An autonomous deployment device for underwater vertical acoustic arrays

Abstract

The application discloses an underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device, belongs to the technical field of underwater operation instruments, and has the following characteristics: the upper and lower ends of a cable drum are open; the upper end of a guide cylinder is open, and the lower end is closed; the guide cylinder is coaxially sleeved in the cable drum, and the lower end of the cable drum is fixed to the outer edge of the lower end of the guide cylinder; a hydrophone array is spirally wound on the outer wall of the guide cylinder, and the lower end of the spirally wound hydrophone array is fixed to the outer edge of the guide cylinder; a floating ball is contained in the inner cavity of the guide cylinder, and the floating ball is connected to the upper end of the spirally wound hydrophone array; a water pressure release mechanism is fixed to the outer wall of the top of the cable drum; one end of a pressing plate is rotationally connected to the side of the outer wall of the top of the cable drum away from the water pressure release mechanism through a pin shaft, and the other end of the pressing plate can be locked by a locking piece of the water pressure release mechanism; and the floating ball is limited in the inner cavity of the guide cylinder. The underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device realizes automatic release of the floating ball and automatic deployment of the hydrophone array at a specific depth, has high reliability, and can be repeatedly used.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the technical field of underwater operating instruments, and particularly relates to an underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the continuous exploration of the ocean by human beings, the ocean resources are being acceleratedly utilized, and in order to strive for the limited resources in the ocean, countries all over the world are developing ocean science and national defense construction projects related to the ocean. For most underwater unmanned devices, sonar is used as the main detection method, and a hydrophone is one of important components of the sonar. According to the needs, a plurality of hydrophones can be arranged in a certain rule and connected by a cable to form a hydrophone array required for direction and improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio of the underwater acoustic system.

[0003] At present, the hydrophone array needs a large space to be completely deployed, and the deployment time is long by using manual deployment, which is not conducive to the carrying of the underwater unmanned device. SUMMARY

[0004] Therefore, the underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device is provided, the hydrophone array is spirally wound and placed in the cable drum of the device, one end of the hydrophone array is connected with the bottom of the device, the other end is connected with the floating ball, the unlocking of the pressing plate under the set water pressure is realized through the water pressure release mechanism, the automatic release of the floating ball is realized, and then the automatic deployment of the hydrophone array at a specific depth is realized.

[0005] The underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device provided by the application adopts the following technical scheme:

[0006] The underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device comprises a cable drum, a guide cylinder, a hydrophone array, a floating ball, a pressing plate and a water pressure release mechanism.

[0007] The cable drum is open at the upper and lower ends.

[0008] The guide cylinder is open at the upper end and closed at the lower end.

[0009] The guide cylinder is coaxially sleeved in the cable drum, and the lower end of the cable drum is fixed with the outer edge of the lower end of the guide cylinder.

[0010] The hydrophone array is spirally wound on the outer wall of the guide cylinder, and the lower end of the spirally wound hydrophone array is fixed with the outer edge of the guide cylinder.

[0011] The floating ball is accommodated in the inner cavity of the guide cylinder, and the floating ball is connected with the upper end of the spirally wound hydrophone array.

[0012] The water pressure release mechanism is fixedly arranged on the outer wall of the top of the cable drum.

[0013] One end of the pressing plate is connected with the top outer wall of the cable drum by a pin shaft, and the other end of the pressing plate can be locked by the locking member of the water pressure release mechanism; the pressing plate limits the floating ball in the inner cavity of the guide cylinder;

[0014] When the underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device is at a set depth underwater, the locking member of the water pressure release mechanism is unlocked by the water pressure, the buoyancy of the floating ball pushes the pressing plate, and the hydrophone array wound on the outer wall of the guide cylinder is deployed underwater in a vertical form.

[0015] Further, the water pressure release mechanism comprises a cavity, a push rod and a spring;

[0016] The push rod and the spring are coaxially contained in the cavity, and the spring is compressed by the push rod;

[0017] One end of the push rod extends out of the cavity and vertically upwards, and when the end of the push rod is connected with the pressing plate, the pressing plate is locked; when the water pressure acting on the push rod reaches a set value, the push rod is retracted into the cavity under the water pressure, and the pressing plate is unlocked.

[0018] Further, the water pressure release mechanism further comprises an airtight screw;

[0019] The airtight screw is threadedly connected with the cavity, and after the airtight screw is unscrewed, the inside of the cavity is in communication with the outside atmosphere.

[0020] Further, the water pressure release mechanism further comprises a cover and a compression ring;

[0021] The cover is a convex structure with a threaded hole in the middle, the end of the cavity extending away from the push rod is an open end with a stepped hole, the cover is coaxially contained in the stepped hole, and the small end of the convex structure abuts against one end of the spring away from the push rod, so that the spring is in a pre-compressed state;

[0022] The airtight screw is threadedly connected with the threaded hole in the middle of the cover;

[0023] The compression ring is threadedly connected with the open end of the cavity with a stepped hole, and the cover is pressed tightly.

[0024] Further, an O-shaped sealing ring I is sleeved on the push rod, for sealing between the push rod and the inner cavity of the cavity;

[0025] The large end of the convex structure of the cover is provided with an O-shaped sealing ring II, for sealing between the cover and the inner cavity of the cavity;

[0026] The rod part of the air-tight screw is provided with an O-shaped sealing ring III for sealing between the rod part of the air-tight screw and the threaded through hole of the cover;

[0027] The head part of the air-tight screw is provided with an O-shaped sealing ring IV for sealing between the head part of the air-tight screw and the end part of the cover.

[0028] Further, the bottom of the guide cylinder is provided with a mounting through hole for the operator to put his hand into the guide cylinder to fix the lower end of the hydrophone array to the outer edge of the guide cylinder.

[0029] Further, the lower end of the hydrophone array is fixed to the lifting ring screw on the outer edge of the guide cylinder.

[0030] Further, the floating balls are connected in series and stacked in the guide cylinder, and the lowermost floating ball is connected to the upper end of the hydrophone array spirally wound on the outer wall of the guide cylinder.

[0031] Beneficial effects:

[0032] 1. The underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device adopts water pressure driven release and floating ball traction deployment, does not contain complex mechanisms and components, realizes automatic release of the floating ball and automatic deployment of the hydrophone array at a specific depth, has high reliability, low cost and can be reused.

[0033] 2. The underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device has a wide water depth range, and by adjusting the spring stiffness and the size of the cavity inside the cavity, the working water depth of the underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device can be controlled.

[0034] 3. The device has simple structure, convenient installation and disassembly, is beneficial to maintenance, and the release process does not need personnel operation.

[0035] 4. The spring with a certain pre-compression amount is installed in the cavity to prevent the push rod from malfunctioning under its own weight or vibration.

[0036] 5. The air-tight screw is installed on the cover, which can be opened before entering the water to balance the air pressure inside and outside the cavity, avoid the influence of large temperature change on air pressure, and ensure the reliable movement of the push rod. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0037] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device provided by the present application in a completed installation state;

[0038] Figure 2 is a sectional view of the underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device provided by the present application in a completed installation state;

[0039] Figure 3It is a kind of underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device underwater release process schematic diagram provided by the present application;

[0040] Figure 4 It is a kind of underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device underwater release process schematic diagram provided by the present application;

[0041] Figure 5 It is a kind of underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device underwater release process schematic diagram provided by the present application;

[0042] Figure 6 It is a kind of underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device underwater release process schematic diagram provided by the present application;

[0043] Wherein: 1—cable drum, 2—guide cylinder, 3—hydrophone array, 4—float ball, 5—pressing plate, 6—pin shaft, 7—cavity, 8—push rod, 9—spring, 10—cover, 11—pressing ring, 12—airtight screw, 13—O type sealing ring I, 14—O type sealing ring II, 15—O type sealing ring III, 16—O type sealing ring IV, 17—lifting ring screw, 18—mounting through hole, 19—circular through hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

[0045] Referring to Figures 1-6 A kind of underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device, including cable drum 1, guide cylinder 2, hydrophone array 3, float ball 4, pressing plate 5 and water pressure release mechanism, wherein:

[0046] Cable drum 1 upper and lower ends are open;Guide cylinder 2 upper end is open, lower end is closed;Guide cylinder 2 is coaxially sleeved in cable drum 1, and the lower end of cable drum 1 is fixed with the outer edge of the lower end of guide cylinder 2, referring to Figure 2 , the lower end of guide cylinder 2 is closed by a plate with a diameter greater than the diameter of guide cylinder 2, and the lower end of cable drum 1 is fixed with the outer edge of the plate at the lower end of guide cylinder 2 by screw;Hydrophone array 3 is spirally wound on the outer wall of guide cylinder, and the lower end of spirally wound hydrophone array 3 is fixed with the outer edge of guide cylinder 2;Float ball 4 is contained in the inner cavity of guide cylinder 2, and float ball 4 is connected with the upper end of spirally wound hydrophone array 3;Water pressure release mechanism is fixed on the outer wall of the top of cable drum 1;One end of pressing plate 5 is rotatably connected with the side of the outer wall of the top of cable drum 1 away from water pressure release mechanism by pin shaft 6, and the other end of pressing plate 5 can be locked by locking member of water pressure release mechanism;Pressing plate 5 limits float ball 4 in the inner cavity of guide cylinder 2;When underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device is at a set depth underwater, locking member of water pressure release mechanism unlocks the locked pressing plate 5 under the action of water pressure, and the buoyancy of float ball 4 pushes open pressing plate 5, and hydrophone array 3 spirally wound on the outer wall of guide cylinder is pulled to expand underwater into a vertical form.

[0047] Thus, the underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device adopts the form of water pressure driven release and float 4 traction deployment, without complex mechanisms and components, realizing the automatic release of float 4 and the automatic deployment of hydrophone array 3 at a specific depth. It has high reliability, low cost and can be reused.

[0048] It should be noted that there are various water pressure release mechanisms in the prior art that meet the above requirements. As an example, the water pressure release mechanism in this embodiment includes a cavity 7, a push rod 8, and a spring 9. The push rod 8 and the spring 9 are coaxially housed in the cavity 7, and the spring 9 is compressed by the push rod 8. One end of the push rod 8 extends out of the cavity 7 and faces vertically upward. When it engages with the circular through hole 19 at one end of the pressure plate 5 (the end of the push rod 8 extending from the cavity 7 is engaged in the circular through hole 19 of the pressure plate 5), it locks the pressure plate 5. When the water pressure on the push rod 8 reaches a set value, the push rod 8 retracts into the cavity 7 under the push of the water pressure, unlocking the pressure plate 5. The spring 9 has a certain pre-compression amount to ensure that the push rod 8 will not malfunction due to its own weight or vibration interference.

[0049] As an improvement, the water pressure release mechanism also includes an airtight screw 12; the airtight screw 12 is threadedly connected to the cavity 7, and after unscrewing the airtight screw 12, the inside of the cavity 7 is connected to the outside atmosphere. In this way, by unscrewing the airtight screw 12, it can be ensured that the air pressure inside the cavity 7 is balanced with the outside air when on land, preventing the water depth at which the underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device operates (i.e., the water depth at which the water pressure pushes the push rod 8 to unlock the pressure plate 5) from being inconsistent with the design due to air pressure changes caused by temperature.

[0050] Specifically, refer to Figure 4 The water pressure release mechanism also includes a cover 10 and a pressure ring 11. The cover 10 is a convex structure with a threaded through hole in the middle. The end of the cavity 7 that extends away from the push rod 8 is an open end with a stepped hole. The cover 10 is coaxially housed in the stepped hole, and the small end of the convex structure abuts against the end of the spring 9 that extends away from the push rod 8, so that the spring 9 is in a pre-compressed state. The airtight screw 12 is threadedly connected to the threaded through hole in the middle of the cover 10. The pressure ring 11 is threadedly connected to the open end of the cavity 7 with the stepped hole, pressing the cover 10 tightly. Furthermore, an O-ring I13 is fitted on the push rod 8 for sealing between the push rod 8 and the inner cavity of the cavity 7; an O-ring II14 is provided at the large end of the convex structure of the cover 10 for sealing between the cover 10 and the inner cavity of the cavity 7; an O-ring III15 is provided on the shank of the airtight screw 12 for sealing between the shank of the airtight screw 12 and the threaded through hole of the cover 10; and an O-ring IV16 is fitted on the head of the airtight screw 12 for sealing between the head of the airtight screw 12 and the end of the cover 10.

[0051] More specifically, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 5The bottom wall of the cable cylinder 1 has a mounting through hole 18, which allows the operator to insert their hand into the cable cylinder 1 through the mounting through hole 18 to fix the lower end of the hydrophone array 3 to the outer edge of the guide cylinder 2. In this embodiment, the lower end of the hydrophone array 3 is fixed to the outer edge of the guide cylinder 2 (on the flat plate outside the lower end of the guide cylinder 2) by a lifting eye screw 17. Furthermore, four floats 4 are connected in series and stacked inside the guide cylinder 2, with the bottommost float 4 connected to the upper end of the hydrophone array 3 spirally wound around the outer wall of the guide cylinder 2. The number of floats 4 can be adjusted according to the underwater weight of the hydrophone array 3 to ensure sufficient buoyancy to pull the hydrophone array 3 out. The diameters of the cable cylinder 1 and the guide cylinder 2 can be adjusted according to the spiral winding radius of the hydrophone array 3 and the cable diameter of the hydrophone array 3 to ensure that the hydrophone array 3 is easy to wind and stack neatly. In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the cavity 7 in the water pressure release mechanism is approximately 70mm to 80mm, and the height is approximately 100mm.

[0052] As an example, the working process of an underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device is as follows:

[0053] First, install the eye bolt 17 on the bottom plate of the guide cylinder 2, and then connect the guide cylinder 2 to the cable cylinder 1 with bolts;

[0054] The second step is to spirally place the hydrophone array 3 in the annular area between the guide tube 2 and the cable tube 1. The bottom end of the hydrophone array 3 is fixed with the eye bolt 17, and the other end of the hydrophone array 3 is connected to several floats 4. The floats 4 are placed inside the guide tube 2.

[0055] The third step is to rotatably connect the pressure plate 5 to the cable cylinder 1 via the pin 6, and rotate the pressure plate 5 around the pin 6 to be directly above the float 4;

[0056] Fourth step, fit the two O-rings I13 into the corresponding grooves on the push rod 8 and apply grease; press the push rod 8 into the cavity 7, and then put the spring 9 into the cavity 7;

[0057] Fifth step, fit the O-ring II 14 into the corresponding groove of the cover 10 and apply grease. Then put the cover 10 into the cavity 7, with the smaller end of the cover 10 in contact with the spring 9. Then screw the pressure ring 11 into the corresponding threaded hole of the cavity 7 until the cover 10 is pressed tightly.

[0058] Step 6: Fit O-ring III 15 and O-ring IV 16 into the corresponding grooves of the airtight screw 12 and apply grease. Then screw the airtight screw 12 into the corresponding threaded hole of the cover 10. The water pressure release mechanism is now assembled.

[0059] Step 7: Install the assembled water pressure release mechanism onto the cable cylinder 1 with screws, and insert the slender end of the push rod 8 (the end extending from the cavity 7) into the round hole of the pressure plate 5.

[0060] The working process of this underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device is as follows:

[0061] Before entering the water, loosen the airtight screw 12 to balance the pressure of the cavity 7 with the outside air pressure. After tightening the airtight screw 12, lower the water into the water by hanging it down towards the acoustic array autonomous deployment device. As the water depth increases, the push rod 8 moves downward under the water pressure. After a certain distance, the pressure plate 5 is unlocked. At this time, the float begins to rise under the action of buoyancy, pushing the pressure plate 5 open (the pressure plate 5 can rotate around the axis of the pin 6) and pulling the hydrophone array 3 to deploy.

[0062] In summary, the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device, characterized in that, Includes cable tube, guide tube, hydrophone array, float, pressure plate and water pressure release mechanism; The cable tube is open at both the top and bottom ends; The guide cylinder is open at the upper end and closed at the lower end; The guide cylinder is coaxially fitted inside the cable cylinder, and the lower end of the cable cylinder is fixed to the outer edge of the lower end of the guide cylinder; The hydrophone array is spirally wound around the outer wall of the guide tube, and the lower end of the spirally wound hydrophone array is fixed to the outer edge of the guide tube; The float is housed in the inner cavity of the guide tube, and the float is connected to the upper end of the spirally wound hydrophone array; The water pressure release mechanism is fixed to the outer wall of the top of the cable cylinder; One end of the pressure plate is rotatably connected to the side of the top outer wall of the cable cylinder away from the water pressure release mechanism via a pin, and the other end of the pressure plate can be locked by the locking member of the water pressure release mechanism; the pressure plate confines the float in the inner cavity of the guide cylinder; When the underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device is at a set depth underwater, the locking member of the water pressure release mechanism unlocks the locked pressure plate under the push of water pressure. The buoyancy of the float pushes open the pressure plate, and the hydrophone array, which is wound around the outer wall of the guide cylinder by the traction spiral, unfolds into a series of vertical shapes underwater.

2. The underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water pressure release mechanism includes a cavity, a push rod, and a spring; The push rod and the spring are both coaxially housed within the cavity, and the spring is compressed by the push rod; One end of the push rod extends vertically upward from the cavity and engages with one end of the pressure plate, thus locking the pressure plate. When the water pressure on the push rod reaches a set value, the push rod retracts into the cavity under the push of the water pressure, thus unlocking the pressure plate.

3. The underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The water pressure release mechanism also includes an airtight screw; The airtight screw is threaded to the cavity. After the airtight screw is unscrewed, the inside of the cavity is connected to the outside atmosphere.

4. The underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The water pressure release mechanism also includes a cover and a pressure ring; The cover is a convex structure with a threaded through hole in the middle. The end of the cavity that extends away from the push rod is an open end with a stepped hole. The cover is coaxially housed in the stepped hole, and the small end of the convex structure abuts against the end of the spring that extends away from the push rod, so that the spring is in a pre-compressed state. The airtight screw is threadedly connected to the threaded through hole in the middle of the cover; The pressure ring is threaded to the open end of the cavity with stepped holes, thereby pressing the cover tightly.

5. The underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The push rod is fitted with an O-ring I for sealing the space between the push rod and the inner cavity of the cavity. The large end of the convex structure of the cover is provided with an O-ring II for sealing between the cover and the inner cavity of the cavity. The shank of the airtight screw is provided with an O-ring III for sealing between the shank of the airtight screw and the threaded through hole of the cap. The head of the airtight screw is fitted with an O-ring IV for sealing between the head of the airtight screw and the end of the cap.

6. An underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The bottom wall of the cable tube is provided with an installation through hole, which is used by the operator to insert his hand into the cable tube through the installation through hole to fix the lower end of the hydrophone array to the outer edge of the guide tube.

7. An underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The lower end of the hydrophone array is fixed to the eye bolt on the outer edge of the guide tube.

8. An underwater vertical acoustic array autonomous deployment device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The floats are connected in series and stacked inside the guide tube, with the bottom float connected to the upper end of the hydrophone array spirally wound around the outer wall of the guide tube.

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