Thales

Michaël Jourdan

Olivier Jezequel

François Warnan

Francois Warnan

François Cadalen

Didier Soreau

Albert Tom

Christophe Borel

Jean Lagadec

Pierre Guthmann

Philippe Vicariot

Denis Gourmelon

Dominique Brechet

A docking device includes a docking station capable of being connected to a carrying vessel by means of a cable, the docking station comprising a guide device which comprises a set of arms which are connected to the body and each comprise a distal end and a proximal end, the set of arms being capable of being in a deployed configuration wherein it defines a space flaring towards the rear so as to enable the underwater vehicle to be guided to the stop, the distal end of each arm being located behind the proximal end of the arm in the deployed configuration, the set of arms being capable of being in a collapsed configuration wherein a distal end of each arm of the set of arms is closer to the longitudinal axis than in the deployed configuration and wherein the distal end is located in front of the position occupied by the distal end in the deployed configuration, such that a length, along the axis x, of a space defined by the set of arms behind the stop is smaller in the collapsed configuration than in the deployed configuration.

Docking device for an underwater vehicle

A docketing device includes a docking station able to be hauled by a carrying vessel at a tow point (T), the docking station comprising a body comprising a beam extending parallel to a longitudinal axis (x) of the body and a stop allowing a movement of an underwater vehicle with respect to the body along the longitudinal axis (x) to be blocked, the dorsal beam extending longitudinally above the underwater vehicle in abutment against the stop, a center of gravity of the docking station and a center of buoyancy of the docking station being positioned, and the tow point (T) being able to occupy a docking position that is such that the docking station exhibits a predetermined docking negative pitch when it is fully submerged and hauled by the carrying vessel in the direction of the longitudinal axis at a predetermined speed.

A line intended to be submerged in an aquatic environment. The line includes a mooring configured to be placed on the bottom of the aquatic environment and for immobilizing the line relative to the bottom, a buoy configured to float on the surface of the aquatic environment, an object extending along a vertical axis, having a center of balance of hydrodynamic forces when the object is subjected to a horizontal water current and called the hydrodynamic center, and having a center of gravity vertically remote from the hydrodynamic center, a frame connected to the object by a pivoting link with a substantially horizontal axis passing through the hydrodynamic center, at least one fin extending vertically, whereby the object can be oriented relative to a horizontal water current, a first section of line connecting the mooring to the frame, a second section of line connecting the frame to the buoy.

Line intended to be immersed in an aquatic environment

In the field of bodies towed behind a ship, commonly called fish, a fish comprises a supporting structure configured to move in water in a horizontal main direction, at least one appendage configured to generate a hydrodynamic lift directed downwards when the fish moves in the water under the towing effect, and a lock for reducing the hydrodynamic lift of the appendage.

Fish with variable hydrodynamic lift and tow line comprising the fish

A fairing intended to fair an elongate object intended to be at least partially immersed, the fairing comprises a plurality of fairing portions, each fairing portion comprising a plurality of fairing elements, the fairing elements comprising a canal intended to accept the elongate object and being profiled in such a way as to reduce the hydrodynamic drag of the at least partially immersed elongate object, the fairing elements being intended to be pivot-mounted on the elongate element around the longitudinal axis of the canal, the fairing elements being joined together along the axis of the canal and articulated to one another, the portions of fairing rotating freely about the canal relative to one another.

Fairing, elongate faired element and towing assembly

A recovery system for recovering an autonomous underwater vehicle from a ship, the underwater vehicle comprising a front portion referred to as the nose, the system comprising: a receiving device comprising a stop on which the nose of the underwater vehicle is capable of bearing, blocking means making it possible to secure the underwater vehicle to the stop, a flexible link intended to provide the interface between the receiving device and the ship, the flexible link being arranged so the ship pulls the assembly formed by the receiving device and the underwater vehicle on the front of the underwater vehicle when the latter is rigidly connected to the stop, stabilization means configured to make it possible to control the depth and the attitude, in particular the list and trim of the assembly formed by the receiving device and the underwater vehicle when the latter is rigidly connected to the stop.

System and method for recovering an autonomous underwater vehicle

A system for launching and recovering a marine or submarine device from a support vessel. The system includes a carriage and at least one protective component. Each protective component is connected to the carriage by a pivot connection of which the axis, when the device is secured to the vessel, is parallel to the surface of the water. The at least one protective component is suitable for raising the marine or submarine device partially out of the water during recovery and for placing the marine or submarine device in the water during a launch, by rotation of the protective component(s) about the carriage.

System for launching and recovering marine and submarine devices assisted by tiltable protective components

A fairing element to fair an elongate element comprising a canal to accept the elongate object and being profiled in such a way as to reduce the hydrodynamic drag of the elongate object when the elongate object is at least partially immersed, the fairing element comprises a leading edge and a trailing edge, the fairing element being intended to be pivot-mounted on the elongate element around the longitudinal axis of the canal, the fairing element comprising a bearing edge comprising a first bearing edge which is mitered with respect to the leading edge, the first bearing edge being arranged in such a way that the distance between the leading edge and the bearing edge, considered perpendicular to the leading edge, decreases continuously, along an axis parallel to the leading edge, from a first end of the first bearing edge to a second end of the bearing edge, the fairing element being referred to as a mitered fairing element, the mitered fairing element comprising a first part and a second part which are joined together along a first bearing edge so that the fairing element can pass from a deployed configuration in which the trailing edge is parallel to the leading edge to a folded configuration in which the fairing element is folded along the first bearing edge.

Fairing element, fairing, elongate faired element and towing assembly

A towing assembly comprising a towing and handling device intended to tow a faired elongate element, the towing device comprises a winch allowing the faired elongate element to be wound in and paid out through a guide device that allows the elongate element to be guided, the guide device comprising a first groove the bottom of which is formed by the bottom of the groove of a pulley, the first groove being delimited by a first surface having a profile that is concave in a radial plane of the pulley, the width of the first groove and the curvature of the profile of the first curved surface in the radial plane being determined in such a way as to allow the fairing element, under the effect of the rotation of the fairing element about the axis of the elongate element under the effect of the traction of the elongate element with respect to the guide device along the longitudinal axis thereof, to flip from a turned-over position in which the fairing element is oriented with its trailing edge toward the bottom of the first groove into an acceptable position in which it is oriented with the leading edge toward the bottom of the first groove.

Towing assembly

An object that can be towed in a fluid by a cable along a substantially horizontal transport axis comprises a body suspended under gravity from the cable by a fixing arm, and an exterior hydrodynamic surface that is symmetric with respect to a vertical plane containing the transport axis, so as to limit the lateral lift of the body, and an opening passing through the body along a vertical axis and configured to equalize the pressures of fluid flowing along the exterior surface, making it possible to limit the hydrodynamic forces that may be generated perpendicular to the transport axis giving rise to a force in rotation about the transport axis opposing the effect of gravity.

Submerged object suspended from a towing cable optimized to neutralize disrupting hydrodynamic forces

A system for automatically launching and recovering marine or underwater vehicles from a carrier ship which remains under way to limit pitching and rolling movements. The system includes an inclinable articulated ramp including a bottom and edges, and hauling means for controlling sliding of the vehicle along the ramp during launch and for hoisting the vehicle up along the ramp during recovery. The ramp has a free end which varies between an immersed position in water and an emerged position in a horizontal position. The system includes buoyancy means allowing the free end of the ramp to float at the surface or near the surface of the water when lowered. The bottom of the articulated ramp also has an external face that is configured to form streamlining ensuring fluidity of the end of the ramp with the water and limiting vertical dynamic movements caused by waves.

System for launching and recovering underwater vehicles, notably towed underwater vehicles

A system for launching and recovering marine or underwater vehicles from a carrier ship which remains under way which limits the amplitude of pitching and rolling movements. The system includes an inclinable articulated ramp including a bottom and edges, and hauling means for controlling sliding of the vehicle along the ramp during launch and for hoisting the vehicle up along the ramp. The ramp has a free end which varies between an immersed position in the water and an emerged position in a horizontal position. The system also includes buoyancy means allowing the free end of the ramp to float at or near the surface of the water when the ramp is lowered. The bottom of the articulated ramp also has an external face configured to form streamlining thus ensuring fluidity of the end of the ramp in contact with the water and limiting vertical dynamic movements caused by waves.

Growing community of inventors

Plouzane, France

Michaël Jourdan