AUTONOMOUS UNMANNED UNDERWATER VEHICLES

• US 20170081002A1
• Filed: 09/21/2016
• Published: 03/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Lichter, Harry J., BAKER, Wayne A., Sylvia, Russell M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,106,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2008/004 autonomously operating
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2008/008 Docking stations for unmanned underwater vessels, or the like
• 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 8/08 Propulsion schnorkels B63G8/36; nuclear propulsion B63H21/18; submerged exhausting apparatus F01N13/12
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/14 Control of attitude or depth of torpedoes F42B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/16 by direct use of propellers or jets
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/30 of artillery or missile launching means

Abstract

Autonomous underwater vehicles are described that are stackable with other like autonomous underwater vehicles on a suitable launch platform, such as within a vertical missile launch tube of a submarine, waiting to be deployed into the water. The underwater vehicles can be deployed or launched individually, in groups, or all together into the water. While stacked together, the stacked autonomous underwater vehicles can connect to one another or to external structure of the launch platform. In addition, the underwater vehicles can be positively buoyant or can be made to have controllable buoyancy to allow the underwater vehicles to float up and out of the launch platform during deployment without an external deployment force.

Claims

1. An unmanned underwater vehicle, comprising:

a disk-shaped hull having a perimeter edge, a top surface, and a bottom surface;

in a side view, the disk-shaped hull has a maximum lateral dimension that is larger than a maximum thickness dimension that extends from the top surface to the bottom surface;

a plurality of horizontal thrusters for horizontal propulsion of the unmanned underwater vehicle, the horizontal thrusters are disposed within a boundary defined by the perimeter edge; and

a single vertical thruster that extends vertically through the disk-shaped hull from the bottom surface to the top surface for vertical propulsion of the unmanned underwater vehicle.

2. The unmanned underwater vehicle of claim 1, wherein the disk-shaped hull has a principle axis that is parallel to the maximum lateral dimension, and a central axis of the single vertical thruster intersects the principle axis.

3. The unmanned underwater vehicle of claim 1, wherein the perimeter edge defines a curved leading edge, a curved trailing edge, a first linear side edge interconnecting the curved leading edge and the curved trailing edge, a second linear side edge opposite the first linear side edge and interconnecting the curved leading edge and the curved trailing edge, and a principle axis extending between the curved leading edge and the curved trailing edge and bisecting the disk-shaped hull.

4. The unmanned underwater vehicle of claim 3, wherein the horizontal thrusters include two horizontal thrusters disposed on the top surface adjacent to the curved trailing edge and disposed equidistant on opposite sides of the principle axis, and two horizontal thrusters disposed on the bottom surface adjacent to the curved trailing edge and disposed equidistant on opposite sides of the principle axis.

5. The unmanned underwater vehicle of claim 3, further comprising a first notch formed in the curved leading edge and a second notch formed in the curved trailing edge opposite the first notch;

and the principle axis extends through the first notch and the second notch.

6. The unmanned underwater vehicle of claim 4, wherein the two horizontal thrusters disposed on the top surface are parallel to the two horizontal thrusters disposed on the bottom surface.

7. The unmanned underwater vehicle of claim 1, wherein the unmanned underwater vehicle includes a geometric center, and the single vertical thruster is located forward of the geometric center.

8. The unmanned underwater vehicle of claim 3, wherein the first linear side edge is parallel to the second linear side edge, and the first linear side edge and the second linear side edge are parallel to the principle axis.