An air-powered salt pan in-situ spraying unmanned ship

Abstract

The application discloses an air power salt field in-situ spraying unmanned ship, and aims to solve the problems of easy damage of a bottom bed, easy crystallization and blockage of an underwater mechanism and poor spraying uniformity of a traditional salt field equipment. The unmanned ship comprises a load platform, an air power propulsion system, a water taking mechanism and a spraying system. The air power propulsion system is used for non-contact driving of the platform to move and turn, all moving parts of the air power propulsion system are located above a liquid surface in a working state, the water taking mechanism is used for in-situ dynamic extraction of clean surface brine, the spraying system is used for atomization and large-scale uniform spraying of the brine to strengthen evaporation, and a control system is used for realizing autonomous operation. The application avoids the brine crystallization and corrosion problem from the source, protects the bottom bed of the salt field, and realizes efficient, accurate and unmanned in-situ evaporation strengthening operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] An aerodynamic salt field in-situ spraying unmanned vessel, specifically involving an unmanned operation platform capable of autonomous navigation, in-situ brine extraction and atomization spraying to enhance evaporation, is particularly suitable for harsh environments such as high salinity, shallow water, and strong corrosion. Background Technology

[0002] The salt industry is a fundamental sector of the national economy. Traditional lake salt production primarily relies on natural sunlight and wind-driven evaporation processes. To improve salt production efficiency per unit area, spray technology has become a recognized effective method to increase the contact area between brine and air, enhance the evaporation rate, and thus promote crystallization. However, salt fields are characterized by high salinity, strong sunlight, strong winds, vast areas, and poor seabed bearing capacity. In actual in-situ salt field operations, existing technical solutions face the following severe challenges.

[0003] Extremely poor geological bearing capacity and limited water level: The bottom of salt fields is mostly composed of a thin salt crust or soft silt. Traditional tracked or wheeled surface machinery is easily damaged by the salt crust, leading to the introduction of impurities, which seriously affects the salt quality and makes it easy for vehicles to get stuck. At the same time, the water level in salt fields is usually very shallow (often between 5-30cm), making it impossible for conventional deep-draft vessels to enter.

[0004] Crystallization and Corrosion of High-Concentration Brine: Salt field brine is a multi-component saturated or near-saturated solution with extremely high corrosiveness. In traditional subsurface propeller propulsion systems, the drive bearings and blades are prone to jamming and wear due to salt crystallization during operation, and the metal components have a very short lifespan due to electrochemical corrosion.

[0005] Challenges in operational accuracy and uniformity: Manual spraying or fixed spraying devices struggle to achieve uniform coverage of large salt fields. While drones can avoid the influence of the water surface, their limited payload and power endurance prevent them from achieving continuous, high-flow-rate in-situ brine extraction and spraying, resulting in high operating costs.

[0006] Environmental disturbance risk: Traditional contact propulsion methods (such as tracks and underwater propellers) can severely disturb the pool water and disrupt purity control during the crystallization process. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention aims to solve the technical problems of existing salt field operation equipment, such as easy damage to the salt bed, easy jamming of the underwater propulsion system due to salt crystallization, low operation efficiency, and short life of electronic components in high salt spray environment. It provides a spray unmanned vessel that can continuously extract brine in situ without contacting the bed, has high weather resistance, and can navigate autonomously.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution.

[0009] An aerodynamic in-situ spraying unmanned surface vessel for salt fields, characterized in that it comprises: One load platform; An aerodynamic propulsion system is configured on the load platform, and all its moving parts are located above the liquid surface in the working state, for generating air thrust to drive the load platform to move and turn; A water intake mechanism is configured on the load platform, which has a floating water inlet end that can float on the water surface for in-situ extraction of surface brine. A spraying system, configured on the load platform and in fluid communication with the water intake mechanism, is used to atomize and spray the extracted brine into the air; A control system, at least for controlling the autonomous operation of the unmanned vessel.

[0010] Based on the above technical solution, a variety of preferred implementation methods can be further developed.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the load platform is a catamaran structure, comprising two parallel pontoons, a support frame connecting the tops of the two pontoons, and a working deck laid on top of the support frame. The bottom of the pontoons may be further designed as a slightly shallow V-shaped structure to adapt to shallow water environments and reduce hydrodynamic adsorption effects.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the aerodynamic propulsion system includes at least two ducted fans disposed at the rear of the load platform. The at least two ducted fans are arranged symmetrically on the left and right sides, and differential steering of the load platform is achieved by adjusting the thrust difference between the left and right ducted fans.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the water intake mechanism further includes a flexible conveying pipe and a main water pump. The floating water inlet floats on the water surface by its own buoyancy and is connected to the inlet of the main water pump through the flexible conveying pipe. The flexible conveying pipe is used to dynamically compensate for the relative movement between the floating water inlet and the load platform.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the spraying system includes a deploying mechanism and a plurality of centrifugal nozzles. The deploying mechanism is used to increase the spray width during operation and retract when not in operation. The centrifugal nozzles are provided with swirling chambers to achieve large cone angle atomization under low pressure conditions.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the control system includes a positive-pressure sealed chamber and a navigation and positioning device. The positive-pressure sealed chamber is used to house electrical components to isolate them from the external high-salt-fog environment. Furthermore, a photovoltaic array may be installed on top of the load platform, its physical projection at least partially covering the transmission pipeline of the control system and / or the water intake mechanism to provide shading protection and reduce the risk of brine crystallization due to high temperatures within the pipeline.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] Strong environmental adaptability, completely avoiding underwater crystallization and corrosion problems: By configuring an aerodynamic propulsion system in which all moving parts are located above the liquid surface during operation, the underwater transmission and propulsion components are fundamentally eliminated. This completely solves the problems of equipment jamming caused by salt crystallization and electrochemical corrosion caused by high-concentration brine in the brine environment of salt fields, and significantly improves the reliability and service life of the equipment in extreme salinity environments.

[0018] Protecting the working environment and ensuring the quality of salt production: By combining non-contact propulsion with a shallow draft load platform design, zero contact and zero disturbance to the salt field bed are achieved during the operation, effectively protecting the integrity of the salt crust and preventing impurities from being mixed into the brine due to bottom mud rising, thereby improving the purity and quality of the final crystallized salt production.

[0019] High-quality water intake with dynamic self-adaptation: The water intake mechanism adopts a floating water inlet end that can float on the water surface, which can flexibly compensate for the relative movement between the platform and the water surface, ensuring that the surface clear and high-concentration high-quality brine is always drawn, avoiding the mixing of bottom sediments and precipitated crystals, and can achieve dynamic self-adaptation with changes in liquid level, laying the input conditions for subsequent efficient evaporation.

[0020] Uniform and efficient spraying with adjustable operating width: The configured spraying system can achieve atomized spraying to increase the contact area between brine and air, enhancing the evaporation rate. In a further optimized solution, the deployable structure can greatly expand the spraying width during operation, improving the operational efficiency and coverage of a single voyage, while also ensuring convenient relocation and transportation.

[0021] The system boasts high reliability and long-lasting operation: By implementing environmental isolation measures such as positive pressure sealing for core control and electrical components, it effectively resists the corrosive effects of high-salt spray environments. Simultaneously, utilizing photovoltaic energy for auxiliary power supply, combined with physical shading design, not only extends off-grid operation time but also effectively suppresses flash evaporation and crystallization of brine within the transmission pipeline due to high-temperature exposure, ensuring stable system operation throughout the day. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1This is a structural position diagram of a fan-propelled catamaran in-situ spraying unmanned vessel spraying system for salt fields in its deployed state.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the floating water suction head.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the structural position of the unmanned vessel spraying system in its folded state.

[0025] The components are: 1-Navigation mast, 2-Streamlined pontoon, 3-Working deck, 4-Transverse support frame, 5-Floating suction head, 6-Flexible delivery pipe, 7-Corrosion-resistant main water pump, 8-Pump motor, 9-Truss support, 10-Push rod mechanism, 11-Foldable truss, 12-Spray boom, 13-Centrifugal nozzle, 14-Positive pressure sealed control compartment, 15-High-level support, 16-Fan motor, 17-Drive belt, 18-Ducted fan, 19-Photovoltaic array, 20-Photovoltaic support, 21-Annular cavity, 22-Filter screen. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the following detailed description of the specific implementation of this invention is provided in conjunction with a specific preferred embodiment. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that, without departing from the core inventive concept, equivalent changes and substitutions can be made to the specific form of the load platform, the specific configuration of the aerodynamic propulsion system, and the specific structure of the water intake and spraying mechanism.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a fan-propelled catamaran in-situ spraying unmanned surface vessel (USV) for salt fields, which is one of the many specific implementations covered by this invention. The USV mainly consists of five core subsystems: a catamaran payload platform, an aerodynamic propulsion system, a floating in-situ water intake mechanism, a folding spraying system, and a positive pressure sealing intelligent control and energy system.

[0028] The basic platform of this device is a catamaran load platform, which includes two parallel streamlined pontoons (2) on the left and right. Designed for the extremely poor bearing capacity and shallow water conditions of the salt pan bed, the streamlined pontoons (2) are integrally molded from high-molecular-weight polyethylene, possessing strong resistance to electrochemical corrosion. The slightly shallow V-shaped design at the bottom of the pontoons, while ensuring sufficient displacement, adapts to extremely shallow brine environments as shallow as 20cm, and effectively reduces the "hydrodynamic adsorption effect" generated when the flat-bottomed structure moves rapidly above shallow mud, preventing the hull from running aground. The tops of the two streamlined pontoons (2) are rigidly connected by a transverse support frame (4), above which a wide working deck (3) is laid.

[0029] To address the problem of traditional underwater propellers easily seizing up due to salt crystallization, this device employs a non-contact aerodynamic propulsion system. This system includes a high-mounted support (15) located at the rear of the working deck (3), on which two sets of symmetrically positioned ducted fans (18) are mounted. Each ducted fan (18) is driven by a fan motor (16) via a transmission belt (17), and its overall installation position is strictly above the highest splash line of the liquid surface. During travel and turning, the speeds of the left and right fan motors (16) are independently controlled; when turning is required, a yaw torque is generated by increasing the speed of one fan and decreasing the speed of the other to achieve differential turning. Throughout the entire process, no mechanical moving parts are immersed in the brine.

[0030] At the water intake end, the device is equipped with a floating in-situ water intake mechanism. Considering that early crystal precipitation occurs in the bottom sediment of the salt field, the mechanism is not fixed to the bottom of the ship, but includes a floating suction head (5). The floating suction head (5) is made of corrosion-resistant lightweight materials such as fluoroplastics, and has a filter screen (22) at the bottom. It floats on the surface of the brine by relying on the buoyancy of the annular cavity (21), and is connected to the corrosion-resistant main water pump (7) installed in the center of the working deck (3) through a flexible conveying pipe (6) (its flow parts are made of fluoroplastics). The corrosion-resistant main water pump (7) is driven by a water pump motor (8). When the ship moves, the flexible conveying pipe (6) pulls the floating suction head (5) so that it always follows the ship and floats on the surface of the brine. Through the cooperation of the floating suction head (5) and the flexible conveying pipe (6), the hard impact of the ship's up-and-down movement on the floating suction head (5) is completely isolated, ensuring that only the purest and most concentrated saturated brine from the surface is extracted.

[0031] The extracted brine is spread over a wide area via a folding spray system. The system is installed on the working deck (3) and mainly includes a truss support (9), a folding truss (11), a spray boom (12), a push rod mechanism (10), and centrifugal nozzles (13). In order to balance mobility and operational efficiency, in the non-operational state, the push rod mechanism (10) folds the two folding trusses (11) backward and close to the hull, and unfolds them to form an ultra-wide working area during operation. Centrifugal nozzles (13) are evenly distributed below the spray boom (12), and their internal flow channels are equipped with optimized swirling chambers, so that the brine can generate strong swirling under low-pressure pumping, and tear it into large cone-shaped droplets by centrifugal force. In order to achieve precise intervention in the crystallization process, during operation, the main control board reads the temperature, humidity and wind field meteorological data collected by the navigation mast (1) in real time, dynamically calculates the optimal spray flow rate under the current weather conditions, and adjusts the working state of the anti-corrosion main water pump (7) in real time accordingly to maximize the evaporation efficiency in the air.

[0032] The highly corrosive salt spray environment is protected by a positive pressure sealed intelligent control and energy system. The system includes a positive pressure sealed control compartment (14) located in the center of the work deck (3), which safely isolates the power supply, main control board and frequency converter.

[0033] In addition, a photovoltaic array (19) is mounted on the top of the platform via a photovoltaic support (20). The photovoltaic array (55) not only converts solar energy into electrical energy to extend off-grid range, but its large physical shadow also directly shields the positive pressure sealed control cabin (14) and flexible transmission pipe (6) below, preventing the brine in the pipeline from undergoing high-temperature flash evaporation and early crystallization due to exposure to the scorching sun. A navigation mast (1) is installed at the front end of the streamlined pontoon (2), which integrates a dual-antenna RTK-GPS module to guide the unmanned vessel to execute a preset full-coverage reciprocating spraying path.

Claims

1. An aerodynamic in-situ spray unmanned surface vessel for salt fields, characterized in that, include: One load platform; An aerodynamic propulsion system is configured on the load platform, and all its moving parts are located above the liquid surface in the working state, for generating air thrust to drive the load platform to move and turn; A water intake mechanism is configured on the load platform, which has a floating water inlet end that can float on the water surface for in-situ extraction of surface brine. A spraying system, configured on the load platform and in fluid communication with the water intake mechanism, is used to atomize and spray the extracted brine into the air; A control system, at least for controlling the autonomous operation of the unmanned vessel.

2. The aerodynamic in-situ spray unmanned surface vessel for salt fields according to claim 1, characterized in that, The load platform is a twin-body structure, including two parallel floats (2), a support frame (4) connecting the tops of the two floats (2), and a working deck (3) laid on the support frame (4). The bottom of the floats (2) has a slightly shallow V-shaped structure to adapt to shallow water environment and reduce hydrodynamic adsorption effect during movement.

3. The aerodynamic in-situ spray unmanned surface vessel for salt fields according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aerodynamic propulsion system includes at least two ducted fans (18) located at the rear of the load platform. The at least two ducted fans (18) are arranged symmetrically on the left and right sides. The differential steering of the load platform is achieved by adjusting the thrust difference between the ducted fans (18) on the left and right sides.

4. The aerodynamic in-situ spray unmanned surface vessel for salt fields according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spraying system includes a deployment mechanism, which includes a foldable truss (11) connected to the load platform and a push rod mechanism (10) for driving the foldable truss (11) to move. The spray boom (12) of the spraying system is mounted on the foldable truss (11). The deployment mechanism is used to increase the spraying width of the spraying system during operation and to retract it when not in operation.

5. The aerodynamic in-situ spray unmanned surface vessel for salt fields according to claim 4, characterized in that, The spraying system includes several centrifugal nozzles (13), which have a swirling chamber inside to atomize the brine at a large cone angle under low pressure.

6. The aerodynamic in-situ spray unmanned surface vessel for salt fields according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water intake mechanism includes a flexible conveying pipe (6) and a main water pump (7). The floating water inlet (5) floats on the water surface by its own buoyancy and is connected to the inlet of the main water pump (7) through the flexible conveying pipe (6). The flexible conveying pipe (6) is used to dynamically compensate for the relative movement between the floating water inlet (5) and the load platform.

7. The aerodynamic in-situ spray unmanned surface vessel for salt fields according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control system includes a positive pressure sealed chamber (14) for housing electrical components to isolate them from the external high salt spray environment.

8. The aerodynamic in-situ spray unmanned surface vessel for salt fields according to claim 7, characterized in that, A photovoltaic array (19) is also provided on the top of the load platform to provide auxiliary energy for the unmanned vessel. The physical projection of the photovoltaic array (19) at least partially covers the transmission pipeline of the control system and / or the water intake mechanism to provide shading protection and reduce the risk of crystallization of brine in the pipeline due to high temperature.

9. The aerodynamic in-situ spray unmanned surface vessel for salt fields according to claim 7, characterized in that, The control system includes a navigation and positioning device, which is installed on a navigation mast (1) located at the front end of the load platform, for guiding the unmanned vessel to perform spraying operations along a preset path.

10. The aerodynamic in-situ spray unmanned surface vessel for salt fields according to claim 9, characterized in that, The control system also integrates a meteorological data acquisition sensor. The control system is used to dynamically adjust the working status of the water intake mechanism and / or the spraying system based on the meteorological data in order to optimize the evaporation efficiency.

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