DE102011057091A1

DE102011057091A1 - Floatation structure for e.g. manned underwater craft, has actuator that is arranged for varying density of filling material partially filled in variable-volume chamber

Info

Publication number: DE102011057091A1
Application number: DE201110057091
Authority: DE
Inventors: Andreas Lonkai
Original assignee: Atlas Elektronik GmbH
Current assignee: Atlas Elektronik GmbH
Priority date: 2011-12-28
Filing date: 2011-12-28
Publication date: 2013-07-04

Abstract

The floatation structure (14) has a submersible portion (20) that is provided with a variable volume chamber (24). The variable volume chamber is partially filled with a filling material that comprises salt hydrates like sodium thiosulfate and paraffin such as wax, vaseline, petroleum, cerasin and grease. An actuator is arranged for varying the density of the filling material. An independent claim is included for method for disconnecting or emerging submersible portion of floatation structure.

Description

The invention relates to a floating body with at least one submersible area according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method for the emergence or emergence of a submersible area of a floating body according to the preamble of claim 10.
Such floats are e.g. used in seismic seabed surveys and exploration or reconnaissance of sea areas. The float is e.g. deployed by a watercraft, towed and / or controlled by a signal connection from the vessel. In this case, such floats have at least one submergible area, the submersible area, e.g. for water sound absorption, can be used below the water surface.
According to the prior art, the buoyancy force of the submersible region of the float during manufacture is set such that the use of the submersible region in a main application area in a certain Tauchbzw. Depth of use of the submersible area surrounding water is possible. This depth depends on parameters such as the salinity, the temperature and the pressure of the water in the depth.
If such a submersible area to be used in a different than in the production previously determined use depth, the float, which is designed for a specific depth of water, must be replaced with another floating body, which is made for a different depth of use. However, such replacement of the floating body is very time consuming and costly because e.g. several floats must be provided and the replacement of the float requires a period of time in which the float can not be used for its purpose.
The invention is therefore the technical problem of finding a floating body with a submersible area that can be used in different depths, at least in a main application area.
The invention solves this technical problem by a floating body with at least one submersible area according to claim 1 and by a method for the emergence or emergence of a submersible area of a floating body according to claim 10.
According to the invention, the submersible region of the floating body has at least one variable volume chamber. This chamber is at least partially filled with a filler. Further, the submersible portion of the float in the region of the chamber or in the chamber on an actuator for varying the density of the filler. By varying the density of the filler, the submersible portion of the float is lowered or lowered.
Advantageously, by varying the density of the filler, the total density of the submersible portion of the float is changed, whereby the buoyancy force is thus adaptable. By adjusting the buoyancy force control of the emergence and emergence is possible.
According to a particular embodiment, the submersible region of the floating body is a towed antenna, which is also called underwater antenna or streamer. The towed antenna has e.g. an outer shell formed with a tube or a plurality of elastic tubes connected by connecting elements. This towed antenna is e.g. suitable for being towed behind a watercraft or underwater vehicle and detecting waterborne noise.
A towed antenna whose depth is controllable in a body of water has the advantage that its depth, e.g. in the shallow waters of the watercourse can be targeted reduced to avoid collisions with the bottom of the water. Furthermore, it is possible to deploy a towed antenna initially floating while driving from a vessel and to drop the towed antenna in the next step by changes in the density of the towed antenna - even when the vessel is at rest - at the bottom of the water.
According to another particular embodiment, the float is a manned underwater vehicle, an unmanned autonomously-controlled underwater vehicle, an unmanned remote-controlled underwater vehicle, an active sonar transmitter or a sonoboje.
Such shaped floats whose buoyancy force is adjustable have the advantage that e.g. whose rest position is adjustable to different depths. To change the depth of such trained floating body thus no ballast cells and / or compressed air tanks for stationary subsidence and emergence are needed.
According to a further particular embodiment, the actuator is a heating and / or cooling element. With the heating and / or cooling element is it is possible to change or vary the temperature of the filler.
A variation of the temperature with a heating and / or cooling element is advantageously easy to implement, whereby the realization is used that the density of most materials - apart for example. Of water, which is subject to the "density anomaly" and at atmospheric pressure and about 4 ° C has its maximum density - reduced when warming up and increases on cooling.
According to a further advantageous embodiment, the filler is a supercooled melt and / or a supercooled liquid and the actuator is a device or means for seeding the melt with one or more nuclei, the seeding here comprising any form of introduction of a crystallization batch. An example of such a means is a sparkler, which is used to generate bubbles by sound pressure, which in turn leads to the formation of nuclei. This advantageously results in that a change in density is possible with very little energy since the supercooled melt passes into another state of aggregation by seeding with one or more crystallization nuclei and the density changes during this phase transition.
According to a further advantageous embodiment, the submergible area of the floating body has one or more pressure sensors for measuring the ambient pressure on the submersible area. The pressure sensors are here e.g. arranged near or in one of the chambers. Advantageously, by measuring the ambient pressure on the submergible area of the floating body, the depth of submergence of the submersible area in a body of water can be determined. Further, the density of the filler can be more accurately adjusted with knowledge of the exact ambient pressure on the submersible region and thus on the filler chamber because the density of a material - as well as the filler - is dependent on the pressure on the material in addition to the temperature ,
According to a further advantageous embodiment, the actuator is designed to change the density of the filler by a phase transition of the aggregate state of the filler is generated with the actuator. Depending on the type, ie on the material, of the filler, this makes it possible, at least for a defined phase transition, to achieve a large volume change and thus a large density change of the filler with little energy expenditure.
According to a further advantageous embodiment, the filler has defined physical properties, e.g. a defined volume change at a certain temperature change and / or a defined density at a certain temperature, on or the filler is selected such that it has defined physical properties, wherein the properties are adapted to the main application area of the floating body. This means, more precisely, that a filler is selected which is e.g. its relatively largest volume change in or at a temperature range in which also the average temperature of the water body of the main application area is. Furthermore, the density of the filler at a temperature which is in or at the temperature range of the main application area, to be chosen such that the floating body is without or with low energy input in the range of density of the water surrounding the floating body.
Thus, it is possible to cause the highest possible volume change with a resulting density change by low energy supply or removal to or from the filler by the actuator in the main application area. It is therefore possible with little expenditure of energy a surfacing or lowering of the float.
According to a further advantageous embodiment, the filler comprises a salt hydrate, such as e.g. Sodium thiosulfate, and / or a paraffin, e.g. Wax, vaseline, petroleum, cerasin and / or fat, on or consists entirely of it. The advantage of such fillers is the ability to easily adjust the phase transition temperature to the temperature ranges which usually prevail in main application areas. Another advantage is that these materials are flexible in any state of aggregation and thus are also suitable for floats, which due to e.g. a required flow behavior must be flexible in any case in a defined range.
Further advantageous embodiments will become apparent from the subclaims and from the closer explained with reference to the drawings embodiments. In the drawings show:
1 a watercraft with an embodiment of a floating body;
2 the enlarged section of a portion of an embodiment of a floating body and
3 a further embodiment of a floating body.
1 shows a watercraft 10 , The watercraft 10 is in this case a surface ship, wherein in accordance with a further embodiment also designed as a submarine watercraft 10 is possible. The watercraft 10 has a winch drum at the rear 12 on, by a designed as a towed floating body 14 into a body of water 16 has been applied. The trained as a towed float 14 has a pull rope 18 as well as a submersible area 20 on, with the submersible area 20 an acoustic section of the towed antenna corresponds.
The submersible area 20 has an outer shell 22 which is formed with an elastic tube. Furthermore, the submersible area indicates 20 for example three chambers here 24 on that inside the outer shell 22 lie. According to a further embodiment, a single chamber would also be 24 as well as any other number of chambers 24 possible. Furthermore, the acoustic section has three pressure sensors 26 on, with which the ambient pressure on the outer shell 22 and / or the chambers 24 is measured. According to a further embodiment, it would also be possible to use only one pressure sensor 26 or any other number of pressure sensors 26 provided.
Furthermore, the submersible area indicates 20 So, the acoustic section, several hydrophones 28 on, with those on the acoustic section 20 incident sound waves are converted into electrical and / or optical signals.
The chambers 24 are completely or partially filled with a specially chosen filler, so that the total density of the submersible area 20 at a water temperature of the water body 16 essentially the density of the water 16 in a given water depth or depth corresponds. Without further energy supply or removal behaves the submersible area 20 thus buoyancy neutral in the given water depth. However, it is possible to vary the density of the filler, thereby increasing the overall density of the submersible region 20 varies and the submersible range 20 thereby increasing the total density in the direction of the arrow 30 submerged or when reducing the total density in the direction of the arrow 32 is emerged.
2 shows an enlarged section of an embodiment of a floating body 14 , eg a section of the submersible area 20 out 1 , In the enlarged section is a chamber 24 shown completely with a filler 34 is filled. Alternatively, there is a chamber 24 possible that only partially with the filler 34 is filled. In the case of a trained as a towed float 14 is however a chamber 24 advantageous to complete with the filler 34 is filled, as a "bubble" or other material in the chamber 24 could have unfavorable effects on the hydro-acoustic characteristics of the towed antenna.
Further, the chamber has 24 an actuator 36 on, which is designed here as a heating element. It would also be designed as a cooling element actuator 36 or any other actuator possible with which the density of the filler 34 is variable.
The actuator 36 is inside the chamber 24 arranged and via a supply line 38 caused by the transformation of the chamber 24 is guided, with a voltage supplied to the temperature of the actuator 36 adjust. Is the temperature of the actuator 36 increases, so this increase in temperature on the filler 34 transmitted to the actuator 36 surrounds, reducing the density of the filler 34 is reduced. By decreasing the density, the volume of the filler increases 34 and the chamber 24 expands. By expanding the chamber 24 The outer shell also expands 22 in the fields of 40 and the total density of the illustrated section of the float 14 decreases.
Because the density of the filler 34 is also dependent on its ambient pressure, which can be with the actuator 36 Density of the filler to be adjusted 34 only be adjusted very accurately when the ambient pressure on the filler 34 is known. Therefore, in 2 a pressure sensor 26 shown with the on the outer shell 22 acting pressure is measured. This pressure affects the area 40 also to the chamber 24 and thus on the filler 34 , By measuring the ambient pressure with the pressure sensor 26 is thus an adjustment of the density of the filler 34 inside the chamber 24 with the actuator 36 very possible.
3 shows a designed as a submersible float 14 , where the submersible area 20 of the float 14 the entire float 14 includes. The float 14 points in a pressure hull 41 a battery 42 on that over a supply line 38 with a tail and a bow-side actuator 36 connected is. The actuators 36 are outside the pressure hull 41 but inside the outer shell 22 of the float 14 arranged. By switching the switch 44 become the actuators 36 with the voltage of the battery 42 provided. The actuators 36 are each located in a chamber 24 with a filler 34 , where the chambers 24 also outside the pressure hull 41 but inside the outer shell 22 are arranged. By such an arrangement of the chambers 24 outside the pressure hull 41 and the battery 42 and the switch 44 within the pressure hull 41 is it possible for the battery 41 and the switch 44 do not come into contact with water while a total density change of the float 14 by density change of the filler 34 is possible. In the fields of 46 is the outer shell 22 of the float 14 flexible, so that when supplying the actuators 36 with the voltage of the battery 42 and the resulting increase in volume of the filler 34 the total volume of the float 14 increased and thus the density is reduced. Thus, by closing and opening the switch 44 the buoyancy of the float 14 be varied.
In 3 an unmanned autonomously controlled underwater vehicle is shown. However, it would also be possible to use the indicated variation of the buoyancy force in any other underwater vehicles. Examples of such underwater vehicles would be, for example, manned underwater vehicles or unmanned remote-controlled underwater vehicles. Furthermore, it is possible to use the described variation of the buoyancy force with active sonar transmitters or a sonoboje.
Further, the actuators 36 formed in the illustrated embodiments as heating elements. However, it is also possible that the actuators 36 According to a further embodiment, a device for seeding the filler 34 with one or more crystallization nuclei or crystallization approaches. An example of such an actuator is, for example, a sparker, which is also called bang-spark generator and is designed to a pressure wave in the filler 34 to produce, where the pressure wave then offers crystallization nuclei or crystallization approaches. In such an actuator 36 then becomes a filler 34 selected, which corresponds to a supercooled melt or a supercooled liquid. An illustrative example of the combination of an actuator 36 , which is a device for seeding a supercooled melt with a crystallization seed, is known from the field of latent heat storage, such as heat pads.
Thanks to the invention, it is thus possible, the buoyancy of a submersible area 20 a float 14 to vary without the submersible range 20 of the float 14 as in the case of conventional submarines, in certain areas to flood with water or displace the water from these areas.
All mentioned in the above description of the figures, in the claims and in the introduction of the description features can be used individually as well as in any combination with each other. The disclosure of the invention is therefore not limited to the described or claimed feature combinations. Rather, all feature combinations are to be regarded as disclosed.

Claims

Float ( 14 ) with at least one submersible area ( 20 ), characterized in that the submersible area ( 20 ) at least one chamber ( 24 ) having variable volumes, the chamber ( 24 ) at least partially with a filler ( 34 ) and in the area of or in the chamber ( 24 ) an actuator ( 36 ) for varying the density of the filler ( 34 ) is arranged.
Float according to claim 1, characterized in that the submersible area ( 20 ) of the float ( 14 ) comprises the acoustic section of a towed antenna.
Float according to claim 1, characterized in that the float ( 14 ) is a manned underwater vehicle, an unmanned autonomously controlled underwater vehicle, an unmanned remote controlled submersible, an active sonar transmitter or a sonoboy.
Float according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator ( 36 ) a heating and / or cooling element for varying the temperature of the filler ( 34 ).
Float according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the filler ( 34 ) is a supercooled melt and the actuator ( 36 ) is a device for seeding the melt with one or more crystallization nuclei.
Float according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the submersible area ( 20 ) one or more pressure sensors ( 26 ) for measuring the ambient pressure on the chamber ( 24 ) having.
Float according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator ( 36 ) is designed to increase the density of the filler ( 34 ) by using the actuator ( 36 ) a phase transition of the state of aggregation of the filler ( 34 ) is produced.
Float according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filler ( 34 ) has defined physical properties adapted to the main application area.
Float according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filler ( 34 ) Salt hydrates, such as sodium thiosulfate, and / or paraffins, such as wax, petrolatum, petroleum, cerasin and / or fat.
Method for emerging or emerging a submersible area ( 20 ) of a floating body ( 14 ) with at least one submersible area ( 20 ), characterized in that the submersible area ( 20 ) at least one chamber ( 24 ) having variable volumes, the chamber ( 24 ) at least partially with a filler ( 34 ) and the density of the filler ( 34 ) with one in the area of or in the chamber ( 24 ) arranged actuator ( 36 ) is varied.
Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the actuator ( 36 ) is a heating and / or cooling element and the temperature of the filler ( 34 ) is varied with the heating and / or cooling element.
Process according to claim 10, characterized in that the filler ( 34 ) is a supercooled melt and the melt with the actuator ( 36 ) is inoculated with one or more crystallization seeds.
Method according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the with the actuator ( 36 ) the density of the filler is changed by using the actuator ( 36 ) a phase transition of the state of aggregation of the filler ( 36 ) is produced.
Method according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the filler ( 34 ) is chosen such that this has adapted to the main application area physical properties.
Method according to one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that a filler ( 34 ) having salt hydrates, such as sodium thiosulfate, and / or paraffins, such as wax, petrolatum, petroleum, cerasin and / or fat.