JP5438906B2 - Launch recovery system for underwater vehicle and ship equipped with this launch recovery system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a launch recovery system for an underwater vehicle and a ship equipped with the launch recovery system.

Conventionally, an underwater vehicle loading / unloading device that loads and unloads an underwater vehicle using a crane provided in the mother ship is known as a device for throwing an underwater vehicle into the water and collecting it from the water. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
According to Patent Document 1, a crane is arranged at the bow, berth or stern of the mother ship, and the tip of the rope fed out from the crane arm that protrudes outward is connected to the metal fittings of the underwater vehicle. By doing so, the underwater vehicle is lifted.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-1565

  However, in the apparatus of Patent Document 1, since the connection work between the rope of the crane and the underwater vehicle is performed at sea, it is easily affected by waves. Therefore, when the sea surface is rough, there are inconveniences that work becomes very difficult and the underwater vehicle cannot be collected. In order to prevent collision between the underwater vehicle and the mother ship, it is necessary to lift the underwater vehicle at a position as far as possible from the mother ship. To make the arm longer and larger, the crane itself must be made larger. Become. Therefore, there is an inconvenience that a large ship of several hundred tons or more capable of mounting a large crane is required.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and includes an underwater vehicle launch and recovery system that can safely perform launch and recovery of an underwater vehicle in a small vessel, and the launch and recovery system. The purpose is to provide a ship.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means.
The present invention is formed by combining an underwater vehicle capable of traveling underwater and a plurality of pipes spaced apart from each other , with one end in the longitudinal direction open to the underwater vehicle and the other end closed. A launch and recovery device that launches or accommodates the underwater vehicle in water, and a plurality of sounds that are arranged in the launch and recovery device and that emit sound as a guidance signal for guiding the underwater vehicle. The underwater vehicle has a receiving device that receives sound emitted from the guiding device, and measures the position and orientation of the launch collection device based on a signal from the receiving device. A position / orientation measurement unit, and an attitude control unit that controls the attitude of the underwater vehicle according to the attitude of the launch and recovery device measured by the position / orientation measurement unit; A device for the launch and recovery device; Are spaced around the opening of the one end is released, any other of the induction device is disposed substantially at the center of the occluded the other end of the firing recovery device, the firing recovery device An underwater vehicle launch recovery system for recovering the underwater vehicle while being towed by a ship is provided.

  According to the present invention, the position and orientation measurement unit grasps the relative positional relationship and posture between the launch collection device and the underwater vehicle, and the posture control unit determines the posture of the launch collection device. Therefore, the underwater vehicle can be accommodated in the launch / recovery device underwater. Moreover, an underwater vehicle can be launched underwater.

  Therefore, it is possible to safely launch and collect the underwater vehicle as compared to the work at sea which is easily affected by waves and the like. Moreover, a large crane etc. are unnecessary and this system can be attached to a small ship.

  Moreover, this invention provides the ship provided with the launch collection system of the underwater vehicle which concerns on this invention, and the towing part which tows the said launch collection apparatus.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the attitude | position of the launch collection | recovery apparatus in water can be stabilized easily, and it can make it easy to accommodate an underwater vehicle. Also, depending on the ship, the underwater vehicle can be transported to the area where the underwater vehicle is sailed, and the underwater vehicle can be lifted from that area while the underwater vehicle is housed in the launch collection device. can do.
Further, the present invention includes a firing recovery system of the above underwater vehicle, a ship body having a towing unit towing the launching and recovery device, is fixed to the ship body portion, stores available-the firing recovery device a a port head, said towing unit, and a cable for connecting the ship body portion and the firing recovery device, and a winch for raising and lowering the launch recovery device between the pod and the water by the cable Provide a ship equipped.

  According to the present invention, there is an effect that it is possible to safely perform launch recovery of an underwater vehicle in a small ship.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, an underwater vehicle launch recovery system and a ship including the launch recovery system according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the ship 1 according to the present embodiment launches an underwater vehicle that includes a launch / recovery basket (launch / recovery device) 3 and an underwater vehicle 5 that can travel underwater. A recovery system 10 and a towing unit 7 for towing the launch / recovery basket 3 are provided.

  The launch / recovery basket 3 launches or houses the underwater vehicle 5 underwater. As shown in FIGS. 3 (a), (b), (c), and (d), the launch / recovery basket 3 is configured in a cylindrical shape by combining pipes and the like, and the surrounding water can be seen from any direction. It is possible to enter and exit the launch collection basket 3. Specifically, the launch and recovery basket 3 includes a ring-shaped pipe 4 disposed at both ends in the axial direction and a plurality of rod-shaped pipes 6 disposed at intervals in the circumferential direction so as to connect the ring-shaped pipes 4 at both ends. And.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, one end in the axial direction of the launch / recovery basket 3 is open to the underwater vehicle 5 so that the underwater vehicle 5 can enter and exit (hereinafter referred to as water). One end of the launch / recovery basket 3 that is open to the middle traveling body 5 is referred to as an “open end”. Further, the other end in the axial direction of the launch / recovery basket 3 is, as shown in FIG. 3C, by a small-diameter ring-shaped pipe 12 supported by the ring-shaped pipe 4 by a cross-shaped support member 8 extending in the radial direction. The underwater vehicle 5 is closed (hereinafter, the other end of the launch / recovery basket 3 closed with respect to the underwater vehicle 5 is referred to as a “closed end”).

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the launch / recovery basket 3 includes four pinga (guidance devices) P1, P2, P3, and P4 that are sounding bodies. One of these pingers P1, P2, P3, P4 is disposed at the approximate center of the support member 8 at the closed end (hereinafter, this pinger is referred to as “pinger P1”), and the remaining three are the openings of the firing and recovery basket 3. The ring-shaped pipes 4 at the ends are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction (hereinafter referred to as “pingers P2, P3, P4”).

  As shown in FIG. 5, an underwater vehicle guide 11 that supports the accommodated underwater vehicle 5 is provided along the inside of each rod-like pipe 6 inside the launch collection basket 3. The underwater vehicle guide 11 is formed such that the vicinity of the opening is tapered inward in the longitudinal direction. Further, a pair of fixed separating devices 15 extending from the rod-shaped pipe 6 toward the radially inward direction are provided in the vicinity of the opening.

  The fixed separation device 15 is attached to the rod-shaped pipe 6 by a hinge structure having a rotation fulcrum 17. When the underwater vehicle 5 is housed, the fixed separation device 15 rotates radially inward with respect to the rotation fulcrum 17. On the other hand, when the underwater vehicle 5 is disconnected, the fixed separation device 15 rotates around the rotation fulcrum 17. It is designed to rotate in the opening direction. The launch / recovery basket 3 is provided with a fairing (not shown) for improving the stability of the shake during towing.

  As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the underwater vehicle 5 is, for example, a substantially columnar autonomous navigation type unmanned submarine. A rudder 19 and a propulsion device 21 are provided behind the underwater vehicle 5 in the traveling direction. The underwater vehicle 5 also has four hydrophones (receivers) 23 that receive the pinger sounds emitted from the pingers P1, P2, P3, and P4 of the launch / recovery basket 3, and the underwater vehicle 5 And a control device (not shown) for controlling.

The hydrophones 23 are provided at the front ends of the underwater vehicle 5 in the traveling direction, and are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the inner wall.
The control device measures the position of each of the pingers P1, P2, P3, P4 based on the pinger sound received by the hydrophone 23, and determines the position of the launch / recovery basket 3 from the positional relationship of the pingers P1, P2, P3, P4. And a position / orientation measurement unit (not shown) for measuring the attitude, and an attitude control unit for controlling the attitude of the underwater vehicle 5 in accordance with the attitude of the launch / recovery basket 3 measured by the position / orientation measurement unit. Yes.

  The towing unit 7 connects the ship 1 and the launch / recovery basket 3, a winch (not shown) disposed on the ship 1, and a cable that is fed from the winch and connected to the closed end of the launch / recovery basket 3. 25.

The action of the launch and recovery system 10 of the underwater vehicle according to the present embodiment configured as described above and the ship 1 including the launch and recovery system 10 will be described.
First, when the underwater vehicle 5 is thrown into the water, the ship 1 is towed to the target area where the seabed survey or the like is performed. In the target area, the undercarriage 5 is separated and thrown into the water by the fixed separating device 15 of the launch / recovery basket 3 rotating in the opening direction around the rotation fulcrum 17.

  Next, at the time of recovery of the underwater vehicle 5, the vessel 1 sails at a low speed while towing the launch collection basket 3, and the underwater vehicle 5 waits while circling around a preset recovery position. To do. When the ship 1 approaches the standby position of the underwater vehicle 5, the underwater vehicle 5 is guided by the pingers P1, P2, P3, and P4 provided in the launch collection basket 3.

  Specifically, the pinger sound transmitted from the pingers P 1, P 2, P 3, P 4 of the launch collection basket 3 is received by the hydrophone 23 of the underwater vehicle 5. Then, the position and orientation measuring unit of the control device measures the position of each of the pingers P1, P2, P3, and P4, and measures the position and orientation of the launch and recovery basket 3 from the positional relationship of the pingers P1, P2, P3, and P4. .

  The underwater vehicle 5 approaches so as to track the launch / recovery basket 3 from the rear, and its posture is controlled by the posture control unit in accordance with the posture of the launch / recovery cage 3 measured by the position / orientation measurement unit.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the attitude control unit measures the center position of the launch collection basket 3 so that the pinga P1 is positioned at the center of the pins P2, P3, P4 of the launch collection basket 3. The underwater vehicle 5 is moved to the front of the opening of the launch collection basket 3. Then, the underwater vehicle 5 enters the inside of the launch / recovery basket 3 while its own attitude is finely adjusted according to the attitude of the launch / recovery basket 3.

  In this case, since the launch / recovery basket 3 is towed, the posture of the launch / recovery basket 3 is easily stabilized along the traveling direction. Moreover, since the underwater vehicle 5 follows the launch / recovery basket 3, the axis of the underwater vehicle 5 can be easily aligned. Therefore, the underwater vehicle 5 can be easily made to enter the launch collection basket 3. In addition, since the underwater vehicle 5 is collected while the vessel 1 is moving, for example, even when the vessel 1 is positioned on the route of another vessel and the vessel 1 moves to an avoidance action. Since the underwater vehicle 5 follows the launch / recovery basket 3, the recovery operation can be performed.

  When it is confirmed that the underwater vehicle 5 is accommodated in the launch / recovery car 3, the cable 25 is wound up by the winch on the ship, and the launch / recovery car 3 and the underwater vehicle 5 are recovered by the ship 1.

  As described above, according to the underwater vehicle launch recovery system 10 and the ship 1 including this launch recovery system 10 according to the present embodiment, the underwater vehicle 5 is fired from the launch recovery basket 3 underwater. Or can be housed in the launch and recovery basket 3 in water. Therefore, the underwater vehicle 5 can be safely fired and collected as compared with work at sea that is easily affected by waves and the like. Moreover, a large crane etc. are unnecessary and the ship 1 can be reduced in size.

Further, since the recovery operation is performed while the underwater vehicle 5 follows the launch / recovery basket 3 towed by the ship 1, the underwater vehicle 5 can be easily recovered.
In the present embodiment, the ship 1 collects the underwater vehicle 5 while towing the launch / recovery basket 3. However, for example, the underwater vehicle with the launch / recovery cage 3 stopped underwater. 5 may be fired and collected.

This embodiment can be modified as shown below.
For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the launch and recovery basket 3 and the underwater vehicle 5 may further include acoustic communication devices 25 and 27, respectively. In this case, the acoustic communication device 25 is disposed inside the closed end support member 8, the small-diameter ring-shaped pipe 12, and the like in the launch collection basket 3, and the underwater vehicle 5 has the acoustic communication device 27. May be arranged on the outer wall surface. In this way, status or the like can be transmitted from the acoustic communication device 27 of the underwater vehicle 5 to the ship 1 via the acoustic communication device 25 of the launch / recovery basket 3.
Further, a CCD camera for monitoring the underwater vehicle 5 is arranged inside the support member 8 at the closed end, the small-diameter ring-shaped pipe 12 and the like, and via the acoustic communication devices 25 and 27 and the CCD camera, A person may instruct the approach timing of the underwater vehicle 5. By doing in this way, the collection | recovery operation | work of the underwater vehicle 5 can be performed more rapidly and reliably.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, an underwater vehicle launch / recovery system 110 and a ship 101 including the launch / recovery system 110 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 9A, the ship 101 according to the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the ship 101 includes a pod 131 for storing the launch collection basket 3. Hereinafter, the same reference numerals are given to the underwater vehicle launch recovery system 10 according to the first embodiment and the parts having the same configuration as the ship 1 including this system, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The pod 131 is a substantially streamlined hollow cylindrical member as shown in FIG. 9B, and is fixed to both sides of the ship 101 . An electric winch 133 having a cable 125 for connecting the launch collection basket 3 and a seawater intake (not shown) are provided in front of the pod 131 in the traveling direction.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9C, a loading / unloading port 135 for the launch collection basket 3 is provided at the rear of the pod 131 in the traveling direction. In this pod 131, the operation of the electric winch 133 allows the launch / recovery basket 3 to be taken in and out from the taking in / out opening 135.

The action of the launch and recovery system 110 for the underwater vehicle according to the present embodiment configured as described above and the ship 101 including the launch and recovery system 110 will be described.
First, when the underwater vehicle 5 is thrown into the water, as shown in FIG. 10, the fixed release device 15 for the launch / recovery basket 3 is rotated at the rotation fulcrum 17 with the launch / recovery basket 3 stored in the pod 131. Is rotated in the opening direction about the axis, whereby the underwater vehicle 5 is separated and put into the water.

Next, when collecting the underwater vehicle 5, as shown in FIG. 11, the cable 125 is sent out from the electric winch 133, and the launch / recovery basket 3 is detached from the loading / unloading port 135 of the pod 131. In this state, the underwater vehicle 5 is collected while the launch collection basket 3 is towed by the ship 101. When it is confirmed that the underwater vehicle 5 is accommodated in the launch / recovery basket 3, the cable 125 is wound up by the electric winch 133, and the launch / recovery basket 3 is stored from the entrance / exit 135 of the pod 131.

  As described above, according to the underwater vehicle launch recovery system 110 and the ship 101 including the launch recovery system 110 according to the present embodiment, the launch recovery basket 3 and the underwater vehicle in the pod 131 provided in the ship 101. Since 5 is stored, the ship 101 itself can be easily navigated.

  In this embodiment, the ship 101 is provided with the pods 131 on both sides, but instead, for example, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, a plurality of ships 201 ( For example, four pods 231 may be towed through a pod unit 237 fixed in a bowl shape. By doing in this way, the pod 231 can be expanded efficiently.

As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was explained in full detail with reference to drawings, the specific structure is not restricted to this embodiment, The design change etc. of the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention are included.
For example, in each of the above embodiments, the launch / recovery basket 3 includes the four pinga P1, P2, P3, and P4, and the underwater vehicle 5 includes the four hydrophones 23. The number of P3, P4 and hydrophone 23 is not limited to this. Moreover, it is good also as collect | recovering the ships 1,101,201 of said each embodiment by a larger sized ship. Further, for example, the launch / recovery basket 3 may launch torpedoes, mines, sensors laid in the sea, and the like in the water.

It is the schematic which shows the launch recovery system of the underwater vehicle which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention, the ship of a ship provided with this, and a launch recovery basket. It is the schematic about the standby at the time of collection | recovery of the underwater vehicle which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention, and the approaching action to a launch collection basket. (A) is the schematic which looked at the launch collection basket of FIG. 1 from the side, (b) is the schematic which looked at the launch collection basket of (a) from the advancing direction front, (c) is (a) It is the schematic which looked at the launch collection basket of No. 2 from the back of the direction of travel, and (d) is an AA sectional view of the launch collection basket of (a). (A) is the figure which showed the positional relationship of the pinga with which the launch collection | recovery basket of FIG. 1 was equipped, (b) is the figure which showed the positional relationship of the pinga from another angle. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a launch / recovery basket containing the underwater vehicle of FIG. 2. (A) is the schematic which looked at the underwater vehicle of FIG. 2 from the side, (b) is the schematic which looked at the underwater vehicle from the advancing direction front. It is a figure which shows a mode that the hydrophone of an underwater vehicle measures the positional relationship of the pinga of a launch collection basket. It is the schematic which shows the launch recovery system of the underwater vehicle which concerns on the modification of the 1st Embodiment of this invention, the launch collection basket of a ship provided with the same, and an underwater vehicle. (A) is the schematic which looked at the launch recovery system of the underwater vehicle which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention, and the ship of a ship provided with this from the advancing direction front, (b) is a ship of (a) FIG. 2C is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pod of FIG. 3B when the pod of FIG. It is the figure which looked at a mode that the underwater vehicle was thrown into water from the pod of Fig.9 (a) from the side. It is the figure which looked at a mode that the underwater vehicle was stored in the pod of Fig.9 (a) from the side. (A) is the schematic which looked at the launch recovery system of the underwater vehicle which concerns on the modification of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention, and the ship provided with this from the side, (b) is underwater navigation of (a) It is the schematic which looked at the pod unit with which the launching collection system of a runner is provided from the back of the direction of movement.

Explanation of symbols

1,101,201 Ship 3 Launch collection basket (Launch collection device)
5 Underwater vehicle (underwater vehicle)
7 Towing unit 10,110 Launch collection system 23 Hydrophone (receiver)
P1, P2, P3, P4 Pinga (guidance device)

Claims (3)

An underwater vehicle capable of traveling underwater,
A plurality of pipes are formed to be spaced apart from each other , have a substantially cylindrical shape in which one end in the longitudinal direction is opened and the other end is closed with respect to the underwater vehicle. A launch collection device that launches or houses at
A plurality of guidance devices that are arranged in the launch and recovery device and emit sound as guidance signals for guiding the underwater vehicle,
The underwater vehicle includes a receiving device that receives sound emitted from the guidance device, a position and orientation measurement unit that measures the position and orientation of the launch collection device based on a signal from the receiving device, and An attitude control unit that controls the attitude of the underwater vehicle in accordance with the attitude of the launch and recovery device measured by the position and orientation measurement unit;
At least three or more of the guidance devices are arranged around the opening of the opened one end of the launch collection device, and any other guidance device is closed in the launch collection device. Placed at the approximate center of the other end ,
An underwater vehicle launch recovery system , wherein the launch recovery device collects the underwater vehicle while being towed by a ship . The underwater vehicle launch and recovery system according to claim 1;
A ship provided with a towing part towing the launch collection device. The underwater vehicle launch recovery system according to claim 1 ;
A ship body having a towing part for towing the launch collection device;
It is fixed to the ship body portion, and a storage available-for pop-de the firing collecting device,
The ship provided with the cable which connects the said ship main-body part and the said launch collection | recovery apparatus, and the winch which raises and lowers the said launch collection apparatus between the said pod and underwater with this cable.

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