GB2212451A - Remotely operable submarine vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

A steerable submarine vehicle is attachable to a parent marine craft by means of an umbilical (11). Thrusters (13) impart thrust to the vehicle in its fore and aft direction. The vehicle has a yoke (21) having ends (23a, 23b) pivotally connected to the vehicle about a pivot axis (A-A) perpendicular to the fore and aft direction of the vehicle. The umbilical is connected to the yoke at a point of symmetry (25) of the yoke. The position of the pivot axis is so related to the hydrodynamic centre (O) of the vehicle that little or no thrust is required for maintaining the heading of the moving vehicle. <IMAGE>

Description

REMOTELY OPERABLE SUBMARINE VEHICLES This- invention relates to remotely operable submarine vehicles and their control.

According to the present invention a steerable submarine vehicle has means for imparting thrust thereto in at least the fore and aft direction of the vehicle and is adapted to be controllable from a parent marine craft to which the submarine vehicle is adapted to be attached by way of flexible line means capable of bearing loads arising as a result of attachment as aforesaid, characterised in that the submarine vehicle has a yoke the ends of which are pivotally connected to the submarine vehicle at positions defining a pivot axis substantially perpendicular to the fore and aft direction of the submarine vehicle; and the yoke is arranged, adapted, and constructed, or any of these, to provide at its position of symmetry means for attachment for a flexible line means to a parent craft; and the positional relationship of the said pivot axis and the hydrodynamic centre of the vehicle is such that little thrust, if any, is required of the said thrust means for the purpose of maintaining vehicle heading with relative movement between the vehicle and the water over a substantial range, at least, of angles of incidence of water with respect to the vehicle.

The yoke may have dimensions such and the angular movement permitted between the yoke and the vehicle about the said pivot axis is such as to permit the yoke to adopt any position in an angular range extending through positions at which the vehicle may be employed in a tow-fish relationship with respect to a parent craft to positions at which the vehicle may be employed driven ahead of a parent craft.

The vehicle has a recess portion extending therethrough in a direction perpendicular to the vehicle fore and aft direction; a rigid part extending across the recess of the said recess portion and pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the vehicle for angular movement about a pivot axis perpendicular to the first mentioned pivot axis; and the ends of the yoke are respectively pivotally connected to the said rigid part.

Stop means may be provided serving to limit angular movement permitted the rigid part in either sense about the said intermediate pivot axis with respect to the transverse direction of the vehicle.

The recessed portion may comprise a chamber extending thwartships intermediate the vehicle bow and stern, the said stop means being constituted by wall portions of the vehicle.

The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a first submarine vehicle; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the vehicle of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of a second submarine vehicle; Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the vehicle of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a pictorial representation of a third submarine vehicle.

Submarine vehicles in accordance with the invention are to be attached to their parent marine craft, usually a surface vessel, by means of an umbilical 11 capable of bearing loads arising as a result of the attachment as aforesaid of the submarine vehicle to the parent craft.

The umbilical may be employed in the supply of power from the parent craft to the submarine vehicle and, in all cases, is employed as a telemetry link between the vessels. Instead of power transmission from the parent craft, the submarine vehicle may incorporate its own power source, usually batteries.

Referring to the several figures, the submarine vehicle has thrusters 13 operable to impart thrust to the vehicle in its fore and aft direction. The thrusters are employable not only in driving the vehicle but also to provide differential thrust in order to control the heading of the submarine vessel particularly when the vessel has no motion through the water.

The vehicle has a rudder 15 which is the primary or, perhaps, sole means for heading control and trimming when the submarine vehicle has movement through the water.

Vertical thruster means (not illustrated) is also provided in the vehicle, and lateral thrust means may be incorporated to meet some requirements.

The several thrusters, whether fore and aft, vertical or lateral, are of conventional construction and, typically, may be as illustrated in Fig. 5.

The submarine vehicle has e.m. radiation sensor means represented in Fig. 5 by a camera 17; and may have e.m.

radiation sources, represented by electric powered lamps 19.

The vessel may have any of a variety of appearances; the vehicle shapes illustrated have good hydrodynamic characteristics.

The submarine vehicle has a yoke 21 the ends 23a, 23b, respectively of which are pivotally connected to the vehicle at positions defining a pivot axis A-A which is substantially perpendicular to the fore and aft direction of the vehicle.

The yoke 21 is provided, at its position of symmetry 25, with a connector part 27 adapted to engage a co-operable connector part 29 at the end of the umbilical 11.

The positional relationship of the pivot axis A-A and the hydrodynamic centre 0 of the vehicle is such that little, if any, thrust is required of the thrust means 13 for the purpose of maintaining vehicle heading in the presence of relative movement between the vehicle and the water over a substantial range, at least, of angles of incidence of the water with respect to the vehicle.

Were the connection between the submarine vehicle and the parent craft to be such that the line of action does not approximate as close as is feasible to the vehicle hydrodynamic centre substantial moments must arise as a result, e.g. of tidal flows, acting on the vehicle about the said hydrodynamic centre such moments producing yawing and/or rolling motion in the vehicle. And to counter such moments substantial differential thrust would needs be developed. Clearly, the use of thrust for such purposes is at the expense of power to drive the vehicle since the same thrusters are employed for both purposes. Conditions could, in strong tidal states, arise where thruster power is absorbed substantially exclusively in maintaining heading, no power being available for making headway through the water.

In the arrangement of Figs. 1 and 2 the yoke 21 and the vehicle being pivotally coupled at a pivot axis A-A passing substantially through the hydrodynamic centre 0, rolling and yawing movement are substantially eliminated.

In the arrangement of Figs. 3 and 4 the vehicle has a recess portion 31 extending through the vehicle perpendicular to the vehicle fore and aft direction. A rigid member 33 extends across the recess of the said portion 31 and is pivotally connected at its centre, which is coincident with the hydrodynamic centre 0, to the vehicle for angular movement about a pivot axis B-B which is perpendicular to the pivot axis A-A. The ends 23a, 23b, of the yoke 21 are, respectively, pivotally connected to the ends of the rigid member 33.

With both forms of vehicle the hydrodynamic centre 0 varies with vehicle incidence angle and as a consequence in practical forms of vehicle the axis A-A does not at all times coincide with the centre 0. Nevertheless, the principal of designing the vehicle so as to ensure that the axis A-A has a position with respect to the centre 0 such that such moments are kept relatively small in value and different thrust requirements correspondingly contained, is a feature of real merit.

Angular movement in either sense of the rigid member 33 is stop limited as by contact between the member 33 and walls of the recess portion 31 through which the member 33 extends.

With the range of angular movement so permitted of the member 33 and, hence, of the yoke 21 about the axis B-B pitching moments on the vehicle are substantially reduced.

With the vehicles of Figs. 1 and 2 and Figs. 3 and 4 the yoke is of such shape and dimensions that the yoke may be swung between the solid line and the broken line positions represented. In the former case the submarine vehicle is functioning as a fully maneouvrable remotely operable vehicle, in the latter case as a tow-fish. Figs. 3 and 4 represent a configuration which may be favoured where the vehicle may be required to carry external underslung loads.

Claims (6)

1. A steerable submarine vehicle which is controllable from a parent marine craft, the vehicle comprising means for imparting thrust thereto in at least fore and aft directions of the vehicle; and means for attaching the vehicle to the craft, including flexible line means capable of bearing loads arising as a result of said attachment, and a yoke the ends of which are pivotally connected to the vehicle at positions defining a first pivot axis substantially perpendicular to the fore and aft direction of the vehicle, which yoke provides at its position of symmetry means for attachment of a said flexible line means to the parent craft; the positional relationship of said first pivot axis and the hydrodynamic centre of the vehicle being such that little or no thrust is required from the thrust means for maintaining vehicle heading with relative movement between the vehicle and the water over a substantial range of angles of incidence of water with respect to the vehicle.

2. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the yoke has such dimensions, and the angular movement permitted between the yoke and the vehicle about said first pivot axis is such, as to permit the yoke to adopt any position in an angular range extending through positions at which the vehicle is in a tow-fish relationship with respect to the parent craft to positions at which the vehicle is driven ahead of the parent craft.

3. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the vehicle has a recess portion extending therethrough in a direction perpendicular to the vehicle fore and aft direction; wherein a rigid part extends across the recess of the recess portion and is pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the vehicle for angular movement about a second pivot axis perpendicular to said first pivot axis; and wherein the ends of the yoke are respectively pivotally connected to said rigid part.

4. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 3, comprising stop means to limit angular movement of the rigid part in either sense about said second pivot axis with respect to the transverse direction of the vehicle.

5. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the recessed portion comprises a chamber extending thwartships intermediate the vehicle bow and stern; and wherein the stop means is constituted by wall portions of the vehicle.

6. A steerable submarine vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.