A sandwich self-supplied diving suit based on a dissolved oxygen extraction membrane

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of based on dissolved oxygen extraction membrane interlayer formula self-supplying air diving suit, it is related to diving suit technical field, its structure includes diving suit body, diving suit body includes setting in outside hydrophilic shell layer and inside diving fabric layer, hydrophilic shell layer and diving fabric layer are clamped with dissolved oxygen extraction module, dissolved oxygen extraction module includes several hydrophobic porous membrane components, hydrophobic porous membrane component is bag type structure, is formed by two pieces of hydrophobic porous membrane material peripheral seal, and is provided with a gas pipe mouth and diving suit gas pipeline intercommunication;Dissolved oxygen extraction module further includes air pump, air pumping makes the negative pressure formed in hydrophobic porous membrane component, and dissolved oxygen in water environment is converted into gaseous oxygen and extracted into bag type structure, gaseous oxygen is transported to breathing circuit by gas pipeline and is supplied with oxygen for head cover.The interlayer formula self-supplying air diving suit of the application, simple structure, it is convenient to maintain and replace, breaks through the self-carrying gas cylinder endurance limit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of diving suit technology, and specifically to a sandwich-type self-supplied air diving suit based on a dissolved oxygen extraction membrane. Background Technology

[0002] Divers typically rely on backpack air cylinders or surface air supply systems for breathing gas when working underwater. Backpack air cylinders significantly increase the weight carried by the operator, consuming physical energy. Furthermore, their limited capacity results in short operating times, and the inconvenience of replacing or refilling them affects continuous work efficiency. While surface air supply systems can extend operating time, they require long-distance pipeline connections and are easily limited by the operating radius, entanglement risks, and surface platform conditions. Water contains a certain concentration of dissolved air / dissolved oxygen. If oxygen could be extracted in situ underwater and directly coupled to the breathing circuit, dependence on air cylinders or surface air supply systems could be reduced to some extent.

[0003] Air-supplied diving suits are core equipment for ensuring the safety of deep-water workers, overcoming the limitations of self-contained air cylinder endurance and decompression, and enabling long-term underwater operations. Their development is of significant engineering necessity. Existing technologies report various types of diving suits. For example, Chinese patent document CN105923126A discloses a fully enclosed-loop air-supplied diving suit. Its structure includes a fully transparent helmet, a shoulder and neck base, a waist connecting base, a diving suit jacket, diving pants, two diving gloves, and two diving boots. The fully transparent helmet is positioned at the upper end of the shoulder and neck base, and the helmet and base are connected by waterproof threaded fasteners or waterproof buckles. The diving suit jacket is attached to the lower end of the shoulder and neck base. An air inlet pipe is located on one side of the upper end of the shoulder and neck base, and an air outlet pipe is located on the other side. The air inlet and outlet pipes on the shoulder and neck base are used to supply oxygen to the air supply equipment and expel waste gas, supplying oxygen to the helmet and promptly expelling waste gas, thus forming an air supply loop. Chinese patent document CN104875865A discloses an automatically buoyant diving suit, comprising a diving suit body with at least one accommodating cavity containing buoyancy airbags. The airbags are connected to an air source via tubing, which includes valves for controlling the supply of air to the airbags. When a diver needs to surface in a special situation, the accommodating cavity is first opened to allow the airbags to float freely. Then, the valves are opened, inflating the airbags and causing the diver to automatically and quickly rise to the surface.

[0004] However, none of the aforementioned diving suits can extract dissolved air / dissolved oxygen from the water, thus failing to achieve self-sufficiency in air supply. Existing devices for extracting air or oxygen from the water are mostly independent units, making flexible integration with the diving suit difficult. Furthermore, they are susceptible to biofouling and particulate contamination during long-term underwater use, and replacement and maintenance are inconvenient, with insufficient safety redundancy. Therefore, there is a need to develop a layered self-sufficient air-supplying diving suit with a simple structure, maintainability, and emergency air supply and monitoring / control capabilities. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of the existing technology, this invention provides a sandwich-type self-supplied air diving suit based on a dissolved oxygen extraction membrane. It has a simple structure, is easy to maintain and replace, and breaks through the limitation of self-supplied air cylinder endurance.

[0006] The specific technical solution adopted is as follows: A sandwich-type self-supplied air diving suit based on dissolved oxygen extraction membrane has the following structure: the diving suit body includes a hydrophilic shell layer on the outside and a diving fabric layer on the inside. A dissolved oxygen extraction module is sandwiched between the hydrophilic shell layer and the diving fabric layer. The dissolved oxygen extraction module includes several hydrophobic porous membrane components. The hydrophobic porous membrane components are bag-type structures formed by sealing the periphery of two hydrophobic porous membrane materials and are provided with an air intake port that is connected to the air duct of the diving suit. The dissolved oxygen extraction module also includes an air pump, which creates a negative pressure inside the hydrophobic porous membrane component by pumping air, converting dissolved oxygen in the aquatic environment into gaseous oxygen and extracting it into the bag structure. The gaseous oxygen is then transported to the breathing circuit through the air delivery pipeline to supply oxygen to the headgear. The aforementioned sandwich-type self-supplied air diving suit also includes an emergency air supply unit. The emergency air supply unit is selectively connected to the breathing circuit through a switching valve and is used to provide emergency gas to the breathing circuit when dissolved oxygen extraction is insufficient or the dissolved oxygen extraction module malfunctions.

[0007] The sandwich-type self-sustaining diving suit of this invention features a hydrophilic outer shell layer and a waterproof inner diving fabric layer. During underwater operations, when the hydrophobic porous membrane component of the dissolved oxygen extraction module comes into contact with water, the water does not easily enter the membrane pores due to the hydrophobic surface, maintaining the pores as gas phase channels. When air is pumped out, creating a negative pressure within the hydrophobic porous membrane component, the original gas-liquid balance of dissolved gases (mainly dissolved oxygen) in the water is disrupted. Driven by the partial pressure difference, the dissolved gases escape from the liquid phase, enter the membrane pores, and are transported to the breathing circuit via the air delivery pipeline to supply oxygen to the hood. Experimental results show that the oxygen supply per unit area (1m²) is significantly reduced. 2 The hydrophobic porous membrane module can obtain a solution oxygen gas flow rate of 2.8-4.5 L / min under a negative pressure of 0.06-0.09 MPa, which can adapt to the gas extraction needs under different water temperatures, salinities and motion intensities.

[0008] Furthermore, the hydrophobic porous membrane components in the dissolved oxygen extraction module are arranged in a stacked manner, and the gas intake ports of each hydrophobic porous membrane component are connected to the gas delivery pipeline. This arrangement can improve the total gas intake area and the stability of gas supply.

[0009] Furthermore, the gas intake ports of each hydrophobic porous membrane module are connected in parallel to the collecting pipe, and the collecting pipe is connected to the gas delivery pipeline.

[0010] Furthermore, the hydrophobic porous membrane material is selected from at least one of polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, or polypropylene, with a pore size of 0.02–1.0 μm (preferably 0.2–1.0 μm) and a membrane thickness of 10–300 μm (preferably 100–300 μm). The membrane pore size is a key factor affecting the dissolved oxygen extraction efficiency.

[0011] Furthermore, the periphery sealing methods for the two hydrophobic porous membrane materials include hot-press sealing, ultrasonic welding, and hot-melt adhesive bonding, and reinforcing edges are provided at the periphery sealing points to improve pressure resistance and tear resistance.

[0012] Hydrophobic porous membrane components are distributed along the torso and limb areas of the diving suit, thereby enabling large-area oxygen intake while maintaining the flexibility of the suit.

[0013] Furthermore, the dissolved oxygen extraction module is detachably disposed in the interlayer area between the hydrophilic shell layer and the diving fabric layer. The diving suit body is provided with a zipper-type opening and closing structure, which allows for the removal, insertion, or replacement of the hydrophobic porous membrane component when the zipper-type opening and closing structure is opened.

[0014] Furthermore, the hydrophilic shell layer is made of materials such as nylon, modified polyester, or cellulose; the diving fabric layer includes neoprene rubber and nylon material coated with neoprene rubber.

[0015] A hydrophilic / antibacterial coating is provided on the outer side of the hydrophilic shell layer to improve wettability and inhibit biofilm formation. The hydrophilic / antibacterial coating component includes at least one of polyethylene glycol, zwitterionic polymer, or quaternary ammonium salt polymer.

[0016] Preferably, the layered self-supplied air diving suit is further provided with a control and monitoring unit. The control and monitoring unit is used to monitor the oxygen content and / or pressure parameters in the breathing circuit and / or hood, and accordingly control the working status of the air pump, trigger an alarm, or control the switching valve to switch to the emergency air supply unit.

[0017] Furthermore, the breathing circuit is an open, semi-closed, or closed breathing circuit, including a one-way valve and a breathing bag; when the breathing circuit is a semi-closed or closed breathing circuit, it also includes a carbon dioxide absorption device.

[0018] Furthermore, the emergency gas supply unit is a small oxygen cylinder or a chemical oxygen generator, equipped with a check valve and a pressure regulating valve to prevent backflow and meet the gas supply pressure requirements of the breathing circuit.

[0019] The present invention also provides a method for using the aforementioned layered self-sustaining diving suit, comprising the following steps: (1) When the sandwich-type self-supplied diving suit is worn and in an underwater environment, the air pump is started to create a negative pressure in the hydrophobic porous membrane component, driving the dissolved oxygen in the underwater environment to be converted into gaseous oxygen and extracted into the bag structure. The gaseous oxygen is transported to the breathing circuit through the air duct to supply oxygen to the head cover. (2) The control and monitoring unit monitors the oxygen content and / or pressure parameters in the breathing circuit and / or hood in real time, and controls the working status of the air pump, triggers the alarm, or controls the switching valve to switch to the emergency air supply unit.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: (1) The present invention uses the partial pressure difference of hydrophobic porous membrane material to realize the in-situ extraction of dissolved oxygen underwater and directly couples it with the breathing circuit to supply oxygen to the headgear, which can reduce the carrying weight and improve the endurance.

[0021] (2) The present invention sandwiches the dissolved oxygen extraction module between the hydrophilic shell layer and the diving fabric layer of the diving suit. The hydrophobic porous membrane component in the dissolved oxygen extraction module has a flexible bag-like structure (not an airbag-like structure), which can achieve large-area, distributed, and flexible integration without affecting the wearing and performance of the diving suit.

[0022] (3) In the dissolved oxygen extraction module of the present invention, the periphery of two hydrophobic porous membrane materials is sealed and only a single gas extraction port is retained. The structure is simple, easy to prepare and easy to seal and reliably connect. The hydrophilic shell layer is provided with a hydrophilic / antibacterial coating on the outside, which can reduce biofouling, improve wetting contact with water and improve oxygen extraction efficiency.

[0023] (4) The present invention realizes pump control, parameter monitoring and alarm through the control and monitoring unit, and switches emergency gas supply in case of abnormality, thereby improving the safety of underwater operation. The hydrophobic porous membrane module can be modularly replaced through the zipper-type opening and closing structure, which facilitates maintenance and expansion. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the sandwich-type self-supplied air diving suit based on dissolved oxygen extraction membrane of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the dissolved oxygen extraction module.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the specific structure of a hydrophobic porous membrane module.

[0027] Figure reference numerals: 1. Diving suit body, 1-1. Hydrophilic shell layer, 1-3. Water-guiding structure, 1-2. Diving fabric layer, 2. Headgear, 3. Breathing circuit, 4. Dissolved oxygen extraction module, 4-1. Hydrophobic porous membrane assembly, 4-2. Air duct, 4-1-1. Hydrophobic porous membrane material, 4-1-2. Air intake port, 5. Air pump, 6. Emergency air supply unit, 7. Control and monitoring unit, 8. Hydrophilic / antibacterial coating, 9. Zipper closure structure. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, features, and advantages of this invention more apparent and understandable, a detailed description is provided below through specific embodiments. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below. Technical features in various embodiments of the invention can be combined appropriately without mutual conflict.

[0029] Unless otherwise specified, the operating methods in the following examples are generally performed under conventional conditions or as recommended by the manufacturer. Contents not described in detail in this specification are prior art known to those skilled in the art. Unless otherwise specified, the experimental materials used in the examples below can be purchased from conventional biochemical reagent companies.

[0030] Example 1 like Figure 1 As shown, the sandwich-type self-supplied gas diving suit based on dissolved oxygen extraction membrane includes a diving suit body 1, a hood 2, and a breathing circuit 3. The hood 2 is sealed to the diving suit body 1, and the breathing circuit 3 is connected to the hood 2 to supply breathable gas to the diver.

[0031] like Figure 2 As shown, the diving suit body 1 includes an outer hydrophilic shell layer 1-1 and an inner diving fabric layer 1-2. A dissolved oxygen extraction module 4 is sandwiched between the hydrophilic shell layer 1-1 and the diving fabric layer 1-2. A hydrophilic / antibacterial coating 8 may also be provided on the outer side of the hydrophilic shell layer 1-1. The components of the hydrophilic / antibacterial coating 8 include at least one of polyethylene glycol, zwitterionic polymer, or quaternary ammonium salt polymer. The hydrophilic / antibacterial coating 8 can reduce marine organism attachment and biofilm formation, and improve the wetting contact between the hydrophilic shell layer 1-1 and the water, thereby enhancing the effective mass transfer of dissolved oxygen to the biofilm surface.

[0032] The hydrophilic shell layer 1-1 is made of any one of nylon, modified polyester or cellulose, and must be hydrophilic to facilitate dissolved oxygen extraction by the dissolved oxygen extraction module 4; the diving fabric layer 1-2 includes neoprene rubber and nylon material coated with neoprene rubber, which can prevent water from entering the skin-contact area.

[0033] The hydrophilic shell layer 1-1 can be provided with a water-guiding structure 1-3 in the corresponding area of ​​the dissolved oxygen extraction module 4, such as a water-guiding hole, a water-guiding mesh layer, or a water-guiding microchannel, so that external water can enter the interlayer area and form a continuous water phase contact with the outside of the hydrophobic porous membrane component 4-1.

[0034] The dissolved oxygen extraction module 4 includes several hydrophobic porous membrane components 4-1, which are preferably arranged in a stacked manner. The air intake port 4-1-2 of each hydrophobic porous membrane component 4-1 is connected to the air delivery pipe 4-2. The hydrophobic porous membrane components 4-1 are distributed along the torso and limb areas of the diving suit to obtain sufficient oxygen extraction area. Figure 3 As shown, the hydrophobic porous membrane module 4-1 has a bag-like structure, which is formed by sealing two hydrophobic porous membrane materials 4-1-1 around the perimeter. The perimeter sealing method can be heat sealing, ultrasonic welding or hot melt adhesive bonding. A reinforcing edge can be set at the perimeter seal to improve pressure resistance and tear resistance.

[0035] The air intake port 4-1-2 is connected to the air pump 5 via the air delivery line 4-2, which is also connected to the breathing circuit 3. During use, external water comes into contact with and wets the surface of the hydrophilic shell layer 1-1, while the hydrophobic porous membrane module 4-1 comes into contact with the aquatic environment. Dissolved oxygen is transferred to the membrane surface under the action of concentration and partial pressure differences. The air pump 5 draws suction into the hydrophobic porous membrane module 4-1 to form a negative pressure, increasing the driving force of the partial pressure difference, so that dissolved oxygen passes through the hydrophobic porous membrane material and is converted into gaseous oxygen for collection and transportation.

[0036] The hydrophobic porous membrane material 4-1-1 can be selected from materials such as PTFE, PVDF or PP. Its pore size and thickness are selected according to the expected gas supply and pressure resistance requirements, but must be set in the range of membrane pore size 0.02~1.0μm and membrane thickness 10~300μm.

[0037] The hydrophobic porous membrane module 4-1 can be stacked into multiple layers (e.g., 1 to 20 layers). The gas intake ports 4-1-2 of each layer can be connected to the gas delivery pipeline 4-2 through parallel connection of the manifold to increase the total gas intake area and reduce the pressure difference of a single membrane layer.

[0038] The layered self-contained air-supplying diving suit also includes an emergency air supply unit 6 and a control and monitoring unit 7. The control and monitoring unit 7 includes at least one oxygen content sensor and / or pressure sensor, a controller, and an alarm device. The controller adjusts the speed or starts / stops of the air pump 5 based on sensor signals to maintain the required air supply under different water depths, temperatures, and activity intensities. When the oxygen content is detected to be below the threshold, the pressure is abnormal, or the pump malfunctions, the alarm device emits an audible and visual alarm or vibration alarm and controls the switching valve to switch to the emergency air supply unit 6. The emergency air supply unit 6 can be a small oxygen cylinder or a chemical oxygen generator, installed at the waist or back of the diving suit body 1. The emergency air supply unit 6 is selectively connected to the breathing circuit 3 through the switching valve. When the dissolved oxygen extraction module 4 has insufficient air supply or malfunctions, the emergency air supply unit 6 provides the diver with short-term emergency gas to ensure safe ascent or evacuation.

[0039] For ease of maintenance and replacement, the diving suit body 1 is equipped with a zipper-type opening and closing structure 9. The dissolved oxygen extraction module 4 is detachably installed in the interlayer area between the hydrophilic shell layer 1-1 and the diving fabric layer 1-2. When the zipper-type opening and closing structure 9 is opened, the hydrophobic porous membrane component 4-1 can be removed, inserted, or replaced. The air duct 4-2 and the hydrophobic porous membrane component 4-1 can be connected by a quick-release sealing joint. Divers can quickly change the number of hydrophobic porous membrane component stacks or replace the contaminated hydrophobic porous membrane component on shore or on deck.

[0040] The method of using the aforementioned layered self-sustaining diving suit includes the following steps: (1) When the sandwich-type self-supplied diving suit is worn and placed in an underwater environment, the air pump is started to create a negative pressure in the hydrophobic porous membrane component, driving the dissolved oxygen in the underwater environment to be converted into gaseous oxygen and extracted into the bag structure. The gaseous oxygen is transported to the breathing circuit through the air guide pipe to supply oxygen to the head cover. (2) The control and monitoring unit monitors the oxygen content and / or pressure parameters in the breathing circuit and / or hood in real time, and controls the working status of the air pump, triggers the alarm, or controls the switching valve to switch to the emergency air supply unit.

[0041] The embodiments described above provide a detailed explanation of the technical solutions of the present invention. It should be understood that the above descriptions are merely specific embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, additions, or similar substitutions made within the scope of the principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sandwich-type self-supplied air diving suit based on a dissolved oxygen extraction membrane, comprising a diving suit body, characterized in that, The diving suit body includes a hydrophilic shell layer on the outside and a diving fabric layer on the inside. A dissolved oxygen extraction module is sandwiched between the hydrophilic shell layer and the diving fabric layer. The dissolved oxygen extraction module includes several hydrophobic porous membrane components. The hydrophobic porous membrane components are bag-type structures, formed by sealing the periphery of two hydrophobic porous membrane materials, and are provided with an air intake port that is connected to the diving suit's air duct. The dissolved oxygen extraction module also includes an air pump, which creates a negative pressure inside the hydrophobic porous membrane component by pumping air, converting dissolved oxygen in the aquatic environment into gaseous oxygen and extracting it into the bag structure. The gaseous oxygen is then transported to the breathing circuit through the air delivery pipeline to supply oxygen to the headgear. The aforementioned sandwich-type self-supplied air diving suit also includes an emergency air supply unit. The emergency air supply unit is selectively connected to the breathing circuit through a switching valve and is used to provide emergency gas to the breathing circuit when dissolved oxygen extraction is insufficient or the dissolved oxygen extraction module malfunctions.

2. The layered self-sustaining diving suit according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the dissolved oxygen extraction module, the hydrophobic porous membrane components are arranged in a stacked manner, and the gas intake port of each hydrophobic porous membrane component is connected to the gas delivery pipeline.

3. The layered self-sustaining diving suit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydrophobic porous membrane material is selected from at least one of polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride or polypropylene, with a membrane pore size of 0.02 to 1.0 μm and a membrane thickness of 10 to 300 μm.

4. The layered self-sustaining diving suit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The periphery sealing of the two hydrophobic porous membrane materials is achieved by thermo-press sealing, ultrasonic welding, or hot melt adhesive bonding, and a reinforcing edge is provided at the periphery sealing point.

5. The layered self-sustaining diving suit according to claim 1, characterized in that, Hydrophobic porous membrane components are distributed along the torso and limb areas of the diving suit.

6. The layered self-sustaining diving suit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dissolved oxygen extraction module is detachably located in the interlayer area between the hydrophilic shell layer and the diving fabric layer. The diving suit body is equipped with a zipper-type opening and closing structure. When the zipper-type opening and closing structure is opened, the hydrophobic porous membrane component can be removed, inserted, or replaced.

7. The layered self-sustaining diving suit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydrophilic shell layer is made of nylon, modified polyester, or cellulose; the diving fabric layer includes neoprene and nylon material coated with neoprene.

8. The layered self-sustaining diving suit according to claim 7, characterized in that, The outer side of the hydrophilic shell layer is provided with a hydrophilic / antibacterial coating, and the hydrophilic / antibacterial coating component includes at least one of polyethylene glycol, zwitterionic polymer or quaternary ammonium salt polymer.

9. The layered self-sustaining diving suit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned sandwich-type self-supplied air diving suit is also equipped with a control and monitoring unit. The control and monitoring unit is used to monitor the oxygen content and / or pressure parameters in the breathing circuit and / or hood, and accordingly control the working status of the air pump, trigger an alarm, or control the switching valve to switch to the emergency air supply unit.

10. The method of using the layered self-sustaining diving suit according to claim 9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (1) When the sandwich-type self-supplied diving suit is worn and in an underwater environment, the air pump is started to create a negative pressure in the hydrophobic porous membrane component, driving the dissolved oxygen in the underwater environment to be converted into gaseous oxygen and extracted into the bag structure. The gaseous oxygen is transported to the breathing circuit through the air duct to supply oxygen to the head cover. (2) The control and monitoring unit monitors the oxygen content and / or pressure parameters in the breathing circuit and / or hood in real time, and controls the working status of the air pump, triggers the alarm, or controls the switching valve to switch to the emergency air supply unit.

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