AU2016348556B2

AU2016348556B2 - Submersible provided with means for manoeuvring a mast

Info

Publication number: AU2016348556B2
Application number: AU2016348556A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Philippe Paumier
Original assignee: Naval Group SA
Current assignee: Naval Group SA
Priority date: 2015-11-02
Filing date: 2016-11-02
Publication date: 2020-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 2036-11-02
Also published as: BR112018008571B1; EP3371044A1; WO2017076917A1; KR20180076367A; BR112018008571A2; ES2794630T3; KR102600630B1; EP3371044B1; AU2016348556A1; FR3043057A1; FR3043057B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a submersible of the type comprising an on-board high-pressure air supply system (2) and means (1) for manoeuvring at least one mast of said submersible, for the raising and lowering of same, where the manoeuvring means are connected to oleopneumatic means (3) comprising a first hydraulic part (4) for moving the mast and a second pneumatic part (5) for pressurising the first part using the on-board high-pressure air supply system of the submersible.

Description

Submersible provided with means for maneuvering a mast

The present invention relates to a submersible, such as a submarine strictly speaking.

Submersibles of this type are practically always equipped with a centralized hydraulic station, which produces energy that can be used for different on board applications.

In particular, this hydraulic energy is extremely well suited to maneuvering masts of the vehicle, for example for the slaved maneuvering of a periscope, or the like.

However, for various reasons, in particular reasons relative to discretion, bulk, cost, upkeep and volume in the hull, such centralized hydraulic power generating stations are tending to disappear in favor of other stations using other energies, for example pneumatic or electric energy.

The electric energy from the on-board system of the submersible is sometimes used for electric jacks for maneuvering this type of mast. This energy does not always have the necessary availability and discretion.

Pneumatic energy, which is reliable and available in sufficient quantities on board, does not make it easier to perform position slaving. It may be noisy for the crew during use of the mast.

Examples of the invention seek to resolve or at least alleviate one or more of these problems.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a submersible of the type including an on-board high-pressure air supply system and means for maneuvering at least one mast of this vehicle for hoisting and lowering it, wherein the maneuvering means are connected to oleo-pneumatic means comprising a first hydraulic part for moving the mast and a second pneumatic part for pressurizing the first part from the on-board high-pressure air supply system of the submersible.

According to other features of the submersible according to the invention: - it includes an air/hydraulic separator, the air part of which is associated with the second pneumatic part of the oleo-pneumatic means and the hydraulic part of which is associated with the first hydraulic part thereof;

- the air part of the air/hydraulic separator is connected to the outlet of a distributor including at least one inlet connected to pressurized air supply means and an outlet connected to expansion means; - the pressurized air supply means comprise means forming an expander and connected to the on-board high-pressure air supply system; - the expansion means comprise at least one expansion canister associated with an air expansion silencer of the submersible; - the hydraulic part of the air/hydraulic separator includes a supply source associated with a high-pressure oleo-pneumatic accumulator and connected through a proportional valve to a large chamber of a jack of the means for maneuvering the mast; - the proportional valve includes a return path connected to the hydraulic part of the separator;

- the jack includes a small chamber associated with an oleo-pneumatic back pressure accumulator; - the outlet and the return path of the hydraulic part of the separator are associated with check valves; - the means for maneuvering the mast comprise a jack with a stationary rod.

The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description, provided solely as an example and done in reference to the appended drawing, which shows a block diagram illustrating the structure and operation of part of a submersible according to an example of the invention and including oleo-pneumatic means for maneuvering a mast thereof.

This figure indeed shows a block diagram illustrating the structure and operation of an energy supply installation for means for maneuvering at least one mast of a submersible.

These maneuvering means for example allow the maneuvering, such as the hoisting and lowering, of a mast of the submersible, for example a periscope mast of a submarine strictly speaking.

These maneuvering means are designated by general reference 1 in this figure and then for example include at least one maneuvering jack, the rod la of which is stationary and the body lb of which is movable for the illustrated embodiment.

Furthermore, the submersible also includes an on-board high-pressure air supply system, designated by general reference 2 in this figure.

Indeed, this on-board supply system 2 may for example be an on-board supply system at a pressure comprised between 150 and 250 bars in the current environment.

Indeed, the means 1 for maneuvering the mast comprise oleo-pneumatic means designated by general reference 3 in this figure, including a first hydraulic part 4 for moving the mast and a second pneumatic part 5 for pressurizing the first part 4, from the on-board high-pressure air supply system 2 of the submersible.

Indeed and as illustrated, in the submersible according to the invention, an air/hydraulic separator, designated by general reference 6 in this figure, is provided, the air part 7 of which is associated with the second pneumatic part 5 of the oleo-pneumatic means 3 and the hydraulic part of which is associated with the first hydraulic part 4 of these oleo pneumatic means 3, as will be described in more detail later.

As illustrated, the air part 7 of the air/hydraulic separator 6 is in fact connected to the outlet of a distributor, for example controlled electrically, designated by general reference 8, and including at least one inlet connected to pressurized air supply means, designated by general reference 9, and an outlet connected to expansion means, designated by general reference 10.

In the example embodiment illustrated in this figure, the pressurized air supply means 9 for example comprise means forming an expander, designated by general reference 11, thus making it possible to deliver a pressure to the rest of the circuit for example at 150 bars, from a nominal pressure of 250 bars of the on-board high-pressure air supply network 2.

The expansion means in turn comprise at least one expansion canister, designated by general reference 13 in this figure, associated with an air expansion silencer in the rest of the submersible, this silencer being designated by general reference 14.

The hydraulic part 15 of the air/hydraulic separator 6 includes a supply source associated with a high-pressure oleo-pneumatic accumulator, designated by general reference 16 in this figure, and connected through a proportional valve 17, to a large chamber of a jack of the means 1 for maneuvering the mast of the submersible.

The proportional valve 17 also includes a return path connected to the hydraulic part 15 of the separator 6.

It will be noted that the maneuvering means 1 of the mast comprise the jack, the rod of which is for example stationary, and that the outlet and the return path of the hydraulic part 15 of the separator 6 are associated with check valves, respectively designated by references 18 and 19.

Lastly, the small chamber of the jack of the maneuvering means 1 is associated with an oleo-pneumatic back-pressure, or return, accumulator, designated by general reference 20 in this figure.

As previously stated, the principle of the oleo-pneumatic jack is diverted toward the separator located upstream from the proportional valve, operating in hoisting and lowering of the mast.

This separator supplies a high-pressure hydraulic fluid reserve, done by an oleo pneumatic accumulator, making it possible to store a little more oil than what is needed to perform a complete deployment journey of the mast.

This separator is in turn supplied by an on-board compressed air supply system via a pressure expander.

Lastly, an expansion volume is positioned downstream from the air distributor toward the drain device in the supply system, so as to create a rapid expansion in the separator and consequently, if the valve 17 is in the return position, in the large chamber of the jack of the means for maneuvering the mast.

It is therefore this expansion volume that makes it possible to lower the mast more quickly than the oleo-pneumatic masts slowed by a slow expansion phase.

The on-board high-pressure air supply system guarantees, as previously stated, a pressure comprised for example between 150 and 250 bars in the current environment.

The expansion pressure of 150 bars is used as an example.

Using a high pressure enables a very substantial reduction in the volume of the jack and the associated devices, i.e., accumulators, air canisters, circuits and accessories.

The on-board air supply system, after expansion at 150 bars, is connected to an electric distributor participating in the slaving logic.

The outlet U of this electric distributor is connected to the pneumatic chamber of the separator.

It will be noted in this respect that it is also possible to mount the distributor directly on the separator.

The return outlet R of the distributor is connected to an expansion canister, downstream from which is a deflector, and a silencer slowly releasing the expanded air into the rest of the supply system.

The separator 6 can be made up of a traditional high-pressure piston accumulator, diverted from its traditional use.

This separator has two hydraulic outlets provided with check valves, respectively connected to the orifices P and R of the proportional hydraulic valve 17.

Between the separator and the orifice P thereof, a high-pressure oleo-pneumatic accumulator makes up the hydraulic energy reserve, which can be pre-loaded before commanding the hoisting of the mast so as to hide the inherent slowness in the pneumatic stage.

The proportional valve 17 is useful both for hoisting and lowering, in order to control both the speed and position of the mast in both directions.

The outlet U of the proportional valve is connected to the large chamber of the hoistingjack.

The small chamber of the jack of the maneuvering means 1 is connected to an oleo pneumatic return or back-pressure accumulator.

Once the mast is placed in standby mode, the pressure or the level of the high pressure accumulator is monitored.

If the mast is lower than the nominal working position and if the high-pressure pressure is not nominal, the air distributor 8 is actuated for a predetermined timed duration just necessary to fill the accumulator.

It should be noted that, owing to the expander 9, the maximum pressure and therefore the filling level of the accumulator 16 will never exceed a predetermined threshold, irrespective of the opening duration of the air distributor 8 and the initial level of the accumulator.

The air distributor returning to the idle position, the pneumatic chamber of the separator 6 empties quickly into the expansion canister, then more slowly into the supply system.

In this state, the mast can be used for hoisting, owing to the high-pressure reserve, but it can also be slaved in lowering, the back-pressure in the small chamber pushing back the piston of the separator.

If the mast is in its nominal working position and the pressure P drops below a determined threshold, the air distributor 8 is activated again to reinflate the high-pressure accumulator.

If the mast receives a lowering order, the air distributor 8 receives an expansion order irrespective of its prior state and the state of the compression time delay.

The proportional hydraulic valve receives parallel, but separate orders from the air distribution logic.

These orders for example come from a combat management system, for example based on the operational need to hoist or lower the mast.

The control law of the proportional valve is then a traditional law for maintaining the position and speed. The mast for example operates in response to a position homing setpoint, with clipping based on a maximum speed threshold of the mast. The clipping speed can be set or can be programmed based on the deviation measured between the setpoint position and the position of the mast at a given moment.

The use of a proportional valve justifies doing away with end-of-travel retarders.

One can then see that such a structure has a certain number of advantages in terms of hoisting and lowering conditions of the mast, while being much easier to use, less bulky and quieter.

Of course, other embodiments may also be considered.

The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1.- A submersible of the type including an on-board high-pressure air supply system and means for maneuvering at least one mast of this vehicle for hoisting and lowering it, wherein the maneuvering means are connected to oleo-pneumatic means comprising a first hydraulic part for moving the mast and a second pneumatic part for pressurizing the first part from the on-board high-pressure air supply system of the submersible.

2.- The submersible according to claim 1, wherein it includes an air/hydraulic separator, the air part of which is associated with the second pneumatic part of the oleo pneumatic means and the hydraulic part of which is associated with the first hydraulic part thereof.

3.- The submersible according to claim 2, wherein the air part of the air/hydraulic separator is connected to the outlet of a distributor including at least one inlet connected to pressurized air supply means and an outlet connected to expansion means.

4.- The submersible according to claim 3, wherein the pressurized air supply means comprise means forming an expander and connected to the on-board high-pressure air supply system.

5.- The submersible according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the expansion means comprise at least one expansion canister associated with an air expansion silencer of the submersible.

6.- The underwater vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the hydraulic part of the air/hydraulic separator includes a supply source associated with a high pressure oleo-pneumatic accumulator and connected through a proportional valve to a large chamber of a jack of the means for maneuvering the mast.

7.- The submersible according to claim 6, wherein the proportional valve includes a return path connected to the hydraulic part of the separator.

8.- The submersible according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the jack includes a small chamber associated with an oleo-pneumatic back pressure accumulator.

9.- The submersible according to claims 6 and 7, wherein the outlet and the return path of the hydraulic part of the separator are associated with check valves.

10.- The submersible according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the means for maneuvering the mast comprise a jack with a stationary rod.