Marine life suppression device

Abstract

To provide a marine organism suppression device capable of irradiating an inner wall of a tubule 30 of a condenser 1 with light more sufficiently.SOLUTION: A marine organism suppression device 50 is arranged at a condenser 1 provided with an entrance water chamber 20 which has an inflow port 20a for seawater and a plurality of tubules 30 one end side of which communicates with the entrance water chamber 20 to let seawater flowing in the entrance water chamber 20 from the inflow port 20a flow inside, and comprises a light emission part which is arranged at the entrance water chamber 20 and emits ultraviolet light or purple light along a length direction from one end side to the other end side of the tubules 30 in the length direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a marine life control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, seawater has been used as a cooling medium for steam in condensers of thermal power plants and the like. However, there is a risk that the thermal efficiency of the condenser will decrease due to the adhesion of marine organisms such as shellfish and biofilms to the inside of the pipes through which water flows, thereby reducing the contact area between the inner wall of the pipes and seawater. Patent Document 1 describes a method for preventing the proliferation of sessile fouling organisms by irradiating ultraviolet light underwater to areas where sessile fouling organisms are likely to proliferate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 60-80081 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, since the thin tubes of a condenser have a long overall length and a small diameter, it is difficult to sufficiently irradiate the inside of the thin tubes with light using the method described in Patent Document 1.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a marine organism suppression device that can more sufficiently irradiate light onto the inner walls of the thin tubes of a condenser. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The marine life suppression device according to the present invention is a marine life suppression device disposed in a condenser having an inlet water chamber having an inlet through which seawater flows, and a plurality of capillaries each having one end connected to the inlet water chamber and through which seawater that flows into the inlet water chamber from the inlet flows, and is equipped with a light-emitting unit disposed in the inlet water chamber and emitting ultraviolet light or purple light along the longitudinal direction of the capillaries from one end side to the other end side.

[0007] (2) In the marine life suppression device according to the present invention, the light-emitting section is capable of emitting straight-line light with increased directionality through refraction, and the optical axis of the straight-line light is located inside the inner wall of the capillary when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the capillary.

[0008] (3) The marine life suppression device according to the present invention comprises a support part that supports the light-emitting part, and a guide that holds the support part so that it can slide.

[0009] (4) In the marine life suppression device according to the present invention, the condenser is provided with an outlet water chamber which is connected to the other end sides of the multiple capillaries and has an outlet through which seawater which has flowed in from inside the multiple capillaries flows out, and is provided with an other-end light-emitting unit which is disposed in the outlet water chamber and emits ultraviolet light or purple light from the other end side toward one end side in the longitudinal direction.

[0010] (5) The marine life suppression device according to the present invention comprises an underwater drone having a main body portion that holds the light-emitting portion, a propulsion portion that provides propulsion to the main body portion, a detection portion that can detect one end of the capillary tube, and a control portion that controls the propulsion portion based on the detection result of the detection portion. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a marine organism suppression device capable of more sufficiently irradiating the inner walls of the thin tubes of a condenser with light. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a condenser according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a condenser according to a first modified example. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a condenser according to a second modified example. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a condenser according to a third modified example. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of an underwater drone according to a third modified example. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a condenser according to a fourth modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, the configuration of a condenser 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the condenser 1 according to this embodiment when viewed from the front.

[0014] The condenser 1 is a device that performs a condensation process to cool and condense steam after turning a turbine in thermal power generation or the like. The condenser 1 uses seawater as a cooling medium. The water condensed by the condenser 1 passes through a water supply system and is heated again in a boiler or the like to become steam, turns the turbine, and returns to the condenser 1 again. The condenser 1 includes a housing 10, a tube sheet 11, an inlet water chamber 20, a plurality of thin tubes 30, an outlet water chamber 40, and a marine life suppression device 50.

[0015] The housing 10 is a box-shaped hollow structure in which a steam port 12 and a condensate port 13 are formed. The steam port 12 is formed in the upper part of the housing 10 and has an opening shape through which steam passes when it flows into the housing 10 after turning the turbine. The condensate port 13 is formed in the lower part of the housing 10 and has an opening shape through which water passes after condensation when it flows out.

[0016] The tube sheets 11 are fixed to each end of the housing 10 in the left-right direction. The tube sheet 11 has a plurality of holes 11a formed in a flat portion. The holes 11a are holes into which the ends of the thin tubes 30 can be fitted. The plurality of holes 11a formed in the left tube sheet 11 and the plurality of holes 11a formed in the right tube sheet 11 are formed so as to substantially coincide with each other when viewed in the left-right direction. Therefore, the plurality of thin tubes 30 can communicate with the inlet water chamber 20 and the outlet water chamber 40 by fitting one end of each of the thin tubes 30 into the hole 11a of the right tube sheet 11 and the other end of each of the thin tubes 30 into the hole 11a of the left tube sheet 11.

[0017] The inlet water chamber 20 is a box-shaped hollow structure in which an inlet 20a and a tube sheet fitting portion 20b are formed. The inlet 20a is connected to a pipe (not shown) and has an opening shape through which seawater flows in from the pipe. The tube sheet fitting portion 20b has an opening shape that can be fitted into the side surface of the above-mentioned tube sheet 11. The inlet water chamber 20 is fixed to the side surface of the housing 10 by fitting the tube sheet fitting portion 20b into the side surface of the tube sheet 11.

[0018] The outlet water chamber 40 is a box-shaped hollow structure in which an outlet 40a and a tube sheet fitting portion 40b are formed. The outlet 40a is connected to a pipe (not shown) and has an opening shape through which seawater that has flowed into the outlet water chamber 40 passes before being discharged into the pipe. The tube sheet fitting portion 40b has an opening shape that can be fitted into the side portion of the above-mentioned tube sheet 11. The outlet water chamber 40 is fixed to the side surface of the housing 10 by fitting the tube sheet fitting portion 40b into the side surface of the tube sheet 11.

[0019] The thin tubes 30 are long thin tubes made of a material with high heat conductivity. For example, the thin tubes 30 are made of a copper alloy, have a diameter of 20 to 25 mm, and a total length of 10 m. A plurality of thin tubes 30 are provided in the condenser 1. As described above, both ends of the thin tubes 30 are fitted and fixed in the holes 11a of the left and right tube sheets 11 in FIG.

[0020] As described above, in the condenser 1, the inlet water chamber 20 and the outlet water chamber 40 are connected via a plurality of thin tubes 30.

[0021] Therefore, in the condenser 1 according to this embodiment, seawater that has flowed into the inlet water chamber 20 is passed through the multiple thin tubes 30, and cools and condenses the steam that has flowed into the housing 10 from the steam port 12. The condensed water flows out through the condensation port 13. In addition, after cooling the steam, the seawater flows from the thin tubes 30 to the outlet water chamber 40 and flows out through the exhaust port 40a.

[0022] In the condenser 1, seawater is passed through the narrow tubes 30 as a cooling medium for cooling the steam. Seawater contains marine organisms such as shellfish and biofilms, and there is a risk that the marine organisms will attach to the inner walls of the narrow tubes 30. The marine organism suppression device 50 is provided in the inlet water chamber 20 to suppress the attachment of marine organisms, and suppresses the attachment of marine organisms by irradiating light from the inlet water chamber 20 to the inner walls of the narrow tubes 30. The light irradiated by the marine organism suppression device 50 according to this embodiment is, for example, purple light with a wavelength of 400 nm to 440 nm. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the light irradiated by the marine organism suppression device 50 may be, for example, ultraviolet light.

[0023] The marine life suppression device 50 according to this embodiment has an irradiation device 50a as a light emitting section, a support member 50b as a support section, a rail 50c as a guide, and a drive section (not shown).

[0024] The irradiation device 50a has an LED lamp (not shown) and a lens (not shown), and the lens refracts a part of the light emitted from the LED lamp to make it a linear light with enhanced directivity. That is, the irradiation device 50a can emit a linear light with enhanced directivity. Note that the light emitted by the irradiation device 50a is not limited to a linear light, and may be a diffused light.

[0025] The support member 50b supports the irradiation device 50a and is held so as to be slidable on the rails 50c. The support member 50b slides on the rails 50c by being driven by a drive unit.

[0026] The rail 50c is provided on the right side of the inner wall of the inlet water chamber 20. The rail 50c is laid so that the irradiation device 50a can move and irradiate in front of the end of each of the multiple capillaries 30 on the inlet water chamber 20 side. That is, the irradiation device 50a according to this embodiment can emit ultraviolet light or purple light to the multiple capillaries 30 along the longitudinal direction of the capillaries 30 from the inlet water chamber 20 side toward the outlet water chamber 40 side by driving the drive unit to cause the support member 50b supporting the irradiation device 50a to slide and move on the rail 50c.

[0027] Although the marine life suppression device 50 according to this embodiment has the rail 50c as a guide, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the marine life suppression device 50 may have a pole as a guide.

[0028] The marine life suppression device 50 configured as described above is a marine life suppression device 50 arranged in a condenser 1 provided with an inlet water chamber 20 having an inlet 20a through which seawater flows in, and a plurality of capillaries 30 whose one end sides communicate with the inlet water chamber 20 and through which seawater that flows into the inlet water chamber 20 from the inlet 20a flows inside, and is equipped with an irradiation device 50a arranged in the inlet water chamber 20 and emitting ultraviolet light or purple light along the longitudinal direction of the capillaries 30 from one longitudinal end side to the other end side.

[0029] Thereby, the marine life suppression device 50 according to this embodiment can irradiate the inner walls of the thin tubes 30 of the condenser 1 with light more sufficiently.

[0030] Furthermore, in the marine life suppression device 50, the irradiation device 50a can emit straight light with increased directivity due to refraction, and the optical axis of the straight light is inside the inner wall of the thin tube 30 when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the thin tube 30.

[0031] This allows the irradiation device 50a to irradiate the inside of the capillary 30 with more light.

[0032] The marine life suppression device 50 also includes a support member 50b that supports the irradiation device 50a, and a rail 50c that slidably holds the support member 50b.

[0033] As a result, the marine life suppression device 50 of this embodiment can move the irradiation device 50a and irradiate multiple capillaries 30 from the inlet water chamber 20 side toward the outlet water chamber 40 side along the longitudinal direction of the capillaries 30 with a single irradiation device 50a, thereby reducing the number of irradiation devices 50a installed and reducing the introduction and maintenance costs of the device.

[0034] [Variations]

[0035] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the present invention includes modifications and improvements within the scope of the present invention that can achieve the object of the present invention. For example, the above-described embodiment can be modified to the following exemplary modifications. The following exemplary modifications can also be combined.

[0036] <First Modification> In the marine organism suppression device 50A according to the embodiment described above, the support member 50b supporting the irradiation device 50a slides on the rail 50c by being driven by the drive unit, so that ultraviolet light or purple light can be emitted from the inlet water chamber 20 side to the outlet water chamber 40 side along the longitudinal direction of the thin tubes 30 to the thin tubes 30. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the support member 50b supporting the irradiation device 50a may be supported by a wire 50d held movably as a linear member, and the irradiation device 50a may be moved in front of each of the thin tubes 30 by moving the wire 50d. Details will be described below.

[0037] The configuration of a marine life suppression device 50A according to a first modified example will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Note that configurations common to or similar to those already described will be given the same names and detailed descriptions may be omitted. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of a condenser 1 according to a first modified example when viewed from the front.

[0038] The condenser 1 according to this modification includes a housing 10, a tube sheet 11, an inlet water chamber 20, a plurality of thin tubes 30, an outlet water chamber 40, and a marine life suppression device 50A. The marine life suppression device 50A includes an irradiation device 50a, a support member 50b, and a wire 50d. The wire 50d is a linear member, and may be a steel material rolled into an elongated linear shape or a resin molded into a linear shape. The support member 50b according to this modification is fixed onto the wire 50d.

[0039] In addition, the wire 50d is fixed at both ends to two pulleys (not shown), and is held so as to be movable by the rotation of the pulleys. In addition, one of the two pulleys is connected to a motor (not shown), and the pulley is rotated by the drive of the motor. That is, the irradiation device 50a moves as the wire 50d moves by the pulley that rotates by the drive of the motor.

[0040] The wire 50d according to this embodiment is disposed so that the irradiation device 50a can move in front of each of the multiple capillaries 30 to irradiate the light. That is, the irradiation device 50a according to this embodiment can move in front of each of the multiple capillaries 30 to irradiate the light from the inlet water chamber 20 side toward the outlet water chamber 40 side along the longitudinal direction of the capillaries 30 by the wire 50d slidingly moving due to the driving of the driving unit.

[0041] The marine life suppression device 50A configured as above includes a support member 50b that supports the irradiation device 50a, and a wire 50d that holds the support member 50b so that it can slide.

[0042] As a result, the marine life suppression device 50A according to this embodiment can irradiate a plurality of capillaries 30 from the inlet water chamber 20 side toward the outlet water chamber 40 side along the longitudinal direction of the capillaries 30 by moving the irradiation device 50a, thereby reducing the number of irradiation devices 50a installed and reducing the introduction and maintenance costs of the device. Furthermore, the marine life suppression device 50A can reuse parts such as pulleys when modifying the movement route of the irradiation device 50a, thereby reducing the cost of modification.

[0043] <Second Modification> In the marine life suppression device 50 according to the embodiment described above, the irradiation device 50a is provided in the inlet water chamber 20. However, this is not limited to this. For example, in the marine life suppression device 50B, as shown in FIG. 3, an irradiation device 50a as an outlet side light emitting unit may be provided in the outlet water chamber 40 in addition to the inlet water chamber 20.

[0044] The marine life suppression device 50B according to the second modification has an irradiation device 50a, a support member 50b, a rail 50c, and a drive unit (not shown) in each of the inlet water chamber 20 and the outlet water chamber 40. That is, the marine life suppression device 50B has an irradiation device 50a in the outlet water chamber 40 in addition to the inlet water chamber 20. In other words, the marine life suppression device 50B has an outlet water chamber 40 that is connected to the other end side of the multiple capillaries 30 and has an outlet 40a through which seawater that has flowed in from inside the multiple capillaries 30 flows out, and has an irradiation device 50a that is disposed in the outlet water chamber 40 and emits ultraviolet light or purple light from the other end side toward one end side in the longitudinal direction.

[0045] As a result, in the marine life suppression device 50B of this modified example, light is irradiated not only from one end of the thin tube 30 but also from the other end, allowing for more sufficient light irradiation and better suppressing the attachment of marine life to the inner wall of the thin tube 30.

[0046] <Third Modification> In the above-mentioned embodiment, the marine organism suppression device 50 can emit ultraviolet light or purple light to the multiple capillaries 30 from the inlet water chamber 20 side to the outlet water chamber 40 side along the longitudinal direction of the capillaries 30 by the support member 50b supporting the irradiation device 50a sliding on the rail 50c by the driving of the driving unit. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the support member 50b supporting the irradiation device 50a is mounted on an underwater drone 50e capable of autonomous navigation as shown in FIG. 4, and a route that allows the irradiation device 50a to be moved in front of each of the multiple capillaries 30 and irradiated from the inlet water chamber 20 side to the outlet water chamber 40 side along the longitudinal direction of the capillaries 30 may be registered in advance in the underwater drone 50e to allow the drone to navigate autonomously. Details will be described below.

[0047] The configuration of a marine life suppression device 50C according to a third modified example will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Note that configurations common to or similar to those already described will be given the same names and detailed descriptions may be omitted. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of a condenser 1 according to a third modified example when viewed from the front.

[0048] The marine organism suppression device 50C according to the third modification includes an underwater drone 50e (not shown) capable of autonomously navigating underwater, and an irradiation device 50a mounted on the underwater drone 50e. As shown in FIG. 5, the underwater drone 50e includes a CPU 70, a ROM 71, a RAM 72, a propulsion unit 73, a detection unit 74, a memory unit 75, a communication unit 76, a battery 77, a bus 78, and an input / output interface 79.

[0049] The CPU 70 executes various processes according to a program recorded in the ROM 71 or a program loaded from the storage unit 75 to the RAM 72. In other words, the control unit 80 that performs various controls of the underwater drone 50e is realized by the CPU 70 that executes arithmetic processing.

[0050] The RAM 72 also stores data and the like necessary for the CPU 70 to execute various processes.

[0051] The CPU 70, the ROM 71, and the RAM 72 are connected to one another via a bus 78. An input / output interface 79 is also connected to this bus 78. A propulsion unit 73, a detection unit 74, a storage unit 75, a communication unit 76, and a battery 77 are connected to the input / output interface 79.

[0052] The propulsion unit 73 is configured with, for example, a propeller and steering. However, the configuration of the propulsion unit 73 is not limited to this, and may be configured with, for example, a plurality of propellers with different orientations, or a water jet nozzle whose jet direction can be controlled.

[0053] The detection unit 74 is capable of detecting the inner wall of the inlet water chamber 20 and the end of the thin tube 30. The detection unit 74 is, for example, a camera or a sonar.

[0054] The memory unit 75 is composed of a semiconductor memory such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and is a device that stores various data of the underwater drone 50e.

[0055] The communication unit 76 is a device that communicates with other computers via a network cable, but is not limited thereto, and may communicate with other computers using a communication method based on, for example, BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) or Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) communication standards.

[0056] The battery 77 supplies power to the underwater drone 50e. For example, the battery 77 is configured by a lithium ion battery. Note that power may be supplied using a wired cable.

[0057] The control unit 80 of the underwater drone 50e according to this embodiment can control the driving of the propulsion unit 73 based on the detection result of the detection unit 74. In addition, the memory unit 75 of the underwater drone 50e according to this embodiment stores a route that allows the irradiation device 50a to irradiate the multiple capillaries 30 along the longitudinal direction of the capillaries 30 from the inlet water chamber 20 side to the outlet water chamber 40 side. Therefore, the control unit 80 according to this embodiment controls the driving of the propulsion unit 73 based on the detection result of the detection unit 74 so that the underwater drone 50e moves along the previously stored route.

[0058] The marine life suppression device 50C of this modified example includes an underwater drone 50e that holds an irradiation device 50a, a propulsion unit 73 that provides propulsion to the underwater drone 50e, a detection unit 74 that can detect one end of the capillary tube 30, and a control unit 80 that controls the propulsion unit 73 based on the detection result of the detection unit 74.

[0059] As a result, the marine organism suppression device 50C according to this modification can more fully irradiate the inner wall of the thin tube 30 of the condenser 1 with light. In addition, since the marine organism suppression device 50C can be arranged without providing a structure for installation in the inlet water chamber 20, it can be arranged without stopping the use of the condenser 1. In addition, since the marine organism suppression device 50C according to this modification is arranged without providing a structure for installation in the inlet water chamber 20, the maintenance of the marine organism suppression device 50C can be performed without stopping the use of the condenser 1, improving maintainability. In addition, it is preferable that the condenser 1 according to this modification is provided with a net in the inlet water chamber 20 to prevent foreign objects such as parts of the underwater drone 50e from flowing into the thin tube 30.

[0060] <Fourth modified example> In the marine life suppression device 50 according to the embodiment described above, the irradiation device 50a is fixed to the support member 50b in the longitudinal direction of the thin tube 30. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the irradiation device 50a may be fixed to a support member 50f having a swing mechanism that rotatably supports the irradiation device 50a as shown in FIG. 6. In this case, the irradiation device 50a can be rotated to change the irradiation direction as shown in FIG. 6. A detailed description will be given below.

[0061] The configuration of a marine life suppression device 50D according to a fourth modified example will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Note that configurations common to or similar to those already described will be given the same names and detailed descriptions may be omitted. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of a condenser 1 according to a fourth modified example when viewed from the front.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 6, the marine life suppression device 50D according to the fourth modification includes an irradiation device 50a, a support member 50f that rotatably supports the irradiation device 50a, a rail 50c that slidably supports the support member 50f, and a drive unit (not shown). The support member 50f slides on the rail 50c when driven by the drive unit. The support member 50f also rotates the irradiation device 50a when driven by the drive unit.

[0063] As a result, the marine life suppression device 50D of this modified example can irradiate multiple capillaries 30 along the longitudinal direction of the capillaries 30 from the inlet water chamber 20 side toward the outlet water chamber 40 side, and can also irradiate inside the inlet water chamber 20, thereby more efficiently suppressing the attachment of marine life to the inner walls of the capillaries 30.

[0064] In addition, the marine life suppression device 50 according to this embodiment irradiates light onto the multiple capillaries from the inlet water chamber 20 side toward the outlet water chamber 40 side along the longitudinal direction of the capillaries 30 by moving the irradiation device itself. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the marine life suppression device 50 may include a light guide section that introduces the light irradiated by the irradiation device 50a, and the introduction section may be fixed to a support member 50b that slides on a rail 50c. The light guide section is, for example, an optical fiber. Even in this case, the marine life suppression device 50 can more sufficiently irradiate light onto the inner walls of the capillaries 30 of the condenser 1.

[0065] In the present embodiment, the light emitted by the light emitting unit is a straight light with high directivity, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be, for example, diffused light. In addition, the support member 50b of the marine life suppression device 50 according to the present embodiment and the marine life suppression device 50A according to the first modified example is slidable by driving of a driving unit (not shown), but the present invention is not limited to this and may be slidable by human power. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 20 Inlet water chamber 20a Inlet 30 Thin tube 50 Marine life suppression device 50a irradiation device

Claims

1. an inlet water chamber having an inlet through which seawater flows; A marine life suppression device disposed in a condenser provided with a plurality of thin tubes, one end of which is connected to the inlet water chamber and through which seawater flowing into the inlet water chamber from the inlet flows, A marine life suppression device comprising: an inlet water chamber and a light-emitting unit capable of emitting ultraviolet light or purple light along the longitudinal direction from an opening on one end side of all of the capillaries to an opening on the other end side of the capillaries.

2. The light emitting unit is capable of emitting rectilinear light having enhanced directivity through refraction, 2. The marine life suppression device according to claim 1, wherein the optical axis of the straight light is located inside the inner wall of the thin tube when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the thin tube.

3. The marine life suppression device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: a support part that supports the light emitting part; and a guide that holds the support part so that the support part can slide.

4. The condenser is provided with an outlet water chamber that is connected to the other end side of the plurality of capillaries and has an outlet through which seawater that has flowed in from inside the plurality of capillaries flows out, 4. A marine life suppression device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an other end light-emitting section disposed in the outlet water chamber and emitting ultraviolet light or violet light from the other end side in the longitudinal direction toward the one end side.

5. The marine life suppression device of claim 1 or 2, comprising an underwater drone having a main body portion that holds the light-emitting portion, a propulsion portion that provides propulsive force to the main body portion, a detection portion that can detect an end portion on one end side of the capillary tube, and a control portion that controls the propulsion portion based on the detection result of the detection portion.

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