A deep-sea vector acoustic beacon

Abstract

The present invention relates to a deep-sea vector acoustic beacon, comprising a vector transducer, an electronic cabin, a float, a watertight connector, and the like. The vector transducer is located at the top of the vector acoustic beacon, and is used to receive interrogation signals and transmit response acoustic signals; the electronic cabin is located in the middle of the vector acoustic beacon, and is used to process interrogation signals in real time, obtain arrival azimuth information of the transmitted interrogation signals, and load the information into the response signals; the float is installed on the outside of the electronic cabin, and is used to adjust the buoyancy of the beacon; the watertight connector is located at the bottom of the electronic cabin, and is used as the communication and charging interface of the beacon. The deep-sea vector acoustic beacon disclosed in the present invention has sharp directivity, controllable transmitting and receiving beams, can effectively increase communication distance, improve positioning accuracy, has the characteristics of small size, high cost performance, and strong resistance to hydrostatic pressure, and has potential important application value in aspects such as navigation and communication of underwater robots.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of deep-sea beacon devices, and in particular to a deep-sea vector acoustic beacon used for deep-sea acoustic communication and positioning. Background Art

[0002] The implementation of the strategy of building a strong maritime nation has ushered in a boom in the development and utilization of the ocean. Various marine equipment and technologies have developed rapidly, and many types of advanced deep-sea equipment have emerged, such as deep-sea manned submersibles, underwater robots, underwater detection buoys and submarine buoys, etc. Relying on these deep-sea equipment, humans have the ability to carry out detection and operation activities in deep-sea environments, which has greatly promoted the speed of human understanding and development of the ocean.

[0003] Deep-sea equipment, when in use, inevitably interacts with the outside world, receiving commands and location information. On land, various communication and positioning methods, such as radio and satellite, are available. However, underwater, the seawater significantly limits the use of electromagnetic waves, leaving acoustic waves as the only information carrier currently capable of long-distance communication and positioning. Achieving reliable, accurate, and high-speed acoustic communication and positioning for underwater robots at depths of thousands of meters presents a technological bottleneck in the field of deep-sea information technology.

[0004] In the existing technology, an FPGA-based acoustic underwater beacon signal processing system has been proposed, but it is only a signal processing module based on the FPGA architecture, and there is no public information about the acoustic transducer; another Beidou underwater beacon system has been proposed, which can be stored under deep sea water pressure conditions without damage, but does not have underwater acoustic communication and positioning functions.

[0005] In terms of vector acoustic beacons, there is no relevant publicly published information at home or abroad. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the shortcomings of the above-mentioned existing production technology, the applicant provides a deep-sea vector acoustic beacon, which can be used for communication and positioning of underwater targets and meet the use requirements.

[0007] The technical solutions adopted in the present invention are as follows:

[0008] A deep-sea vector acoustic beacon includes a vector acoustic beacon. The specific structure of the vector acoustic beacon is as follows: an electronic cabin, a vector transducer for receiving interrogation signals and transmitting response acoustic signals is provided on the top of the electronic cabin, a float for adjusting the buoyancy of the beacon is provided on the outside of the electronic cabin, and a watertight connector for communication and charging is provided on the bottom of the electronic cabin;

[0009] The specific structure of the vector transducer is as follows: it includes a piezoelectric ceramic tube, which is connected in parallel through an upper and lower part. The inner ring of the piezoelectric ceramic tube is provided with a titanium alloy backing, which serves as the support structure of the vector transducer. The upper end face of the titanium alloy backing is installed with a detachable titanium alloy end cap, and the lower end face of the titanium alloy backing is installed with the flange surface of a threaded connector, which is installed in the middle of the top of the electronic compartment; a rubber cork pad is provided between the outer side of the titanium alloy backing and the inner ring of the piezoelectric ceramic tube; the interior of the titanium alloy backing is filled with castor oil and sealed with epoxy resin glue;

[0010] The outer surface of the vector transducer is cast with polyurethane rubber;

[0011] The vector transducer is sealed and connected to the electronic cabin through a rubber sealing ring on the flange surface of the threaded connector.

[0012] Its further technical solution is:

[0013] A perforation is provided in the middle of the threaded connector, through which the cable passes; multiple through-holes are provided on the upper and lower edges of the titanium alloy backing. The through-holes are used for cable routing on the one hand, and on the other hand, they allow castor oil to fully contact with the piezoelectric ceramic tube and rubber cork pad, thereby expelling internal air and improving the ability to resist hydrostatic pressure.

[0014] The inner side of the piezoelectric ceramic tube is evenly cut into four equal parts by the electrode dividing groove, generating four inner electrode surfaces, and the outer side of the piezoelectric ceramic tube is the outer electrode surface.

[0015] The structure of the electronic cabin is as follows: it includes a titanium alloy shell, which is a thin-walled cylindrical structure with a hollow middle part. The bottom of the titanium alloy shell is open, and a titanium alloy base is provided at the opening. Electronic devices are installed above the titanium alloy base; a plurality of annular ribs are provided at intervals on the outer circumference of the titanium alloy shell.

[0016] The height of the electronic device is lower than that of the titanium alloy housing.

[0017] The structure of the electronic device is as follows: a receiving board, a transmitting board, a signal processing board, a control board, a sensor board and a power board are arranged in sequence from top to bottom through multiple groups of brass studs. The bottom of the power board is mounted on a titanium alloy base through brass studs. A lithium battery is placed on the upper surface of the titanium alloy base, and a compass is placed on the sensor board.

[0018] The number of the annular ribs is three.

[0019] A watertight connector is installed at the middle position of the outer side of the titanium alloy base, and a salinity sensor, a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor are respectively installed on the titanium alloy bases on both sides of the watertight connector.

[0020] The floating body comprises two semicircular bodies, the edges of which are processed with multiple through holes, and the semicircular bodies are clamped and fixed on the outside of the electronic cabin by screws; an annular groove is processed on the inside of the floating body.

[0021] The float is made of a composite material consisting of epoxy resin and hollow glass microspheres.

[0022] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0023] The present invention has a compact and reasonable structure and is easy to operate. Through the mutual cooperation of the vector transducer, the electronic cabin, the float and the watertight connector, it can conveniently realize the communication and positioning of underwater targets. It is a small-sized deep-sea vector acoustic beacon with sharp directivity and integrated acoustic communication and positioning.

[0024] At the same time, the present invention also has the following advantages:

[0025] (1) The vector acoustic beacon of the present invention has horizontal directionality, controllable transmitting and receiving beams, can effectively reduce the multipath effect of underwater acoustic propagation, and has the characteristics of long transmission distance, small size, and high cost performance;

[0026] (2) The vector acoustic beacon of the present invention can achieve adjustable buoyancy by configuring different floats to meet the use requirements of different platforms;

[0027] (3) The vector acoustic beacon of the present invention is equipped with a salinity sensor, a temperature sensor, and a pressure sensor, and can be directly used for ocean physical field measurement.

[0028] (4) The vector acoustic beacon of the present invention has a compass installed inside for measuring the orientation of the beacon itself. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the vector acoustic beacon of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the vector acoustic beacon of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the piezoelectric ceramic tube of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the installation of electronic components in the electronic cabin of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the floating body of the present invention.

[0034] Including: 1. Vector acoustic beacon; 2. Vector transducer; 3. Electronic cabin; 4. Floating body; 5. Watertight connector;

[0035] 20. Piezoelectric ceramic tube; 21. Rubber cork pad; 22. Titanium alloy backing; 23. Polyurethane rubber; 24. Titanium alloy end cap; 25. Castor oil; 26. Rubber sealing ring; 27. Via hole; 28. Threaded connector; 29. ​​Epoxy resin glue;

[0036] 220, inner electrode surface; 221, electrode dividing groove; 222, outer electrode surface;

[0037] 30. Titanium alloy housing; 31. Electronic components; 32. Titanium alloy base; 33. Annular rib;

[0038] 310, receiving board; 311, transmitting board; 312, signal processing board; 313, control board; 314, sensor board; 315, power board; 316, brass stud; 317, lithium battery; 318, compass;

[0039] 40. semicircular ring; 41. through hole; 42. annular groove;

[0040] 50. Salinity sensor; 51. Temperature sensor; 52. Pressure sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] like Figure 1-Figure 5 As shown, the deep-sea vector acoustic beacon of this embodiment includes a vector acoustic beacon 1. The specific structure of the vector acoustic beacon 1 is as follows: it includes an electronic compartment 3, the top of which is provided with a vector transducer 2 for receiving interrogation signals and transmitting response acoustic signals, a float 4 for adjusting the buoyancy of the beacon is provided on the outside of the electronic compartment 3, and a watertight connector 5 for communication and charging is provided at the bottom of the electronic compartment 3;

[0043] The specific structure of the vector transducer 2 is as follows: it includes a piezoelectric ceramic tube 20, which is composed of two parts connected in parallel, the upper and lower parts. A titanium alloy backing 22 is provided on the inner ring of the piezoelectric ceramic tube 20. The titanium alloy backing 22 serves as the support structure of the vector transducer 2. A removable titanium alloy end cap 24 is installed on the upper end surface of the titanium alloy backing 22, and the flange surface of a threaded connector 28 is installed on the lower end surface of the titanium alloy backing 22. The threaded connector 28 is installed in the middle position of the top of the electronic compartment 3; a rubber cork pad 21 is provided between the outer side of the titanium alloy backing 22 and the inner ring of the piezoelectric ceramic tube 20; the interior of the titanium alloy backing 22 is filled with castor oil 25 and sealed with epoxy resin glue 29.

[0044] The outer surface of the vector transducer 2 is cast with polyurethane rubber 23;

[0045] The vector transducer 2 is sealedly connected to the electronic cabin 3 via a rubber sealing ring 26 on the flange surface of the threaded connector 28 .

[0046] A through hole is provided in the middle of the threaded connector 28, through which the cable passes; a plurality of through holes 27 are provided on the upper and lower edges of the titanium alloy backing 22. The through holes 27 are used for cable routing on the one hand, and on the other hand, they allow the castor oil 25 to fully contact with the piezoelectric ceramic tube 20 and the rubber cork pad 21, thereby exhausting the internal air and improving the ability to resist hydrostatic pressure.

[0047] The inner side of the piezoelectric ceramic tube 20 is evenly divided into four equal parts by the electrode dividing groove 221 , generating four inner electrode surfaces 220 , and the outer side of the piezoelectric ceramic tube 20 is an outer electrode surface 222 .

[0048] The structure of the electronic cabin 3 is as follows: it includes a titanium alloy shell 30, which is a thin-walled cylindrical structure with a hollow middle part. The bottom of the titanium alloy shell 30 is open, and a titanium alloy base 32 is provided at the open part. An electronic device 31 is installed above the titanium alloy base 32; a plurality of annular ribs 33 are provided at intervals on the outer circumference of the titanium alloy shell 30.

[0049] The height of the electronic component 31 is lower than that of the titanium alloy housing 30 .

[0050] The structure of the electronic device 31 is as follows: from top to bottom, a receiving board 310, a transmitting board 311, a signal processing board 312, a control board 313, a sensor board 314 and a power board 315 are arranged in sequence through multiple groups of brass studs 316. The bottom of the power board 315 is mounted on the titanium alloy base 32 through brass studs 316. At the same time, a lithium battery 317 is placed on the upper surface of the titanium alloy base 32, and a compass 318 is placed on the sensor board 314.

[0051] The number of the annular ribs 33 is three.

[0052] A watertight connector 5 is installed at the middle of the outer side of the titanium alloy base 32 , and a salinity sensor 50 , a temperature sensor 51 and a pressure sensor 52 are respectively installed on the titanium alloy base 32 on both sides of the watertight connector 5 .

[0053] The float 4 includes two semicircular rings 40 , and a plurality of through holes 41 are machined on the edges of the semicircular rings 40 . The semicircular rings 40 are clamped and fixed to the outside of the electronic cabin 3 by screws. An annular groove 42 is machined on the inside of the float 4 .

[0054] The float 4 is made of a composite material consisting of epoxy resin and hollow glass microspheres.

[0055] The specific structure and functions of the present invention are as follows:

[0056] like Figure 1 Shown is an overall schematic diagram of the vector acoustic beacon 1.

[0057] The vector acoustic beacon 1 structurally comprises a vector transducer 2, an electronic cabin 3, a float 4, and a watertight connector 5, and is cylindrical in shape as a whole.

[0058] Among them, the vector transducer 2 is located at the top of the vector acoustic beacon 1, which is used to receive interrogation signals and transmit response acoustic signals; the electronic cabin 3 is located in the middle of the vector acoustic beacon 1, which is used to process interrogation signals, obtain communication content and target direction, and load the information into the response signal; the float 4 is installed on the outside of the electronic cabin 3, which is used to adjust the buoyancy of the beacon; the watertight connector 5 is at the bottom of the vector acoustic beacon 1, which is used for communication and charging interface.

[0059] like Figure 2 Shown is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the vector acoustic beacon 1.

[0060] The vector transducer 2 is composed of a piezoelectric ceramic tube 20, a rubber cork pad 21, a titanium alloy backing 22, polyurethane rubber 23, a titanium alloy end cap 24, castor oil 25, a rubber sealing ring 26, a through hole 27, a threaded connector 28, and epoxy resin glue 29.

[0061] The piezoelectric ceramic tube 20 consists of two parts connected in parallel, forming an acoustic emission and receiving unit. The titanium alloy backing 22 is the support structure of the vector transducer 2. The upper end face is a detachable titanium alloy end cap 24, and the lower end face is the flange surface of the threaded connector 28. A layer of rubber cork pad 21 is first placed on the outside of the titanium alloy backing 22, and the piezoelectric ceramic tube 20 is then placed on the outside of the rubber cork pad 21. The rubber cork pad 21 is also filled between the two parts of the piezoelectric ceramic tube 20, and then it is pressed tightly with the titanium alloy end cap 24. The top and sides of the vector transducer 2 are cast and sealed with polyurethane rubber 23. The threaded connector 28 is provided with a perforation, which is used for cable routing. At the same time, the interior of the titanium alloy backing 22 is filled with castor oil 25 and sealed with epoxy resin glue 29. Four vias 27 are provided along the upper and lower edges of the titanium alloy backing 22. These holes serve as cable routing and allow for full contact between the castor oil 25 and the piezoelectric ceramic tube 20 and the rubber cork pad 21, discharging internal air and improving hydrostatic pressure resistance. The vector transducer 2 is secured and sealed to the end face of the electronics compartment 3 using a threaded connector 28 and a rubber seal 26 on the flange.

[0062] The electronics compartment 3 consists of a titanium alloy housing 30, electronic components 31, a titanium alloy base 32, and annular ribs 33. A watertight connector 5, a salinity sensor 50, a temperature sensor 51, and a pressure sensor 52 are mounted on the outside of the titanium alloy base 32. Multiple annular ribs 33 are machined onto the outside of the titanium alloy housing 30 to enhance structural strength against seawater pressure.

[0063] like Figure 3 Shown is a schematic diagram of the piezoelectric ceramic tube structure.

[0064] The inner side of each piezoelectric ceramic tube 20 is evenly cut into four equal parts, producing four inner electrode surfaces 220, which are separated from each other by electrode dividing grooves 221, and the outer electrode surface 222 is connected as a whole. Since the vector transducer 2 can be equivalent to an array, it has better directivity than a single transducer. By connecting the signals of different channels in series and in parallel, it is easy to obtain the sound pressure and sound pressure gradient. The sound pressure hydrophone is non-directional, and the sound pressure gradient hydrophone has dipole directivity. Joint processing can obtain unilateral dipole directivity. Directional transmission and reception can be achieved through beam forming and electronic rotation.

[0065] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of electronic components in the electronics cabin.

[0066] The electronic components 31 within the electronics compartment 3 include a receiving board 310, a transmitting board 311, a signal processing board 312, a control board 313, a sensor board 314, a power board 315, brass studs 316, a lithium battery 317, and a compass 318. The circuit boards are connected by three sets of brass studs 316 and ultimately secured to the titanium alloy base 32.

[0067] like Figure 5 Shown is a schematic diagram of the floating structure.

[0068] The float 4 is a composite material composed of epoxy resin and hollow glass microspheres, consisting of two semicircular rings 40. Four through-holes 41 are machined along the edges of the semicircular rings, which are clamped and secured to the outside of the electronics compartment 3 using screws. An annular groove 42 is machined inside the float 4, which acts as a position limiter in conjunction with the annular rib 33 of the electronics compartment 3. By configuring different numbers of floats 4, the vector acoustic beacon 1 can achieve adjustable buoyancy to meet the needs of various usage scenarios.

[0069] In actual work process:

[0070] The vector acoustic beacon 1 is fixed on the seabed, its position is calibrated using the hydroacoustic positioning method, the latitude and longitude information is received through hydroacoustic communication and stored in the vector acoustic beacon 1, and then the vector acoustic beacon 1 will be in a dormant standby state.

[0071] When a nearby underwater vehicle needs to know its location, it transmits an interrogation signal from its acoustic beacon. Upon receiving this interrogation signal, vector acoustic beacon 1 activates. Its vector transducer 2 converts the interrogation signal into an electrical signal. Receiver board 310 receives the signal and notifies control board 313, which then activates other electronic modules.

[0072] After activation, Vector Acoustic Beacon 1 will once again receive an interrogation signal. The four channels of Vector Transducer 2 simultaneously receive the interrogation signal, convert it into electrical signals, and send it to the receiving board 310 for amplification and filtering. Under the command of Control Board 313, Signal Processing Board 312 completes signal acquisition and communication handshake. If the communication handshake is successful, Control Board 313 instructs Signal Processing Board 312 to perform beamforming and directional calculations to obtain the azimuth angle information of the interrogation signal. Simultaneously, Signal Processing Board 312 quickly generates a communication carrier signal and modulates the interrogation signal azimuth angle information along with information such as the latitude, longitude, attitude angle, temperature, salinity, and depth of Vector Acoustic Beacon 1 onto the carrier signal to form a reply signal. To achieve directional transmission, Signal Processing Board 312 calculates the interrogation signal azimuth angle based on the directional calculation and simultaneously generates four signals with different time delays. These signals are amplified by the four transmitting modules of Transmitter Board 311 and then sent simultaneously to the four channels of Vector Transducer 2 for acoustic transmission. If the signal is non-cooperative, the communication handshake fails, and Vector Acoustic Beacon 1 remains silent.

[0073] Sensor board 314 is equipped with a compass 318, which measures the attitude of the vector acoustic beacon 1. It also connects to the temperature sensor, salinity sensor 50, and depth sensor 51 at the bottom of the electronics compartment 3 to obtain seawater temperature, salinity, and depth information. Power board 315 converts the battery voltage to the different voltages required by the electronics 31.

[0074] The theoretical basis of the present invention is that the sound pressure gradient value of the sound field can be approximated by the finite difference of the sound pressure at two points. When the difference interval is sufficiently small compared to the wavelength of the sound wave, the sound pressures at two points x1 and x2 separated by Δx in the x direction in the sound field are p1 and p2 respectively. Therefore, the sound pressure gradient and its directivity function are expressed as follows.

[0075]

[0076]

[0077] in:

[0078] k is the acoustic wave number,

[0079] θ is the angle of incidence of the sound wave,

[0080] R(θ) is the directivity function of the sound pressure gradient.

[0081] As the formula shows, when the differential spacing approaches zero, the sound pressure gradient exhibits cosine directivity (k is the wave number). Vector transducers, based on this characteristic of measuring sound pressure gradients, enable directional transmission and reception of sound waves.

[0082] The above description is an explanation of the present invention, not a limitation of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined in the claims. Any modifications may be made within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A deep-sea vector acoustic beacon, characterized by: The vector acoustic beacon (1) comprises an electronic cabin (3), a vector transducer (2) for receiving an inquiry signal and transmitting a response acoustic signal is provided on the top of the electronic cabin (3), a float (4) for adjusting the buoyancy of the beacon is provided on the outside of the electronic cabin (3), and a watertight connector (5) for communication and charging is provided on the bottom of the electronic cabin (3); The specific structure of the vector transducer (2) is as follows: it includes a piezoelectric ceramic tube (20), the piezoelectric ceramic tube (20) is connected in parallel through an upper and lower part, a titanium alloy backing (22) is provided at the inner ring of the piezoelectric ceramic tube (20), the titanium alloy backing (22) is a supporting structure of the vector transducer (2), the upper end surface of the titanium alloy backing (22) is installed with a detachable titanium alloy end cover (24), the lower end surface of the titanium alloy backing (22) is installed with a flange surface of a threaded connector (28), and the threaded connector (28) is installed at the top middle position of the electronic cabin (3); a rubber cork pad (21) is provided between the outer side of the titanium alloy backing (22) and the inner ring of the piezoelectric ceramic tube (20); the interior of the titanium alloy backing (22) is filled with castor oil (25) and sealed with epoxy resin glue (29); The outer surface of the vector transducer (2) is cast with polyurethane rubber (23); The vector transducer (2) is sealedly connected to the electronic cabin (3) through a rubber sealing ring (26) on the flange surface of the threaded connector (28); a through hole is provided in the middle of the threaded connector (28), and a cable is passed through the through hole; a plurality of through holes (27) are provided on the upper and lower edges of the titanium alloy backing (22), and the through holes (27) are used for cable routing on the one hand, and on the other hand, castor oil (25) is fully in contact with the piezoelectric ceramic tube (20) and the rubber cork pad (21), thereby exhausting the internal air and improving the ability to resist hydrostatic pressure; the inner side of the piezoelectric ceramic tube (20) is evenly cut into four equal parts by the electrode dividing groove (221), thereby generating four inner electrode surfaces (220), and the outer side of the piezoelectric ceramic tube (20) is an outer electrode surface (222).

2. A deep-sea vector acoustic beacon according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structure of the electronic cabin (3) is as follows: it includes a titanium alloy shell (30), the titanium alloy shell (30) is a thin-walled cylindrical structure with a hollow center, the bottom of the titanium alloy shell (30) is open, a titanium alloy base (32) is provided at the open position, and an electronic device (31) is installed above the titanium alloy base (32); a plurality of annular ribs (33) are provided at intervals on the outer circumferential surface of the titanium alloy shell (30).

3. A deep-sea vector acoustic beacon according to claim 2, characterized in that: The height of the electronic device (31) is lower than the height of the titanium alloy housing (30).

4. A deep-sea vector acoustic beacon according to claim 2, characterized in that: The structure of the electronic device (31) is as follows: a receiving board (310), a transmitting board (311), a signal processing board (312), a control board (313), a sensor board (314) and a power board (315) are sequentially arranged from top to bottom through multiple groups of brass studs (316); the bottom of the power board (315) is mounted on the titanium alloy base (32) through the brass studs (316); a lithium battery (317) is placed on the upper surface of the titanium alloy base (32), and a compass (318) is placed on the sensor board (314).

5. A deep-sea vector acoustic beacon according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of the annular ribs (33) is three.

6. A deep-sea vector acoustic beacon according to claim 2, characterized in that: A watertight connector (5) is installed at the middle position of the outer side of the titanium alloy base (32), and a salinity sensor (50), a temperature sensor (51) and a pressure sensor (52) are respectively installed on the titanium alloy base (32) on both sides of the watertight connector (5).

7. The deep-sea vector acoustic beacon according to claim 1, characterized in that: The floating body (4) comprises two semicircular rings (40), the edges of which are machined with a plurality of through holes (41), and the semicircular rings (40) are clamped and fixed to the outside of the electronic cabin (3) by screws; and an annular groove (42) is machined on the inside of the floating body (4).

8. The deep-sea vector acoustic beacon according to claim 1, characterized in that: The float (4) is made of a composite material consisting of epoxy resin and hollow glass microspheres.

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