EP2671790B1 - Underwater vehicle - Google Patents

Underwater vehicle Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2671790B1
EP2671790B1 EP13169748.4A EP13169748A EP2671790B1 EP 2671790 B1 EP2671790 B1 EP 2671790B1 EP 13169748 A EP13169748 A EP 13169748A EP 2671790 B1 EP2671790 B1 EP 2671790B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
shield
propeller
hull
underwater vehicle
vehicle according
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.)
Not-in-force
Application number
EP13169748.4A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP2671790A1 (en
Inventor
Paolo Girotti
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.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP2671790A1 publication Critical patent/EP2671790A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2671790B1 publication Critical patent/EP2671790B1/en
Not-in-force legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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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
    • B63G8/08—Propulsion
    • 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
    • B63G8/28—Arrangement of offensive or defensive equipment
    • B63G8/34—Camouflage
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
    • B63H25/00—Steering; Slowing-down otherwise than by use of propulsive elements; Dynamic anchoring, i.e. positioning vessels by means of main or auxiliary propulsive elements
    • B63H25/48—Steering or slowing-down by deflection of propeller slipstream otherwise than by rudder
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
    • B63H5/00—Arrangements on vessels of propulsion elements directly acting on water
    • B63H5/07—Arrangements on vessels of propulsion elements directly acting on water of propellers
    • B63H5/14—Arrangements on vessels of propulsion elements directly acting on water of propellers characterised by being mounted in non-rotating ducts or rings, e.g. adjustable for steering purpose
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
    • B63H5/00—Arrangements on vessels of propulsion elements directly acting on water
    • B63H2005/005—Front propulsors, i.e. propellers, paddle wheels, or the like substantially arranged ahead of the vessels' midship section

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the field of underwater vehicles, of the type including an elongated hull equipped with at least one propeller located at the stem of the vehicle.
  • This definition comprises both vessels intended to transport personnel, such as those used for subaqueous explorations, and unmanned vehicles such as those used in oceanic studies.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide an underwater vehicle that produces minimal hydroacoustic disturbance through its movement and is characterized by an extremely high overall functional efficiency, so as to be able of overcoming the disadvantages of the known solutions.
  • a further object is that of providing an underwater vehicle which is adapted to the application of techniques for active control of noise emissions (which techniques, however, do not form part of the present invention and therefore are not disclosed in this document).
  • Still a further object of the invention is to provide an underwater vehicle having high passive safety features, where passive safety is intended as protection against damage caused by unintended collision with foreign bodies, and also having high active safety features, where active safety is intended as the provision of emergency tools for resurfacing of the vehicle following breakdown.
  • Still a further object is to achieve the aforementioned objects with extremely simple and relatively inexpensive means.
  • the vehicle according to this invention is capable of exploiting the mechanics of the ducted propeller to its maximum advantage.
  • the pressure exerted on the propeller by the water flowing through the interspace created by the tubular shield increases with the vehicle speed, dramatically reducing undesirable cavitation phenomena and thus increasing the velocity of rotation of the propeller, without any substantial limitations, apart from those imposed by the power of the engine driving the propeller.
  • the width of the interspace defined by the tubular shield is kept to a minimum, so that the thrust increase obtained by the higher rotational speed of the propeller is not jeopardised by an excessive increase of the cross section of the underwater vehicle.
  • the vehicle according to this invention is equipped with at least one additional auxiliary propeller which consists of an annular rotor rotatable around the hull and located within the interspace created by the outer tubular shield, more forwardly with respect to the rear propeller and preferably adjacent to the front mouth of the shield.
  • at least one additional auxiliary propeller which consists of an annular rotor rotatable around the hull and located within the interspace created by the outer tubular shield, more forwardly with respect to the rear propeller and preferably adjacent to the front mouth of the shield.
  • the hull is constructed according to standard techniques and materials with a metallic structure that is resistant to very high pressures, while the tubular shield comprises a light structure, ideally made of synthetic constituents such as fibre-reinforced composite materials.
  • the external shield is not subjected to elevated pressures, as it is exposed to water on both its internal and external surfaces.
  • the shield is supported by several pillars projecting radially from the hull, at least some of which are hollow and house balloons which are inflatable (e.g. by gases generated by the explosion of pyrotechnic charges such as those used in motor-vehicle air-bags).
  • the balloons can be deployed and used as emergency means to induce emersion of the vehicle in an emergency situation.
  • the pillars can be pressurised and fulfil multiple functions, such as the containment and protection of sensors and other devices, interconnecting cables, etc.
  • the external shield's cross-section decreases towards the rear propeller, at least for the portion of the hull more closer to the rear propeller.
  • rear propeller is preferably associated to a further, contrarotating propeller and/or to a bladed stator.
  • a number of movable lids that are adapted to provide a communication of the interspace between the hull and the shield with the environment external to the shield.
  • These lids can be controlled in a differentiated manner, to provide the possibility of orienting the resulting vectorial thrust and to balance and/or reduce pressure within the interspace.
  • the above features produce significant advantages in terms of hydrodynamics (dramatic reduction of the propeller cavitation factor, vis a vis a slighy increase in drag due to the presence of the external shield) and in terms of hydroacoustics (noise reduction) as well as in terms of passive safety (the shield provides a non-pressurised deformable structure external to the reinforced hull) and active safety (inflatable balloons housed in the shield hollow pillars for emergency emersions).
  • a reduction of the vehicle's thermic trail is also obtained, as any discharges of fluids having a temperature higher than that of marine water can be dispersed within the interspace and mixed therein.
  • figure 1 generally designates an underwater vehicle.
  • the illustrated example is referred to the case of a vehicle intended for transporting personnel and used , for instance, to carry-out underwater surveys.
  • Vehicle 1 comprises a hull 2 made of steel and constructed according to any known techniques in this field. Structural details of the hull 2 are not herewith described nor illustrated, because, as already stated, they can be made in any known manner, and because their deletion from the drawings render the same simpler and easier to understand.
  • the hull 2 has a thin and elongated shape, with a sail 3, a bow 4 and a stem 5.
  • a rear propeller 6 is provided for the vehicle propulsion, which is driven in rotation by an engine (not shown) of any known type. Details of the propeller 6 and its operating engine are not illustrate d herein, as they can be made in any known manner, as readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
  • an external collecting nozzle shield 7 is provided, also called “ENS" (“External Nozzle Shield”), having a substantially tubular shape (a funnel-shape in the illustrated example) which extends for most of the length of the hull 2, starting from an inlet mouth 8, located at a position displaced rearwardly with respect to the bow 4, and ending at an outlet mouth 9, located at the rear of the propeller 6.
  • Shield 7 defines an enveloping casing within which the rear propeller 6 is enclosed, and also provides an interspace 10 surrounding the hull 2 (at least partially in the circumferential direction and partially in the longitude direction), where the water flow is channelled towards the propeller 6. This water flow enters the shield 7 via the front mouth 8 (arrows A in figure 1 ) and travels along its entire length (arrow C) until it exits from the stem mouth 9, downstream of the propeller 6 (arrow B).
  • Shield 7 is not required to have a pressure resistant structure, as its surface is exposed to marine water both internally and externally. It is preferably made of a lightweight structure, for instance, of a synthetic material, such as fibre-reinforced composite material.
  • the shield is supported by a number of front radial pillars 11 and rear radial pillars 12.
  • pillars 11, 12 are hollow and house inflatable balloons, preferably balloons which are inflatable automatically by pyrotechnic charges, according to a technique used for motor-vehicle air-bags.
  • the vehicle is thus provided with active safety features against breakdowns that would hinder an emersion.
  • the explosive charges can be triggered to cause inflation of the balloons and the vehicle ascent to the surface.
  • the vehicle is provided with an additional auxiliary propeller 13 which consists of an annular rotor that revolves around the hull 2, positioned in the proximity of the front mouth 8 of shield 7.
  • shield 7 has a truncated conical shape, but any other shape would be viable. However, the preferred shape is tapered towards the aft-most portion of the shield 7, close to the rear propeller 6.
  • movable lids 14 are provided circumferentially on shield 7, each movable between an opened and closed condition and adapted to be controlled in a differentiated manner to generate an orientable resulting vectorial thrust and/or to reduce and/or balance the pressure within interspace 10. Movable lids 14 can be placed, in variable number, in any position on shield 7.
  • the vehicle is equipped with hydroplanes at the stem 15.
  • the operating principle is that of a ducted propeller, brought to a maximum in order to provide a virtual cycle, in which the more the vehicle advances and the higher is the increase in the pressure exerted on rear propeller 6 (or rear and front propellers 6 and 13), thus reducing cavitation phenomena dramatically. It is therefore possible to have the propellers rotating at much greater speeds than is commonly achieved in known vehicles, without risk of cavitation. Essentially, the only limit to the propellers speed is imposed by the power that the engine(s) of the underwater vehicle is/are able to supply.
  • interspace 10 - primarily determined by the distance between shield 7 and hull 2 - must be made as minimal as possible, so that the increased thrust is not thwarted by the wider cross section of the vehicle.
  • the high drag, slow rotating front propeller 13 can be actuated independently or jointly with the main rear propeller 6.
  • inflatable balloons housed within the supporting pillars 11, 12 provide an active safety feature in the event of vehicle breakdown preventing its resurface.
  • the main rear propeller 6 is completely surrounded by the outer shield 7.
  • the shield follows the contour of the vehicle and may present a cross-section tapering in proximity of the main rear propeller 6. This causes a higher pressure flow of water onto the propeller itself, which increases its thrust.
  • thrust can be augmented further by the installation of additional devices, such as an auxiliary counter-rotating propeller and a bladed stator located downstream of rear propeller 6.
  • the vehicle has several advantages over the known vehicles, both in terms of hydrodynamics (reduction of the cavitation factor) and hydroacoustics (noise reduction) and also from the standpoint of active and passive safety.
  • the interspace 10 can also be utilised to mix any discharges of hot fluids with marine water in order to reduce the vehicle thermic trail.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Aiming, Guidance, Guns With A Light Source, Armor, Camouflage, And Targets (AREA)
  • Fire-Extinguishing By Fire Departments, And Fire-Extinguishing Equipment And Control Thereof (AREA)
  • Structures Of Non-Positive Displacement Pumps (AREA)
EP13169748.4A 2012-06-07 2013-05-29 Underwater vehicle Not-in-force EP2671790B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT000494A ITTO20120494A1 (it) 2012-06-07 2012-06-07 Veicolo subacqueo, utilizzabile ad esempio per esplorazioni subacquee

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2671790A1 EP2671790A1 (en) 2013-12-11
EP2671790B1 true EP2671790B1 (en) 2015-12-23

Family

ID=46466763

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP13169748.4A Not-in-force EP2671790B1 (en) 2012-06-07 2013-05-29 Underwater vehicle

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2671790B1 (it)
IT (1) ITTO20120494A1 (it)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN105599887A (zh) * 2016-01-14 2016-05-25 王升宏 一种高速喷水螺旋桨

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR3038521B1 (fr) * 2015-07-09 2019-07-19 Abyssnaut Propulseur sous-marin pour plongeur
CN109835453A (zh) * 2019-04-12 2019-06-04 辽宁工程技术大学 多级旋管式泵喷推进器
CN110395369B (zh) * 2019-06-24 2020-08-18 浙江大学 一种基于磁轮行走的水下钢结构表面海生物清洗机器人
CN116513421B (zh) * 2023-04-14 2023-09-19 威海多鱼海洋科技有限公司 水下无人自主航行器

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2969759A (en) 1957-09-13 1961-01-31 Gen Electric Hydrodynamic drag reduction in vehicles through boundary layer control
US4395965A (en) 1980-12-23 1983-08-02 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Low drag underwater vehicle utilizing boundary layer suction
FR2678891B1 (fr) * 1991-07-09 1996-01-26 Chaneac Andre Dispositif de propulsion de navires comportant des helices concentriques et contra-rotatives et navires equipes d'un tel dispositif.
US6427618B1 (en) * 1999-11-24 2002-08-06 Terry B. Hilleman Bow mounted system and method for jet-propelling a submarine or torpedo through water
US6581537B2 (en) * 2001-06-04 2003-06-24 The Penn State Research Foundation Propulsion of underwater vehicles using differential and vectored thrust

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN105599887A (zh) * 2016-01-14 2016-05-25 王升宏 一种高速喷水螺旋桨

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ITTO20120494A1 (it) 2013-12-08
EP2671790A1 (en) 2013-12-11

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