RU61246U1 - AUTONOMOUS HYDROPHYSICAL STATION FOR PROBING A WATER ENVIRONMENT DEPTH - Google Patents

Abstract

The proposed utility model of an autonomous hydrophysical station (AGS) is designed to measure and record (up to 8 channels) hydrophysical information on digital storage devices at depths of up to 1000 m.

AGS consists of a carrier equipment (ON) made of aluminum alloys. Inside the control unit, a control unit (BU), an information storage device (NI), a subscriber station (AN) of the Gonets satellite communication system and the Glonass navigation system, a power supply (IP) assembled from lithium batteries, combined radio antennas (RA) of the satellite communication system are installed "Messenger" and navigation "Glonass", the tightness sensor. Outside, a radio transparent cap (hemisphere), a reversible sonar transducer (receiver), floats from syntactic materials, an actuator of the disconnector (IMR), and a conical-shaped drum are installed.

The halyard (up to 400 m) is wound on a conical drum, the end of which is fixed on the drum using a special check and connected to the top of the guide, which is connected to the bottom with a swivel. The lower part of the guide is connected to a cable, which in turn is connected to a winch and a power source.

The float is connected by two frames, which are attached to the robust housing of the ON, and two frames are connected using spacers made of aluminum tubes. Neighboring floats are connected using plates. On the upper plates (there are four of them), mounted on the upper frame, three mounting places are provided for mounting sensors and devices. A reversible hydroacoustic transducer (receiver) of a hydroacoustic command communication system (GAX), a flashing light beacon, an active radar transponder antenna, and a pressure sensor are installed on these places on the body of the pressure transmitter (glands). To perform operations on the design and selection of AGS, a load bracket and a sampling device are provided.

Description

The technical solution relates to the constructive implementation of hydrophysical research tools and can be used for long-term oceanological research.

In carrying out oceanological research, various hydrophysical observation tools are widely used, including autonomous hydrophysical stations that return to the sea surface due to their positive buoyancy.

Autonomous stations designed for sounding the aquatic environment in depth have an ascent – dive system made with a winch and an electric motor, as well as a cable connected at one end to an anchor - ballast and to the other end to the station.

An autonomous station for sensing the aquatic environment in depth selected as a prototype (Wolfson L.M., Proshkin S.G., Yurchenko V.A. Autonomous positioning station for sensing the aquatic environment in depth, a method for determining the parameters of the aquatic environment by this station and a transmission method it measured parameters параметров 63 V 22/06, 1997), contains a container with a set of measuring modules, a system for receiving and transmitting information made with radio communication equipment, an on-board control system, power supply system, ascent system and loading made with a winch, as well as a buir, connected at one end with an anchor, connected at its other end with a winch of the ascent and dive system, and the information reception and transmission system is equipped with sonar communication equipment.

In the prototype for the trim station used cargo, which greatly complicate the operation of the station. Station emergency emergence capabilities are not provided. The installation of a winch on board the station significantly reduces the payload of the station and increases the on-board energy consumption.

The proposed utility model of an autonomous hydrophysical station (AGS) is free from the above disadvantages.

AGS is designed for measuring and recording (up to 8 channels) of hydrophysical information on digital storage devices at depths from 0 to 150 m (a robust housing ensures tightness at depths up to 1000 m) and for the rapid transmission of information on the sea surface via the Gonets satellite communication channel.

The AGS installation is ensured by free immersion in the guide due to the negative buoyancy created by the winch with a power source acting as an anchor - ballast, the ascent is carried out due to the positive buoyancy of the bearing body when separated from the winch with a power source.

To account for the hydrological situation of the area during operation, the gas generator can be equipped with sensors for depth, temperature, conductivity, sound propagation velocity, etc. (up to 8 sensors) with a microprocessor-based system for collecting and processing hydrophysical information.

AGS provides amplification, filtering, digitization, pre-processing and registration on a digital storage device of hydrophysical information. At the same time, the main objective of the proposed AGS is to measure hydrophysical parameters along the depth of the aquatic environment; to move the AGS in depth, a special anchor winch is used, which consists of a winch with a power source acting as a ballast anchor. In order to return the winch with a power source, the AGS is equipped with a propylene halyard and a cable.

The return to the surface of the winch with a power source is achieved as follows. According to the command received by the AGS via the hydroacoustic communication channel from the providing vessel or to the team included in the program, the AGS floats to the surface of the sea. In this case, the AGS is connected to the winch-anchor with a propylene halyard and a cable, which allows, after sampling the AGS, to lift the winch with a power source.

AGS is a hardware module, a system for determining the location of the AGS and the transmission of operational hydrophysical information

on the surface of the sea, an exemption system from an anchor winch, a hydroacoustic command system and a registration system, preliminary processing and accumulation of hydrophysical information.

AGS consists (Fig. 1) of an equipment carrier (ON) 1 made of aluminum alloys. Inside ON 1, a control unit (BU) 2, an information storage device (NI) 3, a subscriber station (AN) of the Gonets satellite communication system and Glonass navigation 4, a power supply (IP) assembled from lithium batteries 5, combined radio antennas are installed (RA) of the satellite system of communication “Gonets” and navigation “Glonass” 6, leakproofness sensor 8. Outside, a radio-transparent cap (hemisphere) 7, a reversible sonar transducer (receiver) 18, floats from syntactic materials 9, an actuating mechanism of the disconnector (IMR) 10 are installed conical shape m 11.

The halyard 12 (up to 400 m) is wound on a conical drum 11, the end of which is fixed on the drum using a special check 13 and connected to the upper part of the guide 15, connected to the lower part by means of a swivel. The lower part of the guide is connected to the cable 16, which in turn is connected to the winch 17 and the power source 18.

The robust housing ON 1 with additional buoyancy in the form of floats 9 at full load with standard equipment provides positive buoyancy of at least 500 N, while the robust housing provides tightness at depths up to 1000 m.

The float 9 (top view of the AGS, figure 2) is connected by two frames that are attached to the durable housing 1, and two frames are connected using spacers made of aluminum tubes. Neighboring floats are connected using plates. On the upper plates (there are four of them), mounted on the upper frame, three mounting places 20 are provided for mounting sensors and devices. At these places, a reversible hydroacoustic transducer (receiver) 21 of a hydroacoustic command communication system (GAX), a flashing light beacon 22, a radio antenna 23 of an active radar transponder, and a pressure sensor 26 are installed on a standard basis.

(connectors) 19. To perform operations on the design and selection of AGS, a load bracket 25 and a sampling device 24 are provided.

On a conical shape, the drum 11 is wound with a propylene halyard 12 designed to return the AGS to the sea surface after the work program has been completed, either by commands via the hydroacoustic communication channel, or by command from pressure sensor 26 (if the specified depth is exceeded), or by command from the tightness sensor 8 (if a leak is detected). A segment of the halyard (about 1 meter from the end) is fixed on the lower edge of the drum with the help of a special check 13. The check 13, in turn, is attached to the guide 15 using the cable 14 (the upper part of the swivel). At the same point, the end of the halyard 12 is attached. The cable 16 is attached to the lower part of the swivel guide 15, the other end of the cable is attached to the winch 17. Together with the winch in the form of a monoblock, the power supply of the winch 18 is fixed. In this form, the monoblock acts as a ballast anchor.

Winch 17 is designed to provide cyclical movement of the AGS vertically on a cable in the depth range from 0 to 150 m in standalone mode and transfer data from the sea surface to the data center. The winch consists of the following main structural elements (figure 3): chassis 17-1; drum 17-2; traction pulley 17-3; two sealed electric drives 17-4; laying roller 17-5; drive roller drum 17-6; guide rollers 17-7; toroidal guide 17-8; brakes of slack 17-9. The kinematics of the winch is organized as follows. The traction cable 16 enters through the toroidal guide 17-8 to the traction pulley 17-3, enveloping the three guide rollers 17-7. After exiting the brook of the traction sheave 17-3, the cable 16 enters the stacking roller 17-5, and then into the storage drum 17-2. Between the toroidal guide 17-8 and the first guide roller 17-7, a spring-loaded lever brake of the slack 17-9 is installed, which serves to fix the tension of the traction cable 16 inside the winch in case of slack in the direction of traction. Two sealed electric drives 17-4 winches are a DC motor-reducers, protected from sea water by durable tight

containers with integrated electronic control units. The traction motor 17-4-1 and the winding motor 17-4-2 have the same design and the same control system. The operation mode is set by changing the program of the controlling microprocessor. Traction motor 17-4-1 is designed to create traction on the traction pulley 17-3. The control system of the traction motor 17-4-1 provides stabilization of the speed of rotation of the output shaft of the drive with a frequency set by software. The winding motor 17-4-2 provides stabilization of the winding moment of the cable 16 for laying in the drum 17-2 with a given tension moment. The shaft speed does not stabilize. For the winding mode and the winding mode of the cable 16, various moments of the cable tension are set. The value of the moment of winding the cable is set by software. The microprocessor of the winch control unit generates control signals for the traction motor 17-4-1 and the winding engine, depending on the signals from the software device, the signals of the end sensors and rotation sensors of the winch traction pulley 17-3. The software device of the winch control unit includes a timer that, at the time specified by the program, generates signals “enable / disable the drive”, “direction of rotation”. A para-permanent magnet mounted on the motor shaft and a magnetically sensitive comparator are used as speed sensors. Using such a sensor allows you to measure the frequency of rotation of the motor shaft through the wall of a sealed container. The signals from the speed sensors and external control signals from the software of the winch control unit are supplied to the engine control microprocessor. The control system of the traction motor 17-4-1 uses the mode of limiting engine speed using the signals of the speed sensors. In the drive motor winding 17-4-2 signals from the speed sensors are not used. The winding motor is powered by direct current, which allows to stabilize the traction moment regardless of the speed of rotation of the motor shaft. The pulling force on the winch cable is not less than 500 N at a sampling speed of not more than 0.05 m / s. Drive voltage 12

V, current consumption under a load of 5-20 A. The calculated winch immersion depth of up to 1000 m when filling the motor protective housings with a liquid dielectric with the equation of external and internal pressure, “Dry” operation to depths of 250 m is possible. The winch drum capacity is about 200 m with a diameter rope 6 mm.

In the expanded operating position, the AGS (Fig. 4) is located at a depth of not more than 150 m, after the actuation mechanism of the disconnector 10, the AGS floats to the surface of the sea. Such a scheme is selected taking into account a possible failure in the operation of the winch 17.

The AGS 2 control unit is a microcontroller that controls all the AGS devices according to a given program or by a command received via a hydroacoustic communication channel or via a radio channel (on the surface).

The power source 5 is assembled from lithium rechargeable batteries, which currently provide the maximum capacity per standard unit of weight and size characteristics of the batteries. The power source is installed so that the center of gravity of the assembled station is located below the waterline to ensure the stability of the station on the sea surface.

The tightness sensor 8 represents two contacts that, when interacting with seawater, close the circuit. The tightness sensor is located on the lower point of the NA housing, thus ensuring monitoring of the tightness of the station (when a leak is detected, the circuit closes, thereby giving the command to the control unit for the actuator of the circuit breaker). The actuator of the circuit breaker (IMR) 10 is an electromechanical device designed to connect the housing 1 to the winch 17 when immersed, located in the underwater position and separated from the winch 17 when the station emerges.

The information storage device (NI) 3 is intended primarily for the accumulation of registered information.

The system of accumulation of registered data is based on a single-board microcomputer Persior CF-1. CF-1 is based on Motorola MC68SK338 microcontroller and includes 1 Mb flash memory for data and programs, as well as 250 Kb of static RAM. For non-volatile data storage, a Compact Flash (CF) card with a capacity of 16 Mb or more is used. CF-1 comes with its own Pico DOS operating system, which allows you to create a file system compatible with MS DOS on the Compact Flash card. For the development of target programs, the Metrowerks Code Warrior Pro C / C ++ compiler was used. As a storage device, a 2.5 HDD with a capacity of 40 GB is used, which is connected to the CF-1 through the expansion card Persistor Big IDEA.

The data storage system software is a set of three independent programs. They are located in three different areas of flash memory and are used for various purposes. The settings accumulation program Settings allows you to view and set such registration parameters as the number of channels, sampling frequency, data buffer sizes, diagnostic modes without recompiling and restarting the accumulation program.

In order to reduce energy consumption during the accumulation process, a three-stage buffer is used. Data from the ADC is accumulated in a buffer located in RAM. After filling this buffer, all its contents are transferred to a larger buffer, which is located in a special section of Compact Flash. When the buffer located in Compact Flash is full, the HDD controller is turned on and the contents of the buffer are transferred to the file. After recording the file, the HDD turns off. Such a cycle by an autonomous station is repeated many times until the work is completed.

The characteristics of the GAX exchange signals between ship equipment and the AGS have the following parameters:

- the exchange of signals between the supply vessel and the GAKS AGS is carried out in the range of operating frequencies from 10 to 40 kHz;

- working frequency band - 1 kHz;

- signals are transmitted synchronously by the relative method

phase modulation with a speed of 200 baud. A subscriber station (AP) 4, using the combined antenna of the Gonets satellite communication system and the Glonass navigation 6, allows the supplying vessel, which searches for a station on the sea surface, to determine the station's location. Also, using AP 4, operational transfer of hydrophysical information to a research center can be carried out, which can be located at almost any point.

The radio antenna of the active radar transponder 23 allows using the ship's standard radar to determine the location of the telephone exchange. The active radar transponder in the 3 cm range provides two marks on the screen of the navigation radar characterizing the range and course on the AGS.

Flashing light 22 has an IFK-50 lamp with a light flash energy of 1 kJ, flashes follow at intervals of 8 seconds.

Based on the signal from the pressure sensor 26 in the above-water position, the BU 2 includes the Flashing Beacon 22, AP 4 of the satellite communication and navigation system, at the same time it is ready to reflect the location signal from a standard radar using the antenna 23 of the active radar transponder, which makes it possible to clearly mark the station's location on the sea surface. In the underwater position, according to the signal from the pressure sensor 26, the control unit 2 disables the subscriber station 4 of the satellite communication and navigation system.

According to the program, control unit 2 turns the hydroacoustic command system unit (GAX) on or off, executes all the commands received via the hydroacoustic communication channel using the reversible transducer 21. In addition, control unit 2 controls the accumulation modes of NI 3 according to a given program, at a specified time or by command IMR 10 command for execution. So, if the data with DD 26 is exceeded, the limit value, for example, 150 meters, or when a leak is detected using the leakage sensor 8, or by a command received by hydroacoustic

the communication channel using the Converter 21 issues an IMR 10 command for execution.

The work of the AGS is as follows. On board the supply vessel, before setting up the AGS with a winch, a complete training cycle is going on, including switching on and testing various units and blocks, entering the station's work program into control unit 2. After testing and assembling the whole AGS with a winch, the position is determined (depth of place should not exceed 150 m). Setting can be done in two ways. The first method: free immersion of the AGS due to negative buoyancy. After the station is drowned at the command from the winch control unit, the winch starts to clear the cable, thereby providing a slow ascent of the station. The second method: a monoblock winch with a power source is taken out overboard the supply vessel, then the cable 16 is slowly pitted and, finally, the last thing is lowered overboard the AGS. With a depth of up to 150 m (with small values of the current velocity, the depth of the place may turn out to be large), the AGS is initially on the sea surface. According to the program incorporated in the software device of the winch control unit, the winch begins to wind the cable onto the drum and the AGS starts to move down. From this moment, the AGS begins to record hydrophysical information. The winch operation is completely determined by the program laid down. In the case of leakage of the AGS or exceeding the depth of immersion above the set one, for example, 150 m, the IDM 10 is triggered and the AGS pops up (emergency ascent) to the sea surface. Under normal conditions, after the work program has been completed, the AGS will ascend only by commands received via the hydroacoustic communication channel through the GAKS from the supply vessel or the AGS control unit. After actuation of the actuator of the circuit breaker, the AGS floats to the surface of the sea. After the detection of the ACS by the supplying vessel, the ACS is selected onto the vessel, and then a winch with a power source.

Claims (5)

1. Autonomous hydrophysical station containing an equipment carrier with a set of measuring modules, a system for receiving and transmitting information made with radio communication equipment, a control unit, an information storage device, a power source, an ascent and immersion system, characterized in that a winch with a ballast is used power source. 2. Autonomous hydrophysical station according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuator of the circuit breaker is used. 3. Autonomous hydrophysical station according to claim 1, characterized in that a conical-shaped drum with a propylene halyard is used. 4. Autonomous hydrophysical station according to claim 1, characterized in that floats from syntactic materials are used as additional buoyancy. 5. The autonomous hydrophysical station according to claim 1, characterized in that satellite communication and navigation systems are used.