Subsea Net Cleaning Robot Thruster and Jet Nozzle Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing subsea fish farming net cleaning technologies face issues such as excessive wear and tear on nets, manual resource-intensive cleaning, untreated areas leading to health issues for farmed fish, and inefficient fluid distribution, which can result in escaped fish and increased operational costs.
Innovation Solution
A 3D maneuverable cleaning robot with independently controlled thrusters and jet nozzles for fluid cleaning, capable of operating on any surface orientation, including upside-down surfaces, and equipped with a vacuum module for debris collection, allowing for automatic or semi-automatic cleaning of submerged marine structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If crawling robots are used to clean nets with high pressure water nozzles and brushes, then cleaning effect is improved, but net wear and tear increases causing breakage and potential fish escape
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical cleaning systems (brushes and crawling robots that physically contact the net) with a jet streaming system that uses high pressure water jets to remove growth and pollution without mechanical contact. This substitution eliminates the wear and tear caused by mechanical brushes and robot movement on the net structure, while maintaining effective cleaning through fluid dynamics.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes hydraulic jet streaming technology to deliver high pressure water through nozzles that can be directed at the net surfaces. The hydraulic system provides controlled high pressure fluid delivery that effectively removes biofouling and pollution without the mechanical contact that causes net damage, resolving the contradiction between cleaning effectiveness and net integrity.
2Manufacturing precision
If crawling devices are used for cleaning, then cleaning capability is improved, but fluid consumption increases due to fluid jet thrusters required for positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the positioning function from the cleaning device by using a support vessel to hold and position the cleaning system. This separation allows the cleaning device to focus solely on jet streaming cleaning operations without needing to allocate fluid pressure to thrusters for self-positioning, thereby reducing overall fluid consumption while maintaining cleaning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The support vessel acts as an intermediary that provides the positioning and stabilization function, allowing the cleaning device to operate without self-propulsion capabilities. This intermediary system handles the positioning task, enabling the cleaning device to use fluid resources exclusively for cleaning purposes rather than split between positioning and cleaning.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual cleaning operations by divers are used, then cleaning thoroughness is improved, but operational time and resource demands increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an automated jet streaming cleaning system that can operate autonomously without requiring diver intervention. The system self-navigates to target areas and automatically applies high pressure water jets to clean surfaces, providing thorough cleaning while eliminating the time-consuming nature of manual diver operations and reducing resource demands for manual labor.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning system employs periodic jet streaming pulses that can be applied systematically across net surfaces. This periodic action allows thorough cleaning of extensive areas by delivering concentrated cleaning power in repeated cycles, achieving comprehensive coverage more efficiently than continuous manual cleaning operations.
4Adaptability or versatility
If high pressure compressors and reduction valve assemblies are installed on supply vessel and cleaning device, then fluid pressure adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a support vessel-based system where the high pressure compressor and control systems are consolidated on the support vessel, which serves multiple functions including positioning, fluid storage, and pressure regulation. This multi-functional approach provides fluid pressure adaptability for different cleaning scenarios while avoiding the need for duplicate complex systems on both the vessel and cleaning device.
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 solution reduces net wear, minimizes manual intervention, ensures thorough cleaning of hard-to-reach areas, and optimizes fluid use for effective cleaning, thereby improving the health of farmed fish and reducing operational inefficiencies and resource demands.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of thrusters able to maneuver the cleaning robot in a 3 dimensional space independent of a supporting surface
Implementation Method 2
one or more nozzles for jet streaming a cleaning fluid, for example water, from the cleaning robot outwards towards an object in the close proximity of the cleaning robot
Implementation Method 3
high pressure water nozzles blowing away growth and residue
Implementation Method 4
cooperate with a vacuum module for collecting particles and debris resulting from a cleaning process
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Device, method and system for a cleaning device for subsea cleaning operations wherein the cleaning device comprising a frame, a first set of thrusters, a second set of thrusters, and a nose cleaning assembly arranged in a nozzle arranged in one or more of the most periphery parts of the cleaning device providing cleaning accessibility to difficult to access areas.