An uncrewed submarine-based submarine optical cable laying device and laying method

Abstract

An unmanned submarine based submarine optical cable laying device and laying method, including an unmanned submarine body, the bow part of which is equipped with a flexible manipulator, and the tail area of which is fixed with a cable laying device; the cable laying device is structured as follows: including an up-and-down distributed cable winding and unwinding winch body and a cable laying winch body, a shearing mechanism and a first cable arranging mechanism are installed on the frame of the cable winding and unwinding winch body, a steel wire rope is wound on a first drum of the cable winding and unwinding winch body, the steel wire rope passes through the first cable arranging mechanism and the shearing mechanism, and the tail end is connected to the cable laying winch body; a joint for installing the steel wire rope is arranged on the top of the cable laying winch body, a second drum is installed in the cable laying winch body, an optical cable is wound on the second drum, a first wet plug connector connected with the optical cable is arranged on the side of the second drum, the first wet plug connector is pulled out by the flexible manipulator, a second cable arranging mechanism is installed on the side of the second drum, and the optical cable passes through the second cable arranging mechanism and is connected with a second wet plug connector, and the work is reliable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of submarine optical cable laying technology, and in particular to a submarine optical cable laying device and method based on an unmanned submersible. Background Technology

[0002] Submarine optical cables are primarily used for telecommunications transmission within countries and between countries. With the increasingly widespread application of submarine optical cables, their rapid installation and laying have become urgent issues. Submarine optical cables are mainly laid on the seabed; in shallow waters, they are primarily buried, while in deep waters, they are laid. Currently, most submarine optical cable laying work relies on cable-laying vessels, which has the following three main drawbacks:

[0003] First, it involves a large number of people, a huge amount of work, and high costs;

[0004] Secondly, the working environment of the cable-laying vessel is greatly affected by sea conditions. When encountering large waves, it is impossible to carry out the operation, which seriously affects the progress of the operation.

[0005] Third, the path of cable-laying vessels on the water surface is easily detected and recorded, exposing my country's undersea information network and posing a huge security risk.

[0006] Therefore, in order to address the aforementioned problems, a submarine optical cable laying device and method based on an unmanned submersible is proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In response to the shortcomings of the existing production technology, the applicant provides a submarine optical cable laying device and method based on an unmanned underwater vehicle, which can effectively avoid the impact of severe wind and waves on the sea surface, greatly reduce the difficulty of cable laying, improve work efficiency, and enable autonomous optical cable laying.

[0008] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows:

[0009] A submarine optical cable laying device based on an unmanned underwater vehicle includes an unmanned underwater vehicle body, a flexible manipulator mounted on the bow of the unmanned underwater vehicle body, and a cable laying device fixed in the tail area of ​​the unmanned underwater vehicle body.

[0010] The cable-laying device has the following structure: it includes a take-up winch body and a cable-laying winch body distributed vertically. A shearing mechanism and a first cable-laying mechanism are installed on the frame of the take-up winch body. A steel wire rope is wound on the first drum of the take-up winch body. The steel wire rope passes through the first cable-laying mechanism and the shearing mechanism and is connected to the cable-laying winch body at the end. A joint for installing the steel wire rope is set on the top of the cable-laying winch body. A second drum is installed inside the cable-laying winch body. An optical cable is wound on the second drum. A first wet plug is set on the side of the second drum to connect with the optical cable. The first wet plug is pulled out by a flexible robot arm. A second cable-laying mechanism is installed on one side of the second drum. The optical cable passes through the second cable-laying mechanism and is connected to the second wet plug.

[0011] Its further technical solution lies in:

[0012] The cable-laying winch is suspended inside the unmanned submersible body by steel wire ropes.

[0013] The shearing mechanism has the following structure: a support frame with a "Z" shape, a shearing cylinder fixed on the support frame, a blade fixed on the extension rod of the shearing cylinder, a through hole for the steel wire rope to pass through on the support frame, and a support plate at the end of the support frame.

[0014] The support plate is located next to the through hole.

[0015] The support plate is perpendicular to the support frame, and reinforcing ribs are also installed on the outer side of the support plate.

[0016] The diameter of the through hole is larger than the diameter of the wire rope.

[0017] The blade has a right-angled structure.

[0018] The No. 2 wet plug is in a free state.

[0019] A cable-laying method for a submarine optical cable laying device includes the following steps:

[0020] Step 1: The unmanned underwater vehicle is positioned at the first node using a vision system;

[0021] Step 2: The unmanned submersible autonomously executes commands to control the motor on the cable-laying winch to drive the No. 2 drum to rotate. Under the gravity traction of the No. 2 wet plug and the rotation of the No. 2 drum, the No. 2 wet plug and the optical cable, which are in a free state, are released from the unmanned submersible until the No. 2 wet plug contacts the seabed.

[0022] Step 3: The unmanned underwater vehicle moves along the optical cable to locate the No. 2 wet plug, and uses a flexible robotic arm to grab the No. 2 wet plug and insert it into the first node.

[0023] Step 4: The unmanned submersible continues to sail towards the second node. During the sailing process, the second drum of the cable laying winch rotates to continuously release the optical cable. The speed of releasing the optical cable is consistent with the speed of the unmanned submersible's forward sailing to avoid the optical cable being torn or piled up on the seabed due to the mismatch between the two speeds.

[0024] Step 5: After the optical cable is fully released, the unmanned submersible is in a hovering state. Then, it autonomously executes the command to control the motor on the release winch to drive the No. 1 drum to rotate. The entire cable-laying winch is released from the unmanned submersible until it sits on the seabed. The unmanned submersible then autonomously executes the command to control the shearing mechanism to cut the steel wire rope. The cable-laying winch is then permanently deployed on the seabed. If the seabed is found to be uneven and unsuitable for releasing the cable-laying winch, the release winch is controlled to retrieve the cable-laying winch back into the unmanned submersible. Then, the next deployment point is found to release the cable-laying winch.

[0025] Step Six: The unmanned underwater vehicle body uses a flexible robotic arm to remove the No. 1 wet plug-in connector located on the side of the No. 2 drum, and then plugs it into the second node to complete the cable laying.

[0026] Step 7: After the cable laying is completed, the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) begins to cruise and observe the quality of the cable laying. If the cable laying position is found to be deviated or piled up, it will be corrected by the flexible robotic arm on the UUV.

[0027] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0028] This invention features a compact and rational structure, and is easy to operate. Through the redesign of the cable-laying device, the impact of severe wind and waves at sea can be effectively avoided, significantly reducing the difficulty of cable laying, improving the efficiency of cable laying operations, and enabling autonomous fiber optic cable laying. Simultaneously, the inclusion of a winch to control the placement of the cable-laying winch allows for the search for suitable placement locations, ensuring the quality of fiber optic cable laying. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cable-laying winch of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the shearing mechanism of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of step one of the cable laying method of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of step two of the cable laying method of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of step three of the cable laying method of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 7 This is a structural schematic diagram of step four of the cable laying method of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 8 This is a structural schematic diagram of step five of the cable laying method of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 9 This is a structural schematic diagram of step six of the cable laying method of the present invention.

[0038] The components include: 1. the unmanned underwater vehicle body; 2. the cable-laying device; and 3. the flexible robotic arm.

[0039] 201. Winding winch body; 202. Shearing mechanism; 203. No. 1 drum; 204. Wire rope; 205. No. 1 cable laying mechanism; 206. Cable laying winch body; 207. No. 1 wet plug; 208. Optical cable; 209. No. 2 wet plug; 210. No. 2 drum; 211. No. 2 cable laying mechanism;

[0040] 2021, Shearing cylinder; 2022, Blade; 2023, Through hole; 2024, Support plate; 2025, Support frame. Detailed Implementation

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

[0042] like Figures 1-9 As shown, the submarine optical cable laying device based on unmanned submersible in this embodiment includes an unmanned submersible body 1, a flexible manipulator 3 mounted on the bow of the unmanned submersible body 1, and a cable laying device 2 fixed in the tail area of ​​the unmanned submersible body 1.

[0043] The cable-laying device 2 has the following structure: it includes a take-up / delivery winch body 201 and a cable-laying winch body 206 distributed vertically. A shearing mechanism 202 and a first cable-laying mechanism 205 are mounted on the frame of the take-up / delivery winch body 201. A steel wire rope 204 is wound on the first drum 203 of the take-up / delivery winch body 201. The steel wire rope 204 passes through the first cable-laying mechanism 205 and the shearing mechanism 202, and its end is connected to the cable-laying winch body 206. A [missing information - likely a device or equipment] is provided on the top of the cable-laying winch body 206. The joint of the wire rope 204 is installed. The second drum 210 is installed inside the cable laying winch body 206. The optical cable 208 is wound on the second drum 210. The side of the second drum 210 is provided with a first wet plug 207 connected to the optical cable 208. The first wet plug 207 is pulled out by the flexible robot arm 3. The second cable laying mechanism 211 is installed on one side of the second drum 210. The optical cable 208 passes through the second cable laying mechanism 211 and is connected to the second wet plug 209.

[0044] The cable-laying winch body 206 is suspended inside the unmanned submersible body 1 by steel wire rope 204.

[0045] The shearing mechanism 202 has the following structure: a support frame 2025 with a "Z" shape, a shearing cylinder 2021 fixed on the support frame 2025, a blade 2022 fixed on the extension rod of the shearing cylinder 2021, a through hole 2023 for the steel wire rope 204 to pass through on the support frame 2025, and a support plate 2024 at the end of the support frame 2025.

[0046] The support plate 2024 is located next to the through hole 2023.

[0047] The support plate 2024 is perpendicular to the support frame 2025, and a reinforcing rib is also installed on the outer side of the support plate 2024.

[0048] The diameter of the through hole 2023 is larger than the diameter of the wire rope 204.

[0049] The blade 2022 has a right-angled structure.

[0050] The No. 2 wet plug plug 209 is in a free state.

[0051] The cable laying method of the submarine optical cable laying device based on the unmanned submersible in this embodiment includes the following operation steps:

[0052] Step 1: The unmanned underwater vehicle body 1 is positioned at the first node using a vision system;

[0053] Step 2: The unmanned submersible body 1 autonomously executes the command to control the motor on the cable laying winch body 206 to drive the second drum 210 to rotate. Under the gravity traction of the second wet plug 209 and the rotation of the second drum 210, the second wet plug 209 and the optical cable 208, which are in a free state, are released from the unmanned submersible body 1 until the second wet plug 209 contacts the seabed.

[0054] Step 3: The unmanned underwater vehicle body 1 locates the No. 2 wet plug 209 along the optical cable 208, and uses the flexible robotic arm 3 to grab the No. 2 wet plug 209 and insert it into the first node.

[0055] Step 4: The unmanned underwater vehicle body 1 continues to sail towards the second node. During the sailing process, the second drum 210 of the cable laying winch body 206 rotates and continuously releases the optical cable 208. The speed of releasing the optical cable 208 is consistent with the forward sailing speed of the unmanned underwater vehicle body 1 to avoid the optical cable 208 being torn off or piled up on the seabed due to the mismatch between the two speeds.

[0056] Step 5: After the optical cable 208 is fully released, the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) body 1 is in a hovering state. Then, it autonomously executes the command to control the motor on the take-up and release winch body 201 to drive the first drum 203 to rotate. The cable-laying winch body 206 is released out of the UUV body 1 until it sits on the seabed. The UUV body 1 then autonomously executes the command to control the shearing mechanism 202 to cut the steel wire rope 204. The cable-laying winch body 206 is left on the seabed for a long time. If the seabed is found to be uneven and not suitable for releasing the cable-laying winch body 206, the take-up and release winch body 201 is controlled to retrieve the cable-laying winch body 206 back into the UUV body 1. Then, the next deployment point is found to release the cable-laying winch body 206.

[0057] Step 6: The unmanned underwater vehicle body 1 uses the flexible robotic arm 3 to remove the No. 1 wet plug 207 located on the side of the No. 2 drum 210, and plugs it into the second node to complete the cable laying;

[0058] Step 7: After the cable laying is completed, the unmanned underwater vehicle 1 begins to cruise and observe the quality of the fiber optic cable laying. If the fiber optic cable laying position is found to be deviated or piled up, it will be corrected by the flexible robotic arm 3 on the unmanned underwater vehicle 1.

[0059] The specific structure and function of the submarine optical cable laying device based on an unmanned submersible described in this invention are as follows:

[0060] It mainly includes the unmanned submersible body 1, cable laying device 2, flexible manipulator 3, winding and unwinding winch body 201, shearing mechanism 202, No. 1 drum 203, steel wire rope 204, No. 1 cable laying mechanism 205, cable laying winch body 206, No. 1 wet plug 207, optical cable 208, No. 2 wet plug 209, No. 2 drum 210, No. 2 cable laying mechanism 211, shearing cylinder 2021, blade 2022, through hole 2023, support plate 2024, and support frame 2025.

[0061] The cable laying device 2 includes a winding winch body 201, a shearing mechanism 202, a first drum 203, a steel wire rope 204, a first cable laying mechanism 205, a cable laying winch body 206, a first wet plug 207, an optical cable 208, a second wet plug 209, a second drum 210, and a second cable laying mechanism 211.

[0062] The shearing mechanism 202 includes a shearing cylinder 2021, a blade 2022, a through hole 2023, a support plate 2024, and a support frame 2025.

[0063] The bow of the unmanned submersible body 1 is equipped with a flexible robotic arm 3.

[0064] The cable-laying device 2 is fixed to the tail area of ​​the unmanned submersible body 1.

[0065] The winding winch body 201 is located above the cable laying winch body 206, and the two are connected by a steel wire rope 204.

[0066] The launch and recovery winch body 201 is fixed to the unmanned submersible body 1, and the cable laying winch body 206 is suspended inside the unmanned submersible body 1 by steel wire rope 204.

[0067] The shearing mechanism 202 is fixed to the frame of the take-up and release winch body 201.

[0068] Among them, the steel wire rope 204 is wound in multiple turns on the No. 1 drum 203.

[0069] Among them, the wire rope 204 passes through the through hole 2023 of the first cable laying mechanism 205 and the shearing mechanism 202, and its end is connected to the cable laying winch body 206.

[0070] Among them, the No. 1 wet plug 207 is located on the side of the No. 2 reel 210, and the end of the optical cable 208 is connected to the tail end. The No. 1 wet plug 207 can be pulled out by the flexible robot arm 3.

[0071] Among them, the optical cable 208 is wound in multiple turns on the second drum 210.

[0072] Among them, the optical cable 208 passes through the second cable laying mechanism 211 and connects to the second wet plug 209.

[0073] Among them, the tail of the No. 2 wet plug 209 is connected to the head of the optical cable 208, and the No. 2 wet plug 209 is in a free state.

[0074] Among them, the shearing cylinder 2021 is fixed on the support frame 2025, and the blade 2022 is fixed on the extension rod of the shearing cylinder 2021.

[0075] Among them, the stroke of the shearing cylinder 2021 can reach the area of ​​the support plate 2024.

[0076] The diameter of the through hole 2023 is larger than the outer diameter of the wire rope 204.

[0077] The support plate 2024 is fixed on the support frame 2025 and is used as a cutting board for the blade 2022.

[0078] In actual work process:

[0079] Before laying the cable, the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) 1 ​​hovers in the target area. The second drum 210 on the cable-laying winch 206 rotates, driven by a motor, releasing the second wet-plug connector 209 and the optical cable 208 from the UUV 1. Once the optical cable 208 reaches a certain length, the UUV 1 locates the second wet-plug connector 209 along the cable 208 and uses a flexible robotic arm 3 to grasp it and insert it into the first node. The UUV 1 continues to the next node, continuously releasing the optical cable 208 from the cable-laying winch 206. After all the optical cable 208 has been released, the UUV 1 hovers, and the first drum 203 of the cable-laying winch 201 rotates, driven by a motor, releasing the entire cable-laying winch 206 from the UUV 1 until it sits on the seabed. The shearing cylinder 2021 drives the blade 2022 to cut the wire rope 204, and the cable-laying winch body 206 is permanently placed on the seabed. The unmanned submersible body 1 uses the flexible manipulator 3 to remove the No. 1 wet plug 207 located on the side of the No. 2 drum 210, and then plugs it into the next node to complete the cable laying.

[0080] The specific cable-laying process is as follows:

[0081] like Figure 4 As shown, the unmanned underwater vehicle body 1 is positioned at the first node using a vision system.

[0082] like Figure 5 As shown, the unmanned submersible body 1 autonomously executes commands to control the motor on the cable-laying winch body 206 to drive the second drum 210 to rotate. Under the gravity traction of the second wet plug 209 and the rotation of the second drum 210, the second wet plug 209 and the optical cable 208, which are in a free state, are released from the unmanned submersible body 1 until the second wet plug 209 contacts the seabed.

[0083] like Figure 6 As shown, the unmanned underwater vehicle body 1 locates the second wet plug 209 along the optical cable 208, and uses the flexible robotic arm 3 to grab the second wet plug 209 and insert it into the first node.

[0084] like Figure 7 As shown, the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) body 1 continues to travel towards the second node. During the journey, the second drum 210 of the cable-laying winch body 206 rotates to continuously release the optical cable 208. The speed of releasing the optical cable 208 is consistent with the forward travel speed of the UUV body 1 to avoid the optical cable 208 being torn off or accumulating on the seabed due to a speed mismatch.

[0085] like Figure 8As shown, after the optical cable 208 is fully released, the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) body 1 hovers and then autonomously executes commands. The motor on the take-up winch body 201 drives the first drum 203 to rotate, releasing the cable-laying winch body 206 entirely from the UUV body 1 until it sits on the seabed. The UUV body 1 then autonomously executes commands to control the shearing cylinder 2021 to drive the blade 2022 to cut the steel wire rope 204, leaving the cable-laying winch body 206 permanently deployed on the seabed. If the seabed is found to be uneven and unsuitable for releasing the cable-laying winch body 206, the take-up winch body 201 can be controlled to retrieve the cable-laying winch body 206 back into the UUV body 1, and then the next deployment point can be located to release the cable-laying winch body 206.

[0086] like Figure 9 As shown, the unmanned underwater vehicle body 1 uses a flexible robotic arm 3 to remove the No. 1 wet plug 207 located on the side of the No. 2 drum 210, and plugs it into the second node to complete the cable laying.

[0087] After the cable laying is completed, the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) body 1 begins cruising to observe the quality of the cable laying. If deviation or accumulation of the cable laying position is found, it can be corrected by the flexible robotic arm 3 on the UUV body 1.

[0088] 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 submarine optical cable laying device based on an unmanned submersible, characterized in that: Includes an unmanned underwater vehicle body (1), the bow of which is equipped with a flexible manipulator (3), and the tail region of which is fixed with a cable-laying device (2). The cable-laying device (2) has the following structure: it includes a winding winch body (201) and a cable-laying winch body (206) distributed vertically. A shearing mechanism (202) and a first cable-laying mechanism (205) are installed on the frame of the winding winch body (201). A steel wire rope (204) is wound on the first drum (203) of the winding winch body (201). The steel wire rope (204) passes through the first cable-laying mechanism (205) and the shearing mechanism (202), and its end is connected to the cable-laying winch body (206). A mounting bracket is provided on the top of the cable-laying winch body (206). The joint for the wire rope (204) is installed inside the cable laying winch body (206). A second drum (210) is installed inside the second drum (210). An optical cable (208) is wound on the second drum (210). A first wet plug (207) for connecting to the optical cable (208) is provided on the side of the second drum (210). The first wet plug (207) is pulled out by a flexible manipulator (3). A second cable laying mechanism (211) is installed on one side of the second drum (210). The optical cable (208) passes through the second cable laying mechanism (211) and is connected to the second wet plug (209).

2. The submarine optical cable laying device based on an unmanned submersible as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The cable-laying winch body (206) is suspended inside the unmanned submersible body (1) by steel wire rope (204).

3. The submarine optical cable laying device based on an unmanned submersible as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The shearing mechanism (202) has the following structure: a support frame (2025) with a "Z"-shaped structure, a shearing cylinder (2021) fixed on the support frame (2025), a blade (2022) fixed on the extension rod of the shearing cylinder (2021), a through hole (2023) for the steel wire rope (204) to pass through the support frame (2025), and a support plate (2024) provided at the end of the support frame (2025).

4. The submarine optical cable laying device based on an unmanned submersible as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The support plate (2024) is located next to the through hole (2023).

5. The submarine optical cable laying device based on an unmanned submersible as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The support plate (2024) is perpendicular to the support frame (2025), and reinforcing ribs are also installed on the outer side of the support plate (2024).

6. The submarine optical cable laying device based on an unmanned submersible as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The diameter of the through hole (2023) is larger than the diameter of the wire rope (204).

7. The submarine optical cable laying device based on an unmanned submersible as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The blade (2022) has a right-angled structure.

8. The submarine optical cable laying device based on an unmanned submersible as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The No. 2 wet plug (209) is in a free state.

9. A cable-laying method for a submarine optical cable laying device based on an unmanned submersible as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The following steps are included: Step 1: The unmanned underwater vehicle body (1) is located at the first node using a vision system; Step 2: The unmanned submersible body (1) autonomously executes the command to control the motor on the cable laying winch body (206) to drive the second drum (210) to rotate. Under the gravity traction of the second wet plug (209) and the rotation of the second drum (210), the second wet plug (209) and the optical cable (208) in the free state are released from the unmanned submersible body (1) until the second wet plug (209) contacts the seabed; Step 3: The unmanned underwater vehicle body (1) locates the No. 2 wet plug (209) along the optical cable (208), and uses the flexible robotic arm (3) to grab the No. 2 wet plug (209) and insert the No. 2 wet plug (209) into the first node; Step 4: The unmanned submersible body (1) continues to sail towards the second node. During the sailing process, the second drum (210) of the cable laying winch body (206) rotates and continuously releases the optical cable (208). The speed of releasing the optical cable (208) is consistent with the speed of the unmanned submersible body (1) sailing forward, so as to avoid the optical cable (208) being torn off or piled up on the seabed due to the mismatch between the two speeds. Step 5: After all the optical cables (208) have been released, the unmanned submersible (1) is in a hovering state. Then, it autonomously executes the command to control the motor on the take-up and release winch (201) to drive the first drum (203) to rotate. The cable-laying winch (206) is released out of the unmanned submersible (1) until the cable-laying winch (206) sits on the seabed. The unmanned submersible (1) then autonomously executes the command to control the shearing mechanism (202) to cut the steel wire rope (204). The cable-laying winch (206) is left on the seabed for a long time. If the seabed is found to be uneven and not suitable for releasing the cable-laying winch (206), the take-up and release winch (201) is controlled to retrieve the cable-laying winch (206) back into the unmanned submersible (1). Then, the next deployment point is found to release the cable-laying winch (206). Step 6: The unmanned underwater vehicle body (1) uses a flexible robotic arm (3) to remove the No. 1 wet plug (207) located on the side of the No. 2 drum (210), and plugs it into the second node to complete the cable laying; Step 7: After the cable laying is completed, the unmanned submersible body (1) begins to cruise and observe the quality of the optical cable laying. If the optical cable laying position is found to be deviated or piled up, it is corrected by the flexible robotic arm (3) on the unmanned submersible body (1).

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