Generator for deep sea
By adopting the method of in-situ gas production in deep-sea power generation devices, the problems of high seal leakage rate and high material cost are solved, and long-term stable air pressure waterproofing and self-repair sealing structure are realized, reducing friction power consumption and material cost.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510365783.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-26
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-24
AI Technical Summary
Existing deep-sea power generation devices have high seal leakage rate, high material cost in extreme environments, and cannot balance the pressure difference inside and outside the cavity in real time, resulting in low risk of cyclical fatigue fracture.
The method of in-situ gas production of electrochemical reactions is used to replace mechanical contact seals. Hydrogen and oxygen are generated through seawater electrolytic cells, the internal air pressure of the generator housing is increased, the waterproof effect is achieved, and long-term stable air pressure waterproof is achieved through pressure sensors and check valves.
Eliminates wear on the contact surface of the sealing pair, reduces friction power consumption by 99.8%, extends service life, reduces material cost by 40.2%, and realizes a self-repaired seal structure, reducing maintenance frequency.
Smart Images
Figure CN120200409A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application belongs to the field of marine energy development equipment, and more specifically, relates to a generator for deep sea use. Background Art
[0002] As the core equipment for marine energy development, deep-sea power generation devices need to operate stably for a long time in extreme environments (at a depth of 1000 meters, the corresponding static water pressure is ≥10 MPa, the low temperature is 4 °C, and there is high salt corrosion). The traditional sealing methods for deep-sea motors mainly rely on two technical paths: mechanical shaft seal structures and dry pressure compensation seals. The mechanical shaft seal structure uses multi-layer silicon carbide-ceramic composite sealing rings to achieve dynamic sealing through spring pre-tightening force. Under pressure fluctuation conditions, the contact stress on the sealing surface is large, resulting in a high wear rate of the friction pair. The sealing components need to be replaced every quarter, and the maintenance cost accounts for more than 45% of the total life cycle cost. The dry pressure compensation seal uses silicone oil medium to fill the generator cavity and matches the expansion bladder for dynamic pressure regulation. However, the fatigue strength of the compensation bladder limits its service life, and the low-temperature viscosity characteristics of the filling medium result in a 10% - 15% decrease in transmission efficiency.
[0003] In order to withstand the hydrostatic pressure, the existing deep-sea power generation devices generally use Ti-6Al-4V ELI grade titanium alloy for the housing, and the raw material cost accounts for 62% of the total machine BOM cost. Therefore, the existing deep-sea power generation devices have the problem of too high material cost. At the same time, the existing deep-sea power generation devices also have defects in adapting to dynamic pressure. The traditional sealing structure cannot balance the pressure difference inside and outside the cavity in real time. When the equivalent pressure difference ΔP on the sealing surface is ≥3 MPa, the sealing leakage rate will exceed the safety threshold of 5 mL / min. At the same time, the periodic pressure difference fluctuation will also cause the stress amplitude of the flange connection bolts to reach ±120 MPa, leading to the risk of low-cycle fatigue fracture. Summary of the Invention
[0004] Aiming at the defects of the existing technology, the purpose of this application is to provide a generator for deep sea use, aiming to solve the problems that the existing deep-sea power generation devices need to withstand hydrostatic pressure, resulting in a relatively high sealing leakage rate and high material requirements.
[0005] To achieve the above purpose, in the first aspect, this application provides a generator for deep sea use, including: a control board and a seawater electrolytic cell placed inside the generator housing, and a check valve located at the bottom of the seawater electrolytic cell; The check valve is used to allow seawater to flow inward into the seawater electrolytic cell when the external water pressure is greater than the internal air pressure of the generator housing; the control board provides a first electrolysis voltage and a second electrolysis voltage for the anode and cathode in the seawater electrolytic cell respectively; oxygen is evolved at the anode under the action of the first electrolysis voltage, and hydrogen is evolved at the cathode under the action of the second electrolysis voltage, increasing the internal air pressure of the generator housing; until the internal air pressure of the generator housing is greater than or equal to the external water pressure, achieving a waterproof effect.
[0006] Further preferably, the anode in the seawater electrolyzer is coated with ruthenium-iridium-titanium oxide to reduce the oxygen evolution overpotential; the cathode uses a platinum-plated titanium mesh to accelerate the hydrogen evolution reaction.
[0007] Further preferably, when the anode is coated with ruthenium-iridium-titanium oxide and the cathode uses a platinum-plated titanium mesh, the first ionization voltage provided by the control board for the anode is between 0.8 V and 2.2 V, and the oxygen evolution reaction dominates; when the first ionization voltage exceeds 2.2 V, the chlorine evolution reaction dominates.
[0008] Further preferably, a perfluorosulfonic acid cation exchange membrane is arranged outside the anode of the seawater electrolyzer to prevent the permeation of oxygen and prevent the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.
[0009] Further preferably, a generator for deep sea also includes a pressure sensor, which is connected to the control board and used to read the air pressure inside the generator housing in real time.
[0010] Further preferably, a generator for deep sea also includes a power generation mechanism, which includes a generator winding, an excitation coil, a voltage regulator, a rectifier tube and a storage battery; the generator winding is externally connected to a rotating mechanism composed of a rotating shaft and a thermally shrinking and cold expanding body; the excitation coil is used to generate a magnetic field; the voltage regulator is used to adjust the excitation current to compensate for the voltage fluctuation caused by the load change; the rotating shaft is used to rotate the generator winding to cut the magnetic induction line to generate an induced current, and the current is input into the storage battery through the rectifier tube to complete power generation.
[0011] Further preferably, the generator housing includes a stainless steel matrix and a carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin outer protective layer.
[0012] Generally speaking, compared with the prior art through the above technical solutions conceived by the present application, the following beneficial effects are achieved: The present application provides a generator for deep sea, which uses in-situ gas production by electrochemical reaction ( mixed gas) to replace mechanical contact sealing, eliminates the wear of the contact surface of the sealing pair (the friction power consumption is reduced by 99.8%), and has a longer theoretical service life.
[0013] The present application provides a generator for deep sea, which realizes the long-term stable air pressure waterproof function through the setting of a pressure sensor and a one-way valve, the internal and external pressures are balanced, the pressure on the generator housing is small, the strength requirement for the material is low, and the manufacturing and maintenance costs are low. Using gradient composite materials to replace the Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy shell, including a 316L austenitic stainless steel matrix and a carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin outer protective layer, the overall material cost is reduced by 40.2%.
[0014] The present application provides a generator for deep sea. The sealing structure has the characteristic of self - repair, which greatly reduces the maintenance frequency of the generator. The electrolytic electrodes are replaced regularly for preventive maintenance. Meanwhile, the maintenance process of the electrolytic electrodes is simple, and only the surface of the electrodes needs to be cleaned and a coating needs to be reapplied. Description of the Drawings
[0015] Figure 1 is the generator for deep sea provided by the embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 is the schematic diagram of the in - situ gas - generating sealing principle of the electrochemical reaction provided by the embodiment of the present application; In all the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same elements or structures, where: 1 is the generator winding; 2 is the rectifier tube; 3 is the excitation coil; 4 is the voltage regulator; 5 is the start switch; 6 is the storage battery; 7 is the pressure sensor; 8 is the seawater electrolytic cell; 9 is the control board; 10 is the electrolytic electrode; 11 is the generator housing; 12 is the check valve; 13 is the seawater. Detailed Embodiments
[0016] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.
[0017] The term "and / or" in this article is a relational term describing associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. The symbol " / " in this article represents that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship, for example, A / B represents A or B.
[0018] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the description and claims of this article are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order of the objects.
[0019] In the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to represent examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design solution described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be construed as being more preferred or having more advantages than other embodiments or design solutions. Exactly speaking, using words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present relevant concepts in a specific manner.
[0020] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "a plurality" refers to two or more.
[0021] The embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.
[0022] As Figure 1 shown, the present application provides a pressure-sealed deep-sea generator based on electrolytic water gas production, including: A control board 9, powered by a storage battery 6, provides voltage for a seawater electrolyzer 8; A pressure sensor 7, connected to the control board 9, reads the air pressure inside the generator in real time and transmits the data to the control board 9; The seawater electrolyzer 8, with a ruthenium-iridium-titanium oxide coating ( ) on the anode to reduce the oxygen evolution overpotential; a platinum-coated titanium mesh is used on the cathode to accelerate the hydrogen evolution reaction; experiments show that in a seawater ( ) environment, when a titanium-based platinum / iridium-coated electrode is used, when the anode potential is controlled at 0.8 V to 2.2 V (vs SHE, an electrochemistry term, meaning "compared to the standard hydrogen electrode potential"), the oxygen evolution reaction dominates; when it reaches 2.25 V (vs SHE), the chlorine evolution reaction increases significantly; during power-on, hydrogen evolution reaction occurs on the cathode to generate hydrogen. By controlling the anode potential at 1.5 V through the control board, which is lower than the chlorine generation window, only hydrogen and oxygen are generated during electrolysis, and there is a layer of nafion membrane (perfluorosulfonic acid cation exchange membrane) outside the anode to prevent the permeation of oxygen, thus preventing hydrogen and oxygen from reacting.
[0023] A one-way valve 12, with the direction from the outside to the inside of the generator housing, is connected to the bottom of the seawater electrolyzer 8. When the external water pressure is greater than the internal air pressure, seawater 13 flows inward, and the liquid level of the seawater electrolyzer rises; A power generation mechanism, including a generator winding, an excitation coil, a voltage regulator, a rectifier tube, and a storage battery; the generator winding is externally connected to a rotating mechanism composed of a rotating shaft and a thermally shrinking and cold expanding body; the excitation coil generates a magnetic field, the voltage regulator adjusts the excitation current to compensate for the voltage fluctuation caused by the load change, the rotating shaft rotates to cut the magnetic induction line of the generator winding to generate an induced current, and the current is input into the storage battery through a silicon rectifier circuit to complete power generation; A generator housing 11, composed of a 316L austenitic stainless steel matrix and a carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy resin outer protective layer.
[0024] As Figure 2 shown, the following introduces the in-situ gas production and sealing principle of the electrochemistry reaction of the present application. After placing the pressure-sealed deep-sea generator of the present application in the deep sea, due to the deep-sea water pressure being greater than the internal air pressure of the generator, seawater flows into the seawater electrolytic cell through the one-way valve, and the liquid level in the cell contacts the anode and cathode electrodes. The control board provides potential for the electrodes, and the electrolytic cell continuously generates hydrogen and oxygen, causing the internal air pressure of the generator to continuously rise. And due to the electrolysis consumption, the seawater liquid level continuously decreases until it is exhausted, and the electrolytic cell stops working. When the air pressure inside the pressure-sealed deep-sea generator is insufficient, the liquid level rises again, repeating the above work to maintain the internal air pressure, thereby achieving the function of waterproofing the generator.
[0025] Example 1 The generator structure configuration provided in this Example 1 is as follows:
[0026] The implementation method for deep - sea deployment specifically includes the following steps: Step S1: Pressure adaptability test; perform a gradient pressure test in a deep - pressure simulation chamber: pressurize at a rate of 5 MPa / min to 32.5 MPa, hold the pressure for 24 hours, and the gas permeation rate measured by laser mass spectrometry is ≤ 0.17 mL / h; Step S2: System initial startup; electrolytic cell activation: the control board applies a DC voltage of 1.5 V, and the initial gas production is 23.6 L / min. Pressure balance process: ; Among them, is the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the generator, is the external water pressure; is the internal air pressure; According to real - time sensing data, the system stabilizes within the range of ±3 kPa in 8.7 seconds; Step S3: Measured performance data;
[0027] Manufacturing cost comparison:
[0028] Example 2 The generator structure configuration provided in this Example 2 is as follows:
[0029] The implementation method for deep - sea deployment specifically includes the following steps: Step S1: Pressure adaptability test; gradient pressure: pressurize at 1 MPa / min in the simulation chamber to 1.6 MPa (1.25 times the safety margin), and hold the pressure for 12 hours; Leak rate detection: the hydrogen permeation rate is ≤ 0.05 mL / h; Step S2: System initial startup; electrolytic cell activation: the control board applies a DC voltage of 1.2 V, and the gas production rate is 4.2 L / min; pressure balance process: ; Among them, is the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the generator, is the external water pressure, is the internal air pressure; According to real - time sensing data, the system stabilizes within the range of ±1.2 kPa in 5 s; Step S3: Measured data
[0030] Cost comparison
[0031] In summary, compared with the prior art, the present application has the following advantages: The present application provides an electrochemically pressure-difference self-compensation method, which uses in-situ gas generation by an electrochemical reaction ( mixed gas) to replace the mechanical contact seal, eliminates the wear of the sealing surface of the seal pair (the friction power consumption is reduced by 99.8%), and has a longer theoretical service life.
[0032] The structure of the present application is simple and ingenious. By setting a pressure sensor and a one-way valve, a long-term stable air pressure waterproof function is realized, the internal and external pressures are balanced, the pressure on the generator housing is small, the strength requirement for materials is low, and the manufacturing and maintenance costs are low. Using a gradient composite material to replace the Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy housing, including a 316L austenitic stainless steel matrix and a carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin outer protective layer, the overall material cost is reduced by 40.2%.
[0033] The sealing structure of the present application has the characteristic of self-repair, greatly reducing the maintenance frequency of the generator. Regular preventive maintenance is carried out to replace the electrolytic electrode. At the same time, the maintenance process of the electrolytic electrode is simple, and only the surface of the electrode needs to be cleaned and a coating needs to be reapplied.
[0034] It should be understood that expressions such as "including" and "may include" that can be used in the present application indicate the existence of the disclosed functions, operations, or constituent elements, and do not limit the existence of one or more additional functions, operations, and constituent elements. In the present application, terms such as "including" and / or "having" can be interpreted as indicating a specific characteristic, number, operation, constituent element, component, or a combination thereof, but cannot be interpreted as excluding the existence or possibility of addition of one or more other characteristics, numbers, operations, constituent elements, components, or a combination thereof.
[0035] In addition, in the present application, the expression "and / or" includes any and all combinations of the associated listed words. For example, the expression "A and / or B" can include A, can include B, or can include both A and B.
[0036] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the term "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connection" can be a detachable connection or a non-detachable connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Among them, "fixed connection" means that the two are connected and the relative position relationship after connection remains unchanged. "Rotational connection" means that the two are connected and can rotate relative to each other after connection. "Sliding connection" means that the two are connected and can slide relative to each other after connection. The orientation terms mentioned in the embodiments of the present application, such as "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "left", "right", etc., are only references to the directions in the drawings. Therefore, the orientation terms are used to better and more clearly illustrate and understand the embodiments of the present application, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation to the embodiments of the present application.
[0037] In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, mathematical concepts such as symmetry, equality, parallelism, and perpendicularity are mentioned. These limitations are all in view of the current technological level, rather than absolute strict definitions in the mathematical sense. A small deviation is allowed, and approximate symmetry, approximate equality, approximate parallelism, approximate perpendicularity, etc. are all acceptable. For example, when it is said that A is parallel to B, it means that A is parallel to B or approximately parallel to B, and the included angle between A and B can be between 0 degrees and 10 degrees. When it is said that A is perpendicular to B, it means that A is perpendicular to B or approximately perpendicular to B, and the included angle between A and B can be between 80 degrees and 100 degrees.
[0038] The above is only the specific implementation manner of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present application can easily think of changes or substitutions, which should all be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A deep sea generator, characterized in that: include: a control panel and a seawater electrolysis cell disposed inside the generator housing, and a one-way valve disposed at the bottom of the seawater electrolysis cell; The one-way valve is used to allow seawater to flow inward into the seawater electrolysis cell when the external water pressure is greater than the air pressure inside the generator housing; the control panel provides the first electrolysis voltage and the second electrolysis voltage to the anode and cathode in the seawater electrolysis cell respectively; the anode releases oxygen under the action of the first electrolysis voltage, and the cathode releases hydrogen under the action of the second electrolysis voltage, thereby increasing the air pressure inside the generator housing; Until the air pressure inside the generator casing is greater than or equal to the external water pressure, a waterproof effect is achieved.
2. The generator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The anode in the seawater electrolysis cell is coated with ruthenium-iridium-titanium oxide to reduce the overpotential of oxygen evolution; the cathode uses a platinum-coated titanium mesh to accelerate the hydrogen evolution reaction.
3. The generator according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the anode is coated with ruthenium-iridium-titanium oxide and the cathode is platinum-plated titanium mesh, the first ionization voltage provided by the control board to the anode is between 0.8 V and 2.2 V, and the oxygen evolution reaction is dominant; when the first ionization voltage exceeds 2.2 V, the chlorine evolution reaction is dominant.
4. The generator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: A perfluorosulfonic acid cation exchange membrane is installed outside the anode of the seawater electrolysis cell to block the penetration of oxygen and prevent the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.
5. The generator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: A pressure sensor is also included, which is connected to the control board and is used to read the air pressure inside the generator housing in real time.
6. The generator according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a power generation mechanism, which includes a generator winding, an excitation coil, a voltage stabilizer, a rectifier and a battery; a rotating mechanism composed of an external shaft of the generator winding and a heat-shrinking and cold-expanding body; the excitation coil is used to generate a magnetic field; the voltage stabilizer is used to adjust the excitation current to compensate for voltage fluctuations caused by load changes; the shaft is used to rotate the generator winding to cut the magnetic flux lines to generate an induced current, and the current flows into the battery through the rectifier to complete power generation.
7. The generator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The generator housing consists of a stainless steel base and a carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin outer protective layer.