Pump-less Buoyancy Engine for Underwater Gliders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing underwater gliders rely on noisy and energy-consuming hydraulic pumps for buoyancy control, limiting their operational duration and stealth capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A pump-less buoyancy engine system that adjusts buoyancy and center of gravity by releasing weights and controlling water intake, eliminating the need for hydraulic pumps and using prepackaged weights and buoyant compartments to control density and buoyancy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If hydraulic pumps are used for buoyancy control, then buoyancy adjustment is achieved, but noise levels increase and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the hydraulic pump system from the buoyancy control mechanism. Instead of using a pump to move water between the bladder and surrounding environment, the system relies on passive water intake through inlet/outlet openings and active water expulsion through the weight dropping mechanism, completely eliminating the noisy and energy-consuming pump component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical hydraulic pump system with a gravity-based weight dropping system. The buoyancy control is achieved by dropping prepackaged weights from the vehicle, which changes the center of gravity and triggers buoyancy adjustment through water intake and expulsion mechanisms, substituting active mechanical pumping with passive gravitational forces.
2Duration of action of moving object
If hydraulic pumps are used for buoyancy control, then buoyancy adjustment is achieved, but operational duration is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the high-energy-consumption hydraulic pump from the system, replacing it with passive water intake mechanisms and gravity-based weight dropping. This extraction of the energy-intensive component directly extends operational duration by eliminating the primary energy drain while maintaining buoyancy control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs self-service principles where water intake occurs passively through inlet/outlet openings driven by pressure differentials, and buoyancy adjustment is achieved through gravity-based weight dropping. These self-service mechanisms eliminate the need for active pumping, significantly reducing energy consumption and extending operational duration.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If weights are dropped to adjust buoyancy, then buoyancy control is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the buoyancy control into discrete, modular components: prepackaged weights in storage compartments, weight dropping mechanisms at specific locations, and water inlet/outlet openings. This segmentation allows for simplified individual components that collectively achieve complex buoyancy control without requiring a sophisticated pump system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses disposable prepackaged weights that are dropped to adjust buoyancy. These simple, inexpensive weight units replace complex, expensive, and maintenance-intensive hydraulic pump systems. Each weight unit is a simple object that performs its function once and is then discarded, reducing overall system complexity.
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
Enables longer operational duration, increased speed, reduced noise levels, and enhanced stealth by eliminating pump noise, allowing the glider to operate efficiently and remain undetected.
Implementation Method 1
The buoyancy reduction structure includes a water inlet/outlet and a container, and the buoyancy of the AUV is reduced by intaking water from the water inlet/outlet into the container, where air or high-pressure gas is let out through an air outlet and is replaced by the intaking water in the container
Implementation Method 2
a weight dropping structure for dropping prepackaged weights out of the AUV to cause the AUV to ascend in the water
Data Source
AI summary
A pump-less buoyancy engine for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) includes a buoyancy reduction structure without a hydraulic pump for reducing the buoyancy of the AUV to cause the AUV to descend in the water; and a weight dropping structure for dropping prepackaged weights out of the AUV to cause the AUV to ascend in the water, where the AUV moves forward when descending and ascending.