Underwater Survey Equipment

Abstract

To provide an underwater investigation device for freely investigating a state inside a heat storage tank.SOLUTION: An underwater investigation device 1 includes an underwater drone 10 capable of moving underwater and a controller 20 connected to the underwater drone 10 for carrying out remote control of the underwater drone 10. The underwater drone 10 includes a tracer storage unit 15 for storing a tracer T for measuring a water flow, a tracer ejection unit 16 for ejecting the tracer T outside, an imaging unit 17 for imaging a moving state of the ejected tracer T, an illumination unit 18 for illuminating an imaging range of the imaging unit 17, and a sensor 19 for measuring at least one piece of water quality information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to underwater investigation devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Underwater drones capable of diving underwater are used for various underwater surveys, such as investigating water quality, water depth, and bottom conditions.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a communication system for an underwater drone that includes an underwater drone capable of moving underwater, at least one transmitting and receiving antenna installed within a range capable of wireless communication with the underwater drone, and a control device or pilot that is connected to the at least one transmitting and receiving antenna by a wired cable and controls the underwater drone. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-90017 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Meanwhile, heat storage type air conditioning systems equipped with a heat storage tank are installed in ordinary houses, office buildings, factories, etc. Heat storage type air conditioning systems utilize thermal energy stored in a heat storage tank using cheap electricity at night to handle the air conditioning load during the day. In such heat storage type air conditioning systems, the heat storage efficiency may decrease due to heat loss caused by mixing of hot and cold water (heat medium) in the heat storage tank and the generation of dead water. Therefore, in order to increase the heat storage efficiency of the heat storage tank, it is necessary to understand the conditions of the water flow and temperature distribution of the heat medium in the heat storage tank and improve them.

[0006] However, heat storage tanks are often installed under floors, etc., making it difficult for workers to visually check them. One method for investigating the condition inside a heat storage tank is, for example, to install a sensor inside the tank to measure water quality information such as water temperature, but in this case, only a specific point inside the heat storage tank where the sensor is installed can be investigated. Therefore, it is desirable to develop a device that can freely investigate the condition inside a heat storage tank, including deep inside and at any point, and identify the cause of the decrease in heat storage efficiency inside the heat storage tank.

[0007] One option is to use an underwater drone to investigate the inside of a heat storage tank, but there are currently no drones capable of investigating the detailed water flow and temperature distribution inside the tank.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and has an object to provide an underwater investigation device that can freely investigate the condition inside a heat storage tank. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An underwater investigation device in one embodiment has an underwater drone capable of moving underwater, and a control device connected to the underwater drone to remotely control the underwater drone, and the underwater drone has a tracer storage section that stores a tracer for measuring water flow, a tracer release section that releases the tracer to the outside, an imaging section that images the movement state of the released tracer, an illumination section that illuminates the imaging range of the imaging section, and a sensor section that measures at least one water quality information. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an underwater investigation device that can freely investigate the condition inside a heat storage tank. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an underwater investigation device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram showing a state in which a tracer is released from an underwater drone of the underwater investigation device shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing how the inside of a heat storage tank provided in an air conditioning system is inspected using the underwater inspection device shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] First embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. In addition, in order to clarify the description, the following description and drawings are appropriately simplified. Furthermore, in the following description, the same or equivalent elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0013] First, an overview of the underwater investigation device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the underwater investigation device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a tracer being released from an underwater drone of the underwater investigation device shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the underwater investigation device 1 includes an underwater drone 10 that can move by diving underwater unmanned, and a control device 20 that remotely controls the underwater drone 10 from the outside.

[0014] In this embodiment, the underwater drone 10 and the control device 20 are communicatively connected by a waterproofed communication cable 30. Note that communication between the underwater drone 10 and the control device 20 is not limited to wired communication using the communication cable 30, but may be wireless communication, or may be configured to selectively use wired communication and wireless communication.

[0015] The underwater drone 10 is configured to operate according to various control signals transmitted to the underwater drone 10 by a user using the underwater investigation device 1 operating the operation unit 21 of the control device 20. The underwater drone 10 accommodates a power supply unit 11, a control unit 12, a communication unit 13, a control unit 14, a tracer storage unit 15, and a tracer release unit 16 in a waterproof housing 10a. Furthermore, the underwater drone 10 has an imaging unit 17, an illumination unit 18, and a sensor unit 19, each of which is waterproofed. In this embodiment, each functional unit is connected to the control unit 12 of the underwater drone 10.

[0016] Each functional unit including the control unit 12 is supplied with power from a power supply unit 11. The power supply unit 11 may be a battery such as a primary battery, a secondary battery, or a fuel cell, or may supply power to the underwater drone 10 from the outside via a power cable.

[0017] The control unit 12 controls the operation of the underwater drone 10. The control unit 12 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The ROM stores a program executed by the CPU. The CPU reads out the program stored in the ROM and executes the program using the RAM as a working area. Through the execution of this program, the CPU controls each functional unit that constitutes the underwater drone 10.

[0018] The communication unit 13 transmits and receives electrical signals by wireless communication or wired communication to communicate with other devices. In this embodiment, the communication unit 13 performs wired communication with a control device 20 on the ground via a communication cable 30. The underwater drone 10 can exchange data with the control device 20 via the communication cable 30.

[0019] The control unit 14 is used to change the propulsive force and the direction of movement of the underwater drone 10. The control unit 14 is configured to include, for example, a propeller provided at the rear of the underwater drone 10, and an actuator that rotates the propeller. The propulsive force and the direction of movement of the underwater drone 10 are controlled by remote control, but are not limited to this and may be controlled according to a program executed by the control unit 12. The direction of movement includes not only within the horizontal plane, but also up and down directions (rising direction and sinking direction).

[0020] The tracer reservoir 15 stores a tracer T for measuring the water flow in a tank. As the tracer T, a dye solution, a chemical solution, or the like that can visualize the water flow can be used.

[0021] The tracer release unit 16 includes an openable / closable communication port 16a, an internal pipe 16b, and a tracer pump 16c. The communication port 16a is formed in front of the underwater drone 10, for example, on the front surface of the housing 10a and above the imaging unit 17. The communication port 16a communicates with the outside of the housing 10a. Normally, the communication port 16a is in a closed state. When the communication port 16a is in an open state, the tracer storage unit 15 communicates with the outside of the housing 10a via the internal pipe 16b. The internal pipe 16b connecting the tracer storage unit 15 and the communication port 16a is provided with a tracer pump 16c for pumping the tracer T stored in the tracer storage unit 15 to the outside.

[0022] Furthermore, the tracer release section 16 has a nozzle 16d that extends from the communication port 16a in the open state to the outside and is movable in a telescopic manner by an actuator. A release port 16e for releasing the tracer T is formed at the tip of the nozzle 16d.

[0023] When the underwater drone 10 releases the tracer T, the nozzle 16d extends from the communication port 16a in the open state, and the tracer T pumped by the tracer pump 16c through the internal piping 16b is released to the outside from the release port 16e. With this configuration, when measuring the water flow using the tracer T, it is less susceptible to changes in the water flow caused by the movement of the underwater drone 10. In particular, since the underwater drone 10 can release the tracer T at a position away from the propeller, it is less susceptible to changes in the water flow caused by the operation of the propeller.

[0024] For example, it is possible to configure the underwater drone 10 to release the tracer T from the communication port 16a without providing the nozzle 16d, but from the viewpoint of suppressing changes in the water flow, it is preferable to provide the nozzle 16d. The nozzle 16d may also be in the form of a retractable arm having a gripping portion formed at the tip. When an arm is used, the tracer T is stored in a container such as a dropper and held by the gripping portion. Then, the tracer T can be released from the container by pressing the container with the gripping portion.

[0025] The imaging unit 17 is provided in front of the underwater drone 10, for example, near the center of the front surface of the housing 10a. The imaging unit 17 captures images of the surroundings of the underwater drone 10. When the tracer T is released from the underwater drone 10, the imaging unit 17 can capture an image of the movement of the released tracer T. The imaging unit 17 may be a camera that captures still images or a camera that captures videos. Image information captured by the imaging unit 17 is transmitted to the control device 20 via the communication cable 30.

[0026] The illumination unit 18 is provided near the imaging unit 17, for example, on the front surface of the housing 10a and below the imaging unit 17. The illumination unit 18 illuminates the imaging range of the imaging unit 17. For example, a halogen lamp or an LED (Light Emitting Diode) can be used as the illumination unit 18.

[0027] The sensor unit 19 is provided, for example, on a side surface of the housing 10a. The sensor unit 19 measures at least one piece of water quality information in the water through which the underwater drone 10 moves. In this embodiment, the sensor unit 19 is a temperature sensor that measures the water temperature around the underwater drone 10 as water quality information. The water quality information measured by the sensor unit 19 is transmitted to the control device 20 via the communication cable 30. The sensor unit 19 is not limited to a temperature sensor, and may be a pressure sensor, a flow velocity sensor, or the like, or a combination of these.

[0028] The control device 20 that remotely controls the underwater drone 10 is installed on the ground. The control device 20 has an operation unit 21 and a display unit 22. The operation unit 21 controls the operation function of the underwater drone 10 in the control unit 14, the on / off function of the lighting unit 18, the function of adjusting the extension amount of the nozzle 16d in the tracer release unit 16, the tracer release function in the tracer release unit 16, the image information recording function in the imaging unit 17, and the like. By operating the operation unit 21, the user can transmit various control signals to the underwater drone 10 and control the underwater drone 10.

[0029] The display unit 22 displays various information received from the underwater drone 10. In addition to image information and water quality information, the information displayed by the display unit 22 includes information on the operation status of the illumination unit 18, the extension and contraction of the nozzle 16d in the tracer release unit 16, the tracer release function in the tracer release unit 16, the remaining amount of tracer, and the image information recording function in the imaging unit 17. This information is transmitted in real time from the underwater drone 10 and displayed in real time on the display unit 22. The user can check the operation status of the underwater drone 10 and the survey results based on the image information and water quality information received from the underwater drone 10 on the display unit 22.

[0030] Next, a method for investigating the inside of the heat storage tank 130 using the above-mentioned underwater investigation device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. In the following explanation, a specific example of a heat storage type air conditioning system will be described, but the configuration of the heat storage type air conditioning system is arbitrary as long as it is equipped with the heat storage tank 130. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the underwater investigation device 1 shown in Fig. 1 is used to investigate the inside of a heat storage tank provided in an air conditioning system.

[0031] The air conditioning system 100 shown in Fig. 3 has an air conditioner 110, an absorption chiller / heater machine 120, a heat storage tank 130, a circulation pipeline, a pump P, and a valve V. The air conditioner 110 is a load device that cools or heats a target space by utilizing the heat of a heat medium M flowing through the circulation pipeline. The air conditioning system 100 shown in Fig. 3 also has two absorption chiller / heater machines 120. The absorption chiller / heater machine 120 is a heat source machine that adjusts the temperature of the heat medium M and circulates it through the circulation pipeline.

[0032] The heat storage tank 130 stores heat therein a heat medium M. For example, water can be used as the heat medium M. The heat storage tank 130 is formed in a box shape, and is partitioned into a high temperature storage section 131, a low temperature storage section 132, and a mixed storage section 133 by partition walls 130a and 130b provided inside.

[0033] The partition wall 130a extends from the bottom surface of the heat storage tank 130 to a position lower than the liquid level. The partition wall 130a is provided between the high temperature storage section 131 and the mixed storage section 133 in a state where the heat medium M can flow above the partition wall 130a. The partition wall 130b extends from the top surface of the heat storage tank 130 to a position lower than the liquid level. The partition wall 130b is provided between the low temperature storage section 132 and the mixed storage section 133 in a state where the heat medium M can flow below the partition wall 130b. The high temperature storage section 131 and the low temperature storage section 132 are in communication via the mixed storage section 133.

[0034] The high-temperature storage section 131 stores a high-temperature heat medium M (hot water). The low-temperature storage section 132 stores a low-temperature heat medium M (cold water). In the mixed storage section 133, the high-temperature heat medium M in the upper layer and the low-temperature heat medium M in the lower layer are stored in a horizontal laminar flow state. That is, in the mixed storage section 133, temperature stratification is formed by the heat medium M.

[0035] The air conditioner 110 and the absorption chiller / heater water machine 120 are each connected to the heat storage tank 130 by a circulation pipeline. The air conditioning system 100 is configured to enable heat exchange of the heat medium M in each of the air conditioner 110 and the absorption chiller / heater water machine 120 by circulating the heat medium M flowing inside the circulation pipeline. The circulation pipeline is mainly composed of water supply pipes 141, 142 and water intake pipes 151, 152.

[0036] A water supply pipe 141 and a water intake pipe 151 are inserted into the high temperature storage section 131. A pump P is provided in the water supply pipe 141 between the heat storage tank 130 and the absorption chiller / heater 120 for pressure-feeding the heat medium M stored in the high temperature storage section 131 to the absorption chiller / heater 120. A water supply pipe 142 and a water intake pipe 152 are inserted into the low temperature storage section 132. A pump P is provided in the water supply pipe 142 between the heat storage tank 130 and the air conditioner 110 for pressure-feeding the heat medium M stored in the low temperature storage section 132 to the air conditioner 110.

[0037] The valves V are provided at required positions on the water supply pipes 141, 142 and the water intake pipes 151, 152, respectively, and adjust the flow rate of the heat medium M by adjusting the opening degree.

[0038] The low-temperature heat medium M stored in the low-temperature storage section 132 is pumped by the pump P, flows through the water supply pipe 142, and is supplied to the air conditioner 110. The high-temperature heat medium M that has completed heat exchange in the air conditioner 110 flows through the water intake pipe 151 and flows into the high-temperature storage section 131. In this manner, the heat medium M is circulated between the heat storage tank 130 and the air conditioner 110 by a system including the water supply pipe 142 and the water intake pipe 151.

[0039] Furthermore, the high-temperature heat medium M stored in the high-temperature storage section 131 is pumped by the pump P to flow through the water supply pipe 141 and is supplied to the absorption chiller / heater water machine 120. The low-temperature heat medium M that has completed heat exchange in the absorption chiller / heater water machine 120 flows through the water intake pipe 152 and flows into the low-temperature storage section 132. In this manner, the heat medium M is circulated between the heat storage tank 130 and the absorption chiller / heater water machine 120 by a system including the water supply pipe 141 and the water intake pipe 152.

[0040] 3, during operation of the air conditioning system 100, the valve V in an open state and the circulation pipeline through which the heat medium M flows are indicated by solid lines, and the direction of flow of the heat medium M is indicated by an arrow. Meanwhile, during operation of the air conditioning system 100, the valve V in a closed state and the circulation pipeline through which the heat medium M does not flow are indicated by dashed dotted lines. The valve V in a closed state is opened as necessary, for example, when adjusting the temperature of the heat medium M flowing through the water intake pipes 151, 152 and the water supply pipes 141, 142.

[0041] In the air conditioning system 100 configured as described above, it is preferable that a laminar flow state is formed in the heat storage tank 130 so that the high-temperature heat medium M and the low-temperature heat medium M do not mix. However, during operation of the air conditioning system 100, the high-temperature heat medium M and the low-temperature heat medium M tend to mix in the heat storage tank 130 as the heat medium M flows in and out, which may disrupt the temperature stratification.

[0042] In addition, due to its structure, when storing and releasing heat, the flow of the heat medium M is likely to stagnate in corners deep within the heat storage tank 130 (for example, the area indicated by the dashed line in Figure 4), resulting in the generation of dead water D that does not contribute to heat storage.

[0043] In this way, in the air conditioning system 100, the heat storage efficiency may decrease due to heat loss caused by mixing of the high-temperature heat medium M and the low-temperature heat medium M (cold and hot water) in the heat storage tank 130 and the generation of dead water D. Therefore, in order to identify the cause of the decrease in the heat storage efficiency in the heat storage tank 130, the underwater investigation device 1 according to this embodiment can be applied.

[0044] The underwater investigation device 1 can investigate the water current and water temperature at any investigation point in the thermal medium M by using the underwater drone 10 that dives and navigates in the thermal medium M stored in the thermal storage tank 130. The user moves the underwater drone 10 that has been immersed in the thermal medium M while checking the image information displayed on the display unit 22. If the inside of the thermal storage tank 130 is dark and visibility is poor, the imaging range of the imaging unit 17 is illuminated with light from the illumination unit 18.

[0045] In the heat storage tank 130, the underwater drone 10 moves to and stops at a desired arbitrary investigation point according to a control signal received from the control device 20. For example, if the investigation point is deep inside the heat storage tank 130, the underwater drone 10 is caused to land on the bottom surface of the heat storage tank 130. After the underwater drone 10 stops at the investigation point, it is preferable to keep the underwater drone 10 stationary for a certain period of time until the change in the water current caused by the movement of the underwater drone 10 ceases.

[0046] Next, the underwater drone 10 in a stationary state opens the communication port 16a according to a control signal received from the control device 20, and then extends the nozzle 16d to release the tracer T from the release port 16e. The user can observe the movement of the tracer T flowing through the heat medium M using the image information displayed on the display unit 22, and visually grasp the presence or absence of water flow at each investigation point, as well as the flow speed and flow direction of the water flow. By visualizing the water flow, for example, it can be estimated that in the surrounding area of ​​an investigation point where the water flow speed ascertained from the movement of the tracer T is slow, the water flow is stagnant and dead water D is occurring.

[0047] In addition, since the underwater drone 10 has a temperature sensor as the sensor unit 19, it can acquire the water temperature (water quality information) of the heat medium M around the underwater drone 10. Therefore, the user can check the water quality information displayed on the display unit 22 as the underwater drone 10 moves or stops, and can grasp the temperature distribution in the heat storage tank 130 evenly.

[0048] In this way, the user can identify the cause of the decrease in the heat storage efficiency in the heat storage tank 130 based on the results of the investigation of the water flow and water temperature by the underwater investigation device 1. The user adjusts the respective positions of the water intake pipes 151, 152 and the water supply pipes 141, 142 of the heat storage tank 130, and operates each valve V to adjust the flow rate and temperature of the heat medium M flowing through the water intake pipes 151, 152 and the water supply pipes 141, 142, thereby performing an operation to improve the water flow and temperature distribution of the heat medium M so as to improve the heat storage efficiency of the heat storage tank 130. This makes it possible to suppress the heat loss and the generation of dead water D due to mixing of the heat medium M in the tank.

[0049] Here, as another method for investigating the inside of heat storage tank 130, a method can be considered in which temperature sensors and cameras are installed at specific points in heat storage tank 130 to obtain water quality information and image information inside heat storage tank 130. However, with this method, the water quality information and image information obtained are limited to the points where the temperature sensors and cameras are installed, and therefore there is a problem in that the conditions inside heat storage tank 130 cannot be investigated thoroughly.

[0050] In contrast, the underwater investigation device 1 according to this embodiment has an underwater drone 10 capable of moving underwater, and a control device 20 connected to the underwater drone 10 to remotely control the underwater drone 10. The underwater drone 10 also has a tracer storage unit 15 that stores a tracer T for measuring water currents, a tracer release unit 16 that releases the tracer T to the outside, an imaging unit 17 that captures the moving state of the released tracer T, an illumination unit 18 that illuminates the imaging range of the imaging unit 17, and a sensor unit 19 that measures at least one piece of water quality information.

[0051] According to the underwater investigation device 1 of this embodiment, the underwater drone 10 can move within the heat storage tank 130 and measure the water flow, water temperature, etc. at any point, so that the condition within the heat storage tank 130 can be freely investigated.

[0052] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the control in the control unit 12 of the underwater drone 10 may be configured to be performed by the control device 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1 Underwater research equipment 10 Underwater Drone 10a Housing 11 Power supply section 12 Control section 13. Communications Department 14 Control Section 15 Tracer storage section 16 Tracer release section 16a Communication port 16b Internal piping 16c Tracer Pump 16d nozzle 16e outlet 17 Imaging section 18 Lighting Department 19 Sensor section 20 Control device 21 Control section 22 Display section 30 Communication Cable 100 Air Conditioning System 110 Air conditioner 120 Absorption chiller / heater 130 Heat storage tank 130a Partition wall 130b Partition wall 131 High temperature storage section 132 Low Temperature Storage Unit 133 Mixing Reservoir 141, 142 Water pipe 151, 152 Water intake pipe D dead water M Heat medium P-Pump T Tracer V-Valve

Claims

[Claim 1] An underwater drone that can move underwater, A control device connected to the underwater drone for remotely controlling the underwater drone, The underwater drone is A tracer storage unit that stores a tracer for measuring a water flow; A tracer emission unit that emits the tracer to the outside; An imaging unit that images the moving state of the released tracer; an illumination unit that illuminates an imaging range of the imaging unit; A sensor unit that measures at least one piece of water quality information; having The sensor unit is a temperature sensor that measures the water temperature around the underwater drone as the water quality information, The tracer release unit has an arm with a gripping portion formed at its tip for gripping a container serving as the tracer storage unit, and the underwater investigation device releases the tracer from the container by pressing the container with the gripping portion.

Images