A system and method for unloading a manned submersible

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of manned submersible jettison system and jettison method, belong to submersible jettison field, on the basis of conventional jettison, increase pressure compensation structure, realize accurate jettison, and can guarantee equipment damage, by jettison cylinder oil discharge realizes jettison, ensure that equipment normal float.This application is driven by cylinder by setting in the hand pump of manned cabin, realizes each type ballast jettison mechanism trigger, has very high reliability, by setting flexible pipe solves the problem that relative position relationship of manned cabin and cylinder is not fixed, by designing special cylinder, so that cylinder not only bears normal cylinder function, but also can bear pressure compensation function, the present application has the advantages of simple structure, high reliability, can be used for each type " ballast jettison " mechanism of large depth manned submersible, to greatly guarantee the life safety of submersible.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of submersible technology, and in particular to a jettisoning system and method for manned submersibles. Background Technology

[0002] To save energy, deep-sea manned submersibles generally employ unpowered descent and ascent. Before descent, two sets of heavy ballast are installed on the submersible to enable rapid descent. When the submersible reaches the predetermined working depth, one set of ballast is jettisoned to achieve weight balance underwater before operations can commence. After the operations are completed, the other set of ballast is jettisoned to enable rapid ascent.

[0003] As for how to achieve ballast disposal, most existing technologies use electromagnetic drive, hydraulic cylinder drive, or a combination of electromagnetic drive and hydraulic cylinder drive.

[0004] The disadvantages of electromagnetic drive are obvious. If the power-off jettison method is used, it will waste precious electrical energy to the extreme and bring "endurance anxiety" to the submersible. If the power-on jettison method is used, the electromagnet's attraction is weak, which may lead to the failure to jettison the ballast. Many unmanned submersibles have been lost for this reason.

[0005] Hydraulic cylinders are highly reliable, but they require a hydraulic power source. As is well known in the field of underwater hydraulics, the reliability of underwater hydraulic power sources is limited by various factors, such as the motor and its driver, hydraulic control valves, and water-resistant and pressure-resistant cables. This results in relatively low reliability when using hydraulic cylinders to drive ballast jettisoning. To address this issue, a technology was developed where the submersible crew directly jettisons the ballast. However, because this requires the crew inside the manned cabin to jettison the ballast, a large, radially sealed through-cabin component is necessary to connect the crew inside the cabin to the external ballast jettisoning mechanism. This increases the risk of water ingress into the manned cabin, which is highly detrimental to the crew's safety. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In response to the shortcomings of the existing production technology, the applicant provides a reasonably structured ballast jettisoning system and method for manned submersibles. The system employs a method in which the submersible crew directly jettisons the ballast and provides an oil circuit and cylinder structure that facilitates crew control of the jettisoning action, ensuring that the jettisoning action is not easily triggered by mistake. Furthermore, it has the capability to perform a replacement action to discharge oil and jettison the ballast even if the structure is damaged, ensuring that the jettisoning action is completed.

[0007] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows:

[0008] A jettisoning system for a manned submersible includes a jettisoning oil passage leading from the submersible, a jettisoning cylinder located at the end of the jettisoning oil passage opposite to the submersible, and a ballast jettisoning component connected to the jettisoning cylinder.

[0009] The jettison oil circuit is equipped with valve groups, connectors, and flexible pipes. The end of the flexible pipe facing away from the submersible is connected to the jettison cylinder.

[0010] The piston 8-4 of the ejection cylinder divides the cylinder chamber into a rod chamber 8-5 and a rodless chamber 8-6.

[0011] The rodless chamber 8-6 is connected to a flexible tube and is also connected to a vent connector 8-1 and an oil filling port 8-2; the rod chamber 8-5 contains a spring 8-3 and is connected to a compensator.

[0012] When piston 8-4 moves toward the ballast ejector, it triggers the ballast ejector to eject the load.

[0013] As a further improvement to the above technical solution:

[0014] The load dumping oil circuit includes:

[0015] The manual pump is located inside the submersible cabin.

[0016] The manual shut-off valve is located inside the submersible chamber.

[0017] The internal connector is located inside the submersible cabin, on the output side of the manual shut-off valve.

[0018] The external connector is located outside the submersible's cabin.

[0019] The check valve is located on the output side of the external connector, and the output end of the check valve is connected to a flexible pipe.

[0020] Both the internal and external connectors are equipped with sealing structures.

[0021] The check valve is provided in at least two places, with a tapered fit between the valve core and the valve seat; adjacent check valves are connected by a sealing-resistant screw structure.

[0022] A trigger gap is reserved between the piston rod of the ballast ejection cylinder and the ballast ejection component.

[0023] The compensator is either a pressure compensator or a submersible cylinder.

[0024] When the ballast cylinder is in its initial state, spring 8-3 is in its initial state; when the rod chamber 8-5 is compressed, spring 8-3 is compressed along with piston 8-4.

[0025] A pressure gauge is connected between the manual pump and the manual shut-off valve.

[0026] A method for jettisoning a manned submersible jettisoning system as described in claim 1, comprising the following steps:

[0027] Preparing to dive: The rodless chamber is full of oil;

[0028] Descent phase: Without the intervention of the submariner, the piston is compressed by the seawater pressure and the compensating oil pressure acting on the piston end face located in the rod chamber. The piston moves towards the rodless chamber until the pressure inside the rodless chamber is equivalent to the external seawater pressure. At this time, the flexible tube bears the internal pressure and the weak external pressure, the external joint bears the external seawater pressure, and the cabin is at normal pressure, so there is no high pressure inside the manned cabin during the descent.

[0029] First jettison: After diving to the expected depth, the submariner performs the first jettison, opens the manual shut-off valve, presses the manual pump, and the high-pressure oil flows through the manual shut-off valve, the internal connector, the external connector, the check valve, and the flexible tube in sequence, and enters the rodless chamber, pushing the piston to extend into the rod chamber and triggering the ballast jettison.

[0030] Second jettison: After the underwater work is completed, the second jettison is carried out before surfacing. The submariner opens the manual shut-off valve and presses the manual pump. The high-pressure oil flows through the manual shut-off valve, the internal connector, the external connector, the check valve, and the flexible tube in sequence, and enters the rodless chamber, pushing the piston to extend into the rod chamber and triggering the ballast jettison.

[0031] Ascent Phase: As the submersible ascends, the external seawater pressure gradually decreases, and the internal pressure of the rodless chamber pushes the piston to move towards the rod chamber; when the submersible ascends to the surface, the piston returns to its initial position, and the piston rod pushes against the ballast jettison during this process, which is manually controlled by the submersible operator to trigger the ballast jettison action;

[0032] In case of equipment failure, the backup load shedding method is as follows:

[0033] During the ballast jettisoning process, the oil in the rod chamber enters the compensator. If the compensator is damaged, the oil in the rodless chamber will not enter the compensator and will be directly discharged into the seawater environment.

[0034] The preparations for the submersible to descend are as follows:

[0035] Open the vent connector.

[0036] Fill the rodless chamber with oil through the filling port to purge air until the piston and spring come into contact and the spring is in its initial state.

[0037] Close the vent connector and prepare to descend.

[0038] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0039] This invention has a compact and reasonable structure, is easy to operate, and provides a highly reliable underwater hydraulic cylinder drive method to drive ballast jettisoning components, which is especially suitable for deep-sea manned submersibles.

[0040] The present invention provides a loading cylinder for replacing the cylinders in the prior art, and replaces the hydraulic source in the prior art with a drive oil circuit.

[0041] The jettison cylinder of this invention, in addition to possessing the telescopic characteristics of a hydraulic cylinder, also includes a compensator for pressure compensation. This provides indirect pressure compensation to the flexible tube rather than direct compensation, thus ensuring the stability and safety of the flexible tube under pressure. Furthermore, it allows the cylinder to work in conjunction with the external seawater pressure on the piston, acting as a power source. This enables the cylinder to be designed for applications not resistant to seawater pressure, thereby reducing economic costs.

[0042] The check valve in this invention is used to isolate the pressure inside the cabin from the pressure in the pipeline, ensuring the safety of the submarine crew.

[0043] The present invention also provides a backup jettisoning scheme when the equipment is damaged, that is, the rod chamber also has an oil discharge function, which can directly discharge the oil into the seawater environment when the compensator is damaged and cannot temporarily store the oil, thereby further ensuring the reliability of the jettisoning action. Attached Figure Description

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the launch structure of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the workflow of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the specific steps of the workflow of the present invention.

[0047] The components include: 1. Manual pump; 2. Pressure gauge; 3. Manual shut-off valve; 4. In-cabin connector; 5. Out-of-cabin connector; 6-1. First check valve; 6-2. Second check valve; 7. Flexible pipe; 8-1. Vent connector; 8-2. Oil filling port; 8-3. Spring; 8-4. Piston; 8-5. Rod chamber; 8-6. Rodless chamber; 9. Compensator; 10. Ballast jettison; 11. Manned cabin. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0049] The specific structure and working principle of this invention are as follows:

[0050] The ejection system of the present invention includes a hydraulic cylinder and its driving hydraulic circuit.

[0051] The hydraulic cylinder is a single-rod hydraulic cylinder. Its rodless chamber has a venting connector 8-1 at the top and an oil filling connector 8-2 at the bottom. A spring 8-3 is installed in the rod chamber 8-5 and is connected to a pressure compensator or a submersible oil tank. The sealed cavity between the piston 8-4 and the check valve 6-2 is the rodless chamber 8-6.

[0052] Reference Figure 1 The drive circuit includes, starting from the manned cabin 11: manual pump 1, pressure gauge 2, manual shut-off valve 3, internal connector 4, external connector 5, check valve 6, and flexible pipe 7.

[0053] The connection relationship of the above components is as follows:

[0054] The outlet of manual pump 1 is simultaneously connected to the inlet of manual shut-off valve 3 and pressure gauge 2. The outlet of shut-off valve 3 is connected to the inner connector 4, which is screwed to the inner wall of the manned cabin. The outer connector 5 is screwed to the outer wall of the manned cabin and is connected to the cabin connector 4 through a through hole on the manned cabin. The first check valve 6-1 and the second check valve 6-2 are connected in series. The inlet of the first check valve 6-1 is connected to the outer connector 5, and the second check valve 6-2 is connected to one end of the flexible pipe 7. The other end of the flexible pipe 7 is connected to the rodless chamber of the oil cylinder.

[0055] The features of the internal connector 4 and the external connector 5 are: two end face static seals are required, the inner static seal is designed to withstand internal pressure, and the outer static seal is designed to withstand external pressure; that is, the internal connector 4 and the external connector 5 in this invention have a total of 2 seals.

[0056] The check valve 6 is characterized by a conical fit between the valve core and seat, with a sealing element provided on the conical surface of the fit. Its advantage is that it ensures no leakage at the valve port.

[0057] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first check valve 6-1 and the second check valve 6-2, the second check valve 6-2 and the external connector are connected by a sealing screw, and rigid or flexible pipes cannot be used for connection.

[0058] The trigger distance L between the piston rod and the ballast ejector 10 is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, to meet the design requirements of various types of "ballast jettisoning" mechanisms, this invention adopts a structure combining a jettisoning cylinder and a flexible tube 7 to replace the conventional cylinder, and a drive oil circuit to replace the conventional hydraulic source. Based on the optimized structure, the smooth completion of the triggering action is ensured.

[0059] It should be noted that the connecting pipeline between the rod cavity compensator 9 and the manned cabin 11 and the hydraulic cylinder 8 in this invention, with the flexible pipe 7 connecting the two, constitutes a complete technical solution and cannot be separated for evaluation or use individually; the working principle of this combination is as follows:

[0060] For deep-sea manned submersibles, the manned cabin 11 is made of metal or glass. When submerged in the sea, it experiences significant radial compression deformation due to seawater pressure. For example, at a depth of 10,000 meters, the radial compression deformation of a titanium alloy manned cabin can reach 10 mm.

[0061] Furthermore, the submersible frame supporting the manned cabin 11 and the hydraulic cylinder 8 also undergoes significant deformation under uniform high seawater pressure. Therefore, the relative positions of the manned cabin 11 and the hydraulic cylinder 8 change with depth. If there is no flexible pipe connecting them, the enormous tearing force caused by the deformation will damage the connecting pipe, leading not only to system malfunction but also potentially to water ingress into the manned cabin. Therefore, this invention provides a connecting pipe 7 between the manned cabin 11 and the hydraulic cylinder 8.

[0062] Since commercially available flexible tubes can only withstand internal pressure in principle, they will be damaged under uniform high seawater pressure without pressure compensation. However, flexible tube 7 cannot be directly connected to a pressure compensator because a high-pressure condition exists inside the flexible tube during the operation of this invention, which would damage the pressure compensator. Therefore, this invention solves the pressure compensation problem of flexible tube 7 by setting the feature "a rod cavity connected to a pressure compensator or a submersible tank 9". The principle is as follows:

[0063] When the submersible descends: the piston 8-4 is compressed by the seawater pressure acting on the piston rod and the compensating oil pressure acting on the annular area on the left side of the piston, moving to the right until the internal pressure of the sealed cavity 8-6 is equivalent to the external seawater pressure. This allows the cylinder 8 to be designed to withstand non-seawater pressure, so that the flexible tube 7 can only withstand the internal pressure and extremely weak external pressure. At this time, due to the presence of the first check valve 6-1 and the second check valve 6-2, the external connector 5 only withstands the external seawater pressure, while the inside of the manned cabin is at atmospheric pressure. This ensures that there are no high-pressure pipelines inside the manned cabin, which greatly ensures the safety of the submersible crew while guaranteeing the reliability of the cylinder.

[0064] When the submersible surfaces: (as follows) Figure 1 As the submersible ascends, the external seawater pressure gradually decreases. The internal pressure of the rodless chamber 8-6 pushes the piston 8-4 to the left until the internal pressure of the sealed chamber 8-6 is equal to the external seawater pressure. This allows the hydraulic cylinder 8 to be designed to withstand non-seawater pressure, enabling the flexible tube 7 to withstand only internal pressure and extremely weak external pressure. At this point, due to the presence of the first check valve 6-1 and the second check valve 6-2, the external connector 5 only withstands the external seawater pressure, while the interior of the crew cabin remains at atmospheric pressure. This ensures that there are no high-pressure pipelines inside the crew cabin, guaranteeing the reliability of the hydraulic cylinder and greatly ensuring the safety of the submersible crew. When the submersible surfaces, the piston 8-4 returns to its initial position. The spring 8-3 is a weak spring, its function being to prevent the piston 8-4 from accidentally triggering the ballast jettison mechanism.

[0065] The working process of this invention is as follows:

[0066] Before the submersible descends, the following procedures must be performed:

[0067] Open the vent connector 8-1;

[0068] Fill the rodless chamber 8-6 with oil through the oil filling port 8-2 to purge air, until the piston 8-4 and spring 8-3 come into contact; at this point, the spring is not under pressure and remains in its initial state.

[0069] Close the vent connector 8-2.

[0070] When the ballast jettison mechanism needs to be triggered, open the manual shut-off valve 3, press the manual pump 1, and the high-pressure oil will sequentially pass through the manual shut-off valve 3, the internal connector 4, the external connector 5, the check valve assembly, and the flexible pipe 7, entering the rodless chamber 8-5 of the cylinder 8, pushing the piston 8-4 to extend until the ballast jettison mechanism 10 is triggered.

[0071] During this process, the oil in the rod chamber 8-5 enters the pressure compensator 9 or the oil tank. Even if the pressure compensator or the oil tank is damaged, the oil in the rod chamber 8-5 can be directly discharged into the seawater environment without affecting the realization of the discard function of this invention.

[0072] The above description is an explanation of the present invention and not a limitation thereof. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims. Within the scope of protection of the present invention, any form of modification may be made.

Claims

1. A method for jettisoning ballast for a manned submersible, characterized in that: The system includes a jettisoning system, which consists of a jettisoning oil passage extending from the submersible and a jettisoning cylinder located at the end of the jettisoning oil passage away from the submersible. The jettisoning cylinder is connected to a ballast jettisoning component (10). The jettison oil circuit is equipped with a valve group, a connector, and a flexible pipe (7). The end of the flexible pipe (7) facing away from the submersible is connected to the jettison oil cylinder. The piston (8-4) of the ejection cylinder divides the cylinder chamber into a rod chamber (8-5) and a rodless chamber (8-6). The rodless chamber (8-6) is connected to a flexible tube (7) and is also connected to a vent connector (8-1) and an oil filling port (8-2); the rod chamber (8-5) contains a spring (8-3) and is connected to a compensator (9). When the piston (8-4) moves toward the ballast jettison (10), it triggers the ballast jettison (10) to jettison the load; The discharge method includes the following steps: Preparing to dive: The rodless chamber (8-6) is full of oil; Descent phase: Without the intervention of the submariner, the piston (8-4) is compressed by the seawater pressure and the compensating oil pressure acting on the piston (8-4) located at the inner end face of the rod chamber (8-5). The piston (8-4) moves towards the rodless chamber (8-6) until the internal pressure of the rodless chamber (8-6) is equivalent to the external seawater pressure. At this time, the flexible tube (7) bears the internal pressure and the weak external pressure, the external connector (5) bears the external seawater pressure, and the internal pressure is normal, so that there is no high pressure inside the manned cabin (11) during the descent. First jettison: After diving to the expected depth, the submariner performs the first jettison, opens the manual shut-off valve (3), presses the manual pump (1), and the high-pressure oil flows through the manual shut-off valve (3), the internal connector (4), the external connector (5), the check valve, and the flexible tube (7) in sequence, and enters the rodless chamber (8-6), pushing the piston (8-4) to extend into the rod chamber (8-5) and triggering the ballast jettison (10); Second jettison: After the underwater work is completed, the second jettison is carried out before surfacing. The submariner opens the manual shut-off valve (3) and presses the manual pump (1). The high-pressure oil passes through the manual shut-off valve (3), the internal connector (4), the external connector (5), the check valve, and the flexible tube (7) in sequence, and enters the rodless chamber (8-6). This pushes the piston (8-4) to extend into the rod chamber (8-5) and triggers the ballast jettisoning device (10). Ascent Phase: During the ascent of the submersible, the external seawater pressure gradually decreases, and the internal pressure of the rodless chamber (8-6) pushes the piston (8-4) to move towards the rod chamber (8-5); when the submersible rises to the sea surface, the piston (8-4) returns to its initial position, and the piston rod pushes towards the ballast jettison (10) during this process, which is manually controlled by the submersible operator to trigger the ballast jettison action; In case of equipment failure, the backup load shedding method is as follows: During the triggering of the ballast ejection device (10), the oil in the rod chamber (8-5) enters the compensator (9). If the compensator (9) is damaged, the oil in the rodless chamber (8-6) will not enter the compensator (9) and will be directly discharged into the seawater environment.

2. The jettisoning method for a manned submersible as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The load dumping oil circuit includes: Manual pump (1), located inside the submersible cabin, Manual shut-off valve (3), located inside the submersible chamber, The in-cabin connector (4) is located inside the submersible cabin, on the output side of the manual shut-off valve (3). External connector (5), located outside the submersible cabin, The check valve is located on the output side of the external connector (5), and the output end of the check valve is connected to the flexible tube (7).

3. The jettisoning method for manned submersibles as described in claim 2, characterized in that: Both the internal connector (4) and the external connector (5) have sealing structures.

4. The jettisoning method for a manned submersible as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The check valve is provided in at least two places, with a tapered fit between the valve core and the valve seat; adjacent check valves are connected by a sealing-resistant screw structure.

5. The jettisoning method for a manned submersible as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A trigger gap is reserved between the piston rod of the ballast ejection cylinder and the ballast ejection component (10).

6. The jettisoning method for a manned submersible as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The compensator (9) is a pressure compensator (9) or a submersible cylinder.

7. The jettisoning method for a manned submersible as described in claim 1, characterized in that: When the ballast cylinder is in its initial state, the spring (8-3) is in its initial state; when the rod chamber (8-5) is compressed, the spring (8-3) is compressed along with the piston (8-4).

8. The jettisoning method for a manned submersible as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A pressure gauge (2) is connected between the manual pump (1) and the manual shut-off valve (3).

9. The jettisoning method for a manned submersible as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The preparations for the submersible to descend are as follows: Open the vent connector (8-1), Oil is filled into the rodless chamber (8-6) through the oil filling port (8-2) to purge air, until the piston (8-4) and spring (8-3) come into contact, and the spring (8-3) is in its initial state. Close the vent connector (8-1) and prepare to descend.

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