Intelligent self-floating intercepting buoy

By designing intelligent self-floating interception pontoons, and utilizing radar and video monitoring systems combined with the control of airbags and compressed gas chambers, the pontoons can achieve automated interception and remote monitoring. This solves the problems of poor wind and wave resistance, susceptibility to aging, and high maintenance costs of pontoons, thereby improving work efficiency and aesthetics.

CN116716851BActive Publication Date: 2026-08-04CHINA MERCHANTS CHONGQING COMM RES & DESIGN INST
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
CHINA MERCHANTS CHONGQING COMM RES & DESIGN INST
Filing Date
2023-07-28
Publication Date
2026-08-04

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing pontoons have poor wind and wave resistance, are not resistant to aging, have poor appearance, and have high operation and maintenance costs. In addition, the interception system operates independently and requires regular inspections, resulting in low work efficiency.

Method used

Design an intelligent self-floating interception pontoon, including the upper main body of the pontoon, truss structure, counterweight chamber and anchoring system, equipped with radar system, warning system and video monitoring system. The pontoon rises and sinks by controlling the inflation and deflation of airbags and compressed gas chambers through the control center. Combined with remote control function, the main part of the pontoon is placed underwater with only the top platform exposed.

Benefits of technology

It improves the pontoon's resistance to wind and waves and its aesthetic appeal, reduces operation and maintenance costs, enables automated interception and remote monitoring, minimizes damage to the landscape, and improves work efficiency.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of intelligent self-floating interception buoy, belong to water ship traffic safety facilities field.The buoy includes buoy upper part main body, truss structure, counterweight cabin and anchoring system;The buoy upper part main body includes external part, closed cabin, air bag cabin, compressed gas cabin, control center.At the same time, in order to realize remote control function, configure intelligent trigger system and floating system, float out of water when needing to exert interception function, after removing obstacle, it can sink to original position, realize repeated use, while the destruction of interception system to landscape is reduced to the greatest extent.The buoy of the present application has the advantages of good wind and wave resistance, good landscape, easy to manage and maintain.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of maritime traffic safety facilities and relates to an intelligent self-floating interception buoy. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, due to the frequent occurrence of ship collisions with bridges, bridge collision prevention has received increasing attention. Because of the large number of piers on non-navigable bridges, installing individual collision prevention facilities is costly. Therefore, the current approach for collision prevention on long-distance non-navigable bridges mainly involves setting up interception systems upstream and downstream. The pontoons, as a crucial unit of the interception system, primarily connect the interception cables, ensuring the interception net floats above the water surface. When a ship collides with and drags the interception net, the anchorage beneath the pontoons maintains the shape of the entire interception system. Some interception systems are configured to use pontoons to drag the anchorage to dissipate energy.

[0003] There are currently various types of pontoons in use, including double-pontoon floating base type, ship type, cylindrical type, etc.

[0004] Based on the current situation of the pontoons, there are three main problems: (1) Although the stability of the pontoons under the action of wind and waves was considered in the design, since most of the components of the pontoons are above the water surface, after the typhoon, the pontoons and the interception net are damaged to varying degrees, such as serious displacement of the pontoons, damage to components, and entanglement of the interception net; (2) The entire interception system is above the water surface, which affects the landscape, and the components are easily aged due to the combined action of seawater and ultraviolet rays; (3) At present, the interception net and the pontoons are mostly operated independently and require regular inspection. The specific interception situation can only be found during the inspection, resulting in low work efficiency and high operation and maintenance costs.

[0005] Therefore, in order to reduce the impact of typhoons and waves on the pontoon components, slow down the aging of the pontoon components, and optimize the aesthetics of the interception pontoons, a new intelligent self-floating interception pontoon is urgently needed to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the purpose of this invention is to provide an intelligent self-floating interception pontoon that solves the problems of poor wind and wave resistance, poor aging resistance, poor landscape, and high operation and maintenance costs of existing pontoons.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0008] A smart self-floating interception pontoon includes an upper main body, a truss structure, a counterweight chamber, and an anchoring system; the upper main body includes an external part, a closed chamber, an airbag chamber, a compressed gas chamber, and a control center;

[0009] The external components include a radar system, a warning system, and a video surveillance system, used for collecting and responding to external signals;

[0010] The enclosed compartment is a sealed structure that provides buoyancy for the pontoons during normal operation;

[0011] The airbag cabin is equipped with airbags, and the overall buoyancy of the structure is controlled by the expansion and contraction of the airbags.

[0012] The compressed gas chamber is used to store high-pressure gas, which is used to inflate the airbag, stabilize the safety valve pressure, and pressurize the airbag.

[0013] The control center controls the inflation and deflation of the airbag chamber and the compressed gas chamber through a two-way valve, thereby controlling the buoyancy of the float.

[0014] The truss structure is used to connect the upper part of the pontoon, the counterweight hopper, and the anchoring system;

[0015] The counterweight compartment is used to adjust the overall counterweight of the pontoon to meet the draft requirements, lower the center of gravity of the pontoon, and improve the stability of the pontoon.

[0016] The anchoring system is used to fix the range of motion of the pontoon within a certain area.

[0017] Preferably, the radar system is used to detect objects within a designated area and feed the results back to the control center; the warning system is equipped with warning lights and horns, the warning lights are used to alert navigating vessels during normal operation, and the flashing brightness and frequency are increased during protection mode; the video surveillance system is used to monitor the surrounding area.

[0018] Preferably, the enclosed chamber is equipped with a power supply pipe, a pressurization channel, an exhaust pipe, and a maintenance channel.

[0019] Preferably, the airbag is equipped with an inflation port, an exhaust port, and a safety valve.

[0020] Preferably, the compressed gas chamber is equipped with an inflation valve, a safety valve, and a pressurization valve, which are connected to the airbag, the exhaust pipe, and the pressurization equipment through pipelines to realize airbag inflation, safety valve pressure stabilization, and air chamber pressurization.

[0021] Preferably, the anchoring system includes an anchor chain and a concrete anchor.

[0022] Preferably, the control center includes a signal processing system, a control panel power supply, a two-way valve, and a valve controller;

[0023] The signal processing system is respectively connected to the valve controller, the radar system, the warning system and the video monitoring system. It comprehensively judges according to the signals collected by the radar system, the warning system and the video monitoring system, and then issues an instruction to the valve controller. The valve controller is connected to the two-way valve and controls the opening and closing state of the two-way valve according to the instruction issued by the signal processing system. The power supply supplies power to the signal processing system, the radar system, the warning system, the video monitoring system, the valve controller and the two-way valve.

[0024] Preferably, the signal processing system is also connected to the background management system to realize the remote control function.

[0025] Preferably, the control method of the buoy is as follows:

[0026] Under normal operation, the airbag is folded and the buoy is located at the deep water level. The radar system and the video system monitor the monitoring area simultaneously, and the warning light is always on to remind passing ships.

[0027] When the radar system or the video system detects that a ship enters the monitoring area, the warning light of the buoy flashes, and the horn reminds the ship that it is about to enter the protection area. At the same time, the signal is transmitted to the control center, and it continuously monitors and judges whether the ship stops or leaves the monitoring area. If the ship stops, the warning system continuously reminds. If the ship leaves the monitoring area, the warning system stops reminding. If the ship continues to move forward and enters the warning area, the control center will start the valve controller, and the inflation channel of the two-way valve will be opened, and the airbag will start to inflate. At the same time, the buoy starts to float until the airbag is fully inflated and the inflation valve is closed, and the buoy floats to the shallow water level to intercept the ship.

[0028] After the interception is successful, it is necessary to eliminate the hidden danger and make the ship leave the monitoring area. After the ship leaves, the controller starts, and the exhaust channel of the two-way valve will be opened. The airbag starts to exhaust under the action of the external water pressure and gradually sinks until the airbag sinks to the deep water level.

[0029] Preferably, the control center is divided into two situations according to the different order of radar signal and video signal recognition. The first situation is:

[0030] When the video monitoring system recognizes that there is a foreign object entering the monitoring area through image comparison:

[0031] Step 1: Signal reception = [A1, A2, A3], where A1 is the video foreign object signal, A2 is the size of the foreign object estimated by the scale, and A3 is the foreign object coordinate.

[0032] Step 2: Signal processing: Judge whether A2 exceeds the system preset foreign object size limit value A*; if A2 < A*, return to Step 1; if A2 > A*, proceed to Step 3;

[0033] Step 3: Issuing an instruction: The signal processing system sends a Level 1 warning instruction to the warning system and sends the A2 coordinates to the radar at the same time;

[0034] Step 4: Signal reception: The radar system adjusts the angle to locate the position of the foreign object and continuously returns the distances B1, B2, …, Bn of the relative position of the foreign object;

[0035] Step 5: Signal processing: If Bn > D, continue with Step 4; if Bn < D, it is considered that the foreign object has entered the warning area, and then proceed to Step 6; where D is the set warning distance of the radar;

[0036] Step 6: Issuing an instruction: The signal processing system sends a Level 2 warning instruction and a buoy floating-up instruction to the warning light and the horn. The valve controller is opened, the inflation channel of the two-way valve is opened, and after inflating for the set time, the controller is closed and the buoy floats up; The process is completed.

[0037] The second case is:

[0038] When the radar system detects through the video monitoring area and a foreign object enters the video monitoring area:

[0039] Step 1: Signal reception = [B(x, y), B1], where B(x, y) is the coordinate of the foreign object position and B1 is the relative distance of the foreign object;

[0040] Step 2: Issuing an instruction: The signal processing system sends the foreign object position coordinates to the video monitoring system;

[0041] Step 3: Signal reception: The video monitoring system adjusts the angle to locate the position of the foreign object and returns the foreign object signals [A2, A3];

[0042] Step 4: Signal processing: Determine whether A2 exceeds the preset foreign object size limit A* of the system; if A2 < A*, return to Step 1; if A2 > A*, proceed to Step 5;

[0043] Step 5: Signal reception: The radar system continuously returns the distances B1, B2, …, Bn of the relative position of the foreign object and performs Steps 5 and 6 of the first case;

[0044] After removing the foreign object and ensuring the safety of the warning area, the signal processing system receives the sinking instruction sent by the remote platform. The valve controller is opened, the exhaust channel of the two-way valve is opened, the gas in the airbag is discharged, the buoy gradually descends, and after the set time, the controller is closed and the exhaust channel is closed.

[0045] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The upper part of the pontoon is submerged underwater, with only the top platform exposed to provide additional buoyancy and accommodate warning lights and other facilities. Simultaneously, to achieve remote control, an intelligent triggering system and a buoyancy system are configured. When the interception function is needed, the pontoon surfaces, clears the obstacle, and then sinks back to its original position for reuse, minimizing the impact of the interception system on the landscape. The pontoon of this invention has the advantages of good wind and wave resistance, good aesthetics, and ease of maintenance.

[0046] Other advantages, objectives, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following examination, or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention can be realized and obtained through the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0047] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0048] Figure 1 This is an overall elevation layout diagram of the intelligent self-floating pontoon of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 2 This is a plan view of the overall layout of the intelligent self-floating pontoon of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 3 A floor plan showing the layout of the pontoon airbag compartment with four independent chambers;

[0051] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the state of the pontoon when it is in deep water.

[0052] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the state of the pontoon when it rises to a shallow water level.

[0053] Figure 6 Diagram showing the internal pipeline layout of the enclosed cabin and control center;

[0054] Figure 7 A flowchart of the pontoon's workflow;

[0055] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the area near the buoy. Detailed Implementation

[0056] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0057] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are schematic diagrams, not actual pictures. They should not be construed as limiting the invention. To better illustrate the embodiments of the invention, some parts in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual product dimensions. It is understandable to those skilled in the art that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings.

[0058] In the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention, the same or similar reference numerals correspond to the same or similar components. In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," and "rear" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, they are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the terms used to describe positional relationships in the drawings are only for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0059] Please see Figures 1 to 8 The pontoon of this invention consists of an external part, a closed compartment, a control center, an airbag compartment, a compressed gas compartment, a truss structure, a counterweight compartment, and an anchoring system, as shown below. Figure 1 As shown. The outer shell of the pontoon is made entirely of steel with good corrosion resistance or rust prevention treatment.

[0060] The external components include a radar system, a warning system, and a video surveillance system, primarily used for acquiring and feeding back signals from the outside world. The radar system detects objects within a designated area and sends the results back to the control center; the warning system includes warning lights and a horn; the warning lights alert navigating vessels during normal operation, and their flashing brightness and frequency increase during protection mode; the video surveillance system monitors the surrounding area.

[0061] The enclosed compartment is a sealed structure that provides buoyancy for the pontoons in normal operation, and is also equipped with power line pipes, pressurization channels, exhaust pipes, and maintenance channels.

[0062] The control center is the core of the entire ascent system, such as Figure 6 As shown, the main components installed include a control panel power supply, a two-way valve, a valve controller, and pipelines.

[0063] The airbag compartment is equipped with airbags, and the overall buoyancy of the structure is controlled by the expansion and contraction of the airbags. The airbags are equipped with inflation ports, vent ports, and safety valves. The airbags are made of rubber or five-layer mesh material.

[0064] The compressed gas chamber is a pressure-resistant steel structure with its outer walls filled with concrete, used to store high-pressure gas. It is equipped with an inflation valve, a safety valve, and a pressurization valve, which are connected to the airbag, exhaust pipe, and pressurization equipment via pipelines to achieve airbag inflation, safety valve pressure stabilization, and chamber pressurization. Generally, an inert gas, such as nitrogen, is used for the compressed gas.

[0065] The truss structure is used to connect the upper part of the pontoon, the counterweight tank, and the anchoring system.

[0066] The counterweight compartment is used to adjust the overall weight of the pontoon to meet the draft requirements, lower the center of gravity of the pontoon, and improve the stability of the pontoon.

[0067] The anchoring system, consisting of anchor chains and concrete anchors, is used to fix the movement range of the pontoon within a certain area.

[0068] The design principles of airbags and compressed gas chambers are as follows:

[0069] like Figures 4-5 As shown, when the buoy rises from deep water to shallow water, the volume of water displaced by the airbag is V1 = the volume change of the buoy V, and the volume of the compressed air chamber is V2. According to Boyle's Law, at room temperature, the pressure of the compressed air required to compress the air chamber for one airbag deployment is as follows:

[0070]

[0071] Here, P1 is the pressure required for the airbag to deploy, which is atmospheric pressure plus water pressure. Therefore, the airbag can be inflated and floated when the pressure in the compressed gas chamber is greater than P2.

[0072] like Figures 7-8 As shown, the working process of the float of the present invention is as follows:

[0073] Under normal operating conditions, the airbags fold down, and the buoys are positioned in deep water. The radar and video systems simultaneously monitor the area, and warning lights remain constantly illuminated to alert passing vessels.

[0074] When a radar or video system detects a vessel entering the monitoring area, the buoy warning lights flash, and the horn alerts the vessel to its impending entry into the protected area. Simultaneously, the signal is transmitted to the control center, which continuously monitors and determines whether the vessel stops or leaves the monitoring area. If the vessel stops, the warning system (warning lights and horn) continues to alert; if the vessel leaves the monitoring area, the warning lights and horn cease. If the vessel continues and enters the warning area, the control center activates the valve controller, opening the inflation channel of the double-way valve, inflating the airbag, and simultaneously causing the buoy to rise until the airbag is fully inflated. The inflation valve then closes, and the buoy rises to a shallow water level, thus intercepting the vessel.

[0075] After a successful interception, potential hazards must be eliminated to allow the vessel to leave the monitored area. Once the vessel has left, the valve controller will activate, opening the exhaust channel of the two-way valve. The airbag will then begin to release air under external water pressure and gradually sink until it reaches the deep water level.

[0076] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An intelligent self-floating intercepting buoy, characterized in that, The pontoon includes an upper main body, a truss structure, a counterweight tank, and an anchoring system; the upper main body includes an external part, a sealed compartment, an airbag compartment, a compressed gas compartment, and a control center; The external components include a radar system, a warning system, and a video surveillance system, used for collecting and responding to external signals; The enclosed compartment is a sealed structure that provides buoyancy for the pontoons during normal operation; The airbag cabin is equipped with airbags, and the overall buoyancy of the structure is controlled by the expansion and contraction of the airbags. The compressed gas chamber is used to store high-pressure gas, which is used to inflate the airbag, stabilize the safety valve pressure, and pressurize the airbag. The control center controls the inflation and deflation of the airbag chamber and the compressed gas chamber through a two-way valve, thereby controlling the buoyancy of the float. The truss structure is used to connect the upper part of the pontoon, the counterweight hopper, and the anchoring system; The counterweight compartment is used to adjust the overall counterweight of the pontoon to meet the draft requirements, lower the center of gravity of the pontoon, and improve the stability of the pontoon. The anchoring system is used to fix the range of motion of the pontoon within a certain area; The control method for this pontoon is as follows: Under normal operating conditions, the airbags fold down, and the buoys are positioned in deep water; the radar system and video surveillance system monitor the area simultaneously, and the warning lights remain on to alert passing vessels. When a radar system or video surveillance system detects a vessel entering the monitoring area, the buoy warning light flashes, the horn reminds the vessel that it is about to enter the protection zone, and the signal is transmitted to the control center, which continuously monitors and judges whether the vessel stops or leaves the monitoring area. If the vessel stops, the warning system will continue to provide alerts; If the vessel leaves the monitoring area, the warning system will stop alerting; if the vessel continues to sail and enters the warning area, the control center will activate the valve controller, the inflation channel of the double valve will open, the airbag will begin to inflate, and the float will begin to rise until the airbag is fully inflated, the inflation valve will close, and the float will rise to a shallow water level, thereby intercepting the vessel. After a successful interception, potential hazards must be eliminated to allow the vessel to leave the monitored area. Once the vessel has left, the controller will activate, the exhaust channel of the dual-way valve will open, and the airbag will begin to release air under external water pressure and gradually sink until the airbag reaches the deep water level.

2. The intelligent self-floating intercepting buoy of claim 1, wherein, The radar system is used to detect objects within a designated area and feed the results back to the control center; the warning system is equipped with warning lights and horns. The warning lights are used to alert navigating vessels during normal operation, and the flashing brightness and frequency increase during protection mode; the video surveillance system is used to monitor the surrounding area.

3. The intelligent self-floating intercepting buoy of claim 1, wherein, The enclosed chamber is equipped with power supply pipes, pressurization channels, exhaust pipes, and maintenance channels.

4. The intelligent self-floating intercepting pontoon according to claim 1, characterized in that, The airbag is equipped with an inflation port, an exhaust port, and a safety valve.

5. The intelligent self-floating intercepting pontoon according to claim 1, wherein, The compressed gas chamber is equipped with an inflation valve, a safety valve, and a pressurization valve, which are connected to the airbag, exhaust pipe, and pressurization equipment through pipelines to realize airbag inflation, safety valve pressure stabilization, and air chamber pressurization.

6. The intelligent self-floating intercepting pontoon according to claim 1, wherein, The control center includes a signal processing system, a power supply, a two-way valve, and a valve controller; The signal processing system is respectively connected to a valve controller, a radar system, a warning system, and a video monitoring system. It comprehensively judges according to the signals collected by the radar system, the warning system, and the video monitoring system, and then issues an instruction to the valve controller. The valve controller is connected to a two-way valve and controls the opening and closing state of the two-way valve according to the instruction issued by the signal processing system. The power supply supplies power to the signal processing system, the radar system, the warning system, the video monitoring system, the valve controller, and the two-way valve.

7. The intelligent self-floating intercepting pontoon according to claim 6, characterized in that, The signal processing system is also connected to a background management system to achieve remote control functions.

8. The smart self-floating intercepting pontoon according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The control center is divided into two situations according to the different order of radar signal and video signal recognition. The first situation is: When the video monitoring system recognizes that there is a foreign object entering the monitoring area through image comparison: Step 1: Signal reception = [A1, A2, A3], where A1 is the video foreign object signal, A2 is the size of the foreign object estimated by the scale, and A3 is the foreign object coordinate. Step 2: Signal processing: judge whether A2 exceeds the system preset foreign matter size limit value ; if A2 , return to step 1; if A2 , proceed to step 3; Step 3: Issue an instruction: The signal processing system sends a level 1 warning instruction to the warning system and sends the A2 coordinate to the radar at the same time. Step 4: Signal reception: The radar system adjusts the angle to locate the position of the foreign object and continuously returns the distances B1, B2,..., Bn of the relative position of the foreign object. Step 5: Signal processing: If Bn > D, continue with Step 4; if Bn < D, it is considered that the foreign object has entered the warning area, and then go to Step 6; where D is the set radar warning distance. Step 6: Issue an instruction: The signal processing system sends a level 2 warning instruction and a buoy floating instruction to the warning light and the horn. The valve controller is opened, the inflation channel of the two-way valve is opened, and after being filled for the set time, the controller is closed and the buoy floats; the process is completed.

9. The intelligent self-floating intercepting pontoon according to claim 8, characterized in that, The control center is divided into two situations according to the different order of radar signal and video signal recognition. The second situation is: When the radar system detects that there is a foreign object entering the video monitoring area: Step 1: Signal reception = [B(x, y), B1], where B(x, y) is the foreign object position coordinate and B1 is the relative distance of the foreign object. Step 2: Issue an instruction: The signal processing system sends the foreign object position coordinate to the video monitoring system. Step 3: Signal reception: The video monitoring system adjusts the angle to locate the position of the foreign object and returns the foreign object signal [A2, A3]. Step 4: Signal processing: determine whether A2 exceeds the system preset foreign matter size limit value ; If A2 then return to step 1; if A2 then proceed to step 5; Step 5: Signal reception: The radar system continuously returns the distances B1, B2,..., Bn of the relative position of the foreign object and performs Steps 5 and 6 of the first situation. After removing the foreign object and ensuring the safety of the warning area, the signal processing system receives a sinking instruction sent by the remote platform. The valve controller is opened, the exhaust channel of the two-way valve is opened, the gas in the airbag is discharged, the buoy gradually descends, and after the set time, the controller is closed and the exhaust channel is closed.