Submerged UAV Launch Canister with Surface Sensor Trigger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current UAV launch systems from submarines face challenges such as requiring modifications to the submarine, reliance on obsolete garbage ejector systems, and instability in rough seas, especially when launching through water, which can damage UAVs.
Innovation Solution
A launch canister designed for ejection from a submerged platform, equipped with a watertight enclosure, a nose cap for sealing, a launch mechanism (preferably a high-pressure gas charge), and a water surface sensor to initiate the launch mechanism once the nose cap breaches the surface, ensuring the UAV is launched efficiently and effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dedicated submarine mast with catapult is used to launch UAV above water surface, then UAV can be launched successfully, but submarine requires heavy modification and is limited to periscope depth
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the launch function into separate modular components: a self-contained launch canister that can be ejected from existing submarine torpedo tubes, eliminating the need for dedicated launch masts and heavy submarine modifications. The canister includes its own propulsion mechanism, nose cap, and UAV release system.
Solution Approach 2:
The launch canister acts as an intermediary device between the submarine and the UAV. It is propelled through water by a high-pressure gas charge, breaches the water surface, then releases the UAV which is subsequently launched into the air. This intermediary approach allows UAV deployment from submerged positions without requiring the submarine itself to be modified for aerial launch operations.
2Ease of operation
If conventional launch solutions designed for clear air are used, then UAV can be launched easily, but they cannot launch through water layer
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the operational parameters by using a high-pressure gas charge to propel the sealed canister through water, then transitioning to atmospheric pressure when the nose cap breaches the surface. This parameter change enables the same system to operate in both underwater and aerial environments, bridging the gap between conventional air-launched systems and underwater deployment requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If UAV is launched through water, then launch from submerged platform is possible, but UAV can be damaged by water
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the UAV from the water environment by sealing it within a watertight canister during the underwater propulsion phase. The canister is propelled through water, breaches the surface with the nose cap, and only then is the UAV released into the air. This extraction approach protects the UAV from water damage while enabling launch from submerged platforms.
4Adaptability or versatility
If garbage ejector system is used to launch UAV, then submerged launch is possible, but system is unreliable in rough seas and requires full waste water tank
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a disposable high-pressure gas charge contained within the launch canister to propel the UAV. This self-contained propulsion mechanism does not rely on the submarine's garbage ejector system or waste water tanks, eliminating the reliability issues associated with those systems in rough seas or when tanks are full. Each canister is a独立的, self-sufficient launch unit.
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 the launch of UAVs from a submerged platform without the need for submarine modifications, maintains a low acoustic signature, and operates reliably in various sea conditions, ensuring the UAV is launched safely and efficiently into the air.
Implementation Method 1
a launch mechanism (preferably a high-pressure gas charge)
Implementation Method 2
launch mechanism for driving a UAV carried in the enclosure out of the launch canister
Implementation Method 3
a water surface sensor to initiate the launch mechanism once the nose cap breaches the surface
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~2(e)
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A launch canister for ejection from a submerged launch platform, the launch canister being adapted for ejection in a direction substantially along a first axis of the launch canister and comprising: an enclosure for carrying a UAV; a nose cap releasably located in a launch opening at a forward end of the launch canister; a launch mechanism for driving a UAV carried in the enclosure out of the launch canister through the launch opening in a direction substantially along said first axis; and a water surface sensor for detecting when the nose cap of the canister broaches the surface of the water; wherein the launch canister is configured to, on the water surface sensor detecting that the nose cap of the canister has broached the surface of the water, immediately release the nose cap and initiate the launch mechanism to drive a UAV carried in the enclosure out of the launch canister through the launch opening.