3D Subsurface Sonar for Underwater Vehicle Localization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current underwater vehicles face limitations in efficiently locating and examining objects on the ocean floor due to limited operational time, ocean currents, and the inability to detect buried sections of pipelines or submarine cables, leading to time-consuming searches and incomplete inspections.
Innovation Solution
An unmanned underwater vehicle equipped with 3D underground sonar and a multi-sensor system that allows for simultaneous localization and examination of objects, reducing the need for lateral offsets and enabling detection of buried sections, while maintaining precise navigation and data fusion from various sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If side-scan sonar is used to locate and measure objects, then the object can be detected, but buried sections cannot be detected and time-consuming searches are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines side-scan sonar and 3D subsurface sonar into a single integrated system on the underwater vehicle. The side-scan sonar detects exposed sections of pipelines while the 3D subsurface sonar simultaneously detects buried sections, merging the capabilities of both sensors to provide comprehensive detection without requiring separate operations or time-consuming searches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional side-scan sonar imaging to three-dimensional subsurface imaging by introducing 3D subsurface sonar. This dimensional enhancement allows detection of buried objects at various depths below the seabed surface, providing vertical dimension information that enables localization of buried pipeline sections without manual searching.
2Measurement precision
If the underwater vehicle moves with lateral offset to measure the object, then the object can be located, but the operational time is reduced due to double travel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the localization and measurement functions into a single operational pass by equipping the vehicle with both side-scan sonar for localization and 3D subsurface sonar for measurement. This eliminates the need for separate traversal passes with lateral offsets, allowing the vehicle to locate and measure the same object section in one continuous movement, thereby maximizing operational time efficiency.
3Productivity
If the underwater vehicle descends and resurfaces at great depths, then the mission can be completed, but the operational time is significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters by enabling the vehicle to maintain optimal sensing depth for extended periods through improved navigation and positioning systems. The 3D subsurface sonar allows the vehicle to operate at consistent depths without frequent surfacing, as the enhanced detection capability compensates for reduced lateral movement, thereby minimizing the time lost to descent and resurfacing cycles.
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 solution significantly increases the area that can be localized and examined during a mission, reduces the risk of losing the object, and allows for more efficient tracking and inspection of pipelines and submarine cables, even when sections are buried or exposed.
Implementation Method 1
a sonar device with 3D subsurface sonar for collecting measurement data
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an unmanned underwater vehicle 2 for localizing 156 and examining 158 an object 110, for example a pipeline, arranged at the bottom 114 of a body of water 116. For this purpose, the underwater vehicle 2 has object localization means 10 and object examination means 12. The underwater vehicle 2 has a sonar device 20 with 3D underground sonar 22 for collecting measurement data. The object localization means 10 are designed for three-dimensional acoustic localization 166 of local sections 124, 126, 128 of the object 110 which are arranged both above and below the surface of the bottom of the body of water 112 by means of these measurement data while the underwater vehicle 2 is simultaneously moving away over these local sections 124, 126, 128 for the purpose of examining 168 local sections 124, 126, 128 of the object 110 by means of the object examination means 18. As a result, the invention allows a pipeline to be simultaneously surveyed and inspected as it is traversed once. The invention also relates to a system 54 having the underwater vehicle 2 and also to a method 187 for localizing 156 and examining 158 the object 110.