Modular Optronic Periscope With Static Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional submarine periscopes face challenges with high inertia and seal friction, dynamic high pressure seals, and multiple electrical and fiber optic commutation channels, which limit situational awareness and increase size, weight, and power requirements, as well as potential failure points.
Innovation Solution
A modular optronic periscope design featuring static sensors and a pointing module with a rotatable mirror, eliminating the need for rotational subassemblies and commutation channels, using staring cameras and image processing to provide multi-spectral panoramic imaging without moving parts, allowing for 360-degree coverage and reduced complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional periscope uses a rotating pressure vessel to direct line of sight, then the line of sight can be directed to desired directions, but the system requires large torque motors, dynamic high pressure seals, and multiple commutation channels, increasing size, weight, power, and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of rotating the pressure vessel to direct the line of sight, the patent inverts the approach by keeping the pressure vessel static and rotating only the lightweight mirror assembly. This inversion eliminates the need for complex commutation channels and dynamic seals while maintaining line of sight control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the periscope system into a static pressure vessel containing optical sensors and a separate rotating mirror assembly. This segmentation allows the heavy pressure vessel to remain stationary while only the lightweight mirror subassembly rotates, reducing the complexity of rotational components.
2Reliability
If a conventional periscope employs dynamic high pressure seals to prevent water intrusion during rotation, then water sealing is maintained, but the seals become potential failure points and increase maintenance requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the sealing approach by making the pressure vessel static rather than rotating. This eliminates the need for dynamic high pressure seals entirely, as the seal interface becomes stationary, dramatically improving reliability and reducing maintenance requirements.
3Productivity
If a conventional periscope uses multiple electrical and fiber optic commutation channels to maintain power and signal continuity during rotation, then continuous operation is enabled, but the number of commutation channels increases potential failure points and limits sensor deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the operational approach by keeping the pressure vessel with sensors static and rotating only the mirror assembly outside the pressure boundary. This inversion eliminates the need for multiple commutation channels, as electrical connections remain stationary, improving reliability and enabling unlimited sensor deployment.
4Ease of operation
If a conventional periscope physically scans the optical line of sight over the horizon, then the line of sight can be directed to different directions, but situational awareness is restricted as the entire 360 degree panorama cannot be observed at any given instant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical scanning system with an electronic solution. Multiple static optical sensors capture images simultaneously across different fields of view, and digital image processing stitches these together to form a complete panoramic view. This substitution of mechanical scanning with electronic imaging eliminates the time sequential limitation and provides simultaneous 360-degree situational awareness.
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 design enhances situational awareness with stabilized digital images, reduces size, weight, and power, and increases reliability by eliminating dynamic seals and commutation devices, enabling concurrent surveillance operations with improved response times and reduced failure points.
Implementation Method 1
employing a static outer structure that does not rotate... A pointing module that includes a rotatable mirror
Implementation Method 2
An optical bundle from the pointing module is imaged by way of an optical platform onto photosensitive devices to form a two dimensional image array
Implementation Method 3
A Visible Staring Module and a separate Infrared Staring Module provide wide field of regard coverage... detect visible light, infrared light
Data Source
AI summary
A modular optronic periscope includes a staring module, having a plurality of static sensors providing image data for a wide field of view at moderate resolution, and an image processor, by way of which image data from the static sensors are stitched together into a single continuous image. A multi-spectral, narrow field of view at a higher resolution than the staring module is produced using a pointing module including a rotatable mirror, and a collimated optical bundle from the pointing module is imaged by way of an optical platform onto photosensitive devices to form a two dimensional image array. Each pixel of the image array is repositioned by way of image derotation circuitry before display.