Ultra-light ocean observation buoy

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of buoys, in particular to an ultra-light ocean observation buoy which comprises a floating body assembly, a solar panel assembly and a navigation positioning module, a deck cabin is arranged on the floating body assembly, and an energy storage module and an inertia measurement module are installed in the deck cabin; the solar panel assembly is arranged outside the deck cabin and used for converting collected solar energy into electric energy and storing the electric energy in the energy storage module. The navigation positioning module is arranged at the top of the deck cabin; the floating body assembly comprises a hollow cylindrical floating body, the bottom of the hollow cylindrical floating body is provided with two floating plates which are perpendicularly arranged in a crossed mode, and the deck cabin is arranged on the top of the hollow cylindrical floating body. The buoy has the advantages of being small in size, light in weight, low in cost, high in stability, easy to deploy and suitable for large-scale laying, and can be widely applied to ocean monitoring and scientific research.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of buoys, and particularly to an ultra-lightweight ocean observation buoy. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of marine scientific research and the increasing demand for marine resource development, the role of marine observation equipment in environmental monitoring, climate change, and resource assessment has become increasingly prominent.

[0003] However, traditional marine observation buoys generally have limitations such as large volume, heavy weight, high cost, and difficulty in large-scale deployment. That is, the existing buoys have high costs and difficulties in large-scale deployment due to their large volume and weight. At the same time, when the buoy volume is small, it is difficult to ensure the buoy stability. Secondly, existing marine buoys generally rely on batteries to provide energy, which causes limitations in energy supply and the problem of frequent battery replacement, significantly increasing the maintenance cost of the buoy.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need to provide an ultra-lightweight ocean observation buoy to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides an ultra-lightweight ocean observation buoy to solve the problems of high cost and difficulty in large-scale deployment of existing buoys due to their large volume and weight, and at the same time, it is difficult to ensure the buoy stability when the buoy volume is small.

[0006] An ultra-lightweight ocean observation buoy of the present invention adopts the following technical solutions, including: A floating body assembly, on which a deck cabin is provided, and an energy storage module and an inertial measurement module are installed in the deck cabin; A solar panel assembly, which is arranged outside the deck cabin and is used to convert the collected solar energy into electrical energy and store it in the energy storage module; And a navigation and positioning module, which is arranged on the top of the deck cabin; Wherein, the floating body assembly includes: a hollow cylindrical floating body, at the bottom of which two floating plates are vertically and crosswise arranged, and the deck cabin is arranged on the top of the hollow cylindrical floating body.

[0007] Preferably, the materials of the hollow cylindrical floating body and the floating plates are both made of fiberglass.

[0008] Preferably, the maximum diameter of the floating body assembly is 0.367 m, and the maximum height of the floating body assembly is 0.145 m.

[0009] Preferably, the deck cabin includes: a hollow cylindrical shell, one end of the cylindrical shell is connected to the cavity of the hollow cylindrical floating body, and the other end of the cylindrical shell is provided with a sealing cover.

[0010] Preferably, the energy storage module includes: a lithium battery, which is arranged in a cylindrical shell through a battery compartment.

[0011] Preferably, the material of the battery compartment is made of high-strength composite polyethylene.

[0012] Preferably, the battery compartment is arranged in the cylindrical shell near the navigation and positioning module and the inertial measurement module.

[0013] Preferably, the navigation and positioning module includes: a GPS module, the GPS module is installed on the top of the sealing cover, and the GPS module is protected by a non-metallic material protective cover.

[0014] Preferably, the solar panel assembly includes: a solar panel mounting frame, the solar panel mounting frame is sleeved and fixed on the outside of the cylindrical shell, and the bottom of the solar panel mounting frame is fixed to the hollow cylindrical floating body. A plurality of mounting inclined surfaces are arranged on the side of the solar panel mounting frame facing away from the cylindrical shell, and flexible solar panels are installed on the mounting inclined surfaces.

[0015] Preferably, the inertial measurement module adopts one of a gyroscope, a three-axis magnetometer, and a three-axis accelerometer.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: By providing a hollow cylindrical floating body, two floating plates arranged vertically and crosswise are provided at the bottom of the hollow cylindrical floating body to form a floating body assembly. Then, a deck compartment is arranged on the floating body assembly, an energy storage module and an inertial measurement module are installed in the deck compartment, and a solar panel assembly is arranged outside the deck compartment. Compared with the curved surface setting of the underwater part of the floating body in the prior art, the design of the vertically cross-shaped floating plates of the present invention increases the underwater flow-facing area of the floating body assembly, makes the forces on the buoy in the transverse and longitudinal directions more uniform, which helps the buoy to maintain a stable direction in the water flow, thereby reducing the interference of waves and water flow, enhancing the wave resistance of the buoy. While effectively reducing the volume and mass of the buoy, the buoy can maintain high stability under harsh sea conditions. Secondly, by configuring solar panels, the working time of the buoy is extended, and the maintenance frequency is significantly reduced, thereby improving the independent operation ability of the buoy and enhancing the economy and practicability. In summary, the ocean observation buoy of the present invention has the advantages of small volume, light weight, high stability, low cost, easy deployment, and suitability for large-scale deployment, and can be widely used in ocean monitoring and scientific research applications. In addition, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. Easy installation and maintenance: The buoy of the present invention is designed compactly and has a simple structure, which is convenient for rapid deployment and installation. Adopting a modular design, functional modules such as the solar panel assembly, the navigation and positioning module, the inertial measurement module, and the battery compartment can be independently installed and debugged, significantly reducing the installation complexity and time, reducing the labor cost, and improving the usability and long-term stability of the equipment.

[0017] 2. Light weight and small size: The present invention uses fiberglass material and polyethylene material, significantly reducing the weight of the buoy. Compared with traditional ocean observation buoys, the weight of this buoy is only 4.076 kg, significantly reducing the weight of the buoy. At the same time, the maximum diameter of the buoy is 0.367 m, and the maximum height is 0.311 m. It is small in volume and easy to transport and handle. Its design does not require large ships or lifting equipment for deployment, greatly reducing the cost and difficulty of deployment and recovery, enabling the buoy to be quickly deployed when needed.

[0018] 3. Low cost, easy to deploy and large-scale deployment: This buoy adopts a simple structure and lightweight materials, with a low cost for a single buoy. Compared with traditional buoys that require high manufacturing and maintenance costs, the cost of this buoy is only one-fifth or even lower than that of traditional equipment. In addition, its lightweight design enables a large number of buoys to be quickly deployed to achieve full coverage observation of the sea area. For example, in extreme sea conditions in some polar regions, this buoy can be directly deployed on a large scale by helicopters or small aircraft, and start data collection quickly in a short period, providing efficient support for military operations and scientific research tasks.

[0019] 4. Enhanced sea condition resistance and stability: The outer surface of the buoy is made of insulating, waterproof and corrosion-resistant materials, enabling it to operate stably in complex marine environments for a long time. High-strength composite materials and a carefully designed structure enhance the wave and wind resistance and overall stability of the buoy, ensuring the reliability of data collection.

[0020] 5. Strong functional expandability: The buoy of the present invention can be equipped with a variety of marine sensors, such as temperature sensors, salinity sensors, wave sensors, etc., to meet different monitoring needs and enhance the application scope and value of the system.

[0021] 6. High survivability and extreme environment adaptability: Through innovative structural design and seawater corrosion-resistant materials, the buoy can maintain high survivability in extreme sea conditions. Whether in rough winds and waves, cold waters, or high-ultraviolet environments, the buoy can ensure the stable operation of the equipment, providing reliable protection and being suitable for long-term monitoring in complex environments such as the deep sea and polar regions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0023] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional structure schematic diagram of a super-lightweight ocean observation buoy of the present invention; Figure 2 is Figure 1 the wireframe diagram of the buoy in Figure 3 is Figure 1 the structural schematic diagram of the floating body assembly in Figure 4 is Figure 1 the structural schematic diagram of the deck cabin in Figure 5 is Figure 1 the structural schematic diagram of the solar panel assembly in Figure 6 is Figure 1 the structural schematic diagram of the sealing cover in Figure 7 is Figure 1 the schematic diagram of the frequency-domain analysis result of the buoy's motion response in the heaving direction in Figure 8 is Figure 1 the schematic diagram of the frequency-domain analysis result of the buoy's motion response in the rolling direction in Figure 9 is Figure 1 the schematic diagram of the frequency-domain analysis result of the buoy's motion response in the pitching direction in Figure 10 is Figure 1 the statistical result diagram of the buoy's motion response under the sea condition of level 2 for 3 hours in Figure 11 is Figure 1 the statistical result diagram of the buoy's motion response under the sea condition of level 5 for 3 hours in Figure 12 is Figure 1 the statistical result diagram of the buoy's motion response under the sea condition of level 8 for 3 hours in

[0024] In the figure: 1. Floating body assembly; 2. Deck cabin; 3. Solar panel assembly; 4. Sealing cover; 5. GPS module; 101. Hollow cylindrical float; 102. Floating board. Specific implementation manners

[0025] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0026] An embodiment of a super-lightweight ocean observation buoy of the present invention is as Figure 1As shown in the figure, it includes: a floating body assembly 1, a solar panel assembly 3, and a navigation and positioning module. A deck cabin 2 is provided on the floating body assembly 1, and an energy storage module and an inertial measurement module are installed in the deck cabin 2; the solar panel assembly 3 is arranged outside the deck cabin 2, and the solar panel assembly 3 is used to convert the collected solar energy into electrical energy and store it in the energy storage module; the navigation and positioning module is arranged on the top of the deck cabin 2; wherein, as Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the floating body assembly 1 includes: a hollow cylindrical floating body 101, and two floating plates 102 arranged vertically and crosswise are provided at the bottom thereof. The deck cabin 2 is arranged on the top of the hollow cylindrical floating body 101. It should be noted that an insulating, waterproof and anti-corrosion coating is provided on the outer surface of the buoy. The floating plates 102 are arranged in a vertically cross-shaped plate form, and the vertically cross-shaped floating plates 102 form a strong framework, greatly improving the overall rigidity and torsional resistance of the buoy, so that the vertically cross-shaped plate-like floating plates 102 are not easily deformed structurally under the action of complex water flows and waves. Compared with the curved surface setting of the underwater part of the floating body in the prior art, the design of the vertically cross-shaped floating plates 102 in this embodiment increases the underwater flow-facing area, making the forces on the buoy in the transverse and longitudinal directions more uniform, which helps the buoy to maintain a stable direction in the water flow. At the same time, this structure enhances the resistance of the buoy to the water flow, thereby reducing the amplitudes of roll and pitch caused by wave impact. That is, this design ensures that the floating body assembly has good stability, that is, it can reduce the interference of waves and water flows and enhance the wave resistance of the buoy. This structure enables the buoy to maintain high stability under harsh sea conditions and is suitable for long-term deployment. Specifically, it can ensure that the rolling amplitude of the floating body assembly 1 does not exceed 0.6° and the pitching amplitude does not exceed 25° under the condition of 8-level sea waves.

[0027] Exemplarily, in a specific embodiment, the materials of the hollow cylindrical floating body 101 and the floating plates 102 are both made of glass fiber, and the hollow cylindrical floating body 101 and the floating plates 102 are integrally formed. Among them, the maximum diameter of the floating body assembly 1 is 0.367 m, and the maximum height of the floating body assembly 1 is 0.145 m. The purpose of this embodiment is to reduce the weight of the floating body assembly 1 while enhancing the impact resistance.

[0028] Exemplarily, in a specific embodiment, as Figure 1 and 3As shown in the figure, the deck cabin 2 includes: a hollow cylindrical shell, one end of the cylindrical shell is connected to the cavity of the hollow cylindrical float 101, and a sealing cover 4 is provided at the other end of the cylindrical shell, that is, one end of the cylindrical shell is embedded in the cavity of the hollow cylindrical float 101, and the other end of the cylindrical shell penetrates through the solar panel mounting frame, playing a supporting role and enhancing the strength of the overall structure. Among them, the energy storage module includes: a lithium battery, and the lithium battery is arranged in the cylindrical shell through a battery compartment. In order to avoid signal interference of the navigation and positioning module, the battery compartment is arranged in the cylindrical shell near the navigation and positioning module and the inertial measurement module, that is, the inertial measurement module and the navigation and positioning module are separated by the battery compartment, and the material of the battery compartment is made of high-strength composite material polyethylene. The top opening of the cylindrical shell is used to install the battery compartment, the inertial measurement module (IMU module), and the navigation and positioning module (GPS module), and the top opening is closed by the sealing cover 4. Moreover, the deck cabin 2 is made of fiberglass material to reduce the weight of the buoy. Among them, the sealing cover 4 is made of fiberglass material, which has excellent characteristics of light weight, corrosion resistance and high strength, providing reliable sealing performance and structural protection for the buoy, and is an important guarantee for the long-term stable operation of the ultra-light buoy.

[0029] Exemplarily, in a specific embodiment, the navigation and positioning module includes: a GPS module 5, and the GPS module 5 is installed on the top of the sealing cover 4, and the GPS module 5 is protected by a non-metallic material protective cover to ensure normal signal reception.

[0030] Exemplarily, in a specific embodiment, as Figure 1 shown, the solar panel assembly 3 includes: a solar panel mounting frame, the solar panel mounting frame is sleeved and fixed on the outside of the cylindrical shell, and the bottom of the solar panel mounting frame is fixed to the hollow cylindrical float 101. A plurality of mounting inclined surfaces are provided on the side of the solar panel mounting frame facing away from the cylindrical shell, and flexible solar panels are installed on the mounting inclined surfaces. Specifically, as Figure 5 shown, the solar panel mounting frame consists of six solar panel frames, a hexagonal plate (with circular holes), and several plate members. The structure of each solar panel frame is: four cuboid plates are connected to the upper plate and the two side plates by end mitering, so as to form a stable frame structure with mounting inclined surfaces, which can effectively withstand the wind and waves and impacts in the marine environment. Moreover, the solar panel mounting frame is made of fiberglass material to reduce the weight of the buoy. Finally, the flexible solar panels convert solar energy into electrical energy to provide continuous energy supply for the buoy, ensuring the self-sufficiency of the buoy during long-term operation and effectively reducing the maintenance frequency of the energy system.

[0031] Exemplarily, in a specific embodiment, the inertial measurement module uses a gyroscope. The gyroscope is installed in the hollow housing of the deck cabin and is far away from the GPS module to avoid signal interference. The signal transmission line uses a shielded cable to prevent electromagnetic interference from affecting the accurate transmission of signals, thereby ensuring the data acquisition accuracy of the buoy during long-term use.

[0032] The following further describes Figures 7 to 12 this embodiment: When the ocean observation buoy of this embodiment operates in the ocean environment, it is mainly affected by the dynamic effects on the entire structure including wind, waves, and currents, thus generating motion responses in six directions: surge, sway, heave, roll, pitch, and yaw. The ocean environment will directly affect the dynamic position and attitude of the buoy, thereby affecting the working performance of the carried load. When the instability of the buoy is severe, it may even cause the equipment carried to malfunction and pose a risk of tipping over and being submerged by seawater. Therefore, the ocean environment - buoy is a complex dynamic fluid - solid coupling process. When designing the buoy, a series of test methods such as numerical calculation, tank test, lake test, and sea trial are required to test and verify the mechanical characteristics and motion characteristics of the buoy under different ocean environmental conditions. Therefore, in this embodiment, the dynamic characteristics of the designed buoy under different sea conditions are analyzed and evaluated through the boundary element numerical simulation calculation method, and based on this, the feasibility of the system design scheme is analyzed and verified. Through numerical simulation calculation, the evaluation parameters mainly include the frequency domain and time domain motion response characteristics of the buoy.

[0033] As Figures 7 to 9 shown, to ensure the stability of the designed buoy under the action of ocean environmental loads, it is first necessary to analyze and calculate the frequency domain response results of the buoy under different wave frequency conditions. Figure 7 is the simulation analysis result of the heave response amplitude operator of the buoy using the boundary element method; Figure 8 is the simulation analysis result of the roll response amplitude operator of the buoy using the boundary element method; Figure 9 is the simulation analysis result of the pitch response amplitude operator of the buoy using the boundary element method. It can be seen from Figures 7 to 9 this that the buoy designed by the present invention will resonate in the heave, roll, and pitch directions under high-frequency wave conditions. However, in the real ocean environment, most waves are low-frequency waves, that is, it is difficult for the buoy designed by the present invention to resonate under the conditions of real ocean environmental loads, and the buoy has high stability.

[0034] Among them, numerical simulation experiments are carried out on the buoy designed in this embodiment for different sea condition parameters, and the different sea condition parameters are shown in Table 1.

[0035] Table 1

[0036] The numerical simulation results of the buoy with different sea condition parameters in Table 1 are as follows Figures 10 to 12 shown, where Figure 10 is the statistical result of the numerical simulation of the buoy under the action of sea state 2 (gentle breeze and small waves) for 3 hours; Figure 11 is the statistical result of the numerical simulation of the buoy under the action of sea state 5 (strong wind and rough waves) for 3 hours; Figure 12 is the statistical result of the numerical simulation of the buoy under the action of sea state 8 (gale and high waves) for 3 hours. It can be seen from Figures 10 to 12 that the buoy shows a state of moving with the waves under different sea conditions, and rarely shows a resonance response. For the buoy designed by the present invention, within sea state 2 (gentle breeze and small waves), the maximum roll amplitude of the buoy is not higher than 0.04°, and the maximum pitch amplitude is not higher than 12°, with good stability. For the buoy designed by the present invention, within sea state 5 (strong wind and rough waves), the maximum roll amplitude of the buoy is not higher than 0.16°, and the maximum pitch amplitude is not higher than 20°, with good stability. For the buoy designed by the present invention, within sea state 8 (gale and high waves), the maximum roll amplitude of the buoy is not higher than 0.6°, and the maximum pitch amplitude is not higher than 25°, with good stability.

[0037] In summary, through the above design, an ultra-light ocean observation buoy provided by an embodiment of the present invention has a maximum diameter of 0.367 meters, a maximum height of 0.311 meters, and a weight of only 4.076 kilograms. The buoy has the characteristics of a compact structure, light weight, low cost, and high stability.

[0038] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ultralight ocean observation buoy, characterized in that: include: A floating body assembly, on which a deck cabin is arranged, in which an energy storage module and an inertial measurement module are installed; A solar panel assembly is arranged outside the deck cabin and is used to convert the collected solar energy into electrical energy and store it in an energy storage module; and a navigation and positioning module, which is installed on top of the deck cabin; The floating body assembly includes: a hollow cylindrical floating body, the bottom of which is provided with two floating plates vertically and crosswise, and the deck cabin is arranged on the top of the hollow cylindrical floating body.

2. The ultralight ocean observation buoy according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hollow cylindrical buoy and the floating plate are both made of fiberglass.

3. The ultralight ocean observation buoy according to claim 1, characterized in that: The maximum diameter of the floating assembly is 0.367m, and the maximum height of the floating assembly is 0.145m.

4. The ultralight ocean observation buoy according to claim 1, characterized in that: The deck cabin comprises: a hollow cylindrical shell, one end of which is connected to the cavity of the hollow cylindrical float, and the other end of which is provided with a sealing cover.

5. The ultralight ocean observation buoy according to claim 4, characterized in that: The energy storage module includes: a lithium battery, which is arranged in a cylindrical shell through a battery compartment.

6. The ultralight ocean observation buoy according to claim 5, characterized in that: The battery compartment is made of high-strength composite material polyethylene.

7. The ultralight ocean observation buoy according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery compartment is arranged in a cylindrical housing between the navigation and positioning module and the inertial measurement module.

8. The ultralight ocean observation buoy according to claim 1, characterized in that: The navigation and positioning module includes: a GPS module, which is installed on the top of the sealing cover and is protected by a non-metallic material protective cover.

9. The ultralight ocean observation buoy according to claim 4, characterized in that: The solar panel assembly includes: a solar panel mounting frame, the solar panel mounting frame is fixed on the outside of the cylindrical shell, and the bottom of the solar panel mounting frame is fixed to the hollow cylindrical float. A side of the solar panel mounting frame facing away from the cylindrical shell is provided with multiple mounting inclined surfaces, and a flexible solar panel is installed on the mounting inclined surfaces.

10. The ultralight ocean observation buoy according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inertial measurement module uses one of a gyroscope, a three-axis magnetometer, and a three-axis accelerometer.

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