Folding wing air-drop underwater glider based on high-speed cross-medium water entry buffer device

Abstract

The invention discloses a folding wing air-drop underwater glider based on a high-speed cross-medium water entry buffer device, and relates to the technical field of ocean exploration equipment. The underwater glider mainly comprises a hydrodynamic profile unit, a rapid retarding unit arranged at the tail and glider wing stretching devices located on the two sides. According to the rapid retarding unit, an opening and closing buckle is controlled through a steering engine to lock or release an unhooking pin shaft connected with the parachute, rapid separation of the parachute is achieved through the ejection effect of a high-elasticity element after the parachute enters water, and water entering impact is effectively reduced. According to the hang glider stretching device, the wings are restrained to be in a folded state through water-soluble fiber pieces, after the wings are dissolved in water, transmission racks are pushed through pre-compression springs, then wing changing gears connected with the wings are driven to rotate, and automatic unfolding and self-locking of the wings are achieved. The underwater glider has the advantages of being simple and light in structure, high in space utilization rate, good in underwater buffering effect and the like, and the problems that impact is large and carrying space is limited during air-drop laying of a traditional underwater glider are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of underwater vehicle technology, and particularly relates to a folding-wing airdrop underwater glider based on a high-speed cross-medium water entry buffer device. Background Technology

[0002] As a novel type of marine exploration equipment, underwater gliders utilize net buoyancy and center-of-mass adjustment principles to achieve low-energy, sawtooth-shaped gliding motion. With significant advantages such as high efficiency, long endurance, and extended detection time, they have wide applications in marine scientific research and military operations. Currently, existing underwater gliders are generally deployed by being carried by a mother ship to designated sea areas. However, limited by the mother ship's speed, the time required to reach the mission point is relatively long, severely restricting their application in responding to emergencies (such as searching for the black boxes of crashed aircraft or detecting sudden marine phenomena). Therefore, utilizing aircraft to carry underwater gliders for airdrop deployment, enabling single or multiple gliders to quickly reach target sea areas, has become an important development direction for expanding their timely deep-sea exploration capabilities.

[0003] However, although airdrop deployment offers greater timeliness compared to ship-based deployment, existing airdrop technologies still have significant drawbacks: Firstly, the glider's entry speed into the water after being dropped from high altitude is extremely high, and the overall structure must withstand tremendous hydrodynamic impact upon entry, which can easily damage the precision sensors and internal electronic components carried by the glider; secondly, existing underwater gliders generally use high aspect ratio extended wings. This structure not only suffers from severe hydrodynamic impact during airdrop due to its large frontal area, making it prone to structural damage, but the extended wings also result in the glider occupying a large space, greatly increasing the difficulty of mounting and arranging it in aircraft deployment devices, and limiting the number and flexibility of a single airdrop. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the problems of existing underwater gliders, such as the large impact of water entry during airdrop deployment that easily damages precision sensors and electronic components, the easy damage to the extended wing structure, and the limited space that results in a small number of airdrops and poor flexibility, this invention provides a folding-wing airdrop underwater glider based on a high-speed cross-medium water entry buffer device.

[0005] This invention is implemented as follows: a folding-wing airdrop underwater glider based on a high-speed cross-medium water entry buffer device, comprising a hydrodynamic shape unit, a rapid deceleration unit disposed at the tail of the hydrodynamic shape unit, and glider extension devices located on both sides; characterized in that: the rapid deceleration unit includes a parachute and a separation mechanism for connecting the parachute and the underwater glider, the separation mechanism being equipped with a first highly elastic element; after the underwater glider enters the water, the separation mechanism unlocks and uses the elastic force of the first highly elastic element to eject the rapid deceleration unit backward to separate it from the underwater glider; the glider extension device includes a foldable wing, a wing deployment drive mechanism, and a water-soluble constraint member; the foldable wing is constrained in a folded state by the water-soluble constraint member; when the underwater glider enters the water and the water-soluble constraint member dissolves and fails, the wing deployment drive mechanism uses elastic potential energy to drive the foldable wing to deploy to the working position.

[0006] In the above technical solution, preferably, the separation mechanism includes a servo motor, an opening and closing buckle connected to the servo motor, and a release pin connecting the parachute and the underwater glider body; the opening and closing buckle has a clamped state and an open state; during the airdrop process, the servo motor controls the opening and closing buckle to be in the clamped state to lock the release pin; after entering the water, the servo motor controls the opening and closing buckle to switch to the open state to release the release pin.

[0007] In the above technical solution, preferably, the first high-elasticity element is a high-strength spring disposed in the separation mechanism, and the high-strength spring is in a compressed state; when the opening and closing buckle releases the unhooking pin, the high-strength spring releases its elastic force to push the unhooking pin and the rapid deceleration unit as a whole backward.

[0008] In the above technical solution, preferably, the rapid deceleration unit further includes a barrel-shaped parachute shell and an adapter plate. The parachute is housed inside the parachute shell, the adapter plate connects the parachute shell to the release pin, and the rapid deceleration unit is attached to the rear fairing of the underwater glider through the adapter plate.

[0009] In the above technical solution, preferably, the wing deployment drive mechanism includes a transmission rack, a variable wing gear, and a second highly elastic element as a power source; the variable wing gear is fixedly connected to the pivot of the foldable wing, and the transmission rack meshes with the variable wing gear; the second highly elastic element is disposed between the wing fixing frame and the transmission rack.

[0010] In the above technical solution, preferably, in the folded state, the foldable wing is fixed by the water-soluble constraint member, the transmission rack is restricted in position, and the second highly elastic element is in a compressed energy storage state; after the water-soluble constraint member dissolves, the second highly elastic element pushes the transmission rack to move linearly, driving the variable wing gear to rotate, thereby driving the foldable wing to unfold outward.

[0011] In the above technical solution, preferably, the wing fixing frame is provided with a groove for accommodating the transmission rack and the second high elastic element, and the opening end of the groove is closed by the wing-changing spring cover; when the foldable wing is unfolded to a limited position, the second high elastic element remains in a compressed state, so that the transmission rack is tightly attached to the wing-changing spring cover, thereby realizing the self-locking of the wing position.

[0012] In the above technical solution, preferably, the water-soluble restraint component is a water-soluble fiber component, and the rear fairing of the underwater glider has a pre-reserved groove. In the folded state, the end of the foldable wing is fixed in the groove by the water-soluble fiber component.

[0013] In the above technical solution, preferably, the foldable wing includes a wing body and a wing fixing frame. The wing body is a right trapezoid and is made of carbon fiber material. The wing fixing frame is made of aluminum alloy material. The wing body and the variable wing gear are fastened together by bolts.

[0014] In the above technical solution, preferably, the hydrodynamic shape unit includes a shell and a control device, a buoyancy adjustment device, a roll attitude adjustment device and a pitch attitude adjustment device disposed within the shell; the control device is electrically connected to the fast deceleration unit, the buoyancy adjustment device, the roll attitude adjustment device and the pitch attitude adjustment device respectively.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has many significant advantages.

[0016] First, the present invention provides a unique structure that combines a parachute with an airdropped underwater glider. This structural design can greatly reduce the speed of the underwater glider when it enters the water, thereby significantly reducing the hydrodynamic impact it experiences upon entry and effectively improving the survivability of the glider and its internal equipment.

[0017] Secondly, the mechanical structure of this invention is simpler and lighter. The solution replaces the complex method of using a common motor to drive wing deployment, instead employing the elastic force of a high-strength spring as the direct driving force for wing deployment. This elastic force also enables the wing to lock in position after deployment. This design makes the overall structure lighter, reducing reliance on electrical energy and the complexity of the control system.

[0018] Furthermore, the spatial layout of this invention is more compact. The wing design of this airdropped underwater glider differs from the traditional one-piece wing; it consists of a right-angled trapezoidal carbon fiber wing and an aluminum alloy wing mount. This combined design effectively saves space while ensuring performance, facilitating its placement within the transport vehicle. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fast deceleration unit in this invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the glider extension device in this invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the meshing relationship between the transmission rack and the variable-wing gear in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention. To further illustrate the structure of the invention, a detailed description is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings: Please see Figures 1-4 This embodiment provides a folding-wing underwater glider based on a high-speed cross-medium water entry buffer device. Its overall structure mainly consists of a hydrodynamic shape unit 1 (the main body of the fuselage), glider extension devices located on both sides of the main body, and a rapid deceleration unit 3 installed at the tail of the main body. The main body internally includes a shell, signaling devices, and buoyancy adjustment devices, roll attitude adjustment devices, pitch attitude adjustment devices, and a control device housed within the shell. The control device, as the core hub, is electrically connected to the rapid deceleration unit 3, the buoyancy adjustment device, the roll attitude adjustment device, and the pitch attitude adjustment device to achieve precise control of the glider throughout its entire operation.

[0021] Regarding the specific structure of the fast deceleration unit 3, as follows: Figure 2As shown, its overall design is a barrel-shaped structure, mainly including a parachute 11, a parachute shell 10, an adapter plate 9, and a separation mechanism for connection and separation control. The separation mechanism includes a servo motor 4, a servo motor shaft 5, an opening / closing latch 6, a high-strength spring 7 as the first high-elasticity element, and a release pin 8. The parachute 11 is housed inside the parachute shell 10 and is connected to the adapter plate 9 via internal connecting ropes. The adapter plate 9 is fixedly connected to the release pin 8. In the assembled state, the rapid deceleration unit 3 is tightly fitted to the rear fairing of the underwater glider's tail via the adapter plate 9, but not directly secured with bolts. Instead, the connection is achieved through the cooperation of the release pin 8 and the opening / closing latch 6. Specifically, the opening / closing latch 6 is controlled by the servo motor 4 and has two states: clamped and open. During the airdrop and descent, the servo motor 4 controls the servo motor shaft 5 to maintain a specific angle, keeping the latch 6 in a clamped state and firmly locking the release pin 8. This ensures that the enormous aerodynamic drag generated by the parachute 11 can be effectively transferred to the glider body, achieving deceleration. At this time, the high-strength spring 7, which is sleeved on the outside of the release pin 8, is compressed between the adapter plate 9 and the tail structure of the glider, and is in a high-potential-energy compressed and stored state.

[0022] The aforementioned design, which decouples the load-bearing release pin 8 from the driving servo motor 4 and uses the opening and closing latch 6 for intermediate locking, greatly improves the system's impact resistance. Traditional direct-drive release mechanisms are prone to servo gear wear or damage due to the massive overload upon water entry. This solution, however, uses a mechanical locking structure to ensure that the impact load is primarily borne by the pin and fastener, protecting the precision servo mechanism. Furthermore, the non-rigid fixed fit between the parachute shell 10 and the fairing eliminates the risk of fatigue fracture caused by high-frequency vibrations during water entry, enhancing the overall structural reliability.

[0023] Regarding the aforementioned glider extension device, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, it cleverly utilizes the combination of environmental characteristics and mechanical energy storage. The device mainly includes a foldable wing 2, a transmission rack 19 as a component of the wing deployment drive mechanism, a variable-wing gear 16, a high-strength spring 18 as a second high-elasticity element, and a water-soluble fiber component as a water-soluble constraint element. The foldable wing 2 is not a traditional one-piece structure, but adopts a segmented composite design, including a right-angled trapezoidal carbon fiber wing body 13 and an aluminum alloy wing fixing frame 12. The wing body 13 and the variable-wing gear 16 are fastened together by bolts and can rotate around a pivot. The wing fixing frame 12 is fixed to the fuselage body, and its interior has a special groove to accommodate the transmission rack 19 and the high-strength spring 18. The opening end of the groove is sealed and protected by a variable-wing spring cover 15 and a variable-wing gear cover 14.

[0024] The workflow and underlying mechanism of this embodiment are as follows: The first stage is deployment and airborne deployment. The two carbon fiber wing bodies 13 are folded back and brought together, fitting snugly against the fuselage. The ends of the wing bodies 13 are then secured to pre-drilled grooves in the rear fairing of the fuselage using water-soluble fiber components. During this folding process, the wing bodies 13 drive the variable-wing gear 16, which in turn drives the transmission rack 19 forward, compressing the high-strength spring 18 and accumulating elastic potential energy. Subsequently, the rapid deceleration unit 3 is installed at the tail, connecting the parachute 11's deployment lines to the aircraft deployment device. Once the glider is released, gravity pulls the deployment lines, causing the parachute 11 to open. Air resistance significantly reduces the glider's entry speed into the water, preventing high-speed impact and damage to internal sensors.

[0025] The combination of right-angled trapezoidal wings and aluminum alloy mounting frames not only optimizes the space utilization after folding, allowing the glider to adapt to narrower cabin launch tubes, but also fine-tunes the glider's center of gravity position with this "front-heavy, rear-light" material density distribution (aluminum alloy frame in front, carbon fiber wing in rear), giving it better longitudinal static stability during the air release phase and helping to prevent the glider from rolling violently before the parachute opens.

[0026] The next stage is the water entry and separation phase. After the glider enters the water, when it reaches the predetermined depth or state, the control device instructs the servo motor 4 to activate, which drives the latch 6 to switch to the open state, releasing the release pin 8. At this time, the first highly elastic element (i.e., the high-strength spring 7), which is in a compressed state, instantly releases a huge elastic force, propelling the release pin 8 and the entire rapid deceleration unit 3 backward with great force.

[0027] This active ejection mechanism addresses the risk of "tail negative pressure adsorption" inherent in traditional natural detachment methods. After an underwater glider enters the water, complex turbulence and low-pressure zones are generated at the tail. If detached solely by gravity, the parachute is easily adsorbed at the tail or even entangled in the propeller. This high-energy ejection mechanism not only ensures physical separation, but the reaction force generated by the ejection also provides the glider with an initial forward impulse, helping it quickly overcome water entry disturbances and rapidly enter a stable diving posture.

[0028] Finally, there is the wing deployment and locking phase. As the glider travels underwater, the water-soluble fibers that hold the wings in place come into contact with seawater and begin to dissolve. When the constraint force of the fibers decreases to less than the elastic force of the high-strength spring 18, the spring 18 pushes the transmission rack 19 to move backward in a linear motion. Since the rack meshes with the variable-wing gear 16, the linear motion of the rack is converted into the rotational motion of the gear, thereby driving the wing body 13 to deploy outward.

[0029] Using water-soluble materials as trigger switches effectively constitutes a "passive time-delay protection mechanism." Compared to water-impact triggering, water-soluble triggering ensures that the wing does not deploy at the moment of maximum impact when it hits the water surface, but only after the glider is completely submerged and the impact load has decayed. This greatly protects the wing pivot structure and avoids the risk of breakage. After the wing deploys to the defined working position, the high-strength spring 18 is not fully released, but is designed to retain a certain amount of pre-compression. This ensures that the transmission rack 19 remains firmly against the variable-wing spring cover 15 or the limiting structure during the glider's subsequent long-term gliding. This continuous elastic preload eliminates the mechanical backlash between the gears and rack, effectively suppressing the micro-flutter generated by the wing under ocean current disturbances. Wing flutter not only increases fluid drag but also generates underwater noise that interferes with sonar detection. Therefore, the structure of this design significantly improves the glider's quietness and hydrodynamic efficiency.

[0030] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A folding-wing airdrop underwater glider based on a high-speed cross-medium water entry buffer device, comprising a hydrodynamic shape unit (1), a fast deceleration unit (3) disposed at the tail of the hydrodynamic shape unit (1), and glider wing extension devices located on both sides; characterized in that: The rapid deceleration unit (3) includes a parachute (11) and a separation mechanism for connecting the parachute (11) and the underwater glider. The separation mechanism is equipped with a first highly elastic element (7). After the underwater glider enters the water, the separation mechanism unlocks and uses the elastic force of the first highly elastic element (7) to eject the rapid deceleration unit (3) backward to separate it from the underwater glider. The glider extension device includes a foldable wing (2), a wing deployment drive mechanism, and a water-soluble constraint. The foldable wing (2) is constrained in a folded state by the water-soluble constraint. When the underwater glider enters the water and the water-soluble constraint dissolves and fails, the wing deployment drive mechanism uses elastic potential energy to drive the foldable wing (2) to unfold to the working position.

2. The folding-wing airdrop underwater glider based on a high-speed cross-medium water entry buffer device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The separation mechanism includes a servo motor (4), an opening and closing buckle (6) connected to the servo motor (4), and a release pin (8) connecting the parachute (11) and the underwater glider body; the opening and closing buckle (6) has a clamped state and an open state; during the airdrop process, the servo motor (4) controls the opening and closing buckle (6) to be in the clamped state to lock the release pin (8); after entering the water, the servo motor (4) controls the opening and closing buckle (6) to switch to the open state to release the release pin (8).

3. A folding-wing airdrop underwater glider based on a high-speed cross-medium water entry buffer device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first high elastic element (7) is a high-strength spring installed in the separation mechanism. The high-strength spring is in a compressed state. When the opening and closing buckle (6) releases the unhooking pin (8), the high-strength spring releases its elastic force to push the unhooking pin (8) and the fast deceleration unit (3) backward as a whole.

4. A folding-wing airdrop underwater glider based on a high-speed cross-medium water entry buffer device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rapid deceleration unit (3) also includes a barrel-shaped parachute shell (10) and an adapter plate (9). The parachute (11) is housed inside the parachute shell (10). The adapter plate (9) connects the parachute shell (10) to the release pin (8). The rapid deceleration unit (3) is attached to the rear fairing of the underwater glider through the adapter plate (9).

5. A folding-wing airdrop underwater glider based on a high-speed cross-medium water entry buffer device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wing deployment drive mechanism includes a transmission rack (19), a variable wing gear (16), and a second high-elasticity element (18) as a power source; the variable wing gear (16) is fixedly connected to the pivot of the foldable wing (2), and the transmission rack (19) meshes with the variable wing gear (16); the second high-elasticity element (18) is disposed between the wing fixing frame (12) and the transmission rack (19).

6. A folding-wing airdrop underwater glider based on a high-speed cross-medium water entry buffer device according to claim 5, characterized in that, In the folded state, the foldable wing (2) is fixed by the water-soluble constraint, the transmission rack (19) is restricted in position, and the second high-elasticity element (18) is in a compressed energy storage state; after the water-soluble constraint dissolves, the second high-elasticity element (18) pushes the transmission rack (19) to move linearly, driving the variable wing gear (16) to rotate, thereby driving the foldable wing (2) to unfold outward.

7. A folding-wing airdrop underwater glider based on a high-speed cross-medium water entry buffer device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The wing fixing frame (12) is provided with a groove for accommodating the transmission rack (19) and the second high elastic element (18). The opening end of the groove is closed by the variable wing spring cover (15). When the foldable wing (2) is unfolded to a limited position, the second high elastic element (18) remains in a compressed state, so that the transmission rack (19) is in close contact with the variable wing spring cover (15), thereby realizing the self-locking of the wing position.

8. A folding-wing airdrop underwater glider based on a high-speed cross-medium water entry buffer device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The water-soluble restraint is a water-soluble fiber component. The rear fairing of the underwater glider has a pre-reserved groove. In the folded state, the end of the foldable wing (2) is fixed in the groove by the water-soluble fiber component.

9. A folding-wing airdrop underwater glider based on a high-speed cross-medium water entry buffer device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The foldable wing (2) includes a wing body (13) and a wing mounting frame (12). The wing body (13) is a right trapezoid and is made of carbon fiber material. The wing mounting frame (12) is made of aluminum alloy material. The wing body (13) and the variable wing gear (16) are fastened together by bolts.

10. A folding-wing airdrop underwater glider based on a high-speed cross-medium water entry buffer device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydrodynamic shape unit (1) includes a shell and a control device, a buoyancy adjustment device, a roll attitude adjustment device and a pitch attitude adjustment device disposed in the shell; the control device is electrically connected to the fast deceleration unit (3), the buoyancy adjustment device, the roll attitude adjustment device and the pitch attitude adjustment device respectively.

Images