Underwater auxiliary docking device with guidance function and operation method

Abstract

The present invention relates to an underwater auxiliary docking device with a guiding function and an operating method, comprising a carrier structure, a propulsion system, an observation and communication system, a control system, a docking plane leveling system, and a lifting and traction system. The carrier structure serves as the structural foundation, the propulsion system enables underwater movement, the observation and communication system provides light source and image information, and provides a basis for the operation of the docking plane leveling system, the control system enables personnel manipulation and automatic control on the surface platform, the docking plane leveling system can achieve leveling of the docking plane, and the lifting and traction system can achieve rapid underwater shuttle and docking of a rescue submersible. Through the coordinated operation of the above-mentioned systems, the rescue submersible is assisted in carrying out rescue operations, the rescue process is simplified, the shuttle speed and docking speed of the rescue submersible are improved, time consumption is reduced, the rescue cycle is shortened, and the rescue efficiency is comprehensively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of underwater rescue of deep-sea manned equipment, and in particular to an underwater auxiliary docking device with a guiding function and an operating method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With increasing demand in marine engineering, marine resource development, and marine scientific research, large-scale deep-sea manned submersibles, such as deep-sea in-situ systems and deep-sea space stations, with crews ranging from dozens to hundreds, have seen rapid development. Due to the complex deep-sea environment, these submersibles run the risk of malfunctioning during operations and being unable to return to the surface, directly threatening the safety of personnel and causing significant losses.

[0003] When a large deep-sea manned submersible crashes, a rescue submersible is typically deployed. This submersible docks with the crashed submersible's rescue platform via a docking system. Multiple rescue dives are required to transfer all trapped personnel from the crashed submersible to a surface vessel in batches. Because the submersible carries limited energy, oxygen, and supplies, efficiency is crucial for a successful rescue. The underwater shuttle between the submersible and the crashed submersible, as well as the underwater docking between the submersible and the rescue platform, are key steps in the rescue process. During each dive, the submersible repeatedly searches for the crashed submersible, then uses acoustic guidance to navigate to the vicinity of the submersible for docking and personnel transfer. During underwater docking, due to the complex and diverse seafloor topography and the angle between the rescue platform and the crashed submersible, the submersible must adjust the position and angle between the docking system and the rescue platform during each dive. Due to the complexities of the deep-sea environment, such as acoustic fields and current speeds, these two processes are subject to significant uncertainty, often consuming significant time and significantly reducing rescue efficiency. Therefore, the speed at which the rescue submersible shuttles back and forth between the surface and the distressed submersible, as well as the speed at which the rescue submersible docks with the distressed submersible's lifesaving platform, are the primary factors influencing rescue efficiency.

[0004] Publication number CN107161306B proposes a detachable double-spherical shell docking skirt with a buffer device. By separating the docking skirt, the docking skirt does not need to be rotated during each rescue operation, reducing the difficulty of each round-trip docking of the rescue submersible. Publication number CN 201520405 U proposes an underwater docking channel device capable of docking at any angle between 0° and 180°. Both of these devices achieve the goal of reducing docking difficulty by facilitating docking angle adjustment. However, docking angle adjustment is only a small part of the rescue process. Further improvements are needed to reduce time consumption and improve overall rescue efficiency by considering the shuttle speed and docking speed of the rescue submersible. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In response to the shortcomings of the above-mentioned existing production technology, the applicant provides an underwater auxiliary docking device and operation method with a guiding function, which can conveniently assist the rescue submersible in carrying out rescue, simplify the rescue process, increase the shuttle speed and docking speed of the rescue submersible, reduce time consumption, shorten the rescue cycle, and comprehensively improve the rescue efficiency.

[0006] The technical solutions adopted in the present invention are as follows:

[0007] An underwater auxiliary docking device with a guiding function comprises a transfer cabin, a docking skirt is installed at the bottom of the transfer cabin, a carrier frame is welded to the top of the transfer cabin, a No. 1 buoyancy block is fixed to the carrier frame, and a No. 2 buoyancy block is fixed to the transfer skirt; a docking platform is provided in the middle of the No. 1 buoyancy block, four horizontal thrusters are installed on the periphery of the transfer cabin, and symmetrical vertical thrusters are installed on the surrounding arms of the docking platform; a bow pan-tilt is installed at the bottom of the No. 1 buoyancy block, a bow underwater light and a bow camera are fixed to the bow pan-tilt via a bracket, an in-cabin camera, an in-cabin pan-tilt and an in-cabin lighting lamp are installed inside the transfer cabin, and an in-skirt camera, an in-skirt pan-tilt and an in-skirt underwater light are installed inside the docking skirt;

[0008] The power distribution cabin and control cabin are installed on the carrier frame;

[0009] The docking platform is set on the top of the transfer cabin. A pair of rotating motors are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the transfer cabin. The output end of the rotating motor is connected to the oil cylinder. A telescopic rod is provided in the oil cylinder. The end of the telescopic rod is welded to the fixed ring. The docking skirt is connected to the fixed ring through the surrounding wall. The extension and retraction of the telescopic rod realizes the axial movement of the docking skirt along the oil cylinder. A hydraulic source is also fixed on the transfer cabin through a bracket.

[0010] It also includes a winch cabin fixed to the carrier frame, with a connecting circular tube provided on the bulkhead of the winch cabin, which is connected to the bulkhead of the docking platform through the connecting circular tube to form a spatial connection domain; a winch is arranged in the winch cabin, and multiple layers of optoelectronic composite cables are wound on the winch in an orderly manner.

[0011] Its further technical solution is:

[0012] The transfer cabin is a pressure-bearing structure.

[0013] The structure of the transfer cabin is as follows: it includes a transfer cabin body, a No. 1 fence is provided on the top surface of the transfer cabin body, a No. 2 fence is provided on the side surface, and a No. 3 fence is provided on the bottom surface. A No. 1 hatch cover is sealed installed at the No. 1 fence, a No. 2 hatch cover is sealed installed at the No. 2 fence, and a No. 3 hatch cover is sealed installed at the No. 3 fence.

[0014] The seawater pump is fixed on the transfer cabin body through a bracket, and the seawater pump and the No. 3 fence are connected through pipelines to realize filling and drainage in the docking skirt; the high-pressure air bottle is connected to the No. 3 fence through a pipeline. When the docking skirt is drained, air is added to the docking skirt to form a normal pressure environment in the docking skirt.

[0015] The docking platform is welded to the transfer cabin through the surrounding wall, and the axis of the docking platform is collinear with the vertical axis of the transfer cabin.

[0016] It also includes a cable position maintaining mechanism, which consists of a slide rail, a guide rail, and a drive motor. The slide rail is fixed to the top of the winch cabin, and the winch is suspended on the slide rail through a hanger. There are two guide rails, which are arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal section of the winch cabin, fixed to the bottom of the winch cabin, and pass through the guide holes provided on the winch. One end of the drive motor is fixed to the end cover of the winch cabin, and the other end is a worm gear. The drive motor drives the winch to move in the opposite direction of the winch cable guide frame to ensure that the axis of the optoelectronic composite cable coincides with the axis of the connecting round tube on the wall of the winch cabin, thereby achieving stability in the winch cable retraction and release, and ultimately achieving stability in the underwater shuttle of the rescue submersible.

[0017] It also includes a steering mechanism, which consists of a bogie and a steering pulley. The bogie is connected to the inner side of the wall of the docking platform through a detachable bracket that can be quickly disassembled and assembled. The steering pulley is arranged in the bogie. The optoelectronic composite cable changes direction by 90 degrees through the steering pulley, and ensures that the optoelectronic composite cable is always in the center position of the docking platform after passing through the steering pulley.

[0018] The buoy is set at the end of the photoelectric composite cable and is fixed to the bogie by the pre-tightening force applied to the photoelectric composite cable by a winch. A signal transmitter is provided on the top of the buoy. After surfacing, it continuously transmits signals to facilitate the search of the surface platform.

[0019] A distance sensor is installed on the bottom outer ring of the docking skirt.

[0020] An operating method of an underwater auxiliary docking device with a guiding function includes the following operating steps:

[0021] Step 1: Deploy the underwater auxiliary docking device from the surface platform;

[0022] Step 2: The surface personnel operate the underwater auxiliary docking device to the vicinity of the crashed submersible;

[0023] Step 3: The surface personnel observe the position of the rescue platform of the crashed submersible through the bow camera and preliminarily determine whether the docking skirt needs to be adjusted. If the position of the docking skirt needs to be adjusted, proceed to step 4. If the position of the docking skirt does not need to be adjusted, proceed directly to step 5.

[0024] Step 4: The surface personnel manipulate or start the automatic adjustment program for the docking skirt position. The control system first controls the hydraulic source to drive the telescopic rod in the oil cylinder to extend outward, driving the docking skirt to move, and the upper surface of the docking skirt wall is separated from the lower surface of the No. 3 fence. After moving into position, the control system controls the rotation motor to drive the docking skirt to rotate 90 degrees, and controls the hydraulic source to drive the telescopic rod in the oil cylinder to retract, driving the docking skirt to move closer to the No. 2 fence until the upper surface of the docking skirt wall overlaps with the lower surface of the No. 2 fence and is pressed tightly to achieve a seal.

[0025] Step 5: The surface personnel control or start the automatic centering program of the skirt opening. First, the control system uses the image recognition and center of gravity keeping algorithm of the camera inside the skirt, and under the coordinated action of the propulsion system, always keeps the center of the skirt opening of the docking skirt coincident with the center of the rescue platform of the wrecked submersible. Then, the control system controls the two rotating pairs of the docking skirt to rotate according to the data of the distance sensors until the values ​​of the four distance sensors are consistent, that is, the skirt opening plane of the docking skirt is parallel to the rescue platform of the wrecked submersible. Finally, the control system controls the propulsion system to adjust the position of the device of the present invention so that the skirt opening of the docking skirt approaches the rescue platform of the wrecked submersible until the skirt opening plane of the docking skirt is in contact with the rescue platform of the wrecked submersible.

[0026] Step 6: Control the seawater pump to discharge seawater, and at the same time control the high-pressure air bottle to replenish air into the docking skirt to form a normal pressure environment and complete the docking;

[0027] Step 7: Open hatch cover No. 2 or No. 3, and the first group of people to be rescued enter the transfer cabin;

[0028] Step 8: Operate the winch to release the photoelectric composite cable, the buoy floats up and surfaces, and the signal transmitter on the buoy automatically and periodically transmits a signal;

[0029] Step 9: After the surface platform receives the signal from the buoy, it will pick up the buoy according to the signal position and connect the optical-electric composite cable to the inner center position of the rescue submersible docking device;

[0030] Step 10: The driver and lifeguard enter the rescue submersible, deploy the rescue submersible into the water, and the rescue submersible is in a positive buoyancy state;

[0031] Step 11: Turn on the automatic cable retraction function, and the winch starts to retract the cable. According to the data of the cable length counter built into the winch, the rescue submersible is quickly pulled down to the top of the docking platform and the cable retraction speed is gradually slowed down. The cable retraction is continued until the docking device of the rescue submersible is docked with the docking platform.

[0032] Step 12: The rescue submersible driver removes the seawater from the rescue submersible docking device and replenishes air. The lifeguard enters the rescue submersible docking device, quickly removes the guide mechanism, and opens the No. 1 hatch cover.

[0033] Step 13: The first group of people to be rescued in the transfer cabin are transferred to the rescue submersible. At the same time, the second group of people to be rescued enter the transfer cabin from the crashed submersible. The rescuer closes the No. 1 hatch and quickly installs the guide mechanism.

[0034] Step 14: Turn on the automatic cable-releasing function, the winch starts to release the cable, the rescue submersible detaches from the docking platform, and quickly rises to the surface;

[0035] Step 15: Recover the rescue submersible and transfer the rescued personnel to the surface platform;

[0036] Step 16: Repeat steps 6 to 11 until all persons in the wrecked submersible are rescued;

[0037] Step 17: Maneuver the device of the present invention to float to the water surface and recover it.

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

[0039] The present invention has a compact and reasonable structure and is easy to operate. Through the mutual cooperation between the carrier structure, propulsion system, observation system, control system, docking plane leveling system and lifting and traction system, it can conveniently assist the rescue submersible in carrying out rescue, simplify the rescue process, increase the shuttle speed and docking speed of the rescue submersible, reduce time consumption, shorten the rescue cycle, and comprehensively improve the rescue efficiency.

[0040] At the same time, the present invention also has the following advantages:

[0041] 1) The present invention provides a docking plane horizontalization system that can achieve horizontalization of the docking plane at docking angles exceeding 90 degrees, providing a horizontal, standard docking plane. This eliminates the need for the rescue submersible to adjust the docking angle, significantly reducing the difficulty of docking.

[0042] 2) The present invention provides a lifting and traction system to achieve strong constraint guidance for the rescue submersible, enabling the rescue submersible to quickly shuttle between the water surface and the wrecked submersible. This avoids the uncertainty and uncontrollability of traditional guided free navigation, increases the shuttle speed, significantly shortens the shuttle time, and improves rescue efficiency.

[0043] 3) The present invention achieves rapid underwater docking of rescue submersibles by integrating the docking plane leveling system with the lifting and traction system, avoiding the uncertainty and uncontrollability of underwater angled docking, increasing docking speed, significantly shortening docking time, and improving rescue efficiency;

[0044] 4) The present invention greatly simplifies the rescue process, reduces the functional requirements of the rescue submersible, the operating ability requirements of personnel, and the operating intensity of personnel. While improving the rescue efficiency, the operation is simpler and the labor intensity is lower. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 2 It is a side view of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 3 It is a right side view of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 5 It is a top view of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the cable position maintaining mechanism and the steering mechanism in the present invention.

[0051] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the working state of the present invention without adjusting the position of the docking skirt.

[0052] Figure 8 This is a working schematic diagram after the position of the docking skirt is adjusted according to the present invention.

[0053] The following are the components: 1. Transfer cabin; 2. Carrier frame; 3. Buoyancy block No. 1; 4. Horizontal thruster; 5. Cylinder; 6. Telescopic rod; 7. Fixing ring; 8. Buoyancy block No. 2; 10. Docking skirt; 11. Bow underwater light; 12. Bow pan / tilt; 13. Bow camera; 14. Power distribution cabin; 15. Winch cabin; 16. Control cabin; 17. Hydraulic source; 18. Rotating motor; 19. High-pressure air bottle; 20. Seawater pump; 21. Photoelectric Composite cable; 22. Vertical thruster; 23. Buoy; 24. Docking platform; 25. Removable bracket; 26. Winch; 27. Hatch cover No. 1; 28. Hatch cover No. 2; 29. ​​Hatch cover No. 3; 30. Skirt camera; 31. Skirt pan / tilt; 32. Skirt underwater light; 33. Cabin camera; 34. Cabin pan / tilt; 35. Cabin lighting; 36. Steering mechanism; 37. Slide rail; 38. Guide rail; 39. Drive motor;

[0054] 101. Transfer cabin; 102. Fence No. 1; 103. Fence No. 2; 104. Fence No. 3;

[0055] 3601. Bogie; 3602. Steering pulley. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0057] like Figures 1-8As shown, the underwater auxiliary docking device with a guiding function of this embodiment includes a transfer cabin 1, a docking skirt 10 is installed at the bottom of the transfer cabin 1, a carrier frame 2 is welded to the top of the transfer cabin 1, a No. 1 buoyancy block 3 is fixed on the carrier frame 2, and a No. 2 buoyancy block 8 is fixed on the transfer skirt 10; a docking platform 24 is provided in the middle position of the No. 1 buoyancy block 3, four horizontal thrusters 4 are installed on the periphery of the transfer cabin 1, and symmetrical vertical thrusters 22 are installed on the surrounding arms of the docking platform 24; a bow pan-tilt platform 12 is installed at the bottom of the No. 1 buoyancy block 3, a bow underwater light 11 and a bow camera 13 are fixed on the bow pan-tilt platform 12 through a bracket, an in-cabin camera 33, an in-cabin pan-tilt platform 34 and an in-cabin lighting lamp 35 are installed inside the transfer cabin 1, and an in-skirt camera 30, an in-skirt pan-tilt platform 31 and an in-skirt underwater light 32 are installed inside the docking skirt 10;

[0058] The power distribution cabin 14 and the control cabin 16 are mounted on the carrier frame 2;

[0059] The docking platform 24 is provided on the top of the transfer cabin 1. A pair of rotating motors 18 are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the transfer cabin 1. The output end of the rotating motor 18 is connected to the oil cylinder 5. A telescopic rod 6 is provided in the oil cylinder 5. The end of the telescopic rod 6 is welded to the fixed ring 7. The docking skirt 10 is connected to the fixed ring 7 through the surrounding wall. The extension and retraction of the telescopic rod 6 realizes the axial movement of the docking skirt 10 along the oil cylinder 5. A hydraulic source 17 is also fixed to the transfer cabin 1 through a bracket.

[0060] It also includes a winch cabin 15 fixed to the carrier frame 2. A connecting circular tube is provided on the bulkhead of the winch cabin 15, which is connected to the bulkhead of the docking platform through the connecting circular tube to form a spatially connected domain; a winch 26 is arranged in the winch cabin 15, and a multi-layer optoelectronic composite cable 21 is wound around the winch 26 in an orderly manner.

[0061] The transfer cabin 1 is a pressure-bearing structure.

[0062] The structure of the transfer cabin 1 is as follows: it includes a transfer cabin body 101, the top surface of the transfer cabin body 101 is provided with a No. 1 fence 102, the side is provided with a No. 2 fence 103, and the bottom is provided with a No. 3 fence 104. The No. 1 fence 102 is sealed with a No. 1 hatch cover 27, the No. 2 fence 103 is sealed with a No. 2 hatch cover 28, and the No. 3 fence 104 is sealed with a No. 3 hatch cover 29.

[0063] The seawater pump 20 is fixed to the transfer cabin body 101 through a bracket, and the seawater pump 20 is connected to the No. 3 fence 104 through a pipeline to realize filling and draining of water in the docking skirt 10; the high-pressure air bottle 19 is connected to the No. 3 fence 104 through a pipeline. When the docking skirt 10 is drained, air is added to the docking skirt 10 to form a normal pressure environment in the docking skirt 10.

[0064] The docking platform 24 is welded to the transfer cabin 1 through the surrounding wall, and the axis of the docking platform 24 is collinear with the vertical axis of the transfer cabin 1 .

[0065] It also includes a cable position maintaining mechanism, which consists of a slide rail 37, a guide rail 38, and a drive motor 39. The slide rail 37 is fixed to the top of the winch cabin 15, and the winch 26 is suspended on the slide rail 37 through a hanger; there are two guide rails 38, which are arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal section of the winch cabin 15, fixed to the bottom of the winch cabin 15, and pass through the guide hole provided on the winch 26; one end of the drive motor 39 is fixed to the end cover of the winch cabin 15, and the other end is a worm gear. The drive motor 39 drives the winch 26 to move in the opposite direction of the winch 26 cable guide frame, ensuring that the axis of the optoelectronic composite cable 21 coincides with the axis of the connecting round tube on the wall of the winch cabin 15, thereby achieving the stability of the winch 26 in retracting and releasing the cable, and ultimately achieving the stability of the underwater shuttle of the rescue submersible.

[0066] It also includes a steering mechanism 36, which consists of a bogie 3601 and a steering pulley 3602. The bogie 3601 is connected to the inner side of the wall of the docking platform 24 through a detachable bracket 25 that can be quickly disassembled and assembled. The steering pulley 3602 is arranged in the bogie 3601. The optoelectronic composite cable 21 changes direction by 90 degrees through the steering pulley 3602, and ensures that the optoelectronic composite cable 21 is always in the center position of the docking platform 24 after passing through the steering pulley 3602.

[0067] The buoy 23 is set at the end of the optoelectronic composite cable 21 and is fixed on the bogie 3601 by the pre-tightening force applied to the optoelectronic composite cable 21 by the winch 26. A signal transmitter is provided on the top of the buoy 23. After surfacing, it continuously transmits signals to facilitate the search of the surface platform.

[0068] A distance sensor is installed on the bottom outer ring of the docking skirt 10.

[0069] The specific structure and functions of the underwater auxiliary docking device with a guiding function of this embodiment are as follows:

[0070] It mainly includes carrier structure, propulsion system, observation and communication system, control system, docking plane leveling system and lifting and traction system.

[0071] The carrier structure includes a transfer cabin 1, a carrier frame 2, a No. 1 buoyancy block 3 and a No. 2 buoyancy block 8.

[0072] Among them, the transfer cabin 1 is a pressure-bearing structure, which consists of a transfer cabin body 101, fence No. 1 102, fence No. 2 103 and fence No. 3 104. A hatch cover is set on each fence (fence No. 1 102 is provided with hatch cover No. 1 27, fence No. 2 103 is provided with hatch cover No. 28, fence No. 3 104 is provided with hatch cover No. 3 29), which together constitute a closed space that can withstand external pressure.

[0073] The carrier frame 2 is welded to the transfer cabin 1 to form a whole, forming the basic structure of the device of the present invention.

[0074] The No. 1 buoyancy block 3 is fixed on the carrier frame 2, and the No. 2 buoyancy block 8 is fixed on the docking skirt 10. The two together provide fixed buoyancy for the device of the present invention, ensuring that the device is balanced in the water. At the same time, the No. 2 buoyancy block 8 also ensures that the docking skirt 10 is balanced in the water. When the position of the docking skirt 10 changes, it will not affect the stability of the device of the present invention, thereby ensuring the stability of the device of the present invention during underwater operations.

[0075] The propulsion system includes four horizontal thrusters 4 and two vertical thrusters 22. The horizontal thrusters 4 are fixed to the transfer cabin hull 101 via mounting brackets, while the vertical thrusters 22 are fixed to the wall of the docking platform 24 via mounting brackets. Each thruster is connected to the control cabin 16 via cables. Surface manipulation enables the device to move forward, backward, move left, move right, turn left, turn right, ascend, descend, tilt left, and tilt right. Furthermore, the control system's thrust distribution algorithm enables automatic motion control functions such as automatic orientation, automatic depth and altitude control, and underwater hovering.

[0076] Among them, the observation and communication system includes three parts. The first part is the bow underwater light 11, bow pan-tilt platform 12 and bow camera 13 arranged at the bow of the device of the present invention. The bow pan-tilt platform 12 is installed and fixed on the bottom of the No. 1 buoyancy block 3. The bow underwater light 11 and bow camera 13 are installed and fixed on the bow pan-tilt platform 12 through a mounting bracket, which are used to perceive the surrounding environment of the device of the present invention. The second part is an in-cabin camera 33, an in-cabin pan-tilt platform 34 and an in-cabin lighting lamp 35 arranged in the transfer cabin body 101. The in-cabin pan-tilt platform 34 is fixed to the transfer cabin body 101 through a mounting bracket. The in-cabin camera 33 and the in-cabin lighting lamp 35 are fixed to the in-cabin pan-tilt platform 34 through a mounting bracket. They mainly provide light source for personnel transfer and cooperate with the observation equipment in the docking rotary skirt 10 to observe the entire process of personnel transfer; the third part is an in-skirt camera 30, an in-skirt pan-tilt platform 31, an in-skirt underwater light 32 and a distance sensor 9 arranged in the docking rotary skirt 10. The in-skirt pan-tilt platform 31 is fixed to the wall of the docking rotary skirt 10 through a mounting bracket. The in-skirt camera 30 and the in-skirt underwater light 32 are fixed to the in-skirt pan-tilt platform 31 through a mounting bracket. The in-skirt underwater light 32 provides light source for imaging of the in-skirt camera 30. The in-skirt camera 30 uses an image recognition algorithm and, under the coordinated action of the propulsion system, ensures that the skirt opening of the docking rotary skirt 10 is concentric with the rescue platform of the wrecked submersible. There are four distance sensors (not marked in the figure), which are evenly arranged around the skirt opening of the docking skirt 10 through the installation bracket. Based on the distance data of the four distance sensors (not marked in the figure), the position and posture relationship between the rescue platform of the wrecked submersible and the skirt opening of the docking skirt 10 of the device of the present invention is obtained through a spatial position algorithm, providing input for the operation of the docking plane horizontalization system.

[0077] Among them, the control system includes a distribution cabin 14 and a control cabin 16 arranged on the carrier frame 2. The propulsion system, observation system, docking plane leveling system and lifting and traction system are connected to the distribution cabin 14 and the control cabin 16 through cables. The distribution cabin 14 and the control cabin 16 are connected to the surface platform through an umbilical cable to provide energy and control signals for the device of the present invention, so as to realize the manipulation and automatic control of personnel on the surface platform.

[0078] The docking plane horizontalization system includes a docking platform 24, a docking skirt 10, a rotating motor 18, a cylinder 5, a telescopic rod 6, a fixing ring 7, a hydraulic source 17, a seawater pump 20, and a high-pressure air bottle 19. The docking platform 24 is mounted on the top of the transfer chamber 1 and welded to the transfer chamber hull 101 via a surrounding wall. The axis of the docking platform 24 is collinear with the vertical axis of the transfer chamber 1. Two rotating motors 18 are symmetrically arranged about the mid-longitudinal section of the device. One end of each motor 18 is connected to a base mounted on the transfer chamber hull 101, and the other end is connected to the cylinder 5. Controlling the rotation of the rotating motor 18 via a control system enables 90-degree rotation of the cylinder 5. A telescopic rod 6 is installed within the cylinder 5. The end of the telescopic rod 6 is welded to the fixing ring 7. The docking skirt 10 is connected to the fixing ring 7 via the surrounding wall, ultimately connecting the docking skirt 10 to the transfer chamber hull 101. The control system controls the extension and retraction of the telescopic rod 6 to achieve axial movement of the docking skirt 10 along the cylinder 5. The docking skirt 10 is equipped with two sets of rotating pairs, which respectively adjust the inclination and orientation of the skirt opening of the docking skirt 10. The hydraulic source 17 is connected to the transfer cabin body 101 via a bracket, providing hydraulic power for the extension and retraction of the telescopic rod 6 and the seawater pump 20. The seawater pump 20 is fixed to the transfer cabin body 101 via a bracket and, under the control of the control system, completes the filling and drainage of the docking skirt 10; the high-pressure air bottle 19 is connected to the No. 3 fence 104 via a pipeline. Under the control of the control system, when the docking skirt 10 is drained, air is added to the docking skirt 10, so that a normal pressure environment is formed in the docking skirt 10. Through the coordination of various devices in the docking plane horizontalization system, the docking plane can be horizontalized, providing a horizontal docking plane for the rescue submersible and forming a normal pressure environment.

[0079] The lifting and traction system includes a winch cabin 15, a winch 26, a cable position-maintaining mechanism, a steering mechanism 36, and a buoy 23. The winch cabin 15 is mounted on a bracket of the carrier frame 2. A connecting circular tube is provided on the bulkhead of the winch cabin 15, connecting it to the bulkhead of the docking platform through the connecting circular tube, forming a spatially connected domain. A winch 26 is installed within the winch cabin 15 and secured therein by a cable position-maintaining mechanism. Multiple layers of optical fiber composite cable 21 are wound around the winch 26 in an orderly fashion. The winch 26's motor is controlled by a control system to retract and extend the optical fiber composite cable 21. The cable position maintaining mechanism consists of a slide rail 37, a guide rail 38, and a drive motor 39. The slide rail 37 is fixed to the top of the winch cabin 15, and the winch 26 is suspended on the slide rail 37 through a hanger; there are two guide rails 38, which are arranged symmetrically about the longitudinal section of the winch cabin 15, fixed to the bottom of the winch cabin 15, and pass through the guide hole set on the winch 26; one end of the drive motor 39 is fixed to the end cover of the winch cabin 15, and the other end is a worm. Under the control of the control system, the drive motor 39 drives the winch 26 to move in the opposite direction of the winch 26 cable guide frame to ensure that the axis of the optoelectronic composite cable 21 coincides with the axis of the connecting round tube on the wall of the winch cabin 15, thereby achieving the stability of the winch 26 cable retraction and release, and ultimately achieving the stability of the rescue submersible underwater shuttle. The steering mechanism 36 consists of a bogie 3601 and a diverting pulley 3602. The bogie 3601 is connected to the inner wall of the docking platform 24 via a quickly removable bracket 25. The diverting pulley 3602 is located within the bogie 3601. The diverting pulley 3602 allows the optical fiber cable 21 to change direction 90 degrees, ensuring that the optical fiber cable 21 remains centered on the docking platform 24 after passing through the diverting pulley 3602. A buoy 23 is located at the end of the optical fiber cable 21 and is secured to the bogie 3601 by a preload applied by a winch 26. A signal transmitter is located on top of the buoy 23. After surfacing, it continuously transmits signals, facilitating searches for surface platforms.

[0080] The actual work process is completed through the following steps:

[0081] Step 1: Deploy the underwater auxiliary docking device from the surface platform;

[0082] Step 2: The surface personnel operate the underwater auxiliary docking device to the vicinity of the crashed submersible;

[0083] Step 3: The surface personnel observe the position of the rescue platform of the crashed submersible through the bow camera 13, and preliminarily determine whether the docking skirt 10 needs to be adjusted. If the position of the docking skirt 10 needs to be adjusted, the process proceeds to step 4. If the position of the docking skirt 10 does not need to be adjusted, the process proceeds directly to step 5.

[0084] Step 4: The surface personnel manipulate or start the automatic adjustment program for the docking skirt position. The control system first controls the hydraulic source 17 to drive the telescopic rod 6 in the oil cylinder 5 to extend outward, thereby driving the docking skirt 10 to move, and the upper surface of the wall of the docking skirt 10 is separated from the lower surface of the third fence 104; after moving into position, the control system controls the rotating motor 18 to drive the docking skirt 10 to rotate 90 degrees, and controls the hydraulic source 17 to drive the telescopic rod 6 in the oil cylinder 5 to retract, thereby driving the docking skirt 10 to move closer to the second fence 103, until the upper surface of the wall of the docking skirt 10 overlaps with the lower surface of the second fence 103 and is pressed tightly to achieve a seal;

[0085] Step 5: The surface personnel control or start the automatic centering program of the skirt plane. First, the control system uses the image recognition and center of gravity maintenance algorithm of the camera 30 inside the skirt, and under the coordinated action of the propulsion system, always keeps the skirt center of the docking rotatable skirt 10 coincident with the center of the wrecked submarine rescue platform; then, the control system controls the two rotating pairs of the docking rotatable skirt 10 to rotate according to the data of the distance sensor 9 until the values ​​of the four distance sensors 9 are consistent, that is, the skirt plane of the docking rotatable skirt 10 is parallel to the wrecked submarine rescue platform; finally, the control system controls the propulsion system to adjust the position of the device of the present invention so that the skirt of the docking rotatable skirt 10 approaches the wrecked submarine rescue platform (in this process, the automatic centering program always keeps the skirt center of the docking rotatable skirt 10 coincident with the center of the wrecked submarine rescue platform and the two planes are parallel), until the skirt plane of the docking rotatable skirt 10 is in contact with the wrecked submarine rescue platform;

[0086] Step 6: Control the seawater pump 20 to discharge seawater, and at the same time control the high-pressure air bottle 19 to add air into the docking skirt 10 to form a normal pressure environment, completing the docking. The device of the present invention forms a whole with the wrecked submersible, and the rescue platform is in a horizontal state, realizing the horizontalization of the docking plane, providing a horizontal docking plane for the rescue submersible;

[0087] Step 7: Open hatch cover No. 2 28 / hatch cover No. 3 29, and the first group of people to be rescued enter the transfer cabin 1;

[0088] Step 8: Control the winch 26 to release the optical-electric composite cable 21, and the buoy 23 floats up to the surface of the water. The signal transmitter on the buoy 23 automatically and periodically transmits a signal;

[0089] Step 9: After the surface platform receives the signal from the buoy 23, it picks up the buoy 23 according to the signal position and connects the optoelectronic composite cable 21 to the inner center position of the rescue submersible docking device;

[0090] Step 10: The driver and lifeguard enter the rescue submersible, deploy the rescue submersible into the water, and the rescue submersible is in a positive buoyancy state;

[0091] Step 11: The automatic cable reeling function is turned on, and the winch 26 starts to reel in the cable. According to the data of the cable length counter built into the winch 26, the rescue submersible is quickly lowered to the top of the docking platform 24 and the cable reeling speed is gradually slowed down. The cable reeling is continued until the docking device of the rescue submersible is docked with the docking platform 24.

[0092] Step 12: The rescue submersible driver removes the seawater from the rescue submersible docking device and replenishes air. The lifeguard enters the rescue submersible docking device, quickly removes the steering mechanism 36, and opens the No. 1 hatch cover 27;

[0093] Step 13: The first group of people to be rescued in the transfer chamber 1 are transferred to the rescue submersible. At the same time, the second group of people to be rescued enter the transfer chamber 1 from the wrecked submersible. The rescuer closes the No. 1 hatch cover 27 and quickly installs the steering mechanism 36.

[0094] Step 14: The automatic cable-releasing function is turned on, the winch 26 starts to release the cable, the rescue submersible detaches from the docking platform 24, and quickly rises to the surface;

[0095] Step 15: Recover the rescue submersible and transfer the rescued personnel to the surface platform;

[0096] Step 16: Repeat steps 6 to 11 until all persons in the wrecked submersible are rescued;

[0097] Step 17: Maneuver the device of the present invention to float to the water surface and recover it.

[0098] 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. An underwater auxiliary docking device with a guiding function, characterized in that: The invention comprises a transfer cabin (1), wherein a docking skirt (10) is installed at the bottom of the transfer cabin (1), a carrier frame (2) is welded on the top of the transfer cabin (1), a No. 1 buoyancy block (3) is fixed on the carrier frame (2), and a No. 2 buoyancy block (8) is fixed on the transfer skirt (10); a docking platform (24) is provided in the middle of the No. 1 buoyancy block (3), four horizontal thrusters (4) are installed on the periphery of the transfer cabin (1), and a docking platform (24) is installed on the arm of the docking platform (24). The vertical thruster (22) is called a vertical thruster (22); the bottom of the No. 1 buoyancy block (3) is equipped with a bow pan / tilt (12), a bow underwater light (11) and a bow camera (13) are fixed on the bow pan / tilt (12) through a bracket, an in-cabin camera (33), an in-cabin pan / tilt (34) and an in-cabin lighting lamp (35) are installed inside the transfer cabin (1), and an in-skirt camera (30), an in-skirt pan / tilt (31) and an in-skirt underwater light (32) are installed inside the docking transfer skirt (10); A power distribution cabin (14) and a control cabin (16) are mounted on the carrier frame (2); The docking platform (24) is arranged on the top of the transfer cabin (1), and a pair of rotating motors (18) are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the transfer cabin (1). The output end of the rotating motor (18) is connected to the oil cylinder (5). A telescopic rod (6) is provided in the oil cylinder (5). The end of the telescopic rod (6) is welded to the fixed ring (7). The docking skirt (10) is connected to the fixed ring (7) through the surrounding wall. The telescopic rod (6) is extended and retracted to realize the axial movement of the docking skirt (10) along the oil cylinder (5). A hydraulic source (17) is also fixed on the transfer cabin (1) through a bracket. The invention also includes a winch cabin (15) fixed to the carrier frame (2), wherein a connecting circular tube is provided on the bulkhead of the winch cabin (15), and the connecting circular tube is connected to the bulkhead of the docking platform to form a spatially connected domain; a winch (26) is provided in the winch cabin (15), and a multi-layer optical-electric composite cable (21) is wound on the winch (26) in an orderly manner.

2. The underwater auxiliary docking device with a guiding function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transfer cabin (1) is a pressure-bearing structure.

3. The underwater auxiliary docking device with a guiding function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transfer cabin (1) has a structure comprising a transfer cabin body (101), wherein a No. 1 fence (102) is provided on the top surface of the transfer cabin body (101), a No. 2 fence (103) is provided on the side surface, and a No. 3 fence (104) is provided on the bottom surface; a No. 1 hatch cover (27) is sealedly mounted on the No. 1 fence (102), a No. 2 hatch cover (28) is sealedly mounted on the No. 2 fence (103), and a No. 3 hatch cover (29) is sealedly mounted on the No. 3 fence (104).

4. The underwater auxiliary docking device with a guiding function according to claim 3, characterized in that: The seawater pump (20) is fixed to the transfer cabin body (101) through a bracket, and the seawater pump (20) is connected to the No. 3 fence (104) through a pipeline to realize filling and draining of water in the docking skirt (10); the high-pressure air bottle (19) is connected to the No. 3 fence (104) through a pipeline, and when the docking skirt (10) is drained, air is added to the docking skirt (10), so that a normal pressure environment is formed in the docking skirt (10).

5. The underwater auxiliary docking device with a guiding function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The docking platform (24) is welded to the transfer cabin (1) through the surrounding wall, and the axis of the docking platform (24) is collinear with the vertical axis of the transfer cabin (1).

6. The underwater auxiliary docking device with a guiding function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The invention also includes a cable position maintaining mechanism, which is composed of a slide rail (37), a guide rail (38), and a drive motor (39). The slide rail (37) is fixed to the top of the winch cabin (15), and the winch (26) is suspended on the slide rail (37) through a hanger; there are two guide rails (38), which are symmetrically arranged with respect to the longitudinal section of the winch cabin (15), fixed to the bottom of the winch cabin (15), and pass through the guide hole provided on the winch (26); one end of the drive motor (39) is fixed to the end cover of the winch cabin (15), and the other end is a worm gear. The drive motor (39) drives the winch (26) to move in the opposite direction of the winch (26) cable guide frame, ensuring that the axis of the optical-electric composite cable (21) coincides with the axis of the connecting circular tube on the wall of the winch cabin (15), thereby achieving the stability of the winch (26) in retracting and releasing the cable, and ultimately achieving the stability of the underwater shuttle of the rescue submersible.

7. The underwater auxiliary docking device with a guiding function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The invention also includes a steering mechanism (36), which is composed of a bogie (3601) and a steering pulley (3602). The bogie (3601) is connected to the inner side of the wall of the docking platform (24) through a detachable bracket (25) that can be quickly disassembled and assembled. The steering pulley (3602) is arranged in the bogie (3601). The photoelectric composite cable (21) changes direction by 90 degrees through the steering pulley (3602), and ensures that the photoelectric composite cable (21) is always located at the center position of the docking platform (24) after passing through the steering pulley (3602).

8. The underwater auxiliary docking device with a guiding function according to claim 7, characterized in that: The buoy (23) is arranged at the end of the photoelectric composite cable (21) and is fixed to the bogie (3601) by the pre-tightening force applied to the photoelectric composite cable (21) by the winch (26). A signal transmitter is provided on the top of the buoy (23). After surfacing, the buoy continuously transmits signals to facilitate the search of the surface platform.

9. The underwater auxiliary docking device with a guiding function according to claim 1, characterized in that: A distance sensor is installed on the bottom outer ring of the docking rotating skirt (10).

10. An operating method for the underwater auxiliary docking device with a guiding function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steps are as follows: Step 1: Deploy the underwater auxiliary docking device from the surface platform; Step 2: The surface personnel operate the underwater auxiliary docking device to the vicinity of the crashed submersible; Step 3: The surface personnel observe the position of the rescue platform of the crashed submersible through the bow camera (13), and preliminarily judge whether the docking skirt (10) needs to be adjusted. If the position of the docking skirt (10) needs to be adjusted, then proceed to step 4. If the position of the docking skirt (10) does not need to be adjusted, then proceed directly to step 5. Step 4: The surface personnel controls or starts the automatic adjustment program of the docking skirt position, and the control system first controls the hydraulic source (17) to drive the telescopic rod (6) in the oil cylinder (5) to extend outward, driving the docking skirt (10) to move, and the upper surface of the wall of the docking skirt (10) is separated from the lower surface of the third fence (104); after moving into position, the control system controls the rotating motor (18) to drive the docking skirt (10) to rotate 90 degrees, controls the hydraulic source (17) to drive the telescopic rod (6) in the oil cylinder (5) to retract, and drives the docking skirt (10) to move closer to the second fence (103), until the upper surface of the wall of the docking skirt (10) overlaps and is pressed against the lower surface of the second fence (103), thereby achieving sealing; Step 5: The surface personnel control or start the automatic centering program of the skirt plane. First, the control system uses the image recognition and gravity center keeping algorithm of the camera (30) inside the skirt, and under the coordinated action of the propulsion system, always keeps the skirt center of the docking skirt (10) coincident with the center of the rescue platform of the wrecked submarine. Then, the control system controls the two rotating pairs of the docking skirt (10) to rotate according to the data of the distance sensor until the values ​​of the four distance sensors are consistent, that is, the skirt plane of the docking skirt (10) is parallel to the rescue platform of the wrecked submarine. Finally, the control system controls the propulsion system to adjust the position of the underwater auxiliary docking device so that the skirt of the docking skirt (10) approaches the rescue platform of the wrecked submarine until the skirt plane of the docking skirt (10) fits the rescue platform of the wrecked submarine. Step 6: Control the seawater pump (20) to discharge seawater, and at the same time control the high-pressure air bottle (19) to add air into the docking skirt (10) to form a normal pressure environment and complete the docking; Step 7: Open the No. 2 hatch cover (28) or the No. 3 hatch cover (29), and the first group of people to be rescued enter the transfer cabin (1); Step 8: Control the winch (26) to release the photoelectric composite cable (21), the buoy (23) floats up and surfaces, and the signal transmitter on the buoy (23) automatically and periodically transmits a signal; Step 9: After the surface platform receives the signal from the buoy (23), it picks up the buoy (23) according to the signal position and connects the photoelectric composite cable (21) to the inner center position of the rescue submersible docking device; Step 10: The driver and lifeguard enter the rescue submersible, deploy the rescue submersible into the water, and the rescue submersible is in a positive buoyancy state; Step 11: Turn on the automatic cable retraction function, the winch (26) starts to retract the cable, and according to the data of the cable length counter built into the winch (26), the rescue submersible is quickly pulled down to the top of the docking platform (24) and the cable retraction speed is gradually slowed down, and the cable retraction is continued until the docking device of the rescue submersible is docked with the docking platform (24); Step 12: The rescue submersible driver removes the seawater from the rescue submersible docking device and replenishes air. The lifeguard enters the rescue submersible docking device, quickly removes the guide mechanism (36), and opens the No. 1 hatch cover (27); Step 13: The first group of people to be rescued in the transfer cabin (1) are transferred to the rescue submersible. At the same time, the second group of people to be rescued enter the transfer cabin (1) from the crashed submersible. The rescuer closes the No. 1 hatch cover (27) and quickly installs the guide mechanism (36). Step 14: The automatic cable-releasing function is turned on, the winch (26) starts to release the cable, the rescue submersible is separated from the docking platform (24), and quickly rises to the surface; Step 15: Recover the rescue submersible and transfer the rescued personnel to the surface platform; Step 16: Repeat steps 6 to 11 until all persons in the wrecked submersible are rescued; Step 17: Maneuver the underwater auxiliary docking device to float to the surface and recover it.

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