Underwater glider

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of underwater vehicles, and provides an underwater glider which comprises a main body, a driving mechanism and a plurality of wings, the driving mechanism is arranged in the main body; the wings are arranged in the circumferential direction of the main body, the wings are connected with the driving mechanism, and the driving mechanism is used for driving the wings to rotate relative to the main body. According to the underwater glider, by arranging the driving mechanism, the driving mechanism can drive the wings to rotate relative to the main body, when the underwater glider is stored or transported, under the action of the driving mechanism, the multiple wings can be all parallel to the main body, the size of the underwater glider is reduced, and the transportation volume of the underwater glider is increased; and simultaneous delivery of batch underwater gliders is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of underwater vehicle technology, and more particularly to an underwater glider. Background Technology

[0002] As a highly efficient and low-consumption marine observation platform, the core working principle of underwater gliders is based on the synergistic effect of buoyancy adjustment and attitude control: the buoyancy adjustment system changes the density of the underwater glider to achieve ascent or descent, while the attitude control system adjusts the pitch and yaw angles. The resistance and lift of the water flow are used to propel the glider along a "zigzag" trajectory underwater. This unique motion mode gives it significant advantages in low energy consumption and long range, and it is widely used in marine environmental monitoring, resource exploration and other fields.

[0003] Underwater gliders are mostly deployed on the water surface or from shore, requiring transport to a designated location before deployment. The existing shape of underwater gliders makes it difficult to store the equipment densely, which is insufficient to meet the space utilization requirements of large-scale operations. At the same time, the large size of underwater gliders makes long-distance transportation difficult. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides an underwater glider to address the shortcomings of existing underwater gliders, such as inconvenience in dense storage and long-distance transportation.

[0005] The present invention provides an underwater glider, comprising: a main body; a drive mechanism disposed within the main body; and a plurality of wings disposed along the circumferential direction of the main body, wherein the plurality of wings are connected to the drive mechanism, and the drive mechanism is used to drive the wings to rotate relative to the main body.

[0006] According to the present invention, each of the underwater gliders has a switchable first position and a second position. When the underwater glider is in a storage or transport state, the wing is in the first position and the wing is arranged parallel to the main body. When the underwater glider is in a gliding state, the wing is in the second position and the wing is arranged along the tangent direction of the tangential circle of the main body. The plurality of wings form a staggered X-rudder.

[0007] According to the present invention, an underwater glider further includes: a plurality of servo motors, respectively disposed on a plurality of wings; a plurality of rudder plates, each wing having a notch on one side, the rudder plate being disposed at the notch, and the servo motors being used to drive the rudder plates to rotate.

[0008] According to an underwater glider provided by the present invention, when the wing is in the second position, the notch is located on the side of the wing away from the incoming flow.

[0009] According to the present invention, an underwater glider is provided, wherein the drive mechanism includes: a first support frame disposed within the main body; a drive assembly disposed within the first support frame; and a plurality of connecting shafts, wherein both ends of each connecting shaft are respectively connected to the drive assembly and the wing.

[0010] According to the present invention, an underwater glider is provided, wherein the drive assembly includes: a first motor; a first worm gear connected to the first motor; and a plurality of second worm gears respectively disposed on the first bracket, each second worm gear being drivenly connected to the first worm gear, and each second worm gear being connected to a connecting shaft.

[0011] According to the present invention, an underwater glider is provided, wherein the drive mechanism includes: a second support frame disposed within the main body; and a plurality of second motors disposed on the second support frame, each of the second motors being connected to one of the wings.

[0012] According to the present invention, an underwater glider further includes a controller connected to the drive mechanism, the controller being used to control the rotation angle of the wing.

[0013] According to the present invention, an underwater glider includes: a load section equipped with a marine sensor; a main body section connected to and separable from the load section; a plurality of wings rotatably connected to the main body section; and a drive mechanism disposed within the main body section; and a stern section connected to the main body section.

[0014] According to the present invention, in an underwater glider, the load section and the main body section are connected by explosive bolts.

[0015] The underwater glider provided by this invention has a drive mechanism that can drive the wings to rotate relative to the main body. When storing or transporting the underwater glider, the drive mechanism can make multiple wings parallel to the main body, which reduces the size of the underwater glider, increases the transport capacity of the underwater glider, and enables the simultaneous delivery of batches of underwater gliders. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of the underwater glider provided by the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the underwater glider provided by the present invention in the second position.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the drive mechanism.

[0020] Figure label: 10. Load section; 20. Main body section; 30. Stern section; 100. Main body; 200. Wing; 300. Rudder plate; 400. Servo; 501. First support; 502. First worm gear; 503. Second worm gear; 504. Connecting shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0022] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0023] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0024] In embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0025] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0026] The following is combined with Figures 1-3 The underwater glider of the present invention is described.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the underwater glider includes: a main body 100, a drive mechanism, and a plurality of wings 200. The drive mechanism is disposed within the main body 100, and the plurality of wings 200 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the main body 100. The plurality of wings 200 are connected to the drive mechanism, and the drive mechanism is used to drive the wings 200 to rotate relative to the main body 100.

[0028] Specifically, in existing technologies, the wings 200 of underwater gliders are all fixed wings. When storing or transporting underwater gliders, the large space occupied by the wings limits the number of gliders that can be stored or transported, increasing transportation costs. To reduce transportation costs, the industry often disassembles the wings 200 of underwater gliders and reassembles them at the delivery location. However, wing 200 reassembly is cumbersome and affects delivery efficiency.

[0029] In this embodiment, multiple wings 200 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the main body 100. Each wing 200 is connected to a drive mechanism, which can simultaneously drive multiple wings 200 to rotate together, thereby adjusting the relative position between the wings 200 and the main body 100. When the underwater glider is in storage or transport mode, the drive mechanism drives multiple wings 200 to rotate parallel to the main body 100, thereby reducing the size of the underwater glider and facilitating the storage and transport of a large number of underwater gliders within a certain space, thus enabling batch deployment.

[0030] In an embodiment of the present invention, the number of wings 200 can be 3 or 4.

[0031] Optionally, in embodiments of the present invention, the driving mechanism may include multiple drivers, or may include only one driver. When there are multiple drivers, each driver is used to drive one wing 200 to rotate. When multiple drivers operate simultaneously, multiple wings 200 can be controlled to rotate to the target position simultaneously. When there is only one driver, that is, multiple wings 200 are driven to rotate synchronously by one driver, which can improve the control accuracy when multiple wings 200 rotate.

[0032] The underwater glider provided in this embodiment of the invention has a drive mechanism that can drive the wings to rotate relative to the main body. When storing or transporting the underwater glider, the drive mechanism can make multiple wings parallel to the main body, reducing the size of the underwater glider, increasing the transport capacity of the underwater glider, and realizing the simultaneous delivery of batches of underwater gliders.

[0033] In embodiments of the present invention, each wing 200 has a switchable first position and a second position, such as... Figure 1 As shown, when the underwater glider is in storage or transport mode, the wing 200 is in the first position. At this time, the wing 200 is arranged parallel to the main body 100 to reduce the size of the underwater glider and facilitate the storage and transport of multiple underwater gliders. Figure 2 As shown, when the underwater glider is in gliding mode, the wings 200 are in the second position, and the wings 200 are set along the tangent direction of the tangential circle of the main body 100. Multiple wings 200 form a staggered X-rudder. The multiple wings 200 work together to enable the underwater glider to adjust its pitch angle and heading.

[0034] Furthermore, Figure 2 The diagram shows the arrangement of the four wings 200. When the underwater glider is gliding, if one wing 200 is damaged due to an impact, the remaining three wings 200 can still adjust the pitch angle and heading without affecting the gliding performance of the underwater glider.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the underwater glider further includes: a plurality of rudder plates 300 and a plurality of rudder motors 400. The number of the plurality of rudder motors 400, the plurality of rudder plates 300 and the plurality of wings 200 are the same, and each wing 200 is equipped with a rudder motor 400. The rudder motor 400 is connected to the rudder plate 300 to drive the rudder plate 300 to rotate.

[0036] Specifically, each wing 200 has a notch on one side, and a rudder 300 is located at the notch. When the underwater glider is gliding, the servo motor 400 drives the rudder 300 to rotate in order to adjust the pitch angle and heading of the underwater glider.

[0037] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, when the wing 200 is in the second position, the notch is located on the side of the wing 200 away from the incoming flow. That is, when the wing 200 is in the second position, the rudder plate 300 is located on the side of the wing 200 away from the incoming flow.

[0038] like Figure 3 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the drive mechanism includes: a first bracket 501, a plurality of connecting shafts 504, and a drive assembly. The first bracket 501 is disposed within the main body 100, and the drive assembly is disposed within the first bracket 501. The first bracket 501 is connected to the plurality of connecting shafts 504, one end of each connecting shaft 504 extending outside the main body 100 and connected to the wing 200. In this embodiment, the number of connecting shafts 504 matches the number of wings 200.

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown, when there are 4 wings 200, the first support 501 is a square support, and each side of the first support 501 is connected to a connecting shaft 504 to realize the arrangement of multiple wings 200 along the circumference of the main body 100.

[0040] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, the driving assembly includes: a first motor, a first worm gear 502, and a plurality of second worm gears 503. The first worm gear 502 is connected to the first motor, and the plurality of second worm gears 503 are respectively disposed on the four sides of the first bracket 501. Each second worm gear 503 is drivingly connected to the first worm gear 502, and each second worm gear 503 is connected to a connecting shaft 504.

[0041] Specifically, when the first motor rotates, it drives the first worm gear 502 to rotate. The first worm gear 502 meshes with four second worm gears 503. The rotation of the first worm gear 502 simultaneously drives the four second worm gears 503 to rotate, which in turn simultaneously drives the four wings 200 to rotate. When the underwater glider needs to transport objects, the first motor is controlled to rotate forward. When the first motor rotates forward, it simultaneously drives the four wings 200 to fold. When all four wings 200 are parallel to the main body 100, the first motor stops rotating. When the underwater glider is gliding in the water, the first motor is controlled to rotate in reverse. When the first motor rotates in reverse, it simultaneously drives the four wings 200 to unfold to a set position. In this embodiment, by having one motor simultaneously drive the rotation of four wings 200, the synchronous movement of multiple wings 200 is achieved, improving the control accuracy of the wing 200 rotation.

[0042] Optionally, in another embodiment of the invention, the drive mechanism may include a second bracket and a plurality of second motors. The second bracket is disposed within the main body 100, and the plurality of second motors are disposed on the second bracket, each second motor being connected to a wing 200.

[0043] Specifically, in this embodiment, each second motor drives one wing 200 to rotate, and the number of second motors matches the number of wings 200. When the underwater glider needs to transport materials, multiple second motors are controlled to rotate forward simultaneously to drive multiple wings 200 to fold. When each wing 200 is parallel to the main body 100, the second motors are controlled to stop rotating. When the underwater glider is gliding in the water, multiple second motors are controlled to rotate in reverse simultaneously to drive multiple wings 200 to unfold to a set position.

[0044] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, the underwater glider also includes a controller connected to a first motor or a second motor. The controller controls the input current of the first motor or the second motor to control the rotation angle of the wing 200, thereby allowing the wing 200 to switch between a first position and a second position. In an embodiment of the present invention, both the first motor and the second motor are servo motors.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the main body 100 includes a load section 10, a main body section 20, and a stern section 30. The load section 10 is equipped with a marine sensor. The load section 10 and the stern section 30 are respectively connected to both ends of the main body section 20, and the load section 10 and the main body section 20 are detachably connected. A drive mechanism is disposed within the main body section 20, and multiple wings 200 are rotatably connected to the main body section 20.

[0046] Specifically, while the underwater glider is gliding in the water, the payload section 10 is connected to the main body section 20. After the underwater glider carries the ocean sensor to the target water area, the payload section 10 separates from the main body section 20. The payload section 10 floats to the water surface by buoyancy and establishes communication with land-based or satellite systems, thereby transmitting the real-time collected ocean data back to the ground.

[0047] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, the load section 10 is made of a buoyancy material. After the load section 10 is separated from the main body section 20, the load section 10 floats to the water surface using buoyancy.

[0048] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, the load section 10 and the main body section 20 are connected by explosive bolts. After the underwater glider reaches the target water area, the explosive bolts are detonated, thereby separating the load section 10 from the main body section 20.

[0049] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An underwater glider, characterized in that, include: main body; The drive mechanism is located within the main body; Multiple wings are arranged along the circumference of the main body, and the multiple wings are connected to the drive mechanism, which is used to drive the wings to rotate relative to the main body.

2. The underwater glider according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the wings has a switchable first position and a second position. When the underwater glider is in storage or transport, the wing is in the first position and the wing is arranged parallel to the main body. When the underwater glider is in a gliding state, the wing is in the second position, and the wing is arranged along the tangent direction of the cross-sectional circle of the main body, with multiple wings forming a staggered X-rudder.

3. The underwater glider according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: Multiple servos are respectively mounted on multiple of the aforementioned wings; Multiple rudders are provided, each wing has a notch on one side, the rudder is disposed at the notch, and the servo is used to drive the rudder to rotate.

4. The underwater glider according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the wing is in the second position, the notch is located on the side of the wing facing away from the incoming flow.

5. The underwater glider according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive mechanism includes: The first support is disposed within the main body; The driving component is disposed on the first bracket; Multiple connecting shafts, each of which is connected at both ends to the drive assembly and the wing, respectively.

6. The underwater glider according to claim 5, characterized in that, The driving component includes: First motor; The first worm gear is connected to the first motor; Multiple second worm gears are respectively disposed on the first bracket, each second worm gear is drivenly connected to the first worm gear, and each second worm gear is connected to one of the connecting shafts.

7. The underwater glider according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive mechanism includes: The second support is disposed within the main body; Multiple second motors are mounted on the second bracket, and each second motor is connected to one of the wings.

8. The underwater glider according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a controller connected to the drive mechanism, the controller being used to control the rotation angle of the wing.

9. The underwater glider according to claim 1, characterized in that, The subject includes: The load section is equipped with marine sensors; The main body section is connected to and separable from the load section, and a plurality of the wings are rotatably connected to the main body section. The drive mechanism is disposed within the main body section. The stern section is connected to the main body section.

10. The underwater glider according to claim 9, characterized in that, The load section is connected to the main body section by explosive bolts.

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