Bunker Ramo Corporation

USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Derek J Bennett

Leslie G Bullen

Daniel J Hogan

Gene Anderson

A structure for support of a volumetric transducer array that self-erects en deployed in water. Dual assemblies of radially arranged telescoping arms are coaxially aligned to support a plurality of linear transducer arrays which are secured to the ends of corresponding arms between the assemblies. The arms are each telescoped outwardly by respective support cables which are tensed by suspending the deployed array between a float and a terminal mass.

Volumetric transducer array and erecting structure

A system for automatically deploying a moored sensor array utilizing an elongated cylindrical container with a semispherical weighted nose which will assume a glide angle with respect to the horizontal and descend in a glide path. Cable to a surface buoy is dispensed from the container during the descent with sufficient scope (ratio of cable length to depth) to permit the surface buoy to move about in response to ocean currents without overstressing the cable. A sea anchor suspended from the buoy by an elastic member with extra length of cable between the suspended sea anchor and the buoy isolates wave motion of the buoy from the anchor on the ocean floor. Upon impact with the ocean floor, a switch in the nose of the container is closed to lock up the cable and eject an array package from the container. The array package contains buoyant material to cause it to float upwardly while paying out sensors attached along a length of cable packed in the array package.

System for deploying a moored sensor array

A linear sensor array is deployed horizontally on the ocean floor by first deploying a vertical array, between an anchor and a float from which the array is suspended, and then decreasing the buoyancy of the float gradually as the float is carried away from the anchor by ocean currents. The float is comprised of a suitably large volume of buoyant material such as hollow glass microspheres freely floating inside a liquid filled plastic container. To gradually reduce buoyancy, the microspheres are allowed to flow out through a neck near the top of the container while water is allowed to enter the bottom of the container through a liquid permeable membrane. The diameter of the neck is selected for optimum sinking rate of the float.

Automatic deployment of horizontal linear sensor array

A system for deploying a vertical linear sensor array from a transiting vessel comprising a tubular deployment case closed at the bottom by a descent weight that is connected to a plurality of sensors packed in the case and connected in sequence by a cable of signal wires to a unit for creating drag in the descent of the deployment case and sensors, such as a collapsed parasol-type drogue or a buoyant body. Stacked over the telemetering unit is a cable dispenser open at the bottom and closed at the top by a nose weight. A substantial length of signal cable is coiled in the cable dispenser to pay out from the center with one end connected to the nose weight and the other connected to transmit sensor signals. A toroid core around the signal cable where it is being payed out inductively couples sensor signals to a signal line connected to an inner conductor of an armored cable. The latter is originally coiled in the deployment case over the nose weight of the cable dispenser and is connected to the cable dispenser a short distance from the nose weight. The free end of the armored cable is connected to the vessel.

System for deploying a sensor array from transiting vessel

Apparatus for compensating ship motion for sea-state conditions in order to protect oceanographic instrumentation which would normally be subjected to loss due to high shock loads in the instrumentation cable by which it is supported. The apparatus utilizes large power springs attached to a compensator cable and sheave through which the instrumentation cable is reeved. The spring reduces the suspension frequency of the instrumentation cable below the ship excitation frequency so that the motion from the ship can be isolated from the instrumentation cable. These springs may be in the form of spirally-wound flat strips of high-tensile alloy which, when wound, exert a torque to the compensator cable reel such that the tension on the instrumentation cable can be maintained fairly uniform.

Ship motion compensator for recovery of oceanographic instrumentation

In a system for suspending an immersible package in water from a surface buoy with insulated electrical cable payed out from a coil in a pack attached to the descending package, a spring-biased braking arm on top of the pack is released to pivot against a center post (around which turns of coil are payed out) in response to a signal generated in the package at the required depth to brake descent of the package. Another signal generated in the package (after sufficient delay for the braking action to be completed) releases a spring-biased block against the cable in a guide just beyond the braking arm. The released block shoves the cable against conductive pins connected to a shunt lead from an electrical circuit in the package with sufficient force to cause the pins to penetrate the cable insulation. A viscous nonconducting material (coated on the cable to aid in holding turns of the coil in place in the pack until pulled as cable is payed out) is scraped off by the cable guide and accumulated around the penetrating pins to seal the connection between the pins and inner conductor of the cable after penetration.

Cable depth selector and coil shunt penetrator

A wave motion isolator for use in suspending a submersible instrument package from a surface buoy by a cable payed out from a pack attached to the instrumentation package. The isolator is comprised of a spring-powered spool which turns on an axle rigidly connected between two bars with guide sheaves attached at each end of the bars. A loop of cable near the buoy is attached to the spring-powered spool and so wound onto the spool that both sides of the loop are payed out simultaneously, thus winding a spiral spring tight around the axle of the spool. One end of the loop passes over a guide sheave at the top of the bars, and the other end passes over a guide sheave at the bottom of the bars.

Wave motion isolator between buoy and cable-suspended instrumentation

A prolate spheroid shaped buoy is resiliently moored to an anchor by means of a cable wound on a reel in the anchor with the reel latched to power springs coaxially wound upon a shaft extending through the reel. The springs are pretensed on the shaft, prior to deployment, and the shaft is latched against rotation by a pair of spring biased pins engaging a plunger. The reel may thus rotate freely under control of a brake as the anchor falls from the buoy during deployment. The plunger is operated automatically when the anchor falls to the ocean bottom to release the pins in sequence with one pin engaging the cable reel before the other pin releases the shaft to ensure that the springs are latched to the buoy and cable to resiliently moor the same. A plate on the plunger arm closes the bottom wall of the anchor to prevent the ingress of contaminants.

Growing community of inventors

Thousand Oaks, CA, United States of America

Derek J Bennett