Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B21/00—Tying-up; Shifting, towing, or pushing equipment; Anchoring
  • B63B21/16—Tying-up; Shifting, towing, or pushing equipment; Anchoring using winches
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B21/00—Tying-up; Shifting, towing, or pushing equipment; Anchoring
  • B63B21/56—Towing or pushing equipment
  • B63B21/66—Equipment specially adapted for towing underwater objects or vessels, e.g. fairings for tow-cables
  • B63B21/663—Fairings
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B27/00—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers
  • B63B27/16—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of lifts or hoists
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B27/00—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers
  • B63B27/36—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for floating cargo

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an underwater device intended to be towed by a surface vessel, comprising a handling system suitable for installation on the surface vessel and for storing and deploying said underwater device.
• the invention is particularly useful in the field of active sonar-type underwater devices comprising a cable towing a towed body incorporating a transmission array.
• the towed body is sometimes called a "fish" because of its shape.
• a linear receiving array in the form of a flexible, elongated body is towed behind the fish. This is referred to as a dependent tow system.
• the linear receiving array is sometimes also called a "flute" because of its shape.
• the towed body may be a three-dimensional body suspended from the tow cable or be elongated along a longitudinal axis and incorporating a linear transmitting array comprising transducers distributed along the longitudinal axis.
• the invention aims to facilitate the launching and recovery maneuvers of the various elements of the towed underwater device while ensuring high safety for the operator during handling operations.
• the low-stiffness cable allows the operator to avoid leaning too far behind the fish to make the hooking.
• the intermediate element is a rigid articulated arm that imposes a specific distance between the two winches. Furthermore, the articulated arm prevents the towed body from being positioned at the stern edge if doors are located at the rear of the boat. The low-stiffness cable drastically reduces this distance, allowing the doors to remain closed and thus improving operator safety.
• using a low-stiffness cable eliminates the positioning constraint between the two winches and makes the connection operations easier and safer for the operator.
• the use of a retrieval line facilitates subsequent retrieval of the connection between the flexible elongated body and the intermediate element.
• the term “cable” refers to a protected metallic conductor wire.
• the cable is an opto-electro-traction cable.
• low stiffness cable we mean a cable having a stiffness k less than 10 N/m.
• rope refers to a bundle of strands twisted together. These strands can be made of textile material, KEVLAR, steel, or other materials.
• carrier we mean a metal loop with a quick and secure closing system.
• the attachment cable includes an upstream carabiner adapted to be attached to the downstream carabiner of the retrieval rope.
• the intermediate element is a cable of lightweight cable technology.
• the intermediate element comprises an opto-electric strand and a plurality of force-recovery strands, said strands being separated.
• the intermediate element is a reinforced cable.
• the cable is reinforced by a tensile braid.
• the handling system comprises two winches, a first winch being capable of storing and deploying the haul rope, and a second winch being capable of storing and deploying the haul rope.
• a first winch being capable of storing and deploying the haul rope
• a second winch being capable of storing and deploying the haul rope.
• the intermediate element is aligned with the flexible elongated body to allow the first winch to pull the entire underwater device.
• the intermediate element is misaligned with the flexible elongated body to allow the flexible elongated body to be aligned with the second winch.
• the underwater device includes an electrical and/or optical link between the towed body and the flexible, elongated body. This electrical and/or optical link is disconnectable.
• the invention is described in relation to the towing of an active sonar by a surface vessel. It is understood that the invention can be implemented for any type of towed underwater device.
• FIG 8 This represents a vessel 10 towing an active sonar 12 comprising a towed body 14 incorporating an acoustic transmitting antenna and a flexible elongated body 16 forming an acoustic receiving antenna.
• the towed body will be referred to as the fish 14 and the flexible elongated body as the flute 16.
• the sonar 12 also includes a cable 18 for towing the fish 14 and the flute 16.
• the cable 18 also carries signals and power between the vessel 10, the fish 14, and the flute 16.
• the fish 14 and the flute 16 are mechanically attached and connected electrically and/or optically to the cable 18 in a suitable manner.
• the flute 16 consists of a linear, tubular antenna identical to those found in passive sonars, hence its name, while the transmitting antenna is integrated into a volumetric structure forming the towed body 14, which has a shape resembling that of a fish.
• the flute 16 is attached to the fish 14, which is itself attached to the end of the cable 18.
• the antenna of the fish 14 emits sound waves into the water, and the receiving antenna of the flute 16 detects any echoes from targets reflecting the sound waves from the transmitting antenna.
• a handling device 20 is located on a rear deck 22 of the vessel 10.
• the handling device 20 includes two winches 24 and 26.
• Winch 24 is used to store and deploy the haul rope 18 and the fish 14.
• Winch 26 is used to store and deploy the flute 16. In the deployed position of the active sonar 12, as shown in the figure 5 Only winch 24 is in operation. Winch 24 pulls the entire sonar assembly 12. More precisely, cable 18 pulls fish 14 and flute 16 is attached behind fish 14.
• Winch 24 is located on the port side of ship 10 and winch 26 on the starboard side. Other configurations are also possible: winch 24 on the starboard side and winch 26 on the port side, winch 24 above or below winch 26. More generally, the two winches 24 and 26 are offset from each other.
• the sonar 12 includes an intermediate element 30.
• This intermediate element 30 is positioned between the fish 14 and the flute 16. More specifically, the intermediate element 30 is connected to the fish 14 by a first connection 32. Furthermore, the intermediate element 30 is connected to the flute 16 by a second connection 34.
• the first connection 32 is a hinged mechanical connection. It can therefore be disassembled for replacement of the intermediate element during maintenance operations. This first connection 32 is shown here as fixed. Alternatively, this first connection 32 is disconnectable.
• the second connection 34 is, here, disconnectable.
• the intermediate element 30 is aligned with the flute 16. More precisely, the intermediate element 30 and the flute 16 both extend substantially along the same axis 36.
• the axis 36 is substantially parallel to the vessel's axis of travel.
• the drag forces experienced by the flute 16 naturally orient the intermediate element 30 and the flute 16 in the water along the axis 36, which can oscillate, particularly depending on weather conditions, especially wave conditions, which induce pitching and rolling of the towing vessel.
• the fish 14 and the flute 16 are also connected to each other by a retrieval line 25a.
• the retrieval line 25a includes a downstream carabiner 27a attached to an attachment point 28 belonging to the fish 14.
• the other end of the retrieval line 25a is connected to the flute 26 via the second connection 34.
• FIG 2 represents the ship of the figure 8 whose sonar 12 is being deployed or retrieved. More precisely, the fish 14 is placed on the deck 22, possibly in a cradle designed to hold it. The winch 24 is stopped. The cable 18 is almost completely wound on the winch 24. The intermediate element 30 is misaligned with the flute 16, allowing the flute 16 to be aligned with the winch 26.
• the joint between the fish 14 and the intermediate element 30 is advantageously of the ball-and-socket type, that is, having at least two degrees of freedom in rotation about axes perpendicular to the axis 36.
• a joint is notably disclosed to figures 8 And 9
• the joint between the intermediate element 30 and the flute 16 advantageously has at least one degree of rotational freedom about an axis allowing alignment of the flute 16 with the winch 26.
• the flute 16 advantageously retains one degree of rotational freedom about the axis 36. This degree of freedom can be provided either at end 32 by means of a ball joint or at end 34 by means of a ball joint with a finger.
• the presence of the intermediate element 30 allows the operator responsible for connecting the flute 16 to the fish 14 to avoid moving behind the fish 14 to perform the connection, thus facilitating this connection operation.
• This connection can be made at the foot of winch 26, that is to say in a place far from the rear edge of the surface building 10. The operator can then turn towards the sea to see any possible out-of-format wave coming and take shelter accordingly.
• the intermediate element 30 is here a flexible cable.
• the outer cable sheath 81 is designed to protect lightweight cables, ensuring water resistance. It is made of PA12 type nylon material.
• the outer sheath 82 and the inner sheath 83 provide intermediate rigidity in the element 30.
• These sheaths 82, 83 are made of a silicone and/or PE type rubber material.
• the fabric 84 is positioned between the outer cable sheath 81 and the outer sheath of the electro-optical core 82. It provides stress absorption.
• This fabric 84 is made of a Kevlar-type material.
• the electrical screen 85 is arranged between the outer sheath 82 and the inner sheath 83.
• the electro-optical core 86 comprises electrical wires and fibers. It enables remote transmission of the receiving antenna, i.e., remote power supply to the antenna and transmission of the received signals.
• the intermediate element 30 is a cable compatible with TANDEM technology.
• load transfer lines 94, 95 are shown.
• the number of load transfer lines can be different from 2. This number is thus between 1 and N load transfer lines, with N an integer greater than or equal to 2.
• the recovery rope 25a is then unspooled, and the flute 16 continues its movement towards the water. This gradually puts tension on the intermediate element 30.
• the recovery rope 25a includes a downstream carabiner 27a, which is connected to a hauling cable 25b via an upstream carabiner 27b. The hauling cable 25b is unspooled from the second winch 26.
• the hanging cable 25b continues to unwind so that the tension generated by the mass of the flute 16 is entirely taken up by the intermediate element 30.
• the recovery cord 25a then relaxes.
• downstream carabiner 27a is attached to the fish 14 via the attachment means 28.
• the upstream carabiner 27b is then detached from the downstream carabiner 27a.
• the 25b lifting cable is wound onto the second winch 26 to free up the operator's working area.
• the upstream carabiner 27b is detached from the 25b lifting cable to allow the 25b lifting cable to be fully wound.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Measurement Of Velocity Or Position Using Acoustic Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
• Laying Of Electric Cables Or Lines Outside (AREA)
• Harvester Elements (AREA)
• General Details Of Gearings (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=82781117

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (10)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 2022
  • 2022-05-19 FR FR2204765A patent/FR3135695B1/fr active Active
• 2023
  • 2023-04-21 PL PL23720901.0T patent/PL4526201T3/pl unknown
  • 2023-04-21 EP EP23720901.0A patent/EP4526201B1/fr active Active
  • 2023-04-21 ES ES23720901T patent/ES3066447T3/es active Active
  • 2023-04-21 AU AU2023273906A patent/AU2023273906A1/en active Pending
  • 2023-04-21 US US18/847,650 patent/US20250360986A1/en active Pending
  • 2023-04-21 IL IL315533A patent/IL315533A/en unknown
  • 2023-04-21 WO PCT/EP2023/060407 patent/WO2023222327A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2023-04-21 JP JP2025567686A patent/JP2026518693A/ja active Pending
  • 2023-04-21 CA CA3250519A patent/CA3250519A1/en active Pending

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