Unmanned ship-unmanned underwater vehicle cooperative mine clearing method based on underwater gun

Abstract

A ground control center plans a task according to information of a water area to be demined, after an unmanned ship deploys an unmanned underwater vehicle, the unmanned ship and the unmanned underwater vehicle perform cooperative detection, the unmanned ship and the unmanned underwater vehicle perform troubleshooting and mine identification through ship-borne and underwater vehicle-carried equipment, and through cooperative positioning and path planning, the unmanned ship and the unmanned underwater vehicle perform cooperative mining. And the unmanned underwater vehicle destroys the mine by using an underwater gun in a non-explosive manner, and finally confirms that the task is completed and returns. The method is high in safety, and casualties and secondary explosion are avoided; the mine clearing efficiency is high, and large-range searching and accurate clearing are achieved; the method is high in complex environment adaptability and accurate in positioning, and an efficient and reliable new scheme is provided for water area demining.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of water area mine clearance, in particular to a kind of unmanned ship-unmanned underwater vehicle cooperative mine clearance method based on underwater gun. BACKGROUND

[0002] In various water areas, mines as a weapon with strong concealment and great destructive power pose a serious threat to the safety of ship navigation, port operation and water engineering construction. At present, the commonly used mine clearance methods mainly include manual mine clearance, traditional mine clearance ship mine clearance and single unmanned device mine clearance.

[0003] Manual mine clearance relies on divers to operate underwater, which not only has high labor intensity, but also puts the divers in danger due to the influence of water pressure changes, water flow impact and unstable mines. Moreover, the efficiency of mine clearance is extremely low. When the traditional mine clearance ship is used for mine clearance, the ship body is large and easy to be detected and attacked by the enemy, which has poor safety. At the same time, in complex water areas such as shoals and narrow channels, the maneuverability of the ship is limited, making it difficult to accurately remove hidden mines.

[0004] Single unmanned device mine clearance, such as using only unmanned underwater vehicles, has limited endurance and cannot perform mine clearance operations in a large area. Relying only on unmanned ships also makes it difficult to detect and handle mines underwater. In addition, most existing mine clearance methods use explosive methods to destroy mines, which not only may trigger a chain reaction of other mines in the surrounding water area, but also pollutes the water environment, destroys underwater terrain and biological habitats.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a cooperative mine clearance method that is safe, efficient, adaptable and has little impact on the environment to solve the problems existing in the current mine clearance technology. SUMMARY

[0006] The present application aims to overcome the shortcomings of existing mine clearance methods and provide a kind of unmanned ship-unmanned underwater vehicle cooperative mine clearance method based on underwater gun. Through the cooperation of unmanned ship and unmanned underwater vehicle, the non-explosive removal of mines is realized by underwater gun, which improves the safety, efficiency and accuracy of mine clearance, enhances the adaptability to complex water environment, reduces the pollution to water environment, and is suitable for mine removal operations in various water environments such as sea area, port and inland river.

[0007] The purpose of the present application is achieved as follows: A kind of unmanned ship-unmanned underwater vehicle cooperative mine clearance method based on underwater gun, comprising the following steps: Step 1: Task planning and deployment The ground control center formulates a mine clearance task plan according to information about the water area to be cleared, determines a navigation route of the unmanned ship, an operation area of the unmanned underwater vehicle, and a mine clearance priority, the unmanned ship is loaded with a long-range detection device, the unmanned underwater vehicle is loaded with a detection device, an underwater gun and corresponding ammunition, the detection accuracy of the detection device loaded on the unmanned underwater vehicle is higher than that of the long-range detection device loaded on the unmanned ship, the unmanned ship carries the unmanned underwater vehicle to the edge of the mine clearance water area and completes deployment preparation of the unmanned underwater vehicle; Second step: water area detection and target identification The unmanned ship keeps cruising on the water surface, and preliminarily scans a large range of the mine clearance water area through the long-range detection device carried on the ship to obtain a suspected mine area, and transmits coordinate information of the suspected mine area to the ground control center and the unmanned underwater vehicle in real time, the unmanned underwater vehicle departs from the unmanned ship and dives underwater and moves to the edge of the suspected mine area, then the unmanned underwater vehicle further detects the suspected mine area by using the detection device carried on the unmanned underwater vehicle, the unmanned underwater vehicle sends underwater topographic data and image data of the suspected mine target detected to the unmanned ship, the unmanned ship feeds back the data after processing the data, the ground control center combines the detection data of the unmanned ship and the unmanned underwater vehicle, and assists in identifying the suspected mine target through an image recognition algorithm, and an operator of the ground control center judges whether the target is a mine and determines a type, size and relative position of the mine with respect to the unmanned ship; Third step: cooperative positioning and path planning After confirming that the target is a mine, the unmanned ship accurately calculates three-dimensional coordinates of the mine through a data fusion algorithm according to satellite positioning information of the unmanned ship and underwater positioning data of the unmanned underwater vehicle, provides real-time position calibration and navigation support for the unmanned underwater vehicle, and the unmanned underwater vehicle autonomously plans an approaching path according to the position of the mine and the surrounding underwater environment and avoids obstacles; Fourth step: underwater gun mine clearance operation After the unmanned underwater vehicle reaches the vicinity of the mine, the unmanned underwater vehicle hits at least one key position of the mine through the underwater gun to make the mine lose the ability to explode. Fifth step: task confirmation and return After the mine clearance is completed, the unmanned underwater vehicle detects the state of the mine after treatment again and sends image information to the unmanned ship and the ground control center, an operator of the ground control center judges whether the mine is successfully removed through manual operation, if so, the unmanned underwater vehicle returns to the unmanned ship according to the planned path, and the unmanned ship recovers the unmanned underwater vehicle and then continues to perform a next mine clearance task or returns.

[0008] Further, the long-range detection device carried on the unmanned ship includes a radar and a long-range sonar, and the detection device carried on the unmanned underwater vehicle includes a side scan sonar, a multi-beam sonar and an underwater camera.

[0009] Further, the underwater gun is installed on the unmanned underwater vehicle through an underwater gun mounting bracket, the underwater gun mounting bracket is provided with a rotating mechanism and an extension mechanism, the rotating mechanism is used for adjusting the angle of the underwater gun, and the extension mechanism is used for adjusting the distance between the underwater gun and the mine, so as to meet the shooting requirements of the mine at different positions. Thus, multiple shootings are realized at one position.

[0010] Further, the ammunition of the underwater gun adopts an alloy bullet launched by high-pressure gas, the bullet head is in a strip shape, and the tail end is in a sharp shape, and the bullet can form a supercavitation bubble under water during launching.

[0011] Further, during the whole mine clearing process, real-time communication is kept between the unmanned ship and the unmanned underwater vehicle through a water sound communication module and a satellite communication link.

[0012] Further, in the first step, the information of the mine clearing water area includes a topographic map and known mine distribution.

[0013] Further, the underwater gun is provided with a laser aiming device, in the fourth step, the laser aiming device is used to aim at the to-be-shot part of the mine, the unmanned underwater vehicle sends aiming information to the unmanned ship, the unmanned ship confirms the aiming information and then sends a shooting instruction, or the unmanned underwater vehicle autonomously judges and triggers the underwater gun to shoot according to a preset program, and if one shooting is not successful, the position and angle of the underwater gun are adjusted and then shooting is performed again.

[0014] Further, the key parts of the mine include a fuse and an explosive tank.

[0015] Further, in the third step, the unmanned ship is ready to receive information and provide support for the unmanned underwater vehicle at any time.

[0016] Thanks to the above technical scheme, the present application has the following beneficial effects: 1. The safety is significantly improved: the unmanned equipment system is used throughout the operation, so that the personnel are not directly involved in the mine clearing, and the risk of personnel casualty is fundamentally eliminated. Meanwhile, the non-explosive mine clearing mode of launching the bullet by the underwater gun will not cause secondary explosion.

[0017] 2. The mine clearing efficiency is improved: the unmanned ship is responsible for large-range detection and communication support, and the unmanned underwater vehicle is focused on underwater accurate detection and mine clearing operation, and the two are cooperated to realize the integrated operation process of "large-range search-accurate positioning-high-efficiency clearing", so that the mine clearing time is greatly shortened, and the mine clearing efficiency is improved.

[0018] 3. The adaptability to complex environment is strong: the unmanned ship has good maneuverability on the water surface, and can adapt to the cruising in open water and narrow water; the unmanned underwater vehicle has excellent underwater diving capability, and can work in complex water areas such as shoals and reefs, and the combination of the two makes the mine clearing no longer limited by the complex water environment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 A flowchart of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] An unmanned ship-unmanned underwater vehicle cooperative mine clearing method based on underwater gun. Figure 1 Each step from task planning to return is shown. The ground control center plans the task according to the information of the water area to be cleared, and after the unmanned ship deploys the unmanned underwater vehicle, the two cooperate to detect, identify mines through shipborne and underwater vehicle-mounted equipment, and through cooperative positioning and path planning, the unmanned underwater vehicle destroys the mine in a non-explosive way using the underwater gun. Finally, it confirms the completion of the task and returns. This method is highly safe, avoids personnel casualties and secondary explosions, has high mine clearing efficiency, realizes large-scale search and precise removal, has strong adaptability to complex environments, and accurate positioning, providing an efficient and reliable new scheme for water area mine clearing.

[0021] Specifically: First step: task planning and deployment The ground control center formulates a mine clearing task plan according to the topographic map of the water area to be cleared, known mine distribution intelligence, etc., determines the navigation route of the unmanned ship, the operating area of the unmanned underwater vehicle, and the mine clearing priority. The unmanned ship sails to the edge of the specified water area according to the planned route, completes the deployment preparation of the unmanned underwater vehicle, including checking the status of the power system, detection equipment, underwater gun and ammunition of the unmanned underwater vehicle.

[0022] Second step: water area detection and target identification The unmanned ship maintains a cruising state on the water surface, and through the shipborne long-range detection equipment such as radar, sonar, etc., it preliminarily scans a large range of water area, checks suspected mine areas, and transmits relevant coordinate information to the ground control center and the unmanned underwater vehicle in real time. The unmanned underwater vehicle departs from the unmanned ship, dives underwater, and uses its own high-precision detection devices, including side-scan sonar, multi-beam sonar and underwater camera, to conduct detailed detection of suspected mine areas.

[0023] The unmanned underwater vehicle sends the detected underwater terrain data, target image and other information to the unmanned ship through the underwater acoustic communication module. The unmanned ship feeds back the data to the ground control center after summarizing and processing. The ground control center combines the detection data of the unmanned ship and the unmanned underwater vehicle, identifies the target through image recognition algorithm and data analysis model, judges whether it is a mine, and determines the type, size, position and state of the mine.

[0024] Third step: cooperative positioning and path planning When the target is confirmed to be a mine, the unmanned ship accurately calculates the three-dimensional coordinates of the mine through a data fusion algorithm based on its own satellite positioning information and the underwater positioning data of the unmanned underwater vehicle. The unmanned ship provides real-time position calibration and navigation support for the unmanned underwater vehicle to ensure that the unmanned underwater vehicle can accurately approach the mine.

[0025] Meanwhile, the unmanned underwater vehicle autonomously plans an approach path based on the location of the mine and the surrounding underwater environment (combined with the detected underwater terrain data) to avoid obstacles such as reefs and sunken ships, ensuring its own safety. The unmanned ship then performs vigilance and coordination at the corresponding position on the water surface, ready to receive information from the unmanned underwater vehicle and provide necessary support at any time.

[0026] Fourth step: underwater mine clearance operation After the unmanned underwater vehicle reaches the vicinity of the mine, it adjusts the angle of the underwater gun through a rotatable underwater gun mounting bracket, and uses a laser sighting device to aim at the key parts of the mine (combined with the type and specifications of the mine, different mines have different key parts), such as fuses and explosive compartments. The unmanned underwater vehicle sends the aiming information to the unmanned ship, which confirms and then issues a firing command to the unmanned underwater vehicle, or the unmanned underwater vehicle autonomously judges and triggers the underwater gun according to the pre-set program.

[0027] The underwater gun uses a special underwater launcher, and the ammunition used has a long, high-strength alloy projectile that can form a supercavitation underwater and has the ability to penetrate the mine shell within 100 meters in water. The projectile hits the key parts of the mine, penetrates the shell and damages the internal structure, rendering the mine inoperable. If a single shot fails to destroy the mine, the unmanned underwater vehicle can adjust its position and angle for a second shot until the mine is confirmed to have been effectively disposed of.

[0028] Fifth step: task confirmation and return After the mine clearance is completed, the unmanned underwater vehicle detects the state of the mine after disposal again and sends the images and data to the unmanned ship and the ground control center. The ground control center determines whether the mine has been successfully removed based on the feedback information. If the mine clearance is confirmed to be successful, the unmanned underwater vehicle returns to the unmanned ship according to the planned path, and the unmanned ship recovers the unmanned underwater vehicle and then continues to perform the next mine clearance task or returns.

[0029] During the entire mine clearance process, the unmanned ship and the unmanned underwater vehicle maintain real-time communication and dynamically adjust the operation strategy according to the actual situation to ensure the smooth progress of the cooperative mine clearance task.

[0030] The system of the unmanned ship-unmanned underwater vehicle cooperative mine clearance method based on the underwater gun includes: The ground control center is used to develop task planning based on the information of the water area to be cleared, receive and analyze the data transmitted by the unmanned ship and the unmanned underwater vehicle, determine the mine situation and issue instructions. The unmanned ship carries a long-range detection device, is used for detecting on the water surface, providing navigation support for the unmanned underwater vehicle, receiving and forwarding information, and controlling underwater gun shooting instructions of the unmanned underwater vehicle; The unmanned underwater vehicle carries a high-precision detection device, an underwater gun, and a rotatable telescopic mounting bracket, is used for diving underwater to conduct detailed detection, positioning a mine, adjusting the position of the underwater gun, and performing mine clearance operation, and feeding back detection and operation information to the unmanned ship and a ground control center. Embodiments

[0031] In a mine clearance task in a port water area, the unmanned ship-unmanned underwater vehicle cooperative mine clearance method based on the underwater gun is adopted. The ground control center plans a cruising route of the unmanned ship and an operation area of the unmanned underwater vehicle according to a water area map and historical mine records of the port.

[0032] The unmanned ship cruises on the water surface outside the port according to the planned route, preliminarily detects the water area through a shipborne radar and a long-range sonar, finds a suspected mine area, and sends coordinate information to the unmanned underwater vehicle. The unmanned underwater vehicle dives into the water from the unmanned ship, scans the suspected area by using a side-scan sonar, finds a suspected mine target, and then shoots a target image by using an underwater camera and transmits the image to the unmanned ship.

[0033] The unmanned ship feeds back the image data to the ground control center, the ground control center confirms that the target is an anchor mine through image recognition. The unmanned ship calculates the accurate position of the anchor mine in combination with satellite positioning of the unmanned ship and underwater positioning data of the unmanned underwater vehicle. The unmanned underwater vehicle plans a path according to the position, avoids underwater pipelines and rocks, and approaches the anchor mine.

[0034] After reaching the vicinity of the anchor mine, the unmanned underwater vehicle adjusts the mounting bracket of the underwater gun, so that the underwater gun is aimed at the fuse part of the anchor mine, and a laser aiming device locks the target. The unmanned underwater vehicle sends aiming information to the unmanned ship, the unmanned ship confirms the information, and then issues a shooting instruction. The underwater gun shoots a high-strength alloy bullet, successfully hits the fuse, and destroys the detonation structure of the anchor mine.

[0035] The unmanned underwater vehicle detects the processed anchor mine again, confirms that the anchor mine has lost the explosion capability, and then returns to the unmanned ship. After the unmanned ship recovers the unmanned underwater vehicle, the unmanned ship continues to perform a mine clearance task in other areas.

[0036] Finally, it should be pointed out that the above preferred embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application but not limit the present application. Although the present application has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that various changes can be made in form and details without departing from the scope defined by the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for mine clearance using an unmanned surface vessel and an unmanned underwater vehicle based on an underwater gun, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Task Planning and Deployment Based on intelligence about the waters to be cleared, the ground control center formulates a mine clearance mission plan, determines the navigation route of the unmanned surface vessel, the operating area of ​​the unmanned underwater vehicle, and the mine clearance priority. The unmanned surface vessel is equipped with long-range detection equipment, and the unmanned underwater vehicle is equipped with detection equipment, underwater guns and corresponding ammunition. The detection accuracy of the detection equipment on the unmanned underwater vehicle is higher than that of the long-range detection equipment on the unmanned surface vessel. The unmanned surface vessel carries the unmanned underwater vehicle to the edge of the mine clearance area and completes the deployment preparation of the unmanned underwater vehicle. Step 2: Water Detection and Target Identification The unmanned surface vessel (USV) maintains a patrolling state on the water surface, conducting a preliminary scan of a large area of ​​mine-clearing waters using its onboard long-range detection equipment. It identifies suspected minefields and transmits their coordinates in real time to the ground control center and the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV). The UUV then departs from the USV, dives underwater, and moves to the edge of the suspected minefield. The UUV then uses its onboard detection devices to further probe the area. It sends the detected underwater terrain data and images of suspected mine targets back to the USV. The USV processes and summarizes this data before sending it back to the ground control center. The ground control center combines the detection data from both the USV and the UUV, using image recognition algorithms to assist in identifying suspected mine targets. Operators then determine whether a target is a mine, its type, size, and relative position to the USV. Step 3: Collaborative Localization and Path Planning After confirming that the target is a mine, the unmanned surface vessel uses its own satellite positioning information and the underwater positioning data of the unmanned underwater vehicle to accurately calculate the three-dimensional coordinates of the mine through a data fusion algorithm, providing real-time position calibration and navigation support for the unmanned underwater vehicle. The unmanned underwater vehicle autonomously plans an approach path based on the location of the mine and the surrounding underwater environment, avoiding obstacles. Step 4: Underwater mine clearance operation After the unmanned underwater vehicle reaches the vicinity of the mine, it strikes at least one critical part of the mine with an underwater gun, rendering the mine incapable of exploding. Step 5: Mission Confirmation and Return After the mine clearance is completed, the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) will re-detect the state of the mines after they have been cleared and send the image information to the unmanned ship and the ground control center. The ground control center operator will manually determine whether the mines have been successfully cleared. If successful, the UUV will return to the unmanned ship according to the planned path. The unmanned ship will then recover the UUV and continue to perform the next mine clearance task or return to port.

2. The method for mine clearance using an unmanned surface vessel and an unmanned underwater vehicle based on an underwater gun, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that: The shipborne long-range detection equipment of the unmanned surface vessel includes radar and long-range sonar, while the detection devices carried by the unmanned underwater vehicle include side-scan sonar, multi-beam sonar, and underwater camera.

3. The method for mine clearance using an unmanned surface vessel and an unmanned underwater vehicle based on an underwater gun, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that: The underwater gun is mounted on the unmanned underwater vehicle via an underwater gun mounting bracket. The underwater gun mounting bracket has a rotating mechanism and a telescopic mechanism. The rotating mechanism is used to adjust the angle of the underwater gun, and the telescopic mechanism is used to adjust the distance between the underwater gun and the mine to meet the firing requirements of mines in different locations.

4. The method for mine clearance using an unmanned surface vessel and an unmanned underwater vehicle based on an underwater gun, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that: The underwater gun uses high-pressure gas to launch alloy projectiles. The projectiles have a strip-shaped head and a sharp tip, which can create supercavitation underwater when fired.

5. The method for mine clearance using an unmanned surface vessel and an unmanned underwater vehicle based on an underwater gun, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that: Throughout the mine clearance process, the unmanned vessel and the unmanned underwater vehicle maintained real-time communication through underwater acoustic communication modules and satellite communication links.

6. The method for mine clearance using an unmanned surface vessel and an unmanned underwater vehicle based on an underwater gun, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that: In the first step, intelligence on the mine-clearing waters includes topographic maps and the known distribution of mines.

7. The method for mine clearance using an unmanned surface vessel and an unmanned underwater vehicle based on an underwater gun, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that: The underwater gun is equipped with a laser aiming device. In the fourth step, the laser aiming device is used to aim at the mine to be fired. The unmanned underwater vehicle sends the aiming information to the unmanned ship. After the unmanned ship confirms, it issues a firing command. Alternatively, the unmanned underwater vehicle can autonomously judge and trigger the underwater gun to fire according to a preset program. If the first shot is unsuccessful, the position and angle of the underwater gun are adjusted and the shot is fired again.

8. The method for mine clearance using an unmanned surface vessel and an unmanned underwater vehicle based on an underwater gun, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that: The key components of a naval mine include the fuse and the explosive compartment.

9. The method for mine clearance using an unmanned surface vessel and an unmanned underwater vehicle based on an underwater gun, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that: In the third step, the unmanned surface vessel (USV) cooperates with the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) at the corresponding position on the water surface to conduct surveillance and provide support, and is ready to receive information from the UUV and provide support at any time.

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