A deep-sea towing screw type tail wing driving device

Abstract

This utility model relates to a screw-type tail fin drive device for deep-sea towing systems, comprising a motor compartment, a motor module, a pressure compensator module, and a screw drive execution module. The motor compartment includes a body, an upper cover, a lower cover, and a sleeve. The motor module includes a stepper motor and a reducer, with the output end of the stepper motor connected to the reducer. The screw drive execution module includes a trapezoidal screw, a trapezoidal sleeve, and an oil seal adapter assembly. The inner end of the trapezoidal screw is connected to the output end of the reducer, and the trapezoidal sleeve is threaded onto the outer side of the trapezoidal screw, connecting to the tail fin of the deep-sea towing system. The oil seal adapter assembly is positioned between the trapezoidal screw and the motor compartment to form a rotary dynamic seal. This utility model integrates the stepper motor, reducer, control module, and pressure compensator into a single oil-filled sealed compartment, forming an integrated tail fin execution unit that combines drive, transmission, sealing, and pressure balance. It features a compact structure, precise control, reliable sealing, and convenient maintenance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of deep-sea towing equipment drive technology, specifically a screw-type tail fin drive device for deep-sea towing. Background Technology

[0002] The application of deep-sea mobile exploration platforms such as deep-sea towed systems and autonomous underwater vehicles is becoming increasingly widespread, leading to higher requirements for operational accuracy and environmental adaptability. The tail fin is a core component for adjusting the towed body's depth, pitch attitude, and heading. Currently, most deep-sea towed systems still use fixed tail fins, which only provide passive stability and are difficult to actively adjust the towed body's attitude to adapt to complex ocean currents and diverse exploration mission requirements. Adjustable tail fins have become crucial for improving the operational capabilities of deep-sea towed systems.

[0003] Adjustable tail fins place extremely high demands on the drive motor's response accuracy, sealing reliability, and long-term lifespan. In the deep-sea environment thousands of meters below the surface, the drive unit must withstand extremely high hydrostatic pressure, seawater corrosion, and long-term continuous operation. Current technologies still have several shortcomings: First, the deep-sea sealing solutions have obvious drawbacks. Pure pressure-resistant shell solutions have significantly increased wall thickness with depth, resulting in large device size and weight, and poor adaptability; mechanical rotary seal solutions wear out quickly, have short lifespans, and are prone to seawater infiltration under long-term high pressure, leading to motor short-circuit failure, making it difficult to meet the requirements of long-term continuous operation.

[0004] Secondly, the drive control system is complex and costly. Existing adjustable tail fins mostly use a DC servo motor paired with a fully closed-loop sensor and braking mechanism. The system has many components and a complex structure, resulting in many potential failure points in the deep-sea environment. Furthermore, the long-distance towed cable transmission of analog control signals is susceptible to interference, leading to insufficient control stability.

[0005] Third, the technological advantages of stepper motors have not been systematically applied in deep-sea tail fin scenarios. Stepper motors have the inherent advantages of precise open-loop positioning and power-off self-locking, but existing applications are mostly limited to shallow water scenarios and have not been deeply integrated with deep-sea pressure compensation and oil-filled sealing technologies, making them unsuitable for direct application in tail fin drive scenarios at depths of thousands of meters.

[0006] Fourth, the adaptability of general-purpose deep-sea motors is poor. Most existing deep-sea motors are general-purpose designs that have not been optimized for the load characteristics, installation space, and interface requirements of tail fin screw drives. They are structurally redundant, have low integration, are inconvenient to maintain, and have poor compatibility with existing deep-sea towing systems. Utility Model Content

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a screw-type tail fin drive device for deep-sea towing, which integrates stepper motor drive and deep-sea pressure compensation, resulting in a compact structure, precise control, reliable sealing, and convenient maintenance, thereby solving the aforementioned problems of the prior art.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A screw-type tail fin drive device for deep-sea towing is characterized by comprising a motor compartment, a motor module and a pressure compensator module disposed inside the motor compartment, and a screw drive execution module connected to one axial side of the motor compartment; the motor compartment includes a compartment body, and an upper cover and a lower cover respectively sealed and connected to both ends of the compartment body, with a sleeve sealed and connected to the lower cover; the motor module includes a stepper motor and a reducer, with the output end of the stepper motor being drively connected to the reducer; the pressure compensator module includes a piston axially movable inside the sleeve, with a seal on the piston. One end of the sleeve is connected to the bladder, and the other end of the bladder is sealed and connected to the inside of the motor compartment. The upper cover, the compartment body, the lower cover, and the bladder together form a sealed oil-filled cavity. The sleeve has a water inlet that communicates with the outside of the motor compartment. The screw drive actuator module includes a trapezoidal screw, a trapezoidal sleeve, and an oil seal adapter assembly. The inner end of the trapezoidal screw is connected to the output end of the reducer. The trapezoidal sleeve is threaded onto the outer side of the trapezoidal screw. The trapezoidal sleeve is connected to the tail fin of the deep-sea towing system. The oil seal adapter assembly is set between the trapezoidal screw and the motor compartment to form a rotary dynamic seal.

[0009] Furthermore, the screw drive actuator module also includes a screw flange and a trapezoidal adapter. One end of the trapezoidal screw is fixedly connected to the screw flange, and the screw flange is fixedly connected to the trapezoidal adapter. The oil seal adapter assembly includes an adapter sleeve, the trapezoidal adapter is fixedly connected to the adapter sleeve, and the output end of the reducer is drively connected to the adapter sleeve.

[0010] Furthermore, the oil seal adapter assembly also includes an oil seal, which is fixedly connected to the upper cover and forms a rotary dynamic seal with the adapter sleeve.

[0011] Furthermore, the motor module also includes a driver and an encoder that are respectively fixed to the reducer and the stepper motor on both sides of the circumference and are electrically connected to each other. The driver is also electrically connected to the stepper motor.

[0012] Furthermore, the motor compartment is equipped with a liquid level alarm switch corresponding to the piston stroke.

[0013] Furthermore, the motor compartment is connected to a quick connector for filling or venting the compartment.

[0014] Furthermore, the motor compartment is connected to a watertight penetration component for transmitting power and electrical signals between the inside and outside of the compartment.

[0015] Furthermore, the upper and lower covers are respectively fitted with sealing rings at their connection points with the cabin body.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are: 1. This utility model integrates a stepper motor, reducer, control module, and pressure compensator into a single oil-filled sealed chamber, forming an integrated tail fin actuator unit that combines "drive-transmission-sealing-pressure balance". Compared to a separate design with an independent motor and external compensator, the overall structure is more compact, smaller in size and weight. The output interface uses a standard screw drive pair, which can be directly connected to the tail fin structure of a deep-sea towing system without additional adaptation or modification, making it suitable for the limited installation space of deep-sea towing systems.

[0017] 2. This invention uses a stepper motor as the drive source, achieving precise angular displacement through pulse open-loop control. Combined with encoder feedback, it forms a semi-closed loop, ensuring positioning accuracy meets the tail fin adjustment requirements. Furthermore, the stepper motor possesses a natural power-off self-locking characteristic, maintaining the tail fin angle without the need for an additional braking mechanism, thus resisting ocean current impact loads. Compared to traditional DC servo solutions, it eliminates the complex fully closed-loop control unit and independent braking components, resulting in a simpler system with fewer potential failure points and lower costs. Simultaneously, the pulse control signal exhibits strong anti-interference capabilities in long-distance towed cable transmission, making it suitable for deep-sea towed long-distance transmission scenarios.

[0018] 3. This invention employs a bladder-type pressure compensator, which automatically balances the pressure inside and outside the tank according to depth, ensuring that the oil pressure inside the tank is always slightly higher than the external seawater pressure, creating a slightly positive pressure environment. This ensures that when the seal fails, the oil inside the tank overflows outward, preventing seawater from flowing back into the tank. At the same time, the insulating oil inside the tank provides continuous lubrication for rotating parts and seals, reducing the wear rate. Compared to a pure pressure-resistant shell solution, this design significantly reduces weight, and compared to a conventional mechanical seal solution, it significantly improves seal life, enabling long-term continuous operation in deep-sea environments at depths of several thousand meters.

[0019] 4. This utility model adopts a modular design. The motor module, screw transmission assembly, and pressure compensator module can all be disassembled and replaced independently, making on-site maintenance convenient. The output transmission interface and watertight penetration interface adopt universal standards, which can be adapted to different specifications of deep-sea towing tail fins and towing bodies. They can be directly connected to existing deep-sea towing systems without major modifications, and have strong engineering adaptability. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall front view of this utility model.

[0021] The attached figures are labeled as follows: 1. Trapezoidal threaded sleeve; 2. Trapezoidal screw; 3. Screw flange; 4. Trapezoidal adapter; 5. Adapter sleeve; 6. Top cover; 7. Quick connector; 8. Plug; 9. Oil seal; 10. Sealing ring; 11. Reducer; 12. Chamber; 13. Encoder; 14. Driver; 15. Stepper motor; 16. Rotating shaft base; 17. Bottom cover; 18. Liquid level alarm switch; 19. Sleeve; 20. Leak; 21. Piston; 22. Gland; 23. Watertight perforation component; 24. Pressure compensator module. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0023] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0024] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0025] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0026] Please see Figures 1 to 3This embodiment provides a screw-type tail fin drive device for deep-sea towing systems. The device is an integrated electromechanical-hydraulic sealed drive unit used for the drive control of adjustable tail fins in deep-sea towing systems, enabling precise adjustment of the tail fin's pitch angle. The device includes a motor housing, a motor module, a screw drive actuator module, and a pressure compensator module 24. The motor module and pressure compensator module 24 are integrated inside the motor housing. The screw drive actuator module extends out of the motor housing and is mechanically connected to the tail fin. The power output from the motor module is converted from rotation to linear motion by the screw drive actuator module to drive the tail fin's deflection.

[0027] The motor compartment is the main load-bearing and sealing component of the device, including an upper cover 6, a lower cover 17, a sleeve 19 fixedly and sealed below the lower cover 17, and a compartment 12 fixedly and sealed between the upper cover 6 and the lower cover 17. The sleeve 19 is a cylindrical structure, with one end sealed and fixedly connected to the outside of the lower cover 17. O-rings 10 are respectively installed on the connecting sealing surfaces of the upper cover 6 and the lower cover 17 on the compartment 12, and are tightened with bolts to form a static seal. The upper cover 6 has multiple through holes connecting the inside and outside of the motor compartment. Plugs 8, quick connectors 7, and watertight penetration components 23 are threaded and sealed at these through holes. Plugs 8 are used to seal spare interfaces; quick connectors 7 are used for filling and venting oil inside the compartment; and the watertight penetration component 23 is a watertight structure through which power and signal cables pass to the outside of the compartment, connecting to an external host computer to achieve power and signal transmission between the inside and outside of the compartment. The liquid level alarm switch 18 is fixedly installed inside the motor compartment, corresponding to the stroke of the piston 21. When the oil level in the sealed oil-filled chamber decreases, the piston 21 retracts axially inward to the threshold position, triggering the liquid level alarm switch 18. The alarm signal is transmitted to the host computer via a cable through the watertight perforated compartment 23, outputting a low oil level warning and prompting maintenance. A rotating shaft base 16 is connected to the outer side of the circumferential side wall of the compartment 12. A rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft base 16 via bearings. The rotating shaft is connected to the tail fin and swings in coordination.

[0028] The motor module is the core of the device's drive and control. It is housed within a sealed, oil-filled chamber in the motor compartment and includes a stepper motor 15, a reducer 11, an encoder 13, and a driver 14. The output flange of the stepper motor 15 and the input flange of the reducer 11 are directly bolted together to ensure coaxiality and torque transmission efficiency. The reducer 11 is a planetary reducer with a solid output shaft featuring a key, extending outwards to connect with the screw drive module for power transmission, achieving speed reduction and torque amplification to meet the high torque load requirements of the tail fin drive. The circuit boards of the driver 14, which are electrically connected to each other, are fixed to the circumferential side of the stepper motor 15 and the reducer 11 by hexagonal copper pillars. The encoder 13 is used to collect the angular displacement signal of the output shaft of the reducer 11 in real time and feed it back to the driver 14. The resolution meets the requirements of tail wing angle adjustment accuracy. The driver 14 is also electrically connected to the stepper motor 15 to receive the control command transmitted by the host computer through the cable. After parsing, it outputs drive pulses to control the forward and reverse rotation of the stepper motor 15. At the same time, it receives the feedback signal from the encoder 13, forming a semi-closed-loop position control system to correct stepping errors and ensure angle control accuracy.

[0029] The screw drive actuator module is an actuator that converts rotary motion into linear displacement. Located at the upper end of the motor housing, it includes a trapezoidal screw sleeve 1, a trapezoidal screw 2, a screw flange 3, a trapezoidal adapter 4, an adapter sleeve 5, and an oil seal 9. The trapezoidal screw 2 is a drive screw with an external trapezoidal thread. Its inner end is welded and fixed to the center of the screw flange 3. The screw flange 3 is fixed to the outer end face of the trapezoidal adapter 4 by multiple circumferentially arranged screws. The trapezoidal adapter 4 is then fixed to the outer end plane of the adapter sleeve 5 by screws, achieving a step-by-step transmission connection. The inner hole of the adapter sleeve 5 has a keyway. The output shaft of the reducer 11 is inserted into the keyway of the adapter sleeve 5. The flat key on the shaft fits against the side of the keyway. When the output shaft of the reducer 11 rotates, the flat key presses against the side wall of the keyway to transmit torque, causing the adapter sleeve 5, the trapezoidal adapter 4, the screw flange 3, and the trapezoidal screw 2 to rotate synchronously. The trapezoidal threaded sleeve 1 is a transmission sleeve with an internal trapezoidal thread. Its thread is fitted onto the outer end of the trapezoidal screw 2. The outer end of the trapezoidal threaded sleeve 1 is fixedly connected to the tail fin transmission structure of the deep-sea towing system by a screw. The trapezoidal screw 2 and the trapezoidal threaded sleeve 1 form a helical transmission pair, converting rotational motion into axial linear motion, which drives the tail fin to deflect. The oil seal 9 is embedded in the annular groove inside the upper cover 6 and is fitted onto the circumferential outer side of the adapter sleeve 5, forming a rotary dynamic seal to prevent the leakage of insulating oil inside the tank and the infiltration of external seawater.

[0030] The pressure compensator module 24 is located at the lower end of the motor compartment and is used to achieve automatic pressure balance in deep-sea environments. It includes a bladder 20, a piston 21, and a pressure cap 22. The bladder 20 is a bladder-shaped structure made of elastic, oil-resistant, and corrosion-resistant material, with its open end turned outward. The pressure cap 22 presses and fixes the outer end face of the bladder 20 to the flat inner end face of the piston 21 and locks it in place with screws. At the same time, the inner end face of the bladder 20 is pressed and fixed to the connecting sealing surface between the sleeve 19 and the lower cover 17, forming a static seal. This allows the bladder 20 and piston 21 to be housed as a whole inside the sleeve 19. The upper cover 6, the compartment 12, the lower cover 17, and the bladder 20 together form a sealed oil-filled cavity. A water inlet communicating with the outside of the motor compartment is provided on the bottom wall of the sleeve 19. During operation, the external seawater pressure enters the sleeve 19 through the inlet and acts on the outer end face of the piston 21, pushing the piston 21 axially inward to compress the bladder 20. This pressure is then transmitted to the insulating oil inside the sealed oil-filled cavity, ensuring that the pressure inside the sealed oil-filled cavity is always slightly higher than the external seawater pressure, creating a slightly positive pressure environment that prevents seawater from seeping in. At the same time, the internal and external pressures are automatically balanced according to the diving depth to avoid excessive pressure difference between the hull 12 and the seals.

[0031] The working principle of this utility model: The working process of this device consists of three parts: tail fin deflection drive, tail fin lifting drive, and deep-sea pressure compensation. ① The host computer issues a tail deflection command based on the towed body's attitude requirements. The control signal is transmitted to the in-cabin driver 14 via the tow cable and watertight penetration component 23. After parsing the command, the driver 14 outputs a positive pulse sequence, driving the stepper motor 15 to rotate forward. After being reduced in speed and torque by the planetary reducer 11, the output shaft drives the trapezoidal screw 2 to rotate synchronously forward. The rotation of the trapezoidal screw 2 drives the trapezoidal sleeve 1 to move inward along the screw axis through thread engagement. The sleeve drives the tail fin transmission structure to deflect downward, thereby increasing the tail fin's depression angle. During the process, the encoder 13 collects the output shaft angular displacement in real time and feeds it back to the driver 14 to correct the step number, ensuring that the deflection angle is precise and controllable.

[0032] ② When the host computer issues a tail fin lift command, the driver 14 outputs a reverse pulse sequence, the stepper motor 15 reverses, driving the trapezoidal screw 2 to reverse as well. The trapezoidal sleeve 1 moves outward along the screw, causing the tail fin to lift upward, reducing the pitch angle or achieving pitch adjustment. When the stepper motor 15 is de-energized, it has its own holding torque, which can lock the current angle position. Without an additional braking mechanism, it can stably maintain the tail fin attitude and resist ocean current impact loads.

[0033] ③ During the descent of the device, the external seawater pressure increases with depth. This pressure acts on the outside of piston 21, pushing it inward and compressing the bladder 20 and the insulating oil inside the chamber. This causes the oil pressure inside the chamber to rise synchronously, maintaining a pressure slightly higher than the external water pressure, creating a micro-positive pressure. This micro-positive pressure effectively prevents seawater from seeping into the sealing gaps and provides continuous lubrication for the rotary seal, improving sealing reliability and service life. When the oil level inside the chamber decreases and piston 21 retracts inward to trigger the liquid level alarm switch 18, the system automatically uploads an alarm signal and sends it back to the host computer for warning, prompting relevant personnel to take appropriate action.

[0034] As an alternative, the stepper motor 15 can be replaced by a brushless DC servo motor, a switched reluctance motor, or a permanent magnet synchronous servo motor, which, together with the corresponding driver 14 and the high-resolution encoder 13, forms a fully closed-loop control system to meet the needs of large tail wing drives with higher power and faster response; the pressure compensator can also be replaced by a metal bellows compensator or a spring piston 21 compensator to achieve the same pressure compensation function.

[0035] Although the present invention has been described using the above preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any changes and modifications made by those skilled in the art to the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A screw-type tail fin drive device for deep-sea towing, characterized in that, It includes a motor compartment, a motor module and a pressure compensator module (24) located inside the motor compartment, and a screw drive actuator module connected to one axial side of the motor compartment; The motor compartment includes a compartment body (12), and an upper cover (6) and a lower cover (17) respectively sealed and connected to both ends of the compartment body (12). A sleeve (19) is sealed and connected to the lower cover (17). The motor module includes a stepper motor (15) and a reducer (11), with the output end of the stepper motor (15) being connected to the reducer (11) in a transmission connection. The pressure compensator module (24) includes a piston (21) that is axially movable inside the sleeve (19). One end of the bladder (20) is sealed to the piston (21), and the other end of the bladder (20) is sealed to the inside of the motor compartment. The upper cover (6), the compartment (12), the lower cover (17), and the bladder (20) together form a sealed oil-filled cavity. The sleeve (19) is provided with a water inlet that communicates with the outside of the motor compartment. The screw drive actuator module includes a trapezoidal screw (2), a trapezoidal sleeve (1), and an oil seal (9) adapter assembly. The inner end of the trapezoidal screw (2) is connected to the output end of the reducer (11). The trapezoidal sleeve (1) is threaded onto the outer side of the trapezoidal screw (2). The trapezoidal sleeve (1) is connected to the tail fin of the deep-sea towing system. The oil seal adapter assembly is set between the trapezoidal screw (2) and the motor compartment to form a rotary dynamic seal.

2. The deep-sea towed screw-type tail fin drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The screw drive execution module also includes a screw flange (3) and a trapezoidal adapter (4). One end of the trapezoidal screw (2) is fixedly connected to the screw flange (3), and the screw flange (3) is fixedly connected to the trapezoidal adapter (4). The oil seal adapter assembly includes an adapter sleeve (5), and the trapezoidal adapter (4) is fixedly connected to the adapter sleeve (5). The output end of the reducer (11) is connected to the adapter sleeve (5) in a transmission connection.

3. The deep-sea towed screw-type tail fin drive device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The oil seal adapter assembly also includes an oil seal (9), which is fixedly connected to the upper cover (6) and forms a rotary dynamic seal with the adapter sleeve (5).

4. The deep-sea towed screw-type tail fin drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The motor module also includes a driver (14) and an encoder (13) that are fixed to the reducer (11) and the stepper motor (15) respectively and electrically connected to each other. The driver (14) is also electrically connected to the stepper motor (15).

5. The deep-sea towed screw-type tail fin drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The motor compartment is equipped with a liquid level alarm switch (18) corresponding to the stroke of the piston (21).

6. The deep-sea towed screw-type tail fin drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The motor compartment is connected to a quick connector (7) for filling or venting the compartment.

7. The deep-sea towed screw-type tail fin drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The motor compartment is connected to a watertight penetration component (23) for transmitting power and electrical signals between the inside and outside of the compartment.

8. The deep-sea towed screw-type tail fin drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper cover (6) and lower cover (17) are respectively fitted with sealing rings (10) at the connection with the cabin body (12).

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