Intelligent buoy

Abstract

The invention discloses an intelligent buoy, and relates to the field of underwater submersible. The omni-directional three-dimensional mass center adjusting attitude control mechanism comprises a central shaft; two independent centroid adjusting units; the axial driving unit is used for driving the mass center adjusting unit to move in the axial direction of the center shaft; the buoyancy adjusting mechanism comprises an inner oil bag arranged in the head of the watertight pressure-resistant cabin body, a buoyancy adjusting power unit arranged in the tail of the watertight pressure-resistant cabin body, an outer oil bag arranged outside the tail of the watertight pressure-resistant cabin body and a hydraulic pipeline. The composite mass center is obtained by combining the omni-directional vertical mass center adjusting posture control mechanism and the buoyancy adjusting mechanism, and by adjusting the relative position of the composite mass center and the buoyancy center, on one hand, the intelligent buoy can fall into a designated position more accurately in the moving process, and on the other hand, the posture of the intelligent buoy can be kept stable in the suspension process. And remote autonomous maneuvering of multi-point path planning can be realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of underwater submersibles, and in particular to an intelligent buoy. Background Art

[0002] Underwater observation equipment and products are important tools for ocean exploration and research. They can be used to perform tasks such as meteorological element observation, ocean hydrological observation, and water quality monitoring. Common ones include unmanned underwater vehicles, underwater gliders, buoys, etc., but the above products all have deficiencies to varying degrees.

[0003] The propellers and rudders of unmanned underwater vehicles are inefficient and have poor controllability at low speeds, while they consume more energy and have a short endurance at high speeds.

[0004] Underwater gliders, driven by buoyancy, can glide at low speeds, achieving high energy efficiency. However, they cannot achieve fixed-point vertical observation and cannot obtain long-term oceanographic data at a specific location. Furthermore, existing underwater gliders often use oil bladders within bellows. While this allows for large-volume buoyancy adjustment, it cannot meet the requirements for high-precision buoyancy adjustment and suspension control in deep water.

[0005] Buoys are generally classified according to their operating principles as surface drifting buoys, fixed underwater buoys, and vertical fixed-point profiling buoys. Surface drifting buoys primarily drift with ocean currents and lack autonomous position control. This makes them susceptible to influences such as wind, waves, and tides, making it difficult to conduct long-term, fixed-point observations of specific sea areas along a predetermined, precise route. Fixed underwater buoys require installation on the seabed. Once installed, their position is relatively fixed, making it difficult to quickly adjust the observation position according to actual needs. Vertical fixed-point profiling buoys typically use hydraulic or electric devices to adjust their buoyancy, enabling vertical movement up and down the ocean, enabling observation of ocean profiles at different depths. However, their buoyancy adjustment range is limited, failing to meet the requirements for gliding, current resistance, and other applications. Furthermore, due to their lack of lateral maneuverability, they cannot maintain a fixed position for long-term vertical observation. This is insufficient for applications requiring both large-scale, long-distance controllable maneuverability and fixed-point, controllable vertical observation.

[0006] Clearly, the fundamental constraint on the development of underwater observation technology is the inability of existing technology to provide underwater equipment that can achieve both long-range controllable maneuvering and fixed-point vertical observation, while also maintaining long-term low-energy operation. Therefore, it is particularly urgent to research and develop a new type of intelligent buoy that can achieve low-energy consumption, long-term, multi-point fixed-point vertical observation, and controllable long-range autonomous maneuvering. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a new type of intelligent buoy to address the above technical problems. It has the ability to adjust buoyancy over a large range and with high precision, and at the same time has omnidirectional three-dimensional posture control capabilities, so that the profile buoy has a buoyancy center as the center, and the center of mass can be adjusted arbitrarily in three-dimensional space to enable the buoy to move in any posture underwater, making the buoy more intelligent.

[0008] In a first aspect, the present application provides a smart buoy, comprising: a watertight pressure-resistant cabin, wherein an omnidirectional three-dimensional center-of-mass adjustment attitude control mechanism and a buoyancy adjustment mechanism that can be coupled with the attitude adjustment are provided in the watertight pressure-resistant cabin;

[0009] Among them, the omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment attitude control mechanism includes:

[0010] central axis;

[0011] Two independent center of mass adjustment units, each center of mass adjustment unit includes a counterweight that can rotate 360 degrees and a corresponding rotation drive motor that drives the rotating counterweight to rotate around the central axis;

[0012] An axial driving unit, used for driving the center of mass adjustment unit to move axially along the central axis;

[0013] The buoyancy adjustment mechanism includes: an inner oil bag arranged in the head of the watertight pressure-resistant cabin, a buoyancy adjustment power unit arranged in the tail of the watertight pressure-resistant cabin, and an outer oil bag arranged outside the tail of the watertight pressure-resistant cabin. The inner oil bag, the buoyancy adjustment power unit and the outer oil bag are connected in sequence through hydraulic pipelines.

[0014] In one embodiment, the axial drive unit includes an axial displacement screw and an axial displacement motor connected to the axial displacement screw, and the center of mass adjustment unit is fixedly connected to the nut of the axial displacement screw.

[0015] In one embodiment, the rotary drive motor is disposed on the rotary counterweight, the output end of each rotary drive motor is connected to the driving gear of the rotary gear spoke, and the two ends of the central shaft are respectively fixed with driven gears of the rotary gear spoke that mesh with the driving gear of the corresponding rotary gear spoke.

[0016] In one embodiment, the central shaft is a hollow structure, serving as a structure for at least part of the hydraulic pipeline.

[0017] In one embodiment, the internal oil bag includes a rigid cylinder, a floating piston reciprocating in the rigid cylinder, and a displacement sensor for detecting the displacement of the floating piston.

[0018] In one embodiment, a satellite navigation communication antenna, a navigation control center and an observation sensor group are also provided in the watertight pressure-resistant cabin.

[0019] In one embodiment, the outer wall of the watertight pressure-resistant cabin is provided with horizontal wings and vertical tail wings.

[0020] In a second aspect, the present application provides a navigation control method based on the above-mentioned smart buoy, the method comprising:

[0021] Acquire the current coordinate position of the smart buoy in real time, receive an ascending / diving instruction, and obtain the target coordinate position by parsing the instruction;

[0022] Adjusting the current coordinate position according to the target coordinate position until the deviation between the current coordinate position and the target coordinate position is less than a preset value;

[0023] Activating the buoyancy adjustment mechanism to adjust the buoyancy of the smart buoy, causing the smart buoy to float up or dive down, and the center of mass of the smart buoy to move synchronously along the axis, so that the posture change trend of the smart buoy is coupled with the posture trend of the motion requirement;

[0024] According to the real-time current coordinate position and the target coordinate position, the center of mass of the smart buoy is corrected by using the omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment attitude control mechanism to adjust the attitude of the smart buoy during the floating or diving process, so that the smart buoy reaches the target coordinate position.

[0025] The intelligent buoy comprises a watertight pressure-resistant hull, within which is disposed an omnidirectional, three-dimensional center-of-mass adjustment attitude control mechanism and a buoyancy adjustment mechanism. The omnidirectional, three-dimensional center-of-mass adjustment attitude control mechanism comprises a central axis; two independent center-of-mass adjustment units, each including a rotating counterweight and a corresponding rotating drive motor for driving the rotating counterweight to rotate about the central axis; an axial drive unit for driving the center-of-mass adjustment unit to move axially along the central axis; and the buoyancy adjustment mechanism comprises an inner oil bladder disposed within the head of the watertight pressure-resistant hull, a buoyancy adjustment power unit disposed within the stern of the watertight pressure-resistant hull, and an outer oil bladder disposed outside the stern of the watertight pressure-resistant hull, the inner oil bladder, the buoyancy adjustment power unit, and the outer oil bladder being sequentially connected by hydraulic pipelines. By controlling the rotation angles of the two independently rotatable center-of-mass adjustment units about the buoy axis, the composite center of mass can be positioned at any point within a projected circle with a maximum radius R. The axial drive unit can be used to move the center-of-mass adjustment units along the axis, thereby adjusting the center of mass along an axial length H. This composite center of mass control allows the buoy's center of mass to be positioned at any point within a cylindrical three-dimensional space with a radius R and a height H, centered on the buoy's axis. By controlling the relative position of this center of mass relative to the center of buoyancy of the smart buoy or other similar platforms, the buoy's attitude can be controlled in any state. Furthermore, by combining an omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment attitude control mechanism with a buoyancy adjustment mechanism to obtain a composite center of mass, and by adjusting the relative position of the composite center of mass and the center of buoyancy, the smart buoy can be more accurately positioned during movement and maintain a stable attitude during suspension. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of an omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment posture control mechanism in one embodiment;

[0027] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the maximum deviation of the synthetic center of mass from the rotation axis of the omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment posture control mechanism in one embodiment Figure 1 ;

[0028] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the state where the synthetic center of mass of the omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment posture control mechanism coincides with the axis of the rotation axis in one embodiment Figure 2 ;

[0029] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the state in which the synthetic center of mass of the omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment posture control mechanism is between the maximum deviation axis and the rotation axis in one embodiment Figure 3 ;

[0030] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of a smart buoy in one embodiment;

[0031] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the external structure of a smart buoy in one embodiment;

[0032] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the relationship between the center of buoyancy, the combined center of mass, and the buoyancy of a smart buoy in a vertically submerged state in one embodiment;

[0033] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the relationship between the center of buoyancy, the combined center of mass, and the buoyancy of a smart buoy in a vertically floating state in one embodiment;

[0034] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the relationship between the center of buoyancy, the resultant center of mass, and the buoyancy when the intelligent buoy is gliding upward in one embodiment;

[0035] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the relationship between the center of buoyancy, synthetic center of mass, and buoyancy when the intelligent buoy dives and glides in one embodiment.

[0036] Figure markings: 1. Rotary encoder; 2. Driven gear of rotating gear spoke; 3. Rotary drive motor; 4. Driving gear of rotating gear spoke; 5. Rotating counterweight; 51. Center of mass adjustment unit A; 52. Center of mass adjustment unit B; 6. Watertight pressure-resistant cabin; 7. Axial displacement screw; 8. Axial displacement motor; 9. Center axis; 10. Satellite navigation communication antenna; 11. Observation sensor group; 12. Extended antenna pole; 13. Navigation control center; 14. Floating piston; 15. Rigid cylinder; 16. Support frame A; 17. Buoyancy adjustment power unit; 18. External oil bladder; 19. Tail cover; 20. Displacement sensor; 21. Internal oil bladder; 22. Support frame B; 23. Roll mounting bracket; 24. Low-pressure oil pipe; 25. Axial sliding guide sleeve; 26. High-pressure oil pipe; 27. Horizontal wing; 28. Vertical tail. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application more clear, the following further describes this application in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0038] The embodiment of the present application provides a smart buoy, comprising: a watertight pressure-resistant cabin, wherein an omnidirectional three-dimensional center-of-mass adjustment attitude control mechanism and a buoyancy adjustment mechanism are provided in the watertight pressure-resistant cabin; wherein the omnidirectional three-dimensional center-of-mass adjustment attitude control mechanism, such as Figure 1 Shown, including:

[0039] Central axis 9;

[0040] Two independent center of mass adjustment units, each center of mass adjustment unit includes a rotating counterweight 5 and a corresponding rotating drive motor 3 that drives the rotating counterweight 5 to rotate 360 degrees around a central axis 9;

[0041] The axial driving unit is used to drive the center of mass adjustment unit to move axially along the central axis 9.

[0042] In this embodiment, the core of the omnidirectional, three-dimensional center of mass adjustment and posture control mechanism consists of two identical eccentric masses, or rotating counterweights 5, that can independently rotate 360° around a central axis 9. These counterweights are typically fan-shaped. These two eccentric masses are mounted on the same frame and can move synchronously along the central axis 9.

[0043] By controlling these two eccentric mass blocks, a virtual center of mass can be synthesized and attached to the center of mass that changes greatly due to the coupling of buoyancy adjustment and working attitude. By controlling the positional relationship between the synthetic center of mass and the center of buoyancy, and cooperating with the buoyancy adjustment mechanism, precise omnidirectional attitude adjustment control can be achieved.

[0044] In one embodiment, the axial drive unit includes an axial displacement screw 7 and an axial displacement motor 8 connected to the axial displacement screw 7 , and the center of mass adjustment unit is fixedly connected to the nut of the axial displacement screw 7 .

[0045] The two center of mass adjustment units are rotatably connected to the central shaft 9, the central shaft 9 is fixed on a support frame, and the support frame is fixed on the nut of the axial displacement screw 7. When the axial displacement motor 8 drives the axial displacement screw 7 to rotate, the two center of mass adjustment units can move axially synchronously with the nut.

[0046] In one embodiment, the rotary drive motor 3 is disposed on the rotary counterweight 5, and the output end of each rotary drive motor 3 is connected to the driving gear 4 of the rotary gear spoke, and the two ends of the central shaft 9 are respectively fixed with the driven gear 2 of the rotary gear spoke meshing with the driving gear 4 of the corresponding rotary gear spoke.

[0047] The central shaft 9 is fixed at each end. The driven gears 2 on either end are tightly integrated with the central shaft 9, becoming part of it. When the rotary drive motor 3 is activated, the driving gear begins to rotate, and the driving and driven gears are precisely meshed. Because the central shaft 9 is fixed, the rotation of the driving gear causes the rotating counterweight 5, to which the rotary drive motor 3 is mounted, to perform stable rotational motion around the central shaft 9, thereby adjusting the rotation angle of the rotating counterweight 5. The rotary drive motors 3 at each end operate independently, thereby enabling adjustment of the combined center of mass.

[0048] In one embodiment, the omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment posture control mechanism includes a rotary encoder 1 for measuring the rotation angle of the rotating counterweight 5 .

[0049] In one embodiment, a battery pack for powering the rotary drive motor 3 may be placed in the rotating counterweight 5 to optimize space utilization.

[0050] The center of mass adjustment unit A51 and the center of mass adjustment unit B52 can rotate around the central axis 9 respectively. The rotating drive motor 3 drives the driving gear to drive the center of mass adjustment unit A51 and the center of mass adjustment unit B52 to rotate around the central axis 9 respectively. The rotary encoder 1 measures the rotation angle. Each center of mass adjustment unit can independently rotate 360° around the central axis 9.

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown in , when the two independent center of mass adjustment units are in the same quadrant, the combined center of mass is farthest from the axis, and the center of mass eccentricity distance is R; Figure 3 As shown in , when two independent center of mass adjustment units are arranged in symmetrical positions relative to the axis, their composite center of mass falls on the axis, that is, the distance of the center of mass from the axis is 0. Similarly, Figure 4 As shown, when the relative position angle of the two center of mass adjustment units is adjusted within the range of 0-180°, the offset distance of their radial composite center of mass relative to the central axis 9 varies between 0-R. At the same time, when the two independent center of mass units rotate synchronously around the central axis 9, the composite center of mass rotates around the rotation axis with a determined radius.

[0052] The two independent center of mass adjustment units are integrated in series and fixedly connected to the axial displacement screw 7. The axial displacement motor 8 drives the screw, which drives the screw nut and the two independent center of mass adjustment units fixed to it to move along the central axis 9. Assuming that the distance that the entire unit can move axially is H, the axial movement of the center of mass adjustment unit and the rotation of the center of mass can achieve arbitrary distribution adjustment of the center of mass within a cylindrical three-dimensional space with a radius of R and a height of H.

[0053] In one embodiment, Figure 5 As shown, the omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment attitude control mechanism includes: the two ends of the central axis 9 are supported and fixed by the support frame A 16 and the support frame B 22 in the watertight pressure-resistant cabin 6, respectively; the two center of mass adjustment units are rotatably connected to the central axis 9 through the roll mounting bracket 23; the two center of mass adjustment units and the roll mounting bracket 23 are slidably connected to the central axis 9 through the axial sliding guide sleeve 25.

[0054] In this embodiment, the smart buoy has a generally cylindrical structure. The central axis 9 of the omnidirectional, three-dimensional center of mass adjustment and attitude control mechanism is coaxial with the smart buoy. When the two center of mass adjustment units are located in the same quadrant, their combined virtual center of mass is farthest from the axis of the center of buoyancy (i.e., the central axis 9 of the smart buoy). When the two center of mass adjustment units are moved axially along the smart buoy's axis, the resulting virtual center of mass deviates from the axis of the smart buoy's center of buoyancy. This relative positional relationship enables pitch and roll control of the smart buoy.

[0055] In one embodiment, the buoyancy adjustment mechanism includes an inner oil bladder 21 located within the head of the watertight pressure-resistant hull 6, a buoyancy adjustment power unit 17 located within the aft portion of the hull 6, and an outer oil bladder 18 located outside the aft portion of the hull 6. The inner oil bladder 21, the buoyancy adjustment power unit 17, and the outer oil bladder 18 are sequentially connected via hydraulic pipelines. To protect the outer oil bladder 18 from collision damage, a tail cover 19 is attached to the aft portion of the watertight pressure-resistant hull 6, placing the outer oil bladder 18 in the space between the watertight pressure-resistant hull 6 and the tail cover 19.

[0056] The buoyancy adjustment power unit can be a hydraulic system, typically composed of a hydraulic pump, a control valve, and other components. The hydraulic pump converts mechanical energy into hydraulic energy, which is then delivered via a control valve to the rigid inner bladder 21. This pump then drives the piston, thereby distributing the hydraulic oil volume between the inner bladder 21 and the outer bladder 18, achieving buoyancy adjustment. For example, to fill the outer bladder, the hydraulic system pushes the piston to squeeze the oil from the inner bladder into the outer bladder; to remove the oil, the reverse operation occurs.

[0057] In one embodiment, the hydraulic pipeline includes a low-pressure oil pipe 24 between the inner oil bladder 21 and the buoyancy adjustment power unit 17 and a high-pressure oil pipe 26 between the buoyancy adjustment power unit 17 and the outer oil bladder 18, and the inner diameter of the low-pressure oil pipe 24 is larger than the inner diameter of the high-pressure oil pipe 26.

[0058] When the buoyancy of the smart buoy needs to be adjusted, the hydraulic oil inside the smart buoy is distributed by volume along the hydraulic oil pipe arranged on the axis of the buoy through the buoyancy adjustment power control system to the inner oil bag 21 at the head of the buoy and the outer oil bag 18 at the tail of the buoy, thereby adjusting the buoyancy of the buoy and making the buoy float up when the buoyancy increases or dive when the buoyancy decreases.

[0059] The buoyancy adjustment system not only completes the buoyancy adjustment, but also simultaneously completes a large-scale center of mass adjustment. Since the inner and outer oil bags of the buoyancy adjustment are generally rotating geometric bodies, its buoyancy adjustment will also cause the center of mass to move back and forth along the axis of the buoy. The hydraulic oil involved in the buoyancy adjustment is like a weight moving from one end to the other along the axis of the buoy, achieving a large change in the center of mass of the buoy.

[0060] In this embodiment, when the smart buoy is gliding upward / vertically floating upward, its posture is upward. To ensure that the buoy can establish contact with the satellite or radio station immediately without additional posture adjustment, the antenna needs to be exposed to the water surface first when the buoy emerges from the water; when gliding downward / vertically diving, the buoy lowers its head downward. When the buoy's buoyancy increases, the hydraulic oil in the inner oil bladder 21 at the head moves from the head to the outer oil bladder 18 at the tail of the buoy, and the overall displacement volume increases, the buoyancy increases, and at the same time, the buoy's center of mass moves significantly backward, and the buoy raises its head upward. Its posture change is exactly consistent with the change trend required by the working state, realizing the coupling of buoyancy adjustment and center of mass attitude adjustment trends. At this time, the aforementioned omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment attitude control mechanism only participates in the center of mass fine-tuning as an additional attitude correction mechanism, and its function is to either enhance or suppress the center of mass adjustment deviation caused by buoyancy adjustment.

[0061] In one embodiment, when the smart buoy is required to vertically lower its head downward or vertically raise its head upward to achieve vertical floating or diving, the two center of mass adjustment units are adjusted to be located in opposite quadrants, that is, they are arranged 180 degrees apart. Then, the center of mass synthesized by the two center of mass adjustment units falls on the axis where the center of buoyancy is located. At this time, the synthetic virtual center of mass is moved, and the large center of mass change brought about by the buoyancy adjustment is superimposed so that it is located at the front end or rear end of the center of buoyancy of the smart buoy. By working with the high-precision buoyancy regulator, the smart buoy can accurately achieve vertical floating, diving, and suspension.

[0062] In one embodiment, the internal oil bag 21 includes a rigid cylinder 15 , a floating piston 14 reciprocating in the rigid cylinder 15 , and a displacement sensor 20 for detecting the displacement of the floating piston 14 .

[0063] The displacement of the floating piston 14 is measured by the high-precision displacement sensor 20 to calculate the precise value of the buoyancy adjustment volume, thereby achieving larger volume and higher precision buoyancy adjustment to meet the needs of gliding, vertical snorkeling and underwater suspension of smart buoys.

[0064] In one embodiment, the head of the watertight pressure-resistant cabin 6 is further provided with a satellite navigation communication antenna 10 , a navigation control center 13 and an observation sensor group 11 .

[0065] Among them, the satellite navigation communication antenna 10 is installed on the head of the buoy, which mainly integrates the Beidou antenna, radio station antenna, Tiantong satellite communication antenna, radio frequency feeder, Beidou navigation communication module, antenna protection cover, etc.

[0066] The observation sensor group 11 is also installed on the head of the buoy, including different sensors selected according to the mission payload requirements. The basic sensor is the temperature, salinity and depth sensor.

[0067] The navigation control center 13 is located at the bow of the watertight pressure-resistant cabin 6 and includes attitude sensors / gyroscopic sensors, an integrated control unit, etc., which are used for buoy attitude sensing, observation data collection and processing, remote data / command transmission and reception, navigation control, motion trajectory planning and management, etc., to ensure that the buoy performs vertical fixed-point observation and maneuvering in accordance with the specified attitude, path, and planned position points.

[0068] In one embodiment, the satellite navigation communication antenna 10 and observation sensor assembly 11 are mounted on the buoy's head via an extended antenna mast 12, extending their range. This allows the antenna 10 and observation sensor assembly 11 to be used in a stable vertical ascent / gliding motion. This ensures that the antenna 10 is always the first to surface and establish communication with the satellite / remote control communication system. This eliminates the need for additional attitude adjustments upon reaching the surface, as is required for traditional gliders or buoys. This reduces the number of surface maneuvers and significantly lowers energy consumption. Furthermore, the antenna's automatic first surface position improves system reliability.

[0069] In one embodiment, the outer wall of the watertight pressure-resistant cabin 6 is provided with horizontal wings 27 and vertical tail wings 28 .

[0070] When the smart buoy is in a vertical ascending or descending state, it is often affected by lateral ocean currents, causing it to deviate from its initially set coordinate position. In this case, the angle between the two center of mass adjustment units can be adjusted to cause their combined center of mass to deviate a certain distance from the axis of the center of buoyancy. This, combined with the horizontal fins 27 and vertical tail fins 28, creates torque coupling, thereby correcting for position drift during vertical descent or ascent, ultimately achieving fixed-point control.

[0071] In one embodiment, the central shaft 9 is a hollow structure, serving as at least a portion of the hydraulic piping. In this case, the central shaft 9 can also serve as the hydraulic piping for buoyancy adjustment. In other embodiments, the central shaft 9 can be sleeved onto the hydraulic piping to avoid interfering with the hydraulic piping.

[0072] The intelligent buoy disclosed in the present invention can operate according to set instructions, with the system navigation control center 13 directing the omnidirectional three-dimensional space attitude control mechanism to cooperate with the high-precision buoyancy adjustment mechanism to achieve the fixed-point floating and fixed-point diving of the buoy, and can glide to a new designated coordinate water area according to instructions, and then complete corresponding observation, detection and other expandable work tasks according to the sensor payload carried.

[0073] In one embodiment, the navigation control method of the smart buoy includes: obtaining the current coordinate position, receiving the ascent / dive instruction and obtaining the target coordinate position by parsing the instruction; adjusting the current coordinate position according to the target coordinate position until the deviation between the current coordinate position and the target coordinate position is less than a preset value; starting the buoyancy adjustment mechanism to adjust the buoyancy of the smart buoy, so that the smart buoy floats up or dives, and monitoring the current coordinate position in real time during the ascent or dive process, and using the omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment attitude control mechanism to correct the center of mass of the smart buoy to adjust the attitude of the smart buoy during the ascent or dive process, so that the smart buoy reaches the target coordinate position.

[0074] When the buoy receives a command to ascend or descend remotely via satellite, it first checks its current coordinates via the satellite navigation communication antenna 10 to see if they are the target coordinates specified in the command. If so, it initiates the descent or ascent sequence. If not, it initiates a maneuvering correction sequence to adjust its position until it reaches the specified coordinates before resuming the descent or ascent sequence.

[0075] When the buoy reaches the controllable deviation range of the target coordinate position, the buoy begins to execute the diving or floating work process.

[0076] The buoy first records its current coordinate position via the Beidou antenna and activates the buoyancy adjustment mechanism to reduce buoyancy. Specifically, the buoyancy adjustment power unit 17 draws hydraulic oil from the outer bladder 18 back into the inner bladder 21, reducing the buoy's overall displacement volume and buoyancy. At this point, as the hydraulic oil is transferred from the tail to the head of the buoy, the omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment attitude control mechanism adjusts the resulting center of mass to the axis and moves it as close to the head as possible, positioning it between the buoy antenna and the buoy's overall center of buoyancy. The buoy then lowers its head downward and begins its descent, maintaining a vertical downward attitude.

[0077] like Figure 7 As shown, during the dive, the attitude sensor installed inside the buoy monitors in real time whether the buoy deviates from the set coordinate position. If the buoy deviates from the set coordinate point during the dive, the omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment attitude control mechanism starts to work. The center of mass adjustment units A and B (51, 52) change the position of the center of mass by rotation, so that their synthetic center of mass deviates from the axis of the buoy by an appropriate distance. The synthetic center of mass is located on the side of the axis in the direction of the buoy deviation. At this time, the buoy changes from a vertical diving attitude to an inclined state. Through the combined action of the vertical tail 28 and the buoy horizontal wing 27, the buoy's diving attitude and direction are corrected, so that the buoy returns to the acceptable deviation range of the original set coordinate position point. After returning to the vertical below the set coordinate position point, the omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment attitude control mechanism returns to the state before the position deviation. The entire process should be a dynamic and real-time response.

[0078] like Figure 8As shown, during the ascent, the buoy increases its buoyancy until it reaches the set positive buoyancy value. At this point, the hydraulic oil in the inner oil bladder 21 is pumped into the outer oil bladder 18, causing the buoy's center of mass to shift toward the stern, causing the buoy to tilt upward. The omnidirectional center of mass adjustment and attitude control mechanism is then adjusted to shift the overall center of mass as far toward the stern as possible, away from the center of buoyancy. This causes the buoy to flip and float vertically upward. At this point, if the attitude sensor detects a positional deviation of the buoy, the center of mass of the omnidirectional attitude control mechanism is adjusted toward the target position. This will cause the buoy to make a vertical position correction toward the target, achieving a fixed-point ascent. The ascent speed is determined by the set positive buoyancy.

[0079] The rising and diving speed of the buoy is determined by the buoyancy adjusted by the buoy. The greater the buoyancy, the greater the speed, and vice versa. The buoyancy speed of the buoy can be changed by adjusting the ratio of hydraulic oil in the inner and outer oil bags.

[0080] When the buoy reaches the set depth, if you need to keep it suspended, you can adjust the buoyancy to zero to achieve underwater suspension. While suspended, if the buoy deviates from the suspension depth, the buoyancy is automatically fine-tuned to correct the suspension depth. At the neutral buoyancy position (zero buoyancy) and with the center of mass at the center, the buoy is approximately suspended on the water surface.

[0081] During the suspension process, the synthetic center of mass and the center of buoyancy are kept at the maximum possible distance to ensure the stability of the buoy's posture.

[0082] When the buoy needs to conduct vertical observations at different coordinate points in sequence according to instructions, or go to a place far away from the deployment site for vertical observation, the buoy can enter the gliding mode for remote maneuvering. The horizontal displacement gliding trajectory is wavy, that is, the buoy will move forward in a wavy manner with an inclined upward or inclined downward posture, such as Figure 9 and 10 shown.

[0083] The rotary drive motor 3 of the omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment attitude control mechanism drives the two independent center of mass adjustment units A and B to the same side of the buoy axis respectively. The synthetic center of mass is always in a state of deviating from the buoy axis, causing the buoy to tilt. The tilt angle is determined by the positional relationship between the synthetic center of mass and the center of buoyancy.

[0084] When the buoy is in its initial state on the water surface, the buoyancy is at its maximum state, the buoy antenna is exposed above the water surface, receives the Beidou satellite position signal, determines its own position, and at the same time receives remote satellite remote control commands to determine the target position and direction, and then begins to prepare for long-distance gliding maneuvers.

[0085] The buoyancy of the buoy is adjusted to the set diving buoyancy value through the buoyancy adjustment mechanism. At this time, the buoyancy value is negative. The volume of hydraulic oil in the inner oil bag 21 of the buoy is larger than the volume of hydraulic oil in the outer oil bag 18. The head of the buoy is lowered downward. According to the attitude information fed back by the buoy attitude sensor, the front and rear positions of the synthetic center of mass are adjusted through the omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment attitude control mechanism so that its diving pitch angle reaches the preset optimal pitch angle. The buoy begins to dive and glide until it reaches the specified working depth.

[0086] During operation, if the inertial navigation sensor detects that the gliding direction deviates from the set direction, the omnidirectional three-dimensional attitude adjustment mechanism performs roll attitude adjustment control, that is, the center of mass adjustment units A and B (51, 52) rotate synchronously in the opposite direction of the deviation by an appropriate angle to correct the gliding direction. If the correction is not effective, the roll angle can be increased, and closed-loop feedback is performed through the inertial attitude sensor until the buoy returns to the preset gliding path range.

[0087] When the buoy dives to the lower limit of the set glide depth, the buoy adjusts its buoyancy to positive buoyancy, tilts the buoy upward, and simultaneously the omnidirectional three-dimensional spatial attitude adjustment mechanism coordinates the buoyancy adjustment to adjust its pitch attitude, causing the buoy to perform an upward gliding maneuver. During the upward gliding process, if the buoy's inertial navigation sensor detects that the buoy's trajectory has deviated beyond the set trajectory allowable deviation range, the buoy adjusts the rotation angle of the synthetic center of mass of the omnidirectional three-dimensional attitude control structure, that is, the center of mass adjustment units A and B (51, 52) perform synchronous roll adjustment to cause the synthetic center of mass to roll in the direction of the set route until the buoy returns to the predetermined glide route range.

[0088] When the buoy rises to the surface, the satellite navigation communication antenna 10 first emerges to receive its current position information, transmit underwater observation information, calculate position deviations, and autonomously replan the next gliding path. The buoy doesn't necessarily need to surface during each ascent and descent. It can also be configured to ascend to a certain depth near the surface and then descend again, completing multiple cycles before surfacing to calibrate its position and transmit and receive information. This reduces energy utilization caused by surface wave interference.

[0089] The above process repeats itself until the buoy reaches the specified vertical observation coordinate point.

[0090] Whether performing vertical observation or long-distance maneuvering, the buoy can utilize its onboard observation sensor set 11 to conduct ocean observations during operation. It can choose to perform multiple cycles of continuous observations before surfacing for long-distance data transmission. Alternatively, after surfacing each cycle, it can transmit underwater observation information back to a remote ground station via a Tiantong satellite antenna or other satellites. The remote ground station can issue new observation instructions after the buoy completes its mission, and can also modify the mission plan mid-flight via the remote satellite ground station.

[0091] This invention innovatively proposes a smart buoy capable of efficiently and precisely reaching a designated location. This is achieved through the collaboration of an omnidirectional, three-dimensional center of mass adjustment and attitude control mechanism and a buoyancy adjustment mechanism. The buoyancy adjustment mechanism simultaneously and significantly adjusts the buoy's buoyancy and center of mass, allowing the buoy to rapidly approach the designated location. During this approach, the omnidirectional, three-dimensional center of mass adjustment and attitude control mechanism coordinates dynamic balancing control in three dimensions, correcting the center of mass based on the designated location and fine-tuning the buoy's movement direction, thereby achieving precise, targeted positioning and arrival.

[0092] In summary, the intelligent buoy disclosed in the present invention has the following advantages:

[0093] First, the core innovation is the synthetic center of mass adjustment brought about by the omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment attitude control mechanism coupled with the high-precision buoyancy adjustment mechanism. Through the rotation angle control of two center of mass adjustment units that can independently rotate around the buoy axis, the center of mass can be arranged at any point within the projected circle with a maximum radius of R perpendicular to the axis. The center of mass adjustment unit can be moved along the axis by the axial drive unit, and cooperate with the high-precision buoyancy adjustment mechanism to achieve the movement of the center of mass over a length of H. Through this synthetic center of mass control, the buoy's center of mass can be arranged at any point in the three-dimensional space within a cylinder with a radius of R and a height of H, centered on the buoy axis. By controlling the relative position relationship of the synthetic center of mass with respect to the center of buoyancy of the intelligent buoy or other similar platforms, the center of mass can be quickly reconstructed at any coordinate, thereby realizing arbitrary state attitude control of the buoy.

[0094] Second, the large-scale adjustment of the center of mass brought about by buoyancy adjustment is coupled with the changing trend of the buoy's working posture, which greatly reduces the frequency and amplitude of additional center of mass adjustment, greatly reduces energy consumption, and improves overall technical performance.

[0095] Third, by applying the omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment attitude control mechanism, it can effectively ensure that the buoy can achieve high-precision vertical ascent and descent control at a determined coordinate point, overcoming the shortcomings of traditional drifting profile buoys that cannot perform fixed-point vertical observations; at the same time, it can achieve fixed-point vertical acquisition of ocean profile data, as well as autonomous long-range gliding maneuvers, and realize sequential vertical ocean observations at specified multiple coordinate positions, with a more flexible and extensive scope of application.

[0096] Fourth, it is capable of autonomous and controllable long-distance gliding, allowing the buoy to be deployed and recovered far away from the target point, enhancing the stealth of the deployment and recovery of the intelligent profile buoy, and greatly reducing the cost and risk of deployment and recovery.

[0097] Fifth, the wider range of buoyancy adjustment capability enables the intelligent buoy to have a larger adjustment range for its gliding / sinking and floating speed, enabling faster acquisition of observation data on the vertical profile of the observation point, and also enhancing the buoy's ability to automatically correct deviations and resist currents during navigation.

[0098] Sixth, the high-precision buoyancy adjustment and control capability can effectively ensure that the smart buoy can achieve suspension control in deep-water environments and realize deep-water horizontal drift.

[0099] Seventh, the multi-intelligent buoy system can achieve more powerful working capabilities by networking and executing tasks through satellite and underwater acoustic communications, thereby doubling its underwater working capabilities.

[0100] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0101] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and 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.

[0102] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0103] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two elements or interaction between two elements, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0104] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, when a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, when a first feature is "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. When a first feature is "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower level than the second feature.

[0105] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation methods.

[0106] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present application. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A smart buoy, comprising a watertight and pressure-resistant cabin, characterized in that: The watertight pressure-resistant cabin is provided with an omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment attitude control mechanism and a buoyancy adjustment mechanism; Wherein, the omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment posture control mechanism includes: central axis; Two independent center of mass adjustment units, each of the center of mass adjustment units includes a rotating counterweight and a corresponding rotation drive motor driving the rotating counterweight to rotate around the central axis; an axial driving unit, configured to drive the center of mass adjustment unit to move axially along the central axis; The buoyancy adjustment mechanism includes: an inner oil bag arranged in the head of the watertight and pressure-resistant cabin, a buoyancy adjustment power unit arranged in the tail of the watertight and pressure-resistant cabin, and an outer oil bag arranged outside the tail of the watertight and pressure-resistant cabin. The inner oil bag, the buoyancy adjustment power unit and the outer oil bag are connected in sequence through hydraulic pipelines.

2. The smart buoy according to claim 1, characterized in that: The axial drive unit includes an axial displacement screw and an axial displacement motor connected to the axial displacement screw, and the center of mass adjustment unit is fixedly connected to the nut of the axial displacement screw.

3. The smart buoy according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotary drive motor is arranged on the rotary counterweight, and the output end of each rotary drive motor is connected to the driving gear of the rotary gear spoke, and the two ends of the central shaft are respectively fixed with the driven gears of the rotary gear spoke meshing with the driving gear of the corresponding rotary gear spoke.

4. The smart buoy according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central shaft is a hollow structure, serving as the structure of at least a portion of the hydraulic pipeline.

5. The smart buoy according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner oil bag includes a rigid cylinder, a floating piston that reciprocates in the rigid cylinder, and a displacement sensor for detecting the displacement of the floating piston.

6. The smart buoy according to claim 1, characterized in that: A satellite navigation communication antenna is provided at the head of the watertight and pressure-resistant cabin, and a navigation control center and an observation sensor group are also provided inside the watertight and pressure-resistant cabin.

7. The smart buoy according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer wall of the watertight pressure-resistant cabin is provided with horizontal wings and vertical tail wings.

8. A navigation control method based on the smart buoy according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: Methods include: Acquire the current coordinate position of the smart buoy in real time, receive an ascending / diving instruction, and obtain the target coordinate position by parsing the instruction; Adjusting the current coordinate position of the smart buoy according to the target coordinate position until the deviation between the current coordinate position and the target coordinate position is less than a preset value; Activating the buoyancy adjustment mechanism to adjust the buoyancy of the smart buoy, causing the smart buoy to float up or dive down, and the center of mass of the smart buoy to move synchronously along the axis, so that the posture change trend of the smart buoy is coupled with the posture trend of the motion requirement; According to the real-time current coordinate position and the target coordinate position, the center of mass of the smart buoy is corrected using the omnidirectional three-dimensional center of mass adjustment attitude control mechanism to adjust the attitude of the smart buoy during the floating or diving process, so that the smart buoy reaches the target coordinate position.

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