An adaptive driving device for a temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider

Abstract

The present invention discloses an adaptive drive device for a temperature-difference underwater thermal glider, comprising a heat storage cylinder, a heat transfer bracket, a heat-conducting rod, an adaptive drive bracket, an elastic porous film, a rubber tube, a phase change material, and a transmission fluid; the heat storage cylinder and the rubber tube are filled with phase change material; the rubber tube is filled with transmission fluid; the heat transfer brackets are arranged axially at equal intervals within the heat storage cylinder; the two ends of the heat-conducting rod are connected to the heat transfer brackets to form a heat transfer path; the elastic porous film is wrapped around the surface of the adaptive drive bracket and separates it from the phase change material. Compared with traditional temperature-difference underwater thermal glider drive devices, the present invention effectively solves the problem of driving capability attenuation caused by the continuous decline in the melting rate of the phase change material, can significantly reduce the residence time of the temperature-difference underwater thermal glider in shallow water and on the water surface, and thus provides a highly reliable, efficient, and long-life technical solution to meet the needs of modern marine scientific research.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of temperature difference energy underwater thermal gliders, and particularly relates to a power drive device that responds adaptively with temperature. Technical Background

[0002] The ocean contains an immense wealth of biological, mineral, chemical, and power resources, all of which play a vital role in sustaining the survival and development of human society. As ocean exploration continues, the development of underwater exploration robots has spurred the development of thermodynamic underwater thermal gliders. With their simple structure, efficient energy consumption, low cost, and long service life, thermodynamic underwater thermal gliders hold broad application prospects in marine environmental exploration, resource development, and maritime national defense and security.

[0003] A thermoelectric underwater thermal glider is a marine research vehicle that dynamically adjusts its buoyancy in real time, utilizing the volume changes associated with phase change materials during their phase transitions, enabling sinking, cruising, and surfacing for recovery. The propulsion system of a typical thermoelectric underwater thermal glider primarily consists of a fuselage, a heat storage tube array, a rubber hose, and an outer bladder. The heat storage tube array serves as a key driving mechanism, and the melting and solidification rates of the phase change material within it directly determine the thermoelectric underwater thermal glider's cruising time, recovery speed, and surface residence time. To meet the increasingly diverse needs of scientific research, new-generation thermoelectric underwater thermal gliders require additional heat storage tubes to accommodate deeper and longer exploration missions. However, the prolonged melting time of the phase change material increases the thermoelectric underwater thermal glider's recovery time and its residence time in shallow water and on the surface. This inevitably increases the risk of collision damage with surface vehicles (such as fishing vessels and cargo ships) and the leakage of confidential research data. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new phase change heat transfer enhancement technologies in order to significantly shorten the melting process of the phase change material in the heat storage tube array without affecting its solidification process.

[0004] Currently, existing technologies for enhancing phase-change heat transfer in thermodynamic underwater thermal gliders primarily rely on methods such as adding thermally conductive fins and using composite phase-change materials with highly conductive media. However, these technologies have limited effectiveness in enhancing the phase-change heat transfer process within the thermal storage tube array, while increasing the overall system weight and significantly reducing the operational performance of thermodynamic underwater thermal gliders, such as their diving depth, cruising time, and recovery speed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In response to the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides an adaptive drive device for a temperature-differential underwater thermal glider that utilizes a shape memory structure that adaptively stimulates deformation response with temperature changes to maintain the efficient contact melting mode of the phase change material in the heat storage cylinder for a long time when the seawater temperature rises. This invention greatly improves the cruising drive speed by accelerating the melting rate of the phase change material without affecting the weight of the underwater thermal glider itself, thereby shortening the residence time in shallow water and on the water surface while maintaining the diving depth unchanged.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0007] An adaptive drive device for a temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider, characterized in that it includes a heat storage cylinder, a heat transfer bracket, a heat conducting rod, an adaptive drive bracket, an elastic porous film, a rubber tube, a phase change material and a transmission fluid; the phase change material is filled between the heat storage cylinder and the rubber tube, and the rubber tube is filled with the transmission fluid; the heat transfer bracket is arranged along the axial direction of the heat storage cylinder, and the heat conducting rod is arranged along the radial direction of the heat storage cylinder; the adaptive drive bracket is embedded in the surface of the rubber tube, and the two ends of the adaptive drive bracket are connected to the heat transfer bracket. The heat storage cylinder, the heat transfer bracket, the heat conducting rod and the adaptive drive bracket form a deformed three-dimensional heat transfer network. When the temperature rises, the adaptive drive bracket The radial expansion of the frame drives the solid phase change material to approach the heat storage cylinder, and at the same time squeezes the liquid phase change material near the heat storage cylinder to the periphery of the rubber tube. When the temperature drops, the adaptive drive bracket will quickly shrink radially to restore its original shape. The elastic porous film is sleeved on the adaptive drive bracket, and the solid phase of the phase change material is located between the elastic porous film and the heat storage cylinder. The liquid phase of the phase change material can penetrate from the elastic porous film to between the elastic porous film and the rubber tube. When the phase change material melts, its volume expands and squeezes the surface of the rubber tube, driving the internal transmission fluid to flow out. When the phase change material solidifies, its volume shrinks and releases the surface pressure of the rubber tube, allowing the transmission fluid to flow back.

[0008] The heat transfer brackets are arranged axially and at equal intervals within the heat storage cylinder. Each heat transfer bracket has a spoke-like structure, with its outer ring connected to the inner wall of the heat storage cylinder. The inner ring of the heat transfer bracket is clamped to the outside of the rubber tube, and the inner and outer rings are connected and fixed by slender cylindrical spokes. The heat transfer rods are fixed to the inner ring of the heat transfer brackets and arranged in a uniform circular array radially within the heat storage cylinder. When the heat storage cylinder is heated, the heat transfer brackets and heat transfer rods jointly form a complex radial and axial heat transfer network, which promptly diffuses heat into the phase change material. Moreover, by accelerating the melting process of the phase change material near the heat transfer brackets and heat transfer rods, a channel is provided for the liquid phase change material around the heat storage cylinder to flow toward the central rubber tube. In addition, the heat transfer brackets and heat transfer rods also serve to constrain the rubber tube, preventing it from moving disorderly within the heat storage cylinder due to the application or release of the squeezing force of the liquid phase change material.

[0009] The adaptive drive bracket has a hollow straight cylindrical mesh structure and can trigger structural deformation response with temperature changes. The two ends of the adaptive drive bracket are connected to the heat transfer bracket to form a heat transfer path. When the temperature rises, the adaptive drive bracket expands radially; when the temperature drops, the adaptive drive bracket will rapidly contract radially to restore its original shape. Based on this response mechanism, when the adaptive drive bracket expands due to heat, it will continuously drive the solid phase change material to approach the heat storage cylinder, while at the same time expelling the liquid phase change material near the heat storage cylinder to the surrounding of the rubber tube to squeeze the transmission fluid circulation inside it, thereby improving the adaptive drive capability by maintaining stable and efficient contact melting over a long period of time.

[0010] The elastic porous film exhibits superelasticity and high permeability, capable of returning to its original shape after repeated stretching. As the temperature of the heat storage cylinder changes, the elastic porous film expands and contracts along with the adaptive drive bracket. This functionality allows the elastic porous film to co-extrude the phase change material with the adaptive drive bracket, increasing the contact melting heat transfer efficiency between the adaptive drive bracket and the phase change material while providing a permeation channel for the liquid phase change material.

[0011] The heat storage cylinder, heat conducting rod and heat transfer bracket are all made of high thermal conductivity and corrosion-resistant solid materials, including but not limited to copper, aviation aluminum alloy, etc.

[0012] The adaptive driving bracket is made of a material having a shape memory function that changes with temperature, including but not limited to nickel-titanium-based and copper-based shape memory alloys.

[0013] The elastic porous film is made of flexible polymer materials, including but not limited to polyamide, polypropylene and polytetrafluoroethylene.

[0014] The phase change material includes but is not limited to paraffin wax, chlorododecane and the like.

[0015] The adaptive drive device for a thermodynamic underwater thermal glider proposed in this invention offers significant advantages over existing thermodynamic drive technologies. First, the invention utilizes a rational combination of heat transfer brackets and heat-conducting rods to construct a complex radial and axial heat transfer network, effectively dispersing heat within the phase-change material. This design accelerates the melting of the phase-change material near the heat transfer brackets and heat-conducting rods, providing a path for the liquid phase-change material surrounding the heat storage cylinder to flow toward the central rubber tube. Compared to conventional drive devices, this design not only effectively improves the temperature uniformity of the phase-change material within the heat storage cylinder but also accelerates the migration of the liquid phase-change material toward the surface of the central rubber tube. More importantly, the invention utilizes the radial expansion characteristics of the adaptive drive bracket, which adaptively responds to temperature changes, to apply additional radial pressure to the solid phase-change material in the center of the heat storage cylinder, maintaining long-term, stable, and efficient contact melting of the phase-change material. This overcomes the inefficiency of conventional solid-liquid phase change passive heat transfer enhancement technology, achieving the goal of maintaining a rapid melting rate over a long period of time. This provides a highly promising technical solution for optimizing the design of thermal drive devices for thermodynamic underwater thermal gliders.

[0016] Beneficial effects

[0017] The adaptive drive device of the temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider proposed in the present invention constructs a complex and efficient heat transfer network by rationally arranging the heat transfer brackets and the heat conducting rods, thereby increasing the diffusion rate of heat in the phase change material, accelerating the melting process of the phase change material near the heat transfer brackets and the heat conducting rods, and providing a channel for the liquid phase change material to migrate toward the center. In addition, the present invention utilizes the radial expansion characteristics of the adaptive drive bracket when heated to exert additional radial pressure on the phase change material, thereby maintaining a long-term stable semi-active contact melting mode. Based on this working mechanism, the present invention solves the problem of the continuous decline in the melting rate of the phase change material of the traditional temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider, breaks through the technical bottleneck of the limited effect of the traditional solid-liquid phase change passive heat transfer enhancement method, achieves the purpose of maintaining a fast melting rate for a long time in the melting process, and provides an effective solution for the long-term, high-efficiency and high-reliability use of the temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the adaptive drive device of the temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider;

[0019] Figure 2 Diagram of the internal heat transfer network of the adaptive drive device;

[0020] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the adaptive drive bracket in different states: (a) below the transformation temperature, (b) above the transformation temperature;

[0021] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the working principle of the adaptive drive device, where: (a) before heating, (b) after heating;

[0022] Figure 5 Performance comparison of temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider drive devices, including: (a) traditional drive device, (b) adaptive drive device.

[0023] In the figure: 1. Heat transfer bracket, 2. Heat storage cylinder, 3. Rubber tube, 4. Heat conducting rod, 5. Upper end cover, 6. Lower end cover, 7. Adaptive driving bracket, 8. Elastic porous film, 9. Solid phase change material, 10. Liquid phase change material, 11. Three-dimensional heat transfer network, 12. Sandwich-type heating mode. Specific implementation plan

[0024] The device will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the adaptive drive device for a thermodynamic underwater thermal glider. It includes a heat transfer bracket 1, a heat storage cylinder 2, a rubber tube 3, heat-conducting rods 4, an upper end cap 5, a lower end cap 6, an adaptive drive bracket 7, an elastic porous film 8, and a solid phase-change material 9. The upper end cap 5 is sealed, while the lower end cap 6 is equipped with a transmission fluid outlet for communication with external devices. This transmission fluid outlet is connected to and sealed from the rubber tube 3 to prevent transmission fluid from entering the heat storage cylinder 2. The solid phase-change material 9 is filled between the heat storage cylinder 2 and the rubber tube 3, which is filled with transmission fluid. The heat transfer brackets 1 are arranged axially and evenly spaced within the heat storage cylinder 2. The heat-conducting rods 4 are arranged radially in a uniform circular array within the heat storage cylinder 2 and are connected to the heat transfer bracket 1. In its contracted state, the adaptive drive bracket 7 is nested within the central surface of the rubber tube 3 and fixedly connected to the heat transfer bracket 1 at both ends. The elastic porous film 8 is nested within the adaptive drive bracket 7 and can expand when the adaptive drive bracket 7 is heated and contract when it is cooled. The heat storage cylinder 2 , the heat transfer bracket 1 , the heat conducting rod 4 and the adaptive drive 7 bracket form a deformed three-dimensional heat transfer network 11 .

[0026] In one embodiment, the heat transfer brackets 1 are each a spoke-like structure, comprising an outer ring, an inner ring, and spokes connecting the outer and inner rings. The outer ring is connected to the inner wall of the heat storage cylinder 2, and the inner ring is fixed to the outside of the rubber tube 3. The heat-conducting rod 4 is fixed to the inner ring of the heat transfer bracket. When the heat storage cylinder 2 is heated, the heat is transferred to the radial heat transfer brackets 1 and the axial heat-conducting rod 4 through the heat storage cylinder. The heat storage cylinder 2, the heat transfer brackets 1, and the heat-conducting rod 4 together form a radial and axial heat transfer network, while also providing a channel for the liquid phase change material surrounding the heat storage cylinder 2 to flow toward the central rubber tube 3. In addition, the heat transfer brackets 1 and the heat-conducting rod 4 also serve to constrain the rubber tube 3, preventing the rubber tube 3 from moving disorderly within the heat storage cylinder 2 due to the application or release of the extrusion force of the liquid phase change material 10.

[0027] Figure 2 Figure 1 shows the internal heat transfer network of the adaptive drive device. Solid arrows indicate the direction of heat transfer. The three-dimensional heat transfer network 11 of the present invention is primarily constructed from the heat storage cylinder 2, the heat transfer bracket 1, the heat conducting rod 4, and the adaptive drive bracket 7. When the surface of the heat storage cylinder 2 is heated, the heat is rapidly transferred to various locations within the heat storage cylinder 2 through the three-dimensional heat transfer network 11. Simultaneously, the heat is transported to the other side of the solid-state phase change material 9 through the heat path formed by the adaptive drive bracket 7 and the heat transfer bracket 1, thereby forming a sandwich-type heating pattern 12 for the solid-state phase change material 9.

[0028] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the adaptive drive bracket 7 in different states. When the temperature of the adaptive drive bracket 7 is lower than its transformation temperature, the adaptive drive bracket 7 is in a compact state, such as Figure 3 When the adaptive drive bracket 7 is heated and the temperature is higher than its transformation temperature, the adaptive drive bracket 7 begins to expand radially, and the final state is as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown in b.

[0029] Figure 4 This is the working principle diagram of the adaptive drive device. When the surface temperature of the heat storage cylinder 2 is increased, part of the heat is transferred to the solid phase change material 9, causing the solid phase change material 9 near the inner wall of the heat storage cylinder 2 to absorb heat and begin to melt; part of the heat is transferred to the solid phase change material 9 near the inner wall of the heat storage cylinder 2. Figure 2 The three-dimensional heat transfer network 11 shown in the figure is quickly transferred to various parts of the heat storage cylinder 2, and at the same time stimulates the sandwich type heating mode 12 of the solid phase change material 9 in the center of the heat storage cylinder 2. At the same time, the adaptive driving bracket 7 begins to expand radially, stretching the elastic porous film 8, and jointly driving the solid phase change material 9 to approach the inner wall of the heat storage cylinder 2 to maintain long-term, stable and efficient contact melting. The outer layer of melted liquid phase change material 10 is heated along the inner wall of the heat storage cylinder 2. Figure 2The channel shown migrates to the surface of the rubber tube 3. At the same time, part of the liquid phase change material 10 melted on the surface of the adaptive drive bracket 7 migrates along the transport channel formed by the melting of the phase change material near the heat transfer bracket 1 and the heat conducting rod 4, while the other part permeates the elastic porous film 8 and converges to the surface of the rubber tube 3, thereby compressing the transmission fluid inside it to stimulate the driving ability. It should be noted that Figure 4 The solid arrow in the figure indicates the moving direction of the solid phase change material 9 squeezed by the adaptive driving bracket 7 , and the hollow arrow indicates the migration direction of the liquid phase change material 10 toward the surface of the central rubber tube 3 .

[0030] Figure 5 Performance comparison of temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider drive devices. Figure 5 In the conventional drive device shown in (a), the volume change rate of the phase-change material gradually decays due to the slowing melting rate in the later stages of melting. For a thermodynamic underwater thermal glider, this volume change rate directly affects its cruising speed, resulting in a reduction in the glider's recovery speed and a prolonged stay in shallow water and on the surface. This inevitably increases the risk of collision damage with surface vessels (such as fishing boats and cargo ships) and the leakage of confidential research data. Figure 5 In the adaptive driving device of the present invention shown in (b), the volume change rate of the phase change material is always maintained at a high level.

[0031] This will enable the recovery speed of the thermoelectric underwater thermal glider to remain at a high level, and will also shorten the time the thermoelectric underwater thermal glider stays in shallow water and on the water surface, thereby improving the reliability, safety and confidentiality of the thermoelectric underwater thermal glider.

Claims

1. An adaptive drive device for a temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider, characterized by: It includes a heat storage cylinder, a heat transfer bracket, a heat conducting rod, an adaptive driving bracket, an elastic porous film, a rubber tube, a phase change material and a transmission fluid; the phase change material is filled between the heat storage cylinder and the rubber tube, and the transmission fluid is filled in the rubber tube; The heat transfer bracket is arranged along the axial direction of the heat storage cylinder, and the heat conducting rod is arranged along the radial direction of the heat storage cylinder; the adaptive driving bracket is nested on the surface of the rubber tube, and both ends of the adaptive driving bracket are connected to the heat transfer bracket. The heat storage cylinder, the heat transfer bracket, the heat conducting rod and the adaptive driving bracket form a deformable three-dimensional heat transfer network. When the temperature rises, the adaptive driving bracket radially expands and drives the solid phase change material to approach the heat storage cylinder, while squeezing the liquid phase change material near the heat storage cylinder to the surrounding of the rubber tube. When the temperature drops, the adaptive driving bracket will quickly shrink in the radial direction to restore its original shape; the elastic porous film is sleeved on the adaptive driving bracket, the solid phase of the phase change material is located between the elastic porous film and the heat storage cylinder, and the liquid phase of the phase change material can penetrate from the elastic porous film to between the elastic porous film and the rubber tube. When the phase change material melts, its volume expands and squeezes the surface of the rubber tube, driving the internal transmission fluid to flow out; and when the phase change material solidifies, its volume shrinks and releases the surface pressure of the rubber tube, allowing the transmission fluid to flow back.

2. The adaptive driving device for the temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat transfer supports are arranged at equal intervals along the axial direction in the heat storage cylinder. Each of the heat transfer supports is a spoke structure, including an outer ring, an inner ring and spokes connecting the outer ring and the inner ring. The outer ring is connected to the inner wall of the heat storage cylinder, and the inner ring of the heat transfer support is clamped on the outside of the rubber tube; the heat conducting rod is fixed on the inner ring of the heat transfer support; when the heat storage cylinder is heated, the heat is transferred to the radial heat transfer supports and the axial heat conducting rod in sequence through the heat storage cylinder. The heat storage cylinder, the heat transfer supports and the heat conducting rod together construct a radial and axial heat transfer network, and at the same time provide a channel for the liquid phase change material around the heat storage cylinder to flow to the central rubber tube.

3. The adaptive driving device for the temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider according to claim 2, characterized in that: The heat-conducting rods are arranged in a uniform circular array along the radial direction inside the heat storage cylinder.

4. The adaptive driving device for the temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adaptive driving bracket is a hollow straight cylindrical mesh structure.

5. The adaptive driving device for the temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat storage cylinder, heat conducting rod and heat transfer bracket are all made of high thermal conductivity corrosion-resistant solid materials.

6. The adaptive driving device for the temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider according to claim 5, characterized in that: High thermal conductivity, corrosion-resistant solid materials include but are not limited to copper and aviation aluminum alloys.

7. The adaptive driving device for the temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider according to claim 5, characterized in that: The adaptive driving bracket is made of a material having a shape memory function that changes with temperature.

8. The adaptive driving device for the temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider according to claim 7, characterized in that: Materials with shape memory function include but are not limited to nickel-titanium-based and copper-based shape memory alloys.

9. The adaptive driving device for the temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider according to claim 7, characterized in that: The elastic porous film is made of flexible polymer materials, including but not limited to polyamide, polypropylene and polytetrafluoroethylene.

10. The adaptive driving device for the temperature difference energy underwater thermal glider according to claim 7, characterized in that: The phase change material includes but is not limited to paraffin wax and chlorododecane.

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