Hull-Cleaning Robot With Crushing and Effluent Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robotic systems for removing marine bio-scaling, particularly sun coral, from submerged metallic surfaces are inefficient due to low mechanical strength of brush bristles and lack of a crushing system, leading to incomplete removal and dispersion of fragments, posing risks to operators and the environment.
Innovation Solution
An integrated tele-operated robotic platform with adaptable designs for flat and convex surfaces, equipped with a crushing system for efficient removal and capture of macro-scaling, and an effluent treatment system for safe disposal, eliminating the need for human diving and ensuring high efficiency (>99.5%) in bio-scaling removal and treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If divers are used for bio-scaling removal, then complete collection of removed material can be achieved, but operator safety risks increase and operation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system performs bio-scaling removal autonomously without requiring human divers to physically contact the hull or handle removal tools. The robot navigates, removes bio-scaling, and collects debris independently, eliminating operator exposure to safety risks while maintaining collection completeness through integrated suction and containment systems.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If brush-based robotic systems are used for bio-scaling removal, then operator safety is improved, but removal efficiency decreases due to low mechanical strength of brush bristles
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces weak brush bristles with a high-power water jet system that delivers concentrated hydraulic energy to fracture and remove tough bio-scaling like sun coral. The water jet maintains operator safety by being contained within the robotic system while achieving superior removal efficiency through high-pressure fluid mechanics rather than mechanical brushing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters by using high-pressure water jets (changing from low-force brush contact to high-force fluid impact) and incorporates a crushing system to fragment removed material into smaller pieces for easier suction. These parameter changes enable complete removal of hard bio-scaling while maintaining operator safety.
3Productivity
If crushing system is added to robotic platform, then removal efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The crushing system is merged with the existing robotic platform and effluent treatment system. The crusher integrates into the debris collection pathway, receiving bio-scaling fragments from the water jet and size-reducing them before they enter the suction system. This consolidation improves removal efficiency by enabling complete fragmentation of hard materials while minimizing additional complexity through integrated design rather than separate standalone systems.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If effluent treatment system is implemented, then environmental impact is reduced, but operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The effluent treatment system performs preliminary action by treating and neutralizing harmful substances in the removed bio-scaling material before discharge. The system includes filtration to remove debris, chemical treatment to neutralize toxins from sun coral, and UV irradiation to sterilize the water. This preliminary treatment reduces environmental impact by preventing toxic effluent discharge while managing complexity through automated integrated processing rather than manual handling.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively removes and treats marine bio-scaling with high efficiency, reducing fuel consumption, preventing the spread of invasive species, and ensuring safer operations by minimizing human exposure and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
equipped with a crushing system for efficient removal and capture of macro-scaling
Implementation Method 2
an effluent treatment system for safe disposal
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention was designed as a technological package capable of implementing the removal of up to 30 cm of biofouling, normally originating from sun coral, on support vessels of ships and oil platforms, without the need for help from divers. The integration of the solution consists of a robotic platform containing a robot for flat areas and a robot for recessed areas, which sends the waste originating from the removal, capturing and crushing to a modular waste-treatment system (MSET). The operations center enables the functioning of all of the integrated systems, being housed in a support vessel, which also has a system for automatically launching and recovering the robot, the control of the robotic platform containing a software architecture capable of allowing the operator to view, plan and record the missions.