Underwater detection device and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12552497-B2
Application number	US-202218048122-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2022
Priority date	Dec 7, 2021
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

An underwater detection device includes a surface drive boat and an unmanned underwater vehicle. The surface drive boat includes: a hull; transverse attitude-stabilizing thrusters and orbit vectored thrusters arranged at the bottom of the hull; a control box arranged on the hull and electrically connected with the transverse attitude-stabilizing thrusters and the orbit vectored thrusters; a cable and a cable winding assembly arranged on the hull, the control box being connected with the unmanned underwater vehicle by the cable, the cable winding assembly being electrically connected with the control box; and a positioning assembly arranged on the hull and electrically connected with the control box.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An underwater detection device, comprising a surface drive boat and an unmanned underwater vehicle for detecting an underwater structure, wherein the surface drive boat comprises:
a hull; transverse attitude-stabilizing thrusters and orbit vectored thrusters arranged at bottom of the hull, the transverse attitude-stabilizing thrusters being configured to keep the hull stable, the orbit vectored thrusters being configured to adjust an attitude of the hull and drive the hull to move forward; a control box arranged on the hull and electrically connected with the transverse attitude-stabilizing thrusters and the orbit vectored thrusters; a cable and a cable winding assembly arranged on the hull, the control box being connected with the unmanned underwater vehicle by the cable, the cable winding assembly being electrically connected with the control box, the cable winding assembly being configured to adjust a telescopic length of the cable; and a positioning assembly arranged on the hull, electrically connected with the control box and configured to position the hull, wherein
the hull comprises floating plates and a deck; the floating plates are fixed on a lower surface of the deck; the control box, the cable, the cable winding assembly, and the positioning assembly are all arranged on the deck; and the transverse attitude-stabilizing thrusters and the orbit vectored thrusters are arranged at bottoms of the floating plates.

2 . The underwater detection device according to claim 1 , wherein
the floating plates comprise a front floating plate and two rear floating plates; each of lower parts of edges of two sides of the front floating plate is provided with one transverse attitude-stabilizing thruster of the transverse attitude-stabilizing thrusters; and each of lower parts of the two rear floating plates is provided with one orbit vectored thruster of the orbit vectored thrusters.

3 . The underwater detection device according to claim 2 , wherein
each rear floating plate of the two rear floating plates comprises a seal shell and a first track; the first track is arranged on an inner bottom surface of the seal shell; each orbit vectored thruster of the orbit vectored thrusters comprises a driver, a first steering engine, a rotary connecting rod, a thruster fixing assembly, and a thruster body; the driver, the first steering engine, and the rotary connecting rod are arranged in the seal shell; the thruster fixing assembly and the thruster body are both arranged below the seal shell; the driver is electrically connected with the first steering engine; the rotary connecting rod has a fixed end fixedly connected with an output shaft of the first steering engine, and a rotating end installed on the first track; a connecting plate is arranged on the thruster fixing assembly and passes through the seal shell and the first track in sequence to be fixedly connected with the rotating end of the rotary connecting rod; the thruster body is installed on the thruster fixing assembly; and both the driver and the thruster body are electrically connected with the control box.

4 . The underwater detection device according to claim 1 , wherein
the cable winding assembly comprises a first motor, a driving wheel, a drive belt, and a driven wheel; the first motor, the driving wheel, and the driven wheel are all installed on the deck; the first motor is electrically connected with the control box and has an output shaft drivingly connected with the driving wheel; the driving wheel is drivingly connected with the driven wheel by the drive belt; and the cable is wound around the driven wheel.

5 . The underwater detection device according to claim 1 , wherein
the control box comprises a seal box body, a control assembly, and a power supply assembly; the control assembly and the power supply assembly are both arranged in the seal box body; the control assembly is configured to provide control signals for the transverse attitude-stabilizing thrusters, the orbit vectored thrusters, the cable winding assembly, the positioning assembly, and the unmanned underwater vehicle; and the power supply assembly is configured to provide power for the transverse attitude-stabilizing thrusters, the orbit vectored thrusters, the cable winding assembly, the positioning assembly, and the unmanned underwater vehicle.

6 . The underwater detection device according to claim 5 , wherein
the surface drive boat further comprises a solar panel, wherein the solar panel is arranged on the hull and the solar panel is electrically connected with the power supply assembly.

7 . The underwater detection device according to claim 5 , wherein
the surface drive boat further comprises a wireless communication assembly arranged on the hull; the wireless communication assembly is signally connected with the control assembly; and the wireless communication assembly is configured to communicate with a cloud terminal or a remote terminal.

8 . The underwater detection device according to claim 1 , wherein
the surface drive boat further comprises a searchlight and a camera; and wherein the searchlight and the camera are both arranged at a front end of the hull and are electrically connected with the control box.

9 . A control method of an underwater detection device, the control method being configured to be implemented by an underwater detection device, comprising:
obtaining, by a positioning assembly, first positioning information of a surface drive boat that comprises a hull, wherein the hull comprises floating plates and a deck, and the floating plates are fixed on a lower surface of the deck; controlling transverse attitude-stabilizing thrusters and orbit vectored thrusters, arranged at bottoms of the floating plates, to operate according to the first positioning information, such that the surface drive boat reaches a preset first water surface position and keeps stable; adjusting, by a cable winding assembly, a telescopic length of a cable to a preset first length, and controlling, by a control box, an unmanned underwater vehicle to move to a preset first underwater position, wherein the control box, the cable, the cable winding assembly, and the positioning assembly are all arranged on the deck; detecting, by the unmanned underwater vehicle, an underwater structure to be detected, and transmitting, by the cable, detected data to the control box; and winding the cable by the cable winding assembly, such that the unmanned underwater vehicle returns to a water surface and then is transported to a next detection point by the surface drive boat.

Assignees

• Univ Guangzhou
• Guangzhou Chengan Testing Ltd Of Highway & Bridge

Inventors

• Chen Bingcong
• Fu Jiyang
• Liu Airong
• Liang Jiaqiao
• Cheng Jianting
• Li Yanqing
• Liu Guowei

Classifications

• B63G2008/007

  by means of a physical link to a base, e.g. wire, cable or umbilical · CPC title

• B63G8/42

  Towed underwater vessels · CPC title

• B63G8/14

  Control of attitude or depth (of torpedoes F42B19/00) · CPC title

• B63G8/001

  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 title

• B63B2021/566

  comprising running ropes or chains, e.g. endless, driven by ground-borne equipment · CPC title