Controllable fracture elastic self-protection type typhoon-resistant deep sea net cage

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of aquaculture technology, and discloses a controllable fracture elastic self-protection type typhoon-resistant deep-sea net cage, which comprises a ring-shaped support structure formed by connecting multiple high-strength steel net racks, and an aquaculture net cover coated on the inner side of the high-strength steel net rack to form a closed aquaculture space, and two adjacent high-strength steel net racks are connected through a connecting pipe. The connecting pipe comprises a rigid connecting body that can break under a preset load and multiple groups of high-elasticity connecting chains that take over the stress after the connecting body breaks to realize flexible connection. The present application proposes a self-adaptive state switching mechanism of "rigid stability-flexible buffering". By presetting the weak link that can break in the system, the net cage can actively switch from the rigid state of resisting deformation to the flexible state of dissipating energy through large deformation when encountering extreme wind and waves, so as to avoid the collapse of the overall structure by controllable local sacrifice.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aquaculture technology, and in particular to a controllable fracture elastic self-protecting typhoon-resistant deep-sea cage. Background Technology

[0002] Developing deep-sea aquaculture is a key path to expanding aquaculture space and ensuring the supply of high-quality aquatic products. As the dominant facility in deep-sea aquaculture, the wind and wave resistance of cages is the primary prerequisite for the industry's development. Currently, my country's deep-sea cage aquaculture industry has made significant progress. Mainstream high-density polyethylene (HDPE) circular gravity cages are designed and manufactured to withstand typhoons of a 50-year return period (Category 14-15), and their lifting operation mitigates the impact of typhoon peaks, significantly improving industry safety. However, as aquaculture activities extend further offshore and into more complex open sea areas, extreme weather events become more frequent, posing even more stringent challenges to the survivability of cage facilities under unpredictable and extremely strong winds and waves.

[0003] To address this challenge, the industry has been continuously working to improve the wind and wave resistance of net cages through structural optimization. Existing technical solutions mainly revolve around two approaches: "enhancing rigidity" or "introducing external buffers." For example, Chinese invention patent CN114532268B, entitled "A Large Steel Aquaculture Facility and Its Flexible Net Cage," proposes a flexible net cage woven using multi-level force lines (vertical and horizontal lines). This solution, by setting the length ratio of different force lines, allows the load to be transferred step-by-step from the netting to the final force line with the highest breaking load, aiming to improve the overall safety of the net cage under external loads by optimizing the force transmission path. The core of this technology lies in utilizing the synergistic force distribution of the flexible rope skeleton to resist deformation; however, when faced with extreme impacts far exceeding design standards, the force line system may fail due to overall overload, leading to structural collapse.

[0004] Another approach is to add a buffer structure around the net cage. For example, Chinese utility model patent CN202022331078.5, entitled "A Wave-Resistant Deep-Sea Aquaculture Net Cage," features a buffer plate that slides along a guide rod around the net, with a spring providing a restoring buffer force. This solution attempts to disperse the wave impact force through physical blocking and spring energy absorption. However, such additional buffer devices not only increase the complexity and cost of the structure, but they themselves may also suffer fatigue damage or detachment under repeated impacts from large waves, and the reliability of components such as springs faces challenges in the long-term harsh marine environment.

[0005] In summary, while current mainstream technologies perform well under normal and design-grade wind and wave conditions, they share common limitations when dealing with extreme typhoons exceeding design standards: their structural response modes are static or passive, lacking a "stress protection" mechanism that can actively and controllably alter the system's stiffness and force transmission path when the load exceeds a safety threshold. Whether strengthening rigid structures or adding external buffers, the design goal is to "hard-hit" the impact. Once the impact force exceeds the material's ultimate strength or the structure's load-bearing capacity, it often leads to plastic deformation and fracture of the main frame, or failure of the mooring system. This damage is usually irreversible and systemic, causing significant economic losses such as complete destruction of aquaculture facilities and escape of farmed fish. Especially in deep-sea areas, repair and reconstruction are difficult and costly; a single failure caused by extreme weather can be fatal for aquaculture enterprises.

[0006] Therefore, we propose a controllable fracture elastic self-protection typhoon-resistant deep-sea cage. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention mainly addresses the technical problems existing in the prior art and provides a controllable fracture elastic self-protecting typhoon-resistant deep-sea cage.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a controllable fracture elastic self-protecting typhoon-resistant deep-sea cage, comprising a ring support structure composed of multiple high-strength steel mesh frames, and an aquaculture net covering the inner side of the high-strength steel mesh frame to form a closed aquaculture space, wherein adjacent sections of the high-strength steel mesh frame are connected by connecting pipe fittings.

[0009] The connecting pipe includes a rigid connecting body that can break under a preset load and multiple sets of highly elastic connecting chains that take over the force after the connecting body breaks to achieve a flexible connection; the net cage also includes an anchor chain for mooring the net cage to the seabed.

[0010] The anchor chain includes a thin steel rope that can break under a preset load and a spring rope that takes over the force after the thin steel rope breaks to provide elastic cushioning.

[0011] The breakage of the connecting pipe and the breakage of the thin steel rope in the anchor chain work together to switch the cage from a rigid and stable state to a flexible and buffered state under extreme wind and wave loads.

[0012] Preferably, the connector is a rigid pipe with a pre-set stress notch groove in its middle as a weak point; the connecting chain is arranged along the axial direction of the connector and evenly distributed circumferentially, and is in a relaxed state under normal working conditions.

[0013] Preferably, the two ends of the connector are integrally formed with connecting flanges, and the connecting flanges are rigidly connected to the flanges at the ends of the high-strength steel space frame by fasteners.

[0014] Preferably, the anchor chain further includes a thick steel rope as the main body, the strength of which is higher than that of the thin steel rope; the thin steel rope is connected between the two sections of the thick steel rope, the elastic rope is evenly distributed on the outside of the thin steel rope, and the length of the elastic rope is greater than that of the thin steel rope, and the elastic rope is in a slack state under normal working conditions.

[0015] Preferably, the aquaculture netting includes a normal netting fitted onto the high-strength steel mesh frame, and a netting storage area is provided between adjacent normal nettings corresponding to the position of the connecting pipe; the netting storage area contains a folded netting, and when the connecting body breaks, causing the netting storage area to be stretched, the folded netting is released.

[0016] Preferably, the mesh storage area is a hollow shell structure, and a fracture groove is provided on the shell corresponding to the stress notch groove position of the connector.

[0017] Preferably, each section of the high-strength steel space frame has an independent buoyancy plate fixedly installed at its top, and there is no rigid connection between adjacent buoyancy plates.

[0018] Preferably, a flexible whip rope for reducing the direct impact of wind and waves is fixedly installed on the outer side of the buoyancy plate.

[0019] Preferably, the bottom of the aquaculture net is provided with a counterweight at the lower end of the net to maintain the vertical posture of the net cage.

[0020] Preferably, the high-strength steel space frame consists of four sets of arc-shaped members with the same radius, which are connected together to form a ring structure.

[0021] Beneficial effects

[0022] This invention provides a controllable fracture elastic self-protecting typhoon-resistant deep-sea cage. It has the following beneficial effects:

[0023] (1) This controllable fracture elastic self-protection typhoon-resistant deep-sea cage proposes an adaptive state switching mechanism of "rigid stability - flexible buffer". By pre-setting fractureable weak links in the system, the cage can actively switch from a rigid state that resists deformation to a flexible state that dissipates energy through large deformation when encountering extreme winds and waves, thereby avoiding the collapse of the overall structure with controllable local sacrifice.

[0024] (2) The controllable fracture elastic self-protection typhoon-resistant deep-sea cage is equipped with a mooring system that has the functions of graded unloading and elastic drifting. The anchor chain adopts a composite structure of "fine steel rope breaking first and elastic rope connecting later". When the load exceeds the standard, the fine steel rope breaks first to release huge tension, and then the highly elastic elastic rope is tightened, allowing the cage to drift elastically within the limited sea area to further dissipate energy, which works in conjunction with the fracture action of the connecting pipe. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art can derive other embodiments based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0026] The structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in this specification are only for the purpose of assisting those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed herein, and are not intended to limit the conditions under which the present invention can be implemented. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives that the present invention can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the connecting pipe fittings of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the anchor chain structure of the present invention.

[0030] Legend:

[0031] 1. High-strength steel space frame; 11. Independent buoyancy plate; 12. Flexible whip rope;

[0032] 2. Connecting pipe fittings; 21. Connecting flange; 22. Connecting chain; 23. Connecting body;

[0033] 3. Aquaculture netting; 31. Regular netting; 32. Folded netting; 33. Netting storage area;

[0034] 4. Counterweight at the bottom of the mesh fabric;

[0035] 5. Anchor chain; 51. Thin steel rope; 52. Elastic rope; 53. Coarse steel rope. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] Example: A controllable fracture elastic self-protecting typhoon-resistant deep-sea cage, such as... Figures 1-3 As shown, it includes a high-strength steel mesh frame 1, which is the core support structure of the net cage. In this embodiment, it consists of four sets of arc-shaped parts with the same radius, which can form a ring structure. Connecting pipes 2 connect the sections of the high-strength steel mesh frame 1. Under normal working conditions, it can maintain the regular shape of the net cage and ensure the stability of the breeding space. The inner side of the main body of the high-strength steel mesh frame 1 is covered with a breeding net 3 to form a closed breeding space.

[0038] Each set of high-strength steel space frame 1 has an independent buoyancy plate 11 fixedly installed on its top. There is no rigid connection between two adjacent sets of independent buoyancy plates 11, which can avoid stress transmission under the action of wind and waves, and at the same time provide buoyancy for the cage to maintain its floating state. Flexible whip ropes 12 are fixedly installed on the outside of the independent buoyancy plates 11, which can form an external buffer zone for the cage, weaken the direct impact of wind and waves on the cage, and reduce the initial load.

[0039] Furthermore, the connecting pipe fitting 2 includes a connecting body 23 and a connecting chain 22, which are the core components for realizing the switching between "rigid stability and flexible buffering" of the space frame. The connecting body 23 is a rigid core component made of high-strength steel. The middle part of the connecting body 23 is pre-stressed with a notch, which serves as a weak link for controllable fracture. Both ends are integrally formed with connecting flanges 21, which are rigidly connected to the flanges at the ends of the high-strength steel space frame 1 by fasteners. The connecting chain 22 is a flexible buffer component made of highly elastic material. Multiple sets of connecting chains 22 are arranged axially along the connecting body 23 and evenly distributed circumferentially along the connecting body 23. Under normal working conditions, they are not subjected to stress. When the connecting body 23 breaks, the connecting chain 22 can replace it to realize the flexible connection of the space frame.

[0040] The aquaculture netting 3 has a netting storage area 33 at the position corresponding to the connecting pipe 2, which is adapted to the deformation of the net frame to avoid tearing of the netting. The main component of the aquaculture netting 3 is the normal netting 31, which is fitted onto the high-strength steel net frame 1. A netting storage area 33 is set between two adjacent sets of normal netting 31. The netting storage area 33 is a hollow shell and has a fracture groove at the position corresponding to the stress notch cut of the connecting body 23. A folded netting 32 is also set in the netting storage area 33. Under normal working conditions, the folded netting 32 is folded and stored in the netting storage area 33. When the netting storage area 33 is broken along with the connecting body 23, the folded netting 32 is released.

[0041] The bottom of the aquaculture net 3 is equipped with a counterweight 4 at the lower end of the net, which maintains the vertical posture of the deep-sea cage through gravity and prevents the cage from tipping over or shifting.

[0042] Each set of high-strength steel mesh frame 1 is also fixedly installed with anchor chains 5. Anchor chains 5 include thin steel ropes 51, elastic ropes 52 and thick steel ropes 53. The thick steel ropes 53 are the main body of anchor chains 5. Thin steel ropes 51 are fixedly installed between two sets of thick steel ropes 53. The strength of the thick steel ropes 53 is higher than that of the thin steel ropes 51. Under normal working conditions, the thin steel ropes 51 bear the tension of the anchor chain. Under high-intensity wind and wave loads, they break first, triggering the flexible switching of the anchor chain. Multiple sets of elastic ropes 52 are evenly distributed on the outer side of the thin steel ropes 51. The length of the elastic ropes 52 is 1.5 times the length of the thin steel ropes 51. Under normal working conditions, the elastic ropes 52 are relaxed and not under stress. When the thin steel ropes 51 break, they immediately bear the stress, using high elasticity to make the net cages drift flexibly in a limited area. The thin steel ropes 51 and elastic ropes 52 work together to achieve the dual functions of fixing the net cages in the sea area and buffering wind and waves.

[0043] The working principle of this invention is as follows: Under normal wind and wave conditions, the high-strength steel mesh frame 1 is rigidly spliced ​​through the connecting body 23 of the connecting pipe 2 and the connecting flange 21 to maintain a regular ring shape. The independent buoyancy plate 11 provides floating support for the net cage, and there is no rigid connection between the plates to avoid stress transmission. The flexible whip rope 12 forms an external buffer zone to weaken the direct impact of normal wind and waves. The normal net 31 of the aquaculture net covers the mesh frame to form a closed aquaculture space. The folded net 32 ​​is gathered in the net storage area 33. The counterweight 4 at the lower end of the net uses gravity to maintain the vertical posture of the net cage. The thin steel rope 51 of the anchor chain 5 bears the tension to fix the net cage in the sea area. The elastic rope 52 is in a relaxed and unstressed state because it is longer than the thin steel rope 51. The thick steel rope 53 serves as the main body of the anchor chain to ensure the basic connection strength. When encountering high-intensity typhoon waves, the wave load exceeds the preset stress threshold of the connector 23, causing a controllable fracture at the stress notch of the connector 23. At this time, the highly elastic connecting chain 22 replaces the connector 23 to achieve flexible connection of each section of the net frame, preventing rigid fracture of the net frame. Simultaneously, the net storage area 33 opens along the fracture groove as the connector breaks, releasing the originally folded net 32 ​​to accommodate the deformation of the net frame caused by the change in connection method, preventing the aquaculture net from tearing. At the anchor chain, the strong wave load causes the thin steel rope 51 to reach the fracture threshold and break first, and the elastic rope 52 changes from a slack state to a stressed state. Utilizing its own high elasticity, it allows the net cage to flexibly drift within the area limited by the thick steel rope 53, buffering the impact of typhoon waves. Ultimately, it achieves elastic self-protection of the net cage under strong typhoon conditions, preserving the basic integrity of the aquaculture space while preventing overall damage to the net cage.

[0044] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of this invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A controllable fracture elastic self-protecting typhoon-resistant deep-sea cage, comprising a ring support structure composed of multiple high-strength steel mesh frames (1) connected together, and an aquaculture net (3) covering the inside of the high-strength steel mesh frame (1) to form a closed aquaculture space, characterized in that: The two adjacent high-strength steel space frame sections (1) are connected by connecting pipe fittings (2); The connecting pipe (2) includes a rigid connecting body (23) that can break under a preset load and multiple sets of highly elastic connecting chains (22) that take over the force after the connecting body (23) breaks to achieve a flexible connection. The connecting body (23) is a rigid pipe with a pre-set stress notch groove in its middle, which serves as a weak link for controllable fracture; the connecting chain (22) is arranged along the axial direction of the connecting body (23) and evenly distributed in the circumferential direction, and is in a relaxed state under normal working conditions; the two ends of the connecting body (23) are integrally formed with connecting flanges (21), and the connecting flanges (21) are rigidly connected to the flanges at the ends of the high-strength steel grid (1) by fasteners; The net cage also includes an anchor chain (5) for mooring the net cage to the seabed. The anchor chain (5) includes a thick steel rope (53) as the main body, a thin steel rope (51) that can break under a preset load, and a spring rope (52) that takes over the force after the thin steel rope (51) breaks to provide elastic buffer; the thin steel rope (51) is connected between two sections of the thick steel rope (53), the strength of the thick steel rope (53) is higher than that of the thin steel rope (51), the spring rope (52) is evenly distributed on the outside of the thin steel rope (51), and the length of the spring rope (52) is greater than that of the thin steel rope (51). The spring rope (52) is in a slack state under normal working conditions. The aquaculture net (3) includes a normal net (31) fitted onto the high-strength steel mesh frame (1), and a net storage area (33) is provided between adjacent normal nets (31) at the position corresponding to the connecting pipe (2); a folded net (32) is pre-stored in the net storage area (33), and the folded net (32) is released when the connecting body (23) breaks, causing the net storage area (33) to be stretched; The breakage of the connecting pipe (2) and the breakage of the thin steel rope (51) in the anchor chain (5) caused the cage to switch from a rigid and stable state to a flexible and buffered state under extreme wind and wave loads.

2. The controllable fracture elastic self-protecting typhoon-resistant deep-sea cage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mesh storage area (33) is a hollow shell structure, and a fracture groove is provided on its shell corresponding to the stress notch groove position of the connector (23).

3. The controllable fracture elastic self-protecting typhoon-resistant deep-sea cage according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each section of the high-strength steel space frame (1) has an independent buoyancy plate (11) fixedly installed at its top, and there is no rigid connection between adjacent buoyancy plates (11).

4. The controllable fracture elastic self-protecting typhoon-resistant deep-sea cage according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outer side of the buoyancy plate (11) is fixedly equipped with a flexible whip rope (12) for weakening the direct impact of wind and waves.

5. The controllable fracture elastic self-protecting typhoon-resistant deep-sea cage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the aquaculture net (3) is equipped with a counterweight (4) at the lower end of the net to maintain the vertical posture of the net cage.

6. The controllable fracture elastic self-protecting typhoon-resistant deep-sea cage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The high-strength steel space frame (1) consists of four sets of arc-shaped parts with the same radius, which are connected together to form a ring structure.

Images