Ejection sensing system and method from launcher platform for underwater vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ejection sensing system and method that enables the separation of underwater vehicles from the cartridge (launcher system) to be measured and reliably detected indirectly by various sensor configurations already present on the underwater vehicle for different purposes.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] EJECTION SENSING SYSTEM AND METHOD FROM LAUNCHER PLATFORM FOR UNDERWATER VEHICLES

[0003] Technical Field of the Invention

[0004] The present invention relates to an ejection sensing system and method that enables the separation of underwater vehicles from the cartridge (launcher system) to be measured and reliably detected indirectly by various sensor configurations already present on the underwater vehicle for different purposes.

[0005] State of the Art

[0006] In separating underwater vehicles from the cartridge (launching system), various detection systems and methods are used in known procedures. These methods have a low reliability in detecting separation, or require the installation of specialized sensor systems on the underwater vehicle. A spring-type mechanical switch is used to disconnect the underwater vehicle from the launching system. This switch detects its presence within the firing system by pressing against a mechanical surface located on the lauching system.

[0007] Another known method for separating underwater vehicles from the launching system is the use of magnetic field-based projectile detection systems and methods. This method is achieved using inductive sensors that detect metals located at a specific distance within the launching platform. Furthermore, while sensor systems capable of actively generating larger magnetic fields may be used, they also have disadvantages, such as the inability to create a directed magnetic field for both the receiver and transmitter during operation, the interfering effect of the metal structure of both the launching platform and the system, the inability to accurately detect the position, and the persistence of the signal after ejection due to the metal structure of the launching platform.

[0008] The safety of systems launched from underwater platforms, and the stable operation of the launched system, requires that the system detects its departure from the cartridge of the launching platform, both for the safety of the launching platform andfor the initiation of its own navigation algorithms. In the known method of the art, this process is achieved through mechanical / electromechanical structures. Mechanical / electromechanical structures are designed according to the internal mechanical structure of the cartridge and the launching platform of the system and additional mechanisms specific to this situation are added to the system. Physical contact with the launching platform can cause deformation or wear on both platforms, leading to maintenance needs, and exposure to saltwater and environmental factors can necessitate maintenance / replacement of mechanical structures (springs, magnets, etc.).

[0009] The spring-type mechanical switch used to separate underwater vehicles from the launching system detects its presence within the system by pressing against a mechanical surface on the launching system (or by sensing a change in pressure / dispress via a sensor). Distortions in the underwater vehicle's positioning angle, defects or breaks in the mechanical surface of the launching system, or malfunctions in the spring or switch mechanism can lead to false launch detection, as well as the complete absence of detection even when a launch occurs.

[0010] The systems currently in use are singular in both mechanical and electrical terms (switches / sensors). There is no secondary sensing structure in case of malfunction. This situation constitutes the weakest point in terms of performance, as it serves as both a safety signal and the initiator signal for the ammunition's operating mechanisms, such as cartridge ejection sensing.

[0011] Although various proposals and applications have been developed for the ejection sensing system in the known state of the art, these developments are not sufficient. Some applications for inventions developed for this purpose are given below.

[0012] The patent file numbered "KR1024896061 B1" in the known state of the art has been examined. The invention described in the application utilizes data from multiple sensors to obtain reliable ejection data. Here, data from both the launching platform and the underwater vehicle's navigation devices are processed and compared in the control computers. In addition to comparing this navigation data, numerous transducers are placed on the underwater vehicle to send acoustic signals, and the reflection of the transmitted signal is checked. A cable connection between theunderwater vehicle and the launching platform is required for the placement of transducers and comparison of navigation data.

[0013] The patent file numbered "US2018283825A1" in the known state of the art has been examined. The invention described in the application relates to an electronic wearable device designed to detect unwanted movement occurring immediately before a firearm is fired. The accelerometer has been described as an attached wearable device and is available in either wristband or glove form to detect hand movements. The wearable device includes at least one sensor, such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and electromyography (EMG), to detect a shivering motion that might occur before a weapon is fired. The user or shooter can then be provided with real-time feedback on whether a chill occurred during a firing exercise. Instead of defining additional functions for sensors that already have other tasks within the device, there are sensors added solely for the function described in this patent.

[0014] In the current state of the technology, ejection sensing systems exist. However, current ejection sensing systems have disadvantages and are insufficient in many areas, including: the need for maintenance due to physical contact with the launching platform causing deformation or wear on both platforms; the need for maintenance / replacement of mechanical structures such as springs and magnets due to exposure to saltwater and environmental effects; erroneous ejection sensing due to distortions in the positioning angle of the underwater vehicle, defects or broken points on the mechanical surface of the launching system; and the failure to detect an ejection even when one exists due to malfunctions in the spring or switch mechanism.

[0015] As a result due to the abovementioned disadvantages and the insufficiency of the current solutions regarding the subject matter, a development is required to be made in the relevant technical field.Object of the Invention:

[0016] The primary object of the present invention is to indirectly measure and reliably detect the separation of underwater vehicles from the launching system using sensor structures already present on the underwater vehicle for different purposes.

[0017] Another object of the present invention is to provide a solution to the problem of sensing cartridge ejection, which is of great importance for both the safety of underwater systems and the safety of the launching platform, by combining the data obtained from sensors that produce different data and are essentially used for the autopilot, in order to obtain reliable ejection data from the launching platform.

[0018] Another object of the present invention is to avoid errors related to the placement of the underwater vehicle in the launching system and mechanical surface defects of the launching system or differing mechanics between launching platforms.

[0019] Another object of the present invention is to eliminate the need to add extra equipment to the launching system and to make it more suitable in terms of design, production, analysis, time, and cost by removing the added mechanisms from the system.

[0020] Another advantage of the present invention is to eliminate the need for fins, protrusions, or other structures that affect the hydrodynamics of the underwater system, thus reducing analysis time and costs.

[0021] Another object of the present invention is to not creating configuration diversity, as it can be used for both propulsion-type and ejection-type cartridges.

[0022] The structural and characteristic features of the present invention will be understood clearly by the following drawings and the detailed description made with reference to these drawings. Therefore the evaluation shall be made by taking these figures and the detailed description into consideration.Description of Drawings:

[0023] FIGURE -1; This is a drawing showing the moment when compressed air is introduced into the cartridge of the ejection sensing system, which is the subject of the invention.

[0024] FIGURE -2; This is a drawing showing the moment after the compressed air is introduced into the cartridge of the ejection sensing system, which is the subject of the invention.

[0025] FIGURE 3; This is a drawing showing the working pattern of the data processing method in the ejection sensing system, which is the subject of the invention.

[0026] Reference numbers:

[0027] 10. Underwater vehicle

[0028] 11.1 Rear pressure sensor

[0029] 11.2 Front pressure sensor

[0030] 12. Inertial measurement unit

[0031] 13. Controller

[0032] 20. Cartridge

[0033] 21. Pressure interface

[0034] 100. Space

[0035] 101. Water

[0036] 102. Compressed air

[0037]

[0038] of the Invention

[0039] The present invention relates to an ejection sensing system and method that enables the separation of underwater vehicles from the cartridge (launcher system) to bemeasured and reliably detected indirectly by various sensor configurations already present on the underwater vehicle for different purposes.

[0040] With the implementation of the ejection sensing system, there is no need to place any additional equipment on the underwater vehicle (10) for ejection sensing. The system's sensor data, collected for the purpose of performing various tasks, can be used effectively for different purposes. Data from various sensors, each generating different types of information and primarily used for autopilot, can be combined to reliably obtain “launching platform ejection data." With the ejection sensing system technique, the placement of the underwater vehicle (10) into the cartridge (20) is avoided; mechanical surface defects of the cartridge (20) or errors due to differing mechanics between the launching platforms, i.e. cartridges (20). No additional equipment needs to be installed in the cartridge (20). Furthermore, eliminating unnecessary mechanisms from the system results in reductions in design, production, analysis, time, and cost. In addition, no cable connection is needed between the cartridge (20) and the underwater vehicle (10).

[0041] The ejection sensing system is a viable method for underwater vehicles (10) exiting from gas-propelled underwater cartridge (20) systems. Underwater vehicles (10) have at least one inertial measurement unit (12) to produce navigation information and a rear pressure sensor (11.1) and a front pressure sensor (11.2) located at the bow and stern of the underwater vehicle (10) to measure depth information. Within the scope of the invention, additional equipment and systems included in the known method of the art can also be added to the data of the inertial measurement unit (12) and pressure sensor (11.1) and front pressure sensor (11.2).

[0042] The rear pressure sensor (11.1) and the front pressure sensor (11.2) are sensors that measure the pressure of the environment in which they are located. In underwater systems, the depth of the underwater vehicle (10) can be determined by measuring the underwater pressure (increasing by 1 atm for every 10m of depth). In the technique proposed in the invention, the rear pressure sensor (11.1) used for depth measurement and the change in pressure applied by the platform, i.e. the cartridge (20), at the moment of firing and used for propulsion purposes are also observed. In addition, the dynamic pressure change due to speed is observed with the front pressure sensor (11.2) located in the nose of the missile.The inertial measurement unit (12) is a device that can detect and report acceleration and rotational movements in 3 axes with its sensor structure. With the inertial unit (12) used to generate input for the navigation and autopilot algorithms of the underwater vehicle (10) (launching unit), the displacement of the underwater vehicle (10) is observed to be equal to the length of the cartridge (20) into which it was launched. In addition, acceleration data regarding the direction of the missile's trajectory at the time of launch is also observed.

[0043] The cartridge ejection signal device, which detects the ejection of the missile cartridge in its current state, is suitable for use in conjunction with the systems described in this invention on an underwater vehicle.

[0044] The steps involved in the operation of the ejection sensing system are as follows:

[0045] • The underwater vehicle (10) is placed inside the cartridge (20). When launching will be performed, seawater (101) is poured into the empty space (10) inside the cartridge (20). The pressure of the seawater (101) that is filled is the water pressure at the depth level where the cartridge (20) is located. • The rear pressure sensor (11.1), the front pressure sensor (11.2), the inertial measurement unit (12) and other systems, if any, perform a self-check operation. It then confirms that it can perceive accurate data.

[0046] • The launching is fired by compressed air (102) propulsion. The compressed air (102) located inside the cartridge (20) is released through the pressure interface (21) of the cartridge (20).

[0047] • Compressed air (102) is started to be squeezed through the pressure interface (21) into the space (100) where water (101) and compressed air (102) can be found, pushing seawater (101) and the underwater vehicle (10).

[0048] • While the rear pressure sensor (11.1) inside the underwater vehicle (10) detects compressed air (102), the front pressure sensor (11.2) detects the dynamic pressure change caused by propulsion.

[0049] • The inertial unit (12) inside the underwater vehicle (10) detects the acceleration applied to the underwater vehicle (10) due to the propulsion generated.• The time-dependent position data derived from the acceleration data of the inertial measurement unit (12), the dynamic data on the rear pressure sensor (11.1) and the front pressure sensor (11.2) are collected via the controller (13).

[0050] • If there are other ejection sensor devices (devices in known methods of the art) inside the underwater vehicle (10), the data from these sensors are also collected via the controller (13).

[0051] • The collected data is processed using the steps shown in Figure 3. With the predefined pattern, the analyses of the rear pressure sensor (11.1), front pressure sensor (11.2), inertial measurement unit (12) and other systems, if any, are compared via the controller (13).

[0052] • When the suitability of the patterns is determined, ejection from the cartridge (20) is detected.

[0053] In the workflow pattern shown in Figure 3, block number 1 in the operations run with the controller (13) represents the "sensor systems self-check" step. Blocks 2, 3, and 4 represent the “single sensor pattern”, “dual sensor pattern”, and “multiple sensor pattern”, respectively, determined by the number of sensors to be used. In single, dual, and multiple sensor patterns, depending on the status of the sensors used, any of blocks 2, 3, and 4 ejections the "sensor continuous data analysis" block, represented by block 5. After continuous data analysis by the sensor, the analysed data is checked in block number 6, which is the "pattern detection" process block. If pattern detection occurs in section 6, the data analysis process is completed in section 7, "removing the relevant security layer". If pattern detection is not possible, the process returns to block 5, which is the sensor continuous data analysis section. Increasing the number of sensors / data points can lead to a more reliable detection system.

[0054] The rear pressure sensor (11.1) data is the first data that needs to be obtained. Afterwards, the acceleration data generated by the propulsion due to pressure (evaluated by the slope of ascent and peak value) is read from the inertial measurement unit (12). As a result of the system's movement, which is seen as acceleration, a pattern is obtained with the dynamic pressure effect of the front pressure sensor (11.2). In addition to this data, the change in position obtained from the measured acceleration value can also be used to verify the length of the cartridge(20) to make the pattern more reliable, and the moment when the underwater vehicle (10) leaves the cartridge can be obtained in light of this data.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Ejection sensing system that enables the measurement and detection of ejection from sensor structures already present on the underwater vehicle and used for different purposes, comprising;- at least one underwater vehicle (10) located inside the cartridge (20) that has a rear pressure sensor (11.1), a front pressure sensor (11.2) and an inertial measurement unit (12) for reading the ejection sensing data,- at least one rear pressure sensor (11.1) located at the rear of the underwater vehicle (10), used for depth measurement, which monitors the change in pressure applied by the cartridge (20) during firing and used for propulsion,- at least one front pressure sensor (11.2) located in the nose of the underwater vehicle (10), used for depth measurement, which enables the observation of dynamic pressure changes due to propulsion speed, - at least one inertial measurement unit (12) located inside the underwater vehicle (10), which detects the acceleration and rotational movements in three axes with its sensor structure and can report these movement detections, which is used to create input for the navigation and autopilot patterns of the underwater vehicle (10), which observes the displacement of the underwater vehicle (10) by the length of the cartridge (20) from which it is launched, and which observes the acceleration data of the direction in which the underwater vehicle (10) is moving at the time of launching,- at least one controller (13) that performs the analysis of the data collected from the rear pressure sensor (11.1), the front pressure sensor (11.2) and the inertial measurement unit (12) and enables pattern detection through the working pattern of the analyzed data, - at least one cartridge (20) with a pressure interface (21) for detecting the exit of the underwater vehicle, which is the launching system platform, and which contains a space (100), water (101) and compressed air (102),- at least one pressure interface (21) that supplies compressed air (102) used for propulsion into the inner chamber of the cartridge (20) to read the ejection sensing data of the underwater vehicle (10) inside the cartridge (20).

2. Ejection sensing method that enables the measurement and detection of ejection from sensor structures already present on the underwater vehicle and used for different purposes, comprising the process steps of;- placing the underwater vehicle (10) inside the cartridge (20) and filling the space (10) inside the cartridge (20) with seawater (101) at the moment of launching,- performing the self-check process by means of the back pressure sensor (11.1), the front pressure sensor (11.2) and the inertial measurement unit (12) and confirming that they can detect accurate information,- releasing the compressed air (102) located inside the cartridge (20) through the pressure interface (21) of the cartridge (20),- starting the compressed air (102) on the cartridge (20) to be squeezed into the space (100) where water (101) and compressed air (102) are located through the pressure interface (21) in such a way as to push the seawater (101) and the underwater vehicle (10),- detecting the dynamic pressure change caused by propulsion by means of the front pressure sensor (11.2) while the rear pressure sensor (11.1) inside the underwater vehicle (10) detects compressed air (102),- detecting the acceleration applied to the underwater vehicle (10) by means of the inertial unit (12) inside the underwater vehicle (10) due to the propulsion generated,- collecting the time-dependent position data derived from the acceleration data of the inertial measurement unit (12), the dynamic data on the rear pressure sensor (11.1) and the front pressure sensor (11.2) via the controller (13),- collecting the data from these sensors via the controller (13), if there are other ejection sensor devices inside the underwater vehicle (10), - comparing the working pattern of data analysis of the collected rear pressure sensor (11.1), front pressure sensor (11.2) and inertial measurement unit (12) by the controller (13),- detecting the ejection from the cartridge (20) when the suitability of the working patterns is determined by the controller (13).

3. Ejection sensing method according to claim 2, wherein comparing the working pattern of data analysis of the collected rear pressure sensor (11.1), front pressure sensor (11.2) and inertial measurement unit (12) by the controller (13) comprises the process steps of;- self-checking of the collected rear pressure sensor (11.1), front pressure sensor (11.2) and inertial measurement unit (12),- collecting sensor data in single sensor, dual sensor and multi-sensor patterns depending on whether data is received from one, two or all of the collected back pressure sensor (11.1), front pressure sensor (11.2) and inertial measurement unit (12),- processing the collected sensor data through continuous sensor data analysis procedures,- continuously analysing data by the sensor and checking the same using pattern detection processes,- when pattern detection occurs, removing the relevant security layer, completing data analysis processes, and sensing the ejection, - returning to the sensor continuous sensor data analysis process, if pattern detection cannot be achieved.

4. Ejection sensing method according to claim 2, wherein first, the data from the rear pressure sensor (11.1) is evaluated, then the acceleration data generated by the propulsion caused by the pressure is evaluated via the inertial measurement unit (12) with the slope of ascent and peak value, and finally, the dynamic pressure effect data of the front pressure sensor (11.2) is read as a result of the movement of the system.

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