RU2724920C1 - System for changing buoyancy and trim of unmanned underwater vehicle with automatic control - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: shipbuilding.SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of underwater shipbuilding, in particular to the buoyancy control and submarine differentiation systems. System for changing buoyancy and trimming of underwater technical means comprises two independent equalizing trim tanks for intake of outboard water, high-pressure electric pumps, pipelines with shutoff valves, automatic control unit with remote control. Equalizing trim tanks function as equalizing and trim tanks. Equalizing trim tanks are not connected with compartments in which are located, and are made with allowance for pressure increase due to compression of air inside and placement in compressed air space of other system elements. Pressure in cisterns varies in proportion to their degree of filling, which makes it possible to determine, to what extent tank is filled, through determination of pressure taking into account corrections for change of temperature and humidity of air.EFFECT: change of trimming trim and expansion of its functionality is achieved.1 cl, 1 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of underwater shipbuilding, in particular to systems for controlling the buoyancy and trim of underwater devices. The system for changing the buoyancy and trim of an autonomous uninhabited underwater vehicle (AUV) contains two independent leveling-differential tanks located at the ends for receiving sea water, high-pressure pumps, pipelines with shutoff valves, a remote control automation unit. Leveling tanks are made taking into account the compression of the air inside and the possibility of placing the remaining elements of the system inside the tank in an empty space.

There is a known trim system for underwater technical equipment, including trim tanks located at the ends of the underwater technical means for creating differentiating moments, filled with sea water (Pravdin AA, “Design of submarines”, M., Oborongiz, 1947, p. 189) , or interconnected by a differential pipeline with a pump (K.N. Chaynikov “General device of ships”, L., Shipbuilding, 1971, paragraph 42 Ship submarine systems).

Known trim system of the underwater vehicle, which to reduce the size of the system consists of cargo (ballast) with the possibility of its movement along the body of the underwater vehicle (patents RU 2172699 and RU 2282556).

To reduce the size of the trim system, a technical solution is known, consisting of two trim tanks located at the ends of the underwater technical equipment, separated by a flexible diaphragm into mercury and oil cavities, pairwise connected by mercury and oil pipelines with valves, and a pump mounted on the oil pipeline. The use of mercury, which has a high specific gravity (13500 kg / m ³ ), allows one to minimize the size of the trim system (MN Diomidov, AN Dmitriev. “Underwater vehicles”, L., Shipbuilding, 1966, p. 310 -312, Fig. 129).

Known trim system of the underwater technical means (patent No. 2585392 RU), including trim tanks located at the ends of the underwater technical means to create differentiating moments, filled with mercury and oil, and tanks with mercury are located inside the oil tanks for safe operation of the system.

As a prototype, a signage and trim system for an underwater cargo container (patent RU 2585392), consisting of two identical independent signage systems that are installed in the fore and aft ends, was adopted.

The technical solution of the prototype, in relation to self-propelled uninhabited underwater vehicles has several disadvantages:

• very voluminous instrument compartments (due to the presence of autonomous rechargeable batteries and gas cylinders) reduce the volume of cargo compartments with the constant external dimensions of the ANNA;

• the metal version of the differential tanks as part of the AUVA hull structures and the available instrument compartment layout will significantly increase the mass of the apparatus;

• the automation unit performs the tasks of only automatic sign and trim to zero. The operation of the buoyancy and trim system as part of the AUV additionally implies the creation of positive or negative trim and positive or negative buoyancy by remote control from the outside.

The problem solved by the present invention is to eliminate the above disadvantages, namely reducing the volume and weight of the equalization-differential system, as well as its adaptation to work as part of the AUV.

The technical result of the claimed invention is to make the system change buoyancy and trim compactness and expand its functionality.

This is achieved by the fact that the bow and stern equalization-differential tanks are made without ventilation, therefore, when they are filled, air is compressed and the pressure in them increases. To reduce the mass of bulkheads separating the mentioned tanks from the rest of the compartment, the volume of the tanks is increased in excess of that necessary for water intake, and the free (not filled with water) space of the tanks is occupied by other elements of the system. This design will allow you to determine the degree of filling equalization-differential tanks by measuring pressure, temperature and humidity inside them. The principle of regulating the amount of water in tanks has been changed: batteries, gas cylinders with electrovalves are excluded, high-pressure electric pumps are used. Since water intake from the side is assumed to create negative buoyancy, a flow restriction valve is installed with the high-pressure electric pump, along with which the flow through the high-pressure electric pump will be constant at all operating modes. The high-pressure electric pump is powered by the electric system of the underwater vehicle. The functionality of the automation unit has been expanded, which can be performed in one instance, working on the bow and stern of the leveling-differential tanks in the presence of a common power supply.

Functionality of the automation unit: AUV sign and trim to zero, creation of positive or negative trim and positive or negative buoyancy with the possibility of remote control from the outside.

The proposed system for changing the buoyancy and trim of the AUV is illustrated by the drawing shown in figure 1.

The AUV buoyancy and trim system is usually located inside the sturdy hull 1 of the underwater technical equipment (or individual strong capsules) and includes sealed equalization-different tanks 2 (bow with a maximum fill level of 8 and aft with a maximum fill level of 7), separated from the rest of the AUV compartment by bulkheads 3, which can withstand increased pressure inside the corresponding tank, high-pressure electric pumps 4, pipelines for receiving and removing water from the tanks (not shown in Fig. 1), flow restriction valves 10, flow meters 5, blocks for determining the degree of filling of the tank by measuring pressure , temperature and humidity 6, automation unit 9.

The system for changing the buoyancy and trim of the AUV works as follows.

AUV is immersed in water from a carrier or shore using a cargo crane or other lifting devices. In this case, AUV with dry leveling-differential tanks has positive buoyancy and is located in water with a certain sediment.

To sign the AUV to zero buoyancy, water is received into the bow and stern equalizing-different tanks 2 by controlling the automation unit 9 by switching on the synchronous opening / closing of the flow restriction valves 10. The amount of water that enters or is pumped out of the tanks is determined using a flow meter 5. The amount of water in the leveling tanks is controlled by measuring the pressure, temperature and humidity in them. If the amount of water in the equalization-differential tanks is exceeded, the automation unit 9 controls the inclusion of high-pressure electric pumps 4 for pumping water to the desired value.

To differentiate the AUV to the stern, the automation unit 9 controls the asynchronous operation of high-pressure electric pumps 4, i.e., the bow high-pressure electric pump is turned on to pump water from the bow equalizing-differential tank, and the stern high-pressure electric pump is used to receive water into the stern equalizing-differential tank and vice versa for AUV on the nose.

The operations of changing the buoyancy of the AUV and its trim, as well as non-staff operations are performed under the control of the automation unit 9 using flow restriction valves 10, high-pressure electric pumps 4, leveling differential tanks 2, blocks for determining the degree of filling of the tank by measuring pressure, temperature and humidity 6 and flow meters 5 remotely.

Claims (1)

A system for automatically changing the buoyancy and trim of an autonomous uninhabited underwater vehicle (AUV), including independent bow and stern leveling-differential tanks, separated from the rest of the autonomous uninhabited underwater vehicle by bulkheads, pipelines for receiving and removing water from tanks, characterized in that the AUV buoyancy and trim system contains high-pressure pumps and flow restriction valves in the bow and stern leveling-differential tanks, and when filling and draining the leveling-differential tanks made without ventilation, the air pressure in them changes in proportion to the degree of their filling, while they are made equal-differential with the ability to determine the degree of filling their volume with water by measuring pressure, temperature and humidity inside these tanks, while non-staff operations are performed under the control of an automation unit using valves flow restrictions, high-pressure electric pumps, leveling tanks, blocks for determining the degree of filling of the tank by measuring pressure, temperature and humidity and flow meters remotely.

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