Conformal self-contained underwater acoustic beacon

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of underwater detection and underwater acoustic engineering, and particularly discloses a conformal self-contained underwater acoustic beacon which comprises an acoustic beacon shell, the acoustic beacon shell comprises a wedge-shaped conformal body and a cylindrical carrier, the bottom of the wedge-shaped conformal body is attached to the cylindrical carrier, and the top of the wedge-shaped conformal body is an inclined cambered surface; a transducer and a signal processing module are mounted at the top of the wedge-shaped conformal body; a power supply module is arranged in the cylindrical carrier, and the signal processing unit is connected with the power supply module and the transducer respectively; an end cover is arranged at the end of the cylindrical carrier, and a water entry detection module is integrated in the end cover. According to the invention, the acoustic beacon shell is divided into the wedge-shaped conformal body and the cylindrical carrier, and the top of the wedge-shaped conformal body is an inclined cambered surface, so that the surface space of the UUV is utilized to the greatest extent, the overall size and weight are reduced, the acoustic beacon can be better integrated into the streamline design of the UUV, the resistance during underwater movement is reduced, and the navigation efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of underwater detection and underwater acoustic engineering, and in particular relates to a conformal self-contained underwater acoustic beacon. Background Art

[0002] As a special underwater positioning device, acoustic beacon has gone through decades of development at home and abroad. It is generally called Beacon and ULD, and is mostly used for ship cockpit recorders and aircraft flight parameter recorders. Now it has been expanded to UUV, frogman and other underwater vehicles. The United States, France and other developed countries in Europe and the United States have many models of commercial mature products. Acoustic beacons have the advantages of small size, easy installation and long action time. In the field of underwater acoustics, they are used as transmitting sound sources to indicate the underwater position of targets, such as underwater positioning, marine engineering, navigation and tracking of underwater vehicles, underwater military and other fields.

[0003] A Chinese patent with publication number CN204256157U discloses an underwater acoustic beacon that integrates functions such as water entry detection, signal generation, power amplification and transducer impedance matching on a circuit board. However, the outer shell of the acoustic beacon is a cylindrical structure that cannot conform to the UUV, which makes the underwater acoustic beacon have greater resistance when moving underwater, reducing navigation efficiency. In addition, the underwater acoustic beacon has poor concealment and is likely to be detected by the enemy, limiting the performance and application scope of the underwater acoustic beacon. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the defects in the prior art and provide a conformal self-contained underwater acoustic beacon.

[0005] The present invention provides a conformal self-contained underwater acoustic beacon, comprising an acoustic beacon shell conforming to a UUV, wherein the acoustic beacon shell comprises a wedge-shaped conformal body and a cylindrical carrier, wherein the bottom of the wedge-shaped conformal body fits the cylindrical carrier, and the top of the wedge-shaped conformal body is an inclined arc surface, which is adapted to the UUV;

[0006] The wedge-shaped conformal body has a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion on the top, the first mounting portion has a transducer housing in it, a transducer is mounted in the transducer housing, the second mounting portion is used to mount a signal processing module, a sound-transmitting window is disposed on the top of the first mounting portion, and a cover plate is disposed on the top of the second mounting portion;

[0007] A power supply housing is arranged inside the cylindrical carrier, a power supply module is arranged inside the power supply housing, and the signal processing unit is connected to the power supply module and the transducer respectively;

[0008] An end cap is provided at the end of the cylindrical carrier, and a water entry detection module is integrated inside the end cap. The water entry detection module is connected to the power module and the signal processing module respectively, and two electrodes of the water entry detection module conduct the single-chip computer and the power module underwater.

[0009] A further solution is that the signal processing module is a single chip microcomputer and a peripheral crystal oscillator circuit, and the PA06_IO port of the single chip microcomputer is a push-pull pull-up input, which is connected to the water intrusion detection module 10;

[0010] The peripheral crystal oscillator circuit includes an external crystal oscillator X1, a capacitor C3 and a capacitor C4, the two ends of the external crystal oscillator X1 are respectively connected to the input pin and the output pin of the single chip microcomputer, one end of the capacitor C3 and the capacitor C4 are respectively connected to the two ends of the crystal oscillator X1, and the other ends of the capacitor C3 and the capacitor C4 are grounded.

[0011] A further solution is that the PA07_IO port and the PA08_IO port of the single chip microcomputer output complementary square wave signals and set a dead time, and the PA10_IO port sets a pulse voltage width and outputs a sine wave.

[0012] A further solution is that the power module includes a lithium battery and a voltage conversion unit, the voltage conversion unit is electrically connected to the lithium battery and is used to boost the 3.6V voltage into 5V, and the voltage conversion unit is a BOOST chip, model LT3995.

[0013] A further solution is that a power amplification module is also arranged between the signal processing module and the transducer, the output end of the power amplification module is connected to the input end of the transducer, and the output end of the signal processing module is connected to the input end of the power amplification module through a shielded cable; the shielding layer of the shielded cable is grounded; the signal amplitude output by the signal processing module matches the signal amplitude required by the power amplification module input.

[0014] A further solution is that the transducer is a piezoelectric ceramic transducer, and the equivalent circuit is a capacitive load.

[0015] A further solution is that a storage module is further provided inside the cylindrical carrier, and the storage module is respectively connected to the single chip computer and the power module.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] (1) The present invention configures the acoustic beacon shell to consist of a wedge-shaped conformal body and a cylindrical carrier. The top of the wedge-shaped conformal body is an inclined arc surface, which can be conformal with most UUVs, maximize the use of the surface space of the UUV, reduce the installation of additional external equipment, and thus reduce the overall volume and weight. The acoustic beacon conforming to the UUV can be better integrated into the streamlined design of the UUV, reduce the resistance when moving underwater, and improve the navigation efficiency. In addition, the conformal design can make the acoustic beacon more integrated with the appearance of the UUV, reducing the probability of being detected by the enemy, which is of great significance in military applications.

[0018] (2) The present invention arranges key components such as the transducer, single-chip microcomputer, and power supply inside the wedge-shaped conformal body and the cylindrical carrier, avoiding external protruding components, reducing the risk of damage in a complex underwater environment, and improving the stability and reliability of the equipment.

[0019] (3) The voltage provided by the lithium battery of the present invention is provided to the single-chip microcomputer and its peripheral circuits via a voltage conversion chip to provide a 3.3V voltage. When the signal is transmitted, the current of the entire circuit is no more than 70mA, and when the signal is not transmitted, the static current of the entire circuit is no more than 1.5mA, thereby achieving the low energy consumption requirement. The power module is powered by only one disposable battery, and the continuous working time is more than 30 days.

[0020] (4) The PA06_IO port of the single-chip microcomputer is a push-pull pull-up input for detecting water ingress signals. PA07_IO and PA08_IO are complementary square wave signals. The dead time is set at the same time. PA10_IO sets the pulse voltage width, and finally realizes a sine wave with an output frequency of 34.5kHz, a width of 10ms, and a period of 1s.

[0021] (5) The present invention also provides a storage module inside the cylindrical carrier for storing the configuration information, working data, etc. of the acoustic beacon to ensure that the data will not be lost after a power failure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The following drawings are only used to illustrate and explain the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, wherein:

[0023] Figure 1 : Schematic diagram of the external structure of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 : Exploded view of the acoustic beacon housing of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 : Principle block diagram of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 : Schematic diagram of signal processing module circuit connection;

[0027] In the figure: 1. transducer housing; 2. wedge-shaped conformal body; 3. cylindrical carrier; 4. power supply housing; 5. end cover; 6. first mounting part; 7. second mounting part; 8. cover plate; 9. sound-transmitting window; 10. water intrusion detection module; 11. power supply module; 12. signal processing module; 13. transducer; 14. power amplification module; 15. storage module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to make the purpose, technical solution, design method and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention is further described in detail by specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0029] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the present invention provides a conformal self-contained underwater acoustic beacon, including an acoustic beacon shell conformal to a UUV, the acoustic beacon shell including a wedge-shaped conformal body 2 and a cylindrical carrier 3, the bottom of the wedge-shaped conformal body 2 fits with the cylindrical carrier 3, the top of the wedge-shaped conformal body 2 is an inclined arc surface, the wedge-shaped conformal body 2 and the cylindrical carrier 3 achieve a 20° wedge-shaped conformity, can be conformal to most UUVs, maximize the use of the surface space of the UUV, reduce the installation of additional external equipment, thereby reducing the overall volume and weight, the acoustic beacon conformal to the UUV can be better integrated into the streamlined design of the UUV, reduce resistance when moving underwater, and improve navigation efficiency.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, a first mounting portion 6 and a second mounting portion 7 are provided on the top of the wedge-shaped conformal body 2, a transducer housing 1 is provided in the first mounting portion 6, a transducer 13 is installed in the transducer housing 1, the second mounting portion 7 is used to install a signal processing module 12, a sound-permeable window 9 is provided on the top of the first mounting portion 6, and a cover plate 8 is provided on the top of the second mounting portion 7; a power supply housing 4 is provided inside the cylindrical carrier 3, a power supply module 11 is provided inside the power supply housing 4, and the signal processing unit is respectively connected to the power supply module 11 and the transducer 13; an end cap 5 is provided at the end of the cylindrical carrier 3, a water entry detection module 10 is integrated inside the end cap 5, the water entry detection module 10 is respectively connected to the power supply module 11 and the signal processing module 12, and the two electrodes of the water entry detection module 10 conduct the single-chip microcomputer and the power supply module 11 underwater. Figure 4As shown, the signal processing module 12 is a single-chip microcomputer and a peripheral crystal oscillator circuit. The PA06_IO port of the single-chip microcomputer is a push-pull pull-up input, which is connected to the water ingress detection module 10; the peripheral crystal oscillator circuit includes an external crystal oscillator X1, a capacitor C3 and a capacitor C4, the two ends of the external crystal oscillator X1 are respectively connected to the input pin and the output pin of the single-chip microcomputer, one end of the capacitor C3 and the capacitor C4 are respectively connected to the two ends of the crystal oscillator X1, and the other ends of the capacitor C3 and the capacitor C4 are grounded. The PA07_IO port and the PA08_IO port of the single-chip microcomputer output complementary square wave signals and set the dead time. The PA10_IO port sets the pulse voltage width and outputs a sine wave with a frequency of 34.5kHz, a width of 10ms, and a period of 1s. The power module 11 includes a lithium battery and a voltage conversion unit. The voltage conversion unit is electrically connected to the lithium battery and is used to boost the 3.6V voltage to 5V. The voltage conversion unit is a BOOST chip, model LT3995.

[0031] In order to amplify the weak electrical signal generated by the signal processing module to sufficient power to drive the transducer to emit an acoustic signal, in the present embodiment, a power amplification module 14 is further arranged between the signal processing module 12 and the transducer 13, the output end of the power amplification module 14 is connected to the input end of the transducer 13, the output end of the signal processing module 12 is connected to the input end of the power amplification module 14 through a shielded cable; the shielding layer of the shielded cable is grounded; the signal amplitude output by the signal processing module 12 matches the signal amplitude required by the input of the power amplification module 14.

[0032] In the above, the transducer 13 is a piezoelectric ceramic transducer, and the equivalent circuit is a capacitive load. The transducer 13 converts the sinusoidal signal output by the power amplifier module 14 into an acoustic signal; the parameters of the transducer 13 reflect the nature of the load and also determine the electroacoustic conversion efficiency of the transducer 13. The transducer 13 adopts a composite rod type and is installed in a conformal structure, which can achieve an emission sound source level of not less than 160.5dB (at 37.5kHz) and an electroacoustic conversion efficiency of not less than 80%.

[0033] In order to ensure that data is not lost after power failure, a storage module 15 is further provided inside the cylindrical carrier 3 , and the storage module 15 is connected to the single chip computer and the power module 11 respectively.

[0034] When the present invention is not in the water state, the water entry detection module 10 outputs a signal to the single-chip microcomputer, and the single-chip microcomputer puts the entire system in a low-power standby state to save battery power. After the acoustic beacon is immersed in water, the water entry detection module 10 detects the presence of water and sends a signal to the single-chip microcomputer. When the signal is transmitted, the circuit current of the whole machine is not more than 70mA, and the static current of the whole machine is not more than 1.5mA during the non-transmitting signal period. The beacon circuit is powered by only one disposable battery, and the continuous working time is more than 30 days. The single-chip microcomputer starts the acoustic beacon system and obtains power supply from the power module 11. The single-chip microcomputer controls the peripheral crystal oscillator circuit to generate a specific electrical signal according to preset parameters or external instructions. After the electrical signal is amplified by the power amplifier module 14, the drive transducer 13 converts the electrical signal into an acoustic signal and transmits it into the water. The acoustic signal can be received and processed by other underwater equipment (such as receivers, underwater robots, etc.) to realize underwater communication, positioning, navigation and other functions.

[0035] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, and the above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and changes will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The selection of terms used herein is intended to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or technical improvements in the market, or to enable other persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A conformal self-contained underwater acoustic beacon, characterized in that: It comprises an acoustic beacon shell conforming to a UUV, the acoustic beacon shell comprising a wedge-shaped conformal body (2) and a cylindrical carrier (3), the bottom of the wedge-shaped conformal body (2) is in contact with the cylindrical carrier (3), and the top of the wedge-shaped conformal body (2) is an inclined arc surface adapted to the UUV; The wedge-shaped conformal body (2) is provided with a first mounting portion (6) and a second mounting portion (7) at the top, a transducer housing (1) is provided in the first mounting portion (6), a transducer (13) is installed in the transducer housing (1), the second mounting portion (7) is used to install a signal processing module (12), a sound-transmitting window (9) is provided at the top of the first mounting portion (6), and a cover plate (8) is provided at the top of the second mounting portion (7); A power supply housing (4) is arranged inside the cylindrical carrier (3), a power supply module (11) is arranged inside the power supply housing (4), and the signal processing unit is connected to the power supply module (11) and the transducer (13) respectively; An end cap (5) is provided at the end of the cylindrical carrier (3), a water entry detection module (10) is integrated inside the end cap (5), the water entry detection module (10) is connected to the power module (11) and the signal processing module (12) respectively, and two electrodes of the water entry detection module (10) conduct the single chip microcomputer and the power module (11) underwater.

2. A conformal self-contained underwater acoustic beacon according to claim 1, characterized in that: The signal processing module (12) is a single-chip microcomputer and a peripheral crystal oscillator circuit, and the PA06_IO port of the single-chip microcomputer is a push-pull pull-up input and is connected to the water intrusion detection module (10); The peripheral crystal oscillator circuit includes an external crystal oscillator X1, a capacitor C3 and a capacitor C4, the two ends of the external crystal oscillator X1 are respectively connected to the input pin and the output pin of the single chip microcomputer, one end of the capacitor C3 and the capacitor C4 are respectively connected to the two ends of the crystal oscillator X1, and the other ends of the capacitor C3 and the capacitor C4 are grounded.

3. A conformal self-contained underwater acoustic beacon according to claim 2, characterized in that: The PA07_IO port and the PA08_IO port of the single chip microcomputer output complementary square wave signals and set the dead time, and the PA10_IO port sets the pulse voltage width and outputs a sine wave.

4. A conformal self-contained underwater acoustic beacon according to claim 3, characterized in that: The power module (11) comprises a lithium battery and a voltage conversion unit. The voltage conversion unit is electrically connected to the lithium battery and is used to boost and convert a 3.6V voltage into 5V. The voltage conversion unit is a BOOST chip, model LT3995.

5. A conformal self-contained underwater acoustic beacon according to claim 4, characterized in that: A power amplification module (14) is also provided between the signal processing module (12) and the transducer (13); the output end of the power amplification module (14) is connected to the input end of the transducer (13); the output end of the signal processing module (12) is connected to the input end of the power amplification module (14) via a shielded cable; the shielding layer of the shielded cable is grounded; the signal amplitude output by the signal processing module (12) matches the signal amplitude required by the input of the power amplification module (14).

6. A conformal self-contained underwater acoustic beacon according to claim 5, characterized in that: The transducer (13) is a piezoelectric ceramic transducer, and the equivalent circuit is a capacitive load.

7. A conformal self-contained underwater acoustic beacon according to claim 6, characterized in that: A storage module (15) is also provided inside the cylindrical carrier (3), and the storage module (15) is connected to the single chip computer and the power module (11) respectively.

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