RU2086463C1 - Method for control of residual buoyancy of submersible vehicle and device for realization the same - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: submersible vehicles and systems for control of their buoyancy. SUBSTANCE: method is based on forcing water out of reservoir which is open at top with the aid of air fed to lower portion of reservoir. Amount of buoyancy thus created is adjusted through change of air flow rate. EFFECT: enhanced efficiency. 3 cl, 3 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to underwater apparatus engineering, in particular to systems for regulating their buoyancy in submerged position.

 Recently, the number of various types of underwater vehicles (PA) used for carrying out oceanological research, performing various works on the development of resources of the World Ocean, as well as for tourism, sports and other purposes, has significantly increased. They also include various types of converted or special experimental and research submarines (MN Diomidov, AN Dmitriev. Underwater vehicles. M. Shipbuilding, 1966, p. 85-87,112-114).

For normal functioning and effective work on the implementation of various tasks, PA must have sufficient stability and maneuverability in the vertical plane. So, for example, in the USA the main criteria in this sense are:
the ability to accurately maintain a constant depth of immersion with minimal use of rudders;
the ability to as soon as possible move from a straight line movement to maneuvering and vice versa;
the ability to quickly return to the steady movement when moving the controls to the zero position (V.F.Droblenko, V.N. Gerasimov. Threat from the depths. M. Voenizdat, 1966, p. 135-147).

 To give these properties, PA are equipped with various systems.

 So, to perform a maneuver diving or surfacing to the surface, the PA is equipped with an immersion-surfacing system, which is designed to increase the mass of the PA by taking overboard water into the ballast tanks during immersion and to reduce the mass of the PA by removing water from the tanks when floating to the surface.

 To maintain the PA immersion depth at predetermined limits at low speeds and in the absence of stroke, a buoyancy stabilization system is used. The operation of the stabilization system is ensured by controlling the amount of ballast in the tanks with compressed air or a differential (drain) pump. There is US patent N 3716009 from 1973 for class 114-16 E for a stabilization system with a gas generator, in which, to change the buoyancy of a PA, water is received or discharged from the tank by opening remote-controlled butterfly valves. A combined ballast emergency blowdown system has also been patented in a submarine and in a deep-sea vehicle (US Pat. No. 3,626,880 of 1971, class 114-16 E).

 When the PA moves in the underwater position, they also control the residual buoyancy, which is due to a change in the density of water and deformation (compression) of the body when the external pressure and temperature change. Typically, the specified control of residual buoyancy is carried out by receiving and pumping water by a pump from a strong equalization tank (Ship Management Manual, edited by A. Alexandrov, A. M. Voenizdat, 1974, pp. 95-105).

 When developing the present invention, the system described in the book was adopted as a prototype: V.M. Bukalov, A.A. Narubaev. Designing nuclear submarines. L. Shipbuilding, 1964, p. 119-122, Fig. 46 - prototype.

 The essence of the prototype of the buoyancy control method described in the prototype is that water is displaced through openings (scuppers) in the lower part of the tank, and air is supplied to the upper part of the tank.

 A device for implementing this method comprises a container (tank) with ventilation valves and scuppers for filling ventilation and purging the containers located in its upper and lower parts, respectively, and an air supply system from the general ship high-pressure air system.

 In practice, PA can fall into a layer of water with higher salinity (higher density), for example, in straits connecting seas and oceans with different salinity, or into a layer of water with lower density (offshore, at the confluence of rivers, in places of undercurrents, in fresh water lenses), as well as in areas with a different water temperature, in which the density of water also varies markedly. A certain effect on the change in the buoyancy of a PA is also exerted by the compression of the hull under the influence of pressure and water temperature (Yu.I. Bolshakov. Elementary theory of a submarine. M. Voenizdat, 1977, pp. 31-40), as well as, for example, the consumption of fuel reserves, ammunition, etc.

 The magnitude of the change in residual buoyancy under the influence of salinity and water temperature is significant, which may require re-ballasting the PA directly in the process of swimming. Consequently, the capacity of strong equalization tanks should be designed for extreme conditions in terms of the parameters of the surrounding water, which in turn will lead to an increase in the displacement of PA.

 However, this redundancy of the volume of tanks will be unnecessary if the PA does not fall into the zone with extreme conditions over its entire service life, which is quite likely. Thus, from the point of view of operating the design of the PA, it may turn out to be non-optimal and economically inexpedient.

 At the same time, research and experimental programs carried out using PA impose stringent requirements on the latter from the point of view of ensuring and maintaining specified motion parameters. Therefore, some backup means of ensuring and maintaining the buoyancy of submarines, not associated with the need to increase the volume of durable tanks, is necessary.

 It is obvious that if it is necessary to create a reserve buoyancy management system on the PA, it can be developed in a known manner and will be a duplicated system according to the indicated analogues and prototype, which will ultimately lead to an increase in the displacement of the device. In this case, to reduce the volume of tanks in order to compensate for the residual buoyancy of PA, no new technical solutions can be proposed.

 The objective of the invention is to provide a reserve control system for the buoyancy of PA, by displacing water with air while reducing the required volume of tanks to compensate for the residual buoyancy of the submarine and thereby improve its technical and operational qualities.

 A new technical solution for controlling the buoyancy of PA is proposed, based on the supply of air to the lower part of a container filled with water in a submerged position, which is opened in the upper part and includes a method for controlling the buoyancy of PA and a device for its implementation.

 The essence of the proposed invention is as follows. A perforated manifold in the form of a pipeline is installed in the lower part of the tank (which, depending on the type of PA, a light tank, a permeable part of the superstructure, or a special vertical extended pipe can be used for), a pipeline is connected to it from the air supply system, and a throttle system is mounted in it air valve.

 The principle of operation of the PA buoyancy control system according to the new technical solution is similar to the principle of the prototype system (V.M. Bukalov, AR Narusbaev. Design of nuclear submarines. -L. Sudostroenie, 1964, pp. 119-122, Fig. 46 ), because it is based on the displacement of water from the tank with air. But the mechanism for compensating the residual buoyancy of PA is carried out differently: part of the water is displaced by outgoing air bubbles from the upper side of the tank instead of squeezing water out with air from the lower side of the tank. The functions of known elements are also new, for example, ventilation valves must pass water carried by the leaving air bubbles, instead of removing air from them through the tank. In addition, a new property of distinctive features appears, the apparatus becomes sensitive to the slightest changes in residual buoyancy and is able to maintain immersion depth without running (“hovering” mode), easily compensating for a sharp change in water density.

 The proposed method and control device for the buoyancy of the PA also allows you to reduce the volume of durable tanks and due to this design the device in a more optimal way, which generally leads to an improvement in its technical and operational characteristics.

 Thus, a method is proposed for controlling the residual buoyancy of PA in the submerged position, based on the displacement of water by air from the tank, which is characterized in that the tank filled with water is opened in its upper part, air is supplied to the lower part of the tank, and the amount of buoyancy created is controlled by a change in air flow .

 The proposed method for controlling the buoyancy of PA can be implemented by a specific device of a new design, i.e. a device for controlling the residual buoyancy of a PA is also claimed, comprising a submerged container with ventilation valves in the upper part, an air supply system and pipelines with valves, characterized in that it is equipped with a collector installed in the lower part of the tank and connected to the air supply system in the form of perforated along the entire length of the pipe, and in the air supply system, a unit for changing the air flow is installed.

 The inventions thus include technological and structural features and constitute a combination of technical means aimed at solving one technical problem (problem). It is the claimed operations and means of air supply that, according to the inventions, ensure the removal of water by leaving bubbles from the tank on the upper side of the latter, and the air flow control allows you to adjust the buoyancy of the PA, i.e., to achieve the technical result. This allows us to conclude that the claimed technical solutions are interconnected by a single inventive concept.

 Comparison of the claimed technical solutions with the prototype allows us to establish their compliance with the criterion of "Novelty." Comparison of the claimed solutions not only with the prototype, but also with other solutions in this and related fields of technology also did not allow us to identify signs that distinguish the proposed solutions from the prototype.

The claimed technical solutions, as can be seen from the analysis of their distinctive features, allow:
to give new qualities to the PA, due to the novelty of the features (improving technical and operational qualities, creating a backup buoyancy management system);
to obtain a qualitatively new unexpected effect (high sensitivity to the slightest changes in the residual buoyancy and the provision of a "freeze" mode without a PA course, as well as an easily compensated sharp change in the density of water);
to open a new direction in the design of PA buoyancy controls;
to provide a contribution to the technological progress of underwater engineering.

 The claimed features, therefore, possess the non-obviousness of the technical solution, since the specialist does not explicitly follow the prior art, and the influence of known means on the achievement of the disclosed technical result (the presence in the patent and technical literature and other sources of descriptions of methods, devices, techniques, technical solutions, etc. The information that could be used for this task does not allow a specialist in this field of technology to unambiguously implement proposals without additional inventive creativity, since the use of this known information leads to an already known result). This allows us to conclude that the claimed invention meets the criterion of "inventive step".

 The set of distinguishing features of inventions is causally related to the technical result achieved (since it affects its achievement), therefore it is substantial and sufficient in all cases to which the requested scope of legal protection applies.

 Figure 1 shows a cross section of a PA having a lightweight ballast tank; figure 2 is a cross section of a PA having a permeable superstructure; figure 3 is a cross section of a PA with a vertical elongated pipe inside a durable housing.

 PA 1 has a robust housing 2, inside of which various equipment for control, research, measurement, etc. as well as the crew (figure 1). Around the sturdy casing 2 there is a lightweight ballast tank 3 designed for immersion or ascent of PA 1. On the upper side of the ballast tank 3 there are standard ventilation valves 4 for air outlet, and on the lower side are scuppers (valves with automatic shut-off) 5 for receiving or blowing sea water. Inside the solid casing 2, a standard diving and ascent post 6 is installed, as well as pipelines 7 with fittings (not shown) that connect the tank 3 to the air supply system (symbolically indicated by an arrow) from, for example, a general high-pressure airborne system (not shown). In the lower part of the tank 3, a collector 8 is installed for some extent of its length in the form of a perforated pipe along the entire length of the pipe. At the inlet of the air supply system to the tank there is a throttle air valve 9 controlling the air flow.

 For the PA variant with a permeable superstructure 10 (FIG. 2), the collector 8 is laid in its lower part; otherwise, the PA residual buoyancy control scheme is similar to that shown in FIG. 1.

 If in the design of the PA there are no lightweight ballast tanks 3 (Fig. 1) or a permeable superstructure 10 (Fig. 2), it is proposed to install a vertical long pipe 11 inside the durable casing 2, in the upper part isolated by the cover 12 (Fig. 3) . In principle, this pipe 11 (or several pipes) can be installed for structural reasons and outside the durable housing 2. Otherwise, the control circuit is similar to that shown in figures 1 and 2.

 In the description of these schemes, the word “regular” denotes a system (element) already existing on the user agent for its functioning, and in the present invention is considered for a better perception of the proposed technical solution.

 The operation of systems and units of PA according to the claimed invention is as follows. PA moves at a given depth, the ballast tank 3 is filled with water, and the ventilation valves 4 and scuppers 5 are closed (Fig. 1).

 In case of negative buoyancy due to some reason, for example, penetration of PA into the “lens” of fresh water, etc. the device receives a certain impulse to dive.

 To compensate for the negative buoyancy that has occurred on the immersion and ascent control panel 6, an air supply system is included, which through pipelines 7 with fittings and a throttle valve 9 enters the manifold 8. At the same time, all ventilation valves 4 of the tank 3 are opened. Air jets entering the tank 3 through the perforations of the manifold 8 are crushed into separate bubbles, which flow through ventilation valves 4 into the outboard space. In this case, the leaving bubbles due to the surface tension of the water film in the contact zone, water and air are removed from the tank 3 through these valves 4 a significant amount of water.

 The required rate of compensation for negative buoyancy is regulated using a throttle valve 9. After eliminating the negative buoyancy, the air supply to the manifold 8 is stopped, and the ventilation valves 4 are closed. During this entire process, the scuppers 5 remain closed.

 Calculations and experiments conducted jointly by KBM (Miass) and TsKBMT Rubin (St. Petersburg) showed that when the PA is at a depth of 50 m, the required specific air flow is 0.1 kg / s per 1 ton of buoyancy , which is consistent with the usually available air supply for PA, provided the apparatus is stabilized for several hours.

 Using the proposed method and device for its implementation allows, in comparison with existing solutions, to provide the following advantages.

 1. The control of buoyancy with the help of outgoing air bubbles allows to reduce the required volume of strong equalization tanks to compensate for negative buoyancy.

 2. A backup buoyancy control system is created by displacing water with air.

 3. Improving the technical and operational qualities of PA.

 4. The proposed technical solution allows to provide a high degree of sensitivity to a change (regulation) of the residual buoyancy of the PA, as a result of which the apparatus can be held at a given depth without running or manipulating any thrusters and similar devices (the “freeze” mode is provided).

 5. The technical solution also has constructive simplicity, and its implementation does not require additional theoretical and experimental studies. This advantage is confirmed by the fact that the existing systems are used mainly, with the additional installation of a collector and a unit for changing the water flow rate (throttle valve), piping to the bottom of the tank (superstructure, pipe), and additional ventilation valves (device opening the lid in the version with a pipe), for example, through the post of immersion and ascent.

 Currently, a decision has been prepared on the implementation of the proposed control method in the underwater vehicle under development.

Claims (2)

 1. The method of controlling the residual buoyancy of the underwater vehicle in the submerged position, based on the displacement of water by air from the tank, characterized in that the tank filled with water is opened in its upper part, air is supplied to the lower part of the tank, and the amount of buoyancy created is controlled by a change in air flow.  2. Device for controlling the residual buoyancy of the underwater vehicle, comprising a container filled with water in a submerged position with ventilation valves in the upper part, an air supply system and pipelines with valves, characterized in that it is equipped with a collector installed in the lower part of the tank and connected to the air supply system made in the form of perforated along the entire length of the pipe, and in the air supply system is installed node changes in air flow.

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