Hinged Fins for Underwater Vehicle Surface Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional profiling floats face transmission interruptions due to antenna submersion in wavy conditions, which prevents stable data transmission from underwater sensors to satellites or receivers.
Innovation Solution
An air-based-deployment-compatible underwater vehicle with a cylindrical body, buoyancy control components, and hingedly attached fins that can change configuration from flat to radially outward to stabilize the vehicle at the water surface during data transmission, preventing submersion and ensuring continuous data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vehicle transmits data at the water surface, then data transmission is enabled, but the antenna becomes submerged in wavy conditions causing transmission interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The fins are designed to be movable between a first configuration (flat against the body) and a second configuration (radially outward). At the water surface, the fins automatically extend radially outward to provide motion stabilization and prevent antenna submersion. During deployment, they remain flat against the body. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the vehicle to adapt its stability characteristics based on operational phase, resolving the contradiction between transmission reliability and vehicle stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle changes its physical parameters (fin configuration) based on operational conditions. When transitioning from deployment to surface operation, the fins change from a compact flat configuration to an extended radially outward configuration, altering the vehicle's hydrodynamic properties to optimize both stability during transmission and protection during deployment.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the fins extend radially outward to stabilize the vehicle, then motion stabilization is achieved, but the vehicle complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fin configuration mechanism is designed to operate autonomously based on physical principles. The fins are hingedly attached and utilize natural hydrodynamic forces and buoyancy changes to transition between configurations without requiring active control systems, motors, or complex actuators. This self-service approach achieves motion stabilization while minimizing the addition of complex controlled mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilization function is extracted as a separate, independent mechanism (the hinged fins) that can operate autonomously. Rather than integrating stabilization into the overall vehicle control system, the fins are designed as discrete elements that naturally provide stabilization when extended, simplifying the overall system architecture despite the added structural components.
3Ease of manufacture
If the fins remain flat against the body during deployment, then deployment is simplified, but descent speed increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fins dynamically adjust their configuration based on the operational phase. During deployment through the deployment tube, they remain flat against the body for simplicity and compactness. Upon reaching the water surface and during vertical profiling operations, they extend radially outward to provide stabilization and control descent speed, thus resolving the contradiction between deployment simplicity and descent rate control.
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 vehicle effectively stabilizes itself at the water surface, preventing antenna submersion and ensuring uninterrupted data transmission from sensors to satellites or receivers, even in wavy conditions, while also enabling vertical profiling and directional resolution of underwater objects.
Implementation Method 1
The vehicle may include buoyancy control components disposed within the body. The buoyancy control components may be configured to adjust a buoyancy of the vehicle to facilitate vertical profiling.
Implementation Method 2
In the second configuration the fins may extend radially outward from the body to slow descent
Implementation Method 3
The fins may be movable between a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration the fins may be positioned substantially flat against the body. In the second configuration the fins may extend radially outward from the body to slow descent and to provide motion stabilization to the vehicle.
Data Source
AI summary
An air-based-deployment-compatible underwater vehicle that may be configured to perform vertical profiling is described. The vehicle may be configured, during information transmission, to perform motion stabilization at a water surface. A body of the vehicle may have a cylindrical shape. Buoyancy control components of the vehicle may be disposed within the body. The buoyancy control components may be configured to adjust a volume and/or buoyancy of the vehicle to facilitate vertical profiling. Fins may be hingedly disposed on the body at one or more locations on the vehicle. The fins may be movable between a first configuration and a second configuration. The fins, in the first configuration, may be positioned substantially flat against the body. The fins, in the second configuration, may extend radially outward to slow descent and to provide motion stabilization. The fins may be pitched to rotate the vehicle about a longitudinal axis during vertical profiling.