RU201786U1 - AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR SPATIAL ORIENTATION OF A MOVING UNDERWATER OBJECT - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of marine technology, to control systems, navigation and spatial orientation of mobile underwater objects. The device includes a three-dimensional magnetometer, a quartz pressure sensor and a Doppler log, hydroacoustic and television devices for detecting underwater objects, computing and switching devices, and acoustic communications. Additionally, it is equipped with a storage device for recording a data array with characteristics of three-dimensional images of known contrasting underwater objects previously detected in a given area, a device for creating three-dimensional images of contrasting underwater objects newly detected by means of detecting a moving underwater object and recording them into a data array of a memory device, a recognition device again the detected three-dimensional image of a contrasting underwater object among the set of three-dimensional images available in the memory device for its subsequent identification and obtaining the coordinates of the underwater object and its spatial orientation, data preparation equipment serving to form an array of data about the surrounding space, a data processing unit for specifying the coordinates of a moving underwater object ... The device allows, without surfacing on the surface of the water, to navigate in an area not equipped with navigation aids with a given accuracy. 3 ill.

Description

The utility model relates to the field of marine technology, to control systems, navigation and spatial orientation of mobile underwater objects. It can be used to control and navigate mobile underwater objects using sonar and technical vision equipment for spatial orientation in water.

Moving underwater objects are further understood to mean underwater craft (submarines and underwater transporters), as well as autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles (AUV).

Known AUV "Hugin" of the Norwegian Navy, which has in its onboard control system an inertial navigation system that ensures its operation under water, a satellite navigation system that provides work on the water surface, a spatial orientation system with a three-dimensional magnetometer, a quartz pressure sensor and a Doppler lag, hydroacoustic and television means for detecting underwater objects, computing and switching devices, as well as acoustic communication means [1]. Hydroacoustic and television observation equipment, as well as a three-dimensional magnetometer are intended only for the detection and recognition of underwater objects and are not intended for orientation of the AUV on the ground.

Known navigation system AUV, designed to perform hydrological research, which is an analogue of the invention [2].

AUV navigation system includes a support vessel, AUV and a set of transponder beacons. The support vessel is equipped with a satellite navigation system (SNS) receiver, a universal time system, ship control, processing and display equipment. The AUV has transceiver units of a hydroacoustic navigation system (GOS), telecontrol and communication, navigation and flight sensors, a local computer network, a hydroacoustic Doppler log for measuring the AUV speed relative to the seabed, a log for measuring the AUV speed relative to the water surface, inertial navigation system (INS) , SNS receiver, magnetic compass and gyrocompass, depth meter, steering control system, equipment for performing hydrological research, including side-scan sonar (SSS), profiler, temperature and electrical conductivity meters of the marine environment, cameras.

The support vessel is made in the form of a submarine equipped with GOS transceiver units, a log for measuring the AUV speed relative to the water surface, which is made in the form of an induction meter for the longitudinal and transverse components of the speed and drift angle and is additionally equipped with receiving sensors located in the fore and aft parts of the AUV hull to determine the AUV sinking speed, the gyrocompass is made in the form of an adjustable gyrocompass, built on the basis of a dynamically tuned gyroscope and quartz accelerometers, the INS is built on the basis of a precision gyroscope with an electrostatic rotor suspension, AUV is equipped with a sound speed meter, the ship's control, processing and display equipment additionally contains a unit data on ephemeris information about the navigation satellites of the Earth located in the region of the research work being performed, an electronic cartographic navigation information system and a video plotter.

The disadvantage of the existing autonomous AUV control facilities based on the use of inertial navigation systems is a gradual decrease in the accuracy of their operation, which requires periodic clarification of its location and the introduction of appropriate corrections. To clarify its coordinates, the AUV must periodically float to the surface and update them using the GLONASS / GPS / GALILEO type SNS or use other underwater navigation aids with which the area must be equipped in advance.

The purpose of the utility model is the development of an automatic device for the spatial orientation of a mobile underwater object, which allows it, without surfacing on the water surface, to navigate with a given accuracy in an area not equipped with navigation aids, containing known contrasting underwater objects previously detected in a given area.

The purpose of the utility model is achieved due to the fact that an automatic device for the spatial orientation of a mobile underwater object is proposed, including a three-dimensional magnetometer, a quartz pressure sensor and a Doppler log, hydroacoustic and television devices for detecting underwater objects, computing and switching devices, and acoustic communication devices. According to the utility model, it is additionally equipped with a storage device for recording a data array with the characteristics of three-dimensional images of known contrasting underwater objects previously detected in a given area, a device for creating three-dimensional images of contrasting underwater objects newly detected by means of detecting a moving underwater object and recording them in a data array of a storage device, a device for recognizing a newly discovered three-dimensional image of a contrasting underwater object among a plurality of three-dimensional images available in a memory device for its subsequent identification and obtaining the coordinates of an underwater object and its spatial orientation, data preparation equipment serving to form an array of data about the surrounding space, a block data processing to clarify the coordinates of a moving underwater object.

An automatic device for the spatial orientation of a moving underwater object will allow solving the following tasks:

- improving the accuracy of navigation orientation of a moving underwater object;

- ensuring the independence of the operation of the underwater controlled object of control from the availability of forces and means of navigation support;

- improving the tactical and technical characteristics of underwater controlled objects when performing tasks of high-precision maneuvering relative to underwater contrast objects in space in a changing tactical and noise-signaling environment.

The solution of these problems becomes possible due to the use of hydroacoustic and television means for detecting underwater objects in an automatic device for spatial orientation, equipment for data preparation, sensors of environmental parameters (magnetometer, pressure sensors, lag), and a computing device.

The principle of operation of an automatic device for spatial orientation of a mobile underwater object is that known contrasting underwater objects located in the region are identified as landmarks in it, the characteristics of which are recorded in a memory device. The movement of a moving underwater object along a given route is carried out by sequentially following from one known contrasting underwater object to another, with a return, each time after the next orientation, to a given route along the shortest path. Either the starting point of a mobile underwater object with known coordinates, or the first contrasting underwater object detected by it, are used as the initial reference point.

The sonar and television detection means (video system) continuously scan the surrounding space, the results of which are processed in a computing device and a data processing unit.

The operation of the automatic device for spatial orientation of a moving underwater object is illustrated by figures (Figs. 1, 2 and 3), which show:

fig. 1 - Selection of a route by an automatic device for spatial orientation of a moving underwater object according to a sequence of contrasting underwater objects on a given route (top view);

fig. 2 - Use of sonar by an automatic device for spatial orientation of a moving underwater object in the horizontal plane (top view);

fig. 3 - Use of sonar by an automatic device for spatial orientation of a movable underwater object in the vertical plane (side view).

FIG. 1 numbers indicate:

1 - a mobile underwater object (AUV) at the starting point with known coordinates;

2 - specified route;

3 - destination;

4 - contrasting underwater objects;

5 - zone of detection of contrasting objects by sonar;

6 - a fragment of a real route of a moving underwater object when orienting along a contrasting object i = 1, followed by a return to the route of a given route 2.

7 - a fragment of a real route of a moving underwater object when orienting along a contrasting object i = 2, followed by a return to the route of a given route 2.

In figure 2, numbers indicate:

1 - a mobile underwater object (AUV) at the starting point with known coordinates;

4 - contrasting underwater object in the detection zone 5 of the sonar;

5 - zone of detection of contrasting objects by sonar;

8 - the size of the contrasting object in azimuth;

9 - lines of the sonar signal level when reflected from the sea bottom;

10 - sonar range scale;

11 - the azimuth scale of the sonar.

FIG. 3 numbers indicate:

1 - a mobile underwater object (AUV) at the starting point with known coordinates;

4 - contrasting underwater object in the detection zone 5 of the sonar;

5 - zone of detection of contrasting objects by sonar;

8 - the size of the contrast object in terms of range;

10 - sonar range scale;

12 - scale of the sonar elevation angle;

13 - water surface;

14 - seabed.

If the sonar detection area of the automatic device simultaneously captures two or more contrasting underwater objects along a predetermined route, as shown in FIG. 1 - numbers of contrasting objects i = 1 and i = 2, then the computing device determines the most appropriate choice of an object for the current orientation from among the simultaneously observed objects by minimizing the total path, first to the object, and then to the route of the given route. This minimizes the time and route of a moving underwater object along a given route.

The principle of operation of sonar and video systems is the same. It consists in the simultaneous emission of a probing signal simultaneously in the entire azimuth sector 5 (Fig. 2) and in layer-by-layer emission of hydroacoustic and light signals along vertically arranged layers - tiers 12 (Fig. 3), and then - in the subsequent reception of reflected signals processed in computing unit.

The reflected signals in the azimuth sectors and in the vertical tiers form a sonar and (or) video image of the space on each tier. Reflective surfaces, such as the seabed 14 (Fig. 3), form in each tier a continuous curved locating line 9, repeating the bottom surface (Fig. 2). The contrasting targets 4 cause discontinuities of 8 continuous locating lines along their contour (FIGS. 2, 3).

The purpose of the sonar and video system is determined by the difference in their characteristics in terms of range and accuracy. The sonar has a range that is many times greater than the range of a video system, with a relatively low accuracy in measuring the coordinates of underwater contrast objects. Therefore, its purpose is the primary search for underwater contrast objects in the far detection zone (Fig. 1). The purpose of the video system is the secondary detection of underwater contrast objects in the near zone when the AUV approaches them and in high-precision registration of their coordinates and the creation of three-dimensional images.

The data preparation equipment forms two data arrays describing the space and representing:

- for the far zone, the array S {ϕ, λ, Nα, Nh, d), where ϕ is the latitude, λ is the geographical longitude, Nα is the number of the horizontally located azimuth sector, Nh is the number of the vertically located layer-tier, d is the depth of the location from an electronic navigation chart or digital seabed elevation model. The data array is formed by segmentation of the original image of the map or digital model of the bottom relief into areas equal to the bottom surface area, illuminated by the directional characteristic resolution element;

- for the near zone array V {X, Y, B}, where X is the pixel coordinate of the reference video image of the target contrast object along the horizontal axis; Y is the coordinate of the pixel of the reference video image of the target contrasting object along the vertical axis, taking into account the position of the vertically located layer-tier, B is the gradation of brightness on a black-and-white scale.

For each sounding cycle on each of the sonar tiers, a data array is generated in the polar coordinate system associated with the target contrast object O {D; KU}, where D is the distance to the object, KU is the heading angle. Simultaneously, the current image of the space and the target contrast object in a form similar to the array V is transferred to the processing unit.

The calculated data on the current location and orientation angles of the underwater target contrast object are received from the navigation system and sensors of environmental parameters (three-dimensional magnetometer, quartz pressure sensor and Doppler log). The data processing unit compares the numerical coordinates of the AUV with those calculated from the observation data of the target contrast object and the depth of its location, the subsequent interpretation of the data obtained and the development of corrections to correct the data on the AUV position.

The technical result of the utility model is an automatic device for the spatial orientation of a movable underwater object, which allows it, without surfacing on the surface of the water, to navigate in an area not equipped with navigation aids with a given accuracy.

Sources of information used in identifying the utility model and compiling its description:

1. Illarionov G.Yu., Sidenko KS, Sidorenkov V.V. Submarine robots in mine warfare: Monograph. Kaliningrad: LLC Yantarny Skaz, 2008. - 116 p. S. 74-75.

2. Patent for invention RU 2460043. Navigation system of autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle / Zenkov A.F. et al. M .: FIPS 2012. Bull. No. 24.

Claims (1)

An automatic device for spatial orientation of a mobile underwater object, including a three-dimensional magnetometer, a quartz pressure sensor and a Doppler log, hydroacoustic and television devices for detecting underwater objects, computing and switching devices and acoustic communication devices, characterized in that it is additionally equipped with a storage device for recording a data array from characteristics of three-dimensional images of known contrasting underwater objects previously detected in a given area, a device for creating three-dimensional images of contrasting underwater objects newly detected by means of detecting a moving underwater object and recording them into a data array of a memory device, a device for recognizing a newly discovered three-dimensional image of a contrasting underwater object among those available in storage device of many three-dimensional images for its subsequent identification and obtaining the coordinates of the underwater object and its space military orientation, data preparation equipment, which serves to form an array of data on the surrounding space, a data processing unit for specifying the coordinates of a moving underwater object.

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