Nested Torpedo Vehicle Deploying UUVs for Extended Underwater Reconnaissance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional underwater reconnaissance methods using surface or underwater vehicles are limited by the distance they can cover due to energy reserves and require multiple launches for extensive area coverage, leading to inefficiencies in time and resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
A torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle capable of transporting and deploying additional unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) with onboard sensors, allowing for parallel reconnaissance and dynamic deployment of UUVs based on real-time sensor data evaluation, reducing the need for multiple vehicle launches and enabling continuous data collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single self-propelled AUV is used for reconnaissance, then the vehicle can autonomously traverse and survey the area, but the distance to be covered is limited by on-board energy reserves
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested configuration where a smaller AUV is housed within the transport compartment of a larger torpedo-shaped vehicle. The inner AUV contains its own sensors and processing units, while the outer vehicle provides extended range and deployment capability. This nesting allows the system to overcome energy limitations by having the outer vehicle transport the inner AUV to distant locations beyond the inner AUV's independent range.
Solution Approach 2:
The reconnaissance system is divided into two functional segments: an outer torpedo-shaped transport vehicle that provides extended range and a smaller inner AUV that performs the actual reconnaissance operations. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together to achieve the overall objective of extended autonomous reconnaissance.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple reconnaissance vehicles are launched to cover extensive areas, then comprehensive survey coverage is achieved, but the time and resources required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The inner AUV is pre-positioned within the transport compartment of the outer vehicle before deployment. This preliminary positioning allows the system to rapidly deploy a fully-equipped reconnaissance unit to distant locations without requiring separate launch sequences for multiple vehicles. The inner AUV is already prepared and staged, ready for immediate operation upon deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer torpedo-shaped vehicle serves multiple functions: it acts as a transport platform for the inner AUV, provides extended range capability, and can itself perform reconnaissance operations using its own sensors. This multi-functionality reduces the need for multiple specialized vehicles, thereby decreasing deployment time and resource requirements.
3Measurement precision
If additional sensors are deployed to a distant target location, then comprehensive data collection is achieved, but another vehicle must be launched requiring additional travel time
Solution Approach 1:
The nested configuration allows the inner AUV with specialized sensors to be transported within the outer vehicle directly to the target location. This eliminates the need for a separate launch and travel sequence for additional sensors, as they are already positioned within the transport vehicle and can be deployed immediately upon arrival.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer torpedo-shaped vehicle acts as an intermediary transport platform that carries the inner AUV and its sensors to the target location. This intermediary vehicle enables the rapid deployment of additional sensing capabilities without requiring separate launch operations, thereby reducing the time required to achieve comprehensive data collection.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~7
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for reconnoitering a region under water by means of torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle (10), which travels through a reconnaissance region (100) and at the same time detects the surroundings of the torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle (10) by means of one or more sensors arranged on board the torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle (10) and produces sensor data of the region (100) to be reconnoitered that surrounds the torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle (10). While the torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle (10) travels through the reconnaissance region (100), the torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle (10) also transports one or more unmanned underwater vehicles, subsequently referred to as UUVs (12). The transported UUVs (12) are released under water in the reconnaissance region (100) and themselves produce sensor data of the region to be reconnoitered that surrounds the UUV (12) by means of sensors (24) arranged on board the UUV (12). The invention further relates to a system comprising a torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle (10) having a transport chamber (22) and unmanned underwater vehicles (12) that can be transported in the transport chamber (22) of the torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle (10).