A configurable load-drag device

Abstract

The utility model relates to a configurable load towing device, and the device comprises a towing body, a flow guide head part arranged at the front end and a towing tail part arranged at the rear end, an internal launching cabin, a towing cable head at the front end, and an adjustable counterweight system located inside the flow guide head part. The core lies in that by adjusting the number or position of the adjustable counterweight blocks inside the flow guide head part, the load difference generated when installing different weight transducers (such as launching transducer arrays or side-scan transducer arrays) in the launching cabin can be balanced, so that the towing body always maintains a horizontal posture in water, and the stability of the detection performance is ensured. The shark fin structure of the towing tail part effectively reduces the sailing resistance. The utility model has a reasonable structure design, solves the balance and adaptability problem caused by the fixed weight of the transducer in the traditional towing device, and significantly improves the universality and operation efficiency of the equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of marine exploration equipment technology, and in particular to a configurable load towing device. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of marine exploration, towed arrays are crucial equipment for carrying acoustic transducers (such as transmitter transducer arrays and side-scan transducer arrays) to detect underwater targets. Currently, common towed arrays typically employ a fixed structural design, with their internal counterweights or overall balance pre-set for carrying specific types and weights of transducers. When it is necessary to replace transducers of different types or specifications, the weight differences between the transducers directly disrupt the hydrodynamic balance of the towed body, causing it to pitch or tilt during underwater navigation. This attitude instability severely affects the transducer's beam pointing accuracy and data quality, and may even interfere with towing stability.

[0003] In existing technologies, to address different task requirements, it is often necessary to design or significantly modify corresponding towing devices for transducers of different weights. This leads to problems such as poor equipment versatility, high operating costs, and low task switching efficiency. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a towing device that can flexibly adapt to different loads and quickly and conveniently adjust its own balance to maintain a stable horizontal working posture at all times. Utility Model Content

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides a configurable load towing device, comprising:

[0005] The towing body 1 is a hollow cylindrical structure, with a guide head 2 and a towing tail 5 arranged sequentially from front to back along its axial direction.

[0006] Launch compartment 3, located in the middle section of the tow body 1, is used to house the transducer;

[0007] The tow cable head 4 is fixedly connected to the front end of the tow body 1 and partially protrudes beyond the guide head 2 for connection with an external tow cable.

[0008] An adjustable counterweight system 6 is located in an independent compartment inside the flow guide head 2. The adjustable counterweight system 6 includes multiple detachable or movable counterweight blocks. By adding, removing, or adjusting the position of the counterweight blocks, the overall counterweight of the flow guide head 2 can be adjusted.

[0009] By adjusting the counterweight of the adjustable counterweight system 6, the towed body 1 can maintain a horizontal attitude in the water even when different weights or types of transducers are installed in the launch cabin 3.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the launch cabin 3 is provided with an openable hatch or a modular installation interface for detachably installing the launch transducer array 7 or the side-scan transducer array 8.

[0011] In one embodiment of this utility model, the tow tail 5 is a tapered structure, and its outer surface is provided with at least one shark fin-shaped spoiler to reduce the resistance to the current when the tow body 1 moves in the water.

[0012] In one embodiment of this utility model, the guide head 2 and the drag body 1 are fixed as an integral structure by means of threaded connection, flange connection or welding.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the counterweights of the adjustable counterweight system 6 are arranged along the axial direction of the guide head 2, and the center of gravity position can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the number of counterweights or by moving them along the axial direction.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the above-mentioned technical solution of this utility model has the following advantages: The configurable load towing device of this utility model, through the adjustable counterweight system of the guide head, can flexibly adapt to transducers of different weights, ensuring that the towed body always maintains a horizontal attitude in the water, thereby ensuring stable detection performance. Its modular design makes transducer replacement convenient, improving equipment versatility and operational efficiency. The shark fin-shaped tail effectively reduces fluid resistance and enhances navigation stability. The overall structure is simple and reliable, effectively solving the balance problem caused by the fixed load in traditional towing devices. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To make the content of this utility model easier to understand, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the configurable payload towing device equipped with a transmitting transducer according to this utility model. The following are marked in the figure: 1. Towing body, 2. Guide head, 3. Launch cabin, 4. Towing cable head, 5. Towing tail.

[0017] Figure 2 This is an axial cross-sectional view of the towing device described in this utility model, focusing on its internal structure. The following are marked in the figure: 6. Counterweight; 7. Transmitter array.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the configurable load towing device equipped with a side-scan transducer in Embodiment 2. The diagram shows: 8. Side-scan transducer array. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Example 1

[0020] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment provides a configurable payload towing device for carrying a transmitting transducer array.

[0021] The main body of the device is a streamlined tow body (1), whose outer shell is usually made of corrosion-resistant metal or composite material. The tow body (1) can be divided into three main parts from front to back along its length: the guide head (2), the middle section and the tow tail (5).

[0022] At the very front of the tow body (1), there is a tow cable head (4). The tow cable head (4) is usually rigidly connected to the front end structure of the tow body (1) by a flange or high-strength thread. Its external interface is used to connect with the tow cable released by the traction vessel, and is responsible for transmitting towing force and providing power and signal transmission channels.

[0023] The guide head (2) has a streamlined cover structure and is detachably connected to the middle section of the towing body (1) via flanges and sealing rings to form a watertight compartment. An adjustable counterweight system (6) is installed within this compartment. In this embodiment, the counterweight system consists of multiple standardized cylindrical lead blocks (i.e., counterweights) arranged sequentially along the axial direction of the guide head (2). These counterweights can be easily added or removed via the hatch cover. By increasing or decreasing the number of counterweights, the overall weight of the guide head (2) can be precisely adjusted.

[0024] Inside the central section of the tow body (1), there is a separate launch compartment (3). The launch compartment (3) is a sealed cylindrical cavity with watertight electrical connector interfaces on its side walls or end caps. In this embodiment, the launch transducer array (7) is fixed inside the launch compartment (3) by a dedicated mounting bracket, and its cable is connected to the cable introduced by the tow cable head (4) through a connector.

[0025] The tow tail (5) is fixedly connected to the rear end of the tow body (1), and its shape is a tapered cone. Two shark fin-shaped spoilers are symmetrically installed on the outer surface of the tail. This design can cut through the wake, effectively suppress the lateral sway and vortex generated by the tow body (1) during movement, significantly reduce the drag on the front of the flow, and improve the towing stability.

[0026] The towing device described in this embodiment operates as follows: When it is necessary to carry the transmitting transducer array (7) for operation, it is first installed in the transmitting compartment (3) and the electrical connection is completed. Then, based on the known weight of the transducer array, the required balance weight is calculated. The operator opens the hatch of the guide head (2) and adds or removes the corresponding number of standardized counterweights (6) into the counterweight compartment until the balance requirements calculated by the system are met. After the device enters the water, due to the balance adjustment of the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy, the towing body (1) can automatically maintain a near-horizontal attitude, ensuring that the acoustic beam of the transmitting transducer array (7) points to the detection area at the optimal angle.

[0027] Example 2

[0028] like Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment provides a configurable load towing device for mounting a side-scan transducer array.

[0029] The overall structure of this embodiment is basically the same as that of Embodiment 1, including a tow body (1), a guide head (2), a tow cable head (4), a tow tail (5), and an internal counterweight system (6). The core difference between the two lies in the type of transducer loaded in the launch compartment (3).

[0030] In this embodiment, a side-scan transducer array (8) is installed inside the launch compartment (3). The side-scan transducer array (8) typically has a different shape, size, and weight than the launch transducer array (7). It is installed inside the launch compartment (3) via a suitable bracket.

[0031] The towed device described in this embodiment operates as follows: When the mission requires switching from launch detection to side-scan detection, the entire towed device does not need to be replaced. Simply retrieve the device from Embodiment 1, open the launch chamber (3), remove the launch transducer array (7), and replace it with a side-scan transducer array (8). Since the two transducers have different weights, rebalancing is required after replacement. The operator adjusts the overall weight of the device again by adding or removing standardized counterweights (6) within the guide head (2). After rebalancing, the device maintains a horizontal attitude upon entering the water. At this time, the acoustic windows of the side-scan transducer array (8) point to both sides, enabling efficient topographic mapping.

[0032] In summary, as can be seen from the two embodiments above, the core of this invention lies in the modular launch bay design and the independent adjustable counterweight system located at the guide head. This structure separates the "functional payload" (transducer) from the "balance adjustment unit" (counterweight), allowing users to quickly adapt the same towed body to transducers of different weights and immediately restore its optimal working posture through only two standardized steps: "changing the payload" and "adjusting the counterweight." This greatly improves the equipment's versatility, mission switching efficiency, and economy, perfectly solving the balance, versatility, and cost problems of traditional towing devices described in the background art due to fixed loads.

[0033] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A configurable load towing device, characterized in that, include: The towing body (1) is a hollow cylindrical structure, with a guide head (2) and a towing tail (5) arranged sequentially from front to back along its axial direction; Launch compartment (3) is located in the middle section of the tow body (1); The tow cable head (4) is fixedly connected to the front end of the tow body (1) and partially protrudes beyond the guide head (2); An adjustable counterweight system (6) is located in an independent compartment inside the flow guide head (2). The adjustable counterweight system (6) includes multiple detachable or movable counterweight blocks. The overall counterweight of the flow guide head (2) can be adjusted by adding, removing or adjusting the position of the counterweight blocks.

2. The configurable load towing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The launch compartment (3) is equipped with an openable hatch or modular mounting interface for detachably mounting the launch transducer array (7) or the side-scan transducer array (8).

3. The configurable load towing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The trailing tail (5) has a tapered structure and its outer surface is provided with at least one shark fin-shaped spoiler.

4. The configurable load towing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide head (2) and the tow body (1) are fixed together as a single structure by means of threaded connection, flange connection or welding.

5. The configurable load towing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The counterweights of the adjustable counterweight system (6) are arranged along the axis of the guide head (2), and the center of gravity position can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the number of blocks or moving them along the axis.

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