SHALLOW-SEA SELF-SUBMERGING/FLOATING PROFILING BUOY BASED ON FLEXIBLE SOLAR MATERIAL, AND USE METHOD THEREOF

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/CN2025/100101, filed on Jun. 10, 2025, which claims priority benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 202411539127.0, filed on Oct. 31, 2024. The entirety of each of the above-mentioned patent applications is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of a shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy, and in particular to a shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on a flexible solar material, and a use method thereof.

Description of Related Art

A self-submerging/floating profiling buoy is a new ocean observation instrument. The buoy has the characteristics of easy throwing, small volume, light weight, low manufacturing cost, convenient maintenance and the like, and cannot be affected by weather conditions and severe sea states. An ocean observation array formed by the self-submerging/floating profiling buoy can perform independent, long-term, stable and uninterrupted profiling data acquisition on various marine environment parameters, such as the temperature and the pressure of the sea water, from the sea surface to a set depth. The acquired profiling data has important practical significance to the research of marine science, the development and utilization of marine resources and the prediction of marine disasters. The self-submerging/floating profiling buoy works in a periodic mode. After deployment, the buoy floats on the water surface to complete test, self-check, communication and positioning, then moves upward to the sea surface, and performs a series of profiling measurements in the ascending process. Upon surfacing, the buoy performs positioning and communication through satellites, sends data acquired thereby, receives a new task instruction and then submerges again to work circularly. The buoy automatically floats and submerges by changing the drainage volume by virtue of a buoyancy adjusting system. In this working process, the buoy is powered only by the own battery. The buoy ceases operation after the battery is depleted.

At present, most of the self-submerging/floating profiling buoys are expendable buoys, and are not recovered and maintained once deployed. Therefore, to maintain long-term profiling observation, it is necessary to continuously supplement new profiling buoys, resulting high cost of maintaining observation. Due to the limitations of cost and energy, the design and expansion of the profiling buoys are also restricted. Therefore, prolonging the service life of the buoys is the primary direction of the development of the profiling buoys. If the service life of the buoys is prolonged, more profiling data can be acquired, and fewer buoys are required to be redeployed every year, thereby reducing the observation cost and reducing the related pollution caused by the deployment and end-of-life of the buoys. Meanwhile, an adequate energy supply is also an important support for the development of new functions of the profiling buoys in the future.

SUMMARY

The objective of this section is to outline some aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure and briefly introduce some preferred embodiments. Some simplifications or omissions may be made in this section, as well as in the abstract of the specification and the title of the present disclosure, to avoid blurring the objectives of this section, the abstract of the specification, and the title of the present disclosure, and such simplifications or omissions cannot be used for limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

In view of the above problems or the problems in the prior art, the present disclosure is proposed.

Therefore, an objective of the present disclosure is to provide a shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on a flexible solar material, and a use method thereof. The buoy can work in shallow sea for a long time, and the service life of the buoy is prolonged. Meanwhile, the attitude can be adjusted during use, the conversion efficiency of solar energy is improved, and the lighting area of the buoy is increased.

To solve the above technical problems, the present disclosure provides the following technical solution: a shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on a flexible solar material. The buoy includes:

• • a detection unit, including a shell assembly, a sensing assembly arranged at the top of the shell assembly, a hydraulic system arranged inside the shell assembly and a control assembly arranged inside the shell assembly.

The hydraulic system includes an inner oil bag, an outer oil bag, a first two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve connected to the inner oil bag through a pipeline, a second two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve connected to the inner oil bag through a pipeline, a third two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve connected to the first two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve and a fourth two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve connected to the second two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve, and

• • further includes a plunger pump and a two-position four-way electromagnetic directional valve, where the plunger pump is connected to a one-way valve through a pipeline, the one-way valve is connected to a fifth second-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve through a pipeline, the fifth second-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve is connected to the two-position four-way electromagnetic directional valve through a pipeline, the second two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve is connected to the two-position four-way electromagnetic directional valve, the two-position four-way electromagnetic directional valve is connected to an oscillating hydraulic cylinder through a pipeline, and the oscillating hydraulic cylinder is connected to a mass block.

As a preferred solution of the shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on the flexible solar material of the present disclosure, the shell assembly includes an outer shell, a sealing cover is arranged at the top of the outer shell, and a mounting bin is arranged inside the outer shell.

As a preferred solution of the shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on the flexible solar material of the present disclosure, the sensing assembly includes a sensor arranged at the top of the sealing cover, and a satellite antenna arranged at the top of the sealing cover.

As a preferred solution of the shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on the flexible solar material of the present disclosure, the control assembly includes a microcontroller arranged inside the mounting bin, a storage battery arranged inside the mounting bin, and a flexible solar power generation panel arranged inside the mounting bin.

As a preferred solution of the shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on the flexible solar material of the present disclosure, the storage battery is connected to the microcontroller, and the flexible solar power generation panel is connected to the storage battery.

As a preferred solution of a use method of a shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on the flexible solar material of the present disclosure, the use method includes:

• • S1: throwing the buoy into shallow sea;
  • S2: controlling the hydraulic system by the microcontroller;
  • S3: performing adjustment by the hydraulic system to enable the buoy to submerge; and
  • S4: performing adjustment by the hydraulic system to enable the buoy to float, absorb solar energy, convert the solar energy into electric energy and submerge again.

As a preferred solution of the use method of the shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on the flexible solar material of the present disclosure, the microcontroller adjusts and controls the hydraulic system to control the hydraulic system.

As a preferred solution of the use method of the shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on the flexible solar material of the present disclosure, the hydraulic system performs adjustment to enable hydraulic oil to enter an interior of the outer oil bag, thereby increasing the volume of the outer oil bag and affecting the drainage volume of the buoy through the volume change of the outer oil bag.

As a preferred solution of the use method of the shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on the flexible solar material of the present disclosure, the hydraulic system performs adjustment, the buoy floats, the oscillating hydraulic cylinder adjusts the attitude of the buoy, and the flexible solar power generation panel absorbs light energy and converts the light energy into electric energy to charge the storage battery.

The present disclosure has the following beneficial effects: an advanced flexible solar panel is combined with the profiling buoy for the first time, a self-submerging/floating profiling buoy applicable to shallow sea is designed, the buoy is powered by a battery, and when the buoy floats to the sea surface, solar energy can be converted into electric energy by the flexible solar panel to charge the battery, so that the service life of the buoy is prolonged. The flexible material has the advantages of small thickness, light weight, large bendable angle, little influence on the structure of the buoy body, simplicity and reliability. To achieve efficient collection of solar energy, the outer shell of the buoy is made of a high-strength light-transmitting material, such as acrylic resin. The material has excellent strength performance, and can serve as an outer shell to resist seawater pressure and ocean current impact from the sea surface to the set water depth of the shallow sea. Meanwhile, the material has excellent optical performance, and the light transmittance is 90% or more, which is beneficial for a solar material attached to an inner wall to perform efficient power generation. To achieve efficient collection of solar energy, a hydraulic oscillating system is provided. The gravity center of the buoy is adjusted by rotating the position of the mass block, so that the attitude of the buoy is changed, the buoy body thereof rotates by 90° and floats laterally on the sea surface, thereby reducing the influence of sea surface waves on the buoy body and making the light-collecting area of the buoy body exposed from the water surface larger. To achieve efficient collection of solar energy, the workflow of the solar buoy is provided.

When the buoy performs satellite communication on the sea surface, the sea state information and the lighting condition will be comprehensively analyzed to determine the sea state condition and the power generation condition. If the sea state is good and the light is sufficient, the buoy will stay on the sea surface for a long time to collect solar energy, otherwise, the buoy will directly submerge to start a new cycle of task.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To describe the technical solutions in embodiments of the present disclosure more clearly, the following briefly describes the accompanying drawings required for describing the embodiments. Apparently, the accompanying drawings in the following descriptions show merely some embodiments of the present disclosure, and those of ordinary skill in the art can derive other drawings from these drawings without any creative efforts. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an overall structure of a shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on a flexible solar material;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an internal structure of a shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on a flexible solar material;

FIG. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a hydraulic system of a shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on a flexible solar material;

FIG. 4 is a schematic flowchart of a shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on a flexible solar material; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of operation of a shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on a flexible solar material.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

To make the above objectives, features and advantages of the present disclosure more obvious and understandable, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the specification.

In the following description, many specific details are set forth in order to facilitate full understanding of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure can also be implemented in other ways other than those described herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar generalization without departing from the connotation of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

Secondly, “one embodiment” or “embodiment” referred to herein refers to a specific feature, structure, or characteristic that may be included in at least one implementation manner of the present disclosure. The term “in one embodiment” appearing in different places of this specification neither necessarily refers to the same embodiment, nor is a separate or selective embodiment exclusive with other embodiments.

Embodiment 1

Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 2, as a first embodiment of the present disclosure, this embodiment of the present disclosure provides a shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on a flexible solar material.

Specifically, the buoy includes:

• • a detection unit 100, including a shell assembly 101, a sensing assembly 102 arranged at the top of the shell assembly 101, a hydraulic system 103 arranged inside the shell assembly 101, and a control assembly 104 arranged inside the shell assembly 101.

The hydraulic system 103 includes an inner oil bag 103a, an outer oil bag 103L, a first two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103b connected to the inner oil bag 103a through a pipeline, a second two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103c connected to the inner oil bag 103a through a pipeline, a third two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103d connected to the first two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103b, and a fourth two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103e connected to the second two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103c, and

• • further includes a plunger pump 103f and a two-position four-way electromagnetic directional valve 103g, where the plunger pump 103f is connected to a one-way valve 103h through a pipeline, the one-way valve 103h is connected to a fifth second-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103i through a pipeline, the fifth second-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103i is connected to the two-position four-way electromagnetic directional valve 103g through a pipeline, the second two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103c is connected to the two-position four-way electromagnetic directional valve 103g, the two-position four-way electromagnetic directional valve 103g is connected to an oscillating hydraulic cylinder 103j through a pipeline, and the oscillating hydraulic cylinder 103j is connected to a mass block 103k.

Preferably, the inner oil bag 103a is used to store oil, the plunger pump 103f drives oil in an oil way to flow, a damping hole is formed inside an oil way pipe, the damping hole is used to limit the flow speed to prevent damage to components caused by instantaneous pressure change, the outer oil bag 103L is fixed at the lower end of an interior of the buoy, the volume change of the outer oil bag affects the drainage volume of the buoy to achieving floating and submerging of the buoy, and a hydraulic system can achieve the functions of oil discharge and oil return. When the buoy floats, the hydraulic system performs oil discharge operation, the first two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103b and the fourth two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103e are opened, the second two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103c, the third two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103d and the fifth two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103i are closed, oil is pumped into the outer oil bag 103L from the inner oil bag 103a, the volume of the buoy is increased, and the buoyancy is increased, so that floating is achieved. When the buoy is submerged, the hydraulic system 103 performs oil return operation, the second two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103c and the third two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103d are opened, and the first two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103b, the fourth two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103e and the fifth two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103i are closed, oil is pumped into the inner oil bag from the outer oil bag, the volume of the buoy is reduced, and the buoyancy is reduced, so that submerging is achieved.

Further, the shell assembly 101 includes an outer shell 101a, a sealing cover 101b is arranged at the top of the outer shell 101a, and a mounting bin 101c is arranged inside the outer shell 101a.

Further, the sensing assembly 102 includes a sensor 102a arranged at the top of the sealing cover 101b, and a satellite antenna 102b arranged at the top of the sealing cover 101b.

Further, the control assembly 104 includes a microcontroller 104a arranged inside the mounting bin 101c, a storage battery 104b arranged inside the mounting bin 101c, and a flexible solar power generation panel 104c arranged inside the mounting bin 101c.

Further, the storage battery 104b is connected to the microcontroller 104a, and the flexible solar power generation panel 104c is connected to the storage battery 104b.

In conclusion, according to the present disclosure, an advanced flexible solar panel is combined with the profiling buoy for the first time, a self-submerging/floating profiling buoy applicable to shallow sea is designed, the buoy is powered by a battery, and when the buoy floats to the sea surface, solar energy can be converted into electric energy by the flexible solar panel to charge the battery, so that the service life of the buoy is prolonged. The flexible material has the advantages of small thickness, light weight, large bendable angle, little influence on the structure of the buoy body, simplicity and reliability. To achieve efficient collection of solar energy, the outer shell of the buoy is made of a high-strength light-transmitting material, such as acrylic resin. The material has excellent strength performance, and can serve as an outer shell to resist seawater pressure and ocean current impact from the sea surface to the set water depth of the shallow sea. Meanwhile, the material has excellent optical performance, and the light transmittance is 90% or more, which is beneficial for a solar material attached to an inner wall to perform efficient power generation. To achieve efficient collection of solar energy, a hydraulic oscillating system is provided. The gravity center of the buoy is adjusted by rotating the position of the mass block, so that the attitude of the buoy is changed, the buoy body thereof rotates by 90° and floats laterally on the sea surface, thereby reducing the influence of sea surface waves on the buoy body and making the light-collecting area of the buoy body exposed from the water surface larger. To achieve efficient collection of solar energy, the workflow of the solar buoy is provided. When the buoy performs satellite communication on the sea surface, the sea state information and the lighting condition will be comprehensively analyzed to determine the sea state condition and the power generation condition. If the sea state is good and the light is sufficient, the buoy will stay on the sea surface for a long time to collect solar energy, otherwise, the buoy will directly submerge to start a new cycle of task.

Embodiment 2

Referring to FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, as a second embodiment of the present disclosure, this embodiment of the present disclosure provides a use method of a shallow-sea self-submerging/floating profiling buoy based on a flexible solar material. The use method includes:

• • S1: throwing the buoy into shallow sea;
  • S2: controlling the hydraulic system by the microcontroller;
  • S3: performing adjustment by the hydraulic system to enable the buoy to submerge; and
  • S4: performing adjustment by the hydraulic system to enable the buoy to float, absorb solar energy, convert the solar energy into electric energy and submerge again.

Further, the microcontroller adjusts and controls the hydraulic system to control the hydraulic system.

Further, the hydraulic system performs adjustment to enable hydraulic oil to enter an interior of the outer oil bag, thereby increasing the volume of the outer oil bag and affecting the drainage volume of the buoy through the volume change of the outer oil bag.

Further, the hydraulic system performs adjustment, the buoy floats, the oscillating hydraulic cylinder 103j adjusts the attitude of the buoy, and the flexible solar power generation panel 104c absorbs light energy and converts the light energy into electric energy to charge the storage battery 104b.

During use, the buoy is thrown into shallow sea, the hydraulic system 103 can achieve the functions of oil discharge and oil return. When the buoy floats, the hydraulic system performs oil discharge operation, the first two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103b and the fourth two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103e are opened, the second two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103c, the third two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103d and the fifth two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103i are closed, oil is pumped into the outer oil bag 103L from the inner oil bag 103a, the volume of the buoy is increased, and the buoyancy is increased, so that floating is achieved.

When the buoy is submerged, the hydraulic system 103 performs oil return operation, the second two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103c and the third two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103d are opened, and the first two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103b, the fourth two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103e and the fifth two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103i are closed, oil is pumped into the inner oil bag 103a from the outer oil bag 103L, the volume of the buoy is reduced, and the buoyancy is reduced, so that submerging is achieved.

The two-position four-way electromagnetic directional valve 103g controls the oil conveying directions of two liquid ways of the oscillating hydraulic cylinder 103j. The mass block 103k is loaded at an end part of the oscillating hydraulic cylinder 103j, and rotation in different directions can be achieved according to the oil conveying path, so that the gravity center of the buoy is changed, the attitude of the buoy is changed, and the rotation angle is determined by the input oil quantity.

After the buoy completes communication on the sea surface and when the buoy starts to collect solar energy, oil is discharged first to maximum the volume of the outer oil bag 103L, then the first two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103b and the fifth two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103i are opened, the second two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103c, the third two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103d and the fourth two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103e are closed, and the oil inlet and outlet direction of the two-position four-way electromagnetic directional valve 103g is changed, so that oil transmission and pressurization of one channel of the oscillating hydraulic cylinder 103j are achieved, the position of the mass block 103k moves upward, the gravity center of the buoy moves upward, the metacentric height of the buoy is increased, the stability is reduced, a vertical state cannot be maintained, and the buoy body rotates by 90° to float on the sea in the lateral attitude.

After the buoy finishes collecting solar energy, the oil inlet and outlet direction of the two-position four-way electromagnetic directional valve 103g is changed, oil transmission and pressurization of another channel of the oscillating hydraulic cylinder 103j are achieved, the mass block 103k returns to the original position, the gravity center of the buoy moves downward, the second two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103c and the third two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103d are opened, the first two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103b, the fourth two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103e and the fifth two-position two-way electromagnetic directional valve 103i are closed, oil returns to reduce the volume of the outer oil bag 103L, and the buoy returns to the vertical state and starts to submerge.

The design scheme of the hydraulic oscillating system uses the two-position four-way electromagnetic directional valve 103g and the oscillating hydraulic cylinder 103j to achieve the clockwise and anticlockwise rotation of the mass block, the total rotation angle ranges from 0° to 180°, and the required space is small.

In conclusion, according to the present disclosure, an advanced flexible solar panel is combined with the profiling buoy for the by the first time, a self-submerging/floating profiling buoy applicable to shallow sea is designed, the buoy is powered by a battery, and when the buoy floats to the sea surface, solar energy can be converted into electric energy by the flexible solar panel to charge the battery, so that the service life of the buoy is prolonged. The flexible material has the advantages of small thickness, light weight, large bendable angle, little influence on the structure of the buoy body, simplicity and reliability. To achieve efficient collection of solar energy, the outer shell of the buoy is made of a high-strength light-transmitting material, such as acrylic resin. The material has excellent strength performance, and can serve as an outer shell to resist seawater pressure and ocean current impact from the sea surface to the set water depth of the shallow sea. Meanwhile, the material has excellent optical performance, and the light transmittance is 90% or more, which is beneficial for a solar material attached to an inner wall to perform efficient power generation. To achieve efficient collection of solar energy, a hydraulic oscillating system is provided. The gravity center of the buoy is adjusted by rotating the position of the mass block, so that the attitude of the buoy is changed, the buoy body thereof rotates by 90° and floats laterally on the sea surface, thereby reducing the influence of sea surface waves on the buoy body and making the light-collecting area of the buoy body exposed from the water surface larger. To achieve efficient collection of solar energy, the workflow of the solar buoy is provided.

When the buoy performs satellite communication on the sea surface, the sea state information and the lighting condition will be comprehensively analyzed to determine the sea state condition and the power generation condition. If the sea state is good and the light is sufficient, the buoy will stay on the sea surface for a long time to collect solar energy, otherwise, the buoy will directly submerge to start a new cycle of task.

It is important to note that the constructions and arrangements of the application shown in the various different exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative. Although only a few embodiments are described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who refer to this disclosure will readily understand that many modifications are possible without substantially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described in this application (e.g., changes in the size, scale, structure, shape and proportion of various elements, as well as parameter values (such as temperature, pressure, etc.), mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.). For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be composed of multiple parts or elements, the positions of elements may be inverted or otherwise changed, and the nature, number or positions of discrete elements may be altered or modified. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. The order or sequence of any processes or method steps may be changed or reordered according to alternative embodiments. In the claims, any “means-plus-function” clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function, and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to specific embodiments but extends to various modifications that still fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Furthermore, in order to provide a concise description of the exemplary embodiments, not all features of the actual embodiments may be described (i.e., those features not relevant to the currently contemplated best mode of carrying out the invention, or those features not relevant to achieving the invention).

It should be understood that in the development process of any actual implementation, such as in any engineering or design project, numerous specific implementation decisions may be made. Such development efforts may be complex and time-consuming, but for those of ordinary skill in the art who benefit from this disclosure, the development efforts will be a routine undertaking of design, manufacture and production without requiring excessive experimentation.

It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present invention may be modified or equivalently substituted without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, which should all be covered by the scope of the claims of the present invention.