AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) vector propulsion system based on rim propellers

Abstract

The utility model provides an AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) vector propulsion system based on a rim propeller. The AUV vector propulsion system comprises a deflection ball table, a liner, a bulkhead, the rim propeller, an SPS (Semi-Persistent Spacer) follow-up branch chain and a driving mechanism, the rim propeller is fixedly connected to a deflection ball table through a fixing plate, and the deflection ball table is in spherical surface fit with a liner fixed to the tail of the AUV; the deflection ball table is connected with an upper spherical hinge seat, a damping telescopic rod and a lower spherical hinge seat between the deflection ball table and the bulkhead to form an SPS follow-up branch chain, and the driving mechanism is composed of a universal joint, a telescopic push rod and a motor on the back side of the bulkhead which are sequentially connected on the deflection ball table; the system adopts the telescopic push rod and the universal joint to realize deflection of the rim propeller in a range of 30 degrees by taking the axis of the bulkhead as a central axis, and adjustment of space postures such as yawing and pitching during underwater navigation of the AUV can be completed through the driving mechanism. The utility model has the advantages of modularized structure and convenience in installation and maintenance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of underwater thrusters, in particular to an AUV vector propulsion system based on a rim thruster. Background Art

[0002] At present, traditional thrusters can usually only provide thrust in a single direction, which limits the maneuverability and flexibility of the vehicle. A single-thruster AUV generally uses a rudder device to control the heading. However, the presence of the rudder device will increase the turbulence degree of the wake flow field of the thruster, affect the efficiency of the thruster, and cause certain structural vibrations and noises. Although the multi-thruster AUV using differential steering abandons the rudder device, multiple thrusters will bring problems such as increased resistance and energy consumption. The noise generated when multiple thrusters operate will also increase significantly, which also reduces the underwater concealment of the AUV.

[0003] Compared with traditional shaft thrusters, rim thrusters can greatly reduce the energy loss during the transmission process and improve the propulsion efficiency. Rim vector propulsion technology has significant advantages compared with traditional vector propulsion methods. Nevertheless, there is still much room for improvement in the structural design and performance of current rim vector thrusters, and they need to be further improved and optimized. Content of the Utility Model

[0004] To solve the above problems, the utility model adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] AUV Vector Propulsion System Based on Rim Thrusters. The system includes a deflection turntable, a gasket, a bulkhead, rim thrusters, a first SPS follow-up chain, a second SPS follow-up chain, a first drive mechanism, and a second drive mechanism. The bulkhead is disc-shaped. The rim thrusters are fixedly connected to the deflection turntable through a fixing plate. The gasket is fixed at the tail of the AUV cabin. The gasket forms a spherical fit with the deflection turntable. The deflection turntable is made of aluminum alloy. Between the deflection turntable and the bulkhead, there are successively arranged an upper spherical hinge seat, an upper hinge head, a damping telescopic rod, a lower hinge head, and a lower spherical hinge seat. The damping telescopic rod is composed of a movable rod and a fixed sleeve rod. The upper spherical hinge seat is fixed on the threaded hole on the side of the deflection turntable facing the bulkhead through screws, jointly constituting the first SPS follow-up chain. The second SPS follow-up chain has the same structure as the first SPS follow-up chain; between the deflection turntable and the bulkhead, there are also successively arranged a universal joint and a telescopic push rod. The universal joint includes a universal joint base, a cross shaft, and a universal joint fork. The telescopic push rod includes a push rod and a matching push rod sleeve. The telescopic push rod passes through the through hole on the bulkhead and is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the first motor arranged on the side of the bulkhead and the deflection turntable facing away from each other, jointly constituting the first drive mechanism; between the deflection turntable and the bulkhead, there are also successively arranged a universal joint and a telescopic push rod. The universal joint includes a universal joint base, a cross shaft, and a universal joint fork. The telescopic push rod passes through the through hole on the bulkhead and is driven by a second motor. The second motor is arranged on the side of the bulkhead and the deflection turntable facing away from each other, jointly constituting the second drive mechanism; the universal joint bases are all fixed on the threaded holes on the side of the deflection turntable facing the bulkhead through screws.

[0006] Further, the universal joints are all cross-shaft rigid universal joints, and the universal joint bases are all fixed on the threaded holes on the side of the deflection turntable facing the bulkhead through screws.

[0007] Further, the first drive mechanism, the second drive mechanism, the first SPS follow-up chain, and the second SPS follow-up chain form a 90° placement angle on the deflection turntable. The first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism have the same structure and are placed at a 90° angle to each other on the plane below the deflection turntable.

[0008] Further, the upper spherical hinge seat is fixed on the threaded hole directly below the deflection turntable. The concave spherical surface of the upper spherical hinge seat faces downward. The deflection turntable transmits the deflection angle to the rim thrusters to complete the adjustment of the AUV's spatial attitude, realizing the all-round deflection of the rim thrusters within a range of 30° centered on the axis of the bulkhead.

[0009] Further, the deflection turntable and the rim thrusters are coaxial. The upper spherical hinge seat and the lower spherical hinge seat are respectively located on the same axis of the deflection turntable and the bulkhead. The bottom of the deflection turntable is spherical, and the gasket forms a spherical fit with the deflection turntable.

[0010] Furthermore, the output shaft of the main propulsion motor passes through the bulkhead, and the universal joint is fixedly connected between the push rod and the deflection turntable. When the two sets of drive mechanisms move according to a certain law, the deflection turntable can perform pitching and yawing motions, realizing the vectorization of the thrust of the rim thruster.

[0011] The beneficial effects of the present utility model are as follows: It improves the steering ability of the AUV, enabling it to change the sailing direction and attitude more simply, realizes the motion function of single-mechanism multi-attitude control, eliminates complex auxiliary structure configurations such as fin rudders, makes the structure of the AUV more compact, reduces noise, and improves the underwater motion concealment of the AUV; It has the advantages of simple structure, high propulsion efficiency, simple and convenient control, etc. This system can be installed and used singly, applied modularly, is convenient for maintenance and installation, has high reliability, and can effectively improve the propulsion efficiency, playing a positive role in the development of AUV vector propulsion technology. Description of the Drawings

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an AUV vector propulsion system based on a rim thruster;

[0013] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the deflection turntable of an AUV vector propulsion system based on a rim thruster;

[0014] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the bulkhead of an AUV vector propulsion system based on a rim thruster;

[0015] Figure 4 is another schematic structural diagram of an AUV vector propulsion system based on a rim thruster.

[0016] In the figure, 1, rim thruster; 2, deflection turntable; 3, gasket; 4, upper ball hinge seat; 5, universal joint base; 6, upper hinge head; 7, cross shaft; 8, universal joint fork; 9, push rod; 10, movable rod; 11, fixed sleeve; 12, lower ball hinge seat; 13, lower hinge head; 14, bulkhead; 15, motor; 16, through hole; 17, threaded hole; 18, push rod sleeve; 19, fixing plate. Detailed Embodiment

[0017] All the pictures in this specification are only used to cooperate with the understanding of the specification for those in the industry to understand and read. The following describes the embodiments of the present utility model in detail and clearly. The described embodiments are only for illustrative purposes and not all examples. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative design should fall within the scope of the technical content described in the present utility model.

[0018] See Figures 1 to 4, the AUV vector propulsion system based on a rim thruster shown in this example includes a deflection turntable, a gasket, a bulkhead, a rim thruster, two sets of SPS follower chains, a first drive mechanism, and a second drive mechanism.

[0019] The AUV vector propulsion system based on a rim thruster is characterized in that: the system includes a deflection turntable, a gasket, a bulkhead, a rim thruster, two SPS follower chains, a first drive mechanism, and a second drive mechanism. The bulkhead is disc-shaped, the deflection turntable is table-shaped. The rim thruster is fixed to the deflection turntable through a fixing plate. Between the deflection turntable and the bulkhead, there are successively arranged an upper ball hinge seat, an upper hinge head, a damping telescopic rod, a lower hinge head, and a lower ball hinge seat. The damping telescopic rod is composed of a telescopic rod and a fixed sleeve rod. The upper ball hinge seat is fixed to the side of the deflection turntable facing the bulkhead by screws, jointly forming an SPS follower chain.

[0020] Between the deflection turntable and the bulkhead, there are also successively arranged a universal joint and a telescopic push rod. The universal joint includes a universal joint base, a cross shaft, and a universal joint fork. The telescopic push rod includes a push rod and a matching push rod sleeve. The telescopic push rod passes through a through hole on the bulkhead and is fixedly connected to the output shaft of a first motor arranged on the side of the bulkhead and the deflection turntable facing away from each other. The push rod outputs linear reciprocating motion through the output shaft screw, jointly constituting the first drive mechanism. Between the deflection turntable and the bulkhead, there are also successively arranged a universal joint base, a cross shaft, a universal joint fork, and a telescopic connecting rod. The telescopic connecting rod passes through the through hole of the bulkhead and is driven by a second motor. The second motor is arranged on the side of the bulkhead and the deflection turntable facing away from each other, jointly forming the second drive mechanism. The universal joint bases are all fixed to the side of the deflection turntable facing the bulkhead by screws. During the actual control process, considering that the underwater flow field is uncertain and to save installation dimensions, a fixed-axis linear stepper motor is selected as the drive motor of the vector propulsion system. The motor drives the telescopic connecting rod to achieve linear reciprocating motion, enabling the rim thruster to deflect omnidirectionally within a range of 30° with the axis of the bulkhead as the central axis.

[0021] The first drive mechanism, the second drive mechanism, the first SPS follower chain, and the second SPS follower chain form a 90° placement angle on the deflection turntable. The first SPS follower chain has the same structure as the second PS follower chain on the deflection turntable. The first drive mechanism has the same structure as the second drive mechanism and is placed at 90° to each other on the deflection turntable.

[0022] The universal joint base and the upper ball hinge seat are fixed directly below the deflection turntable by screws. The concave spherical surface of the upper ball hinge seat faces downward. By controlling two stepper motors, the deflection turntable can transfer the deflection angle to the rim thruster under the action of the two sets of drive mechanisms, performing spatial pose adjustments such as AUV pitch and yaw motions. Considering friction, the deflection turntable is made of aluminum alloy material. All the universal joints are cross-axis rigid universal joints.

[0023] The deflecting table is coaxial with the rim thruster. The output shaft of the main propulsion motor passes through the bulkhead. The upper ball hinge seat and the lower ball hinge seat are located on the same axis of the deflecting table and the bulkhead. The deflecting table is in the shape of a table. Considering the manufacturing errors, and when the vector thruster system is directly installed and works at the tail of the AUV, as the table rotates, most of the surface of the table will contact with water, which is not convenient for lubricating the contact part between the table and the inner spherical surface. There will be a large frictional force when the table rotates. Therefore, a way of forming a spherical surface fit between the gasket and the table is adopted.

[0024] The technical effects of the present utility model are mainly reflected in:

[0025] By optimizing the layout and design of each component, the system has simplicity and compactness, which not only saves space, but also reduces the complexity and cost of the system. At the same time, the use of the rim thruster ensures the mobility of the AUV, improves the propulsion efficiency, reduces noise, is convenient for installation, and is simple and convenient to control.

[0026] The technical principle of the present utility model has been described above in combination with specific embodiments. It should be noted that in the present utility model, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "upper" and "lower" is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

Claims

1. AUV vector propulsion system based on rim thrusters, characterized by: The system comprises a deflection ball table (2), a liner (3), a bulkhead (14), a rim thruster (1), two SPS follower chains, a first drive mechanism and a second drive mechanism; the bulkhead (14) is disc-shaped, the rim thruster (1) is fixedly connected to the deflection ball table (2) through a fixing plate (19), the liner (3) is fixedly connected to the tail of the AUV cabin, the liner (3) and the deflection ball table (2) form a spherical fit, an upper ball joint seat (4), an upper hinge head (6), a damping telescopic rod, a lower hinge head (13) and a lower ball joint seat (12) are arranged in sequence between the deflection ball table (2) and the bulkhead (14), the damping telescopic rod is composed of a movable rod (10) and a fixed sleeve rod (11) which are matched and connected to form a first SPS follower chain; the second SPS follower chain and the first SPS The follower chain structure is the same, and a universal joint and a telescopic push rod are arranged in sequence between the deflection ball table (2) and the bulkhead (14). The universal joint includes a universal joint base (5), a cross shaft (7), and a universal joint fork (8). The telescopic push rod includes a push rod (9) and a matching push rod sleeve (18). The push rod sleeve (18) passes through a through hole (16) on the bulkhead (14) and is fixedly connected to the output shaft of a first motor (15) arranged on the side opposite to the bulkhead (14) and the deflection ball table (2), together forming a first driving mechanism; the second driving mechanism has the same structure as the first driving mechanism and is driven by a motor arranged on the side opposite to the bulkhead (14) and the deflection ball table (2).

2. The AUV vector propulsion system based on rim thrusters according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first driving mechanism, the second driving mechanism, the first SPS follower chain and the second SPS follower chain are placed at 90 degrees to each other on the deflection ball table (2).

3. The AUV vector propulsion system based on rim thrusters according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper ball joint seat (4) is fixed to a threaded hole on the side of the deflection ball table (2) facing the bulkhead (14) by means of screws, with the concave spherical surface of the upper ball joint seat (4) facing downwards.

4. The AUV vector propulsion system based on rim thrusters according to claim 1, characterized in that: The universal joints are all cross-axis rigid universal joints, and the universal joint bases (5) are all fixed to the threaded holes on the side of the deflection ball table (2) facing the bulkhead (14) by means of screws.

5. The AUV vector propulsion system based on rim thrusters according to claim 1, characterized in that: A motor (15) is provided on the other side of the bulkhead (14), and an output shaft of the motor (15) passes through two through holes (16) provided on the bulkhead (14). The bottom of the deflection ball table (2) is spherical, and the gasket (3) forms a spherical fit with the deflection ball table (2).

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