Underwater leakage stopping method for water gate of hydropower station

Abstract

A kind of underwater leakage stopping method for water gate of hydropower station, the leakage stopping particles are screened, and the size of the leakage stopping particles loaded to the bottom layer is evaluated according to the site leakage condition when loading the leakage stopping particles.The leakage stopping particles generally move obliquely downward with water flow in moving water, and the faster the water flow speed, the faster the moving speed.When the leakage stopping particles are put into the water surface of the gate, since the bulk density of the leakage stopping particles is slightly larger than that of water, it slowly sinks to the bottom of the water, and when it sinks to the vicinity of the leakage point of the gate, since there is a pressure difference inside and outside the leakage point, the pressure decreases along the water flow direction, under the action of high pressure around, the leakage stopping particles are absorbed to the leakage point along the water flow, and blocked to the gap of the leakage.The invention utilizes the high-speed water flow generated by the propeller, and under the action of high pressure around the leakage point, the leakage stopping particles are absorbed to the leakage point along the water flow, and blocked to the gap of the leakage, the leakage stopping particles can enter the deep gap, and the leakage stopping quality is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of underwater leak sealing of gates, and specifically relates to a method for underwater leak sealing of gates in hydropower stations. Background Technology

[0002] Hydropower station gates are subject to deformation, aging and wear of water seals, and foreign objects in the gate slots during use, often resulting in leakage after the gates are closed. Therefore, it is necessary to inspect the gates for leakage, and when leakage occurs, the leaking area needs to be sealed. The current method involves divers carrying sealing particles and dropping them into the leak location. The natural suction of the water flow draws the particles into the leak's gaps, thus sealing the leak. However, this method is ineffective because the suction force of the water flow is insufficient; many sealing particles do not penetrate deep into the leak's gaps, only forming a surface seal. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the technical problems existing in the background technology, the underwater leak sealing method for hydropower station gates provided by the present invention uses an underwater robot or other diving equipment as a carrier to transport the underwater jet leak sealing device to the leaking point of the gate. The high-speed water flow generated by the thruster, and the high pressure around the leak point, cause the leak sealing particles to be absorbed by the water flow and plug the leaking gap. The leak sealing particles can penetrate deep into the gap, greatly improving the leak sealing quality. To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A method for underwater leak sealing of a hydropower station gate, comprising the following steps: Step 1: Select a solid sealing material with an appropriate particle size based on the size of the gap at the leaking part of the gate. Step 2: Load the sealing material into the underwater jet sealing device, install the underwater jet sealing device on the diving equipment, and let the diving equipment carry the underwater jet sealing device into the leaking part of the gate; the underwater jet sealing device includes a sealing particle loading bin, the solid sealing material in the sealing particle loading bin is transported to the jetting duct by a material conveyor, and a propeller is provided at one end of the jetting duct. Step 3: Transport the underwater jet sealing device to an angle above the leaking part of the gate; Step 4: Orient the spray pipe toward the leaking part of the gate and turn on the thruster. The thruster is used to accelerate the water flow and spray the solid sealing material toward the leaking part of the gate. Step 5: The solid sealing material moves in a parabolic motion downwards with the water flow. The faster the water flow, the faster the material moves. The solid sealing material slowly sinks to the bottom of the water. When it sinks to the vicinity of the leaking part of the gate, due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the leaking part, the pressure decreases along the direction of water flow. Under the action of the surrounding high pressure, the sealing particles are absorbed by the water flow and plug the leaking gap.

[0004] Preferably, the solid sealing material in step 1 is divided into flexible small particle material, sheet-like sealing material and granular sealing material in terms of particle size from small to large. The larger the gap in the leaking part, the larger the particle size of the solid sealing material should be.

[0005] Preferably, the solid sealing material is polyurethane foam expanded granules sealing agent. The polyurethane foam expanded granules sealing agent reduces its volume under pressure, making it easy to drill into cracks and rock pores. After entering the pores, it absorbs water and expands to produce a blocking effect.

[0006] Preferably, the material conveyor is an auger conveyor, the outlet of the plugging granule loading bin is connected to the inlet of the auger conveyor, the outlet of the auger conveyor is connected to the injection duct, one end of the injection duct is provided with a propeller, the other end of the injection duct is provided with a hose, the hose is connected to the hollow swing arm, and the hollow swing arm is driven to swing by the swing arm drive device.

[0007] Preferably, the swing arm drive device includes a support frame, on which a steering hoop is rotatably provided, the steering hoop being driven to rotate by a swing arm motor; the steering hoop is connected to the hollow swing arm.

[0008] Preferably, the thruster includes propeller blades, which are driven to rotate by a propulsion motor.

[0009] Preferably, the hose is a corrugated hose, which is connected to the hollow swing arm and the injection duct respectively by fasteners.

[0010] The present invention can achieve the following beneficial effects: This invention utilizes an underwater robot or other diving equipment as a carrier to transport the underwater jet sealing device to the leaking point of the gate. The propeller generates a high-speed water flow, and the high pressure around the leak point causes the sealing particles to be absorbed by the water flow and plug the leaking gap. The sealing particles can penetrate deep into the gap, greatly improving the sealing quality. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments: Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the underwater jet plugging device of the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the underwater jet plugging device of the present invention. Figure 2 ; Figure 3 This is a front view of the underwater jet plugging device of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a left view of the underwater jet plugging device of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the auger conveyor of the underwater jet plugging device of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the plugging particle loading chamber of the underwater jet plugging device of the present invention.

[0012] In the diagram: 1. Leak-stopping particle loading bin; 2. Butterfly valve; 3. Screw conveyor; 301. Screw blade; 302. Screw drive motor; 4. Propeller; 401. Propeller blade; 402. Propeller motor; 5. Injection duct; 6. Hose; 7. Swing arm drive device; 701. Support frame; 702. Steering hoop; 703. Swing arm motor; 8. Hollow swing arm. Detailed Implementation

[0013] Example 1: Preferred solutions include Figures 1 to 6 As shown, an underwater leak sealing method for a hydropower station gate employs an underwater jet leak sealing device. The underwater jet leak sealing device includes a leak sealing particle loading chamber 1, the outlet of which is connected to the inlet of an auger conveyor 3. The outlet of the auger conveyor 3 is connected to a jet duct 5. One end of the jet duct 5 is equipped with a propeller 4, and the other end is equipped with a hose 6. The hose 6 is connected to a hollow swing arm 8, which is driven to swing by a swing arm drive device 7.

[0014] The auger conveyor 3 includes a conveying pipe, inside which are auger blades 301, which are driven to rotate by an auger drive motor 302. The auger conveyor 3 is used to achieve horizontal feeding, and the rotation speed of the auger drive motor 302 can be adjusted to control the amount and speed of the plugging particles, thereby regulating the spraying of the plugging material.

[0015] The load capacity of the plugging particle loading chamber 1 is >5KG. The plugging material is a granular material, such as coal slag or other rubber with a thickness of about 1mm to 3cm.

[0016] Preferably, a butterfly valve 2 is provided at the bottom of the plugging particle loading chamber 1, including an electric butterfly valve or a manual butterfly valve. In this embodiment, the butterfly valve 2 is a manual butterfly valve. The manual butterfly valve includes a rotatable baffle and two latches. The baffle is driven to rotate by a rotating rod, and the rotating rod is detachably connected to the crank handle. When the manual butterfly valve is in the open or closed position, the two latches lock the manual butterfly valve.

[0017] If the hollow swing arm 8 is used for spraying and discharging, then the butterfly valve 2 should be opened.

[0018] When using materials that require large quantities of sealing material (such as sealant, cotton wool, etc.), the usage process is as follows: The leak-sealing material is loaded into the leak-sealing material loading bin, the lock of the loading bin is released, butterfly valve 2 is closed, auger conveyor 3 is shut off, and an underwater robot is used to submerge in the water and drive the underwater jet leak-sealing device to flip over, allowing the leak-sealing material to pour out from the top cover, thus completing the large-scale dumping. The large amount of leak-sealing material will flow in the direction of the jet from the thruster 4.

[0019] The hollow swing arm 8 has a swing angle of ±25°. The swing arm drive device 7 is used to control the spray direction of the nozzle of the hollow swing arm 8, achieving precise spraying of the sealing material and increasing the sealing efficiency. Specifically, the swing arm drive device 7 includes a support frame 701, on which a steering hoop 702 is rotatably mounted. The steering hoop 702 is driven to rotate by the swing arm motor 703; the steering hoop 702 is connected to the hollow swing arm 8. The underwater spray sealing device is used to be installed on an underwater robot. Specifically, the sealing particle loading chamber 1, the auger drive motor 302, the support frame 701, etc., are used to be fixed on the underwater robot, which serves as the carrier of the underwater spray sealing device.

[0020] Specifically, the thruster 4 includes a propeller blade 401, which is driven to rotate by a propulsion motor 402. The hose 6 is a corrugated hose, which is connected to the hollow swing arm 8 and the injection duct 5 respectively through fixing members.

[0021] The leak sealing process is as follows: The sealing particles are screened, and the size of the particles to be loaded onto the bottom layer is assessed based on the on-site leakage situation when filling the sealing particles. The particle size of typical solid sealing materials, from smallest to largest, is as follows: flexible small particles, sheet-like sealing materials, and granular sealing materials.

[0022] Leak-stopping particles generally move obliquely downwards with the water flow in moving water; the faster the water flow, the faster they move. The mechanism of gate leak sealing is as follows: when leak-stopping particles are placed on the water-facing side of the gate, because the particles are slightly heavier than water, they slowly sink to the bottom. When they reach the vicinity of the leak point, due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the leak point, the pressure decreases along the direction of water flow. Under the action of the surrounding high pressure, the leak-stopping particles are absorbed by the water flow and plug the leak.

[0023] Selection of sealing materials: Chemically expanding sealants are preferred. PAT expanded polyurethane foam is a type of polyurethane foam granule sealant, characterized by its rapid expansion upon absorbing water. Because PAT is an elastic, porous foam, it shrinks in volume under pressure, making it easy to penetrate cracks and rock pores. Once inside the pores, it absorbs water and expands, creating a sealing effect.

[0024] The above embodiments are merely preferred technical solutions of the present invention and should not be considered as limitations on the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention should be limited to the technical solutions described in the claims, including equivalent substitutions of the technical features described in the claims. That is, equivalent substitutions and improvements within this scope are also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for underwater leak sealing of a hydropower station gate, characterized in that... Including the following methods: Step 1: Select a solid sealing material with an appropriate particle size based on the size of the gap at the leaking part of the gate. Step 2: Load the sealing material into the underwater jet sealing device, install the underwater jet sealing device on the diving equipment, and let the diving equipment carry the underwater jet sealing device into the leaking part of the gate; the underwater jet sealing device includes a sealing particle loading bin (1), the solid sealing material in the sealing particle loading bin (1) is transported to the jet duct (5) by the material conveyor, and a propeller (4) is provided at one end of the jet duct (5). Step 3: Transport the underwater jet sealing device to an angle above the leaking part of the gate; Step 4: Orient the spray pipe (5) toward the upper part of the gate leakage area and turn on the thruster (4). The thruster (4) is used to accelerate the water flow and spray the solid plugging material toward the upper part of the gate leakage area. Step 5: The solid sealing material moves in a parabolic motion downwards with the water flow. The faster the water flow, the faster the movement. The solid sealing material slowly sinks to the bottom of the water. When it sinks to the vicinity of the leaking part of the gate, due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the leaking part, the pressure decreases along the direction of water flow. Under the action of the surrounding high pressure, the sealing particles are absorbed into the leaking part with the water flow and plug the gap in the leak. The material conveyor is an auger conveyor (3). The outlet of the plugging granule loading bin (1) is connected to the inlet of the auger conveyor (3). The outlet of the auger conveyor (3) is connected to the injection duct (5). One end of the injection duct (5) is equipped with a propeller (4), and the other end of the injection duct (5) is equipped with a hose (6). The hose (6) is connected to the hollow swing arm (8). The hollow swing arm (8) is driven to swing by the swing arm drive device (7). The thruster (4) includes a propulsion blade (401), which is driven to rotate by a propulsion motor (402).

2. The underwater leak sealing method for hydropower station gates according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 1, the solid sealing materials are categorized by particle size from small to large as flexible small granular materials, sheet-like sealing materials, and granular sealing materials. The larger the gap in the leaking area, the larger the particle size of the solid sealing material should be.

3. The underwater leak sealing method for hydropower station gates according to claim 2, characterized in that: The solid sealing material is polyurethane foam expanded granules. When under pressure, the volume of polyurethane foam expanded granules decreases, making it easy to drill into cracks and rock pores. After entering the pores, it absorbs water and expands to produce a blocking effect.

4. The underwater leak sealing method for hydropower station gates according to claim 3, characterized in that: The swing arm drive device (7) includes a support frame (701), on which a steering hoop (702) is rotatably provided. The steering hoop (702) is driven to rotate by the swing arm motor (703). The steering hoop (702) is connected to the hollow swing arm (8).

5. The underwater leak sealing method for hydropower station gates according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hose (6) is a corrugated hose, which is connected to the hollow swing arm (8) and the injection duct (5) respectively through fasteners.

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