JP2016068759A - Lifting and recovery device for underwater apparatus, mother ship for underwater apparatus, and lifting and recovery method for underwater apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lifting and recovery device for an underwater apparatus that can easily lift and recover an underwater apparatus out of water in a relatively simple configuration and shorten the time required for lifting and recovery of the underwater apparatus, a mother ship of an underwater apparatus, and a lifting and recovery method for an underwater apparatus.SOLUTION: A lifting and recovery device 20 for an underwater apparatus to recover an underwater apparatus 10 onto a mother ship 1 out of water comprises a lifting and recovery implement 30 that stores the underwater apparatus 10. The lifting and recovery implement 30 is configured to be capable of being suspended from a mother ship 1 by providing a passage part 33, which has a bottom part 31, maintaining a shape of an outer periphery 32 to form at least a part of the bottom part 31, and the outer periphery 32 with a buoyancy generating part 33 disposed on the top side by having water passage property and is capable of making the underwater apparatus 10 enter and exit the outer periphery 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a device for lifting an underwater device, a mother ship for the underwater device, and a method for lifting an underwater device that can reduce the time required for the lifting of the underwater device.

  Underwater equipment equipped with cameras and various sensors is used for marine resources such as aquatic organisms and marine organisms, seabed surveys for seismic observations and marine resources, sunken ships and underwater ruins. Although some of these underwater devices are manned, there are many autonomous underwater robots (AUV) that have made autonomous navigation of underwater devices possible by improving the capabilities of various sensors, and many unmanned underwater devices (ROV) that are remotely operated. It has been used. The AUV is unreasonable, but the ROV uses a towing cable provided with an optical cable or the like for carrying these signals in order to transfer data for operation and observation results.

  These underwater devices are provided with thrusters that generate thrust in three directions, front and rear, left and right, and top and bottom, to ensure mobility. Usually, underwater devices are almost fully immersed and have substantially the same buoyancy and weight. The weight is adjusted to the neutral state.

  When these underwater devices are picked up from the water to the mother ship, the underwater devices are lifted from the water and hung on the mother ship. Various methods are used for collecting and picking up these underwater devices. For example, between two guide frames to ensure that the underwater vehicle is to be withdrawn in a harsh marine environment without having to be permanently equipped with special equipment dedicated to the mother ship. Holding the recovery net that has been passed over to the suspension frame together with the suspension frame, it is possible to submerge and sail underwater with a plurality of thrusters provided on the guidance frame by wired guidance using a guidance rope. If you move to the vicinity of the mid-running body by yourself, release the bundled state in the water with little influence of the floating environment, deploy the collection net, and place the underwater vehicle on this submerged collection net, This state is raised to the sunken state Hoisting induction cord, a wire suspension frame rolled up by connecting the crane wire, launch and recovery device underwater vehicle moving on the deck of the mother ship has been proposed (e.g., see Patent Document 1).

  However, in this underwater vehicle lifting device, the lifting device itself is configured to be able to travel, and in addition, it is released from the state in which the collection net is surely bundled underwater based on a command from the mother ship. This requires a mechanism that allows the underwater vehicle's lifting device itself to deploy the thruster and the recovery net reliably, and the structure of the underwater vehicle's lifting device and the method of lifting the underwater vehicle are complex. There is a problem of becoming.

JP2013-184525A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described situation, and its purpose is to have a relatively simple configuration and to easily lift the underwater device from the water to the mother ship, and to shorten the time required for the lifting of the underwater device. An object of the present invention is to provide a device for lifting underwater equipment, a mother ship for underwater equipment, and a method for picking up underwater equipment.

  An apparatus for lifting an underwater device for achieving the object as described above is a device for collecting an underwater device for collecting the underwater device on the mother ship from the water, and includes a lifting tool for housing the underwater device, The lifting tool has a bottom part that maintains the shape of the outer peripheral part, and a peripheral part in which a buoyancy generating part is disposed on the upper side, and at least a part of the bottom part and the peripheral part has water permeability. In addition, a passage portion through which the underwater device can enter and exit is provided in the peripheral portion, and is configured to be hung from the mother ship.

  According to this configuration, since the shape of the outer peripheral portion of the bottom of the lifting tool may be maintained, a special deployment operation in the lifting tool is not required, and a passage portion in which the underwater device can reliably enter and leave the water is provided. It can be secured.

  In addition, when the lifting tool is suspended in water, the top part floats on the water surface due to the buoyancy of the buoyancy generating part, and the bottom part and the surrounding part are submerged in water. It becomes easy to enter the inside of the surrounding part and above the bottom part, and the accommodation of the underwater device in the lifting device can be performed underwater with little influence of waves even under stormy weather. In other words, even when the sea conditions are bad, the lifting tool floats using floating, and when the bottom and the underwater equipment reach the same depth, they move up and down almost synchronously with the waves. Underwater equipment can be accommodated on the bottom without receiving. In addition, when the underwater device floats on the water surface, a part of the thruster of the underwater device is exposed or greatly affected by waves, so that the maneuverability becomes worse as compared with underwater.

  In placing the underwater equipment on the bottom, the underwater equipment is normally adjusted to a neutral state in which buoyancy and weight are balanced, so that the lifting force of the lifting equipment is not increased suddenly. Even if there is an increase in the lowering force, it can be absorbed by the change in buoyancy at the buoyancy-generating part and does not affect the crane load on the mother ship.

  In addition, when the underwater device enters the inside of the peripheral portion from the passage portion, the underwater device can be easily placed on the bottom in water by manipulating the underwater device or lifting it from the mother ship. Therefore, when the lifting tool comes out on the water surface, the underwater equipment is already placed on the bottom, so that the underwater equipment is in a stable state, from underwater to the water surface, and to the water surface. It can be safely moved from the top to the place on the mother ship with a crane on the mother ship.

  In addition, since the lifting work can be performed while the lifting tool is hung on the crane on the mother ship, it is possible to perform the hanging work such as wire hanging and removing the wire in a safe place on the mother ship. . Therefore, it is possible to improve the safety while shortening the time for the lifting operation.

  Further, in the above-described apparatus for lifting an underwater device, the bottom portion and the peripheral portion of the lifting tool are formed by a net, and a frame is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the bottom portion so that the shape of the outer peripheral portion of the bottom portion is formed. When configured to maintain, the lifting tool can be configured with a very simple configuration.

  Moreover, in the above-described underwater equipment lifting device, if the light generating device or the sound generating device used when the underwater device is accommodated in the lifting tool is provided, the underwater device generally has an autonomous self-navigation function. Or, since it is often equipped with a maneuvering function using a guide rope, it is possible to facilitate the accommodation work when the underwater equipment passes through the opening and is accommodated in the lifting tool. Can be shortened.

  Further, in the above-described underwater equipment lifting device, when the lifting tool is placed on the mother ship, a leg portion is provided that provides a gap between the bottom and the upper surface of the place where the mother ship is placed. When configured, it is possible to avoid the underwater device from directly colliding with the placement place even when the bottom portion is formed of a somewhat slack material such as a net or when the lifting tool is suspended from the placement place. In addition, when the bottom is made of a material that loosens somewhat, such as a net, the impact when the lifting tool is suspended from the place of installation can be absorbed or alleviated by a material that loosens slightly, such as a net. Can be placed on the place without receiving.

  And the mother ship of underwater equipment for achieving the above-mentioned object comprises the above-mentioned underwater equipment lifting device, and a crane that suspends the lifting tool from the mother ship and lifts it from underwater. Thus, the same effects as those of the above-described underwater equipment lifting device can be obtained.

  And the method of lifting the underwater equipment for achieving the above-mentioned purpose is a bottom part for maintaining the shape of the outer periphery in the method of lifting the underwater equipment for collecting the underwater equipment on the mother ship from the water, And a passage portion through which at least a part of the peripheral portion has water permeability, and the underwater device can enter and exit the peripheral portion. The lifting tool configured to be hung from the mother ship is lowered into the water, and the inside of the lifting tool held below the water surface by the buoyancy of the buoyancy generating portion is surrounded by the peripheral portion. After the underwater equipment is accommodated, the lifting tool accommodating the underwater equipment is lifted and placed on the place where the mother ship is placed. According to this method, the same effects as those of the above-described underwater equipment lifting device can be obtained.

  According to the apparatus for lifting an underwater device, the mother ship for the underwater device, and the method for lifting the underwater apparatus according to the present invention, the underwater device can be easily picked up from the water to the mother ship with a relatively simple configuration. The time required for collection can be shortened.

It is a side view which shows typically the structure of the picking-up apparatus of the underwater apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state before accommodation of the underwater apparatus in the water of a lifting tool. It is a figure which shows the state after accommodation of the underwater apparatus in the water of a lifting tool. It is a figure which shows the state which mounted the picking tool in the mounting place of a mother ship.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an apparatus for lifting an underwater device, a mother ship for an underwater device, and a method for lifting an underwater device according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  First, the mother ship of the underwater device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, this mother ship 1 for underwater equipment is a ship provided on a deck 2 with an underwater equipment lifting device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and includes a propeller 3 and a rudder as a propulsion device. 4 is configured. Further, when the underwater equipment 10 is picked up, the crane 5 for hanging or lifting the underwater equipment pick-up device 20 by the suspension rope 5a is provided on the deck 2. In addition, although this crane 5 may be provided exclusively for the collection of the underwater equipment 10, a crane for other purposes may be used.

  The underwater device 10 is an underwater vehicle or the like that conducts surveys of seabed information and the like, and includes a thruster 11 that generates thrust, subsidence force, and ascending force for submergence. Yes. For example, the underwater device 10 travels underwater while towing a tow cable 12 that accommodates an optical cable that communicates control signals, image signals, recorded data signals, and the like. 1 is sent to a data processing device (not shown) and travels by wired operation according to a control signal from a control device (not shown) of the mother ship 1 to investigate a target sea area.

  The underwater device 10 is mounted on the mother ship 1 and transported to the survey sea area and thrown into the water. The underwater device 10 includes a disposable device and a device that is collected and repeatedly used. Since the present invention relates to the lifting of the underwater device 10, it can be applied to the underwater device 10 that may be collected.

  The underwater equipment lifting device 20 of the present invention includes a lifting tool 30 that houses the underwater equipment 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the lifting tool 30 includes a bottom portion 31 and a surrounding portion 32. The bottom portion 31 and the peripheral portion 32 are configured to have at least a portion of water permeability, but can be easily configured when formed of a net-like material. Thereby, the water collected on the bottom part 31 can be drained by either or both of the water flow parts of the bottom part 31 and the surrounding part 32.

  Further, a frame 31b is provided on the outer periphery of the net portion 31a on the bottom 31 to ensure the shape of the bottom 31. At the same time, the net portion 31a is fixed while being pulled by the frame body 31b, and the amount of bending when the underwater device 10 is placed on the net portion 31a is reduced. The mesh of the net portion 31a needs to be such that the net portion 31a does not get entangled with the protrusions of the underwater device. For example, a small mesh net is used.

  The frame 31b and the net portion 31a are preferably made foldable, for example, in a foldable manner so as not to take up space when the lifting tool 30 is stored. The frame 31b can be easily created by forming a tube made of a synthetic resin such as an aluminum tube or vinyl chloride into a ring shape such as a triangular shape or a quadrangular shape.

  Further, when the lifting tool 30 is placed on the placement place 6 of the mother ship 1, the leg part 31 c is provided so as to provide a gap between the bottom 31 and the upper surface of the placement place 6 of the mother ship 1. To do. Even when the net portion 31a of the bottom 31 is formed of a material that loosens somewhat by the legs 31c, the underwater device 10 is directly connected to the placement location 6 when the lifting tool 30 is suspended from the placement location 6 of the mother ship 1. Collision can be avoided. Moreover, since the impact when the lifting tool 30 is suspended from the placement place 6 can be absorbed or mitigated by the net portion 31a, the underwater device 10 is placed on the placement place 6 without receiving an impact force. become. Since the leg portion 31c is used only when the lifting tool 30 is placed on the placement place 6 of the mother ship 1, it can be folded so as not to obstruct the work during the lifting work, or can be assembled by insertion or the like. It may be possible.

  On the other hand, the lower part of the peripheral part 32 is connected to the frame body 31 b of the bottom part 31, and the lower part of the peripheral part 32 is maintained in the same shape as the outer peripheral part of the bottom part 31 by this frame body 31 b. Although it is not always necessary to maintain the shape on the upper side, a frame (not shown) may be provided similarly to the lower side so that the upper shape is maintained. In this case, the same shape and the same size as the lower frame body 31b may be used, but when the upper frame body 31 is lifted on the mother ship 1, the upper side is squeezed so that no large force acts on the upper frame body. Thus, it is preferable to make the upper shape into a shape obtained by reducing the shape of the lower frame 31b.

  On the upper side of the peripheral portion 32, a float 32b serving as a buoyancy generating portion is arranged. By attaching the float 32b, when the lifting tool 30 is suspended in the water, the bottom 31 and the peripheral part 32 are held in the water while being suspended by the buoyancy of the float 32b. At the same time, the developed shape of the peripheral portion 32 that secures the passage portion is maintained by the action of the float 32b. 2 to 4, the number of the floats 32b is four. However, the number of the floats 32b may be any number as long as the buoyancy and the shape of the development of the peripheral part 32 securing the passages can be maintained. You may make it float on the surface.

  Further, a suspension line 34 is connected to the floating 32 b so that the suspension line 34 can be suspended by the crane 5 of the mother ship 1 above the peripheral portion 32. The suspension rope 34 has a sufficient length so that the floating shape of the peripheral portion 32 securing the passage portion can be maintained by the buoyancy of the floating portion 32b when the floating portion 32b is floated on the water surface.

  Further, a passage portion 33 through which the underwater device 10 can enter and exit is provided by partially opening the peripheral portion 32. In other words, when viewed from above, the peripheral portion 32 is formed in a V-shape, U-shape, U-shape, or the like such that one end side with the passage portion 33 is released. A protective member 31d formed of rubber protection or the like is provided on a part of the frame 31b on the lower side of the passage portion 33. The underwater device 10 is protected by reducing the impact received by the underwater device 10.

  With this shape, when the underwater device 10 is inserted from the passage portion 33 onto the bottom portion 31, the towing cable (tether cable) 12 formed of a guiding cable or an optical fiber cable towed by the underwater device 10 is provided in the passage portion. Since it is arrange | positioned at 33 side and is extended from the channel | path part 33 to the mother ship 1 side, even if the underwater apparatus 10 is accommodated in the collection tool 30, the towing cable 12 does not become obstructive.

  In addition, the underwater equipment lifting device 20 includes a guiding device 35 such as a light generator or a sound generator used when the underwater device 10 is accommodated in the lifting tool 30. Thereby, it is easy to accommodate the underwater device 10 that is often provided with an autonomous self-navigation function or a steering function using a guiding rope and accommodates the underwater device 10 in the lifting tool 30 through the passage portion 33. Can be. That is, in accordance with the guidance device 35, the underwater device 10 is programmed so as to be automatically steered with the passage 33 as a target, or enters the vehicle by maneuvering while confirming the position of the guidance device 35 while looking at the field of view of the underwater device 10. be able to.

  As for the arrangement of the guide device 35, one guide device is arranged on each of the upper and lower sides of the entrance portion of the end portion of the peripheral portion 32 on the passage portion 33 side, and the left and right and upper and lower ranges of the entrance are clearly shown. It is easy to guide in the direction and the vertical direction. In addition, when the underwater device 10 enters the underwater device 10 when the underwater device 10 enters, several guidance devices 35 are arranged side by side on the front side portion of the bottom portion 31 that is below the passage portion 33 and clearly indicate the position below the entrance. It is preferable to prevent a collision with the lower side of the portion 33.

  In particular, as shown in FIG. 2, the guide devices 35 are arranged in a row in the vertical direction on both sides of the entrance portion of the end portion of the peripheral portion 32 on the passage portion 33 side, and the guide devices 35 are disposed in the passage portion 33. It is arranged in a row in the horizontal direction at the intermediate height on the back side opposite to. Accordingly, when the horizontal row of the guidance device 35 is at an intermediate height position of the vertical row when passing through the passage portion 33 and accommodated in the lifting tool 30, the underwater device 10 It can be seen that the posture of is parallel to the bottom 31. If the horizontal row of the guidance device 35 is at a position higher than the middle of the vertical row, the underwater device 10 is in a state where the front is inclined upward, and conversely, the horizontal row of the guidance device 35 is the middle of the vertical row. If it is in a lower position, it will be understood that the underwater device 10 is tilted downward. Therefore, it is possible to easily control the posture of the underwater device 10, and the underwater device 10 can be guided into the lifting tool 30 in a state of being parallel to the bottom portion 31. Thereby, the time which accommodates the underwater apparatus 10 in the collection tool 30 can be shortened.

  In addition, when the underwater device 10 is an unmanned underwater vehicle, it is not necessary to ensure the safety of a crew member who enters the underwater device 10, so that it is easy to handle the underwater device 10, Since many unmanned underwater devices 10 are significantly lighter than manned underwater devices 10, this lifting method can be easily applied.

  Next, a method for lifting an underwater device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. This submersion method is a submersion method for recovering the submersible device 10 from the water onto the mother ship 1, and the bottom 31 that maintains the shape of the outer periphery and the upper part (the buoyancy generating part) And a peripheral portion 32 where 32b is disposed, and at least a part of the bottom portion 31 and the peripheral portion 32 is configured to be water-permeable, and a passage portion 33 through which the underwater device 10 can enter and exit is provided in the peripheral portion 32. Then, the lifting tool 30 configured to be hung from the mother ship 1 is lowered into the water, and the inside surrounded by the peripheral portion 32 of the lifting tool 30 held under the surface of the water by the buoyancy of the buoyancy generating portion 32b In this method, after the device 10 is accommodated, the lifting tool 30 that accommodates the underwater device 10 is lifted and placed on the placement place 6 of the mother ship 1.

  According to the underwater equipment lifting device 20, the underwater equipment mother ship 1, and the underwater equipment lifting method configured as described above, the shape of the outer peripheral portion of the bottom 31 of the lifting tool 30 may be maintained. A special deployment operation in the collection tool 30 is not required, and a passage portion 33 through which the underwater device 10 can reliably enter and exit underwater can be secured.

  Further, when the lifting tool 30 is suspended in water, the buoyancy of the buoyancy generating portion 32b causes the upper portion to float on the water surface, and the bottom 31 and the surrounding portion 32 are submerged in water. The underwater device 10 can easily enter the inside of the peripheral portion 32 and above the bottom portion 31. The underwater device 10 can be accommodated in the lifting tool 30 in water with less influence of waves even under stormy weather. it can. That is, even when the sea conditions are bad, the lifting tool 30 is floating using the float 32b, and the bottom 31 and the underwater equipment 10 move up and down almost synchronously with the waves when the water depth is the same. The underwater device 10 can be accommodated on the bottom 31 without being affected by waves. Note that when the underwater device 10 floats on the surface of the water, a part of the thruster 11 of the underwater device 10 is exposed or greatly affected by waves, so that the maneuverability is deteriorated compared to underwater.

  Moreover, since the underwater device 10 is normally adjusted to a neutral state in which the buoyancy and the weight are balanced in placing on the bottom portion 31, the suspending force of the lifting tool 30 is not increased suddenly. Even if the suspending force increases, it can be absorbed by the change in buoyancy of the buoyancy generating portion 32b, and the load on the crane 5 on the mother ship 1 is not affected.

  In addition, when the underwater device 10 enters the inside of the peripheral portion 32 from the passage portion 33, the underwater device 10 is placed on the bottom portion 31 underwater by maneuvering the underwater device 10 or lifting from the mother ship 1. Can be easily done. Therefore, when the lifting tool 30 comes out on the surface of the water, the underwater device 10 is already placed on the bottom 31, so that the underwater device 10 is in a stable state from underwater to the surface of the water. The crane 5 on the mother ship 1 can be safely moved from the surface of the water to the placement place 6 on the mother ship 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the underwater device 10 is placed on the placement place 6 provided on the deck 2, and the underwater device 10 is placed in the placement place 6 storage position. Can also be maintained.

  In addition, since the lifting tool 30 can be lifted while being suspended from the crane 5 on the mother ship 1, the suspension rope 34 is hung from or removed from the crane 5 at a safe place on the mother ship 1. It is possible to perform slinging work. Accordingly, it is possible to improve the safety during the work as well as shortening the time for the picking work.

  According to the apparatus for lifting an underwater device, the mother ship for the underwater device, and the method for lifting the underwater apparatus according to the present invention, the underwater device can be easily picked up from the water to the mother ship with a relatively simple configuration. Since the time required for harvesting can be shortened, it can be used for many underwater equipment lifting equipment and underwater equipment mother ships.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mother ship 2 Deck 3 Propeller 4 Rudder 5 Crane 5a Crane side suspension rope 6 Place 10 Underwater equipment 11 Thruster 12 Towing cable 20 Lifting device 30 of underwater equipment Lifting tool 31 Bottom 31a Net part 31b Frame 31c Leg 31d Protective member 32 Peripheral part 32a Net part 32b Floating 33 Passage part 34 Suspension line 35 Guiding device 36 Guide line

Claims (6)

In the underwater equipment collection device for collecting the underwater equipment from the water onto the mother ship,
A lifting tool for accommodating the underwater device;
The lifting tool has a bottom part that maintains the shape of the outer peripheral part, and a peripheral part in which a buoyancy generating part is disposed on the upper side, and at least a part of the bottom part and the peripheral part has water permeability. In addition, the underwater device lifting apparatus is characterized in that a passage portion through which the underwater device can enter and exit is provided in the peripheral portion so that the underwater device can be suspended from the mother ship.   The bottom portion and the peripheral portion of the lifting tool are formed of a net, and a frame is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the bottom portion to maintain the shape of the outer peripheral portion of the bottom portion. Item 2. A device for collecting underwater equipment according to Item 1.   3. The apparatus for lifting an underwater device according to claim 1, further comprising a light generator or a sound generator that is used when the underwater device is accommodated in the lifting tool.   The leg part which provides a clearance gap between the said bottom part and the upper surface of the mounting place of the said mother ship, when the said lifting tool was mounted on the said mother ship, The any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. An apparatus for collecting underwater equipment according to claim 1.   An underwater equipment lifting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and a crane for suspending the lifting equipment from the mother ship and lifting it from the water. Mother ship. In the method of lifting the underwater equipment for collecting the underwater equipment on the mother ship from underwater,
A bottom part that maintains the shape of the outer peripheral part, and a peripheral part in which a buoyancy generating part is arranged on the upper side, and at least a part of the bottom part and the peripheral part is configured to have water permeability. A passage portion through which the underwater device can enter and exit is provided, the lifting tool configured to be suspended from the mother ship is lowered into the water, and the lifting tool held below the water surface by the buoyancy of the buoyancy generating portion. After the underwater device is accommodated in the inside surrounded by the peripheral portion, the lifting tool that accommodates the underwater device is lifted and placed on the place where the mother ship is placed. How to lift underwater equipment.

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