3386 results about "Underwater" patented technology

This invention provides, inter alia, communication devices for contactless underwater data transmission and reception. In one embodiment the present invention provides a transmitting device comprising (a) a water-tight housing; (b) a radiative element disposed outside of the housing, said radiative element comprising at least two antennae, wherein the radiative element is configured to propagate an electric field signal through water; and (c) a communications section disposed within the housing, said communications section being coupled to said radiative element, said communications section comprising at least one transmitter, wherein the communications section is configured to transmit digitally modulated data as an electric field signal propagated by the radiative element. Also provided are similarly constituted receiving devices, transceiving devices, systems containing such devices and methods of using such devices and systems.

A GPS-based underwater cable positioning system for use in determining the shape and position of hydrophone streamers towed underwater behind survey vessels involved in marine seismic prospecting. The system includes a plurality of surface units towed behind the vessel. Each surface unit includes a GPS receiver to receive radio frequency GPS signals and to determine its positions. Each surface unit also has an acoustic transmitter to transmit an acoustic message signal representing its position and an optional time stamp into the water. Acoustic receiver units, attached spaced apart locations along one or more streamer cables, each include an acoustic receiver to receive the acoustic message signals from the surface units and to determine its position from the message signals. To augment the message signals from the surface units at locations distant from the surface units, acoustic transceiver units may be used. The acoustic transceiver units are attached to the streamer cables at ranges between the surface units and distant acoustic receiver units. The acoustic transceiver units each include an acoustic receiver that performs as the receivers in the acoustic receiver units and an acoustic transmitter to transmit acoustic message signals representing its position and an optional time stamp into the water to be received by the acoustic receiver units. In this way, the positions and shapes of towed streamer cables can be determined.

The invention relates to an underwater super-oleophobic oil-water separation mesh membrane as well as a preparation method and application thereof. A 100-140-mesh fabric mesh is used as the substrate of the oil-water separation mesh membrane; and a hydrogel cladding layer is formed by the crosslinking polymerization of polymer monomers on the mesh wires of the fabric mesh by a photo-initiated polymerization method, thus obtaining the mesh membrane provided by the invention. The oil-water separation mesh membrane is super-hydrophilic in air and underwater and super-oleophobic underwater; the contact angle with oil drops underwater is greater than 150 degrees; and the adhesion to oil drops is low. The mesh membrane provided by the invention can be applied to oil-containing sewage treatment, chemical separation, environmental protection and the like. For oil-water separation, the mesh membrane has the advantages of good separation effect, fast separation, low cost, low energy consumption, convenience, no other chemical additive and the like, and is easy to recover for multiple recycling, and suitable for wide-range preparation.

An illumination device, including: a shell with a plurality of sides, where the device can be positioned upon a surface or attached or suspended at any of the plurality of sides; and at least one light-emitting device within the shell, where when the device is positioned upon a surface or attached or suspended at any of the plurality of sides of the shell, light from the at least one light-emitting device emits through each of the plurality of sides of the shell. The device is thus easy to deploy and use. Its design is compatible with outsourced manufacturing, allowing for cost savings. The device can be reused many times. The device can also emit light for many hours longer and has ruggedness that far exceeds conventional devices. The device can also be used where conventional devices and other lighting devices cannot, including underwater.

A system and method for deploying and/or retrieving a cable underwater. In an embodiment, a system comprises a cage, comprising a guidance system adapted to be remotely operable subsea by a vessel; a communications link operatively linking the guidance system and the vessel; and a non-palletized reel rotatably and removably mounted within the cage, the reel adapted to receive an unspoolable length of cable, the cable comprising two fee ends. In an exemplary method, the reel, onto which cable is spooled is removably and rotatably housed in a cage adapted for remote control use underwater and the cage lowered by a vessel to a position proximate a seafloor. The cage is maneuvered along a predefined flight pattern in substantially a single plane with respect to the seafloor while selectively releasing the cable from the reel. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope of meaning of the claims.

A power generating system wherein a variable speed turbine is mounted on top of a tower or tethered underwater. The reactive component of turbine generated electrical power is corrected automatically through electronic switched power-factor capacitor banks that are divided into sub-system modules coupled to a central turbine park sub-station. The sub-system modules are of a fixed size and are easily adaptable to different turbine generator types, sizes and groupings. By employing SCR switched power factor capacitors grouped in sub-system modules of fixed size, coupled to a central turbine park sub-station, the converter allows fast, real time control of the utility interconnected power line voltage or power factor.

A power generating system wherein a turbine is mounted on top of a tower or tethered underwater. The turbine includes a rotor having a main blade section connected to a rotor hub and an extender section. An adjusting device positions the extender section between a retracted position within the main blade section and to an extended position to expose more or less of the rotor to the fluid flow. The adjusting device includes a first web-engaging wheel anchored at a hub end of the main blade section and a second web-engaging wheel anchored at a distal end of the main blade section. A web is wound around the first and second web-engaging wheels. The extender section is attached to the web at a hub end of the extender section. A generator is connected to the turbine for generating electrical energy.

A hermetically sealed digital electronic camera that is designed to operate both on land and underwater to great depths, and method of making same. The present invention is a camera which is hermetically sealed by being totally encapsulated, preferably by being cast in plastic, with no seals, holes, joints, penetrating pins, wires or other objects. Wireless means are used for communicating information, electrical power and control signals. The invention is impervious to atmospheric contamination and absolutely incapable of leaking under water to great depths and pressures. In an alternate embodiment camera optics are not encapsulated but are immersed in water when the encapsulated digital camera is placed in water.

A hermetically sealed digital electronic camera that is designed to operate both on land and underwater to great depths, and method of making same. The present invention is a camera which is hermetically sealed by being totally encapsulated, preferably by being cast in plastic, with no seals, holes, joints, penetrating pins, wires or other objects. Wireless means are used for communicating information, electrical power and control signals. The invention is impervious to atmospheric contamination and absolutely incapable of leaking under water to great depths and pressures. In an alternate embodiment camera optics are not encapsulated but are immersed in water when the encapsulated digital camera is placed in water.

An apparatus is described which uses directly modulated InGaN Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) or InGaN lasers as the transmitters for an underwater data-communication device. The receiver uses automatic gain control to facilitate performance of the apparatus over a wide-range of distances and water turbidities.

A system and method for pelletizing extruded materials, such as thermoplastic polymers in various pelletizing applications, including underwater, hot face, and strand pelletizing applications, utilizes a high pressure liquid delivered to one or more nozzles which direct a high pressure liquid jet cutting stream at the extruded polymer strand to cut the strand into pellets. The system and method are particularly applicable to underwater pelletizers utilizing water or water-based solutions. In a preferred underwater pelletizing embodiment, a plurality of nozzles are mounted on a rotating nozzle hub which is fed high pressure water through sealed hollow pelletizer and hollow motor shafts. The high pressure water jet cutting streams exiting the rotating nozzles are preferably in the form of a flat V-shaped spray with a spread angle of about 15° to about 45° and an approach angle between 0° and 60°, depending upon the pelletizing application.

A method of analyzing results from an underwater controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) survey of an area that is thought or known to contain a subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir is described. The method is based on a wavefield extrapolation of narrow-band electromagnetic field data obtained from pairs of source and receiver locations. The data comprise a plurality of discrete frequencies between 0.01 Hz and 60 Hz. The wavefield extrapolation is performed for each of these discrete frequencies to provide distributions of electromagnetic scattering coefficient as a function of position and depth beneath the survey area. These distributions may then be combined to provide a displayable image of electromagnetic scattering coefficient. The method is able to quickly provide a displayable image that is readily interpretable.

A power generating system wherein a turbine is mounted on top of a tower or tethered underwater. The turbine includes a rotor having a main blade section connected to a rotor hub and an extender housing mounted on a top surface of the main blade section. The extender housing has an extender blade stored therein. An adjusting device positions the extender blade between a retracted position within the extender housing and an extended position to expose more or less of the rotor to the fluid flow. A generator is connected to the turbine for generating electrical energy.

The invention relates to a shooting network-based method and system for warning of drowning prevention in a swimming pool. A fixed water camera is installed above a water surface of a swimming pool and a rotatable underwater camera is installed under the water surface of the swimming pool; the water camera and the underwater camera output signals to connect a PC machine or a DSP and a PC machine by video acquisition cards at all paths; the PC machine or the DSP output a control signal to connect an alarm and a stepper motor that controls a cloud platform to make rotations. Besides, the PC machine or the PC machine and the DSP includes/include a spray detection module, a coordinated control module, an underwater drowning determination module and an alarm positioning module. According to the invention, omnibearing and multi-angle warning coverage on a swimming pool can be realized. When a swimmer is drown, the system carries out intelligent determination and emits alarming; and an object position can be provided, so that a lifeguard is warned to carry out rescue at the first time to ensure personal safety of the swimmer.

The invention relates to an underground (underwater) building waterproof device, and in particular to a vertical water-stop structure for a concrete engineering expansion joint as well as a manufacturing and construction methods for the same. The vertical water-stop structure comprises a deformation sheet and channel steel, and is characterized in that the deformation sheet is longitudinally arranged, one half is pre-buried in first-stage concrete, the other half is bulged out of a concrete section and externally arranged in a rectangular channel steel opening, and the channel steel is provided with a fixing element and filled with maltha; the surface of the channel steel opening and the section of the first-stage concrete are provided with asphalt felts at the both sides of the deformation sheet, the exposed fixing element is detached after asphalt is cooled, and then second-stage concrete is arranged. According to the vertical water-stop structure disclosed by the invention, the problem of water seepage of a water conservancy project due to the differential settlement or diastrophism of a stratum can be solved, and moreover, labour can be saved and construction period can be shortened.

The invention discloses an underwater unmanned ship control system. The underwater unmanned ship control system comprises a sealed underwater unmanned ship with zero buoyancy and a water control terminal. A controller, a driving module, a fish finding module and a communication module are arranged in the underwater unmanned ship, the driving module, the fish finding module and the communication module are all connected with the controller, the fish finding module sends a fish finding result to the controller, the controller uploads the fish finding result to the water control terminal through the communication module, the controller uploads the fish finding result of the fish finding module to the water control terminal through the communication module and receives a control command sent by the water control terminal, work among all the modules is adjusted according to the control command, and the driving module is used for driving the sailing direction of the underwater unmanned aerial vehicle. A diving fishing or fish catching function can be achieved, the fish finding module is arranged on the unmanned ship, underwater objects are detected, certain depth diving can be achieved, the fish finding module is used for underwater image collection, remote communication with a bank side can be achieved, and underwater image information is fed back in real time.

A power transmission system transmits power underwater between a power-transmitting device and a power-receiving device of which at least one is capable of moving freely underwater. In this power transmission system, the power-transmitting device and the power-receiving device are each provided with a resonance coil that performs the power transmission wirelessly underwater by means of magnetic field resonance. At least one of the power-transmitting device and the power-receiving device is provided with a balloon that internally houses the resonance coil of its own device.

The invention relates to a special additive for an underwater undispersed shrinking-free grouting material, which consists of flocculant, early strength agent, water reducing agent, air-entraining agent and active admixture and is prepared from the following raw materials by weight: 4 to 9 percent of the flocculant, 15 to 32 percent of the water reducing agent, 9 to 25 percent of expansion agent, 8 to 30 percent of the early strength agent, 0.04 to 0.7 percent of the air-entraining agent, and 18 to 35 percent of the active admixture. The special additive for the underwater undispersed shrinking-free grouting material can maintain the large fluidity and the micro expansibility of the grouting material, ensure the underwater direct grouting construction without dispersion and segregation, simplify an underwater sealing repairing process, save labor force and avoid environmental pollution to the nearby water area, and has good development prospect.

Lithium metal anode protection, and various semi-fuel cell constructions for use in deep, high pressure seawater or air media are provided. The described lithium semi-fuel cells achieve record high energy densities, due to the high energy density of lithium anode and the use of the cathode reactant from the surrounding media, which is not part of the cell weight, and the use of ultralight and flexible packaging materials. These features make the described semi-fuel cells the ideal choice for powering underwater and air vehicles.

The invention relates to marine hydrology parameter monitoring, and particularly discloses an optical fiber temperature-depth diving mark continuous measuring system. The system comprises a communication buoy, a main floating ball, an instrument bin, a demodulating system, a temperature-depth chain, a mooring rope, an acoustical releaser and an anchoring weight, wherein the communication buoy comprises a solar cell, a big dipper communication plate card and a satellite combined antenna; the demodulating system comprises a demodulation module and a lithium battery and is arranged in the instrument bin, and the temperature-depth chain integrates a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor for measuring temperature and pressure, and the communication buoy, the main floating ball, the instrument bin, the temperature-depth chain, the releaser and the anchoring weight are successively connected through the mooring rope. The optical depth diving mark continuous measuring system provided by the invention has the advantages that the high density, real time, continuation and long-term observation of a temperature-depth vertical section from a sea surface to 500m underwater are realized, the data is exact and reliable, and the economic benefit is high; the optical fiber temperature-depth diving mark continuous measuring system is widely applied in different marine observation operations and provides a novel observation means for measuring sea temperature-depth.

The invention discloses an underwater LED (Light-Emitting Diode) long distance communication system based on a visible light. The system comprises a transmitting device and a receiving device which are arranged underwater and respectively used for performing waterproof packaging; the transmitting device specifically comprises a data acquisition module, a transmitting end digital signal processing module, a digital to analog conversion module, a transmitting end amplifier equalization module, a direct current bias module and a light source; the receiving device specifically comprises an optical receiving module, a receiving end amplifier equalization module, a filter module, an analog to digital conversion module, a receiving end digital signal processing module and a data recovery module. The underwater LED long distance communication system based on the visible light provided by the invention can overcome the attenuation influence of an underwater environment on an electromagnetic wave and the disadvantage of low speed and low bandwidth of a sound wave, improve the transmission rate, increase the data carrying capacity, enhance the security, reduce the interference effect, reduce the equipment cost and power consumption, and realize high speed, high bandwidth, high security, and anti-interference underwater wireless optical communication.

The invention discloses an AUV data collection method in an underwater wireless sensor network based on seawater layering. The AUV data collection method comprises: layering of the underwater wirelesssensor network is carried out through an oceanographic model; for different layering, different data collection strategies are adopted; an AUV cruises according to a predetermined path on a surface layer having relatively high mobility; a sensor node performs data forwarding by dynamically selecting a forwarding set at each hop through the factors, such as the forwarding probability and the residual energy, so that the data forwarding reliability of a mobile node is enhanced; simultaneously, in a lower-layer network, the node forms an AUV stop point through initialization operation includingaggregating, and then clustering; an AUV track is planned through a shortest path algorithm; data in the network is collected by utilization of the AUV used as an auxiliary tool; simultaneously, the energy consumption of the AUV is considered; therefore, the whole algorithm accords with a practical condition better; the cruising path of the AUV is reasonably planned; therefore, the data forwardinghop number is reduced; the energy consumption of the network is reduced; the problem that the energy consumption is non-uniform can be partly solved; and thus, the survival time of the network is prolonged.

A waterway shield system comprises a plurality of autonomous underwater nodes wherein each underwater node comprises acoustic detectors which may comprise horizontal and/or vertical acoustic arrays which may be directly mounted thereto or extend outwardly therefrom. Each underwater node comprises an acoustic modem for transmitting high resolution acoustic data to a gateway node that provides a connection to a surface system and a network of other underwater nodes in other waterways. The data from the underwater nodes may be utilized to produce acoustic attribute data for hulls of ships in the waterways. An acoustic database is provided that compiles the predetermined acoustic attribute data for a variety of ships and other entities thereby providing previously stored identifying means. The acoustic database is utilized in conjunction with one or more databases of other physical attributes of ships or other objects to thereby provide an automated identification process.

A power generating system wherein a turbine is mounted on top of a tower or tethered underwater. The turbine includes a rotor having a main blade connected to a rotor hub and an extender section. An adjusting device positions the extender blade between a retracted position within the main blade and to an extended position to expose more or less of the rotor to the fluid flow. The adjusting device includes a servo-controlled rack and pinion mechanism that converts rotation of the pinion by a servomotor into linear motion of the extender blade. A generator is connected to the turbine for generating electrical energy.

A sensing system is provided that includes a transmitter assembly with a light source and a microdisplay device, wherein the transmitter assembly defines an optical beam transmission path to provide illumination of a substantially one-dimensional (1D) region of a target area, the microdisplay device comprising a plurality of controllable elements for causing the illumination to be a substantially 1D pattern of light along the 1D region. The system further includes a receiver assembly for defining a return optical signal transmission path from the 1D region and collecting return optical signals from the 1D region. The system also includes a processing component for generating sensor information associated with the 1D region by processing the return optical signals from the 1D region with return optical signals from adjacent 1D regions using a distributed compressive sensing (DCS) technique.

The invention provides an underactuated UUV plane trajectory tracking control method based on dynamic speed adjustment, relating to the motion control technology of an underactuated underwater unmanned vehicle. The invention aims to realize the precise tracking control of an underactuated UUV plane trajectory. The method comprises the steps of (1) a UUV obtains position and attitude information according to a current task, (2) position and attitude error variables are obtained by using the mathematical model of an underactuated UUV, (3) a method of defining a virtual speed error variable to calculate a virtual control rule, (4) combined with a biologically inspired model, the dynamic adjustment of a speed error is carried out, and (5) the control signal generated by a speed adjustment controller is deduced, and the underactuated UUV plane trajectory tracking control is realized. According to the method, the dynamic adjustment of the speed of the underactuated UUV can be carried out, a singular value when a first direction angle error is equal to 90 degrees in a traditional backstepping method is avoided, and the tracking of a circular trajectory in an external constant disturbance is realized.

The invention relates to an underwater LED (light-emitting diode) visible light communication system. The underwater LED visible light communication system comprises a water-proof and sealed transmitting device and a water-proof and sealed receiving device which are placed underwater; the transmitting device comprises a light source and a control unit for modulating a light signal emitted by the light source according to information to be transmitted; and the receiving device comprises a light receiving unit for receiving the modulated light signal from the transmitting device, and a demodulating unit for demodulating the received modulated light signal so as to restore the transmitted information. According to the technical solution, by modulating the transmitted information into the light signal, underwater wireless optical communication is achieved, thus not only improving the transmission rate and reducing the size and attenuation, but also avoiding interference to a human body and surrounding electronic equipment and achieving dual functions of lighting and communication.

A method, system and a marine node for recording seismic waves underwater. The node includes a body made of a compressible material that has a density similar to a density of the water; a first sensor located in the body and configured to record pressure waves; and a second sensor located in the body and configured to record three dimensional movements. The body is coupled to the water for passing the seismic waves to the first and second sensors.

The invention discloses an underwater target three-dimensional reconstruction method based on line structured light. The method includes the following steps that a, an underwater two-dimensional image including depth information is acquired; b, enhancement processing is conducted on the underwater two-dimensional image; c, noise reduction processing is conducted on the two-dimensional image acquired in the step b; d, image edge detecting and image shape processing are carried out on the two-dimensional image acquired in the step c, and the center of each laser streak is extracted; e, the two-dimensional image acquired in the step d is calibrated; f, three-dimensional coordinates are acquired from the two-dimensional image acquired in the step e; g, the three-dimensional coordinates are reconstructed through computer high-level programming languages, namely visual underwater target three-dimensional information is obtained. By means of the underwater target three-dimensional reconstruction method based on line structured light, the influence on detecting precision because of suspended matter in water, light absorbing and scattering by seawater, uneven light fields and the like can be effectively lowered, wide-angle and long-distance underwater target three-dimensional information extraction is achieved, and underwater long-distance high-precision real-time target three-dimensional detection is realized.

Disclosed are an underwater moving apparatus and a moving method thereof. The underwater moving apparatus of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a body; a propelling device installed on a rear side of the body; a thruster unit including an up and down directional thruster and a left and right directional thruster installed at the body; and a plurality of leg units positioned at both side portions of the body and including a multi-joint module.