PT87468B - BOIA MARITIMA SERVING A BIDIRECTIONAL RELAY BETWEEN A SUBMARINE CAPACITY ISSUED-RECEIVER OF ULTRASONIC SIGNS AND A GROUND BASE - Google Patents

Abstract

The buoy comprises an acoustic emitter (4) for transmitting commands to the underwater capsule, hydrophones (5) for receiving acoustic signals from the capsule, amplifying and coding means (27) delivering digital signals in response to these signals, a radio-broadcasting system (21, 19) and electrical supply means (14, 28). The amplifying and coding means (27) are associated with a memory (25) allowing the most recent signals or their digital equivalents to be stored for at least a few weeks under the supervision of a computer (20). The radio-broadcasting means comprise an omnidirectional antenna (19) for linking with a geostationary satellite, and the supply means comprise accumulators (28) recharged by solar panels (14). <IMAGE>

Description

COMMUNAUTÉ EUROPEÉNNE DE L’ÉNÉRGIE ATOMIQUE (EURATOM)

MARITIME BUOY THAT BIDIRECTIONAL RELAY BETWEEN

A SUBMARINE SENDER-RECEIVER CAPSULE

ULTRASONIC SIGNS AND A GROUND BASE

The present invention relates to a marine buoy that serves as a bidirectional relay between an underwater transmitter-receiver capsule of ultrasonic signals and a terrestrial base, comprising an acoustic emitter to transmit commands to an underwater capsule, hydrophones to receive acoustic signals from the capsule, amplification and coding means that provide, in response to these signals, digital signals, a radioelectric emission / reception system and electrical power means.

During the past few years, research vessels have been carrying out oceanographic measurements to deepen the knowledge about the seabed at great depths. For this, measuring capsules were deposited on the ground and the data collected by the capsule were transmitted to the ship, either by a cable or by an ultrasonic transmission channel. The data thus acquired is of limited value because, on the one hand, it only gives an instant image, and the ship cannot remain in one place for a limited time and, on the other hand, the on-board equipment does not allow many sometimes if not a preliminary assessment of the acquired data, the final assessment being made only after the trip with the aid of powerful computers in a terrestrial research center.

The present invention therefore aims to provide a marine buoy that serves as a relay between an underwater source of ultrasonic signals and a terrestrial center, and which can remain operational, without maintenance, for years. This buoy must therefore be capable of transmitting - in real time - the measurement results of the underwater capsule to an onshore assessment center that may possibly be more than 5,000 km away.

This objective is achieved by means of a marine buoy such as the one specified above, which is characterized by the means of amplification and encoding being associated with a memory that allows the most recent signals or their digital equivalents to be stored for a few hours under the control of a computer, because the radio emission system comprises an omnidirectional antenna for connection to a geostationary satellite and the power means comprise accumulators charged by solar panels.

With regard to preferred embodiments, reference is made to the secondary claims.

The present invention is described in more detail below with the aid of a preferred embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawings, the figures of which

ras represent:

Fig. 1, a communication scheme between a buoy according to the present invention and a land base and between a buoy and an underwater capsule;

Fig. 2, schematically a buoy according to the present invention; and

Fig. 3, a schematic of the instrumentation equipment of said buoy.

In fig. 1 there is a capsule with instruments, which is placed in the sediments (2) on the seabed. Alternatively, and depending on the subject of the investigation, the capsule can be placed on the seabed or floated in the water at a certain height.

This capsule comprises an emitter / receiver of ultrasonic signals that communicates with analogous organs in a float (3), namely ultrasonic emitters (4) and ultrasonic hydrophones (5). The buoy floats on the sea surface and is an (mechanically colored. The buoy is equipped with omnidirectional antennas that allow measurement data to be sent to a satellite (6) in the microwave range and to communicate directly with a terrestrial base (7) in the short wave range.

In fig. 2, the mechanical structure of the buoy (3) of fig. 1. This buoy comprises a metallic tube (8), with a length of 5 meters and a width of 60 cm, which contains a weight of 1 500 kg at its bottom and a rigging chamber (9) at its top .

This camera houses accumulator batteries and electronics. The tube (8) is attached to a float (10) with a diameter of 2 nu and a height of 2 m, which is filled with polyurethane foam. Above the water level (11), a 4 meter high pylon (12) rises, which supports yellow warning panels (13), solar panels (14), a radar reflector (15) for warning boats , a light source (16), an antenna (17) for a passive satellite navigation system, an omnidirectional antenna (18) for sending data signals to the satellite (6) and an antenna (19) for direct bidirectional communication by short waves with the land base.

The instrumentation of the buoy is shown in fig. 3.

It is grouped around a computer (20), which supervises the flow of data to a number of peripheral units, and vice versa, that is;

- an emission circuit (21) that feeds the antenna (19) connecting to the satellite (6),

- an emission / reception circuit (22) which establishes, via the antenna (18) the bidirectional connection in short waves with the terrestrial base (7),

- pickups (23) placed directly on the buoy and measuring, for example, meteorological or geochemical values of water,

- a system (24) for the emission or reception of high frequency or hyper frequency signals for the location of the buoy and for its eventual recovery5, (

- a memory (25), such as an endless magnetic tape recorder or a disc that allows the most recent signals or their digital equivalents from the capsule to be stored for a certain period of time, such as a few days or a few weeks,

- a command signal generator (26) which sends signals through the ultrasonic emitter (4) to the capsule to transmit command signals to it,

- amplification and encoding means (27) that transmit the signals from the hydrophone (5) to the computer (20),

- and supply means composed of an accumulator battery (28) and solar panels (14) for charging.

The computer is programmed in such a way that it automatically gathers data from the hydrophone (4) and pickups (23) and automatically sends it to the emission circuit (21) and the antenna (19). The transmission of a data stream incorrectly received at the terrestrial base (7) via the satellite triggers a diagnostic program. According to this program, command signals are emitted by the direct route in short waves to the buoy to repeat the sequence of data in question. If the error persists, the diagnostic procedure can be extended to the computer (20) and even to the capsule (1) by the same communication method.

Using this communication route, it is also possible to interrogate pickups (23) or, through the emitter (4), the capsule to obtain additional information or to modify the operation of the pickups.

The supply means on the float comprise the panels (14) and an accumulator battery (28) of 12V / 105 Ah each, which can supply the float for more than a month without recharging. The solar panels (14) provide 30 W, which is sufficient to regularly recharge the accumulators.

Such a buoy can serve as a relay for years between one or more capsules with instruments on the deep seabed and a remote terrestrial base to provide data regarding long-term phenomena in the deep sea and even phenomena in subsea sediments, in case the capsule or a part of the latter has penetrated these sediments.

Claims (4)

Claims 1.- Marine buoy that serves as a bidirectional relay between a terrestrial base and a submarine capsule emitting / receiving ultrasonic signals, which comprises an acoustic emitter to transmit commands to the subsea capsule, hydrophones to receive acoustic signals from the capsule, means of amplification and coding systems that provide, in response to these signals, digital signals, a radio emission system and power supply means, characterized by the means of amplification and coding (27) being associated with a memory (25) that allows the storage of the most important signals recent or their digital equivalents for at least a few weeks under the control of a computer (20), because the radio emission means comprise an omnidirectional antenna (19) for connection with a geostationary satellite (6) and because the power means comprise accumulators (28) recharged by solar panels (14). 2. A buoy according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a high frequency transmitter / receiver (18) for a direct two-way connection of remote control and remote diagnostics between the land base (7) and said computer (20) . Buoy according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises an emitter (4) of ultrasonic signals that cooperates under the control of the computer (20) with a corresponding receiver placed in said capsule (1) to transmit control signals to it, and hydrophones (5) which serve to receive ultrasonic signals from said capsule. Buoy according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises a satellite tracking system (24), Lisbon, 12 May 1988 t ί RESUME Marine buoy that serves as a bi-directional relay between an underwater emitter-receiver capsule of ultrasonic signals and a land base The invention relates to a marine buoy that serves as a bidirectional relay between a terrestrial base and an underwater emitter / receiver capsule of ultrasonic signals. The float comprises an acoustic emitter (4) to transmit commands to the sub capsule, hydrophones (5) to receive acoustic signals from the capsule, amplification and encoding means (27) providing, in response to these dioelectric signals (21,19) digital signals, an emission system and power supply means (14,28). According to the invention, the amplification and encoding means (27) are associated with a memory (25) that allows the most recent signals or their digital equivalents to be stored for a few weeks, at least, under the control of a computer (20). The radio emission means comprise an omnidirectional antenna (19) for connection to a geostationary satellite, and the supply means comprise accumulators (28) recharged by solar panels (14). Lisbon, 12 May 1988