Multi-mode movement low-energy-consumption unmanned autonomous underwater vehicle based on propulsion and buoyancy adjustment
Through the multi-mode motion design of propulsion and buoyancy adjustment, combined with the attitude adjustment unit and the buoyancy adjustment unit, the balance problem between maneuverability and energy consumption of the unmanned underwater vehicle is solved, and multiple motion modes with high maneuverability and low energy consumption are realized, which is suitable for sea surface and shallow sea detection missions.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422773102.9
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-14
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-23
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-11-14
AI Technical Summary
Existing unmanned autonomous underwater vehicles have difficulty balancing maneuverability and energy consumption. AUVs have high energy consumption but strong maneuverability, while AUGs have low energy consumption but poor maneuverability, and they cannot meet the long-term and efficient operation requirements of specific detection applications.
It adopts a multi-mode motion design with propulsion and buoyancy adjustment, including a pressure hull, an attitude adjustment unit, a buoyancy adjustment unit, a main thruster, side thrusters, a glider wing and a communication unit. It realizes switching between multiple motion modes through attitude and buoyancy adjustment, and combines the glider wing to provide lift, achieving high maneuverability and low energy consumption.
It achieves high maneuverability in sea and shallow sea navigation, and has the ability of extremely low-energy suspended measurement and fixed-point and fixed-depth measurement. The combined switching of multiple modes achieves energy-saving effects.
Smart Images
Figure CN223371120U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of marine equipment, and in particular relates to a multi-mode motion low-energy consumption unmanned autonomous submersible based on propulsion and buoyancy regulation. Background Art
[0002] An unmanned underwater vehicle is an unmanned intelligent system that navigates underwater through autonomous control or remote control and can replace divers or small submarines to perform high-risk underwater tasks such as deep-sea exploration, rescue, reconnaissance, and mine clearance.
[0003] Existing autonomous unmanned submersibles primarily include autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and underwater gliders (AUGs). AUVs have the advantage of high maneuverability and rapid movement, but their disadvantages are high energy consumption, an inability to sustain long-term operations (over seven days), and a low cost-effectiveness ratio. AUGs have the advantage of low energy consumption, long operating times (up to 60 days), and the ability to conduct large-scale ocean surveys. However, their disadvantages are their need to generate power by gliding underwater, resulting in poor maneuverability and a requirement for deep ocean environments. In specific exploration applications, there is a need for an unmanned submersible that combines the maneuverability of an AUV for shallow-water operations with the low energy consumption of an AUG for long-term multi-profile surveillance.
[0004] In view of the above-mentioned prior art, the applicant has made a useful design, and the technical solution to be introduced below is produced in this context. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a multi-mode motion low-energy consumption unmanned autonomous submersible based on propulsion and buoyancy regulation, which has high maneuverability and can navigate on the sea surface and in shallow waters; it can perform suspended measurement or fixed-point and fixed-depth measurement with extremely low energy consumption.
[0006] The purpose of the present utility model is achieved in this way: a multi-mode motion low-energy consumption unmanned autonomous underwater vehicle based on propulsion and buoyancy adjustment includes a pressure hull, a front shroud, a rear shroud, an attitude adjustment unit, a detection sensor, a buoyancy adjustment unit, a main propeller, a side propeller, a glider wing and a communication unit. The front shroud is installed at the front end of the pressure hull, the rear shroud is installed at the rear end of the pressure hull, the attitude adjustment unit, the detection sensor and the buoyancy adjustment unit are installed inside the pressure hull, the main propeller is installed at the tail end of the rear shroud, the side propellers are in a pair, which are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the front shroud, the glider wings are in a pair, which are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the rear end of the pressure hull, and the communication unit is installed above the tail of the rear shroud.
[0007] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the pressure-resistant shell is composed of a front end cover, a front shell, an intermediate rib ring, a rear shell and a rear end cover, which are connected and installed in sequence from front to rear. The front end cover and the rear end cover are hemispherical structures with end cover sealing grooves formed at the ports, and the end cover sealing grooves are embedded with end cover O-rings. The intermediate rib ring is formed with rib ring sealing grooves at both ends, and O-rings are embedded in the rib ring sealing grooves. The front shell and the rear shell are hollow tube structures, and the two ends of the intermediate rib ring form static seals with one end of the front shell and one end of the rear shell respectively. The other end of the front shell forms a static seal with the port of the front end cover, and the other end of the rear shell forms a static seal with the port of the rear end cover.
[0008] In another specific embodiment of the present invention, the attitude adjustment unit is installed in the front shell of the pressure-resistant shell, and includes a gravity block, a guide rail, a screw motor and a displacement sensor. The gravity block is a battery pack composed of multiple battery cells, which is also used for power supply. The gravity block is formed with a square hole along the axial direction in the middle, and the guide rail is passed through the square hole. The gravity block is formed with a groove along the axial direction at the top, and guide rods are provided on both sides of the groove. The screw of the screw motor is accommodated in the groove, and a slider is provided at the telescopic end of the screw. The left and right ends of the slider are respectively slidably connected to the guide rod. The slider is connected to the gravity block by transmission. The screw motor rotates to drive the gravity block to move forward and backward, changing the center of gravity of the submersible. The displacement sensor is installed on the screw motor to monitor the distance the gravity block moves forward and backward.
[0009] In another specific embodiment of the present invention, the buoyancy regulating unit includes an inner oil tank located at the rear end of the pressure hull, a bracket, a gear pump group, a solenoid valve, a one-way valve, a pipeline, and an outer bladder located in the rear deflector, the bracket connecting the inner oil tank and the rear end cover, the pipeline having a pair of gear pump group connectors, a pair of solenoid valve connectors, an inner oil tank connector, and an outer bladder connector, the pair of gear pump group connectors being connected to the gear pump group, the pair of solenoid valve connectors being connected to the solenoid valve, the inner oil tank connector being connected to the inner oil tank, and the outer bladder connector being connected to the outer bladder, the gear pump group being used to pump the hydraulic oil in the inner oil tank into the outer bladder, thereby increasing the volume of the submersible entering the water to increase the buoyancy and enable the submersible to float up; the solenoid valve being used to cause the hydraulic oil in the outer bladder to automatically return to the inner oil tank under the action of pressure, thereby reducing the volume of the submersible entering the water to reduce the buoyancy and enable the submersible to dive, and the one-way valve being connected to the inner oil tank to prevent the hydraulic oil from returning to the inner oil tank.
[0010] In another specific embodiment of the present invention, the main thruster is installed at the tail axis position of the rear fairing for forward or backward propulsion; a pair of side thrusters are respectively located at the horizontal centerline positions on the left and right sides of the front fairing, and are connected to the front fairing through a fixed bracket for left or right propulsion.
[0011] In another specific embodiment of the present invention, the glider wings are carbon fiber wings, which are installed on the left and right sides of the horizontal center line of the rear shell of the pressure-resistant shell and are fixed to the middle rib ring and the rear end cover through a carbon fiber connecting frame.
[0012] In another specific embodiment of the present invention, the communication unit is installed on the upper part of the central axis of the rear fairing and is located on the upper part of the main propeller. When the submersible is in a communication posture mode with its head facing down and its tail facing up, the communication unit emerges from the water surface and establishes communication with the shore or satellite.
[0013] In a more specific embodiment of the present invention, the front fairing is in the shape of a spherical cylinder with a detachable end cover on the top, and a front fairing interface for charging the submersible is provided inside the end cover; the rear fairing is in the shape of a fishtail with detachable side covers on the left and right sides, and an interface for powering on and off the submersible and transmitting data is provided outside the rear end cover. By removing the side covers, the submersible can be powered on and off and data can be transmitted.
[0014] Due to the adoption of the above structure, the utility model has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art: it has high maneuverability and can navigate on the sea surface and in shallow waters; it can also perform gliding motion or vertical diving and floating by adjusting the posture and buoyancy, and switch between multiple modes in combination, which has a good energy-saving effect; it can adjust the buoyancy underwater to perform suspended measurement within a fixed depth with extremely low energy consumption, or carry out fixed-point and fixed-depth measurement by anti-current propulsion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the overall structure of the utility model;
[0016] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the utility model;
[0017] Figure 3 This is a structural exploded view of the posture adjustment unit described in the present utility model;
[0018] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the posture adjustment unit described in the present utility model;
[0019] Figure 5 This is a structural exploded view of the buoyancy adjustment unit described in the present utility model;
[0020] Figure 6This is a structural diagram of the buoyancy regulating unit described in the present utility model.
[0021] Figure: 1. Pressure hull, 11. Front end cover, 12. Front housing, 13. Intermediate rib ring, 14. Rear housing, 15. Rear end cover; 2. Front air duct, 21. Removable end cover; 3. Rear air duct, 31. Removable side cover; 4. Attitude adjustment unit, 41. Gravity block, 411. Square hole, 412. Groove, 413. Guide rod, 42. Guide rail, 43. Screw motor, 431. Screw, 432. Slider , 44. Displacement sensor; 5. Detection sensor; 6. Buoyancy adjustment unit, 61. Internal fuel tank, 62. Bracket, 63. Gear pump group, 64. Solenoid valve, 65. One-way valve, 66. Pipeline, 661. Gear pump group connector, 662. Solenoid valve connector, 663. Internal fuel tank connector, 664. Outer bladder connector, 67. Outer bladder; 7. Main thruster; 8. Side thruster; 9. Glider wing; 10. Communication unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] The specific implementation methods of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the description of the embodiments does not limit the technical solution. Any changes in form rather than substance based on the concept of the present invention should be regarded as within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0023] In the following description, all concepts related to directionality (or orientation) such as up, down, left, right, front and back are with respect to the position state of the figure being described, and are intended to facilitate public understanding. Therefore, they should not be understood as special limitations on the technical solutions provided by the present invention.
[0024] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 The utility model relates to a multi-mode motion low-energy consumption unmanned autonomous underwater vehicle based on propulsion and buoyancy regulation, including a pressure-resistant shell 1, a front fairing 2, a rear fairing 3, an attitude adjustment unit 4, a detection sensor 5, a buoyancy adjustment unit 6, a main thruster 7, a side thruster 8, a glider wing 9 and a communication unit 10.
[0025] The pressure-resistant shell 1 is made of aluminum alloy and consists of a front cover 11, a front shell 12, an intermediate rib ring 13, a rear shell 14, and a rear cover 15, which are connected and installed in sequence from front to rear. The front cover 11 and rear cover 15 are hemispherical structures with end cover sealing grooves formed at the ports. These end cover sealing grooves are embedded with end cover O-rings. The intermediate rib ring 13 has rib ring sealing grooves formed at both ends, each with an O-ring embedded in the rib ring sealing groove. The front shell 12 and rear shell 14 are hollow tube structures. The ends of the intermediate rib ring 13 form static seals with one end of the front shell 12 and one end of the rear shell 14, respectively. The other end of the front shell 12 forms a static seal with the port of the front cover 11, and the other end of the rear shell 14 forms a static seal with the port of the rear cover 15. Finally, the pressure-resistant shell 1 is evacuated using a vacuum pump to form a secure seal. The posture adjustment unit 4 is installed in the front shell 12, the detection sensor 5 is installed in the middle rib ring 13, a part of the buoyancy adjustment unit 6 is installed in the rear shell 14, and the other part is installed in the rear invertor 3.
[0026] The front shroud 2 is mounted at the front end of the pressure hull 1. It is cylindrical and spherical, with a removable end cap 21 at the top. This end cap 21 houses a front shroud interface. Removing this end cap 21 allows charging of the submersible. The rear shroud 3 is mounted at the rear end of the pressure hull 1. It is fishtail-shaped and features removable side caps 31 on its left and right sides. An interface for powering the submersible on and off and transmitting data is located outside the rear end cap 15. Removing these side caps 31 allows powering on and off, and data transmission to the submersible.
[0027] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 The attitude adjustment unit 4 is mounted within the front housing 12 of the pressure hull 1 and includes a weight block 41, a guide rail 42, a lead screw motor 43, and a displacement sensor 44. The weight block 41 is a battery pack composed of multiple cells and also serves as a power source. A square hole 411 is formed axially in the center of the weight block 41, through which the guide rail 42 passes. A groove 412 is formed axially at the top of the weight block 41, with guide rods 413 positioned on either side of the groove 412. A lead screw 431 of the lead screw motor 43 is housed within the groove 412. Sliders 432 are positioned at the telescopic ends of the lead screw 431. The left and right ends of the sliders 432 are slidably connected to the guide rods 413, respectively. The sliders 432 are in transmission connection with the weight block 21. Rotation of the lead screw motor 43 drives the weight block 41 to move forward and backward, changing the submersible's center of gravity. This changes the submersible's vertical attitude and thus controls its vertical trajectory.
[0028] The displacement sensor 44 is mounted on the lead screw motor 43 and is used to monitor the distance the gravity block 41 moves forward and backward.
[0029] See Figure 5 and Figure 6 The buoyancy adjustment unit 6 includes an inner tank 61 located at the rear end of the pressure hull 1, a bracket 62, a gear pump assembly 63, a solenoid valve 64, a check valve 65, a pipeline 66, and an outer bladder 67 located within the rear deflector 3. The bracket 62 connects the inner tank 61 to the rear end cover 15. The pipeline 66 includes a pair of gear pump assembly connectors 661, a pair of solenoid valve connectors 662, an inner tank connector 663, and an outer bladder connector 664. The gear pump assembly connectors 661 are connected to the gear pump assembly 63, the solenoid valve connectors 662 are connected to the solenoid valve 64, the inner tank connector 663 is connected to the inner tank 61, and the outer bladder connector 664 is connected to the outer bladder 67. The gear pump assembly 63 is used to pump hydraulic oil from the inner tank 61 into the outer bladder 67, increasing the submerged volume of the submersible and thereby increasing buoyancy, allowing the submersible to ascend. The solenoid valve 64 is used to automatically return the hydraulic oil in the outer bladder 67 to the inner tank 61 under pressure. When diving is required, the solenoid valve 64 is opened, and the hydraulic oil in the outer bladder 67 is automatically returned to the inner tank 61 under pressure, thereby reducing the submerged volume of the submersible and further reducing the buoyancy, allowing the submersible to dive. The one-way valve 65 is connected to the inner tank 61 to prevent the hydraulic oil from returning to the inner tank 61 through the oil outlet pipeline.
[0030] See you next time Figure 1 and Figure 2 The main propeller 7 is fixedly mounted on the rear axis of the rear fairing 3 via two semicircular hoops for forward or backward propulsion. A pair of side thrusters 8 are fixed to the horizontal centerline positions on the left and right sides of the front fairing 2 via circular fixing brackets. They are connected to the front fairing 2 via the fixing brackets for left or right propulsion. A pair of glider wings 9 are made of carbon fiber and are located on either side of the horizontal centerline of the rear shell 14. They are fixed to the rear end cover 15 and the intermediate rib ring 13 via a carbon fiber connecting frame 91, providing horizontal stability and lift during gliding.
[0031] When the buoyancy adjustment unit 6 increases the buoyancy, the buoy floats up. At the same time, the posture adjustment unit 4 moves the gravity block 41 to adjust the center of gravity. When the center of gravity is close to the buoyancy center, the buoy becomes horizontal. By turning on the main propeller 7, the buoy moves forward, and the side propeller 8 is started to adjust the course. When the course measured by the detection sensor 5 reaches the set navigation direction, the buoy can be propelled beyond the set target level. When it is necessary to dive, the buoyancy adjustment unit 6 reduces the buoyancy to make the buoy sink. At the same time, the posture adjustment unit 4 moves the gravity block 41 to adjust the center of gravity.
[0032] When it is necessary to dive, the buoyancy adjustment unit 6 reduces the buoyancy to make the snorkel sink. At the same time, the posture adjustment unit 4 moves the gravity block 41 and adjusts the center of gravity. When the center of gravity is moved forward, the snorkel can dive in a vertical posture. When it reaches the specified depth, the buoyancy is adjusted to the balanced buoyancy to achieve fixed depth suspension. This working mode does not require the main thruster 7 and the side thruster 8 to be turned on for a long time, which can achieve the purpose of saving electricity.
[0033] When it is necessary to quickly float up, the main propeller 7 can be turned on and reversed to achieve the purpose of quickly pulling up the snorkeling target.
[0034] The submersible can also perform an extremely power-saving gliding mode, that is, when the attitude is adjusted to a certain tilt angle, the buoyancy adjustment unit 6 and the glider wing 9 are used to achieve zigzag gliding motion.
[0035] The submersible can also navigate horizontally, vertically dive and ascend, glide at an angle, or hover at a constant depth. The horizontal navigation mode uses high-power propulsion to quickly and accurately reach the target coordinates; the vertical dive and ascend, glide at an angle, or hover at a constant depth modes use buoyancy regulation to generate minimal power, allowing it to dive, ascend, hover, or glide to the target area. Switching between these multiple modes allows for energy savings.
[0036] The communication unit 10 is mounted above the central axis of the rear fairing 3 and above the main thruster 2. When the submersible is in the communication attitude mode (nose down, tail up), the communication unit 10 emerges from the water and establishes communication with shore-based or satellite-based systems. The communication unit 10 transmits underwater measurement data to the command and control center via wireless or satellite links. Simultaneously, the command and control center sends back instructions for the next profiling mission.
Claims
1. A multi-mode motion low-energy unmanned autonomous underwater vehicle based on propulsion and buoyancy regulation, characterized by: The invention comprises a pressure-resistant shell (1), a front shroud (2), a rear shroud (3), an attitude adjustment unit (4), a detection sensor (5), a buoyancy adjustment unit (6), a main propeller (7), a side propeller (8), a glider wing (9) and a communication unit (10), wherein the front shroud (2) is mounted at the front end of the pressure-resistant shell (1), the rear shroud (3) is mounted at the rear end of the pressure-resistant shell (1), the attitude adjustment unit (4), the detection sensor (5) and the buoyancy adjustment unit (6) are mounted inside the pressure-resistant shell (1), the main propeller (7) is mounted at the rear end of the rear shroud (3), a pair of side propellers (8) are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the front shroud (2), a pair of glider wings (9) are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the rear end of the pressure-resistant shell (1), and the communication unit (10) is mounted above the rear end of the rear shroud (3).
2. The multi-mode motion low-energy consumption unmanned autonomous underwater vehicle based on propulsion and buoyancy regulation according to claim 1 is characterized by: The pressure-resistant shell (1) is composed of a front cover (11), a front shell (12), an intermediate rib ring (13), a rear shell (14) and a rear cover (15) which are connected and installed in sequence from front to rear. The front cover (11) and the rear cover (15) are hemispherical structures with end cover sealing grooves formed at the ports, and end cover O-type sealing rings are embedded in the end cover sealing grooves. The intermediate rib ring (13) is formed with rib ring sealing grooves at both ends, and O-type sealing rings are embedded in the rib ring sealing grooves. The front shell (12) and the rear shell (14) are hollow tube structures. The two ends of the intermediate rib ring (13) form static seals with one end of the front shell (12) and one end of the rear shell (14), respectively. The other end of the front shell (12) forms a static seal with the port of the front cover (11), and the other end of the rear shell (14) forms a static seal with the port of the rear cover (15).
3. The multi-mode motion low-energy consumption unmanned autonomous underwater vehicle based on propulsion and buoyancy regulation according to claim 2 is characterized by: The posture adjustment unit (4) is installed in the front shell (12) of the pressure-resistant shell (1), and includes a weight block (41), a guide rail (42), a screw motor (43) and a displacement sensor (44). The weight block (41) is a battery pack composed of multiple cells and is also used for power supply. The weight block (41) is formed with a square hole (411) in the middle along the axial direction. The guide rail (42) is inserted into the square hole (411). The weight block (41) is formed with a groove (412) in the axial direction at the top, and guide rods ( 413), the screw (431) of the screw motor (43) is accommodated in the groove (412), a slider (432) is provided at the telescopic end of the screw (431), the left and right ends of the slider (432) are respectively slidably connected to the guide rod (413), the slider (432) is transmission-connected to the gravity block (21), the screw motor (43) rotates, driving the gravity block (41) to move forward and backward, thereby changing the center of gravity of the submersible, and the displacement sensor (44) is installed on the screw motor (43) for monitoring the distance the gravity block (41) moves forward and backward.
4. The multi-mode motion low-energy consumption unmanned autonomous underwater vehicle based on propulsion and buoyancy regulation according to claim 2, characterized in that: The buoyancy regulating unit (6) comprises an inner oil tank (61) located at the rear end of the pressure-resistant shell (1), a bracket (62), a gear pump group (63), a solenoid valve (64), a one-way valve (65), a pipeline (66), and an outer bladder (67) located in the rear deflector (3), wherein the bracket (62) is connected to the inner oil tank (61) and the rear end cover (15), and the pipeline (66) has a pair of gear pump group connectors (661), a pair of solenoid valve connectors (662), an inner oil tank connector (663), and an outer bladder connector (664), wherein the pair of gear pump group connectors (661) are connected to the gear pump group (63), and the pair of solenoid valve connectors (66 2) connected to the electromagnetic valve (64), the inner tank joint (663) is connected to the inner tank (61), the outer bladder joint (664) is connected to the outer bladder (67), the gear pump group (63) is used to pump the hydraulic oil in the inner tank (61) into the outer bladder (67), increase the volume of the submersible entering the water to increase the buoyancy, and realize the submersible floating up; the electromagnetic valve (64) is used to make the hydraulic oil in the outer bladder (67) automatically return to the inner tank (61) under the action of pressure, reduce the volume of the submersible entering the water to reduce the buoyancy, and realize the submersible diving, the one-way valve (65) is connected to the inner tank (61), and is used to prevent the hydraulic oil from returning to the inner tank (61).
5. The multi-mode motion low-energy consumption unmanned autonomous underwater vehicle based on propulsion and buoyancy regulation according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The main thruster (7) is installed at the tail axis position of the rear fairing (3) for forward or backward propulsion; a pair of side thrusters (8) are respectively located at the horizontal centerline positions on the left and right sides of the front fairing (2), and are connected to the front fairing (2) through a fixed bracket for left or right propulsion.
6. The multi-mode motion low-energy consumption unmanned autonomous underwater vehicle based on propulsion and buoyancy regulation according to claim 2, characterized in that: The glider wing (9) is a carbon fiber wing, which is installed on the left and right sides of the horizontal center line of the rear shell (14) of the pressure-resistant shell (1) and is fixed to the middle rib ring (13) and the rear end cover (15) through a carbon fiber connecting frame (91).
7. The multi-mode motion low-energy consumption unmanned autonomous underwater vehicle based on propulsion and buoyancy regulation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication unit (10) is installed on the upper part of the central axis of the rear fairing (3) and is located on the upper part of the main propeller (2). When the submersible is in a communication posture mode with its head facing downward and its tail facing upward, the communication unit (10) emerges from the water surface and establishes communication with a shore base or satellite.
8. The multi-mode motion low-energy consumption unmanned autonomous underwater vehicle based on propulsion and buoyancy regulation according to claim 1 is characterized by: The front fairing (2) is in the shape of a spherical head cylinder, with a detachable end cover (21) provided on the top, and a front cover interface for charging the submersible is provided in the end cover (21); the rear fairing (3) is in the shape of a fishtail, with detachable side covers (31) provided on the left and right sides, and a rear cover interface for powering on and transmitting data to the submersible is provided in the detachable side covers (31).