Underwater Rapid Unloading System With External Support Frame
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing underwater unloading systems for submarines are inefficient in quickly and safely removing equipment from submerged containers, particularly when dealing with uneven weight distributions, and require divers to access the container interior, which wastes time and oxygen.
Innovation Solution
An underwater rapid unloading system featuring a container with a support frame and a one-way pallet that can be extended externally, using a spindle drive actuated by hand crank for easy loading and unloading, and a buoyancy system to lift the pallet to the surface, allowing for quick and safe removal of heavy loads without needing to open the container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If divers access the container interior to remove equipment, then equipment can be unloaded, but diving time and oxygen consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having divers enter the container interior to remove equipment, the support frame is extended outward from the container so divers can access and remove equipment from the exterior. This inversion of the access approach eliminates the need for divers to enter the confined container space, directly reducing diving time and oxygen consumption while maintaining equipment unloading capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The support frame is extracted from the container interior and extended outward, allowing equipment to be accessed and removed from the exterior. This extraction principle enables the unloading function to occur outside the container, preventing divers from needing to enter the container and thereby reducing diving time and resource consumption.
2Ease of operation
If equipment is removed individually from the container, then equipment can be accessed, but unloading efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The equipment unloading system is segmented into modular components: the container, the extendable support frame, and the disposable pallet. This segmentation allows the support frame to be extended outward to provide easy accessibility for divers, while the pallet enables batch removal of multiple equipment items simultaneously, thereby improving both ease of operation and unloading efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable pallet acts as an intermediary between the container and the equipment. It provides a platform on which multiple equipment items can be arranged and removed together as a unit, rather than individually. This intermediary structure maintains ease of access while significantly improving unloading efficiency by enabling batch removal.
3Productivity
If lift bags or buoyancy aids are used to transport load to the surface, then equipment can be brought up, but uneven weight distribution creates handling difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The disposable pallet is equipped with a buoyancy system that provides upward buoyant force to counterbalance the weight of the equipment load. This anti-weight mechanism enables the pallet to lift and transport unevenly distributed equipment to the water surface without requiring manual handling adjustments, thereby maintaining both productivity and ease of operation despite uneven weight distribution.
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 rapid, safe, and efficient unloading of equipment from submarines, minimizing diving time and oxygen consumption by allowing external access and ensuring even buoyancy for uneven loads, thus maximizing mission readiness.
Implementation Method 1
a buoyancy system to lift the pallet to the surface, allowing for quick and safe removal of heavy loads
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an underwater rapid unloading system comprising a container (20) which can be carried along on the exterior of a submarine and a carrying frame (30) mounted inside the container, said carrying frame being fully deployable from the container. A disposable pallet (40) is arranged on the carrying frame and can be connected to the carrying frame.