An automatic control feedback type seawater pipeline antifouling device

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of ultrasonic antifouling, and relates to a control feedback type seawater pipeline antifouling device. The main structure comprises an ultrasonic module composed of an ultrasonic transducer and a driving controller and a detection feedback module composed of a flow sensor, a timer and a signal processor. The ultrasonic antifouling module in a contact type mounting mode is used for antifouling of the seawater pipeline, fixed-point antifouling of the key protection area is carried out, good antifouling function is realized, and installation and maintenance are facilitated. The difficulty of marine organism adhesion is reflected through seawater flow rate, the running state of the ultrasonic antifouling module is automatically controlled according to the difficulty of marine organism adhesion, during which, the driving controller can adjust the ultrasonic power in real time, so that stable and reliable antifouling effect is achieved, and power consumption is effectively reduced. The detection feedback module is used for periodic detection of seawater flow, evaluation and acquisition of seawater flow rate in the seawater pipeline, formation of a feedback signal and control of the running state of the ultrasonic antifouling module.

Description

Technical fields:

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of ultrasonic antifouling technology, specifically relating to a control feedback type antifouling device for seawater pipelines, which can solve the problems of low automation, high energy consumption, short service life and unsatisfactory antifouling effect of existing ultrasonic antifouling devices for seawater pipelines. Background technology:

[0002] Marine fouling organisms (BBOs) refer to marine microorganisms, plants, and animals that attach to marine artificial facilities and cause significant damage to human economic activities. The harm they cause is known as marine biofouling, which often threatens seawater pipeline systems in ships, offshore platforms, and coastal power plants. Once inside a seawater pipeline system, BBOs attach, multiply, and grow on the inner walls, reducing the effective pipe diameter, affecting seawater flow, and potentially accelerating localized corrosion at the attachment sites, leading to pipe wall perforation. In severe cases, this can affect the normal operation of downstream cooling equipment, causing serious safety hazards and economic losses. Therefore, it is essential to adopt appropriate technical measures to control BBOs.

[0003] Ultrasonic antifouling technology utilizes the "cavitation effect" to trigger a series of physicochemical changes, achieving the effects of repelling, removing, and preventing marine organisms. The cavitation bubble generates shock waves upon collapse, damaging marine organism cells and shattering and killing spores. Simultaneously, the cavitation effect causes seawater to break down, producing a large number of free radicals that disrupt the active enzymes and substances within the fouling organism's cells, thus affecting their physiological and biochemical activity. This antifouling effect is achieved by killing marine larvae and spores. When the collapse of the cavitation bubble occurs near already attached marine organisms, the strong shock waves combined with the mechanical vibration effect of ultrasound can cause lightly attached marine organisms to detach.

[0004] Existing ultrasonic antifouling devices for seawater pipeline systems are divided into two types: insertion type and contact type. Insertion type can be directly installed in the seabed gate and filter to kill and repel marine fouling organisms at the seabed gate and filter. For example, Chinese Patent 200910080728 discloses a device with anti-fouling function, comprising a seabed gate equipped with a grating plate and an outlet pipe, and a seawater filter equipped with an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, a cover plate, and a filter screen. The outlet pipe of the seabed gate is connected to the inlet pipe of the seawater filter via a hydraulic remote-controlled butterfly valve. An ultrasonic transducer is installed inside the seabed gate at a vertical distance of 25-35 cm directly above the grating plate, with the sound-emitting surface of the ultrasonic transducer facing the grating plate. The ultrasonic transducer is fixed to the top plate of the seabed gate by a positioning rod and a connecting pipe. The connecting pipe leads a power line from inside the ultrasonic transducer to the seawater filter, and the power line is connected to an ultrasonic signal generator. An ultrasonic transducer is also installed inside the filter screen, with the sound-emitting surfaces of the ultrasonic transducer facing the inlet and outlet pipes of the seawater filter, respectively. The ultrasonic transducer is fixed to the cover plate of the seawater filter by a positioning rod and a connecting pipe. The connecting pipe leads a power line from inside the ultrasonic transducer to the seabed gate, and the power line is connected to an ultrasonic signal generator. And Chinese Patent 202110628183 discloses an ultrasonic anti-marine organism device, including a junction box, high and low position seabed gate filters, ultrasonic transducer bodies and generator control boxes. Two high and low position seabed gate filters are provided, respectively named a high position seabed gate filter and a low position seabed gate filter. Pipes are provided on both sides of each high and low position seabed gate filter. Two ultrasonic transducer bodies are provided, respectively fixedly installed on the high and low position seabed gate filters. The surface of the generator control box is equipped with control... The control panel includes control buttons. One side of the generator control box has five wiring ports, named Port 1, Port 2, Port 3, Port 4, and Port 5. Port 1 is electrically connected to a 220V power supply, and Port 5 is electrically connected to a grounding cable. Two junction boxes are provided, and the ends of both ultrasonic transducers are electrically connected to the junction boxes via cables. The other ends of the two junction boxes are electrically connected to Ports 2 and 4 via cables. Since ultrasound can penetrate metal materials, the ultrasonic anti-fouling device can be installed in contact with the outer wall of the pipeline.For example, Chinese Patent 201220207472 discloses a system for preventing marine organisms from entering the sea, including an ultrasonic device, a filter, a seawater valve, and a seawater pipeline. The ultrasonic device includes a controller and a transducer. The controller contains a rectifier circuit, a filter circuit, an inverter circuit, a main oscillator, an auxiliary oscillator, a frequency divider, a pulse amplifier, and a control power supply. The input terminal of the rectifier circuit is connected to an AC 220V power supply. The control power supply is connected to the input terminals of the main oscillator, the auxiliary oscillator, the frequency divider, and the pulse amplifier, respectively. The output terminal of the rectifier circuit, the filter circuit, and the input terminal of the inverter circuit are connected sequentially. The main oscillator, the auxiliary oscillator, the frequency divider, and the pulse amplifier are connected sequentially. The output terminal of the pulse amplifier is connected to the input terminal of the inverter circuit. The output terminal of the inverter circuit is connected to the transducer. However, the placement of insertion-type devices is limited, they offer insufficient protection for downstream piping systems, and installation and maintenance are relatively difficult. Furthermore, regardless of the installation method, they operate continuously or at fixed intervals, resulting in low automation. They cannot automatically adjust according to the degree of fouling, making it impossible to ensure the anti-fouling device is in optimal operating condition and achieving a balance between anti-fouling effectiveness and power consumption. Ultrasonic anti-fouling technology is similar in principle to ultrasonic descaling technology. Ultrasonic descaling technology has wide applications and rapid development, using the detection of scale thickness as a control signal to achieve automatic control of ultrasonic descaling equipment. For example, Chinese Patent 201310294557 discloses an ultrasonic anti-scaling and descaling device consisting of two parts: an ultrasonic anti-scaling and descaling device composed of an ultrasonic frequency generating device and an electromechanical conversion device; and a microcomputer control system composed of a detection unit, a control unit, and a monitoring unit. The electromechanical conversion device is vertically installed at the tube sheet of the field heat exchange equipment. The detection unit detects the parameters of the field heat exchange equipment in real time. The parameters of the field heat exchange equipment include the inlet and outlet temperatures of the heat exchange equipment, the working fluid flow rate of the heat exchange equipment, and the scale thickness of the heat exchange equipment measured by a temperature sensor, a flow transmitter, and an ultrasonic thickness gauge. From this, the heat exchange temperature difference ΔT, the working fluid flow rate Q, and the scale thickness H are obtained.Chinese Patent 201520549428 discloses an ultrasonic descaling device for boilers, comprising an ultrasonic generator, a signal transmission cable, and a transducer. The ultrasonic generator generates an excitation signal. The two ends of the signal transmission cable are electrically connected to the ultrasonic generator and the transducer, respectively. The excitation signal is input to the transducer through the signal transmission cable. The transducer is mounted on the boiler wall and includes a vibration mechanism, an amplitude transformer, and a tool head. The amplitude transformer is connected to the vibration mechanism, and the tool head is located at the end of the amplitude transformer and extends into the water. The vibration mechanism converts the excitation signal into mechanical vibration. The amplitude transformer is used to vary the amplitude of the mechanical vibration generated by the vibration mechanism, so that the tool head at its end generates a corresponding frequency and amplitude, thereby achieving ultrasonic descaling of the boiler's inner wall. The descaling device also includes a feedback measurement unit electrically connected to the ultrasonic generator, comprising a sensor mounted on the boiler's inner wall and a controller electrically connected to the sensor. The ultrasonic generator is controlled in real time using the detected amount of boiler scale, thereby dynamically adjusting the ultrasonic frequency and amplitude to achieve stable and reliable descaling. Chinese Patent 201420474791 discloses a novel anti-scaling evaporator for the tobacco industry, comprising a cylindrical body with a tobacco extract inlet, a concentrated extract outlet, a steam inlet, a steam outlet, a steam condensate drain, an evaporation chamber interface, a heating chamber, an ultrasonic generator, an ultrasonic transducer probe, an online fouling monitoring probe, a fouling detection feedback device, signal lines, a circulation pump, and connecting pipes. A tube sheet is fixedly installed inside the heating chamber shell, and heat exchange tubes are fixedly installed on the tube sheet. The ultrasonic transducer probe is fixedly installed on the outer shell of the heating chamber opposite the tube sheet and is connected to the ultrasonic generator via a signal line. The online fouling monitoring probe is inserted into the lower part of the heating chamber below the tube sheet, and its other end is connected to the fouling detection feedback device via a signal line. The fouling detection feedback device is connected to the ultrasonic generator via a signal line. The online detection device monitors the fouling situation in real time and adjusts the frequency and power of the ultrasonic waves online. A circulation pump is installed at the lower part of the heating chamber and connects to the upper part of the heating chamber. However, unlike relatively uniform scale layers, marine biofouling is non-uniform, making it difficult to use the change in pipe wall thickness at a single point as an evaluation criterion. Ultrasonic antifouling devices for seawater pipelines lack suitable feedback control systems, hindering their intelligent development compared to other ultrasonic application areas. Therefore, it is necessary to develop and design an automatic control feedback-based antifouling device for seawater pipelines to improve antifouling effectiveness and reduce energy consumption. Summary of the Invention:

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and to develop and design an automatic control feedback-type antifouling device for seawater pipelines, which realizes automatic control of antifouling of seawater pipelines through feedback control signals.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the main structure of the automatic control feedback type seawater pipeline antifouling device of the present invention includes an ultrasonic module consisting of an ultrasonic transducer and a drive controller, and a detection feedback module consisting of a flow sensor, a timer, and a signal processor. The ultrasonic transducer is installed in key protection areas, including near low flow rates and near important valves, in front of or behind the seawater filter on the seawater pipeline connected to the subsea valve box. The flow sensor, the integrated timer, and the signal processor are respectively installed on the inner and outer walls of the seawater pipeline between the subsea valve box and the seawater filter. The drive controller is electrically connected to the ultrasonic transducer, the timer, and the signal processor. Furthermore, the position of the flow sensor corresponds to the position of the timer and the signal processor.

[0007] When the automatic control feedback type seawater pipeline antifouling device of the present invention is used, the ultrasonic antifouling module realizes the antifouling of seawater pipeline through the "cavitation effect" of ultrasonic waves; the detection feedback module uses the seawater flow velocity in the seawater pipeline 2 as the feedback signal, based on the fact that the seawater flow velocity directly affects the ease of attachment of marine organisms, the faster the flow velocity, the less likely marine organisms are to attach and grow, causing fouling.

[0008] When the detection feedback module detects that the seawater in the seawater pipeline is flowing at a low velocity (<2.5m / s), the ultrasonic antifouling module outputs high-power ultrasonic waves; when the detection feedback module detects that the seawater in the seawater pipeline is flowing at a high velocity (≥2.5m / s), the ultrasonic antifouling module outputs low-power ultrasonic waves or enters standby mode.

[0009] The ultrasonic transducer involved in this invention is a 2kW piezoelectric ceramic transducer that meets the requirements for high and low power output, ensures energy conversion efficiency, and can kill, remove and prevent marine larvae and spores in seawater, the number of which can be adjusted according to the antifouling requirements.

[0010] Compared with existing technologies, this invention uses an ultrasonic antifouling module with a contact installation method to prevent fouling in seawater pipelines. It targets key protected areas for fouling prevention, achieving excellent antifouling performance. It is also easy to install and maintain. The ease of marine organism attachment is reflected by the seawater flow velocity, and the operating status of the ultrasonic antifouling module is automatically controlled based on this. During this process, the drive controller can adjust the ultrasonic power in real time to achieve a stable and reliable antifouling effect while effectively reducing power consumption. Its structure is simple and its functions are practical. A detection feedback module periodically detects seawater flow rate, assesses and obtains the seawater flow velocity within the pipeline, generates a feedback signal, and controls the operating status of the ultrasonic antifouling module, achieving automated control of seawater pipeline antifouling. Attached image description:

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structural principle of the drive controller involved in this invention. Specific implementation methods:

[0013] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0014] Example 1:

[0015] The main structure of the automatic control feedback type seawater pipeline antifouling device involved in this embodiment is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the system includes a subsea valve box 1, a seawater pipeline 2, a seawater filter 3, an ultrasonic transducer 4, a flow sensor 5, a timer 6, a signal processor 7, and a drive controller 8. A seawater filter 3 is installed on the seawater pipeline 2 connected to the subsea valve box 1. Ultrasonic transducers 4 are installed on both the seawater pipeline 2 between the subsea valve box 1 and the seawater filter 3, and on the seawater pipeline 2 after the seawater filter 3. A flow sensor 5 is installed on the inner wall of the seawater pipeline 2 between the subsea valve box 1 and the seawater filter 3, and a timer 6 and a signal processor 7 are installed on the outer wall. The timer 6 and the signal processor 7 are integrated into one unit and correspond to the position of the flow sensor 5. The ultrasonic transducer 4, the timer 6, and the signal processor 7 are electrically connected to the drive controller 8. The ultrasonic transducer 4 and the drive controller 8 constitute an ultrasonic module, and the flow sensor 5, the timer 6, and the signal processor 7 constitute a detection feedback module.

[0016] The ultrasonic transducer 4 in this embodiment has a contoured base that adapts to the installation requirements of pipelines with different diameters. It adopts a contact installation method, fixing the contoured base to the outer wall of the seawater pipeline 2 by adhesive or welding. The ultrasonic transducer 4 is connected to the contoured base by screwing and adhesive for easy disassembly and maintenance. The flow sensor 5 is activated by a timer 6 to periodically detect the seawater flow rate in the seawater pipeline 2. The timer 6 is used to periodically activate flow detection. The signal processor 7 processes the seawater flow rate detected by the flow sensor 5 into a seawater velocity according to the set pipe diameter and feeds it back to the drive control. The drive controller 8 adjusts the power of the ultrasonic transducer 4 accordingly. The function of the drive controller 8 mainly relies on the coordinated operation of the power supply unit, control unit, drive unit, matching unit, and human-machine interface unit. The power supply unit transforms, rectifies, filters, and regulates the input mains power through a transformer, rectifier circuit, filter circuit, and voltage regulator circuit, outputting a stable low-voltage DC power supply. The control unit is key to achieving automated control; it uses a microcontroller as its core for circuit design, providing control signals for adjusting the waveform, frequency, power, and other control parameters of the output electrical signal. The control program, pre-set, uses the seawater flow velocity signal output by the detection feedback module as input for program judgment. When there is no seawater signal input, no ultrasonic control signal is output, keeping the ultrasonic antifouling module in a dormant state. When the input seawater flow velocity is lower than the set value V, the ultrasonic antifouling module is activated and outputs a high-power signal. When the input seawater flow velocity is higher than the set value V, the ultrasonic antifouling module is activated and outputs a low-power control signal, achieving automated intermittent operation of the ultrasonic antifouling module. This ensures antifouling effectiveness while reducing energy consumption and improving reliability and service life. The drive unit includes a signal generation circuit and a power amplification circuit. The signal generation circuit synthesizes an electrical signal with specified waveform, frequency, and other parameters based on the control signal output by the control unit. The power amplification circuit amplifies the electrical signal to ensure that the output electrical signal has sufficient power and frequency. The matching unit reduces energy loss during transmission and improves energy transmission efficiency through tuning matching and impedance matching. In addition, the drive controller 8 is also equipped with a protection unit that works in conjunction with the human-machine interface unit to monitor and provide feedback on various parameters in real time, improving the stability, safety, and operability of the ultrasonic antifouling module.

[0017] When the automatic control feedback type seawater pipeline antifouling device involved in this embodiment is in use, the timer 6 sends a working signal to the flow sensor 5 according to the preset time. The flow sensor 5 converts the detected seawater flow into an electrical signal and transmits it to the signal processor 7. The signal processor 7 processes the seawater flow signal into a seawater velocity signal according to the preset pipe diameter and transmits it to the drive controller 8. The drive controller 8 converts the mains power into a high-power, high-frequency electrical signal and outputs it to the ultrasonic transducer 4, which converts it into mechanical energy that vibrates at the same frequency, forming an ultrasonic sound field in the seawater. Specifically, the drive controller 8 outputs control electrical signals to the ultrasonic transducer 4 through the control unit, drive unit, and matching unit. The ultrasonic transducer 8 converts the electrical signal into a vibration signal and transmits it to the seawater in the seawater pipeline 2 through the contour base, forming an ultrasonic sound field in the seawater.

Claims

1. An automatic control feedback-type seawater pipeline antifouling device, the main structure of which includes an ultrasonic module and a detection feedback module, characterized in that, The ultrasonic module consists of an ultrasonic transducer and a drive controller, while the detection feedback module consists of a flow sensor, a timer, and a signal processor. The ultrasonic transducer is installed in the key protection area, and the flow sensor, along with the integrated timer and signal processor, are respectively installed on the inner and outer walls of the seawater pipeline between the subsea valve box and the seawater filter. The drive controller is electrically connected to the ultrasonic transducer, timer, and signal processor. When in use, the ultrasonic antifouling module uses the "cavitation effect" of ultrasonic waves to prevent fouling in seawater pipelines; the detection feedback module uses the seawater flow rate in the seawater pipeline as a feedback signal, based on the fact that the seawater flow rate directly affects the ease with which marine organisms attach, and the faster the flow rate, the less likely marine organisms are to attach and grow, causing fouling. When the detection feedback module detects that the seawater in the seawater pipeline is flowing at a speed of <2.5m / s, the ultrasonic antifouling module outputs high-power ultrasonic waves; when the detection feedback module detects that the seawater in the seawater pipeline is flowing at a speed of ≥2.5m / s, the ultrasonic antifouling module outputs low-power ultrasonic waves or enters standby mode.

2. The automatic control feedback type seawater pipeline antifouling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The timer sends a working signal to the flow sensor according to a preset time. The flow sensor converts the detected seawater flow into an electrical signal and transmits it to the signal processor 7. The signal processor processes the seawater flow signal into a seawater velocity signal according to the preset pipe diameter and transmits it to the drive controller. The drive controller converts the mains power into a high-power, high-frequency electrical signal and outputs it to the ultrasonic transducer, which converts it into mechanical energy that vibrates at the same frequency, forming an ultrasonic sound field in the seawater. Specifically, the drive controller outputs control electrical signals to the ultrasonic transducer through the control unit, drive unit, and matching unit. The ultrasonic transducer converts the electrical signal into a vibration signal and transmits it to the seawater in the seawater pipeline through the contour base, forming an ultrasonic sound field in the seawater.

3. The automatic control feedback type seawater pipeline antifouling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ultrasonic transducer is a 2kW piezoelectric ceramic transducer with a contoured base that can adapt to the installation requirements of pipelines of different diameters. It adopts a contact installation method, fixing the contoured base to the outer wall of the seawater pipeline by adhesive or welding, and connecting the ultrasonic transducer to the contoured base by screwing and adhesive.

4. The automatic control feedback type seawater pipeline antifouling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The position of the flow sensor corresponds to the position of the timer and the signal processor; the start of the flow sensor is controlled by the timer; the timer is used to start flow detection at regular intervals; the signal processor processes the seawater flow detected by the flow sensor into seawater velocity according to the set pipe diameter and feeds it back to the drive controller, which then adjusts the power of the ultrasonic transducer accordingly.

5. The automatic control feedback type seawater pipeline antifouling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive controller's functionality relies on the coordinated operation of the power supply unit, control unit, drive unit, matching unit, and human-machine interface unit. The power supply unit transforms, rectifies, filters, and regulates the input AC mains power through a transformer, rectifier circuit, filter circuit, and voltage regulator circuit, outputting a stable low-voltage DC power supply. The control unit, designed with a microcontroller as its core, provides control signals for adjusting the output electrical signal control parameters. Through a pre-set control program, it uses the seawater flow velocity signal output from the feedback detection module as input for program judgment. When there is no seawater signal input, it does not output an ultrasonic control signal. The ultrasonic antifouling module is in a dormant state. When the input seawater flow velocity is lower than the set value V, the ultrasonic antifouling module is activated and outputs a high-power signal. When the input seawater flow velocity is higher than the set value V, the ultrasonic antifouling module is activated and outputs a low-power control signal, realizing the automated intermittent operation of the ultrasonic antifouling module. The drive unit includes a signal generation circuit and a power amplification circuit: the signal generation circuit synthesizes an electrical signal with specified parameters based on the control signal output by the control unit, and the power amplification circuit amplifies the power of the electrical signal. The matching unit reduces energy loss during transmission through tuning matching and impedance matching.

6. An automatic control feedback-type seawater pipeline antifouling device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The drive controller is equipped with a protection unit and works in conjunction with the human-machine interface unit.

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