; and ultrasonic anti-fouling methods require a large number of transducers, which is costly. Summary of the Invention
[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a device, a seawater cooling system, and a method for preventing marine organism attachment, in order to solve the problems of metal pollution, inconvenient maintenance, poor effectiveness, and high cost of current marine organism attachment prevention measures.
[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a device for preventing marine organism attachment, comprising: The flow velocity detection module is installed on the seawater cooling circuit to detect the seawater flow velocity within the circuit. The control module, connected to the flow velocity detection module, is used to output a control signal based on the detected seawater flow velocity: when the seawater flow velocity reaches the preset anti-adhesion flow velocity threshold, a first control signal is output; when the seawater flow velocity is lower than the anti-adhesion flow velocity threshold, a second control signal is output. An electrolysis module is installed on the seawater cooling circuit and connected to the control module. It starts in response to the second control signal and electrolyzes to generate metal ions, and shuts down in response to the first control signal. An ultrasonic module is installed in the low-flow-rate region of the seawater cooling circuit and is electrically connected to the control module. It is activated in response to the first control signal and deactivated in response to the second control signal.
[0006] The beneficial effects of the above-mentioned anti-marine organism attachment device are as follows: Under high flow rate conditions, the high flow rate itself inhibits the attachment of marine organisms in most areas, while the ultrasonic module covers the low flow rate area of the seawater cooling circuit. Under low flow rate conditions, the electrolysis of metal ions achieves full pipeline anti-marine organism attachment, completely solving the coverage blind spot problem of single antifouling solutions, avoiding pipeline blockage, reduced heat exchange efficiency, equipment corrosion and leakage caused by marine organism attachment, and improving the operational stability of the system throughout its entire life cycle.
[0007] The electrolysis module is shut down under high flow rate conditions and only started on demand under low flow rate conditions. Compared with the traditional continuous electrolysis solution, this can reduce the emission of heavy metal ions and significantly reduce pollution to the marine environment. At the same time, the consumption rate of metal electrodes is significantly reduced, the replacement cycle is extended, and the cost of maintenance materials and the amount of manual maintenance work are reduced.
[0008] The ultrasonic module only needs to be placed in the low-velocity area of the seawater cooling circuit, which greatly reduces the number of transducers compared to the traditional solution of laying ultrasonic transducers throughout the pipeline. The ultrasonic module is attached to the outer wall of the pipeline, and the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic module are conducted to the pipe wall and seawater. Installation and replacement are convenient and do not require additional modification to the pipeline structure.
[0009] In one optional embodiment, the electrolysis module is an electrolytic copper ion generating module, which includes at least one set of copper electrodes for electrolytically generating copper ions.
[0010] In one optional embodiment, the anti-adhesion flow velocity threshold is 2 m / s-4 m / s. When the seawater flow velocity is below 2 m / s, marine organisms are more likely to remain and adhere to the inner wall of the pipe; if the seawater flow velocity is above 4 m / s, marine organisms will not adhere to the inner wall of the pipe.
[0011] In one optional implementation, the control module is configured to: when the electrolysis module is in the start-up state, adjust the electrolysis current of the electrolysis module according to the real-time seawater flow rate, thereby adjusting the release rate of metal ions, so that the concentration of metal ions in the target water body is maintained within a preset effective anti-attachment concentration range.
[0012] The beneficial effects of the above technical solution are as follows: by adjusting the electrolysis current in real time, the influence of flow rate changes on metal ion concentration can be dynamically matched to ensure that the target water body always maintains an effective anti-attachment concentration. This not only avoids the problem of anti-attachment failure caused by flow rate fluctuations, but also optimizes the energy consumption and metal consumption of the electrolysis module, improves the overall operating efficiency and economy of the seawater cooling system, and ensures the long-term stable operation of the system.
[0013] Secondly, the present invention provides a seawater cooling system, comprising: The seawater cooling circuit includes a seawater intake unit, an intermediate conveying unit, a heat exchange unit, and a drainage unit connected in sequence. An anti-marine biofouling device, wherein the electrolysis module is located in the seawater intake unit and the flow rate detection module is located in the intermediate conveying unit.
[0014] The beneficial effects of the above technical solution are as follows: the electrolysis module in the anti-marine biofouling device is set in the seawater intake unit, which can release metal ions in the initial stage when the seawater enters the cooling circuit, so that the metal ions are quickly and evenly mixed with the seawater, ensuring that an effective anti-fouling concentration is maintained from the water intake stage.
[0015] In one optional implementation, the seawater intake unit includes: The cylindrical body has a seawater intake port at one end; A seawater lift pump is installed inside the cylinder, and the outlet end of the seawater lift pump is connected to the intermediate conveying unit through a pipeline.
[0016] In one optional embodiment, the electrolysis module is set in the cylindrical cavity between the seawater inlet and the seawater lift pump, which allows the metal ions generated by electrolysis to be fully integrated into the water flow before the seawater enters the seawater lift pump, ensuring that the metal ions are evenly distributed in the subsequent intermediate conveying pipeline and heat exchange unit, thereby inhibiting the attachment and growth of marine organisms from the source. And / or, a filter element is provided at the location of the seawater intake for filtering the seawater drawn into the cylinder.
[0017] In one optional embodiment, the heat exchange unit includes a condenser, the condenser including a front cover cavity and a rear cover cavity, the front cover cavity including a first front cover cavity and a second front cover cavity, the first front cover cavity being connected to an intermediate conveying unit, the first front cover cavity being connected to the rear cover cavity through a first heat exchange tube, the rear cover cavity being connected to the second front cover cavity through a second heat exchange tube, and the second front cover cavity being connected to a drainage unit. The first front end cover cavity and / or the second front end cover cavity and / or the rear end cover cavity are provided with an ultrasonic module of the anti-marine organism attachment device.
[0018] The beneficial effects of the above technical solution are as follows: the ultrasonic modules in different positions work together to fully cover the low flow rate area inside the condenser, avoid the growth of marine organisms in local areas due to inadequate protection, effectively ensure the stable heat exchange efficiency of the condenser, and reduce the frequency and cost of equipment maintenance.
[0019] In one optional embodiment, multiple seawater intake units are provided, and the output ends of each seawater intake unit are connected to the input end of the intermediate conveying unit through a first confluence pipeline. The first confluence pipeline is provided with an ultrasonic module of the anti-marine organism attachment device. And / or, the heat exchange unit is provided in multiple ways, the input end of each heat exchange unit is connected to the output end of the intermediate conveying unit through a second confluence pipe, and the input end of each heat exchange unit is connected to the input end of the drainage unit through a third confluence pipe. The ultrasonic module of the anti-marine organism attachment device is provided on the second confluence pipe and / or the third confluence pipe.
[0020] The beneficial effects of the above technical solution are as follows: By installing ultrasonic modules at key flow path nodes such as the first junction pipe of the seawater intake unit, the second junction pipe of the heat exchange unit, and the third junction pipe, comprehensive protection against marine organism attachment can be provided to the junction pipes between units. This effectively avoids problems such as insufficient seawater flow and abnormal system pressure caused by blockage due to marine organism growth in the pipes. The coordinated protection of multiple pipe nodes ensures the smooth flow of seawater within the seawater cooling system, maintains stable heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange unit, reduces system downtime caused by pipe cleaning or maintenance, and further reduces equipment operation and maintenance costs and management difficulty. Furthermore, this setup allows for flexible adjustment of the ultrasonic module placement and quantity according to actual system operating needs, adapting to seawater cooling systems of different sizes and improving the versatility and practicality of the device.
[0021] Thirdly, the present invention provides a method for preventing marine organism attachment, which utilizes the aforementioned anti-marine organism attachment device and includes the following steps: S1. Detect the seawater flow velocity within the seawater refrigeration circuit; S2. When the seawater flow rate reaches the preset anti-adhesion flow rate threshold, the electrolysis module is turned off and the ultrasonic module is started; S3. When the seawater flow rate is lower than the antifouling flow rate threshold, turn off the ultrasonic module, start the electrolysis module, and dynamically adjust the output power of the electrolysis module according to the seawater flow rate so that the concentration of the effective antifouling substance in the seawater cooling circuit is maintained at the preset antifouling concentration threshold. Attached Figure Description
[0022] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.
[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a marine organism attachment prevention device provided in Embodiment 1 of the invention.
[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Seawater lift pump; 2. Electrode; 3. Filter element; 4. First junction pipe; 5. First ultrasonic transducer; 6. Second ultrasonic transducer; 7. Third ultrasonic transducer; 8. Fourth ultrasonic transducer; 9. Marine organism control controller; 10. Condenser; 11. First front end cover cavity; 12. Second front end cover cavity; 13. Flow rate detection module; 14. Seawater cooling circuit; 15. Second junction pipe; 16. Third junction pipe; 17. Rear end cover cavity; 18. Cylinder. Detailed Implementation
[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0026] In seawater utilization scenarios, especially in systems such as seawater refrigeration, seawater circulation cooling, and marine seawater pipelines, marine organisms such as barnacles, shellfish, and algae are highly susceptible to attachment and growth inside the pipelines and equipment. This attachment reduces pipe diameter, decreases flow rate, and significantly reduces heat exchange efficiency. Furthermore, the attached organisms are extremely difficult to remove, significantly increasing the difficulty and cost of system maintenance. In severe cases, it can even cause pipe blockage, equipment corrosion and leaks, affecting the safe and stable operation of the system.
[0027] Currently, measures to prevent marine organisms from attaching to seawater pipelines and equipment include: increasing seawater flow velocity, applying electrolytic copper ions to seawater, using anti-marine organism coatings inside pipelines, ultrasonic anti-marine organism attachment, and sodium hypochlorite anti-marine organisms.
[0028] Electrolytic metal ion antifouling technology: This technology releases heavy metal ions by electrolyzing metal electrodes such as copper and silver. The biotoxicity of these ions inhibits the growth of marine organisms. Although it can achieve full-pipeline antifouling, it poses the problem of heavy metal pollution to the marine environment. It is necessary to control the amount of copper ion released to prevent marine pollution. In addition, it consumes copper metal and the copper electrodes need to be replaced regularly, resulting in high maintenance costs.
[0029] Ultrasonic antifouling technology: This technology disrupts the environment in which marine organisms attach by utilizing ultrasonic cavitation. The cavitation effect of ultrasound in water generates numerous tiny bubbles, which, upon bursting, produce instantaneous high temperatures and pressures, thus inhibiting the formation of microbial films on the pipe walls and disrupting the environment for marine organism attachment. However, ultrasound has a limited propagation distance in water, and deploying transducers throughout the entire pipeline would result in extremely high initial investment costs and energy consumption, preventing large-scale application.
[0030] High-velocity antifouling technology: It inhibits marine organism attachment by increasing water flow velocity, without additional pollution or energy consumption, but it cannot cover low-velocity areas such as pipe tees, elbows, and equipment cavities, resulting in serious antifouling blind spots.
[0031] Antifouling coating technology: Antifouling is achieved by releasing antifouling ions through the coating on the inner wall of the pipeline. The anti-marine organism coating inside the pipeline inhibits the growth of marine organisms by slowly releasing copper ions. However, the coating is prone to peeling and failure, and it cannot be maintained online after failure, requiring shutdown and disassembly of the pipeline for treatment.
[0032] Chemical antifouling technology: This method involves adding agents such as sodium hypochlorite to inhibit the growth of marine organisms. However, these agents are highly corrosive to metal pipes and equipment, which can easily cause equipment leaks and pose serious safety hazards.
[0033] In summary, existing marine biofouling technologies cannot simultaneously achieve comprehensive antifouling effects, environmental friendliness, operational economy, and ease of maintenance. They are also unable to adapt to the variable load and flow velocity characteristics of seawater systems, resulting in unavoidable drawbacks such as unstable antifouling effects, environmental pollution, high costs, and difficult operation and maintenance.
[0034] Based on this, the present invention provides a device, a seawater cooling system, and a method for preventing marine organism attachment. It is a comprehensive solution combining high-flow-rate marine organism prevention measures with multiple other measures. By monitoring the seawater flow rate in the pipeline, the operating parameters of various marine organism prevention measures are adjusted to achieve the best marine organism prevention effect. At low flow rates, electrolytic copper ions are used primarily for marine organism prevention, automatically adjusting the concentration of electrolytic copper ions according to the flow rate and shutting off the ultrasonic module. At high flow rates, flow velocity-based fouling prevention is the primary method, shutting off the electrolytic module while simultaneously activating the ultrasonic module to protect the low-flow-rate area of the seawater cooling system.
[0035] Combination Figure 1 As shown, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the first aspect of the anti-marine biofouling device, the second aspect of the seawater cooling system, and the third aspect of the anti-marine biofouling method.
[0036] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in a first aspect, an anti-marine organism attachment device is provided, comprising a flow velocity detection module 13, a control module, an electrolysis module, and an ultrasonic module.
[0037] The flow velocity detection module 13 is installed on the seawater cooling circuit 14 and is used to detect the seawater flow velocity in the seawater cooling circuit 14.
[0038] The control module is connected to the flow velocity detection module 13 and is used to output control signals according to the detected seawater flow velocity: when the seawater flow velocity reaches the preset anti-adhesion flow velocity threshold, the first control signal is output; when the seawater flow velocity is lower than the anti-adhesion flow velocity threshold, the second control signal is output.
[0039] The electrolysis module is installed on the seawater cooling circuit 14 and connected to the control module. It starts in response to the second control signal and electrolyzes to generate metal ions, and shuts down in response to the first control signal.
[0040] The ultrasonic module is located in the low-flow-rate region of the seawater cooling circuit 14 and is electrically connected to the control module. It is activated in response to a first control signal and deactivated in response to a second control signal.
[0041] It should be noted that the low-velocity area of the seawater cooling circuit 14 refers to the pipe section in the seawater cooling circuit 14 where the flow velocity is lower than the mainstream velocity under design conditions, including but not limited to the T-shaped tee area, vortex area and flow dead zone. Because the water flow speed is slower in these areas, marine organisms are more likely to attach and grow, and these are key areas that need to be covered by marine organism attachment prevention measures.
[0042] The aforementioned anti-marine biofouling device suppresses marine biofouling in most areas under high flow rate conditions by utilizing the high flow rate itself, and is supplemented by an ultrasonic module to cover the low flow rate area of the seawater cooling circuit 14. Under low flow rate conditions, it achieves full-pipeline anti-marine biofouling through electrolysis of metal ions, completely solving the coverage blind spot problem of a single antifouling solution, avoiding pipeline blockage, reduced heat exchange efficiency, equipment corrosion and leakage caused by marine biofouling, and improving the operational stability of the system throughout its entire life cycle.
[0043] The electrolysis module is shut down under high flow rate conditions and only started on demand under low flow rate conditions. Compared with the traditional continuous electrolysis solution, this can reduce the emission of heavy metal ions and significantly reduce pollution to the marine environment. At the same time, the consumption rate of metal electrodes is significantly reduced, the replacement cycle is extended, and the cost of maintenance materials and the amount of manual maintenance work are reduced.
[0044] The ultrasonic module only needs to be placed in the low-flow-velocity area of the seawater cooling circuit 14, which greatly reduces the number of transducers compared to the traditional solution of laying ultrasonic transducers throughout the entire pipeline. The ultrasonic module is attached to the outer wall of the pipeline, and the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic module are conducted to the pipe wall and seawater. Installation and replacement are convenient and do not require additional modification to the pipeline structure.
[0045] This embodiment can automatically switch to the optimal antifouling mode based on the system flow rate without manual intervention. In addition to seawater cooling scenarios, it can be directly adapted to the antifouling needs of all marine liquid transportation systems, such as seawater circulation cooling and marine seawater pipelines, making it highly versatile.
[0046] In some embodiments, the electrolysis module is a copper ion electrolysis generating module, which includes at least one set of electrodes 2, wherein the electrodes 2 are copper electrodes for electrolyzing and generating copper ions. Each set of copper electrodes includes two copper electrodes, which are connected to the marine organism control controller 9 via cables. The marine organism control controller 9 automatically controls the rate at which the copper electrodes generate copper ions by setting the working current of the copper electrodes according to the flow rate of the seawater cooling circuit 14, so that the concentration of copper ions in the seawater reaches an effective concentration for inhibiting marine organisms.
[0047] The principle of copper electrode electrolysis to generate copper ions is as follows: When the electrolysis module is connected to a DC power supply, the copper electrode acts as the anode. Under the action of the electric field, the copper atoms on the anode surface lose electrons and undergo an oxidation reaction, transforming into copper ions and dissolving in seawater. The cathode usually undergoes a reduction reaction, such as hydrogen ions in the water gaining electrons to generate hydrogen gas or oxygen molecules gaining electrons to generate hydroxide ions. The entire electrolysis process continuously and stably releases copper ions into the seawater pipeline, utilizing the biotoxicity of copper ions to inhibit the attachment and growth of marine organisms.
[0048] In some embodiments, the anti-attachment flow velocity threshold is 2 m / s-4 m / s. When the seawater flow velocity is below 2 m / s, marine organisms are more likely to remain and attach to the inner wall of the pipe; if the seawater flow velocity is above 4 m / s, marine organisms will not attach to the inner wall of the pipe.
[0049] Furthermore, the anti-adhesion flow velocity threshold is preferably 3 m / s. When the flow velocity in the main seawater pipe reaches 3 m / s, the system shuts down the copper ion electrolysis module and stops copper electrode electrolysis. When the flow velocity in the main seawater pipe is less than 3 m / s, the anti-adhesion biological controller 9 automatically adjusts the copper electrode electrolysis current. When the flow velocity is high, the copper electrolysis current is increased to increase the copper ion generation rate; when the flow velocity is low, the copper electrolysis current is decreased to reduce the copper ion generation rate.
[0050] When the electrolysis module is running, the number of copper ions produced under the same electrolysis current is constant. Higher seawater flow rates result in lower copper ion concentrations in the seawater. When the copper ion concentration in the target water body rapidly drops below the effective range, it will be unable to inhibit marine organism attachment. Conversely, lower seawater flow rates result in higher copper ion concentrations. Maintaining a high electrolysis current would waste metal materials and potentially increase unnecessary energy consumption. Therefore, in some embodiments, the control module is configured to adjust the electrolysis current of the electrolysis module based on the real-time seawater flow rate when the electrolysis module is running, thereby adjusting the release rate of metal ions and maintaining the metal ion concentration in the target water body within a preset effective anti-attachment concentration range.
[0051] This embodiment dynamically matches the effect of flow rate changes on metal ion concentration by adjusting the electrolysis current in real time, ensuring that the target water body always maintains an effective anti-attachment concentration. This avoids the problem of anti-attachment failure caused by flow rate fluctuations, optimizes the energy consumption and metal consumption of the electrolysis module, improves the overall operating efficiency and economy of the seawater cooling system, and ensures the long-term stable operation of the system.
[0052] In an optional embodiment, the preset effective anti-attachment concentration range refers to the metal ion concentration being consistently controlled at 2 ppb. When the seawater flow rate is high, the electrolysis current is increased to enhance the number of metal ions, maintaining a metal ion concentration of 2 ppb; conversely, the electrolysis current is decreased when the flow rate is low.
[0053] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in a second aspect, a seawater cooling system is provided, including a seawater cooling circuit 14 and a device for preventing marine organism attachment.
[0054] The seawater cooling circuit 14 includes a seawater intake unit, an intermediate conveying unit, a heat exchange unit, and a drainage unit connected in sequence. The seawater intake unit is used to absorb the seawater to be cooled, the intermediate conveying unit is used to convey the seawater to be cooled, the heat exchange unit is used to cool the seawater to be cooled, and the drainage unit is used to discharge the cooled seawater.
[0055] The electrolysis module in the anti-marine biofouling device is installed in the seawater intake unit. It releases metal ions at the initial stage of seawater entering the refrigeration circuit, allowing the metal ions to mix quickly and evenly with the seawater, ensuring an effective anti-fouling concentration from the start of the intake process. When the flow rate in the seawater intake unit fluctuates, the electrolysis module can adjust the current in real time to dynamically match the impact of flow rate changes on the metal ion concentration, stabilizing the copper ion concentration at around 2 ppb. This effectively prevents marine organisms from attaching and proliferating on the surfaces of the intake unit, intermediate conveying pipelines, and heat exchange unit, preventing pipeline blockage or decreased heat exchange efficiency.
[0056] The flow velocity detection module 13 is installed on the intermediate conveying unit. The flow velocity detection module 13 includes a flow meter, which is connected to the anti-marine organism controller 9 through a control cable. The flow meter is used to collect the flow velocity data of seawater in the intermediate conveying unit in real time and transmit the data to the anti-marine organism controller 9. This provides a precise flow velocity basis for the electrolysis module to dynamically adjust the current, ensuring that the metal ion concentration is always adapted to the current seawater flow rate, and further improving the effectiveness and stability of anti-marine organism attachment.
[0057] In some embodiments, the seawater cooling circuit 14 is provided with multiple valves. Furthermore, valves can be provided in the seawater intake unit, intermediate conveying unit, and heat exchange unit respectively to control and regulate the water flow.
[0058] In some embodiments, the seawater intake unit includes a cylinder 18 and a seawater lift pump 1. A seawater suction port is provided at one end of the cylinder 18. The seawater lift pump 1 is disposed inside the cylinder 18, and the cylinder 18 guides the water flow drawn in by the seawater lift pump 1, allowing metal ions to be smoothly and evenly drawn into the seawater lift pump 1. The outlet end of the seawater lift pump 1 is connected to an intermediate delivery unit via a pipeline.
[0059] The electrolysis module is located within the cylindrical cavity between the seawater intake and the seawater booster pump 1. This allows the metal ions generated by electrolysis to fully integrate into the water flow before the seawater enters the booster pump, ensuring uniform distribution of the metal ions in the subsequent intermediate delivery pipeline and heat exchange unit, thus inhibiting the attachment and growth of marine organisms at the source. Simultaneously, its proximity to the seawater intake allows the electrolysis module to respond more promptly to initial changes in seawater flow velocity. Combined with the precise data transmitted by the flow velocity detection module 13, this allows for current adjustment that more closely matches the actual water flow conditions.
[0060] A filter element 3 is installed at the seawater intake, which can be a filter screen used to filter the seawater drawn into the cylinder 18.
[0061] In some embodiments, the heat exchange unit includes a condenser 10. In an optional embodiment, the condenser 10 is a two-pass condenser, comprising a front cover cavity and a rear cover cavity 17. The front cover cavity includes a first front cover cavity 11 and a second front cover cavity 12. The first front cover cavity 11 is connected to an intermediate conveying unit, and the first front cover cavity 11 is connected to the rear cover cavity 17 via a first heat exchange tube. The rear cover cavity 17 is connected to the second front cover cavity 12 via a second heat exchange tube. The second front cover cavity 12 is connected to a drainage unit. Seawater enters from the first front cover cavity 11 at the front end of the condenser, flows through the heat exchange tube, enters the rear cover cavity 17, then flows back through the heat exchange tube to the second front cover cavity 12, and then exits the condenser.
[0062] The water flow within the front and rear cover cavities 17 is turbulent, containing low-velocity areas such as eddies and dead zones, which easily lead to the attachment of marine organisms. Therefore, ultrasonic modules for preventing marine organism attachment are installed on the first front cover cavity 11 and / or the second front cover cavity 12 and / or the rear cover cavity 17. These ultrasonic modules can be positioned at different locations within the condenser 10, depending on the specific circumstances. The coordinated action of these ultrasonic modules in different locations comprehensively covers the low-velocity areas inside the condenser, preventing the growth of marine organisms in inadequately protected areas, effectively ensuring stable heat exchange efficiency of the condenser, and reducing equipment maintenance frequency and costs.
[0063] The ultrasonic module includes an ultrasonic transducer, which is installed on the outer wall of the pipe and condenser end cap by adhesive. The ultrasonic waves penetrate the metal outer wall of the condenser and enter the seawater, causing the seawater to cavitate. The cavitation effect of the ultrasonic waves generates tiny bubbles, which physically impact the marine larvae that have initially attached, causing them to fall off or become unstable, thereby preventing the marine organisms from attaching.
[0064] In some embodiments, multiple seawater intake units are provided, and the output ends of each seawater intake unit are connected to the input end of the intermediate delivery unit through a first junction pipe 4. An ultrasonic module for an anti-marine organism attachment device is provided on the first junction pipe 4.
[0065] And / or, multiple heat exchange units are provided, and the input end of each heat exchange unit is connected to the output end of the intermediate conveying unit through the second junction pipe 15. The input end of each heat exchange unit is connected to the input end of the drainage unit through the third junction pipe 16. The second junction pipe 15 and / or the third junction pipe 16 are provided with an ultrasonic module for the anti-marine organism attachment device.
[0066] This embodiment incorporates ultrasonic modules at key flow path nodes such as the first junction pipe 4 of the seawater intake unit, the second junction pipe 15 of the heat exchange unit, and the third junction pipe 16. This provides comprehensive protection against marine organism adhesion to the junction pipes between units, effectively preventing problems such as insufficient seawater flow and abnormal system pressure caused by blockages due to marine organism growth. The coordinated protection of multiple pipe nodes ensures smooth seawater flow within the seawater cooling system, maintains stable heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange unit, reduces system downtime caused by pipe cleaning or maintenance, and further lowers equipment operation and maintenance costs and management complexity. Furthermore, this configuration allows for flexible adjustment of the ultrasonic module placement and quantity according to actual system operating needs, adapting to seawater cooling systems of different sizes and enhancing the device's versatility and practicality.
[0067] For example, when there are two seawater intake units, the first junction pipe 4 is a tee pipe, and a first ultrasonic transducer 5 can be installed on the first junction pipe 4; when there are two heat exchange units, the second junction pipe 15 and the third junction pipe 16 are both tee pipes, and a second ultrasonic transducer 6 can be installed on the second junction pipe 15, and a third ultrasonic transducer 7 can be installed on the third junction pipe 16. Low-velocity areas such as eddies and dead zones exist within the T-shaped tee, which easily lead to the attachment of marine organisms; therefore, ultrasonic transducers are installed in the T-shaped tee. Multiple fourth ultrasonic transducers 8 can be installed on the condenser 10.
[0068] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in a third aspect, a method for preventing marine organism attachment is provided, utilizing a marine organism attachment prevention device, comprising the following steps: S1. Detect the seawater flow rate within the seawater cooling circuit 14.
[0069] S2. When the seawater flow rate reaches the preset anti-adhesion flow rate threshold, shut down the electrolysis module and start the ultrasonic module.
[0070] S3. When the seawater flow rate is lower than the antifouling flow rate threshold, turn off the ultrasonic module, start the electrolysis module, and dynamically adjust the output power of the electrolysis module according to the seawater flow rate to maintain the concentration of the effective antifouling substance in the seawater cooling circuit 14 at the preset antifouling concentration threshold.
[0071] When the electrolysis module is working, the copper ion concentration in the entire seawater system reaches 2 ppb, which is a marine organism-preventing concentration. At this time, the marine organism-preventing controller shuts off the ultrasonic module. When the flow velocity in the main seawater pipe reaches 3 m / s, which is a marine organism-preventing flow velocity, the marine organism-preventing controller turns on the ultrasonic module to prevent marine organisms from attaching in low-velocity areas of the seawater system.
[0072] The specific control strategy is as follows: The seawater cooling system mainly operates under high flow velocity conditions, that is, the flow velocity in the pipe reaches 3m / s, which is effective in preventing marine organisms from attaching. At this time, the system automatically turns on the ultrasonic module and turns off the electrolysis module, thus achieving the effect of preventing marine organisms from attaching to the entire system.
[0073] When the cooling demand decreases and the seawater flow rate of the cooling system is lower than the flow rate required to prevent marine organism attachment, the system automatically turns on the electrolysis module and turns off the ultrasonic module. At the same time, it automatically adjusts the copper electrode current according to the real-time flow rate, thereby controlling the copper ion production rate and keeping the copper ion concentration in the seawater at the effective concentration of 2 ppb for preventing marine organism attachment.
[0074] Although embodiments of the invention have been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and such modifications and variations all fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A device for preventing marine organism attachment, characterized in that, include: A flow velocity detection module (13) is installed on the seawater cooling circuit (14) to detect the seawater flow velocity in the seawater cooling circuit (14); The control module is connected to the flow velocity detection module (13) and is used to output a control signal according to the detected seawater flow velocity: when the seawater flow velocity reaches the preset anti-adhesion flow velocity threshold, the first control signal is output; when the seawater flow velocity is lower than the anti-adhesion flow velocity threshold, the second control signal is output. An electrolysis module is installed on the seawater cooling circuit (14) and connected to the control module. It starts and electrolyzes to generate metal ions in response to the second control signal and shuts down in response to the first control signal. An ultrasonic module is set in the low-flow-rate region of the seawater cooling circuit (14), electrically connected to the control module, and is activated in response to the first control signal and deactivated in response to the second control signal.
2. The anti-marine organism attachment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electrolysis module is an electrolytic copper ion generating module, which includes at least one set of copper electrodes for electrolytic generation of copper ions.
3. The anti-marine organism attachment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anti-adhesion flow velocity threshold is 2m / s-4m / s.
4. The anti-marine organism attachment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control module is configured to: when the electrolysis module is in the start-up state, adjust the electrolysis current of the electrolysis module according to the real-time seawater flow rate, thereby adjusting the release rate of metal ions, so that the concentration of metal ions in the target water body is maintained within a preset effective anti-attachment concentration range.
5. A seawater cooling system, characterized in that, include: The seawater cooling circuit (14) includes a seawater intake unit, an intermediate conveying unit, a heat exchange unit and a drainage unit connected in sequence. The anti-marine biofouling device according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the electrolysis module of the anti-marine biofouling device is installed in the seawater intake unit and the flow rate detection module (13) is installed in the intermediate conveying unit.
6. The seawater cooling system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The seawater intake unit includes: The cylinder (18) has a seawater intake port at one end; A seawater lift pump (1) is installed inside the cylinder (18), and the outlet end of the seawater lift pump (1) is connected to the intermediate conveying unit through a pipeline.
7. The seawater cooling system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The electrolysis module is installed in the cylindrical cavity between the seawater inlet and the seawater lift pump (1); And / or, a filter element (3) is provided at the location of the seawater intake.
8. The seawater refrigeration system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The heat exchange unit includes a condenser (10), the condenser (10) includes a front cover cavity and a rear cover cavity (17), the front cover cavity includes a first front cover cavity (11) and a second front cover cavity (12), the first front cover cavity (11) is connected to an intermediate conveying unit, the first front cover cavity (11) is connected to the rear cover cavity (17) through a first heat exchange tube, the rear cover cavity (17) is connected to the second front cover cavity (12) through a second heat exchange tube, and the second front cover cavity (12) is connected to a drainage unit; The first front end cover cavity (11) and / or the second front end cover cavity (12) and / or the rear end cover cavity (17) are provided with the ultrasonic module of the anti-marine organism attachment device.
9. The seawater cooling system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The seawater intake unit is provided in multiple ways. The output end of each seawater intake unit is connected to the input end of the intermediate conveying unit through the first confluence pipe (4). The ultrasonic module of the anti-marine organism attachment device is provided on the first confluence pipe (4). And / or, the heat exchange unit is provided in multiple ways, the input end of each heat exchange unit is connected to the output end of the intermediate conveying unit through the second junction pipe (15), and the input end of each heat exchange unit is connected to the input end of the drainage unit through the third junction pipe (16). The ultrasonic module of the anti-marine organism attachment device is provided on the second junction pipe (15) and / or the third junction pipe (16).
10. A method for preventing marine organism attachment, using the anti-marine organism attachment device according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Detect the seawater flow rate within the seawater cooling circuit (14); S2. When the seawater flow rate reaches the preset anti-adhesion flow rate threshold, the electrolysis module is turned off and the ultrasonic module is started; S3. When the seawater flow velocity is lower than the anti-adhesion flow velocity threshold, turn off the ultrasonic module and start the electrolysis module.