System and method for recovering an autonomous underwater vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016009344-A1
Application number	US-201414773197-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 4, 2014
Priority date	Mar 5, 2013
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

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.

First claim

1 . A recovery system for recovering an autonomous underwater vehicle from a ship, said underwater vehicle comprising a front part called the nose, said system comprising:
a receiving device comprising a stop, the nose of the underwater vehicle being capable of bearing thereagainst, blocking means making it possible to fix the underwater vehicle to the stop, a flexible connection designed to provide an interface between the receiving device and the ship, the flexible connection being arranged such that the ship pulls the assembly formed by the receiving device and the underwater vehicle on the front of the underwater vehicle when said vehicle is fixed to the stop, stabilization means configured so as to permit the depth and the attitude, in particular the list and the trim of the assembly formed by the receiving device and the underwater vehicle when said vehicle is fixed to the stop to be monitored.

2 . The recovery system as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a plate which is arranged so that the plate extends below the underside of the underwater vehicle when the nose of the underwater vehicle bears against said stop, the blocking means permitting the underwater vehicle to be fixed to the plate.

3 . The system as claimed in claim 2 , in which the plate is fixed to the stop.

4 . The recovery system as claimed in claim 2 , in which the plate has an elongated shape along an axis called the longitudinal axis of the plate between the stop and a so-called free end of the plate, the stabilization means permitting the trim of the plate to be varied between an intercepting position in which the depth of the plate increases from the stop as far as its free end and a receiving position in which the plate extends substantially at the same depth over its entire length.

5 . The recovery system as claimed in claim 1 , in which the receiving device comprises first guide means permitting the nose of the underwater vehicle to be guided toward the stop when said underwater vehicle and the stop approach one another.

6 . The recovery system as claimed in claim 2 , comprising second guide means permitting a longitudinal axis of the underwater vehicle to be aligned with a longitudinal axis of the plate when the underwater vehicle comes to bear against the stop and rests on the plate.

7 . The recovery system as claimed in claim 5 , comprising first sliding means permitting the friction to be limited between the first guide means and the underwater vehicle and/or second sliding means permitting the friction to be limited between the second guide means and the underwater vehicle.

8 . The recovery system as claimed in claim 5 , comprising first shock absorbing means permitting an impact to be dampened between the nose of the underwater vehicle and the first guide means and/or second shock absorbing means permitting an impact to be dampened between the underwater vehicle and the second guide means.

9 . The recovery system as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a ramp designed to provide the interface between the bridge of the ship and the marine environment, the receiving device being capable of sliding on the ramp, the system comprising third guide means, the function thereof being to ensure an alignment of a longitudinal axis of the receiving device with the ramp when said receiving device slides on the ramp, the ramp comprising first bearing means, second bearing means of the receiving device bearing thereagainst when said device is guided by the guide means so as to set a constant incline of the receiving device relative to the ramp about the longitudinal axis of the plate.

10 . The system as claimed in claim 1 , in which the receiving device comprises power connection means automatically providing the connection of the battery of the underwater vehicle to a device for recharging this battery loaded on board the ship, when the underwater vehicle is fixed to the stop.

11 . An assembly comprising a system as claimed in claim 1 comprising the underwater vehicle and/or the ship.

12 . A method for recovering an autonomous underwater vehicle by means of a system as claimed in claim 1 , comprising:
a step of fixing the underwater vehicle to the stop, a step of monitoring the attitude and the depth of the assembly formed by the underwater vehicle fixed to the stop and the receiving device.

13 . The method for recovering as claimed in claim 4 , comprising, prior to the fixing step, a step of positioning the receiving device in the intercepting position by means of the stabilization means and a step consisting in bringing the plate into the receiving position once the underwater vehicle bears against the stop or when the nose of the underwater vehicle is located at a distance from the stop which is less than a predetermined threshold.

14 . The method for recovering as claimed in claim 12 comprising:
a step of monitoring the position and the attitude of the underwater vehicle so that it travels at a predetermined depth at substantially zero trim and so as to follow a constant course at a constant speed,
a step of monitoring the immersion of the receiving device and possibly the lateral offset of the receiving device so as to position said receiving device in alignment with the underwater vehicle,
a step of monitoring the speed and the route of the ship and/or a step of monitoring the length of the unwound connection so that the underwater vehicle approaches the stop and the route of the underwater vehicle is substantially the same as the route of the ship.

15 . The system as claimed in claim 1 , in which the stabilization means are configured so as to permit the offset of the assembly formed by the receiving device and the underwater vehicle to be monitored when said vehicle is fixed to the stop.

16 . An underwater assembly comprising the system as claimed in claim 1 , and said underwater vehicle, the plate being arranged so as to extend over the entire length of a lateral sonar device protruding from the body of the underwater vehicle.

Assignees

• Thales Sa

Inventors

• Jourdan Michaël
• Tom Albert
• Guthmann Pierre

Classifications

• B63B27/36

  Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment} for floating cargo {(deployment or recovery of underwater vehicles using lifts of hoists B63B27/16) · CPC title

• B63G8/42

  Towed underwater vessels · CPC title

• B63G2008/002

  unmanned · CPC title

• B63G8/18

  by hydrofoils · 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