Mooring management system, underwater robot winding and unwinding system and winding and unwinding method

Abstract

The invention discloses a mooring line management system, an underwater robot winding and unwinding system and a winding and unwinding method.The mooring line management system comprises a base, a winding mechanism and a locking mechanism, the winding mechanism is arranged in the base and comprises a neutral cable and a winch, one end of the neutral cable is used for being connected with an underwater robot, and the other end of the neutral cable is connected with the winch; the winch is used for releasing or winding and recovering the neutral cable; the locking mechanism is arranged in the base and is used for connecting or releasing the underwater robot; when the mooring line management system is lowered underwater and the locking mechanism releases the underwater robot, the underwater robot can move around the base within the range with the neutral cable as the radius. By adopting the mooring management system, the influence of the umbilical cable on the underwater robot can be reduced, and the stability of the underwater robot in the operation process is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of marine engineering technology, and in particular to a mooring management system, an underwater robot retracting and releasing system and a retracting and releasing method. Background Art

[0002] The ocean is rich in resources. The rational development and utilization of marine resources is conducive to the sustainable development of human society. Underwater robots play an important role in helping humans conduct geological exploration, mineral resource development and marine pipeline laying. Among them, ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle, cable remote control operation robot, hereinafter referred to as underwater robot) is a deep-sea operation robot that is currently widely used. The underwater robot is connected to the working mother ship through an umbilical cable, and the staff can operate and control it on the working mother ship.

[0003] The umbilical cable is an important link between the surface operation platform (such as the mother ship) and the underwater robot. It mainly transmits power, control instructions and various sensor data including high-definition camera systems, sonar, etc., and plays an important role in deep-sea operation systems. However, when performing operations, underwater robots will be affected by complex marine environments such as ocean currents, and the operating environment is relatively harsh. Especially when underwater robots perform deep-water operations, the length of the umbilical cable immersed in the seawater is large. The weight of the cable and the complex ocean currents will cause the umbilical cable to bear complex loads during the operation process. This complex load will be transmitted to the underwater robot through the cable and will limit the range of motion of the underwater robot, which will have an extremely adverse effect on the underwater robot's execution of its operations. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems, the present application provides a mooring management system, an underwater robot retrieval and deployment system and a retrieval and deployment method, which help to reduce the impact of the umbilical cable on the underwater robot and improve the stability of the underwater robot's operation process. The technical solution adopted is as follows.

[0005] In the first aspect, the mooring management system provided in the present application is used to connect to an umbilical cable, and the mooring management system includes a base, a winding mechanism and a locking mechanism. The winding mechanism is arranged in the base, and the winding mechanism includes a neutral cable and a winch. One end of the neutral cable is used to connect to an underwater robot, and the other end is connected to the winch, and the winch is used to release or wind up and recover the neutral cable; the locking mechanism is arranged in the base, and the locking mechanism is used to connect or release the underwater robot; wherein, when the mooring management system is lowered underwater and the locking mechanism releases the underwater robot, the underwater robot can move around the base within a range with the neutral cable as a radius.

[0006] In certain embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the cable management system also includes a cable arrangement mechanism disposed on the base, the cable arrangement mechanism includes a cable arranger, the neutral cable is slidably disposed on the cable arranger, the cable arranger is movable along the rotation axis direction of the winch, and the cable arranger is used to guide the neutral cable to be released or wound up and recovered along the rotation axis direction of the winch.

[0007] In certain embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the cable arrangement mechanism further includes a transmission screw, which is arranged along the rotating shaft of the winch, and the cable arranger is connected to the transmission screw, and the transmission screw rotates to drive the cable arranger to reciprocate along the rotating shaft direction of the winch.

[0008] In certain embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the winding mechanism includes a driving member and a transmission assembly, the driving member is connected to the winch to drive the winch to rotate, the transmission assembly is connected to the driving member and the transmission screw, and the transmission assembly drives the transmission screw to rotate so that the movement speed of the cable arranger matches the release or recovery speed of the neutral cable on the winch.

[0009] In certain embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the mooring cable management system further comprises a tensioning wheel, which is disposed on the base and below the winch, and is used to tension the neutral cable when the winch retracts the neutral cable.

[0010] In certain embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the base includes a bottom plate and a side plate arranged on the bottom plate, the bottom plate and the side plate enclose an installation space, the bottom plate is provided with a cable-releasing hole connected to the installation space, the tensioning wheel is arranged at the edge of the cable-releasing hole, the neutral cable is passed through the cable-releasing hole, the winding mechanism and the cable-laying mechanism are located in the installation space, and the winch is arranged on the side plate.

[0011] In certain embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the locking mechanism is arranged on the bottom plate, and the locking mechanism includes a connecting channel and a caliper, the connecting channel is connected to the cable-releasing hole, the caliper is arranged on the side wall of the connecting channel, and at least a portion of it extends into the connecting channel, and the caliper is used to engage with the underwater robot to lock or release the underwater robot.

[0012] In certain embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the tether management system is connected to an umbilical cable, the umbilical cable includes a communication cable and a power supply cable, the communication cable and the power supply cable are connected to the neutral cable, and the neutral cable is used for communication connection and power supply with the underwater robot.

[0013] In the second aspect, the present application also provides an underwater robot deployment and retrieval system, comprising a mother ship, an umbilical cable, an underwater robot and the mooring management system provided in the first aspect, one end of the umbilical cable is connected to the mother ship, and the other end is connected to the mooring management system, the neutral cable is connected to the underwater robot, and the underwater robot can move around the mooring management system.

[0014] In a third aspect, the present application also provides a method for deploying and retracting an underwater robot, comprising:

[0015] Lowering the mooring management system to a target depth in water using an umbilical cable;

[0016] The locking mechanism releases the underwater robot to separate the underwater robot from the mooring management system;

[0017] The underwater robot moves within a range with the base as the sphere center and the maximum length of the neutral cable as the radius;

[0018] The winding mechanism recycles the underwater robot, and the underwater robot is locked and connected with the locking mechanism;

[0019] The umbilical cable is recovered to recover the mooring management system and the underwater robot to the mother ship.

[0020] The embodiments of the present application have at least the following beneficial effects: by setting up a mooring management system, the underwater robot and the umbilical cable can be indirectly connected, and then the umbilical cable and the underwater robot can be connected by a neutral cable. Specifically, the communication connection and power supply connection between the underwater robot and the umbilical cable can be realized by using the neutral cable. On the one hand, the underwater robot can be connected to the mother ship through the communication data transmission function and the power supply function of the umbilical cable, ensuring that the underwater robot can obtain normal energy supply and ensure communication. On the other hand, the relay function of the mooring management system can be used to reduce the load effect of the umbilical cable affecting the underwater robot. The mooring management system can be used to cut off the load effect transmitted to the underwater robot by the umbilical cable. In this way, the underwater robot can avoid being affected by the load of the umbilical cable during operation, reduce the interference of the umbilical cable's deadweight or ocean current on the underwater robot, and improve the stability and reliability of the underwater robot's operation. By using the locking function of the locking mechanism, the mooring management system can be connected to the underwater robot to form a whole when the mooring management system is lowered or recovered, avoiding relative shaking between the two, and ensuring the operational stability and reliability during the lowering or recovery of the mooring management system. When the mooring management system is lowered to the target underwater depth, the locking mechanism releases the underwater robot, at which time the underwater robot is separated from the mooring management system and can move freely. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The present application is further illustrated below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that the embodiments embodied in the following drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a mooring cable management system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 A side view of a mooring cable management system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a winding mechanism and a cable arrangement mechanism of a mooring cable management system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a locking mechanism of a mooring cable management system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 4 AA section view;

[0027] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a mooring management system and an underwater robot provided in an embodiment of the present application being locked and connected to each other;

[0028] Figure 7 A schematic structural diagram of a cable management system provided in an embodiment of the present application, in which a winding mechanism and a cable arrangement mechanism are hidden;

[0029] Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of another perspective of the mooring cable management system provided in an embodiment of the present application after the winding mechanism and the cable arrangement mechanism are hidden;

[0030] Fig. 9 A structural schematic diagram of a mooring cable management system provided by an embodiment of the present application from one perspective;

[0031] Fig.10 A structural schematic diagram of a mooring cable management system provided in an embodiment of the present application from another perspective;

[0032] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the structure of the underwater robot retracting and deploying system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Fig.12 Flowchart of the underwater robot retrieval and deployment method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0034] Figure numerals: 100, mooring management system; 10, base; 11, bottom plate; 111, cable release hole; 12, side plate; 13, top plate; 131, perforation; 20, winding mechanism; 21, neutral cable; 22, winch; 24, transmission assembly; 241, sprocket; 242, chain; 30, locking mechanism; 31, connecting channel; 32, caliper; 40, cable arrangement mechanism; 41, cable arrangement device; 42, transmission screw; 50, tensioning wheel; 51, sling; 61, electronic compartment; 62, LED; 63, transponder; 64, camera; 71, hydraulic pump; 72, first valve box; 73, hydraulic oil tank; 74, hydraulic compensator; 75, hydraulic pipeline; 76, hydraulic quick connector; 81, second valve box;

[0035] 200. Underwater robot deployment and recovery system; 201. Mother ship; 202. Umbilical cable; 203. Underwater robot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0037] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "middle", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0038] In the description of this application, "several" means more than one, "more" means more than two, "greater than", "less than", "exceed", etc. are understood to exclude the number itself, and "above", "below", "within", etc. are understood to include the number itself. If there is a description of "first" or "second", it is only used for the purpose of distinguishing technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0039] In the description of this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "set", "install", "connect", and "connect" should be understood in a broad sense, for example: it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0040] In the description of the present application, if the reference terms "as an implementation", "an embodiment", "some instances", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiment", "example", "specific example", "some examples", etc. appear, it means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0041] First, see Figure X The present application provides a mooring management system 100, which is used to connect with an umbilical cable 202. The mooring management system 100 includes a base 10, a winding mechanism 20, and a locking mechanism 30. The winding mechanism 20 is arranged in the base 10, and the winding mechanism 20 includes a neutral cable 21 and a winch 22. One end of the neutral cable 21 is used to connect to an underwater robot 203, and the other end is connected to the winch 22. The winch 22 is used to release or rewind the neutral cable 21. The locking mechanism 30 is arranged in the base 10, and the locking mechanism 30 is used to connect or release the underwater robot 203. When the mooring management system 100 is lowered underwater and the locking mechanism 30 releases the underwater robot 203, the underwater robot 203 can move around the base 10 within a range with the neutral cable 21 as a radius.

[0042] By setting up the mooring management system 100, the underwater robot 203 and the umbilical cable 202 can be indirectly connected, and then the neutral cable 21 is used to connect the umbilical cable 202 and the underwater robot 203. Specifically, the neutral cable 21 is used to realize the communication connection and power supply connection between the underwater robot 203 and the umbilical cable 202. On the one hand, the underwater robot 203 can be connected to the mother ship 201 through the communication data transmission function and power supply function of the umbilical cable 202, ensuring that the underwater robot 203 can obtain normal energy supply and ensure communication. On the other hand, the relay function of the mooring management system 100 can also be used to reduce the load effect of the umbilical cable 202 that affects the underwater robot 203. Specifically, the load of the umbilical cable 202 includes the fact that the portion of the umbilical cable 202 lowered into the water is longer due to the greater depth of the release, so the umbilical cable 202 itself has a greater dead weight, and the load of the umbilical cable 202 also includes the disturbance effect caused by the complex ocean current acting on the umbilical cable 202. It can be seen that the use of the mooring management system 100 can cut off the load effect transmitted from the umbilical cable 202 to the underwater robot 203. In this way, the underwater robot 203 can avoid being affected by the load of the umbilical cable 202 during operation, reduce the interference of the umbilical cable 202's own weight or the ocean current on the underwater robot 203, and improve the stability and reliability of the operation of the underwater robot 203. By using the locking effect of the locking mechanism 30, the mooring management system 100 and the underwater robot 203 can be connected to form a whole when the mooring management system 100 is lowered or recovered, so as to avoid relative shaking between the two, and ensure the operational stability and reliability during the lowering or recovery of the mooring management system 100. When the mooring management system 100 is lowered to the target underwater depth, the locking mechanism 30 releases the underwater robot 203, and the underwater robot 203 is separated from the mooring management system 100, and the underwater robot 203 can move freely.

[0043] It is understandable that the underwater robot 203 itself can have power, so the underwater robot 203 can move freely in the water during operation (for example, floating, sinking, moving, etc.), and the neutral cable 21 can be in a relaxed state, that is, the neutral cable 21 is not subjected to force (or only bears a slight pulling force) during the free movement of the underwater robot 203, so that the load of the umbilical cable 202 is at most transmitted to the mooring management system 100, and will not be transmitted to the underwater robot 203 through the neutral cable 21. The mooring management system 100 can serve as a movement fulcrum of the underwater robot 203, which helps to reduce the load of the underwater robot 203 during operation. On this basis, since the load of the underwater robot 203 is reduced, it can not only reduce the energy consumption of the underwater robot 203 during movement and improve the operation efficiency, but also help to reduce interference with the underwater robot 203 and improve the reliability of the operation of the underwater robot 203.

[0044] Optionally, the mooring management system 100 can also use its own weight to anchor in the water when it is lowered into the water. Specifically, the mooring management system 100 itself has a large deadweight (e.g., about 1 to 3 tons), so the mooring management system 100 can withstand the swing of the umbilical cable 202 and maintain a relatively stable state in the water, which helps to further improve the stability of the underwater robot 203 during operation.

[0045] It is understandable that the range of motion of the underwater robot 203 can be a sphere, that is, a sphere formed with the base 10 as the center and the maximum release length of the neutral cable 21 as the radius, and the underwater robot 203 can move freely within the sphere (including the spherical surface). Further, the sphere is divided into an upper hemisphere and a lower hemisphere through the horizontal plane of the base 10, and the underwater robot 203 can move within the range of the lower hemisphere to meet the operation requirements of different underwater positions, and can avoid the underwater robot 203 from being entangled with the umbilical cable 202 when it moves to the upper hemisphere.

[0046] Optionally, since the mooring management system 100 can cut off the influence of the deadweight load of the umbilical cable 202 on the underwater robot 203, when setting the length of the umbilical cable 202 and the neutral cable 21, a longer umbilical cable 202 and a shorter neutral cable 21 can be set. Exemplarily, the length of the umbilical cable 202 can be 10 to 100 times the length of the neutral cable 21. For example, when the operating depth of the underwater robot 203 is 4000 meters underwater, the lowering length of the umbilical cable 202 can be 3800 meters, while the length of the neutral cable 21 is set to several hundred meters, such as 200 meters to 500 meters. In this way, under the premise of meeting the operating depth, the setting length of the neutral cable 21 can be shortened, so that the deadweight of the neutral cable 21 can be reduced, and the influence of the gravity of the neutral cable 21 on the underwater robot 203 can be reduced. Therefore, the umbilical cable 202 can be used to lower the mooring management system 100 to the vicinity of the target operating depth, that is, the umbilical cable 202 bears most of the lowering depth, and then the underwater robot 203 is released. The remaining distance between the mooring management system 100 and the target depth position is connected by the neutral cable 21, thereby meeting the movement flexibility requirements of the underwater robot 203.

[0047] In some embodiments, the mooring management system 100 further includes a cable arrangement mechanism 40 disposed on the base 10, the cable arrangement mechanism 40 includes a cable arrangement device 41, the neutral cable 21 is slidably disposed on the cable arrangement device 41, the cable arrangement device 41 is movable along the rotation axis direction of the winch 22, and the cable arrangement device 41 is used to guide the neutral cable 21 to be released or reeled in along the rotation axis direction of the winch 22. The cable arrangement mechanism 40 guides the neutral cable 21 to be arranged along the axis direction of the rotation axis of the winch 22 during the process of the winch 22 releasing or reeling in the neutral cable 21, thereby preventing the neutral cable 21 from being entangled, improving the orderliness of the arrangement of the neutral cable 21, and improving the reliability of the use of the winch 22.

[0048] In some embodiments, the cable arrangement mechanism 40 further includes a transmission screw 42, which is arranged along the rotating shaft of the winch 22, and the cable arranger 41 is connected to the transmission screw 42. The transmission screw 42 rotates to drive the cable arranger 41 to reciprocate along the rotating shaft direction of the winch 22. By utilizing the rotation of the transmission screw 42, its own rotational motion can be converted into a linear motion of the cable arranger 41, thereby achieving the effect of moving the cable arranger 41 along the rotating shaft direction of the winch 22 to arrange the wires. The reciprocating motion of the cable arranger 41 can be achieved by the forward or reverse rotation of the screw. Of course, in other embodiments, the cable arranger 41 can also be set as a slider, and the cable arrangement mechanism 40 can use a guide rail to guide the slider to slide, and the extension direction of the guide rail is parallel to the rotating shaft direction of the winch 22, which can also achieve the effect of arranging wires.

[0049] In some embodiments, the winding mechanism 20 includes a driving member and a transmission assembly 24, wherein the driving member is connected to the winch 22 to drive the winch 22 to rotate, and the transmission assembly 24 is connected to the driving member and the transmission screw 42, and the transmission assembly 24 drives the transmission screw 42 to rotate so that the moving speed of the cable arranger 41 matches the release or recovery speed of the neutral cable 21 on the winch 22. By setting the transmission assembly 24, the rotation of the winch 22 and the movement of the cable arranger 41 can be linked together. Specifically, the moving speed of the cable arranger 41 matches the release or recovery speed of the neutral cable 21 on the car. Taking the recovery of the neutral cable 21 as an example, for each rotation of the neutral cable 21 on the winch 22, the cable arranger 41 can move a pitch of the neutral cable 21, and the release process of the neutral cable 21 is the same. On the one hand, this can make the movement of the cable arranger 41 synchronized with the rotation of the winch 22, and the two actions are synchronized to achieve a better cable arrangement effect. On the other hand, the winch 22 and the transmission screw 42 can be driven simultaneously by one driving member, which helps to reduce the number of driving structures and makes the structure of the mooring system simpler and more compact. It is understandable that the relationship between the moving speed of the cable arranger 41 and the rotation speed of the winch 22 can be controlled by the transmission ratio of the transmission assembly 24. The relationship between the moving speed of the cable arranger 41 and the rotation speed of the winch 22 is related to the diameter of the neutral cable 21 and the diameter of the winch 22 in actual situations. It can be flexibly set according to the specific parameters of the neutral cable 21 and the winch 22, and is not specifically limited here. The control of the transmission ratio has been recorded in the relevant technology for ordinary technicians in this field and will not be described in detail here.

[0050] Optionally, the transmission assembly 24 may include a sprocket 241 and a chain 242, and the driving member includes a hydraulic motor, the hydraulic motor connects the winch 22 and the sprocket 241, and drives the winch 22 and the sprocket 241 to rotate at the same time, the chain 242 is meshed and connected with the sprocket 241, and the chain 242 is also connected to the transmission screw 42, the sprocket 241 drives the chain 242 to rotate, thereby driving the screw to rotate, so as to achieve the effect of the cable arranger 41 moving on the screw. Of course, in other examples, the driving member may also be a motor, a cylinder or other structure, and the transmission assembly 24 may be a combination of one or more gears, racks, belts, etc. in addition to the combination of the sprocket 241 and the chain 242, which is not limited here.

[0051] In some embodiments, the mooring cable management system 100 further includes a tensioning wheel 50, which is disposed on the base 10 and is located below the winch 22. The tensioning wheel 50 is used to tension the neutral cable 21 when the winch 22 retracts the neutral cable 21. By providing the tensioning wheel 50, a tensioning force can be provided to the neutral cable 21, so that a certain tension can be maintained when the winch 22 winds the neutral cable 21, and the neutral cable 21 is prevented from being slack and winding, which helps to improve the orderliness of the neutral cable 21 arrangement, and realizes that the neutral cable 21 is neatly and orderly wound on the winch 22.

[0052] In some embodiments, the base 10 includes a bottom plate 11 and a side plate 12 disposed on the bottom plate 11. The bottom plate 11 and the side plate 12 enclose an installation space. The bottom plate 11 is provided with a cable-releasing hole 111 connected to the installation space. The tensioning wheel 50 is disposed at the edge of the cable-releasing hole 111. The neutral cable 21 is passed through the cable-releasing hole 111. The winding mechanism 20 and the cable-discharging mechanism 40 are located in the installation space. The winch 22 is disposed on the side plate 12. By providing an installation space to install the winding mechanism 20 and the cable-discharging mechanism 40, the management system can realize the orderly recovery, storage and release functions of the neutral cable 21, and make the structure of the mooring management system 100 more compact. By passing the neutral cable 21 through the cable-releasing hole 111, the neutral cable 21 can be released from the bottom of the mooring management system 100, and the distance from the neutral cable 21 to the underwater robot 203 is shortened, which is conducive to the compact design of the mooring management system 100.

[0053] In some embodiments, the base 10 further includes a top plate 13, which is disposed at an end of the side plate 12 away from the bottom plate 11. A through hole 131 may be disposed on the top plate 13, the through hole 131 being connected to the installation space, and the umbilical cable 202 enters the installation space through the through hole 131 and is connected to the neutral cable 21. In this way, the top of the base 10 is connected to the umbilical cable 202, and the bottom of the base 10 is used to release or recover the neutral cable 21. The umbilical cable 202 and the neutral cable 21 can be distributed in the vertical direction of the base 10. On the one hand, it avoids the entanglement between the released part of the neutral cable 21 and the umbilical cable 202, so that the two can work independently without interfering with each other, thereby improving the orderliness and reliability of the umbilical cable 202 and the neutral cable 21 when they are used; on the other hand, the umbilical cable 202 can be connected to the operating mother ship 201 from the top of the base 10, and the neutral cable 21 can be connected to the underwater robot 203 from the bottom of the base 10, that is, the arrangement orientation of the neutral cable 21 and the umbilical cable 202 on the base 10 is adapted to the actual use scenario, so that the arrangement in the mooring management system 100 is more reasonable.

[0054] It is understandable that the base 10 can be arranged in a frame-like manner, such as the top plate 13, the bottom plate 11 and the side plates 12 are mutually enclosed to form an open frame structure, and of course a closed structure can also be formed. In addition to the above arrangement, the base 10 can also adopt other forms of frame structures, which are not limited here.

[0055] In some embodiments, the mooring management system 100 also includes a sling 51, which can be connected to the top plate 13 or the side plate 12. The sling 51 can facilitate the operating mother ship 201 to lift the mooring management system 100. At this time, the mooring management system 100 and the underwater robot 203 can be locked and connected with each other.

[0056] In some embodiments, the locking mechanism 30 is disposed on the bottom plate 11. The locking mechanism 30 includes a connecting channel 31 and a caliper 32. The connecting channel 31 is connected to the cable-releasing hole 111. The caliper 32 is disposed on the side wall of the connecting channel 31, and at least a portion of the caliper 32 extends into the connecting channel 31. The caliper 32 is used to engage with the underwater robot 203 to lock or release the underwater robot 203. By providing the connecting channel 31, a portion of the underwater robot 203 can enter the connecting channel 31 and engage with the caliper 32 to lock, thereby improving the stability of the connection between the underwater robot 203 and the locking mechanism 30. The connecting channel 31 is connected to the cable-releasing hole 111, which can further shorten the connection distance of the neutral cable 21, so that the overall structure of the mooring management system 100 and the underwater robot 203 after being connected to each other is more compact and stable.

[0057] For example, the connection channel 31 may be formed by a tubular connection seat, and the caliper 32 is driven to rotate by a hydraulic cylinder to change the opening angle of the caliper 32, thereby realizing the clamping or release of the caliper 32 and the underwater robot 203. The part of the underwater robot 203 used to connect with the search mechanism may be a structure such as a slot, a hook, a tooth, a snap ring, etc., which is not limited here. Of course, in other examples, the caliper 32 may also not rely on the hydraulic cylinder drive, but realize self-locking or unlocking through the movement of a mechanical structure (such as a spring, etc.), which is not limited here.

[0058] In some embodiments, the mooring management system 100 is connected to the umbilical cable 202, and the umbilical cable 202 includes a communication cable (not shown) and a power supply cable (not shown), and the communication cable and the power supply cable are connected to the neutral cable 21, and the neutral cable 21 is used for communication connection and power supply with the underwater robot 203. The connection function of the neutral cable 21 can realize the electrical connection and communication connection between the underwater robot 203 and the umbilical cable 202.

[0059] In some embodiments, the mooring management system 100 further includes a detection mechanism, which includes but is not limited to temperature, humidity, pressure sensors, water ingress detection environment sensors, cameras 64, etc. One or more detection mechanisms can be flexibly configured according to actual operational requirements. The detection mechanism can be set in the electronic cabin 61, which can be installed on the side panel 12 of the base 10, and the electronic cabin 61 helps to improve the integration of the detection mechanism.

[0060] In some embodiments, the mooring management system 100 further includes an LED light, which can be arranged adjacent to the camera 64 to provide sufficient light source for the camera 64 to shoot. The mooring management system 100 can also be provided with a transponder 63, which can be installed on the side plate 12 of the base 10. The transponder 63 is used to receive the acoustic signal sent by the underwater positioning system of the mother ship 201 and to feed back the position coordinate information to the mother ship 201.

[0061] In some embodiments, the mooring management system 100 further includes a hydraulic system, including a hydraulic pump 71 and a first valve box 72. A hydraulic motor is arranged in the first valve box 72 to provide power for the rotation of the winch 22 and the movement of the cable arranger 41. The first valve box 72 is filled with hydraulic oil, which plays an insulating role and ensures that the pressure inside and outside the first valve box 72 is balanced when the mooring management system 100 performs underwater operation tasks, so as to avoid the first valve box 72 being damaged by pressure, causing water to enter the system, and finally causing a short circuit of the electrical equipment. The hydraulic system also includes a hydraulic oil tank 73, a hydraulic compensator 74, a hydraulic pipeline 75 and a hydraulic quick connector 76. The hydraulic oil tank 73 is used to store the required hydraulic oil for the entire hydraulic system, and the hydraulic compensator 74 eliminates the influence of deep sea pressure on the hydraulic system through pressure compensation. The hydraulic pipeline 75 is used to transmit hydraulic oil and form a closed loop. The hydraulic quick connector 76 is used to add hydraulic oil to the entire hydraulic system or replace hydraulic oil. Other structures and operations of the hydraulic system have been recorded in the relevant technology for ordinary technicians in this field, and will not be described in detail here.

[0062] In some embodiments, the mooring management system 100 further includes an electrical control system, which includes a second valve box 81. The second valve box 81 includes a control device of the mooring management system 100, which is used to control the winch 22, the cable arranger 41 and the tensioning wheel 50 and control the opening and closing of the locking mechanism 30. At the same time, similar to the first valve box 72, the second valve box 81 is also filled with hydraulic oil to balance the internal and external pressures under deep water conditions. Other structures and operations of the electrical control system have been recorded in the relevant technology for ordinary technicians in this field, and will not be described in detail here.

[0063] In the second aspect, the present application further provides an underwater robot deployment system 200, comprising a mother ship 201, an umbilical cable 202, an underwater robot 203, and the mooring management system 100 provided in the first aspect, wherein one end of the umbilical cable 202 is connected to the mother ship 201, and the other end is connected to the mooring management system 100, and the neutral cable 21 is connected to the underwater robot 203, and the underwater robot 203 can move around the mooring management system 100. It can be understood that since the underwater robot deployment system 200 includes the mooring management system 100 described in the first aspect, the underwater robot deployment system 200 has the beneficial effects described in the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0064] In a third aspect, the present application also provides a method for retracting and deploying an underwater robot, comprising:

[0065] S100. Using the umbilical cable 202, the mooring management system 100 is lowered into the water to a target depth;

[0066] S200. The locking mechanism 30 releases the underwater robot 203 to separate the underwater robot 203 from the mooring management system 100;

[0067] S300. The underwater robot 203 moves within a radius with the base 10 as the center and the maximum length of the neutral cable 21 as the radius;

[0068] S400. The winding mechanism 20 recovers the underwater robot 203, and the underwater robot 203 is locked and connected with the locking mechanism 30;

[0069] S500 . Recover the umbilical cable 202 to recover the mooring management system 100 and the underwater robot 203 to the mother ship 201 .

[0070] Optionally, the underwater robot retracting and releasing method in this example adopts the mooring management system 100 provided in the first aspect of the present application. By lowering the underwater robot 203 in this way, the mooring management system 100 can be used to cut off the disturbing effect of the umbilical cable 202 transmitted to the underwater robot 203, so as to avoid the umbilical cable 202 interfering with the underwater robot 203, and improve the independence and stability of the underwater robot 203 during operation. The neutral cable 21 can realize the electrical connection or communication connection between the underwater robot 203 and the umbilical cable 202. Under the premise of meeting the lowering depth of the underwater robot 203, the underwater robot 203 can move around the mooring management system 100 to achieve the operation requirements. Before retrieving the mooring management system 100, the underwater robot 203 and the mooring management system 100 are connected and locked to each other, so as to avoid shaking with the underwater robot 203 during the process of retrieving the mooring management system 100, and improve the stability and reliability of the recovery operation. The underwater robot folding and deploying method includes the mooring cable management system 100 described in the first aspect above. Therefore, the underwater robot folding and deploying method has the beneficial effects described in the first aspect above, which will not be described in detail here.

[0071] Optionally, before the mooring management system 100 is launched into the water, the mooring management system 100 can be lifted up on the operating mother ship 201 using a sling 51 connected to the base 10, and the underwater robot 203 can be connected to the bottom of the mooring management system 100 and locked. This helps to tightly connect the underwater robot 203 and the mooring management system 100, avoid relative displacement or shaking during the lowering process in the water, and improve the reliability of the lowering operation process.

[0072] The above is a detailed description of the implementation methods of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above implementation methods. Various changes can be made within the knowledge of ordinary technicians in the technical field without departing from the purpose of the present application. In addition, the embodiments of the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

Claims

1. A mooring cable management system, characterized in that: The mooring cable management system is used to connect with the umbilical cable, and the mooring cable management system includes: Pedestal; A winding mechanism is arranged in the base, the winding mechanism comprises a neutral cable and a winch, one end of the neutral cable is used to connect to the underwater robot, and the other end is connected to the winch, and the winch is used to release or wind up and recover the neutral cable; A locking mechanism, disposed in the base, and used to connect or release the underwater robot; When the mooring cable management system is lowered underwater and the locking mechanism releases the underwater robot, the underwater robot can move around the base within a range with the neutral cable as a radius.

2. The mooring cable management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mooring cable management system also includes a cable arrangement mechanism disposed on the base, the cable arrangement mechanism includes a cable arranger, the neutral cable is slidably arranged on the cable arranger, the cable arranger is movable along the rotation axis direction of the winch, and the cable arranger is used to guide the neutral cable to be released or reeled up along the rotation axis direction of the winch.

3. The mooring cable management system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cable arrangement mechanism further comprises a transmission screw rod, which is arranged along the rotating shaft of the winch, and the cable arranger is connected to the transmission screw rod. The transmission screw rod rotates to drive the cable arranger to reciprocate along the rotating shaft direction of the winch.

4. The mooring cable management system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The winding mechanism includes a driving member and a transmission assembly, wherein the driving member is connected to the winch to drive the winch to rotate, and the transmission assembly connects the driving member and the transmission screw, and the transmission assembly drives the transmission screw to rotate so that the moving speed of the cable arranger matches the release or recovery speed of the neutral cable on the winch.

5. The mooring cable management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The mooring cable management system further comprises a tensioning wheel, which is arranged on the base and located below the winch, and is used for tensioning the neutral cable when the winch retracts the neutral cable.

6. The mooring cable management system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The base includes a bottom plate and a side plate arranged on the bottom plate, the bottom plate and the side plate enclose an installation space, the bottom plate is provided with a cable-releasing hole connected to the installation space, the tensioning wheel is arranged at the edge of the cable-releasing hole, the neutral cable is passed through the cable-releasing hole, the winding mechanism and the cable-laying mechanism are located in the installation space, and the winch is arranged on the side plate.

7. The mooring cable management system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The locking mechanism is arranged on the bottom plate, and the locking mechanism includes a connecting channel and a caliper. The connecting channel is connected to the cable-releasing hole. The caliper is arranged on the side wall of the connecting channel, and at least a part of the caliper extends into the connecting channel. The caliper is used to engage with the underwater robot to lock or release the underwater robot.

8. The mooring cable management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The mooring management system is connected to an umbilical cable, and the umbilical cable includes a communication cable and a power supply cable. The communication cable and the power supply cable are connected to the neutral cable, and the neutral cable is used for communication connection with the underwater robot and power supply.

9. An underwater robot retracting and deploying system, characterized in that: It comprises a mother ship, an umbilical cable, an underwater robot and a mooring management system as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein one end of the umbilical cable is connected to the mother ship, and the other end is connected to the mooring management system, the neutral cable is connected to the underwater robot, and the underwater robot can move around the mooring management system.

10. A method for deploying and retracting an underwater robot, characterized in that: include Lowering the mooring management system to a target depth in water using an umbilical cable; The locking mechanism releases the underwater robot to separate the underwater robot from the mooring management system; The underwater robot moves within a range with the base as the sphere center and the maximum length of the neutral cable as the radius; The winding mechanism recycles the underwater robot, and the underwater robot is locked and connected with the locking mechanism; The umbilical cable is recovered to recover the mooring management system and the underwater robot to the mother ship.

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