Semi-autonomous Waterborne Dock Enclosure with Rotatable Thrusters
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current waterborne recovery vessels lack an efficient method for maneuvering and retrieving submerged payloads due to limitations in propulsion and buoyancy control, making it difficult to position and lift large or unwieldy objects from the seafloor.
Innovation Solution
A semi-autonomous waterborne vessel with a U-shaped hull structure featuring longitudinal and transverse drive tunnels and rotatable thrusters, combined with oblique drive tunnels and ballast tanks, allows for precise maneuvering and buoyancy control, enabling the vessel to position and lift payloads from the seafloor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional propulsion systems are used in waterborne recovery vessels, then the vessel can move through water, but it lacks precise maneuvering capability and directional control for positioning payloads
Solution Approach 1:
The propulsion system is segmented into multiple independent thrusters positioned at different locations on the vessel. Each thruster can be controlled independently, allowing the vessel to achieve precise maneuvering through coordinated operation of individual thrusters rather than relying on a single complex propulsion unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The thrusters are designed to be rotatable about vertical axes, enabling dynamic adjustment of thrust direction. This allows the vessel to change its propulsion orientation in real-time, achieving precise directional control and positioning capability without requiring complex mechanical steering systems.
2Ease of operation
If conventional buoyancy control is used in waterborne recovery vessels, then the vessel can float, but it lacks variable buoyancy control for lifting and lowering payloads
Solution Approach 1:
The buoyancy control system incorporates variable buoyancy tanks that can dynamically adjust their volume or displacement. This allows the vessel to change its overall buoyancy in real-time, enabling controlled lifting and lowering of payloads without requiring complex mechanical lifting equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The buoyancy control utilizes pneumatic or hydraulic systems to adjust the volume of buoyancy tanks by controlling gas or liquid pressure. This provides smooth, controllable buoyancy variation for payload operations without requiring complex mechanical structures.
3Ease of operation
If a simple hull structure is used in waterborne recovery vessels, then the vessel is easier to manufacture, but it lacks the capability for precise positioning and payload retrieval
Solution Approach 1:
The hull structure incorporates segmented drive tunnels that are formed as separate, standardized components. These tunnels can be manufactured independently and then assembled into the final hull structure, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining the complex functionality needed for precise positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive tunnels serve multiple functions: they provide structural support for the hull, guide the rotation of thrusters, and define the flow paths for water propulsion. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, simplifying manufacturing while achieving precise positioning capability.
4Ease of operation
If multiple thrusters are added to improve maneuvering, then directional control improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is designed with multiple thrusters but operates them selectively based on the maneuvering requirements. Not all thrusters need to operate at full capacity simultaneously; partial operation of fewer thrusters can achieve the desired directional control, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining control capability.
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 efficient retrieval of submerged payloads by providing directional propulsion and variable buoyancy, allowing for precise positioning and lifting of large or unwieldy objects from the seafloor to the surface.
Implementation Method 1
Each thruster drives water flow through the corresponding drive tunnels and is rotatable about a corresponding vertical axis among multiple different thruster orientations. In those different orientations the thruster drives water flow in one direction or the other through the corresponding longitudinal or transverse drive tunnel.
Implementation Method 2
lowering the waterborne vessel into a body of water to a position adjacent a submerged target payload; raising the waterborne vessel toward a surface of the body of water with the target payload on the base portion of the hull structure
Data Source
AI summary
A waterborne vessel includes a hull structure, longitudinal and transverse drive tunnels, and one or more thrusters. The hull structure has a base and side walls forming a U-shaped cross-section, open forward and aft ends, and an open top. The drive tunnels extend through the base portion of the hull structure. Each thruster is located at a corresponding intersection of longitudinal and transverse drive tunnels. Each thruster drives water flow through the corresponding drive tunnels and is rotatable about a vertical axis among multiple different thruster orientations in which the thruster drives water flow in one direction or the other through the corresponding longitudinal or transverse drive tunnel. A method includes: lowering the vessel through water to a submerged target payload; maneuvering the vessel and/or payload to position the payload on the hull structure between the side walls; and raising the vessel and payload toward the water surface.