A submersible vehicle jettisonable ballast system with multiple redundancy offloading functions and method of operation

Abstract

The application relates to a submersible abandonable ballast system with multiple redundancy load-dumping functions and an operating method, which comprises a double-rod hydraulic cylinder, a seawater external pressure driving module, a high-pressure seawater pump driving module and a manual driving module, the three driving modules are connected to the same double-rod hydraulic cylinder, the piston action of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder drives a connecting rod to pull a hanging shaft to separate from a hanging position, and the abandonment of the ballast iron is realized. The application uses seawater external pressure as a conventional power source for load-dumping driving, and is free from the dependence on the power source carried by the submersible, and can work normally after the submersible loses the energy source; meanwhile, the application has three redundant load-dumping modes of seawater external pressure driving, high-pressure seawater pump driving and manual water pressure pump driving, is high in reliability, and can effectively guarantee the absolute safety of the submersible during the process of floating and diving.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of underwater docking and personnel transfer technology, and in particular to a submersible jettisonable ballast system and operating method with multiple redundancy jettisoning functions. Background Technology

[0002] Submersibles have become one of the most important tools for marine exploration and research. They can carry researchers and equipment to depths of thousands or even tens of thousands of meters to conduct on-site observation, analysis, evaluation, and operations. Because manned submersibles carry limited power, they often utilize jettisonable ballast systems to achieve unpowered descent and ascent, thus extending their underwater operational time.

[0003] To enable unpowered descent of the submersible, the jettisonable ballast system must be able to stably suspend sufficient ballast to increase the submersible's negative buoyancy before descent begins. When the submersible reaches a certain distance from the seabed, the jettison mechanism must be able to promptly jettison the "descent termination ballast," adjusting the submersible's buoyancy to neutral. Under the combined action of the thrusters and seawater resistance, the submersible stops its descent and safely reaches the target operating depth. When the submersible completes its tasks on the seabed and prepares to surface, the jettison mechanism must be able to further jettison the "surfacing ballast," providing sufficient positive buoyancy to ensure its normal ascent to the surface. Furthermore, the jettisonable ballast system must also accommodate emergency ascents. If the submersible encounters emergencies such as pressure hull leakage or accidental entanglement of equipment components on the seabed requiring an emergency ascent, the jettisonable ballast system must be able to promptly jettison the ballast to achieve an emergency ascent, thereby ensuring the safety of the submersible and personnel.

[0004] Currently, most jettisonable ballast systems for submersibles utilize onboard hydraulic or electrical power sources to control ballast jettisoning. Furthermore, their drive path redundancy is insufficient, potentially leading to a failure to jettison ballast in case of power loss during an emergency. Therefore, to ensure absolute safety during ascent and descent, the reliability of jettisonable ballast systems still has significant room for improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing production technologies, the applicant provides a jettisonable ballast system and operating method for submersibles with multiple redundancy jettisoning capabilities. This system utilizes the external pressure of seawater, which can reach tens of megapascals underwater, as a conventional power source to drive jettisoning, thus eliminating dependence on the submersible's traditional power source. Furthermore, by using the high-pressure seawater pump and manual water pressure pump equipment mounted on the submersible to implement redundant drive measures, the reliability of the jettisonable ballast system is significantly improved.

[0006] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows: A submersible jettisonable ballast system with multiple redundancy jettisoning capabilities includes: The double-rod hydraulic cylinder has a piston rod consisting of a thick piston rod and a thin piston rod, which are connected to a lifting shaft for suspending ballast iron via connecting rods. The high-pressure seawater pump drive module includes a high-pressure seawater pump and a first electromagnetic reversing valve. The drain port of the high-pressure seawater pump is connected to the two drive ports of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder via the first electromagnetic reversing valve. It is configured to use the high-pressure seawater output by the high-pressure seawater pump as a power source to drive the piston action of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder. The seawater external pressure drive module includes a seawater filter and a second electromagnetic reversing valve. The seawater filter is immersed in seawater and its outlet is connected to the two drive ports of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder via the second electromagnetic reversing valve. It is configured to use the external seawater pressure as a power source to drive the piston action of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder. The manual drive module includes a manual water pump and a manual directional valve. The outlet of the manual water pump is connected to the two drive ports of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder via the manual directional valve. It is configured to use the high-pressure water output by the manual water pump as a power source to drive the piston action of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder. The high-pressure seawater pump drive module, the seawater external pressure drive module, and the manual drive module are all connected to the same double-outlet hydraulic cylinder. The piston action of the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder drives the connecting rod to pull the lifting shaft away from the hanging position, thereby realizing the disposal of ballast iron.

[0007] As a further improvement to the above technical solution: The diameter of the thick piston rod in the double-rod hydraulic cylinder is larger than that of the thin piston rod. The hydraulic chamber on the side where the thick piston rod is located is chamber A, and the hydraulic chamber on the side where the thin piston rod is located is chamber B. When chambers A and B of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder are connected through a manual directional valve, the external seawater pressure acts on the area difference between the thick and thin piston rods to generate a driving force from the side of the thick piston rod to the side of the thin piston rod, thereby realizing automatic load shedding driven by external seawater pressure.

[0008] It also includes an overflow valve, which is installed on the return water pipeline between the manual directional valve and the water tank of the manual water pump. The opening pressure of the overflow valve is adjustable. By adjusting the opening pressure of the overflow valve, the back pressure of the B chamber of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder is controlled, thereby controlling the automatic ejection depth of the submerged ballast iron.

[0009] The structure of the lifting shaft is as follows: it includes a first lifting shaft and a second lifting shaft. The first lifting shaft is connected to the thin piston rod through a connecting rod and is used to suspend the floating ballast iron. The second lifting shaft is connected to the thick piston rod through a connecting rod and is used to suspend the ballast iron that terminates the submersion. When the piston of the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder moves to the left, it drives the second lifting shaft to be withdrawn to realize the ballast iron that terminates the submersion and is thrown out. When the piston moves to the right, it drives the first lifting shaft to be withdrawn to realize the ballast iron that floats and is thrown out.

[0010] It also includes a guide frame fixed to the submersible frame, with guide rollers installed inside the guide frame, and ballast iron sliding along the guide rollers and being thrown away from the submersible.

[0011] The dual-rod hydraulic cylinder is equipped with a displacement sensor, which is used to monitor the position information of the piston rod and transmit it to the display and control console in the manned cabin in real time.

[0012] The first and second solenoid directional valves are both three-position, three-way solenoid directional valves, normally in the neutral position (closed); the manual directional valve is a three-position, four-way manual directional valve, normally in the neutral position (closed).

[0013] The manual directional valve, manual water pump, and water tank for the manual water pump are all located in the normal pressure environment inside the manned cabin; the high-pressure seawater pump, the first electromagnetic directional valve, the seawater filter, the second electromagnetic directional valve, and the double-rod hydraulic cylinder are all immersed in seawater.

[0014] An operating method for a submersible jettisonable ballast system with multiple redundancy jettisoning functions includes three redundant jettisoning modes: seawater external pressure driven jettisoning mode, high-pressure seawater pump driven jettisoning mode, and manual water pressure pump driven jettisoning mode. Any one of these modes can be selected to jettison the ballast according to the operating conditions. In the seawater external pressure driven jettisoning mode, external seawater pressure is used as the power source to drive the double-rod hydraulic cylinder to achieve jettisoning. In the high-pressure seawater pump driven jettisoning mode, high-pressure seawater output from the high-pressure seawater pump is used as the power source to drive the double-rod hydraulic cylinder to achieve jettisoning. In the manual water pressure pump driven jettisoning mode, high-pressure water output from the manual water pressure pump is used as the power source to drive the double-rod hydraulic cylinder to achieve jettisoning.

[0015] As a further improvement to the above technical solution: The seawater external pressure driven ballast jettisoning mode includes the automatic ballast jettisoning mode for terminating the submersible. The automatic ballast jettisoning mode for terminating the submersible includes the following steps: before submerging, calculate and set the opening pressure of the overflow valve according to the target jettisoning depth, and switch the manual reversing valve to the valve position that connects the A and B chambers of the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder. During the descent of the submersible, the external seawater pressure increases with depth, and the driving force generated by the area difference between the thick piston rod and the thin piston rod gradually increases. When the submersible descends to the target depth, the driving force overcomes the friction between the lifting shaft and the ballast iron that terminates the descent, as well as the back pressure balance force in chamber B, and drives the piston of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder to move. This causes the connecting rod to pull the lifting shaft away from the suspended position, thus achieving automatic unloading of the ballast iron that terminates the descent.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: (1) This invention eliminates the dependence on submersible energy and has strong deep-sea survivability: Utilizing the external pressure of seawater as a conventional power source for ballast jettisoning, the design converts environmental pressure into driving force through the area difference between the thick and thin piston rods on both sides of the dual-rod hydraulic cylinder. This fundamentally eliminates the reliance on traditional power sources such as hydraulic and electrical power supplies carried by the submersible. Even if the submersible completely loses its power source in the deep sea, it can still reliably complete ballast jettisoning using the external pressure of seawater, ensuring emergency ascent and significantly improving survivability and personnel safety under extreme conditions.

[0017] (2) The present invention has diverse working modes and strong adaptability: Integrating three drive methods, it can achieve four operating modes: automatic jettisoning without manual intervention after reaching a preset depth; on-demand real-time jettisoning controlled by an electromagnetic reversing valve; redundant jettisoning driven by the submersible's existing high-pressure seawater pump; and emergency jettisoning completed manually by personnel inside the submersible in the event of a complete power loss. From fully automatic to fully manual, the functional spectrum is complete, adaptable to various working conditions from normal operation to extreme emergencies.

[0018] (3) This invention employs triple redundancy backup, resulting in extremely high reliability: Existing technologies mostly employ single or dual drives, which pose a risk of being unable to jettison ballast in the event of failure. This invention integrates three independent power sources—external seawater pressure drive, high-pressure seawater pump drive, and manual water pressure pump drive—into a single system. These three methods are physically independent and do not affect each other; even if one fails, the others can still independently complete the jettisoning process. This triple redundancy design significantly reduces the risk of single-point failure, providing multi-layered reliable protection for the submersible's safety.

[0019] (4) This invention employs precise and controllable launch depth, and has a high degree of intelligence: By adjusting the back pressure of chamber B using the relief valve and combining this with the quantitative relationship of the area difference between the coarse and fine piston rods, a mathematical correspondence between the ballast release depth and the opening pressure of the relief valve was established. Operators only need to pre-adjust the relief valve according to the target depth to achieve precise and automatic ballast release at the predetermined depth, resulting in simple calculations, accurate control, and a high degree of automation.

[0020] (5) This invention uses the same actuator to achieve step-by-step load release, resulting in a compact structure: Existing technologies for the phased jettisoning of ballast for both floating and submerged operations typically require two separate actuators. This invention, however, utilizes a single dual-rod hydraulic cylinder to achieve the sequential jettisoning of both types of ballast. All three drive methods share the same actuator, eliminating the need for separate hydraulic cylinders and connecting rods for each method. The system is simple, compact, space-saving, has fewer potential failure points, and is easy to maintain.

[0021] (6) The present invention adopts an anti-jamming guide design to ensure reliable load release under tilted posture: Guide rollers are installed inside the guide frame, which causes rolling friction rather than sliding friction when ballast is jettisoned, significantly reducing the coefficient of friction. Even when the submersible is in an inclined attitude, the ballast can still slide smoothly along the rollers, effectively avoiding jettison failure due to jamming and further improving jettison reliability.

[0022] (7) The discharge state of this invention can be monitored and controlled in real time: The dual-rod hydraulic cylinder has a built-in displacement sensor that monitors the piston displacement in real time and transmits it to the manned cabin display console via cable. The personnel inside the cabin can accurately determine whether the jettisoning is complete, realizing full-process visual monitoring and avoiding misoperation due to unclear information, thus ensuring good operability.

[0023] (8) This invention has strong adaptability to all ocean depths and broad application prospects: The external pressure of seawater increases with depth, thereby enhancing the driving force and giving this invention a natural advantage in deep-sea and full-ocean-depth environments at depths of tens of thousands of meters. Compared to existing technologies that rely on hydraulic or electrical sources, this invention demonstrates superior reliability in ultra-deep-sea high-pressure environments and can be widely applied to various deep-sea equipment such as manned submersibles, unmanned submersibles, and deep-sea landers, showing promising prospects for industrial applications. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the system composition of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial view.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the ballast jettisoning state at the end of the submersible phase of this invention.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the ballast jettisoning state during the floating phase of the present invention.

[0028] The components include: 1. High-pressure seawater pump; 2. First solenoid directional valve; 3. Seawater filter; 4. Second solenoid directional valve; 5. Manual directional valve; 6. Manual water pressure pump; 7. Overflow valve. 801. First hanging double-ear plate; 802. Second hanging double-ear plate; 901, First lifting shaft; 902, Second lifting shaft; 1001, First link; 1002, Second link; 11. Double-rod hydraulic cylinder; 1101. Coarse piston rod; 1102. Fine piston rod; 1103. Displacement sensor; 12. Guide frame; 1201. Guide rollers; 13. Float the ballast; 14. Terminate the submersion of the ballast. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] like Figures 1-4 As shown, the submersible jettisonable ballast system with multiple redundancy jettisoning functions in this embodiment includes: The double-outlet hydraulic cylinder 11 has a piston rod comprising a thick piston rod 1101 and a thin piston rod 1102. The thick piston rod 1101 and the thin piston rod 1102 are respectively connected to the lifting shaft for suspending the ballast iron via connecting rods. The high-pressure seawater pump drive module includes a high-pressure seawater pump 1 and a first electromagnetic reversing valve 2. The drain port of the high-pressure seawater pump 1 is connected to the two drive ports of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 via the first electromagnetic reversing valve 2. It is configured to use the high-pressure seawater output by the high-pressure seawater pump 1 as a power source to drive the piston action of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11. The seawater external pressure drive module includes a seawater filter 3 and a second electromagnetic reversing valve 4. The seawater filter 3 is immersed in seawater and its outlet is connected to the two drive ports of the double rod hydraulic cylinder 11 via the second electromagnetic reversing valve 4. It is configured to use the external seawater pressure as a power source to drive the piston action of the double rod hydraulic cylinder 11. The manual drive module includes a manual water pump 6 and a manual reversing valve 5. The outlet of the manual water pump 6 is connected to the two drive ports of the double rod hydraulic cylinder 11 via the manual reversing valve 5. It is configured to use the high-pressure water output by the manual water pump 6 as a power source to drive the piston action of the double rod hydraulic cylinder 11. The high-pressure seawater pump drive module, the seawater external pressure drive module, and the manual drive module are all connected to the same double-outlet hydraulic cylinder 11. The piston action of the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder 11 drives the connecting rod to pull the lifting shaft away from the hanging position, thereby realizing the discarding of ballast iron.

[0031] The diameter of the coarse piston rod 1101 of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 is larger than that of the thin piston rod 1102. The hydraulic chamber on the side where the coarse piston rod 1101 is located is chamber A, and the hydraulic chamber on the side where the thin piston rod 1102 is located is chamber B. When chambers A and B of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 are connected through the manual reversing valve 5, the external seawater pressure acts on the area difference between the coarse piston rod 1101 and the thin piston rod 1102 to generate a driving force from the coarse piston rod side to the thin piston rod side, thereby realizing automatic load shedding driven by external seawater pressure.

[0032] It also includes an overflow valve 7, which is installed on the return water pipeline between the manual directional valve 5 and the water tank of the manual water pump 6. The opening pressure of the overflow valve 7 is adjustable. By adjusting the opening pressure of the overflow valve 7, the back pressure of the B chamber of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 is controlled, thereby controlling the automatic unloading depth of the terminating submerged ballast iron 14.

[0033] The structure of the lifting shaft is as follows: it includes a first lifting shaft 901 and a second lifting shaft 902. The first lifting shaft 901 is connected to the thin piston rod 1102 via a connecting rod and is used to suspend the floating ballast iron 13. The second lifting shaft 902 is connected to the thick piston rod 1101 via a connecting rod and is used to suspend the ballast iron 14 that terminates its submersion. When the piston of the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder 11 moves to the left, it drives the second lifting shaft 902 to be withdrawn to achieve the ballast iron 14 that terminates its submersion and is thrown out. When the piston moves to the right, it drives the first lifting shaft 901 to be withdrawn to achieve the ballast iron 13 that terminates its submersion and is thrown out.

[0034] It also includes a guide frame 12 fixed to the submersible frame, and a guide roller 1201 is provided inside the guide frame 12. The ballast iron slides along the guide roller 1201 and is thrown away from the submersible.

[0035] The double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 is equipped with a displacement sensor 1103, which is used to monitor the position information of the piston rod and transmit it to the display and control console in the manned cabin in real time.

[0036] The first solenoid directional valve 2 and the second solenoid directional valve 4 are both three-position three-way solenoid directional valves, which are normally in the neutral position and closed. The manual directional valve 5 is a three-position four-way manual directional valve, which is normally in the neutral position and closed.

[0037] The manual directional valve 5, the manual water pump 6, and the water tank of the manual water pump are all located in the normal pressure environment inside the manned cabin; the high-pressure seawater pump 1, the first electromagnetic directional valve 2, the seawater filter 3, the second electromagnetic directional valve 4, and the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 are all immersed in seawater.

[0038] The operation method of the submersible jettisonable ballast system with multiple redundancy jettisoning functions in this embodiment includes three redundant jettisoning modes: seawater external pressure driven jettisoning mode, high-pressure seawater pump driven jettisoning mode, and manual water pressure pump driven jettisoning mode. Any one of these modes can be selected to jettison the ballast according to the operating conditions. In the seawater external pressure driven jettisoning mode, external seawater pressure is used as the power source to drive the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 to achieve jettisoning. In the high-pressure seawater pump driven jettisoning mode, high-pressure seawater output from the high-pressure seawater pump 1 is used as the power source to drive the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 to achieve jettisoning. In the manual water pressure pump driven jettisoning mode, high-pressure water output from the manual water pressure pump 6 is used as the power source to drive the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 to achieve jettisoning.

[0039] The seawater external pressure driven ballast jettisoning mode includes the automatic ballast jettisoning mode for terminating the submersible. The automatic ballast jettisoning mode for terminating the submersible includes the following steps: before submerging, calculate the opening pressure of the overflow valve 7 according to the target jettisoning depth and set it to the correct position, and switch the manual reversing valve 5 to the valve position that connects the A and B chambers of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11. During the submersible's descent, the external seawater pressure increases with depth, and the driving force generated by the area difference between the coarse piston rod 1101 and the thin piston rod 1102 gradually increases. When the submersible descends to the target depth, the driving force overcomes the friction between the second lifting shaft 902 and the ballast iron 14 that terminates the descent, as well as the back pressure balance force of the B chamber, and drives the piston of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 to move, which in turn drives the connecting rod to pull the second lifting shaft 902 away from the hanging position, thereby realizing the automatic release of the ballast iron 14 that terminates the descent.

[0040] like Figures 1-4 As shown, the specific structure and function of a submersible jettisonable ballast system with multiple redundancy jettisoning capabilities according to the present invention are as follows: It mainly includes: 1. High-pressure seawater pump; 2. First electromagnetic reversing valve; 3. Seawater filter; 4. Second electromagnetic reversing valve; 5. Manual reversing valve; 6. Manual water pressure pump; 7. Overflow valve; 8. Suspension double lugs; 9. Suspension shaft; 10. Connecting rod; 11. Double-outlet hydraulic cylinder; 11. Coarse piston rod; 1102. Fine piston rod; 1103. Displacement sensor; 12. Guide frame; 1201. Guide roller; 13. Buoyancy ballast; 14. Termination descent ballast.

[0041] The high-pressure seawater pump 1 is driven by an electric motor and can activate the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 under high pressure by switching the hydraulic circuit. The high-pressure seawater pump is a standard feature of submersibles, used to achieve functions such as seawater hydraulic balancing. This invention utilizes the high-pressure seawater pump mounted on the submersible as one of the redundant drive sources.

[0042] The first electromagnetic directional valve 2 is a three-position three-way electromagnetic directional valve. The inlet of the directional valve is connected to the outlet of the high-pressure seawater pump, and the outlet is connected to the two drive ports of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11. The directional valve is normally in the neutral position and closed.

[0043] The second electromagnetic directional valve 4 has the same structure as the first directional valve. The inlet of the directional valve is directly connected to the outside seawater through the seawater filter 3. The seawater filter 3 is immersed in seawater to filter seawater impurities and prevent impurities from entering the hydraulic system and causing blockage or wear. The outlet of the directional valve is connected to the two drive ports of the double rod hydraulic cylinder 11. The directional valve is normally in the neutral position and closed.

[0044] The manual directional valve 5 is a three-position four-way manual directional valve, which can still be manually switched after the submersible loses its power source to ensure high system reliability. The inlet of the directional valve is connected to the pipeline where the manual water pump 6 and the relief valve 7 are located, respectively, and the outlet is connected to the two liquid ports of the double rod hydraulic cylinder 11. The directional valve is normally in the neutral position and closed.

[0045] The manual water pressure pump 6 is a hand-cranked water pressure pump. The pump integrates a one-way valve and connects to the water tank. High pressure output can be established by reciprocating the pump. In extreme cases where the submersible completely loses power and the high-pressure seawater pump cannot be started, the personnel inside the cabin can still establish the driving force required for jettisoning by manually cranking the pump, which is the last line of defense for the system.

[0046] The overflow valve 7 has an adjustable overflow pressure, and the overflow port is directly connected to the water tank via a pipeline. By adjusting the opening pressure of the overflow valve, the back pressure in chamber B of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder can be controlled, thereby controlling the target depth of automatic load shedding.

[0047] The suspension double-ear plate is set at two locations: the first suspension double-ear plate 801 and the second suspension double-ear plate 802. Both are fixed to the submersible frame. The submersible's buoyancy ballast iron 13 and descent termination ballast iron 14 can be suspended through the suspension shaft 9.

[0048] The lifting shaft 9 has two locations: a first lifting shaft 901 and a second lifting shaft 902, both with internal hollow sleeves. The connecting rod 10 is a bolt-type connecting rod, with its large end placed inside the lifting shaft 9 and its other end having an external thread. The thread connects to the coarse piston rod 1101 and the fine piston rod 1102 of the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder 11, respectively. The connecting rod 10 can slide horizontally within the sleeve of the lifting shaft 9 and can pull the lifting shaft 9 away from the pin hole of the double ear plate when in limit contact.

[0049] The double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 is a double-acting hydraulic cylinder with a thick piston rod 1101 on the right and a thin piston rod 1102 on the left. By extending and retracting the piston rods on both sides, the lifting shaft 9 that suspends the ballast iron can be detached to achieve ballast jettisoning. A displacement sensor 1103 is installed inside the cylinder to monitor the position information of the piston rods and transmits the information in real time to the display and control console inside the manned cabin via cable, thereby monitoring the ballast jettisoning status.

[0050] The guide frame 12 is fixed to the submersible frame and is used to guide the circumferential limiting and jettisoning of the surfacing ballast iron 13 and the terminating descent ballast iron 14. The guide frame is equipped with guide rollers 1201, which can allow the jettisonable ballast iron to be jettisoned to the seabed along the guide frame 12 with a small friction force, preventing the ballast iron from getting stuck with the guide frame 12 due to large friction force when the submersible jettisons ballast in an inclined attitude, thus preventing jettisoning failure.

[0051] The surfacing ballast iron 13 and the terminating descent ballast iron 14 are discardable ballast blocks made of stacked iron blocks. A uniform interface shackle hole is provided on the top of each ballast iron, through which the lifting shaft 9 can pass to the ballast iron's shackle hole and the pin hole for suspending the double lugs, thus suspending the ballast iron. When the submersible descends to the planned depth with negative buoyancy, the buoyancy of the submersible can be adjusted to near neutral buoyancy by jettisoning the terminating descent ballast iron 14, thereby stopping the submersible's descent for seabed operations. When the submersible completes its operations and needs to surface, the surfacing ballast iron 13 can be jettisoned to give the submersible positive buoyancy, allowing it to leave the seabed and rise to the surface without power.

[0052] In this embodiment, the manual reversing valve 5, manual water pump 6, overflow valve 7, and water tank are all placed in the manned cabin under normal pressure and controlled by personnel inside the cabin. This ensures normal operation of this embodiment even after the submersible loses power. The remaining equipment is directly immersed in seawater to withstand external high pressure, connected to the equipment inside the cabin via pipelines, and remotely controlled by personnel inside the cabin. To reduce the frictional resistance during the pulling process of the lifting shaft 9, water-lubricated bearings are embedded in the pin holes of the hanging double ear plate 8, the buoyancy ballast iron 13, and the descent termination ballast iron 14.

[0053] The ballast jettisoning device designed in this invention has the function of automatically jettisoning ballast iron that terminates submersion, and can achieve jettisoning at different target depths by adjusting the opening pressure of the overflow valve 7. Its principle is as follows: The double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 has two piston rods with different diameters on both sides. When there is a connection passage at the drive ports at both ends of the hydraulic cylinder (manual directional valve 5 switches to the left position), it can move freely. By applying the external pressure of seawater to the area difference between the thick piston rod 1101 and the thin piston rod 1102, a thrust from right to left can be obtained. Then, when diving to the target depth (the external pressure of seawater increases linearly with the diving depth), it overcomes the friction between the second lifting shaft 902 and the ballast iron 14 that terminates the diving, as well as the back pressure balance force of the thin piston rod cavity (referred to as cavity B), and achieves the purpose of automatically throwing off the ballast iron 14 that terminates the diving.

[0054] Take the diameter of the thick piston rod as d 1. The diameter of the thin piston rod is d 2. Piston chamber diameter D The pressure in chamber A is at atmospheric pressure, and the pressure in chamber B is the pressure set by the relief valve. P B Termination of descent due to ballast gravity G The coefficient of friction between the ballast iron and the push-pull crane shaft is μ, and the seawater pressure at the target diving depth is... P 潜 Then, at this depth, the thrust from right to left caused by the external pressure of the seawater is: (1) The frictional force between the lifting shaft 9.1 and the ballast iron 14 at the end of the submersion is: (2) The back pressure balancing force in cavity B is: (3) when F 1≥ F 2+ F At time 3, the lifting shaft 9.1 can be withdrawn from the pin hole to terminate the descent and release the ballast iron 14. The relationship between the back pressure of the relief valve and the pressure at the target descent depth can be obtained: (4) According to formula (4), the set pressure of the overflow valve 7 can be calculated, thereby controlling the automatic unloading depth of the ballast iron 14 to terminate its submersion.

[0055] When the drive port of the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder 11 has no connection passage (the first solenoid directional valve 2, the second solenoid directional valve 4, and the manual directional valve 5 are all in the neutral position), since the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder 11 is filled with incompressible seawater, even if the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder 11 is subjected to the external pressure thrust of seawater, the piston of the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder 11 will not move automatically to cause ballast jettison. In this state, the corresponding ballast jettison mode can be switched according to the specific functional requirements to realize real-time ballast jettison control of the floating ballast iron 13 and the terminating submerged ballast iron 14.

[0056] This invention utilizes power sources such as external seawater pressure, high-pressure seawater pumps, and manual water pumps to achieve multiple ballast jettisoning methods. External seawater pressure is used as the conventional jettisoning method to ensure efficiency and reliability. Other power sources serve as redundancy backups. The methods for terminating submerged and surfacing ballast jettisoning can be combined as needed. Multiple redundancies ensure the absolute safety and reliability of the jettisoning function. The specific implementation methods of each function are as follows: (a) Seawater external pressure driven ballast jettison: Seawater external pressure-driven jettison utilizes the external seawater pressure as a power source. It only requires controlling the hydraulic circuit switching to drive jettisoning, eliminating the need for an additional power source from the submersible. This is the conventional jettisoning method of this invention and also the most reliable. The specific implementation is as follows: a) Termination of descent and jettisoning of ballast: Driven by external seawater pressure, it can not only control the termination of ballast jettisoning in real time according to actual needs, but also achieve automatic jettisoning after reaching the target diving depth. The two working modes are as follows: Mode 1: Automatic payload jettison upon reaching target depth: 1) Before submerging, the buoyancy ballast 13 and the terminating submersion ballast 14 are arranged according to... Figure 1 Once the installation is complete as shown, calculate the opening pressure of the overflow valve 7 at the target jettison depth according to the above formula and adjust it accordingly. Then, manually switch the directional valve 5 to the left position. 2) As the submersible descends to a greater depth, the thrust to the left obtained by the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 due to the difference in the area of ​​the piston rods at both ends gradually increases until the submersible descends to the target depth. The thrust obtained can offset the combined effect of the friction between the lifting shaft 902 and the ballast iron 14 that terminates the descent, as well as the back pressure balancing force of the B chamber. 3) The piston of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 moves to the left. Due to the pressure reduction, water in chamber A is drawn into the water tank of the manual water pump 6 through the pipeline via the manual reversing valve 5. Liquid in chamber B is pushed into the water tank through the pipeline via the manual reversing valve 5 and the overflow valve 7. 4) As the coarse piston rod 1101 retracts, the second connecting rod 1002 pulls the lifting shaft 902 away from the pin hole of the hanging double ear plate 802 and the terminating submerged ballast iron 14, and the thin piston rod 1102 extends to push the first connecting rod 1001 to slide to the left along the sleeve of the lifting shaft 901. 5) Based on the piston position information of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 fed back by the displacement sensor 1103, after determining that the lifting ring of the ballast iron 14 has disengaged from the lifting shaft 902, the second electromagnetic reversing valve 4 and the manual reversing valve 5 are restored to the neutral position. 6) Due to gravity, the ballast iron 14 slid down along the guide roller 1201 of the guide frame 12 and eventually detached from the submersible to achieve automatic ballast jettison, so that the buoyancy of the submersible is adjusted to neutral buoyancy, and then the descent stops and underwater operations begin.

[0057] Mode 2: On-demand real-time load shedding control: 1) Before submerging, the buoyancy ballast 13 and the terminating submersion ballast 14 are arranged according to... Figure 1 The system is installed in the indicated state. The first solenoid directional valve 2, the second solenoid directional valve 4, and the manual directional valve 5 are all in the neutral and closed position. The overflow pressure of the overflow valve 7 is set to the minimum. 2) After the submersible descends to the target depth, control the second electromagnetic reversing valve 4 to switch to the right position and the manual reversing valve 5 to switch to the left position; 3) External seawater enters the A chamber of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 through the filter 3 and the second electromagnetic reversing valve 4. Under the pressure of the external seawater, the piston of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 is driven to move to the left. The liquid in the B chamber is pressed into the water tank through the pipeline along the manual reversing valve 5 and the overflow valve 7. 4) As the coarse piston rod 1101 retracts, the second connecting rod 1002 pulls the lifting shaft 902 away from the pin hole of the hanging double ear plate 802 and the terminating submerged ballast iron 14, and the thin piston rod 1102 extends to push the first connecting rod 1001 to slide to the left along the sleeve of the lifting shaft 901. 5) Based on the piston position information of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 fed back by the displacement sensor 1103, after determining that the lifting ring of the ballast iron 14 has disengaged from the lifting shaft 902, the second electromagnetic reversing valve 4 and the manual reversing valve 5 are restored to the neutral position. 6) Due to gravity, the ballast iron 14 slid down along the guide roller 1201 of the guide frame 12 and eventually detached from the submersible to achieve automatic ballast jettison, so that the buoyancy of the submersible is adjusted to neutral buoyancy, and then the descent stops and underwater operations begin.

[0058] It should be noted that even if the second electromagnetic reversing valve 4 fails and prevents external seawater from entering the A chamber of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11, when the submersible descends to a depth greater than a certain depth, the thrust of the seawater due to the difference in the area of ​​the piston rods at both ends can still successfully pull the lifting shaft 902 away, thus achieving the purpose of terminating the descent and jettisoning the load.

[0059] b) Ballast jettisoning upon buoyancy: 1) After the submersible has completed its underwater operation, control the second electromagnetic reversing valve 4 to switch to the left position, switch the manual reversing valve 5 to the right position, and set the overflow valve 7 to the lowest opening pressure; 2) External seawater enters the B chamber of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 through the filter 3 and the second electromagnetic reversing valve 4. Under the pressure of the external seawater, the piston of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 is driven to move to the right. The liquid in the A chamber is pressed into the water tank through the pipeline along the manual reversing valve 5 and the overflow valve 7. 3) As the thin piston rod 1102 retracts, the first connecting rod 1001 slides to the right along the sleeve of the lifting shaft 901 until it contacts the limiting end face. Then, it pulls the lifting shaft 901 to remove it from the pin hole of the hanging double ear plate 801 and the upper floating ballast iron 13. The thick piston rod 1101 extends and pushes the second connecting rod 1002 to slide to the right along the sleeve of the lifting shaft 902. 4) Based on the piston position information of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 fed back by the displacement sensor 1103, it is determined that after the lifting ring of the floating ballast iron 13 is disengaged from the lifting shaft 901, the second electromagnetic reversing valve 4 and the manual reversing valve 5 return to the neutral position. 5) Due to gravity, the ballast iron 13 floats down along the guide roller 1201 of the guide frame 12 and eventually detaches from the submersible to achieve automatic ballast jettison, so that the submersible can obtain positive buoyancy to float up to the surface of the water without power.

[0060] (ii) Load shedding driven by high-pressure seawater pump: High-pressure seawater pumps are standard equipment on submersibles, used to achieve functions such as seawater hydraulic balancing. This invention utilizes the high-pressure seawater pump onboard the submersible to provide a redundant jettison mode driven by the high-pressure seawater pump, allowing for real-time control of jettison as needed. This mode serves as an effective supplementary means when the external seawater pressure is insufficient to drive jettison (as in shallow diving depths) or when a rapid response to jettison commands is required. The specific implementation is as follows: a) Termination of descent and jettisoning of ballast: 1) Before diving, the first solenoid directional valve 2, the second solenoid directional valve 4 and the manual directional valve 5 are all in the neutral position and the overflow pressure of the overflow valve 7 is set to the minimum. 2) After the submersible descends to the target depth, control the first electromagnetic reversing valve 2 to switch to the right position and the manual reversing valve 5 to switch to the left position, and at the same time start the high-pressure seawater pump 1; 3) The high-pressure seawater output by the high-pressure seawater pump 1 enters the A chamber of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 through the first electromagnetic reversing valve 2. Under the action of the high-pressure seawater, the piston of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 is driven to move to the left. The liquid in the B chamber is pressed into the water tank through the pipeline along the manual reversing valve 5 and the overflow valve 7. 4) As the coarse piston rod 1101 retracts, the second connecting rod 1002 pulls the lifting shaft 902 away from the pin hole of the hanging double ear plate 802 and the terminating submerged ballast iron 14, and the thin piston rod 1102 extends to push the first connecting rod 1001 to slide to the left along the sleeve of the lifting shaft 901. 5) Based on the piston position information of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 fed back by the displacement sensor 1103, it is determined that after the lifting ring of the ballast iron 14 is disengaged from the lifting shaft 902, the high-pressure seawater pump 1 stops working, and the first electromagnetic reversing valve 2 and the manual reversing valve 5 are restored to the neutral position. 6) Due to gravity, the ballast iron 14 slid down along the guide roller 1201 of the guide frame 12 and eventually detached from the submersible to achieve automatic ballast jettison, so that the buoyancy of the submersible is adjusted to neutral buoyancy, and then the descent stops and underwater operations begin.

[0061] b) Ballast jettisoning upon buoyancy: 1) After the submersible completes its underwater operation, control the first solenoid directional valve 2 to switch to the left position and the manual directional valve 5 to switch to the right position, and start the high-pressure seawater pump 1 at the same time; 2) The high-pressure seawater output by the high-pressure seawater pump 1 enters the B chamber of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 through the first electromagnetic reversing valve 2. Under the action of the high-pressure seawater, the piston of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 is driven to move to the right. The liquid in the A chamber is pressed into the water tank through the pipeline along the manual reversing valve 5 and the overflow valve 7. 3) As the thin piston rod 1102 retracts, the first connecting rod 1001 slides to the right along the sleeve of the lifting shaft 901 until it contacts the limiting end face. Then, it pulls the lifting shaft 901 to remove it from the pin hole of the hanging double ear plate 801 and the upper floating ballast iron 13. The thick piston rod 1101 extends and pushes the second connecting rod 1002 to slide to the right along the sleeve of the lifting shaft 902. 4) Based on the piston position information of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 fed back by the displacement sensor 1103, it is determined that after the lifting ring of the floating ballast iron 13 is separated from the lifting shaft 901, the high-pressure seawater pump 1 stops, and the first electromagnetic reversing valve 2 and the manual reversing valve 5 return to the neutral position. 5) Due to gravity, the ballast iron 13 floats down along the guide roller 1201 of the guide frame 12 and eventually detaches from the submersible to achieve automatic ballast jettison, so that the submersible can obtain positive buoyancy to float up to the surface of the water without power.

[0062] (iii) Load shedding driven by manual water pump: To ensure the reliability of the system's jettisoning, this invention also provides a redundant jettisoning mode driven by a manual water pressure pump. This mode ensures the jettisoning function remains operational even after the submersible completely loses its power source (including electrical failure or high-pressure seawater pump malfunction), serving as the system's last line of defense. The specific implementation is as follows: a) Terminating descent and jettisoning ballast. 1) Before diving, the first solenoid directional valve 2, the second solenoid directional valve 4 and the manual directional valve 5 are all in the neutral position and the overflow pressure of the overflow valve 7 is set to the minimum. 2) After the submersible descends to the target depth, control the manual reversing valve 5 to switch to the left position; 3) If the submersible is shallow at this time, the thrust from the seawater due to the difference in the area of ​​the piston rods at both ends of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 is too small to drive the lifting shaft 902 to be removed. In this case, the personnel in the cabin will crank the manual water pump 6 to make high-pressure water enter the A chamber of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 through the manual reversing valve 5. Under the action of the high-pressure water, the piston will be driven to move to the left, and the liquid in the B chamber will be pressed into the water tank through the pipeline along the manual reversing valve 5 and the overflow valve 7. 4) As the coarse piston rod 1101 retracts, the second connecting rod 1002 pulls the lifting shaft 902 away from the pin hole of the hanging double ear plate 802 and the terminating submerged ballast iron 14, and the thin piston rod 1102 extends to push the first connecting rod 1001 to slide to the left along the sleeve of the lifting shaft 901. 5) Based on the piston position information of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 fed back by the displacement sensor 1103, after determining that the lifting ring of the ballast iron 14 has disengaged from the lifting shaft 902, the manual reversing valve 5 is restored to the neutral position. 6) Due to gravity, the ballast iron 14 slid down along the guide roller 1201 of the guide frame 12 and eventually detached from the submersible to achieve automatic ballast jettison, so that the buoyancy of the submersible is adjusted to neutral buoyancy, and then the descent stops and underwater operations begin.

[0063] b) Dumping ballast on the surface 1) After the submersible has completed its underwater operations, switch the manual directional valve 5 to the right position and crank the manual water pump 6 to build up high pressure; 2) The high-pressure water output by the manual water pump 6 enters the B chamber of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 through the manual reversing valve 5 along the pipeline. Under the action of the high-pressure water, the piston of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 is driven to move to the right. The liquid in the A chamber is pressed into the water tank through the manual reversing valve 5 and the overflow valve 7. 3) As the thin piston rod 1102 retracts, the first connecting rod 1001 slides to the right along the sleeve of the lifting shaft 901 until it contacts the limiting end face. Then, it pulls the lifting shaft 901 to remove it from the pin hole of the hanging double ear plate 801 and the upper floating ballast iron 13. The thick piston rod 1101 extends and pushes the second connecting rod 1002 to slide to the right along the sleeve of the lifting shaft 902. 4) Based on the piston position information of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder 11 fed back by the displacement sensor 1103, after the lifting ring of the floating ballast iron 13 is separated from the lifting shaft 901, the manual water pump 6 stops operating and the manual reversing valve 5 returns to the neutral position. 5) Due to gravity, the ballast iron 13 floats down along the guide roller 1201 of the guide frame 12 and eventually detaches from the submersible to achieve automatic ballast jettison, so that the submersible can obtain positive buoyancy to float up to the surface of the water without power.

[0064] In summary, this invention integrates three independent jettisoning methods—external seawater pressure drive, high-pressure seawater pump drive, and manual water pressure pump drive—into a single dual-rod hydraulic cylinder system, achieving triple redundancy in jettisoning functionality. The three drive methods share the same actuator, resulting in a compact structure. The optimal jettisoning mode can be flexibly selected based on actual working conditions. During normal submersible operation, external seawater pressure drive serves as the conventional method to ensure high efficiency and reliability. In emergencies, redundant jettisoning can be achieved using either the high-pressure seawater pump or the manual water pressure pump, ensuring absolute safety during the submersible's ascent and descent.

[0065] The above description is an explanation of the present invention and not a limitation thereof. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims. Within the scope of protection of the present invention, any form of modification may be made.

Claims

1. A jettisonable ballast system for a submersible with multiple redundancy jettisoning capabilities, characterized in that, include: The double-outlet hydraulic cylinder (11) has a piston rod including a thick piston rod (1101) and a thin piston rod (1102). The thick piston rod (1101) and the thin piston rod (1102) are respectively connected to the lifting shaft for suspending the ballast iron through connecting rods. The high-pressure seawater pump drive module includes a high-pressure seawater pump (1) and a first electromagnetic reversing valve (2). The drain port of the high-pressure seawater pump (1) is connected to the two drive ports of the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder (11) via the first electromagnetic reversing valve (2). It is configured to use the high-pressure seawater output by the high-pressure seawater pump (1) as a power source to drive the piston action of the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder (11). The seawater external pressure drive module includes a seawater filter (3) and a second electromagnetic reversing valve (4). The seawater filter (3) is immersed in seawater and its outlet is connected to the two drive ports of the double rod hydraulic cylinder (11) via the second electromagnetic reversing valve (4). It is configured to use the external seawater pressure as a power source to drive the piston action of the double rod hydraulic cylinder (11). The manual drive module includes a manual water pump (6) and a manual reversing valve (5). The outlet of the manual water pump (6) is connected to the two drive ports of the double rod hydraulic cylinder (11) via the manual reversing valve (5). It is configured to use the high-pressure water output by the manual water pump (6) as a power source to drive the piston action of the double rod hydraulic cylinder (11). The high-pressure seawater pump drive module, the seawater external pressure drive module, and the manual drive module are all connected to the same double-outlet hydraulic cylinder (11). The piston action of the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder (11) drives the connecting rod to pull the hanging shaft away from the hanging position, thereby realizing the discarding of ballast iron.

2. The submersible jettisonable ballast system with multi-redundancy jettisoning function as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the coarse piston rod (1101) of the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder (11) is larger than that of the thin piston rod (1102). The hydraulic chamber on the side where the coarse piston rod (1101) is located is chamber A, and the hydraulic chamber on the side where the thin piston rod (1102) is located is chamber B. When chamber A and chamber B of the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder (11) are connected through a manual reversing valve (5), the external seawater pressure acts on the area difference between the coarse piston rod (1101) and the thin piston rod (1102) to generate a driving force from the coarse piston rod side to the thin piston rod side, thereby realizing automatic load shedding driven by external seawater pressure.

3. A submersible jettisonable ballast system with multiple redundancy jettisoning functions as described in claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes an overflow valve (7), which is installed on the return water pipeline between the manual reversing valve (5) and the water tank of the manual water pressure pump (6). The opening pressure of the overflow valve (7) is adjustable. By adjusting the opening pressure of the overflow valve (7), the back pressure of the B chamber of the double rod hydraulic cylinder (11) is controlled, thereby controlling the automatic throwing depth of the terminating submerged ballast iron (14).

4. A submersible jettisonable ballast system with multiple redundancy jettisoning functions as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The structure of the lifting shaft is as follows: it includes a first lifting shaft (901) and a second lifting shaft (902). The first lifting shaft (901) is connected to the thin piston rod (1102) through a connecting rod and is used to suspend the floating ballast iron (13). The second lifting shaft (902) is connected to the thick piston rod (1101) through a connecting rod and is used to suspend the ballast iron (14) to terminate its submersion. When the piston of the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder (11) moves to the left, it drives the second lifting shaft (902) to be withdrawn to realize the ballast iron (14) to terminate its submersion and to release the load. When the piston moves to the right, it drives the first lifting shaft (901) to be withdrawn to realize the ballast iron (13) to float and release the load.

5. A submersible jettisonable ballast system with multiple redundancy jettisoning functions as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a guide frame (12) fixed on the submersible frame, and a guide roller (1201) is provided inside the guide frame (12). The ballast iron slides along the guide roller (1201) and is thrown away from the submersible.

6. A submersible jettisonable ballast system with multiple redundancy jettisoning functions as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The double-rod hydraulic cylinder (11) is equipped with a displacement sensor (1103). The displacement sensor (1103) is used to monitor the position information of the piston rod and transmit it to the display and control console in the manned cabin in real time.

7. A submersible jettisonable ballast system with multiple redundancy jettisoning functions as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first solenoid directional valve (2) and the second solenoid directional valve (4) are both three-position three-way solenoid directional valves, which are normally in the middle-position cut-off state; the manual directional valve (5) is a three-position four-way manual directional valve, which is normally in the middle-position cut-off state.

8. A submersible jettisonable ballast system with multiple redundancy jettisoning functions as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The manual reversing valve (5), the manual water pressure pump (6), and the water tank of the manual water pressure pump are all located in the normal pressure environment inside the manned cabin; the high-pressure seawater pump (1), the first electromagnetic reversing valve (2), the seawater filter (3), the second electromagnetic reversing valve (4), and the double-rod hydraulic cylinder (11) are all immersed in seawater.

9. An operating method for a submersible jettisonable ballast system with multi-redundancy jettisoning function as described in claim 1, characterized in that, There are three redundant throwing modes, including seawater external pressure driven throwing mode, high-pressure seawater pump driven throwing mode and manual water pressure pump driven throwing mode. Any one of these modes can be selected to carry out throwing according to the working conditions. The seawater external pressure driven throwing mode uses the external seawater pressure as the power source to drive the double-out rod hydraulic cylinder (11) to achieve throwing. The high-pressure seawater pump driven throwing mode uses the high-pressure seawater output by the high-pressure seawater pump (1) as the power source to drive the double-out rod hydraulic cylinder (11) to achieve throwing. The manual water pressure pump driven throwing mode uses the high-pressure water output by the manual water pressure pump (6) as the power source to drive the double-out rod hydraulic cylinder (11) to achieve throwing.

10. The operating method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The seawater external pressure driven ballast release mode includes the automatic ballast release mode for terminating the ballast release mode for terminating the ballast release mode for terminating the ballast release mode includes the following steps: before diving, calculate the opening pressure of the overflow valve (7) according to the target ballast release depth and set it to the correct position, and switch the manual reversing valve (5) to the valve position connecting the A chamber and the B chamber of the double rod hydraulic cylinder (11); During the submersible's descent, the external seawater pressure increases with depth, and the driving force generated by the area difference between the coarse piston rod (1101) and the thin piston rod (1102) gradually increases. When the submersible descends to the target depth, the driving force overcomes the friction between the lifting shaft (902) and the ballast iron (14) that terminates the descent, as well as the back pressure balance force of the B chamber, and drives the piston of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder (11) to move, thereby pulling the lifting shaft (902) away from the hanging position and realizing the automatic release of the ballast iron (14) that terminates the descent.

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