Self-floating ballast body for underwater test and control method

Abstract

The invention relates to a self-floating ballast body for an underwater test and a control method, the self-floating ballast body comprises a buoyancy tank group, the buoyancy tank group comprises a middle tank body and a plurality of side tank bodies which surround and are fixed on the periphery of the middle tank body, the middle tank body and the side tank bodies are provided with air inlet and exhaust ports, the middle tank body is provided with a water inlet and outlet, and the side tank bodies are provided with water inlet and outlet ports; the middle tank body and the plurality of side tank bodies are communicated with each other through a gas pipeline and a liquid pipeline; the ballast balance weight comprises a middle balance weight connected to the bottom of the middle tank body and a plurality of side balance weights surrounding and fixed to the periphery of the middle balance weight, the side balance weights are connected to the bottoms of the side tank bodies, and each side balance weight is provided with a drainage and silt flushing channel communicated with the side tank body above the side balance weight. The self-floating ballast body for the underwater test sinks to the water bottom of a test water area and then is used for providing ballast for the underwater test of an underwater vehicle and diving equipment, so that the test working difficulty and the test cost are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of underwater operation testing technology, and in particular to a self-floating ballast vehicle and control method for underwater testing. Background Technology

[0002] As underwater exploration continues to advance, underwater vehicles and diving equipment are playing an increasingly important role. To ensure they possess good maneuverability, stability, stealth, and adaptability, researchers need to conduct reliable underwater tests and research.

[0003] Traditional underwater vehicles and diving equipment mainly rely on their own sinking and surfacing to conduct underwater tests (such as underwater acoustic tests). This usually requires a lot of installation and debugging work in the early stage to meet the conditions for underwater self-sinking and floating tests, which makes the test work difficult, costly and risky. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a self-floating ballast carrier and control method for underwater testing, in order to solve the problem that underwater vehicles and diving equipment mainly rely on their own sinking and surfacing to carry out underwater testing experiments in related technologies. This usually requires a lot of installation and debugging work in the early stage to meet the underwater self-sinking and floating test conditions, resulting in high test difficulty, high test cost and high test risk.

[0005] The first aspect of this application provides a self-floating pressure vessel for underwater testing, comprising: A buoyancy tank assembly includes an intermediate tank and multiple side tanks surrounding and fixed to the outer periphery of the intermediate tank. Both the intermediate tank and the side tanks are provided with air inlets and outlets. The intermediate tank is provided with water inlets and outlets. The intermediate tank and the multiple side tanks are interconnected through gas pipelines and liquid pipelines. Ballast weight, the ballast weight includes an intermediate counterweight block connected to the bottom of the intermediate tank, and a plurality of side counterweight blocks surrounding and fixed to the outer periphery of the intermediate counterweight block. The plurality of side counterweight blocks are connected to the bottom of the plurality of side tanks, and each side counterweight block has a drainage and sludge flushing channel that connects to the side tank above it.

[0006] In some embodiments: the intermediate tank and the side tank each include an upper tank and a lower skirt connected to each other, the upper tank is a hollow sealed tank, the lower skirt is a hollow tubular structure that runs through the top and bottom, and the lower skirt is located at the bottom of the upper tank and is fixedly connected to each other; The intermediate counterweight is fixed to the bottom of the lower skirt of the intermediate tank and forms a first water chamber with each other. The side counterweight is fixed to the bottom of the lower skirt of the side tank and forms a second water chamber with each other. The drainage and sludge flushing channel of the side counterweight is connected to the second water chamber.

[0007] In some embodiments: the upper tank of the intermediate tank and the upper tank of the side tank are both provided with the air inlet and exhaust port, and the gas pipeline includes an annular vent pipe fixed to the top of the upper tank of the intermediate tank, and the annular vent pipe is connected to the air inlet and exhaust port of the upper tank through branch gas pipes; The liquid pipeline includes multiple water supply pipelines connecting the upper tank of the intermediate tank and the upper tanks of each of the side tanks, and multiple return water pipelines connecting the lower skirt of the intermediate tank and the lower skirt of each of the side tanks.

[0008] In some embodiments: the inlet and outlet include a first inlet and outlet provided on the upper tank body of the intermediate tank body, and a second inlet and outlet provided on the lower skirt of the intermediate tank body; The liquid pipeline also includes a first inlet / outlet pipeline connected to the first inlet / outlet port, and a second inlet / outlet pipeline connected to the second inlet / outlet port; An inlet / outlet valve is connected between the first inlet / outlet pipeline and the second inlet / outlet pipeline. The inlet / outlet valve is an electrically controlled valve or a pneumatically controlled valve.

[0009] In some embodiments, the system further includes a control valve platform, which includes a first control valve or a first controller for controlling the opening and closing of the inlet and outlet valves, and an inlet and outlet pipe connected to the annular vent pipe for controlling the air intake or exhaust of the plurality of upper tanks. The inlet and outlet pipes are equipped with a second control valve for filling the multiple upper tanks with gas, an outlet valve connected to the inlet and outlet pipes for discharging the gas from each of the upper tanks, and a third control valve and a back pressure valve connected to the inlet and outlet pipes for controlling the gas pressure in each of the upper tanks.

[0010] In some embodiments: a pulley assembly is fixedly connected to the upper tank of the intermediate tank, and the upper tank of the intermediate tank and the upper tanks of the multiple side tanks are fixedly connected to each other by connecting flanges; Lifting lugs are connected to the upper tank of the intermediate tank and the upper tanks of the multiple side tanks. Among the multiple side tanks, at least two of the side tanks that are circumferentially symmetrical have cable connecting seats fixedly connected to the top of their upper tanks.

[0011] In some embodiments: the outer periphery of the intermediate counterweight is provided with a crossbeam connecting multiple side counterweights, and the intermediate counterweight, the crossbeam and the side counterweights are integrally cast reinforced concrete structures; The top of the intermediate counterweight and the multiple side counterweights are all pre-embedded with flange seats. The intermediate counterweight is detachably connected to the intermediate tank body through the flange seats, and the side counterweights are detachably connected to the side tank bodies through the flange seats.

[0012] In some embodiments: the intermediate counterweight and the plurality of side counterweights are all cylindrical structures, and the drainage and silt flushing channel includes a first inlet and outlet channel located in the middle of the side counterweight and extending vertically, and a plurality of second inlet and outlet channels located on the outer periphery of the first inlet and outlet channel; Each of the second inlet and outlet channels includes a vertical channel that runs vertically through the side counterweight and a horizontal channel that connects to the vertical channel and extends toward the side wall of the side counterweight.

[0013] In some embodiments: the bottom of the side counterweight is a truncated cone with a larger top and a smaller bottom, and a plurality of vertical channels pass through the conical surface of the truncated cone; the bottom height of the middle counterweight is higher than the bottom height of the side counterweight. The openings of the first inlet / outlet channel, vertical channel, and horizontal channel of each of the side counterweight blocks are provided with steel mesh.

[0014] A second aspect of this application provides a control method for a self-floating ballast for underwater testing, the method using the self-floating ballast for underwater testing described in any of the above embodiments, the method including a sinking step and a floating step; The sinking step includes: The interconnected buoyancy tank assembly and ballast counterweights, designed to be submerged in water, were floated together to the designated location in the test water area. Open the inlet and outlet valves to allow the water from the test area to flow into the buoyancy tank assembly by the set weight of water. Once the water entering the buoyancy tank reaches the set weight, close the drain valve and open the second control valve to fill the buoyancy tank with compressed air at the set pressure through the inlet and outlet ports. When the sum of the weight of the buoyancy tank assembly and the ballast counterweight and the weight of the compressed air in the buoyancy tank assembly exceeds the buoyancy, the self-floating ballast carrier is released, the second control valve is closed, and the self-floating ballast carrier is gradually sunk into the water. When the self-floating pressure vessel sinks to the bottom of the water, open the inlet and outlet valves to allow the water in the test area to flow into the buoyancy tank group through the inlet and outlet, empty the air in the buoyancy tank group, and fill the buoyancy tank group with water. The ascent step includes: Open the second control valve to fill the buoyancy tank group with compressed air at the set pressure through the inlet and outlet ports, and open the inlet and outlet valves to discharge the water in the buoyancy tank group. Water discharged from the buoyancy tank group enters the drainage and silt flushing channel, and the water jetting out from the drainage and silt flushing channel washes away the silt and soil around the ballast counterweight. When the buoyancy of the buoyancy tank group is greater than the weight of the ballast counterweight, the buoyancy tank group begins to drive the ballast counterweight to gradually float up. When the buoyancy tank group floats to the surface, the second control valve is closed to stop air inflation, and the inlet and outlet valves are closed to stop drainage. Once the self-floating ballast carrier rises to the surface, the buoyancy tank assembly and ballast counterweight are floated to the shore, and the third control valve is opened to purge the air from the buoyancy tank assembly.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided in this application include: This application provides a self-floating ballast for underwater testing and a control method thereof. The self-floating ballast for underwater testing includes a buoyancy tank assembly comprising a central tank and multiple side tanks surrounding and fixed to the periphery of the central tank. Both the central tank and the side tanks have air inlets and outlets, with the central tank having a water inlet and outlet. The central tank and the multiple side tanks are interconnected via gas and liquid pipelines. A ballast counterweight is also provided, comprising a central counterweight block connected to the bottom of the central tank and multiple side counterweight blocks surrounding and fixed to the periphery of the central counterweight block. These side counterweight blocks are connected to the bottoms of the multiple side tanks, and each side counterweight block has a drainage and flushing channel connecting to the side tank above it.

[0016] Therefore, the self-buoyant ballast material of this application, used for underwater testing, provides ballast for underwater vehicles and diving equipment after sinking to the bottom of the test area. This allows the hull or large-scale model of the underwater vehicle or diving equipment, which lacks buoyancy, to be lowered to a set depth for underwater testing. The hull or large-scale model of the tested underwater vehicle or diving equipment does not require buoyancy equipment, thus reducing the extensive installation and debugging work required beforehand, lowering the difficulty and cost of testing, eliminating the need for personnel to conduct underwater testing, and reducing the risks associated with underwater testing.

[0017] Furthermore, the self-floating ballast carrier for underwater testing in this application consists of a buoyancy tank assembly and a ballast counterweight. The ballast counterweight provides buoyancy pull for the hull or large-scale model of the underwater vehicle or diving equipment to sink to a set depth. When the buoyancy tank assembly is inflated and deflated, it provides buoyancy to the ballast counterweight, which not only facilitates the floating of the self-floating ballast carrier to a set position in the predetermined water area, but also provides precise buoyancy control for the sinking and rising of the ballast counterweight, thereby facilitating precise deployment and dredging and recovery of the ballast counterweight. When the buoyancy tank assembly is vented and filled with water, it, together with the ballast counterweight, provides a fulcrum for the sinking of the hull or large-scale model of the underwater vehicle or diving equipment to the set depth, increasing the buoyancy pull for underwater testing of the underwater vehicle or diving equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a structural front view of an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a top view of the structure of an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a structural cross-sectional view of an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural view of an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional view of the structure from another perspective of an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the ballast counterweight structure according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the control valve platform and the buoyancy tank assembly in an embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure label: 10. Buoyancy tank assembly; 11. Intermediate tank; 12. Side tank; 13. Upper tank; 14. Lower skirt; 15. Water supply pipeline; 16. Return water pipeline; 17. Connecting flange; 18. Cable connection seat; 19. Annular vent pipe; 20. Ballast counterweight; 21. Intermediate counterweight block; 22. Side counterweight block; 23. Drainage and silt flushing channel; 24. Crossbeam; 25. Steel mesh; 26. Flange seat; 27. First inlet and outlet drainage channel; 28. Vertical channel; 29. ​​Horizontal channel; 30. Pulley block; 40. Control valve console; 41. First control valve; 42. Second control valve; 43. Third control valve; 44. Back pressure valve; 45. Exhaust valve; 46. Inlet and outlet pipes; 50. Air compressor unit; 111. Inlet and outlet; 112. Branch air pipe; 113. First inlet and outlet pipe; 114. Second inlet and outlet pipe; 115. Lifting lug; 116. Inlet and outlet valve; 117. First water tank; 118. Second water tank. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0022] This application provides a self-floating ballast vehicle and control method for underwater testing, which solves the problem that underwater vehicles and diving equipment mainly rely on their own sinking and surfacing to carry out underwater testing experiments in related technologies. This usually requires a lot of installation and debugging work in the early stage to meet the underwater self-sinking and floating test conditions, resulting in high test difficulty, high test cost and high test risk.

[0023] See Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the first aspect of this application provides a self-floating pressure vessel for underwater testing, comprising: The buoyancy tank assembly 10 includes an intermediate tank 11 and a plurality of side tanks 12 surrounding and fixed to the outer periphery of the intermediate tank 11. The total number of the intermediate tank 11 and the plurality of side tanks 12 and the drainage volume are specifically set according to the self-weight of the ballast counterweight 20 and the underwater buoyancy of the underwater vehicle and diving equipment under test.

[0024] Both the intermediate tank 11 and the side tank 12 are provided with inlet and outlet ports 111, which are used to fill the intermediate tank 11 and the side tank 12 with compressed air or to vent the gas inside the intermediate tank 11 and the side tank 12. The intermediate tank 11 is provided with inlet and outlet ports, which are used to fill the intermediate tank 11 and the side tank 12 with water or to drain the water stored in the intermediate tank 11 and the side tank 12.

[0025] The intermediate tank 11 and multiple side tanks 12 are interconnected via gas and liquid pipelines. The gas pipelines connect the intermediate tank 11 and the multiple side tanks 12 to enable synchronized inflation and deflation, thereby maintaining consistent gas pressure within the intermediate tank 11 and the multiple side tanks 12. The liquid pipelines connect the intermediate tank 11 and the multiple side tanks 12 to enable synchronized water filling and drainage, thereby maintaining consistent liquid levels within the intermediate tank 11 and the multiple side tanks 12.

[0026] The ballast counterweight 20 includes a central counterweight block 21 connected to the bottom of the central tank 11, and multiple side counterweight blocks 22 surrounding and fixed to the outer periphery of the central counterweight block 21. The number of side counterweight blocks 22 is the same as the number of side tanks 12. The multiple side counterweight blocks 22 are connected to the bottom of the multiple side tanks 12, and each side counterweight block 22 has a drainage and flushing channel 23 connecting to the side tank 12 above it.

[0027] The ballast counterweight 20 and the buoyancy tank assembly 10 work together. When the buoyancy tank assembly 10 is filled with water and the ballast counterweight 20 is submerged at the bottom of the water, the working depth of the ballast counterweight 20 and the buoyancy tank assembly 10 in the water is greater than 200m, and the weight of the ballast counterweight 20 and the buoyancy tank assembly 10 in the water is greater than 100t. This provides ballast force for the hull or large-scale model of the underwater vehicle and diving equipment under test to be tested underwater, and submerges the hull or large-scale model of the underwater vehicle and diving equipment at a set depth for underwater testing.

[0028] The self-buoyant ballast carrier used in this application embodiment is used to provide ballast for underwater testing of the hull or large-scale model of the underwater vehicle and diving equipment after sinking to the bottom of the test water area. This allows the hull or large-scale model of the underwater vehicle and diving equipment without buoyancy to be sunk to a set depth in the water for underwater testing.

[0029] The hull or large-scale model of the underwater vehicle and diving equipment being tested does not require the installation of buoyancy control equipment, thereby reducing the extensive installation and debugging work required in the early stages of the test, lowering the difficulty and cost of the test, eliminating the need for personnel to conduct underwater testing, and reducing the risk of underwater testing.

[0030] Furthermore, the self-floating ballast carrier for underwater testing in this embodiment consists of a buoyancy tank assembly 10 and a ballast counterweight 20. The ballast counterweight 20 provides a sinking pull for the hull or large-scale model of the underwater vehicle and diving equipment to sink to a set depth, thereby sinking the hull or large-scale model of the underwater vehicle and diving equipment without buoyancy to the water area at the set depth for underwater testing.

[0031] When the buoyancy tank group 10 is inflated and dewatered, it provides buoyancy for the ballast weight 20. This not only facilitates the floating of the self-floating ballast carrier to the designated position in the predetermined water area, but also provides precise control over the sinking and floating movements of the ballast weight 20, thereby facilitating the precise deployment and silt removal and recovery of the ballast weight 20.

[0032] After the buoyancy tank group 10 is vented and filled with water, together with the ballast counterweight 20, it provides a sinking pull for the hull or large-scale model of the underwater vehicle and diving equipment to sink to the set depth. After the buoyancy tank group 10 is vented and filled with water, the total weight of the buoyancy tank group 10 and the ballast counterweight 20 in the water reaches 100t, which increases the sinking pull for underwater tests of the underwater vehicle and diving equipment.

[0033] In some alternative embodiments: see Figures 1 to 5 As shown in the figure, this application provides a self-floating ballast for underwater testing. The intermediate tank 11 and the side tanks 12 of the self-floating ballast both include an upper tank 13 and a lower skirt 14 that are connected to each other. The upper tank 13 is a vertical cylindrical hollow sealed tank, and the lower skirt 14 is a hollow tubular structure that runs vertically through the upper tank 13. The lower skirt 14 is located at the bottom of the upper tank 13 and is fixedly connected to it.

[0034] The intermediate counterweight 21 is fixed to the bottom of the lower skirt seat 14 of the intermediate tank 11 and forms a first water tank 117 with each other. The side counterweight 22 is fixed to the bottom of the lower skirt seat 14 of the side tank 12 and forms a second water tank 118 with each other. The drainage and sludge flushing channel 23 of the side counterweight 22 is connected to the second water tank 118.

[0035] In this embodiment, both the intermediate tank 11 and the side tank 12 include an upper tank 13 and a lower skirt 14 connected to each other. The upper tank 13 is used for storing gas or water. When the upper tank 13 stores gas, it is used to increase the buoyancy of the self-floating pressure vessel to automatically float to the water surface. When the upper tank 13 stores water, it is used to reduce the buoyancy of the self-floating pressure vessel to automatically sink to the bottom of the water.

[0036] The lower skirt 14 is located between the upper tank 13 and the ballast counterweight 20. The lower skirt 14 not only facilitates the transition between the upper tank 13 and the ballast counterweight 20, but also forms a second water tank 118 with the side counterweight block 22 and the side tank 12. When water discharged from the upper tank 13 enters the second water tank 118, the water in the second water tank 118 is jetted out through the drainage and silt-flushing channel 23 to flush the bottom, pushing the ballast counterweight 20 to detach from the silt and float to the surface for recovery.

[0037] In some alternative embodiments: see Figures 1 to 5 and Figure 7 As shown in the embodiment of this application, a self-floating ballast vessel for underwater testing is provided. Both the upper tank 13 of the intermediate tank 11 and the upper tank 13 of the side tanks 12 of this self-floating ballast vessel are provided with inlet and outlet ports 111. The gas pipeline includes an annular vent pipe 19 fixed to the top of the upper tank 13 of the intermediate tank 11. The annular vent pipe 19 is connected to multiple inlet and outlet ports 111 of the upper tanks 13 via branch vent pipes 112.

[0038] The liquid piping includes multiple water inlet pipes 15 connecting the upper tank 13 of the intermediate tank 11 and the upper tank 13 of each side tank 12, and multiple water return pipes 16 connecting the lower skirt seat 14 of the intermediate tank 11 and the lower skirt seat 14 of each side tank 12. The inlet and outlet ports include a first inlet and outlet port opened on the upper tank 13 of the intermediate tank 11, and a second inlet and outlet port opened on the lower skirt seat 14 of the intermediate tank 11.

[0039] The liquid pipeline also includes a first inlet / outlet pipeline 113 connected to the first inlet / outlet port and a second inlet / outlet pipeline 114 connected to the second inlet / outlet port. An inlet / outlet valve 116 is connected between the first inlet / outlet pipeline 113 and the second inlet / outlet pipeline 114. The inlet / outlet valve 116 is preferably, but not limited to, an electrically controlled valve or a pneumatically controlled valve.

[0040] In this embodiment, the annular vent pipe 19 is used to introduce compressed air into multiple upper tanks 13 through branch pipes 112 and inlet / outlet ports 111, thereby simultaneously filling the multiple upper tanks 13 with compressed air. The annular vent pipe 19 is connected to a compressed air source (such as an air compressor unit 50) through inlet / outlet pipes 46. The air compressor unit 50 delivers compressed air to the annular vent pipe 19 through the inlet / outlet pipes 46 and then simultaneously fills the multiple upper tanks 13 with air.

[0041] The upper tank 13 of the intermediate tank 11 and the upper tank 13 of each side tank 12 are interconnected by multiple water pipes 15. When water is filled and sinks, the inlet and outlet valves 116 are opened and the water entering the upper tank 13 of the intermediate tank 11 through the first inlet and outlet pipe 113 enters the upper tank 13 of each side tank 12 through multiple water pipes 15, thereby making the liquid level in the upper tank 13 of each side tank 12 consistent.

[0042] The lower skirt seat 14 of the intermediate tank 11 is connected to the lower skirt seat 14 of each side tank 12 through multiple return water pipes 16. When filling and draining, the water in the upper tank 13 of each side tank 12 is opened through multiple water pipes 15 and flows back to the upper tank 13 of the intermediate tank 11. The water entering the upper tank 13 of the intermediate tank 11 enters the lower skirt seat 14 of the intermediate tank 11 through the first inlet and outlet pipe 113, the inlet and outlet valve 116 and the second inlet and outlet pipe 114.

[0043] Water entering the lower skirt seat 14 of the intermediate tank 11 enters the lower skirt seat 14 of each side tank 12 through multiple return water pipes 16. The water entering the lower skirt seat 14 of each side tank 12 is discharged through the drainage and sludge flushing channel 23 of the side counterweight block 22 to flush the bottom of the water, and pushes the ballast counterweight 20 to detach from the sludge and float to achieve recovery.

[0044] In some alternative embodiments: see Figure 7As shown, this application embodiment provides a self-floating pressure vessel for underwater testing. The self-floating pressure vessel also includes a control valve platform 40, which includes a first control valve 41 or a first controller for controlling the opening and closing of the inlet and outlet valves 116, and an inlet and outlet pipe 46 connected to an annular vent pipe 19 for controlling the intake or exhaust of multiple upper tanks 13.

[0045] The intake and exhaust pipe 46 is provided with a second control valve 42 for filling multiple upper tanks 13 with air. The intake ports of the first control valve 41 and the second control valve 42 are connected to an air compressor unit 50, an exhaust valve 45 connected to the intake and exhaust pipe 46 for discharging gas from each upper tank 13, and a third control valve 43 and a back pressure valve 44 connected to the intake and exhaust pipe 46 for controlling the gas pressure in each upper tank 13.

[0046] After the self-floating pressure vessel sinks to the bottom of the water (200m underwater), the air compressor unit 50 is started, the first control valve 41 is opened to supply air to the pneumatic device of the inlet and outlet valve 116 to open the inlet and outlet valve 116, and at the same time the back pressure valve 44 is set to a back pressure of 2.0MPa (the actual back pressure is determined according to the depth of the bottom point), and the third control valve 43 is opened.

[0047] Water from the water body is poured into multiple upper tanks 13 through inlet and outlet valves 116. After the air pressure in the multiple upper tanks 13 rises to the set pressure of the back pressure valve 44, the exhaust valve automatically opens. At the same time, the third control valve 43 is closed and the exhaust valve 45 is opened. The high-pressure air in the multiple upper tanks 13 is gradually emptied through the exhaust valve 45. When the multiple upper tanks 13 are filled with water, the total weight of the self-floating pressure carrier exceeds 100t.

[0048] When the self-floating pressure carrier needs to float, the back pressure valve 44 is set to 1.0 MPa. The air compressor unit 50 is started, the first control valve 41 supplies air to the pneumatic device of the inlet and outlet valve 116 to open the inlet and outlet valve 116, and the second control valve 42 is opened to fill the multiple upper tanks 13 with 2.4 MPa of air. The water in the multiple upper tanks 13 is discharged into the water area through the inlet and outlet valves 116 (the third control valve 43 and the exhaust valve 45 are both in the closed state).

[0049] When the water in the multiple upper tanks 13 is nearly emptied, the self-floating pressure carrier gains positive buoyancy and begins to rise. The second control valve 42 is closed to stop inflation, and air is supplied to the pneumatic device of the inlet / outlet valves 116 via the first control valve 41 to close the valves. The third control valve 43 is opened, allowing the self-floating pressure carrier to rise freely, and the air in the multiple upper tanks 13 is discharged through the back pressure valve 44. After the self-floating pressure carrier rises to the surface, the third control valve 43 is closed, and the exhaust valve 45 is opened to release the 1.0 MPa air from the multiple upper tanks 13.

[0050] In some alternative embodiments: see Figures 1 to 5As shown, this application embodiment provides a self-floating pressure vessel for underwater testing. The upper tank 13 of the intermediate tank 11 of the self-floating pressure vessel is fixedly connected to a pulley seat, and a pulley group 30 is connected to the pulley seat. The upper tank 13 of the intermediate tank 11 and the upper tank 13 of multiple side tanks 12 are fixedly connected to each other through connecting flanges 17.

[0051] Lifting lugs 115 are connected to the upper tank 13 of the intermediate tank 11 and the upper tank 13 of the multiple side tanks 12. Among the multiple side tanks 12, at least two circumferentially symmetrical side tanks 12 have cable connecting seats 18 fixedly connected to the top of their upper tank 13.

[0052] The pulley system 30 installed at the top of the intermediate tank 11 is used to connect the hull or large-scale model of the buoyant underwater vehicle and diving equipment to a set depth of water for underwater testing via ropes. Among the multiple side tanks 12, at least two circumferentially symmetrical side tanks 12 have cable connectors 18 at their tops for jointly threading ropes to adjust the sinking attitude and sinking position of the self-buoyant ballast.

[0053] In some alternative embodiments: see Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, this application embodiment provides a self-floating pressure carrier for underwater testing. The outer periphery of the central counterweight block 21 of the self-floating pressure carrier is provided with a crossbeam 24 connecting multiple side counterweight blocks 22. The central counterweight block 21, the crossbeam 24 and the side counterweight blocks 22 are integrally cast reinforced concrete structures.

[0054] The tops of the intermediate counterweight 21 and multiple side counterweights 22 are all pre-embedded with flange seats 26. The intermediate counterweight 21 is detachably connected to the lower skirt seat 14 of the intermediate tank body 11 through the flange seats 26, and the side counterweights 22 are detachably connected to the lower skirt seat 14 of the side tank body 12 through the flange seats 26. The intermediate counterweight 21, the crossbeam 24, and the side counterweights 22 are integrally cast reinforced concrete structures, which facilitates on-site reinforcement binding and concrete pouring.

[0055] The central counterweight 21 and the multiple side counterweights 22 are both cylindrical structures. The drainage and silt-removing channel 23 includes a first drainage channel 27 located in the middle of the side counterweights 22 and extending vertically through it, and multiple second drainage channels located around the outer periphery of the first drainage channel 27. Each second drainage channel includes a vertical channel 28 extending vertically through the side counterweights 22, and a horizontal channel 29 that connects to the vertical channel 28 and extends towards the side wall of the side counterweights 22.

[0056] The bottom of the side counterweight 22 is a conical truncated cone, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. Multiple vertical channels 28 pass through the conical surface of the truncated cone. The bottom height of the middle counterweight 21 is higher than the bottom height of the side counterweight 22. The openings of the first inlet / outlet channel 27, the vertical channel 28, and the horizontal channel 29 of each side counterweight 22 are all equipped with steel mesh 25.

[0057] In this embodiment, the ballast counterweight 20 consists of a central counterweight block 21 and six side counterweight blocks 22, all cast in reinforced concrete. The six side counterweight blocks 22 are connected (cast) to the central counterweight block 21 as a whole via crossbeams 24. Each central counterweight block 21 and side counterweight block 22 has a pre-embedded steel flange seat 26 on its top for supporting and connecting the upper central tank 11 and the side tanks 12.

[0058] Each side counterweight 22 has a first inlet / drainage channel 27 and multiple second inlet / drainage channels; the multiple second inlet / drainage channels are evenly distributed around the first inlet / drainage channel 27, and each second inlet / drainage channel is further divided into a vertical channel 28 and a horizontal channel 29.

[0059] A steel mesh 25 is arranged at the opening of each first inlet / drainage channel 27, vertical channel 28 and horizontal channel 29. The light transmission size of the steel mesh 25 is 30mm×30mm. Its purpose is to prevent foreign objects from blocking the opening of the first inlet / drainage channel 27, vertical channel 28 and horizontal channel 29.

[0060] The bottom surface of the six side counterweights 22 is 1.0m higher than the bottom surface of the middle counterweight 21. When the ballast counterweight 20 sinks to the bottom, the small annular surface of the six side counterweights 22 is grounded, which can break through the silt layer and press into the soil layer at the bottom of the silt, thereby providing sufficient lateral force to ensure the stability of the ballast counterweight 20 during the towing of the hull of underwater vehicles and diving equipment or large-scale models.

[0061] Participate Figures 1 to 7 As shown, a second aspect of this application provides a control method for a self-floating ballast for underwater testing. The method uses the self-floating ballast for underwater testing described in any of the above embodiments, and the method includes a sinking step and a floating step. The sinking step includes: S101. The buoyancy tank assembly 10 and ballast counterweight 20, which are connected to each other for sinking to the bottom of the water, are floated together by a vessel to a predetermined position in the test water area.

[0062] S102. Open the inlet and outlet valves 116 to allow the water from the test water area to be poured into the buoyancy tank group 10 with a set weight of water through the inlet and outlet.

[0063] S103. When the water entering the intermediate tank 11 and the side tank 12 reaches the set weight, close the inlet and outlet valves 11, open the second control valve 42, and start the air compressor unit 50 to fill the intermediate tank 11 and the side tank 12 with compressed air at the set pressure through the inlet and outlet ports 111.

[0064] S104. When the sum of the weight of the buoyancy tank group 10 and the ballast counterweight 20 and the weight of the high-pressure air in the buoyancy tank group 10 is greater than the buoyancy, the self-floating ballast carrier is released and the second control valve 42 is closed, and the self-floating ballast carrier is gradually sunk to the bottom of the test water area.

[0065] S105. When the self-floating pressure carrier sinks to the bottom of the water, open the inlet and outlet valves 116 to allow water from the test water area to enter the buoyancy tank group 10 through the inlet and outlet. Open the third control valve 43. When the pressure inside the buoyancy tank group 10 reaches the set pressure of the back pressure valve 44, the air inside the buoyancy tank group 10 is discharged through the third control valve 43 and the back pressure valve 44. Open the exhaust valve 45 to empty the air inside the buoyancy tank group 10 and fill the buoyancy tank group 10 with water.

[0066] The ascent step includes: S201. Start the air compressor unit 50, open the second control valve 42, and the air compressor unit 50 fills the buoyancy tank group 10 with compressed air at the set pressure through the inlet and outlet ports 111. Open the inlet and outlet valves 116 to discharge the water in the buoyancy tank group 10.

[0067] S202. Water discharged from the buoyancy tank group 10 enters the drainage and silt flushing channel 23. Water jetting out from the drainage and silt flushing channel 23 flushes the silt and soil around the ballast counterweight 20, pushing the ballast counterweight 20 to detach from the silt and float upward.

[0068] S203. When the buoyancy of the buoyancy tank group 10 is greater than the weight of the ballast counterweight 20, the buoyancy tank group 10 begins to drive the ballast counterweight 20 to gradually float up. When the buoyancy tank group 10 floats out of the water, the second control valve 42 is closed to stop the air filling and the inlet and outlet valves 116 are closed to stop the drainage. S204. After the self-floating ballast carrier floats to the surface, float the buoyancy tank group 10 and the ballast counterweight 20 to the shore and open the third control valve 43 to purge the air from the buoyancy tank group 10.

[0069] Working principle This application provides a self-floating ballast for underwater testing and a control method thereof. The self-floating ballast for underwater testing includes a buoyancy tank assembly 10, comprising a central tank 11 and multiple side tanks 12 surrounding and fixed to the outer periphery of the central tank 11. Both the central tank 11 and the side tanks 12 have inlet and outlet ports 111, and the central tank 11 has inlet and outlet ports. The central tank 11 and the multiple side tanks 12 are interconnected via gas and liquid pipelines. A ballast counterweight 20 includes a central counterweight block 21 connected to the bottom of the central tank 11 and multiple side counterweight blocks 22 surrounding and fixed to the outer periphery of the central counterweight block 21. The multiple side counterweight blocks 22 are connected to the bottom of the multiple side tanks 12, and each side counterweight block 22 has a drainage and flushing channel 23 connecting to the side tank 12 above it.

[0070] Therefore, the self-buoyant ballast material of this application, used for underwater testing, provides ballast for underwater vehicles and diving equipment after sinking to the bottom of the test area. This allows the hull or large-scale model of the underwater vehicle or diving equipment, which lacks buoyancy, to be lowered to a set depth for underwater testing. The hull or large-scale model of the tested underwater vehicle or diving equipment does not require buoyancy equipment, thus reducing the extensive installation and debugging work required beforehand, lowering the difficulty and cost of testing, eliminating the need for personnel to conduct underwater testing, and reducing the risks associated with underwater testing.

[0071] Furthermore, the self-floating ballast carrier for underwater testing in this application consists of a buoyancy tank assembly 10 and a ballast counterweight 20. The ballast counterweight 20 provides buoyancy pull for the hull or large-scale model of the underwater vehicle and diving equipment to sink to a set depth. When the buoyancy tank assembly 10 is inflated and deflated, it provides buoyancy to the ballast counterweight 20, which not only facilitates the floating of the self-floating ballast carrier to a set position in the predetermined water area, but also provides precise control over the sinking and surfacing movements of the ballast counterweight 20, thereby facilitating precise deployment and silt removal and recovery of the ballast counterweight 20. When the buoyancy tank assembly 10 is vented and filled with water, it, together with the ballast counterweight 20, provides buoyancy pull for the hull or large-scale model of the underwater vehicle and diving equipment to sink to a set depth, increasing the buoyancy pull for underwater testing of the underwater vehicle and diving equipment.

[0072] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0073] It should be noted that in this application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0074] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. A self-floating pressure vessel for underwater testing, characterized in that, include: A buoyancy tank assembly (10) includes an intermediate tank (11) and a plurality of side tanks (12) surrounding and fixed to the outer periphery of the intermediate tank (11). The intermediate tank (11) and the side tanks (12) are provided with inlet and outlet ports (111). The intermediate tank (11) is provided with outlet and drain ports. The intermediate tank (11) and the plurality of side tanks (12) are interconnected by gas pipelines and liquid pipelines. Ballast counterweight (20), the ballast counterweight (20) includes an intermediate counterweight block (21) connected to the bottom of the intermediate tank (11), and a plurality of side counterweight blocks (22) surrounding and fixed to the outer periphery of the intermediate counterweight block (21). The plurality of side counterweight blocks (22) are connected to the bottom of the plurality of side tanks (12), and each side counterweight block (22) has a drainage and sludge flushing channel (23) connecting to the side tank (12) above it.

2. The self-floating pressure vessel for underwater testing as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The intermediate tank (11) and the side tank (12) each include an upper tank (13) and a lower skirt (14) connected to each other. The upper tank (13) is a hollow sealed tank, and the lower skirt (14) is a hollow tubular structure that runs through the top and bottom. The lower skirt (14) is located at the bottom of the upper tank (13) and is fixedly connected to each other. The intermediate counterweight (21) is fixed to the bottom of the lower skirt seat (14) of the intermediate tank (11) and forms a first water tank (117) with each other. The side counterweight (22) is fixed to the bottom of the lower skirt seat (14) of the side tank (12) and forms a second water tank (118) with each other. The drainage and sludge flushing channel (23) of the side counterweight (22) is connected to the second water tank (118).

3. The self-floating pressure vessel for underwater testing as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The upper tank (13) of the intermediate tank (11) and the upper tank (13) of the side tank (12) are both provided with the inlet and outlet ports (111). The gas pipeline includes an annular vent pipe (19) fixed to the top of the upper tank (13) of the intermediate tank (11). The annular vent pipe (19) is connected to the inlet and outlet ports (111) of multiple upper tanks (13) through branch vent pipes (112). The liquid pipeline includes multiple water inlet pipes (15) connecting the upper tank (13) of the intermediate tank (11) and the upper tank (13) of each of the side tanks (12), and multiple water return pipes (16) connecting the lower skirt seat (14) of the intermediate tank (11) and the lower skirt seat (14) of each of the side tanks (12).

4. The self-floating pressure vessel for underwater testing as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The inlet and outlet include a first inlet and outlet on the upper tank (13) of the intermediate tank (11), and a second inlet and outlet on the lower skirt (14) of the intermediate tank (11). The liquid pipeline also includes a first inlet / outlet pipeline (113) connected to the first inlet / outlet and a second inlet / outlet pipeline (114) connected to the second inlet / outlet. An inlet / outlet valve (116) is connected between the first inlet / outlet pipe (113) and the second inlet / outlet pipe (114). The inlet / outlet valve (116) is an electrically controlled valve or a pneumatically controlled valve.

5. A self-floating pressure vessel for underwater testing as described in claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a control valve platform (40), which includes a first control valve (41) or a first controller for controlling the opening and closing of the inlet and outlet valves (116), and an inlet and outlet pipe (46) connected to the annular vent pipe (19) for controlling the inlet or outlet of the multiple upper tanks (13). The inlet and outlet pipe (46) is provided with a second control valve (42) for filling the multiple upper tanks (13) with gas, an exhaust valve (45) connected to the inlet and outlet pipe (46) for discharging the gas in each of the upper tanks (13), and a third control valve (43) and a back pressure valve (44) connected to the inlet and outlet pipe (46) for controlling the gas pressure in each of the upper tanks (13).

6. A self-floating pressure vessel for underwater testing as described in claim 2, characterized in that: A pulley assembly (30) is fixedly connected to the upper tank (13) of the intermediate tank (11), and the upper tank (13) of the intermediate tank (11) and the upper tanks (13) of the multiple side tanks (12) are fixedly connected to each other by connecting flanges (17). Lifting lugs (115) are connected to the upper tank (13) of the intermediate tank (11) and the upper tank (13) of the multiple side tanks (12). Among the multiple side tanks (12), at least two circumferentially symmetrical side tanks (12) have cable connecting seats (18) fixedly connected to the top of their upper tanks (13).

7. A self-floating pressure vessel for underwater testing as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The outer periphery of the intermediate counterweight (21) is provided with a crossbeam (24) connecting multiple side counterweights (22). The intermediate counterweight (21), the crossbeam (24) and the side counterweights (22) are integrally cast reinforced concrete structures. The top of the intermediate counterweight (21) and the multiple side counterweights (22) are all pre-embedded with flange seats (26). The intermediate counterweight (21) is detachably connected to the intermediate tank (11) through the flange seat (26), and the side counterweights (22) are detachably connected to the side tank (12) through the flange seat (26).

8. A self-floating pressure vessel for underwater testing as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The intermediate counterweight (21) and the multiple side counterweights (22) are all cylindrical structures. The drainage and silt flushing channel (23) includes a first drainage channel (27) located in the middle of the side counterweight (22) and running vertically through it, as well as multiple second drainage channels located on the outer periphery of the first drainage channel (27). Each of the second inlet and outlet channels includes a vertical channel (28) that runs vertically through the side counterweight (22), and a horizontal channel (29) that connects to the vertical channel (28) and extends toward the side wall of the side counterweight (22).

9. A self-floating pressure vessel for underwater testing as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The bottom of the side counterweight (22) is a cone-shaped frustum with a larger top and a smaller bottom. Multiple vertical channels (28) pass through the cone surface of the frustum. The bottom height of the middle counterweight (21) is higher than the bottom height of the side counterweight (22). The openings of the first inlet and outlet channels (27), vertical channels (28) and horizontal channels (29) of each of the side counterweights (22) are provided with steel mesh (25).

10. A control method for a self-buoyant pressure vessel used in underwater tests, characterized in that, The method uses the self-floating pressure vessel for underwater testing as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, and the method includes a sinking step and a floating step. The sinking step includes: The interconnected buoyancy tank assembly (10) and ballast counterweight (20) for sinking to the bottom of the water were floated together to the predetermined position in the test water area; Open the inlet and outlet valves (116) to allow the water from the test water area to be poured into the buoyancy tank group (10) by the set weight of water through the inlet and outlet ports; When the water entering the buoyancy tank group (10) reaches the set weight, the drain valve (116) is closed, the second control valve (42) is opened, and compressed air at the set pressure is injected into the buoyancy tank group (10) through the air inlet and outlet (111); When the sum of the self-weight of the buoyancy tank group (10) and the ballast counterweight (20) and the weight of the compressed air in the buoyancy tank group (10) is greater than the buoyancy, the self-floating ballast carrier is released, the second control valve (42) is closed, and the self-floating ballast carrier is gradually sunk into the water. When the self-floating pressure vessel sinks to the bottom of the water, open the inlet and outlet valves (116) to allow the water in the test water area to be poured into the buoyancy tank group (10) through the inlet and outlet ports, empty the air in the buoyancy tank group (10), and fill the buoyancy tank group (10) with water; The ascent step includes: Open the second control valve (42) and fill the buoyancy tank group (10) with compressed air at a set pressure through the inlet and outlet (111). Open the inlet and outlet valve (116) to discharge the water in the buoyancy tank group (10). Water discharged from the buoyancy tank group (10) enters the drainage flushing channel (23), and water jetting out from the drainage flushing channel (23) flushes the silt and soil around the ballast counterweight (20); When the buoyancy of the buoyancy tank group (10) is greater than the weight of the ballast counterweight (20), the buoyancy tank group (10) begins to drive the ballast counterweight (20) to gradually float up. When the buoyancy tank group (10) floats out of the water, the second control valve (42) is closed to stop the inflation and the inlet and outlet valves (116) are closed to stop the drainage. After the self-floating ballast carrier floats to the surface, the buoyancy tank group (10) and ballast counterweight (20) are floated to the shore and the third control valve (43) is opened to vent the air in the buoyancy tank group (10).

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