USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Wayne P Liu

Gregory Wayne Anderson

John D Rockway

Anthony D Jones

Viktor S Bana

Adriane Q Wotawa-Bergen

David Bart Chadwick

Yolanda Meriah Arias-Thode

Ken E Richter

Richard Lee Waters

David Bartholomew Chadwick

Alex G Phipps

Maxwell Mayekawa Kerber

Jeffrey Kagan

Michael H Tall

Hugo F Jazo

Brian B Dick

Michael R Murphy

Kenneth E Richter

A method for adjusting the proportional gain value of a proportional controller for use in an unmanned underwater vehicle. The invention includes the steps of: recording at an unmanned underwater vehicle a captured image in the direction of travel; applying a first filter to the captured image; calculating a first distance from each pixel in the captured image to a specified target color; finding the selected pixel from the captured image with the minimum distance from the specified target color, normalizing the image coordinates of the selected pixel into normalized image coordinates; passing the normalized image coordinates as an error value to the proportional controller; calculating a rate of error at the proportional controller; updating the proportional gain according at the proportional controller; and applying a control signal at the proportional controller.

Self-adapting guidance method for unmanned underwater vehicle docking

A target spar. A left jaw member. The left guidance portion has a left spiral curve. The left arm portion has a left arm profile, a left arm gear, and a left arm protrusion. A right jaw member. The right guidance portion has a right spiral curve. The right arm portion comprises a right arm gear and a right arm protrusion. A top plate member. A bottom plate member. A drive unit comprising an electric motor within a pressure housing. A drive shaft on the electric motor. The bottom plate member abuts the left jaw member, the right jaw member, and the top plate member. The left jaw member and the right jaw member opened and closed. At the closed position, the target spar is slidably received in the left and right jaw members, the top and bottom plate members, and abuts the left and right arm profiles.

Spiral curve self-aligning docking device

A system and method provide for wireless power and/or data transfer between devices, such as coils. A first device, operatively connected to an energy source, is positioned within a wireless transmission range of a second device, which may be operatively coupled to an unmanned vehicle. Power and/or data is wirelessly transferred to/from the energy source from/to the unmanned vehicle via the first device and the second device.

Wireless power and data transfer for unmanned vehicles

A system and method are provided for wirelessly transmitting energy from a transmitter platform to a receiver platform. The system reduces the number of coils on the receiver platform to one, while the remaining coils are located on the transmitter platform. The spacing of the coils on the transmitting platform can be adjusted to optimize the magnetic flux transfer to the single coil on the receiving platform based on the unique distance between the transmitter and receiver platforms.

Wireless energy coil arrangement

A base member comprising a vertical fin member, a vertical fin stopper surface, a trigger arm recess, and a base guidance slot. A left jaw member comprising a left jaw portion, a left lever portion, a left guidance slot, a left fastening hole, and a trigger release screw. A right jaw member comprising a right jaw portion, a right lever portion, and a right guidance slot. A trigger arm member comprising a trigger hook and a curved trigger end. A top member comprising a top guidance slot, a left spring hole, a right spring hole, a left bottom recess, a right bottom recess, a left spring recess, and a right spring recess. A left spring tension screw received through the left spring hole and a left spring spacer retained in the left spring recess. A bumper member with a bumper surface, a left elongated member, and a right elongated member.

Passive mechanical system for docking and payload transfer for unmanned underwater vehicles

A self-propelled microbial fuel cell apparatus includes a microbial fuel cell with a cathode electrode and an anode electrode wherein the anode electrode is enclosed within an enclosure that has an opening in it. The microbial fuel cell is positioned within a self-propelled delivery vehicle so that the electrodes of the fuel cell are exposed to interface with a microbial environment.

Microbial fuel cell integrated in vehicle

A microbial fuel cell comprising: a first cathode; at least two anodes electrically connected to each other and to the cathode in a reconfigurable manner; and a processor operatively coupled to the anodes and configured to monitor a parameter of each anode to determine if a given anode has been oxygen-contaminated, and further configured to convert an oxygen-contaminated anode into a second cathode by reconfiguring the electrical connections.

Reconfigurable microbial fuel cell

A system includes a body disposed in a flow field and a flow disturbance device configured to induce tuned and controlled flow fluctuations in the flow field that are coupled into and amplified by a boundary layer of the body and the flow field. The flow disturbance device is located on, within, or separated from the body. The body may be a bluff body or an airfoil and may be cylindrical in shape. The flow field is a fluid or plasma having a sub-critical flow rate. The flow disturbance device may be stationary or vibrating. The flow fluctuations are tuned to a frequency within an instability frequency band of the boundary layer. The frequency band may be a frequency band that naturally amplifies the flow fluctuations and alters the body's downstream vortex shedding pattern such that vortex-induced vibration characteristics experienced by the body are increased.

System for amplifying flow-induced vibration energy using boundary layer and wake flow control

A system includes a housing disposed within a fluid having a fluid flow. A first member is located substantially external to the housing and is directly exposed to the fluid flow and lengthwise positioned transverse to the direction of the fluid flow. The first member is configured to vibrate independently of the housing responsive to direct exposure to the fluid flow. A coil is coupled to one end of the first member. The coil is disposed within the housing and shielded from direct fluid flow. A magnet is disposed within the housing separate from and adjacent to the coil. The magnet is shielded from direct fluid flow. Magnetic flux from the magnet induces an electric current through the coil responsive to relative motion between the magnet and the coil caused by vibration of the first member.

Energy harvesting system using flow-induced vibrations

Flow modifying devices are simultaneously operative on the upper and lower surfaces of a fixed stabilizer foil on the submerged pod or hull of an ocean vessel to modify the lift hydrodynamically induced under control of pivotal flaps during propulsion of the vessel. The lift otherwise induced by the pivotal flaps is directionally reversed for all angular positions thereof by the spoiler devices.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Wayne P Liu