Flexible cable transportation bag and transportation system

Abstract

The invention discloses a flexible cable transportation bag and a transportation system, and belongs to the technical field of ship engineering. Comprising a power tugboat and modular flexible cable transportation bags connected in series, each flexible cable transportation bag is composed of a conical water retaining shield and a PE composite cylindrical barrel, and axial steel strands in an annular array are embedded in the barrels to serve as axial traction force; a pipe truss supporting assembly is arranged in the center rigid sleeve, radial loads are converted into axial tension through double symmetrical wheel spokes, and main traction force is transmitted through a center traction cable penetrating through the center rigid sleeve. The adjacent flexible cable conveying bags are hinged through the fixing discs and the anti-disengaging bolts, and a million-level bag body continuous formation is formed. When the capsule body is immersed, self-balance of internal pressure and external pressure is achieved, the size of a single capsule breaks through the radius of 5-10 m, the length of 60-100 m and the water carrying capacity of 0.5-3 thousand tons, and compared with a traditional oil tanker, the manufacturing cost is reduced by 40%. According to the invention, the defects of volume defect and overhigh cost of a cross-regional or intercontinental water transfer project carrier are overcome, and large-scale low-loss transportation from a fresh water rich region to a water-deficient region is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of marine flexible mass water transport technology, specifically to a flexible cable transport bladder and transport system. Background Technology

[0002] The distribution of freshwater resources worldwide is extremely uneven. Some areas are rich in freshwater but rarely utilize it, resulting in its indiscriminate discharge into the ocean. Other areas are arid and lack freshwater, making human survival impossible. For example, along the Atlantic coasts of Canada and Greenland, as well as the Nordic countries, freshwater reserves are extremely abundant, with large quantities being discharged into the ocean unused. Meanwhile, densely populated European and North African countries face freshwater scarcity, desalinating billions of cubic meters of seawater annually. Under current technological conditions, many countries employ seawater desalination technology to alleviate this problem. The widespread use of fossil fuels to produce freshwater causes atmospheric and environmental pollution and is extremely costly; even with the later adoption of renewable energy sources, the cost remains high.

[0003] The large amount of freshwater flowing into the ocean without proper regulation has also caused many problems, such as rising sea levels, reduced seawater salinity, and damage to the marine environment.

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a land-based train-like system for transporting water to the sea, loading freshwater flowing into the sea from areas with abundant water resources into the system and transporting it to water-scarce areas. A powered tugboat tows a train of flexible water tanks to transport the water to where it is needed, similar to a train on land.

[0005] Traditional tankers lack effective support structures and bear the towing force themselves, limiting the volume of a single tanker to around 100 tons. Transporting 10,000 tons requires hundreds of independent units, leading to a surge in convoy resistance. Steel cable articulation systems (such as train traction hooks) amplify impact loads under dynamic sea conditions. While large oil tankers can carry 10,000 tons of water, their hulls must withstand internal and external pressure differences (internal water pressure > external seawater pressure), resulting in a steel plate thickness increase of over 50%, soaring manufacturing costs, and limiting their carrying capacity to only a few hundred thousand tons.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a low-loss, highly flexible, and large-scale freshwater transport system to efficiently transfer massive amounts of freshwater flowing into the sea to water-scarce areas. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a flexible cable transport bag and transport system, which aims to overcome the defects of the prior art, solve the technical problems mentioned in the background art, and increase the transport capacity to the level of millions of tons.

[0008] To address this, the present invention proposes a flexible cable transport bladder, comprising a central cylindrical body and conical water-blocking shields at both ends. The inner side of the cylindrical body is provided with a central traction cable and several axially equidistant tubular truss support assemblies. Each tubular truss support assembly includes a coaxially arranged tubular truss support ring and a central rigid sleeve, as well as two sets of symmetrically distributed tension wheel spokes connecting the two. Multiple central rigid sleeves are connected in series via the central traction cable, and both ends of the central traction cable are connected to a fixed disc in the middle of the conical water-blocking shield. This serves as a connection between adjacent flexible cable transport bladders.

[0009] The cylindrical body has a PE flexible cylinder wall formed by winding a PE film. The PE flexible cylinder wall is embedded with axial steel strands arranged in a ring. The two ends of the steel strands are fixed to the first pipe truss support ring. The first pipe truss support ring at the outermost end of the flexible cable transport bag is fixedly connected to the conical water-blocking shield, thereby forming a sealed bag with axial and radial support.

[0010] Preferably, the flexible cable transport bag further includes: a second tubular truss support ring, disposed between adjacent tubular truss support components; and untensioned wheel spokes for connecting the second tubular truss support ring and the central rigid sleeve, wherein the untensioned wheel spokes and the flange grooves of the second tubular truss support ring are arranged in a double-row annular array.

[0011] Preferably, the length of the central rigid sleeve and the diameter of the first truss support ring satisfy: L≤0.25D, where L is the length of the central rigid sleeve and D is the diameter of the first truss support ring.

[0012] Preferably, the tension wheel spokes are arranged in a ring array around the central rigid sleeve, and the two sets of tension wheel spokes are radially symmetrical about the first truss support ring; the inner side of the first truss support ring is provided with two rows of ring array flange slots for anchoring the ends of the tension wheel spokes.

[0013] Preferably, the central rigid sleeve is a high-strength stainless steel sleeve with a keyway at its end for locking the clamp of the central traction cable.

[0014] Preferably, a connecting member is provided at the center of the fixed plate, and the outer end of the connecting member has a pin hole, which is then connected to the adjacent flexible cable transport bag through the anti-detachment pin.

[0015] Preferably, the central traction cable bears more than 99% of the axial traction load, and the PE flexible cylinder wall only bears circumferential stress and satisfies: σ 环向 ≤0.1·σ 轴向钢绞线 .

[0016] Preferably, the geometric parameters of the flexible cable transport bladder are: cylindrical body radius R: 5m≤R≤10m; axial length L of the flexible cable transport bladder: 60m≤L≤100m; cone angle α of the conical water-blocking shield: 10°≤α≤30°.

[0017] Preferably, each flexible cable transport bag includes at least three axially equidistant tubular truss support assemblies; adjacent tubular truss support assemblies form a truss-type linkage structure through tubular truss support rings and untensioned wheel spokes.

[0018] The present invention also proposes a flexible cable transport bladder system, including a powered tugboat and several of the above-mentioned flexible cable transport bladders, with adjacent flexible cable transport bladders connected by anti-detachment pins, and the head flexible cable transport bladder connected to the powered tugboat by a traction chain.

[0019] The flexible cable transport bag and transport system provided by this invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0020] 1) By employing a truss force transmission topology with tension wheel spokes and a central traction cable, the main traction force is transferred to the central traction cable system, allowing the bladder wall to withstand only circumferential stress. Combined with submersible pressure self-balancing, material thickness is reduced. The water capacity of a single bladder is increased to 0.5–30,000 tons.

[0021] 2) The axial steel strands of the ring array are embedded in the PE flexible cylinder wall, which greatly improves the tensile strength of the transport bladder; the second tube truss support ring connects the adjacent wheel spoke components, and the untensioned wheel spokes are distributed in a double-row array to transfer shear stress, which greatly improves the bending stiffness of the bladder formation, and the deflection angle between the bladders is small under sea conditions, avoiding the accident of steel cable breakage.

[0022] 3) By setting a connecting piece at the center of the fixed plate, vertical deflection is allowed; absorbing wave impact energy, the turning radius of the Class 100 capsule formation is reduced to 1.5 kilometers.

[0023] In addition to the purposes, features, and advantages described above, this application has other purposes, features, and advantages. A further detailed description of this application will be provided below with reference to the figures. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of this application. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of this application are used to explain this application and do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the flexible cable transport bag system of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the flexible cable transport bag in the flexible cable transport bag system of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a side view of the flexible cable transport capsule truss support assembly of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a front view of the flexible cable transport capsule truss support assembly of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the flexible cable transport bag of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a side view of the second flexible cable transport bladder tube truss support ring of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the conical water-retaining shield in the flexible cable transport system of the present invention;

[0032] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Powered tugboat; 2. Flexible cable transport bag; 3. Traction chain; 21. Conical water shield; 22. Tubular truss support assembly; 221. Tubular truss support ring one; 2211. Outer tube body; 2212. Inner tube body; 2213. Support truss; 222. Central rigid sleeve; 223. Tensioner spoke; 2231. Locking nut; 23. Cylindrical tube body; 231. PE flexible tube wall; 232. Steel strand; 24. Tubular truss support ring two; 25. Central traction cable; 26. Non-tensioner spoke; 27. Fixing disc; 271. Connector. Detailed Implementation

[0033] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0034] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, the flexible cable transport bladder system of the present invention is composed of several flexible cable transport bladders 2 connected in series, and the front end of the first flexible cable transport bladder is connected to the powered tugboat 1 by a traction chain 3.

[0035] The flexible cable transport capsule 2 is a composite structure capsule, mainly consisting of a cylindrical body 23 in the middle and conical water-blocking shields 21 at both ends. Inside the cylindrical body 23, there are several truss support components 22, truss support rings 24, a central traction cable 25, and non-tensioned wheel spokes 26, etc., for radial and axial traction support of the transport capsule. A fixed plate 27 with connecting parts is also set at the center of the conical water-blocking shield 21 for traction of the entire flexible cable transport capsule.

[0036] Specifically, the tubular truss support assembly 22 includes a tubular truss support ring 221, a central rigid sleeve 222, and two sets of tension wheel spokes 223 connected between the two. Each set of tension wheel spokes 223 includes several spokes arranged in a circular array. The two sets of tension wheel spokes 223 are symmetrically distributed about the radial center plane of the tubular truss support ring 221. One end of each tension wheel spoke 223 is connected to the flange groove at one end of the central rigid sleeve 222 by a locking nut 2231, and the other end of the tension wheel spoke 223 is connected to the flange groove on the tubular truss support ring 221 by a locking nut 2231, forming a structure similar to bicycle wheel spokes.

[0037] Among them, such as Figure 4 As shown, the tubular truss support ring 221 includes an outer tubular body 2211, an inner tubular body 2212, and several supporting trusses 2213 between them, effectively ensuring its structural strength and stability. The tubular truss support ring 221 provides radial support for the cylindrical body 23.

[0038] like Figure 5 As shown, the main body of the cylindrical shell 23 is formed by winding multiple layers of PE film to form a flexible PE shell wall 231. During the forming process of the flexible PE shell wall 231, axially extending axial steel strands 232 are added between the multiple layers of PE film to form the skeleton structure of the cylindrical shell 23. The axial steel strands 232 are distributed in a ring array to ensure uniform stress on the cylindrical shell 23. The ends of the steel strands 232 are fixedly connected to the outer ring tube 2211 of the first or second truss support ring 24. The outer ring of the conical water shield 21 is then fixedly connected to the outermost truss support ring 221 of the flexible cable transport bag. The axial steel strands 232 can enhance the axial strength of the cylindrical shell and prevent cracking due to axial traction. The outer layer of the cylindrical shell 23 uses a PE film winding layer and integrates the ring array of axial steel strands 232, increasing the tensile strength to 800MPa.

[0039] PE material is odorless and non-toxic, with excellent low-temperature resistance, making it suitable for manufacturing cups and water pipes. It generally poses no harm to human health. Furthermore, PE material exhibits excellent resistance to seawater corrosion, exhibiting no electrochemical corrosion, making it suitable for pipelines used in seawater environments. PE pipes can resist the salt, chlorides, and other corrosive substances in seawater, thus ensuring safe use in seawater. Therefore, the inner and outer layers of the PE flexible cylinder wall 231 do not require additional coatings to meet the requirements for corrosion protection and drinking water safety.

[0040] like Figure 2As shown, a second truss support ring 24 is provided between two adjacent truss support components 22. The second truss support ring 24 has the same structure and dimensions as the first truss support ring 221 in the truss support component 22, both being double-layer circular ring structures. Both the first truss support ring 221 and the second truss support ring 24 are provided with two rows of annular array distributed flange slots. The flange slots on the second truss support ring 24 are connected to the central rigid sleeve 222 of the adjacent truss support component 22 through the untensioned wheel spokes 26, which serve as axial support and radial support.

[0041] The central rigid sleeve 222 has a central traction cable 25 running through it, transferring the axial traction force required for the entire flexible cable transport bag 2 from the cylindrical body 23 to the central traction cable 25. The central traction cable 25 bears more than 99% of the axial traction load, and the PE flexible cylinder wall 231 only bears circumferential stress and satisfies: σ 环向 ≤0.1·σ 轴向钢绞线 The design strength of the cylindrical body 23 is reduced, thus reducing manufacturing difficulty and cost.

[0042] The ratio of the length of the central rigid sleeve 222 to the diameter of the tubular truss support ring 221 satisfies: L≤0.25D, where L is the length of the central rigid sleeve and D is the diameter of the tubular truss support ring 221.

[0043] Each flexible cable transport capsule 2 has a central traction cable 25 connected to both ends of its inner side, with a fixing plate 27 at the center of each fixing plate 27. The inner end of the fixing plate 271 is fixed to the end of the central traction cable 25 via a locking assembly; the outer end is connected to another set of flexible cable transport capsules 2 via an anti-detachment pin. This allows dozens to hundreds of flexible cable transport capsules 2 to be connected in series via anti-detachment pins, forming a single unit. The front end of the first flexible cable transport capsule 2 is connected to the powered tugboat 1 via a traction chain 3, thus forming a flexible cable transport capsule system. Loading is done directly using freshwater from the estuary, avoiding disturbance from land-based engineering.

[0044] The fixed plate 27 and the central connecting piece 271 are both cast or forged parts. The pin hole at the outer end of the connecting piece 271 is fitted with the anti-disengagement pin with a large clearance, allowing a vertical deflection range of ±8° to avoid rigid connection.

[0045] The flexible cable transport capsule structure of the flexible cable transport capsule system in this application has a significantly improved structural strength due to the use of a central traction cable 25, a tubular truss support assembly 22, a tubular truss support ring 24, and a conical water-retaining shield 21.

[0046] The outer layer of the flexible cable transport bladder structure uses a PE film wrapping layer integrated with annular array axial steel strands 232, increasing the tensile strength to 800MPa. The inner layer: the truss support assembly 22 converts the radial load into axial tension through the tension wheel spokes 223, allowing the flexible cable transport bladder to be extended to a radius of 5-10m and an axial length of 60-100m (i.e., cylindrical body radius R: 5m≤R≤10m; flexible cable transport bladder axial length L: 60m≤L≤100m; conical water shield cone angle α: 15°≤α≤30°). This increases the maximum water storage capacity of each flexible cable transport bladder to 0.5-30,000 tons, resulting in better transport efficiency compared to bladders with a capacity of less than 100 tons.

[0047] In addition, traditional 10,000-ton oil tankers float in the ocean, where the water pressure inside the hull is much greater than the atmospheric pressure outside. The hull is subjected to a pressure difference of >0.6MPa, which places very high demands on the structural strength of the steel plates used in the oil tanker and makes manufacturing difficult.

[0048] The flexible cable transport capsule and transport system of this application, when filled with water, have most of their structure submerged below the water surface. The outer wall of the flexible cable transport capsule 2 is supported by the pressure provided by seawater, while the inner wall is supported by the pressure of the transported fresh water, thus maintaining a relative balance between the inner and outer layers of the flexible cable transport capsule 2. The pressure difference between the inner and outer layers of the capsule is ΔP = (ρ... 海水 -ρ 淡水 )·g·h≈0.02·h(MPa); where h is the water depth. When the bladder is submerged, the pressure difference between the inside and outside approaches zero (for traditional oil tankers, ΔP>0.6MPa), and the material thickness is reduced by 40%. Therefore, the structural strength requirements of the bladder sidewall are greatly reduced, and the manufacturing difficulty is also greatly reduced.

[0049] In another embodiment, the flexible cable transport bag of this application includes at least three axially equidistant tubular truss support assemblies 22; adjacent assemblies are linked by tubular truss support rings 24 and untensioned wheel spokes 26 to form a truss-type linkage structure. Furthermore, the central rigid sleeve 222 is a high-strength stainless steel sleeve with a keyway on its outer wall for locking the clamp of the central traction cable 25.

[0050] The functions of the tubular truss support assembly 22 and the tubular truss support ring 24 in this application are as follows: the steel strands 232 inside the cylindrical body 23 are fixed to the outer ring of the tubular truss, and then connected to the central rigid sleeve 222 through the tension wheel spokes 223 to form a rigid support frame similar to a bicycle wheel. The support system is locked to the shaft cable by using the flange slot provided on the central sleeve. The force is then transmitted to the central traction cable 25 through the large-angle non-tension wheel spokes 26, so that the cylindrical body 23 will move with the central traction cable 25.

[0051] The inner and outer ends of the conical water-blocking shield 21 are fixed to the fixed plate 27 and the tubular truss support ring; the water-facing surface of the flexible cable transport bag 2 must have relatively high strength and cannot have large deformation; the conical water-blocking shield 21 has the function of preventing impact deformation.

[0052] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A flexible cable transport bag, characterized in that, It includes a central cylindrical body (23) and conical water-retaining shields (21) at both ends. The inner side of the cylindrical body (23) is provided with a central traction cable (25) and several axially equidistant tubular truss support assemblies (22). The tubular truss support assembly (22) includes a coaxially arranged tubular truss support ring (221) and a central rigid sleeve (222), as well as two sets of symmetrically distributed tension wheel spokes (223) connecting the two. The multiple central rigid sleeves (222) are connected in series by the central traction cable (25), and the two ends of the central traction cable (25) are connected to the fixed plate (27) in the middle of the conical water shield (21) for connection between two adjacent flexible cable transport bags 2. The cylindrical body (23) has a PE flexible cylindrical wall (231) formed by winding a PE film. The PE flexible cylindrical wall (231) is embedded with axial steel strands (232) arranged in a ring. The two ends of the steel strands (232) are fixed to the first pipe truss support ring (221). The first pipe truss support ring (221) at the outermost end of the flexible cable transport bag is fixedly connected to the conical water shield (21), thereby forming a closed bag with axial support and radial support.

2. The flexible cable transport bag according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Tube truss support ring two (24) is disposed between adjacent tube truss support components (22); The untensioned wheel spokes (26) are used to connect the second tube truss support ring (24) and the central rigid sleeve (222). The flange slots of the untensioned wheel spokes (26) and the second tube truss support ring (24) are arranged in a double-row ring array.

3. The flexible cable transport bag according to claim 2, characterized in that, The length of the central rigid sleeve (222) and the diameter of the first truss support ring (221) satisfy the following: L≤0.25D, where L is the length of the central rigid sleeve and D is the diameter of the truss support ring.

4. The flexible cable transport bag according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tension wheel spokes (223) are arranged in a ring array with the central rigid sleeve (222) as the center, and the two sets of tension wheel spokes (223) are radially symmetrical about the first tube truss support ring (221); The inner side of the truss support ring (221) is provided with two rows of annular array flange slots for anchoring the ends of the tension wheel spokes (223).

5. The flexible cable transport bag according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central rigid sleeve (222) is a high-strength stainless steel sleeve with a keyway at its end for locking the clamp of the central traction cable (25).

6. The flexible cable transport bag according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed plate (27) has a connecting piece (271) at its center. The outer end of the connecting piece (271) has a pin hole, which is then connected to the adjacent flexible cable transport bag (2) through the anti-detachment pin.

7. The flexible cable transport bag according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central traction cable (25) bears more than 99% of the axial traction load, and the PE flexible cylinder wall (231) only bears circumferential stress and satisfies: σ 环向 ≤0.1·σ 轴向钢绞线 .

8. The flexible cable transport bag according to claim 1, characterized in that, The geometric parameters of the flexible cable transport bag (2) are as follows: cylindrical body radius R: 5m≤R≤10m; axial length of the flexible cable transport bag L: 60m≤L≤100m; cone angle α of the conical water-blocking shield: 10°≤α≤30°.

9. The flexible cable transport bag according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, Each flexible cable transport capsule includes at least three axially equidistant tubular truss support assemblies (22); adjacent tubular truss support assemblies (22) form a truss linkage structure through tubular truss support rings (24) and untensioned wheel spokes (26).

10. A flexible cable transport capsule system, characterized in that, It includes a powered tugboat (1) and several flexible cable transport bags (2) as described in any one of claims 1-9, with adjacent flexible cable transport bags (2) connected by anti-detachment pins, and the head flexible cable transport bag (2) connected to the powered tugboat (1) by a traction chain (3).

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