EP4155187A1

EP4155187A1 - Maritime drone

Info

Publication number: EP4155187A1
Application number: EP22197182.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Stefano Malagodi; Andrea Tiberio
Original assignee: Xunord Srl
Current assignee: Xunord Srl
Priority date: 2021-09-22
Filing date: 2022-09-22
Publication date: 2023-03-29

Abstract

Maritime drone (1) comprising a hull (2), which is provided with an upper face (3) and defines a containment volume (5) at its interior, a wing sail (6), which is extended along a main extension direction (X) transverse to the upper face (3), is provided with a wing profile (7) susceptible of intercepting the wind and is movable between an operative position, in which the wing profile (7) projects from the upper face (3), and a non-operative position, in which the wing profile (7) is housed in the containment volume (5), first movement means (8), which are arranged for moving the wing sail (6) between the operative position and the non-operative position, and second movement means (9), which are arranged, at least with the wing sail (6) in operative position, for rotating the wing sail (6) around a rotation axis (Y) parallel to the main extension direction (X).

In addition, the first movement means (8) are arranged for moving the wing sail (6) along a translation axis (Z) parallel to the main extension direction (X).

The second movement means (9) also comprise a motorized slewing bearing (11) provided with a stator ring (12), which is fixed to the hull (2), with a rotatable support (13), which is rotatably and coaxially mounted on the stator ring (12) around the rotation axis (Y), is rotatably integral with the wing profile (7), and is provided with a through guide channel (14). Such guide channel (14) is extended axially parallel to the translation axis (Z), communicates with the containment volume (5) and carries, slidably inserted, the wing sail (6) along the translation axis (Z). In addition, the motorized slewing bearing (11) is provided with motor means (15) mechanically connected to the rotatable support (13) and arranged for making it rotate around the rotation axis (Y).

Description

Field of application

The present invention regards a maritime drone, according to the preamble of the main claim 1.
The present maritime drone has particular application in the field of production of automated naval surface vehicles, i.e. vessels capable of navigating in an entirely autonomous manner, in particular by means of remote control, which are, therefore, lacking human personnel on board.
More in detail, the present maritime drone has particular application in the field of production of automated naval surface vehicles provided with propulsion at least partially wind-assisted, i.e. a propulsion which exploits the thrust exerted by the wind on a sail, in particular wing sail, of the vessel itself.

State of the art

In the field of production of automated naval surface vehicles, it is known to attain maritime drones provided with a hull and with a wing sail extended projecting from the aforesaid hull, which allows the drone itself to navigate by exploiting the thrust exerted by the wind so as to increase the autonomy and reduce the consumptions by the propeller propulsion means, whether they consume fuel or electrical energy.
Such drones are used in numerous fields of the art, such as for example in the field of scientific research, given that they are provided with several sensors suitable to measure parameters indicating the quality of water, to measure variations in the thermal content of certain marine currents, to monitor the health or the degree of activity of marine fauna and vegetation or the like, in the field of security, since it is capable of detecting the presence of boats not reported to the port control bodies and, therefore, possibly involved in illegal activities, such as for example fishing not allowed in protected areas, illegal immigration, submarine warfare, smuggling, drug trafficking and the like, and in the offshore industry, since they can communicate with submergible drones and transmit information received regarding the integrity of pipelines, platforms, and oilfield sites.
The maritime drones of known type currently present on the market and of the type briefly described up to now have in practice revealed that they do not lack drawbacks.
The main drawback lies in the fact that, in case of strong wind and harsh weather conditions, the maritime drone could tip over due to the thrust exerted by the wind on the wing sail, or, the wing sail itself, which is generally made of composite material with glass or carbon fiber embedded in a plastic matrix or with a sandwich structure alternating with expanded plastic material layers, could be damaged or even broken by the wind, thus rendering the drone no longer usable.
In order to at least partially overcome the problems of the prior art briefly described above, US patent 10,399,651 discloses a maritime drone provided with wing sail actuatable to rotate around a horizontal overturning axis that is transverse to the hull between an operative position, in which the aforesaid sail rises above the hull in order to intercept the wind and it is rotatable with respect to the hull around a vertical rotation axis in order to vary the angle of incidence between the wing profile thereof and the direction of the wind, and a non-operative position, in which the aforesaid wing sail is partially inserted into a containment volume extended along the rear portion of the hull so as not to be exposed to the wind.
The maritime drone provided with wing sail retractable into the containment volume obtained along the hull, briefly described up to now, has revealed in practice that it does not lack drawbacks.
The main drawback lies in the fact that the movement means adapted to move the wing sail have proven to be particularly complex from a structural standpoint. Indeed, such movement means are arranged both for tilting the wing sail around the overturing axis between the operative position and the non-operative position, and for rotating the wing sail, when this is in operative position, around the vertical rotation axis, so as to modify the incidence angle between wind and wing profile. For such purpose, the movement means comprise a leverage connected to the hull and actuatable by a corresponding linear actuator in order to move a support base around the overturing axis, which carries the wing sail rotatably mounted around a corresponding shaft, an electric motor and motion transmission members between the electric motor itself and the shaft.
In addition, the electric motor being mounted on the support base which rotates in order to tilt the wing sail between the operative position and the non-operative position, the electric motor itself is placed outside the hull and hence its electrical connections are exposed, and therefore can be easily damaged.
Consequently, such movement means are particularly costly to assemble due to their structural complexity and they are also susceptible of being easily broken.
Also known from patent CN 104118551 is a boat provided with telescopic wing sail, i.e. composed of multiple modules that are collapsible in each other in order to reduce the extension of the sail itself. The aforesaid telescopic sail is also supported by a support shaft actuatable to rotate around a vertical rotation axis by a motorized slewing bearing installed on the deck of the drone itself, so as to vary the incidence angle of the wing sail with respect to the direction of the wind.
More in detail, the arrangement of a telescopic wing sail allows reducing at least the risk of breakage of the wing sail itself in the case of adverse weather conditions, since the length of the aforesaid wing sail can be shortened when the wind is particularly strong.
In addition, the use of a motorized slewing bearing in order to modify the tilt of the wing profile with respect to the direction of the wind renders particularly simple, from a structural standpoint, the movement means adapted to adjust the position of the telescopic wing sail. Indeed, the motorized slewing bearing is only provided with a ring fixed to the deck and with a rotatable base, which is rotatably mounted on the ring around a vertical rotation axis, carries the support shaft fixed thereto and is actuatable to rotate with respect to the ring by a suitable motor.
Nevertheless, the boat provided with telescopic wing sail and with slewing bearing actuatable for rotating the wing sail itself has in practice shown that it does not lack drawbacks.
The main drawback lies in the fact that the telescopic wing sail, even if it can be actuated to reduce its extension, is unable to be completely withdrawn with respect to the action of the wind, but rather it still remains above the deck of the hull even when collapsed. Indeed, the motorized slewing bearing, which carries the support shaft mounted at the rotatable base, does not allow the telescopic wing sail to be retracted into any containment volume obtained inside the hull. Therefore, the telescopic wing sail in its collapsed configuration, even if there is a low risk of it being broken by the force of the wind, is still susceptible of being thrust thereby and risks consequently overturning the maritime drone.

Presentation of the invention

In this situation, the problem underlying the present invention is therefore that of eliminating the problems of the abovementioned prior art, by providing a maritime drone, which is provided with a wing sail that is movable between an operative position exposed to the wind and a non-operative position in which it does not intercept the wind and obtained without substantially limiting the space usable above the hull.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a maritime drone, which is provided with a wing sail easily movable between the operative and non-operative positions and easily actuatable to rotate in order to modify its tilt with respect to the direction of the wind, in particular by means of movement means which are less complex than those of the maritime drones of the prior art.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a maritime drone, which is provided with a wing sail exposable to the wind even only partially, in a manner such that such wing sail can supply a thrust to the maritime drone even in the case of particularly strong wind, such to require a smaller wing sail.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a maritime drone, which is entirely efficient and reliable in operation.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a maritime drone, which is simple and expensive to attain.

Brief description of the drawings

The technical characteristics of the invention, according to the aforementioned objects, are clearly observable from the content of the claims outlined below and the advantages thereof will be more apparent from the detailed description that follows, provided with reference to the attached drawings, which represent some embodiments thereof provided purely by way of non-limiting example, wherein:

figure 1 shows a side view of a maritime drone, object of the invention, in accordance with a preferred embodiment;
figure 2 shows a schematized side section view of the maritime drone of figure 1, with wing sail placed in operative position and switched into extended configuration;
figure 3 shows a schematized side section view of the maritime drone of figure 1, with wing sail placed in non-operative position and switched into collected configuration;
figure 4 shows a schematized plan view of the maritime drone of figure 1;
figure 5 shows an enlargement of the wing sail of the maritime drone of figure 1, executed at the frame V of figure 4;
figure 6 shows a side section view of a motorized slewing bearing of the maritime drone of figure 1;
figure 7 shows a side section view of the wing sail of the maritime drone of figure 1;
figure 8 shows a first embodiment variant of a motorized slewing bearing for maritime drone, object of the invention;
figure 9 shows a second embodiment variant of a motorized slewing bearing for maritime drone, object of the invention.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

With reference to the enclosed figures, reference number 1 overall indicates a maritime drone according to the present invention.
The present maritime drone 1 has particular application in the offshore energy field and in the field of underwater communications, as it can be used, for example as a follower of submerged drones for transmitting signals in checks on the structural integrity of pipelines, underwater cables and umbilical cables.
Such maritime drone 1 can, in fact, be employed as a repeater between a remote-controlled submarine drone configured to monitor the soundness of a pipeline for other transport or to scan the seabed, and a base station positioned on the dry land or on a mother vessel. In particular, the maritime drone 1, object of the present invention, can follow the remote-controlled submarine drone during its deep navigation to improve data communication between the latter and the base station, as such the communication would otherwise be weak or even insufficient.
By way of example, further fields in which the aforesaid maritime drone 1 has application is that of scientific research, given that the maritime drone 1 in question may be provided with a plurality of sensors suitable for detecting parameters indicating the quality of sea water, detecting the presence of pollutants, assessing the degree of activity and health of marine fauna and vegetation, detecting changes in the thermal content of certain marine currents or the like, or in the field of security, since such drone is suitable for detecting the presence of boats not reported to appropriate port control bodies and, therefore, possibly suspected of being involved in illegal activities, such as fishing not allowed in protected areas, smuggling, drug trafficking, illegal immigration and the like.
The maritime drone 1, according to the invention, comprises a hull 2 provided with an upper face 3 and with a lower face 4 and at least partially defining a containment volume 5 at its interior.
More in detail, the hull 2 of the present maritime drone 1 comprises a deck 29, on which the upper face 3 is extended, and a keel 30, which encloses together with the deck 29 at least part of the containment volume 5 and on which the lower face 4 is extended.
Advantageously, the hull 2 of the maritime drone 1 is extended along a longitudinal direction W between a stern end 27 and a bow end 28 with a length preferably comprised between 1.5 and 4.5 meters.
Otherwise, the hull 2 can have greater dimensions, i.e. it can have length, defined along such longitudinal direction W between the stern end 27 and the bow end 28, for example comprised between 8 and 12 meters.
In addition, the present maritime drone 1 comprises at least one wing sail 6, which is extended along a main extension direction X transverse to the upper face 3 of the hull 2, is mounted on the hull 2 itself and is provided with a wing profile 7 susceptible of intercepting the wind in order to move the maritime drone 1.
In particular, the upper face 3 of the hull 2 has substantially planar extension and the main extension direction X of the wing sail 6 is preferably perpendicular to such upper face 3.
More in detail, the wing profile 7 of the wing sail 6 has length along the main extension direction X substantially equal to or smaller than the length of the hull 2 along the longitudinal direction W between stern end 27 and bow end 28. The wing profile 7 can for example have length along the main extension direction X equal to about half or three quarters of the length of the hull 2 along the longitudinal direction W between stern end 27 and bow end 28.
The aforesaid wing sail 6 is movable between an operative position, in which the wing profile 7 projects, preferably at least partially, from the upper face 3 of the hull 2 in order to be exposed to the wind, and a non-operative position, in which the wing profile 7 is at least partially housed in the containment volume 5 in order to be retracted from the wind.
In a manner per se known to the man skilled in the art, the wing profile 7 of the wing sail 6 is extended advantageously, along a direction orthogonal to the main extension direction X, being tapered from a leading edge 32 towards an opposite trailing edge 33.
More in detail, the leading edge 32 is the part of the wing profile 7 susceptible of intercepting the wind first, and has enlarged and substantially rounded form in order to divide it into two flows that flow along opposite flanks of the wing profile 7 itself with different speeds, whose values depend on the speed of the wind itself, on the incidence angle between wing profile 7 and direction of the wind and on the wing camber, i.e. the distribution of the thicknesses of the wing profile 7 along the cord that joins the leading edge 32 and the trailing edge 33. Such distribution of the thicknesses can be symmetric or asymmetric with respect to the cord itself. In a known manner, the wind flows that flow along the flanks of the wing profile 7 with different speeds exert a greater pressure on one flank and a lower pressure on the other flank, determining a thrust for the maritime drone 1 along a direction which goes from the flank with higher pressure to the flank with lower pressure. The wind flows are then separated from the flanks of the wing profile 7 at the trailing edge 33, where they then tend to come back together.
Advantageously, the transverse section (obtained on an orthogonal plane of the main extension axis X) of the wing profile 7 of the wing sail 6 has substantially elongated form from the leading edge 32 to the trailing edge 33, in a manner such that, in particular, the wing profile 7 has a substantially flattened shape in order to intercept the wind as mentioned above. Preferably, the wing profile 7 is made of substantially rigid material, e.g. of a composite or plate material.
The maritime drone 1 also comprises first movement means 8, which are mechanically connected to the hull 2 and to the wing sail 6 and are arranged for moving the wing sail 6 between the aforesaid operative position and the aforesaid non-operative position, and second movement means 9, which are in turn mechanically connected to the hull 2 and to the wing sail 6 and are arranged, at least with the wing sail 6 in operative position, for rotating the wing sail 6 around a rotation axis Y substantially parallel to the main extension direction X. Advantageously, the maritime drone 1 comprises, in addition to the wing sail 6, propeller propulsion means (not illustrated since per se known to the man skilled in the art), which are preferably power supplied by an electric battery mounted inside the hull 2 and are actuatable in particular when the wing sail 6 is retracted in non-operative position.
More in detail, the wing sail 6 is retractable in non-operative position in the event in which the wind is not sufficiently strong to push the maritime drone 1 and, therefore, in order to reduce the aerodynamic resistance that could be exerted by the wing sail 6 itself when the maritime drone 1 is pushed by the propeller propulsion means, or in the event in which the wind is excessively strong to risk damaging or breaking the wing sail 6.
In addition, at least when the wing sail 6 is in operative position, the second movement means 9 allowing varying the incidence angle between the wing profile 7 and the direction of the wind, in a manner such that the wing sail 6 can exploit, in an optimal manner, the thrust of the wind.
In addition, the maritime drone 1 advantageously comprises a rudder (not illustrated since per se known to the man skilled in the art) rotatably connected to the hull 2, projecting with respect to the lower face 4 and arranged for adjusting the navigation direction. Advantageously, the present maritime drone 1 also comprises a centerboard 31 extended projecting from the lower face 4 of the hull 2 and intended to stabilize the maritime drone 1 itself in navigation.
In addition, as illustrated in the enclosed figures 2 and 3, the centerboard 31 is preferably internally hollow and the containment volume 5 (adapted to at least partially house the wing profile 7 when the wing sail 6 is in non-operative position) is partly obtained inside the hull 2 and partly inside the centerboard 31.
In this manner, it is therefore possible to render the containment volume 5 as spacious as possible without however reducing the space within the hull 2 adapted to house the different components of the maritime drone 1, such as for example the electric battery, the motor group of the propeller propulsion means, an electronic control unit, a plurality of sensors for performing various monitoring operations, a GPS module for tracing the position of the maritime drone 1 itself and the like.
According to the idea underlying the present invention, the first movement means 8 are arranged for moving the wing sail 6 along a translation axis Z substantially parallel to the main extension direction X.
Advantageously, the translation axis Z and the main extension direction X substantially coincide with each other.
In addition, the hull 2 is provided, on the upper face 3, with a through opening 10 in communication with the containment volume 5, and such through opening 10 is in particular obtained on the deck 29 of the hull 2.
Still according to the idea underlying the present invention, the second movement means 9 comprising a motorized slewing bearing 11 provided with a stator ring 12, which is fixed to the hull 2 at the through opening 10, and with a rotatable support 13, which is rotatably and coaxially mounted on the stator ring 12 around the rotation axis Y of the wing sail 6, is rotatably integral with the wing profile 7, and is provided with a through guide channel 14. More in detail, with the expression "rotatably integral" it must be intended hereinbelow that the rotatable support 13 and the wing profile 7 cannot rotate independently of each other around the rotation axis Y.
According to the invention, in addition, the guide channel 14 of the rotatable support 13 is extended axially parallel to the translation axis Z, communicates with the containment volume 5 and carries, slidably inserted, the wing profile 7 of the wing sail 6 along the translation axis Z, in particular so as to allow the movement of the wing sail 6 between the operative position and the non-operative position.
In particular, the first movement means 8 are arranged for sliding the wing profile 7 through the guide channel 14 of the rotatable support 13 of the motorized slewing bearing 11 in order to move the wing sail 6 between the operative position and the non-operative position.
More in detail, the stator ring 12 is provided with a through hole, which communicates with the containment volume 5 and is coaxial with the rotation axis Y of the wing sail 6. In this manner, the wing sail 6, which is slidably inserted in the guide channel 14 of the rotatable support 13 coaxially and rotatable mounted on the stator ring 12, can be retracted and extracted from the containment volume 5, passing through the through opening 10 of the hull 2 and the through hole of the stator ring 12.
The motorized slewing bearing 11 also comprises motor means 15 mechanically connected to the rotatable support 13 and arranged for rotating the rotatable support 13 around the rotation axis Y, in particular so as to rotate the wing profile 7.
More in detail, the arrangement on the rotatable support 13 of a guide channel 14 made along the translation axis Z and carrying, slidably inserted, the wing sail 6 renders particularly simple from a structural standpoint the first and second movement means 8, 9. The guide channel 14 of the motorized slewing bearing 11 in fact allows decoupling the first and the second movement means 8, 9 from each other, hence without it being necessary to mount the first movement means 8 on the second movement means 9 or vice versa. Indeed, the aforesaid guide channel 14 is susceptible of being traversed by the wing profile 7 of the wing sail 6 actuated to translate along the translation axis Z between the operative position and the non-operative position by the first movement means 8 mechanically connected to the hull 2 and, in addition, the rotatable support 13 on which the guide channel 14 itself is obtained, being rotatably integral with the wing profile 7, is actuatable by the motor means 15 in order to drive in rotation the wing sail 6 around the rotation axis Y parallel to the translation axis Z.
In order to allow the rotatable support 13 of the motorized slewing bearing 11 to drive in rotation the wing sail 6, the wing profile 7 of the wing sail 6 is advantageously engaged in shape relationship with the guide channel 14 itself, at least with the wing sail 6 in operative position.
Preferably, the wing profile 7 is engaged in shape relationship with the guide channel 14 even with the wing sail 6 in non-operative position. In other words, in particular, the wing profile 7 is provided with one portion thereof inserted in the guide channel 14 even when the wing sail 6 is in non-operative position and, in addition, the wing profile 7 itself and the guide channel 14 are preferably shaped in a manner such that the wing profile 7 is in shape relationship with the guide channel 14 for a portion of wing profile 7 itself having length along the main extension direction X at least equal to the distance that the wing sail 6 completes between operative position and non-operative position when moved by the first movement means 8.
In addition, in order to best guide the wing sail 6 when it translates within the guide channel 14, in order to pass between operative position and non-operative position, and in order to optimize the distribution of the forces that the rotatable support 13 exerts on the wing profile 7 when the rotatable support 13 rotates around the rotation axis Y, the guide channel 14 of the rotatable support 13 of the motorized slewing bearing 11 is advantageously substantially counter-shaped with respect to the wing profile 7.
Advantageously, the wing profile 7 is provided with a lower base portion 16 and with an upper operative portion 34, which is extended starting from the base portion 16.
Preferably, the leading edge 32 and the trailing edge 33 of the wing profile 7 are extended at least along the operative portion 34, which, in particular, is the wing profile 7 part susceptible of intercepting the wind.
More in detail, with the wing sail 6 in operative position, the base portion 16 is at least partially housed in the guide channel 14 of the rotatable support 13 and, in addition, the operative portion 34 is preferably placed outside the guide channel 14 and projects from the upper face 3 of the hull 2.
In addition, with the wing sail 6 in non-operative position, the base portion 16 is advantageously housed in the containment volume 5 and, preferably, the operative portion 34 is in turn at least partially housed in the containment volume 5.
Therefore, when the wing sail 6 is in operative position, the wing profile 7 is advantageously provided with one part thereof, i.e. the base portion 16, inserted in the guide channel 14 of the rotatable support 13, on which the rotatable support 13 can act in order to rotate the wing sail 6.
In order to better resist the stresses exerted by the rotatable support 13 during the rotation of the wing sail 6, the base portion 16 of the wing profile 7 can be advantageously made of a solid body and/or have transverse section with dimensions greater than the transverse section of the operative portion 34, and such operative portion 34 can for example be at least partially internally hollow in order to reduce the overall weight of the wing sail 6.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment, as illustrated in particular in the enclosed figure 4, the transverse section of the wing profile 7 of the wing sail 6 is completely placed within the size of the rotatable support 13.
More in detail, with the expression "transverse section of the wing profile" it must be intended the transverse section obtained along a plane orthogonal to the main extension direction X of the wing sail 6, independent of the fact that such section can be obtained at the base portion 16 or at the operative portion 34 of the wing profile 7.
In particular, since the transverse section of the wing profile 7 is advantageously placed completely within the size of the rotatable support 13, the wing profile 7 is preferably provided with width between the leading edge 32 and the trailing edge 33 lower than the diameter of the rotatable support 13.
More in detail, still in accordance with the aforesaid preferred embodiment, the transverse section of the wing profile 7 obtained at the base portion 16 has substantially the same shape and size as the transverse section of the wing profile 7 obtained at the operative portion 34, in a manner such that the guide channel 14 can support and guide, in the best possible manner, the wing profile 7 along the entire movement of the wing sail 6 between operative position and non-operative position, and, in addition, the base portion 16 is preferably made of a solid body, in a manner such to be provided with a rigidity greater than that of the operative portion 34 (preferably at least partially hollow) with the same sectional dimensions.
Otherwise, in accordance with a second embodiment variant schematized in the enclosed figure 9, the transverse section obtained at the operative portion 34 has at least one dimension greater than the diameter of the stator ring 12 of the motorized slewing bearing 11 and the transverse section obtained at the base portion 16 (illustrated with lines in the aforesaid figure 9) is completely placed within the size of the rotatable support 13. In addition, in order to allow the movement of the wing sail 6 between operative position and non-operative position, the stator ring 12 and the hull 2, on its upper face 3, are advantageously provided with a passage opening 36 susceptible of being traversed by the operative portion 34.
In operation, in order to bring the wing sail 6 from the non-operative position to the operative position, it is sufficient that the first movement means 8 translates the wing sail 6 itself up to ensuring that the base portion 16 of the wing profile 7 is housed in the guide channel 14 of the rotatable support 13 and the operative portion 34 is placed outside the aforesaid guide channel 14 and projects from the upper face 3 of the hull 2. In this manner, when the base portion 16 is housed in the guide channel 14, the operative portion 34 is placed above the upper face 3 of the hull 2 and hence above the passage opening 36 of the stator ring 12 and of the hull 2 itself and, therefore, it is possible to rotate the rotatable support 13 of the motorized slewing bearing 11 without the operative portion 34 interfering with the stator ring 12.
In operation, however, in order to bring the wing sail 6 from the operative position to the non-operative position, it is first necessary to rotate the rotatable support 14 with respect to the stator ring 12 in order to align the operative portion 34 of the wing profile 7 with the passage opening 36 obtained on stator ring 12 and hull 2 and, then, actuate the first movement means 8 in order to translate the wing sail 6 within the containment volume 5 until the operative portion 34 is inserted in the guide channel 14 of the rotatable support 13 and in the passage opening 36.
Therefore, such second embodiment variant on one hand allows employing a motorized slewing bearing 11 with particularly narrow dimensions, in particular having diameter of the stator ring 12 smaller than the width of the wing profile 7 between the leading edge 32 and trailing edge 33 measured at the operative portion 34, but on the other hand it complicates the operations for moving the wing sail 6 from the operative position to the non-operative position, since it is necessary to align the operative portion 34 of the wing profile 7 with the passage opening 36 of stator ring 12 and hull 2.
Advantageously, in order to facilitate the translation of the wing profile 7 within the guide channel 14, the rotatable support 13 of the motorized slewing bearing 11 comprises an internal wall 26 which defines the guide channel 14 and, at the aforesaid internal wall 26, carries multiple first bearings 57 mounted thereon, with which at least the wing profile 7 is slidably constrained.
In particular, the aforesaid first bearings 57 are rotatable around corresponding first revolution axes, which preferably lie on planes orthogonal to the translation axis Z and are tangent to the wing profile 7.
In this manner, when the wing sail 6 is moved by the first movement means 8 along the translation axis, the first bearings 57 rotate in contact with the wing profile 7 around their corresponding first revolution axes in order to prevent or at least reduce the sliding friction between wing profile 7 and internal wall 26.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the motor means 15 of the motorized slewing bearing 11 comprise at least one first motor 17, preferably electric, in particular of stepper type, integral with the hull 2.
In particular, the aforesaid first motor 17 can be directly fixed to the hull 2, in particular to the deck 29, or (as illustrated in figure 6) it can be fixed to the stator ring 12 of the motorized slewing bearing 11, and such stator ring 12 is in turn fixed to the hull 2.
In addition, the motor means 15 comprise at least one first pinion 18, which is mechanically connected to the first motor 17 and is actuatable in rotation by the aforesaid first motor 17, and a first rack 19, which is mounted perimetrically on the rotatable support 13 and is engaged with the first pinion 18.
More in detail, the first pinion 18 can be mechanically connected directly to the first motor 17, i.e. it can be mounted on the output member of such first motor 17, or it can be mechanically connected to the first motor 17 by means of one or more reduction stages. Advantageously, the stator ring 12 comprises a first cylindrical wall 20 concentric with the rotation axis Y of the wing sail 6 and extended along the rotation axis Y with a first depth. More in detail, the aforesaid first cylindrical wall 20 at its interior delimits the through hole of the stator ring 12. In addition, the rotatable support 13 of the motorized slewing bearing 11 advantageously comprises a second cylindrical wall 21 inserted concentric with the first cylindrical wall 20 of the stator ring 12 and extended along the rotation axis Y with a second depth greater than the first depth. In particular, the second cylindrical wall 21 of the rotatable support 13 is inserted within the through hole of the stator ring 12 and faces the first cylindrical wall 20 of the aforesaid stator ring 12.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the through opening of the hull 10 is substantially counter-shaped with respect to the first cylindrical wall 20 of the stator ring 12, which is inserted to traverse the aforesaid through opening 10, is laterally fixed to the hull 2, in particular to the deck 29, and projects in part within the containment volume 5 and in part from the upper face 3 of the hull 2.
Otherwise, in accordance with embodiment variants of the motorized slewing bearing 11 not illustrated in the enclosed figures, the first cylindrical wall 20 of the stator ring can be fixed to the hull 2, in particular to the deck 29, on the upper face 3, in a manner such to be extended completely projecting starting from the aforesaid upper face 3, or it can be extended completely within the containment volume 5.
In addition, the second cylindrical wall 21 of the rotatable support 13 advantageously comprises a lower projecting portion 22, which projects with respect to the first cylindrical wall 20 of the stator ring 12 inside the containment volume 5.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment, advantageously, the first rack 19 of the motor means 15 is perimetrically mounted on the lower projecting portion 22 of the second cylindrical wall 21.
In this manner, the first motor 17 can preferably be placed inside the hull 2, in particular below the deck 29, in a manner such to be protected from the water and from the weathering agents in general.
In accordance with a first embodiment variant of the motorized slewing bearing 11 schematized in the enclosed figure 8, the first cylindrical wall 20 of the stator ring 12 is provided with a lateral opening 55, extended in particular along an arc of circumference around the rotation axis Y subtended by a width angle substantially equal to 180°, and the first rack 19 of the motor means 15 is mounted on the second cylindrical wall 21 of the rotatable support 13 at the aforesaid lateral opening 55.
In order to reduce the friction between stator ring 12 and rotatable support 13 as much as possible, the motorized slewing bearing 11 advantageously comprises multiple second bearings 38 rotatably mounted on at least one between stator ring 12 and rotatable support 13 and engaged with the other between stator ring 12 and rotatable support 13.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the first cylindrical wall 20 is provided with an upper projecting portion, which projects with respect to the upper face 3 of the hull 2 and carries, rotatably mounted thereon, multiple second bearings 38, which are placed around the rotation axis Y and are rotatable around corresponding second revolution axes perpendicular to the rotation axis Y. In addition, the rotatable support 13 is provided with a support flange 39, which projects laterally with respect to the second cylindrical wall 21 and is placed in abutment against such second rotary bearings 38.
In order to prevent the second cylindrical wall 21 of the rotatable support 13 from being disconnected from the stator ring 12, preferably, the motorized slewing bearing 11 also comprises a support bracket 40 fixed to the hull 2, extended circumferentially around the stator ring 12, extended projecting from the upper face 3 of the hull 2 with height greater than that of the upper projecting portion of the first cylindrical wall 20 of the stator ring 12 and carrying, rotatably mounted thereon, multiple third bearings 41, which are placed around the rotation axis Y, are rotatable around corresponding third revolution axes perpendicular to the aforesaid rotation axis Y and are in abutment against the support flange 39 of the rotatable support 13.
Otherwise, in accordance with the first embodiment variant of a motorized slewing bearing 11 schematized in figure 8, the second cylindrical wall 21 of the rotatable support 13 projects from both sides with respect to the first cylindrical wall 20 of the stator ring 12 and carries, rotatably mounted thereon, multiple second bearings 38, which are placed around the rotation axis Y, are rotatable around corresponding second revolution axes perpendicular to the rotation axis Y and are distributed on two positioning planes α that are parallel to each other, orthogonal to the rotation axis Y and spaced along it by a distance greater than the first depth of the first cylindrical wall 20. In addition, the first cylindrical wall 20 is interposed between the two positioning planes α of the second bearings 38, in a manner such that the second bearings 38, in addition to facilitating the rotation of the rotatable support 13 with respect to the stator ring 12, also prevent the second cylindrical wall 21 of the rotatable support 13 from translating with respect to the first cylindrical wall 20 of the stator ring 12, exiting from the through hole.
Advantageously, the first movement means 8 comprise a second motor 23 integral with the hull 2, a threaded rod 24 actuatable in rotation by the second motor 23 and extended parallel to the translation axis Z of the wing sail 6 and a nutscrew 25 coupled, by means of screw-nutscrew coupling, to the threaded rod 24 and mechanically connected to the wing sail 6. Advantageously, the second motor 23 is placed within the containment volume 5 and is fixed to the centerboard 31, which is extended projecting from the lower face 4 of the hull 2.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the threaded rod 24 of the first movement means 8 is placed coaxial with the rotation axis Y and, at least with the wing sail 6 in non-operative position, is at least partially inserted in a housing hole 42 obtained within the wing sail 6 itself.
Therefore, in particular, since the threaded rod 24 of the first movement means 8 is placed coaxial with the rotation axis Y, the translation axis Z and the rotation axis Y itself substantially coincide with respect to each other.
In particular, the nutscrew 25 is fixed to the base portion 16 of the wing profile 7 and the housing hole 42 of the wing sail 6, within which the threaded rod 24 is at least partially housed, traverses at least the base portion 16 and preferably is extended at least partly within the operative portion 34.
In this manner, when the second movement means 9 rotate the wing sail 6 around the rotation axis Y, there is no risk of breakage of the first or second movement means 8, 9, since the threaded rod 24 is placed along the rotation axis Y and since the nutscrew 25 is arranged for rotating with respect to the threaded rod 24 and, consequently, translating therealong. Therefore, in operation, when the second movement means 9 rotate the wing sail 6 around the rotation axis Y in order to modify the incidence angle between the wing profile 7 and the direction of the wind, the nutscrew 25 fixed to the wing sail 6 translates along the threaded rod 24, lowering or lifting the wing sail 6 itself. Nevertheless, since it is generally necessary to rotate the wing sail 6 a few degrees around the rotation axis Y in order to adjust the tilt of the wing profile 7 with respect to the wind, the translation of the nutscrew 25 along the threaded rod 24 caused by the actuation of the second movement means 9 is normally negligible from an aerodynamic standpoint, since the wing profile 7 will be extracted or retracted from the containment volume 5 by a length smaller than the pitch of the thread of the threaded rod 24.
Otherwise, in order to prevent the nutscrew 25 from translating along the threaded rod 24, the second motor 23 of the first movement means 8 can be configured for rotating the threaded rod 24, compensating for the rotation of the nutscrew 25 induced by the second movement means 9.
In accordance with an embodiment variant of the first movement means 8 not illustrated in the enclosed figures, the threaded rod 24 is placed in the containment volume 5 adjacent to the wing sail 6 and the nutscrew 25 carries, projectingly mounted thereon, a support base which is slidably inserted in the aforesaid containment volume 5 along the translation axis Z and on which the wing sail 6 is rotatably mounted around the rotation axis Y.
In this manner, the rotation of the wing sail 6 induced by the actuation of the second movement means 9 is not transmitted to the nutscrew 25.
In accordance with a different embodiment not illustrated in the enclosed figures, the first movement means 8 comprise a piston, e.g. hydraulic or pneumatic, which is placed along the rotation axis Y and is provided with a jacket fixed to the wing sail 6, in particular inserted in a seat obtained along the wing sail 6 itself, and with a cylindrical stem slidably inserted in the jacket and mechanically connected to the hull 2, i.e. in particular directly fixed to the hull 2, e.g. to the keel 30, or fixed inside the centerboard 31 extended projecting from the lower face 4 of the hull 2.
More in detail, the arrangement of a piston provided with cylindrical stem and placed along the rotation axis Y ensures that the wing sail 6 can be rotated by the second rotation means 9 with the jacket of the piston fixed thereto that rotates around the cylindrical stem mechanically connected to the hull 2.
Advantageously, in order to be able to vary the extension of the wing sail 6 along its main extension direction X, the wing sail 6 itself comprises at least one first telescopic module 43, which internally defines a housing volume 44, and at least one second telescopic module 45, which is slidably inserted in the housing volume 44 of the first telescopic module 43 along the main extension direction X.
More in detail, the first and the second telescopic module 43, 45 together define at least part of the wing profile 7 of the wing sail 6.
In addition, the wing sail 6 advantageously comprises actuation means 46 mechanically connected to the first telescopic module 43 and to the second telescopic module 45 and arranged, at least with the wing sail 6 in operative position, in order to switch the wing sail 6 between an extended configuration, in which the second telescopic module 45 projects, preferably at least partially, from the housing volume 44 of the first telescopic module 43, and a collected configuration, in which the second telescopic module 45 is at least partially housed in the housing volume 44.
More in detail, the arrangement of at least one first and second telescopic module 43, 45 on one hand allows modifying the extension of the wing sail 6 when in operative position, for example in order to adapt it to the speed of the wind, and on the other hand allows being able to more easily house the wing sail 6 in collected configuration within the containment volume 5.
Advantageously, in order to prevent the wing profile 7 from projecting from the upper face 3 of the hull 2 when the wing sail 6 is in non-operative position, the containment volume 5 (whether this is obtained inside the hull 2 or partly inside the hull 2 and partly inside the centerboard 31) has extension along the main extension direction X substantially equal to that of one between the first and second telescopic modules 43, 45 of the wing sail 6. Advantageously, the present maritime drone 1 comprises an electronic control unit operatively connected to the first movement means 8, to the second movement means 9 and preferably also to the actuation means 46 of the wing sail 6.
In addition, the maritime drone 1 advantageously comprises an anemometer arranged for measuring at least the speed of the wind and operatively connected to the aforesaid electronic control unit, which is preferably arranged for driving the first movement means 8 to move the wing sail 6 between the non-operative position and the operative position and the actuation means 46 to switch the aforesaid wing sail 6 between the extended configuration and the collected configuration based on the wind speed values detected by the anemometer.
In operation, for example, in the event in which the wind speed values detected by the anemometer are indicative of a wind adapted to push the maritime drone 1 with risks of damage of the wing sail 6, the electronic control unit drives the first movement means 8 to arrange the wing sail 6 in operative position and the actuation means 46 to switch the aforesaid wing sail 6 into extended configuration, so as to exploit the thrust supplied by the wind as much as possible. In addition, for example, in the event in which the values of the wind speed detected by the anemometer indicate a wind sufficiently strong to break the wing sail 6 in extended configuration but not strong enough to overturn the maritime drone 1, the electronic control unit drives the first movement means to place the wing sail 6 in operative position and the actuation means 46 to switch the aforesaid wing sail 6 into collected configuration, in a manner such to reduce the extension of the wing profile 7 exposed to the wind but in any case prevent using the propeller propulsion means. In addition, for example, in the event in which the values of the wind speed detected by the anemometer are particularly low or particularly high, the electronic control unit drives the first movement means 8 to place the wing sail 6 in non-operative position and the actuation means 46 to switch the aforesaid wing sail 6 into collected configuration, in a manner such that the wing profile 7 is housed in the containment volume 5 and thus cannot exert an aerodynamic resistance when the maritime drone 1 is pushed by the propeller propulsion means or does not risk being damaged by an overly strong wing.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment illustrated in the enclosed figures, the second telescopic module 45 comprises the base portion 16 of the wing profile 7 and a first part 34' of the operative portion 34 of the wing profile 7, and such first part 34' preferably has transverse section with dimension slightly smaller than the transverse section obtained at the base portion 16.
In addition, the first telescopic module 43 advantageously comprises a second part 34" of the operative portion 34 of the wing profile 7, and within such second part 34" the housing volume 44 is obtained with an access opening directed towards the base portion 16.
More in detail, the housing volume 44 obtained inside the second part 34" of the operative portion 34 defined on the first telescopic module 43 has substantially the same extension or extension slightly greater along the main extension direction X with respect to the first part 34' of the operative portion 34 defined on the second telescopic module 45, in a manner such that, with the wing sail 6 in collected configuration, the second part 34" of the operative portion 34 is placed in abutment against the base portion 16.
In addition, preferably, the second part 34" of the operative portion 34 has transverse section having the same shape and size as the transverse section obtained at the base portion 16, in a manner such that, with the wing sail 6 in collected configuration, there is no interruption between the aforesaid second part 34" of the operative portion 34 and the base portion 16. Advantageously, the actuation means 46 comprise a third motor 48 (in particular electric) mounted on the second telescopic module 45, at least one second pinion 49, which is mechanically connected to the third motor 48 and is actuatable in rotation by the aforesaid third motor 48, and a second rack 50, which is fixed to the first telescopic module 45.
More in detail, the second telescopic module 45 is internally provided with a housing seat 47, within which third motor 48 is placed. Preferably, such housing seat 47 is communicating with the housing volume 44 obtained inside the first telescopic module 43.
In addition, the second rack 50 is extended preferably parallel to the main extension direction X, is fixed to the first telescopic module 43 inside the housing volume 44 and, at least with the wing sail 6 in collected configuration, is at least partially inserted in a guide seat 51 obtained within the second telescopic module 45.
The invention thus conceived therefore attains the pre-established objects.

Claims

Maritime drone (1), which comprises:
- a hull (2) provided with an upper face (3) and with a lower face (4) and at least partially defining a containment volume (5) at its interior;

- at least one wing sail (6), which is extended along a main extension direction (X) transverse to the upper face (3) of said hull (2), is mounted on said hull (2) and is provided with a wing profile (7) susceptible of intercepting the wind in order to move said maritime drone (1);
said wing sail (6) being movable between an operative position, in which said wing profile (7) projects from the upper face (3) of said hull (2) in order to be exposed to the wind, and a non-operative position, in which said wing profile (7) is at least partially housed in said containment volume (5) in order to be retracted from the wind;

- first movement means (8) mechanically connected to said hull (2) and to said wing sail (6) and arranged in order to move said wing sail (6) between said operative position and said non-operative position;

- second movement means (9) mechanically connected to said hull (2) and to said wing sail (6) and arranged, at least with said wing sail (6) in operative position, for rotating said wing sail (6) around a rotation axis (Y) substantially parallel to the main extension direction (X) of said wing sail (6);

said maritime drone (1) being characterized in that said first movement means (8) are arranged for moving said wing sail (6) along a translation axis (Z) substantially parallel to said main extension direction (X);

said hull (2) being provided, on said upper face (3), with a through opening (10) in communication with said containment volume (5);

said second movement means (9) comprising a motorized slewing bearing (11) provided with:
- a stator ring (12), fixed to said hull (2) at said through opening (10);

- a rotatable support (13), which is rotatably and coaxially mounted on said stator ring (12) around the rotation axis (Y) of said wing sail (6), is rotatably integral with said wing profile (7), and is provided with a through guide channel (14), extended axially parallel to said translation axis (Z), communicating with said containment volume (5) and carrying, slidably inserted, the wing profile (7) of said wing sail (6) along said translation axis (Z);

- motor means (15) mechanically connected to said rotatable support (13) and arranged for rotating said rotatable support (13) around said rotation axis (Y).
Maritime drone (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, at least with said wing sail (6) in said operative position, the wing profile (7) of said wing sail (6) is engaged in shape relationship with said guide channel (14).
Maritime drone (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the guide channel (14) of the rotatable support (13) of said motorized slewing bearing (11) is substantially counter-shaped with respect to said wing profile (7).
Maritime drone (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said wing profile (7) is provided with a lower base portion (16) and with an upper operative portion (34), which is extended starting from said base portion (16);
with said wing sail (6) in operative position, said base portion (16) being at least partially housed in the guide channel (14) of said rotatable support (13); and

with said wing sail (6) in non-operative position, said base portion (16) being housed in said containment volume (5).
Maritime drone (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transverse section of the wing profile (7) of said wing sail (6) is completely placed within the size of said rotatable support (13).
Maritime drone (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said motor means (15) comprise:
- at least one first motor (17) integral with said hull (2);

- at least one pinion (18) mechanically connected to said first motor (17) and actuatable in rotation by said first motor (17);

- a first rack (19) mounted perimetrically on said rotatable support (13) and engaged with said pinion (18).
Maritime drone (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said stator ring (12) comprises a first cylindrical wall (20) concentric with the rotation axis (Y) of said wing sail (6) and extended along said rotation axis (Y) with a first depth;
the rotatable support (13) of said motorized slewing bearing (11) comprising a second cylindrical wall (21) inserted concentric with the first cylindrical wall (20) of said stator ring (12) and extended along said rotation axis (Y) with a second depth greater than said first depth.
Maritime drone (1) according to claim 6 and 7, characterized in that the second cylindrical wall (21) of said rotatable support (13) comprises a lower projecting portion (22), which project with respect to the first cylindrical wall (20) of said stator ring (12) inside said containment volume (5);
the first rack (19) of said motor means (15) being perimetrically mounted on the lower projecting portion (22) of said second cylindrical wall (21).
Maritime drone (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first movement means (8) comprise:
- a second motor (23) integral with said hull (2);

- a threaded rod (24) actuatable in rotation by said second motor (23) and extended parallel to the translation axis (Z) of said wing sail (6);

- a nutscrew (25) coupled, by means of screw-nutscrew coupling, to said threaded rod (24) and mechanically connected to said wing sail (6).
Maritime drone (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotatable support (13) of said motorized slewing bearing (11) comprises an internal wall (26) which defines said guide channel (14) and, at said internal wall (26), carries multiple first bearings (57) mounted thereon, with which at least said wing profile (7) is slidably constrained.
Maritime drone (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wing profile (7) of said wing sail (6) is extended, along a direction orthogonal to said main extension direction (X), being tapered from a leading edge (32) towards an opposite trailing edge (33).