A penetrating seabed in-situ monitoring probe

Abstract

The present invention discloses a penetration-type seabed in-situ monitoring probe, which relates to the field of seabed in-situ monitoring, including a flexible monitoring cable and a rigid casing sleeved with gaps on the outside of the flexible monitoring cable, the flexible monitoring cable including a plurality of sensing units and a corrugated tube connected between adjacent sensing units, sensors being arranged in the sensing units, the sensors in different sensing units being connected by cables, the cables axially penetrating the corrugated tube and extending out of one end of the rigid casing, monitoring windows being provided on the wall of the rigid casing, the monitoring windows being distributed axially and corresponding to the sensing units. The present invention utilizes a rigid casing to ensure smooth penetration into the formation, utilizes a monitoring window to ensure smooth contact between sediment and the sensing unit, utilizes a corrugated tube to achieve omnidirectional deformation and slight compression and elongation, the flexible monitoring cable can withstand a large range of deformation, and after being deployed, can more accurately monitor changes in soil deformation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of seabed in-situ monitoring, and in particular to a penetration-type seabed in-situ monitoring probe. Background Art

[0002] The ocean occupies 70% of the earth's surface, but humans have done very little to explore it. With the increasing exploration of the seabed in recent years, the requirements for in-situ ocean parameters of sea exploration equipment, detection devices, and operating platforms have become increasingly higher. This is not only reflected in the accuracy, but also in the number of parameters. The more parameters researchers have and the more accurate they are, the more reliable the equipment will be. The in-situ seabed parameters can well reflect the local seabed characteristics and can serve as an important basis for researchers to conduct related research. They play an extremely important role in all fields of marine technology. However, there are fewer ways to obtain in-situ seabed parameters. Problems such as harsh deep-sea environment, seabed deployment and operation difficulties will affect the acquisition of in-situ seabed parameters.

[0003] The Chinese patent with the authorization announcement number CN106802132B discloses a penetration-type multifunctional in-situ observation probe for seabed sediments, including a static penetration probe, a resistivity measurement module, a deformation measurement tube and a control cabin connected in sequence from bottom to top. The resistivity measurement module includes a resistivity measurement module body, and point electrodes are evenly spaced on the outer circumference of the resistivity measurement module body. The deformation measurement tube is a tubular structure, a deformable rubber tube and an embedded pore water pressure sensor inside. The outer wall of the deformable rubber tube has eight stress and strain measurement optical fibers evenly spaced along the axial direction, and a row of water-permeable holes are distributed along the axial direction, and each water-permeable hole is connected to an embedded pore water pressure sensor. This solution sets a stress and strain measurement optical fiber on the outer wall of the deformation measurement tube, and installs an embedded pore water pressure sensor inside the deformation measurement tube. In general, the deformation measurement tube is relied on to provide support and protection for each sensor. The water-permeable holes are only set for the convenience of water pressure measurement, but it cannot directly contact and measure with the seabed sediments.

[0004] The Chinese patent application publication number CN112254864A discloses an in-situ real-time monitoring device. The in-situ real-time monitoring device includes a steel pipe, which is connected by a metal bellows. A triaxial acceleration sensor, a water hole, a pore pressure sensor, a temperature sensor and a microprocessor are arranged inside the steel pipe. The solution protects each sensor through the steel pipe, but the steel pipe is isolated from the seabed sediment and cannot obtain more accurate measurement data by directly contacting the seabed sediment. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a penetration type seabed in-situ monitoring probe to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art. A rigid casing is used to ensure smooth penetration into the formation, and a monitoring window is opened on the rigid casing to ensure smooth contact between the sediment and the sensing unit. At the same time, a bellows is used to achieve omnidirectional deformation and slight compression and elongation. The flexible monitoring cable can withstand a larger range of deformation. After deployment, it can more accurately monitor changes in soil deformation.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions:

[0007] The present invention provides a penetrating seabed in-situ monitoring probe, comprising a flexible monitoring cable and a rigid casing which is intermittently sleeved on the outside of the flexible monitoring cable, wherein the flexible monitoring cable comprises a plurality of sensing units and a corrugated tube connected between adjacent sensing units, wherein sensors are arranged in the sensing units, and the sensors in different sensing units are connected by cables, wherein the cables penetrate the corrugated tube axially and extend out of one end of the rigid casing, wherein monitoring windows are provided on the wall of the rigid casing, and the monitoring windows are distributed axially and correspond to the sensing units.

[0008] Preferably, the length of the monitoring window along the axial direction of the rigid casing is greater than or equal to the length of the sensor unit along the axial direction of the rigid casing.

[0009] Preferably, one or more monitoring windows are distributed along the circumference of the rigid casing, and the length of any monitoring window perpendicular to the axial direction of the rigid casing is smaller than the diameter of the rigid casing.

[0010] Preferably, the other end of the rigid sleeve is connected to a probe tip via a thread.

[0011] Preferably, the sensing unit comprises a waterproof and pressure-resistant casing, and the sensor is arranged inside the waterproof and pressure-resistant casing.

[0012] Preferably, a sensor bracket is provided in the waterproof and pressure-resistant housing, the sensor is mounted on the sensor bracket, and the sensor is connected to the cable via a wire.

[0013] Preferably, the sensor bracket comprises a vertically arranged mounting surface, and the sensor is mounted on the mounting surface.

[0014] Preferably, the corrugated tube is connected to the waterproof and pressure-resistant housing via a connecting end cover, the cable is penetrated through the middle of the connecting end cover, and is sealed by a watertight connector.

[0015] Preferably, it comprises a steel wire rope, which axially penetrates the connection end cover and is fixed to the connection end cover, and at the same time, the steel wire rope is fixed to the probe tip at the end.

[0016] Preferably, the corrugated tube or the sensing unit at one end of the rigid sleeve is closed by a connecting end cover, the cable is penetrated through the middle of the connecting end cover and is sealed by another watertight connector.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has achieved the following technical effects:

[0018] (1) The present invention cooperates with a flexible monitoring cable and a rigid casing, uses the rigid casing to ensure that the flexible monitoring cable penetrates smoothly into the stratum, and opens a monitoring window on the rigid casing to ensure that the sediment soil contacts the sensing unit of the flexible monitoring cable smoothly. At the same time, the bellows arranged between the sensing units are used to realize the omnidirectional deformation and slight compression and elongation of the flexible monitoring cable. Thus, the flexible monitoring cable can withstand a larger range of deformation, and after being deployed, it can more accurately monitor the changes in soil deformation.

[0019] (2) The present invention can improve the strength of the flexible monitoring cable and the penetration length of the flexible monitoring cable by setting a rigid casing, and can set a variety of sensors as needed, which can well solve the problems of short penetration length of the seabed probe, small deformation, and few measurement parameters, and lay a good foundation for the development of subsequent research work;

[0020] (3) The sensors in the sensing units of the present invention are connected to cables through wires. Different types of sensors can be arranged in different sensing units according to the monitoring targets, and connected through wires and fixed through sensor brackets, thereby achieving real-time monitoring of different monitoring targets;

[0021] (4) The present invention provides a sensor bracket for installing the sensor in the sensor unit, and the sensor bracket includes a vertically arranged mounting surface. Through the arrangement of the vertical mounting surface, each sensor unit has at least two mutually perpendicular sensors, which can realize the synchronous collection of multi-directional formation deformation data. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a monitoring window provided on a rigid casing of the present invention and its corresponding internal structure;

[0025] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the bellows of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the bellows of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the sensor unit of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of one end of the present invention connected to the cable;

[0029] Among them, 1. Flexible monitoring cable; 2. Cable; 3. Rigid casing; 31. Monitoring window; 4. Bellows; 5. Sensing unit; 51. Waterproof and pressure-resistant casing; 6. Watertight connector; 7. Steel wire rope; 8. Connecting end cover; 9. Wire; 10. Sensor bracket; 11. Sensor; 12. Probe tip. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a penetration-type seabed in-situ monitoring probe to solve the problems existing in the prior art. A rigid casing is used to ensure smooth penetration into the stratum, and a monitoring window is opened on the rigid casing to ensure smooth contact between the sediment and the sensing unit. At the same time, a bellows is used to achieve omnidirectional deformation and slight compression and elongation. The flexible monitoring cable can withstand a larger range of deformation and can more accurately monitor changes in soil deformation after deployment.

[0032] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0033] like Figures 1 to 6As shown, the present invention provides a penetration-type seabed in-situ monitoring probe, including a flexible monitoring cable 1 and a rigid casing 3 with a gap sleeved outside the flexible monitoring cable 1. The flexible monitoring cable 1 is not directly connected to the rigid casing 3, and there is a gap between the two. The setting of the gap allows sediment soil to fill in and contact the flexible monitoring cable 1. Among them, the flexible monitoring cable 1 includes a plurality of sensor units 5 and a bellows 4 connected between adjacent sensor units 5. The bellows 4 can be a metal bellows 4, which can support adjacent sensor units 5. When the sensor unit 5 is squeezed by the soil, it can be compressed or stretched, so as to adapt to the deformation of the soil layer. A sensor 11 is arranged in the sensor unit 5. Different types of sensors 11 can be selected according to different monitoring targets, such as MEMS sensors 11 for measuring displacement and deformation, temperature sensors 11 for measuring temperature, and pressure sensors 11 for measuring pressure. Different types of sensors 11 can also be installed in different sensor units 5 on the same probe to achieve multi-parameter monitoring. The sensors 11 in different sensor units 5 are connected by cables 2. The cables 2 axially penetrate the corrugated tube 4 and extend out of one end of the rigid casing 3. The extended cables 2 are connected to the external electronic compartment, battery compartment, etc., and are used to supply power to the flexible monitoring cable 1 and transmit data. The other end of the rigid casing 3 is used as a front end to penetrate the soil layer, and a conical head or other structure can be provided to facilitate penetration. Monitoring windows 31 are provided on the wall of the rigid casing 3. The monitoring windows 31 are distributed axially and correspond to the sensor units 5, and are used to penetrate the soil, so that the sensor units 5 can directly contact the soil for measurement. The present invention cooperates with a flexible monitoring cable 1 and a rigid casing 3, utilizes the rigid casing 3 to ensure that the flexible monitoring cable 1 penetrates the stratum smoothly, and opens a monitoring window 31 on the rigid casing 3 to ensure that the sediment soil contacts and couples smoothly with the sensing unit 5 of the flexible monitoring cable 1. At the same time, the bellows 4 arranged between the sensing units 5 are utilized to realize the omnidirectional deformation and slight compression and elongation of the flexible monitoring cable 1. Thus, the flexible monitoring cable 1 can withstand a larger range of deformation, and after being deployed, it can more accurately monitor the changes in soil deformation.

[0034] The provision of the rigid casing 3 can improve the strength of the flexible monitoring cable 1, increase the penetration length of the flexible monitoring cable 1, and provide a variety of sensors 11 as needed, which can effectively solve the problems of short penetration length of the seabed probe, small deformation, and few measurement parameters, and lay a good foundation for the subsequent research work. At the same time, the probe of the present invention is convenient for forming a sensor network. Not only can a plurality of sensor units 5 be provided through the flexible monitoring cable 1, but also a complete monitoring sensor network can be formed by arranging a plurality of probes. The entire probe device has a simple structure and low manufacturing cost. It can be deployed in conjunction with different lowering devices, and the penetration length can also be adjusted according to demand. It has good scalability and greatly reduces the cost of the seabed in-situ monitoring experiment, providing a good way to obtain seabed in-situ geological data.

[0035] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the length of the monitoring window 31 along the axial direction of the rigid casing 3 can be greater than or equal to the length of the sensor unit 5 along the axial direction of the rigid casing 3. At this time, the sensor unit 5 can be completely in contact with the external environment of the rigid casing 3 through the monitoring window 31. After penetrating into the soil layer, the sediment soil can enter the rigid casing 3 through the monitoring window 31 and be fully contacted and coupled with the sensor unit 5, thereby further improving the monitoring accuracy.

[0036] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, there are one or more monitoring windows 31 distributed along the circumference of the rigid casing 3, and the length of any monitoring window 31 perpendicular to the axial direction of the rigid casing 3 is less than the diameter of the rigid casing 3. That is to say, after the monitoring window 31 is opened in the rigid casing 3, uniform axial support can be formed in the circumferential direction, which can ensure uniform force and stability during the penetration process and avoid damage caused by bending to one side during penetration of the rigid casing 3.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, in order to ensure smooth penetration into the soil layer, a probe tip 12 can be provided at the other end of the rigid casing 3. The probe tip 12 is a conical structure, and the tail end is connected to the rigid casing 3 by threads. The threaded connection facilitates the disassembly and installation of the flexible monitoring cable 1, and the corresponding sensing unit 5 and its sensor 11 can be replaced according to needs.

[0038] like Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the sensing unit 5 includes a waterproof and pressure-resistant shell 51, and the sensor 11 is arranged inside the waterproof and pressure-resistant shell 51. The waterproof and pressure-resistant shell 51 protects the sensor 11 arranged inside to ensure that the sensor 11 can work normally in a deep water environment, such as a water depth of 30MPa.

[0039] like Figure 5 As shown, a sensor bracket 10 is also provided in the waterproof and pressure-resistant housing 51, and a sensor 11 is mounted on the sensor bracket 10, so that the sensor 11 is mounted and fixed by the sensor bracket 10. One or more sensors 11 can be provided in the same waterproof and pressure-resistant housing 51, and the sensor 11 is connected to the cable 2 through a wire 9. Different types of sensors 11 can be provided in different sensing units 5 according to the monitoring target, and connected through the wire 9 and fixed through the sensor bracket 10, so that real-time monitoring of different monitoring targets can be achieved.

[0040] like Figure 5As shown, the sensor bracket 10 includes a vertically arranged mounting surface, which can be formed by vertically connecting the mounting plate, and the sensor 11 is mounted on the mounting surface. By setting the vertical mounting surface, each sensing unit 5 has at least two mutually perpendicular sensors 11, which can realize the synchronous acquisition of multi-directional formation deformation data.

[0041] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the bellows 4 is connected to the waterproof and pressure-resistant housing 51 of the sensor unit 5 through the connecting end cap 8, and can be locked by screws during connection. The cable 2 is provided through the middle of the connecting end cap 8 and is sealed by a watertight connector 6. Thus, the bellows 4 forms a flexible joint between the sensor unit 5 and the sensor unit 5, maintaining the flexible monitoring cable 1 to form an integral flexible structure.

[0042] like Figure 4 As shown, it includes a steel wire rope 7, and at least four steel wire ropes 7 can be evenly arranged around the circumference to ensure that a uniform connection force is generated at each circumferential position. Specifically, when connected, the steel wire rope 7 axially penetrates the connecting end cover 8 and is fixedly connected to the connecting end cover 8. When fixed, it can be locked by tightening screws. At the same time, the steel wire rope 7 is fixed to the probe tip 12 at the end. An axial connection structure is formed between adjacent sensor units 5, and a whole is formed with the rigid sleeve 3 through the probe tip 12. During the recovery process of the probe after the probe completes the in-situ monitoring task, when the flexible monitoring cable 1 is bent, deformed, penetrated or recovered, the steel wire rope 7 can be used to withstand the axial tension to prevent the flexible joint and the watertight connector 6 from being broken during the recovery process, causing damage to the probe, thereby ensuring the reusability of the probe.

[0043] like Figure 6 As shown, one end of the rigid sleeve 3, i.e., the end from which the cable 2 is led out, is provided with a bellows 4 or a sensor unit 5, which is closed by a connecting end cover 8, the middle of which is penetrated by a cable 2 and sealed by another watertight connector 6. The bellows 4 and the sensor unit 5 at the end can be sealed by the above structure to avoid being affected by external water or soil. The probe tip 12, the bellows 4, the connecting end cover 8 and other parts that are easily in contact with seawater can be made of stainless steel-316 or galvanized materials that are not easily corroded by seawater.

[0044] The present invention uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The above examples are only used to help understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the ideas of the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A penetrating seabed in-situ monitoring probe, characterized in that: It comprises a flexible monitoring cable and a rigid sleeve which is sleeved on the outside of the flexible monitoring cable at intervals, the flexible monitoring cable comprises a plurality of sensing units and a corrugated tube connected between adjacent sensing units, sensors are arranged in the sensing units, the sensors in different sensing units are connected by cables, the cables penetrate the corrugated tube axially and extend out of one end of the rigid sleeve, monitoring windows are opened on the wall of the rigid sleeve, the monitoring windows are distributed axially and correspond to the sensing units; The length of the monitoring window along the axial direction of the rigid casing is greater than or equal to the length of the sensor unit along the axial direction of the rigid casing; The sensing unit is in full contact with the environment outside the rigid casing through the monitoring window. After penetrating into the soil layer, the sediment soil enters the rigid casing through the monitoring window and is fully contacted and coupled with the sensing unit.

2. The penetration-type seabed in-situ monitoring probe according to claim 1 is characterized in that: There are one or more monitoring windows distributed along the circumference of the rigid casing, and the length of any monitoring window perpendicular to the axial direction of the rigid casing is smaller than the diameter of the rigid casing.

3. The penetration-type seabed in-situ monitoring probe according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The other end of the rigid sleeve is connected with a probe tip through a thread.

4. The penetration-type seabed in-situ monitoring probe according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The sensing unit comprises a waterproof and pressure-resistant shell, and the sensor is arranged inside the waterproof and pressure-resistant shell.

5. The penetration-type seabed in-situ monitoring probe according to claim 4 is characterized in that: A sensor bracket is arranged in the waterproof and pressure-resistant housing, the sensor is mounted on the sensor bracket, and the sensor is connected to the cable through a wire.

6. The penetration-type seabed in-situ monitoring probe according to claim 5 is characterized in that: The sensor bracket comprises a vertically arranged mounting surface, and the sensor is mounted on the mounting surface.

7. The penetration-type seabed in-situ monitoring probe according to claim 4 is characterized in that: The corrugated tube is connected to the waterproof and pressure-resistant housing via a connecting end cover, the cable is penetrated through the middle of the connecting end cover and is sealed by a watertight connector.

8. The penetration-type seabed in-situ monitoring probe according to claim 7 is characterized in that: The utility model comprises a steel wire rope, wherein the steel wire rope axially penetrates the connection end cover and is fixed to the connection end cover, and at the same time, the steel wire rope is fixed to the tip of the probe rod at the end.

9. The penetration-type seabed in-situ monitoring probe according to claim 8 is characterized in that: The corrugated tube or the sensing unit at one end of the rigid sleeve is closed by a connecting end cover, the cable is penetrated through the middle of the connecting end cover and is sealed by another watertight connector.

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