Water-turbine generator set overflowing water quality sediment characteristic detection ball and detection system

Abstract

The invention discloses a water-turbine generator set overflowing water quality sediment characteristic detection ball and detection system, and belongs to the technical field of hydroelectric generating set monitoring. The water sample collecting assembly and the air bag assembly are located in the spherical shell and are symmetrically distributed along the center of the spherical shell; the water sample collecting assembly comprises a trigger type water sample collector and a trigger which are located in the spherical shell, the bottoms of the trigger type water sample collector and the trigger are connected side by side through a connecting rod, and the trigger is connected with the inner wall of the spherical shell through a plurality of electric contacts; the air bag assembly comprises an air bag attached to the surface of the spherical shell, a built-in air bottle and a built-in electromagnetic valve, the electromagnetic valve is connected with the inner wall of the spherical shell through a plurality of electric contacts, and the air bag and the air bottle are connected with the electromagnetic valve through different pipelines. The detection ball disclosed by the invention adopts a structural design similar to biological cells, and specific positions for mounting a rapid water sample collection device and a rapid floating device are respectively reserved inside and outside the ball body, so that floating and recovery of the detection ball can be rapidly realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field related to the monitoring of hydroelectric generating units, and more specifically, relates to a detection ball and a detection system for the characteristics of flowing water quality and sediment in a hydro-generating unit. Background Art

[0002] During the operation of a hydro-generating unit, its flow-through components will be worn by sediment, and this wear is closely related to factors such as the sediment concentration, particle size, hardness, and shape. Due to the high-pressure and high-speed water flow environment inside the water turbine, it is very difficult to measure sediment inside its chamber, which has become an international technical problem.

[0003] In the prior art, indirect measurement methods are usually adopted to achieve on-line measurement of sediment parameters during the operation of a hydro-generating unit. For example, a device for indirectly measuring sediment parameters inside a cement pipeline is installed outside the cement pipeline in the working section of the hydro-generating unit to achieve measurement. The invention patent CN119334833A discloses an indirect measurement method. This invention obtains ultrasonic signals generated by sediment hitting the pipe wall through a non-contact monitoring method, and judges the particle size according to the amplitude of the amplified frequency-domain electrical signal, and judges the quantity according to the density of wave peaks and wave valleys, which better reflects the sediment characteristics inside the pipeline. This measurement method can achieve the measurement of sediment parameters without shutting down the hydro-generating unit, but since it measures through a thick reinforced concrete pipeline, the accuracy of its measurement data is low, and there is a large amount of noise and distortion.

[0004] In addition, measurement can also be carried out by sampling and analyzing at the upstream and downstream of the pipeline. For example, the invention patent CN119394722A discloses a method for carrying out sampling in a conventional calm water area. This method can also obtain accurate sediment parameters without shutting down the unit, but it does not measure the inside of the pipeline and cannot accurately analyze the distribution and deposition of sediment in the pipeline of the generating unit.

[0005] Among these two sediment monitoring schemes, the one that can measure the area near the working flow channel is the indirect measurement scheme. Since it is based on physical phenomena such as vibration and light transmittance generated by observing the interaction between sediment and the flow channel and fluid, this method can usually only monitor one or a few sediment characteristics, and its monitoring effect is limited. At the same time, the installation of the equipment depends on the construction of the flow channel. For units that have completed construction and do not have sufficient monitoring windows reserved, the application of this method will be restricted. The scheme that can directly measure the fluid is the direct measurement scheme. In the existing direct measurement schemes, due to the limitations of the volume and structural complexity of the measuring device, it is difficult to carry out measurements in the high-speed water area near the inlet and outlet of the hydraulic generator unit. Therefore, most of them can only obtain the sediment characteristics of the watershed near the hydropower unit, and cannot directly obtain the sediment characteristics inside the unit. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the above defects or improvement requirements of the prior art, the present invention proposes a monitoring system for in-situ real-time monitoring of the internal flow channel of a hydraulic generator unit, aiming to achieve direct monitoring of the internal flow channel of the hydraulic generator unit, thereby solving the technical problem that the prior art cannot directly obtain the detailed sediment characteristics inside the hydraulic generator unit.

[0007] To achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention first provides a detection ball for the water quality and sediment characteristics of the flowing water of a water turbine generator unit, including: a spherical shell; a water sample collection component and an airbag component located inside the spherical shell and symmetrically distributed along the center of the spherical shell;

[0008] The water sample collection component includes a trigger-type water sample collector and a trigger located inside the spherical shell and connected side by side to each other at the bottom by a connecting rod. The trigger is connected to the inner wall of the spherical shell through a plurality of electrical contacts;

[0009] The airbag component includes an airbag attached to the surface of the spherical shell, a gas cylinder and an electromagnetic valve built inside the spherical shell. The electromagnetic valve is connected to the inner wall of the spherical shell through a plurality of electrical contacts. One end of the airbag is connected to one end of the electromagnetic valve through a first pipe penetrating the spherical shell, and the other end of the electromagnetic valve is connected to the gas cylinder through a second pipe.

[0010] Preferably, the trigger-type collector includes a normally closed quick-opening one-way valve, an energy storage spring, a mother and son piston group, and a water sample chamber. The mother and son piston group is movably connected to the inner wall of the water sample chamber. The normally closed quick-opening one-way valve is sleeved outside the top of the water sample chamber, and its top is hermetically connected to the spherical shell. Its bottom extends into the water sample chamber and is connected to the piston rod of the mother and son piston group through a striker, and an energy storage spring is sleeved on its outer circumference.

[0011] Preferably, the trigger includes a housing, a driving motor, a lead screw, a lead screw nut slider, and a connecting rod hammer located inside the housing. The driving motor, the lead screw, and the lead screw nut slider are connected in sequence from top to bottom. The lead screw nut slider is used to translate under the rotational movement of the lead screw and drive the connecting rod hammer to strike the connecting rod.

[0012] Preferably, the spherical housing is tightly connected by ultrasonic welding of two hemispheres, and the hemispheres are formed by an injection molding process.

[0013] Preferably, the spherical housing includes a plurality of hollow parts and the wall thickness is not less than 4 mm. The plurality of hollow parts are connected by reinforcing ribs.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention also provides a detection system for the characteristics of sediment in the flowing water of a water turbine generator set. The system includes a plurality of the above-mentioned detection balls, a delivery subsystem, a recovery subsystem, and a data processing subsystem. The delivery subsystem is used to deliver the detection balls, the recovery subsystem is used to recover the detection balls, and the data processing subsystem is used to process the sediment data collected by the detection balls.

[0015] Preferably, the delivery subsystem includes a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, and a delivery basket is mounted at the bottom of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The delivery basket is used to carry the detection balls; or, the delivery subsystem includes a plurality of pneumatic launching devices.

[0016] Preferably, the recovery subsystem includes an automated surface floating debris collection ship and a host computer. The detection ball and the automated surface floating debris collection ship are both communicatively connected to the host computer. The surface of the spherical housing of the detection ball has paint; and / or, the recovery subsystem includes a netting tool, and the netting tool is a handheld net or a fixed interception net.

[0017] Preferably, the data processing subsystem includes a sample processing module and a sample data collection and processing module. The sample processing module is used to process the sediment samples collected by the detection balls and upload the obtained sediment data to the sample data collection and processing module.

[0018] Generally speaking, compared with the prior art by the above technical solutions conceived by the present invention, since the present invention has four subsystems with complete functions and fully considers the compatibility of the system and subsystems in different working places, the following beneficial effects can be achieved:

[0019] 1. The detection ball proposed by the present invention has the characteristics of low cost, easy mass production, reusable, and environmentally friendly. Its sealed cavity structure and spherical outer shell design ensure high safety and can effectively protect the internal electronic components from the damage of high water pressure pulsation and high impact in complex waters. The spherical outer shell has excellent compressive performance and is very suitable for complex water area operations.

[0020] 2. The monitoring system of the present invention covers the entire process from the deployment, sampling, recovery to data processing of the sampler, and can carry out sampling and data processing at any position inside the flow passage of the hydraulic generator unit under the condition that the hydraulic generator unit does not stop. It has the characteristics of rapid deployment, low cost, small environmental impact, simple personnel training, and low technical requirements, and has high environmental adaptability, and can play a huge role in the vast hydraulic power generation industry in our country.

[0021] 3. The deployment system of the present invention includes two schemes, fully considering the influence of the scale and control of different hydraulic generator units on this monitoring system. The drone airdrop technology is mature, can be accurately and quickly dropped to the target position, and at the same time has a low cost, can be recycled, and is close to the water diversion pipeline.

[0022] 4. The salvage subsystem of the present invention also considers the problem of salvage and recovery of the monitoring system under different types, scales and controls of hydraulic generator units. The full-enclosure structure plus the interception net salvage scheme directly lays the interception net across the entire river surface, and the probability of the detection ball being lost due to collection is the lowest, and the time consumption is less, which is suitable for medium and small-sized hydropower stations. In addition, the automatic collection ship salvage scheme for surface floating objects has the characteristics of strong flexibility, high efficiency, high safety and wide coverage. For a small number of detection balls that are not in line with the cluster due to environmental impact and the detection balls intercepted by fixed nets, efficient and precise remote control salvage can be carried out. Description of the Drawings

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a detection ball for the characteristics of flowing water quality and sediment in a water turbine generator unit of the present invention

[0024] Figure 2 is a sampling schematic diagram of the water sample collection component of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the floating up of the airbag component of the present invention.

[0026] In all the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same elements or structures, where: spherical shell 1, water sample collection component 2, trigger type water sample collector 2-1, trigger 2-2, connecting rod 2-3, water sample chamber 2-4, energy storage spring 2-5, airbag 3-1, gas cylinder 3-2, solenoid valve 3-3. Detailed Embodiment

[0027] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention. In addition, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0028] Embodiment 1

[0029] This embodiment provides a detection ball for the water quality and sediment characteristics of a water turbine generator set. As Figure 1 shown, it includes a spherical shell 1; the water sample collection assembly 2 includes a trigger-type collector 2-1, a trigger 2-2 and a connecting rod 2-3. The collector 2-1 is mechanically connected to the trigger 2-2 through the connecting rod 2-3, and the trigger 2-2 is electrically connected to the spherical shell 1 through electrical contacts; the airbag assembly 3: an airbag 3-1, a gas cylinder 3-2 and a solenoid valve 3-3. The structure of the spherical shell 1 is made of two hemispherical plastic parts through an injection molding process, and the two are tightly connected by ultrasonic welding to ensure that the internal space is completely sealed. The outer shell design of the spherical shell 1 includes a plurality of hollow parts, its average wall thickness exceeds 4 mm, and it is equipped with reinforcing ribs, which enables it to maintain a small deformation even in a high-pressure water flow environment, providing a stable working condition for the internal circuit and gas circuit systems. The water sample collection assembly 2 and the airbag assembly 3 are symmetrically arranged around the detection ball body in a central symmetry manner to achieve uniform distribution of the sphere mass, and the whole assembly is detachable. The airbag assembly 3 includes an airbag 3-1, a gas cylinder 3-2 and a solenoid valve 3-3. The gas cylinder 3-2 is connected to the solenoid valve 3-3 through a pipeline, the solenoid valve 3-3 is connected to the airbag 3-1 through a pipeline, and the solenoid valve 3-3 is connected to the spherical shell 1 through electrical contacts, and the whole assembly is detachable.

[0030] Considering that when the fluid flows in the pipeline, there is a pressure gradient pointing to the center of the pipeline in the radial direction of the pipeline, the mechanism design of the detection ball helps to flexibly adjust the weight and average density of the detection ball to make it close to the density of water, so that it can stay in the center of the flow channel along with the pressure gradient during the wake flow movement in the flow field and will not cause damage to the flow channel. Both the water sample collection assembly 2 and the airbag assembly 3 of the detection ball are connected to the inner wall of the spherical shell 1 through electrical contacts, ensuring the consistency and tightness of the outer shell of the detection ball body.

[0031] The structure of the water sample collection assembly 2 is as Figure 2 shown. This rapid water sample collection device uses the energy stored in the spring to trigger the mechanism through a firing pin, and only needs to apply a very small force to quickly and powerfully collect water samples. After the collection process is completed, the water sample collection assembly 2 will automatically close to ensure the integrity of the sample and the reuse of the equipment. As Figure 2As shown in a of [Figure / Illustration], the trigger - type water sample collector 2 - 1 in the water sample collection assembly 2 includes a normally - closed quick - opening check valve, a water sample chamber 2 - 4, an energy - storage spring 2 - 5, and a mother - and - son piston group. By pre - compressing the energy - storage spring 2 - 5 and locking the mother - and - son piston group, when the detection ball reaches the predetermined position, the trigger 2 - 2 will strike the striker of the normally - closed quick - opening check valve through the connecting rod 2 - 3. At this time, the son piston will disengage from the water sample chamber 2 - 4, and under the action of the energy - storage spring, it will push the mother piston to move; at the same time, the piston rod will activate the normally - closed quick - opening check valve, and the combined actions of the piston and the valve will provide a strong negative pressure at the water inlet of the water sample chamber to complete the water sample collection, as Figure 2 shown in b of [Figure / Illustration]. The trigger 2 - 2 includes a housing and a drive motor, a lead screw, a lead - screw nut slider, and a connecting - rod hammer located inside the housing. The drive motor, lead screw, and lead - screw nut slider are connected in sequence from top to bottom. The lead - screw nut slider is used to translate under the rotational movement of the lead screw and drive the connecting - rod hammer to strike the connecting rod, thereby striking the striker of the normally - closed quick - opening check valve.

[0032] The structure of the air - bag assembly 3 is as Figure 3 shown, and it includes an air - bag 3 - 1, a gas cylinder 3 - 2, and an electromagnetic valve 3 - 3. This collection device is designed to be highly independent and supports multiple uses, with significant cost - effectiveness. It is equipped with an efficient floating system that enables the device to quickly rise to the water surface by rapidly inflating the air - bag. This floating mechanism mainly includes components such as a high - pressure gas cylinder, a micro - solenoid valve, and an air - bag. The air - bag assembly 3 stands out for its simple structure, ease of operation, high stability, and reliability. At the same time, it also has advantages in cost control and production manufacturing, ensuring its high efficiency and safety in practical applications.

[0033] Embodiment 2

[0034] This embodiment provides a detection system for the sediment characteristics of the flowing water quality of a water - turbine generator set. The system includes multiple detection balls of Embodiment 1, a delivery subsystem, a recovery subsystem, and a data - processing subsystem. The delivery subsystem is used to deliver the detection balls, the recovery subsystem is used to recover the detection balls, and the data - processing subsystem is used to process the sediment data collected by the detection balls.

[0035] The delivery subsystem of this embodiment is designed to deliver detection balls to the waters near the water inlet of a hydroelectric generating unit. When monitoring sediment in the generator flow channel, dozens or even hundreds of detection balls are usually delivered simultaneously. Since the detection balls are designed to have the same density as water and have no underwater propulsion device, in order to ensure that the detection balls can smoothly enter the flow channel, a suitable delivery plan and device need to be designed. There are two optional delivery plans: one is aerial delivery by drone. Use a drone to carry a delivery basket and a certain number of detection balls, fly to the front of the trash rack at the water inlet of the generating unit, and remotely control the delivery basket to sequentially deliver the detection balls at a height of about 1 m above the water surface. The other is remote throwing. If the drone is not allowed or cannot approach the trash rack, the detection balls can be remotely thrown to the front of the trash rack through a pneumatic launching device. Due to the dispersion of the landing points of the projectiles, the detection balls may drift away from the water inlet during throwing and may be damaged with a certain probability. This embodiment selects aerial delivery by drone.

[0036] The salvage subsystem is designed to determine the recovery method of the detection balls according to the actual environment of the hydroelectric generating unit. The detection balls are a cluster of spheres without self-power and moving with the water flow. They are delivered upstream of the reservoir and automatically float upstream. After the detection balls float, they can send position and status information to the host computer through wireless communication. The spheres are painted in a conspicuous color for easy identification and recovery. The floating is completed by an airbag, and there are three options for salvage. In small and medium-sized hydropower stations, an interception net can be arranged in a stable and narrow water flow area. After intercepting the floating balls, use a boat manned by humans to hold a net to salvage and recover them. In large hydropower stations, a movable interception net can be placed in the tail water area to ensure the effective interception and guidance of the detection balls. After completion, salvage and recovery can be carried out on both banks. In addition to manual salvage and recovery, an automated surface floating object collection ship can be considered to reduce the work pressure and facilitate the collection of scattered detection balls.

[0037] The data processing subsystem includes a sample processing module and a sample data collection and processing module. Since a dedicated sample extraction device (i.e., the water sample collection component 2) has been installed inside the detection ball, the collected water sample can be extracted through this device and sealed. After the detection ball has collected the water sample, the internal sample extraction module pumps and seals the water sample into a dedicated sample bottle. After being recovered to the ground, the sealed sample bottle is taken out, brought back to the laboratory, and analyzed using the sample data collection and processing module.

[0038] The working process of the detection system in this embodiment is as follows: The operator selects the corresponding delivery system solution according to the environment of the hydraulic generator set, loads the sampling point position and the electronic fence information into the detection ball robot, and drops the detection ball robot into the water area near the water inlet of the upstream flow channel of the hydraulic generator set. Subsequently, the detection ball will enter the hydraulic generator set along with the water flow, and use its own on-board sensors such as the Beidou positioning system and IMU (inertial navigation unit) to determine its position. When it determines that it enters the tolerance permission range near the sampling point position, the sampling mechanism is activated. After the detection ball completes sampling, it will leave the hydraulic generator set along with the water flow and reach the downstream area of the unit. And trigger the electronic fence system near the downstream. At this time, the detection ball will activate the floating mechanism and actively float to the water surface for the operator to salvage and recover. After the operator recovers it, take out the sample bin on the detection ball, label and sort it, and send it to the laboratory for inspection. At the same time, use the detection ball data extractor to extract the monitoring data inside each detection ball and build a database of the hydraulic generator set.

[0039] Those skilled in the art can easily understand that the above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A water quality and sediment characteristics detection ball for a hydro-generator unit, characterized in that: include: Spherical shell; A water sample collection component and an air bag component are located inside the spherical shell and are symmetrically distributed along the center of the spherical shell; The water sample collection assembly comprises a trigger-type water sample collector and a trigger located inside the spherical shell and connected to each other side by side at the bottom by a connecting rod, and the trigger is connected to the inner wall of the spherical shell through a plurality of electrical contacts; The airbag assembly includes an airbag attached to the surface of a spherical shell, and a gas cylinder and a solenoid valve built into the spherical shell. The solenoid valve is connected to the inner wall of the spherical shell through a plurality of electrical contacts. The airbag is connected to one end of the solenoid valve through a first pipe penetrating the spherical shell, and the other end of the solenoid valve is connected to the gas cylinder through a second pipe.

2. A water quality and sediment characteristics detection ball for a hydro-generator set according to claim 1, characterized in that: The trigger collector includes a normally closed quick-opening one-way valve, an energy storage spring, a mother-and-child piston group and a water sample chamber. The mother-and-child piston group is movably connected to the inner wall of the water sample chamber. The normally closed quick-opening one-way valve is sleeved on the top of the outside of the water sample chamber, and its top is sealed with the spherical shell. Its bottom end extends into the interior of the water sample chamber, and is connected to the piston rod of the mother-and-child piston group through a striker and has an energy storage spring sleeved on the outer peripheral surface.

3. A water quality and sediment characteristics detection ball for a hydro-generator set according to claim 1, characterized in that: The trigger includes a housing and a drive motor, a screw rod, a screw nut slider and a connecting rod hammer located inside the housing. The drive motor, the screw rod and the screw nut slider are connected in sequence from top to bottom. The screw nut slider is used to translate under the rotational movement of the screw rod and drive the connecting rod hammer to hit the connecting rod.

4. The water quality and sediment characteristics detection ball of a hydro-generator set according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The spherical shell is formed by ultrasonically welding two hemispheres tightly connected, and the hemispheres are formed by an injection molding process.

5. The water quality and sediment characteristics detection ball of a hydro-generator set according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The spherical shell includes multiple hollow parts with a wall thickness of not less than 4 mm, and the multiple hollow parts are connected by reinforcing ribs.

6. A system for detecting the sediment characteristics of water quality in a hydro-generator set, characterized in that: The system includes multiple detection balls, a delivery subsystem, a salvage subsystem and a data processing subsystem as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the delivery subsystem is used to deliver the detection ball, the salvage subsystem is used to salvage the detection ball, and the data processing subsystem is used to process the sediment data collected by the detection ball.

7. A monitoring system for in-situ real-time monitoring of the internal flow channel of a hydroelectric generator set according to claim 6, characterized in that: The delivery subsystem includes a plurality of drones, each of which has a delivery basket mounted on the bottom thereof, and the delivery basket is used to carry the detection ball; or, the delivery subsystem includes a plurality of pneumatic launching devices.

8. A monitoring system for in-situ real-time monitoring of the internal flow channel of a hydroelectric generator set according to claim 6, characterized in that: The salvage subsystem includes an automated surface floating object collection vessel and a host computer, the detection ball and the automated surface floating object collection vessel are both communicatively connected to the host computer, and the spherical shell surface of the detection ball is painted; and / or, the salvage subsystem includes a net, which is a handheld net or a fixed interception net.

9. A monitoring system for in-situ real-time monitoring of the internal flow channel of a hydroelectric generator set according to claim 6, characterized in that: The data processing subsystem comprises a sample processing module and a sample data collection and processing module. The sample processing module is used to process the sediment samples collected by the detection ball and upload the obtained sediment data to the sample data collection and processing module.

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