Deep water gas pressure compensated bend disc transducer depth keeping inflation deflation system and method of operation

Abstract

The application discloses a deep-water air pressure compensation bending disc transducer depth-keeping inflation and deflation system, which comprises a ship, an automatic air pressure compensation device, a winch, a gas-electric composite cable, a gas-electric switching bin, an air pressure compensation bending disc transmitting transducer and an exhaust box. The automatic air pressure compensation device is internally provided with a signal source, a power amplifier and a processor. The gas-electric composite cable and the gas-electric switching bin are connected through a joint. The gas-electric switching bin and the air pressure compensation bending disc transmitting transducer are respectively connected through a load-bearing gas cable and an electric cable. The air pressure compensation bending disc transmitting transducer and the exhaust box are respectively connected through a gas cable and a load-bearing rope. The gas-electric switching bin and the exhaust box are connected through an electric cable. In the application, the internal air cavity of the bending transducer is filled with seawater to avoid air pressure compensation when the transducer does not reach the working depth. When the transducer reaches the designated working depth, the underwater inflation and drainage of the air cavity can be completed by utilizing the difference in medium density, the transducer deployment and recovery speed can be greatly improved, and the equipment is safe and risk-free in the process.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the technical field of transducers, and particularly relates to a deep-water air pressure compensation bending disc transducer depth-keeping inflation and deflation system and a working method. BACKGROUND

[0002] Due to the low structural rigidity of the bending disc transducer, the water pressure resistance is very limited, and the pressure compensation technology must be used for deep water use. The air pressure compensation has the smallest influence on the performance of the bending disc transducer, but it is difficult to keep the internal air pressure and the external water pressure balanced at a large water depth, and the crushing phenomenon is prone to occur. At present, compared with the transducer itself, the air pressure compensation technology develops relatively slowly, and the method of real-time inflation is often used to reduce the laying and recovering speed to improve safety.

[0003] With the rapid development of underwater acoustic technology, higher requirements are put forward for underwater acoustic signal transmitting and receiving equipment. Especially for low-frequency transmitting transducers, the maximum working depth and sound source level indicators are of great concern. At present, for the ultra-low frequency transducer, due to its low working frequency, its rigidity is small, and the resistance to hydrostatic pressure is weak, so it is inherently insufficient in deep water working ability. To solve this problem, internal inflation is considered to achieve the purpose of deep water use by air pressure compensation. At this time, the working depth of the bending disc transducer under air pressure compensation becomes its ability to resist internal and external pressure. Generally, the ultra-low frequency bending disc transmitting transducer can only resist the pressure difference of 30-40m water depth, and a certain safety margin is left for application. For transducers with a water depth of more than one kilometer, it is dangerous to precisely control the pressure difference threshold range.

[0004] In the CN114183324B patent, the transducer air pressure compensation system is to monitor the pressure difference by monitoring the internal air pressure and external water pressure of the transducer in real time. This scheme uses the real-time air inflation and deflation method in the application process, which needs to slow down the speed during laying and recovering to ensure the safety of the equipment.

[0005] In the CN112558649B patent, a transducer is inflated and deflated by a underwater air source to achieve pressure balance, which can achieve air pressure compensation of the transducer in shallow water.

[0006] In the CN114183324B patent, the transducer has the disadvantage that the laying process needs to slow down the speed to ensure the dynamic balance of the pressure, and too fast speed will cause mechanical damage to the equipment. At the current speed, if the target depth is 1000m, at least 2.5h or more time is needed. In the CN112558649B patent, a transducer is inflated and deflated by a underwater air source to achieve pressure balance, which can achieve air pressure compensation of the transducer in shallow water. SUMMARY

[0007] In order to solve the defects and deficiencies existing in the prior art, the present application provides a deep water air pressure compensation curved disc transducer depth charging and discharging system and method, which can avoid air pressure compensation when the air cavity in the curved transducer does not reach the working depth, and can complete underwater inflation and drainage of the air cavity by using the difference in medium density when the transducer reaches the specified working depth, thereby greatly improving the transducer deployment and recovery speed, and ensuring the safety of the equipment during the process.

[0008] The technical scheme of the present application is as follows: a deep water air pressure compensation curved disc transducer depth charging and discharging system, comprising a ship, an automatic air pressure compensation device, a winch, a gas-electric composite cable, a gas-electric adapter bin, an air pressure compensation curved disc transducer, and an exhaust box, wherein the automatic air pressure compensation device is internally provided with a signal source, a power amplifier and a processor, the gas-electric composite cable and the gas-electric adapter bin are connected through a joint, the gas-electric adapter bin and the air pressure compensation curved disc transducer are connected through a load-bearing gas cable and an electric cable respectively, the air pressure compensation curved disc transducer and the exhaust box are connected through a gas cable and a load-bearing rope respectively, and the gas-electric adapter bin and the exhaust box are connected through an electric cable.

[0009] Preferably, the gas-electric adapter bin is a bin that separates the gas and the electric in the gas-electric composite cable through an interface, wherein the gas bin and the exhaust box of the gas-electric adapter bin are respectively connected to an electromagnetic valve, and the gas can be controlled to enter or exit by controlling the opening and closing of the electromagnetic valve.

[0010] Preferably, the top of the curved disc transducer is an independent load-bearing electric cable and a load-bearing gas cable separated from the gas-electric adapter bin, which are respectively connected to the inner cavity of the transducer through a joint, and the inner cavity contains a plurality of water-tight electric cables, which can apply a voltage signal to the piezoelectric ceramics on both sides of the transducer, and can also transmit the two-channel data of the external hydrostatic pressure of the pressure sensor and the internal air cavity pressure in real time.

[0011] Preferably, the load-bearing rope bears the gravity of the exhaust box, and its function is to pull the exhaust box, and a tension sensor connected to the load-bearing rope can monitor the underwater weight in real time, and the gas cable has no load-bearing effect, and the data of the tension sensor is transmitted through the electric cable between the gas-electric adapter bin and the exhaust box, so that whether the inner cavity of the transducer is in the inflation state can be observed according to the underwater weight data.

[0012] Preferably, the gas cable and the load-bearing rope are connected to the exhaust box, wherein the gas cable needs to be connected to the gas bin in the exhaust box, and the top of the transducer is provided with an exhaust valve, which can be controlled to open and close through a control system via a water-tight cable.

[0013] Preferably, the automatic gas pressure compensation device has a gas pump, three gas cylinders, and a processor. The gas pump is selected from a 30MPa gas pressure value on the market. The three 50L high-pressure gas cylinders with a maximum pressure of 30MPa are pre-filled to 10MPa. The processor can extract and analyze depth sensor data in real time and adjust the electromagnetic valve switch. The depth sensor outputs signals at a frequency of 2Hz and uploads the signals in real time through a cable.

[0014] Preferably, the high-pressure hose is a 4-inch armored hose with a maximum internal pressure burst load of 25MPa.

[0015] Preferably, the gas-electric adapter bin and the exhaust box have a spacing of about 3m between the cable connections.

[0016] A working method of a deep water gas pressure compensation bending disc transducer depth charging and discharging system. When starting work, the gas-electric separation bin electromagnetic valve is closed in advance. The processor in the automatic gas pressure compensation device controls the exhaust box electromagnetic valve to open. The transducer is deployed by the winch through the gas-electric hybrid cable.

[0017] As the water depth changes, water will flow from the exhaust box electromagnetic valve from bottom to top, flow into the inner cavity of the transducer through the gas bin of the exhaust box, and the air in the inner cavity of the transducer cannot be discharged and will be compressed into high-pressure gas. The pressure and water pressure produce a self-balancing effect, and the pressure inside and outside the transducer radiation surface is balanced.

[0018] When the transducer reaches the specified depth, the processor in the automatic gas pressure compensation device controls the gas-electric adapter bin electromagnetic valve to open. Since the density of high-pressure gas is less than that of water, the gas and liquid will stratify and the gas will be in the upper space. The seawater flowing into the transducer will be squeezed out of the gas cavity by the added high-pressure gas.

[0019] By monitoring the changes of the tension sensor in real time, when the gas completely occupies the inner cavity of the transducer, the underwater gravity of the exhaust box starts to change. At this time, the tension sensor value will decrease, and the exhaust box electromagnetic valve can be closed without emptying the water in the exhaust box. The transducer can start working.

[0020] When the transducer needs to be recovered, the processor in the automatic gas pressure compensation device controls the electromagnetic valve in the transducer in the gas-electric adapter bin to close, and then controls the electromagnetic valves in the transducer and the exhaust box in the gas-electric adapter bin to open. The gas in the gas-electric composite cable is independent of the transducer. The gas in the transducer is released and filled with water. After filling with water, the transducer can be quickly pulled out of the water surface by the winch.

[0021] The principle of this invention is as follows: The solenoid valve in the gas-electric transfer chamber is closed, and the solenoid valve in the exhaust box is opened. This ensures that the air inside the transducer cavity is isolated from the air in the gas-electric composite cable. Then, a winch is used to lower the curved disc transducer to the designated depth. At this point, seawater can flow back into the transducer's air path, simultaneously compressing the air. The internal and external pressures are self-balancing during this process, requiring no manual operation. Data from a depth sensor allows for rapid deployment to the designated position using the transducer's gravity. The pressure in the air path is then increased to match the transducer's water pressure. The solenoid valves in the gas-electric transfer chamber and exhaust box are opened to complete air intake and drainage of the transducer cavity. A gravity sensor connected between the exhaust box and the transducer confirms that drainage is complete. The solenoid valve in the exhaust box is then closed, and the transducer is ready for operation. For recovery, the solenoid valve in the gas-electric transfer chamber is closed, and the solenoid valves in the exhaust box and transducer are opened. This allows for water filling of the transducer cavity, achieving pressure self-balancing to ensure safety and enabling rapid recovery.

[0022] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: When the internal air cavity of the curved transducer is not yet at its operating depth, seawater flows in to avoid pressure compensation. Once the transducer reaches the designated operating depth, underwater inflation and deflation of the air cavity can be achieved by utilizing the density difference between different media. This significantly improves the deployment and retrieval speed of the transducer, and the process is safe and risk-free. It features simple and stable operation, strong adaptability, and fast compensation speed. Curved transducers operate at shallow water depths, have low operating frequencies, and are small in weight and size. However, they have poor resistance to hydrostatic pressure, limiting their use in deep water. Pressure compensation is necessary when exploring depths of thousands of meters. During operation, the transducer's onboard pressure sensor continuously reads the internal air cavity and external water pressure values. Inflation and deflation are performed based on the pressure difference to maintain a balanced air pressure, preventing mechanical damage due to excessive pressure differential. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the air and circuit of the electric adapter compartment, the curved disc transducer, and the exhaust box according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a curved disk transmitting transducer according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The present invention will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0027] Example 1

[0028] Figure 1A deep-water pressure-compensated curved disc transducer constant-depth inflation and deflation system is presented, comprising a vessel 1, an automatic pressure compensation device (with built-in signal source, power amplifier, and processor) 2, a winch 3, a pneumatic-electric composite cable 4, a pneumatic-electric transfer chamber 5, a pressure-compensated curved disc transmitting transducer 6, and an exhaust box 7. The pneumatic-electric composite cable 4 and the pneumatic-electric transfer chamber 5 are connected by a connector. The pneumatic-electric transfer chamber 5 and the pressure-compensated curved disc transmitting transducer 6 are connected by a load-bearing air cable and a cable, respectively. The pressure-compensated curved disc transmitting transducer 6 and the exhaust box 7 are connected by an air passage and a load-bearing rope. The pneumatic-electric transfer chamber 5 and the exhaust box 7 are connected by a cable, with a spacing of approximately 3 meters, which should not be too large.

[0029] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the pneumatic-electric connection between the pneumatic-electric transfer chamber 5, the pneumatic pressure-compensated bending disk transmitter transducer 6, and the exhaust box 7 is provided. The pneumatic-electric transfer chamber separates the pneumatic and electrical components of the pneumatic-electric composite cable 4 into two independent chambers via an interface. Each chamber, including the pneumatic-electric transfer chamber and the exhaust box, is connected to a solenoid valve, allowing control of the airflow and outflow. A tension sensor (10) changes the tension data as the gas-liquid ratio in the exhaust box changes. When the tension reaches a certain threshold, the solenoid valve 9 is activated. The tension sensor data is transmitted via the cable between the pneumatic-electric transfer chamber 5 and the exhaust box 7.

[0030] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the curved disk transmitter transducer 6 is provided. Its top features independent load-bearing cables and load-bearing air cables 12, separated from the pneumatic-electric transfer chamber. These cables connect to the transducer's inner cavity via connectors. The inner cavity contains multiple watertight cables (not shown). These unmarked cables apply voltage signals to the piezoelectric ceramics on both sides of the transducer and also transmit real-time data from two channels: the external hydrostatic pressure and the internal air chamber pressure, via the pressure sensor 11. The load-bearing rope 14 pulls the exhaust box; a tension sensor connected to it monitors its underwater weight in real time. The air cable 13 does not bear any load. The air cable 13 and the load-bearing rope 14 connect to the exhaust box, with the air cable 13 needing to connect to the air chamber within the exhaust box. Additionally, an exhaust valve 16 is installed on the top of the transducer, whose opening and closing can be controlled via a watertight cable through the control system.

[0031] The automatic air pressure compensation device consists of an air pump, three air cylinders, and a processor. The air pump is a commercially available model with a 30MPa pressure rating, pre-filling the three 50L high-pressure air cylinders (each with a maximum pressure of 30MPa) to 10MPa. The processor's function is to extract and analyze depth sensor data in real time and adjust the solenoid valve switch. The depth sensor outputs a signal at a frequency of 2Hz and uploads the signal in real time via cable.

[0032] The high-pressure hose is a 4-inch outer diameter armored hose with a maximum internal pressure burst load of 25MPa.

[0033] Example 2

[0034] When this invention begins operation, solenoid valve 8 is closed in advance. The processor in the automatic air pressure compensation device controls solenoid valve 9 to open, and a winch is used to lay the pneumatic-electric hybrid cable to begin deploying the transducer. As the water depth changes, water flows upwards from solenoid valve 9, passing through the air chamber of the exhaust box and into the transducer's inner cavity. The air inside the transducer cannot escape and is compressed into high-pressure gas. This pressure balances with the water pressure, achieving pressure equilibrium inside and outside the transducer's radiating surface.

[0035] When the transducer reaches the designated depth, the processor in the automatic air pressure compensation device controls the opening of solenoid valve 8. Since the density of high-pressure gas is less than that of water, the gas and liquid will separate into layers, with the gas in the upper layer. The seawater flowing into the transducer will then be forced out of the air chamber through its original path by the added high-pressure gas. At this time, the changes in the tension sensor are monitored in real time. Once the gas completely occupies the transducer's inner cavity, it will continue to flow into the exhaust box. With more gas and less liquid in the exhaust box, a change in underwater gravity will occur, causing the tension sensor value to decrease. The solenoid valve 9 can be closed without emptying the water from the exhaust box, thus not affecting the transducer's operation.

[0036] When the transducer needs to be recovered, the processor in the automatic air pressure compensation device controls the solenoid valve 8 in the transducer in the air-electric transfer chamber to close, and then controls the solenoid valve 16 in the transducer in the air-electric transfer chamber and the solenoid valve 9 in the exhaust box to open. The gas in the air-electric composite cable is separated from the transducer, the gas in the transducer is released and filled with water, and then the transducer can be quickly lifted out of the water surface by a winch.

[0037] Current transducer pressure compensation methods rely on implementing pressure compensation, which requires slowing down the deployment speed to ensure pressure balance and prevent crushing. This invention provides a deep-water pressure-compensated curved-disk transducer constant-depth inflation and deflation system. This system avoids the risk of pressure imbalance caused by implementing pressure compensation, enables rapid deep-water deployment and retrieval of the transducer, and is simple and easy to operate.

[0038] In this invention, the signal source and power amplifier are essential for the transmitting transducer, and the automatic air pressure compensation device is essential for the use of the air pressure compensation transducer.

[0039] This invention can be used in deep-sea low-frequency acoustic signal transmission systems, featuring small size and light weight, easy deployment and retrieval, high speed and efficiency, and high safety.

[0040] The above description of specific embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand and apply the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the embodiments without departing from the principles of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in this application, and modifications and improvements made to the present invention by those skilled in the art based on the disclosure of the present invention should be within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A deep-water pressure-compensated curved disk transducer constant-depth inflation and deflation system, characterized in that: The system includes a ship, an automatic air pressure compensation device, a winch, an air-electric composite cable, an air-electric transfer chamber, an air pressure compensation bending disc transmitter transducer, and an exhaust box. The automatic air pressure compensation device has a built-in signal source, power amplifier, and processor. The air-electric composite cable and the air-electric transfer chamber are connected by a connector. The air-electric transfer chamber and the air pressure compensation bending disc transmitter transducer are connected by a load-bearing air cable and a cable, respectively. The air pressure compensation bending disc transmitter transducer and the exhaust box are connected by an air cable and a load-bearing rope, respectively. The air-electric transfer chamber and the exhaust box are connected by a cable. The gas-electric conversion chamber separates the gas and electricity in the gas-electric composite cable into two chambers through an interface. The gas chamber of the gas-electric conversion chamber and the gas chamber of the exhaust box are respectively connected to a solenoid valve, and the air inlet and outlet can be controlled by controlling the opening and closing of the solenoid valve. The top of the curved disk transmitter transducer consists of an independent load-bearing cable and a load-bearing air cable separated from the pneumatic-electric transfer chamber. These cables are connected to the transducer cavity through connectors. The cavity contains multiple watertight cables. These watertight cables can apply voltage signals to the piezoelectric ceramics on both sides of the transducer and can also transmit data from the external hydrostatic pressure and internal air cavity pressure channels of the pressure sensor in real time. The load-bearing rope bears the weight of the exhaust box and its function is to pull the exhaust box. The tension sensor can be connected to monitor its underwater weight in real time. The air cable has no load-bearing function. The data of the tension sensor is uploaded through the cable between the air-electric transfer chamber and the exhaust box. The underwater weight data can be used to observe whether the transducer cavity has completed the inflation state. The air cable and the load-bearing rope are connected to the exhaust box. The air cable needs to be connected to the air chamber in the exhaust box. The top of the transducer is equipped with an exhaust valve, which can be controlled to open and close via a watertight cable through the control system.

2. The deep-water air pressure compensation curved disk transducer constant-depth air inflation and deflation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The automatic air pressure compensation device includes an air pump, three air cylinders, and a processor. The air pump is a commercially available model with a pressure rating of 30MPa. It pre-fills the three 50L high-pressure air cylinders, each with a maximum pressure of 30MPa, to 10MPa. The processor is used to extract and analyze depth sensor data in real time and to adjust the solenoid valve switch. The depth sensor outputs a signal at a frequency of 2Hz and uploads the signal in real time via a cable.

3. The deep-water air pressure compensation curved disk transducer constant-depth air inflation and deflation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The high-pressure hose is a 4-inch outer diameter armored hose with a maximum internal pressure burst load of 25MPa.

4. The deep-water air pressure compensation curved disk transducer constant-depth air inflation and deflation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance between the gas-electric conversion compartment and the exhaust box, which are connected by cables, is about 3 meters.

5. A method for operating a deep-water air pressure compensation curved disk transducer constant-depth air inflation and deflation system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: When work begins, the solenoid valve of the gas-electric transfer chamber is closed in advance. The processor in the automatic air pressure compensation device controls the solenoid valve of the exhaust box to open, and the transducer is laid by laying the gas-electric hybrid cable through the winch. As the water depth changes, the water will flow from bottom to top through the solenoid valve of the exhaust box, and flow into the inner cavity of the transducer through the air chamber of the exhaust box. The air in the inner cavity of the transducer cannot be discharged and will be compressed into high-pressure gas. The pressure and water pressure will produce a self-balancing effect, and the pressure inside and outside the radiating surface of the transducer will be balanced. When the transducer reaches the specified depth, the processor in the automatic air pressure compensation device controls the solenoid valve of the gas-electric transfer chamber to open. Since the density of high-pressure gas is less than that of water, the gas and liquid will separate into layers and the gas will be in the upper space. The seawater flowing into the transducer will be squeezed out of the air chamber from the original path by the added high-pressure gas. By monitoring the changes in the tension sensor in real time, it is confirmed that after the gas completely occupies the transducer cavity, the underwater gravity of the exhaust box begins to change. At this time, the value of the tension sensor will decrease. The solenoid valve of the exhaust box can be closed without emptying the water in the exhaust box, and the transducer can start working. When the transducer needs to be recovered, the processor in the automatic air pressure compensation device controls the solenoid valve in the transducer in the air-electric transfer chamber to close, and then controls the solenoid valve in the transducer and exhaust box in the air-electric transfer chamber to open. The gas in the air-electric composite cable is separated from the transducer, releasing the gas in the transducer and filling it with water. After filling with water, the transducer can be quickly lifted out of the water surface by a winch.

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