Airship recovery system and method of airship recovery

Abstract

The application relates to the field of aircraft technology and discloses a flying boat recovery system and a flying boat recovery method. The flying boat recovery system comprises a flying boat and a recovery platform. The flying boat comprises a capsule and a tail wing. The head of the capsule is provided with a first control valve for controlling the air charging and discharging of the capsule to adjust the buoyancy of the capsule. The bottom of the tail wing is provided with a second control valve in fluid communication with seawater, which is used for controlling the inflow and outflow of seawater into the tail wing. The flying boat is provided with releasable mooring cables. The recovery platform is provided with a winch. The flying boat is detachably connected with the winch through the mooring cables. In the recovery state, the flying boat is floated on the sea surface in a vertical posture with the head upward and the tail wing downward by discharging air through the first control valve and introducing seawater through the second control valve. The winch pulls the flying boat to the recovery platform through the mooring cables. The flying boat is vertically and stably floated by discharging air from the capsule and injecting water into the tail wing, so that the electronic equipment is prevented from being flooded. The capsule is prevented from colliding with the platform by being pulled by the winch, and the flying boat is recovered on the sea without damage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aircraft technology, and in particular to an airship recovery system and airship recovery method. Background Technology

[0002] This section provides only background information relevant to this disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.

[0003] Soft or semi-rigid single-bag airships face significant challenges in sea recovery due to their lack of a rigid hull. Traditional recovery methods often involve using ship-mounted mooring towers or deck-mounted capture nets to forcibly pull the airship. However, due to the complex marine environment, crosswinds and waves can easily cause the airship to roll and yaw violently, and the bladder can be torn apart by the impact of wind and waves upon contact with the ship.

[0004] To address this, a recovery strategy has been developed in recent years involving vertically landing airships on the sea surface, utilizing hydrodynamic damping to suppress hull swaying. However, airships typically carry valuable electronic equipment. If the airship dives unrestrained during vertical landing or encounters sudden swells, the equipment compartment located beneath the hull is prone to water ingress, rendering the equipment unusable. Furthermore, rigid contact between the soft airship and the rigid hull can easily damage the airship, leading to recovery failure. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to at least solve the problems of easy damage to the airship's casing and easy water ingress into its electronic equipment during sea recovery. This purpose is achieved through the following technical solution: A first aspect of the present invention provides an airship recovery system, comprising: An airship includes a capsule and a tail fin. The head of the capsule is provided with a first control valve, which is used to control the inflation and deflation of the capsule to adjust the buoyancy of the capsule. The bottom of the tail fin is provided with a second control valve that is in fluid communication with seawater, which is used to control the entry and exit of seawater into and out of the tail fin. The airship is provided with a releasable mooring cable. The recovery platform is equipped with a winch, and the airship is detachably connected to the winch via the mooring cable. In the recovery state, the airship exhausts air through the first control valve and introduces seawater through the second control valve, so that the airship floats on the sea surface with its nose facing up and its tail facing down in a vertical posture. The winch pulls the airship to the recovery platform via the mooring cable.

[0006] The airship recovery system of this invention controls the degassing of the airbag via a first control valve, allowing the airship to land vertically on the sea surface. A second control valve introduces seawater into the tail fin to create bottom ballast, ensuring the airship maintains a stable, vertical posture with its nose facing upwards and tail fin downwards during recovery, similar to a "roly-poly" structure. This effectively resists crosswinds and wave disturbances, preventing the airship from rolling or yawing during recovery. Simultaneously, because the airship's nose is upwards, the pods and electronic equipment located below the hull remain above the sea surface, preventing them from being submerged even in swells, effectively ensuring the safety of the onboard equipment during recovery. Furthermore, throughout the recovery process, the airship is pulled to the recovery platform by a winch via a mooring cable, avoiding direct rigid collisions with the platform and effectively protecting the soft airbag from damage. Thus, without adding complex internal structures, the system achieves damage-free recovery of a single-airbag airship at sea.

[0007] In addition, the airship recovery system according to the present invention may also have the following additional technical features: In some embodiments of the present invention, the recovery platform includes a semi-submersible vessel, which is also equipped with a ballast adjustment mechanism. In the recovery state, the semi-submersible vessel submerges to the working depth through the ballast adjustment mechanism and pulls the airship to the semi-submersible vessel via the winch and the mooring cable.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the recovery platform includes a recovery vessel, and the recovery vessel is provided with a protective air column on its hull side. When the winch pulls the airship to the recovery vessel via the mooring cable, the protective air column is used to prevent the airship from colliding with the recovery vessel.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the airship recovery system further includes a control unit, the first control valve including a fine-tuning control valve disposed at the head of the bladder, the control unit being signal-connected to the fine-tuning control valve, and the fine-tuning control valve being used to fine-tune according to the instructions of the control unit to control the exhaust volume and exhaust rate of the bladder.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the second control valve includes a water intake valve and a water discharge valve disposed at the bottom of the tail fin. The water intake valve and the water discharge valve are respectively connected to seawater and the internal cavity of the tail fin. The water intake valve and the water discharge valve are respectively connected to the control unit via signal. The water intake valve is used to control seawater to enter the tail fin according to the instructions of the control unit, and the water discharge valve is used to control seawater to exit the tail fin according to the instructions of the control unit.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the airship recovery system further includes a rope release device disposed at the bow of the airship. The rope release device is signal-connected to the control unit and is used to release the mooring cable according to the instructions of the control unit.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the rope release device includes a bracket, a spool, a counterweight, and an electronic cutter. The spool is rotatably mounted on the bracket, the mooring cable is wound around the spool, the counterweight is connected to the mooring cable, and the electronic cutter is mounted on the bracket for cutting the mooring cable. The counterweight is used to lower the mooring cable by its own weight after the mooring cable is cut.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, the winch includes a compensation actuator and a cable winding and unwinding mechanism. The compensation actuator is signal-connected to the control unit and drively connected to the cable winding and unwinding mechanism. The cable winding and unwinding mechanism is connected to the mooring cable. The compensation actuator is used to drive the cable winding and unwinding mechanism to operate according to the instructions of the control unit, so as to adjust the winding and unwinding length of the mooring cable.

[0014] Another aspect of the present invention provides an airship recovery method, implemented using an airship recovery system as described in any of the preceding claims, the airship recovery method comprising the following steps: The airship is controlled to open the first control valve to release some helium, causing the airship to descend vertically to the sea surface; After the tail fin of the airship touches the sea surface, the second control valve is opened to introduce seawater into the tail fin to form ballast, so that the airship floats on the sea surface with its nose facing up and its tail fin facing down, and the tethering cable is released by the airship. The airship is pulled to the recovery platform by the winch via the mooring cable, thus completing the airship recovery.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, prior to the step of towing the airship to the recovery platform via the winch and the mooring cable, the method further includes: When the recovery platform is a semi-submersible vessel, the semi-submersible vessel is controlled to submerge to the working depth through the ballast adjustment mechanism, and then the mooring cable is fixed to the winch. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the airship in flight state is shown in the airship recovery system according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating the landing state of an airship in an airship recovery system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the semi-submersible vessel's submerged operation state of the airship recovery system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a semi-submersible vessel completing airship fixation and surfacing according to an embodiment of the airship recovery system of the present invention is shown. Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the airship pod changing state of the airship recovery system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a recovery vessel recovering an airship according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the rope release device of an airship recovery system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0017] The attached figures are labeled as follows: 1. Airship; 10. Airbag; 100. First control valve; 11. Pod; 12. Tail fin; 120. Second control valve; 2. Semi-submersible vessel; 3. Recovery vessel; 30. Protective air column; 4. Winch; 5. Secure the cable; 6. Sea surface; 7. Rope release device; 70. Support frame; 71. Bollard; 72. Counterweight; 73. Electronic cutter; 74. Lifting ring. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0019] It should be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “described” as used herein may also include the plural forms. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” and “having” are inclusive and therefore indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not construed as requiring them to be performed in a particular order described or illustrated unless the order of performance is explicitly indicated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0020] Although terms such as first, second, third, etc., may be used in this document to describe multiple elements, components, regions, layers, and / or segments, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or segments should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be used only to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or segment from another. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms used herein do not imply order or sequence. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer, or segment discussed below may be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer, or segment without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments.

[0021] For ease of description, spatial relative terms may be used in the text to describe the relationship of one element or feature relative to another element or feature, as shown in the figure. These relative terms include, for example, "inside," "outside," "middle," "outer," "below," "below," "above," "over," etc. Such spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation, other than those depicted in the figure. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, an element described as "below other elements or features" or "below other elements or features" would subsequently be oriented "above other elements or features" or "above other elements or features." Therefore, the example term "below" can include both upper and lower orientations.

[0022] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, an airship recovery system is proposed, including an airship 1 and a recovery platform.

[0023] Airship 1 is a single-capsule structure, mainly consisting of a capsule 10, a pod 11, and a tail fin 12. A first control valve 100 is located at the head of the capsule 10, used to fill the capsule 10 with helium to provide buoyancy and to control the discharge of some helium from the capsule 10 to reduce buoyancy. A second control valve 120, which is fluidly connected to seawater, is located at the bottom of the tail fin 12. This valve is controlled to open after airship 1 lands on the sea surface 6, allowing seawater to enter the tail fin 12 and form bottom ballast. Airship 1 is also equipped with a releasable mooring cable 5 for connection to a recovery platform. The recovery platform is equipped with a winch 4. After the mooring cable 5 is released, it is detachably connected to the winch of the winch 4. The winch 4 applies traction to airship 1 by winding up the mooring cable 5.

[0024] During recovery, the first control valve 100 opens to exhaust air, causing the airship 1 to descend to the sea surface 6. After the tail fin 12 contacts the seawater, the second control valve 120 opens to introduce seawater. The helium gas retained at the head of the capsule 10 provides buoyancy, and the seawater injected into the tail fin 12 forms bottom ballast, thus keeping the airship 1 in a stable vertical attitude with its nose facing upwards and its tail fin 12 facing downwards, floating stably on the sea surface 6. In this attitude, the pod 11 remains above the sea surface 6, preventing water ingress into electronic equipment. After the airship 1 stabilizes, the mooring cable 5 is released, and the winch 4 pulls the airship 1 to the recovery platform via the mooring cable 5, completing the recovery.

[0025] This invention relates to a single-airbag airship 1. The airship 10 does not require complex auxiliary airbags or other internal compartment structures; attitude transitions and stable buoyancy are achieved solely through the coordination of exhaust from the head and water intake from the tail, reducing the dead weight of the airship 1 and improving its load-bearing capacity. The recovery platform can be a semi-submersible vessel 2 or a conventional flat-top recovery vessel 3, depending on the actual operating conditions. The first control valve 100 and the second control valve 120 can be conventional control valves in the art, such as solenoid valves, electric valves, or pneumatic valves. The mooring cable 5 can be a high-strength synthetic fiber rope or steel wire rope.

[0026] The airship recovery system of this invention controls the exhaust of the capsule 10 via the first control valve 100, allowing the airship 1 to land vertically on the sea surface 6. The second control valve 120 introduces seawater into the tail fin 12 to form bottom ballast, ensuring the airship 1 maintains a stable, vertical posture with its nose facing upwards and tail fin 12 facing downwards during recovery, similar to a "roly-poly" structure. This effectively resists crosswinds and wave disturbances on the sea surface 6, preventing the airship 1 from rolling or yawing during recovery. Simultaneously, because the airship 1's nose is upwards, the pod 11 and electronic equipment located below the hull remain above the sea surface 6, preventing them from being submerged even in swells, effectively ensuring the safety of the onboard equipment during recovery. Furthermore, throughout the recovery process, the airship 1 is pulled to the recovery platform by a winch 4 via a mooring cable 5, avoiding direct rigid collisions with the recovery platform and effectively protecting the soft capsule 10 from damage. Thus, without increasing the complexity of the internal structure, the system achieves damage-free recovery of the single-capsule airship 1 at sea.

[0027] In some embodiments of the present invention, the recovery platform includes a semi-submersible vessel 2, which is further equipped with a ballast adjustment mechanism. This mechanism controls the surfacing and submerging of the semi-submersible vessel 2 and mainly includes ballast water tanks and corresponding injection and drainage pipelines, valves, and pump sets. The ballast water tanks are located inside the hull of the semi-submersible vessel 2. The displacement and draft of the semi-submersible vessel 2 are changed by injecting or discharging seawater into the ballast water tanks. When seawater is injected into the ballast water tanks, the total weight of the semi-submersible vessel 2 increases, and the hull submerges; when seawater is pumped out of the ballast water tanks, the total weight of the semi-submersible vessel 2 decreases, and the hull rises.

[0028] The winch 4 is mounted on the deck of the semi-submersible vessel 2, and the mooring cable 5 released by the airship 1 is connected and fixed to the winch of the winch 4. During recovery, the airship 1 has vented air through the first control valve 100 and introduced seawater through the second control valve 120, maintaining a stable vertical attitude with its nose facing upwards and its tail fin 12 pointing downwards, floating stably on the sea surface 6. At this time, the semi-submersible vessel 2 injects seawater into the ballast tanks through the ballast adjustment mechanism, causing the deck to submerge to the working depth, typically a certain depth underwater, thereby preventing collisions between the soft hull 10 of the airship 1 and the hard deck of the semi-submersible vessel 2. After the semi-submersible vessel 2 submerges to the working depth, it secures the mooring cable 5 released by the airship 1 to the winch of the winch 4. The winch 4 starts to wind up the mooring cable 5, and the airship 1 is pulled above the semi-submersible vessel 2 through the mooring cable 5. Then, the semi-submersible vessel 2 discharges the seawater in the ballast tank through the ballast adjustment mechanism, the hull rises, and the deck carries the airship 1 to the surface of the sea 6, completing the recovery and fixation of the airship 1.

[0029] In some embodiments of the present invention, the recovery platform includes a recovery vessel 3, and a protective air column 30 is provided on the hull side of the recovery vessel 3. The protective air column 30 is fixed to the hull side by ropes. The protective air column 30 is made of plastic film material and forms a flexible cushioning structure after being filled with air. When the winch 4 pulls the airship 1 closer to the recovery vessel 3 via the mooring cable 5, the protective air column 30 is located between the airship body 10 and the hull side of the recovery vessel 3. Even if the airship 1 swings under the action of waves, the airship body 10 first contacts the flexible protective air column 30 rather than the rigid hull, thereby avoiding the airship body 10 being scratched or crushed by the hull side.

[0030] After airship 1 lands on sea surface 6, the mooring cable 5 is released and the second control valve 120 at the bottom of the tail fin 12 is opened to inject seawater into the tail fin 12 to form ballast, keeping airship 1 stable in a vertical attitude with its nose facing upwards and tail fin 12 facing downwards. Subsequently, the recovery ship 3 maneuvers to the vicinity of the airship 1 landing point and secures the mooring cable 5 to the winch 4 on the recovery ship 3. After the winch 4 is started, airship 1 is towed towards the recovery ship 3 via the mooring cable 5. During the towing process, as airship 1 gradually approaches the side of the recovery ship 3, the protective air column 30 acts as an isolation and buffer between the airbag 10 and the ship's side, preventing the airbag 10 from directly contacting the hull. Once airship 1 is towed to the side of recovery ship 3, it can be further adjusted to a suitable position on the side of the ship by winch 4. Then, the drain valve of tail 12 is opened to drain the seawater inside tail 12, while helium is added to the capsule 10 to lift airship 1. Finally, airship 1 is transferred to recovery ship 3 to complete the recovery.

[0031] In some embodiments of the present invention, the airship recovery system further includes a control unit for centralized control of the airship 1 recovery process. The control unit may be located at a ground station, a recovery platform, or on the airship 1 itself, and is signal-connected to the first control valve 100, capable of sending control commands to the first control valve 100 based on the real-time attitude information and landing status of the airship 1.

[0032] The first control valve 100 specifically includes a fine-tuning control valve located at the head of the capsule 10. This fine-tuning control valve can perform high-frequency fine-tuning according to the instructions of the control unit, that is, adjust the valve opening multiple times within a short cycle, thereby precisely controlling the exhaust volume and exhaust rate of the capsule 10. During the descent of the airship 1, the control unit dynamically calculates the required exhaust volume and exhaust rate based on real-time data such as the altitude, descent speed, and internal pressure of the capsule 10, and sends corresponding opening instructions to the fine-tuning control valve. After receiving the instructions, the fine-tuning control valve adjusts the valve opening in real time, so that the helium in the capsule 10 is discharged at a set rate, thereby precisely controlling the descent speed and attitude changes of the airship 1. Through the cooperation of the control unit and the fine-tuning control valve, the airship 1 can descend to the sea surface 6 at a stable speed, avoiding a rapid fall due to excessively fast exhaust or an inability to land due to excessively slow exhaust. At the same time, the high-frequency fine-tuning capability allows the airship 1 to maintain a stable descent trajectory by adjusting the exhaust volume in real time under the influence of sudden winds or other external disturbances on the sea surface, improving the safety and controllability of the recovery process.

[0033] In some embodiments of the present invention, the second control valve 120 includes a water intake valve and a water discharge valve disposed at the bottom of the tail fin 12. One end of the water intake valve is connected to seawater, and the other end is connected to the internal cavity of the tail fin 12, for controlling the entry of seawater into the tail fin 12. One end of the water discharge valve is connected to the internal cavity of the tail fin 12, and the other end is connected to seawater, for controlling the discharge of seawater from the tail fin 12. The water intake valve and the water discharge valve are respectively signal-connected to the control unit.

[0034] After airship 1 lands on sea surface 6 and tail fin 12 contacts the seawater, the control unit sends a command to open the water intake valve, allowing seawater to enter the internal cavity of tail fin 12. As seawater continues to be injected, the weight of tail fin 12 gradually increases. Under the combined effect of the buoyancy generated by the remaining helium gas at the head of capsule 10, airship 1 gradually changes from a horizontal attitude to a vertical attitude with its nose facing upward and tail fin 12 facing downward. When the amount of seawater injected into tail fin 12 reaches a preset value, the control unit sends a command to close the water intake valve. At this point, airship 1 maintains a vertical attitude and floats stably on sea surface 6, with the seawater inside tail fin 12 acting as bottom ballast for stability.

[0035] After airship 1 is recovered, the control unit sends a command to open the drain valve. Seawater in the internal cavity of tail fin 12 is discharged through the drain valve under gravity or external pressure, reducing the weight of tail fin 12 and facilitating subsequent operations such as lifting, maintenance, replacement of pod 11, or re-inflating and launching airship 1. By controlling the water intake valve and drain valve separately through the control unit, the ballast of tail fin 12 can be established and released as needed, with flexible operation and rapid response.

[0036] In some embodiments of the present invention, the airship recovery system further includes rope release devices 7, four of which are located at the bow of the airship 1. These devices release the tethering cable 5 after the airship 1 has achieved vertical stability on the sea surface 6, allowing the recovery platform to establish a traction connection with the airship 1 via the tethering cable 5. The rope release devices 7 are signal-connected to the control unit and are used to execute release actions according to the control unit's instructions. During normal flight of the airship 1, the tethering cable 5 is stored in the rope release devices 7 and will not accidentally fall off. When the airship 1 lands on the sea surface 6 and maintains a vertical stability, the control unit sends a release command to the rope release devices 7, which releases the restraint on the tethering cable 5. One end of the tethering cable 5 detaches from the airship 1 and falls, allowing personnel on the recovery platform to secure it to the winch of the hoist 4.

[0037] By remotely controlling the release timing of the tether cable 5 through the control unit, the airship 1 can avoid prematurely releasing the tether cable 5 during flight or landing, which could lead to entanglement or snagging of the capsule 10, thus ensuring the safety and orderliness of the recovery process. The specific structure of the rope release device 7 can take the form of an electric unhooking mechanism, an electronic cutting mechanism, or a fusible release mechanism, depending on actual needs, as long as it can reliably release the tether cable 5 after receiving the control command.

[0038] like Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the rope release device 7 includes a bracket 70, a spool 71, a counterweight 72, and an electronic cutter 73. A lifting ring 74 is provided on the bracket 70, which serves as the supporting foundation for the entire device and is fixedly mounted to the head of the airship 1 or other suitable location via the lifting ring 74. The spool 71 is rotatably mounted on the bracket 70 and can rotate freely around its own axis. The tethered cable 5 is wound around the spool 71, and when the tethered cable 5 is released, the spool 71 rotates accordingly to release the cable. The counterweight 72 is connected to the release end of the tethered cable 5 and is used to lower the release end of the tethered cable 5 by its own weight after it is cut. The electronic cutter 73 is mounted on the bracket 70, located between the spool 71 and the counterweight 72, and is used to cut the tethered cable 5.

[0039] During normal flight of the airship 1, the tether cable 5 is wound around the spool 71, and the counterweight 72 is restrained or fixed to the airship 1, with the tether cable 5 in a retracted state. Once the airship 1 lands on the sea surface 6 and maintains a stable vertical attitude, the control unit sends a release command to the electronic cutter 73. The electronic cutter 73 activates and cuts the tether cable 5. After the tether cable 5 is cut, the counterweight 72 loses its restraint and, relying on its own gravity, causes the release end of the tether cable 5 to fall from the airship 1 to the sea surface 6. Simultaneously, the spool 71 rotates under the traction of the tether cable 5, releasing the cable until the entire tether cable 5 is completely released. Personnel on the recovery platform can then retrieve the release end of the tether cable 5 from the sea surface 6 and secure it to the winch of the winch 4, completing the traction connection between the airship 1 and the recovery platform. This structure is simple, reliable, and requires no complex mechanical unhooking mechanism, making it particularly suitable for offshore operations and effectively preventing release failures caused by rusted or jammed mechanical parts.

[0040] In some embodiments of the present invention, the winch 4 includes a compensation actuator and a cable winding / unwinding mechanism. The cable winding / unwinding mechanism is used to directly wind and unwind the mooring cable 5, and mainly includes a winch and a drive motor. The winch is used to wind the mooring cable 5, and the drive motor is used to drive the winch to rotate, thereby realizing the winding and unwinding of the cable. The compensation actuator is used to drive the cable winding / unwinding mechanism according to the instructions of the control unit to adjust the winding / unwinding length of the mooring cable 5 and compensate for the tension fluctuations caused by the ship's rolling motion due to waves.

[0041] The transmission connection between the compensation actuator and the cable winding / unwinding mechanism can be a mechanical or hydraulic transmission connection. The compensation actuator drives the winch of the cable winding / unwinding mechanism to rotate according to the instructions of the control unit, thereby winding or unwinding a certain length of tethered cable 5. For example, the compensation actuator can use a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder as the actuator. The piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder is connected to the drive motor or winch of the cable winding / unwinding mechanism, and the extension and retraction of the piston rod is converted into the rotational motion of the winch. Alternatively, a servo motor can be used as the actuator, driving the winch to rotate by controlling the speed and direction of the servo motor. Another option is to use a hydraulic motor in conjunction with an accumulator, utilizing the pressure energy stored in the accumulator to dynamically compensate the hydraulic motor, thereby achieving automatic adjustment of the tension of the tethered cable 5.

[0042] During recovery, as the hull rises with the waves, the compensation actuator drives the cable reeling mechanism to release part of the mooring line 5, preventing the mooring line 5 from suddenly tightening due to the hull's rise and causing the airship 1 to be pulled. Conversely, as the hull descends with the waves, the compensation actuator drives the cable reeling mechanism to wind up part of the mooring line 5, preventing the mooring line 5 from becoming too slack due to the hull's descent and causing the airship 1 to lose traction control. Through the coordination of the compensation actuator and the cable reeling mechanism, the mooring line 5 maintains an appropriate tension throughout the recovery process, preventing damage to the airship 1's envelope 10 due to excessive tension, and preventing a collision between the airship 1 and the hull due to excessive slack. The above implementation methods can be selected based on the actual operating environment and cost requirements.

[0043] The second aspect of the present invention proposes an airship recovery method, which is implemented using the airship recovery system described above. The airship recovery method includes the following steps: controlling the airship 1 to open the first control valve 100 to discharge part of the helium gas, so that the airship 1 descends vertically to the sea surface 6; after the tail fin 12 of the airship 1 contacts the sea surface 6, opening the second control valve 120 to introduce seawater into the tail fin 12 to form ballast, so that the airship 1 floats on the sea surface 6 with its nose facing up and its tail fin 12 facing down, and the airship 1 releases the mooring cable 5; the airship 1 is pulled to the recovery platform by the winch 4 via the mooring cable 5, thus completing the recovery of the airship 1.

[0044] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, airship 1 is in normal flight, with its capsule 10 filled with helium. Airship 1 maintains a horizontal attitude in the air, with the pod 11 attached below the capsule 10 and the tail fin 12 located at the tail of the capsule 10 to provide aerodynamic stability. When airship 1 needs to be recovered, ground control personnel send a landing command to airship 1 via the control unit. Upon receiving the command, airship 1 opens the first control valve 100 located at the head of the capsule 10. Under the control of the control unit, the first control valve 100 performs high-frequency fine-tuning, dynamically controlling the exhaust volume and rate of the capsule 10 based on real-time data such as the airship 1's current altitude, descent speed, and internal pressure of the capsule 10, ensuring the helium inside the capsule 10 is smoothly discharged at a set rate. As the helium is discharged, the buoyancy of airship 1 gradually decreases, and airship 1 begins to descend from a horizontal attitude, gradually approaching the sea surface 6. During this process, the ground station predicts the landing point of airship 1 in real-time based on the positioning information transmitted by airship 1 and the current weather conditions. The recovery platform maneuvers to the landing area of ​​airship 1 in advance based on the predicted landing point.

[0045] like Figure 2As shown, after airship 1 descends to the sea surface 6, the tail fin 12 first contacts the seawater. The seawater exerts hydrodynamic damping on the tail fin 12, initially suppressing the airship 1's swaying. At this time, the water intake valve located at the bottom of the tail fin 12 is opened, and seawater enters the internal cavity of the tail fin 12 through the water intake valve, introducing seawater into the tail fin 12 to form bottom ballast. As seawater is continuously injected, the weight of the tail fin 12 gradually increases, and the helium gas retained at the head of the capsule 10 continues to provide buoyancy. Under the combined action of the tail gravity and the head buoyancy, airship 1 gradually changes from a horizontal attitude to a vertical attitude with its head facing upward and tail fin 12 facing downward, and maintains this vertical attitude to float stably on the sea surface 6. In this vertical attitude, the remaining helium gas at the head of the capsule 10 accumulates at the top of the capsule 10 to generate upward buoyancy, and the seawater inside the tail fin 12 forms bottom ballast. The entire airship 1 forms a stable "roly-poly" configuration with a heavy bottom and a light top, which can effectively resist the disturbance of crosswinds and waves at the sea surface 6. Meanwhile, the pod 11 is located at the bottom of the airship 1 but remains above the sea surface 6 in a vertical orientation, preventing the onboard electronic equipment from contacting the seawater. After the airship 1 stabilizes, the control unit sends a release command to the rope release device 7, which releases the restraint on the mooring cable 5. The release end of the mooring cable 5 detaches from the airship 1 and falls to the sea surface 6 for retrieval by the recovery platform.

[0046] Based on the real-time positioning information and weather conditions of airship 1, the recovery platform maneuvers in advance to the predicted landing point of airship 1. The recovery platform can be implemented using either a semi-submersible vessel 2 or a conventional flat-top recovery vessel 3.

[0047] When the recovery platform uses a semi-submersible vessel 2, such as Figure 3 As shown, after the semi-submersible vessel 2 maneuvers to the vicinity of the airship 1's landing point, it injects seawater into the ballast tanks through the ballast adjustment mechanism, causing the deck of the semi-submersible vessel 2 to submerge to its working depth, typically a certain depth underwater, to prevent the airship 1's soft bladder 10 from colliding with the hard deck. After the semi-submersible vessel 2 submerges to its working depth, personnel or an automatic salvage device retrieve the release end of the mooring cable 5 from the sea surface 6 and secure it to the winch of the winch 4 on the semi-submersible vessel 2. After the winch 4 starts, in wave compensation mode, it pulls the airship 1 via the mooring cable 5. The compensation actuator adjusts the length of the mooring cable 5 in real time according to the control unit's instructions to compensate for the tension fluctuations caused by the ship's rolling due to waves, preventing the mooring cable 5 from tearing the airship 1's airbag due to a sudden increase in tension. The airship 1 gradually approaches the semi-submersible vessel 2 under its traction. After airship 1 is towed above semi-submersible vessel 2, semi-submersible vessel 2 discharges seawater from its ballast tanks through its ballast adjustment mechanism, causing the hull to rise and the deck carrying airship 1 to surface, thus completing the recovery and securing of airship 1. Figure 4As shown. Then, the drain valve at the bottom of the tail fin 12 is opened to drain the seawater from the tail fin 12, reducing its weight. The operators then inspect and repair the airship 1, replacing the pod 11, tail fin 12, and other onboard equipment according to the mission requirements. After the inspection and replacements are completed, helium is added to the capsule 10, allowing the airship 1 to take off again and achieve reuse. Figure 5 As shown.

[0048] When the recycling platform uses a standard flat-top recycling vessel, such as Figure 6 As shown, a protective air column 30 is pre-fixed to the hull side of the recovery vessel 3 via ropes. After the airship 1 lands on the sea surface 6 and maintains a stable vertical posture, the mooring cable 5 is released. The recovery vessel 3 maneuvers to the vicinity of the airship 1's landing point, retrieves the release end of the mooring cable 5 on the sea surface 6, and fixes it to the winch of the winch 4 on the recovery vessel 3. After the winch 4 is started, the airship 1 is pulled closer to the recovery vessel 3 via the mooring cable 5. During the pulling process, as the airship 1 gradually approaches the recovery vessel 3, the protective air column 30 is located between the bladder 10 and the hull side of the recovery vessel 3. Even if the airship 1 swings under the action of waves, the bladder 10 first contacts the flexible protective air column 30 rather than the rigid hull, thus avoiding the bladder 10 being scratched or crushed by the hull side. Winch 4 continues to pull airship 1 to the side of recovery ship 3. First, it secures two cables to pull the bow of the airship above the ship. Then, it connects the remaining two towing cables to the winch of winch 4. Next, it opens the drain valve of tail fin 12 to discharge the seawater inside tail fin 12, simultaneously releasing the helium gas from the gasbag, and adjusting the gasbag status to... Figure 5 As shown in the image, recovery is complete. Subsequently, the crew inspects and repairs airship 1, replacing the pod 11, tail fin 12, and other onboard equipment as needed for the mission. After inspection and replacement, helium is added to the capsule 10, allowing airship 1 to take off again and be reused.

[0049] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An airship recovery system, characterized in that, include: An airship includes a capsule and a tail fin. The head of the capsule is provided with a first control valve, which is used to control the inflation and deflation of the capsule to adjust the buoyancy of the capsule. The bottom of the tail fin is provided with a second control valve that is in fluid communication with seawater, which is used to control the entry and exit of seawater into and out of the tail fin. The airship is provided with a releasable mooring cable. The recovery platform is equipped with a winch, and the airship is detachably connected to the winch via the mooring cable. In the recovery state, the airship exhausts air through the first control valve and introduces seawater through the second control valve, so that the airship floats on the sea surface with its nose facing up and its tail facing down in a vertical posture. The winch pulls the airship to the recovery platform via the mooring cable.

2. The airship recovery system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The recovery platform includes a semi-submersible vessel, which is also equipped with a ballast adjustment mechanism. In the recovery state, the semi-submersible vessel submerges to the working depth through the ballast adjustment mechanism and pulls the airship to the semi-submersible vessel via the winch and the mooring cable.

3. The airship recovery system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The recovery platform includes a recovery vessel, and the recovery vessel is equipped with a protective air column on its hull side. When the winch pulls the airship to the recovery vessel via the mooring cable, the protective air column is used to prevent the airship from colliding with the recovery vessel.

4. The airship recovery system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The airship recovery system also includes a control unit. The first control valve includes a fine-tuning control valve disposed at the head of the airship. The control unit is signal-connected to the fine-tuning control valve. The fine-tuning control valve is used to fine-tune according to the instructions of the control unit to control the exhaust volume and exhaust rate of the airship.

5. The airship recovery system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second control valve includes a water intake valve and a water discharge valve disposed at the bottom of the tail fin. The water intake valve and the water discharge valve are respectively connected to seawater and the internal cavity of the tail fin. The water intake valve and the water discharge valve are respectively connected to the control unit via signal. The water intake valve is used to control seawater to enter the tail fin according to the instructions of the control unit, and the water discharge valve is used to control seawater to exit the tail fin according to the instructions of the control unit.

6. The airship recovery system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The airship recovery system also includes a rope release device located at the bow of the airship. The rope release device is signal-connected to the control unit and is used to release the mooring cable according to the instructions of the control unit.

7. The airship recovery system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The rope release device includes a bracket, a spool, a counterweight, and an electronic cutter. The spool is rotatably mounted on the bracket, and the mooring cable is wound around the spool. The counterweight is connected to the mooring cable, and the electronic cutter is mounted on the bracket for cutting the mooring cable. The counterweight is used to lower the mooring cable by its own weight after it is cut.

8. The airship recovery system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The winch includes a compensation actuator and a cable winding / unwinding mechanism. The compensation actuator is signal-connected to the control unit and drive-connected to the cable winding / unwinding mechanism. The cable winding / unwinding mechanism is connected to the mooring cable. The compensation actuator is used to drive the cable winding / unwinding mechanism to operate according to the instructions of the control unit, so as to adjust the winding / unwinding length of the mooring cable.

9. A method for recovering an airship, implemented using an airship recovery system as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The airship recovery method includes the following steps: Control the airship to open the first control valve to release some helium, so that the airship can land vertically on the sea surface; After the tail fin of the airship touches the sea surface, the second control valve is opened to introduce seawater into the tail fin to form ballast, so that the airship floats on the sea surface with its nose facing up and its tail fin facing down, and the tethering cable is released by the airship. The airship is pulled to the recovery platform by the winch via the mooring cable, thus completing the airship recovery.

10. The airship recovery method according to claim 9, characterized in that, Before the step of towing the airship to the recovery platform via the winch and the mooring cable, the method further includes: When the recovery platform is a semi-submersible vessel, the semi-submersible vessel is controlled to submerge to the working depth through the ballast adjustment mechanism, and then the mooring cable is fixed to the winch.

Images