A high-speed satellite communication system suitable for deep ocean underwater unmanned vehicles

Abstract

This invention provides a high-speed satellite communication system suitable for deep-sea underwater unmanned vehicles, with dimensions controlled within 150mm in diameter × 250mm in height. It includes a watertight communication cabin and a satellite communication antenna unit mounted on the cabin's top cover. This unit comprises a Tiantong transmitting / Tianlian receiving antenna, a Tiantong receiving / Tianlian transmitting antenna, and a Beidou / GPS positioning and navigation antenna. Each antenna employs a four-arm helical structure 3D printed from titanium alloy, using an orthogonal layout and raising one antenna to suppress mutual coupling interference. The watertight communication cabin includes a Tiantong-1 transceiver RF front-end and a Tianlian-2 transceiver RF front-end. Through cooperation with the corresponding antennas, it supports 384kbps high-speed data communication, 50kbps low-speed data communication, and 1.74kbps emergency data communication with shore / ship-based systems. It receives navigation and positioning information to achieve vehicle location. Both RF front-ends are fitted with heat dissipation fins to achieve an efficient heat conduction path.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 2025102306486, filed on February 28, 2025, entitled "A High-Speed ​​Satellite Communication System for Micro-Small Unmanned Vehicles", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This invention belongs to the field of deep-sea satellite communication technology, and specifically relates to a high-speed satellite communication system suitable for deep-sea underwater unmanned vehicles. Background Technology

[0003] Currently, scientific research data acquired by my country's deep-sea unmanned vehicles (UAVs) from the seabed at depths of 3,000-6,000 meters is transmitted to shore / ship-based systems via a satellite communication system mounted on the top of the vehicle, using space-based satellites as relay points. With the increasing volume of scientific research data, the data transmission rate between UAVs and shore / ship-based systems faces higher requirements. The existing satellite communication systems for UAVs (hereinafter referred to as "satellite communication systems") have technical bottlenecks, mainly in the following two aspects.

[0004] Currently, my country's satellite communication systems for underwater unmanned vehicles mainly rely on satellite resources such as the Iridium network, Argos satellite network, and BeiDou satellites. However, the maximum communication rate between these systems and ship / shore-based systems does not exceed 10kbps, which cannot support high-speed data transmission. Furthermore, most satellite communication systems can only be adapted to a single satellite network and cannot switch between them according to mission requirements, resulting in poor system flexibility and insufficient reliability.

[0005] The limited installation space on top of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) necessitates a highly integrated, compact, and lightweight satellite communication system to ensure stable extension at a certain height during surface communication. As the UAV descends to depths of 3000-6000 meters, the satellite communication system must withstand the corresponding water pressure and possess long-term resistance to seawater corrosion.

[0006] To address the aforementioned application needs, there is an urgent need to propose a high-speed satellite communication system suitable for deep-sea underwater unmanned vehicles. This system establishes a communication link with ships / shore bases through the S-band communication network of my country's Tiantong-1 satellite and the S-band Multiple Access (SMA) service network of the Tianlian-2 relay satellite, and has a data transmission capability with a maximum code rate of 384kbps. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the above-mentioned technical defects and propose a high-speed satellite communication system suitable for unmanned underwater vehicles in deep waters.

[0008] In view of this, the present invention proposes a high-speed satellite communication system suitable for deep-sea underwater unmanned vehicles, adopting an integrated design with overall dimensions controlled within 150mm in diameter × 250mm in height, comprising: a watertight communication cabin and a satellite communication antenna unit mounted on the top cover of the watertight communication cabin, wherein...

[0009] The satellite communication antenna unit includes a Tiantong transmitting / Tianlian receiving antenna, a Tiantong receiving / Tianlian transmitting antenna, and a Beidou / GPS positioning and navigation antenna, all of which support complete immersion in water. Each antenna adopts a four-arm spiral wide-beam structure 3D printed from titanium alloy, which has a pressure resistance of 75MPa and corrosion resistance. By orthogonally arranging the three antennas and raising the Tiantong transmitting / Tianlian receiving antenna, mutual coupling interference between the antennas is suppressed.

[0010] The watertight communication compartment includes the Tiantong-1 transceiver radio frequency front-end and the Tianlian-2 transceiver radio frequency front-end. Through cooperation with the Tiantong transmitting / Tianlian receiving antenna and the Tiantong receiving / Tianlian transmitting antenna, it can adaptively establish communication links under harsh sea conditions, provided that the effective irradiated power (EIRP) and the ratio of antenna gain to system noise temperature (G / T) both meet the requirements. It supports three modes of communication: high-speed data communication at a code rate of 384kbps with shore / ship bases, low-speed data communication at a code rate of 50kbps, and emergency data communication at a code rate of 1.74kbps. It is also used to receive navigation and positioning information and transmit it to shore bases in real time to achieve vehicle position positioning.

[0011] Both the Tiantong-1 and Tianlian-2 transceiver radio frequency front-ends are fitted with heat dissipation teeth, achieving an efficient heat conduction path from each transceiver radio frequency front-end → heat dissipation teeth → watertight communication compartment → seawater.

[0012] As an improvement to the above system, the three antennas of the satellite communication antenna unit are designed with optimized antenna pitch, single arm diameter and overall height to shape the antenna beam, so that each antenna can achieve a gain of not less than 2dBi within a 140° wide beam range.

[0013] As an improvement to the above system, the height of the Tiantong transmitting / receiving antenna is raised by 6mm.

[0014] As an improvement to the above system, the watertight communication compartment further includes a communication signal processing module; the communication signal processing module includes:

[0015] The signal processing submodule integrates a 3G mobile communication protocol stack and is responsible for processing and transmitting data packets of communication signals from the Tiantong-1 satellite and SMA service signals from the Tianlian-2 satellite. It is also used to adaptively establish communication links under severe sea conditions and realize communication mode switching control according to the AT commands of the application processing submodule.

[0016] The application processing submodule is used to send and receive data with the aircraft via the RS422 serial port. After completing the data framing, it controls the signal processing submodule to switch the communication mode by sending AT commands, and then sends the framed data to the signal processing submodule.

[0017] As an improvement to the above system, the adaptive establishment of communication links under severe sea conditions and the implementation of communication mode switching control include:

[0018] The Tiantong-1 satellite network is selected as the first choice to establish a Tiantong-1 communication link, enabling high-speed data communication between the vehicle and the shore / ship base with a maximum code rate of 384kbps.

[0019] When the signal coverage of Tiantong-1 is outside the range or the communication link is unstable, the Tianlian-2 SMA data transmission service link is used to realize low-speed data communication between the vehicle and the shore / ship base with a maximum code rate of 50kbps.

[0020] When both high-speed and low-speed data communication links cannot be established, emergency data communication with a maximum code rate of 1.74kbps between the vehicle and the shore / ship base is achieved through the short message mode of the SMA service link of the Tianlian-2 satellite.

[0021] As an improvement to the above system, both EIRP and G / T meet the following requirements:

[0022] The EIRP of the Tiantong-1 communication link is not less than 20dBW, and the G / T value is not less than -11dB / K;

[0023] The EIRP of the SMA service link of the Tianlian-2 satellite is not less than 7.5 dBW, and the G / T value is not less than -26 dB / K.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are:

[0025] This high-speed satellite communication system adopts a miniaturized integrated design, adaptable to deep-sea applications. Its overall dimensions are controlled within 150mm in diameter and 250mm in height. The core module is integrated into a 75MPa pressure-resistant watertight communication chamber. The satellite communication antenna is made of TC4 titanium alloy, possessing excellent pressure and corrosion resistance, meeting the requirements for underwater operation at depths of up to 6000m. The satellite communication antenna employs a wideband integrated design, enabling the transmission and reception of Tiantong-1 satellite signals, Tianlian-2 satellite SMA service signals, and BeiDou / GPS positioning signals within a limited space. Furthermore, a layout optimization strategy of raising the Tiantong transmitting / Tianlian receiving antennas by 6mm suppresses inter-antenna interference.

[0026] The system boasts excellent communication performance, ensuring stable and reliable links. The EIRP of the Tiantong-1 communication link is no less than 20 dBW, and the G / T value is no less than -11 dB / K; the EIRP of the Tianlian-2 satellite SMA service link is no less than 7.5 dBW, and the G / T value is no less than -26 dB / K. The accompanying four-arm helical wide-beam antenna, optimized for pitch, single-arm diameter, and overall height, achieves a gain of no less than 2 dBi within a 140° beam coverage area. This effectively copes with random motion of ±50° roll angle under harsh sea conditions, ensuring the stability and continuity of satellite signal transmission in deep-sea environments.

[0027] The innovative passive cooling solution provides core support for the long-term stable operation of the system. The cooling structure adopts a plate-shaped copper heat dissipation fin design, with its two sides tightly fitted to the transceiver RF front-end shell and the inner wall of the watertight communication cabin, respectively, forming an efficient heat conduction path of "transceiver RF front-end → heat dissipation fins → communication cabin → seawater". This solution uses seawater as a natural heat dissipation medium, eliminating the need for additional active cooling devices, and achieving rapid heat conduction and dissipation, ensuring that the RF front-end operating temperature remains within the normal range under long-term high-speed operation. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application scenarios of a high-speed satellite communication system;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall assembly of a high-speed satellite communication system;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a block diagram and signal flow diagram of a high-speed satellite communication system;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a satellite communication antenna unit structure;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the data interface between the internal components of the communication signal processing module and external modules;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of the workflow of a high-speed satellite communication system. Detailed Implementation

[0034] This invention proposes a high-speed satellite communication system suitable for deep-sea underwater unmanned vehicles, with an overall size controlled within 150mm in diameter × 250mm in height, employing an integrated design, including:

[0035] The satellite communication antenna unit includes a Tiantong transmitting / Tianlian receiving antenna, a Tiantong receiving / Tianlian transmitting antenna, and a Beidou / GPS positioning and navigation antenna, all of which support full immersion in water. Each antenna adopts a titanium alloy 3D-printed four-arm spiral wide-beam structure with a pressure resistance of 75MPa and corrosion resistance. The orthogonal arrangement of the three antennas and the elevation of the Tiantong transmitting / Tianlian receiving antenna are used to suppress mutual coupling interference between the antennas.

[0036] The watertight communication compartment includes the Tiantong-1 transceiver radio frequency front-end and the Tianlian-2 transceiver radio frequency front-end. Through cooperation with the Tiantong transmitting / Tianlian receiving antenna and the Tiantong receiving / Tianlian transmitting antenna, it can adaptively establish communication links in harsh sea conditions. It supports three modes of data communication with shore / ship bases: high-speed data communication at a code rate of 384kbps, low-speed data communication at a code rate of 50kbps, and emergency data communication at a code rate of 1.74kbps. It is also used to receive Beidou / GPS positioning information and transmit it to shore bases in real time to realize the vehicle's position positioning.

[0037] Both the Tiantong-1 and Tianlian-2 transceiver radio frequency front-ends are fitted with heat dissipation fins, achieving an efficient heat conduction path from each transceiver radio frequency front-end → heat dissipation fins → watertight communication compartment → seawater.

[0038] The technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0039] Example

[0040] Embodiments of this invention propose a high-speed satellite communication system (hereinafter referred to as "high-speed satellite communication system") suitable for deep-sea underwater unmanned vehicles, with application scenarios such as... Figure 1As shown, this system can utilize the Tiantong-1 mobile communication satellite network or the Tianlian-2 relay satellite SMA network as relay points to establish a real-time communication link with ship / shore-based satellite communication systems at a maximum code rate of 384kbps. Simultaneously, the system possesses the ability to adaptively select and establish satellite communication links under adverse sea conditions, while meeting miniaturization and lightweight requirements. The overall size of the system is controlled within 150mm in diameter × 250mm in height, and it mainly consists of a satellite communication antenna, a Tiantong-1 transceiver RF front-end, a Tianlian-2 transceiver RF front-end, a communication signal processing module, a heat dissipation structure, and a power conversion module. Figure 2 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the overall assembly of a high-speed satellite communication system; as shown... Figure 3 The diagram shown is a system block diagram and an internal signal flow diagram.

[0041] The Tiantong-1 transceiver RF front-end, Tianlian-2 transceiver RF front-end, communication signal processing module, heat dissipation structure and power conversion module are integrated inside the watertight communication cabin. The compact structural design achieves efficient space utilization and meets the miniaturization requirements of high-speed satellite communication systems. The satellite communication antenna is installed on the communication cabin cover.

[0042] The satellite communication antenna consists of three antennas: a Tiantong transmitting / Tianlian receiving antenna, a Tiantong receiving / Tianlian transmitting antenna, and a Beidou / GPS positioning receiving antenna. These antennas are designed to enable the transmission and reception of signals from my country's Tiantong-1 satellite and Tianlian-2 satellite SMA service signals, as well as the reception of Beidou / GPS positioning information.

[0043] To cope with the random motion of the satellite communication antenna within a roll angle range of ±50° under harsh sea conditions, ensuring the stability of the communication link, and considering the requirements of system miniaturization and lightweight design, the satellite communication antenna adopts a four-arm helical wide-beam antenna design. Traditional watertight radome structures are prone to signal attenuation, making it difficult for the system's EIRP and G / T values ​​to support high-speed communication links. Therefore, this invention abandons the watertight radome design, allowing the satellite communication antenna to directly contact seawater. The antenna body is made of TC4 titanium alloy, formed using 3D printing technology, possessing a pressure resistance of 75MPa and excellent corrosion resistance. This invention optimizes the pitch, single-arm diameter, and overall height parameters of the four-arm helical antenna, ensuring that the gain of all three antennas is not less than 2dBi within a 140° beamwidth, meeting the requirements of satellite communication signal transmission and reception links, eliminating the need for servo mechanisms to track the satellite beam, and simultaneously meeting the requirements of miniaturization and lightweight design.

[0044] To reduce inter-antenna coupling and the number of antennas, a wideband integrated design is adopted. Considering that both the Tiantong-1 satellite communication signal transceiver antenna and the Tianlian-2 satellite SMA service signal transceiver antenna are left-hand circularly polarized, and that the Tiantong-1 satellite communication signal transmission frequency band and the Tianlian-2 satellite SMA service signal reception frequency band are similar, this invention combines their transmission and reception frequency bands, designing two wideband antennas: one for Tiantong transmission / Tianlian reception and one for Tiantong reception / Tianlian transmission. The BeiDou / GPS positioning information receiving antenna is right-hand circularly polarized and is designed as a separate antenna. This invention, through these three antennas, supports multiple domestic communication satellite resources such as Tiantong-1, Tianlian-2, and BeiDou, saving space by reducing the number of antennas and reducing inter-antenna coupling. The three antennas are as follows... Figure 4 The antennas are orthogonally arranged on the communication compartment cover with a diameter of 150mm. To further suppress mutual coupling, within the limited layout space, the Tiantong transmitting / receiving antennas are raised by 6mm (because they are very small compared to the overall size of the communication compartment cover). Figure 4 (Not obvious in the middle) By adjusting the antenna installation height, the area of ​​electromagnetic field overlap with adjacent antennas is reduced. Combined with orthogonal layout, signal interference is further reduced, ensuring that key parameters such as antenna gain and beamwidth meet the requirements of each satellite communication link.

[0045] The Tiantong-1 and Tianlian-2 transceiver radio frequency front-ends, in conjunction with their respective transceiver antennas, ensure that the EIRP of the high-speed satellite communication system in the Tiantong-1 satellite communication link and the Tianlian-2 satellite SMA service link is not less than 20dBW and 7.5dBW, respectively, and the G / T values ​​are not less than -11dB / K and -26dB / K, respectively.

[0046] Satellite communication antennas have limited gain. To meet the EIRP requirements of satellite communication links, the output power of the RF front-end needs to be increased, leading to high heat generation. This system's heat dissipation structure uses sheet-like copper heat sinks, with both sides tightly fitted to the transceiver RF front-end housing and the inner wall of the watertight communication cabin, forming an efficient heat conduction path: "transceiver RF front-end → heat sink → communication cabin → seawater." Copper heat sinks are attached to the surface of the transceiver RF front-end housings of Tiantong-1 and Tianlian-2. The heat sinks use a sheet-like structure to increase the heat dissipation area, and the other side of the heat sink is tightly fitted to the inner wall of the communication cabin. Heat is transferred from the transceiver RF front-end to the heat sinks via thermal conduction, and then from the heat sinks to the communication cabin. The cabin is in direct contact with seawater, ultimately dissipating the heat into the seawater. This structure utilizes seawater as a natural heat dissipation medium, eliminating the need for external active cooling devices and ensuring that the RF front-end temperature remains within the normal operating range during long-term high-speed operation of the satellite communication system. This avoids overheating that could lead to performance degradation or component damage.

[0047] The communication signal processing module comprises two parts: a signal processing submodule and an application processing submodule. The signal processing submodule integrates a 3G mobile communication protocol stack and is responsible for processing communication signals and data packet transmission for the Tiantong-1 satellite and the Tianlian-2 satellite SMA service, while also controlling communication mode switching. The application processing submodule transmits and receives data with the spacecraft via an RS422 serial port. After framing the data internally, it sends commands to control the signal processing submodule to switch communication modes and then sends the framed data back to the signal processing submodule. A schematic diagram of the data interface between the communication signal processing module and external modules is shown below. Figure 5 As shown, the satellite communication system control software installed on the application processing submodule controls the activation and network access of the high-speed satellite communication system. The high-speed satellite communication system prioritizes searching for Tiantong-1 satellite signals and establishing links through the software control system, enabling uplink and downlink data transmission. When Tiantong-1 satellite communication signals are unavailable, the system automatically switches to the Tianlian-2 satellite SMA network and selects the communication mode based on link quality. Furthermore, the software can process BeiDou / GPS positioning information, complete framing, and transmit it to ship / shore base stations via the satellite network. It also has functions such as measuring real-time transmission code rate and modifying port numbers.

[0048] High-speed satellite communication systems can adjust their configurations based on satellite signal coverage and link quality, such as... Figure 6 The system autonomously switches between three communication modes as shown. When the vehicle is within the coverage area of ​​the Tiantong-1 satellite and the link is stable, it prioritizes the Tiantong-1 satellite network, enabling data transmission at a maximum code rate of 384kbps. When the vehicle is outside the Tiantong-1 signal coverage area or the link is unstable, it utilizes the Tianlian-2 satellite SMA data transmission service link to achieve low-speed data communication with shore / ship bases at a maximum code rate of 50kbps. When neither of the above two modes can establish a link, it uses the short message mode of the Tianlian-2 satellite SMA service to achieve emergency data communication with shore / ship bases at a maximum code rate of 1.74kbps, ensuring that critical data and positioning information can be transmitted to the shore base. Simultaneously, the high-speed satellite communication system supports receiving BeiDou / GPS positioning information and transmitting the positioning information to the shore base in real time via the satellite network to achieve vehicle position positioning.

[0049] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions to the technical solutions of the present invention do not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-speed satellite communication system suitable for deep-sea underwater unmanned vehicles, characterized in that, Adopting an integrated design, the overall dimensions are controlled within 150mm in diameter × 250mm in height, including: a watertight communication compartment and a satellite communication antenna unit mounted on the top cover of the watertight communication compartment. The satellite communication antenna unit includes a Tiantong transmitting / Tianlian receiving antenna, a Tiantong receiving / Tianlian transmitting antenna, and a Beidou / GPS positioning and navigation antenna, all of which support complete immersion in water. Each antenna adopts a TC4 titanium alloy 3D-printed four-arm spiral wide-beam structure, which has pressure resistance and corrosion resistance. By orthogonally arranging the three antennas and raising the Tiantong transmitting / Tianlian receiving antenna, mutual coupling interference between the antennas is suppressed. The watertight communication compartment includes the Tiantong-1 transceiver radio frequency front-end and the Tianlian-2 transceiver radio frequency front-end. Through cooperation with the Tiantong transmitting / Tianlian receiving antenna and the Tiantong receiving / Tianlian transmitting antenna, it can adaptively establish communication links under adverse sea conditions, provided that both EIRP and G / T values ​​meet the requirements. It supports three modes of communication with shore / ship bases: high-speed data communication at a code rate of 384kbps, low-speed data communication at a code rate of 50kbps, and emergency data communication at a code rate of 1.74kbps. It is also used to receive navigation and positioning information and transmit it to shore bases in real time to achieve vehicle position positioning. Both the Tiantong-1 and Tianlian-2 transceiver radio frequency front-ends are fitted with heat dissipation teeth, achieving an efficient heat conduction path from each transceiver radio frequency front-end → heat dissipation teeth → watertight communication compartment → seawater.

2. The high-speed satellite communication system for deep-sea underwater unmanned vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The satellite communication antenna unit has three antennas. By optimizing the antenna pitch, single-arm diameter and overall height, the antenna beam is shaped so that each antenna can achieve a gain of not less than 2dBi within a 140° wide beam range.

3. The high-speed satellite communication system for deep-sea underwater unmanned vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height of the Tiantong transmitting / receiving antenna is 6mm.

4. The high-speed satellite communication system for deep-sea underwater unmanned vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The watertight communication compartment also includes a communication signal processing module; the communication signal processing module includes: The signal processing submodule, integrating a 3G mobile communication protocol stack, is responsible for processing and transmitting data packets of communication signals from the Tiantong-1 satellite and SMA service signals from the Tianlian-2 satellite. It also adaptively establishes communication links under adverse sea conditions and controls communication mode switching based on AT commands from the application processing submodule. The application processing submodule is used to send and receive data with the aircraft via the RS422 serial port. After completing the data framing, it controls the signal processing submodule to switch the communication mode by sending AT commands, and then sends the framed data to the signal processing submodule.

5. The high-speed satellite communication system for deep-sea underwater unmanned vehicles according to claim 4, characterized in that, The adaptive establishment of communication links under severe sea conditions and the control of communication mode switching include: The Tiantong-1 satellite network is selected as the first choice to establish a Tiantong-1 communication link, enabling high-speed data communication between the vehicle and the shore / ship base with a maximum code rate of 384kbps. When the signal coverage of Tiantong-1 is outside the range or the communication link is unstable, the Tianlian-2 SMA data transmission service link is used to realize low-speed data communication between the vehicle and the shore / ship base with a maximum code rate of 50kbps. When both high-speed and low-speed data communication links cannot be established, emergency data communication with a maximum code rate of 1.74kbps between the vehicle and the shore / ship base is achieved through the short message mode of the SMA service link of the Tianlian-2 satellite.

6. The high-speed satellite communication system for deep-sea underwater unmanned vehicles according to claim 5, characterized in that, The requirement that both EIRP and G / T values ​​meet the following criteria includes: The EIRP of the Tiantong-1 communication link is not less than 20dBW, and the G / T value is not less than -11dB / K; The EIRP of the SMA service link of the Tianlian-2 satellite is not less than 7.5 dBW, and the G / T value is not less than -26 dB / K.

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