Tiger-whale-imitating unmanned underwater vehicle group for icebreaking

Abstract

The invention discloses a tiger-whale-imitating unmanned underwater vehicle group for icebreaking, and belongs to the technical field of icebreaking. The underwater vehicle comprises a ship body, a power system and a control system which are installed in an inner cavity of the ship body, and a sonar module, a communication module, a propeller, a left rudder, a right rudder and a tail rudder which are installed outside the ship body. The power system provides energy for the underwater vehicle, the propeller provides advancing thrust for the underwater vehicle, the sonar module detects floating ice and external environment information and feeds back the information to the control system for processing so as to obtain information such as an icebreaking route and icebreaking depth, the control system controls the underwater vehicle to adjust the posture and advance, and the tail vane generates sunken waves to advance and move along with the underwater vehicle. Therefore, non-contact ice breaking is carried out on the floating ice through the sunken waves. The communication module can establish communication connection between the underwater vehicles when the underwater vehicle group breaks ice. According to the invention, non-contact and low-noise hidden icebreaking is realized through a fluid-solid coupling mechanism under the action of waves and a floating ice layer by utilizing the response characteristic that the waves impact the floating ice layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of icebreaking technology, specifically to a swarm of killer whale-inspired underwater unmanned vehicles for icebreaking. Background Technology

[0002] With global warming, the Arctic shipping route has become a potentially important trade route, and polar icebreaking research is receiving increasing attention. Traditional methods include: using icebreakers to ram the ice and break it with kinetic energy; using the gravity of objects on the ice surface; using waves generated by submarines or hovercraft to break the ice through the bending gravity waves of ice-water coupling; or using explosives, chemicals, or heat-absorbing materials to directly break the ice on the surface of floating ice. These methods have disadvantages such as low icebreaking efficiency, poor concealment, high noise, and high cost.

[0003] Inspired by the hunting of ice floes by Type B killer whales, which use high-speed underwater objects to create significant concave waves on free surfaces to break up ice floes, this invention designs a fleet of unmanned underwater vehicles for icebreaking in polar regions. This icebreaking method has the advantages of good stealth, low cost of unmanned operation, and high degree of remote control and coordination, and is expected to become a novel non-contact icebreaking method. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved: To avoid the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a swarm of killer whale-inspired underwater unmanned vehicles for icebreaking. By designing killer whale-inspired vehicles, a swarm of multiple vehicles is formed to mimic killer whale pods in underwater icebreaking in extremely low-temperature environments. It utilizes the response characteristics of waves impacting the floating ice layer and achieves non-contact, low-noise, stealthy icebreaking through the fluid-structure interaction mechanism between waves and the floating ice layer.

[0005] The technical solution of this invention is: an icebreaking-inspired killer whale-style underwater unmanned vehicle, comprising: The hull is designed in the shape of a wedge, mimicking the shape of an orca, and has an internal cavity. Both the power system and the control system are housed within cavities in the hull. The power system provides energy to the submersible, while the control system controls its operation. The sonar module is located on the upper surface of the ship's hull. The sonar module is used to detect information about floating ice and feed the information back to the control system. The communication module is located on the upper surface of the hull. The communication module is electrically connected to the control system. The communication module is used to establish communication connections with external control terminals and to establish communication connections with other submarines to enable coordinated operation of the submarine group. The thruster assembly, which is electrically connected to the power system, is used to convert the energy provided by the power system into thrust that propels the submarine forward. And the rudder, which is installed on the outside of the ship. The rudder is electrically connected to the control system. The rudder is used to adjust the attitude of the submarine and to generate concave waves when the submarine is traveling underwater.

[0006] A further technical solution of the present invention is as follows: the rudder includes a left rudder, a right rudder, and a tail rudder, wherein the left rudder and the right rudder are respectively mounted on the left and right sides of the hull and can be tilted up and down, providing the necessary torque for the submarine to turn, rise, and sink; the tail rudder is mounted on the stern of the hull and can be tilted up and down, and is used for the submarine's attitude balance and to generate waves during the submarine's movement; the left rudder, the right rudder, and the tail rudder are respectively electrically connected to the power system and are powered by the power system; the left rudder, the right rudder, and the tail rudder are respectively electrically connected to the control system and are controlled by the control system to control their actions.

[0007] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the cross section of the tail rudder along the heading is an isosceles triangle, the base side of the isosceles triangle is hinged to the stern of the ship, and the pitch angle of the tail rudder swinging up and down is ±30°.

[0008] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the propulsion group includes a left propulsion unit and a right propulsion unit, the two propulsion units are symmetrically installed on the rear side of the bottom of the ship, and both propulsion units are electrically connected to the power system.

[0009] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the upper wall of the hull is an inclined surface with an inclination angle of 15° relative to the horizontal plane at the center of the hull; the bottom wall of the hull is a drag-reducing streamlined surface structure.

[0010] A cluster of killer whale-inspired underwater unmanned vehicles for icebreaking includes multiple such vehicles. The vehicles are connected to each other via their respective communication modules. One vehicle acts as a mother ship, and the others act as daughter ships. The mother ship sends collaborative operation commands to the daughter ships through its communication module.

[0011] An icebreaking method using an orca-inspired underwater unmanned vehicle (UUV), comprising: The external control unit sends an icebreaking command to the underwater vehicles, activating each underwater vehicle to enter the working state; The submersible's control system activates the sonar module, which detects information about floating ice and feeds it back to the control system for processing. The control system collects and processes data to obtain analysis results, which include the optimal ice-breaking path, the ice-breaking depth of the ice-breaking area, the ice-breaking attitude, and the ice-breaking speed. Based on the analysis results, the control system sends commands to the propulsion system, which then outputs the power required for icebreaking to the propeller assembly. The control system adjusts the left and right rudders to the initial lift angle to provide the ship with oblique lift. The control system controls the tail rudder to tilt down at the set angle. The control system controls the underwater vehicle to lock the icebreaking depth, and the underwater vehicle enters the icebreaking attitude. Icebreaking in icebreaking attitude: The control system controls the submersible to move towards the ice floe at a constant speed according to the calculated icebreaking speed and icebreaking path. During the movement of the submersible, a concave wave is generated above the tail rudder and moves with the submersible, continuously acting on the bottom of the ice floe. When the concave wave reaches the leading edge of the ice floe, the leading edge of the ice floe breaks brittlely under the combined action of its own weight and the concave wave. After the leading edge of the ice floe breaks brittlely, the control system maintains the current state of the submersible and continues to move, achieving continuous icebreaking. During the icebreaking process, the sonar module continuously monitors the floating ice. When the ice thickness is detected to exceed the current impact range of the dented wave icebreaking, the control system adjusts the underwater vehicle's icebreaking depth, icebreaking speed, and tail rudder tilt angle.

[0012] A further technical solution of the present invention is as follows: when multiple underwater vehicles form an underwater vehicle group to break ice, each underwater vehicle includes a mother ship and the remaining sub-vessels. The mother ship controls the sub-vessels to work together. The mother ship sends coordinated icebreaking operation commands to each sub-vessel through a communication module. The underwater vehicle group is arranged in a line with equal spacing to break ice.

[0013] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the coordinated icebreaking operation command includes the optimal icebreaking path, icebreaking depth, icebreaking attitude, icebreaking speed, and the position of each sub-ship formation calculated by the mothership control system based on the floating ice information detected by the sonar module.

[0014] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the ice-breaking depth is calculated based on the thickness of the floating ice detected by the sonar module and the non-contact ice-breaking distance, the non-contact ice-breaking distance being the distance between the top of the submersible and the bottom of the floating ice during ice breaking, which is 1-2 meters.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention provides an underwater unmanned submersible designed to mimic the shape of an orca, with a wedge-shaped structure and a tail rudder designed to resemble an orca's tail. A control system controls the submersible's ice-breaking attitude, causing the tail rudder to generate concave waves at a set swing angle that move with the submersible, thus breaking up floating ice non-contactly using these concave waves. This invention also allows multiple submersibles to be arranged in a line, mimicking an orca pod, for icebreaking. Compared to traditional icebreaking methods, this has the following significant advantages: 1. Compared with traditional icebreaking techniques, which suffer from high costs, high energy consumption, and low efficiency, the underwater icebreaking method using an orca-inspired underwater unmanned submersible can integrate into the polar environment to the greatest extent, moving beneath the floating ice while reducing icebreaking noise. Compared with traditional icebreaking methods that rely on mechanical means such as direct impact and compression on the ice surface or explosive blasting, the icebreaking method of this invention achieves the effect of concealing its tracks.

[0016] 2. This invention utilizes the response characteristics of concave waves impacting the ice floe behind the submersible. It breaks the ice using a fluid-structure interaction mechanism between the waves and the ice floe, employing a non-contact icebreaking method that avoids direct physical contact between the carrier and the ice surface, a common practice in traditional icebreaking techniques. This design not only improves icebreaking efficiency but also fundamentally reduces the impact and friction of ice on the submersible hull during the icebreaking process, lowering the risk of structural damage and extending the submersible's service life.

[0017] 3. The underwater vehicle swarm icebreaking strategy employed in this invention innovatively draws inspiration from the group icebreaking behavior of orcas during natural hunting, constructing a parallel, collaborative icebreaking mode similar to that of orcas. The design parameters of the underwater vehicle are matched to the Froude number of orcas during swimming. During operation, it approaches the ice floes at a fixed speed and spacing, and through tail tilt control, it forms a large concave wave consistent with the icebreaking principle of orcas in groups, thus completing the icebreaking operation.

[0018] 4. This invention utilizes the group effect of killer whales hunting and flexibly adjusts the number of underwater vehicles according to the icebreaking environment, such as ice thickness, ice strength, and sea area range in different regions. This allows the icebreaking system to be compatible with most polar icebreaking scenarios, from thin ice areas to thick ice areas and from narrow sea areas to wide sea areas, thereby improving the system's environmental adaptability and operational flexibility. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present 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 only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an icebreaking-inspired killer whale-like underwater unmanned submersible according to the present invention. Figure 2 This is a front view of an orca-inspired underwater unmanned submersible for icebreaking according to the present invention. Figure 3 This is a top view of an orca-inspired underwater unmanned submersible for icebreaking according to the present invention; Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the operation of the underwater vehicle swarm in this invention; Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the test results of the underwater vehicle towing experiment in this invention.

[0021] In the diagram: 1. Hull, 2. Sonar module, 3. Communication module, 4. Propulsion system, 5. Control system, 6. Tail rudder, 7. Port rudder, 8. Starboard rudder, 9. Port thruster, 10. Starboard thruster. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] Example 1 An embodiment of the present invention is an orca-inspired underwater unmanned submersible for icebreaking, which mimics the action of an orca to break ice.

[0024] Type B killer whales in Antarctica primarily survive by hunting Weddell seals on pack ice. We observed that hunting teams of 4-5 killer whales swim rapidly towards the pack ice, creating a concave wave on the calm sea surface within seconds. This wave is located at the tail of the whale pod, exhibiting distinct leading troughs and trailing crests. The wave height gradually increases with the distance traveled, while its width is only slightly wider than the width of the whale pod. The wave's speed is comparable to that of the whale pod. Upon reaching the pack ice, the concave wave acting on its leading edge induces the leading ice floe to tilt towards the center of the concavity. When the pack ice is large, the tail end remains horizontal, while the leading ice floe, under its own weight, tends to collapse towards the center of the concavity. When the bending stress within the local cross-section of the pack ice exceeds a certain limit, it fractures. As the wave advances, the concave wave continues to act on subsequent ice floes, causing cracks to appear in a roughly radial pattern, with the development direction closely related to the wave's direction of travel. When the ice floes are small, the forces between the crystals inside the floes are strong enough that the ice surface does not break, but it will tilt more significantly forward. The subsequent back wave crest will hit the tilted ice surface, and the huge kinetic energy will push the seals on the ice surface into the sea.

[0025] like Figure 5 As shown, we compared the wave-generating capabilities of orca models with multiple combinations of body tilt angles (10° / 0° / -10°) and tail tilt angles (with an angle relative to the body's center plane, -30° / 0° / 10°) through experiments. The results showed that the orca model with its head close to the water surface and its tail flipped downwards generated the most significant concave waves behind it (such as...). Figure 5(As shown in Case 3), and the wave depth increases with increasing towing speed. This configuration produces the next best concave wave depth at a towing speed of 0.7 m / s (body tilted upwards at 30°, tail parallel to the center plane of the body, i.e., 0°, as shown in Case 3). Figure 5 (As shown in Case 1) 1.4 times.

[0026] The above experiment was conducted in a towing pool with a depth of 360 mm, a width of 500 mm, and a length of 1200 mm, meeting the deep-water requirements. It was assumed that the sidewalls did not affect the towing results. Based on Froude number similarity, the orca model's body cross-section was an ellipse with a major-to-minor-axis ratio of 15:4, and the tail cross-section was triangular. The tail's vertical rotation angle ranged from ±30°. The body length was 41.7 mm, the tail length was 8.3 mm, the total orca model length was 50 mm, the height was 11.1 mm, and the width was 55.5 mm. The towing speed ranged from 0.3 m / s to 0.7 m / s. This set of parameters simulated the wave effect produced by an orca pod of 4-5 orcas with a body length of 5.6 m and a swimming speed of 3.67-7.33 m / s. The Froude number comparison parameters are shown in Table A.

[0027] Table A

[0028] As shown in Table A, the Froude number of the orca model used in the orca icebreaking principle experiment is highly matched with the Froude number of the orca, verifying the feasibility of using a swarm of orca-inspired underwater unmanned vehicles for sea surface icebreaking.

[0029] Therefore, inspired by orcas breaking ice, the orca-inspired underwater unmanned submersible structure for icebreaking described in this embodiment is as follows: Figures 1-3 As shown, the underwater vehicle includes: hull 1, sonar module 2, communication module 3, power system 4, control system 5, propulsion assembly and rudder wings.

[0030] The hull 1 has a smooth, streamlined, wedge-shaped structure inspired by an orca, with an internal cavity housing the propulsion system 4 and the control system 5. (For example...) Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the upper wall of hull 1 is an inclined surface with an inclination angle of 15° relative to the horizontal plane. The bottom wall of hull 1 is a drag-reducing streamlined surface structure with a smooth transition of the curvature radius from 0.9m at the bow to the stern to reduce underwater navigation resistance.

[0031] The propulsion system 4 is located in the middle of the cavity of hull 1, while the control system 5 is located near the stern of hull 1. The propulsion system 4 provides energy to all energy-consuming components of the entire submarine. The control system 5 serves as the core of the entire submarine's control system, controlling its operation.

[0032] Both sonar module 2 and communication module 3 are mounted on the upper surface of hull 1. A protrusion is provided on this upper surface, and both sonar module 2 and communication module 3 are mounted on it. Sonar module 2 is communicatively connected to control system 5. Sonar module 2 emits sonar signals to detect floating ice information and feeds the detected information back to control system 5 for processing. Communication module 3 is also communicatively connected to control system 5. Communication module 3 is used to establish communication connections with external control terminals and with other underwater vehicles for coordinated operation within a group. The communication connection between communication module 3 and external control terminals is used to obtain start commands and information such as the icebreaking area range sent by the external control terminals. The communication connection established by communication module 3 with other underwater vehicles refers to the communication established between multiple underwater vehicles when operating in a group.

[0033] The thruster assembly is electrically connected to the power system 4. The thruster assembly is used to convert the energy provided by the power system into thrust to propel the submarine. In this embodiment, the thruster assembly includes a left thruster 9 and a right thruster 10. The two thrusters are symmetrically installed on the rear side of the bottom of the hull 1. Both thrusters are electrically connected to the power system 4. When the submarine needs to move, the control system 5 sends a power output command to the power system 4. The power system 4 drives the two thrusters to provide the submarine with the propulsion power required for movement and icebreaking.

[0034] The rudders are mounted externally to hull 1 and electrically connected to control system 5. The rudders are used to adjust the submarine's attitude and generate concave waves during underwater movement. Specifically, the rudders include a port rudder 7, a starboard rudder 8, and a tail rudder 6. The port rudder 7 and starboard rudder 8 are symmetrically mounted and can be tilted up and down on the port and starboard sides of hull 1, respectively. Mounting holes are symmetrically provided on both sides of hull 1 at approximately one-third of the length from the stern for mounting the port rudder 7 and starboard rudder 8. The port rudder 7 and starboard rudder 8 provide the necessary torque for the submarine's turning, surfacing, and descent. The tail rudder 6 is mounted at the stern of hull 1 and can be tilted up and down. The tail rudder 6 is used for submarine attitude balance and generates waves during movement. The port rudder 7, starboard rudder 8, and tail rudder 6 are electrically connected to the propulsion system 4, which provides power to the three rudder surfaces. The port rudder 7, starboard rudder 8, and tail rudder 6 are also electrically connected to control system 5, which controls their movement. In this embodiment, the cross section of the tail rudder 6 along the heading is an isosceles triangle, and the base of the isosceles triangle is hinged to the stern of the hull 1. The pitch angle of the tail rudder 6 swinging up and down is ±30°. The required concave wave is generated by setting the swing angle of the tail rudder 6 when the submarine breaks ice.

[0035] Orca-inspired underwater unmanned vehicles (UUVs) used for icebreaking can break ice on the sea surface individually. To achieve more effective icebreaking, multiple UUVs can be grouped together, for example, a group of 4-5 orca-inspired UUVs. In the group, one UUV acts as the mother ship, and the others as subsidiary ships. The mother ship sends coordinated icebreaking operation commands to each subsidiary ship via its communication module 3. During coordinated icebreaking, the mother ship's sonar module 2 detects ice floes, and the mother ship's control system 5 calculates information including the icebreaking path, icebreaking depth, icebreaking attitude, and icebreaking speed based on this information. This information, along with the position information of each subsidiary ship, is sent to each subsidiary ship as a coordinated icebreaking operation command. The subsidiary ship's communication module receives the information, processes and responds, and executes the unified icebreaking command to complete the coordinated operation.

[0036] In this embodiment, the overall dimensions of the underwater vehicle are approximately 6m × 2.6m × 1.5m (length × width × height). When the group of underwater vehicles is conducting icebreaking operations, the distance between each underwater vehicle is approximately 2m, and the speed range is 6m / s.

[0037] Example 2 This embodiment provides a method for icebreaking using a submersible or a group of submersibles as described in Embodiment 1. This method utilizes the response characteristics of waves impacting the ice floe and leverages the fluid-structure interaction mechanism between waves and the ice floe to create a highly efficient, reliable, and stealthy underwater icebreaking method with excellent tracking capabilities. The method includes the following steps: An external control unit sends an icebreaking command to the underwater vehicles, activating them to operational status. This external control unit can be a ground-based or sea-based base station.

[0038] The submersible's control system activates the sonar module, which performs all-round, high-precision detection of the external environment. The sonar module captures data in real time, such as the distribution range of floating ice, the thickness of a single layer of floating ice, the gaps between ice layers, and underwater topography, by emitting sound waves and receiving reflected signals. The detected information is then fed back to the control system for processing.

[0039] The control system processes the data detected by the sonar module through a built-in algorithm to obtain analysis results, including the optimal icebreaking path, icebreaking depth of the icebreaking area, icebreaking attitude, and icebreaking speed, to ensure that the waves at the tail rudder can act on the leading edge of the ice floe.

[0040] Based on the analysis results, the control system sends commands to the propulsion system, which adjusts the power of the thruster assembly to bring both thrusters into a suitable power range for icebreaking. The control system then guides the submersible into an icebreaking attitude: it adjusts the left and right rudders to the initial lift angle (set at 15°-20°) to provide axial lift, maintaining the ship's tilt while the submersible is icebreaking; it controls the tail rudder to tilt downwards at a 30° angle; and it locks the submersible into an initial icebreaking depth. Locking the icebreaking depth does not mean it will remain constant; it only means that the icebreaking depth remains constant within the range of ice thickness that the waves generated at the current icebreaking attitude and speed can break. If the sonar module detects an ice thickness exceeding the current icebreaking capability, the control system adjusts the icebreaking depth to ensure the submersible maintains a stable icebreaking depth within the preset icebreaking effect, preventing depth deviation from affecting the wave action.

[0041] The ice-breaking depth is calculated based on the thickness of the floating ice detected by the sonar module and the non-contact ice-breaking distance. The non-contact ice-breaking distance is a preset value calculated in the control system. The non-contact ice-breaking distance is the distance between the top of the submersible and the bottom of the floating ice when breaking ice. This distance is set to 1-2 meters and can be adjusted according to the actual situation.

[0042] The icebreaking attitude is the optimal icebreaking posture. In this posture, the icebreaking maneuver is performed as follows: The control system maintains the submersible at a constant speed while in the icebreaking attitude. During this movement, the submersible travels from underwater (without ice) towards the ice floes. Upon reaching the ice floes, it travels parallel to them, maintaining a non-contact icebreaking distance. As the submersible moves towards the ice floes, a large concave wave forms above the tail rudder. This wave propels the submersible forward and continuously acts on the bottom of the ice floes. When the concave wave reaches the leading edge of the ice floes, the leading edge experiences a significant bending moment due to the combined effect of its own weight and the tension generated by the concave wave. When this moment exceeds the bending strength of the ice floes, the leading edge of the ice floes fractures brittlely.

[0043] After the leading edge of the ice floe fractures brittlely, the control system maintains the vehicle's current state and continues to move forward, achieving continuous icebreaking. Specifically, the propulsion system continuously outputs rated power, enabling the thrusters to drive the submersible forward at a constant speed; the left and right rudders maintain the current lift angle to maintain the submersible's attitude; and the tail rudder maintains a downward tilt angle, continuously generating concave waves. Subsequent ice floes, as the waves continue to advance, are successively subjected to the same bending moment and fracture brittlely.

[0044] During the icebreaking process, the sonar module continuously detects information about the floating ice ahead and feeds the real-time detection data back to the control system for processing. If the ice thickness exceeds the current wave icebreaking impact range, the control system will fine-tune the depth, propulsion speed and tail rudder tilt angle of the submersible to ensure the wave action effect and avoid icebreaking failure.

[0045] When a group of submarines (UVs) is engaged in icebreaking operations, each UV consists of a mother ship and several smaller vessels. The mother ship sends coordinated icebreaking commands to the smaller vessels via its communication module. The smaller vessels receive these commands through their own communication modules, and the mother ship coordinates the smaller vessels to form a linear icebreaking array. After receiving the commands, the smaller vessels process and respond to generate a unified icebreaking command. It's important to note that during coordinated icebreaking, the smaller vessels do not perform ice detection or icebreaking path planning. The mother ship's sonar module 2 detects ice information, and the mother ship's control system 5 calculates information including the icebreaking path, icebreaking depth, icebreaking attitude, and icebreaking speed. This information, along with the position information of each smaller vessel, is sent to each smaller vessel as a coordinated icebreaking operation command. The smaller vessels' communication modules receive, process, and respond to this information, and each UV executes the unified icebreaking command to complete the coordinated operation. Figure 4 As shown in this embodiment, five underwater vehicles are arranged side by side with a spacing of approximately 2 m and a speed range of 6 m / s.

[0046] 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, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A killer whale-inspired underwater unmanned submersible for icebreaking, characterized in that, include: The hull is designed in the shape of a wedge, mimicking the shape of an orca, and has an internal cavity. Both the power system and the control system are housed within cavities in the hull. The power system provides energy to the submersible, while the control system controls its operation. The sonar module is located on the upper surface of the ship's hull. The sonar module is used to detect information about floating ice and feed the information back to the control system. The communication module is located on the upper surface of the hull. The communication module is electrically connected to the control system. The communication module is used to establish communication connections with external control terminals and to establish communication connections with other submarines to enable coordinated operation of the submarine group. The thruster assembly, which is electrically connected to the power system, is used to convert the energy provided by the power system into thrust that propels the submarine forward. And the rudder, which is installed on the outside of the ship. The rudder is electrically connected to the control system. The rudder is used to adjust the attitude of the submarine and to generate concave waves when the submarine is traveling underwater.

2. The killer whale-inspired underwater unmanned submersible for icebreaking according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rudder includes a left rudder, a right rudder, and a tail rudder. The left and right rudders are mounted on the left and right sides of the hull and can be tilted up and down, respectively. The left and right rudders provide the necessary torque for the submersible to turn, surface, and sink. The tail rudder is mounted on the stern of the hull and can be tilted up and down. The tail rudder is used for the submersible's attitude balance and generates waves during the submersible's movement. The left, right, and tail rudders are electrically connected to the power system and are powered by the power system. The left, right, and tail rudders are also electrically connected to the control system and are controlled by the control system.

3. The killer whale-inspired underwater unmanned submersible for icebreaking according to claim 2, characterized in that, The tail rudder has an isosceles triangle cross section along the heading, with the base of the isosceles triangle hinged to the stern of the ship. The pitch angle of the tail rudder when it swings up and down is ±30°.

4. The killer whale-inspired underwater unmanned submersible for icebreaking according to claim 1, characterized in that, The propulsion assembly includes a left propulsion unit and a right propulsion unit, which are symmetrically mounted on the rear side of the bottom of the hull. Both propulsion units are electrically connected to the power system.

5. The killer whale-inspired underwater unmanned submersible for icebreaking according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper wall of the hull is an inclined surface with an inclination angle of 15° relative to the horizontal plane at the center of the hull; the bottom wall of the hull has a drag-reducing streamlined surface structure.

6. A fleet of killer-inspired underwater unmanned vehicles for icebreaking, comprising multiple killer-inspired underwater unmanned vehicles for icebreaking as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Each underwater vehicle communicates with the others through its own communication module. One underwater vehicle acts as the mother ship, and the others act as the daughter ships. The mother ship sends collaborative operation instructions to the daughter ships through its communication module.

7. A method for icebreaking using an orca-inspired underwater unmanned vehicle, wherein the method employs the orca-inspired underwater unmanned vehicle as described in any one of claims 1-5 for icebreaking, characterized in that... The methods include: The external control unit sends an icebreaking command to the underwater vehicles, activating each underwater vehicle to enter the working state; The submersible's control system activates the sonar module, which detects information about floating ice and feeds it back to the control system for processing. The control system collects and processes data to obtain analysis results, which include the optimal ice-breaking path, the ice-breaking depth of the ice-breaking area, the ice-breaking attitude, and the ice-breaking speed. Based on the analysis results, the control system sends commands to the propulsion system, which then outputs the power required for icebreaking to the propeller assembly. The control system adjusts the left and right rudders to the initial lift angle to provide the ship with oblique lift. The control system controls the tail rudder to tilt down at the set angle. The control system controls the underwater vehicle to lock the icebreaking depth, and the underwater vehicle enters the icebreaking attitude. Icebreaking in icebreaking attitude: The control system controls the submersible to move towards the ice floe at a constant speed according to the calculated icebreaking speed and icebreaking path. During the movement of the submersible, a concave wave is generated above the tail rudder and moves with the submersible, continuously acting on the bottom of the ice floe. When the concave wave reaches the leading edge of the ice floe, the leading edge of the ice floe breaks brittlely under the combined action of its own weight and the concave wave. After the leading edge of the ice floe breaks brittlely, the control system maintains the current state of the submersible and continues to move, achieving continuous icebreaking. During the icebreaking process, the sonar module continuously monitors the floating ice. When the ice thickness is detected to exceed the current impact range of the dented wave icebreaking, the control system adjusts the underwater vehicle's icebreaking depth, icebreaking speed, and tail rudder tilt angle.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, When multiple underwater vehicles form a group to break ice, each underwater vehicle includes a mother ship and the rest of the submersibles. The mother ship controls the submersibles to work together. The mother ship sends coordinated icebreaking operation commands to each submersible through a communication module. The underwater vehicles are arranged in a line with equal spacing to break ice.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The coordinated icebreaking operation commands include the optimal icebreaking path, icebreaking depth, icebreaking attitude, icebreaking speed, and the position of each sub-ship formation calculated by the mothership control system based on the floating ice information detected by the sonar module.

10. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The ice-breaking depth is calculated based on the thickness of the floating ice detected by the sonar module and the non-contact ice-breaking distance. The non-contact ice-breaking distance is the distance between the top of the submersible and the bottom of the floating ice during ice breaking, which is 1-2 meters.

Images