JP2018131199A - Anchoring auxiliary member - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a diving auxiliary member for easily carrying out work such as a maintenance inspection for ocean current power generation device.SOLUTION: A diving auxiliary member 5 includes: a net 6 for covering an end unit on the upstream side of an underwater floating body of an ocean current power generation device; and a ring 7 for attaching one end of a rope connected to a diver swimming in the water to the net 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a tethering auxiliary member for tethering a tethered object, and mainly relates to a diving auxiliary member that assists a diver in performing maintenance and inspection work on a current generator.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, ocean current power generation has been attracting attention, in which power is generated using the energy of seawater flow such as ocean currents and tides. In particular, an underwater floating type ocean current power generation device, in which a rotating blade is attached to an underwater floating body connected to the seabed via a mooring line and the rotating blade is rotated by an ocean current, is approaching the stage of practical application. Yes.

  The underwater floating body has a built-in power generator driven by a rotor blade, and it is necessary to periodically inspect the generator for any problems. At present, in addition to maintenance and inspection by divers, methods are being studied in which an underwater robot is placed in the vicinity of the ocean current power generator to perform maintenance and inspection.

  However, the flow in the sea area where the ocean current power generation device is installed is very fast, for example, in the case of the Kuroshio Current, it is about 2 m / s. Therefore, even a skilled diver is difficult to perform maintenance inspection work while diving near the ocean current power generation device. In addition, a method for causing the underwater robot to perform maintenance and inspection is difficult to realize because an underwater robot that can stably control the posture in fast flowing water has not been developed.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and it is a main object of the present invention to provide a diving auxiliary member for easily performing maintenance and inspection work on the ocean current power generation apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, a diving auxiliary member according to the present invention includes an underwater floating body that floats in water, and a rotary blade that is driven by an ocean current and is provided at an end on the downstream side of the underwater floating body. And an attachment member for attaching one end of a rope connected to the diver swimming in the water to the net. It is characterized by.

  In the diving auxiliary member, the ropes forming the lattice of the net are preferably color-coded for each column and / or for each row.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the diving auxiliary member for performing easily work, such as a maintenance check with respect to an ocean current power generator, can be provided.

(A) And (b) is the side view and perspective view which respectively show schematic structure of an ocean current power generator. It is a top view of the diving auxiliary member concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is a partial expansion perspective view of the diving auxiliary member concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic for demonstrating the usage method of the diving auxiliary member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic for demonstrating the usage method of the diving auxiliary member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the elements on larger scale which show the member for drawing and drawing a rope of a net. It is the schematic for demonstrating the usage method of the diving auxiliary member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the modification of this invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

(Schematic configuration of power generator)
FIGS. 1A and 1B are a side view and a perspective view, respectively, showing a schematic configuration of the ocean current power generation apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 1A, the ocean current power generation apparatus 1 is connected to a sinker 3 fixed to the seabed 2 via a cable (mooring cable) 4.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the ocean current power generation apparatus 1 includes an underwater floating body 11 that floats in water and a rotary blade 12.

  The underwater floating body 11 contains a generator and the like inside. The shape of the underwater floating body 11 is not particularly limited. Although the size of the underwater floating body 11 is not particularly limited, in the embodiment of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, since the ocean current power generation apparatus 1 is a large-scale underwater power generation apparatus, the underwater floating body 11 has a length of, for example, 50 to 60 m. The diameter is 10 m. The ocean current power generation device 1 may be a small or medium-sized underwater power generation device.

  The rotary blade 12 is driven by the ocean current C, and is provided at the downstream end of the underwater floating body 11. Although the magnitude | size of the rotary blade 12 is not specifically limited, For example, it is 30 m in diameter. The rotary blade 12 is connected to a turbine inside the underwater floating body 11. When the rotor blades are rotated by the ocean current C, the turbine is linked and the generator generates electricity. The generated electric power is transmitted to the sinker 3 via the cable 4 shown in FIG. 1A, and further transmitted from the sinker 3 to a power supply / reception / control facility installed on land or the like via an unillustrated submarine cable. The

  The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry type ocean current power generation apparatus 1 includes two underwater floating bodies 11 and two rotor blades 12, and the two underwater floating bodies 11 are connected by a bridge portion 11 a connecting them. One end of the cable 4 shown in FIG. 1 (a) is attached to a part of the bridge portion 11a (in the drawing, the bottom portion of the bridge portion 11a), so that the ocean current power generation apparatus 1 generates power while being suspended in water. . The bridge portion 11a also constitutes a part of the underwater suspended body.

(Diving auxiliary member)
Since the ocean current power generation device 1 is usually installed in a basin such as the Kuroshio Current, which has a fast flow, in order for a diver to perform maintenance and inspection work on the ocean current power generation device 1, the diver can safely There must be a means to keep it close. The present invention provides a diving auxiliary member as such means.

  2 and 3 are a plan view and a partially enlarged perspective view of the diving auxiliary member 5 according to the present embodiment, respectively. As shown in FIG. 2, the diving auxiliary member 5 includes a net 6 and a ring 7. The net 6 includes a rope 61 and an outer frame 62.

  A plurality of ropes 61 are arranged in the row direction and the column direction, and form a lattice by intersecting them. The ropes 61 are joined to each other at the lattice intersection. The rope 61 is color-coded for each column and / or for each row. In this embodiment, in FIG. 2, the ropes 61 arranged in the row direction are colored in different colors, and the ropes 61 arranged in the column direction are also colored in different colors. The rope 61 may be color-coded only for each column or only for each row.

  The outer frame 62 surrounds the lattice formed by the ropes 61, and both ends of each rope 61 are connected to the outer frame 62. In the present embodiment, the outer shape of the outer frame 62 in plan view is rectangular, but is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, annular.

  As will be described later, the net 6 is for covering the upstream end of the underwater floating body 11 of the ocean current power generation apparatus 1 shown in FIG.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the diving auxiliary member 5 includes a ring 7. A plurality of rings 7 are attached to the intersections of the lattice formed by the ropes 61. As will be described later, the ring 7 is an attachment member for attaching one end of a rope connected to a diver swimming in water to the net 6. As long as the ring 7 can be fixed to the net 6 with a predetermined strength or more, the mode of attaching the ring 7 to the net 6 is not particularly limited. The position where the ring 7 is attached is not particularly limited. For example, the ring 7 may be attached to the outer frame 62. Moreover, it is preferable that the ring 7 is attached to almost all the intersections of the lattice formed by the rope 61. In addition, the shape of the ring 7 is not particularly limited as long as one end of the rope is detachably attached.

  In addition, a pulling rope 8 and a weight 9 are formed on the outer frame 62 of the net 6.

  One end of the tow rope 8 is fixed near the two apexes of the outer frame 62, and an annular loop is formed at the other end. As will be described later, the diver holds the loop of the towline 8 when the net 6 is put on the underwater floating body 11.

  The weight 9 is made of a metal having a specific gravity greater than that of water. In the present embodiment, the weight 9 is attached to the vicinity of the other two vertices of the outer frame 62 where the tow rope 8 is not formed.

(how to use)
FIG. 4 is a schematic view for explaining a method of using the diving auxiliary member 5 according to the present embodiment.

  First, the ship 20 is moved to the upstream side of the position where the ocean current power generator 1 is floating, and is stopped at a position near a predetermined distance (for example, 10 m) from the ocean current power generator 1. At this time, it is preferable that the ocean current power generation apparatus 1 is also moved to a shallow sea area (for example, a depth of about 10 m).

  Subsequently, the two divers D dive with the net 6 on the downstream side of the ship 20 while holding the dragging net 8, and deploy the net 6. At this time, the central portion of the net 6 is connected to the ship 20 via the rope 21. The diver D holds the two tow ropes 8 at a predetermined interval, and the weight 9 (FIG. 2) sinks downward, so that the net 6 can be spread like a parachute.

  Depending on the shape of the ocean current power generation device 1 and the situation of the ocean current, the four divers D may deploy the net 6 while supporting and pulling the four corners of the net 6.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the diver D visually adjusts the position of the net 6 so that the center of the net 6 substantially coincides with the upstream end of the submerged floating body 11 in the direction of the ocean current C. . When the position adjustment of the net 6 is completed, the diver D sends an instruction to the ship 20 by underwater radio to release the connection of the rope 21. Thereby, the diver D and the net 6 move toward the underwater floating body 11 by the ocean current C, and the net 6 can be put on the upstream end of the underwater floating body 11 as shown in FIG.

  In addition, it is desirable for the diver D to carry an underwater scooter for emergency evacuation in case the net 6 deviates from the underwater floating body 11. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the diver D from colliding with the rotary blade 12 on the downstream side.

  A rope stopper 61 a is attached to the rope 61 and the outer frame 62 of the net 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the diver D can draw the rope 61 by adjusting the rope stopper 61a. Thereby, the drawn rope 61 and the outer frame 62 squeeze the underwater floating body 11, so that the net 6 can be stably held on the underwater floating body 11.

  The materials of the rope 61 and the outer frame 62 are not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use a material that is resistant to salt damage. Further, it is preferable to use a shape memory material as the material of the outer frame 62. As a result, the outer frame 62 is less likely to be deformed, so that even if a large external force is applied to the outer frame 62 due to factors such as a high flow velocity of the ocean current C, the net 6 is less likely to fall off the underwater suspended body 11.

  Thereafter, the diver D detachably attaches one end of the rope 22 connected to the ring 7 to the ring 7. Although the aspect which attaches the rope 22 to the ring 7 is not specifically limited, For example, a carabiner can be provided in the end of the rope 22, and it can attach to the ring 7 via a carabiner. The rope 22 allows the diver D to stay safely in the vicinity of the underwater suspended body 11 without being swept away by the ocean current C. Therefore, the diver D can easily perform operations such as maintenance and inspection of the underwater floating body 11.

  For example, as a maintenance check operation, the diver D confirms whether or not an abnormal sound is generated from an operating turbine, a transformer, or the like housed in the underwater floating body 11, and records it as necessary. Further, the work for removing marine organisms and dust adhering to the surface of the underwater suspended body 11 is also included in the maintenance and inspection work.

  In the present embodiment, a plurality of rings 7 are provided dispersed in the network 6. The diver D appropriately selects the ring 7 to which the rope 22 is attached according to the location where the maintenance / inspection of the underwater floating body 11 is desired.

  The number of ropes 22 connected to one diver D may be one, but is preferably two, more preferably three or more. By using a plurality of ropes 22, even when a single rope 22 is replaced with a different ring 7 in the manner of a two-hanging construction worker, it always passes through at least one other rope 22. Diver D can be tied to net 6.

  Further, it is preferable that an annular ring 7 is provided at each intersection of the net 6 and a buffer material is attached to the annular ring 7. Thereby, even if the direction of a tidal current changes, the ocean current power generator 1 and the structure made into anchor object can be protected from damages, such as a collision. In particular, by attaching a cushioning material to the central part of the net 6 (that is, the upstream part in the state of being covered with the underwater suspended body 11), the damage caused by the impact of large creatures such as migratory fish and whales swimming at high speed on the ocean current Therefore, it is possible to protect both the ocean current power generation apparatus 1 and the living thing.

  In addition, an underwater balloon can be attached to the ring 7. Even if the ocean current power generation device 1 itself does not have a buoyancy adjustment function, the diver D supplies or exhausts air from its tank or other intake source to the balloon attached to the ring 7, thereby allowing the ocean current power generation device 1 to be arbitrarily It is possible to ascend or dive to the depth.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the plurality of ropes 61 forming the lattice of the net 6 are color-coded for each column and each row. Since the position of each rope 61 in the underwater floating body 11 in a state where the net 6 is covered with the underwater floating body 11 is almost constant, the diver D is on the underwater floating body 11 to be inspected by the color of the rope 61. You can easily identify your location.

  When one maintenance inspection of the underwater floating body 11 is completed, the diver D puts the net 6 on the bridge portion 11a as shown in FIG. Specifically, the diver D spreads the net 6 in the vertical direction on the upstream side of the bridge portion 11 a and causes the net 6 to flow using the ocean current C, thereby sandwiching the top and bottom surfaces of the bridge portion 11 a with the net 6. Thereafter, the diver D can stay in the vicinity of the bridge portion 11 a by attaching the rope 22 to the ring 7 fixed to the net 6.

(Effect of this embodiment)
As described above, in the diving auxiliary member 5 according to the present embodiment, the net 6 is held in a state where the net 6 covers the underwater floating body by covering the upstream end of the underwater floating body with the net 6 using the ocean current. can do. Then, by attaching one end of the rope connected to the diver D to the ring 7 fixed to the net, the diver D can stay safely in the vicinity of the underwater suspended body 11 without being swept away by the ocean current C. . Therefore, the diver D can easily perform operations such as maintenance and inspection of the underwater floating body 11.

(Other)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims, and a form obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in the embodiment is also included in the present invention. Included in the technical scope.

  In the above-described embodiment, the ocean current power generation device 1 is configured to include two sets of the underwater floating body 11 and the rotating blades 12. However, if the upstream end of the underwater floating body 11 can be covered with a net, The form of the ocean current power generation apparatus 1 is not particularly limited. For example, the ocean current power generation apparatus 1 may be configured to include a set of the underwater floating body 11 and the rotary blade 12. In this case, the cable shown in FIG. 1 is connected to, for example, the upstream end portion of the underwater floating body 11.

  In the above embodiment, the net 8 is installed by a diver. However, when it becomes necessary to set the ocean current power generation apparatus 1 in the deeper sea in the future, the net 8 is operated by a remote control drone or an AI artificial intelligence robot. 6 may be installed. In that case, the ring 7 can be used not only as a diver but also as a securing anchor for a drone or a robot. That is, the drone or the robot can move while securing the posture by grasping the ring 7 with an arm or the like.

  Further, the ring 7 may be provided with a mark indicating the attached position, a concave / convex display or other position display, and the drone reads the display of the ring 7 to accurately grasp its own position. be able to. In addition, the display of the ring 7 is effective for position determination when the underwater visibility situation deteriorates for divers.

  Regardless of the type of the ocean current power generation device 1, drifting objects such as ropes, fishing lines, and fishing nets are easily entangled with the ocean current power generation device 1, particularly the rotor blades 12, and the power generation efficiency is reduced. In order to prevent such damage, gentle J-shaped or S-shaped protrusions may be provided at various locations on the net 6. By entwining the drifting object with the protrusion at the position corresponding to the upstream portion of the underwater floating body 11, it is possible to prevent the drifting object from being entangled with the rotary blade 12 or the like. It is also possible to attach a rope or the like to the protrusion and use it as a simple anchor for divers, robots, and ships.

  Further, in order to suppress a decrease in power generation efficiency due to adhesion of marine-adhering organisms such as blue mussels to the ocean current power generation device 1, natural repellent components of marine-adherent organisms may be woven into the net 6. The natural repellent component is not particularly limited as long as it can stop the propagation of marine-adherent organisms. For example, a component that has been researched and published at the Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University can be used. In particular, it is difficult to maintain by incorporating natural repellent components into the outer peripheral edge of the net 6 (that is, the downstream part in the state of being covered with the underwater floating body 11) and the net part to be additionally attached using this. It is possible to prevent marine adhering organisms from attaching to the rotating blades 12. On the other hand, by attracting attracting substances of natural ingredients such as shellfish into any part of the net 6, it is possible to remove most of the shellfish at once by newly exchanging the net after inducing intensive breeding in that area. is there.

  The material of the net 6 is normally neutral buoyancy that does not rise or sink in the sea. However, depending on the sea conditions, the material of the net 6 may be a material having a positive buoyancy or a material having a negative buoyancy. Good. Further, the net 6 may be manufactured by locally combining materials having different buoyancy so that the balance of the ocean current power generation device 1 can be adjusted.

  In the said embodiment, although the diving auxiliary member which concerns on this invention was used for the maintenance check of an ocean current power generation device, the diving auxiliary member which concerns on this invention is applicable also for another objective.

  For example, the present invention can also be applied to depth adjustment of a power supply device using a diver. Specifically, since the diver can stay safely in the vicinity of the ocean current power generation device, the diver can use the buoyancy adjustment device to attach the compressed air to the balloon attached to the underwater floating body using the net 6. By supplying the power, the power supply device can be lifted upward. By surfacing the power supply device on the sea surface, for example, power can be supplied from the ocean current power generation device to a hydrogen production plant ship or the like. In addition, the diver can cause the power supply device to descend downward by operating the underwater floating air discharge device. As a result, power can be supplied from the ocean current power generation device to the AI-type unmanned submarine, submarine mother ship, and other resource exploration ships. In particular, by submerging the power supply device at a deep depth, it is possible to supply power to a submarine mother ship or the like while avoiding the risk of being detected by a military reconnaissance satellite.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the diving auxiliary member which concerns on this invention was used as a anchoring auxiliary member for anchoring a diver, it can be utilized also as a anchoring anchor of a ship. Specifically, the net of the submersible auxiliary member is placed on the underwater floating body of the ocean current power generation apparatus, and the rope connected to the ship is connected to a ring fixed to the net. Accordingly, the ship can be stopped on the ocean near the ocean current power generation device while the ocean current power generation device is submerged at a safe depth. Further, by connecting the ocean current power generation apparatus and the ship via a power cable, it is possible to charge the battery in the ship via a transformer or supply power to the apparatus for producing hydrogen in the ship.

  When the diving auxiliary member according to the present invention is used as a tethering auxiliary member, as shown in FIG. 8, the net 6 is covered with an underwater fixed structure such as a reef (dark reef) 30 and the carabiner ring 7 as an attachment member. The rope 31 may be attached and the ocean current power generation apparatus 1 may be tethered via the rope 31. In FIG. 8, the ocean current power generation device 1 is a small to medium-sized underwater power generation device, and includes a single underwater floating body 11 and a rotating blade 12.

  Further, in FIG. 8, the anchoring target is not limited to the ocean current power generation apparatus 1 but may be a ship. Further, the fixed structure is not limited to the reef 30 and may be a bridge pier or the like, and the shape, size, and material of the net 6 can be changed according to the shape of the fixed structure. In particular, when installing a small or medium-sized ocean current power generation device 1 in the reef area, secure a rope from the reef or the bottom of the sea other than the reef 30 to prevent the tsunami from colliding with other reefs nearby. It is preferable to connect to the ocean current power generation device 1. By adjusting the depth at the time of setting and supporting these, it is possible to tether the medium-sized / small-sized ocean current power generation apparatus 1 to a depth that does not hinder ship navigation. It is preferable to anchor the ocean current power generation apparatus 1 with a net 6 and a rope 31 installed on the reef 30 so as to have a depth that does not hinder ship navigation.

  The ring 7 may be attached with a position transmitter using radio waves or other methods. As a result, for example, even if the reef 30 collapses and the ocean current power generation apparatus 1 itself becomes a dangerous drifting object, it is possible to discover and collect it immediately.

  Further, in order to prevent frictional breakage of the net 6 due to vibration of the flow velocity of the ocean current / water current, as an example, it is preferable to insert a buffer between the protruding portion of the reef 30 and the net 6.

1 Current generator 2 Seabed 3 Sinker 4 Cable (mooring line)
5 Diving auxiliary member (tethering auxiliary member)
6 Net 7 Ring 8 Pull rope 9 Weight 11 Underwater suspended body 11a Bridge part 12 Rotor blade 21 Rope 22 Rope 30 Reef 31 Rope 61 Rope 61a Rope stopper 62 Outer frame C Current D Diver

Claims (4)

A net to cover the object,
An attachment member for attaching one end of the rope connected to the anchoring object to the net;
A tethering auxiliary member comprising A dive assistance member,
The object includes an underwater floating body that floats in water, and a rotor blade that is driven by an ocean current and is provided at an end on the downstream side of the underwater floating body. End,
The anchoring assisting member according to claim 1, wherein the anchoring target is a diver who swims in the water.   The anchoring auxiliary member according to claim 2, wherein the ropes forming the lattice of the mesh are color-coded for each column and / or for each row.   The anchoring auxiliary member according to claim 1, wherein the object is a fixed structure in water.