EP0991564A1 - Depth control device - Google Patents
Depth control deviceInfo
- Publication number
- EP0991564A1 EP0991564A1 EP98930947A EP98930947A EP0991564A1 EP 0991564 A1 EP0991564 A1 EP 0991564A1 EP 98930947 A EP98930947 A EP 98930947A EP 98930947 A EP98930947 A EP 98930947A EP 0991564 A1 EP0991564 A1 EP 0991564A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- depth
- chambers
- volume
- fluid
- buoyant body
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63G—OFFENSIVE OR DEFENSIVE ARRANGEMENTS ON VESSELS; MINE-LAYING; MINE-SWEEPING; SUBMARINES; AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
- B63G8/00—Underwater vessels, e.g. submarines; Equipment specially adapted therefor
- B63G8/14—Control of attitude or depth
- B63G8/24—Automatic depth adjustment; Safety equipment for increasing buoyancy, e.g. detachable ballast, floating bodies
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B22/00—Buoys
- B63B22/18—Buoys having means to control attitude or position, e.g. reaction surfaces or tether
Definitions
- This invention relates to a depth control device, in particular for use with submersible bodies.
- Certain submersible bodies e.g. towed arrays, such as towed sonar arrays and seismic streamers, or sonar buoys, are required to maintain a predetermined depth.
- US 3909774 suggests incorporating pressure sensors in sections of a seismic streamer towed by a ship to control inflow and outflow of a buoyancy control liquid held in a pipeline alongside the streamer and serving multiple sections.
- the problem with this system is that it is bulky and relies on a connection to a pump and supply on the ship for the additional fluid pipeline required, so it is unsuitable for small bodies or independent vessels, such as the AUV.
- Retrieval of bodies, which do not have their own form of propulsion, from the sea bed is typically done by attaching an air bag and providing a tank of compressed air which inflates the air bag to give the body sufficient buoyancy to return to the surface.
- ballast the body e.g. with lead shot
- disengage the ballast so that the natural buoyancy of the body raises it to the surface.
- a device for deploying instrumentation has been proposed which is dependent on the external water pressure acting on a piston until the piston comes up against a spring and then the piston continues to compress the spring until, at a predetermined depth, a spike beneath the piston impales a gas canister.
- the gas released forces the piston back up and provides sufficient buoyancy to raise the device back to the surface of the water.
- the instrument is retrieved and the readings recorded during the device's passage can then be read.
- This system suffers from the similar problems to the ballast or air bag systems, that the devices must be set up for a specific depth in a particular area of water and can only be used for one depth setting without adjustment and replenishment of the gas canister. Use of this system in towed arrays would involve significant time and expense.
- a depth control device for a submersible body, comprises depth monitoring means and depth control means; wherein the depth control means comprises a controller and a variable volume buoyant body; the buoyant body comprising a first chamber containing a first compressible fluid and second and third chambers in communicating relationship with one another containing a second fluid, less susceptible to compression than the first; whereby a piston at the entrance to the first chamber is displaced in response to movement of the second fluid between the second and third chambers such that the volume of the buoyant body is varied; and wherein a depth trigger value is set in the depth control means such that the controller initiates a reversible change in the volume of the buoyant body in response to a change in depth sensed by the depth monitoring means, whereby the depth of the submersible body is maintained at substantially the depth trigger value.
- the present invention uses a buoyant body, the volume of which may be reversibly changed, to either increase or decrease the buoyancy of the body in response to a change in depth sensed by the depth monitoring means, and thereby maintain the depth at a set value.
- the invention uses a closed system which transfers the second fluid between two chambers, so that pressure is exerted indirectly on the more compressible first liquid allowing a self-contained, compact device to be produced.
- a pump with an integral return valve is most suitable for the device of the invention and preferably, the pump comprises a swash plate pump.
- the present invention uses a swash plate pump which increases or decreases the buoyancy of the device by transferring fluid between two reservoirs to alter the volume of fluid in a first chamber which provides the device with its buoyancy. There is no limit on how often this can be done, unlike systems which rely on compressed air, which have a limited usable life without refilling.
- the controller further comprises means to receive control signals to set the depth trigger value, such that the depth of the submersible body may be changed.
- the invention can be operated to maintain a pre-set depth or to change the depth at which the body is held, by adjusting the buoyancy for a new depth trigger value.
- the depth monitoring means comprises a pressure sensor.
- Other ways of measuring depth include active acoustic means.
- a submersible body comprising one of a seismic streamer, a towed sonar array, a sonar buoy or a bathyscaph including at least one depth control device according to the first aspect.
- a depth control device of the invention would allow the buoy to be moved to different depths to obtain data.
- Figure 1 illustrates a device according to the invention.
- Fig. 1 shows an example of a depth control device 1.
- the device 1 comprises a housing 2, a swash plate pump 3, a motor 4, a pressure transducer 5, electronic control circuits 6, first and second reservoirs 7, 8 and an air chamber 10.
- the first reservoir 7 is inside the housing 2 and a piston 9 is provided between the reservoir 7 and the air chamber 10.
- This piston 9 moves when hydraulic fluid, typically oil, is pumped between the first reservoir 7 and the second reservoir 8 by means of a tube 13 and bypass valve 12.
- the second reservoir is bounded by a second piston 11, separating the oil from water outside the housing, which moves to accommodate the distribution of the volume of oil between the two reservoirs 7, 8.
- the volume of the air chamber 10 varies to increase the buoyancy of the device 1 in response to a sensed increase in pressure or vice versa.
- the housing is preferably made of metal to be robust.
- the control circuits 6 include a processor which may be programmed with a pressure corresponding to a desired depth at which the device 1 is to be maintained and when the pressure exceeds that programmed value, the buoyancy of the device 1 is increased by operation of the swash plate pump 3 to pump hydraulic fluid from the first reservoir 7 to the second reservoir 8, allowing the air to expand into the space vacated so increasing the volume of the air chamber 10 and the resultant buoyancy. If the pressure is below the programmed value, the buoyancy is reduced by reversing operation of the motor 4 and opening a bypass valve 12 which allows hydrostatic pressure on the piston 11 to push oil back from the second reservoir into the first reservoir, so compressing the piston 9 and reducing the volume of the air chamber 10.
- the fluid in the air chamber 10 is not restricted to air, other gases could be substituted.
- the device may be connected to a body for which it is to control the depth via a watertight connector 13.
- the control circuitry may also include a receiver to receive control signals to change the programmed depth.
- the control signals could be delivered via internal cabling which is already in place in a towed array and connects directly to the ship or for a sonar buoy or other non-towed body, control signals may be transmitted from a remote transmitter on shore or on a ship or an aircraft.
- the active nature of the device of the present invention allows submersible bodies to be maintained at a predetermined depth or for the depth to be changed according to the circumstances.
- a body By making setting up pre-programmed consecutive variations to the programmed depth a body can operate at one or more depths for a period, surface and then move to a new depth. Alternatively, if a particular characteristic within a water column is of interest, additional sensors may be used to follow that characteristic and to control the programmed depth, so that a buoy passes through only the vertical section of the water column in which that characteristic is apparent.
- the device can also be used to position and hold objects at a required depth e.g. for positioning equipment underwater by lowering the object under control to a pre-set depth and holding it at that depth whilst it is connected to other equipment. This reduces the cost of deployment as compared with an air bag system as currently used for this purpose which requires divers, cranage or ballasting.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
- Measurement Of Velocity Or Position Using Acoustic Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
- Structures Of Non-Positive Displacement Pumps (AREA)
- Jet Pumps And Other Pumps (AREA)
- Reciprocating Pumps (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB9713973 | 1997-07-03 | ||
GBGB9713973.7A GB9713973D0 (en) | 1997-07-03 | 1997-07-03 | Depth control device |
PCT/GB1998/001858 WO1999001338A1 (en) | 1997-07-03 | 1998-06-25 | Depth control device |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0991564A1 true EP0991564A1 (en) | 2000-04-12 |
EP0991564B1 EP0991564B1 (en) | 2002-03-13 |
Family
ID=10815263
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP98930947A Expired - Lifetime EP0991564B1 (en) | 1997-07-03 | 1998-06-25 | Depth control device |
Country Status (7)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0991564B1 (en) |
AU (1) | AU732699B2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2294978A1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE69804221T2 (en) |
GB (2) | GB9713973D0 (en) |
NZ (1) | NZ501725A (en) |
WO (1) | WO1999001338A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (15)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP3990853B2 (en) | 2000-03-24 | 2007-10-17 | 株式会社トリニティーセキュリティーシステムズ | Digital copy prevention processing apparatus, reproducible recording medium recording digital data processed by the apparatus, digital copy prevention processing method, computer-readable recording medium recording a program for causing a computer to execute the method, and method Reproducible recording medium that records processed digital data |
GB2375572A (en) * | 2001-05-15 | 2002-11-20 | Secr Defence | A pumping system with bypass means |
FR2940838B1 (en) | 2009-01-05 | 2012-12-28 | Michel Manin | IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEISMIC MARINE PROSPECTING |
FR2945356B1 (en) * | 2009-05-11 | 2011-11-18 | Architecture Et Conception De Systemes Avances | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR IMMERSION CONTROL FOR STATIONARY SEISMIC FLUTE. |
FR2961317B1 (en) | 2010-06-10 | 2014-01-17 | Kietta | SEISMIC PROSPECTING METHOD IN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT |
US9251983B2 (en) * | 2013-04-19 | 2016-02-02 | Sercel Inc. | Depth-activated sensor switch and method |
JP2016155392A (en) * | 2013-05-16 | 2016-09-01 | 株式会社Ihi | Water movable body |
CN103350749B (en) * | 2013-07-11 | 2015-07-08 | 中国船舶重工集团公司第七○二研究所 | Energy-saving type residual buoyancy driving device utilizing spring to store energy |
CN104670442B (en) * | 2013-11-30 | 2017-02-15 | 中国科学院沈阳自动化研究所 | Modular buoyancy control unit for autonomous underwater vehicles |
FR3043791B1 (en) | 2015-11-17 | 2018-11-16 | Kietta | CONTROLLING THE DEPTH OF A SEISMIC CABLE |
FR3054890B1 (en) | 2016-08-02 | 2019-07-05 | Kietta | CHECKING THE HORIZONTAL POSITION OF A SEISMIC CABLE |
DE102019118103A1 (en) * | 2019-07-04 | 2021-01-07 | Rwe Renewables Gmbh | Maritime float |
IL301164A (en) * | 2020-09-09 | 2023-05-01 | Y& R Allum Pty Ltd | Balanced piston pump for subsea use |
CN113859494B (en) * | 2021-11-09 | 2022-06-28 | 武汉理工大学 | Aircraft capable of converting attitude |
CN114136722A (en) * | 2021-11-23 | 2022-03-04 | 杭州电子科技大学 | Air charging device and air charging method for underwater sampler |
Family Cites Families (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR449654A (en) * | 1912-10-21 | 1913-03-05 | Eugene Lagare | System of expandable bodies or elements, with variable buoyancy and its application to the diving of submarines and to the refloating of submerged bodies |
US3436776A (en) * | 1967-02-23 | 1969-04-08 | Texas Instruments Inc | Self-ballasting streamer |
US3909774A (en) | 1974-07-25 | 1975-09-30 | Whitehall Corp | Controlled buoyancy system for seismic streamer sections |
US4031581A (en) * | 1976-03-29 | 1977-06-28 | Vetco Offshore Industries, Inc. | Sub-sea adjustable buoy |
US4266500A (en) * | 1979-09-24 | 1981-05-12 | Bunker Ramo Corporation | Hover control system for a submersible buoy |
US5283767A (en) * | 1992-02-27 | 1994-02-01 | Mccoy Kim | Autonomous oceanographic profiler |
NO179927C (en) | 1994-05-13 | 1997-01-08 | Petroleum Geo Services As | Depth Control Device |
-
1997
- 1997-07-03 GB GBGB9713973.7A patent/GB9713973D0/en not_active Ceased
-
1998
- 1998-06-25 EP EP98930947A patent/EP0991564B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1998-06-25 CA CA002294978A patent/CA2294978A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 1998-06-25 GB GB9928379A patent/GB2340466B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1998-06-25 WO PCT/GB1998/001858 patent/WO1999001338A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 1998-06-25 NZ NZ501725A patent/NZ501725A/en unknown
- 1998-06-25 AU AU81222/98A patent/AU732699B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1998-06-25 DE DE69804221T patent/DE69804221T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
See references of WO9901338A1 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
NZ501725A (en) | 2001-01-26 |
DE69804221D1 (en) | 2002-04-18 |
AU8122298A (en) | 1999-01-25 |
GB9928379D0 (en) | 2000-01-26 |
WO1999001338A1 (en) | 1999-01-14 |
GB9713973D0 (en) | 1997-09-10 |
CA2294978A1 (en) | 1999-01-14 |
GB2340466B (en) | 2001-07-25 |
GB2340466A (en) | 2000-02-23 |
DE69804221T2 (en) | 2002-10-10 |
AU732699B2 (en) | 2001-04-26 |
EP0991564B1 (en) | 2002-03-13 |
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