Aerodynamic aquatic weed removal and decontamination device and decontamination method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11623722-B2
Application number	US-202016920471-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2020
Priority date	Sep 29, 2019
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

Abstract

Aerodynamic aquatic weed removal and decontamination devices and decontamination methods are disclosed. In an embodiment, the aerodynamic aquatic weed removal and decontamination device includes a boat body and a shore-based device for remotely controlling the boat body. The boat body includes a power unit, a weed removal and decontamination unit, a positioning system, an environment perception system, and a shipborne controller. The power unit includes an engine, a propeller connected to the engine, and a rudder servo motor configured to control a heading of the boat body. The weed removal and decontamination unit includes a mesh conveyor. The positioning system includes a positioner configured to obtain real-time location information and heading information of the boat body. The environment perception system includes a wind sensor and a visual sensor. The shipborne controller is configured to control a navigation state of the boat body.

First claim

The disclosure claimed is:

1. An aerodynamic aquatic weed removal and decontamination device, comprising a boat body and a shore-based device for remotely controlling the boat body, wherein the boat body comprises:
a power unit comprising an engine, a propeller and a rudder server motor, wherein the propeller is connected to the engine and the rudder servo motor is configured to control a heading of the boat body;
a weed removal and decontamination unit comprising a mesh conveyor, wherein:
the weed removal and decontamination unit is disposed at a front end of the boat body;
one end of the mesh conveyor tilts down into water; and
the other end of the mesh conveyor is provided with a mesh collection bag;

a positioning system comprising a positioner configured to obtain real-time location information and heading information of the boat body;
an environment perception system comprising a wind sensor and a visual sensor, wherein the wind sensor is configured to obtain a wind direction in which the boat body is located and the visual sensor is configured to detect a dynamic obstacle in front of the boat body; and
a shipborne controller configured to control a navigation state of the boat body;
wherein the aerodynamic aquatic weed removal and decontamination device is configured to implement a weed removal and decontamination method comprising the steps of:
(1) initializing all electronic devices, and ensuring that all the electronic devices run normally;
(2) generating a weed removal and decontamination path based on an actual status of a target water area, and pre-storing the weed removal and decontamination path into a shipborne controller;
(3) starting and following a P i th path, wherein i=1 during initialization;
(4) obtaining location information in real time by a shipborne positioning system;
(5) determining whether a current path and a target path intersect at a distance d ahead;
(6) controlling a rudder servo motor to turn at a maximum angle so that a boat body returns to the target path if the current path and the target path do not intersect, and calculating the rudder servo motor angle of the boat body and performing navigation control if the current path and the target path intersect;
(7) detecting a dynamic obstacle based on an image and point cloud information transmitted by a visual sensor in real time, calculating distance information when detecting a moving obstacle in front, and performing braking control until the obstacle moves away from an area within a danger distance if a distance to the obstacle is less than a safety distance;
(8) determining whether to end navigation of the current path based on a real-time location of the boat body and an endpoint location of a tail end of a path,
(8.1) if the navigation is not ended, continuing to navigate the current path through (2) to (7), and performing weed removal and decontamination, and
(8.2) if the navigation is ended, turning to a next path, navigating, performing weed removal and decontamination, and adding 1 to P i ; and

(9) determining whether all working paths are completed based on a number of paths,
(9.1) if the working paths are not completed, continuing the weed removal and decontamination through (2) to (8), and
(9.2) if the working paths are completed, ending weed removal and decontamination.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the mesh conveyor is mounted at the front end of the boat body by a bracket;
the bracket comprises a portal frame and at least one support column;
a driving rotating shaft for driving the mesh conveyor to run is disposed on top of the portal frame;
a driven rotating shaft is disposed on the other end of the mesh conveyor; and
the at least one support column is obliquely fixed between the boat body and the mesh conveyor.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the at least one support column comprises two support columns; and
each one of the two support columns is disposed on each end of the mesh conveyor.

4. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the mesh collection bag is disposed below the portal frame.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the shore-based device comprises:
a wireless emergency brake configured to cooperate with a wireless emergency brake receiver disposed on the boat body and to shut down the engine; and
a remote controller configured to cooperate with a remote-control receiver disposed on the boat body and to achieve manual remote-control of the boat body.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a magnetic sensor configured to detect a rotation speed of the engine is mounted on the engine.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein in step (5):
the current path and the target path intersect when a distance between a location of a boat (x boat , y boat ) and the target path (y=ax+b) is less than d;
the current path and the target path do not intersect when the distance between the location of the boat (x boat , y boat ) and the target path (y=ax+b) is greater than d; and
a location of an intersection point (x los , y los ) is calculated by the following equations:

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Assignees

• Univ Zhejiang

Inventors

• Liu Yufei
• He Yong
• Liu Fei
• Bao Yidan
• Fang Hui
• Li Xiaoli
• Cen Haiyan
• Yu Yue
• Chu Hangjian

Classifications

• B63H25/42 Primary

  Steering or dynamic anchoring by propulsive elements (by jets B63H25/46); Steering or dynamic anchoring by propellers used therefor only; Steering or dynamic anchoring by rudders carrying propellers · CPC title

• E02B15/10

  Devices for removing the material from the surface {(E02B15/041, E02B15/042, E02B15/06 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B63B2035/008

  remotely controlled · CPC title

• G05D1/0206

  specially adapted to water vehicles · CPC title

• B63H21/21

  Control means for engine or transmission, specially adapted for use on marine vessels · CPC title