Submersible vehicles and methods for transiting the same in a body of liquid

• US 8,127,704 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2009
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Vosburgh, Frederick, Moody, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): AVILA, STEPHEN P
• Application Number:
  US12/408,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20090241826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 114/245
• US Class Current: 114/245
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2008/002 unmanned
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/001 Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/18 by hydrofoils
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/22 Adjustment of buoyancy by water ballasting; Emptying equipment for ballast tanks conduits for emptying or ballasting on vessels in general B63B13/00; stabilising vessels using ballast tanks B63B43/06
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/42 Towed underwater vessels
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0252 PM holding devices H01F7/021, H01F7/0215, H01F7/0226 take precedence

Abstract

A submersible vehicle for use in a body of liquid includes a vehicle body, a pair of fins coupled to the vehicle body on opposed sides thereof, and a dihedral angle control system. The dihedral angle control is system operative to vary a fin dihedral angle of each of the fins.

Claims

1. A submersible vehicle for use in a body of liquid, the submersible vehicle being an underwater glider, and comprising:

a vehicle body;

a pair of fins coupled to the vehicle body on opposed sides thereof;

a dihedral angle control system operative to vary a fin dihedral angle of each of the fins; and

a buoyancy control system operable to selectively generate vertical force on the submersible vehicle by varying a buoyancy of the submersible vehicle;

wherein the shape of at least one of the vehicle body and the pair of fins is configured to convert at least part of the vertical force into a forward glide thrust on the submersible vehicle.

2. The submersible vehicle of claim 1 wherein the fin dihedral angle of each of the fins is upward when the submersible vehicle is descending and downward when the submersible vehicle is ascending.

3. The submersible vehicle of claim 1 wherein the submersible vehicle includes an active thrust system operative to propel the submersible vehicle through the body of liquid.

4. The submersible vehicle of claim 1 wherein each fin is joined to the body at a respective fin root and pivots about a pivot axis at the fin root to vary the fin dihedral angle of the fin.

5. The submersible vehicle of claim 4 including a pair of opposed stops associated with each fin and configured to limit the range of fin dihedral angles assumable by the fin.

6. The submersible vehicle of claim 1 wherein the dihedral angle control system is operative to passively vary the fin dihedral angle of each of the fins.

7. The submersible vehicle of claim 1 wherein the dihedral angle control system includes a biasing member to change and/or maintain a dihedral angle of at least one of the fins.

8. The submersible vehicle of claim 1 wherein the dihedral angle control system includes at least one magnet or magnetic actuator to induce each of the fins into at least one selected fin dihedral angle.

9. The submersible vehicle of claim 1 wherein the dihedral angle control system is operative to actively vary the fin dihedral angle of each of the fins.

10. The submersible vehicle of claim 9 wherein the dihedral angle control system includes:

at least one magnetic actuator to induce each of the fins into at least one selected fin dihedral angle; and

a magnet force controller to control an attraction force of the at least one magnetic actuator.

11. The submersible vehicle of claim 9 wherein the dihedral angle control system includes:

at least one force actuator operable to forcibly vary the fin dihedral angles of the fins; and

a force actuator controller to control actuation of the force actuator.

12. The submersible vehicle of claim 1 wherein the fins pivot independently of one another to position the fins at different respective fin dihedral angles from one another.

20. The submersible vehicle of claim 1 wherein the vehicle body includes a hull, and the hull and/or the fins convert at least part of the vertical force generated by varying the buoyancy of the submersible vehicle into the forward glide thrust.

21. The submersible vehicle of claim 20 wherein a shape of the hull is configured to convert at least part of the vertical force generated by varying the buoyancy of the submersible vehicle into the forward glide thrust.

22. The submersible vehicle of claim 20 wherein the fins are configured to convert at least part of the vertical force generated by varying the buoyancy of the submersible vehicle into the forward glide thrust.

13. A method of providing transit of a submersible vehicle through a body of liquid, the submersible vehicle being an underwater glider and including a vehicle body, a pair of fins coupled to the vehicle body on opposed sides thereof, and a buoyancy control system, the method comprising:

varying a fin dihedral angle of each of the fins using a dihedral angle control system; and

using the buoyancy control system, selectively generating vertical force on the submersible vehicle by varying a buoyancy of the submersible vehicle;

wherein the shape of at least one of the vehicle body and the pair of fins converts at least part of the vertical force to a forward glide thrust on the submersible vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13 including:

positioning each fin to have an upward fin dihedral angle when the submersible vehicle is descending; and

positioning each fin to have a downward fin dihedral angle when the submersible vehicle is ascending.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein varying the fin dihedral angle of each of the fins includes actively varying the fin dihedral angle of each of the fins using the dihedral angle control system.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the dihedral angle control system includes;

at least one magnetic actuator to induce each of the fins into at least one selected fin dihedral angle; and

a magnet force controller; and

the method includes controlling an attraction force of the at least one magnetic actuator using the magnet force controller.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the dihedral angle control system includes;

at least one force actuator operable to forcibly vary the fin dihedral angles of the fins; and

a force actuator controller; and

the method includes controlling actuation of the force actuator using the force actuator controller.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein varying the fin dihedral angle of each of the fins includes pivoting the fins independently of one another to position the fins at different respective fin dihedral angles from one another.

19. The method of claim 18 including raising one of the fins to an upward fin dihedral angle and lowering the other fin to a downward fin dihedral angle to cause or assist turning of the submersible vehicle.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein the vehicle body includes a hull, and the hull and/or the fins convert at least part of the vertical force generated by varying the buoyancy of the submersible vehicle into the forward glide thrust.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein a shape of the hull is configured to convert at least part of the vertical force generated by varying the buoyancy of the submersible vehicle into the forward glide thrust.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the fins are configured to convert at least part of the vertical force generated by varying the buoyancy of the submersible vehicle into the forward glide thrust.

26. A submersible vehicle for use in a body of liquid, the submersible vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body;

a pair of fins coupled to the vehicle body on opposed sides thereof; and

a dihedral angle control system operative to actively vary a fin dihedral angle of each of the fins, wherein the dihedral angle control system includes;

at least one magnetic actuator to induce each of the fins into at least one selected fin dihedral angle; and

a magnet force controller to control an attraction force of the at least one magnetic actuator.

27. A method of providing transit of a submersible vehicle through a body of liquid, the submersible vehicle including a vehicle body and a pair of fins coupled to the vehicle body on opposed sides thereof, the method comprising:

actively varying a fin dihedral angle of each of the fins using a dihedral angle control system;

wherein;

the dihedral angle control system includes;

at least one magnetic actuator to induce each of the fins into at least one selected fin dihedral angle; and

a magnet force controller; and

the method includes controlling an attraction force of the at least one magnetic actuator using the magnet force controller.

28. A submersible vehicle for use in a body of liquid, the submersible vehicle being an aquatic glider and comprising:

a vehicle body;

a pair of fins coupled to the vehicle body on opposed sides thereof;

a dihedral angle control system operative to vary a fin dihedral angle of each of the fins; and

a buoyancy control system operable to selectively generate vertical force on the submersible vehicle by varying a buoyancy of the submersible vehicle;

wherein the submersible vehicle is configured to generate a forward glide thrust on the submersible vehicle responsive to changes in elevation of the submersible vehicle.

29. A method of providing transit of a submersible vehicle through a body of liquid, the submersible vehicle being an aquatic glider and including a vehicle body, a pair of fins coupled to the vehicle body on opposed sides thereof, and a buoyancy control system, the method comprising:

varying a fin dihedral angle of each of the fins using a dihedral angle control system; and

using the buoyancy control system, selectively generating vertical force on the submersible vehicle by varying a buoyancy of the submersible vehicle and thereby changing the elevation of the submersible vehicle in the water, responsive to which the submersible vehicle generates a forward glide thrust on the submersible vehicle.