US20100212573A1 - Remotely operated underwater vehicle - Google Patents
Remotely operated underwater vehicle Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20100212573A1 US20100212573A1 US12/712,082 US71208210A US2010212573A1 US 20100212573 A1 US20100212573 A1 US 20100212573A1 US 71208210 A US71208210 A US 71208210A US 2010212573 A1 US2010212573 A1 US 2010212573A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- underwater vehicle
- remotely operated
- tether
- operated underwater
- rov
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- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 claims description 34
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 26
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 12
- 239000013307 optical fiber Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000004020 conductor Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000007667 floating Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 241000512259 Ascophyllum nodosum Species 0.000 description 7
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 description 2
- RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper Chemical compound [Cu] RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- WHXSMMKQMYFTQS-UHFFFAOYSA-N Lithium Chemical compound [Li] WHXSMMKQMYFTQS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- HBBGRARXTFLTSG-UHFFFAOYSA-N Lithium ion Chemical compound [Li+] HBBGRARXTFLTSG-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000009189 diving Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052744 lithium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910001416 lithium ion Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000013535 sea water Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000009182 swimming Effects 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
- B63C11/00—Equipment for dwelling or working underwater; Means for searching for underwater objects
- B63C11/34—Diving chambers with mechanical link, e.g. cable, to a base
- B63C11/36—Diving chambers with mechanical link, e.g. cable, to a base of closed type
- B63C11/42—Diving chambers with mechanical link, e.g. cable, to a base of closed type with independent propulsion or direction control
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B22/00—Buoys
- B63B22/24—Buoys container type, i.e. having provision for the storage of material
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B2203/00—Communication means
Definitions
- ROV's remotely operated underwater vehicles
- the ROV 101 requires an electromechanical cable connection (tether) 105 to the surface for communications and power which are typically located on a boat 109 .
- the tether cable 105 presents serious constraints and difficulties in use.
- the tether 105 can restrict the mobility of the ROV 101 due to its short length. Therefore it would be an advantage to be able to dispense with the tether that is coupled to the control station.
- the present invention is directed towards a control system for operating a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV).
- the ROV has a propulsion system and directional controls that allow an operator to control the speed and direction of the ROV through a body of water.
- the ROV can also have sensors and feedback devices that can provide information that is transmitted back to the operator or any other receiver.
- a floating buoy can be coupled to the ROV with a tether and a wireless transceiver can be mounted on the buoy.
- a remotely located controller can be coupled to another wireless transceiver so the operator can transmit and receive data from the ROV.
- the controller transmits control signals from a first wireless transceiver to the second wireless transceiver on the buoy. These control signals are then transmitted through the tether to the ROV and the ROV performs the actions of the control signals.
- the sensors and feedback signals produced by the ROV are transmitted back through the tether to the buoy.
- the sensors and feedback signals then sent from the second wireless transceiver on the buoy to the first wireless transceiver and the controller.
- the wireless communications allow the buoy to travel very far from the controller while remaining under the control of the operator.
- the wireless signals cannot be transmitted through water, so the tether provides a high speed communications link between the buoy and the ROV.
- the diving depth of the ROV can be limited by the length of the tether.
- the tether can have various lengths in diameters. A larger diameter tether will be stronger but will also result in more drag forces as the ROV moves through the water.
- a 3 ⁇ 8 inch tether cable can have sufficient room for a conductive wire cable and may be suitable for tether lengths up to 500 feet.
- a 1 ⁇ 8 inch diameter cable can have a length of up to about 1,000 feet and can have sufficient room for an optical data fiber.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art ROV with support boat
- FIG. 2 illustrates a ROV coupled to a buoy with a tether and wireless transceivers
- FIG. 3 illustrate a view of the ROV with the tether and the external forces applied to the ROV
- FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the surface buoy.
- an alternate means for powering the ROV is required and an alternate means of remote control communication with the ROV are needed.
- Various energy systems can be employed to provide on board power for the ROV.
- the invention's power is provided by lithium ion batteries as used on Hawkes designed manned submersibles.
- wireless communications are also required. Wireless communications are the most difficult problem and the system and method for providing wireless communications is a significant part of this invention.
- the difficulty in providing a suitable means of communication is a problem with free swimming ROVs when human intervention and a control are needed at a high enough level to require a high band width.
- the ROV may be controlled by using acoustic control signals that are transmitted between the support boat and the ROV through the ambient water.
- This means of communications can utilize an acoustic transmitters and receivers for data transmissions between the ROV and a remote control unit.
- the speed of communication is limited by the speed of sound through water about 1,500 meters/second and the physical distance between the ROV and the remote control unit.
- An example of a high bandwidth communications is a closed circuit television that requires data transfer rate of about 1-12 Mega Bytes per second (MBps). Based upon the data transfer rate limitations of acoustic systems, high bandwidth data cannot be easily transmitted through water.
- MBps Mega Bytes per second
- the communications are broken up into a two stage communication method.
- the present invention uses a first stage that includes an ROV 201 that is permanently attached to a towed surface buoy 211 by a communications tether 205 that enables high bandwidth communications between the ROV 201 and the surface buoy 211 .
- the second stage includes radio communications link between the surface buoy 211 and a surface control station 215 .
- Each stage utilizes different communication mechanisms and operates in very different manners.
- the first stage include a communications tether 205 includes an optical fiber and/or an electrically conductive wire.
- the communications between the optical fiber require an optical transmitter that transmits data signals in the form of light through the optical fiber to an optical receiver.
- the data is transmitted as electrical signals through the conductor(s) from a transmitter to a receiver.
- the ROV 201 and surface buoy 211 will each have a receiver and transmitter. Control instructions for movement will be transmitted from the control station 215 to the ROV 201 while data such as video, photographs, etc will be transmitted from the ROV 201 to the control station 215 .
- the communications tether 205 is pulled in tension and the surface buoy 211 is towed across the surface of the water 219 .
- Vertical movement of the ROV 201 will not cause the buoy to move.
- the tether 205 will be tensioned and the ROV 205 will pull the buoy across the water 219 .
- the ROV 201 is free to move anywhere horizontally through the water and the depth of the ROV 201 movement will only be restricted by the length of the tether 205 .
- the second stage is a radio communications link from the surface buoy 211 to the surface support control station 215 .
- the control station 215 may be a portable unit aboard a boat 221 , ship, oil rig, or land based that is typically above sea level.
- the radio signals travel through air between an antenna 213 coupled to a RF transceiver on the surface buoy 211 and a RF transceiver coupled to the control station 215 .
- the control station 215 can remotely control the ROV 201 and receive high bandwidth data from the ROV 201 .
- a plurality of wireless communication bases 215 can be used in series.
- a land based control station 215 can transmit data to a support ship 221 which then transmits the data as wireless signals to the surface buoy 213 which transmits the data through the tether 205 coupled to the ROV 201 .
- the ROV 201 can transmit signals through the tether 205 to the buoy 211 which can then transmit the wireless signals to the support ship 221 control station 215 which are forwarded to the land based control station 215 . Since the buoy 211 will always remain on the water surface, the ROV can travel anywhere that is within the communications range of the surface support control station. The only restriction on travel would be that the ROV travel depth cannot exceed the length of the cable.
- the maximum length of the cable tether will depend upon the type of cable being used and the drag generated by the tether. A wider tether will cause more drag and will need to be shorter in length than a thinner tether.
- the tether can contain an electrical conductor or an optical fiber.
- the tether containing a conductive wire cable will tend to be wider in diameter. For example, a 3 ⁇ 8 inch diameter cable may be required to contain a copper wire can only have a maximum length of approximately 500 feet. In contrast a 1 ⁇ 8 inch diameter armored cable that contains a thin optical fiber can be up to about 1,000 ft in length.
- the hydrodynamic drag can also be reduced by using a fairing around the tether.
- the drag coefficient C d used to predict the drag forces can be reduced from about 1.2 for a circular cross section to about 0.3 for a tether with fairing having a minimum thickness that is equal to the diameter of cross section.
- an 1 ⁇ 8 inch wide armored cable that has a fairing can be up to about 2,000 feet in length and produce less drag than a much shorter circular cross section cable.
- the operator can select the most appropriate tether having a fixed length. Since the operator will typically know the required dive depth prior to releasing the ROV, a suitable length communications cable can be attached between the ROV and buoy. During the dive, the operator can control the ROV so that it does not exceed the maximum depth.
- the tether can be retracted into the buoy or the ROV.
- the tether can be stored on a storage spool can be mounted on the buoy to store long cables. The spool can be rotated to release the stored tether as additional length is needed. As the ROV returns to the surface the tether can also be retracted. This feature can be useful in simplifying the deployment and retrieval of the ROV, since the cable tether can be retracted and would not have to be retrieved separately from the ROV and buoy. Also, by only exposing the required length of the tether, the hydrodynamic drag of the cable is also minimized.
- the ROV In order for the ROV to tow the cable connected to the surface buoy, the ROV will need sufficient power to overcome the drag forces of the tether cable and the buoy.
- the drag forces will act on the ROV by the tension in the tether.
- a high tension will be caused by a high drag force.
- the tether tension will typically pull the ROV back and up at the angle of the tether to the ROV.
- the drag forces and tether tension will increase with the velocity of the tether and buoy through the water. Since the ROV may be used to explore fixed objects on the sea floor, the cable may also be subjected to sea water current.
- the ROV must provide enough propulsion force to overcome the sum of the drag on the tow cable can include the cable drag and current, wind and wave forces on the surface buoy.
- the vehicle in order for the vehicle to move as commanded, it will need to at all times be able to generate the counter forces and vector to the tension, direction and rotational moments inflicted by the tension in the tow cable and its angle and place of action(s) on the vehicle.
- the cable and buoy forces that result from movement of the ROV are instantly controlled by controllable winged surfaces of the ROV.
- the connection point can be at the center of hydrodynamic effort of the winged submersible ROV.
- any vertical forces applied to the ROV by the tether will not alter the pitch of the ROV.
- the tether can also be connected to an elevated surface such as a fin, so that it is kept away from any moving components such as the propellers to avoid entanglement.
- the remotely controlled ROV uses winged surfaces with single or multiple thrusters providing forward thrust and speed.
- the winged ROV uses the movement or flow of the water over the wings to provide forces perpendicular to the wings.
- a winged ROV that is traveling horizontally through the water will produce a substantial vertical force that is substantially greater than any vertical forces caused by the cable drag or buoy buoyancy.
- the relationship between thrust and lift can by estimated and quantified by the lift/drag ratio.
- the lift to drag ratio of the winged ROV may be about 10:1.
- an upward pull of the tow cable of say 100 lbs can be resisted by a downward lift from a wing of 100 lbs for a forward thrust penalty of only 10 lbs.
- a non-winged ROV will require a downward thrust of 100 lbs. just to counteract the cable drag.
- the wing force is instantly controllable by actuators, via manual control or autopilot to quickly act as needed to counter the disruptive tow forces and moments.
- the autopilot of the winged ROV can include force sensors that monitor the drag tension and direction on the cable. If a variation in the cable tension is detected, the system can automatically increase or decrease the thrust or wings to counteract the change in cable tension. Thrust can be used to counteract the horizontal component of the cable tension and the wing angles can be changed to altered to counteract the vertical component of the cable tension.
- Self-powered craft especially battery-powered craft, are energy-limited. And thus the leverage and efficiency of a fully controllable (Pitch, Roll, yaw) winged body, able to hold large vertical loads and moments and able to manage the large tow forces with a smaller amount of additional forwards thrust, is a great advantage in making the concept work for a self-powered craft requiring minimum power.
- the present invention has been described as having a rechargeable lithium battery which can limit the duration of the ROV operations.
- the surface buoy can have the energy source such as an electrical power supply, electrical generator, solar cells, fuel cells, etc.
- the cable can include electrical conductors that provide a low resistance transmission of electrical power through tethered tow cable to the ROV. Since the power source is exposed to air, the source of power in the buoy can be an air-breathing gas powered electrical generator to provide longer duration operations.
- the winged ROV can also have three axis sensors so the vehicle will be flown through the water manually with the wings level to a heading or have auto pilot controlling the ROV on three axis of movement. Because the wing surfaces of the ROV are substantially greater than the drag forces, the cable can move with the applied forces and the vehicle will stay on course.
- a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit can be mounted to the buoy so that a position of the ROV can be accurately determined. Based upon the buoy position, the system can estimate the position of the ROV by adding the length of the tether in the direction of the tether from the buoy. The system can then use a pressure transducer signal from the ROV to determine its depth. Based upon these calculations, the system can accurately determine the position of the ROV.
- GPS Global Positioning System
- the buoy 211 may include a weighted keel 229 which provides roll stability to the vertically oriented antenna 213 .
- the buoy 211 can be an elongated structure that provides buoyancy and pitch stability.
- the tether 205 can be coupled directly to the buoy 211 or to the keel 229 .
- the buoy 211 may include a rudder 231 which provides yaw stability as the buoy 211 is towed through the water.
- the drag on the tether 205 can also pull down on the buoy 211 .
- the buoy 211 may have a positive buoyant force of 1,000 pounds or more to overcome any potential downward forces applied by the tether 205 .
- the hydrodynamic drag on tether resists the movement of the ROV 201 .
- the drag will be increased if the tether 205 runs into growth such as kelp.
- the kelp can wrap around the tether 205 and substantially increase the drag. If the drag due to kelp becomes problematic, a kelp cutter can be used to remove the kelp from the tether 205 .
- the kelp cutter 235 can include a cutting surface that moves along the tether to remove any attached kelp.
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Abstract
Description
- This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/155,658, REMOTELY OPERATED UNDERWATER VEHICLE, filed on Feb. 26, 2009 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
- With reference to
FIG. 1 , remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV's) 101 are, widely used by industry and science for unmanned undersea work tasks. TheROV 101 requires an electromechanical cable connection (tether) 105 to the surface for communications and power which are typically located on aboat 109. Thetether cable 105 presents serious constraints and difficulties in use. For example, thetether 105 can restrict the mobility of theROV 101 due to its short length. Therefore it would be an advantage to be able to dispense with the tether that is coupled to the control station. - The present invention is directed towards a control system for operating a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV). The ROV has a propulsion system and directional controls that allow an operator to control the speed and direction of the ROV through a body of water. The ROV can also have sensors and feedback devices that can provide information that is transmitted back to the operator or any other receiver.
- In order to eliminate the restrictions due to the traditional tethered submersible systems, a floating buoy can be coupled to the ROV with a tether and a wireless transceiver can be mounted on the buoy. A remotely located controller can be coupled to another wireless transceiver so the operator can transmit and receive data from the ROV. For example, the controller transmits control signals from a first wireless transceiver to the second wireless transceiver on the buoy. These control signals are then transmitted through the tether to the ROV and the ROV performs the actions of the control signals. The sensors and feedback signals produced by the ROV are transmitted back through the tether to the buoy. The sensors and feedback signals then sent from the second wireless transceiver on the buoy to the first wireless transceiver and the controller. The wireless communications allow the buoy to travel very far from the controller while remaining under the control of the operator. The wireless signals cannot be transmitted through water, so the tether provides a high speed communications link between the buoy and the ROV.
- The diving depth of the ROV can be limited by the length of the tether. The tether can have various lengths in diameters. A larger diameter tether will be stronger but will also result in more drag forces as the ROV moves through the water. A ⅜ inch tether cable can have sufficient room for a conductive wire cable and may be suitable for tether lengths up to 500 feet. A ⅛ inch diameter cable can have a length of up to about 1,000 feet and can have sufficient room for an optical data fiber. The system solves the problem of remotely controlling ROVs in a manner that allows the ROV to travel through any body of water while being in full high speed data communications with a controller.
-
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art ROV with support boat; -
FIG. 2 illustrates a ROV coupled to a buoy with a tether and wireless transceivers; -
FIG. 3 illustrate a view of the ROV with the tether and the external forces applied to the ROV; and -
FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the surface buoy. - In order to dispense with the tether, an alternate means for powering the ROV is required and an alternate means of remote control communication with the ROV are needed. Various energy systems can be employed to provide on board power for the ROV. In a preferred embodiment, the invention's power is provided by lithium ion batteries as used on Hawkes designed manned submersibles. In addition to the power supply, wireless communications are also required. Wireless communications are the most difficult problem and the system and method for providing wireless communications is a significant part of this invention.
- The difficulty in providing a suitable means of communication is a problem with free swimming ROVs when human intervention and a control are needed at a high enough level to require a high band width. The ROV may be controlled by using acoustic control signals that are transmitted between the support boat and the ROV through the ambient water. This means of communications can utilize an acoustic transmitters and receivers for data transmissions between the ROV and a remote control unit. The speed of communication is limited by the speed of sound through water about 1,500 meters/second and the physical distance between the ROV and the remote control unit. An example of a high bandwidth communications is a closed circuit television that requires data transfer rate of about 1-12 Mega Bytes per second (MBps). Based upon the data transfer rate limitations of acoustic systems, high bandwidth data cannot be easily transmitted through water.
- In order to provide a wireless system for the ROV, the communications are broken up into a two stage communication method. With reference to
FIG. 2 , the present invention uses a first stage that includes anROV 201 that is permanently attached to atowed surface buoy 211 by acommunications tether 205 that enables high bandwidth communications between theROV 201 and thesurface buoy 211. The second stage includes radio communications link between thesurface buoy 211 and asurface control station 215. Each stage utilizes different communication mechanisms and operates in very different manners. - The first stage include a
communications tether 205 includes an optical fiber and/or an electrically conductive wire. The communications between the optical fiber require an optical transmitter that transmits data signals in the form of light through the optical fiber to an optical receiver. For electrical signals, the data is transmitted as electrical signals through the conductor(s) from a transmitter to a receiver. For two way communications, theROV 201 andsurface buoy 211 will each have a receiver and transmitter. Control instructions for movement will be transmitted from thecontrol station 215 to theROV 201 while data such as video, photographs, etc will be transmitted from theROV 201 to thecontrol station 215. - As the
ROV 201 moves, thecommunications tether 205 is pulled in tension and thesurface buoy 211 is towed across the surface of thewater 219. Vertical movement of theROV 201 will not cause the buoy to move. However, as theROV 201 moves horizontally away from thebuoy 211, thetether 205 will be tensioned and theROV 205 will pull the buoy across thewater 219. Thus, theROV 201 is free to move anywhere horizontally through the water and the depth of theROV 201 movement will only be restricted by the length of thetether 205. - The second stage is a radio communications link from the
surface buoy 211 to the surfacesupport control station 215. Thecontrol station 215 may be a portable unit aboard aboat 221, ship, oil rig, or land based that is typically above sea level. The radio signals travel through air between anantenna 213 coupled to a RF transceiver on thesurface buoy 211 and a RF transceiver coupled to thecontrol station 215. By using a two stage communications link, thecontrol station 215 can remotely control theROV 201 and receive high bandwidth data from theROV 201. - In some cases, a plurality of
wireless communication bases 215 can be used in series. For example, a land basedcontrol station 215 can transmit data to asupport ship 221 which then transmits the data as wireless signals to thesurface buoy 213 which transmits the data through thetether 205 coupled to theROV 201. Similarly, theROV 201 can transmit signals through thetether 205 to thebuoy 211 which can then transmit the wireless signals to thesupport ship 221control station 215 which are forwarded to the land basedcontrol station 215. Since thebuoy 211 will always remain on the water surface, the ROV can travel anywhere that is within the communications range of the surface support control station. The only restriction on travel would be that the ROV travel depth cannot exceed the length of the cable. - In an embodiment the maximum length of the cable tether will depend upon the type of cable being used and the drag generated by the tether. A wider tether will cause more drag and will need to be shorter in length than a thinner tether. As discussed, the tether can contain an electrical conductor or an optical fiber. The tether containing a conductive wire cable will tend to be wider in diameter. For example, a ⅜ inch diameter cable may be required to contain a copper wire can only have a maximum length of approximately 500 feet. In contrast a ⅛ inch diameter armored cable that contains a thin optical fiber can be up to about 1,000 ft in length. The hydrodynamic drag can also be reduced by using a fairing around the tether. If a hydrodynamic fairing is used, the drag is significantly reduced in comparison to a circular cross section tether. The drag coefficient Cd used to predict the drag forces can be reduced from about 1.2 for a circular cross section to about 0.3 for a tether with fairing having a minimum thickness that is equal to the diameter of cross section. Thus, an ⅛ inch wide armored cable that has a fairing can be up to about 2,000 feet in length and produce less drag than a much shorter circular cross section cable.
- In an embodiment, the operator can select the most appropriate tether having a fixed length. Since the operator will typically know the required dive depth prior to releasing the ROV, a suitable length communications cable can be attached between the ROV and buoy. During the dive, the operator can control the ROV so that it does not exceed the maximum depth.
- In other embodiments, the tether can be retracted into the buoy or the ROV. The tether can be stored on a storage spool can be mounted on the buoy to store long cables. The spool can be rotated to release the stored tether as additional length is needed. As the ROV returns to the surface the tether can also be retracted. This feature can be useful in simplifying the deployment and retrieval of the ROV, since the cable tether can be retracted and would not have to be retrieved separately from the ROV and buoy. Also, by only exposing the required length of the tether, the hydrodynamic drag of the cable is also minimized.
- In order for the ROV to tow the cable connected to the surface buoy, the ROV will need sufficient power to overcome the drag forces of the tether cable and the buoy. The drag forces will act on the ROV by the tension in the tether. Thus, a high tension will be caused by a high drag force. The tether tension will typically pull the ROV back and up at the angle of the tether to the ROV. The drag forces and tether tension will increase with the velocity of the tether and buoy through the water. Since the ROV may be used to explore fixed objects on the sea floor, the cable may also be subjected to sea water current. In addition to the drag from the cable movement through the water, various other forces will be applied to the cable including wind and wave forces against the surface buoy and the hydrodynamic drag against the buoy movement through the water. Thus, the ROV must provide enough propulsion force to overcome the sum of the drag on the tow cable can include the cable drag and current, wind and wave forces on the surface buoy. Hence in order for the vehicle to move as commanded, it will need to at all times be able to generate the counter forces and vector to the tension, direction and rotational moments inflicted by the tension in the tow cable and its angle and place of action(s) on the vehicle.
- The ability of the ROV to physically move as commanded and remain under control and counter all tow forces and moments coupled to a support ship with a cable has been impractical to date, even using a minimum diameter and streamlined drag armored fiber optic link. As the ROV moves, the cable tension pulls the ROV up and prevents accurate movement control. In order to overcome this problem, a winged submersible is required, such as the Hawkes Ocean Technologies (HOT), U.S. Pat. No. 7,131,389 which is hereby incorporated by reference. The wings, rudders and elevators of the ROV produce strong directional forces that are able to resist the uncontrolled disruptive physical vertical pull and turning moments caused by the tow cable. The cable and buoy forces that result from movement of the ROV are instantly controlled by controllable winged surfaces of the ROV. In order to minimize the effects of the buoy, the connection point can be at the center of hydrodynamic effort of the winged submersible ROV. Thus, any vertical forces applied to the ROV by the tether will not alter the pitch of the ROV. The tether can also be connected to an elevated surface such as a fin, so that it is kept away from any moving components such as the propellers to avoid entanglement.
- The remotely controlled ROV uses winged surfaces with single or multiple thrusters providing forward thrust and speed. The winged ROV uses the movement or flow of the water over the wings to provide forces perpendicular to the wings. Thus, a winged ROV that is traveling horizontally through the water will produce a substantial vertical force that is substantially greater than any vertical forces caused by the cable drag or buoy buoyancy. The relationship between thrust and lift can by estimated and quantified by the lift/drag ratio. In an embodiment the lift to drag ratio of the winged ROV may be about 10:1. Thus, an upward pull of the tow cable of say 100 lbs can be resisted by a downward lift from a wing of 100 lbs for a forward thrust penalty of only 10 lbs. In contrast, a non-winged ROV will require a downward thrust of 100 lbs. just to counteract the cable drag.
- With reference to
FIG. 3 , the wing force is instantly controllable by actuators, via manual control or autopilot to quickly act as needed to counter the disruptive tow forces and moments. For example, the autopilot of the winged ROV can include force sensors that monitor the drag tension and direction on the cable. If a variation in the cable tension is detected, the system can automatically increase or decrease the thrust or wings to counteract the change in cable tension. Thrust can be used to counteract the horizontal component of the cable tension and the wing angles can be changed to altered to counteract the vertical component of the cable tension. - For example, the forces applied to the winged ROV can be estimated by the equations:
-
Fv=T×SIN θ -
Fh=T×COS θ+L/D×Fv - Where:
-
- Fv=vertical force
- Fh=horizontal force
- T=tension
- Θ=angle of cable to the ROV
- L/D=lift/drag ratio
- Self-powered craft, especially battery-powered craft, are energy-limited. And thus the leverage and efficiency of a fully controllable (Pitch, Roll, yaw) winged body, able to hold large vertical loads and moments and able to manage the large tow forces with a smaller amount of additional forwards thrust, is a great advantage in making the concept work for a self-powered craft requiring minimum power.
- The present invention has been described as having a rechargeable lithium battery which can limit the duration of the ROV operations. In an alternative embodiment, the surface buoy can have the energy source such as an electrical power supply, electrical generator, solar cells, fuel cells, etc. In this embodiment, the cable can include electrical conductors that provide a low resistance transmission of electrical power through tethered tow cable to the ROV. Since the power source is exposed to air, the source of power in the buoy can be an air-breathing gas powered electrical generator to provide longer duration operations.
- The winged ROV can also have three axis sensors so the vehicle will be flown through the water manually with the wings level to a heading or have auto pilot controlling the ROV on three axis of movement. Because the wing surfaces of the ROV are substantially greater than the drag forces, the cable can move with the applied forces and the vehicle will stay on course.
- In an embodiment, a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit can be mounted to the buoy so that a position of the ROV can be accurately determined. Based upon the buoy position, the system can estimate the position of the ROV by adding the length of the tether in the direction of the tether from the buoy. The system can then use a pressure transducer signal from the ROV to determine its depth. Based upon these calculations, the system can accurately determine the position of the ROV.
- With reference to
FIG. 4 , in an embodiment thebuoy 211 may include aweighted keel 229 which provides roll stability to the vertically orientedantenna 213. Thebuoy 211 can be an elongated structure that provides buoyancy and pitch stability. Thetether 205 can be coupled directly to thebuoy 211 or to thekeel 229. In addition to the keel, thebuoy 211 may include arudder 231 which provides yaw stability as thebuoy 211 is towed through the water. The drag on thetether 205 can also pull down on thebuoy 211. Thebuoy 211 may have a positive buoyant force of 1,000 pounds or more to overcome any potential downward forces applied by thetether 205. - As discussed, the hydrodynamic drag on tether resists the movement of the
ROV 201. The drag will be increased if thetether 205 runs into growth such as kelp. The kelp can wrap around thetether 205 and substantially increase the drag. If the drag due to kelp becomes problematic, a kelp cutter can be used to remove the kelp from thetether 205. In an embodiment, thekelp cutter 235 can include a cutting surface that moves along the tether to remove any attached kelp. - While the invention has been described herein with reference to certain preferred embodiments, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and not to limit the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be defined only in accordance with the claims that follow.
Claims (20)
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US12/712,082 US20100212573A1 (en) | 2009-02-26 | 2010-02-24 | Remotely operated underwater vehicle |
US12/767,984 US20100212574A1 (en) | 2009-02-26 | 2010-04-27 | Remotely operated underwater vehicle |
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US15565809P | 2009-02-26 | 2009-02-26 | |
US12/712,082 US20100212573A1 (en) | 2009-02-26 | 2010-02-24 | Remotely operated underwater vehicle |
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