A net supporting auxiliary rope device for a net of a deep sea culture net cage

Abstract

The application discloses a net supporting auxiliary rope device of a deep-sea culture net cage, and belongs to the technical field of deep-sea culture equipment. The device comprises a net supporting auxiliary rope and a connecting member. One end of the net supporting auxiliary rope is connected to a mooring rope through the connecting member one, and the other end is connected to a net cloth beam rope or a net cloth bottom member through the connecting member two. The net cloth is opened and maintained in an underwater unfolding mode by using the water flow force. The application solves the problem that the net cloth collides with the floating pipe under the action of strong water flow, and the effective culture volume is reduced due to the net cloth floating. The application does not need to additionally increase the counterweight, has the advantages of reducing the stress of the net cloth, preventing the net cloth from being torn, improving the effective culture volume, and is suitable for the gravity type deep-sea culture net cage system under the severe sea conditions such as high flow speed and frequent typhoons.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of deep-sea aquaculture equipment technology, and in particular relates to a net shape maintenance device for deep-sea aquaculture cages, which is suitable for gravity-type deep-sea aquaculture cage systems under harsh sea conditions such as high current speed and frequent typhoons. Background Technology

[0002] like Figure 1 As shown, existing deep-sea aquaculture cages typically employ a gravity-based structure, where counterweights or sandbags are placed at the bottom of the netting, relying on gravity to maintain the netting's unfolded shape underwater. This solution is simple in structure and low in cost, making it the mainstream technical solution in the industry.

[0003] Based on long-term engineering practice and system hydrodynamic simulation analysis, the above-mentioned existing technologies have the following technical defects in strong current marine environments:

[0004] (1) Friction and collision problem between netting and floating tube

[0005] Under the influence of strong water flow, the mesh tends to tilt horizontally due to the impact of the flow, and frequent and intense friction and collisions occur between the anti-abrasion mesh on the wave-facing side and the floating pipe, forming a significant stress concentration area. For example... Figure 2 As shown, time-domain simulation and hydrodynamic calculations indicate that the local stress on the wave-facing mesh rope exceeds the PE material's limit of 25 MPa. Furthermore, collisions occur between the mesh bottom and sides, further exacerbating mechanical wear and significantly shortening the mesh's lifespan.

[0006] (2) Problem of single-layer mesh floating

[0007] When 48 25kg iron weights (totaling 1200kg) are placed at the bottom of the net, the netting is still pushed to near the water surface by the combined action of water flow and waves, severely reducing the effective aquaculture volume. To address this problem, existing technologies employ the following two improvement schemes, but both have significant shortcomings:

[0008] Option 1: Add counterweight sandbags inside the netting. Although this option attempts to press the netting down by adding counterweights, the sandbags are significantly affected by buoyancy after being submerged in seawater, and the actual effective downward pressure is far lower than their own weight, resulting in extremely limited improvement. Furthermore, the placement of the sandbags inside the netting interferes with the fish's activity space, which is detrimental to subsequent aquaculture operations.

[0009] Option 2: Increase the weight of the counterweights at the bottom of the net. Due to the lack of large lifting facilities such as cranes at some offshore construction sites, the weight of a single counterweight cannot exceed the construction limit of 40kg. Even if the total number of counterweights is increased, hydrodynamic simulations have shown that the improvement in net buoyancy is still not significant. In actual aquaculture, the effective water volume inside the net cage is less than 40%, resulting in low economic benefits.

[0010] In summary, there is an urgent need for a new device that can effectively maintain the unfolded shape of the mesh, reduce the stress on the mesh, and prevent the mesh from floating without significantly increasing the counterweight. Summary of the Invention

[0011] This invention addresses the following technical problems existing in deep-sea aquaculture cages in areas with strong currents and frequent typhoons by providing a net-supporting auxiliary rope device:

[0012] (1) The problem of the mesh rubbing and colliding with the floating pipe under the action of strong water flow, and the stress of the rope exceeding the material limit;

[0013] (2) The problem of the netting floating up due to the impact of water flow, resulting in a serious reduction in the effective aquaculture volume;

[0014] (3) The existing schemes for increasing counterweight are limited by construction conditions and have insufficient improvement effect.

[0015] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the specific technical solution of the auxiliary rope device for the net support of a deep-sea aquaculture cage according to the present invention is as follows:

[0016] A net-supporting auxiliary rope device for a deep-sea aquaculture cage, the deep-sea aquaculture cage including a floating pipe and support, a net, a net rope set at the bottom of the net, and a mooring cable connected to the floating pipe and support, including a net-supporting auxiliary rope and connecting components. One end of the net-supporting auxiliary rope is connected to the mooring cable through a connecting component one, and the other end is connected to the net rope or the bottom component of the net through a connecting component two. The net-supporting auxiliary rope uses the force of water flow to open the net and maintain its underwater unfolded shape.

[0017] Furthermore, the bottom component of the netting is a retaining rope or a supporting tube at the bottom of the netting. When the retaining rope is used to bind a counterweight, the supporting rope is connected to the retaining rope by a slip knot; when the retaining rope is used to bind the supporting tube, the supporting rope is fixedly connected to the supporting tube by the second connecting component.

[0018] Furthermore, the connection depth between the net support auxiliary rope and the mooring cable is 70% of the net depth.

[0019] Furthermore, the net support auxiliary ropes are multiple, with auxiliary rope groups set on the upstream and downstream sides of the net cage, each group containing at least two net support auxiliary ropes, which are distributed from the same mooring cable to different points on the bottom of the net.

[0020] Furthermore, the connecting component includes an iron ring, a heart-shaped loop, and a shackle. The iron ring is installed at a predetermined depth on the mooring cable. The end of the support net auxiliary rope is connected to the heart-shaped loop. The heart-shaped loop is connected to the iron ring through the shackle, and the heart-shaped loop, shackle, and iron ring are interlocked.

[0021] Furthermore, the second connecting component includes a heart-shaped loop and a shackle. The end of the net support auxiliary rope is connected to the heart-shaped loop, and the heart-shaped loop is fixedly connected to the netting rope or the bottom component of the netting through the shackle.

[0022] Furthermore, the material of the net-supporting auxiliary rope is the same as that of the mooring cable, including polypropylene, polyester, or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene; the diameter of the net-supporting auxiliary rope is not less than 50% of the diameter of the mooring cable.

[0023] Furthermore, the auxiliary rope for supporting the net is kept slack after being connected to the bottom of the net, so that the net is in a natural vertical state in still water, and the net is tensioned by the auxiliary rope for supporting the net when it is impacted by water flow to generate a net-supporting force.

[0024] The auxiliary rope device for the net support of a deep-sea aquaculture cage according to the present invention has the following advantages:

[0025] (1) Significantly reduced stress on the netting: Due to the presence of the auxiliary ropes supporting the netting, the stress on the ropes on the wave-facing side of the netting is significantly reduced, and the netting tends to be loose and vertical, effectively avoiding severe friction and collision between the netting and the floating pipe. The auxiliary ropes supporting the netting transfer part of the load on the netting to the counterweight structure connected to the bottom ropes of the netting, and the stress on the ropes is reduced to below the limit value of PE material of 25MPa.

[0026] (2) Effectively prevent the net from floating: The net is opened by using the auxiliary rope of the net and the force of the water flow, which replaces the traditional solution of simply adding iron weight. The net can maintain its unfolded shape underwater without adding extra weight.

[0027] (3) Avoid the risk of netting tearing: The scheme of multiple auxiliary ropes supporting the netting is distributed and connected to the netting. Compared with the scheme of a single auxiliary rope directly connecting to the netting, the tension of the auxiliary rope on the netting is reduced from 7500kg to below 2500kg, which is lower than the netting breaking limit of 3000kg, thus fundamentally avoiding the risk of netting tearing.

[0028] (4) Effective aquaculture volume significantly increased: The effective water volume of the net cage is maintained at more than 60%, ensuring the living space of the fish and meeting the requirements of NS9415 standard.

[0029] (5) Safe and reliable under extreme working conditions: Under extreme working conditions (wind speed 30m / s, wave height 3.2m, wave period 7.55s, current speed 1m / s), the maximum tension of the auxiliary rope does not exceed 2510kg, which is lower than the net breaking limit of 3000kg; under high current speed and high frequency wave conditions (wind speed 30m / s, wave height 2m, wave period 5s, current speed 1.5m / s), the tension of the net supporting auxiliary rope is maintained below 2500kg, and the net is in a safe state; the tension of the mooring cable is maintained within the design anchor tension range, and the system is safe and reliable as a whole. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the deformation of a net under strong water flow, based on existing technology.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the simulation results of the time-domain variation curve of the stress of the steel rope on the wave-facing side of the netting under strong water flow.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the auxiliary rope device for the net support net of a deep-sea aquaculture cage according to the present invention.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a top view schematic diagram of the arrangement of the auxiliary ropes of the support net along the water flow direction on the upstream and downstream sides in this invention; A in the figure represents the wave direction.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the auxiliary rope and the support net tube in this invention.

[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the second connecting member of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a connecting member of the present invention; A in the diagram represents the wave direction.

[0037] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection depth between the auxiliary rope of the net support and the mooring cable in a 10-meter deep net according to an embodiment of the present invention; A is the direction of the wave current, a is the connection point between the auxiliary rope of the net support and the mooring cable (7.0m underwater), and b is the connection point between the auxiliary rope of the net support and the net rope.

[0038] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the simulation results of the stress distribution of the steel rope on the wave-facing side of the mesh after applying the present invention.

[0039] The markings in the diagram are as follows: 1. Floating pipe and support; 2. Netting; 3. Netting rope; 31. Retaining rope; 4. Mooring line; 5. Counterweight; 6. Netting support pipe; 61. Netting support pipe accessory connecting sleeve; 611. Connecting hole; 7. Netting support auxiliary rope; 8. Connecting component; 8-1. Connecting component one; 8-2. Connecting component two; 81. Heart ring; 82. Shackle; 83. Iron ring. Detailed Implementation

[0040] To better understand the purpose, structure, and function of this invention, the following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, provides an auxiliary rope device for the netting support of a deep-sea aquaculture cage according to this invention.

[0041] like Figure 3As shown, the deep-sea aquaculture cage includes a floating pipe and support 1, a net 2, net ropes 3, and mooring lines 4. The floating pipe and support 1 is located at the top of the cage, providing overall buoyancy and supporting the shape of the net. The net 2 forms the spatial enclosure structure for aquaculture fish. The net ropes 3 are set at the bottom of the net and are tied with counterweights 5 or net support pipes 6 to open up the bottom of the net. The mooring lines 4 are connected to the floating pipe and support 1 to fix the entire cage to the seabed and resist the external forces of wind, waves, and currents.

[0042] In the traditional scheme, the bottom of the net 2 is equipped with a counterweight 5 (such as an iron weight or sandbag, which is used to pull the net down by gravity to maintain its underwater shape).

[0043] The present invention discloses a net support auxiliary rope device for a deep-sea aquaculture cage, comprising a net support auxiliary rope 7 and a connecting member 8. Multiple net support auxiliary ropes 7 are connected between a mooring cable 4 and a net rope 3 through the connecting member 8. The net support auxiliary rope 7 uses the force of water flow to open the net and maintain its underwater unfolded shape.

[0044] (1) Connection method of auxiliary rope for net support:

[0045] One end of each net-supporting auxiliary rope 7 is connected to the netting rope 3 (or the rope 31 left at the bottom of the netting or the net-supporting tube 6) via connecting component 2 8-2, and the other end is connected to the mooring cable 4 via connecting component 1 8-1. Taking a deep-sea aquaculture cage with 10 mooring cables 4 as an example, the arrangement of the net-supporting auxiliary ropes 7 is as follows: auxiliary rope groups are set on the upstream side and the downstream side of the cage, and each group contains at least 3 net-supporting auxiliary ropes 7, which are distributed from the same mooring cable 4 to different points at the bottom of the netting.

[0046] like Figure 4 As shown, the arrangement of the auxiliary ropes 7 for the netting is determined according to the direction of the main tides in the aquaculture area, and they are mainly arranged along the front and back of the water flow. The auxiliary ropes 7 for the netting are arranged in multiple groups, with one group on the upstream side and one group on the downstream side, and each group has at least 2 ropes.

[0047] (2) Connection method between the support rope and the bottom of the net

[0048] The bottom of the mesh 2 is provided with a retaining rope 31, which is used to bind the counterweight 5 or support the mesh tube 6.

[0049] When the counterweight 5 is tied, the net support rope 7 is connected to the bottom rope 31 of the net with a slip knot to facilitate the subsequent net lifting operation.

[0050] like Figure 5 As shown, when rope 31 is used to bind the support net tube 6, the auxiliary support rope 7 is fixedly connected to the support net tube 6 via connecting component 8-2. Connecting component 8-2 is a steel connecting ring assembly, such as... Figure 6As shown, the connecting component 8-2 includes a heart-shaped ring 81 and a shackle 82. The support tube 6 has multiple support tube accessory connecting sleeves 61, each with multiple connecting holes 611. These connecting holes 611 can be used to connect to the netting rope. One of the connecting holes 611 is used to connect to the connecting component 8. Specifically, one end of the netting auxiliary rope 7 is fixedly connected to one end of the heart-shaped ring 81. One end of the shackle 82 is open and can be inserted into the heart-shaped ring 81 for connection. The open end of the shackle 82 is fixedly connected to the connecting hole 611 on the support tube accessory connecting sleeve 61 using a screw and nut. The shackle and the heart-shaped ring 81 are connected by a ring buckle, allowing for flexible adaptation to changes in the angle of the netting auxiliary rope 7.

[0051] (3) Connection method between the netting auxiliary rope and the mooring cable

[0052] like Figure 7 As shown, the auxiliary rope 7 for supporting the net and the mooring line 4 are connected by a connecting component 8-1. This connecting component 8-1 includes multiple loops 81, multiple shackles 82, and an iron ring 83. The iron ring 83 is installed at a predetermined depth on the mooring line 4 as an intermediate connection point. The mooring line 4 is divided into two sections, with loops 81 fixed at the joint and connected to shackles 82 via the loops 81. The other end of the auxiliary rope 7 is also fixed with a loop 81 and connected to a shackle 82 via the loops 81. Each shackle 82 is fitted onto an iron ring 83. One end of the shackle 82 is open and can be disassembled using screws and nuts. The connecting component 8-1 uses a ring-lock connection, allowing for flexible adaptation to changes in the angle between the auxiliary rope 7 and the mooring line 4.

[0053] like Figure 8 As shown, the connection depth between the auxiliary rope 7 and the mooring cable 4 is 70% of the depth of the net (taking a 10m net as an example, the connection depth is 7m below the water surface). After the auxiliary rope is connected to the bottom of the net, it should be kept at an appropriate slack so that the net is in a natural vertical state in still water, and the net is tensioned by the auxiliary rope 7 to generate a net-supporting force when impacted by water flow.

[0054] (4) Material and specifications of the net support rope

[0055] The auxiliary rope 7 for the net support is made of the same material as the mooring rope 4, including but not limited to polypropylene, polyester or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (ultra-high density polyethylene), and the wire diameter is not less than 50% of the corresponding mooring rope wire diameter.

[0056] The working principle of this invention is as follows: After setting up a net-supporting auxiliary rope 7 between the mooring cable 4 and the netting rope 3, when water flows onto the netting 2, the net-supporting auxiliary rope 7 transfers part of the water flow impact force on the netting 2 to the mooring cable 4 and the net bottom counterweight 5, thus constraining the netting 2 in both the horizontal and vertical directions, thereby maintaining the netting in a relaxed and vertical state. The distributed connection of multiple net-supporting auxiliary ropes 7 disperses concentrated stress to multiple points at the lower end of the netting, avoiding stress concentration at a single point.

[0057] Example 1: Auxiliary rope device for 10m deep netting

[0058] (1) Net cage parameters: net depth 10m, mooring cables 10.

[0059] (2) Specifications of the auxiliary rope for the support net: Select ultra-high density polyethylene rope of the same material as the mooring cable, with a wire diameter of 60% of that of the mooring cable.

[0060] (3) Arrangement of auxiliary ropes for net support: Set up a set of auxiliary ropes on both the upstream and downstream sides, with 3 ropes in each set, for a total of 6 auxiliary ropes. One end of each auxiliary rope is connected to the mooring cable at a depth of 7m below the water surface (i.e., 70% of the net depth), and the other end is connected to different points at the bottom of the net.

[0061] (4) Connection between the netting auxiliary rope and the mooring line: The connection is made using connecting component 8-1 (steel connecting ring assembly). The ropes (netting auxiliary rope 7 and mooring line 4) and the iron ring 83 are connected by a heart-shaped ring 81 and a shackle 82. The specific connection method is as follows: the iron ring 83 is installed at a predetermined depth (7m) of the mooring line 4, the end of the netting auxiliary rope 7 is connected to the heart-shaped ring 81, and the heart-shaped ring 81 is connected to the iron ring 83 by the shackle 82.

[0062] (5) Connection between the auxiliary rope for supporting the net and the bottom of the net: The bottom of the net 2 is provided with a retaining rope 31, which is used to tie the supporting net tube 6. The bottom end of the auxiliary rope 7 for supporting the net is fixedly connected to the supporting net tube 6 through the connecting component 8-2, and the connection points are evenly distributed along the circumference of the supporting net tube 6.

[0063] (6) Implementation effect: According to actual measurement, under the condition of flow velocity of 1m / s, the net 2 is kept in a vertically unfolded state, the stress of the net rope 3 is less than 20MPa, the tension of the net support rope 7 is about 2300kg, and the effective water volume of the net 2 is maintained above 65%.

[0064] Example 2: Auxiliary rope device for supporting netting at a depth of 15m

[0065] (1) Net cage parameters: net depth 15m, mooring cables 10.

[0066] (2) Specifications of the auxiliary rope for the net support: polypropylene material is selected, and the wire diameter is 55% of the diameter of the mooring cable.

[0067] (3) Arrangement of auxiliary ropes for net support: A set of auxiliary ropes 7 for net support is set on both the upstream side and the downstream side, with 4 ropes in each set, for a total of 8 auxiliary ropes 7. The connection depth between the auxiliary ropes 7 and the mooring cable 4 is 10.5m below the water surface (i.e., 70% of the depth of the net).

[0068] (4) Connection of the support rope 7 to the bottom of the net: The bottom rope of the net 2 is tied to the counterweight, and the support rope 7 and the left rope 31 are connected by a slip knot.

[0069] (5) Implementation effect: Under extreme working conditions (wind speed 30m / s, wave height 3.2m, wave period 7.55s, current speed 1m / s), the maximum tensile force of the net support rope 7 is 2510kg, and the net system is safe and reliable.

[0070] After the auxiliary rope is connected to the bottom of the net, it should be kept at an appropriate slack so that the net is in a natural vertical state in still water and generates a supporting force by the tension of the auxiliary rope when it is impacted by water flow.

[0071] like Figure 9 As shown, the stress on the netting rope on the wave-facing side of the netting decreases significantly. Due to the presence of the netting support rope 7, the force on the netting 2 is transferred to the counterweight 5 connected to the netting rope 3. The netting tends to be loose and vertical, and the stress decreases significantly.

[0072] Description of the innovation of this invention

[0073] (1) Structural innovation: Existing technologies solve the problem of net floating by simply adding counterweight. This invention breaks with the traditional technical thinking and creatively uses the force of water flow itself as the source of net supporting force. By setting a net supporting auxiliary rope device between the mooring cable and the net rope, the technical effect of "using water to control water" is achieved without the need to add additional counterweight.

[0074] (2) Innovative connection method: The present invention adopts a method of multiple net support auxiliary ropes to be distributed from the same cable to multiple points at the bottom of the net, which effectively disperses stress and avoids stress concentration at a single point; the connection depth between the net support auxiliary rope and the mooring cable is a specific ratio of 70% of the depth of the net, which has been verified by hydrodynamic simulation and engineering practice as the optimal connection depth.

[0075] (3) The effect is significantly better than the existing technology: Compared with the existing counterweight increase scheme, the present invention increases the effective water volume of the cage from less than 40% to more than 60% without changing the counterweight, reduces the stress of the net rope from more than 25MPa to within the safe range, and reduces the tension of the auxiliary rope of the support net from 7500kg to less than 2500kg. The technical effect is significant.

[0076] It is understood that the present invention has been described through some embodiments, and those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes or equivalent substitutions can be made to these features and embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, under the teachings of the present invention, these features and embodiments can be modified to adapt to specific situations and materials without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims of this application are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A netting support rope device for a deep-sea aquaculture cage, the deep-sea aquaculture cage comprising a floating pipe and support frame (1), a net (2), a netting rope (3) disposed at the bottom of the net, and a mooring cable (4) connected to the floating pipe and support frame, characterized in that: It includes a net-supporting auxiliary rope (7) and a connecting member (8). One end of the net-supporting auxiliary rope (7) is connected to the mooring cable (4) through the first connecting member (8-1), and the other end is connected to the net rope (3) or the bottom member of the net through the second connecting member (8-2). The net-supporting auxiliary rope (7) uses the force of water flow to open the net and maintain its underwater unfolded shape.

2. The auxiliary rope device for supporting the netting of a deep-sea aquaculture cage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom component of the mesh is either a retaining rope (31) or a mesh support tube (6) at the bottom of the mesh.

3. The auxiliary rope device for supporting the netting of a deep-sea aquaculture cage according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the retaining rope (31) is tied to the counterweight (5), the supporting net auxiliary rope (7) is connected to the retaining rope (31) by a slip knot; when the retaining rope (31) is tied to the supporting net tube (6), the supporting net auxiliary rope (7) is fixedly connected to the supporting net tube (6) through the connecting member two (8-2).

4. The auxiliary rope device for supporting the netting of a deep-sea aquaculture cage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connection depth between the net support auxiliary rope (7) and the mooring cable (4) is 70% of the net depth.

5. The auxiliary rope device for supporting the netting of a deep-sea aquaculture cage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The net support auxiliary rope (7) consists of multiple ropes, with auxiliary rope groups set on the upstream and downstream sides of the net cage, each group containing at least two net support auxiliary ropes (7), which are distributed from the same mooring cable (4) to different points on the bottom of the net.

6. The auxiliary rope device for supporting the netting of a deep-sea aquaculture cage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first connecting component (8-1) includes an iron ring (83), a heart-shaped ring (81), and a shackle (82). The iron ring (83) is installed at a predetermined depth on the mooring cable (4). The end of the net support auxiliary rope (7) is connected to the heart-shaped ring (81). The heart-shaped ring (81) is connected to the iron ring (83) through the shackle (82), and the heart-shaped ring (81), shackle (82), and iron ring (83) are interlocked.

7. The auxiliary rope device for supporting the netting of a deep-sea aquaculture cage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second connecting component (8-2) includes a heart-shaped ring (81) and a shackle (82). The end of the net support auxiliary rope (7) is connected to the heart-shaped ring (81). The heart-shaped ring (81) is fixedly connected to the net rope (3) or the bottom component of the net through the shackle (82).

8. The auxiliary rope device for supporting the netting of a deep-sea aquaculture cage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material of the net support auxiliary rope (7) is the same as that of the mooring cable (4), including polypropylene, polyester or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.

9. The auxiliary rope device for supporting the netting of a deep-sea aquaculture cage according to claim 7, characterized in that, The diameter of the net support auxiliary rope (7) is not less than 50% of the diameter of the mooring cable (4).

10. The auxiliary rope device for supporting the netting of a deep-sea aquaculture cage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The net support rope (7) is connected to the bottom of the net and kept slack, so that the net is in a natural vertical state in still water. When it is impacted by water flow, the net support rope (7) is tightened to generate net support force.

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