FR2810627A1 - DEVICE FOR PROTECTING A LINK OF AN UNDERWATER OBJECT - Google Patents

Abstract

The boat has a central cable winch (11) carrying the main cable attached to the object. Protection assembly comprises a dead weight (16) with a cable guide (24) mounted on this central cable winch (11). Two other winches (10,12) are placed at the corners of the boat deck (2). The corner winches are supporting two cables (13,15) attached at the other end to the dead weight (16). Rods (17,20) are transversal to the cables. Independent claims are also included for the software for computer or automate and the medium storing the software.

Description

Device for protecting a connection cable from an under-

  marine. The present invention relates to the field of protecting a connecting cable between an underwater object and a surface boat,

  especially in the vicinity of one or more propellers of the surface boat.

  When launching an underwater object from the aft deck of a surface boat, the movements of the boat, of the object, combined with the effect of sea currents and the flow of water. '' one or more propellers of the boat, can bring the connecting cable in contact with the propellers or their possible hulls and cause injuries or even the cutting of the cable, which makes it impossible to accomplish the mission for which the underwater object, mission during which

  the object and the boat can move at speeds of several knots.

  In general, the connecting cable is an electro-carrying cable, transmitting either the power supply from the boat to the underwater object, or transmission data of the remote control type, state of the object, in both directions, ensuring both types of transmission. It is therefore useful to protect this cable during the launching of the object and the cable and this as long as said object moves in the water and

during its recovery on board.

  Today rigid or articulated guide tubes are used.

  cables, an articulated tube also being called flexible fairing assembly.

  However, during the advancement of the boat, significant forces are exerted on the structure of the tube and weaken the assembly, in particular in bending. The connecting cable may become blocked in the tube or deteriorate due to friction and wear in the tube. The tube is a system

  complex and relatively fragile mechanics.

  We can also use weights or immersed dead bodies at the end of a support cable, which allows the cable to be guided at the dead body but does not protect it from the propellers of the boat. In addition, there is a significant risk of entanglement of the support cable and the connecting cable. The present invention proposes to remedy the drawbacks

mentioned above.

  The present invention proposes to prevent damage to the

  connecting cable by the boat's propulsion system.

  The device, according to one aspect of the invention, is intended for

  protection for cable connecting a ship on the surface and an underwater object.

  The device comprises a dead body, a cable guide associated with the dead body, at least two cables for supporting the dead body, and at least one connecting member mounted substantially transversely to the cables of

support.

  Preferably, the cables for supporting the dead body are arranged on one side and the other of the cable connecting the ship and the underwater object. This determines the maintenance of the dead body in an area determined by

report to the ship.

  Preferably, the dead body support cables are arranged

  substantially transversely to the ship.

  In one embodiment of the invention, the device

  includes at least three dead body support cables.

  Advantageously, one cable is in the central position and the other cables are in the lateral position, substantially in a plane transverse to the ship. In one embodiment of the invention, the device comprises a cable winding means, for example a cable winch. Preferably, the connecting member comprises at least one rod connecting at least two support cables. A plurality of rods may be provided which will maintain the spacing between the support cables and

  will constitute a curtain between the cable connecting the ship and the object under

  sailor, and the ship's thrusters.

  In one embodiment of the invention, said rod is of

  generally straight shape and arranged substantially horizontally.

  In one embodiment of the invention, said rod is of

  general annular shape and arranged substantially horizontally.

  Advantageously, the device comprises a control unit for winding the cables. The invention also relates to a computer or automaton program comprising program code means for implementing steps for deploying the device, when said program

  runs on a computer or PLC.

  The invention also relates to a medium capable of being read by a device for reading program code means which are stored therein and which are suitable for implementing the steps for deploying the device, when said program is running on a computer or PLC. The dead body forces the connecting cable connecting the ship and the underwater object to follow a determined route between the ship and said dead body and avoids contact between said connecting cable and the means of

  ship propulsion such as propellers.

  The cable guide allows the connecting cable connecting the ship and the underwater object to slide relative to the dead body while forcing

  said connecting cable to pass near said dead body.

  The presence of two dead body support cables makes it possible, when their points of attachment to the boat are suitably separated, to keep the dead body in a determined position relative to the boat and to avoid tangling of the support cables and the connecting cable. The cable guide associated with the dead body allows the connecting cable to slide relative to said dead body and therefore can be unwound and wound from the boat on which a winch is generally provided for this purpose. The transverse connecting member is in a generally horizontal plane and maintains

  the spacing of the support cables.

  Some embodiments of the invention are illustrated by the accompanying drawings: - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rear part of a surface boat according to one aspect of the invention; - Figure 2 is a perspective view of a dead body; - Figure 3 is a top view in elevation of the rear part of the boat of Figure 1; - Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views of the rear part of the boat during operational steps; - Figure 6 is a rear elevation view of the boat of Figure 1; and - Figure 7 is a perspective view of the rear part of a

  boat according to another aspect of the invention.

  As can be seen in Figures 1 and 3 to 6, a surface boat referenced 1 as a whole and of which only the rear part is visible, is provided with a deck 2 and with a propulsion system comprising

two propellers 3 and 4.

  A connecting cable 5 of the type intended to provide a power and / or communication link between the boat 1 and an underwater object 6, is wound around a winch 7 disposed on the deck 2. The object under sailor 6 can be, for example, a mine hunting or exploration submersible. At the rear and in the middle of the width of the bridge 2, there is a tensioner 8 and a deflection pulley aligned with the winch 7 and suitable for

  receive the connecting cable 5. The deflection pulley 9 is arranged in carrier

overhang backwards.

  Three winches are also arranged at the rear of deck 2, a left side winch 10, a central winch 11 and a right side winch 12. On

  these winches are wound respectively with support cables 13, 14 and 15.

  The free ends of the cables 13, 14 and 15 are attached to a dead body 16 which will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2. The central winch 11 is disposed in the immediate vicinity of the deflection pulley 9, for example slightly in below and in front of said deflection pulley 9. A plurality of rods 17 to 20, straight and arranged in a plane transverse to the

  boat, connect cables 13 to 15 together.

  The dead body 16, illustrated in more detail in FIG. 2, has a mass of the order of one or several hundred kilos and can be produced with a hydrodynamic shape to avoid loss of energy

  important during the movement of the boat, the dead body 16 being immersed.

  The support cables 13 to 15 are connected and fixed respectively in fastening holes passing through 21 to 23 of the dead body 16. The fastening hole 21 is arranged on the left side of the dead body 16, the fastening hole 22 is arranged in the center and the attachment hole 23 is arranged on the right side, in the direction

progress of the boat.

  A cable guide 24 is associated with the dead body 16 in a central position behind the attachment hole 22. The cable guide 24 is of annular shape and comprises two elements 25 and 26 each forming half of the

  cable guide 24 along a cutting plane passing through the axis of said cable guide.

  The element 26 is fixed to the dead body 16 and the element 25 is articulated on the

  dead body 16 or on element 26 to allow the opening of the guide

  cable, which is illustrated in Figure 2 in the open position. An axial bore 27 passes through the cable guide 24 and has a flared shape at its two ends. The connecting cable 5 is designed to be placed in the passage 27 and to be able to slide therein without risk of deterioration thanks to

  its flared shape at its upper end and at its lower end.

  The winch 7, the tensioner 8 and the winches 10, 11 and 12 are each connected to a control unit, not shown for the simplicity of the drawing, by wire or wireless connection. The control unit comprises a processor, memory means and a control program

  stored in the memory means and capable of being executed by the processor.

  The control unit can be provided with manual control means such as buttons, joysticks, touch screen, etc. The control unit is capable of controlling the various stages of implementation of the underwater object 6 and of the cable protection device. Winches 7 and 10 to 12

  can be electric, hydraulic or pneumatic.

  In the storage position illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, the connecting cable 5 is almost entirely wound on the drum of the winch 7. The underwater object 6 is disposed on the deck 2 and is removably attached thereto. The dead body 16 is raised in the high position thanks to the central winch 11, the lateral cables 13 and 15 being stretched between the respective winches 10 and 12 and the dead body 16, in an almost horizontal position. The

  dead body 16 is located below and near the deflection pulley 9.

  The dead body 16 can be blocked by locking means

  integral with boat 2 and more rigid than a cable connection.

  To prepare the launching of the underwater object 6, we start by uncoiling the connecting cable 5 of the winch 7 slightly and passing it through the tensioner 8, in the connecting pulley 9 and in the guide cable 24 secured to the dead body 16 by opening its articulated part 25

  as illustrated in FIG. 2. The articulated part 25 is then closed.

  The winches 10 to 12 as well as the winch 7 are then controlled to deflect their respective cables, the load of the dead body 16 being supported by the central winch 1 1. The side cables 13 and 15 are

  kept at low tension, just enough to avoid slack.

  Once the working immersion is reached by the dead body 16, the side winches 10 and 12 are controlled to tension the side cables 13 and 15 and take up the weight of the dead body 16. The connecting cable 5 is kept under low tension to avoid slack. It will be noted that the cable unwinding speed must be adapted at each moment of the

  launching procedure due to the geometry of the assembly.

  As can be seen in FIG. 4, during the descent of the dead body to its working immersion, the connecting cable 5 passing through the cable guide 24 is attached at its end to the underwater object 6 which remains on deck 2. The connecting cable 5 therefore goes between the return pulley 9 and the cable guide 24 and a return between the cable guide 24 and the underwater object 6. The control unit allows, thanks to its program

  control, to obtain desired deflection speeds.

  Of course, the lengths of the lateral cables 13 and 15 are adjusted to remain equal in order to avoid unbalancing the dead body 16, in particular with the speed of movement of the boat. Once the dead body 16 submerged to its working depth, the underwater object 6 is launched using a crane not shown and can then move away from the boat, as illustrated in the figure 5. The deployed state (immersed dead body 16) of the protection device is clearly visible in FIG. 6. The various cables 5, 10 and 12 are shown as being perfectly straight, which will not necessarily be the case in real situations . The connecting cable 5 is disposed behind the support cable 14 which it hides. The cable

  support 14 is therefore not visible in FIG. 6.

  In a plane transverse to the boat 1, there are therefore arranged the cables 13, 14 and 15, the cables 13 and 15 forming a trapezium whose large base is formed by the deck 2 of the boat 1 and whose small base is formed by the dead body 16, this trapezium being symmetrical with respect to the central cable 14. The rods 17 to 20, which are fixed at staggered heights on the cables 10 and 12, are deployed parallel to each other substantially horizontally. The rods 17 to 20 can be formed by tubes, the ends of which are provided with rings, so that they can slide along the cables 13 to 15. A central ring is also provided so that they can slide along the central cable 14. L 'spacing between the rods 17 to 20 is ensured by spacing ropes 28, 29, 30 and 31. All the spacing ropes are two in number, one on each side of the boat. The ropes 28 are fixed on the one hand to the rear of the boat, for example on deck 2 and, on the other hand to one end of the rod 17. The ropes 29 are

  arranged at one end on the rod 17 and at the other end on the rod 18.

  Likewise, the ropes 30 are fixed at one end to the rod 18 and at the other end to the rod 19. Likewise, the ropes 31 are fixed to one end

  on the rod 19 and at the other end on the rod 20.

  Optionally, the ropes 28 to 31 can pass inside the respective rods or slide in rings to allow adaptation of the geometry of the ropes and rods as a function

  the desired depth of the dead body 16.

  The assembly formed by the cables 13, 14 and 15, the dead body 16, the tubes 17 to 20 and the spacing ropes 28 to 31, makes it possible to protect the connecting cable 5 by forming between itself and the propellers 3 and 4 a curtain preventing the connecting cable 5 from coming close to said propellers 3 and 4, even in the event that it is inadvertently or by incident

relatively relaxed.

  The recovery of the underwater vehicle 6 and the protection device is carried out as follows. The underwater vehicle 6 is brought back to the surface by its own means. It is reassembled on board the boat by means of the crane not shown and the dead body 16 is reassembled essentially by means of the central winch 11 which puts the central cable 14 in tension, the side cables 13 and 15 also being rewound by the winches 10 and 12, but without tension or with a weak tension. Simultaneously, the winch 7 rewinds the connecting cable 5 to prevent it from taking excessively slack. During the ascent of the dead body 16, the protective rods 17 to come to rest on said dead body 16 as the ascent and are located at the end of the ascent movement at the rear of the boat 1 above or in contact with the dead body 16. The relatively flexible ropes 28 to 31 fold back without occupying a large space. They are offset transversely with respect to each other, which reduces the risk of them becoming tangled. They are therefore not visible in Figures 1 and 3. In Figure 7 is illustrated a variant in which the protection device comprises a dead body 16 held by two carrying cables 32 and 33 spaced from each other d 'a distance for example of the order of one meter and arranged towards the middle of the boat 1. The cables 32 and 33 can be wound on a single winch with double drum referenced 34 or, not shown, on two separate winches. The rods which maintain the spacing between the cables 32 and 33 are here of

  annular shape and bear the reference 35.

  The annular rods 35 are connected to each other by ropes 36. At least two ropes 36 are provided between two adjacent annular rods 35, but preferably three or more for better retention in position. The annular rods 35 are capable of sliding, for example by means of rings, with respect to the carrying cables 32 and 33, and are deployed during the immersion of the dead body 16. The annular rods 35 come to rest on the dead body 16 during its ascent. The connecting cable 5 is therefore guided between the return pulley 9 and the dead body 16 by the plurality of annular rods 35, the annular rods 35 having a spacing along the carrying cables 32 and 33, that is to say substantially along a vertical axis, determined by the spacing lines 36. The upper annular rod 35 will be connected to the boat 1, for example to the deck 2, by

a rope not shown.

  The invention makes it possible to guide the connecting cable below the propellers and to interpose a curtain deployed between said connecting cable and the propellers or more generally the propulsion means, to prevent a

  possible displacement of the connecting cable towards these propulsion means.

  The heavy dead body equipped with a lockable cable guide is immersed by the rear of the boat below the level of the propulsion means. At least two auxiliary cables are attached on each side of the dead body and on the sides of the rear shelf with the function of preventing the dead body from rotating and ensuring the maintenance of the protective rods which form a curtain between the connecting cable and the propulsion means. The support cable operating winches allow the dead body to be lowered or raised and more generally the protection device between its

  storage position out of water and its submerged operational position.

  The protection device is easily deployable and foldable. It has a small footprint in the folded state since the protective rods, whether straight or annular, can be stacked on top of each other. The depth of immersion of the dead body

  can be adjusted precisely using the winches.

  The implementation time of the protective devices is very short and the driving energy during immersion is provided by the force of gravity on the dead body and is therefore carried out without energy consumption

coming from the boat.

  The geometry of the protection device is adaptable from one boat to another by varying the length of the protection rods when they are straight and is relatively universal in the case of rods.

ring protection.

  By way of example, it can be provided that in the folded state, the protection device is a space requirement in height of the order of one meter. The

  deployment time may be of the order of 2 minutes.

Claims (10)

  1. Protective device for cable connecting a boat (1) on the surface and an underwater object (6), characterized in that it comprises a dead body (16), a cable guide (24) associated with the body dead, at least two cables for supporting the dead body, and at least one connecting member mounted substantially transversely to the support cables. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cables for supporting the dead body are arranged on one side and on the other of the   cable connecting the ship and the underwater object.   3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cables for supporting the dead body are arranged substantially transversely to the ship.   4. Device according to any one of the claims   previous, characterized in that it comprises at least three cables of support (13, 14, 15) of the dead body.   5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that a cable is in the central position and the other cables are in the position   lateral, substantially in a plane transverse to the ship.   6. Device according to any one of the claims   above, characterized in that it comprises a means cable winding.   7. Device according to any one of the claims   above, characterized in that the connecting member comprises at   minus one rod connecting at least two support cables.   8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that said rod (17) is of generally straight shape and arranged substantially horizontally. 9. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that said rod (35) is of generally circular shape and arranged substantially horizontally.   10. Device according to any one of the claims   previous, characterized in that it includes a control unit cable winding.