Deformable flexible rudder for underwater vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a deformable flexible rudder for an underwater vehicle, comprising a rudder bow fixed to the outer surface of the underwater vehicle, the tail end of the rudder bow is bonded to a deformable rudder middle part, the tail end of the rudder middle part is bonded to a rudder tail part, and along the chord length direction of the flexible rudder, the ratio of the length of the rudder bow to the total length of the flexible rudder is greater than 3:10; a through hole is provided in the middle of the rudder bow, and the through hole is used to install a rudder shaft, one end of the rudder shaft is connected to the output end of the steering gear, and the other end of the rudder shaft extends through the through hole to the outside of the rudder bow; a connecting rod is fixed on the outside of the rudder tail, the connecting rod is arranged parallel to the rudder shaft, and the connecting rod and the rudder shaft are connected by a connecting piece. By providing a flexible rudder, the maneuverability of the rudder can be improved, and the rigidity and strength of the overall structure of the rudder can be improved, thereby improving the structural stability between the underwater vehicle and the flexible rudder at high speed, and ensuring the running stability and safety of the underwater vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of underwater vehicles, in particular to a deformable flexible rudder for underwater vehicles. Background Art

[0002] The rudder is the main component for underwater vehicles to achieve maneuvering and motion control. During the navigation process, the underwater vehicle generates corresponding steering force by manipulating components such as rudders and elevators, and combines its own hydrodynamic force to achieve the purpose of maintaining or changing course, depth and trim.

[0003] In the prior art, the rudders used in underwater vehicles are mostly non-deformable rigid rudders, which are fixed to the rudder shaft, and the rudder shaft is connected to the output end of the steering gear. The steering gear drives the rigid rudder to rotate around the rudder shaft through the rudder shaft, so that the rigid rudder forms an attack angle α relative to the incoming flow, and then generates a rudder force F along the normal direction of the rudder surface. Within the effective attack angle range, the higher the speed and the larger the attack angle α, the greater the rudder force F. Since the rigid rudder is only fixedly connected to the steering gear through the rudder shaft, and at the same time, the diameter of the rudder shaft must meet the requirement of being smaller than the thickness of the rudder surface, the rudder, the rudder shaft, and the steering gear form a cantilever beam structure as a whole, which has low structural rigidity and strength, and is prone to vibration and damage when the vehicle is sailing at high speed, resulting in poor structural safety. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the above-mentioned existing production technology, the applicant provides a deformable flexible rudder for an underwater vehicle with a reasonable structure, aiming to solve the problems of low overall structural stiffness, low strength, poor structural stability and safety when the underwater vehicle is sailing at high speed.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A deformable flexible rudder for an underwater vehicle, comprising a rudder bow fixed to the outer surface of the underwater vehicle, the tail end of the rudder bow is bonded to a deformable rudder middle part, the rudder middle part is made of a flexible material, the tail end of the rudder middle part is bonded to a rudder tail part, the rudder tail part and the rudder bow are both made of a rigid material, and along the chord length direction of the flexible rudder, the ratio of the length of the rudder bow to the total length of the flexible rudder is greater than 3:10;

[0007] A through hole is provided in the middle of the rudder head, and the through hole is used to install the rudder shaft, one end of the rudder shaft is connected to the output end of the steering gear, and the other end of the rudder shaft passes through the through hole and extends to the outside of the rudder head;

[0008] A connecting rod is fixed on the outside of the rudder tail, the connecting rod is arranged parallel to the rudder shaft, and the connecting rod and the rudder shaft are connected by a connecting piece;

[0009] The steering gear drives the rudder shaft to rotate, and the rudder shaft drives the connecting rod to rotate around the rotation center of the rudder shaft through the connecting piece, so as to drive the rudder middle part through the rudder tail to realize continuous bending and deformation along the end surface normal.

[0010] As a further improvement of the above technical solution:

[0011] The diameter of the through hole is greater than the diameter of the rudder shaft.

[0012] The middle part of the rudder adopts a silica gel plate.

[0013] The connecting piece is fixed on the outer side wall of the rudder shaft.

[0014] The connecting piece is installed in cooperation with the connecting rod through a bearing.

[0015] The connecting rod and the connecting piece are both made of rigid material.

[0016] The rudder bow and the rudder middle part, and the rudder middle part and the rudder tail part are bonded by using strong glue.

[0017] A plurality of flexible rudders are arranged on opposite sides of the underwater vehicle or on the upper and lower sides.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0019] The present invention has a compact and reasonable structure and is easy to operate. By arranging a flexible rudder, the maneuverability of the rudder can be improved, and the rigidity and strength of the overall structure of the rudder can be improved, thereby improving the structural stability between the underwater vehicle and the flexible rudder at high speeds, and ensuring the stability and safety of the operation of the underwater vehicle.

[0020] The present invention provides a rigid rudder bow portion which is fixedly connected to the underwater vehicle and is used to bear most of the rudder force generated when the underwater vehicle is sailing, thereby greatly reducing the rudder force that the rudder shaft needs to bear, thereby improving the movement stability and structural safety of the underwater vehicle at high speed.

[0021] The present invention can realize continuous bending and deformation along the normal direction of the end surface by arranging a flexible rudder middle part, so that the line shape of the flexible rudder main body can be changed, thereby improving the maneuverability of the flexible rudder main body.

[0022] The present invention can evenly distribute the driving external force in the span direction of the middle part of the rudder by providing a long strip-shaped rudder tail made of rigid material, thereby achieving continuous bending and deformation along the normal direction of the end surface of the middle part of the rudder, and improving the maneuverability of the flexible rudder body.

[0023] In the present invention, by arranging a bearing between the connecting piece and the connecting rod, the structural limitation caused by the rigid connection between the rigid components can be compensated, and the degree of freedom can be released, thereby ensuring the movement stability and continuity of the flexible rudder. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 The installation structure of the underwater vehicle and the flexible rudder in the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 1 .

[0025] Figure 2 The installation structure of the underwater vehicle and the flexible rudder in the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 2 .

[0026] Figure 3 The installation structure of the rudder shaft and the flexible rudder in the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 1 .

[0027] Figure 4 The installation structure of the rudder shaft and the flexible rudder in the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 2 .

[0028] Figure 5 It is a line graph of the model test results of the flexible rudder lift coefficient in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 6 It is a line graph of the lift-to-drag ratio model test results of the flexible rudder in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0030] Among them: 1. rudder bow; 2. rudder middle; 3. rudder tail; 4. through hole; 5. underwater vehicle; 6. rudder shaft; 7. steering gear; 8. connecting rod; 9. connecting piece. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The specific implementation of the present invention is described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0032] The existing non-deformable rigid rudder needs to rotate around the rudder shaft as a whole. The rudder shaft is not only used to transmit the driving torque, but also used to bear the rudder force. In addition, the diameter of the rudder shaft is limited by the thickness of the rigid rudder and cannot be too large. In order to ensure the structural safety and stability of the underwater vehicle 5 when sailing at high speed, this embodiment provides a deformable flexible rudder for an underwater vehicle.

[0033] like Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, a deformable flexible rudder for an underwater vehicle comprises a rudder bow portion 1 fixed to the outer surface of an underwater vehicle 5, the tail end of the rudder bow portion 1 is bonded to a deformable rudder middle portion 2, the rudder middle portion 2 is made of a flexible material, the tail end of the rudder middle portion 2 is bonded to a rudder tail portion 3, the rudder tail portion 3 and the rudder bow portion 1 are both made of a rigid material, along the chord length direction of the flexible rudder, the ratio of the length of the rudder bow portion 1 to the total length of the flexible rudder is greater than 3:10; a through hole 4 is provided in the middle of the rudder bow portion 1, and the through hole 4 is used to install a rudder shaft 6 One end of the rudder shaft 6 is connected to the output end of the steering gear 7, and the other end of the rudder shaft 6 passes through the through hole 4 and extends to the outside of the rudder bow part 1; a connecting rod 8 is fixed to the outside of the rudder tail part 3, and the connecting rod 8 is arranged parallel to the rudder shaft 6, and the connecting rod 8 and the rudder shaft 6 are connected by a connecting piece 9; the steering gear 7 drives the rudder shaft 6 to rotate, and the rudder shaft 6 drives the connecting rod 8 to rotate around the rotation center of the rudder shaft 6 through the connecting piece 9, thereby driving the rudder middle part 2 through the rudder tail part 3 to realize continuous bending and deformation along the normal direction of the end surface.

[0034] The rudder force is generated by the fluid pressure difference distributed on the upper and lower surfaces of the flexible rudder. The distribution law of this pressure difference along the chord length of the flexible rudder is that it gradually decreases from the front to the rear. If the distributed pressure difference is converted into a centralized rudder force, its action center is usually located near the leading edge of the flexible rudder, 0.3 times the chord length backward.

[0035] Therefore, in this embodiment, the rudder head 1 is fixedly connected to the underwater vehicle 5, and as Figure 1 As shown, the ratio of the length of the rudder bow 1 to the total length L1 of the flexible rudder is greater than 3:10, so that the rigid rudder bow 1 fixed to the underwater vehicle 1 can bear most of the rudder force; the remaining small part of the rudder force will be transmitted to the rudder shaft 6 through the rigid rudder tail 3 and borne by the rudder shaft 6, which greatly reduces the rudder force that the rudder shaft 6 needs to bear, thereby effectively ensuring the safety and stability of the underwater vehicle 5 when sailing at high speed.

[0036] The flexible rudder is in the shape of an airfoil as a whole, and its main structure includes a rudder bow part 1, a rudder middle part 2 and a rudder tail part 3 which are connected in sequence. The rudder bow part 1 and the rudder middle part 2, and the rudder middle part 2 and the rudder tail part 3 are bonded by strong glue.

[0037] The rudder head 1 is made of rigid material and is fixedly connected to the underwater vehicle 1 by welding. Figure 1 As shown, its cross-sectional area is much larger than the rudder shaft 6, which can provide sufficient rigidity and strength for the flexible rudder body. A through hole 4 is opened in the middle, and the rudder shaft 6 is installed in the through hole 4. The diameter of the through hole 4 is larger than the diameter of the rudder shaft 6, so as to achieve clearance fit and prevent the rudder force borne by the rudder bow 1 from being transmitted to the rudder shaft 6.

[0038] The middle part 2 of the rudder is made of a silicone plate, which is a flexible material and can be deformed. It can realize continuous bending and deformation along the normal direction of the end surface, so that the line shape of the flexible rudder body can be changed, thereby improving the maneuverability of the flexible rudder body;

[0039] The rudder tail 3 is in the shape of a long strip and is made of a rigid material, and is used to evenly distribute the driving external force in the span direction of the rudder middle part 2, thereby achieving continuous bending and deformation along the normal direction of the end surface of the rudder middle part 2;

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, along the span direction of the flexible rudder, the length L2 of the rudder tail 3 is equal to the length of the rudder middle part 2, and the length L2 of the rudder tail 3 and the length of the rudder middle part 2 are both smaller than the length L3 of the rudder bow 1, thereby avoiding the contact between the rudder middle part 2 and the rudder tail 3 and the side wall surface of the underwater vehicle 5, and preventing interference and obstruction to the subsequent movement of the flexible rudder;

[0041] On the outer side of the rudder tail 3, on the side end surface away from the underwater vehicle 5, a connecting rod 8 is fixedly connected. The connecting rod 8 is connected to the rudder shaft 6 through a connecting piece 9. The connecting rod 8 and the connecting piece 9 are both made of rigid materials. The connecting piece 9 is fixed to the outer wall of the rudder shaft 6 by welding. The connecting piece 9 is installed with the connecting rod 8 through a bearing. The external force driving the deformation of the flexible rudder is provided by the steering gear 7 and transmitted to the rigid rudder tail 3 through the rudder shaft 6, the connecting piece 9 and the connecting rod 8.

[0042] Since only the middle rudder part 2 and the rudder tail part 3 of the flexible rudder have the conditions for movement, and the deformation capacity of the middle rudder part 2, the movement range of the middle rudder part 2 and the rudder tail part 3, and the movement form of the middle rudder part 2 and the rudder tail part 3 are not completely consistent with the movement range and movement form of the connecting part 9, bearings are provided to release the degrees of freedom, thereby ensuring the movement stability and continuity of the flexible rudder.

[0043] In this embodiment, when the flexible rudders are used, multiple flexible rudders are arranged on opposite sides of the underwater vehicle 5, or above and below. Usually, four flexible rudders can be arranged, which are installed on the port side, starboard side, above and below of the underwater vehicle 5, respectively.

[0044] like Figure 3-Figure 4 As shown, when steering, the steering gear 7 drives the rudder shaft 6 to rotate, the rudder shaft 6 drives the connecting member 9 to rotate, and the connecting member 9 drives the connecting rod 8 to rotate around the rotation center of the rudder shaft 6, thereby driving the rudder tail 3 to rotate around the rotation center of the rudder shaft 6;

[0045] In this way, the driving torque generated by the steering gear 7 is converted into a driving force evenly distributed in the span direction of the flexible rudder, which is used to drive the rudder middle part 2 to achieve continuous bending and deformation along the end surface normal.

[0046] The following is the specific examples section.

[0047] Example 1

[0048] This embodiment provides a deformable flexible rudder for an underwater vehicle 5;

[0049] Among them, the main body of the underwater vehicle 5 is 2667mm long and 400mm in diameter;

[0050] The diameter of the rudder shaft 6 is 20 mm and its cross-sectional area is about 314 mm 2 ;

[0051] The cross-sectional profile of the flexible rudder is a NACA0012 airfoil with a span of 200 mm and a chord length of 200 mm;

[0052] Along the chord length direction of the flexible rudder, the rudder head 1 is 120mm long and its cross-sectional area is about 2017mm 2 , which is much larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the rudder shaft 6;

[0053] Along the chord length direction of the flexible rudder, the middle part 2 of the rudder adopts a flexible silicone plate, which is 72mm long;

[0054] Along the chord length direction of the flexible rudder, the rudder tail 3 is 8mm long;

[0055] The diameter of the through hole 4 in the middle of the rudder bow 1 is 22 mm.

[0056] In order to test and analyze the maneuverability of the flexible rudder, a model test of the maneuverability of the flexible rudder and the traditional rudder was carried out in a wind tunnel; the test measured the fluid dynamic coefficient of the flexible rudder at different deflection angles (measured by the rotation angle of the connecting member 9) and the fluid dynamic coefficient of the traditional rudder at different attack angles α (corresponding to the deflection angle in the flexible rudder fluid dynamic coefficient test);

[0057] Among them, the test results of the flexible rudder wind tunnel test are shown in Table 1, and the test results of the traditional rudder wind tunnel test are shown in Table 2. The line graph of the model test results of the flexible rudder lift coefficient is obtained from Table 1, as shown in Figure 5 As shown in the figure, and the line graph of the model test results of the flexible rudder lift-to-drag ratio is shown in the figure. Figure 6 As shown;

[0058] Table 1 Fluid dynamic coefficients measured in the wind tunnel test of the flexible rudder

[0059] Deflection angle / ° Drag coefficient CR Lift coefficient CL Lift-to-Drag Ratio CL / CR 5 0.0059 0.3433 58.4 10 0.0075 0.6702 89.2 15 0.0099 0.9472 95.6 22.5 0.0173 1.2403 71.5 30 0.0320 1.4546 45.5 37.5 0.0526 1.6234 30.9 45 0.0760 1.7604 23.2 52.5 0.1002 1.8784 18.8 60 0.1235 1.9861 16.1

[0060] Table 2 Fluid dynamic coefficients measured by traditional rudder wind tunnel test

[0061]

[0062]

[0063] From Table 1, Table 2, Figure 5 It can be seen that the lift coefficient CL of the flexible rudder increases with the increase of the deflection angle. When the deflection angle is greater than about 17°, the lift coefficient CL of the flexible rudder is greater than the maximum value of the lift coefficient CL of the traditional rudder.

[0064] From Table 1, Table 2, Figure 6 It can be seen that the lift-to-drag ratio CL / CR of the flexible rudder increases first and then decreases with the increase of the deflection angle. In the deflection angle range of 7°-22°, the lift-to-drag ratio CL / CR of the flexible rudder is greater than the maximum value of the lift-to-drag ratio CL / CR of the traditional rudder.

[0065] Therefore, the flexible rudder can achieve better maneuverability within a larger deflection angle range than the traditional rudder.

[0066] 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 form of modification may be made within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A deformable flexible rudder for an underwater vehicle, characterized in that: The invention comprises a rudder bow part (1) fixed to the outer surface of an underwater vehicle (5), the tail end of the rudder bow part (1) is bonded to a deformable rudder middle part (2), the rudder middle part (2) is made of a flexible material, the tail end of the rudder middle part (2) is bonded to a rudder tail part (3), the rudder tail part (3) and the rudder bow part (1) are both made of a rigid material, and along the chord length direction of the flexible rudder, the ratio of the length of the rudder bow part (1) to the total length of the flexible rudder is greater than 3:10; A through hole (4) is provided in the middle of the rudder head portion (1), and the through hole (4) is used to install a rudder shaft (6), one end of the rudder shaft (6) is connected to the output end of the steering gear (7), and the other end of the rudder shaft (6) passes through the through hole (4) and extends to the outside of the rudder head portion (1); A connecting rod (8) is fixed on the outside of the rudder tail (3), the connecting rod (8) is arranged parallel to the rudder shaft (6), and the connecting rod (8) and the rudder shaft (6) are connected via a connecting piece (9); The steering gear (7) drives the rudder shaft (6) to rotate, and the rudder shaft (6) drives the connecting rod (8) to rotate around the rotation center of the rudder shaft (6) through the connecting piece (9), thereby driving the rudder middle part (2) through the rudder tail part (3) to achieve continuous bending and deformation along the end surface normal direction; The diameter of the through hole (4) is greater than the diameter of the rudder shaft (6); The connecting piece (9) is fixed on the outer side wall of the rudder shaft (6).

2. The deformable flexible rudder for an underwater vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The middle part (2) of the rudder is made of a silica gel plate.

3. The deformable flexible rudder for an underwater vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting piece (9) is mounted in cooperation with the connecting rod (8) via a bearing.

4. The deformable flexible rudder for an underwater vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting rod (8) and the connecting piece (9) are both made of rigid material.

5. The deformable flexible rudder for an underwater vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rudder bow part (1) and the rudder middle part (2), and the rudder middle part (2) and the rudder tail part (3) are bonded together using strong glue.

6. The deformable flexible rudder for an underwater vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of flexible rudders are arranged on opposite sides of the underwater vehicle (5) on both sides or above and below.

Images