MECHANICAL HANDHELD HERMATIC SAMPLER FOR MARINE SEDIMENT AND SAMPLING, PRESSURE MATAINING METHOD THEREOF

20190234835

16/109968

August 23, 2018

Provided is a mechanical handheld hermetic sampler for marine sediment. The sampler comprises sampling assembly and a pressure maintaining assembly. The sampling assembly includes a sampling tube, a handle and an end cap. The sampling tube is fixed at a lower end surface of the end cap while the handle is fixed at an upper end surface of the end cap. The handheld robotic sampler for marine sediment with hermetic sampling is simple and compact in structure, small in size, light in weight, easy to manipulate and manufacture, highly reliable, and particularly suitable for robotic sampler hand control of underwater operating equipment such as a manned submersible, an unmanned submersible and Remotely Operated Vehicle.

1. A mechanical handheld hermetic sampler for marine sediment, comprising a sampling assembly and a pressure maintaining assembly; wherein the sampling assembly comprises a sampling tube, a handle and an end cap; the sampling tube is fixed at a lower end surface of the end cap; the handle is fixed at an upper end surface of the end cap; a plurality of drainage holes are provided at a side wall of a top of the sampling tube; the sampling tube is inserted into the pressure maintaining assembly; and the end cap and the pressure maintaining assembly are connected in a sealed manner.

2. The sampler of claim 1, wherein the pressure maintaining assembly comprises a pressure maintaining cylinder, square blocks, floating sealing rings and a sample discharging valve; a side wall of a top of the pressure maintaining cylinder is provided with a plurality of square block holes; the plurality of square block holes are provided along a radial direction of the pressure maintaining cylinder; and each of the square blocks is respectively provided in each of the square block holes; block casings corresponding to the square blocks are fixed on an outer wall of the pressure maintaining cylinder; and the square blocks are connected with the block casings through compression springs, so that the square blocks elastically move in the square block holes along the radial direction of the pressure maintaining cylinder; an upper end of an inner side wall of the pressure maintaining cylinder is provided with a stepped surface, the stepped surface is provided with a plurality of blinded spring holes; axis of each of the spring holes are parallel to an axis of the pressure maintaining cylinder; floating support springs are provided in the spring holes; the floating sealing rings are supported on the floating support springs; a radial sealing gasket is provided between each of the floating sealing rings and an inner wall of the pressure maintaining cylinder; the square blocks are provided above the floating sealing rings; the end cap is fastened between the square blocks and the floating sealing rings; and a bottom of an inner chamber of the pressure maintaining cylinder is connected to the sample discharging valve through a first pressure-resistant tube.

3. The sampler of claim 2, wherein limit pins are provided on a side face of the square blocks close to the block casings to prevent the square blocks from completely sliding into the square block holes under an action of the compression springs; and an axial sealing gasket is mounted on an upper end surface of the floating sealing ring.

4. The sampler of claim 3, wherein the handheld robotic sampler further comprises a pressure compensator; the pressure compensator comprises a pressure-resistant cylinder, a piston, a compensator end cap and an inflation valve; one end of the pressure-resistant cylinder is open and the other end of the pressure-resistant cylinder is provided with a first connecting hole in communication with the pressure maintaining cylinder; the compensator end cap is fixed at the open end of the pressure-resistant cylinder; the compensator end cap is provided with a second connecting hole; the inflation valve is in communication with the second connecting hole through a second pressure-resistant tube; and the piston is provided in the pressure-resistant cylinder.

5. A method for sampling and pressure maintaining of marine sediment using the sampler of claim 4, comprising: grasping a handle of a sampling assembly, and moving the sampling assembly to a position perpendicular to and above a surface of the marine sediment; pressing the sampling assembly into the marine sediment until the sampling tube is completely inserted into the marine sediment, and discharging seawater in the sampling tube through the drainage holes during insertion of the sampling tube into the marine sediment; and pulling the sampling tube out of the marine sediment and inserting the sampling tube into the pressure maintaining assembly.

6. The method for sampling and pressure maintaining of marine sediment of claim 5, wherein the step of inserting the sampling tube into the pressure maintaining assembly: aiming the sampling tube at the pressure maintaining tube, slowly inserting the sampling tube into the pressure maintaining tube; and keeping pressing the sampling assembly after the sampling tube is fully inserted into the pressure maintaining tube, so that the end cap of the sampling assembly slides over the square blocks; the axial sealing gasket is provided to seal between a lower end surface of the end cap and the floating sealing ring; and the square blocks fasten an upper end of the end cap under an action of the compression springs.

7. The method for sampling and pressure maintaining of marine sediment of claim 6, wherein before the handheld robotic sampler for marine sediment with hermetic sampling is launched, a chamber clearance between the piston of the pressure compensator and the compensator end cap is filled with an inert gas through the inflation valve, and the piston is located at a top of an inner chamber of the pressure-resistant cylinder.

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