Underwater robot water quality data acquisition device and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11747317-B2
Application number	US-202218054918-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2022
Priority date	Jan 17, 2022
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A novel underwater robot water quality data acquisition device includes a casing, a thruster group, an upper cabin, a lower cabin, a buoy cabin, an upper cabin tray, a lower cabin tray, a power supply assembly, a power conditioning module, a data acquisition control module, a water quality sensor assembly, and a wireless Internet of Things (IoT) module. The device can convert the power supply voltage required by each other module through the power management module. The data acquisition control module transmits signals to the water quality sensor assembly in a set timing sequence, performs real-time reading and processing of water quality data fed back from the sensor, and uploads the processed water quality data to the data platform through the wireless IoT module, thereby achieving the display and preservation of water quality data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water quality data acquisition device of an underwater robot, comprising: a casing ( 1 ), a thruster group ( 2 ), an upper cabin ( 3 ), a lower cabin ( 4 ), a buoy cabin ( 8 ), an upper cabin tray ( 5 ), a lower cabin tray ( 6 ), a power supply assembly, a power conditioning module, a data acquisition control module, a water quality sensor assembly, and a wireless Internet of Things (IoT) module;
wherein the casing ( 1 ), configured as an outermost layer of the water quality data acquisition device, is not a closed structure, which defines some openings for receiving the thruster group ( 2 ); the upper cabin tray ( 5 ) and the lower cabin tray ( 6 ) are connected to each other to form a mounting bracket, which is disposed inside the casing ( 1 ) and is fixedly connected with an inner wall of the casing ( 1 ); the thruster group ( 2 ) comprises six thrusters, wherein a propelling direction of four thrusters among the six thrusters is a horizontal direction, and the four thrusters are symmetrically arranged around the mounting bracket, for providing a torque for rotation of the underwater robot around a vertical central axis and a thrust for a horizontal movement of the underwater robot; a propelling direction of remaining two thrusters among the six thrusters is a vertical direction, and the remaining two thrusters are arranged symmetrically on both sides of the mounting bracket, for providing a thrust for a vertical movement of the underwater robot; the upper cabin ( 3 ) is fixed at a square slot in the middle of the upper cabin tray ( 5 ), and the lower cabin ( 4 ) is fixed at another square slot in the middle of the lower cabin tray ( 6 ); the buoy cabin ( 8 ) is configured to float on a sea surface using positive buoyancy; the upper cabin ( 3 ), lower cabin ( 4 ) and buoy cabin ( 8 ) are each a sealed compartment; the power supply assembly is individually arranged inside the lower cabin ( 4 ); the power conditioning module and the data acquisition control module are integrated on a same circuit board; the wireless IoT module comprises a main circuit and an antenna, the main circuit and the circuit board arranging the power conditioning module and the data acquisition control module are both arranged in the upper cabin ( 3 ), and the antenna is arranged in the buoy cabin ( 8 ); the water quality sensor assembly is arranged on the upper cabin tray ( 5 );
the data acquisition control module, the water quality sensor assembly, and the wireless IoT module are powered by the power supply assembly; the power conditioning module and the power supply assembly are connected, for adjusting the power supply assembly to output voltage of different levels;
the data acquisition control module and the water quality sensor assembly are connected through an RS485 bus; the data acquisition control module and the main circuit of the wireless IoT module are connected through a serial communication line; the main circuit and the antenna of the wireless IoT module are connected through an ANT interface;
the data acquisition control module is configured to read and process water quality data fed back from a sensor in real time, by transmitting a control signal to the water quality sensor assembly in a set timing sequence; at fixed intervals, the data acquisition control module is configured to upload the processed water quality data to a data platform through the wireless IoT module, to realize real-time displaying and storing of the water quality data.

2. The water quality data acquisition device according to claim 1 , wherein the power supply assembly comprises a lithium battery pack and a switch; an output voltage range of the lithium battery pack is 12V; the lithium battery pack is arranged inside the lower cabin ( 4 ); the switch is configured to control an external output of the lithium battery pack, and is arranged on a hatch of the lower cabin ( 4 ).

3. The water quality data acquisition device according to claim 1 , wherein the power conditioning module is powered by the power supply assembly, and is configured to realize different voltage levels of direct-current (DC) energy conversion through three circuits: a DC input 12V to DC stable output 12V circuit, a DC input 12V to DC output 5V circuit, and a DC input 5V to DC output 3.3V circuit.

4. The water quality data acquisition device according to claim 3 , wherein the three circuits of the power conditioning module are all wide-range DC input, all allowing DC input of 4.5V to 60V; the three circuits of the power conditioning module are cascaded or separated.

5. The water quality data acquisition device according to claim 1 , wherein the data acquisition control module is an embedded system based on an STM32F407VET6 microcontroller, comprising peripheral circuits comprising an external crystal oscillator circuit, an MAX485 circuit, an LED status indication circuit, an RS485 interface, a filter capacitor circuit, a power interface, a serial communication interface, a voltage regulator circuit, a startup mode circuit, and a reset circuit; the external crystal circuit is connected to pins 12 and 13 of the microcontroller; the MAX485 circuit is connected to pins 47 and 48 of the microcontroller in the form of a serial port and to the RS485 interface in the form of a bus for receiving, translating and sending signals between a serial port of the microcontroller and the RS485 bus; the LED status indication circuit is connected to a power supply line, ground, and pin 23 of the microcontroller; the filter capacitor circuit is connected to a high level and the ground of the power supply line of the microcontroller; the power interface is connected to the high level and the ground of the power supply line of the microcontroller; the serial communication interface is connected to pins 25 and 26 of the microcontroller; in the peripheral circuits, the voltage regulator circuit is connected to pins 47 and 79 of the microcontroller, the startup mode circuit is connected to pin 94 of the microcontroller, and the reset circuit is connected to pin 14 of the microcontroller.

6. The water quality data acquisition device according to claim 1 , wherein the water quality sensor assembly comprises water quality sensors: a pH electrode ( 7 - 1 ), a conductivity electrode ( 7 - 2 ), a dissolved oxygen electrode ( 7 - 3 ), a turbidity electrode ( 7 - 4 ), and a self-cleaning chlorophyll digital sensor ( 7 - 5 ); a power relationship of the water quality sensors is in parallel; signal lines of the water quality sensors are all connected to the RS485 bus.

7. The water quality data acquisition device according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless IoT module is configured to achieve a real-time upload of data via cellular mobile communication.

8. The water quality data acquisition device according to claim 1 , wherein a power line between the power supply assembly and the power conditioning module is connected into the lower cabin ( 4 ) through a threading bolt; a power line between the power conditioning module and the water quality sensor assembly is connected into the upper cabin ( 3 ) through a threading bolt; a power line and a signal line of each water quality sensor in the water quality sensor assembly are each connected into the upper cabin ( 3 ) through a threading bolt.

9. A method for controlling a water quality data acquisition device according to claim 1 , wherein after the switch of the power supply assembly is turned on, the data acquisition control module sends an instruction to start the wireless IoT module, accesses a cellular network, logins to a corresponding account of an IoT platform, sends corresponding parameter reading instructions to the RS485 bus sequentially and cyclically in a cert

Assignees

• Univ Zhejiang

Inventors

• Zhou Jing
• Che Yuchao
• Gao Jian
• Zhao Liming
• Huang Haocai
• Chen Ying

Classifications

• G01N33/1886 Primary

  using probes, e.g. submersible probes, buoys · CPC title

• B63G8/001

  Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations (self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42) · CPC title

• B63G8/04 Primary

  Superstructure · CPC title

• B63G8/08

  Propulsion ({schnorkels B63G8/36;} nuclear propulsion B63H21/18; submerged exhausting apparatus F01N13/12) · CPC title

• G08C17/02

  using a radio link · CPC title