Vector thruster for underwater equipment

Abstract

The present invention discloses a PPS underwater equipment vector thruster, comprising a propeller driver and a 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism; the 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism comprises a moving platform for fixedly connecting the propeller driver, a stationary platform, and three PPS drive branches arranged in parallel between the moving platform and the stationary platform; the two ends of the PPS drive branch are movably connected to the moving platform and the stationary platform, respectively, and the working posture of the moving platform and the propeller driver is controlled by adjusting the telescopic length of the PPS drive branch to achieve vector adjustment of the propulsion direction. The vector thruster of the present invention adopts a three-degree-of-freedom 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism, has the advantages of compact structure and high rigidity, and can flexibly adjust the propulsion posture of the thruster, greatly improving the maneuverability and flexibility of the underwater equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of underwater navigation and detection equipment, in particular to an underwater equipment vector thruster used for vector propulsion of underwater equipment. Background Art

[0002] Underwater navigation and exploration equipment are crucial tools for my country's marine development, and propellers are key components of these systems. They provide thrust in different directions to ensure the equipment moves in the desired direction. Currently, most underwater vehicles and exploration equipment use a propeller with a single motor and propeller, where the motor directly drives the propeller to generate power. This traditional propeller has a single posture and low propulsion efficiency, significantly reducing maneuverability and flexibility, especially when operating underwater equipment at low speeds.

[0003] As a new type of mechanical structure, the parallel mechanism consists of at least two kinematic branches between its moving and fixed platforms, enabling motion with more than two degrees of freedom. While the advantages of the parallel mechanism include compactness and high rigidity, its closed-loop coupling structure also has drawbacks, such as a small workspace and limited range of motion. Therefore, expanding the workspace of parallel mechanisms while maintaining a compact structure is a hot topic in innovative research. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In response to the above-mentioned problems of the existing technology, the present invention proposes a new type of vector thruster for underwater equipment, which adopts a three-degree-of-freedom 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism, has the advantages of compact structure and high rigidity, and can provide a two-turn and one-shift attitude adjustment method, flexibly adjusting the propulsion attitude of the thruster, greatly improving the maneuverability and flexibility of the underwater equipment.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose of the invention, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: a PPS underwater equipment vector thruster includes a propeller drive and a 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism; the 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism includes a moving platform for fixedly connecting the propeller drive, a static platform, and three PPS drive branches arranged in parallel between the moving platform and the static platform; the two ends of the PPS drive branch are movably connected to the moving platform and the static platform respectively, and the working posture of the moving platform and the propeller drive is controlled by adjusting the telescopic length of the PPS drive branch to achieve vector adjustment of the propulsion direction.

[0006] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, three PPS drive branches are arranged evenly at 120° with the axis between the dynamic platform and the static platform as the center.

[0007] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, the above-mentioned PPS drive branch chain includes a spherical pair movably connected to the dynamic platform, a passive movable pair movably connected to the static platform, and an active movable pair arranged between the spherical pair and the passive movable pair for controlling the telescopic length of the PPS drive branch chain.

[0008] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, the above-mentioned spherical pair is a spherical bearing; the spherical bearing bases of the three PPS drive branches are evenly distributed in the shape of an equilateral triangle and fixed on the moving platform, and the rotating handles of the three spherical bearings are respectively connected to the active moving pairs in the corresponding PPS drive branches.

[0009] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, the above-mentioned passive moving pair is a linear guide; the linear guide tracks of the three PPS drive branches are evenly distributed in an equilateral triangle and fixed on the static platform, and the sliders of the three linear guides are respectively connected to the active moving pairs in the corresponding PPS drive branches.

[0010] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, the above active moving pair is a linear drive mechanism.

[0011] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, the above-mentioned dynamic platform is an equilateral triangle plane structure, and the propeller drive is fixedly installed at the center of the dynamic platform; the three PPS drive branches are movably connected to the equilateral triangle vertices of the dynamic platform respectively.

[0012] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the propeller drive includes a dual-rotor underwater motor that drives the front and rear propellers. The dual-rotor underwater motor outputs torque that drives the front and rear propellers to rotate in opposite directions, generating thrust. The present invention utilizes a dual-rotor underwater motor to drive the counter-rotating twin propellers. Under the same power, the propeller has greater propulsion force and higher efficiency.

[0013] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, the above-mentioned front propeller and rear propeller are respectively connected to the inner and outer output shafts of the dual-rotor underwater motor through splines or flat keys, and the ends of the output shafts are fixed by propeller end covers to prevent axial movement of the front propeller and rear propeller.

[0014] Compared with traditional propellers, the technical solution of the present invention can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0015] 1. Compared with a single-propeller propeller, the propeller drive of the present invention adopts a dual-propeller counter-rotating propulsion, which can generate greater thrust at the same power and has a higher propulsion efficiency;

[0016] 2. The present invention adopts a new 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism as the thruster's attitude adjustment mechanism, which can make the thruster pitch, yaw, and move forward and backward along the axis of the moving platform and the static platform. The attitude adjustment is flexible and vector propulsion can be achieved.

[0017] 3. The 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism of the present invention has the characteristics of structural symmetry, compactness, high rigidity, high precision, etc., and has no singular motion within the range of pitch ±90° and yaw ±90°;

[0018] 4. The thruster's attitude can be adjusted by controlling the telescopic length of the PPS drive chain through three linear drive mechanisms. The three linear drive mechanisms have no coupling in motion, making the control simple and efficient. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the overall three-dimensional structure of the vector thruster.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism.

[0021] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the local structure of the dynamic platform of the vector thruster.

[0022] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the local structure of the static platform of the vector thruster.

[0023] Figures 1 to 4 The figures are marked as: front propeller 1, rear propeller 2, dual-rotor underwater motor 3, moving platform 4, static platform 5, spherical bearing 6, linear drive mechanism 7, linear guide 8, track 81, propeller end cover 10, spherical pair 11, active moving pair 12, and passive moving pair 13. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The following is combined with Figures 1 to 4 The present invention is further elaborated in detail.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, a novel underwater equipment vector thruster of the present invention includes two parts, namely a propeller drive and a 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism.

[0026] The propeller drive consists of a front propeller 1, a rear propeller 2, a dual-rotor underwater motor 3 and a propeller end cover 10.

[0027] The dual-rotor underwater motor 3 is waterproof and compact, offering advantages such as pressure resistance, waterproofness, and corrosion resistance. It also features a dual-rotor structure with two output shafts: an inner output shaft and an outer output shaft. The front propeller 1 and the rear propeller 2 are connected to the inner and outer output shafts of the dual-rotor underwater motor 3, respectively, via splines or parallel keys.

[0028] The output torque of the dual-rotor underwater motor 3 drives the front propeller 1 and the rear propeller 2 to rotate in opposite directions and generate thrust. The propeller end cap 10 is fixed to the end of the output shaft of the dual-rotor underwater motor 3 with screws to prevent the front propeller 1 and the rear propeller 2 from axial movement.

[0029] The 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism consists of a moving platform 4 fixedly connected to the propeller drive, a stationary platform 5, and three PPS drive branches arranged in parallel between the moving and stationary platforms 4 and 5. The ends of the PPS drive branches are movably connected to the moving and stationary platforms 4 and 5, respectively. Adjusting the extension and retraction length of the PPS drive branches controls the operating posture of the moving platform 4 and the propeller drive, achieving vector adjustment of the propulsion direction.

[0030] The dual-rotor underwater motor 3 is bolted to the moving platform 4 of the 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism. The moving platform 4 is preferably an equilateral triangle planar structure, with the dual-rotor underwater motor 3 fixedly mounted at the center of the moving platform 4. The three PPS drive branches are movably connected to the vertices of the equilateral triangle of the moving platform 4.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a simplified diagram of the 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism of the present invention. From the diagram, the connection relationship between the three PPS drive branches and the dynamic platform 4 and the static platform 5 can be clearly seen.

[0032] Each PPS drive chain comprises a spherical pair 11 operatively connected to the moving platform 4, a passive movable pair 13 operatively connected to the stationary platform 5, and an active movable pair 12 positioned between the spherical pair 11 and the passive movable pair 13 to control the extension and retraction of the PPS drive chain. The three PPS drive chains are arranged evenly at 120° angles, centered on the axis between the moving platform 4 and the stationary platform 5.

[0033] Three spherical joints 11 are fixed to the moving platform 4; three passive joints 13 are fixed to the stationary platform 5; and three active joints 12 are connected to the spherical joints 11 at one end and to the passive joints 13 at the other end. The active joints 12 are the driving part of the PPS drive chain. By controlling the extension and retraction lengths of the three active joints 12, the moving platform 4 can be adjusted to different postures.

[0034] In the preferred embodiment, the spherical pair 11 of the 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism adopts a spherical bearing 6, the active moving pair 12 adopts a linear drive mechanism 7, and the passive moving pair 13 adopts a linear guide 8. The specific assembly structure is as follows: Figure 1 The linear drive mechanism 7 can be an electric push rod or a hydraulic cylinder.

[0035] The size of the moving platform 4 is determined by the range of posture adjustment required by the mechanism. A mounting hole is provided in the middle of the moving platform 4 for connecting and fixing the dual-rotor underwater motor 3. The three vertices of the moving platform 4 are connected to three spherical bearings 6. The base of the spherical bearing 6 is fixed to the moving platform 4 with bolts; one end of the rotating handle of the spherical bearing 6 is fixed to the telescopic end of the linear drive mechanism 7 by a thread, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 shown.

[0036] The static platform 5 in the 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism is preferably an equilateral triangle plane structure, and its size is determined according to the attitude adjustment range that the mechanism needs to meet. The static platform 5 is provided with mounting holes for fixing the vector thruster on the underwater equipment. Three sets of linear guide rails 8 are fixed to the three vertex corners of the static platform 5. The track 81 of the linear guide rail 8 is fixed to the static platform 5 with bolts, and the slider of the linear guide rail 8 is fixed to the base of the linear drive mechanism 7 with bolts. Figure 4 shown.

[0037] The present invention provides a novel vectored thruster for underwater equipment. A static platform 5 is fixed to the underwater equipment, driving a dual-rotor underwater motor 3 to generate counter-rotational thrust for the front and rear propellers 1 and 2. This motor controls the coordinated movement of three linear drive mechanisms 7 within a 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism. These linear drive mechanisms independently control the extension and retraction lengths of the three PPS drive branches, enabling the propeller drivers to pitch, yaw, and move forward and backward along the axis of the static and dynamic platform 5, achieving both thruster attitude adjustment and vectored propulsion.

[0038] The embodiments described above provide a detailed description of the technical solutions of the present invention. It should be understood that the above are only specific embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, supplements or similar substitutions made within the scope of the principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vector propulsor for underwater equipment, comprising a propeller drive and a 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism; characterized by: The 3-PPS parallel drive mechanism comprises a moving platform (4) for fixedly connecting to a propeller driver, a stationary platform (5), and three PPS drive branches arranged in parallel between the moving platform (4) and the stationary platform (5); the two ends of the PPS drive branches are movably connected to the moving platform (4) and the stationary platform (5), respectively, and the working posture of the moving platform (4) and the propeller driver is controlled by adjusting the telescopic length of the PPS drive branches, thereby realizing vector adjustment of the propulsion direction; The PPS drive branch chain comprises a spherical pair (11) movably connected to the dynamic platform (4), a passive movable pair (13) movably connected to the static platform (5), and an active movable pair (12) disposed between the spherical pair (11) and the passive movable pair (13) for controlling the telescopic length of the PPS drive branch chain; The passive moving pair (13) is a linear guide rail (8); the tracks (81) of the linear guide rails (8) of the three PPS drive branches are evenly distributed in a regular triangle and fixed on the static platform (5); the sliders of the three linear guide rails (8) are respectively connected to the active moving pairs (12) in the corresponding PPS drive branches.

2. The underwater equipment vector thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The three PPS drive branches are arranged evenly at 120 degrees with the axis between the moving platform (4) and the static platform (5) as the center.

3. The underwater equipment vector thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The moving platform (4) is an equilateral triangle plane structure, and the propeller driver is fixedly installed at the center of the moving platform (4); three PPS drive branches are movably connected to the equilateral triangle vertices of the moving platform (4).

4. The underwater equipment vector thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The propeller driver comprises a dual-rotor underwater motor (3), a front propeller (1) and a rear propeller (2) driven by the dual-rotor underwater motor (3); the dual-rotor underwater motor (3) outputs torque to drive the front propeller (1) and the rear propeller (2) to rotate in opposite directions and generate thrust.

5. The underwater equipment vector thruster according to claim 4, characterized in that: The front propeller (1) and the rear propeller (2) are respectively connected to the inner and outer output shafts of the dual-rotor underwater motor (3) through splines or flat keys, and the ends of the output shafts are fixed by propeller end covers (10) to prevent the front propeller (1) and the rear propeller (2) from axial movement.

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