A corrosion protection structure for semi-buried solar metal water tanks

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of cathodic protection technology, specifically to a semi-buried solar-powered metal pool corrosion protection structure. The structure includes solar panels, a metal pool, and a protection device disposed on the outside of the pool. The protection device comprises a surrounding support frame, multiple sets of guide vanes, and a mechanical linkage mechanism for driving the guide vanes to adaptively deflect and reset. This invention adds a purely mechanical, adaptive flow-sharing structure between the outer wall of the metal pool and the soil. This structure, through its unique guide vanes, utilizes soil pressure differences to drive its own deflection and, with the coordinated action of the linkage mechanism, dynamically changes the current diffusion path, thereby actively guiding and concentrating the protective current into high-resistance areas and the structural shielding area, achieving uniform current redistribution. This device requires no external power supply or control, significantly improving the uniformity, reliability, and long-term effectiveness of cathodic protection for large metal pools.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cathodic protection technology, specifically to a corrosion protection structure for a semi-buried solar metal water tank. Background Technology

[0002] The solar-powered metal water tank cathodic protection device is a corrosion protection system that combines solar photovoltaic power generation technology with the principle of impressed current cathodic protection. It is widely used for corrosion protection of semi-buried and fully buried metal water tanks in areas without mains power supply or with difficult power access. The device typically consists of core components such as solar panels, energy storage batteries, an intelligent potentiostat, an auxiliary anode bed, a long-life reference electrode, and connecting cables and test piles. Its basic working principle is to utilize direct current converted from solar energy. Through precise control of the potentiostat, the current flows from the auxiliary anode buried in the soil, through the soil medium, and reaches the surface of the metal water tank, which serves as the cathode. This causes cathodic polarization, shifting the potential negatively to a stable, corrosion-resistant zone, thus electrochemically inhibiting the corrosion reaction of the metal. Due to its green energy, high degree of automation, and applicability to remote areas, this system has become an important technical choice for corrosion protection of outdoor metal water storage facilities.

[0003] However, in practical applications, existing cathodic protection devices for solar metal water tanks struggle to achieve uniform and effective distribution of cathodic protection current across the vast surface of the protected object, leading to insufficient protection in certain areas and posing a risk of corrosion failure. This is because the backfill soil surrounding large semi-buried water tanks exhibits natural or man-made variations in moisture content, density, salinity, and composition along both the longitudinal and radial directions, resulting in highly uneven soil resistivity distribution. Based on the skin effect and the principle of the lowest resistance path, the protective current released from the auxiliary anodes, distributed at a limited number of points, will naturally flow preferentially to and converge in the moist, dense areas with lower resistivity. Conversely, for areas with higher resistivity, such as dry upper soil layers, poorly backfilled areas, or specific geological layers, the current cannot effectively cover these areas, preventing the corresponding tank walls from receiving sufficient polarization current and creating unprotected dead zones.

[0004] Furthermore, to meet strength requirements, the outer walls of metal water tanks are typically equipped with crisscrossing reinforcing ribs and supporting frames, and may contain internal partitions. These protruding metal components significantly obstruct current lines. Along the propagation path of the electric field, these components act as shielding walls, causing the current density in the area facing away from the anode—the potential decay zone—to decrease drastically, even approaching zero. Even with continuous solar power supply and the potentiostat controlling the potential at the reference electrode within an ideal range, the actual polarization potential of the metal surface in high-resistance areas and structurally shielded regions where current cannot reach may still fail to reach the minimum protection potential required by the standard. These areas will continue to undergo electrochemical corrosion, and the corrosion rate may be accelerated by the formation of macroscopic corrosion cells with the surrounding well-protected areas. Under long-term operation, localized corrosion perforation and leakage may first occur at these hidden, underprotected points, threatening not only the structural safety of the water tank and the safety of the stored medium, but also rendering the significant initial investment in corrosion prevention ineffective, increasing maintenance costs and risks. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a semi-buried solar metal pool anti-corrosion protection structure to solve the technical problems mentioned in the background art, such as uneven distribution of cathodic protection current, local underprotection, and corrosion failure caused by uneven soil resistivity and structural shielding effect in solar cathodic protection systems.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a semi-buried solar metal pool anti-corrosion protection structure, comprising a solar panel, a metal pool, and a protection device disposed on the outside of the metal pool. The protection device comprises a surrounding support frame, multiple sets of guide vanes, and a mechanical linkage mechanism for driving the multiple sets of guide vanes to generate adaptive deflection and reset. The surrounding support frame is connected to the outer wall of the metal pool by several support arms, and a conductive diffusion channel is formed between the outer wall of the metal pool and the surrounding support frame. Multiple sets of the guide vanes are rotatably mounted on the surrounding support frame via a rotating shaft and distributed along the circumference of the metal pool. The guide vanes have a pressure-bearing deflecting arc surface facing the external soil and a flow-gathering wall-adhering arc surface facing the outer wall of the metal pool. The mechanical linkage mechanism includes a reset component for providing reset torque to the guide vanes, and a damping adjustment structure for buffering the deflection of the guide vanes and storing the released potential energy. The adjacent guide vanes are connected by a synchronization mechanism, which is used to make the deflection movements of the adjacent guide vanes work together.

[0007] Furthermore, the surrounding support frame includes an upper flow guide frame, a lower flow guide frame, and several connecting columns connecting the two. The upper flow guide frame is connected to the outer wall of the metal pool through the support arm.

[0008] Furthermore, the guide vane is mounted on the connecting column via a mounting box and a fixing block, and the rotating shaft is rotatably connected inside the mounting box.

[0009] Furthermore, the mounting box is connected to a folding cover that covers its opening on the side facing the outer wall of the metal pool.

[0010] Furthermore, two sets of V-shaped guide ribs are connected to the flow-converging wall-mounted arc surface.

[0011] Furthermore, the lower end surface of the guide vane is provided with blunt-tipped short teeth.

[0012] Furthermore, a sleeve is connected below the guide vane, and a sliding rod is slidably installed inside the sleeve via a first spring. The outer end of the sliding rod is fixedly connected to a pressure plate for elastically pressing against the outer wall of the metal water tank.

[0013] Furthermore, the synchronization mechanism includes two sets of side blocks respectively disposed on the pressure-bearing arc surfaces on both sides of the guide vane. The side blocks are provided with arc-shaped sliding grooves. Guide rods concentrically distributed with the rotation axis are fixedly connected in the sliding grooves. A slider is slidably mounted on the surface of the guide rod. A second spring distributed on both sides of the slider is also sleeved on the surface of the guide rod. A connecting rod is connected to the outer surface of the slider through a sealing plate. The other end of the connecting rod is connected to the synchronization mechanism of the adjacent guide vane.

[0014] Furthermore, the pressure-guided arc surface is a concave arc surface, and the flow-convex wall-attaching arc surface is a convex arc surface.

[0015] Furthermore, the reset component is a torsion spring disposed inside the rotating shaft, and the torsion spring is used to provide reset torque for the guide vanes; The damping adjustment structure includes: An eccentric wheel is fixed on the rotating shaft; The skateboard makes sliding contact with the eccentric wheel; And a counterweight mounted on the skateboard.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: The guide vanes of this device feature two special curved surfaces: a pressure-driven deflecting arc surface and a current-converging wall-adhering arc surface. The vanes are mounted via a rotating shaft and internally integrate a torsion spring, eccentric wheel, sliding plate, and counterweight, forming a purely mechanical system that integrates drive, reset, buffering, and energy storage. This system directly converts changes in physical pressure caused by differences in soil resistivity into adjustments to the vane deflection angle. Areas with high pressure typically correspond to areas of low resistivity where current flows easily, and the vanes are pushed away; areas with low pressure correspond to areas of high resistivity where current is weak, and the vanes are brought closer to the pool wall by the reset mechanism. In this way, the system can sense and autonomously respond to environmental changes in real time, without any external control, pushing current from easily flowing areas to difficult-to-flow areas, truly achieving adaptive current redistribution.

[0017] The synchronization mechanism mechanically connects adjacent guide vanes. The movement of a single vane causes adjacent vanes to deflect in tandem, thus forming a continuous, dynamically changing overall guide surface around the metal pool, rather than isolated guide points. This linkage ensures that the optimized current distribution is regional and coordinated, avoiding new unevenness caused by local adjustments and significantly improving the overall uniformity of current distribution on large structures.

[0018] The current-converging, wall-mounted curved surface features a concave arc design, creating a gradually narrowing guide gap between the blade and the pool wall. V-shaped guide ribs and blunt-tipped short teeth at the lower end, working in conjunction with a spring-driven pressure plate to maintain dynamic contact. The gradually narrowing gap creates a funnel-like effect, actively compressing and guiding the current to flow closely against the pool wall, significantly enhancing current density at critical locations such as welds and corners. The V-shaped guide ribs act as a secondary convergence point, further strengthening local protection. The blunt-tipped short teeth prevent soil compaction, and the pressure plate mechanism automatically compensates for gap changes. These design features collectively ensure continuous, stable, and enhanced current coverage in high-resistivity areas and structural dead zones under dynamic conditions, effectively eliminating blind spots of localized underprotection. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the protective device structure in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a top view schematic diagram of the protective device structure in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the guide vane installation according to the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the guide vane structure of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the guide vane reset principle of the present invention; Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the synchronous movement of multiple sets of guide vanes according to the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the back structure of the guide vane of the present invention.

[0020] In the attached diagram, the components represented by each number are as follows: 1. Solar panel; 2. Control and energy storage unit; 3. Cathodic protection actuator; 4. Metal pool; 5. Protection device; 501. Support arm; 502. Upper guide frame; 503. Connecting column; 504. Lower guide frame; 505. Guide vane; 5051. Pressure-bearing deflecting arc surface; 5052. Concentrating wall-attached arc surface; 506. Fixing block; 507. Mounting box; 508. Rotating shaft; 509. Eccentric wheel; 510. Slide plate; 511. Counterweight; 512. Folding cover; 513. Sleeve; 514. First spring; 515. Slide rod; 516. Pressure plate; 517. Guide rib; 518. Blunt-head short tooth; 519. Side block; 520. Slide groove; 521. Guide rod; 522. Slider; 523. Second spring; 524. Sealing plate; 525. Connecting rod; 6. Conductive diffusion channel. Detailed Implementation

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

[0022] This invention provides a technical solution: such as Figure 1 - Figure 8The diagram illustrates a semi-buried solar-powered metal pool corrosion protection structure, comprising a solar panel 1, a control and energy storage unit 2, a cathodic protection execution unit 3, a metal pool 4, and a protection device 5. The metal pool 4 is fixedly installed on a concrete foundation, with its bottom and sidewalls buried in the soil. The outer surface of the pool is coated with an anti-corrosion coating, and a metal reinforcing mesh is installed between the anti-corrosion coating and the concrete foundation to reduce frictional wear caused by foundation settlement or pool displacement. The solar panel 1 directly converts solar energy into direct current (DC) electricity, serving as the energy source for the entire cathodic protection system. It typically consists of multiple panels connected in series and parallel to meet voltage and current requirements. The control and energy storage unit 2 consists of a charge / discharge controller, a battery pack, and a potentiostat. The charge / discharge controller is the core control component, used to prevent overcharging or over-discharging of the battery, extend its lifespan, and manage energy distribution. The battery pack stores the electrical energy generated by the solar panels 1, ensuring continuous system operation under conditions of no sunlight, such as nighttime or cloudy / rainy days. The potentiostat receives DC power from the battery and automatically adjusts the output current and voltage based on the feedback signal from the reference electrode, keeping the potential of the metal pool 4 constant within the optimal protection range. The cathodic protection execution unit 3 includes an auxiliary anode bed and a long-term reference electrode. The auxiliary anode bed is buried in the soil surrounding the metal pool 4 and connected to the positive terminal of the potentiostat. The protective current flows out from the anode, passes through the soil medium, and reaches the protected metal pool 4. The long-term reference electrode is buried near the metal pool 4 to accurately and stably monitor the potential of the metal pool 4 relative to the soil and feeds the signal back to the potentiostat, achieving closed-loop control.

[0023] Working Principle: Solar panel 1 utilizes the photovoltaic effect to convert light energy into direct current. After being managed by a controller, a portion of the electrical energy is directly used by the potentiostat, while the excess is stored in a battery. The potentiostat obtains power from the battery, with its negative terminal connected to the entire metal pool 4 via a cable, and its positive terminal connected to the buried auxiliary anode. When the circuit is connected, a continuous direct current flows from the anode bed, through the soil medium, and evenly into and covers the surface of the metal pool 4. The injection of current causes cathodic polarization on the surface of the metal pool 4, shifting its electrode potential in the negative direction. When the potential decreases and stabilizes in the corrosion-resistant zone, the potential difference between the original corrosion cells (anode and cathode areas) on the metal surface is eliminated or significantly reduced, and the corrosion current approaches zero, thereby inhibiting the corrosion reaction of the metal at its source. Energy self-sufficiency is achieved through solar energy, precise control is achieved through the potentiostat, and the entire metal pool 4 is made a cathode and protected by an external current.

[0024] A protective device 5 is also installed on the outside of the metal pool 4. During the operation of the cathodic protection system, a dynamically adjustable conductive diffusion structure is constructed around the metal pool 4. Through the adaptive deflection, synchronous linkage, and wall-mounted current-gathering effect of the guide vanes 505, the diffusion path of the cathodic protection current is actively guided and redistributed. This allows the protection current to bypass the areas blocked by the reinforcing ribs, support frames, and other structures, and to concentrate and diffuse towards high-resistivity soil layers and areas prone to underprotection, thereby improving the problem of uneven current distribution in traditional cathodic protection systems. Simultaneously, the protective device 5 can also... By utilizing the conductive diffusion channel 6 formed between the guide vane 505 and the metal pool 4, the cathodic protection current is concentrated and locally pressurized against the wall, increasing the current density in welds, bottom corners, and structural recesses, reducing the risk of localized corrosion. The mechanical energy storage and reset of the guide vane 505 are achieved through structures such as the eccentric wheel 509, sliding plate 510, and counterweight 511, enabling the entire guiding system to automatically adjust its guiding state according to soil pressure changes. This continuously improves the uniformity of cathodic protection, structural corrosion resistance stability, and long-term service life of the semi-buried metal pool 4 in complex buried environments. Specifically: The protection device 5 includes several sets of support arms 501 connected to the sides of the metal pool 4. These support arms 501 are linearly distributed at equal intervals on each side of the metal pool 4, and their outer ends are connected to the upper guide frame 502, thus supporting the upper guide frame 502. Several sets of connecting columns 503, also linearly distributed at equal intervals, are connected to the lower surface of the upper guide frame 502. The lower ends of these connecting columns 503 are connected to the lower guide frame 504. Through the structure of the support arms 501, the upper guide frame 502, the connecting columns 503, and the lower guide frame 504, a three-dimensional, surrounding flow-guiding support structure is formed around the metal pool 4. Its function is not only to support the installation of subsequent components such as the guide vanes 505, but more importantly, to construct a continuous annular flow-guiding cavity between the metal pool 4 and the surrounding soil, and to form a stable conductive diffusion channel 6 within this cavity, thereby providing a controllable diffusion path and flow equalization space for the cathodic protection current. Because traditional cathodic protection current often diffuses randomly in the soil due to uneven soil resistivity, structural obstruction, and differences in local backfill conditions, the current tends to flow preferentially to low-resistivity areas and is difficult to cover high-resistivity areas or areas behind the structure. However, this structure forms a ring-shaped guiding cavity concentrically distributed with the pool wall on the outside of the metal pool 4, so that the cathodic protection current first enters the conductive diffusion channel 6 for circumferential diffusion and buffering and equalization before reaching the metal pool 4, thereby reducing the current concentration phenomenon in local areas and improving the overall uniformity of the current on the periphery of the pool wall.

[0025] The guide vane 505 is made of a conductor, and when current flows in the soil, it preferentially chooses the path with lower resistance. The resistivity of a metal conductor is much lower than that of soil. Therefore, when the metal guide vane 505 is inserted into the soil, it becomes a low-resistance channel, attracting and guiding the current to flow along its surface. The guide vane 505 maintains a direct electrical connection with the outer wall of the metal pool 4 through the pressure plate 516 and the elastic component. This means that the potential of the guide vane is the same as that of the pool, both being the protected cathode potential; therefore, the guide vane is also an extension of the protected cathode. It is also cathodically protected and will not be corroded. As an extended cathode surface, it actively attracts the current to itself, which forces the current to smoothly jump to the pool wall surface after flowing through the vane surface due to the extremely small gap and extremely low resistance, completing the final cathodic polarization. Meanwhile, the elastic pressure plate 516 ensures direct metal-to-metal contact between the guide vane 505 and the outer wall of the metal pool 4, providing an electronic channel with near-zero resistance, further ensuring that the final destination of the current is the pool itself.

[0026] The support arm 501 has an arc-shaped structure and is evenly distributed along the side of the metal pool 4. Its function is to ensure the overall structural stability while creating a stable gap between the upper guide frame 502 and the metal pool 4, thereby maintaining the continuity of the guide cavity. The upper guide frame 502 and the lower guide frame 504 are located on the upper and lower sides of the guide cavity, respectively. When they work together, they form a ring around the guide cavity, preventing the internal space from collapsing due to soil compression. The connecting column 503 serves to connect the upper and lower parts and limit the spacing, ensuring that the upper guide frame 502 and the lower guide frame 504 always maintain a fixed interval, thereby ensuring the stability of the cross-sectional dimensions of the conductive diffusion channel 6. Because the entire guide cavity has a continuous ring structure, the cathodic protection current, after entering the conductive diffusion channel 6, will preferentially be diverted circumferentially along the outer ring space, rather than directly concentrated and diffused to a certain local area. This allows the current-equalizing effect of the ring channel to be utilized, so that the pool walls in different areas can obtain a more similar current density.

[0027] Furthermore, since the conductive diffusion channel 6 is located between the metal pool 4 and the surrounding soil, it can also mitigate the direct impact of the heterogeneity of the surrounding soil on current diffusion to a certain extent. Even if the soil resistivity is high in a certain area, the cathodic protection current can still flow circumferentially along the annular conductive diffusion channel 6 first, and then gradually diffuse to the corresponding area, thereby reducing local underprotection. At the same time, the current-guiding cavity itself can also form a current buffer layer, allowing the protection current from the auxiliary anode bed to be redistributed before contacting the metal pool 4, thereby reducing local overprotection or potential abrupt changes caused by current concentration.

[0028] Each set of connecting columns 503 is equipped with a detachable fixing block 506 by bolts. The fixing block 506 is connected to an installation box 507 on the side facing the outer wall of the metal water tank 4. A rotating shaft 508 is rotatably connected inside the installation box 507. A guide vane 505 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 508.

[0029] When the surrounding soil experiences lateral pressure in different directions due to changes in groundwater, swelling and contraction, local settlement, or soil compaction, the soil continuously compresses the pressure-bearing guide surface 5051 of the guide vane 505 facing the external soil. Since the pressure-bearing guide surface 5051 is a convex arc surface structure, the pressure exerted by the soil on its surface forms a tangential component along the curvature of the arc surface. This tangential component generates a deflection torque on the guide vane 505 around the rotation axis 508, thereby causing the guide vane 505 to rotate automatically. When the soil becomes dry, loose, or the local pressure decreases, the lateral pressure on the guide vane 505 decreases, its deflection angle decreases, and it gradually returns to its original position under the action of the reset structure. Therefore, the rotation angle of the guide vane 505 dynamically changes with the changes in the surrounding soil environment, allowing the guide vane 505 to always adapt to the current soil conductivity state.

[0030] After the guide vane 505 rotates, it changes the spatial current conduction pattern inside the conductive diffusion channel 6 and redistributes the diffusion path of the cathodic protection current. When the guide vane 505 deflects towards the outer wall of the metal pool 4, its current-gathering, wall-attached arc surface 5052 facing the pool wall gradually approaches the pool wall, thus forming a narrower current-guiding gap between the guide vane 505 and the pool wall. Since the cathodic protection current tends to flow towards low resistance and concentration when diffusing in the soil medium, the current is compressed into a narrower diffusion area after the current-guiding gap narrows, and the local current density will be significantly increased, thereby enhancing the cathodic protection effect in the corresponding area. At the same time, the deflection of the guide vane 505 can also force the current to form a wall-attached diffusion state along the direction of the pool wall, allowing the current that would otherwise be easily blocked by reinforcing ribs, support frames, or structural recesses to flow around and enter the underprotected area, thereby reducing the risk of localized corrosion.

[0031] Furthermore, since the guide vanes 505 are annular, the multiple guide vanes 505, after generating different deflection angles in different regions, can also form a dynamically changing annular guiding field within the conductive diffusion channel 6. That is, the current no longer diffuses along a fixed path, but continuously changes its flow direction and flow density as the guide vanes 505 deflect, thereby enabling the cathodic protection current to be automatically redistributed according to changes in the surrounding soil environment, improving the overall current equalization capability.

[0032] If the guide vane 505 remains fixed without rotation, the internal spatial structure of the conductive diffusion channel 6 will remain unchanged, and the cathodic protection current can only diffuse along a fixed path. Consequently, when the resistivity of the surrounding soil changes or structural obstruction occurs in localized areas, the system cannot actively adjust the current diffusion direction. The current will still preferentially flow to low-resistance areas, while high-resistance areas and areas behind structures will still struggle to obtain sufficient cathodic protection current, ultimately leading to localized underprotection. Simultaneously, due to the fixed current path, long-term excessive diffusion can easily occur in certain areas, resulting in excessively low local potentials or even overprotection, thus affecting corrosion resistance stability. Therefore, the rotatable structure of the guide vane 505, driven by soil pressure, deflects the vane, and then uses this deflection to change the guide gap and current diffusion path, enabling the cathodic protection system to automatically adjust the current distribution according to the actual buried environment.

[0033] The guide vane 505 is configured with an arc-shaped structure, with its arc-shaped convex surface facing the outer wall of the metal pool 4 and its arc-shaped concave surface facing the external soil. The arc surface of the guide vane 505 facing the external soil is a pressure-bearing and deflecting arc surface 5051, while the arc surface of the guide vane 505 facing the metal pool 4 is a flow-concentrating and wall-adhering arc surface 5052.

[0034] The convex direction of the pressure-bearing guide surface 5051 faces the surrounding soil, and its overall structure is an outwardly bulging convex arc, extending continuously along the circumference of the annular guide blade 505. The pressure-bearing guide surface 5051 is in direct contact with the surrounding soil; therefore, its main function is to receive lateral soil pressure and stably convert this soil pressure into the deflection torque of the guide blade 505. When the surrounding soil exerts lateral compressive force on the guide blade 505 due to changes in groundwater, settlement, swelling, or localized stress, the pressure-bearing guide surface 5051 can utilize its convex curvature to evenly distribute the dispersed soil compressive force across the entire blade surface, avoiding localized stress concentration. Simultaneously, due to the outwardly convex structure of the arc surface, the soil pressure gradually decomposes into radial and tangential components along the arc surface normal. The tangential component generates a stable rotational driving force on the guide blade 505, enabling the guide blade 505 to respond more sensitively to changes in the soil environment and achieve automatic deflection. Furthermore, the pressure-bearing guide surface 5051 can also create a buffer soil-compression effect during blade deflection. Since the surface of the arc is not a straight structure, the soil will gradually slide along both sides of the arc during the compression process, so that the guide blade 505 will not be subjected to sudden impact, but will form a continuous and gradual force, thereby reducing mechanical fatigue and improving long-term stability.

[0035] The concave direction of the current-concentrating wall-attached arc surface 5052 faces the metal pool wall, and its overall structure is an arc shape that is concave towards the pool wall. Since this arc surface forms a gradually narrowing annular guiding gap with the pool wall, its main function is not to bear force, but to concentrate and directionally compress the cathodic protection current along the wall. In traditional open guiding structures, the current diffuses randomly into the surrounding soil in a hemispherical shape, resulting in a large amount of current not being effectively applied to the pool wall surface. However, the current-concentrating wall-attached arc surface 5052, due to the gradually narrowing arc-shaped guiding cavity formed between it and the pool wall, forces the current diffusion path to concentrate towards the pool wall. When the cathodic protection current enters the narrow area between the current-concentrating wall-attached arc surface 5052 of the guiding blade 505 and the pool wall, the local current density gradually increases due to the reduced cross-sectional area, thus forming a current-concentrating effect similar to current compression, making it easier for the current to diffuse along the pool wall surface.

[0036] It should be noted that a torsion spring is installed inside the rotating shaft 508. Under the elastic force of the torsion spring inside the rotating shaft 508, the guide vane 505 always tends to rotate counterclockwise. This is used to continuously provide a reverse reset torque to the guide vane 505 when it is deflected by external soil pressure, so that the guide vane 505 always tends to return to its initial guiding position. This ensures that the guide vane 505 will not remain in a single deflection state due to long-term pressure, thereby maintaining the dynamic adjustment capability of the guiding structure inside the entire conductive diffusion channel 6. Because the guide vane 505 is continuously subjected to lateral compressive forces caused by factors such as soil swelling, settlement, groundwater changes, and local compaction during actual operation, the guide vane 505 will continuously deflect around the rotation axis 508. If there is no torsion spring to provide a reverse restoring force, the guide vane 505 is likely to remain at a certain angle position for a long time after deflection, or even gradually lose its mobility due to continuous soil compaction, causing the guide structure to degenerate from a dynamic adjustment state to a fixed guide state, thereby weakening the current equalization and adaptive diffusion capabilities of the cathodic protection current.

[0037] After the torsion spring is installed inside the rotating shaft 508, one end is fixedly connected to the mounting box 507, and the other end is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 508. Therefore, when the guide vane 505 rotates around the rotating shaft 508, it will synchronously drive the rotating shaft 508 to rotate, causing the internal torsion spring to undergo torsional deformation. When the guide vane 505 is deflected clockwise by soil pressure, the torsion spring will gradually accumulate elastic torsional potential energy and generate a continuously increasing reverse torque. This reverse torque always acts on the rotating shaft 508, causing the guide vane 505 to always have a tendency to rotate counterclockwise. In other words, the greater the soil pressure, the greater the deflection angle of the guide vane 505, the greater the elastic potential energy stored inside the torsion spring, and the stronger the reverse restoring torque generated on the guide vane 505.

[0038] Furthermore, the torsion spring ensures that the guide vane 505 maintains a counter-clockwise rotation trend, guaranteeing a consistent basic flow-guiding gap between the current-collecting, wall-attaching arc surface 5052 and the metal pool 4. Even with low external soil pressure, the guide vane 505 will not completely adhere to the pool wall due to its own weight or long-term settling, thus preventing blockage of the conductive diffusion channel 6. Simultaneously, when the soil pressure suddenly decreases, the torsion spring can quickly push the guide vane 505 out of the excessively compressed state, allowing the flow-guiding gap to expand again, preventing over-protection caused by prolonged high current density in localized areas.

[0039] An eccentric wheel 509 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 508. A sliding plate 510 is slidably installed inside the mounting box 507, with the sliding plate 510 positioned above the eccentric wheel 509. Several sets of detachable counterweights 511 are mounted on the surface of the sliding plate 510. When not affected by external forces, the sliding plate 510 is pressed down by the gravity of the counterweights 511, thus contacting the closest point to the center of the eccentric wheel 509. When the guide vane 505 rotates under the pressure of the external soil, i.e., when the guide vane 505 rotates towards the outer wall of the metal pool 4, it drives the eccentric wheel 509 to rotate synchronously through the rotating shaft 508. This causes the eccentric wheel 509 to overcome the gravity of the sliding plate 510 and the counterweights 511, and push it upwards.

[0040] Through the structural cooperation of the eccentric wheel 509, the sliding plate 510, and the counterweight 511, a gravity energy storage mechanical damping adjustment structure is formed inside the deflection mechanism of the guide vane 505. Its function is not only to limit the rotation of the guide vane 505, but more importantly, to buffer and adjust the rotation speed, rotation amplitude, and reset state of the guide vane 505 during the deflection process. It also uses the mechanical energy generated when the guide vane 505 rotates to realize the storage of gravitational potential energy, so that the entire flow guiding system maintains a stable, gradual, and controllable dynamic flow guiding state in complex soil environments. Because the guide vane 505 is continuously affected by changes in the external soil pressure during actual operation, its deflection action is not stable and continuous. It may be affected by factors such as local soil collapse, groundwater erosion, or instantaneous soil compaction, resulting in sudden deflection. If the guide vane 505 relies solely on the torsion spring for reset, it is easy to cause problems such as excessively fast deflection, reset oscillation, or frequent swinging, which leads to unstable current diffusion state inside the conductive diffusion channel 6. The structure of the eccentric wheel 509 and the sliding plate 510 can mechanically buffer and regulate this dynamic process.

[0041] The eccentric wheel 509 is fixedly connected to the surface of the rotating shaft 508. Therefore, when the guide vane 505 rotates, it will synchronously drive the eccentric wheel 509 to rotate as well. Since the outline of the eccentric wheel 509 is not a standard circle, but rather there is an eccentricity between its outer edge and the center, the contact height between the eccentric wheel 509 and the slide plate 510 at different positions on its surface will continuously change during rotation. When not affected by external soil pressure, the guide vane 505 maintains its initial state. At this time, the minimum eccentric position of the eccentric wheel 509 is located directly below the slide plate 510. Under the gravity of the counterweight 511, the slide plate 510 is pressed downward and stably abuts against the lowest point of the eccentric wheel 509, thus maintaining the static balance of the entire structure.

[0042] When the external soil pressure increases and pushes the guide vanes 505 to rotate towards the outer wall of the metal pool 4, the rotating shaft 508 will drive the eccentric wheel 509 to rotate synchronously. As the outer edge of the eccentric wheel 509 gradually moves from a low point to a high point, the eccentric wheel 509 will gradually push the slide plate 510 upward. Several sets of counterweights 511 are installed above the slide plate 510. Therefore, as the eccentric wheel 509 pushes the slide plate 510 upward, it is actually constantly overcoming the gravity of the counterweights 511. At this time, the mechanical energy generated by the soil pressure on the guide vanes 505 will be converted into the upward potential energy of the slide plate 510 and the counterweights 511 through the eccentric wheel 509, realizing the conversion and storage of mechanical energy into gravitational potential energy.

[0043] When the guide vane 505 deflects, it needs to overcome not only the restoring force of the torsion spring inside the rotating shaft 508, but also the weight of the counterweight 511. Therefore, the guide vane 505 will not deflect rapidly due to instantaneous changes in local soil pressure, but will instead form a slow, gradual rotation as the eccentric wheel 509 gradually lifts the sliding plate 510. In this way, the deflection speed of the guide vane 505 will be significantly reduced, avoiding a sudden narrowing of the guide gap that could cause a momentary concentration of cathodic protection current, thereby improving the stability of the entire guide system.

[0044] Meanwhile, since the counterweight 511 can be disassembled and added or removed according to actual working conditions, the deflection resistance of the guide vane 505 can also be adjusted. When the external soil pressure is high or the water tank is buried deep, the number of counterweights 511 can be increased to improve the rotational damping of the guide vane 505 and maintain a more stable flow guiding state; while when the soil is relatively loose or the flow guiding sensitivity requirement is high, the weight of the counterweight 511 can be reduced to make the guide vane 505 more responsive to soil changes.

[0045] Furthermore, when the external soil pressure weakens, the sliding plate 510 and counterweight 511, lifted by the eccentric wheel 509, will press down again under their own weight, pushing the eccentric wheel 509 to rotate in the opposite direction, thereby assisting the guide vane 505 in resetting. Since the descent of the sliding plate 510 is continuous and slow, it also provides a gravitational relief effect during the resetting process of the guide vane 505, preventing the guide vane 505 from rebounding rapidly under the action of the torsion spring. This not only stores mechanical energy and provides damping during the blade deflection process but also generates a continuous and stable reverse driving force during the blade resetting process, ensuring that the entire deflection-resetting process of the guide vane 505 remains smooth.

[0046] Therefore, the structure consisting of the eccentric wheel 509, the sliding plate 510, and the counterweight 511 utilizes the height change of the eccentric wheel 509 to convert the rotational mechanical energy of the guide vane 505 into the gravitational potential energy of the counterweight 511. Through the gravity of the counterweight 511, a continuous damping and slow-release reset effect is formed on the guide vane 505, thereby enabling the guide vane 505 to maintain a stable, controllable, and gradual dynamic guiding state in complex underground environments.

[0047] A folding cover 512 is also connected to the side of the mounting box 507 facing the outer wall of the metal water tank 4. The folding cover 512 is configured in two sets, distributed on the upper and lower sides of the guide vane 505, to seal the inside of the mounting box 507 and to follow the rotation of the guide vane 505. This forms a dynamic, flexible, and closed structure between the guide vane 505 and the mounting box 507 that can change synchronously with the movement. While ensuring the free deflection of the guide vane 505, it provides anti-mud, anti-corrosion, and anti-jamming protection for the rotating mechanism inside the mounting box 507, and maintains the stability of the conductive diffusion environment around the guide vane 505, thereby ensuring the long-term stable operation of the entire protection device 5.

[0048] It is worth noting that a sleeve 513 is also connected to the lower surface of the guide vane 505. A slide rod 515 is slidably installed inside the sleeve 513 via a first spring 514. A pressure plate 516 is fixedly connected to the outer end of the slide rod 515. Under the elastic force of the first spring 514, the slide rod 515 is pushed towards the outer wall of the metal pool 4, causing the pressure plate 516 to press tightly against the outer surface of the metal pool 4. This is used to form a dynamic wall-adhering pressing structure between the guide vane 505 and the outer wall of the metal pool 4 during the deflection of the guide vane 505, which can automatically compensate for the gap change. This ensures that a stable guiding distance and continuous wall-adhering guiding state are always maintained near the guide vane 505, thereby improving the stability and current-concentrating effect when the cathodic protection current diffuses along the outer wall of the metal pool 4. As the guide vane 505 deflects continuously with changes in the surrounding soil pressure during actual operation, the distance between the guide vane 505 and the outer wall of the metal pool 4 will also change continuously. If there is no automatic compensation structure, irregular gaps may easily form between the guide vane 505 and the pool wall in some areas during the deflection process, or even local detachment may occur, causing the cathodic protection current to diffuse turbulently or dissipate locally within the guide gap, thereby reducing the flow equalization effect.

[0049] By connecting a sleeve 513 to the lower surface of the guide vane 505, and using a first spring 514 to elastically support the slide rod 515 inside the sleeve 513, the slide rod 515 can always extend towards the outer wall of the metal pool 4 under the elastic force of the first spring 514, thereby allowing the pressure plate 516 to continuously press against the outer surface of the metal pool 4. Even if the guide vane 505 rotates, the pressure plate 516 can still automatically extend and retract under the push of the first spring 514, keeping the pressure plate 516 always in contact with the pool wall, thus forming a dynamic following wall-adhering support state between the guide vane 505 and the metal pool 4.

[0050] Furthermore, after the pressure plate 516 remains in contact with the outer wall of the metal pool 4, it can also provide auxiliary stabilizing support for the guide vane 505. When uneven soil pressure causes the guide vane 505 to be deflected, the pressure plate 516 will provide reverse support to the guide vane 505 through its contact with the pool wall, thereby reducing the swing amplitude of the guide vane 505, preventing the guide vane 505 from swaying or deflecting in the complex underground stress environment, and improving the stability of its deflection trajectory.

[0051] Two sets of guide ribs 517 are connected to the guide vane 505 on one side of the current-converging arc surface 5052. The two sets of guide ribs 517 are distributed in a V-shape, and their intersection point is located above the sleeve 513. When the cathodic protection current is compressed and guided to flow close to the wall of the metal water tank 4 by the current-converging arc surface 5052 of the guide vane 505, the two sets of guide ribs 517 arranged in a V-shape form a structured converging channel in the current path. The opening of the V-shape faces the direction of current inflow, and its tip intersection point is located above the sleeve 513. This allows the current diffusing from the wider area of ​​the current-converging arc surface 5052 to be further constrained and guided by the physical contour of the ribs when flowing through the V-shaped guide ribs 517, and finally converge at the intersection point of the V-shape. This achieves secondary current concentration, generating a higher current density locally, especially near the elastic clamping mechanism connected to sleeve 513, thereby strongly enhancing the protection effect on the pool wall at that location and ensuring the reliability of dynamic electrical contact between the guide vane 505 and the pool wall. At the same time, the V-shaped structure itself also increases the rigidity of the guide vane 505 in this area and can form a more stable local conductive path in the soil medium.

[0052] It is worth mentioning that the lower surface of the guide vane 505 is also provided with blunt-tipped short teeth 518 to prevent soil from hardening or sticking on the surface of the guide vane 505 and its movement path. This ensures that the guide vane 505 can respond sensitively to changes in soil pressure over a long period of time and maintain its adaptive deflection capability. As a mechanical device that is buried in the soil for a long time, the lower surface of the guide vane 505 is in continuous contact with the soil. In moist, sticky, or fine-particle soils, soil adhesion and hardening are very likely to occur, that is, the soil adheres tightly to the surface of the blade, forming a hard shell after drying, or becoming dense due to long-term static pressure. This leads to two serious problems: first, it increases the blade's swing resistance, making it unable to sensitively detect and respond to small changes in soil pressure; second, it forms a non-conductive insulating barrier between the blade and the soil, hindering the normal diffusion of protective current. These blunt-tipped short teeth 518 distributed on the lower surface of the guide blades 505 can plow over and loosen the thin layer of soil in contact with the blades when the blades move slightly or reset due to soil pressure, thus breaking the tendency of compaction and maintaining the loose state and electrical continuity of the soil around the blades, thereby ensuring the long-term reliability of the entire adaptive guide system in complex buried environments.

[0053] Of particular note is that two sets of synchronization mechanisms are also connected to the guide vane 505 on one side of the current-converging wall-attaching arc surface 5052, which are used to control the synchronous movement of adjacent guide vanes 505. This achieves mechanical linkage between adjacent guide vanes 505, enabling them to deflect in unison, thereby forming a continuous and coordinated flow-guiding surface around the metal pool 4 to optimize the cathodic protection current distribution in the entire area.

[0054] The synchronization mechanism includes two sets of side blocks 519 disposed on one side of the pressure-bearing guide arc surface 5051, with the two sets of side blocks 519 distributed on both sides of the guide vane 505. The side blocks 519 have internal grooves 520, within which a guide rod 521 is fixedly connected; both the grooves 520 and the guide rod 521 are arc-shaped and concentrically distributed with the rotating shaft 508. A slider 522 is slidably mounted on the surface of the guide rod 521, and two sets of second springs 523 are sleeved on the surface of the guide rod 521, distributed on both sides of the slider 522. When not affected by external force, the slider 522 remains in a centered position under the elastic force of the two sets of second springs 523. A sealing plate 524 is connected to the outer surface of the slider 522, and a connecting rod 525 is connected to the surface of the sealing plate 524. The other end of the connecting rod 525 is connected to the synchronization mechanism on the adjacent guide vane 505.

[0055] The side block 519 and its internal arc-shaped groove 520 and guide rod 521 form a motion track concentric with the blade rotation axis 508. When a guide blade 505 rotates due to local soil pressure changes, it drives the slider 522 in the adjacent blade side block 519 to slide along the guide rod 521 via the connecting rod 525. The second springs 523, sleeved on the guide rod 521 and located on both sides of the slider 522, play a crucial role in buffering and resetting. They allow the slider 522 to slide by compressing one side of the spring when under force, thereby absorbing the impact and small displacement difference caused by instantaneous uneven soil pressure or differences in force on different blades, and avoiding excessive rigid stress on the linkage mechanism; when the external force changes or disappears, the springs can push the slider 522 back to the central position, providing an automatic reset tendency for the linkage system. At the same time, the sealing plate 524 effectively prevents soil from entering the interior of the moving parts. The entire mechanism makes the motion transmission between the blades flexible and adaptive, thus ensuring that the entire flow guiding system can stably and reliably achieve regional coordinated action in a real, uneven buried environment to guide the current to cover the area evenly.

[0056] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0057] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A semi-buried solar-powered metal water tank corrosion protection structure, comprising solar panels, a metal water tank, and a protective device disposed on the outside of the metal water tank, characterized in that: The protection device includes a surrounding support frame, multiple sets of guide vanes, and a mechanical linkage mechanism for driving the multiple sets of guide vanes to generate adaptive deflection and reset. The surrounding support frame is connected to the outer wall of the metal pool through several support arms, and forms a conductive diffusion channel between the outer wall of the metal pool and the surrounding support frame. Multiple sets of guide vanes are rotatably mounted on a surrounding support frame via a rotating shaft and distributed around the circumference of the metal pool. The guide vanes have a pressure-bearing deflecting arc surface facing the external soil and a flow-converging wall-adhering arc surface facing the outer wall of the metal pool. The mechanical linkage mechanism includes a reset element for providing reset torque to the guide vanes, and a damping adjustment structure for buffering the deflection of the guide vanes and storing the released potential energy. Adjacent guide vanes are connected by a synchronization mechanism, which is used to make the deflection movements of adjacent guide vanes synchronized.

2. The anti-corrosion protection structure for a semi-buried solar metal water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surrounding support frame includes an upper flow guide frame, a lower flow guide frame, and several connecting columns connecting the two. The upper flow guide frame is connected to the outer wall of the metal pool through support arms.

3. The anti-corrosion protection structure for a semi-buried solar metal water tank according to claim 2, characterized in that: The guide vanes are mounted on the connecting column via a mounting box and a fixing block, and the rotating shaft is rotatably connected inside the mounting box.

4. The anti-corrosion protection structure for a semi-buried solar metal water tank according to claim 3, characterized in that: The mounting box has a folding cover attached to the side facing the outer wall of the metal pool, which covers its opening.

5. The anti-corrosion protection structure for a semi-buried solar metal water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two sets of V-shaped guide ribs are connected to the flow-concentrating, wall-attached arc surface.

6. The anti-corrosion protection structure for a semi-buried solar metal water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end surface of the guide vane is provided with blunt-tipped short teeth.

7. The anti-corrosion protection structure for a semi-buried solar metal water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sleeve is connected below the guide vane, and a sliding rod is slidably installed inside the sleeve via a first spring. The outer end of the sliding rod is fixedly connected to a pressure plate for elastically pressing against the outer wall of the metal water tank.

8. The anti-corrosion protection structure for a semi-buried solar metal water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The synchronization mechanism includes two sets of side blocks respectively set on the pressure-bearing arc surfaces on both sides of the guide vane. The side blocks have arc-shaped grooves inside, and guide rods concentrically distributed with the rotation axis are fixedly connected in the grooves. Slider blocks are slidably installed on the surface of the guide rods. Second springs distributed on both sides of the sliders are also sleeved on the surface of the guide rods. The outer surface of the sliders is connected to a connecting rod through a sealing plate. The other end of the connecting rod is connected to the synchronization mechanism of the adjacent guide vane.

9. The anti-corrosion protection structure for a semi-buried solar metal water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure-guided arc surface is a concave arc surface, while the flow-concentrating wall-attached arc surface is a convex arc surface.

10. The anti-corrosion protection structure for a semi-buried solar metal water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reset component is a torsion spring disposed inside the rotating shaft, and the torsion spring is used to provide reset torque for the guide vanes; The damping adjustment structure includes: An eccentric wheel is fixed on the rotating shaft; The skateboard makes sliding contact with the eccentric wheel; And a counterweight mounted on the skateboard.

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