Adjustable Cavitator for Underwater Vehicle Water-Entry Load Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern underwater vehicles face challenges with unpredictable water-entry postures and fixed cavitator disc face areas, which limit their ability to effectively reduce loads during high-speed water-entry, especially at small angles or flush entries.
Innovation Solution
A cavitation load-reduction device with an adjustable water-entry angle, featuring a cavitator connected via a mechanism to a head fairing device with retractable fairing tiles and airfoil adjusting sheets, allowing real-time adjustment of the cavitator disc face and water-entry angle through active rotating mechanisms and jet ports for enhanced load reduction and aerodynamics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional vehicles use fixed cavitator disc face area, then the structure is simple, but it cannot be adjusted according to actual navigation conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The cavitator disc face is divided into multiple retractable sheets that can independently extend or retract, allowing the overall disc face area to be adjusted in segments rather than as a single fixed structure
Solution Approach 2:
The cavitator transitions from a static fixed disc face to a dynamic adjustable structure where the disc face area can change during operation based on navigation conditions, using retractable sheets that can be extended or retracted as needed
2Adaptability or versatility
If buffer head is designed for vertical or large-angle water-entry, then it provides good shock absorption for those conditions, but it fails to provide buffering when water-entry angle is small or flush
Solution Approach 1:
The water-entry angle control system transitions from a fixed posture design to a dynamic adjustable system that can change the water-entry angle in real-time based on actual conditions, ensuring the buffer head operates effectively across a range of entry angles
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the water-entry angle parameter dynamically during flight, allowing the vehicle to adjust its posture and entry angle to optimize buffering performance for different water-entry scenarios rather than being limited to a single fixed angle
3Ease of operation
If air-launched vehicles have uncontrollable water-entry posture, then the launch is simple, but the water-entry angle is unpredictable and cannot be optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The posture control system is divided into multiple independent components including fairing tiles, airfoil adjusting sheets, and retractable arms that can be individually controlled to achieve overall posture adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces passive mechanical posture determination with active control mechanisms including air pressure actuators and adjustable aerodynamic surfaces that can dynamically control water-entry posture
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device enables controlled water-entry angles and adjustable supercavity sizes, improving load reduction and aerodynamic performance during high-speed water-entry, suitable for air-launched vehicles with high initial velocities, by forming a complete circular cavitator surface and utilizing jet ports for deceleration and load reduction.
Implementation Method 1
a cavitation load-reduction device for an underwater vehicle having an adjustable water-entry angle
Implementation Method 2
a fairing tile is arranged at each the notch through hinge and is matched with each the notch
Data Source
AI summary
A cavitation load-reduction device for an underwater vehicle has adjustable water-entry angles. It contains a cavitator disposed at a head end of an underwater vehicle, a front end of the cavitator being detachably connected to a head fairing device that is coaxially arranged with the cavitator. The head fairing device comprises a head fairing, a plurality of notches are arranged in a rear end of a side wall of the head fairing around an axis of the head fairing, fairing tiles hinged to the notches are arranged at the notches, and the fairing tiles are matched with the notches. Each fairing tile retractable arm is separately hinged to the fairing tile and the cavitator, and the fairing tile retractable arms are used to drive the fairing tiles to rotate around a hinge point of the fairing tiles and the head fairing.