Dehiscing Payload Container for Underwater Data Relay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Communicating data from submerged submersible monitoring devices in littoral seas is challenging due to low bandwidth sonar and blocked radio communications, requiring an antenna to be raised above the sea, which is often expensive, impractical, or detectable, making undetected data export difficult.
Innovation Solution
A payload delivery system with a pressure-resistant container and dehiscing system that protects and releases a payload submerged in water, allowing it to rise to the surface for communication, using a dehiscing mechanism triggered by specific events or conditions to expose the payload to the water and enable communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If an antenna is raised above the sea for radio communication, then communication bandwidth is improved, but detection risk and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the communication function into two separate stages: underwater data collection in a sealed container, and surface-based radio transmission after container dehiscence. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the sealed container protects electronics during submersion while the payload can be deployed as a separate floating unit with antenna capability at the surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The payload is prepared and sealed in the pressure-resistant container before submersion, with all necessary components pre-positioned. The container dehiscing system is pre-configured to automatically release the payload when specific conditions are met (depth, time, or external trigger), eliminating the need for complex real-time control systems during deployment.
2Reliability
If a pressure-resistant container is used to protect the payload, then protection from water pressure is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container employs a pressure-resistant sealed shell that maintains structural integrity under water pressure while being sufficiently compact for deployment. The shell design incorporates dehiscing mechanisms that allow controlled opening without requiring complex active systems, achieving reliable protection with minimized complexity through clever mechanical design.
Solution Approach 2:
The container includes an automatic dehiscing system that activates based on pre-set conditions such as depth sensors, timers, or external triggers. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual intervention or complex control systems during the critical deployment phase, reducing operational complexity while maintaining reliable protection.
3Productivity
If the container is dehisced to release the payload, then communication capability is improved, but protection from water pressure is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the protection function (sealed container during submersion) from the communication function (floating payload with antenna at surface). Dehiscence acts as the transition mechanism between these two segmented states, allowing the payload to shed the protective container once it reaches the surface where atmospheric pressure eliminates the need for pressure resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The payload is positioned and sealed within the pressure-resistant container before submersion, with the dehiscing mechanism pre-configured to activate at the appropriate moment. This preliminary arrangement ensures that protection is provided when needed (during descent and at depth) while automatically transitioning to communication mode when the container opens at the surface.
Data Source
AI summary
A payload delivery system for protecting and delivering a payload submerged in a submersion medium includes a containment system. The containment system includes a container and a dehiscing system. The container includes a pressure-resistant shell defining a sealed containment chamber. The dehiscing system is operative to dehisce the shell to open the containment chamber to the submersion medium responsive to a prescribed event and/or a prescribed environmental condition.