RU2851269C2 - Autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle for rescue of submariners - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: marine rescue equipment.

SUBSTANCE: autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle for the submariners rescue includes a cylindrical strong hull with an end strong aft bulkhead, inside which light partitions are installed with the formation of three compartments, with a manipulator device, bow and stern horizontal thrusters, four vertical thrusters, ballast and trim tanks, a propulsion propulsion motor, accumulator batteries placed in the lower part of the strong hull in strong outboard cylindrical containers installed with the possibility of their discharge for urgent surfacing, with fastening locks of parachute slings, located on strong hull, made with possibility of their remote opening. Autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle has a control buoy providing a control channel between an operator located remotely, rescue compartment for accommodation of rescued submariners with access hatch and suction chamber, in which manipulator device is installed providing for opening of rescue hatch of emergency submarine.

EFFECT: increasing the probability of rescuing submariners from a damaged submarine by significantly reducing the time of their evacuation.

1 cl, 6 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of marine rescue technology and concerns the creation of a means capable of providing assistance to the personnel of a distressed submarine (submarine) lying on the ground at various depths.

Autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles (AUVs) of the Theseus (Canada) and Explorer (USA) types [1] are known. They are torpedo-shaped and equipped with acoustic profilers and echo sounders, allowing for various search and survey operations. Russian-made AUVs of the Galtel and Juno types are known, equipped with equipment for mapping and areal survey of the seabed [1]. The Remora AUV (USA) is known, equipped with equipment for searching for and detecting underwater objects, and delivered to the work site by aircraft [1].

The disadvantage of these AUVs is their inability to rescue crew members of a distressed submarine lying on the seabed.

Deep-sea rescue vehicles (DSVs) of Projects 1855 and 18270 are known, designed to rescue crew members of a distressed submarine lying on the seabed [2], having a control compartment for the crew and a rescue compartment in which the compartment operator is located and the submariners being rescued are accommodated. The DSVs are equipped with equipment that allows for searching for the distressed submarine, docking with it, receiving and accommodating submariners in the rescue compartment, undocking from the submarine, and surfacing.

The disadvantage of these SGA is their large-sized design and, accordingly, large weight (39-55 tons), which requires the use of a carrier vessel to deliver the SGA to the site of the submarine accident and does not allow for delivery by air or landing of the SGA on water.

An air-droppable rescue underwater vehicle is known (RU Patent No. 2782037, registration date 10/21/2022) with the possibility of its landing from an Il-76 type transport aircraft [3].

This air-droppable underwater rescue vehicle comprises a cylindrical pressure hull with end bow and stern torispherical pressure bulkheads, command, rescue, and power unit compartments. The pressure hull is equipped with parachute sling attachment locks, designed to allow their remote deployment from a control panel in the command compartment. The hull contains main ballast tanks, heel-and-trim tanks, and equalizer tanks. Four vertical thrusters are located in bollard attachments mounted on the pressure hull on each side above the central horizontal plane of the pressure hull. A stern horizontal thruster and a vertically mounted cruise propulsion motor with the ability to rotate 90° to a horizontal working position outside the contours of the pressure hull are installed at the aft end [3]. The crew consists of two persons. This apparatus is considered a prototype.

A disadvantage of the prototype is the impossibility of evacuating an air-dropped rescue underwater vehicle that has surfaced at a significant distance from the nearest ships or vessels, carrying submariners rescued from a distressed submarine lying on the ground, using standard naval aviation aircraft.

The objective of the invention is to improve the design of an underwater vehicle, eliminating the aforementioned deficiencies. The design of the autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle for submariner rescue (AUV SP) must allow for its airdrop to a submarine wreck from an Il-76 aircraft. After splashdown, the AUV SP must be capable of searching for the stricken submarine, docking with it, receiving the submariners in the rescue compartment, undocking from the submarine, and surfacing, where its dimensions and weight allow for its evacuation using standard naval aircraft.

The problem is solved by proposing an underwater vehicle with a cylindrical, robust hull, a propulsion and steering system, a power supply module, a control, navigation, and communications module, and a rescue compartment. However, it differs from the prototype in that it lacks a crew, is smaller in size, and is autonomously controlled via a buoy, which is dropped together with the SP AUV and automatically released upon splashdown. The buoy floats on the surface of the water and communicates with the operator via radio. The buoy is connected to the SP AUV via a fiber-optic communication line (FOCL), providing control via the control module and the SP AUV's hardware and software suite. These systems are designed to search for the stricken submarine, dock with it, receive submariners in the rescue compartment, undock, and surface.

The diagram of the SP AUV is shown in Fig. 1 a, b, c, d.

The autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle for the rescue of submariners includes a cylindrical pressure hull 1 with an aft end pressure bulkhead 2. The pressure hull 1 contains a control compartment 3, a rescue compartment 4, and a power unit compartment 5. The partition between the control compartment and the rescue compartment 6 and the partition between the rescue and power unit compartments 7 are lightweight (Fig. 1, a). The equipment inside the AUV SP withstands excess pressure. The control compartment contains equipment in the form of a combined control module 8, which ensures control of the AUV SP, including a multibeam echo sounder, scanning laser searchlights, video cameras, a hydroacoustic communication station, and a hardware and software complex with the function of constructing a 3-D seafloor model. The rescue compartment includes an entrance hatch 9, a suction chamber 10, and ballast tanks 11. In the power unit compartment 5, there are cylinders with compressed air and medical oxygen 12.

The batteries 13 are housed in overboard cylindrical containers 14, which are installed so that they can be jettisoned for emergency surfacing. The containers 14 protect the batteries from shock loads during landing and can withstand water pressure up to the maximum submersion depth of the SP AUV. Two cylindrical containers 14 are installed on either side of the SP AUV, symmetrically to the centerline of the SP AUV, under buoyancy aids 15 (Fig. 1, b). In emergency situations, the container 14 containing the battery 13 is used as detachable solid ballast. The SP AUV is equipped with lithium gel-polymer batteries 13. A battery located in the power pack compartment is provided for emergency power supply.

For underwater movement, the SP AUV is equipped with a bow 16 and aft 17 horizontal thrusters, vertical thrusters 18 and one cruise propulsion electric motor 19, which ensures horizontal movement of the SP AUV.

The bow horizontal thruster 16 is located in a strong casing 20. Four vertical thrusters 18 are located in the bow thrusters 15 on each side.

Behind the aft strong bulkhead 2 of the strong hull 1, the aft fairing 21 of the light hull forms an aft end 22, in which an aft horizontal thruster 17 and one vertically mounted cruise propulsion electric motor 19 are installed with the possibility of turning it by 90° to a horizontal working position outside the contours of the strong hull 1 (Fig. 1, a).

The SP AUV's entry hatch 9 is equipped with removable rotary doors mounted on the pressure hull 1. These doors can be rotated vertically when the SP AUV is on the surface, forming a prefabricated enclosure. The prefabricated enclosure, formed by the raised vertical rotary doors, protects the open entry hatch 9 of the SP AUV from flooding while on the surface after surfacing, thereby enhancing the safety of the rescued submariners. The SP AUV's rotary doors are secured to its pressure hull 1.

In the forward part of the pressure hull 1 of the SP AUV, a manipulator device 23 is installed. To reduce impact loads at the moment of splashdown, the manipulator device 23 is compactly folded, and the moving elements are additionally pressed against the hull of the SP AUV by movable stops or locks controlled by the operator through the control compartment.

Design example. The SP AUV is manufactured with the following dimensions, ensuring its transportability by aircraft: length no more than 3,200 mm, width no more than 2,600 mm, height no more than 2,500 mm, and its landing weight no more than 3.9 tons. An Il-76 aircraft can be used for transportation, delivery, and airdrop of the SP AUV of these dimensions.

In rescue compartment 4, three seats 24 (six in total) are located along each side of pressure hull 1 for accommodating rescuees (Fig. 1, c and d). Trim tanks 25, ventilation and air conditioning equipment are located under the seats 24 of the rescuees. In the power unit compartment 5, the equipment of the electrical power and general ship systems is installed, as well as the life support system based on containers with regenerative substance 26, which does not require constant maintenance and monitoring. In the power unit compartment 5, a pump is located for trimming and pumping water out of the suction chamber after docking.

In the stern end 22, outside the strong hull, a cruise propulsion electric motor 19 is placed in a vertical stowed position on a rotating platform with a drive for turning by 90° in the vertical plane, as well as high-pressure air cylinders, medical oxygen cylinders 12, a control buoy 27, a reel with a fiber-optic communication cable 28 and other equipment.

The removable parachute sling attachment points and the parachute system are located on top of the SP AUV's pressure hull along the centerline. The removable parachute sling attachment points are mechanically operated with an electric drive and are additionally equipped with emergency explosive bolts, capable of being remotely controlled by the operator.

The SP AUV operates as follows. An Il-76 transport aircraft is used to transport the SP AUV to the submarine's wreck site. A parachute system is used to airdrop the SP AUV from the transport aircraft.

After splashdown, the SP AUV operator, located remotely, releases the parachute system's sling latches. If these latches become jammed, emergency explosive bolts, also controlled remotely by the operator, are triggered.

The operation of all SP AUV systems is checked while on the surface. The operator rotates the propulsion engine 19, which is positioned vertically in the stowed position, to the horizontal operating position and checks the functionality of all SP AUV systems. The ballast tanks 11 and trim tanks 25 are filled with seawater, and the SP AUV is prepared for submersion.

Following this, the operator's command releases control buoy 27, which remains on the surface, and the SP AUV 29 is submerged, unwinding fiber-optic cable 30 from reel 28. The operator uses the buoy to check the operability of the SP AUV's control system. After completing all submerged system checks, the SP AUV is submerged and its maneuverability is tested (Fig. 2).

The SP AUV then continues its dive, searching for the distress beacon signal, and conducting a search (or final search) for the distressed submarine using a multibeam echo sounder, scanning laser searchlights, and video cameras. The operator establishes hydroacoustic communication with the submarine and approaches it.

The hardware and software system generates a 3D model of the seabed area containing the emergency platform, which is transmitted to the operator. The SP AUV operator, using their knowledge of the location and previous experience, or using artificial intelligence, automatically docks the SP AUV's suction chamber 10 with the emergency platform's coaming. After the SP AUV lands on one of the emergency platform's coamings, a pump evacuates water from the SP AUV's suction chamber 10.

In the event of the absence of hydroacoustic communication with the crew of the emergency submarine, communication can be established using battery-free telephone communication by connecting the manipulator device of the KP semi-connector of the TIB-P type with a hydroacoustic repeater station to a sealed stationary semi-connector of the TIB-ST type [4] or is carried out in accordance with the table of tapping of the suction chamber 31 by the manipulator device.

The operator equalizes the pressure in the rescue compartment 4 with the pressure in the suction chamber (SC) 10, then, using the suction chamber manipulator 31, opens the escape hatch (EH) ventilation valve, equalizing the pressure in the EH and SC 10, and opens the EH upper cover. The rescued persons, at the operator's command, open the EH lower cover and leave the emergency area.

After the lower cover of the rescue vessel is opened, six rescued submariners are accommodated in rescue compartment 4. The upper cover of the rescue vessel and the suction chamber hatch 10 are closed, the rescue compartment is filled with seawater, the pressure in the rescue compartment is equalized with the seawater, and the SP AUV separates from the emergency submarine and ascends.

The hydroacoustic repeater station remains connected to a sealed stationary semi-connector of the TIB-ST type and functions as an emergency beacon for the subsequent rescue of submariners.

If necessary, the SP AUV can decompress the divers. After surfacing, the SP AUV transmits its location, to which a Ka-27 naval aviation helicopter is dispatched and, using the SP 32 AUV recovery unit, evacuates them to shore or the nearest vessel.

A 3D model of an autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle for rescuing submariners is shown in Fig. 3.

The new distinctive features of this SP AUV are:

- the presence of a rescue compartment in the autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle, which can accommodate submariners being rescued from a distressed submarine;

- the presence of a buoy that provides a control channel between a remote operator and an autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle for rescuing submariners;

- the dimensions of an autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle for rescuing submariners, ensuring the possibility of its delivery and evacuation using standard naval aviation aircraft.

The advantages of the proposed invention are:

- no risk to human life during landing (due to the absence of people in the crew);

- the ability to control the AUV SP by an operator located remotely;

- the possibility of rescuing a crew under high pressure in a distressed submarine;

- prompt delivery of the SP AUV to the accident site and evacuation of rescued submariners by aircraft of the Russian Federation.

The use of the invention will increase the likelihood of rescuing submariners from a distressed submarine, significantly reducing their evacuation time.

Literature

1. Underwater vehicles. Volume I. Autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles. - St. Petersburg - Lomonosov, 2014, 372 p.

2. Smirnov V.A., Katkovsky A.G. Search and rescue support vessels of the Navy, a training and reference manual, St. Petersburg, 2005.

3. Patent No. 2782037. Air-landed rescue underwater vehicle: No. 2022111489: declared 27.04.2022; published 21.10.2022/ A.S. Serebrennikov, D.V. Sidorenkov, I.E. Gorbuntsov, V.I. Grebennikov; patent holder JSC St. Petersburg Marine Engineering Bureau Malakhit.

4. Pavlov G.G., Hydroacoustic repeater station "Plovets-2-P" / Proceedings of the scientific and practical conference on topical issues of search and rescue at sea "Rescue-2018". - Lomonosov, 2018.

Claims (1)

An autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle for the rescue of submariners (AUV SP), comprising a cylindrical pressure hull with an end aft pressure bulkhead, inside which light partitions are installed to form three compartments, with a manipulator device, bow and stern horizontal thrusters, four vertical thrusters, ballast and trim tanks, a cruise propulsion electric motor, storage batteries located in the lower part of the pressure hull in strong outboard cylindrical containers installed with the possibility of their release for urgent surfacing, with parachute strap fastening locks located on the pressure hull, made with the possibility of their remote deployment, characterized in that the AUV SP has a control buoy providing a control channel between the operator located remotely and the AUV SP, a rescue compartment for accommodating rescued submariners with an entrance hatch and a suction chamber in which a manipulator device that enables the opening of the rescue hatch of a distressed submarine, and overall dimensions that allow the delivery and evacuation of the SP AUV using standard naval aviation aircraft.