US3550386A - Underwater vehicle - Google Patents

Underwater vehicle Download PDF

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Publication number
US3550386A
US3550386A US716730A US3550386DA US3550386A US 3550386 A US3550386 A US 3550386A US 716730 A US716730 A US 716730A US 3550386D A US3550386D A US 3550386DA US 3550386 A US3550386 A US 3550386A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
vehicle
limb
limbs
jet
sponsons
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US716730A
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English (en)
Inventor
Hugh Anthony Ballinger
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UK Atomic Energy Authority
Original Assignee
UK Atomic Energy Authority
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by UK Atomic Energy Authority filed Critical UK Atomic Energy Authority
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3550386A publication Critical patent/US3550386A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
    • B63C11/00—Equipment for dwelling or working underwater; Means for searching for underwater objects
    • B63C11/48—Means for searching for underwater objects

Definitions

  • An underwater vehicle comprising a free flooding streamlined body shell attached to a control cable, one or more retractable manipulator arms mounted on a rotatable turret within the body, propulsion means and manoeuvring control means, and a retractable limb.
  • This invention relates to remotely controlled devices and is particularly concerned with devices for undersea use.
  • an underwater vehicle comprises a free flooding streamlined body shell attached to a control cable, one or more retractable manipulator arms mounted on a rotatable turret within the body, propulsion means and manoeuvring control means, and a retractable limb.
  • the limb is provided with suction pad at its free end, and the propulsion, manoeuvring control, and retractable limb are powered by a low-pressure water moving pump.
  • the limb is mounted on a rotatable sponson and the sponson is provided with a water jet discharge opening forming part of the said manoeuvring control means.
  • the water jet discharge opening or openings may be arranged axially and/or radially with respect to the aXis of rotation of the sponson if desired.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic drawing showing an underwater vehicle constructed in accordance with the features of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic view of a portion of FIG. 1 showing the limb in the retracted position, showing the foot pad in cross-section and showing the fluid lines schematically.
  • the vehicle comprises a streamlined fibre glass body shell 1 formed on an internal tubular steel frame and attached by a cable stirrup 2 at the end of a control cable 3.
  • the body is provided with guide vanes 4 which surround the main propulsion jet apertures 5 at the rear of the vehicle.
  • One of a pair of retractable hydraulically operated manipulator arms 7 is housed in a rotatable turret located within the body on each side of the pod 6.
  • Search light and television camera lights are also located in faired housings on the body.
  • the body is provided with four retractable telescopic limbs 9 each limb being mounted on a rotatable sponson 10 rotatable about axis 23 attached to the sides of the body.
  • Each limb terminates in a foot portion 11 and the foot is provided with a plurality of suction pads 24, each pad having a limiting orifice 25 and communicating via a central duct 26 in the limb with a low pressure sea water pump 12 through limb 9 and line 27 located within the body shell.
  • the pump 12 provides common power to the main propulsion thruster jets 5 at the rear of the vehicle and to manoeuvring control thruster jets located on the sponsons 10.
  • Each sponson carries two thruster jets, a central outwardly directed jet 13 and a radially directed jet 14.
  • Pump 12 is connected to 13 through line 21 and to 14 through line 22.
  • the pump 12 is preferably duplicated, the two pumps being used in parallel for main drive and arranged such that either pump can be switched to supply the ancillaries.
  • Valves 28 regulating the sea water flow to the ancillaries are of the clear flow diaphragm type-operated by fluid logic circuits.
  • the hydraulics for the said fiuid logic circuits and that of the manipulator employ precision parts and are not operated by sea water.
  • the body includes buoyancy tanks 15 and fore and aft ballast tanks 16 are fitted to permit trim adjustment.
  • the vehicle is controlled remotely from a ship borne caravan unit via the control cable 3.
  • An operator is provided with a control console which includes a screen showing a television picture of the working environment.
  • PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION A reasonable sized vehicle for marine use is approximately of 2 cubic yards displacement with a weight of 1.5 tons in air. Such a vehicle can be launched and retrieved by the cargo boom or conventional hoist 0n the average ship and does not demand the capital investment of special tender vessels.
  • the vehicle For good diving performance the vehicle should be able to orientate itself into an attitude in which its formdrag is a minimum. In this position it should preferably be able to exert the full driving power of main propulsive unit of the vehicle.
  • a cable stirrup overcomes the disturbing torques of a directly fixed cable, the stirrup (a) permits the vehicle to dive vertically and quickly under power, to a prescribed depth, (b) reduces the disturbing torque on the vehicle when the latter is swimming in a horizontal search mode, (c) aids recovery of the vehicle in the case of an all-systems-failure by allowing the device to reorientate to a minimum drag position and so reduce recovery strain on the cable.
  • the cable may be used to produce a fast powered-recovery of the vehicle, in which the vehicle fiys up the track of the recovered cable.
  • the sponsons holding the retracted two front-limbs are turned to a forward-facing position.
  • the limbs are extended by inflating them with sea water from a low pressure bleed-off 30 from the main. pump outlet through line 27. In collision the limbs will act as buffers ejecting the contents through a displacement-controlled orifice 31,
  • a feature of this principle is the built-in velocity-term which permits the buffer to cope with a variety of different approach speeds, for a vehicle of a given mass.
  • the vehicle may be anchored using the suction foot pads. It will be appreciated that, before buffer stopping, and with the limbs in their forward orientated retracted position, the limbs can be extended by a flow of water into the limbs resulting from the pressure drop across the central orifices in the foot-suction pads. If these limbs are used to buffer the vehicle there is some ejection through the suction pad orifices 25 but the main momentum of water escape is in the opposite direction, through the main displacementlimiting orifice 31 in each limb. When the vehicle stops,'
  • the vehiclehaving clamped onto the object with two limbs has the ability to swing round and anchor one, or both, of the after pair of limbs onto the object.
  • the force to achieve the swing motion of the vehicle is obtained from the manoeuvring jets which are located on, and rotate with, the after limb sponsons.
  • This facility permits the vehicle to hang on to an object in any position.
  • the requirement for operating in an inverted position could be derived from a need for inspection or work on the underside of floating dry docks, very large tankers, or stable floating platforms such as are used for oil drilling in deep water.
  • the feet may be fitted with detachable Penman type mud shoes.
  • the manoeuvring jets in the rotatable sponsons draw clean water from an intake in the body of the vehicle and the reaction of these jets may be used to hold the vehicle down in position. Should the feet stick in the mud they could be freed one at a time by jerking against the inertia of the vehicle. As a limb is freed, the sponson carrying that limb may be rotated so as to direct its manoeuvring jet to wash clear the adjacent foot.
  • One possible application of the ability to operate on soft sections of the sea bed is to carry out systematic sample coring.
  • the vehicle could inject a core tube into the sediment then pull out the core tube by raising itself on its limbsdetach and float the packaged sample back to the surface while it proceeded to the next sample point.
  • the random results of a dredge can be replaced by a geologist choosing the exact location and the size of samples he wants. These can be chipped out, labelled and deposited in a collection basket by the manipulators.
  • a hovering ability is provided by the use of the eight manfracng jet thrusters 13 and 14.
  • the sponsons When the limbs are retracted the sponsons can be lined up so as to bring the radially directed jet thrusters 14 into fore and aft opposition. Operation of all the jets 13 and 14 during a hovering phase, provides a stiffened resistance to relative drift. Current-created drift in horizontal planes can be balanced by partly closing a pair of the jet thrusters 13. For correction in the vertical plane, pairs of sponsons are rotated together to angle the opposing jet pairs slightly from the horizontal.
  • jet-opposing principle saves the time required to make a complete movement through 180, for small corrections of drift, in the vertical plane.
  • orientation of heading i.e. rotation about a vertical axis
  • the jet thrusters 13 in the centre of each sponson are throttled in diagonally opposite pairs.
  • Varying the operation of the jet thrusters mounted on the sponsons can duplicate the above mentioned orientation of heading and also produce roll and pitch movements, however stabilisation for the pitch movements can be reasonably left to a good centre of gravity configuration and a pre-adjusted fore and aft trim.
  • the radial jet thrusters 14 on the sponsons may be used to counter balance short-term disturbances due to the manipulators being extended when in the hover position. During this operation the control of drift in the fore and aft direction is transferred to the main propulsion jet thrusters.
  • a marine remotely controlled vehicle is advantageous in the ease by which the vehicle can carry out systematic seat bottom sampling, for example by using the ship to tow the cable of the vehicle, and giving via the ships echo sounder a forecast of the bottom level to the operator, a large search area can be covered in a short time. Additionally the use of the vehicle does not require the waiting to resurface delay of other methods, in order to present a full report of what has been seen and done.
  • the vehicle has the ability to Work around the clock, by using relays of operators, and may be risked in conditions of turbulent water and poor visibility where the hazard to men as divers, or as crew in conventional submersibles is too high. Using a grappling or anchoring facility, there is the potential ability to work in a tideway.
  • the vehicle may also operate through a bad- Weather period on the surface, by using the technique of attaching a floating hose to the surface end of its cable and so reduce the coupling of the cable with the wave motion of the ship.
  • the vehicle In the rescue role--for a marine disaster of national importance, the vehicle is light enough to be air freighted to the scene. Once at the site it is adaptable to almost any ship which is available.
  • An underwater vehicle comprising a free flooding streamlined body shell attached to a control cable, propulsion means for propelling the vehicle, one or more manipulator arms mounted on the vehicle for retraction into said body, a plurality of rotatable sponsons on the body, means to rotate each sponson, a telescopically adjustable limb mounted on each of said sponsons, and manoeuvring control means comprising a water jet discharge opening provided on each sponson and means to discharge water from the opening.
  • control cable is attached to the vehicle by a stirrup member pivotally connected to the body shell such that the vehicle is capable of unrestricted rotation about the pivotal axis of the stirrup member.
  • a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 provided with a retractable pod housing a television camera.
  • a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said dis- 3,176,648 4/1965 Cavero 114--16X charge opening extends radially with respect to the axis of rotation of said sponson.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
  • Flexible Shafts (AREA)
  • Other Liquid Machine Or Engine Such As Wave Power Use (AREA)
US716730A 1967-03-31 1968-03-28 Underwater vehicle Expired - Lifetime US3550386A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1497567 1967-03-31

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3550386A true US3550386A (en) 1970-12-29

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US716730A Expired - Lifetime US3550386A (en) 1967-03-31 1968-03-28 Underwater vehicle

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US3550386A (de)
FR (1) FR1561602A (de)
GB (1) GB1227342A (de)

Cited By (27)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3699689A (en) * 1971-02-26 1972-10-24 Us Navy Underwater shock-absorbing and deceleration device
US3706142A (en) * 1969-09-17 1972-12-19 Shell Oil Co Submarine dredging apparatus
US3831387A (en) * 1972-03-24 1974-08-27 Salvage Oil Syst Ltd Apparatus for salvaging oil from sunken vessels
FR2234185A1 (de) * 1973-05-04 1975-01-17 Kawashima Kodi Co Ltd
US3872813A (en) * 1974-01-02 1975-03-25 John T Broadfoot Method and apparatus for installing or replacing flotation in existing marine structures
US3880103A (en) * 1972-08-21 1975-04-29 Us Navy Tethered mine hunting system
US3983707A (en) * 1975-03-05 1976-10-05 Georgy Mikhailovich Lezgintsev Method and apparatus for moving an object on the bottom of a body of water
US4098088A (en) * 1976-05-18 1978-07-04 Burton Hoster Mason Work arm system for submergible chamber
DE3202106A1 (de) * 1982-01-23 1983-09-29 ZF-Herion-Systemtechnik GmbH, 7990 Friedrichshafen Unterwasser-arbeitsgeraet
US4502407A (en) * 1982-04-12 1985-03-05 Shell Oil Company Method and apparatus for cleaning, viewing and documenting the condition of weldments on offshore platforms
WO1986000273A1 (en) * 1984-06-22 1986-01-16 Total Transportation Systems (International) A/S Manned autonomous underwater vessel
US4565487A (en) * 1981-09-04 1986-01-21 International Robotic Engineering, Inc. System of robots with legs or arms
US4648782A (en) * 1983-05-27 1987-03-10 Kraft Brett W Underwater manipulator system
US4735501A (en) * 1986-04-21 1988-04-05 Identechs Corporation Method and apparatus for fluid propelled borescopes
US5134955A (en) * 1988-08-31 1992-08-04 Manfield Harold D Submergible diving sled
US5667341A (en) * 1993-01-05 1997-09-16 Kuehn; Hans Apparatus for signal and data transmission for controlling and monitoring underwater pile drivers, cut-off equipment and similar work units
US5788418A (en) * 1993-01-05 1998-08-04 Kuehn; Hans Detachable connector for the transmission of drive energy to submersible pile drivers, cut-off equipment or similar work units
US5915883A (en) * 1993-01-05 1999-06-29 Kuehn; Hans Submersible drive unit for use with underwater pile drivers and work units
US6148759A (en) * 1999-02-24 2000-11-21 J. Ray Mcdermott, S.A. Remote ROV launch and recovery apparatus
US20040221666A1 (en) * 2003-04-15 2004-11-11 Intelligendt Systems & Services Gmbh & Co Kg Device for inspecting plant parts located under water
US20050024755A1 (en) * 2002-07-26 2005-02-03 Tichy James B. Viewing enhanced apparatus for visibility impaired fluid
US7290496B2 (en) 2005-10-12 2007-11-06 Asfar Khaled R Unmanned autonomous submarine
CN102338023A (zh) * 2011-08-31 2012-02-01 黄建华 深海能源运输装置
US20130269585A1 (en) * 2010-12-22 2013-10-17 Samsung Heavy Ind. Co., Ltd. Underwater moving apparatus and moving method thereof
EP2762401A4 (de) * 2011-09-26 2015-07-22 Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd Mobile unterwasserinspektionsvorrichtung und unterwasserinspektionsausrüstung
CN108860508A (zh) * 2018-07-01 2018-11-23 甄聪伟 一种新型水上救援机器人
US10201155B2 (en) * 2013-03-15 2019-02-12 Troller Pro, Inc. Mechanized trolling device

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4480569A (en) * 1983-01-12 1984-11-06 Veen Abraham V D Container for ground material removed by a ground working device from the bottom of a watercourse
JPH0253693A (ja) * 1988-08-13 1990-02-22 Sakagami Masao 海底作業システム
WO2013157977A1 (en) * 2012-04-19 2013-10-24 Esaulov Evgeny Igorevich An underwater self-propelled robotic system
ES2525773B2 (es) * 2014-10-20 2015-04-28 Universidad Politécnica de Madrid Robot submarino modular

Cited By (39)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3706142A (en) * 1969-09-17 1972-12-19 Shell Oil Co Submarine dredging apparatus
US3699689A (en) * 1971-02-26 1972-10-24 Us Navy Underwater shock-absorbing and deceleration device
US3831387A (en) * 1972-03-24 1974-08-27 Salvage Oil Syst Ltd Apparatus for salvaging oil from sunken vessels
US3880103A (en) * 1972-08-21 1975-04-29 Us Navy Tethered mine hunting system
FR2234185A1 (de) * 1973-05-04 1975-01-17 Kawashima Kodi Co Ltd
US3872813A (en) * 1974-01-02 1975-03-25 John T Broadfoot Method and apparatus for installing or replacing flotation in existing marine structures
US3983707A (en) * 1975-03-05 1976-10-05 Georgy Mikhailovich Lezgintsev Method and apparatus for moving an object on the bottom of a body of water
US4098088A (en) * 1976-05-18 1978-07-04 Burton Hoster Mason Work arm system for submergible chamber
US4565487A (en) * 1981-09-04 1986-01-21 International Robotic Engineering, Inc. System of robots with legs or arms
DE3202106A1 (de) * 1982-01-23 1983-09-29 ZF-Herion-Systemtechnik GmbH, 7990 Friedrichshafen Unterwasser-arbeitsgeraet
US4620819A (en) * 1982-01-23 1986-11-04 Zf-Herion Systemtechnik Gmbh Submarine working equipment
US4502407A (en) * 1982-04-12 1985-03-05 Shell Oil Company Method and apparatus for cleaning, viewing and documenting the condition of weldments on offshore platforms
US4648782A (en) * 1983-05-27 1987-03-10 Kraft Brett W Underwater manipulator system
WO1986000273A1 (en) * 1984-06-22 1986-01-16 Total Transportation Systems (International) A/S Manned autonomous underwater vessel
GB2177351A (en) * 1984-06-22 1987-01-21 Total Transportation Manned autonomous underwater vessel
US4735501A (en) * 1986-04-21 1988-04-05 Identechs Corporation Method and apparatus for fluid propelled borescopes
US5134955A (en) * 1988-08-31 1992-08-04 Manfield Harold D Submergible diving sled
US5788418A (en) * 1993-01-05 1998-08-04 Kuehn; Hans Detachable connector for the transmission of drive energy to submersible pile drivers, cut-off equipment or similar work units
US5667341A (en) * 1993-01-05 1997-09-16 Kuehn; Hans Apparatus for signal and data transmission for controlling and monitoring underwater pile drivers, cut-off equipment and similar work units
US5915883A (en) * 1993-01-05 1999-06-29 Kuehn; Hans Submersible drive unit for use with underwater pile drivers and work units
US6148759A (en) * 1999-02-24 2000-11-21 J. Ray Mcdermott, S.A. Remote ROV launch and recovery apparatus
US20050024755A1 (en) * 2002-07-26 2005-02-03 Tichy James B. Viewing enhanced apparatus for visibility impaired fluid
US6900954B2 (en) 2002-07-26 2005-05-31 James B. Tichy Viewing enhanced apparatus for visibility impaired fluid
US20040221666A1 (en) * 2003-04-15 2004-11-11 Intelligendt Systems & Services Gmbh & Co Kg Device for inspecting plant parts located under water
US7131345B2 (en) * 2003-04-15 2006-11-07 Intelligendt Systems & Services Gmbh & Co. Kg Device for inspecting plant parts located under water
US7290496B2 (en) 2005-10-12 2007-11-06 Asfar Khaled R Unmanned autonomous submarine
US9051036B2 (en) * 2010-12-22 2015-06-09 Samsung Heavy Ind. Co., Ltd. Underwater moving apparatus and moving method thereof
US20130269585A1 (en) * 2010-12-22 2013-10-17 Samsung Heavy Ind. Co., Ltd. Underwater moving apparatus and moving method thereof
EP2657125B1 (de) * 2010-12-22 2019-08-21 Samsung Heavy Ind. Co., Ltd. Mobile unterwasservorrichtung und bewegungsverfahren dafür
CN102338023A (zh) * 2011-08-31 2012-02-01 黄建华 深海能源运输装置
EP2762401A4 (de) * 2011-09-26 2015-07-22 Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd Mobile unterwasserinspektionsvorrichtung und unterwasserinspektionsausrüstung
US9511831B2 (en) 2011-09-26 2016-12-06 Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Underwater mobile inspection apparatus and underwater inspection equipment
US9776695B2 (en) 2011-09-26 2017-10-03 Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Underwater mobile inspection apparatus and underwater inspection equipment
EP3398847A1 (de) * 2011-09-26 2018-11-07 Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Mobile unterwasserinspektionsvorrichtung und unterwasserinspektionsausrüstung
US10450041B2 (en) 2011-09-26 2019-10-22 Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Underwater mobile inspection apparatus and underwater inspection equipment
EP3677499A1 (de) * 2011-09-26 2020-07-08 Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Mobile unterwasserinspektionsvorrichtung und unterwasserinspektionsausrüstung
US10967943B2 (en) 2011-09-26 2021-04-06 Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Underwater mobile inspection apparatus and underwater inspection equipment
US10201155B2 (en) * 2013-03-15 2019-02-12 Troller Pro, Inc. Mechanized trolling device
CN108860508A (zh) * 2018-07-01 2018-11-23 甄聪伟 一种新型水上救援机器人

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1561602A (de) 1969-03-28
GB1227342A (de) 1971-04-07

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