JPS63184595A - Elevating device for unmanned underwater machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten a time required for submerging and surfacing by forming the body of an unmanned underwater machine in a tear drop shape to set the machine in a horizontal attitude in case of removing the first weight, and to allow it to surface in a vertical, upward attitude with its a head portion being up in case of removing the second weight. CONSTITUTION:A body 1 is formed in a tear drop shape, i.e. a streamline shape, the first weight 4 is fixed to its head portion and the second weight 5 is fixed to its body side portion. And the head portion submerges downward in water under such a condition that the first weight 4 and the second weight 5 are fixed, and the body is in a horizontal and floating attitude under such a condition that the first weight 4 is removed. Further, the body surface in an upward vertical attitude under such a condition that the second weight 5 is also removed. Thereby, a stream friction can be small during submerging and surfacing so that a time required for submerging and surfacing can be shortened and also submerging and surfacing toward a target position can be conducted easily.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an unmanned underwater vehicle. Unmanned underwater vehicles have been developed that can explore a wide range of patterns in the ocean and observe them on shipboard monitors, but unmanned underwater vehicles for television exploration, which are used at great depths, require large-scale cables to operate. Operating device.

Support equipment such as a crane device is required, and a large dedicated mother ship needs to be prepared.

The present invention relates to a lifting device for such an unmanned underwater vehicle.

(Prior art and its problems) Conventional unmanned underwater vehicles drive thrusters to dive to the target depth or surface from there, but the power is supplied from the mother ship via a tether cable. . In this type, the resistance of the tether cable increases at great depths, which impedes the operation of the unmanned underwater vehicle.

In some cases, the unmanned underwater vehicle itself is equipped with a power source (such as a battery), but in this case, the operating time of the unmanned underwater vehicle is determined by the battery capacity. Also, it is not preferable to use thrusters for diving and surfacing in this way from the viewpoint of battery consumption.

In view of such prior art, the present applicant has developed a device that allows an unmanned underwater vehicle to dive and surface using an elevating device that does not use power such as a battery, and has filed a patent application (hereinafter referred to as the earlier invention). As shown in Fig. 4, this system is equipped with two weights 4 and 5, a first weight and a second weight, which can be separated by an automatic separation device 6 while maintaining a horizontal posture. When the weight 4 and the second weight 5 are equipped, the aircraft 1 is allowed to sink, and when the first weight 4 is detached at a predetermined depth, it becomes a neutral floating state. When the weight 5 is detached, the unmanned underwater vehicle floats to the surface.

In this way, the unmanned underwater vehicle floats and sinks by attaching and detaching the weight, making it possible to conserve battery power, significantly extending the operating time of the unmanned underwater vehicle, and improving workability.

However, for deep-depth unmanned underwater vehicles, if the attitude is maintained on a horizontal plane, the resistance that acts during diving and ascent increases, resulting in not only a large amount of time but also a slow movement during diving and ascent. This includes problems such as instability, making it difficult to dive to the target location and surface.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The above-mentioned problems of the prior invention in which operations are performed while maintaining a posture in a horizontal state are improved, emphasis is placed on movement performance in a horizontal state, and the resistance during diving and ascent is reduced. The purpose is to measure the reduction.

(Solution by the Invention) A teardrop-shaped fuselage, a first weight attached to the head side of the fuselage by an automatic disconnection device, and a first weight attached to the side of the fuselage near the head of the fuselage via an automatic disconnection device. The second weight is attached to the first weight. When the second weight is attached, the diver is in a vertically downward position with the head down; when the first weight is removed, it is in a horizontal position, and when the second weight is removed, it is underwater. The feature is that it floats vertically upward with its head facing up.

(Example) This will be explained with reference to FIG. In Figure 1(a), 1
2 is the body of the unmanned underwater vehicle, and 2 is the thruster installed on both sides of the body 1. This thruster 2 moves the fuselage 1 vertically and horizontally during work, so it is possible to equip two thrusters that rotate both vertically and horizontally with respect to the aircraft and use it for both vertical and horizontal movement. Alternatively, two units may be provided for vertical movement and two for horizontal movement.

3 is a tether cable attached to the top of the fuselage 1. 4 is a first weight attached to the teardrop-shaped head of the fuselage 1 via an automatic disconnection device 6a, and 5 is a first weight attached to the side trunk head of the fuselage 1 via an automatic disconnection device 6b. It is a double weight.

Automatic disconnection devices 6a and 6b for attaching these two weights to the fuselage 1, respectively, are, for example, electromagnetic disconnection devices, and are installed so that they can be disconnected by remote control on the mother ship.

The automatic disconnection devices 6a and 6b are excited by a storage battery installed in the aircraft body 1, and automatically disconnect the weight when the storage battery is exhausted. Also, when communication is interrupted, such as when the tether cable 3 is cut, the weight 4,
It is designed to drop 5 and rise to the surface. These two weights 4 and 5 correspond to, for example, fresh water and seawater by changing their weights. In addition, the water depth generally varies depending on the type of exploration, etc.
Slight differences in water depth will be adjusted by driving the thruster 2.

In addition to the electromagnetic disconnection type, the weight 4 can be attached by a removable pin.
, 5 may be supported, the pins may be removed by remote control, and the weight may be released.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the first weight 4 in the embodiment shown in FIG. The automatic cutting device 6a is attached to the automatic cutting device 6a.

FIG. 3 shows another example of the attachment force of the second weight 5 in the example of FIG. 1. In this case, the second weight is composed of a plurality of curved rods 5', 5', etc., and each rod is perpendicular to the axis of the fuselage 1 near the side fuselage head of the fuselage 1. Automatic cutting devices 1i6b', 6b" are arranged in parallel and both ends of the 1i6b', 6b"・
It is detachably attached via...

Now, as mentioned above, the body 1 of the unmanned underwater vehicle has a teardrop shape, but when both the first weight 4 and the second weight 5 are attached, the teardrop-shaped head is underwater. The relationship between buoyancy and weight has been designed in advance so that the buoyancy points downward (Fig. 1a).

When the first weight 4 is removed, the machine body 1 becomes in a horizontal floating state (FIG. 1b), and underwater work is performed in this state.

Furthermore, when the second weight 5 is removed, the teardrop-shaped aircraft is designed to turn upside down and float in a vertical position with its head facing upward.

(Operation) This will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1(a) to (c). FIG. 1(a) shows the diving state of the unmanned underwater vehicle. The unmanned underwater vehicle has a teardrop shape, and the first weight 4 or the second weight 5 are attached to the head of the aircraft near the side of the fuselage head, so the unmanned underwater vehicle is in a vertical position. , dives as if being pulled by the first weight 4.

FIG. 1(b) shows the state of underwater exploration. In this state, they often move on a horizontal plane. In this state, the cutting device 6
Separate the first weight 4 by a. Then, the buoyancy of the aircraft 1 and the second weight 5 are balanced, and the unmanned underwater vehicle becomes horizontal.
Undersea exploration activities will be carried out in this state.

FIG. 1(C) shows the floating state. When the underwater exploration activity is completed, the second weight 5 is removed from the side body of the aircraft 1. Then, as shown in the figure, the aircraft 1 turns upside down and rises to the opposite state from that shown in FIG. 1(a).

In the examples shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, vertical diving, horizontal posture, and vertical floating operations are performed in the same manner.

(Effects) The fuselage was shaped like a teardrop, that is, streamlined, and the first weight was attached to the head of the teardrop, and the second weight was attached to the side body of the fuselage. and the first
When the weight and the second weight are attached, the head dives downward in the water, when the first weight is removed, it is in a horizontal floating state, and when the second weight is also removed, it is in an upward vertical state. I made it float.

By doing this, 1) the flow resistance during diving and ascent can be made smaller than that of the conventional type.

2) As a result, the time required for diving and surfacing can be shortened.

3) Furthermore, since the movement of diving and surfacing is more stable than that of the conventional type, diving and surfacing to the target position becomes easier.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows an unmanned underwater vehicle according to the present invention, and FIG. 1(a)
Figure 1 (b) shows the state when diving, Figure 1 (C) shows the state when ascending, and Figure 1 (d) shows the state of A in Figure 1 (b).
-A cross-sectional view is shown. FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view showing another example of mounting the first weight and the second weight. FIG. 3 also shows the second embodiment. FIG. 4 shows an unmanned underwater vehicle according to the previous invention. In the figure: 1 Unmanned underwater vehicle body 2 Thruster 3 Tether cable 4 First weight 5 Second weight 6.6a, 6b Automatic disconnection device Applicant Marine Science and Technology Center (2 others) Representative Patent attorney Dai Isamu Hashi Figure 1 (C) Figure 1 (0) Figure 1 (b) Figure 3 Figure 4! g (0) Figure 4 (b) Figure 4 (C)

Claims (1)

[Claims] A teardrop-shaped fuselage, a first weight attached to the head side of the fuselage by an automatic disconnection device, and a second weight attached to the side of the fuselage near the head of the fuselage via an automatic disconnection device. Therefore, when both the first and second weights are attached, it dives vertically downward with its head down, and when the first weight is removed, it dives horizontally, and then the second weight An elevating device for an unmanned underwater vehicle, characterized in that when the weight is removed, the unmanned underwater vehicle floats vertically upward with its head facing upward.