A ship hull surface biofouling underwater cleaning and recovery system and method of use thereof

Abstract

This invention discloses an underwater cleaning and recovery system for biofouling on ship hull surfaces and its usage method, comprising a biofouling cleaning device and an inflatable floating recovery device. The biofouling cleaning device is connected to a recovery pump, which is connected to the inflatable floating recovery device. The recovery pump transports the biofouling removed from the ship hull surface to the inflatable floating recovery device. The biofouling cleaning device includes a movable body, a recovery hood on the top of the body connected to a recovery hose, a cleaning opening on the front bottom of the body with a high-pressure jet assembly, a cleaning blade in the middle, a roller brush cleaning assembly at the rear, and four magnetically attached wheels on the exterior. This invention can remove biofouling from ship hull surfaces and recover the removed biofouling, reducing ship weight and fuel consumption while effectively preventing biological invasion caused by the removed biofouling falling into the water.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of underwater cleaning of biofouling on ships, specifically to an underwater cleaning and recycling system for biofouling on ship hull surfaces and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] Ship biofouling generally refers to aquatic organisms that adhere to the surface of a ship's hull when immersed in or exposed to the aquatic environment. It primarily accumulates on the hull bottom, propellers, rudders, seagates, and sonar casings. As ships move globally, this biofouling poses a risk of biological invasion in new waters, as it may lack natural predators. Furthermore, the long-term accumulation of biofouling on the hull surface increases the ship's weight and fuel consumption, thus reducing energy efficiency. In addition, if biofouling accumulates on critical ship equipment such as propellers and rudders, it can seriously affect navigational safety.

[0003] Currently, regular cleaning of biofouling on ships is one of the effective methods to solve the aforementioned problems. This cleaning can generally be divided into dry dock cleaning and underwater cleaning. Dry dock cleaning requires the ship to enter the dock, which affects the ship's schedule and is labor-intensive, resulting in high time and labor costs. Considering these issues, more and more ships are choosing underwater cleaning. Underwater cleaning is generally performed by divers or underwater robots to clean the hull. However, this type of cleaning also brings some problems, such as the biocidal antifouling coating material that detaches during cleaning easily killing aquatic organisms, and the biofouling that is washed off and falls into the water, potentially causing biological invasion. Therefore, to address the aforementioned problems, it is necessary to provide an underwater cleaning and recovery system for ship hull surface biofouling that can achieve higher efficiency in cleaning and recovering biofouling from the ship's surface, along with its usage and methods. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an underwater cleaning and recycling system for biofouling on ship hull surfaces and its usage method. This system can clean biofouling adhering to ship hull surfaces, recycle the cleaned biofouling, and has high cleaning efficiency, making it suitable for cleaning and recycling biofouling adhering to the hull surfaces of large ships.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the technical solution adopted by this invention is as follows: An underwater system for cleaning and recovering biofouling on a ship's hull surface includes a biofouling cleaning device and an inflatable floating recovery device. The inflatable floating recovery device includes a collection bag and an annular airbag fixedly connected to the collection bag, with a collection port on the collection bag. The biofouling cleaning device is used to clean biofouling adhering to the ship's hull surface. One end of the biofouling cleaning device is connected to a recovery hose, the other end of which is connected to the input end of a recovery pump. The output end of the recovery pump is connected to the collection port. The recovery pump transports the biofouling cleaned from the ship's hull surface to the collection bag of the recovery device. A cleaning opening is provided on the front side of the bottom of the device. The machine features a high-pressure jet assembly at the cleaning opening, a cleaning blade in the middle, a roller brush cleaning assembly at the rear, and four magnetic casters on the exterior. A front fixed scraper is fixed to the front of the two front magnetic casters and is attached to the machine body. A front absorption cover is located above the front fixed scraper and is connected to the recovery cover. The top outer side of the collection bag is fixedly connected to an annular airbag with an inflation port. A hanging ring is located at the top of the collection bag. A central partition separates the cleaning blade from the roller brush cleaning assembly within the machine body and recovery cover.

[0006] Furthermore, the cleaning tool includes a Reuleaux triangle tool, a Reuleaux triangle pivot, a drive shaft, a flexible transmission shaft, and a drive bracket; both ends of the Reuleaux triangle tool are fixed with Reuleaux triangle pivots, and the machine body is provided with rectangular rotating holes that mate with the Reuleaux triangle pivots. One Reuleaux triangle pivot is fixedly connected to one end of the flexible transmission shaft, and the other end of the flexible transmission shaft is connected to the drive shaft. The drive shaft is rotatably mounted on the machine body through the drive bracket, and the drive shaft is connected to a tool drive assembly.

[0007] Furthermore, the tool drive assembly includes a tool drive gear, a tool reducer, and a tool motor mounted on the drive shaft. The output end of the tool motor is connected to the input end of the tool reducer, and a tool output gear is fixed to the output end of the tool reducer. The tool output gear meshes with the tool drive gear.

[0008] Furthermore, as the Reuleaux triangle cutter rotates, it forms a horizontal cleaning plane at the bottom, which is flush with the bottom of the front fixed scraper.

[0009] Furthermore, the high-pressure jet assembly includes a jet support, several nozzles, a high-pressure pipeline, and a high-pressure pump. The jet support is inclinedly mounted on the cleaning opening, and the jet support is provided with nozzle holes for mounting the nozzles. Several nozzles are connected to the high-pressure pump through the high-pressure pipeline.

[0010] Furthermore, the roller brush cleaning assembly includes a cleaning power roller and a cleaning brush. The cleaning power roller is rotatably mounted on the rear side of the machine body, and the cleaning brush is fixed to the outside of the cleaning power roller. The cleaning brush is a wire brush.

[0011] Furthermore, each magnetically attached moving wheel includes a permanent magnet wheel, a wheel reducer, and a wheel drive motor. The output end of the wheel drive motor is connected to the input end of the wheel reducer, and the output end of the wheel reducer is fixedly connected to the permanent magnet wheel. The permanent magnet wheel is provided with an anti-slip rubber layer.

[0012] Furthermore, a U-shaped mounting groove is provided at the bottom of the machine body, and a partition rubber sheet is fixed inside the mounting groove.

[0013] Furthermore, a front camera is installed on the front side of the machine body, and an internal camera is installed inside the recovery hood; the recovery pump is a jet pump, a slurry pump, or a screw conveyor.

[0014] A method for using an underwater cleaning and recovery system for biofouling on a ship's hull surface includes the following steps: S1: Fix the biological fouling cleaning device to the surface of the hull that needs to be cleaned using four magnetic casters. Connect the recovery hood to the recovery hose via a rotary joint. Connect the recovery hose to the input end of the recovery pump. Connect the output end of the recovery pump to the collection port of the collection bag. S2: The annular airbag is inflated by an air pump or air bottle with an air inlet to generate buoyancy and unfold the annular airbag and collection bag; S3: Start the recovery pump, high-pressure jet assembly, roller brush cleaning assembly and cleaning blades, and control the biofouling cleaning device to move in a straight line to remove biofouling adhering to the hull surface. S4: Control the four magnetic moving wheels to drive the machine body to move in a straight line. In conjunction with the vibration generated by the cleaning blade, the machine body drives the front fixed blade to vibrate and remove biological dirt attached to the hull surface of the two front magnetic moving wheels. This allows the magnetic moving wheels to move in close contact with the hull surface during the movement. S5: During the movement of the machine body, the cutter motor drives the Reuleaux triangle cutter to rotate. The horizontal cleaning plane generated by the rotation of the Reuleaux triangle cutter is used to remove the biological dirt attached to the hull surface in the direction of the cleaning opening. The recovery pump transports the biological dirt cleaned from the hull surface inside the recovery hood to the collection bag through the recovery hose. S6: The roller brush cleaning assembly rotates, and the cleaning power roller drives the cleaning brush to clean the hull surface after removing the organisms attached to it. S7: Control the biological fouling cleaning device to move back and forth in a straight line until the biological removal operation on the hull surface is completed. S8: After the biological removal operation on the hull surface is completed, the biological fouling cleaning device is removed from the hull, and the recovery pump is separated from the collection bag. The collection bag is then towed to a suitable water surface position using a lifting ring to complete the recovery of biological fouling attached to the hull surface.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The high-pressure jet assembly, roller brush cleaning assembly, and cleaning blades of this invention work together to achieve efficient cleaning of biological dirt adhering to the hull surface. The body, recovery hood, and partition rubber sheet form a relatively sealed cleaning chamber, so that after the biological dirt adhering to the hull surface is cleaned off, it can be transported to the collection bag through the recovery hood, recovery hose, and recovery pump, thereby realizing the recovery of biological dirt adhering to the hull surface and effectively preventing biological invasion by organisms adhering to the hull surface.

[0016] The collection bag in this invention can be suspended on the seawater surface by means of annular air bladders. It can be used in conjunction with a biofouling cleaning device to clean biofouling attached to the hull surface. The cleaned biofouling is then drawn into the collection bag. The collection bag and annular air bladder can form a temporary collection vessel suspended in the water, eliminating the need for additional vessels for recovering biofouling attached to the hull surface. The collection bag can be moved in the water by a lifting ring, moving the collection bag and the collected biofouling attached to the hull surface to the next processing stage. After the seawater in the collection bag is treated and discharged, the remaining biofouling attached to the hull surface can be obtained from the collection bag. The collection bag and the collected biofouling attached to the hull surface can be easily hoisted ashore for treatment by the lifting ring.

[0017] The high-pressure jet assembly of the biofouling cleaning device of the present invention can perform high-pressure flushing of organisms attached to the hull surface, and can clean some of the biofouling on the hull surface; the Reuleaux triangular blade of the cleaning blade can form a horizontal cleaning plane when rotating, and with the micro-vibration generated by the rotation of the Reuleaux triangular blade, the cleaning blade can achieve vibration removal of biofouling on the hull surface. The micro-vibration generated by the rotation of the Reuleaux triangular blade can be transmitted through the machine body to the front fixed blade, so that the front fixed blade can also perform vibration removal of organisms attached to the hull surface in front of the magnetic moving wheel; the roller brush cleaning assembly can roller brush the area on the hull surface where the organisms are removed, ensuring the cleaning effect of the hull surface. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the biological fouling cleaning device in this invention. Figure One ; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the biological fouling cleaning device of the present invention. Figure Two ; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the biological fouling cleaning device of the present invention. Figure Three ; Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning tool. Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the Reuleaux triangle cutting tool; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the cleaning tool drive unit; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the present invention; The symbols for each component are as follows: 1. Body; 101. Rectangular rotating hole; 102. Partition rubber sheet; 103. Damping rod; 104. Central partition; 2. Recovery hood; 3. Magnetic moving wheels; 31. Permanent magnet wheels; 32. Anti-slip rubber layer; 33. Wheel reducer; 34. Wheel drive motor; 35. First groin guard; 4. High-pressure jet assembly; 41. Jet support; 42. Nozzle; 5. Roller brush cleaning assembly; 51. Cleaning power roller; 52. Cleaning brush; 6. Cleaning tool; 61. Reuleaux triangle tool; 62. Reuleaux triangle shaft; 63. Tool motor; 64. Tool reducer; 65. Tool output gear; 66. Tool drive gear; 67. Drive shaft; 68. Flexible transmission shaft; 69. Drive bracket; 610. Sealed housing; 7. Front camera; 8. Internal camera; 9. Rotary joint; 10. Recycling hose; 11. Pipe breaker; 12. Front fixed shovel; 13. Recycling pump; 14. Collection bag; 141. Collection port; 15. Annular airbag; 151. Inflation port; 16. Lifting ring; 17. Front absorption hood. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The specific embodiments of the present invention are described below to enable those skilled in the art to understand the present invention. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the scope of the specific embodiments. For those skilled in the art, various changes are obvious as long as they are within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined and determined by the appended claims. All inventions utilizing the concept of the present invention are protected.

[0020] Example: like Figure 1 , 2As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a biofouling cleaning device and an inflatable floating recovery device are described. The inflatable floating recovery device includes a collection bag 14 and an annular air bladder 15 fixedly connected to the collection bag 14. The collection bag 14 has a collection port 141. The collection bag 14 can be made of rubber or air bladder material, and its exterior can be designed as a corrugated tube. The biofouling cleaning device can be magnetically attached to the surface of the ship, including propellers, rudders, and seagates, to clean and recover organisms attached to the ship's surface. The biofouling cleaning device is used to clean biofouling attached to the ship's surface. One end of the biofouling cleaning device is connected to a recovery hose 10, and the other end of the recovery hose 10 is connected to the input end of a recovery pump 13. The recovery pump 13 can preferably be a jet pump, a slurry pump, or a screw conveyor. The output end of the recovery pump 13 is connected to the collection port 141 of the collection bag 14. The output end of the recovery pump 13 and the collection port 141 can be connected by a plug-in seal. To improve the sealing performance, a rubber sealing ring can be used for sealing and fixation. The recovery pump 13 transports the biofouling removed from the hull surface to the collection bag 14 of the inflatable floating recovery device. After the biofouling adhering to the hull surface is transported to the collection bag 14, it awaits further processing. The biofouling cleaning device includes a movable body 1, which can be made of 316L stainless steel or aluminum alloy. A recovery cover 2 is provided on the top of the body 1, which can also be made of 316L stainless steel. The body 1 and the recovery cover 2 are connected to form a recovery cover body. A rotary joint 9 is provided on the top of the recovery cover 2, and the top of the rotary joint 9 is connected to a recovery hose 10, which is preferably a wear-resistant hose. A cleaning opening is provided on the front bottom of the body 1, and a high-pressure jet assembly 4 is provided on the cleaning opening. A cleaning blade 6 is provided in the middle of the body 1, and a roller brush cleaning assembly 5 is provided on the rear side of the body 1. Four magnetic moving wheels 3 are provided on the outside of the body 1. A front fixed shovel 12 is fixed to the front side of the two magnetic moving wheels 3 located on the front side. The front fixed shovel 12 is fixed to the body 1, and the bottom of the front fixed shovel 12 is in contact with the hull. The front side is provided with an upward-sloping cutting edge. The front fixed shovel 12, together with the roller brush cleaning assembly 5, generates a small vibration to remove organisms attached to the surface of the hull. A front absorption cover 17 is provided above the front fixed shovel 12. The front absorption cover 17 is connected to the recovery cover 2. The front absorption cover 17 rotates inward. The front fixed shovel 12, in conjunction with the front absorption cover 17, can collect the biological dirt attached to the hull surface scraped off by the two magnetic moving wheels 3 on the front side. This allows for collection through suction by the recovery cover 2, ensuring that the biological dirt attached to the hull surface removed by the front fixed shovel 12 can also be effectively collected. In another embodiment, the four magnetic moving wheels 3 can be replaced with two magnetic tracks, which can also achieve the magnetic movement effect.

[0021] The top outer side of the collection bag 14 is fixedly connected to the annular airbag 15. The annular airbag 15 is provided with an inflation port 151, which can be an American-style or French-style valve. An air pump or air bottle is equipped with an American-style inflation nozzle that cooperates with the inflation port 151 to inflate and deflate the annular airbag 15. After the annular airbag 15 is deployed, it can provide buoyancy support for the top of the collection bag 14, so that the annular airbag 15 can be suspended in seawater during the collection process. This makes the collection bag 14 a collection and moving device for recovering biological fouling attached to the hull surface, facilitating the moving and treatment of the collected biological fouling. The top of the collection bag 14 is provided with a lifting ring 16, which can be used to easily move and lift the collection bag 14 in the water. A central partition 104 is installed inside the body 1 and the recovery hood 2. The central partition 104 separates the cleaning blades 6 from the roller brush cleaning assembly 5, allowing the body 1 and the recovery hood 2 to form a relatively narrow negative pressure space, ensuring better negative pressure collection of biomass adhering to the removed hull surface. A reinforcing mesh is installed on the outside of the collection bag 14, further strengthening the structural strength of the collection bag 14.

[0022] like Figure 5 , 6As shown in Figure 7, the cleaning tool 6 includes a Reuleaux triangular tool 61, a Reuleaux triangular rotating shaft 62, a drive shaft 67, a flexible transmission shaft 68, and a drive bracket 69. Both ends of the Reuleaux triangular tool 61 are fixed to the Reuleaux triangular rotating shaft 62. The machine body 1 has rectangular rotating holes 101 that mate with the Reuleaux triangular rotating shaft 62. One end of the Reuleaux triangular rotating shaft 62 is fixedly connected to one end of the flexible transmission shaft 68, and the other end of the flexible transmission shaft 68 is connected to the drive shaft 67. The drive shaft 67 is rotatably mounted on the machine body 1 via the drive bracket 69, and is connected to a tool drive assembly. The tool drive assembly includes a tool drive gear 66, a tool reducer 64, and a tool motor 63 mounted on the drive shaft 67. The output end of the tool motor 63 is connected to the input end of the tool reducer 64, and a tool output gear 65 is fixed to the output end of the tool reducer 64. The tool output gear 65 meshes with the tool drive gear 66. Specifically, the tool motor 63 drives the tool drive gear 66 to rotate via the tool reducer 64. The tool drive gear 66 drives the tool output gear 65 to rotate. The tool output gear 65 drives the Reuleaux triangle shaft 62 and the Reuleaux triangle tool 61 to rotate via the drive shaft 67 and the flexible transmission shaft 68. During the rotation of the Reuleaux triangle tool 61, a horizontal cleaning plane is formed at the bottom. This horizontal cleaning plane is used to remove biological dirt adhering to the hull surface. The Reuleaux triangle tool 61 can generate vibration during operation, which can better clean the biological dirt adhering to the hull surface. The vibration generated by the Reuleaux triangle tool 61 can reduce the need for a vibration motor. At the same time, the vibration generated by the Reuleaux triangle tool 61 can be transmitted to the machine body 1. The machine body 1 drives the front fixed scraper 12 to vibrate together, thereby using the front fixed scraper 12 to better clean the biological dirt adhering to the hull surface.

[0023] A sealed outer shell 610 is provided outside the cutter drive assembly to seal and isolate the cutter drive assembly from the external seawater. A sealing limiting plate is provided on the Reuleaux triangular shaft 62 to mate with the rectangular rotating hole 101. Each Reuleaux triangular shaft 62 has sealing limiting plates on both sides of the rectangular rotating hole 101. During the rotation of the Reuleaux triangular shaft 62 within the rectangular rotating hole 101, the sealing limiting plates completely cover the rectangular rotating hole 101, and the sealing limiting plates are in close contact with the outer side of the rectangular rotating hole 101, thus preventing biological dirt adhering to the hull surface from entering the rectangular rotating hole 101 and affecting the rotation operation of the Reuleaux triangular shaft 62. When the Reuleaux triangular cutter 61 rotates, it forms a horizontal cleaning plane at its bottom, which is flush with the bottom of the front fixed scraper 12. The Reuleaux triangular cutter 61 does not scrape the paint layer of the hull, thus better protecting the hull paint layer. Four limiting rollers can be set at the bottom of the machine body 1. The bottom of the machine body 1 is limited by the limiting rollers, thereby limiting the distance between the bottom of the machine body 1 and the hull, preventing the machine body from moving downward, and allowing the horizontal cleaning plane generated by the Reuleaux triangle cutter 61 to contact the paint layer of the hull.

[0024] The high-pressure jet assembly 4 includes a jet support 41, several nozzles 42, high-pressure pipes, and a high-pressure pump. The jet support 41 is inclinedly mounted on the cleaning opening, and nozzle holes for mounting the nozzles 42 are provided on the jet support 41. The nozzles 42 are connected to the high-pressure pump through high-pressure pipes. Specifically, when the nozzles 42 are in operation, they perform high-pressure flushing of the biological dirt adhering to the hull surface in the horizontal cleaning plane area from the front, which can wash away some of the biological dirt adhering to the hull surface. At the same time, the high-pressure water flow from the nozzles 42 is directed towards the Reuleaux triangular cutter 61, and the nozzles 42 blow up the biological dirt adhering to the hull surface scraped off by the Reuleaux triangular cutter 61, so that the scraped biological dirt adhering to the hull surface can be drawn away by the recovery hose 10 with the recovery hood 2.

[0025] The roller brush cleaning assembly 5 includes a cleaning power roller 51 and a cleaning brush 52. The cleaning power roller 51 is rotatably mounted on the rear side of the machine body 1, and the cleaning brush 52 is fixed to the outside of the cleaning power roller 51. The cleaning brush 52 is a wire brush. Specifically, the cleaning power roller 51 drives the cleaning brush 52 to rotate, and the cleaning brush 52 cleans the hull area where biological dirt adheres to the hull surface, thus performing a better cleaning operation on the hull surface.

[0026] Each magnetic moving wheel 3 includes a permanent magnet wheel 31, a wheel reducer 33, and a wheel drive motor 34. The output end of the wheel drive motor 34 is connected to the input end of the wheel reducer 33, and the output end of the wheel reducer 33 is fixedly connected to the permanent magnet wheel 31. The permanent magnet wheel 31 is provided with an anti-slip rubber layer 32. The magnetic moving wheel 3 can also be replaced with a tracked wheel and a magnetic track. The tracked wheel combined with the magnetic track has a larger magnetic attraction area and a better adsorption effect, making the movement of the biological dirt cleaning device more stable.

[0027] The bottom of the machine body 1 is provided with a U-shaped mounting groove, in which a partition rubber sheet 102 is fixed. The bottom of the partition rubber sheet 102 is chamfered and has a certain degree of elasticity. When the machine body 1 is adsorbed onto the surface of the hull to be cleaned by the magnetic moving wheels 3, the partition rubber sheet 102 can form a partition between the bottom of the machine body and the surface of the hull to be cleaned, thereby creating a relatively sealed area between the recovery hood 2 and the machine body 1, which facilitates the adsorption and recovery of biological dirt attached to the cleaned hull surface. The distance between the bottom of the machine body 1 and the surface of the hull to be cleaned is between 5mm and 15mm, preferably 10mm. The thickness of the partition rubber sheet 102 is preferably between 1mm and 5mm. The material of the partition rubber sheet 102 should not be too soft so that the partition rubber sheet 102 will not deform too much when the recovery hose 10 performs the suction operation, thus avoiding reducing the partition operation. The material of the partition rubber sheet 102 should not be too hard so that the partition rubber sheet 102 will not counteract too much magnetic force of the magnetic moving wheel 3.

[0028] A front camera 7 is installed on the front side of the body 1, and the front camera 7 is mounted on the recovery shroud 2 via a damping rod 103. An internal camera 8 is installed inside the recovery shroud 2, and the internal camera 8 is fixed inside the recovery shroud 2 via a mounting plate. The internal camera 8 is used to observe the real-time cleaning status of the inside of the recovery shroud 2 and the cleaning area on the surface of the hull.

[0029] like Figure 8 As shown, a method for using an underwater cleaning and recycling system for biofouling on a ship's hull surface includes the following steps: S1: Fix the biological dirt cleaning device to the surface of the hull that needs to be cleaned by four magnetic moving wheels 3, connect the recycling cover 2 to the recycling hose 10 by the rotary joint 9, connect the recycling hose 10 to the input end of the recycling pump 13, and connect the output end of the recycling pump 13 to the collection port 141 of the collection bag 14. S2: The annular airbag 15 is inflated by an air pump or air bottle in conjunction with the air inlet 151 to generate buoyancy, and the annular airbag 15 and the collection bag 14 are deployed. S3: Start the recovery pump 13, high-pressure jet assembly 4, roller brush cleaning assembly 5 and cleaning blade 6, and control the biological fouling cleaning device to move in a straight line to remove biological fouling adhering to the hull surface. S4: Control the four magnetic moving wheels 3 to drive the machine body 1 to perform linear movement. In conjunction with the vibration generated by the cleaning blade 6 during operation, the machine body 1 drives the front fixed shovel 12 to vibrate and remove biological dirt attached to the hull surface of the two front magnetic moving wheels 3, so that the magnetic moving wheels 3 move in contact with the hull surface during the movement. S5: During the movement of the machine body 1, the cutter motor 63 drives the Reuleaux triangle cutter 61 to rotate. The horizontal cleaning plane generated by the rotation of the Reuleaux triangle cutter 61 is used to remove the biological dirt attached to the hull surface in the direction of the cleaning opening. The recovery pump 13 transports the biological dirt cleaned from the hull surface in the recovery hood 2 to the collection bag 14 through the recovery hose 10. S6: The roller brush cleaning assembly 5 rotates, and the cleaning power roller 51 drives the cleaning brush 52 to clean the hull surface after removing the organisms attached to the hull surface. S7: Control the biological fouling cleaning device to move back and forth in a straight line until the biological removal operation on the hull surface is completed. S8: After the biological removal operation on the hull surface is completed, the biological fouling cleaning device is removed from the hull, and the recovery pump 13 is separated from the collection bag 14. The collection bag 14 is then towed to a suitable water surface position using the lifting ring 16 to complete the recovery of biological fouling attached to the hull surface. The seawater inside the collection bag 14 is treated and discharged harmlessly. The specific treatment process includes physical filtration, biological treatment, and ultraviolet disinfection. After meeting the discharge standards, the treated water is discharged into the sea. Most of the solids remaining in the collection bag 14 are biological fouling attached to the hull surface.

[0030] Figure 7 The dashed box in the figure represents the working area formed by the Reuleaux triangle cutter 61, i.e., the horizontal cleaning plane. The horizontal cleaning plane is flush with the bottom of the front fixed scraper 12. The Reuleaux triangle cutter 61 does not scrape the paint layer of the hull, thus better protecting the paint layer of the hull.

[0031] The slurry pump can be a ZW-type 316L stainless steel self-priming pump with a cutting strip from Southern Pump Industry or an ROV integrated submersible slurry pump with a cutting strip. The jet pump is a Venturi suction system that uses negative pressure at the output end of the recovery hose to transport seawater and biological deposits attached to the hull surface together to the collection bag 14. For further improvement, a pipe breaker 11 can be installed at the front end of the rotary joint 9 to break the biological deposits attached to the hull surface into small pieces, which facilitates the suction operation of the recovery hose 10 in conjunction with the recovery pump 13.

[0032] The magnetic moving wheel in this invention is a permanent magnet track walking mechanism or a magnetic wheel walking mechanism, which is beneficial for robot walking. At the same time, when a permanent magnet track or magnetic wheel structure is used, the robot can be easily and quickly attached to the surface of the ship to complete the cleaning operation.

Claims

1. An underwater cleaning and recycling system for biofouling on ship hull surfaces, characterized in that, This includes biofouling cleaning devices and air-inflated floating recovery devices; The inflatable floating recovery device includes a collection bag (14) and an annular airbag (15) fixedly connected to the collection bag (14). The collection bag (14) is provided with a collection port (141). The biofouling cleaning device is used to clean the biofouling adhering to the hull surface. The biofouling cleaning device is connected to one end of the recovery hose (10). The other end of the recovery hose (10) is connected to the input end of the recovery pump (13). The output end of the recovery pump (13) is connected to the collection port (141). The recovery pump (13) transports the biofouling cleaned off the hull surface to the collection bag (14) of the recovery device. The biological dirt cleaning device includes a movable body (1), a recycling cover (2) is provided on the top of the body (1), the body (1) and the recycling cover (2) are connected to form a recycling cover body, a rotary joint (9) is provided on the top of the recycling cover (2), and the top of the rotary joint (9) is connected to a recycling hose (10). The bottom front side of the body (1) is provided with a cleaning opening, and a high-pressure jet assembly (4) is provided on the cleaning opening. A cleaning blade (6) is provided in the middle of the body (1). A roller brush cleaning assembly (5) is provided on the rear side of the body (1). Four magnetic moving wheels (3) are provided on the outside of the body (1). Two magnetic moving wheels (3) located on the front side are each fixed with a front fixed shovel (12). The front fixed shovel (12) is fixed on the machine body (1). A front absorption cover (17) is provided above the front fixed shovel (12). The front absorption cover (17) is connected to the recycling cover (2). The top outer side of the collection bag (14) is fixedly connected to the annular airbag (15), the annular airbag (15) is provided with an inflation port (151), and the top of the collection bag (14) is provided with a hanging ring (16); a middle partition (104) is provided inside the body (1) and the recovery cover (2), the middle partition (104) separates the cleaning blade (6) from the roller brush cleaning assembly (5).

2. The underwater cleaning and recycling system for biofouling on the ship hull surface according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning tool (6) includes a Reuleaux triangle tool (61), a Reuleaux triangle pivot (62), a drive shaft (67), a flexible transmission shaft (68), and a drive bracket (69); both ends of the Reuleaux triangle tool (61) are fixed with Reuleaux triangle pivots (62), and the machine body (1) is provided with a rectangular pivot hole (101) that cooperates with the Reuleaux triangle pivot (62). One end of the Reuleaux triangle pivot (62) is fixedly connected to one end of the flexible transmission shaft (68), and the other end of the flexible transmission shaft (68) is connected to the drive shaft (67). The drive shaft (67) is rotatably mounted on the machine body (1) through the drive bracket (69), and the drive shaft (67) is connected to a tool drive assembly.

3. The underwater cleaning and recycling system for biofouling on the ship hull surface according to claim 2, characterized in that, The tool drive assembly includes a tool drive gear (66), a tool reducer (64), and a tool motor (63) mounted on a drive shaft (67). The output end of the tool motor (63) is connected to the input end of the tool reducer (64). A tool output gear (65) is fixed to the output end of the tool reducer (64), and the tool output gear (65) meshes with the tool drive gear (66).

4. The underwater cleaning and recycling system for biofouling on the ship hull surface according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the Reuleaux triangle cutter (61) rotates, it forms a horizontal cleaning plane at the bottom, which is flush with the bottom of the front fixed scraper (12).

5. The underwater cleaning and recycling system for biofouling on the hull surface according to claim 2, characterized in that, The high-pressure jet assembly (4) includes a jet support (41), several nozzles (42), a high-pressure pipeline and a high-pressure pump. The jet support (41) is inclinedly arranged on the cleaning opening. The jet support (41) is provided with nozzle holes for installing nozzles (42). Several nozzles (42) are connected to the high-pressure pump through high-pressure pipelines.

6. The underwater cleaning and recycling system for biofouling on the ship hull surface according to claim 5, characterized in that, The roller brush cleaning assembly (5) includes a cleaning power roller (51) and a cleaning brush (52). The cleaning power roller (51) is rotatably mounted on the rear side of the machine body (1), and the cleaning brush (52) is fixed to the outside of the cleaning power roller (51). The cleaning brush (52) is a wire brush.

7. The underwater cleaning and recycling system for biofouling on the hull surface according to claim 6, characterized in that, Each of the magnetically attached moving wheels (3) includes a permanent magnet wheel (31), a wheel reducer (33) and a wheel drive motor (34). The output end of the wheel drive motor (34) is connected to the input end of the wheel reducer (33), and the output end of the wheel reducer (33) is fixedly connected to the permanent magnet wheel (31). The permanent magnet wheel (31) is provided with an anti-slip rubber layer (32).

8. The underwater cleaning and recycling system for biofouling on the ship hull surface according to claim 7, characterized in that, The bottom of the body (1) is provided with a U-shaped mounting groove, and a partition rubber sheet (102) is fixed in the mounting groove.

9. The underwater cleaning and recycling system for biofouling on the ship hull surface according to claim 8, characterized in that, A front camera (7) is provided on the front side of the body (1), and an inner camera (8) is provided on the inner side of the recycling hood (2); the recycling pump (13) is a jet pump, a slurry pump or a screw conveyor.

10. A method of using the underwater cleaning and recycling system for biofouling on the hull surface as described in claim 9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Fix the biological dirt cleaning device to the surface of the hull that needs to be cleaned by four magnetic moving wheels (3), connect the recycling hood (2) to the recycling hose (10) by rotating joint (9), connect the recycling hose (10) to the input end of the recycling pump (13), and connect the output end of the recycling pump (13) to the collection port (141) of the collection bag (14). S2: The annular airbag (15) is inflated by an air pump or air bottle with an air inlet (151) to generate buoyancy and unfold the annular airbag (15) and the collection bag (14); S3: Start the recovery pump (13), high-pressure jet assembly (4), roller brush cleaning assembly (5) and cleaning blade (6), control the biological fouling cleaning device to move in a straight line, and carry out the removal of biological fouling adhering to the hull surface; S4: Control the four magnetic moving wheels (3) to drive the machine body (1) to perform linear movement operations. In conjunction with the vibration generated by the cleaning blade (6) during operation, the machine body (1) drives the front fixed shovel (12) to vibrate and remove biological dirt attached to the hull surface of the two magnetic moving wheels (3) on the front side. This makes the magnetic moving wheels (3) move in contact with the hull surface during the movement of the magnetic moving wheels (3). S5: During the movement of the machine body (1), the cutter motor (63) drives the Reuleaux triangular cutter (61) to rotate. The horizontal cleaning plane generated by the rotation of the Reuleaux triangular cutter (61) is used to remove the biological dirt attached to the hull surface in the direction of the cleaning opening. The recovery pump (13) transports the biological dirt cleaned from the hull surface in the recovery hood (2) to the collection bag (14) through the recovery hose (10). S6: The roller brush cleaning assembly (5) rotates, and the cleaning power roller (51) drives the cleaning brush (52) to clean the hull surface after removing the organisms attached to the hull surface. S7: Control the biological fouling cleaning device to move back and forth in a straight line until the biological removal operation on the hull surface is completed. S8: After the biological removal operation on the hull surface is completed, the biological fouling cleaning device is removed from the hull, and the recovery pump (13) is separated from the collection bag (14). The collection bag (14) is dragged to a suitable water surface position through the lifting ring (16) to complete the recovery of biological fouling attached to the hull surface.

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