JP2017149195A - Underwater floating device and depth control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable control for floatation/precipitation without increasing in size of a control mechanism to solve a conventional issue that an increase in weight of a device requiring floatation/precipitation may cause the mechanism for adjusting floatation of the device to also increase in size.SOLUTION: An underwater floating device 1 moored in water by a mooring rope comprises: a propeller 11 as thrust control means, which controls a thrust in a substantially horizontal direction and changes a depth where the own device is in; a rotary shaft 12; and a control part 14. Changing the thrust of the underwater floating device by this thrust control means can control the depth. Thereby, controlling floatation/precipitation of the underwater floating device is enabled without providing a large-sized mechanism and the like for the floatation adjustment.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an underwater floating device and a depth control method for the underwater floating device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an underwater floating type apparatus is known that sinks from the water into the water, performs an operation for a desired purpose, and then floats on the water again. For example, Patent Document 1 shows a configuration in which a device moored in water by a mooring line on the bottom of a water or the like floats and sinks by inflating and contracting a floating bag of a specific gravity adjusting unit. That is, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a specific gravity adjusting unit for adjusting buoyancy is provided.

JP2013-103678A

  However, when the weight of the apparatus that needs to be lifted and settled increases, there is a concern that the mechanism for adjusting the buoyancy of the apparatus becomes large.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an underwater floating apparatus and a depth control method capable of controlling ascent and sink without increasing the size of a control mechanism.

  In order to achieve the above object, an underwater floating device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a thrust control unit that is moored in water by a mooring line and controls thrust in a substantially horizontal direction to change the depth of the device itself. Prepare.

  Further, the underwater floating method according to an aspect of the present invention is a submerged floating device moored underwater by a mooring line, and the thrust control means controls thrust in a substantially horizontal direction to change the depth of the own device. Let

  According to the above-described underwater floating apparatus and depth control method, the depth can be controlled by changing the thrust of the underwater floating apparatus by the thrust control means. Therefore, it is possible to control the floating and sinking of the underwater floating device without providing a large mechanism for adjusting the buoyancy.

  Here, the thrust control means includes a thrust generation unit that generates a thrust in a substantially horizontal direction by rotating, and a control unit that controls the thrust generated by the rotation of the thrust generation unit. Can do.

  As described above, when the thrust control means is composed of a thrust generation unit that generates thrust by rotation and a control unit, as in a submerged floating device, compared with a buoyancy adjustment mechanism in a conventional submerged floating device. Since the thrust can be controlled with a simpler configuration, the underwater floating device can be downsized.

  Moreover, the said thrust generation part is a propeller, Comprising: The control part of the said thrust control means can be set as the aspect which controls the thrust to a substantially horizontal direction by controlling the rotation speed of the said propeller.

  As described above, when the configuration is such that the thrust is changed by controlling the rotation speed of the propeller, the depth control can be realized with a simpler configuration.

  Moreover, the said thrust generation part is a propeller, Comprising: The control part of the said thrust control means can be set as the aspect which controls the thrust to a substantially horizontal direction by controlling the pitch angle of the said propeller.

  As described above, even when the thrust is changed by controlling the pitch angle of the propeller, the depth can be controlled with a simpler configuration.

  The said thrust generation part can be set as the aspect which can be rotated by the water flow in the said water.

  As described above, when the thrust generator is automatically rotated by the water flow, a part of the rotation of the thrust generator for generating the thrust can be entrusted to the automatic rotation by the water flow. Therefore, the energy required for controlling the floating and sinking of the underwater floating device can be reduced, and thus an energy saving device can be realized.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the underwater floating type | mold apparatus and depth control method which can control levitation | floating / sedimentation without increasing a control mechanism are provided.

It is a figure which shows the whole structure which concerns on the underwater floating apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the functional composition of an underwater floating type device. It is a figure explaining the dynamic relationship at the time of sedimentation of a submerged floating type device. It is a figure explaining the depth adjustment method in an underwater floating apparatus. It is a figure explaining the other example of the depth adjustment method in an underwater floating apparatus.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  In the following description, the terms “upstream” or “downstream” are used with reference to the flow of water. Further, the term “front” means the upstream side of the water flow, and the term “rear” means the downstream side of the water flow. For example, when a downwind type turbine is used, blades (wings) are arranged on the rear side of the pod.

  With reference to FIG.1 and FIG.2, the underwater floating type apparatus 1 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 1, the underwater floating device 1 is a device that is moored and suspended with respect to a fixed point in water such as underwater via a mooring line 2. The mooring cable 2 has one end fixed to the water bottom by an anchor or the like and the other end connected to the underwater floating device 1. The underwater floating device 1 is a device that floats in water and performs some operation. For example, the underwater floating device 1 is realized as a floating power generation device that generates power using a water current such as a sea current or a device that collects information in water. The

  Although this embodiment demonstrates the case where the underwater floating type | mold apparatus 1 is what is called a downwind type floating type electric power generating apparatus, it is not limited to this. When the underwater floating device 1 is a floating power generation device, the underwater floating device 1 has a function of converting the rotation of the propeller 11 generated by the water flow FL into electricity by generating electricity.

  The underwater floating device 1 has a function of changing the rotation speed of the propeller 11. By changing the rotation speed of the propeller, it has a function of changing the thrust in the substantially horizontal direction applied to the underwater floating device 1, that is, the thrust force. Then, by changing the thrust force, the depth of the underwater floating device 1 can be changed within a range that can be reached while moored on the mooring line 2. As a result, for example, the underwater floating device 1 can be moved to the position shown as the underwater floating device 1 ′. Details regarding the change in depth will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the underwater floating device 1 controls the rotation of the propeller 11, the rotating shaft 12 to which the propeller 11 is attached, the power generation unit 13 that converts the rotation of the rotating shaft 12 into electricity, and the propeller 11. A control unit 14 and a depth sensor 15 are provided. Among these, the propeller 11 and the rotating shaft 12 function as a thrust generator that generates a thrust force. Moreover, the propeller 11, the rotating shaft 12, and the control part 14 function as a thrust generation means.

  The power generation unit 13 is configured to include a generator, and has a function of receiving the rotation of the propeller 11 by the water flow FL via the rotating shaft 12 and converting this into electricity.

  The control unit 14 has a function of controlling the rotation of the propeller 11 by using a part of the electricity generated by the power generation unit 13. The control unit 14 is, for example, a computer composed of hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory), and software such as a program stored in the ROM. Can be realized.

  The depth sensor 15 has a function of detecting the depth of the underwater floating device 1. As the depth sensor 15, for example, a pressure sensor that detects water pressure can be used. Information on the depth of the underwater floating device 1 detected by the depth sensor 15 is used for controlling the depth of the underwater floating device 1 by the control unit 14.

  Note that when the underwater floating device 1 is not a floating power generation device, a control unit 14 and a power supply device for controlling the rotation of the propeller 11 by the control unit 14 are separately provided. Further, the underwater floating device 1 may communicate with an external device, and the control unit 14 may have a function of performing rotation control of the propeller 11 in response to a signal from the external device.

  Next, levitation / sedimentation using a change in thrust force in the underwater floating device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the mechanical relationship when the underwater floating device 1 shown in FIG. 1 sinks and moves to the position shown as the underwater floating device 1 ′.

  FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating a state in which the underwater floating device 1 is stopped at a predetermined depth. In the state of stopping at a predetermined depth, four external forces act on the underwater floating device 1. That is, gravity F1, buoyancy F2, thrust force F3, and cable tension F4 from the mooring cable 2. Among these, gravity F1 and buoyancy F2 are constant. The thrust force F3 is the sum of the force generated when the underwater floating device 1 receives the water flow FL and the force generated by the rotation of the propeller 11. The cord tension F4 is constant, but the cord tension depends on the positional relationship between the position where the mooring line 2 is fixed (for example, the bottom of the water) and the underwater floating device 1, that is, the direction in which the mooring line 2 extends. The direction in which F4 is applied changes.

In FIG. 3A, the above four forces are shown in an exploded manner in the axis A direction in which the mooring cable 2 extends and in the axis B direction orthogonal to the axis A. That is, gravity F1 is resolved into a force F1 _B to the force F1 _A and the axis B direction of the axis A direction. Similarly, the buoyancy F2 is resolved into a force F2 _B to the force F2 _A and the axis B direction of the axis A direction, the thrust force F3 is the force to the force F3 _A and the axis B direction of the axis A direction F3 It is decomposed into _B. The cord tension F4 is entirely in the direction of the axis A. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3A, in a state where the vehicle is stopped at a predetermined depth, the force in the direction of the axis A and the force in the direction of the axis B are balanced.

Here, since the thrust force F3 can be changed by a method such as increasing the number of revolutions of the propeller 11, a state where the thrust force F3 is increased is considered. FIG. 3B shows a state in which only the thrust force F3 is changed as compared with FIG. At this time, by increasing the thrust force F3, both the force F3 _B to the force F3 _A and the axis B direction in the axial direction A is increased. In this state, each of the force in the direction of the axis A and the force in the direction of the axis B is not balanced. Try to move. However, since the underwater floating device 1 is moored by the mooring cable 2, movement in the thrust direction is restricted. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3 (B), the underwater floating device 1 moves in a direction in which the force can be balanced within the range moored by the mooring line 2. The underwater floating device 1 in this embodiment moves in the direction indicated by the arrow F, that is, in the direction of settling.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 3 (C), underwater until the force in the direction of the axis A in which the mooring line 2 extends and the force in the direction of the axis B perpendicular to the axis A are balanced. Stops after the floating device 1 sinks.

  When the extending direction of the mooring line 2 ′ is changed as the submerged floating device 1 sinks, the direction of the rope tension F <b> 4 applied to the submerged floating device 1 is changed. That is, the direction of the axis A changes between the state shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B and the state shown in FIG. In this state, when the force is decomposed in the direction of the axis A and the direction of the axis B perpendicular to the axis A, both are balanced as shown in FIG. That is, according to the change in the direction in which the cord tension F4 is applied, although the gravity F1 and the buoyancy F2 itself do not change, the ratio of each component after the decomposition into the axis A direction and the axis B direction changes. As a result, when the force in the direction of the axis A and the force in the direction of the axis B are balanced, the underwater floating device 1 stops.

  The series of changes in FIGS. 3A to 3C is realized only by the change in the thrust force F3 by the underwater floating device 1. That is, in the underwater floating device 1, the underwater floating device 1 can be moved in the depth direction by changing the thrust force F3.

  In FIG. 3, the case where the underwater floating device 1 sinks by increasing the thrust force F3 in the underwater floating device 1 has been described. Can be moved. That is, from the state where the underwater floating device 1 is stopped, the underwater floating device 1 can be levitated to a position where the thrust force F3 is reduced by reducing the thrust force F3.

  Thus, since the underwater floating device 1 is based on the premise that the underwater floating device 1 is moored with respect to a fixed point such as the bottom of the water by the mooring line 2, the depth at which the underwater floating device 1 can move by the change of the thrust force F3 is Within the range connected by the mooring line 2. Further, when the buoyancy applied to the underwater floating device 1 is greater than the gravity and the underwater floating device 1 is floating above the fixed point, the above dynamic relationship is established. Therefore, it is assumed that the underwater floating device 1 exists above the fixed point.

  Next, a depth control method for controlling the depth of the underwater floating device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. First, in the underwater floating device 1, a target depth is set in advance in the control unit 14 (S01). The target depth may be set before the underwater floating device 1 is thrown into the water, or may be set based on an instruction from an external device or the like after being thrown into the water. Next, in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 14, the depth sensor 15 measures the depth of the device itself (S02).

  Next, the control unit 14 determines the size of the depth of the own device measured by the depth sensor 15 and the target depth that the control unit 14 grasps in advance (S03, S04), and based on this result, The rotation speed of the propeller 11 is changed. Here, in the underwater floating device 1, a case will be described in which the thrust force F3 (see FIG. 3) increases when the rotation speed of the propeller 11 is increased, and the thrust force F3 decreases when the rotation speed of the propeller 11 is decreased. However, since the relationship between the rotation speed of the propeller 11 and the thrust force F3 varies depending on various factors such as the shape of the propeller 11, the relationship between the rotation speed of the propeller 11 and the thrust force F3 should be grasped in advance. is necessary.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, first, it is determined whether or not “target depth> current depth” is satisfied (S03). If “target depth> current depth” is satisfied (S03—YES), the propeller 11 Is increased, that is, the thrust force F3 is increased (S04). Thereby, in the underwater floating type | mold apparatus 1, it moves so that a force may balance and it will sink.

  Next, when “target depth> current depth” is not satisfied (S03-NO), it is determined whether or not the relationship of “current depth> target depth” is satisfied (S05). When “current depth> target depth” is satisfied (S05—YES), the rotational speed of the propeller 11 is DOWN, that is, the thrust force F3 is decreased (S06). Thereby, in the underwater floating type | mold apparatus 1, it moves so that a force may balance and it may surface.

  If “current depth> target depth” is not satisfied (S05—NO), since “current depth = target depth”, the rotation speed of propeller 11 is maintained (S07). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not to end (S08), and a series of processing (S02 to S08) is repeated until the end.

  Thus, according to the underwater floating device 1 and the depth control method according to the embodiment, the depth is controlled by changing the thrust of the underwater floating device 1 by the thrust control means by the propeller 11 and the control unit 14. can do. Therefore, it is possible to control the floating and sinking of the underwater floating apparatus 1 without providing a large mechanism for adjusting the buoyancy.

  Further, when the thrust control means is constituted by the propeller 11 and the control unit 14 as in the underwater floating device 1, the depth control can be performed with a simpler structure than the conventional buoyancy adjustment mechanism in the underwater floating device. Therefore, the underwater floating device can be downsized.

  Moreover, when it is set as the structure which changes a thrust by control of the rotation speed of the propeller 11 like the underwater floating apparatus 1, depth control is realizable with a simpler structure. In general, since the underwater floating device is often provided with a mechanism for controlling the rotation speed of the propeller 11 in the past, the depth can be controlled without adding new parts or the like.

  Further, in the case of a floating power generation device such as the underwater floating device 1, the propeller 11 that has received the water flow FL automatically rotates. When the propeller 11 cannot be automatically rotated by the water flow FL, it is necessary to prepare all the energy necessary for the rotation of the propeller 11 for generating the thrust on the apparatus side. On the other hand, in the case of a device including the propeller 11 that can be rotated by the water flow FL, a part of the rotation of the propeller 11 for generating the thrust can be entrusted to the automatic rotation of the propeller 11 by the water flow FL. . Therefore, the energy required for controlling the floating / sinking of the underwater floating device 1 can be reduced, so that an energy-saving device can be realized.

  In the above embodiment, the control unit 14 changes the magnitude of the thrust force by changing the rotation speed of the propeller 11. However, as another method, the thrust force can be changed by changing the pitch angle of the propeller 11. The size of can also be changed. Therefore, the control unit 14 may be configured to control the pitch angle instead of controlling the rotation speed.

  When the control unit 14 is configured to control the pitch angle, the control unit 14 illustrated in FIG. 2 controls the pitch angle of the propeller 11 instead of controlling the rotation speed with respect to the rotating shaft 12 of the propeller 11. Therefore, the underwater floating device 1 is configured such that the pitch angle of the propeller 11 is variable, and a pitch angle control unit for controlling the pitch angle is separately provided. Then, the pitch angle control unit controls the pitch angle based on an instruction from the control unit 14 to change the thrust force. The mechanical principle that the underwater floating device 1 floats or sinks due to a change in thrust force is as described with reference to FIG.

  Thus, the depth control method in the case of controlling the depth by controlling the pitch angle will be described with reference to FIG. The basic flow is the same as when the depth is controlled by the rotation speed of the propeller 11. First, in the underwater floating device 1, a target depth is set in advance in the control unit 14 (S11). Next, in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 14, the depth sensor 15 measures the depth of the device itself (S12).

  Next, the control unit 14 determines the size of the depth of the device measured by the depth sensor 15 and the target depth that the control unit 14 knows in advance (S13, S14), and based on this result, The pitch angle of the propeller 11 is changed. Here, in the underwater floating device 1, a case will be described in which the thrust force F3 (see FIG. 3) increases when the pitch angle of the propeller 11 is reduced, and the thrust force F3 decreases when the pitch angle of the propeller 11 is increased. However, since the relationship between the pitch angle of the propeller 11 and the thrust force F3 varies depending on various factors such as the shape of the propeller 11, it is necessary to grasp the relationship between the pitch angle of the propeller 11 and the thrust force F3 in advance. is necessary.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 4, first, it is determined whether or not the relationship “target depth> current depth” is satisfied (S13). If “target depth> current depth” is satisfied (S13—YES), the propeller 11 The pitch angle of DOWN is reduced, that is, the thrust force F3 is increased (S14). Thereby, in the underwater floating type | mold apparatus 1, it moves so that a force may balance and it will sink.

  Next, when “target depth> current depth” is not satisfied (S13—NO), it is determined whether or not the relationship “current depth> target depth” is satisfied (S15). When “current depth> target depth” is satisfied (S15—YES), the pitch angle of the propeller 11 is increased, that is, the thrust force F3 is decreased (S16). Thereby, in the underwater floating type | mold apparatus 1, it moves so that a force may balance and it may surface.

  If “current depth> target depth” is not satisfied (S15—NO), since “current depth = target depth”, the pitch angle of the propeller 11 is maintained (S17). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not to end (S18), and a series of processing (S12 to S18) is repeated until the end.

  Thus, according to the underwater floating device 1 and the depth control method according to the embodiment, the depth is controlled by changing the thrust of the underwater floating device 1 by the thrust control means by the propeller 11 and the control unit 14. can do. Therefore, it is possible to control the floating and sinking of the underwater floating apparatus 1 without providing a large mechanism for adjusting the buoyancy.

  Moreover, when it is set as the structure which changes a thrust by control of the pitch angle of the propeller 11 like the underwater floating apparatus 1, depth control can be implement | achieved by a simpler structure. Since a means for controlling the pitch angle may also be conventionally provided, in this case, the depth can be controlled without adding new parts or the like.

  As mentioned above, although the underwater floating apparatus 1 and the depth control method which concern on embodiment of this invention were demonstrated, this invention is not necessarily limited to embodiment mentioned above, In the range which does not deviate from the summary, various changes are carried out. It can be carried out.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which one underwater floating device 1 is connected to the mooring line 2 has been described. However, two underwater floating devices 1 each having a propeller 11 are connected by a connecting portion. It is good also as a structure connected. In this case, each of the two underwater floating devices 1 can be moored to the same fixed point in water by a mooring line. Moreover, the attitude | position of the two underwater floating apparatuses 1 can be stabilized by making the rotation direction of the propeller 11 of the two underwater floating apparatuses 1 into a mutually different direction.

  Further, the configuration for changing the thrust force F3 is not limited to the propeller 11. For example, in the water in which the water flow FL exists, a sea anchor or the like can be adopted as a configuration for changing the thrust force F3 in the underwater floating device 1. In the sea anchor, the thrust force F3 can be changed by changing the area that receives the water flow FL. Thus, if it is the structure which can change the thrust force F3 concerning the underwater floating apparatus 1, it can change suitably.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the structure which changes the rotation speed or pitch angle of the propeller 11 based on comparison with target depth and the present depth, the method of controlling the rotation speed or pitch angle of the propeller 11 is limited to the above. Not. For example, when the correspondence relationship between the water flow FL and the rotation speed and depth of the propeller 11 is known in advance, the propeller 11 is rotated at the rotation speed of the propeller 11 corresponding to the water flow FL and the target depth based on the correspondence relationship. It can also be set as the structure to make. Further, even when such a configuration is provided, the method described in the above embodiment may be used for fine adjustment with the target depth.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Underwater floating apparatus 11 Propeller 12 Rotating shaft 13 Power generation part 14 Control part 15 Depth sensor

Claims (6)

Moored by mooring lines,
An underwater floating device comprising thrust control means for controlling the thrust in a substantially horizontal direction to change the depth of the device itself.   The underwater according to claim 1, wherein the thrust control means includes a thrust generation unit that generates a thrust in a substantially horizontal direction by rotating, and a control unit that controls a thrust generated by the rotation of the thrust generation unit. Floating device. The thrust generator is a propeller,
The underwater floating device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit of the thrust control means controls the thrust in a substantially horizontal direction by controlling the rotation speed of the propeller. The thrust generator is a propeller,
The underwater floating device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit of the thrust control means controls the thrust in a substantially horizontal direction by controlling a pitch angle of the propeller.   The underwater floating device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the thrust generation unit is rotatable by the water flow in the water.   A depth control method in which, in an underwater floating device moored underwater by a mooring line, thrust in a substantially horizontal direction is controlled by thrust control means to change the depth of the device itself.

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