Overflow control method, device and electronic equipment for trailing suction dredger

Abstract

The present invention provides an overflow control method, device and electronic device for a trailing suction dredger, and belongs to the technical field of trailing suction dredgers. The present invention collects mud images in the overflow tube and calculates the RGB difference of the images at two adjacent moments in real time. When the RGB difference is greater than 0, it means that the overflow mud is getting lighter and lighter in color, and the overflow tube is controlled to descend to overflow more mud with lower density faster, shorten the overflow time and improve work efficiency. When the RGB difference is less than 0, it means that the overflow mud is getting darker and darker in color, and the overflow tube is controlled to rise to reduce the overflow speed, leave more mud with higher density, reduce mud waste and improve the quality of mud in the mud chamber. The overflow tube is controlled to rise and fall in a cycle until it is fully loaded. The overflow control method of the present invention can not only shorten the overflow time and improve work efficiency, but also reduce mud waste and improve the quality of mud in the mud chamber, taking into account both efficiency and quality, and improving the accuracy of overflow control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of trailing suction dredgers, and in particular to an overflow control method, device and electronic equipment for a trailing suction dredger. Background Art

[0002] A trailing suction hopper dredger is a large vessel specially used for underwater dredging operations. During construction, the trailing suction hopper dredger will place the suction pipe obliquely on the riverbed, use the rake head to loosen the soil, then suck the mud through the mud pump and transport the mud to the mud tank through the mud pipe. The ship dredges while sailing, and when the mud tank is full, it will go to the mud dumping area to discharge the mud. During the dredging process, the trailing suction hopper dredger needs to settle the dredged materials, and the excess low-density mud will be discharged into the sea from the overflow tube to ensure that the mud in the mud tank reaches the required mud density.

[0003] Existing overflow control methods usually adopt a fixed overflow time method or a rake operator control method. Since the working environment is constantly changing, the fixed overflow time method and the rake operator control method cannot adapt well to environmental changes and have low control accuracy. For example, the overflow time may be too long, which reduces work efficiency, or the overflow time may be too short, resulting in mud waste and reduced mud quality in the mud tank. Summary of the invention

[0004] The invention provides an overflow control method, device and electronic equipment for a trailing suction hopper dredger, so as to solve the problem of low control accuracy of the existing overflow control method for the trailing suction hopper dredger.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an overflow control method for a trailing-suction-type dredger, comprising: obtaining images at various moments in the overflow tube of the trailing-suction-type dredger, wherein the images include images at a current moment and images at a previous moment. Calculating the RGB mean of the image at the current moment and the RGB mean of the image at the previous moment. Based on the RGB mean of the image at the current moment and the RGB mean of the image at the previous moment, obtaining the RGB difference between the image at the current moment and the image at the previous moment. During the overflow process, if the RGB difference is greater than 0, the overflow tube is controlled to descend. If the RGB difference is less than 0, the overflow tube is controlled to rise. The overflow tube is controlled to descend and rise cyclically until the trailing-suction-type dredger is fully loaded.

[0006] In a possible implementation, the cyclic control of the overflow tube descending and ascending includes: in the process of controlling the overflow tube to descend, if the RGB difference value changes from greater than 0 to less than 0, then controlling the overflow tube to ascend. 1 In the process of controlling the overflow tube to ascend, if the RGB difference value changes from less than 0 to greater than 0, then controlling the overflow tube to descend.

[0007] In a possible implementation, before the overflow process, the method further includes: if the RGB difference is 0, determining that the overflow tube has not started to overflow. If the RGB difference changes from 0 to not equal to 0, determining that the overflow tube has started to overflow and entering the overflow process.

[0008] In a possible implementation, before determining that the overflow tube has not started to overflow if the RGB difference is 0, the method further includes: controlling the overflow tube to rise to a preset height, wherein the preset height is lower than the full height of the mud tank. Controlling the trailing suction dredger to dredge mud into the mud tank. If the RGB difference is 0, controlling the height of the overflow tube to remain unchanged.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: monitoring the draft and the mud tank level of the trailing suction hopper dredger. If the draft is greater than a preset threshold and the mud tank level is lower than a preset height, the trailing suction hopper dredger is determined to be fully loaded.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: monitoring the draft of the trailing suction hopper dredger. Obtaining a real-time image of the mud in the mud compartment. Obtaining the real-time density of the mud in the mud compartment according to the RGB value of the real-time image of the mud in the mud compartment and the preset relationship between the RGB value of the mud and the mud density. If the draft is greater than a preset threshold and the real-time density of the mud in the mud compartment is greater than the preset threshold, the trailing suction hopper dredger is determined to be fully loaded.

[0011] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an overflow control device for a trailing suction dredger, comprising:

[0012] The acquisition module is used to acquire images at various moments in the overflow tube of the trailing suction dredger, wherein the images include images at a current moment and images at a previous moment.

[0013] The calculation module is used to calculate the RGB mean of the image at the current moment and the RGB mean of the image at the previous moment.

[0014] The acquisition module is used to obtain the RGB difference between the image at the current moment and the image at the previous moment based on the RGB mean value of the image at the current moment and the RGB mean value of the image at the previous moment.

[0015] The control module is used for controlling the overflow tube to descend if the RGB difference is greater than 0 during the overflow process, and to control the overflow tube to ascend if the RGB difference is less than 0.

[0016] The circulation module is used to cyclically control the lowering and raising of the overflow tube until the trailing suction hopper dredger is fully loaded.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the cyclic control of the overflow tube descending and ascending includes: in the process of controlling the overflow tube to descend, if the RGB difference value changes from greater than 0 to less than 0, then controlling the overflow tube to ascend. In the process of controlling the overflow tube to ascend, if the RGB difference value changes from less than 0 to greater than 0, then controlling the overflow tube to descend.

[0018] In a third aspect, the present invention provides an electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the processor executes the computer program, the processor implements the steps of the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0019] In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect are implemented.

[0020] The present invention provides an overflow control method, device and electronic device for a trailing suction dredger. The present invention collects mud images in the overflow tube and calculates the RGB difference between the images at two adjacent moments in real time. The overflow tube is controlled to rise and fall based on the RGB difference. When the RGB difference is greater than 0, it means that the overflow mud is getting lighter and lighter in color and smaller in density. The overflow tube is controlled to descend so as to overflow more mud with lower density faster, shorten the overflow time and improve work efficiency. When the RGB difference is less than 0, it means that the overflow mud is getting darker and darker in color and larger in density. The overflow tube is controlled to rise so as to reduce the overflow speed, leave more mud with higher density, reduce mud waste and improve the quality of mud in the mud tank. The overflow tube is controlled to rise and fall in a cycle until it is fully loaded. The overflow control method of the present invention can not only shorten the overflow time and improve work efficiency, but also reduce mud waste and improve the quality of mud in the mud tank, taking into account both efficiency and quality, and improving the accuracy of overflow control. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0022] Figure 1 : is an application scenario diagram of the overflow control method of a trailing suction dredger provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an overflow tube provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 is a flow chart of an implementation of an overflow control method for a trailing suction dredger provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an overflow control system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of camera setting positions provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of an overflow control device for a trailing suction dredger provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In the following description, specific details such as specific system structures, technologies, etc. are provided for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, so as to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. However, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other cases, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, devices, circuits, and methods are omitted to prevent unnecessary details from obstructing the description of the present invention.

[0030] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, specific embodiments will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0031] In recent years, the port industry has developed rapidly. The construction of new ports and the expansion of old ports have brought new development opportunities to the waterway industry. However, opportunities are accompanied by challenges, and the competition in the dredging market is becoming increasingly fierce. How to dig out more profits and maintain the steady development of enterprises under the background of shrinking profit margins, and how to solve the problem of fewer and fewer crew members and more and more difficult to train experienced crew members, is becoming more and more important for construction ships as the front line of production. At the same time, it is becoming more and more difficult to train experienced operators, while the dredging tasks are increasing.

[0032] Figure 1 This is an application scenario diagram of the overflow control method for a trailing suction dredger provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The dredger's mud tank is equipped with an overflow tube. The overflow tube is a key component on the trailing suction dredger. Its function is to discharge the excess water in the mud tank in order to save storage space and improve dredging efficiency.

[0033] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the overflow tube provided by the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2The overflow tube is usually designed with a trumpet-shaped opening. This design increases the overflow area, helps the water in the mud tank to be discharged smoothly at a lower pressure, and allows solid particles such as mud to remain in the mud tank. The overflow tube can be raised and lowered under the drive of a hydraulic mechanical system.

[0034] The embodiments of the present invention may be applicable to a variety of application scenarios, which involve the lifting and lowering control of the overflow tube of a trailing suction hopper dredger, and the specific application scenarios are not limited herein.

[0035] For example, the relative height between the overflow tube and the mud liquid surface affects the overflow speed. For example, the overflow time can be controlled by controlling the lifting time of the overflow tube.

[0036] The existing overflow control method can adopt the operator control method, that is, the operator determines the overflow time based on work experience and controls the raising and lowering of the overflow tube. For example, the operator determines when to raise and lower the overflow tube based on his own experience and historical dredging time, in conjunction with the ship's draft and loading indicators.

[0037] Specifically, when the ship's loading indicator shows that it is not full, but the mud tank is full, overflow is required. When the mud tank is filled with mud mixture during the dredging process of the trailing suction dredger, and the ship's waterline does not meet the requirements, it is considered that the dredged material does not meet the required mud density, and the dredged material needs to be settled. The excess mud with lower density will be discharged from the overflow tube into the sea. The operator needs to constantly adjust the height of the overflow tube to discharge the mud with lower density and increase the density of the dredged material in the mud tank until the loading indicator shows that it is full.

[0038] The whole process requires high experience of the operator. If the operator is not experienced enough, the overflow time will be too long or the mud density will be insufficient, which will reduce the production efficiency or quality of the project. For example, during the process of the operator controlling the overflow, if the overflow time is too short, the mud sedimentation process in the mud tank will be short, and the mud density in the mud tank will be insufficient, which will lead to low mud quality in the mud tank and insufficient dredging productivity. If the overflow time is too long, more time will be wasted, which will also reduce productivity.

[0039] Existing overflow control methods can also use a fixed overflow time method. However, due to the continuous changes in the working environment, such as changes in dredging locations, different dredging depths, different soil types and characteristics, the fixed overflow time method cannot adapt well to environmental changes and has low control accuracy.

[0040] An overflow control method for a trailing suction hopper dredger provided in an embodiment of the present invention monitors the overflow process through visual technology, realizes automatic control of the overflow cylinder to lift and lower, and controls the overall overflow process, so as to solve the problem of low control accuracy of the existing overflow control method for a trailing suction hopper dredger.

[0041] Figure 3 is a flow chart of the overflow control method of a trailing suction dredger provided by an embodiment of the present invention, referring to Figure 3 , as detailed below:

[0042] Exemplarily, the mud tank of a trailing suction dredger is generally provided with two overflow tubes, for example, referring to Figure 1 The overflow tube A on the left and the overflow tube B on the right. Two overflow tubes, one is used to prevent the mud tank from overflowing when it is full, for example Figure 1 The overflow tube A on the left side is referred to as overflow tube A below; the other one is used to control the overflow of the mud tank, overflowing the mud with lower density and leaving the mud mixture with higher density. After multiple sedimentation and overflow, the mud tank loading capacity can meet the working requirements, for example Figure 1 The overflow tube B on the right side of the middle is referred to as overflow tube B hereinafter.

[0043] It should be noted that the overflow control method of the trailing suction dredger provided in the embodiment of the present invention is specifically used to control the lifting of the overflow tube and realize the control of the overflow of the mud tank, for example, Figure 1 Overflow tube B on the middle right.

[0044] It should be further explained that the execution subject of the overflow control method provided in the embodiment of the present invention may be an overflow control system. Exemplarily, the overflow control system may include a camera, a computing unit, and a loading indicator. For example, the camera is used to observe the mud tank and the overflow cylinder. For another example, the computing unit may be a server, which may include a display and a host computer software. For another example, the loading indicator may be an existing loading indicator on a dredging vessel.

[0045] For example, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the overflow control system provided by the embodiment of the present invention, referring to Figure 4 The overflow control system may include a camera, an RGB value calculation unit, a loading indicator, and overflow tube lifting control software. Further exemplary, the camera transmits the captured video image to the calculation unit, the calculation unit outputs the calculation result to the overflow tube lifting control software, and the control software automatically controls the overflow tube lifting. When the loading indicator shows that the ship is full, it is determined that the dredging overflow process is over, the calculation unit stops calculating, and prompts the rake operator to start raking and stop dredging.

[0046] The complete dredging process starts when the dredging vessel (i.e., the trailing suction dredger) starts dredging with a rake and ends when the rake is raised and the dredging stops. The following describes the implementation of the overflow control method according to the embodiment of the present invention in conjunction with the complete dredging process.

[0047] First, illustratively, the dredging vessel drives to the designated dredging location, the lower rake starts dredging, and the mud begins to be continuously pumped into the mud tank. Further illustratively, the overflow control system, or overflow cylinder automatic control system, can be opened by the rake operator.

[0048] Further exemplary, the overflow control system controls the overflow tube B to rise until the overflow tube B is at the same height as the overflow tube A. The height of the overflow tube A is the standard height H max When the mud level in the mud tank is higher than the overflow tube A, it will overflow and be discharged to ensure that the mud in the mud tank will not overflow onto the ship during the dredging process.

[0049] In step 301, images at various moments in the overflow tube of the trailing suction hopper dredger are acquired, wherein the images include images at a current moment and images at a previous moment.

[0050] Exemplarily, the images acquired at each moment in the overflow tube are mud images of the same calibrated area in the overflow tube.

[0051] Exemplarily, a camera is used to obtain a real-time image of the mud in the overflow tube. Further exemplary, the camera adopts a fixed focus form to facilitate position calibration. For example, the focal length range can be 2.8mm to 4mm. Exemplarily, the type of camera can be a hemispherical type to facilitate observation of the entire mud tank, and the data observation problem can be solved using one camera. Figure 5 Schematic diagram of camera setting position provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 , the camera can be set between the two overflow tubes.

[0052] Exemplarily, after the trailing suction dredger starts dredging, images of the mud in the overflow tube at various times are acquired.

[0053] It should be noted that after the trailing suction dredger starts to dredge, the mud level in the mud tank continues to rise until it reaches the height of the overflow tube, and the mud will overflow through the overflow tube.

[0054] Normally, the overflow tube will be raised to the height when the mud tank is full. When the mud tank is full, dredging will be stopped, and the mud will continue to settle. The density of the upper mud layer will continue to decrease, while the density of the lower mud layer will continue to increase. Furthermore, the overflow tube will begin to descend in height and overflow to discharge the low-density mud in the upper layer. In the above cases, overflowing after the mud tank is full is only for economic maximization, and is not a necessary condition for the method of the present invention. In addition, dredging is stopped during sedimentation in order to reduce the impact of dredging on the sedimentation rate, which is also not a necessary condition for the method of the present invention and is not limited here.

[0055] Exemplarily, the sedimentation process and the overflow process can be carried out simultaneously. That is, during the sedimentation process, the height of the overflow tube is continuously lowered to overflow and discharge the low-density mud in the upper layer.

[0056] For example, during the dredging process, the overflow control system visually observes the overflow of the overflow tube, and the camera captures the video image in the mud chamber and transmits it to the computing unit.

[0057] Exemplarily, obtaining images of the overflow tube of a trailing suction dredger at various times includes: collecting a video of the mud in the overflow tube, and after obtaining the video, converting the video into a picture. The conversion frequency of the video to the picture matches the computing power. Specifically, and exemplary, the overflow tube is photographed by a camera installed in the mud tank to observe the video screen of the overflow tube. Each frame of the video screen is extracted using Python to obtain a set of pictures arranged in a time series.

[0058] It should be noted that the timing of acquiring real-time images is continuous. For example, real-time images can be acquired when dredging, before overflowing, after overflowing, and until the overflowing process ends.

[0059] In step 302, the RGB mean value of the image at the current moment and the RGB mean value of the image at the previous moment are calculated.

[0060] For example, the RGB mean of the image at each moment can be expressed as RGB1, RGB2, RGB3...RGB n .

[0061] In step 303, based on the RGB mean value of the image at the current moment and the RGB mean value of the image at the previous moment, the RGB difference between the image at the current moment and the image at the previous moment is obtained.

[0062] Exemplarily, the RGB mean value of the image at the previous moment is subtracted from the RGB mean value of the image at the current moment to obtain the RGB difference between the image at the current moment and the image at the previous moment.

[0063] For example, the RGB difference at the nth moment can be expressed as RGB xn =RGB n -RGB n-1 .

[0064] Exemplarily, steps 302 - 303 may be calculated in real time after step 301 continuously acquires real-time images.

[0065] In a possible implementation, before the overflow process, the method further includes: if the RGB difference is 0, determining that the overflow tube has not started to overflow. If the RGB difference changes from 0 to not equal to 0, determining that the overflow tube has started to overflow and entering the overflow process.

[0066] For example, after starting to dig mud, if the RGB difference is 0, it means that the picture in the overflow tube has not changed, indicating that no new mud has overflowed into the overflow tube, and it is determined that the overflow tube has not started to overflow, and the current state is the state before entering the overflow process.

[0067] Further illustratively, if the RGB difference value changes from 0 to not equal to 0, it means that the image in the overflow tube changes, indicating that new mud overflows into the overflow tube, and it is determined that the overflow tube begins to overflow and enters the overflow process.

[0068] In a possible implementation, before determining that the overflow tube has not started to overflow if the RGB difference is 0, the method further includes: controlling the overflow tube to rise to a preset height, wherein the preset height is lower than the full height of the mud tank. Controlling the trailing suction dredger to dredge mud into the mud tank. If the RGB difference is 0, controlling the height of the overflow tube to remain unchanged.

[0069] Exemplarily, controlling the overflow tube to rise to a preset height includes raising the height of the overflow tube B to be the same as the height of the overflow tube A.

[0070] In step 304, during the overflow process, if the RGB difference is greater than 0, the overflow tube is controlled to descend. If the RGB difference is less than 0, the overflow tube is controlled to ascend.

[0071] For example, during the overflow process, dredging is stopped and sedimentation is carried out. As sedimentation progresses, the density of the mud in the upper layer of the mud tank decreases continuously, while the density of the mud in the lower layer of the mud tank increases continuously.

[0072] For example, during the overflow process, after a preset sedimentation time, the overflow tube may first be lowered to a preset height to allow the upper layer of low-density mud to overflow into the overflow tube.

[0073] For example, when the RGB difference is greater than 0, it means that the overflow mud in the overflow tube is becoming lighter in color and smaller in density. The overflow tube is controlled to descend to overflow more low-density mud faster, shortening the overflow time and improving work efficiency.

[0074] For example, when the RGB difference is less than 0, it means that the overflow mud in the overflow tube is getting darker in color and denser. The overflow tube is controlled to rise to reduce the overflow speed, leave more mud with higher density, reduce mud waste, and improve the quality of mud in the mud tank.

[0075] It should be noted that during the overflow process, sedimentation is also taking place simultaneously. If the overflow velocity is less than the sedimentation velocity, the overflow mud in the overflow tube will become lighter in color and smaller in density. If the overflow velocity is greater than the sedimentation velocity, the overflow mud in the overflow tube will become darker in color and larger in density.

[0076] In step 305, the overflow tube is cyclically controlled to descend and ascend until the trailing suction dredger is fully loaded.

[0077] Exemplarily, the overflow tube is raised and lowered cyclically controlled based on the RGB difference in step 304 until it is fully loaded.

[0078] For example, after the trailing suction dredger is fully loaded, the dredging is stopped by lifting the raker, the overflow tube height is fixed, the overflow is stopped, and the dredging process is completed by dumping the dredger.

[0079] In a possible implementation, cyclically controlling the overflow tube to descend and ascend includes: in the process of controlling the overflow tube to descend, if the RGB difference value changes from greater than 0 to less than 0, controlling the overflow tube to ascend. In the process of controlling the overflow tube to ascend, if the RGB difference value changes from less than 0 to greater than 0, controlling the overflow tube to descend.

[0080] Exemplarily, if the RGB difference changes from not equal to 0 to equal to 0, the overflow tube is controlled to descend to a preset height.

[0081] It should be noted that during the descent and ascent of the overflow tube under the circulation control, sedimentation is continuously carried out, the density of mud at the bottom of the mud tank is continuously increased, and the low-density mud at the top of the mud tank is continuously overflowed and discharged. When the overflow reaches a certain extent, for example, the mud level in the mud tank is reduced to a preset value or the draft of the ship is reduced to a preset value, dredging can be continued until the mud tank is full, and sedimentation overflow is carried out again until the trailing suction dredger is fully loaded. The judgment conditions for full load are explained in the subsequent embodiments.

[0082] The embodiment of the present invention collects mud images in the overflow tube and calculates the RGB difference of the images at two adjacent moments in real time. The overflow tube is raised and lowered based on the RGB difference. When the RGB difference is greater than 0, it means that the overflow mud is getting lighter and lighter in color and smaller in density. The overflow tube is controlled to descend so that more mud with lower density can overflow faster, shortening the overflow time and improving work efficiency. When the RGB difference is less than 0, it means that the overflow mud is getting darker and darker in color and larger in density. The overflow tube is controlled to rise so as to reduce the overflow speed and leave more mud with higher density, thereby reducing mud waste and improving the quality of mud in the mud tank. The overflow tube is controlled to rise and fall in a cycle until it is fully loaded. The overflow control method of the present invention can not only shorten the overflow time and improve work efficiency, but also reduce mud waste and improve the quality of mud in the mud tank, taking into account both efficiency and quality, and improving the accuracy of overflow control.

[0083] The embodiment of the present invention uses a camera as a sensor to detect the density of the mud in the overflow tube. Compared with the past method that required a hard overflow time, it is more automated, reduces the labor intensity of the crew, ensures production efficiency and quality, and the system is easy to install. Specifically, the present invention provides a method for automatically controlling the overflow tube based on a visual sensor. After processing and analyzing the data obtained by the visual sensor, the RGB values ​​of the overflow liquid before and after are compared to control the lifting of the overflow tube. The system cooperates with the signal of the loading indicator. When the loading indicator indicates that the draft of the ship has reached the threshold, the overflow tube is controlled to stop overflowing and prompt to start the rake. The entire system realizes the automation of the overflow process, shortens the overflow time, improves production efficiency and ensures production quality.

[0084] The embodiment of the present invention uses a visual method to extract the surface color of the mud in the overflow tube, and calculates the change of the mud RGB value to control the lifting of the overflow tube. It can cooperate with the loading indicator to realize the automation of the overflow process, and achieve the goals of saving manpower, reducing overflow time, and improving production efficiency. Specifically, the overflow process is monitored by visual means to realize automatic control of the lifting of the overflow tube to control the overall overflow process until the loading indicator prompts that the ship has sufficient draft, stops dredging, stops overflowing, and starts to throw mud to complete the dredging process.

[0085] The following embodiments illustrate the conditions for determining full load and the implementation method.

[0086] In a possible implementation, the full load judgment condition includes: monitoring the draft and the mud tank level of the trailing suction hopper dredger; if the draft is greater than a preset threshold and the mud tank level is lower than a preset height, the trailing suction hopper dredger is determined to be fully loaded.

[0087] Exemplarily, before the overflow tube is circulated and controlled to be lowered and raised, the method further includes: monitoring the draft of the trailing suction hopper dredger and the liquid level in the mud tank. Accordingly, after the overflow tube is circulated and controlled to be lowered and raised, the method further includes: if the draft is greater than a preset threshold value and the liquid level in the mud tank is lower than a preset height, determining that the trailing suction hopper dredger is fully loaded.

[0088] For example, the draft of a trailing suction hopper dredger can be monitored by a loading indicator. Existing loading indicators can automatically record the loading volume of dredged earthwork. For example, the device uses multiple pressure sensors installed on the bottom of the ship to measure the draft of the ship, converts the pressure signal into a current signal through a converter, and processes it by a computer to calculate and record the displacement and mud load of the dredger, and display the loading process in real time. The overflow tube automatic control system is linked to the loading indicator to realize the automation of the ship's dredging overflow process, save overflow time, ensure mud density and dredged material quality, and improve work efficiency.

[0089] Exemplarily, the draft depth being greater than a preset threshold includes the draft depth being greater than a maximum draft depth of the ship.

[0090] Exemplarily, the mud tank liquid level being lower than a preset height includes the mud tank liquid level being lower than a full tank height.

[0091] It should be noted that the draft represents the total loading weight of the ship. The mud tank level represents the volume of mud loaded in the mud tank. Due to the different mud densities, the weight of the same volume of mud is different. Therefore, only when the mud density reaches a certain level after overflow control, the total loading weight of the ship is maximized and the mud does not overflow the mud tank, the production efficiency is the highest, and the trailing suction dredger can be determined to be fully loaded.

[0092] The above full load judgment method is based on the full load liquid level. If the dredging environment is fixed, the characteristics of the mud are basically the same, and there is a certain correlation between the draft depth and the mud tank liquid level.

[0093] However, as the dredging environment changes, the characteristics of the mud change, some of which settle faster, some settle slower, some have higher density, and some have lower density, which leads to different density and weight of mud in the mud tank at the same draft depth. In other words, when the draft depth reaches the maximum and the mud tank is not full, the density of the mud in the mud tank can be increased through dredging, sedimentation and overflow, and the specific gravity of the loaded mud in the full load state can be further increased.

[0094] In a possible implementation, the fully loaded judgment condition includes: monitoring the draft of the trailing suction hopper dredger. Obtaining a real-time image of the mud in the mud tank. Obtaining the real-time density of the mud in the mud tank according to the RGB value of the real-time image of the mud in the mud tank and the preset relationship between the RGB value of the mud and the mud density. If the draft is greater than a preset threshold and the real-time density of the mud in the mud tank is greater than the preset threshold, the trailing suction hopper dredger is determined to be fully loaded.

[0095] Exemplarily, before the overflow tube is cyclically controlled to descend and ascend, the method further includes: monitoring the draft of the trailing suction dredger. Obtaining a real-time image of the mud in the mud tank. Obtaining the real-time density of the mud in the mud tank according to the RGB value of the real-time image of the mud in the mud tank and the preset relationship between the RGB value of the mud and the mud density.

[0096] Further illustratively, correspondingly, after the overflow tube is cyclically controlled to descend and ascend, it also includes: if the draft is greater than a preset threshold, and the real-time density of the mud in the mud tank is greater than the preset threshold, it is determined that the trailing suction dredger is fully loaded.

[0097] Exemplarily, acquiring a real-time image of mud in a mud tank includes: acquiring a real-time image of mud at a top of the mud tank.

[0098] Exemplarily, the draft depth being greater than a preset threshold includes the draft depth being greater than a maximum draft depth of the ship.

[0099] Exemplarily, if the draft is greater than a preset threshold and the real-time density of the mud in the mud tank is not greater than the preset threshold, dredging, sedimentation and overflow are continued in a cycle until the draft is greater than the preset threshold and the real-time density of the mud in the mud tank is greater than the preset threshold.

[0100] The embodiment of the present invention extracts the mud surface color of the mud tank by using a visual method, and determines the mud density based on the relationship between the mud RGB value and the mud density, so as to judge the full load state, optimize the full load warning, and maximize the production efficiency.

[0101] It should be understood that the order of execution of the steps in the above embodiment does not necessarily mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0102] The following is an embodiment of the device of the present invention. For details not described in detail, reference may be made to the corresponding method embodiments described above.

[0103] Figure 6 : is a schematic diagram of the structure of the overflow control device of the trailing suction dredger provided by the embodiment of the present invention. For the convenience of description, only the part related to the embodiment of the present invention is shown, which is described in detail as follows:

[0104] Reference Figure 6 The overflow control device 6 of the trailing suction dredger comprises:

[0105] The acquisition module 61 is used to acquire images at various moments in the overflow tube of the trailing suction dredger, wherein the images include images at a current moment and images at a previous moment.

[0106] A calculation module 62, used to calculate the RGB mean of the image at the current moment and the RGB mean of the image at the previous moment;

[0107] The obtaining module 63 is used to obtain the RGB difference between the image at the current moment and the image at the previous moment based on the RGB mean value of the image at the current moment and the RGB mean value of the image at the previous moment.

[0108] The control module 64 is used to control the overflow tube to descend if the RGB difference is greater than 0 during the overflow process, and to control the overflow tube to ascend if the RGB difference is less than 0.

[0109] The circulation module 65 is used for cyclically controlling the descent and ascent of the overflow tube until the trailing suction dredger is fully loaded.

[0110] The embodiment of the present invention collects mud images in the overflow tube and calculates the RGB difference of the images at two adjacent moments in real time. The overflow tube is raised and lowered based on the RGB difference. When the RGB difference is greater than 0, it means that the overflow mud is getting lighter and lighter in color and smaller in density. The overflow tube is controlled to descend so that more mud with lower density can overflow faster, shortening the overflow time and improving work efficiency. When the RGB difference is less than 0, it means that the overflow mud is getting darker and darker in color and larger in density. The overflow tube is controlled to rise so as to reduce the overflow speed and leave more mud with higher density, thereby reducing mud waste and improving the quality of mud in the mud tank. The overflow tube is controlled to rise and fall in a cycle until it is fully loaded. The overflow control method of the present invention can not only shorten the overflow time and improve work efficiency, but also reduce mud waste and improve the quality of mud in the mud tank, taking into account both efficiency and quality, and improving the accuracy of overflow control.

[0111] In a possible implementation, cyclically controlling the overflow tube to descend and ascend includes: in the process of controlling the overflow tube to descend, if the RGB difference value changes from greater than 0 to less than 0, controlling the overflow tube to ascend. In the process of controlling the overflow tube to ascend, if the RGB difference value changes from less than 0 to greater than 0, controlling the overflow tube to descend.

[0112] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 As shown, the electronic device 7 of this embodiment includes: a processor 70, a memory 71, and a computer program 72 stored in the memory 71 and executable on the processor 70. When the processor 70 executes the computer program 72, the steps in the above-mentioned embodiments of the overflow control method for a trailing suction dredger are implemented, for example Figure 3 Alternatively, when the processor 70 executes the computer program 72, the functions of each module / unit in the above-mentioned device embodiments are realized, for example, Figure 6 The functions of the modules 61 to 65 are shown.

[0113] Exemplarily, the computer program 72 may be divided into one or more modules / units, which are stored in the memory 71 and executed by the processor 70 to implement the present invention. The one or more modules / units may be a series of computer program instruction segments capable of implementing specific functions, which are used to describe the execution process of the computer program 72 in the electronic device 7. For example, the computer program 72 may be divided into Figure 6 Modules 61 to 65 are shown.

[0114] The electronic device 7 may be a computing device such as a desktop computer, a notebook, a PDA, or a cloud server. The electronic device 7 may include, but is not limited to, a processor 70 and a memory 71. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that Figure 7 It is only an example of the electronic device 7 and does not constitute a limitation of the electronic device 7. It may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or a combination of certain components, or different components. For example, the electronic device may also include input and output devices, network access devices, buses, etc.

[0115] The processor 70 may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0116] The memory 71 may be an internal storage unit of the electronic device 7, such as a hard disk or memory of the electronic device 7. The memory 71 may also be an external storage device of the electronic device 7, such as a plug-in hard disk, a smart media card (SMC), a secure digital (SD) card, a flash card, etc. equipped on the electronic device 7. Further, the memory 71 may also include both an internal storage unit and an external storage device of the electronic device 7. The memory 71 is used to store the computer program and other programs and data required by the electronic device. The memory 71 may also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or is to be output.

[0117] The technicians in the relevant field can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional units and modules is used as an example for illustration. In practical applications, the above-mentioned function allocation can be completed by different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The functional units and modules in the embodiment can be integrated in a processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated in one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units. In addition, the specific names of the functional units and modules are only for the convenience of distinguishing each other, and are not used to limit the scope of protection of this application. The specific working process of the units and modules in the above-mentioned system can refer to the corresponding process in the aforementioned method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0118] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described or recorded in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0119] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of the present invention.

[0120] In the embodiments provided by the present invention, it should be understood that the disclosed devices / electronic devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device / electronic device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the modules or units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0121] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0122] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present invention may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units.

[0123] If the integrated module / unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the present invention implements all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment method, and can also be completed by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed by the processor, the steps of the above-mentioned embodiments of the overflow control method of the trailing suction dredger can be implemented. Among them, the computer program includes computer program code, and the computer program code can be in source code form, object code form, executable file or some intermediate form. The computer-readable medium may include: any entity or device that can carry the computer program code, recording medium, U disk, mobile hard disk, disk, optical disk, computer memory, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), electric carrier signal, telecommunication signal and software distribution medium.

[0124] The embodiments described above are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit the same. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments may still be modified, or some of the technical features may be replaced by equivalents. Such modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should all be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling overflow of a trailing suction dredger, characterized in that: include: Acquire images at various times in the overflow tube of the trailing suction dredger, wherein the images include images at a current time and images at a previous time, and the images are mud images of the same calibrated area in the overflow tube; Calculate the RGB mean of the current image and the RGB mean of the previous image; Based on the RGB mean of the current image and the RGB mean of the previous image, the RGB difference between the current image and the previous image is obtained; During the overflow process, if the RGB difference is greater than 0, the overflow tube is controlled to descend; if the RGB difference is less than 0, the overflow tube is controlled to ascend; The overflow tube is controlled to descend and ascend cyclically until the trailing suction hopper dredger is fully loaded, wherein the judgment condition of the full load includes: monitoring the draft and the mud tank level of the trailing suction hopper dredger; if the draft is greater than a preset threshold value and the mud tank level is lower than a preset height, it is determined that the trailing suction hopper dredger is fully loaded; Alternatively, the full load judgment condition includes: monitoring the draft of the trailing suction hopper dredger; obtaining a real-time image of the mud in the mud compartment; obtaining the real-time density of the mud in the mud compartment based on the RGB value of the real-time image of the mud in the mud compartment and a preset relationship between the mud RGB value and the mud density; if the draft is greater than a preset threshold and the real-time density of the mud in the mud compartment is greater than the preset threshold, then it is determined that the trailing suction hopper dredger is fully loaded.

2. The overflow control method of a trailing suction hopper dredger according to claim 1, characterized in that: The circulation control overflow tube descending and ascending comprises: In the process of controlling the overflow tube to descend, if the RGB difference value changes from greater than 0 to less than 0, the overflow tube is controlled to ascend; In the process of controlling the overflow tube to rise, if the RGB difference value changes from less than 0 to greater than 0, the overflow tube is controlled to descend.

3. The overflow control method of a trailing suction hopper dredger according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before the overflow process also includes: If the RGB difference is 0, it is determined that the overflow tube has not started to overflow; If the RGB difference value changes from 0 to not equal to 0, it is determined that the overflow tube begins to overflow and enters the overflow process.

4. The overflow control method of a trailing suction hopper dredger according to claim 3, characterized in that: If the RGB difference is 0, before determining that the overflow tube has not started to overflow, the method further includes: Controlling the overflow tube to rise to a preset height, wherein the preset height is lower than the full height of the mud tank; Controlling the trailing suction dredger to dredge mud into the mud chamber; If the RGB difference is 0, the height of the overflow tube is controlled to remain unchanged.

5. An overflow control device for a trailing suction dredger, characterized in that: include: An acquisition module, used to acquire real-time images at various moments in the overflow tube of the trailing suction dredger, wherein the images include images at a current moment and images at a previous moment, and the images are mud images of the same calibrated area in the overflow tube; A calculation module is used to calculate the RGB mean of the image at the current moment and the RGB mean of the image at the previous moment; An acquisition module is used to obtain the RGB difference between the image at the current moment and the image at the previous moment based on the RGB mean value of the image at the current moment and the RGB mean value of the image at the previous moment; A control module, used for controlling the overflow tube to descend if the RGB difference is greater than 0 during the overflow process; and controlling the overflow tube to ascend if the RGB difference is less than 0; A circulation module is used for cyclically controlling the overflow tube to descend and ascend until the trailing suction hopper dredger is fully loaded, wherein the judgment condition of the full load includes: monitoring the draft of the trailing suction hopper dredger and the mud tank level; if the draft is greater than a preset threshold, and the mud tank level is lower than a preset height, then the trailing suction hopper dredger is determined to be fully loaded; or, the judgment condition of the full load includes: monitoring the draft of the trailing suction hopper dredger; obtaining a real-time image of the mud in the mud tank; obtaining the real-time density of the mud in the mud tank according to the RGB value of the real-time image of the mud in the mud tank and the preset relationship between the mud RGB value and the mud density; if the draft is greater than the preset threshold, and the real-time density of the mud in the mud tank is greater than the preset threshold, then the trailing suction hopper dredger is determined to be fully loaded.

6. The overflow control device for a trailing suction dredger according to claim 5, characterized in that: The circulation control overflow tube descending and ascending comprises: In the process of controlling the overflow tube to descend, if the RGB difference value changes from greater than 0 to less than 0, the overflow tube is controlled to ascend; In the process of controlling the overflow tube to rise, if the RGB difference value changes from less than 0 to greater than 0, the overflow tube is controlled to descend.

7. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that: When the processor executes the computer program, the steps of the overflow control method for a trailing suction hopper dredger as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 are implemented.

8. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the overflow control method of a trailing suction hopper dredger as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 are implemented.

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