Zero-gravity cable and system for recycling underwater equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a zero-gravity cable and system for recycling underwater equipment, the zero-gravity cable comprises a cable, one end of the zero-gravity cable is used for being connected with a docking robot, the other end of the zero-gravity cable is used for being connected with a parent body, the docking robot is used for capturing the underwater equipment, and the docking robot is used for capturing the underwater equipment. Therefore, the recovery of the underwater equipment is realized; the cable is used for supplying power to the docking robot; the zero-gravity cable further comprises a buoyancy structure, the buoyancy structure comprises an inflation cavity, and the buoyancy structure is used for enabling buoyancy borne by the zero-gravity cable to be equal to gravity borne by the zero-gravity cable when the zero-gravity cable is in water, so that the zero-gravity cable is in a zero-gravity state. According to the zero-gravity cable, the gravity influence can be avoided while power is supplied to the docking robot, the load of the docking robot is reduced, and recovery of underwater equipment is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of underwater robots, and in particular relates to a zero-gravity cable and system for recovering underwater equipment. Background Art

[0002] With the rise of marine engineering, more and more deep-sea underwater operations are being carried out. Existing docking robots are generally powered by batteries or cables. However, battery power supply has limited power and cannot be driven over long distances, which can easily lead to the docking robot being unable to return after power outage. Existing cable power supply generally provides power on the surface or in the water, which places additional load on the docking robot during underwater or underwater operations. In addition, the cable is easily tangled and cannot be applied to complex marine environments and long-distance power supply requirements. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of the above defects or improvement needs of the prior art, the present invention proposes a zero-gravity cable and system for recovering underwater equipment. The zero-gravity cable of the present invention can avoid the influence of gravity while supplying power to the docking robot, reduce the load of the docking robot, and ensure the recovery of underwater equipment.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, in some embodiments, a zero-gravity cable for recovering underwater equipment is provided, wherein the zero-gravity cable comprises an electric cable, one end of the zero-gravity cable is used to connect to a docking robot, and the other end of the zero-gravity cable is used to connect to a mother body, and the docking robot is used to capture the underwater equipment, thereby recovering the underwater equipment;

[0005] The cable is used to supply power to the docking robot;

[0006] The zero-gravity cable further comprises a buoyancy structure, wherein the buoyancy structure comprises an air-filled cavity, and the buoyancy structure is used to make the buoyancy of the zero-gravity cable equal to the gravity when the zero-gravity cable is in water, so that the zero-gravity cable is in a zero-gravity state.

[0007] In some embodiments, the zero-gravity cable comprises two air-filled cavities, the cable is disposed at the center of the zero-gravity cable, and the two air-filled cavities extend along the cable and are symmetrically disposed on both sides of the cable.

[0008] In some embodiments, a control valve is provided at one end of the zero-gravity cable for connecting to the docking robot. The control valve connects the two air-filled cavities and is used to control the connection or disconnection of the two air-filled cavities.

[0009] In some embodiments, one end of the zero-gravity cable for connecting to the mother body has an inflation device, and the inflation device is mounted on the mother body.

[0010] In some embodiments, the zero-gravity cable is wrapped with a composite material layer on the outside, and the composite material layer is made of a high-strength material.

[0011] In some embodiments, the composite material layer includes a tensile layer and a protective layer, and the protective layer is disposed on the periphery of the tensile layer.

[0012] In some embodiments, the cable has an insulating layer on its outer periphery, and the insulating layer is disposed between the cable and the air-filled cavity.

[0013] In some embodiments, an underwater equipment recovery system is also provided, comprising a zero-gravity cable as described in any of the above embodiments, wherein the recovery system also comprises an underwater equipment, a docking robot and a mother body, wherein one end of the zero-gravity cable is connected to the docking robot and the other end is connected to the mother body.

[0014] In some embodiments, there are two zero-gravity cables and two docking robots, each of the docking robots is connected to the mother body via one of the zero-gravity cables, and two of the docking robots dock with the underwater equipment at the same time.

[0015] In some embodiments, an inflation device is provided on the mother body, and two independent inflation devices are provided corresponding to each zero-gravity cable, and each inflation device inflates an inflation cavity.

[0016] In general, compared with the prior art, the above embodiments conceived by the present invention have the following advantages:

[0017] Beneficial effects:

[0018] (1) Zero-gravity cables can provide power to the docking robot while avoiding the influence of gravity, reducing the load on the docking robot, ensuring the recovery of underwater equipment and avoiding entanglement.

[0019] (2) The zero-gravity cable adopts a dual-inflatable cavity design, which not only improves the inflation efficiency and ensures buoyancy, but also realizes a redundant design, ensuring that zero-gravity can be achieved even if one of the inflatable cavities fails.

[0020] (3) The control valve connects the two inflatable cavities, controls the connection or disconnection of the two inflatable cavities, and enables them to work independently or in connection. Two independent inflatable devices are correspondingly arranged for each zero-gravity cable, and each inflatable device inflates one inflatable cavity. In addition, each inflatable cavity can also be exhausted independently, which is convenient for adjusting buoyancy and recovery, can adapt to different underwater environments and prevent entanglement.

[0021] It can be understood that the technical effects of the present application include but are not limited to the above summary, and the technical effects of other specific embodiments can be found in the corresponding description of the specific embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an underwater equipment recovery system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a control valve of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the middle AA section;

[0026] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a zero-gravity cable having three air-filled cavities according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a composite material layer structure of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7 A schematic cross-sectional view of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an inflatable support structure of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the described embodiments may be modified in various ways or combinations thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and descriptions are illustrative in nature and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. In addition, in this specification, the drawings are not drawn to scale and the same reference numerals represent the same parts.

[0031] In some embodiments of the present invention, a zero-gravity cable for recovering underwater equipment is provided. The zero-gravity cable is applied to an underwater equipment recovery system for recovering underwater equipment. Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an underwater equipment recovery system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1In some embodiments, the underwater equipment recovery system includes a zero-gravity cable 1000, and the recovery system also includes an underwater equipment 2000, a docking robot 3000 and a mother body 4000. One end of the zero-gravity cable 1000 is connected to the docking robot 3000 (for convenience of illustration, the docking robot 3000 is enlarged by an arrow in the figure) and the other end is connected to the mother body 4000. The zero-gravity cable 1000 for underwater equipment recovery includes a cable, one end of the zero-gravity cable is used to connect the docking robot, and the other end is used to connect the mother body. The docking robot 3000 is used to capture the underwater equipment 2000, so as to recover the underwater equipment; the cable is used to supply power to the docking robot 3000. Specifically, when the underwater equipment is recovered, the docking robot is released from the mother body, the docking robot has a power device, the cable can supply power to the power device, the power device includes a motor and a driving paddle, and the docking robot approaches the underwater equipment under the drive of the power device. Generally, the mother body is located below the underwater equipment. In some embodiments, the underwater device 2000 is an underwater robot. In some embodiments, the underwater device 2000 can float on the water surface, and the bottom surface of the underwater device is located in the water. The bottom surface of the underwater device has a docking device, and the top of the docking robot has a docking structure that matches the docking device. After the docking robot approaches the underwater device, the docking structure matches the docking device to complete the docking, and the mother body retracts the zero-gravity cable, thereby driving the underwater device and recovering the underwater device to the mother body.

[0032] In some embodiments, there are two zero-gravity cables 1000, and the two zero-gravity cables 1000 are connected to the same mother body. There are two docking robots 3000, each of which is connected to the mother body 4000 through one zero-gravity cable 1000, and the two docking robots 3000 are docked with the underwater equipment 2000 at the same time. In some embodiments, there is a collection device 5000 on the mother body. The zero-gravity cable 1000 is released and collected by the collection device 5000. The zero-gravity cable 1000 can be wound on the collection device 5000. In some embodiments, there is a buffer locking mechanism 6000 on the mother body. When the underwater equipment is retracted to the mother body, the underwater equipment contacts and locks with the buffer locking mechanism to prevent collision damage.

[0033] Figure 2 The cross-sectional structure diagram of a zero-gravity cable for underwater equipment recovery according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 2The zero-gravity cable 1000 for recovering underwater equipment includes a cable 100, one end of the zero-gravity cable is used to connect to a docking robot, and the other end is used to connect to a mother body. The docking robot is used to capture underwater equipment, thereby recovering the underwater equipment; the cable is used to supply power to the docking robot. In some embodiments, the zero-gravity cable 1000 also includes a buoyancy structure 200, and the buoyancy structure includes an inflatable cavity 201. The buoyancy structure is used to make the buoyancy of the zero-gravity cable equal to the gravity when it is in the water, so that it is in a zero-gravity state. It can be understood that the water can be in seawater or fresh water. In addition, by setting an inflatable cavity, the zero-gravity cable can be in an expanded state when inflated, and is subjected to radial outward tension. The overall rigidity of the zero-gravity cable is large and it is not easy to bend, so that the zero-gravity cable is not easy to be entangled during the pulling and recovery process because it is in an inflated state, and the motion control is easier.

[0034] In some embodiments, the zero-gravity cable comprises at least two air-filled cavities, the cable is disposed at the center of the zero-gravity cable, and at least two of the air-filled cavities extend along the cable. In some embodiments, the zero-gravity cable has two air-filled cavities, the cable is disposed at the center of the zero-gravity cable, the two air-filled cavities extend along the cable, and are symmetrically disposed on both sides of the cable.

[0035] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a control valve of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 for Figure 3 AA section diagram. Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, a control valve 300 is provided at one end of the zero-gravity cable for connecting to the docking robot. The control valve 300 is connected to the air-filled cavity and is used to control the connection or disconnection of the air-filled cavity. Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the zero-gravity cable has two air-filled cavities, and the control valve 300 connects the two air-filled cavities to control the connection or disconnection of the two air-filled cavities.

[0036] In some embodiments, the zero-gravity cable has an inflatable device 400 at one end for connecting to the mother body, and the inflatable device can be installed on the mother body. In some embodiments, the mother body is provided with an inflatable device, and each zero-gravity cable is provided with at least two independent inflatable devices, and each inflatable device can inflate at least one inflatable cavity. In some embodiments, the zero-gravity cable has two inflatable cavities, and each inflatable device inflates one inflatable cavity.

[0037] In an embodiment of the present application, two inflatable cavities and two independent inflatable devices are provided, each independent inflatable device corresponds to an inflatable cavity, and the two inflatable cavities are connected by a control valve to ensure the reliability of inflation and avoid failure of inflation due to failure of a certain inflatable cavity or a certain inflatable device, especially failure of inflation due to damage or blockage of the inflatable cavity. When the inflatable devices are working normally, the control valve is closed, and the two inflatable cavities are independently inflated and the air pressure is controlled to ensure inflation efficiency and stability. When a certain inflatable device fails, the control valve can be opened, so that another inflatable device can be used to directly inflate the two inflatable cavities. When a certain inflatable cavity is damaged and leaks, the control valve can be closed, and the air pressure of the other inflatable cavity can be increased to ensure buoyancy.

[0038] In the embodiments of the present application, by independently inflating and controlling the air pressure of the two inflatable cavities, the air pressure of the inflatable cavities can be conveniently controlled and adjusted, thereby adjusting the buoyancy of the entire zero-gravity cable to adapt to the motion state of the zero-gravity cable, prevent entanglement, and improve efficiency. For example, during the cable release process, that is, during the ascent of the zero-gravity cable, the docking robot is in an ascending state, and the air pressure of the inflatable cavity can be appropriately increased to make the buoyancy of the zero-gravity cable greater than the gravity of the zero-gravity cable, so that the zero-gravity cable itself has an upward driving force under the action of buoyancy, reducing the driving force required for the docking robot, and the docking robot is easier and faster to approach the underwater equipment that needs to be docked. Of course, the buoyancy of the zero-gravity cable cannot be too greater than the gravity of the zero-gravity cable to avoid the zero-gravity cable moving upward faster than the docking robot, pulling the docking robot, and preventing the docking robot from losing control. During the descent or recovery process of the zero-gravity cable, the docking robot also descends with the underwater equipment. The air pressure of the inflated cavity can be appropriately reduced to make the buoyancy of the zero-gravity cable less than or equal to the gravity of the zero-gravity cable. As a result, the zero-gravity cable itself has a downward driving force or floating state under the action of gravity. Under the action of the collection device on the mother body, the zero-gravity cable can easily recover the underwater equipment. Of course, the buoyancy of the zero-gravity cable cannot be too small. The zero-gravity cable should not move downward too fast under the action of gravity, pulling the docking robot and preventing the docking robot from losing control. It is also necessary to prevent the downward movement speed of the zero-gravity cable from being greater than the collection speed of the collection device, so that the zero-gravity cable will be stacked and entangled, hindering recovery.

[0039] In some embodiments, during the zero-gravity cable recovery process and / or cable release process, the buoyancy of the zero-gravity cable is equal to the gravity of the zero-gravity cable, which can improve driving efficiency, reduce energy loss, effectively prevent entanglement, and facilitate motion control.

[0040] In some embodiments, the zero-gravity cable has a plurality of inflatable cavities, and the plurality of inflatable cavities are more than three, for example, three, four, or five inflatable cavities. In some embodiments, the number of inflatable cavities is not more than 5. By providing two or more inflatable cavities, the reliability of inflation can be ensured, and the failure to inflate due to damage or blockage of a certain inflatable cavity can be avoided. In addition, the number of inflatable cavities is not more than 5, which can simplify the structure, reduce the difficulty of processing and manufacturing, and also avoid the easy blockage caused by the small cross-sectional size of a single inflatable cavity. In some embodiments, the number of inflatable cavities is 2-5, and each inflatable cavity is provided with an independent inflatable device, and the number of independent inflatable devices is 2-5. Providing multiple independent inflatable devices can ensure the inflation pressure and improve the inflation efficiency. In some embodiments, two or more inflatable cavities share an independent inflatable device. Of course, each zero-gravity cable has at least two independent inflatable devices. The inflatable cavities corresponding to the two independent inflatable devices are connected by a control valve. Under the action of the control valve, the two inflatable cavities are connected or disconnected. When the two inflatable cavities are connected, each independent inflatable device can inflate the two inflatable cavities, and the air pressure in the two inflatable cavities is the same. When the two inflatable cavities are disconnected, each independent inflatable device can only inflate the corresponding inflatable cavity, and the air pressure in the two inflatable cavities can be different.

[0041] In the embodiment of the present application, by providing multiple inflatable cavities and multiple independent inflatable devices, the reliability and efficiency of inflation are further guaranteed, and the anti-entanglement effect is better. In addition, the air pressure in the multiple inflatable cavities can be controlled so that the air pressure in different inflatable cavities is different, so as to adapt to the influence of the water flow direction.

[0042] refer to Figure 5 The zero gravity cable has three inflatable cavities, namely, a first inflatable cavity 2011, a second inflatable cavity 2012, and a third inflatable cavity 2013. An independent inflatable device is provided for each inflatable cavity, and three independent inflatable devices are provided. Every two adjacent inflatable cavities are connected by a control valve 300, that is, a first control valve 301 is provided between the first inflatable cavity 2011 and the second inflatable cavity 2012, a second control valve 302 is provided between the second inflatable cavity 2012 and the third inflatable cavity 2013, and a third control valve 303 is provided between the third inflatable cavity 2013 and the first inflatable cavity 2011.

[0043] Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a composite material layer structure of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 and Figure 6, the outer side of the zero-gravity cable is wrapped with a composite material layer 500, and the composite material layer is made of a high-strength material. The composite material layer is made of a flexible material that is resistant to bending. The setting of the composite material layer can ensure that the zero-gravity cable can be wound, but will not bend, thereby avoiding damage to the inflatable cavity and the cable, but it is convenient for recycling. In some embodiments, the composite material layer includes a tensile layer 501, a bending layer 502 and a protective layer 503, the protective layer is arranged on the periphery of the tensile layer, and the tensile layer is arranged on the periphery of the bending layer. The tensile layer 501 has a large strength, which is used to prevent the zero-gravity cable from being broken due to excessive tension. The tensile layer 501 can be composed of metal wires, and the metal wires form a mesh structure. The metal wire can be stainless steel. The bending layer 502 has a large rigidity, which is used to prevent the zero-gravity cable from bending due to excessive bending moment. The bending layer 502 can be a flexible plastic. The protective layer 503 has good wear resistance and corrosion resistance, which is used to prevent the zero-gravity cable from being worn and corroded in the seawater environment and during the recovery process. The protective layer 503 can be made of rubber material. By sequentially arranging the anti-bending layer, the anti-tension layer, and the protective layer, with the anti-bending layer being the innermost and the protective layer being the outermost, wear, tear, and bending can be effectively prevented.

[0044] refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments, the outer periphery of the cable has an insulating layer 600, and the insulating layer is arranged between the cable and the air-filled cavity. The insulating layer 600 is arranged closely to the cable to insulate and protect the cable.

[0045] In some embodiments, the inflatable cavity has a cavity skin 202. The cavity skin 202 can be made of elastic material. The cavity skin has good flexibility and elasticity and can adapt to different inflation pressures. The cavity skin 202 also has good air tightness. In some embodiments, the cavity skin 202 can be a rubber material. In some embodiments, between the composite material layer 500 and the insulating layer 600, the space other than the inflatable cavity has a filling material 700, and the filling material 700 can be a porous flexible material, such as a foam material. The filling material 700 has shaping and protective effects, and can also increase buoyancy. Figure 2 As shown, the filling material 700 has a certain shape, with an air-filled cavity in the middle. When the air-filled cavity is inflated, the cavity skin 202 is tightly attached to the filling material 700 and fills the space containing the filling material 700 .

[0046] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 As shown, the inflatable cavity 201 has an inflatable support structure. Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an inflatable support structure of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 and Figure 8In some embodiments, the inflatable support structure includes an inflatable column 203, an inflatable hole 204 and a connecting rod 205. Each inflatable cavity 201 has two inflatable columns 203, and the two inflatable columns 203 are connected by a connecting rod 205. There are multiple connecting rods 205. They are arranged at intervals between the two inflatable columns 203. The inflatable column 203 extends along the longitudinal direction of the inflatable cavity 201, that is, the length direction of the zero gravity cable. The inflatable column 203 is annular, and the center of the inflatable column 203 is a hollow structure. The inflatable column 203 has multiple inflatable holes 204. Multiple inflatable holes 204 can be arranged at intervals on the inflatable column 203. Multiple inflatable holes 204 can be staggered to prevent blockage. The inflatable device is connected to the inflatable column 203. When inflating, the inflatable device transmits gas through the hollow structure in the center of the inflatable column 203, and enters the inflatable cavity through the inflatable hole 204. In some embodiments, the inflatable support structure can be wound together with the zero-gravity cable. In this embodiment, the composite material layer 500 can be a compressible and deformable structure. When the zero-gravity cable is recovered, the inflatable cavity 201 that has been recovered to the mother body can be completely flattened, and the entire zero-gravity cable can be flattened and then wound, thereby reducing the recovery space. In this embodiment, the inflatable cavity 201 is two symmetrically arranged. After the inflatable cavity is flattened, the zero-gravity cable is flat as a whole. Specifically, the connecting rod 205 is tangentially connected to the outside of the inflatable column 203. After the inflatable cavity 201 is flattened, the cavity skin 202 can be close to the connecting rod 205 and the inflatable column 203. In this embodiment, no filling material may be provided or a softer filling material may be provided. The inflatable support structure as a whole can be used as a supporting structure, and the cavity skin 202 is wrapped outside the inflatable support structure, and will not be displaced. The shape and position of the inflated and flattened state are controllable.

[0047] refer to Figure 1 The zero-gravity cable provided by the present invention is applied to an underwater equipment recovery system. Each underwater equipment recovery system has two zero-gravity cables. During the recovery process, the buoyancy of the two zero-gravity cables can be controlled to reduce or even avoid the gravity effect of the zero-gravity cables, thereby making it easier to control the force balance at both ends of the underwater equipment and ensuring stable recovery of the underwater equipment. In some embodiments, the posture lock of the docking robot can also be controlled, and the tension of the two zero-gravity cables can be precisely controlled to ensure the posture balance of the underwater equipment and keep it in a horizontal state.

[0048] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A zero-gravity cable for underwater equipment recovery, characterized in that: The zero-gravity cable comprises an electric cable, one end of the zero-gravity cable is used to connect to a docking robot, and the other end of the zero-gravity cable is used to connect to a mother body, and the docking robot is used to capture the underwater device, thereby recovering the underwater device; The cable is used to supply power to the docking robot; The zero-gravity cable further comprises a buoyancy structure, wherein the buoyancy structure comprises an air-filled cavity, and the buoyancy structure is used to make the buoyancy of the zero-gravity cable equal to the gravity when the zero-gravity cable is in water, so that the zero-gravity cable is in a zero-gravity state.

2. The zero-gravity cable according to claim 1, characterized in that The zero-gravity cable comprises two air-filled cavities, the cable is arranged at the center of the zero-gravity cable, and the two air-filled cavities extend along the cable and are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the cable.

3. The zero-gravity cable according to claim 2, characterized in that A control valve is provided at one end of the zero-gravity cable used for connecting to the docking robot. The control valve is connected to the two air-filled cavities and is used for controlling the connection or disconnection of the two air-filled cavities.

4. The zero-gravity cable according to claim 3, characterized in that One end of the zero-gravity cable used for connecting to the mother body is provided with an inflatable device, and the inflatable device is installed on the mother body.

5. The zero-gravity cable according to claim 4, characterized in that The outer side of the zero-gravity cable is wrapped with a composite material layer, and the composite material layer is made of high-strength material.

6. The zero-gravity cable according to claim 5, characterized in that The composite material layer comprises a tensile layer and a protective layer, wherein the protective layer is arranged on the periphery of the tensile layer.

7. The zero-gravity cable according to claim 6, characterized in that The cable has an insulating layer on its outer periphery, and the insulating layer is arranged between the cable and the air-filled cavity.

8. An underwater equipment recovery system, characterized in that: The zero-gravity cable comprises a zero-gravity cable as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the recovery system further comprises an underwater device, a docking robot and a mother body, wherein one end of the zero-gravity cable is connected to the docking robot and the other end is connected to the mother body, and the underwater device is an underwater robot.

9. The underwater equipment recovery system according to claim 8, characterized in that: There are two zero-gravity cables and two docking robots. Each docking robot is connected to the mother body via one zero-gravity cable, and two docking robots dock with the underwater equipment at the same time.

10. The underwater equipment recovery system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The mother body is provided with an inflatable device, and each zero-gravity cable is provided with two independent inflatable devices correspondingly, and each inflatable device inflates an inflatable cavity.

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