USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Christopher F Hillenbrand

Donald T Gomez

David Michael Nugent

Thomas D Barron

Charles H Beauchamp

A method and system is provided that improves the maneuverability of a marine vehicle having a lateral tunnel thruster. When the marine vehicle moves at a forward speed through water, a water flow having a fluid velocity moves through the thruster. The thruster's propeller is turned at a substantially constant rate of rotation and the fluid velocity in the tunnel is measured. The pitch angle of the propeller is adjusted based on the measured fluid velocity.

Lateral tunnel thruster propeller control method and system

An unmanned undersea vehicle system comprises a remote-controlled, unmanned ndersea vehicle and a mother vehicle interconnected by a communication link. The unmanned undersea vehicle includes a weapon compartment and a control element. Within the weapon compartment are a weapon and buoyancy chamber positioned axi-symmetrically therein. The buoyancy chamber is initially empty and has sufficient capacity so that it can be loaded with seawater whose mass approximates mass of the weapon. The weapon compartment further includes a controllable valve for enabling seawater surrounding the vehicle to fill the buoyancy chamber. The control element controls the deployment of the weapon by expelling the weapon from the weapon compartment and thereafter controls the firing of the weapon. The control element further controls the valves during weapon deployment to enable filling of the buoyancy chamber to maintain a predetermined distribution of mass as the weapon is deployed. The mother vehicle generates command information for controlling the control element and receives unmanned undersea vehicle status information from the unmanned undersea vehicle and processes it for use in generating the command information. The communication link interconnects the unmanned undersea vehicle and the mother vehicle to facilitate transfer of command information from the mother vehicle to the unmanned undersea vehicle and to further facilitate transfer of unmanned undersea vehicle status information from the unmanned undersea vehicle to the mother vehicle.

Unmanned undersea vehicle with keel-mounted payload deployment system

An unmanned undersea vehicle system includes a remote-controlled, unmanned ndersea vehicle and a mother vehicle interconnected by a communication link. The unmanned undersea vehicle includes a weapon compartment, an erectable observation mast and a control element. Within the weapon compartment are a plurality of weapon deployment devices situated about a central core, each weapon deployment device having a weapon canister for carrying a weapon. The weapon deployment devices are pivotable between a retracted position and an extended position. Each weapon canister includes end caps at opposing ends which are discharged when the weapon contained therein is fired to allow seawater to enter. The erectable observation mast obtains environmental information. The control element controls pivoting of the weapon deployment devices between the retracted, non-deployed position and the extended, deployed position to facilitate firing of a weapon, and retraction after firing. The weapon canisters from which weapons have been fired retain seawater to provide for an axi-symmetrical distribution of mass. The mother vehicle generates command information for controlling the control element and receives unmanned undersea vehicle status information and processes it for use in generating the command information. The communication link facilitates transfers of command information from the mother vehicle to the unmanned undersea vehicle and unmanned undersea vehicle status information from the unmanned undersea vehicle to the mother vehicle.

System for deploying weapons carried in an annular configuration in a UUV

An unmanned undersea vehicle system includes a remote-controlled, unmanned ndersea vehicle and a mother vehicle interconnected by a communication link. The unmanned undersea vehicle includes a weapon compartment and a control element. Within the weapon compartment are a plurality of weapon deployment devices situated about a central core, each weapon deployment device having a weapon canister for carrying a weapon. The weapon deployment devices are pivotable between a retracted position and an extended position. Each weapon canister includes end caps at opposing ends which are discharged when the weapon contained therein is fired to allow seawater to enter. The control element controls pivoting of the weapon deployment devices between the retracted, non-deployed position and the extended, deployed position to facilitate firing of a weapon, and retraction of the weapon deployment devices after firing. The weapon canisters from which weapons have been fired retain seawater to provide for an axi-symmetrical distribution of mass. The mother vehicle generates command information for controlling the control element and receives unmanned undersea vehicle status information from the unmanned undersea vehicle and processes it for use in generating the command information. The communication link interconnects the unmanned undersea vehicle and the mother vehicle to facilitate transfer of command information from the mother vehicle to the unmanned undersea vehicle and to further facilitate transfer of unmanned undersea vehicle status information from the unmanned undersea vehicle to the mother vehicle.

Unmanned undersea weapon deployment structure with cylindrical payload

An unmanned undersea vehicle system comprises a remote-controlled, unmanned ndersea vehicle and a mother vehicle interconnected by a communication link. The unmanned undersea vehicle includes a weapon compartment, an erectable observation mast and a control element. Within the weapon compartment are a weapon and a buoyancy chamber positioned axi-symmetrically therein. The buoyancy chamber is initially empty and has sufficient capacity so that it can be loaded with seawater whose mass approximates mass of the weapon. The weapon compartment further includes controllable intake valving for enabling seawater surrounding the vehicle to fill the buoyancy chamber. The erectable observation mast obtains environmental information. The control element controls the deployment of the weapon by expelling the weapon from the weapon compartment and thereafter controls the firing of the weapon. The control element cooperates with the intake valving to maintain a predetermined distribution of mass as the weapon is deployed. The mother vehicle generates command information for controlling the control element and receives unmanned undersea vehicle status information from the unmanned undersea vehicle and processes it for use in generating the command information. The communication link interconnects the unmanned undersea vehicle and the mother vehicle to facilitate transfer of command information from the mother vehicle to the unmanned undersea vehicle and to further facilitate transfer of unmanned undersea vehicle status information from the unmanned undersea vehicle to the mother vehicle.

Unmanned undersea vehicle system for weapon deployment

In brief summary, the invention provides an unmanned undersea vehicle sys comprising a mother vehicle and a daughter unmanned undersea vehicle. The unmanned undersea vehicle has an erectable observation mast for obtaining environmental information. A communication link interconnects the mother vehicle and the unmanned undersea vehicle for transferring command information from the mother vehicle to the unmanned undersea vehicle and unmanned undersea vehicle status information from the unmanned undersea vehicle to the mother vehicle.

Unmanned undersea vehicle with erectable sensor mast for obtaining

An unmanned undersea vehicle system comprises an axi-symmetrical cylindrily-shaped self-propelled undersea deployment vehicle of predetermined diameter, the undersea deployment vehicle having an amidships undersea weapon compartment. The weapon compartment includes elements for receiving a weapon and a buoyancy chamber positioned axi-symmetrically within the weapon compartment. The buoyancy chamber is initially empty and has sufficient capacity so that it can be loaded with seawater whose mass approximates the mass of the weapon. The weapon compartment further includes controllable valves for enabling seawater surrounding the vehicle to fill the buoyancy chamber. A control element controls the deployment of the weapon by expelling the weapon from the weapon compartment and thereafter controlling the firing of the weapon, contemporaneously controlling the valves during weapon deployment to enable filling of the buoyancy chamber to maintain an axi-symmetrical distribution of mass as the weapon is deployed.

Unmanned undersea vehicle including keel-mounted payload deployment

An unmanned undersea vehicle system includes an axi-symmetrical cylindricy-shaped self-propelled undersea deployment vehicle of predetermined diameter having an amidships undersea weapon bay. The amidships undersea weapon bay includes a number of weapon deployment devices symmetrically disposed about a central core, each weapon deployment device having a weapon canister for carrying a weapon. The weapon deployment devices are pivotable between a retracted, non-deployed position and an extended, deployed position, and have a surface which, when the weapon deployment devices are in their retracted, non-deployed positions, conforms to the vehicle's cylindrical shape, and when in their extended, deployed positions place the weapon canisters beyond the vehicle's diameter. Each weapon canister has a sidewall conforming to the shape of the weapon contained therein, and end caps at opposing ends. The end caps are discharged when the weapon contained therein is fired, which allows the weapon to have a clear trajectory and also seawater to enter the canister. A control element controls pivoting of the weapon deployment devices from their retracted, non-deployed positions and their extended, deployed positions to facilitate firing of at least one weapon, and further controls pivoting of the weapon deployment devices from their extended, deployed positions to their retracted, non-deployed positions after firing. The weapon canisters whose weapons have been fired retain seawater so as to provide for a generally axi-symmetrical distribution of mass as among those weapon deployment devices whose weapons have been fired and those weapon deployment devices whose weapons have not been fired.

A submarine trails one fiber optic cable and an undersea vehicle is contred by this first cable. A missile/torpedo trails a second cable that is to be coupled to the first cable. The second cable has a segment suspended vertically underwater between a buoyant pod and a sea anchor type buoy. The undersea vehicle, or Autonomous Undersea Vehicle, (AUV) hunts for the pod by conventional homing components, and cable capturing arms on the vehicle direct the cable's movement relative to the vehicle into a pod mating position that achieves optical coupling of the two cables. In one embodiment two arms are pivotably mounted to the vehicle's sides so one arm captures the suspended cable segment directing it into a slot so a male socket in the underside of the pod mates with a female socket in the slot. Another embodiment accomplishes the same result with a device in which the arms are formed as the offshoots of a forked cable pickup device in the nose of the AUV.

System for effecting underwater coupling of optical fiber cables

A submarine trails one fiber optic cable and an undersea vehicle is contred by this first cable. A missile/torpedo trails a second cable that is to be coupled to the first cable. The second cable has a segment suspended vertically underwater between a buoyant pod and a sea anchor type buoy. The undersea vehicle, or Autonomous Undersea Vehicle, (AUV) hunts for the pod by conventional homing means. A forked cable pickup device in the nose of the AUV captures the suspended cable segment directing it into a slot so a male socket in the underside of the pod mates with a female socket in the slot.

A submarine trails one fiber optic cable and an undersea vehicle is contred by this first cable. A missile/torpedo trails a second cable that is to be coupled to the first cable. The second cable has a segment suspended vertically underwater between a buoyant pod and a sea anchor type buoy. The undersea vehicle, or Autonomous Undersea Vehicle, (AUV) hunts for the pod by a conventional homing transmitter, and a fork-shaped cable capture probe on the vehicle direct the cable's movement relative to the vehicle into a pod mating position in which a male plug portion in the underside of the pod mates with a female socket in a slot formed at the vertex of the fork. An interlock mechanism between the male socket and female socket holds the pod and AUV in engagement wherein optical coupling is achieved.

The device to be tested is supported from a beam by two parallel links so e thrust direction remains perpendicular to the direction of gravity. Each link is connected to the beam by a tension transducer also oriented perpendicular to the direction of gravity.

Growing community of inventors

Bristol, RI, United States of America

Christopher F Hillenbrand