Segmented modular underwater robot

Abstract

The present invention discloses a segmented modular underwater robot, comprising a propulsion section, a pitch adjustment section, a buoyancy adjustment section, a fixed battery pack section and an observation section connected in sequence; the propulsion section comprises a propulsion frame, a propeller, a motor drive unit, an elevator and a rudder; the pitch adjustment section comprises a pitch compartment shell and a mobile battery pack arranged inside the same, a pitch support assembly and a driving device; the buoyancy adjustment section comprises a buoyancy shell, an outer oil bladder and a piston-type inner oil bladder, the outer oil bladder is arranged around the outer wall of the shell, the inner oil bladder is arranged in the inner cavity of the shell and the outer wall is sealed and slidably connected with the inner cavity wall of the shell; the outer oil bladder is connected with the inner oil bladder through an adjustment system and adjusts the oil amount in the outer oil bladder and the inner oil bladder; the fixed battery pack section comprises a fixed battery pack section shell and a fixed battery pack and a support pipe arranged inside the fixed battery pack section. The present invention can solve the technical problems of the existing underwater robots with short range, short self-sustaining time and lack of autonomous heave capability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of marine resource detection equipment, and in particular to a segmented modular underwater robot. Background Art

[0002] The investigation of seabed mineral resources is an important aspect of ocean development. With the continuous development of science and technology, marine resource observation equipment has made progress in types, functions and performance. Comprehensive functions, reliable performance and high economic benefits are the strong requirements of the current society for marine resource observation platforms.

[0003] At present, there are two platforms that can realize the observation of seabed mineral resources: one is a fixed-point observation platform, including buoys or submerged buoys that can realize observations on the ocean surface or in the seawater, a tethered lifting platform that can realize fixed-point vertical profile observations along the tethered cable and move vertically up and down, and a seabed base that can realize fixed-point observations on the seabed. This type of observation platform can only obtain information at a certain point in the ocean, but cannot obtain continuous ocean space environment information, and cannot realize effective seabed resource detection. To obtain information on a large area of ​​sea, multiple observation platforms must be deployed for continuous long-term work. The deployment of the platform generally needs to be carried out by ships or aircraft, which has high requirements for the deployment carrier and poor economic efficiency. The other is a walking observation platform, which can obtain the continuous changes of marine environmental information in a certain sea area with space. This type of observation platform includes underwater robots, underwater gliders, drifting buoys, etc. Since the drifting buoy has no power, it can only move under the action of the ocean current, and the target directionality is very poor, so it cannot carry out effective exploration of seabed resources and minerals. Underwater gliders generally use buoyancy adjustment as driving power, with low energy consumption, long range, can be used for observation of large areas of sea, and good deployment economy. However, since they can only move in a zigzag or spiral shape, their fixed-point continuous observation capability is very weak, and their anti-current capability is not as good as that of underwater robots using thrusters, so it is difficult to conduct mineral resource surveys on the seabed with complex environments. Traditional underwater robots have good maneuverability and can complete most cruise observation tasks. However, due to their weak endurance, short self-sustaining time, and can only rely on their own navigation to overcome their own buoyancy to achieve fixed depth or fixed altitude movement, they need to return to the mother ship regularly for supply and guarantee, and the maintenance cost is high. And they cannot conduct continuous and long-term observations of fixed-point profiles in distant sea areas.

[0004] Therefore, traditional underwater robots are difficult to complete long-term seabed mineral resource exploration tasks in designated sea areas, or obtain marine environmental information in the sea area and the spatial changes of seabed mineral resource information in the entire sea area due to their short range, short self-sustaining time, and lack of autonomous rising and sinking capabilities. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the deficiencies of the above-mentioned prior art, the present invention provides a segmented modular underwater robot, which can solve the technical problems of the existing underwater robots such as short range, short self-sustaining time and lack of autonomous rising and sinking capabilities, and achieves a long range, long self-sustaining time, good maneuverability, and autonomous rising and sinking capabilities, and has the functions of fixed-point observation and cruise-type exploration of mineral resources, and can autonomously complete the marine mineral resources observation mission in the sea area according to the designated route and mission.

[0006] The present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] The segmented modular underwater robot includes a propulsion section, a pitch adjustment section, a buoyancy adjustment section, a battery pack fixed section and an observation section connected in sequence;

[0008] The propulsion section includes a propulsion frame, a propeller, a motor drive unit, an elevator, and a rudder;

[0009] The pitch adjustment compartment section includes a pitch compartment shell and a mobile battery pack, a support shaft and a driving device arranged therein; a support shaft is fixed in the pitch compartment shell along the length direction, the mobile battery pack is slidably sleeved on the support shaft, and the driving device drives the mobile battery pack to slide along the support shaft;

[0010] The buoyancy regulating compartment section comprises a buoyancy outer shell, an outer oil bag, and a piston-type inner oil bag. The outer oil bag is arranged around the outer wall of the buoyancy outer shell, and the inner oil bag is arranged in the inner cavity of the buoyancy outer shell, and the outer wall is sealed and slidably connected with the inner cavity wall of the buoyancy outer shell; the outer oil bag is connected with the inner oil bag through a regulating system and the oil amount in the outer oil bag and the inner oil bag is regulated;

[0011] The fixed battery pack compartment section comprises a fixed battery pack compartment section outer shell and a fixed battery pack and a support tube arranged inside, wherein the support tube is fixed inside the fixed battery pack compartment section body, and the fixed battery pack is sleeved and fixed on the support tube;

[0012] A sensing device is arranged inside the observation compartment, and a bow traction ring is installed at the front end outside the observation compartment.

[0013] Preferably, in the propulsion section, the elevators are a pair, symmetrically arranged on both sides of the outer periphery of the propulsion frame in the horizontal direction and rotatably connected to the propulsion frame, and the rudders are arranged at the top and / or bottom of the outer periphery of the propulsion frame in the vertical direction and rotatably connected to the propulsion frame; the elevators and rudders are driven by a motor drive unit arranged inside the propulsion frame; a propeller is arranged at the tail of the propulsion section to propel the robot forward.

[0014] Preferably, a satellite antenna is arranged on the periphery of the propulsion section to realize the surface communication and positioning function of the underwater robot; the thruster is a duct propeller, which adopts an oil-filled sealing method; the gaps in the propulsion frame are filled with buoyancy materials.

[0015] Preferably, in the pitch adjustment compartment, the driving device includes a second motor and a ball screw assembly, and the second motor drives the ball screw assembly to drive the mobile battery pack fixedly connected to the ball screw assembly to move.

[0016] Preferably, the ball screw assembly includes a screw and a ball nut, the motor 2 drives the screw to rotate and then drives the ball nut to move along the axial direction of the screw, and the ball nut is fixed to the mobile battery pack through a connecting piece.

[0017] Preferably, the support shaft is hollow and has a movable hole in the axial direction, and the second motor and the ball screw assembly are arranged in the support shaft; the connecting member passes through the movable hole on the support shaft and is fixedly connected to the mobile battery pack.

[0018] Preferably, a potentiometer is arranged in parallel with the axis in the mobile battery pack, and one end of the pull rod in the potentiometer is located in the potentiometer and the other end is fixed to the end of the pitch adjustment compartment section.

[0019] Preferably, a limit block is provided on the support shaft of the pitch adjustment compartment section to limit the moving distance of the mobile battery pack on the support shaft; the limit block is provided on a side away from the potentiometer.

[0020] Preferably, the sensing equipment in the observation compartment includes an acoustic transducer, a forward-looking sonar, a Doppler velocimeter and a temperature-salinity-depth profiler; and the gaps in the observation compartment are filled with buoyancy materials.

[0021] Preferably, in the buoyancy regulating compartment, the regulating system includes an oil outlet system and an oil return system, the oil outlet system includes an ultra-high pressure plunger pump and a one-way valve, and the oil return system includes two stop-type solenoid valves, a low-pressure diaphragm pump, and a high-pressure slit-type throttle valve;

[0022] The oil outlet oil path is for the oil in the inner oil bag to flow to the outer oil bag through the ultra-high pressure plunger pump and the one-way valve;

[0023] The oil return circuit includes a low-pressure oil return circuit that flows from the outer oil bag to the inner oil bag through a stop solenoid valve and a high-pressure gap throttle valve in sequence; and a high-pressure oil return circuit that flows from the outer oil bag to the inner oil bag through another stop solenoid valve and a high-pressure gap throttle valve in sequence;

[0024] The oil outlet circuit, the low-pressure oil return circuit, and the high-pressure oil return circuit are connected in parallel.

[0025] The present invention has the following technical effects:

[0026] The robot of the present invention has a long range, a long self-sustaining time, good maneuverability, and autonomous heave and sink capabilities. It has the functions of fixed-point observation and cruise-type exploration of mineral resources, and can autonomously complete the marine mineral resource observation of the sea area according to the specified route and mission. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the underwater robot of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 It is the structural diagram of the propulsion section;

[0029] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the propulsion section;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the pitch adjustment compartment;

[0031] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the connecting parts in the pitch adjustment compartment;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the buoyancy adjustment compartment;

[0033] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the regulation system of the buoyancy regulation compartment;

[0034] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the plane distribution of the regulation system of the buoyancy regulation compartment;

[0035] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the fixed battery compartment structure;

[0036] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram of the observation compartment structure.

[0037] In the figure:

[0038] 1. propulsion section, 101. propulsion frame, 102. thruster, 103. motor drive unit, 104. elevator, 105. rudder, 106. propulsion motor;

[0039] 2. Pitch adjustment compartment, 201. Pitch compartment shell, 202. Mobile battery pack, 203. Support shaft, 204. Motor 2, 205. Lead screw, 206. Ball nut, 207. Connector, 208. Potentiometer, 209. Pull rod, 210. Limit block;

[0040] 3. Buoyancy adjustment compartment section, 301. Buoyancy shell, 302. External oil bladder, 303. High-pressure joint, 304. Hydraulic pipeline, 305. Second directional adjustment elbow, 306. One-way valve, 307. High-pressure slit throttle valve, 308. Stop solenoid valve, 309. Low-pressure diaphragm pump, 310. First directional adjustment elbow, 311. Third directional adjustment joint, 312. Micro ultra-high pressure plunger pump, 313. Oil storage tank, 314. Coupling, 315. Coupling bell, 316. DC motor combination, 317. Piston-type inner oil bladder, 318. Linear potentiometer, 319. Protective cover, 320. Clamping ring, 321. Wear-resistant ring, 322. Gly ring, 323. Hydraulic valve block, 324. Hose.

[0041] 4. Fixed battery compartment, 401. Fixed battery compartment shell, 402. Fixed battery pack, 403. Support tube, 404. Power module and battery management module, 405. Computer and control module;

[0042] 5. Observation compartment, 501, bow traction ring, 503, sonic transducer, 504, forward-looking sonar, 505, Doppler velocimeter, 506, and temperature-salinity-depth profiler. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The preferred embodiments of the present application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the preferred embodiments of the present application are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present application can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the present application more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art.

[0044] The terms used in this application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this application. The singular forms of "a", "said" and "the" used in this application and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates other meanings. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0045] It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. may be used in this application to describe various information, this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the same type of information from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, the first information may also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as the first information. Thus, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0046] See also Figure 1 , a segmented modular underwater robot, comprising a propulsion section 1, a pitch adjustment compartment section 2, a buoyancy adjustment compartment section 3, a fixed battery pack compartment section 4 and an observation compartment section 5 connected in sequence;

[0047] See also Figure 2 , 3 , the propulsion section 1 includes a propulsion frame 101, a propeller 102, a motor drive unit 103, an elevator 104, and a rudder 105;

[0048] See also Figure 4 , 5 The pitch adjustment compartment section 2 includes a pitch compartment shell 201 and a mobile battery pack 202, a support shaft 203 and a driving device arranged therein; a support shaft 203 is fixed in the pitch compartment shell 201 along the length direction, the mobile battery pack 202 is slidably sleeved on the support shaft 203, and the driving device drives the mobile battery pack 202 to slide along the support shaft 203;

[0049] See also Figure 6 , 7 8. The buoyancy regulating compartment 3 comprises a buoyancy shell 301, an outer oil bag 302, and a piston-type inner oil bag 317. The outer oil bag 302 is arranged around the outer wall of the buoyancy shell 301, and the inner oil bag 317 is arranged in the inner cavity of the buoyancy shell 301, and the outer wall is sealed and slidably connected with the inner cavity wall of the buoyancy shell 301; the outer oil bag 302 is connected with the inner oil bag 317 through the regulating system and the oil amount in the outer oil bag 302 and the inner oil bag 317 is regulated;

[0050] See also Fig. 9 The fixed battery pack compartment 4 includes a fixed battery pack compartment shell 401 and a fixed battery pack 402 and a support tube 403 arranged inside. The support tube 403 is fixed in the fixed battery pack compartment body 401, and the fixed battery pack 402 is sleeved and fixed on the support tube 403;

[0051] See also Fig.10 A sensing device is arranged inside the observation compartment 5, and a bow traction ring 501 is installed at the front end of the outside of the observation compartment.

[0052] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, Figure 2 , 3In the propulsion section 1, the elevators 104 are a pair, symmetrically arranged on both sides of the outer periphery of the propulsion frame 101 along the horizontal direction and rotatably connected to the propulsion frame 101, and the rudders 105 are arranged on the top or / and bottom of the outer periphery of the propulsion frame 101 along the vertical direction and rotatably connected to the propulsion frame 101; the elevators 104 and the rudders 105 are driven by a motor drive unit 103 arranged inside the propulsion frame 101; a propeller 102 is arranged at the tail of the propulsion section 1 to propel the robot forward.

[0053] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, a satellite antenna is arranged on the periphery of the propulsion section 1 to realize the surface communication and positioning functions of the underwater robot; the thruster 102 is a duct propeller, and the thruster 102 adopts an oil-filled sealing method; the gap in the propulsion frame 101 is filled with buoyancy material.

[0054] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, Figure 4 In the pitch adjustment compartment 2, the driving device includes a second motor 204 and a ball screw assembly. The second motor 204 drives the ball screw assembly to drive the mobile battery pack 202 fixedly connected to the ball screw assembly to move.

[0055] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, the ball screw assembly includes a screw 205 and a ball nut 206. The motor 204 drives the screw 205 to rotate and then drives the ball nut 206 to move axially along the screw 205. The ball nut 206 is fixed to the mobile battery pack 202 through a connector 207. For details, see Figure 5 The connecting member 207 can be fixed to the ball nut 206 and the mobile battery pack 202 by bolts respectively.

[0056] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, the support shaft 203 is hollow and has a movable hole in the axial direction, and the motor 204 and the ball screw assembly are arranged in the support shaft 203; see Figure 5 The connecting member 207 passes through the movable hole on the supporting shaft 203 and is fixedly connected to the mobile battery pack 202 .

[0057] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, a potentiometer 208 is arranged parallel to the axis in the mobile battery pack 202 , and a pull rod 209 in the potentiometer 208 has one end located in the potentiometer 208 and the other end fixed to the end of the pitch adjustment compartment 2 .

[0058] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, a limit block 210 is provided on the support shaft 203 of the pitch adjustment compartment 2 to limit the moving distance of the mobile battery pack 202 on the support shaft 203 ; the limit block 210 is provided on a side away from the potentiometer 208 .

[0059] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, the sensing equipment in the observation compartment 5 includes an acoustic transducer 503, a forward-looking sonar 504, a Doppler velocimeter 505 and a temperature-salinity-depth profiler 506; the gaps in the observation compartment 5 are filled with buoyancy materials.

[0060] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, see Figure 6 , 7 8. In the buoyancy regulating compartment 3, the regulating system includes an oil outlet system and an oil return system. The oil outlet system includes an ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312 and a one-way valve 306. The oil return system includes two stop-type solenoid valves 308, a low-pressure diaphragm pump 309, and a high-pressure slit throttle valve 307.

[0061] The oil outlet path is for the oil in the inner oil bag 317 to flow to the outer oil bag 302 through the ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312 and the one-way valve 306;

[0062] The oil return circuit includes a low-pressure oil return circuit that flows from the outer oil bag 302 to the inner oil bag 317 through the cut-off solenoid valve 308 and the high-pressure gap throttle valve 307 in sequence; and a high-pressure oil return circuit that flows from the outer oil bag 302 to the inner oil bag 317 through another cut-off solenoid valve 308 and the high-pressure gap throttle valve 307 in sequence;

[0063] The oil outlet circuit, the low-pressure oil return circuit, and the high-pressure oil return circuit are connected in parallel.

[0064] Here, the present invention is further described in detail. The robot adopts a segmented modular design, including a propulsion section 1, a pitch adjustment section 2, a buoyancy adjustment section 3, a fixed battery pack section 4 and an observation section 5 connected in sequence. The propulsion section 1 and the observation section 5 adopt an open frame structure. The observation section 5 is equipped with a sensor device for observing ocean hydrological data, and a satellite antenna is provided on the top of the propulsion section 1. The pitch adjustment section 2 and the fixed battery pack section 4 are both arranged in a fully sealed pressure-resistant cabin, and the movement posture adjustment of the underwater robot is achieved through the adjustment of the buoyancy adjustment section 3 and the pitch adjustment section 2.

[0065] The hull structure of each segment adopts the 460mm standard series, and each segment adopts a bolt connection structure of the same level as that of a heavy torpedo. The equipment installed in the open structure of the observation compartment section 5 and the propulsion section 1 adopts an oil-filled compensated sealing method. The fully sealed pressure cabin is made of high-strength aluminum alloy material and is sealed by an O-ring, which can meet the technical requirements of a maximum depth of 6000m.

[0066] The propulsion section 1 includes an open frame and buoyancy materials installed on the open frame, a propeller 102, a motor drive unit 103, an elevator 104, and a rudder 105, wherein the elevator 104 is arranged horizontally, and the rudder 105 is arranged perpendicular to the elevator 104, and the elevator 104 and the rudder 105 are connected to the motor drive unit 103. The elevator 104 includes a left elevator and a right elevator, and the left elevator and the right elevator are independently controlled by two steering gears, and the rudder 105 is a linkage rudder, which is controlled by one steering gear. The steering gear assembly adopts an oil-filled sealing method, drives the corresponding rudder plate to control the posture of the underwater robot, and the gap of the open frame is filled with buoyancy materials.

[0067] A satellite antenna is installed at the highest point of the front end of the stabilizing wing on the propulsion section 1. The satellite antenna includes GPS and Iridium positioning antennas, as well as other antennas that realize communication functions, to realize the surface communication and positioning functions of the underwater robot. As with the observation compartment 5, buoyancy materials are installed in the gap to provide buoyancy. The propeller 102 is a ducted propeller, and the propeller 102 adopts an oil-filled sealing method.

[0068] The pitch adjustment compartment 2 includes a mobile battery pack 202, a pitch support assembly, and a drive device. The single cells are arranged on the partition and fixed by pressing the battery pack end plates at both ends. The pitch support shaft 203 passes through the through hole in the center of the mobile battery pack 202 to support the mobile battery pack 202. The drive motor can drive the mobile battery pack 202 to change its position on the support shaft 203 through the lead screw nut to adjust the center of gravity of the entire robot. A limit block 210 is set at a certain position of the support shaft 203 to prevent the mobile battery pack 202 from moving too far, thereby realizing the pitch attitude adjustment function.

[0069] See also Figure 6-8 The buoyancy regulating compartment 3 includes a buoyancy shell 301, an outer oil bag 302, and a piston-type inner oil bag 317. The outer oil bag 302 is arranged around the outer wall of the buoyancy shell 301, and the inner oil bag 317 is arranged in the inner cavity of the buoyancy shell 301, and the outer wall is sealed and slidably connected with the inner cavity wall of the buoyancy shell 301; the outer oil bag 302 is connected to the inner oil bag 317 through an adjustment system and adjusts the oil amount in the outer oil bag 302 and the inner oil bag 317.

[0070] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, the buoyancy shell 301 is pressure-resistant, and the diameter of the tail gradually expands; the balancing mechanism is arranged at the buoyancy center of the underwater robot; and the outside of the buoyancy shell 301 is also covered with buoyancy material.

[0071] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, the piston-type inner oil bag 317, the outer oil bag 302 and the housing are all rotating bodies, and the three are coaxially arranged.

[0072] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, the regulating system includes an oil outlet system and an oil return system. The oil outlet system includes an ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312 and a one-way valve 306. The oil return system includes two stop-type solenoid valves 308, a low-pressure diaphragm pump 309, and a high-pressure slit throttle valve 307.

[0073] The oil outlet path is for the oil in the inner oil bag 317 to flow to the outer oil bag 302 through the ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312 and the one-way valve 306;

[0074] The oil return circuit includes a low-pressure oil return circuit that flows from the outer oil bag 302 to the inner oil bag 317 through the cut-off solenoid valve 308 and the high-pressure gap throttle valve 307 in sequence; and a high-pressure oil return circuit that flows from the outer oil bag 302 to the inner oil bag 317 through another cut-off solenoid valve 308 and the high-pressure gap throttle valve 307 in sequence;

[0075] The oil outlet circuit, the low-pressure oil return circuit, and the high-pressure oil return circuit are connected in parallel.

[0076] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, it also includes a DC combination motor 316, a coupling bell 315, and a coupling 314. The DC combination motor 316 is connected through the coupling 314 and drives the ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312 to move; the coupling 314 is covered with a coupling bell 315.

[0077] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, an oil storage tank 313 is provided at the oil suction port of the ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312; the oil storage tank 313 is a chamber covered by the shell between the ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312 and the coupling 314; the oil storage tank 313 is connected to the inner oil bag 317 through a pipeline.

[0078] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, the outlet of the ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312 is connected to a one-way valve 306 , and the one-way valve 306 is connected to the outer oil bag 302 .

[0079] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, the outer oil bag 302 is connected to the inner oil bag 317 through a high-pressure connector 303 and a hydraulic pipeline 304, one way of which is connected in sequence to a stop solenoid valve 308 and a high-pressure slit throttle valve 307; the other way of which is connected in sequence to another stop solenoid valve 308 and a low-pressure diaphragm pump 309.

[0080] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, interfaces of the one-way valve 306 , two stop solenoid valves 308 , the high-pressure slit throttle valve 307 , and the low-pressure diaphragm pump 309 are integrated into the hydraulic valve block 323 .

[0081] As one of the embodiments of the present invention, a linear potentiometer 318 is provided on the inner oil bag 317 for real-time feedback of the buoyancy adjustment amount.

[0082] The buoyancy adjustment compartment 3 of the present invention utilizes a hydraulic adjustment system to adjust the buoyancy of the underwater robot, so that its buoyancy state is more stable during operation; during the diving of the underwater robot, as the diving depth increases, the hydrostatic pressure increases, and the density of seawater also increases accordingly. Due to the mismatch between the compression rate of the underwater robot and that of seawater, the buoyancy of the underwater robot will gradually increase. On the contrary, during the floating process, the buoyancy will gradually decrease as the depth decreases. The buoyancy equalization mechanism compensates for the buoyancy change of the underwater robot caused by the compression deformation of the shell and the change in seawater density by adjusting the displacement volume of the underwater robot, so that the change in the net buoyancy of the underwater robot when working underwater is minimized, thereby improving the operating efficiency and energy utilization efficiency.

[0083] The buoyancy adjustment compartment 3 of the present invention is used to adjust the buoyancy difference caused by the mismatch between the compressibility of the underwater robot and seawater.

[0084] Example

[0085] The buoyancy regulating compartment 3 of the present invention includes a variable-diameter pressure-resistant buoyancy shell 301, an outer oil bag 302, a DC combination motor 316, a micro ultra-high-pressure plunger pump 312, two stop-type solenoid valves 308, a one-way valve 306, a high-pressure gap throttle valve 307, a low-pressure diaphragm pump 309 and a piston-type inner oil bag 317.

[0086] As an optional specific implementation, the sealing method of the outer oil bag 302 and the inner oil bag 317 can be: the outer oil bag 302 is installed on the outside of the variable diameter pressure-resistant buoyancy shell 301 through two symmetrical clamping rings 320 to achieve sealing; the piston type inner oil bag 317 achieves dynamic sealing through the combination of the grid ring 322 and the wear-resistant ring 321.

[0087] The piston-type inner oil bag 317, the DC combination motor 316, the micro ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312, the low-pressure diaphragm pump 309, the one-way valve 306, the stop-type solenoid valve 308, the high-pressure slit-type throttle valve 307, and the hydraulic valve block 323 are all installed in the cylinder of the underwater robot. The piston-type inner oil bag 317 is connected to the one-way micro ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312 driven by the DC combination motor 316 through a hose 324. In order to ensure the oil absorption of the micro ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312, an oil storage tank 313 is specially designed for the oil suction port of the plunger pump; the stop-type solenoid valve 308, the high-pressure slit-type throttle valve 307, the one-way valve 306, and the low-pressure diaphragm pump 309 are connected to the outer oil bag 302 after being connected in parallel with the micro ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312 through the hydraulic valve block 323.

[0088] The buoyancy regulating compartment 3 of the present invention is driven by a DC combination motor 316 to drive a micro ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312. The micro ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312 and the one-way valve 306 enable the piston-type inner oil bag 317 to fill the outer oil bag 302 with oil to increase the buoyancy of the underwater robot. The buoyancy regulating compartment 3 has the characteristics of simple structure, high efficiency, safety and reliability.

[0089] The buoyancy regulating compartment 3 of the present invention realizes oil return from the outer oil bag 302 to the piston-type inner oil bag 317 through the stop solenoid valve 308 and the low-pressure diaphragm pump 309 under low pressure, and realizes oil return from the outer oil bag 302 to the inner oil bag 317 through another stop solenoid valve 308 and the high-pressure slit throttle valve 307 under high pressure. The return oil flow rate is not affected by the external pressure, and has the characteristics of passive pressure regulation and no power consumption.

[0090] The outer oil bag 302 is immersed in the seawater where the underwater robot is located; the high-pressure joint 303, the hydraulic pipeline 304, the first directional adjustment elbow 310, the second directional adjustment elbow 305, the one-way valve 306, the high-pressure gap throttle valve 307, the stop solenoid valve 308, the hydraulic valve block 323, the low-pressure diaphragm pump 309, the micro ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312, the coupling bell 315, the coupling 314, the DC combination motor 316, and the piston-type inner oil bag 317 are located inside the variable-diameter pressure-resistant buoyancy shell 301 and are isolated from the seawater.

[0091] The device is used to adjust the buoyancy difference caused by the mismatch between the compression rate of the underwater robot and seawater. In the mechanism, the DC combined motor 316 drives the micro ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312, and the micro ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312 and the one-way valve 306 are used to realize the piston-type inner oil bag 317 to fill the outer oil bag 302 with oil to increase the buoyancy of the underwater robot. It has the characteristics of simple structure, high efficiency, safety and reliability. In the mechanism, the outer oil bag 302 returns oil to the piston-type inner oil bag 317 through the cut-off solenoid valve 308 and the low-pressure plunger pump 309 under low pressure, and the outer oil bag 302 returns oil to the inner oil bag 317 through the cut-off solenoid valve 308 and the high-pressure gap throttle valve 307 under high pressure. The return oil flow rate is not affected by the external pressure, and has the characteristics of passive pressure regulation and no power consumption. Compared with traditional buoyancy adjustment systems for underwater robots, this system has low power consumption and high efficiency during the active oil filling process, and the buoyancy adjustment process has no effect on the pitch attitude angle of the underwater robot; the active oil return process on the water surface has a fast oil return speed and high efficiency; the passive oil return process in the deep sea has basically no energy consumption, saving energy for the underwater robot, and the entire device can work normally at different depths.

[0092] The joint directions of the directional elbows of the present invention are adjustable, which is convenient for connection with the hydraulic pipeline.

[0093] The working principle of the present invention is:

[0094] If the buoyancy of the underwater robot is to be increased, the DC motor combination 316 is started, and the DC combination motor 316 drives the micro ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312 to rotate clockwise, and the hydraulic oil in the piston-type inner oil capsule 317 enters the micro ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312. The high-pressure hydraulic oil discharged by the micro ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312 is filled into the outer oil capsule 302 through the one-way valve 306, and the volume of the outer oil capsule 302 becomes larger, thereby increasing the buoyancy of the entire underwater robot carrier. At the same time, the piston-type inner oil capsule 317 will make a linear motion to the right due to the continuous suction of the hydraulic oil inside it, and the linear potentiometer 318 will feedback the movement distance of the piston-type inner oil capsule 317 in real time. When the piston-type inner oil capsule 317 moves to the set position, the DC motor combination 316 stops working. The stop solenoid valve 308 and the one-way valve 306 ensure that the hydraulic oil in the outer oil capsule 302 will not flow back into the inner oil capsule 317 due to water pressure. If the buoyancy of the underwater robot is to be reduced, in a low-pressure state, the stop solenoid valve 308 needs to be opened, and the low-pressure diaphragm pump 309 needs to be started. The low-pressure diaphragm pump 309 extracts hydraulic oil from the outer oil bag 302 through the hydraulic pipeline, and the extracted hydraulic oil returns to the piston-type inner oil bag 317 through the low-pressure diaphragm pump 309 and the hose 324. In a high-pressure state, the stop solenoid valve 308 is opened, and the hydraulic oil in the outer oil bag 302 flows back to the piston-type inner oil bag 317 through the stop solenoid valve 308 and the high-pressure gap throttle valve 307 due to the external pressure, and the flow of the hydraulic oil is passively controlled by the high-pressure gap throttle valve 307 with pressure compensation. Similarly, when the piston-type inner oil bag 317 moves to the set position, the stop solenoid valve 308 is closed.

[0095] The present invention starts the DC combination motor 316 to drive the micro ultra-high pressure plunger pump 312 to rotate clockwise, and fills the hydraulic oil from the piston-type inner oil bag 317 inside the variable diameter housing 301 of the underwater robot to the outer oil bag 302 installed outside the underwater robot; under high pressure, the stop-type solenoid valve 308 is opened, and the hydraulic oil flow is controlled by the high-pressure gap throttle valve 307, so that the hydraulic oil returns from the outer oil bag 302 to the piston-type inner oil bag 317; the expansion degree of the outer oil bag 302 is changed by changing the hydraulic oil volume of the outer oil bag 302, and then the overall displacement volume of the underwater robot is changed, so as to achieve the purpose of adjusting the buoyancy state of the underwater robot. The present invention adjusts the maximum buoyancy adjustment amount by changing the oil volume of the inner and outer oil bags.

[0096] A dumping device is also provided on the buoyancy regulating compartment section 3.

[0097] The fixed battery pack compartment 4 is loaded with a fixed battery pack 402, a power module and a battery management module 404 to provide energy for the underwater robot. The fixed battery pack 402 is fixed on a support pipe 403 in the center of the fully sealed pressure-resistant cabin. After the buoyancy adjustment compartment 3 is removed, the fixed battery pack 402 can be quickly installed and removed by pushing and pulling the fixed battery pack 402 on the support pipe 403. A computer and a control module 405 are installed on the fixed battery pack 402 in this compartment.

[0098] The sensing equipment for ocean hydrological data observation carried by the observation compartment 5 includes an acoustic transducer 503, a forward-looking sonar 504, a Doppler velocimeter 505, and a temperature-salinity-depth profiler 506. The observation compartment 5 is also equipped with a bow traction ring 501 and a rope thrower for automatic recovery (not shown in the figure), and the rope thrower can adopt an existing structure. The bow traction ring 501 is set at the front end of the observation compartment 5. The open frame structure of the observation compartment 5 is filled with buoyancy materials, and each device directly bears the external water pressure.

[0099] When recovering the underwater robot, the recovery personnel remotely start the rope thrower on the mother ship to throw out the traction rope, and the recovery personnel on the mother ship salvage the traction rope and recover the underwater robot to the mother ship. When the underwater robot fails and cannot float to the surface, the loading device discards the weight, the underwater robot's gravity is reduced, and it floats to the surface by its own buoyancy, and then informs the mother ship of its location through the satellite antenna and radio antenna, and turns on the light to mark the position.

[0100] The embodiments of the present application have been described above, and the above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and changes will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The selection of terms used herein is intended to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or improvements to the technology in the market, or to enable other persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A segmented modular underwater robot, characterized in that: It comprises a propulsion section (1), a pitch adjustment section (2), a buoyancy adjustment section (3), a battery pack fixed section (4) and an observation section (5) which are connected in sequence; The propulsion section (1) comprises a propulsion frame (101), a propeller (102), a motor drive unit (103), an elevator (104), and a rudder (105); The pitch adjustment compartment (2) comprises a pitch compartment shell (201) and a mobile battery pack (202) arranged therein, a support shaft (203), and a driving device; a support shaft (203) is fixed in the pitch compartment shell (201) along the length direction, the mobile battery pack (202) is slidably sleeved on the support shaft (203), and the driving device drives the mobile battery pack (202) to slide along the support shaft (203); in the pitch adjustment compartment (2), the driving device comprises a second motor (204) and a ball screw assembly, and the second motor (204) drives the ball screw assembly to drive the mobile battery fixedly connected to the ball screw assembly The mobile battery pack (202) moves; the ball screw assembly comprises a screw (205) and a ball nut (206); the second motor (204) drives the screw (205) to rotate and then drives the ball nut (206) to move axially along the screw (205); the ball nut (206) is fixed to the mobile battery pack (202) via a connecting piece (207); the support shaft (203) is hollow and has a moving hole in the axial direction; the second motor (204) and the ball screw assembly are arranged in the support shaft (203); the connecting piece (207) passes through the moving hole on the support shaft (203) and is fixedly connected to the mobile battery pack (202); The buoyancy regulating compartment (3) is arranged at the buoyancy center of the underwater robot, and comprises a buoyancy shell (301), an outer oil bladder (302), and a piston-type inner oil bladder (317); the outer oil bladder (302) is arranged around the outer wall of the buoyancy shell (301); the piston-type inner oil bladder (317) is arranged in the inner cavity of the buoyancy shell (301), and the outer wall is sealingly and slidably connected with the inner cavity wall of the buoyancy shell (301); the outer oil bladder (302) is connected to the piston-type inner oil bladder (317) through an adjustment system, and the amount of oil in the outer oil bladder (302) and the piston-type inner oil bladder (317) is adjusted; the piston-type inner oil bladder (317), the outer oil bladder (302) and the shell are all rotating bodies, and the three are arranged coaxially; The regulating system comprises an oil return system, which comprises two stop-type solenoid valves (308), a low-pressure diaphragm pump (309), and a high-pressure slit-type throttle valve (307); the oil return oil circuit of the oil return system comprises a low-pressure oil return oil circuit that flows from the outer oil bag (302) through the stop-type solenoid valve (308) and the high-pressure slit-type throttle valve (307) to the piston-type inner oil bag (317); and a high-pressure oil return oil circuit that flows from the outer oil bag (302) through another stop-type solenoid valve (308) and the high-pressure slit-type throttle valve (307) to the piston-type inner oil bag (317); The fixed battery pack compartment (4) comprises a fixed battery pack compartment shell (401) and a fixed battery pack (402) and a support tube (403) arranged inside the fixed battery pack compartment shell (401), wherein the support tube (403) is fixed inside the fixed battery pack compartment shell (401), and the fixed battery pack (402) is sleeved and fixed on the support tube (403); A sensing device is arranged inside the observation compartment (5), and a bow traction ring (501) is installed at the front end of the outside of the observation compartment.

2. The segmented modular underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the propulsion section (1), the elevators (104) are a pair, symmetrically arranged on both sides of the outer periphery of the propulsion frame (101) in the horizontal direction and rotatably connected to the propulsion frame (101), and the rudders (105) are arranged on the top or / and bottom of the outer periphery of the propulsion frame (101) in the vertical direction and rotatably connected to the propulsion frame (101); the elevators (104) and the rudders (105) are driven by a motor drive unit (103) arranged inside the propulsion frame (101); and a propeller (102) is arranged at the tail of the propulsion section (1) to propel the robot forward.

3. The segmented modular underwater robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: A satellite antenna is arranged on the periphery of the propulsion section (1) to realize the surface communication and positioning functions of the underwater robot; the propeller (102) is a duct propeller, and the propeller (102) adopts an oil-filled sealing method; and the gaps in the propulsion frame (101) are filled with buoyancy material.

4. The segmented modular underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A potentiometer (208) is arranged in parallel with the axis in the mobile battery pack (202); one end of a pull rod (209) in the potentiometer (208) is located in the potentiometer (208) and the other end is fixed to the end of the pitch adjustment compartment (2).

5. The segmented modular underwater robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: A limit block (210) is provided on the support shaft (203) of the pitch adjustment compartment (2) to limit the moving distance of the mobile battery pack (202) on the support shaft (203); the limit block (210) is provided on a side away from the potentiometer (208).

6. The segmented modular underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensing equipment in the observation compartment (5) includes an acoustic transducer (503), a forward-looking sonar (504), a Doppler velocimeter (505) and a temperature-salinity-depth profiler (506); and the gaps in the observation compartment (5) are filled with buoyancy material.

7. The segmented modular underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the buoyancy regulating compartment (3), the regulating system comprises an oil outlet system, and the oil outlet system comprises an ultra-high pressure plunger pump (312) and a one-way valve (306); The oil outlet passage is a piston-type inner oil bag (317) in which the oil flows to the outer oil bag (302) through an ultra-high pressure plunger pump (312) and a one-way valve (306); The oil outlet circuit, the low-pressure oil return circuit, and the high-pressure oil return circuit are connected in parallel.

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