A zero-gravity cable and system for underwater equipment recovery

Abstract

The application discloses a zero-gravity cable and system for underwater equipment recovery, the zero-gravity cable comprising a cable, one end of the zero-gravity cable being used for connecting a docking robot, the other end of the zero-gravity cable being used for connecting a parent body, the docking robot being used for capturing the underwater equipment, so as to realize recovery of the underwater equipment; the cable is used for supplying power to the docking robot; the zero-gravity cable further comprises a buoyancy structure, the buoyancy structure comprising an air-filled cavity, the buoyancy structure being used for making the zero-gravity cable in a zero-gravity state when the zero-gravity cable is in water, the zero-gravity cable being subjected to buoyancy equal to gravity, so as to avoid the influence of gravity while realizing power supply to the docking robot, reduce the load of the docking robot, and ensure underwater equipment recovery.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of underwater robots, and particularly relates to a zero-gravity cable and system for recovering underwater equipment. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the rise of ocean engineering, there are more and more long-ocean underwater operations. The existing docking robots are generally powered by batteries or cables. However, the battery power is limited and cannot be used for long-distance driving, which may cause the docking robot to return due to lack of power. The existing cable power supply generally provides power on the water surface or in the water. The underwater or underwater operation causes additional load to the docking robot, and the cable is easy to entangle, which cannot be applied to complex marine environments and long-distance power supply requirements. SUMMARY

[0003] In view of the above defects or improvement requirements of the prior art, the present application provides a zero-gravity cable and system for recovering underwater equipment. The zero-gravity cable of the present application can realize power supply for the docking robot while avoiding the influence of gravity, reducing the load of the docking robot, and ensuring the recovery of underwater equipment.

[0004] To achieve the above purpose, in some embodiments, a zero-gravity cable for recovering underwater equipment is provided, which comprises a cable, one end of the zero-gravity cable is used to connect a docking robot, and the other end of the zero-gravity cable is used to connect a parent body. The docking robot is used to capture the underwater equipment, thereby realizing the recovery of 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, the buoyancy structure comprises an inflatable cavity, and the buoyancy structure is used to make the buoyancy of the zero-gravity cable in water equal to the gravity, so as to be in a zero-gravity state.

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

[0008] In some embodiments, the end of the zero-gravity cable used to connect the docking robot has a control valve, the control valve is connected to the two inflatable cavities, and is used to control the communication or disconnection of the two inflatable cavities.

[0009] In some embodiments, the end of the zero-gravity cable used to connect the parent body has an inflation device, and the inflation device is installed on the parent body.

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

[0011] In some embodiments, the composite layer comprises a tensile layer and a protective layer, and the protective layer is arranged at the periphery of the tensile layer.

[0012] In some embodiments, the periphery of the cable has an insulating layer arranged between the cable and the inflatable cavity.

[0013] In some embodiments, a system for recovering underwater equipment is also provided, comprising the zero-gravity cable according to any one of the above embodiments, the system further comprising an underwater equipment, a docking robot, and a parent body, one end of the zero-gravity cable being connected to the docking robot, and the other end being connected to the parent body.

[0014] In some embodiments, the zero-gravity cable has two, and the docking robot has two, each of the docking robots being connected to the parent body by one of the zero-gravity cables, and the two docking robots being docked with the underwater equipment at the same time.

[0015] In some embodiments, the parent body is provided with an inflation device, and each zero-gravity cable is provided with two independent inflation devices, and each inflation device inflates one inflatable cavity.

[0016] Overall, compared with the prior art, the above embodiments conceived by the present application have the following advantages

[0017] Advantages:

[0018] (1) The zero-gravity cable can avoid the influence of gravity while providing power to the docking robot, reduce the load of the docking robot, ensure the recovery of the underwater equipment, and avoid entanglement.

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

[0020] (3) The control valve connects the two inflatable cavities, controls the communication or disconnection of the two inflatable cavities, and makes them work independently or in communication, and each zero-gravity cable is provided with two independent inflation devices, and each inflation device inflates one inflatable cavity. In addition, each inflatable cavity can also realize independent exhaust, which is convenient for adjusting the buoyancy and recovery, can adapt to different underwater environments, and can 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 are described in detail in the corresponding description of the specific embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a water device recovery system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The embodiments described herein will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those of ordinary skill in the art can recognize that the embodiments described herein can be modified in various different ways or combinations thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, the accompanying drawings and description are illustrative in nature and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. Furthermore, in the present specification, the accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale, and the same reference numerals represent the same parts.

[0031] Some embodiments of the present application provide a zero-gravity cable for water device recovery, which is applied to a water device recovery system for the recovery of a water device. Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a water device recovery system according to an embodiment of the present application. Reference is made to Figure 1In some embodiments, the underwater equipment recovery system comprises a zero-gravity cable 1000, the recovery system further comprises an underwater equipment 2000, a docking robot 3000 and a mother ship 4000, one end of the zero-gravity cable 1000 is connected to the docking robot 3000 (for the convenience of illustration, the docking robot 3000 is enlarged and shown by an arrow in the figure), and the other end is connected to the mother ship 4000. The zero-gravity cable 1000 for underwater equipment recovery comprises a cable, one end of the cable is used to connect the docking robot, and the other end is used to connect the mother ship. The docking robot 3000 is used to capture the underwater equipment 2000, thereby achieving the recovery of 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 ship. The docking robot has a power device, and the cable can supply power to the power device. The power device comprises a motor and a driving paddle. The docking robot approaches the underwater equipment under the drive of the power device. Generally, the mother ship is located below the underwater equipment. In some embodiments, the underwater equipment 2000 is an underwater robot. In some embodiments, the underwater equipment 2000 can float on the water surface, and the bottom surface of the underwater equipment is located in the water. The bottom surface of the underwater equipment has a docking device. The top of the docking robot has a docking structure matched with the docking device. After the docking robot approaches the underwater equipment, the docking structure and the docking device are matched to complete the docking. The mother ship retracts the zero-gravity cable, thereby driving the underwater equipment and recovering the underwater equipment to the mother ship.

[0032] In some embodiments, the zero-gravity cable 1000 has two, and the two zero-gravity cables 1000 are connected to the same mother ship. The docking robot 3000 has two, and each docking robot 3000 is connected to the mother ship 4000 by one zero-gravity cable 1000. The two docking robots 3000 simultaneously dock with the underwater equipment 2000. In some embodiments, the mother ship has a winding device 5000. The zero-gravity cable 1000 is wound and wound by the winding device 5000. In some embodiments, the mother ship has a buffer locking mechanism 6000. When the underwater equipment is recovered to the mother ship, the underwater equipment contacts and locks with the buffer locking mechanism, thereby preventing collision damage.

[0033] Figure 2 A cross-sectional structure of a zero-gravity cable for underwater equipment recovery is shown in the figure. Referring to Figure 2The zero-gravity cable 1000 for underwater equipment recovery includes a cable 100, one end of which is used to connect a docking robot and the other end of which is used to connect a mother body, the docking robot being used to capture the underwater equipment so as to realize recovery of the underwater equipment; the cable is used to supply power to the docking robot. In some embodiments, the zero-gravity cable 1000 further includes a buoyancy structure 200, the buoyancy structure including an inflatable cavity 201, the buoyancy structure being used to make the zero-gravity cable in a state of zero gravity in water by making the buoyancy force acting on the zero-gravity cable equal to the gravity. It can be understood that the water can be sea water or fresh water. In addition, by arranging the inflatable cavity, when inflated, the zero-gravity cable is in an inflated state and is subjected to radial outward tension, the overall rigidity of the zero-gravity cable is large and the zero-gravity cable is not easy to bend, so that the zero-gravity cable is not easy to wind during lifting and recovery and movement control is easier.

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

[0035] Figure 3 A cross-sectional structure diagram of a control valve of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 A cross-sectional structure diagram of a control valve of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 A cross-sectional structure diagram of a control valve of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 A cross-sectional structure diagram of a control valve of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 In some embodiments, one end of the zero-gravity cable used to connect the docking robot has a control valve 300 connected to the inflatable cavity, which is used to control the inflatable cavity to be connected or disconnected. In some embodiments, the zero-gravity cable has two inflatable cavities, and the control valve 300 is connected to the two inflatable cavities, which is used to control the two inflatable cavities to be connected or disconnected. Figure 2 A cross-sectional structure diagram of a control valve of a zero-gravity cable according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 In some embodiments, one end of the zero-gravity cable used to connect the docking robot has a control valve 300 connected to the inflatable cavity, which is used to control the inflatable cavity to be connected or disconnected. In some embodiments, the zero-gravity cable has two inflatable cavities, and the control valve 300 is connected to the two inflatable cavities, which is used to control the two inflatable cavities to be connected or disconnected.

[0036] In some embodiments, one end of the zero-gravity cable used to connect the docking robot has a control valve 300 connected to the inflatable cavity, which is used to control the inflatable cavity to be connected or disconnected. In some embodiments, the zero-gravity cable has two inflatable cavities, and the control valve 300 is connected to the two inflatable cavities, which is used to control the two inflatable cavities to be connected or disconnected.

[0037] In the embodiments of the present application, by arranging two inflatable cavities and two independent inflation devices, each independent inflation device corresponds to one inflatable cavity, and the two inflatable cavities are connected through a control valve, the reliability of inflation is ensured, and inflation failure caused by damage or blockage of a certain inflatable cavity or a certain inflation device is avoided. When the inflation devices are all working normally, the control valve is closed, and the two inflatable cavities are independently inflated and controlled in air pressure, so as to ensure the inflation efficiency and stability. When a certain inflation device fails, the control valve can be opened, so that the other inflation device can 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 the 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, so as to adjust the buoyancy of the entire zero-gravity cable, adapt to the motion state of the zero-gravity cable, prevent winding, and improve efficiency. For example, during the cable laying process, that is, during the upward movement of the zero-gravity cable, the docking robot is in an upward state, the air pressure of the inflatable cavity can be appropriately increased, so that the buoyancy of the zero-gravity cable is greater than the weight of the zero-gravity cable, so that the zero-gravity cable itself has an upward driving force under the action of the buoyancy, thereby reducing the driving force required by the docking robot, and the docking robot is more easily and quickly close to the underwater equipment to be docked. Of course, the buoyancy of the zero-gravity cable cannot be too large than the weight of the zero-gravity cable, so as to avoid that the zero-gravity cable moves upward faster than the docking robot, and pulls the docking robot, thereby preventing the docking robot from losing control. During the downward movement of the zero-gravity cable, that is, during the recovery process, the docking robot also descends with the underwater equipment, the air pressure of the inflatable cavity can be appropriately reduced, so that the buoyancy of the zero-gravity cable is less than or equal to the weight of the zero-gravity cable, so that the zero-gravity cable itself has a downward driving force or a floating state under the action of gravity, and under the action of the collecting device on the mother body, the zero-gravity cable is easily recovered. Of course, the buoyancy of the zero-gravity cable cannot be too small than the weight of the zero-gravity cable, so as to avoid that the zero-gravity cable moves downward too fast under the action of gravity, and pulls the docking robot, thereby preventing the docking robot from losing control. Moreover, the downward movement speed of the zero-gravity cable is prevented from being greater than the collecting speed of the collecting device, so as to prevent the zero-gravity cable from being stacked and wound, and hindered from being recovered.

[0039] In some embodiments, during the recovery process and / or the cable laying process of the zero-gravity cable, the buoyancy of the zero-gravity cable is equal to the weight of the zero-gravity cable, so as to improve the driving efficiency, reduce energy loss, effectively prevent winding, and facilitate motion control.

[0040] In some embodiments, the zero-gravity cable has a plurality of inflatable cavities, and the number of the inflatable cavities is more than three, for example, three, four, or five inflatable cavities. In some embodiments, the number of the inflatable cavities is not more than five. By providing two or more inflatable cavities, the reliability of inflation can be ensured, and inflation failure caused by damage or blockage of a single inflatable cavity can be avoided. In addition, the number of the inflatable cavities is not more than five, which can simplify the structure, reduce the manufacturing difficulty, and avoid the blockage caused by the small cross-sectional size of a single inflatable cavity. In some embodiments, the number of the inflatable cavities is two to five, and one independent inflation device is provided for each inflatable cavity, and the number of the independent inflation devices is two to five. By providing a plurality of independent inflation devices, the inflation pressure can be ensured, and the inflation efficiency can be improved. In some embodiments, two or more inflatable cavities share one independent inflation device. Of course, each zero-gravity cable has at least two independent inflation devices. The two independent inflation devices correspond to the inflatable cavities 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 inflation device can inflate the two inflatable cavities, and the air pressures in the two inflatable cavities are the same. When the two inflatable cavities are disconnected, each independent inflation device can only inflate the corresponding inflatable cavity, and the air pressures in the two inflatable cavities can be different.

[0041] In the embodiments of the present application, by providing a plurality of inflatable cavities and a plurality of independent inflation devices, the reliability and efficiency of inflation are further ensured, and the anti-winding effect is better. In addition, by controlling the air pressures in the plurality of inflatable cavities, the air pressures in different inflatable cavities can be different to adapt to the influence of the water flow direction.

[0042] Reference 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. One independent inflation device is provided for each inflatable cavity, and there are three independent inflation devices. Each two adjacent inflatable cavities are connected by a control valve 300, that is, the first inflatable cavity 2011 and the second inflatable cavity 2012 have a first control valve 301, the second inflatable cavity 2012 and the third inflatable cavity 2013 have a second control valve 302, and the third inflatable cavity 2013 and the first inflatable cavity 2011 have a third control valve 303.

[0043] Figure 6 The composite material layer structure of the zero-gravity cable of an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 2. Reference Figure 2 and Figure 6The zero-gravity cable is wrapped with a composite layer 500 made of high-strength material on the outside. The composite layer is made of flexible material that is resistant to bending. The composite layer is configured to ensure that the zero-gravity cable can be wound without bending, thereby avoiding damage to the inflatable cavity and the cable, but also facilitating recycling. In some embodiments, the composite layer includes a tensile layer 501, a bending-resistant layer 502, and a protective layer 503, which are arranged in the order of the tensile layer on the outside, the tensile layer on the outside of the bending-resistant layer. The tensile layer 501 has high strength to prevent the zero-gravity cable from being broken by excessive tension. The tensile layer 501 can be composed of metal wires arranged in a mesh structure. The metal wires can be stainless steel. The bending-resistant layer 502 has high rigidity to prevent the zero-gravity cable from being bent by excessive bending moment. The bending-resistant layer 502 can be flexible plastic. The protective layer 503 has good wear resistance and corrosion resistance to prevent the zero-gravity cable from being worn and corroded in seawater environment and during recycling. The protective layer 503 can be made of rubber material. By arranging the bending-resistant layer, the tensile layer, and the protective layer in the order of the bending-resistant layer on the inside and the protective layer on the outside, wear, breakage, and bending can be effectively prevented.

[0044] Reference Figure 2 In some embodiments, the cable has an insulating layer 600 arranged on the outside of the cable and between the cable and the inflatable cavity. The insulating layer 600 is arranged closely to the cable to provide insulation and protection for 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 to adapt to different inflation pressures. The cavity skin 202 also has good air tightness. In some embodiments, the cavity skin 202 can be made of rubber material. In some embodiments, between the composite layer 500 and the insulating layer 600, the space other than the inflatable cavity has a filling material 700, which can be a porous flexible material such as foam material. The filling material 700 has a shaping and protection effect and can also increase the buoyancy. As shown in Figure 2 , the filling material 700 has a certain shape and has a receiving space for the inflatable cavity in the middle. When the inflatable cavity is inflated, the cavity skin 202 closely contacts the filling material 700 and fills the receiving space of the filling material 700.

[0046] Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of the zero-gravity cable of an embodiment of the present application is shown in Figure 7 , the inflatable cavity 201 has an inflatable support structure. Figure 8 A schematic view of the inflatable support structure of the zero-gravity cable of an embodiment of the present application is shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8In some embodiments, the inflatable support structure comprises inflatable columns 203, inflatable holes 204, and connecting rods 205, each inflatable cavity 201 has two inflatable columns 203, and the two inflatable columns 203 are connected by connecting rods 205. The connecting rods 205 are arranged at intervals between the two inflatable columns 203. The inflatable columns 203 extend along the longitudinal direction of the inflatable cavity 201, i.e. the length direction of the zero-gravity cable, the inflatable columns 203 are circular rings, the center of the inflatable columns 203 is a hollow structure, and the inflatable columns 203 have a plurality of inflatable holes 204. The plurality of inflatable holes 204 can be arranged at intervals on the inflatable columns 203. The plurality of inflatable holes 204 can be arranged in a staggered manner to prevent blockage. The inflatable device is connected to the inflatable columns 203, and when inflated, the inflatable device transmits gas through the hollow structure in the center of the inflatable columns 203 and into the inflatable cavity through the inflatable holes 204. In some embodiments, the inflatable support structure can be wound together with the zero-gravity cable, and in this embodiment, the composite material layer 500 can be a compressively deformable structure. When the zero-gravity cable is recovered, the inflatable cavities 201 that have been recovered into the matrix can be completely flattened, and the entire zero-gravity cable can be wound after being flattened, thereby reducing the recovery space. In this embodiment, the inflatable cavities 201 are symmetrically arranged in two, and after the inflatable cavities are flattened, the zero-gravity cable as a whole is in a flat shape. Specifically, the connecting rods 205 are tangent to the outside of the inflatable columns 203, and after the inflatable cavities 201 are flattened, the cavity skin 202 can be tightly attached to the connecting rods 205 and the inflatable columns 203. In this embodiment, no filler material can be provided or a more flexible filler material can be provided. The inflatable support structure as a whole can serve as a support structure, and the cavity skin 202 is wrapped outside the inflatable support structure and will not be displaced, and the shape position in the inflated and flattened states is controllable.

[0047] Reference Figure 1 The present application provides a zero-gravity cable for a water equipment recovery system. Each water equipment recovery system has two zero-gravity cables. During recovery, the buoyancy of the two zero-gravity cables can be controlled to reduce or even avoid the influence of the gravity of the zero-gravity cable, so that the force balance at both ends of the water equipment is easier to control, and the water equipment is stably recovered. In some embodiments, the posture of the docking robot can also be locked, and the tension of the two zero-gravity cables can be precisely controlled to ensure the posture balance of the water equipment and keep it in a horizontal state.

[0048] The above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes to the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A zero-gravity cable for underwater equipment recovery, characterized in that: The zero-gravity cable includes an electric cable, one end of the zero-gravity cable is used to connect to the docking robot, and the other end of the zero-gravity cable is used to connect to the mother body, and the docking robot is used to capture the underwater device, thereby realizing recovery of 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, thereby being in a zero-gravity state; 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; 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 to control the connection or disconnection of the two air-filled cavities.

2. The zero-gravity cable according to claim 1, wherein One end of the zero-gravity cable used for connecting to the mother body is provided with an inflation device, and the inflation device is installed on the mother body.

3. The zero-gravity cable according to claim 2, wherein: 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.

4. The zero-gravity cable according to claim 3, wherein The composite material layer includes a tensile layer and a protective layer, and the protective layer is arranged on the periphery of the tensile layer.

5. The zero-gravity cable according to claim 4, wherein The outer periphery of the cable has an insulating layer, and the insulating layer is arranged between the cable and the air-filled cavity.

6. An underwater equipment recovery system, characterized in that: The zero-gravity cable comprises the zero-gravity cable according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the recovery system further comprises underwater equipment, a docking robot and a mother body, 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 equipment is an underwater robot.

7. The underwater equipment recovery system according to claim 6, 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.

8. The underwater equipment recovery system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The mother body is provided with an inflation device, and each zero-gravity cable is provided with two independent inflation devices, and each inflation device inflates an inflation cavity.

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