A water quality monitoring buoy suitable for near-shore sea areas

Abstract

The application discloses a water quality monitoring buoy suitable for near-shore sea areas and relates to the field of water quality monitoring.The water quality monitoring buoy comprises a buoy body, an upper floating part floating on the water surface and a submerged part fixedly connected below the upper floating part and located below the water surface; a water inlet assembly comprises a plurality of water inlet holes opened in the side wall of the submerged part, a water collecting cover fixed to the side wall of the submerged part and a filter screen fixedly installed in the water collecting cover; a cleaning device comprises an air pump fixedly connected to the upper floating part, an air conveying pipeline arranged in the submerged part, the air outlet end of the air pump is rotationally connected to the air conveying pipeline, a plurality of branch pipelines are fixedly connected to the air conveying pipeline, and the tail end of each branch pipeline is fixedly connected to an air jet nozzle; and a driving device is used for driving the air conveying pipeline to rotate, so that the plurality of air jet nozzles are aligned with the filter screens in different areas.The water quality monitoring buoy solves the problems that the mesh holes are prone to be blocked and the cleaning efficiency is poor in the long-term operation of the existing equipment through the water inlet assembly and the cleaning device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to water quality monitoring technology, specifically to a water quality monitoring buoy suitable for nearshore waters. Background Technology

[0002] Water quality monitoring buoys suitable for nearshore waters are typically made of corrosion-resistant materials and secured by anchors, making them suitable for complex nearshore hydrological environments. Equipped with multi-parameter water quality sensors, they can continuously monitor key indicators such as water temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, chlorophyll a, and nutrients in real time. Powered by solar energy, the buoys transmit data to shore-based platforms in real time via GPRS / 4G or satellite communication, enabling unmanned and intelligent monitoring of nearshore water quality dynamics, pollution warnings, and ecological trends, providing reliable data support for environmental management, scientific research, and public information.

[0003] Chinese invention patent CN119375444B discloses an integrated underwater fish water quality monitoring buoy device, comprising an annular float, a base plate fixedly installed at the bottom center opening of the annular float, a bracket fixedly connected to the top of the base plate, a control box and a solar panel mounted on the bracket, a monitor installed inside the control box, and the monitor electrically connected to the solar panel; a protective net tube fixedly installed at the bottom center opening of the annular float; a first monitoring ring block fixedly connected to the bottom of the annular float via two connecting rods, and a probe mounted on the first monitoring ring block; the first monitoring ring block is located inside the protective net tube. This invention achieves comprehensive regulation of fish or water quality monitoring, avoiding monitoring interference; this invention prevents mesh clogging, thereby avoiding abnormal water quality monitoring; at the same time, this invention is beneficial for fish monitoring and also prevents fish from getting too close and damaging the waterproof camera.

[0004] However, the above-mentioned equipment uses brush bristles for contact cleaning; during long-term operation, the brush bristles are prone to wear and tear and entanglement with fibers, and the cleaning effect on firmly attached biofouling is limited, and may even push the dirt into the depth of the mesh; its cleaning relies on the rotation of the cylinder when the mode is switched, rather than continuous or special operation targeting the water inlet. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a water quality monitoring buoy suitable for nearshore waters, which solves the problem that existing equipment is prone to mesh clogging and has poor cleaning efficiency during long-term operation.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A water quality monitoring buoy suitable for nearshore waters includes: The buoy body includes an upper part that floats on the water surface and a submerged part that is fixedly connected below the upper part and located below the water surface, the submerged part being cylindrical; The monitoring module is housed inside the submersible. The water inlet assembly includes multiple water inlet holes opened on the side wall of the submersible and distributed around the circumference of the submersible, a water collection hood fixed to the side wall of the submersible and covering the outside of the water inlet holes, and a filter screen fixedly installed inside the water collection hood. The cleaning device includes an air pump fixedly connected to the buoyancy section and an air supply pipe disposed in the submerged body. The air outlet of the air pump is rotatably connected to the air supply pipe and they are interconnected. Multiple branch pipes distributed circumferentially along the air supply pipe are fixedly connected to the air supply pipe, and an air nozzle is fixedly connected to the end of each branch pipe. The drive unit, located within the submersible, is used to drive the air delivery pipe to rotate, causing multiple jet nozzles to sequentially aim at the filters in different areas for air cleaning.

[0007] Furthermore, the driving device includes: The outer shell is fixedly connected to the submersible body; The motor is fixedly connected inside the housing; The worm gear is rotatably connected inside the housing and is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor. The worm gear is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the gas pipeline and meshes with the worm.

[0008] Furthermore, the inner wall of the open end of the water collection hood is provided with an inwardly inclined annular guide surface.

[0009] Furthermore, the number of circumferential water inlets is greater than the number of circumferential air nozzles, so that when some air nozzles are aimed at the filter screen of their corresponding areas for cleaning, the water inlets of the remaining uncleaned areas can still enter water normally.

[0010] Furthermore, a number of stabilizing fins are fixedly connected to the outer wall of the submersible, and the direction of the stabilizing fins along the radial inclination of the submersible is opposite to the orientation of the open end of the water collection hood.

[0011] Furthermore, the air pump is connected to an air inlet pipe at its inlet end, and the inlet end of the air inlet pipe is provided with a wave shield with an opening tilted downwards.

[0012] Furthermore, a bracket is fixedly installed on the top of the floating part, and a solar power supply panel is fixedly installed on the bracket.

[0013] Furthermore, the buoy body is connected to an anchor chain via a connecting rope, and a buoy is installed on the connecting rope.

[0014] Compared with existing technologies, the present invention provides a water quality monitoring buoy suitable for nearshore waters. A drive device rotates the air supply pipe, causing multiple jet nozzles to sequentially aim at the filter screen in different areas of the water intake assembly. Simultaneously, an air pump generates compressed air, which is ejected from the jet nozzles through the air supply pipe and branch pipes, forming an airflow that non-contactly blows the filter screen. This operation effectively removes particulate matter, fibers, and biofouling adhering to the filter screen surface, preventing mesh blockage and ensuring a continuous and smooth flow of seawater into the submersible for analysis by the monitoring module. This guarantees the continuity and accuracy of water quality monitoring data, avoids the wear, entanglement, or dirt pushing problems associated with traditional brush cleaning, and improves cleaning efficiency and filter screen lifespan.

[0015] The airflow generated by the jet cleaning is guided by the annular guide surface to form a secondary scouring vortex, which enhances the cleaning effect on the outside of the filter screen and the wall of the submersible; while the design of the stabilizing fin suppresses the rotational tendency caused by the jet backflow, improving the buoy's azimuth stability in dynamic sea conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure provided for an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the buoy body provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the submersible provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the water collection cover provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the buoy body provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the driving device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Buoy body; 2. Monitoring module; 3. Water inlet assembly; 4. Cleaning device; 5. Drive device; 11. Ascent section; 12. Submersion section; 13. Support frame; 14. Solar power panel; 16. Connecting rope; 17. Anchor chain; 18. Buoy; 31. Water inlet; 32. Water collection cover; 33. Filter screen; 34. Annular guide surface; 41. Air pump; 411. Air inlet pipe; 412. Wave shield; 42. Air supply pipe; 43. Branch pipe; 44. Jet nozzle; 45. Stabilizing fin; 51. Shell; 52. Motor; 53. Worm gear; 54. Worm wheel. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] Please see Figures 1 to 7 A water quality monitoring buoy suitable for nearshore waters, comprising: The buoy body 1 includes an upper part 11 that floats on the water surface and a lower part 12 that is fixedly connected to the lower part 11 and located below the water surface. The lower part 12 is cylindrical. Monitoring module 2 is housed inside the submersible 12; The water inlet assembly 3 includes a plurality of water inlet holes 31 opened on the side wall of the submersible 12 and distributed around the circumference of the submersible 12, a water collection cover 32 fixed to the side wall of the submersible 12 and covering the outside of the water inlet holes 31, and a filter screen 33 fixedly installed in the water collection cover 32. The cleaning device 4 includes an air pump 41 fixedly connected to the buoyancy part 11 and an air supply pipe 42 disposed in the submersible body 12. The air outlet end of the air pump 41 is rotatably connected to the air supply pipe 42 and communicates with each other. Multiple branch pipes 43 distributed around the air supply pipe 42 are fixedly connected to the air supply pipe 42, and a jet nozzle 44 is fixedly connected to the end of each branch pipe 43. The drive unit 5, located inside the submersible 12, is used to drive the air supply pipe 42 to rotate, so that multiple air nozzles 44 are sequentially aimed at the filter screen 33 in different areas to perform air cleaning.

[0021] When the water quality monitoring buoy is in operation, its cleaning device 4 drives the air supply pipe 42 to rotate via the drive device 5, so that multiple jet nozzles 44 are sequentially aimed at the filter screen 33 of different areas of the water inlet component 3; at the same time, the air pump 41 generates compressed air, which is ejected from the jet nozzles 44 through the air supply pipe 42 and the branch pipe 43, forming an airflow to non-contactly blow the filter screen 33; this operation can effectively remove particulate matter, fibers and biological fouling attached to the surface of the filter screen 33, prevent the mesh from clogging, and ensure that seawater continuously and smoothly flows into the submersible 12 for analysis by the monitoring module 2, thereby ensuring the continuity and accuracy of water quality monitoring data and avoiding the wear, entanglement or dirt pushing in caused by traditional brush cleaning.

[0022] The drive unit 5 includes: The shell 51 is fixedly connected inside the submersible 12; Motor 52 is fixedly connected inside housing 51; The worm gear 53 is rotatably connected inside the housing 51 and is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor 52; The worm gear 54 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the gas pipeline 42 and meshes with the worm 53.

[0023] When cleaning operations are required, the drive unit 5 is activated; the motor 52 operates, driving the worm gear 53 to rotate; the worm gear 53 drives the worm wheel 54 to rotate, and the worm wheel 54 is fixedly installed on the air supply pipe 42, thereby transmitting and converting the rotational power of the motor 52 into a smooth, low-speed rotation of the air supply pipe 42; this process precisely controls the rotational orientation of the air supply pipe 42, providing a reliable rotational drive for the core non-contact jet cleaning; the worm wheel 54 and worm gear 53 transmission mechanism has a speed reduction and torque increase function and a self-locking function, which can output sufficient torque to resist water flow resistance, and ensure accurate jet positioning and mechanical position locking during non-working periods. In addition, the housing 51 is used to protect the motor 52, worm gear 53 and worm wheel 54 to prevent seawater from corroding the drive unit 5.

[0024] The inner wall of the open end of the water collection cover 32 has an inwardly inclined annular guide surface 34.

[0025] When the jet nozzle 44 is cleaning, some of the overflow airflow before penetrating the filter screen 33 will be effectively captured by the annular guide surface 34 and guided to the outer wall of the submersible 12, forming a cleaning vortex that rotates along the wall. This achieves secondary rinsing of the outside of the filter screen 33 and the wall of the submersible 12, improving the cleaning range and effect of a single jet, and the whole process does not require additional energy input, utilizing the existing airflow of the cleaning device 4.

[0026] The number of circumferential water inlets 31 is greater than the number of circumferential air nozzles 44, so that when some air nozzles 44 are aimed at the filter screen 33 in their corresponding areas for cleaning, the water inlets 31 in the remaining uncleaned areas can still enter water normally.

[0027] During the cleaning operation, the drive unit 5 drives the air supply pipe 42 to rotate, so that a relatively small number of air nozzles 44 sequentially and cyclically align with and clean the filter screen 33 in the local area directly in front of them. At the same time, since the total number of circumferentially distributed water inlets 31 is greater than that of air nozzles 44, at any given time, some of the filter screens 33 where the water inlets 31 are located are not covered by the air cleaning operation. These areas can continuously and undisturbedly collect water samples from the outside seawater and flow into the submersible 12. This ensures that the water quality monitoring module 2's water sampling process is almost uninterrupted when the filter screen 33 is automatically maintained, thereby ensuring the continuity and integrity of the monitoring data.

[0028] Several stabilizing fins 45 are fixedly connected to the outer wall of the submersible 12. The direction of the stabilizing fins 45 along the radial inclination of the submersible 12 is opposite to the orientation of the open end of the water collection cover 32; and the several stabilizing fins 45 are all located below the water inlet 31.

[0029] When the buoy is in operation, especially when the nozzle 44 is performing directional cleaning, the resulting reaction force can easily cause the submersible 12 to have a slight rotational tendency. At this time, several stabilizing fins 45 fixed to the outer wall of the submersible 12 and located below the water inlet 31 begin to play a role. Since the direction of the stabilizing fins 45 along the radial inclination of the submersible 12 is opposite to the orientation of the open end of the water collection shroud 32 of the water inlet assembly 3, when the rotational tendency caused by the water flow or cleaning pushes the submersible 12, the stabilizing fins 45 will be subjected to the opposite force of the water flow. This design generates a stabilizing torque opposite to the rotational tendency, thereby suppressing the circumferential sway of the submersible 12 and improving the overall directional stability of the buoy.

[0030] The air pump 41 is connected to an air inlet pipe 411 at its air inlet end, and the inlet end of the air inlet pipe 411 is provided with a wave shield 412 with an opening tilted downward.

[0031] In the complex nearshore sea conditions where the buoy is located, the downward-sloping opening of the wave shield 412 can prevent rainwater, wave spray, and airborne debris from falling vertically from above from directly entering the air intake channel, while allowing air to flow smoothly from its side and below, ensuring the long-term reliable operation and low maintenance requirements of the cleaning system.

[0032] A bracket 13 is fixedly installed on the top of the buoyancy section 11, and a solar power panel 14 is fixedly installed on the bracket 13. The solar power panel 14 is fixedly installed on the top of the buoyancy section 11 via the bracket 13 and is always exposed to sunlight. During daytime operation, it directly converts the received solar radiation into electrical energy and stores it in the battery inside the buoy. This process provides a continuous and clean energy supply for all electronic equipment such as the monitoring module 2, air pump 41, drive device 5, and communication module, enabling the buoy to achieve energy self-sufficiency.

[0033] The buoy body 1 is connected to the anchor chain 17 via the connecting rope 16, and a buoy 18 is installed on the connecting rope 16.

[0034] The buoy body 1 is connected to the anchor chain 17 via a connecting rope 16, and a buoy 18 is installed on the connecting rope 16. When the buoy body 1 is displaced by wind, waves, tides or ocean currents, the buoyancy provided by the buoy 18 keeps the upper and middle parts of the connecting rope 16 in a certain tension and tilt state, thereby isolating the anchor chain 17 from the direct and rigid dragging of the buoy body 1.

[0035] Working principle: When the water quality monitoring buoy is anchored, multiple water inlets 31 on the side wall of its submersible 12 continuously collect seawater through external filters 33 for real-time analysis by the internal monitoring module 2. Simultaneously, to ensure the long-term smooth operation of this sampling process, the buoy's cleaning device 4 is activated: a solar-powered air pump 41 generates compressed air, which is then guided by a rotating air supply pipe 42 driven by a motor 52 via a worm gear 54 and worm 53 to the nozzles 44, sequentially and cyclically spraying non-contact air onto the filters 33 in different circumferential areas, effectively... The process involves removing contaminants. Because the number of water inlets 31 exceeds that of the air nozzles 44, water can still enter the remaining areas while cleaning is being carried out locally. This allows for parallel sampling and cleaning in both time and space, ensuring continuous monitoring. The design of the stabilizing fin 45 counteracts the rotation caused by the jet backlash, while the anchor chain 17 with a float buffers the direct drag of wind and waves on the buoy. Together, these measures maintain the overall stability of the buoy and the accuracy of the data, avoiding the problems of poor cleaning efficiency caused by wear, entanglement, or the pushing of contaminants that occur with traditional brush cleaning.

[0036] The foregoing has only described certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention by way of illustration. Undoubtedly, those skilled in the art can modify the described embodiments in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the foregoing drawings and descriptions are illustrative in nature and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A water quality monitoring buoy suitable for nearshore waters, characterized in that, include: The buoy body (1) includes an upper part (11) that floats on the water surface and a lower part (12) that is fixedly connected below the upper part (11) and located below the water surface. The lower part (12) is cylindrical. The monitoring module (2) is housed inside the submersible (12); The water inlet assembly (3) includes multiple water inlet holes (31) opened on the side wall of the submersible (12) and distributed around the circumference of the submersible (12), a water collection hood (32) fixed to the side wall of the submersible (12) and covering the outside of the water inlet holes (31), and a filter screen (33) fixedly installed in the water collection hood (32). The cleaning device (4) includes an air pump (41) fixedly connected to the buoyancy part (11) and an air supply pipe (42) set in the submersible body (12). The air outlet of the air pump (41) is rotatably connected to the air supply pipe (42) and they are interconnected. Multiple branch pipes (43) distributed around the air supply pipe (42) are fixedly connected to the air supply pipe (42), and each branch pipe (43) is fixedly connected to a jet nozzle (44) at its end. The drive unit (5) is located inside the submersible (12) and is used to drive the air supply pipe (42) to rotate so that multiple air nozzles (44) are sequentially aimed at the filter screens (33) in different areas to perform air cleaning.

2. A water quality monitoring buoy suitable for nearshore waters according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving device (5) includes: The shell (51) is fixedly connected to the submersible (12); The motor (52) is fixedly connected inside the housing (51); The worm (53) is rotatably connected inside the housing (51) and is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor (52); The worm gear (54) is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the gas pipeline (42) and meshes with the worm (53).

3. A water quality monitoring buoy suitable for nearshore waters according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the open end of the water collection cover (32) has an inwardly inclined annular guide surface (34).

4. A water quality monitoring buoy suitable for nearshore waters according to claim 3, characterized in that, The number of water inlets (31) in the circumferential direction is greater than the number of air nozzles (44) in the circumferential direction, so that when some air nozzles (44) are aligned with the filter screen (33) of their corresponding area for cleaning, the water inlets (31) in the remaining uncleaned areas can still enter water normally.

5. A water quality monitoring buoy suitable for nearshore waters according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outer wall of the submersible (12) is fixedly connected with several stabilizing fins (45), and the direction of the stabilizing fins (45) along the radial inclination of the submersible (12) is opposite to the orientation of the open end of the water collection cover (32).

6. A water quality monitoring buoy suitable for nearshore waters according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air pump (41) is connected to an air inlet pipe (411) at its air inlet end, and the inlet end of the air inlet pipe (411) is provided with a wave shield (412) with an opening tilted downward.

7. A water quality monitoring buoy suitable for nearshore waters according to claim 1, characterized in that, A bracket (13) is fixedly installed on the top of the floating part (11), and a solar power supply panel (14) is fixedly installed on the bracket (13).

8. A water quality monitoring buoy suitable for nearshore waters according to claim 1, characterized in that, An anchor chain (17) is connected to the outside of the buoy body (1) via a connecting rope (16), and a buoy (18) is provided on the connecting rope (16).

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