Active sealing device for underwater closed containing cavity

Abstract

The invention discloses an active sealing device for an underwater closed containing cavity, and belongs to the technical field of underwater sealing structure design. The device comprises a self-adaptive sealing assembly and a containing cavity pressure adjusting system. The self-adaptive sealing assembly comprises an elastic liquid bag array, a flexible sealing belt, a sealing ring and a sealing ring arranged on the top of the sealing ring. The self-adaptive sealing assembly is installed between a cavity body and a cavity cover of the closed containing cavity. When the pressure of liquid bags in the elastic liquid bag array is lower than a set threshold value, an air pressure adjusting pipeline in the containing cavity pressure adjusting system indirectly increases the water injection pressure of the liquid bags through a pressure compensator, the elastic liquid bag array achieves volume expansion by injecting a fluid medium, and the sealing ring is driven to move in the axial direction; and the sealing ring and the cavity cover are in interference fit, and a sealing interface is established. The failure propagation defect of a traditional single sealing structure is effectively overcome, and the long-term stable sealing requirement in the deep sea environment is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of underwater sealing structure design, and in particular to a sealing device for an underwater cavity. Background Art

[0002] In the field of marine engineering, underwater sealed cavities are key components of equipment such as deep-sea detectors, underwater robots, and submarine pipeline connection devices. Their sealing performance directly affects the reliability and safety of the equipment. In deepwater operating environments, the external seawater pressure increases significantly with depth, and a large pressure differential is easily formed inside and outside the cavity. Traditional passive sealing devices rely on material deformation or friction to achieve a sealing effect. They lack the ability to monitor the sealing status and environmental pressure differential in real time, making it difficult to warn of sealing failure and posing a risk of sudden damage to the equipment. Once a single-body sealing device fails locally (such as due to material fatigue, wear, or cracks), its failure mode is likely to extend along the sealing path, causing a sudden drop in overall sealing performance and threatening the safe operation of the equipment.

[0003] As marine engineering equipment develops towards deep-sea and intelligent directions, the lack of adaptability of traditional sealing technology has become increasingly prominent. It is difficult to take into account both high reliability and long life requirements, and there are shortcomings in real-time performance, durability and fault tolerance, which limits the application scope of underwater enclosed cavities in deep-water operations.

[0004] Therefore, developing a sealing device with active adjustment function, split structural design and adaptability to variable working conditions can effectively improve the controllability of sealing performance, thereby meeting the higher requirements of marine engineering equipment for deep-water operation safety and efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides an active sealing device for an underwater enclosed cavity. Through the synergistic effect of modular sealing units, independent pressure detection and adjustment of blocks can be achieved. The multi-layer liquid capsule array significantly improves the redundancy and reliability of the sealing system, effectively overcoming the failure propagation defects of the traditional single-body sealing structure, and is suitable for the long-term stable sealing needs in deep-sea environments.

[0006] An active sealing device for an underwater closed cavity, comprising an adaptive sealing component and a cavity pressure regulating system; the adaptive sealing component comprises an elastic liquid sac array, a flexible sealing belt, a sealing ring and a sealing ring arranged on the top thereof The adaptive sealing ring is installed between the cavity body and the cavity cover of the closed cavity; when the pressure of the liquid capsule in the elastic liquid capsule array is lower than the set threshold, the air pressure regulating pipeline in the cavity pressure regulating system indirectly increases the liquid capsule water injection pressure through the pressure compensator, and the elastic liquid capsule array expands in volume by injecting fluid medium (such as seawater or pressure-resistant liquid), driving the sealing ring to move axially, so that The O-ring forms an interference fit with the cavity cover and establishes a sealing interface.

[0007] Furthermore, the elastic liquid capsule array includes multiple liquid capsule groups and a chassis; the liquid capsule group is composed of three liquid capsules with different arrangements, each liquid capsule group contains nine hexagonal liquid capsules, distributed in the outer, middle and inner layers. The hexagonal liquid capsules expand after being injected with water and seamlessly fit with adjacent liquid capsule groups to form a continuous sealing surface; the chassis includes a chassis base and a chassis shell. The chassis base is fixedly installed on the cavity of the closed cavity, and a liquid capsule group water inlet is provided below it. The liquid capsule group water inlet is connected to the water inlet pipe of the cavity. The chassis shell is installed above the chassis base in a nested manner, and multiple liquid capsule water inlets are provided on its top for injecting fluid into the bottom of the liquid capsule; the liquid capsule group water inlet and the liquid capsule water inlet are connected through a chassis passage. The chassis passage is formed by merging the semicircular grooves on the contact surface of the chassis base and the chassis shell to ensure that the fluid is evenly distributed to each liquid capsule group.

[0008] Furthermore, the chassis passage adopts a split processing technology, and a complete passage is realized through the assembly of the chassis base and the chassis shell; a flow control valve is installed in each chassis passage to adjust the water injection rate of the outer and inner liquid bags. At the same time, a hydraulic sensor is provided at the end of the passage to monitor the pressure changes of the liquid bag group in real time, providing feedback data for the dynamic adjustment of the sealing performance.

[0009] Furthermore, flexible sealing membranes are provided between the outer layer and the middle layer, and between the middle layer and the inner layer of the hexagonal elastic liquid sac array. The bottom of the flexible sealing membrane is fixedly mounted on the chassis shell, and the top is connected to the sealing ring. The flexible sealing membrane deforms synchronously when the liquid sac expands, thereby enhancing the sealing stability between the liquid sac group and the sealing ring, and preventing fluid leakage between the liquid sacs.

[0010] Furthermore, each sac group in the hexagonal elastic sac array corresponds to a sac group water inlet on the chassis base, and the sac group water inlet is connected to the four sac water injection ports through two chassis passages, ultimately achieving synchronous water injection of the nine hexagonal sacs. After the sacs are filled with water, the axial force generated by the expansion pushes the sealing ring to move toward the cavity cover, so that The shaped sealing ring fits tightly with the surface of the cavity cover to form an interference sealing interface.

[0011] Furthermore, the adaptive sealing assembly and the cavity pressure regulating system work in coordination to achieve a dynamic balance of pressure inside and outside the closed cavity and active regulation of the sealing performance; the liquid capsule group is not filled with water in the initial state and is in a relaxed state, with no interference fit between the sealing ring and the cavity cover. When a pressure difference occurs inside and outside the cavity, the hydraulic sensor detects the pressure change of the liquid capsule group, and the signal is transmitted to the control system, triggering the opening of the seawater inlet of the liquid capsule pressure regulating branch. After the seawater enters the liquid capsule group, it pushes the elastic hexagonal liquid capsule array to expand and fit adjacent liquid capsules to form a continuous sealing surface. The axial force generated by the expansion of the liquid capsule drives the sealing ring to move axially along the cavity, so that The shaped sealing ring fits tightly with the surface of the cavity cover to establish an interference sealing interface; the cavity pressure regulating system further optimizes the sealing effect through the linkage of the air pressure regulating pipeline and the water pressure regulating passage. The air compressor in the air pressure regulating pipeline transports the gas to the air storage chamber or discharges it from the air storage chamber, and the pressure compensator transmits the air pressure change to the water pressure regulating passage; the end of the liquid sac pressure regulating branch is connected to the pressure compensator. When the pressure of the liquid sac group is lower than the set threshold, the air pressure regulating pipeline indirectly increases the liquid sac water injection pressure through the pressure compensator, and the water storage chamber pressure regulating branch of the water pressure regulating passage actively injects or discharges seawater through a water pump to adjust the water pressure difference inside and outside the cavity. The flexible sealing membrane in the liquid sac group deforms synchronously during the expansion process, thereby enhancing the sealing stability between the liquid sac and the sealing ring and preventing fluid leakage.

[0012] Beneficial effects:

[0013] 1. This invention utilizes a modular elastic bladder array and a split chassis pathway in a collaborative design. By combining an annular multi-layer bladder assembly with a split processing technique, the unitized bladder assembly design effectively isolates local failure risks and prevents faults from propagating throughout the entire sealing system. The chassis is constructed by nesting a chassis base and chassis shell. The split chassis structure facilitates processing and maintenance, and supports independent module replacement, significantly improving system reliability and maintenance efficiency.

[0014] 2. The active water injection and flow control mechanism of the liquid sac group in the present invention can dynamically adjust the displacement of the sealing ring. The synergistic effect of air pressure regulation and seawater injection enables the pressure compensator to automatically match external water pressure fluctuations, avoiding failure of the sealing interface due to pressure imbalance; the synchronous deformation of the flexible sealing membrane further enhances the overall sealing stability of the liquid sac group.

[0015] 3. The present invention relies on the integrated design of hydraulic sensors and flow control valves to improve the intelligence and reliability of the device. By real-time monitoring of the liquid capsule pressure gradient, local failure risks can be intervened in advance; the unitized liquid capsule group design supports fault isolation and rapid response, ensuring the long-term stable operation of the deep-water closed cavity, and solving the problems of failure propagation, difficulty in reliability prediction and insufficient adaptability of traditional sealing devices in deep-water environments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the sealing structure;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a diagram of the arrangement of hexagonal liquid capsule arrays;

[0019] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the sealing assembly structure;

[0020] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the bottom plate base and the shell;

[0021] Figure 6 This is the first diagram of the arrangement of the sac group;

[0022] Figure 7 This is the second diagram of the arrangement of the sac group;

[0023] Figure 8 This is the third diagram of the arrangement of the sac group.

[0024] Among them, 1-first speed regulating valve; 2-pressure compensator; 3-second speed regulating valve; 4-seawater inlet; 5-filter; 6-first one-way valve; 7-first solenoid valve; 8-first water pump; 9-first flow meter; 10-second solenoid valve; 11-cavity; 12-sealing assembly; 1201- -shaped sealing ring; 1202-sealing ring; 1203-hexagonal liquid sac; 1204-flexible sealing belt; 1205-liquid sac water injection port; 1206-liquid sac assembly water inlet; 1207-chassis base; 1208-chassis shell; 1209-chassis passage; 13-cavity cover; 14-interlayer; 15-third solenoid valve; 16-second water pump; 17-fourth solenoid valve; 18-second flowmeter; 19-third water pump; 20-fifth solenoid valve; 21-fourth water pump; 22-third speed regulating valve; 23-sixth solenoid valve; 24-gas tank; 25-second one-way valve; 26-air compressor; 27-hydraulic sensor; 28-flow control valve, 29-seawater outlet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0026] As attached Figure 1 、 2 As shown in FIG3 , the present invention provides an active sealing device for an underwater closed cavity, including an adaptive sealing component and a cavity pressure regulating system; the adaptive sealing component includes an elastic liquid capsule array composed of hexagonal liquid capsules, a flexible sealing belt 1204, a sealing ring 1202 and a sealing ring disposed on the top thereof. The adaptive sealing assembly is installed between the body 11 and the cover 13 of the sealed chamber. The chamber, which is the entire underwater chamber, is separated by a barrier 14. The lower chamber contains the air storage chamber, while the upper chamber contains the water storage chamber. The water storage chamber contains seawater, while the air storage chamber is empty, relying solely on the air compressor and high-pressure gas for pressure balance.

[0027] The elastic sac array includes multiple sac groups and a chassis; the sac group is composed of three different arrangements of sacs repeatedly arranged to form an outer, middle and inner three-layer hexagonal ring array. The three arrangements correspond to three basic units, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 6 、 7 As shown in Figure 8, when multiple basic units are combined, the liquid capsules at the contact position are matched with the head end to avoid uneven pressure caused by head end to head end and end to end. Each liquid capsule group contains nine hexagonal liquid capsules. After being injected with water, the hexagonal liquid capsules expand and fit seamlessly with the adjacent liquid capsule groups to form a continuous sealing surface.

[0028] As attached Figure 4 As shown, the chassis includes a chassis base 1207 and a chassis shell 1208. The chassis base 1207 is fixedly mounted on the cavity 11 of the closed cavity, and a liquid capsule group water inlet 1206 is provided below it. The liquid capsule group water inlet 1206 is connected to the water inlet pipe of the cavity 11. The chassis shell 1208 is installed above the chassis base 1207 in a nested manner, and nine liquid capsule water injection ports 1205 are provided on the top of the chassis base 1207 for injecting fluid into the bottom of the liquid capsule; the liquid capsule group water inlet 1206 and the liquid capsule water injection port 1205 are connected through a chassis passage 1209, and the chassis passage 1209 is formed by merging the semicircular grooves on the contact surface of the chassis base 1207 and the chassis shell 1208 to ensure that the fluid is evenly distributed to each liquid capsule group, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 5 As shown, chassis housing 1208 is in a half-cut configuration. With the exception of sac assembly water inlet 1206, the hexagonal slots in other locations do not penetrate chassis base 1207. When chassis housing 1208 and chassis base 1207 are mated, except for one sac injection port 1205 located directly above sac assembly water inlet 1206, the remaining eight sac injection ports connect to sac assembly water inlet 1206 via chassis passage 1209.

[0029] The active sealing device achieves active control of the sealing interface by dynamically adjusting the water filling state of the hexagonal liquid capsule 1203. Its working process cooperates with the cavity pressure regulation system to maintain the pressure balance inside and outside the closed cavity. In the initial state, the liquid capsule 1203 is not filled with water, the hexagonal liquid capsule 1203 array remains loose on the chassis shell 1208, and the sealing ring 1202 is in contact with the sealing ring 1202. The shaped sealing ring 1201 does not form an interference fit with the cavity cover 11, the internal pressure of the cavity and the external seawater pressure are in initial equilibrium, and the hydraulic sensor 27 monitors the pressure of the liquid sac group in real time and uses it as a reference value.

[0030] When the cavity needs to be sealed, the control system starts the water injection process of the liquid capsule pressure regulating branch. The inlet end of the liquid capsule pressure regulating branch is connected to the seawater inlet 4, and is sequentially integrated with the filter 5, the first one-way valve 6 and the first solenoid valve 7. The filter 5 is used to remove impurities and protect subsequent components. The first one-way valve 6 prevents the liquid flow from flowing back. The first solenoid valve 7 actively opens and closes according to the pressure signal of the liquid capsule 1203 fed back by the hydraulic sensor 27, accurately controlling the amount of seawater injected. After the seawater is injected into the liquid capsule 1203, the elastic hexagonal liquid capsule 1203 array expands, increases in volume and fits adjacent hexagonal liquid capsules 1203, forming a continuous sealing surface. The axial force generated by the expansion pushes the sealing ring 1202 to move along the axial direction of the cavity, so that The N-shaped sealing ring 1201 fits tightly with the cavity cover 11 to establish an interference sealing interface.

[0031] The bladder pressure-regulating branch is connected to the pressure compensator 2, forming a closed-loop control loop through the air pressure regulating branch. When the pressure in the hexagonal bladder 1203 falls below the set threshold, the air pressure regulating pipeline inflates the pressure compensator 2 via the air compressor 26, passing through the second one-way valve 25, the air tank 24, and the first speed regulating valve 1. This in turn indirectly increases the pressure in the hexagonal bladder 1203 via the second speed regulating valve 3. Conversely, pressure is released by draining water through the third solenoid valve 15, the second water pump 16, and the seawater outlet 20. The water storage chamber pressure-regulating branch, through the coordinated action of the water pump and the air compressor, actively injects or discharges seawater into or out of the water storage chamber, assisting in regulating the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the chamber. The flexible sealing membrane of the liquid sac sealing device deforms synchronously when the hexagonal liquid sac 1203 expands, thereby enhancing the sealing stability between the liquid sac group and the sealing ring and preventing fluid leakage between the liquid sacs 1203. At the same time, the split chassis passage divides the liquid sac group into independent modules, thereby preventing the failure of a single hexagonal liquid sac 1203 from causing the collapse of the entire sealing structure.

[0032] The chamber pressure regulation system further reduces the impact of the pressure differential between the inside and outside of the chamber on the bladder 1203 by actively regulating air and water pressure. When the internal pressure of the chamber is lower than the external pressure, the air pressure regulation pipeline controls the air storage chamber pressure through the air compressor 26, the second check valve 25, the air tank 24, and the third speed regulating valve 22. The pressure compensator 2 simultaneously increases the water injection pressure of the bladder 1203, thereby enhancing the interference fit of the sealing interface. The first solenoid valve 7 and the second solenoid valve 10 of the bladder pressure regulation branch precisely control the amount of seawater injected based on real-time pressure data, increasing the water storage chamber pressure while ensuring that the expansion rate of the bladder 1203 is synchronized with the changes in the chamber pressure. During long-term operation, the bladder group pressure is increased by replenishing the bladder with seawater, effectively reducing energy loss. The hydraulic sensor 27 is embedded in the end of the liquid capsule pressure regulating branch to continuously monitor the pressure distribution of the outer, middle and inner hexagonal liquid capsules 1203. The data is uploaded to the control system. By analyzing the pressure gradient, it is determined whether there is a risk of local failure of the liquid capsule group (such as an abnormal drop in pressure in a certain layer of liquid capsules), and the emergency adjustment mechanism is activated (such as directional water injection or local drainage). The corresponding flow control valve 28 is closed to prevent pressure leakage, ensuring that other hexagonal liquid capsules 1203 can still work normally.

[0033] In summary, the above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An active sealing device for an underwater closed cavity, characterized in that: It includes an adaptive sealing component and a cavity pressure regulating system; the adaptive sealing component includes an elastic liquid bag array, a flexible sealing belt, a sealing ring and a sealing ring arranged on the top thereof The adaptive sealing ring is installed between the cavity body and the cavity cover of the closed cavity; when the pressure of the liquid capsule in the elastic liquid capsule array is lower than the set threshold, the air pressure regulating pipeline in the cavity pressure regulating system indirectly increases the liquid capsule water injection pressure through the pressure compensator, and the elastic liquid capsule array expands in volume by injecting fluid medium, driving the sealing ring to move axially, so that The O-ring forms an interference fit with the cavity cover and establishes a sealing interface.

2. The active sealing device for an underwater closed cavity according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic liquid capsule array includes multiple liquid capsule groups and a chassis; the liquid capsule group is composed of liquid capsules with three different arrangements repeatedly arranged, each liquid capsule group contains nine hexagonal liquid capsules distributed in the outer, middle and inner layers, and the hexagonal liquid capsules expand after being injected with water and seamlessly fit with adjacent liquid capsule groups to form a continuous sealing surface; the chassis includes a chassis base and a chassis shell, the chassis base is fixedly installed on the cavity of the closed cavity, and a liquid capsule group water inlet is provided below it, and the liquid capsule group water inlet is connected to the water inlet pipe of the cavity, and the chassis shell is installed above the chassis base in a nested manner, and multiple liquid capsule water inlets are provided on the top of the chassis shell for injecting fluid into the bottom of the liquid capsule; the liquid capsule group water inlet and the liquid capsule water inlet are connected through a chassis passage, and the chassis passage is formed by merging the semicircular grooves on the contact surface of the chassis base and the chassis shell to ensure that the fluid is evenly distributed to each liquid capsule group.

3. The active sealing device for an underwater closed cavity according to claim 2, characterized in that: The chassis passage adopts a split processing technology, and a complete passage is achieved through the assembly of the chassis base and the chassis shell; a flow control valve is installed in each chassis passage to adjust the water injection rate of the outer and inner liquid sacs. At the same time, a hydraulic sensor is provided at the end of the passage to monitor the pressure changes of the liquid sac group in real time and provide feedback data for the dynamic adjustment of the sealing performance.

4. The active sealing device for an underwater closed cavity according to claim 3, characterized in that: Flexible sealing membranes are provided between the outer layer and the middle layer, and between the middle layer and the inner layer of the hexagonal elastic liquid sac array. The bottom of the flexible sealing membrane is fixedly mounted on the chassis shell, and the top is connected to the sealing ring. The flexible sealing membrane deforms synchronously when the liquid sac expands, thereby enhancing the sealing stability between the liquid sac group and the sealing ring, and preventing fluid leakage between the liquid sacs.

5. The active sealing device for an underwater closed cavity according to claim 4, characterized in that: Each sac group in the hexagonal elastic sac array corresponds to a sac group water inlet on the chassis base. The sac group water inlet is connected to the four sac water injection ports through two chassis passages, and finally the nine hexagonal sacs are injected with water simultaneously. After the sacs are injected with water, the axial force generated by the expansion pushes the sealing ring to move toward the cavity cover, so that The shaped sealing ring fits tightly with the surface of the cavity cover to form an interference sealing interface.

6. The active sealing device for an underwater closed cavity according to claim 5, characterized in that: The adaptive sealing assembly and the cavity pressure regulating system work together to achieve dynamic balance of pressure inside and outside the closed cavity and active regulation of sealing performance. The liquid capsule group is not filled with water in the initial state and is in a relaxed state. There is no interference fit between the sealing ring and the cavity cover. When a pressure difference occurs inside and outside the cavity, the hydraulic sensor detects the pressure change of the liquid capsule group and transmits the signal to the control system, triggering the opening of the seawater inlet of the liquid capsule pressure regulating branch. After the seawater enters the liquid capsule group, it pushes the elastic hexagonal liquid capsule array to expand and fit adjacent liquid capsules to form a continuous sealing surface. The axial force generated by the expansion of the liquid capsule drives the sealing ring to move along the axial direction of the cavity, so that The shaped sealing ring fits tightly with the surface of the cavity cover to establish an interference sealing interface; the cavity pressure regulating system further optimizes the sealing effect through the linkage of the air pressure regulating pipeline and the water pressure regulating passage. The air compressor in the air pressure regulating pipeline transports the gas to the air storage chamber or discharges it from the air storage chamber, and the pressure compensator transmits the air pressure change to the water pressure regulating passage; the end of the liquid sac pressure regulating branch is connected to the pressure compensator. When the pressure of the liquid sac group is lower than the set threshold, the air pressure regulating pipeline indirectly increases the liquid sac water injection pressure through the pressure compensator, and the water storage chamber pressure regulating branch of the water pressure regulating passage actively injects or discharges seawater through a water pump to adjust the water pressure difference inside and outside the cavity. The flexible sealing membrane in the liquid sac group deforms synchronously during the expansion process, thereby enhancing the sealing stability between the liquid sac and the sealing ring and preventing fluid leakage.

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