Combined Disc-Type Cavitation Structure for Underwater Vehicle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Underwater vehicles face significant water-entry impact loads and navigation resistance issues due to the limitations of traditional cavitators, which cannot be adjusted according to navigation speed, leading to suboptimal supercavity generation and increased resistance.
Innovation Solution
A combined disc-type cavitation structure featuring a series of cavitators with increasing diameters, adjustable positioning, and a buffer system to generate a supercavity that matches the underwater vehicle's speed, including a fairing that separates and a pneumatic driving mechanism to adjust cavitator positions and sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a cavitator with a fixed size is used, then the structure is simple, but the supercavity size cannot be adjusted according to navigation speed, causing increased resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The cavitator is divided into multiple disc-type segments with different diameters that can be independently adjusted. Each disc segment can be positioned at different locations along the axis, allowing the effective cavitator size to be changed by selecting which segments are active, thus adapting to different navigation speeds without increasing overall structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The cavitator structure incorporates dynamic adjustment capability where the position and configuration of disc segments can be changed during operation. This allows the system to transition between different cavitator sizes based on real-time navigation requirements, making the structure adaptable rather than fixed
2Speed
If a cavitator with a too small size is used, then the device complexity is low, but the supercavity is too small to wrap the underwater vehicle, causing resistance to increase from air resistance to water resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a single-dimension fixed-size cavitator to a multi-dimensional adjustable configuration. By arranging multiple disc segments radially and axially, the system can expand the supercavity volume in multiple dimensions to ensure complete wrapping of the underwater vehicle, maintaining air resistance benefits at various speeds
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a cavitator with a too large size is used, then the supercavity can wrap the underwater vehicle, but the resistance generated by the cavitator is greatly increased
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a uniformly large cavitator that generates excessive resistance, the invention applies local quality by using multiple disc segments of varying sizes. Only the necessary local segments are activated to create the minimum required supercavity for vehicle wrapping, minimizing resistance while ensuring adequate coverage
4Power
If a traditional fixed cavitator is used, then the device complexity is low, but the cavitation effect is limited and weakened when the underwater vehicle operates at low power
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the operational parameters of the cavitator by adjusting which disc segments are active and their positions. This allows the cavitation effect to be optimized for different power levels - using smaller effective cavitator sizes at low power to maintain stable cavitation, rather than relying on a fixed large cavitator that becomes ineffective
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
This solution allows for adjustable supercavity generation, reducing navigation resistance and enhancing the buffering effect, enabling efficient underwater navigation across a range of speeds from 20 m/s to 100 m/s, and effectively managing water-entry impacts.
Implementation Method 1
A plurality of cavitators with successively increasing outer diameters is in turn arranged inside the fairing from a front end to a rear end of the fairing... generating supercavity suitable for the navigation speed of the underwater vehicle
Implementation Method 2
The first cavitator is connected to the underwater vehicle through a buffer configured to buffer the acting force between the underwater vehicle and water when the underwater vehicle enters the water
Data Source
AI summary
A combined disc-type cavitation structure for underwater navigation of an underwater vehicle has an underwater vehicle and a fairing. A plurality of cavitators having sequentially increased outer diameters are sequentially arranged in the fairing. A cavitator receiving groove matched with the cavitator located on the front side is arranged in the center of the front surface of the cavitator located on the rear side in every two adjacent cavitators. The plurality of cavitators can be integrated into a whole by means of the cavitator receiving groove. The cavitator located at the front-most end is a first cavitator, and the remaining cavitators are second cavitators. The first cavitator is connected to the underwater vehicle by means of a buffer. Each second cavitator is respectively connected to the underwater vehicle by means of a driving device configured to axially move the corresponding second cavitator.