WO1989011997A1

WO1989011997A1 - Self-propelled submarine vehicle for the detection of submerged objects

Info

Publication number: WO1989011997A1
Application number: PCT/FR1989/000289
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michel Guilloteau; Martin Petry; Armand Marie Raguenes; René Vincent
Original assignee: Bertin & Cie
Priority date: 1988-06-08
Filing date: 1989-06-08
Publication date: 1989-12-14
Also published as: DE68901068D1; ES2030985T3; EP0347288B1; JPH02504621A; CA1318552C; AU3832889A; FR2632603A1; EP0347288A1; AU624396B2; FR2632603B1

Abstract

The device described comprises an upper portion (12) and a lower portion (16) longitudinally off-set in relation to one another, in order to provide, at the front of the vehicle, a free space for locating a sonar aerial (20), and, at the rear, a passage and clearance for a cable (28) connected to a surface craft.

Description

SELF-PROPELLED UNDERWATER VEHICLE FOR DETECTION

UNDERWATER OBJECTS

Domain of . Linyentxoji The invention relates to a self-propelled underwater vehicle for the detection of submerged objects, such as in particular souε-maπneε mines.

For the search and detection of underwater mines, submerged sonar is often used towed by a cable behind a surface building. To be effective, the sonar must be far from the surface vessel and have a very large range, in order to be able to explore the marine space far enough in front of the surface vessel. Such sonars are very sophisticated and very expensive.

There are also small autonomous underwater vehicles, equipped with video cameras and / or sonar for the search and detection of submerged objects such as underwater mines, which can be put in the water from ¬ then a platform or a surface building, and which, depending on the case, are either independent of the platform or of the surface building but have a very limited autonomy, or are connected to the platform or to the surface building by a connecting cable supplying them with energy and must then constantly tow this cable during their travels, to the detriment of their evolutionary ca¬ pacities. Exposé de.JLinventιon The object of the invention is to provide a satisfactory solution to the problem of searching for and detecting submerged objects such as underwater mines, by means of a self-propelled vehicle comprising means of detection. such as sonar and horizontal and vertical propulsion means supplied with energy by a cable which connects the vehicle to a surface building and which also transmits the orders for maneuvering the vehicle and for controlling the detection means, as well as the information exchanged with these means. According to the invention, this vehicle is characterized in that the cable is hung on the vehicle at a fixed point situated on the thrust axis of the horizontal propulsion means, in the median longitudinal plane of lateral symmetry of the vehicle, and in the vicinity of the center of gravity or substantially vertically thereof, and in that the vehicle comprises a recess at its rear upper part for the passage of the cable and its debate around its point of hooking up and on each side of the vehicle, so as to preserve the trim and maneuverability of the latter in particular when it moves in front or towards the front of the surface building, by towing its cable.

Thanks to these characteristics of the invention, the presence of the connecting cable to the surface vessel has little or no influence on the stability and the maneuverability of the underwater vehicle, while allowing it to be constantly provided an energy supply, giving it unlimited autonomy.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the sonar antenna is located at the front end of the vehicle, in a recess in the lower part of the hull.

Advantageously, the antenna is rotatably mounted more or less 180 ° around a vertical axis and pivotable around a transverse axis on the vehicle, so as to be able to scan the marine space in front of the vehicle, on the sides, up and down of it.

The abovementioned recess of the lower front part of the hull delimits an area of dead water around the sonar antenna, when the vehicle is moving forward, so that the movements of the antenna do not influence vehicle behavior.

According to another important characteristic of the invention, the vehicle can also constitute a hull so¬ nar.

It can thus be used both when evolving a few hundred meters in front of the surface building and when it is stationed under the hull of this building.

In addition, when this vehicle is brought back to the surface vessel at the end of a service period, it is no longer compulsory to hoist it out of the water on the vessel, and it can be placed in position. hull sonar.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the lower part of the vehicle is offset rearward relative to its upper part, on the one hand to form the front recess in which the sonar antenna is housed, d on the other hand to provide for the passage of the connecting cable to its attachment point in the vicinity of the center of gravity of the vehicle, and to allow the free movement of this cable around its attachment point. This particular configuration allows the attachment of the connecting cable to the vehicle in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle center of gravity. ∑È∑s-ûescriptiPQ - άes ^ _- sjg, iriig

The invention will be better understood and other advantages, details and characteristics thereof will appear during the explanatory description which follows, given by way of example with reference to the appended drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic front view of the vehicle according to the invention; - Figure 2 is a side view of this vehicle;

- Figure 3 is a top view of the vehicle;

- Figure 4 is a perspective view of the vehicle;

- Figure 5 shows schematically a surface building and the vehicle in sonar hull position.

We will first refer to Figures 1 to 4, which represents schematically feel a self-propelled underwater vehicle according to the invention, for the detection of immersed objects, in particular underwater mines. In the embodiment shown, this vehicle 10 comprises an upper part 12 consisting essentially of two longitudinal floats 14 connected to each other at their front end, but separated from each other at their rear end, and a lower part 16 which is offset backwards with respect to the upper part 12 of the vehicle. This offset between the upper 12 and lower 16 parts of the household vehicle, at the front, a recess 18 in which are housed the antenna 20 of a sonar and its mechanisms 22 for controlling orientation around an axis vertical 24 and a horizontal axis 26, and stabilization in position.

At the rear, the offset between the upper part 12 and the lower part 16 of the vehicle forms another detachment allowing the passage of a cable 28 for connection to a surface building and the attachment of this cable at a point 30 located in the immediate vicinity of the center of gravity G of the vehicle.

At the junction between its upper 12 and lower 16 parts, the vehicle comprises two side fairings 32 which each carry a horizontal propeller 34 with a faired propeller. A vertical thruster 36 is also housed in the front part of each lateral fairing 32. The point 30 for hanging the cable 28 on the vehicle is on the thrust axis of the horizontal thrusters 34 and in the median longitudinal plane of symmetry side of the vehicle, as well as on the axis of the hydrodynamic result in frontal attack.

According to the possible embodiments, the plane passing through the axis of the horizontal thrusters 34 and containing the point 30 for attaching the cable 28, can be located substantially at the level of the junction plane between the upper 12 and lower 16 parts of the vehicle. , or above this junction plane. In the first case, which corresponds to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, the point 30 for hanging the cables 28 can be slightly behind the center of gravity G of the vehicle so that it , when put in the water, tends to place its nose facing the current. In the second case, point 30 can be located substantially vertically above the center of gravity G of the vehicle. In all cases, the clearance of the connecting cable 28 around the attachment point 30 is ensured, being at least 90 ° in the median vertical longitudinal plane of symmetry of the vehicle, from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle , and at least 90 ° in a horizontal plane, on either side of this median longitudinal axis. The rear ends of the floats 14 are shaped like a cone and are separated by a vertical space, so as to facilitate this movement of the cable 28.

The lower part 16 of the vehicle essentially contains, in containers 38, control circuits for horizontal thrusters 34 and vertical thrusters 36, and sonar control circuits and for processing information exchanged with the surface building. A releasable balancing ballast 40 is also provided in the lower part of the vehicle, behind the sonar antenna, and fins 42 and fixed fins 44 are mounted at the rear of the lower part 16.

Acoustic locators 46 are mounted at the front and at the rear of the upper part 12 of the vehicle. Various navigation equipment, such as a current meter can also be provided.

This vehicle is used in the following manner: The cable 28 transmits to the vehicle, from a surface building, the energy necessary for its operation (powering of the thrusters, of the sonar, of the antenna displacement and stabilization mechanisms, various electronic circuits) and the control signals of the pro- pulsers, sonar, etc. and also serves for the transfer of information between the circuits associated with the sonar on board the vehicle 10 and the processing and display circuits provided on board the surface vessel. This cable can have a length of several hundred meters and a total weight of the order of 2 tonnes for example. The power of the horizontal thrusters 34 is determined so as to be able, on the one hand, to tow the connecting cable 28 and, on the other hand, to ensure a speed of movement of several nodes of the vehicle.

The arrangement of the antenna 20 of the sonar in the detachment 18 at the lower front end of the vehicle 10 makes it possible to clear the field of vision of this antenna towards the front and downwards and to place it in a zone d dead water when the vehicle is moving forward, so there is no need to protect the antenna with a hood and it is possible to use a swiveling directional antenna without its movements affecting moving the vehicle. This particular arrangement of the sonar antenna also makes it possible to stow the vehicle station under the hull of the surface building, and then to use it as hull sonar, without limitation of its performance and its field of vision. FIG. 5 schematically represents the position of the vehicle in this use.

The vehicle has, in the upper part, a shape and a resistance allowing it to be placed and immobilized in sonar hull position under the surface building. Furthermore, the vehicle 10 can also be brought back on board or put into the sea by conventional means of handling which equip the ship. In this case, the connecting cable 28 is released or hung on the vehicle by a plunger. Finally, as shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 1 and 2, a sliding horizontal telescopic ramp 48 can be provided in the lower part of the vehicle, to protect manage your sonar and increase your base when it is, for example, placed on a quay or a platform. To fix the diées, it will be specified, by way of example, that the underwater vehicle according to the invention may have a length of the order of 3m to 3.50m, a width of the order of 2m, a height of the order of 1.70m, a weight of approximately 2t, and that it is capable of operating several hundred meters in front of a surface building to a depth of approximately 300m.

Claims

3 CLAIMS

1) Self-propelled underwater vehicle for the detection of submerged objects, comprising detection means such as a sonar and means (34, 36) of horizontal and vertical propulsion supplied with energy by a cable (28) which connects the vehicle to a surface building and also transmits the orders for maneuvering the vehicle and controlling the detection means, as well as the information exchanged with these means, characterized in that the cable (28) is hooked on the vehicle at a fixed point (30) located on the thrust axis of the horizontal propulsion means (34), in the median longitudinal plane of lateral symmetry of the vehicle and in the vicinity of the center of gravity (G) or substantially vertical to that of -this, and in that the vehicle comprises a detachment at its rear upper part for the passage of the cable (28) and its clearance around its point of attachment, upwards and on each side of the vehicle (10) .

2) Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the antenna (20) of the sonar is located at the front end of the vehicle in a recess (18) of the lower part (16) of the hull. 3) Vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the antenna (20) of the sonar is rotatably mounted more or less 180 ° around a vertical axis (24) and pivotable around a transverse axis (26).

4) Vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the recess (18) of the lower front part of the hull delimits an area of dead water around the antenna (20) of the sonar, when the vehicle is moving forward.

5) Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it can also constitute a hull sonar. 6) Vehicle according to one of claims 2 to 5, charac¬ terized in that it comprises at its lower part a horizontal telescopic ramp (48) for the protection of the sonar antenna, for example when placed on a platform.

7) Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that its lower part (16) is deca¬ lated rearwardly from its upper part (12), on the one hand to form the front recess (18 ) in which the antenna (20) of the sonar is housed, on the other hand to provide for the passage of the connecting cable (28) to its point (30) of attachment in the vicinity of the center of gravity of the vehicle, and to allow free movement of this cable around the attachment point. 8) Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that its upper part (12) is es¬ sentially consisting of floats (14), while its lower part (16) essentially contains, at the front, means for orienting and stabilizing the antenna (20) of the sonar and, at the rear, electronic means for controlling the sonar and for processing the information exchanged with the latter, means for controlling the propellants (34,36), a releasable balancing ballast (40), and stabilizing fins (42) and fins (40).

9) Vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that a vertical longitudinal space for passage and deflection of the connecting cable is formed between the floats (14) of the upper part (12). 10) Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises two symmetrical side fairings (32), substantially at the point (30) of attachment of the connecting cable, and each supporting a horizontal thruster (34 ) with faired propeller. 11) Vehicle according to claim 10, characterized in that the vertical thrusters (36) are housed in the side fairings (32), in front of the horizontal thrusters (34).

12) Vehicle according to one of claims 7 to 11, ca¬ characterized in that the horizontal thrusters (34) are located substantially at the junction plane of the upper (12) and lower (16) parts offset from the vehicle.