Underwater vehicle equipped with electrochemical means of electrical power generation

• US 9,933,240 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DCNS
• Original Assignee: DCNS
• Inventors: Cipolla, Thierry, Lebrun, Christophe
• Primary Examiner(s): Mott, Genna M
• Application Number:
  US13/823,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20150149004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,160 Days
• Field of Search: 701 21
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 19/00 Marine torpedoes, e.g. launched by surface vessels or submarines having additional propulsion means for movement through air F42B17/00; Sea mines having self-propulsion means F42B12/00 takes precedence; launching means F41F; locating by use of radio or other waves G01S; automatic control of course G05D1/00; firing directors or calculators G06G
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 19/12 Propulsion specially adapted for torpedoes having additional propulsion means for movement through air F42B17/00; marine propulsion in general B63H
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 19/36 adapted to be used for exercise purposes, e.g. indicating position or course

Abstract

The invention concerns an underwater vehicle equipped with electrochemical means of electrical power generation, characterized in that it comprises a data processing unit (2) with inputs connected to sensors (4) of a parameter selected from amongst temperature, pressure, and hydrogen concentration, of the water in the area of the vehicle, and of the electrochemical means of the vehicle, and with outputs connected to means (5) of transmitting signals to transmit signals authorizing (or not authorizing) an operator to approach the vehicle, depending on whether the sensed value of the parameter of the electrochemical means is in a predetermined range around the value of the parameter corresponding to water in the area of the underwater vehicle.

Claims

1. An underwater vehicle configured to be recovered after firing, comprising an approach authorisation device, said device being equipped with an electrochemical power generator comprising a power input and a power output, said device further comprising a data processor having a data input connected to sensors of a parameter selected from the group consisting of temperature, pressure, and hydrogen concentration, the sensors configured to sense the parameter in both the water in the area of the vehicle and the water at the power input and the power output of the electrochemical power generator, and said data processor having a data output connected to a signal transmitter configured to transmit signals authorizing or not authorizing an operator to approach the vehicle, depending on whether the sensed value of the parameter at the power input and the power output of the electrochemical power generator is within a predetermined range around the sensed value of the parameter of the water in the area of the vehicle.

2. The underwater vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the data processor is connected to an electrical power supply independent of the rest of the underwater vehicle.

3. The underwater vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the power supply comprises an electrochemical power source.

4. The underwater vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the electrochemical power source comprises a battery.

5. The underwater vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the electrochemical power source comprises a fuel cell.

6. The underwater vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter configured to transmit signals authorizing or not authorizing approaching the vehicle comprises a transmitter of audio and/or visual and/or radioelectric signals.

7. The underwater vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the signal transmitter comprises at least one electroacoustic transducer.

8. The underwater vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the data processor comprises a function tester configured to initiate the transmission of malfunction signals in the event of malfunction of the data processor.

9. A method for recovering an underwater vehicle according to claim 1, comprising:

firing the underwater vehicle,

navigating the underwater vehicle,

locating the underwater vehicle,

initializing the approach authorisation device,

sensing, with the sensors, a parameter selected from the group consisting of temperature, pressure, and hydrogen concentration in both the water in the area of the vehicle and the water at the power input and the power output of the electrochemical power generator,

transmitting, by the signal transmitter, of signals authorizing or not authorizing an operator to approach the vehicle, depending on whether the sensed value of the parameter at the power input and the power output of the electrochemical power generator is within a predetermined range around the sensed value of the parameter of the water in the area of the vehicle, and

recovering the underwater vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising a testing step after the initializing to verify whether the approach authorisation device is operational.

11. The underwater vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the underwater vehicle is a training underwater vehicle.