JP2002013116A - Underwater structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an underwater structure having an anti-clogging mechanism to favourably prevent adhesion of acquatic organism even by using it for a long period of time. SOLUTION: This underwater structure made of more three or sections is devised to change these sections to a working electrode, a counter electrode and a reference electrode in time series.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an underwater structure having an aquatic organism adhesion preventing mechanism. Examples of underwater structures include ships, fishing nets, gulf structures, piers, cooling water intake pipes for ships, cooling seawater intake pipes or cooling pipes used in power plants and coastal plants, seawater transport piping, water supply For example.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed a method of electrochemically controlling aquatic organisms adhering to the surface of an underwater structure or an object in contact with water without generating harmful substances such as chlorine. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-341392 discloses that a DC power supply and a reference electrode apply a voltage of +0 to +1.5 V vs. A phase to which a positive potential of SCE is applied to kill the attached aquatic organisms, and -0 to -0.4Vv
s. An antifouling method comprising applying a negative potential of SCE and desorbing aquatic organisms attached thereto is disclosed. According to this antifouling method, a positive potential is applied to a conductive portion to kill cells of aquatic organisms on the surface, or a negative potential is applied to remove cells and degradation products attached to the surface. Can be separated.

[0003]

However, the antifouling method described above does not provide a function of preventing aquatic organisms from adhering to the reference electrode made of Ag / AgCl or the like. Normal operation may be hindered, and it may not be possible to prevent aquatic organisms from attaching to underwater structures. In addition, the reference electrode has an exterior made of a fragile material such as glass or a semi-permeable membrane, and has many problems in reliability in long-term use in the ocean. It is an object of the present invention to provide an underwater structure having an adhesion preventing mechanism in which the prevention of aquatic organisms adheres well even after long-term use.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an underwater structure in which three or more electrically insulated portions are arranged, wherein each of the three or more electrically conductive portions is respectively provided. An underwater structure which can be converted as a working electrode, a counter electrode, and a reference electrode, and at least one is a working electrode, at least one is a counter electrode, and at least one is controlled as a reference electrode. It is.

[0005]

According to the mechanism for preventing aquatic organisms from adhering to an underwater structure according to the present invention, the underwater structure immersed in an aqueous solution is composed of a plurality of parts, and these parts become active electrodes with time. , Acting as a counter electrode, and further acting as a reference electrode. For this reason, the problem of reduction in the effect of preventing aquatic organisms from attaching to the reference electrode does not occur, and the attachment preventing function works well over a long period of time. Moreover, since the above-mentioned part can be composed of a plurality of parts (ie, part groups),
Even if one part fails, the other part functions, and the whole system functions well.

[0006]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An underwater structure according to the present invention comprises a plurality of parts, connects the plurality of parts to a DC power source, and further divides the plurality of parts into a plurality of part groups. A control means for switching the site to a working electrode, a counter electrode and a reference electrode for each site group; It is provided. Thus, since each part group repeatedly performs the sterilization step and the detachment step, it is possible to prevent aquatic organisms from adhering to the parts of the underwater structure. Note that the switching is controlled so as to be performed after a lapse of a specified time in a cycle of a fixed time. It is necessary to set according to. Further, by adding a means for correcting the natural potential of the reference electrode, and by correcting the value of the reference electrode used at that time, it is possible to prevent adhesion more effectively.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The details of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows an electric block diagram of the entire aquatic organism adhesion preventing mechanism, FIG. 2 shows timing for switching the polarity of the electrodes, and FIG. 3 shows timing for switching the potential.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a DC power supply. The DC power supply 1 has a feedback function of applying a potential to the working electrode and the counter electrode so as to maintain a specified potential difference between the working electrode and the reference electrode R. This DC power supply 1 has n
... 2-n are connected via switches 3-1, 3-2,.
It is connected via an analog arithmetic unit 4. The 2-parts 2-1,..., 2-n have conductivity and may measure the natural potential. For example, metals such as titanium and zirconium, and titanium nitride and zirconium nitride may be used. It is formed of nitride or carbide such as titanium carbide or carbon fiber. In this embodiment,
All the parts were of the same material and of the same shape.
The switches 3-1, 3-2,..., 3-n connect the parts 2-1, 2-2,. +) Or the counter electrode (represented by-in FIG. 1) or the reference electrode (represented by the analog calculator + side in FIG. 1) or not. It has the function to do. The analog computing unit 4 includes a DC power supply 1
Has a function of outputting a potential obtained by subtracting the input potential on the counter electrode side from the input potential on the working electrode side.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a CPU.
Determines the control of sterilization and desorption by controlling the potential of the DC power supply 1, the control of outputting the potential for correcting the natural potential of the portion used as the reference electrode to the negative side of the analog calculator 4, and the timing of switching the portion. I do. Then, in accordance with a method described in detail below, portions 2-1 2-2,.
Among the switches 3-1, 3-2,..., 3-n are determined by determining which part is the working electrode, which part is the counter electrode, and which part is the reference electrode. Control. Further, it has a function of outputting a value E for correcting the spontaneous potential of the reference electrode at that time to the analog arithmetic unit 4. The timing chart and pattern determining means and the value E for correcting the natural potential of the part used as the reference electrode are as follows:
The CPU 5 is built in the ROM 6, and operates according to a program built in the ROM 6. RAM7 is CPU5
Used as a work area.

Here, n portions 2-1 and 2 serving as electrodes
-2,..., 2-n will be described. Each part switches from the working electrode to the counter electrode and then to the reference electrode, and the role is changed with this switching as one cycle. (The order of switching from the working electrode to the counter electrode and the reference electrode is not absolute, but may be an order suitable for the material of the part.) In addition, the time T of one cycle is such that each part is used as a working electrode. It consists of a time t that functions, a time t that functions as a counter electrode, and a time t that functions as a reference electrode. Further, when functioning as a working electrode, a sterilization step and a desorption step are performed.
... 2-n are controlled by being divided into at least three groups of parts. For each part, the number n of parts connected to the DC power supply 1 is increased in order to reduce the influence when one becomes unusable. In this embodiment,
... 2-n (P + M + S)
The following switching description will be made for each group. The number of parts belonging to the group does not become constant depending on the number n of parts and the values of P, M, and S, but there is no problem if n is large to some extent because the difference becomes small.

FIG. 2 shows an example of one step of a timing chart for switching the switches 3-1, 3-2,..., 3-n. At a certain time t1, the part group first to the P-th among the part group first, second,.
Are connected to the working electrode side of the DC power source 1. On the other hand, the switches connected to the parts belonging to the M groups of the part groups (P + 1) to (P + M) are connected to the counter electrode side of the DC power supply 1. As a result, the sites belonging to the site groups 1 to P become working electrodes, and perform a sterilization process when a positive potential is applied, and perform a desorption process when a negative potential is applied. The sites belonging to the site groups (P + 1) to (P + M) are opposite poles. The remaining part group No. (P + M +
Parts belonging to (1) to (P + M + S) serve as reference electrodes and are connected to the + side of the analog arithmetic unit 4 to output a natural potential. The CPU 5 outputs a value E for correcting the (P + M + 1) th to (P + M + S) natural potentials of the part group to the minus side of the analog arithmetic unit 4. The analog calculator 4 outputs the corrected correct reference pole potential to the DC power supply 1. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the CPU 5 instructs the DC power supply 1 to apply a positive potential necessary for the sterilization process. When the sterilization process is completed, the CPU 5 instructs the DC power supply 1 to apply a negative potential required for the desorption process. When the desorption step is completed, the unit time t is completed. At time t2 after the unit time t has elapsed, the connection of the part group to the DC power supply 1 is as follows. The switches connected to the parts belonging to the P groups of the part groups 1 to P are connected to the counter electrode side of the DC power supply 1. On the other hand, the region groups (P + 1) to (P +
The switches connected to the parts belonging to the M groups of M) are connected to the reference electrode side. Furthermore, the part group number (P
+ M + 1) to the switches belonging to the (P + M + S) S groups are connected to the working electrode side.
Further, the CPU 5 outputs a correction potential corresponding to the connected reference electrode to the minus side of the analog arithmetic unit 4, and executes a sterilization step and a detachment step. Similarly, the combination of the working electrode, the counter electrode, and the reference electrode of each site group is switched every t unit time. By doing the above,
In each part, the time t of one cycle time T is a working electrode, the time t is a counter electrode, and the time t acts as a reference electrode. Therefore, all the parts realize the sterilization step and the detachment step, and can prevent the attachment of aquatic organisms.

If the part group is composed of parts having different spontaneous potentials due to a difference in material of the parts or other factors, the part group must include parts having different potentials to be corrected. become. In that case, a part having the same natural potential is connected as a reference electrode, and other parts are not connected. The sterilization step and the desorption step are treated as the same site.

Although the above embodiment has been described with reference to the electric block diagram of the entire aquatic organism adhesion preventing mechanism shown in FIG. 1, the underwater structure according to the present invention is an aquatic organism itself. It may have the entire adhesion prevention mechanism,
In addition, a control means (which may include a DC power supply) composed of an analog computing unit, a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM is separately prepared so that the control means can be connected to an underwater structure having a conductive portion and a switch. It may be the one that was made.

[0013]

According to the present invention, an underwater structure is composed of three or more parts, and this part or part group is switched to a working electrode, a counter electrode, and a reference electrode using a three-electrode method, and each part is formed. By controlling the sterilization step and the desorption step to be performed only for a designated time in a fixed time cycle, it is possible to prevent aquatic organisms from adhering to each part that is a pole. In particular, as the reference electrode, the one used for the working electrode and the counter electrode is used by switching the connection, so no special electrode is required, and the aquatic organisms are prevented from adhering to the reference electrode. There is an advantage that failure due to damage or the like is unlikely to occur. Further, by treating the parts as a part group including a plurality of parts, even if a failure occurs in each part, the system itself becomes a tough antifouling mechanism that can operate stably. Further, even when a failure occurs in many parts, the operation can be continued by reassembling the part groups.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall electrical block diagram.

FIG. 2 is a timing chart of switch switching.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart of potential switching.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 DC power supply 2-1 1st part 2-2 2nd part 2-n nth part 3-1 1st switch 3-2 2nd switch 3-n nth nth part Switch 4 Analog operation unit 5 CPU 6 ROM 7 RAM

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Kinichi Ozawa, Inventor 4-1-8 Yoshimachi, Soka City, Saitama Prefecture Pentel Co., Ltd. Grass Processing Plant (72) Inventor Hiromichi Takahashi 4-1 Yoshimachi, Soka City, Saitama Prefecture 8 Pentel Co., Ltd. Grass processing plant F term (reference) 2B106 EA16 EH04

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An underwater structure in which three or more conductive portions are arranged insulated from each other, wherein the three or more conductive portions serve as a working electrode, a counter electrode, and a reference electrode, respectively. Convertible and at the same time at least one is a working electrode, at least one is a counter electrode and at least one
An underwater structure whose individual is controlled as a reference pole. 2. A control means for correcting a natural potential in an aqueous solution in which a portion controlled as the reference electrode is immersed, and controlling the corrected potential as a potential of the reference electrode as the working electrode. The underwater structure according to claim 1, wherein the underwater structure is provided with a part that is provided and a unit that corrects and controls the potential of the part that is controlled as the counter electrode or that is separately connectable. 3. A means for dividing the three or more conductive parts into a plurality of part groups and controlling the working electrode, the counter electrode, and the reference electrode in a predetermined order and time ratio for each of the plurality of part groups. The underwater structure according to claim 1, wherein the underwater structure is provided as a part or is connectable as a separate body.