EP1819589A1 - Underwater remotely operated vehicle - Google Patents

Underwater remotely operated vehicle

Info

Publication number
EP1819589A1
EP1819589A1 EP05808044A EP05808044A EP1819589A1 EP 1819589 A1 EP1819589 A1 EP 1819589A1 EP 05808044 A EP05808044 A EP 05808044A EP 05808044 A EP05808044 A EP 05808044A EP 1819589 A1 EP1819589 A1 EP 1819589A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
vehicle
thrusters
underwater vehicle
thruster
pivotally mounted
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP05808044A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Colin George Millum
Gordon Sub-Atlantic Limited DURWARD
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sub Atlantic Ltd
Original Assignee
Sub Atlantic Ltd
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Sub Atlantic Ltd filed Critical Sub Atlantic Ltd
Publication of EP1819589A1 publication Critical patent/EP1819589A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

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
    • 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
    • B63G8/16—Control of attitude or depth by direct use of propellers or jets
    • 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
    • B63G8/001—Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations
    • B63G2008/002—Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations unmanned
    • B63G2008/005—Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations unmanned remotely controlled

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a vehicle, and particularly to an underwater vehicle such as a remotely operated vehicle commonly called an ROV.
  • ROVs are remote-controlled submersible vehicles often used for subsea tasks such as conducting repairs or inspections to underwater equipment.
  • ROVs are electrically powered via an umbilical from a control ship, which supplies power to onboard thrusters.
  • the thrusters are generally in the form of impellers able to operate in forward and reverse directions and are usually contained within a housing or cowling fixed to the corners of the ROV.
  • the thrusters are generally fixed at 45° with respect to the sides to direct their thrust through apertures in the front, rear or sides of the ROV.
  • an underwater vehicle having at least one thruster that is pivotally mounted on the vehicle.
  • the vehicle has a number of thrusters that are pivotalIy mounted.
  • four thrusters one at each corner of a generally rectangular vehicle, can be pivotally mounted to the vehicle and the attitude of the thrusters can be variable so as to direct the thrust at various angles with respect to the vehicle.
  • the attitude of the thrusters is optionally variable during use of the thrusters.
  • the thrusters are contained within the boundaries of a frame of the vehicle, and are arranged to direct thrust through apertures in the frame.
  • the attitude of the thrusters can be varied by a limited amount, for example by up to 40° to 50°, although a greater amount of variability in the thrusters can be provided with some embodiments.
  • the frame and/or the apertures for directing thrust can be larger to accommodate the wider ranges of variability.
  • variable attitude thruster is disposed at each corner of the vehicle.
  • a control system centrally controls the attitude of all the variable attitude thrusters on the vehicle, co-ordinating their attitudes to focus the overall thrust of the vehicle in a particular desired direction.
  • the thrusters can be mounted on pivot bosses with stops or rebates to control the maximum deflection of individual thrusters, and mechanical linkages such as bars or rods can link the thrusters to a central control bar that can be actuated (e.g. rotated) in order to adjust the attitude of all of the thrusters simultaneously.
  • the attitude of the thrust can be centrally controlled by electronic means, for example by semi-automatic electronic systems.
  • the underwater vehicle is a remotely operated vehicle.
  • the remotely operated vehicle comprises a camera and at least one grappling arm.
  • the thrusters can typically pivot in a single plane, such as a horizontal plane of the ROV, for example the plane of the deck of the ROV. Other planes of the ROV parallel to this can also be used. In some embodiments, the thrusters can pivot in a different, non-horizontal plane.
  • Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle. according to the invention
  • Fig. 2 is a view from beneath the Fig. 1 vehicle, showing the thrusters in a 45° orientation with respect to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle
  • Fig. 3 shows a similar view to Figs. 2 with thrusters in a 25° orientation
  • Fig. 4 shows a view from beneath similar to Fig.
  • Fig 5 is a perspective view of a vehicle showing a control system for controlling the attitude of the thrusters, with the thrusters in a 45° orientation
  • Fig 6 is a plan view (from above) of the Fig 5 arrangement
  • Fig 7 is a perspective view of a vehicle showing a control system for controlling the attitude of the thrusters, with the thrusters in a 25° orientation
  • Fig 8 is a plan view (from above) of the Fig 7 arrangement
  • Fig 9 is a perspective view of a vehicle showing a control system for controlling the attitude of the thrusters, with the thrusters in a 65° orientation
  • Pig 10 is a plan view (from above) of the Fig 9 arrangement.
  • a remotely operated vehicle has a generally rectangular shape and comprises a frame having port and starboard sides 5, 6 arranged parallel to one another, a base 7 and a deck 8.
  • the deck 8 has a cutaway C at the front to accommodate a camera. Only certain parts of the frame and the thrusters of the vehicle are shown in the drawings to enhance understanding of the invention. Normally, the vehicle would be loaded with other parts and fittings that are not important to the invention and therefore are not shown in the drawings .
  • the deck 8 is supported by cross braces extending perpendicularly between the side frames 5, 6, and carries on its underside four thrusters disposed at each corner of the deck 8.
  • Two thrusters are disposed at the front port and starboard corners, and are designated herein as FP and FS respectively.
  • a further two thrusters are disposed at the rear port and starboard corners and are designated herein as RP and RS respectively.
  • the thrusters are bi- directional, and can operate in forward or reverse mode.
  • the impeller of thruster RS can be rotated in a clockwise direction as shown by arrow A in Fig. 1 and when thus operated can direct thrust through the aperture 5r in the starboard side plate 5.
  • the impeller can operate in the opposite direction and direct thrust through the rear of the vehicle.
  • a single thruster T is disposed in the plane of the deck 8 to provide horizontal thrust in either direction.
  • the corner thrusters are conventionally fixed in prior art devices at angles of 45° with respect to the perpendicular cross braces, and the vehicle is typically moved either forwards, backwards or to either side simply by co-ordinating the direction of thrust (ie forwards or reverse) of each of the fixed thrusters.
  • all thrusters FS, FP, RS and RP direct thrust towards the rear of the vehicle (to the left as shown in the drawings) .
  • Thrusters RP and RS direct thrust through the rear opening of the vehicle
  • the front thrusters FS and FP direct thrust through the apertures in the starboard and port side plates respectively.
  • the resolved thrust applied to the whole vehicle is less than the sum of the thrust individually exerted by the four thrusters because of the 45° vectors of the individual thrusters, so although the vehicle moves forward, the total forward thrust is only 0.71 of the total thrust exerted by the four thrusters.
  • the front thrusters FS and FP are driven in reverse to direct thrust through the front aperture of the vehicle, and the rear thrusters RS and RP are reversed to direct thrust through the apertures in the side plates 5 and 6 respectively.
  • the port thrusters RP and FP are driven through the apertures in the port side, and the starboard thrusters RS and FS through the rear and front apertures respectively.
  • the situation is reversed when the vehicle is to be moved to the port side.
  • the thrusters FS, FP, RP and RS are pivotally mounted on pivot bosses extending perpendicular to the lower surface of the deck 8 so that each thruster can move pivotally around the axis of the pivot boss in a plane that is parallel to the plane of the deck 8.
  • the thrusters when the vehicle is to move against a strong head or tail current, the thrusters can be pivotally moved to the position shown in Fig. 3, in which their attitude with is more aligned with the front to rear axis of the vehicle.
  • the thrusters In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the thrusters have each been pivotally moved around the pivot bosses, so that the total thrust is more focussed along the central front-to-rear axis of the vehicle, parallel to the side frames 5, 6.
  • the thrusters are adjusted to an angle of 25° with respect to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle.
  • the vehicle can more easily move forwards against a strong head current by directing the rear thrusters RS and RP aft through the rear aperture, and the front thrusters FS and FP aft through the starboard and port side plates 5 and 6 respectively.
  • the directions of rotation of the impellers can be reversed, so that the thrust from the front thrusters FP and FS is directed through the front cavity of the vehicle, and the thrust from the rear thrusters RP and RS is directed through the port and starboard side plates 6 and 5 respectively.
  • the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 can be adopted, where the thrusters are all pivoted to adopt an angle of 65° with respect to the front-to- rear axis of the vehicle, thereby directing more of the force in the required direction.
  • the starboard thrusters FS and RS can be arranged to direct the thrust through the front and rear apertures respectively, whereas the port thrusters RP and FP are arranged to direct more of their thrust through the apertures in the port side plate 6.
  • the thrusters can be adjusted to other angles, but the boundaries of useful adjustment for the angles are typically set by the architecture of the vehicle frame, since the thrust path from each thruster should ideally be free from obstruction by the vehicle frame, or the components of the vehicle. Therefore, the range of variation of the angles is usefully restricted to about 40° for each thruster.
  • the thrusters can be set to individually different attitudes if desired.
  • the attitude of the thrusters are controlled centrally through a control mechanism, ideally constituting a mechanical linkage between a central control arm and each thruster body.
  • the control arm is disposed centrally on the deck of the vehicle, and mechanical linkages such as tie rods or wires connect the central control rod to a fixing on each of the thruster bodies so that actuation (e.g. by rotation via a solenoid, a servo actuator, or a servo- gearbox) of the central control arm moves each of the control rods attached to a thruster, in order to pivot the thrusters in a co-ordinated manner.
  • the central control arm can typically be actuated from the surface control room by the ROV operator, and can usefully be actuated independently of the other ROV controls, so as to select a "side current" setting where the control arm moves the thrusters simultaneously into the position shown in Fig. 4, with a 65° angle, or alternatively can be set to a "fore-aft current” setting in which the control arm moves each of the thrusters in concert into the position shown in Fig. 3.
  • Figs 5-10 show a typical control system for the attitude control.
  • a servo-actuator 10 is attached to the underside of the deck 8.
  • the servo-actuator 10 rotates a pin extending through the deck 8 and a disc 11 connected to the pin on the upper side of the deck 8.
  • the rotating movement of the disc 11 is transmitted via linkage bars 13 and 14 to similar disc and pin arrangements 12 on each of the thrusters, so that rotation of the disc 11 by 20° simultaneously rotates the other discs by the same amount, but typically in opposite directions.
  • Figs 5 and 6 show the control mechanism set to the 45° setting.
  • the solenoid rotates the disc 12 anticlockwise (when viewed in plan) , which rotates the discs 12 on the thrusters FP and RS in the same direction, while rotating the discs 12 on the thrusters RP and FS in the opposite direction at the same time. This moves the thrusters into the 25° position as shown in Figs 7 and 8.
  • the solenoid is signalled from the control box to rotate the disc 11 clockwise to the position shown in Figs 9 and 10, which rotates the discs 12 on the thrusters FP and RS in the same direction, while rotating the discs 12 on the thrusters RP and FS in the opposite direction at the same time. This moves the thrusters into the 65° position as shown in Figs 9 and 10.
  • the adjustment of the thruster attitudes can optionally be co-ordinated by an automatic mechanism linked to the thruster joy stick controls.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Control Of Position, Course, Altitude, Or Attitude Of Moving Bodies (AREA)
  • Manipulator (AREA)

Abstract

An underwater vehicle having at least one thruster (12) that is pivotally mounted on the vehicle. Preferred embodiments comprise a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) with a thruster (12) in each of four corners. Each thruster may be pivoted du ring use in order to direct the thrust in the optimum direction to move the ROV in the desired direction. Embodiments of the present invention are more efficient than conventional ROVs which utilise fixed thrusters.

Description

UNDERWATER REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLE
"Vehicle"
This invention relates to a vehicle, and particularly to an underwater vehicle such as a remotely operated vehicle commonly called an ROV. ROVs are remote-controlled submersible vehicles often used for subsea tasks such as conducting repairs or inspections to underwater equipment.
Most ROVs are electrically powered via an umbilical from a control ship, which supplies power to onboard thrusters. The thrusters are generally in the form of impellers able to operate in forward and reverse directions and are usually contained within a housing or cowling fixed to the corners of the ROV. The thrusters are generally fixed at 45° with respect to the sides to direct their thrust through apertures in the front, rear or sides of the ROV.
According to the present invention there is provided an underwater vehicle having at least one thruster that is pivotally mounted on the vehicle. Typically the vehicle has a number of thrusters that are pivotalIy mounted. For example, four thrusters, one at each corner of a generally rectangular vehicle, can be pivotally mounted to the vehicle and the attitude of the thrusters can be variable so as to direct the thrust at various angles with respect to the vehicle. The attitude of the thrusters is optionally variable during use of the thrusters.
Typically the thrusters are contained within the boundaries of a frame of the vehicle, and are arranged to direct thrust through apertures in the frame.
Typically the attitude of the thrusters can be varied by a limited amount, for example by up to 40° to 50°, although a greater amount of variability in the thrusters can be provided with some embodiments. In such embodiments with greater variability for thruster attitude, the frame and/or the apertures for directing thrust can be larger to accommodate the wider ranges of variability.
Typically a variable attitude thruster is disposed at each corner of the vehicle.
Typically a control system centrally controls the attitude of all the variable attitude thrusters on the vehicle, co-ordinating their attitudes to focus the overall thrust of the vehicle in a particular desired direction. In certain embodiments of the invention, the thrusters can be mounted on pivot bosses with stops or rebates to control the maximum deflection of individual thrusters, and mechanical linkages such as bars or rods can link the thrusters to a central control bar that can be actuated (e.g. rotated) in order to adjust the attitude of all of the thrusters simultaneously. This is an advantage as the overall thrust of the vehicle can be adjusted by actuating the single control bar to adjust the direction of thrust of all adjustable attitude thrusters, and thereby centrally focus the overall thrust of the vehicle.
In other embodiments, the attitude of the thrust can be centrally controlled by electronic means, for example by semi-automatic electronic systems.
Preferably the underwater vehicle is a remotely operated vehicle.
Preferably the remotely operated vehicle comprises a camera and at least one grappling arm.
The thrusters can typically pivot in a single plane, such as a horizontal plane of the ROV, for example the plane of the deck of the ROV. Other planes of the ROV parallel to this can also be used. In some embodiments, the thrusters can pivot in a different, non-horizontal plane. Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: -
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle. according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a view from beneath the Fig. 1 vehicle, showing the thrusters in a 45° orientation with respect to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle; Fig. 3 shows a similar view to Figs. 2 with thrusters in a 25° orientation; Fig. 4 shows a view from beneath similar to Fig. 2, with the thrusters in a 65° orientation; Fig 5 is a perspective view of a vehicle showing a control system for controlling the attitude of the thrusters, with the thrusters in a 45° orientation; Fig 6 is a plan view (from above) of the Fig 5 arrangement; Fig 7 is a perspective view of a vehicle showing a control system for controlling the attitude of the thrusters, with the thrusters in a 25° orientation; Fig 8 is a plan view (from above) of the Fig 7 arrangement; Fig 9 is a perspective view of a vehicle showing a control system for controlling the attitude of the thrusters, with the thrusters in a 65° orientation; and Pig 10 is a plan view (from above) of the Fig 9 arrangement.
Referring now to the drawings, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) has a generally rectangular shape and comprises a frame having port and starboard sides 5, 6 arranged parallel to one another, a base 7 and a deck 8. The deck 8 has a cutaway C at the front to accommodate a camera. Only certain parts of the frame and the thrusters of the vehicle are shown in the drawings to enhance understanding of the invention. Normally, the vehicle would be loaded with other parts and fittings that are not important to the invention and therefore are not shown in the drawings .
The deck 8 is supported by cross braces extending perpendicularly between the side frames 5, 6, and carries on its underside four thrusters disposed at each corner of the deck 8. Two thrusters are disposed at the front port and starboard corners, and are designated herein as FP and FS respectively. A further two thrusters are disposed at the rear port and starboard corners and are designated herein as RP and RS respectively. The thrusters are bi- directional, and can operate in forward or reverse mode. For example, the impeller of thruster RS can be rotated in a clockwise direction as shown by arrow A in Fig. 1 and when thus operated can direct thrust through the aperture 5r in the starboard side plate 5. Alternatively, the impeller can operate in the opposite direction and direct thrust through the rear of the vehicle.
A single thruster T is disposed in the plane of the deck 8 to provide horizontal thrust in either direction.
The corner thrusters are conventionally fixed in prior art devices at angles of 45° with respect to the perpendicular cross braces, and the vehicle is typically moved either forwards, backwards or to either side simply by co-ordinating the direction of thrust (ie forwards or reverse) of each of the fixed thrusters. For example, in order to move forwards (to the right as shown in Figs. 1 to 4) all thrusters FS, FP, RS and RP direct thrust towards the rear of the vehicle (to the left as shown in the drawings) . Thrusters RP and RS direct thrust through the rear opening of the vehicle, and the front thrusters FS and FP direct thrust through the apertures in the starboard and port side plates respectively. The resolved thrust applied to the whole vehicle is less than the sum of the thrust individually exerted by the four thrusters because of the 45° vectors of the individual thrusters, so although the vehicle moves forward, the total forward thrust is only 0.71 of the total thrust exerted by the four thrusters.
Likewise, when the vehicle is to move in reverse, the front thrusters FS and FP are driven in reverse to direct thrust through the front aperture of the vehicle, and the rear thrusters RS and RP are reversed to direct thrust through the apertures in the side plates 5 and 6 respectively.
Similarly, when the vehicle is to move toward its starboard side, the port thrusters RP and FP are driven through the apertures in the port side, and the starboard thrusters RS and FS through the rear and front apertures respectively. The situation is reversed when the vehicle is to be moved to the port side.
Inefficiencies arise in this system because of the fixed attitude of the thrusters. In the Fig 1 embodiment of the present invention the thrusters FS, FP, RP and RS are pivotally mounted on pivot bosses extending perpendicular to the lower surface of the deck 8 so that each thruster can move pivotally around the axis of the pivot boss in a plane that is parallel to the plane of the deck 8.
Referring now to Fig. 3, when the vehicle is to move against a strong head or tail current, the thrusters can be pivotally moved to the position shown in Fig. 3, in which their attitude with is more aligned with the front to rear axis of the vehicle. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the thrusters have each been pivotally moved around the pivot bosses, so that the total thrust is more focussed along the central front-to-rear axis of the vehicle, parallel to the side frames 5, 6. In the embodiment shown, the thrusters are adjusted to an angle of 25° with respect to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle.
When the thrusters of the vehicle are in the attitude as shown in Fig. 3, the vehicle can more easily move forwards against a strong head current by directing the rear thrusters RS and RP aft through the rear aperture, and the front thrusters FS and FP aft through the starboard and port side plates 5 and 6 respectively. Likewise when the vehicle is to be driven against a strong aft current, the directions of rotation of the impellers can be reversed, so that the thrust from the front thrusters FP and FS is directed through the front cavity of the vehicle, and the thrust from the rear thrusters RP and RS is directed through the port and starboard side plates 6 and 5 respectively.
If the vehicle is working in a strong sideways current it can be advantageous to direct the thrust that is exerted by the thrusters more directly against the path of the current. In such circumstances, the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 can be adopted, where the thrusters are all pivoted to adopt an angle of 65° with respect to the front-to- rear axis of the vehicle, thereby directing more of the force in the required direction. When the vehicle is to face a strong current coming from the starboard side, the starboard thrusters FS and RS can be arranged to direct the thrust through the front and rear apertures respectively, whereas the port thrusters RP and FP are arranged to direct more of their thrust through the apertures in the port side plate 6. Conversely when moving against a strong current from the port side, the directions of rotation of the impellers in the thrusters would be reversed, so that the port side thrusters FP and RP are arranged to direct thrust through the front and rear apertures, and the starboard thrusters FS and RS are arranged to direct thrust through the apertures in the starboard side plate 5.
Clearly, the thrusters can be adjusted to other angles, but the boundaries of useful adjustment for the angles are typically set by the architecture of the vehicle frame, since the thrust path from each thruster should ideally be free from obstruction by the vehicle frame, or the components of the vehicle. Therefore, the range of variation of the angles is usefully restricted to about 40° for each thruster. The thrusters can be set to individually different attitudes if desired.
Typically the attitude of the thrusters are controlled centrally through a control mechanism, ideally constituting a mechanical linkage between a central control arm and each thruster body. In preferred embodiments, the control arm is disposed centrally on the deck of the vehicle, and mechanical linkages such as tie rods or wires connect the central control rod to a fixing on each of the thruster bodies so that actuation (e.g. by rotation via a solenoid, a servo actuator, or a servo- gearbox) of the central control arm moves each of the control rods attached to a thruster, in order to pivot the thrusters in a co-ordinated manner. The central control arm can typically be actuated from the surface control room by the ROV operator, and can usefully be actuated independently of the other ROV controls, so as to select a "side current" setting where the control arm moves the thrusters simultaneously into the position shown in Fig. 4, with a 65° angle, or alternatively can be set to a "fore-aft current" setting in which the control arm moves each of the thrusters in concert into the position shown in Fig. 3.
Figs 5-10 show a typical control system for the attitude control. A servo-actuator 10 is attached to the underside of the deck 8. The servo-actuator 10 rotates a pin extending through the deck 8 and a disc 11 connected to the pin on the upper side of the deck 8. The rotating movement of the disc 11 is transmitted via linkage bars 13 and 14 to similar disc and pin arrangements 12 on each of the thrusters, so that rotation of the disc 11 by 20° simultaneously rotates the other discs by the same amount, but typically in opposite directions. Figs 5 and 6 show the control mechanism set to the 45° setting. When the ROV is to be moved against a strong head current, the solenoid rotates the disc 12 anticlockwise (when viewed in plan) , which rotates the discs 12 on the thrusters FP and RS in the same direction, while rotating the discs 12 on the thrusters RP and FS in the opposite direction at the same time. This moves the thrusters into the 25° position as shown in Figs 7 and 8. When the ROV is to be moved against a strong sideways current, the solenoid is signalled from the control box to rotate the disc 11 clockwise to the position shown in Figs 9 and 10, which rotates the discs 12 on the thrusters FP and RS in the same direction, while rotating the discs 12 on the thrusters RP and FS in the opposite direction at the same time. This moves the thrusters into the 65° position as shown in Figs 9 and 10.
In other embodiments, the adjustment of the thruster attitudes can optionally be co-ordinated by an automatic mechanism linked to the thruster joy stick controls.
Modifications and improvements can be incorporated without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims
1. An underwater vehicle having at least one thruster that is pivotally mounted on the vehicle.
2. An underwater vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle has a plurality of thrusters that are pivotally mounted on the vehicle.
3. An underwater vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein one pivotally mounted thruster is disposed proximate to each of four corners of the vehicle.
4. An underwater vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each pivotally mounted thruster is pivotable in a single plane, preferably a horizontal plane.
5. An underwater vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the underwater vehicle comprises a frame, the frame defining at least one aperture, the thruster(s) being contained within the frame and being arranged to direct thrust through said aperture(s).
6. An underwater vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the attitude of the or each pivotally mounted thruster is variable during use of the underwater vehicle.
7. An underwater vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein during use of the underwater vehicle, the attitude of the or each thruster is variable by up to 50°, optionally up to 40°.
8. An underwater vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the pivotally mounted thruster(s) are mounted on pivot bosses with stops to control the maximum deflection of the or each pivotally mounted thruster.
9. An underwater vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, also comprising a control system which centrally controls the attitude of the or each pivotally mounted thruster on the vehicle, co- ordinating their attitudes to focus the overall thrust of the vehicle in a particular desired direction.
10. An underwater vehicle as claimed in claim 9, when dependent upon claim 2, wherein the control system comprises mechanical linkages to link the thrusters to a central control bar that is actuable in order to adjust the attitude of all of the thrusters simultaneously.
11. An underwater vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein the central control bar is mounted on a rotatable actuator.
12. An underwater vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the attitude of the thrust is centrally controlled by an electronic mechanism.
13. An underwater vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the underwater vehicle is a remotely operated vehicle.
14. An underwater vehicle as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the remotely operated vehicle comprises a camera and at least one grappling arm.
EP05808044A 2004-11-23 2005-11-23 Underwater remotely operated vehicle Withdrawn EP1819589A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB0425694.7A GB0425694D0 (en) 2004-11-23 2004-11-23 Vehicle
PCT/GB2005/004493 WO2006056765A1 (en) 2004-11-23 2005-11-23 Underwater remotely operated vehicle

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1819589A1 true EP1819589A1 (en) 2007-08-22

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US (1) US20070283871A1 (en)
EP (1) EP1819589A1 (en)
GB (1) GB0425694D0 (en)
NO (1) NO20073127L (en)
WO (1) WO2006056765A1 (en)

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