Hydraulic drives for use in charging systems, ballast systems, or other systems of underwater vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9834288-B1
Application number	US-201615173214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 3, 2016
Priority date	Jun 3, 2016
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus includes first and second tanks each configured to receive and store a refrigerant under pressure. The apparatus also includes at least one generator configured to receive flows of the refrigerant between the tanks and to generate electrical power based on the flows of the refrigerant. The apparatus further includes first and second hydraulic drives associated with the first and second tanks, respectively. Each hydraulic drive includes a first piston within the associated tank, a channel fluidly coupled to the associated tank and configured to contain hydraulic fluid, and a second piston within the channel and configured to move within the channel in order to vary an amount of the hydraulic fluid within the associated tank and vary a position of the first piston within the associated tank. The channel of each hydraulic drive has a cross-sectional area that is less than a cross-sectional area of the associated tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
first and second tanks each configured to receive and store a refrigerant under pressure;
at least one generator configured to receive flows of the refrigerant between the tanks and to generate electrical power based on the flows of the refrigerant; and
first and second hydraulic drives associated with the first and second tanks, respectively, each hydraulic drive comprising:
a first piston within the associated tank;
a channel fluidly coupled to the associated tank and configured to contain hydraulic fluid; and
a second piston within the channel and configured to move within the channel in order to vary an amount of the hydraulic fluid within the associated tank and vary a position of the first piston within the associated tank;

wherein the channel of each hydraulic drive has a cross-sectional area that is less than a cross-sectional area of the associated tank.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each hydraulic drive further comprises:
a valve fluidly coupled to the channel of the hydraulic drive and configured to allow water under pressure to enter the channel of the hydraulic drive and move the second piston within the channel of the hydraulic drive.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a controller is configured to control the valves of the hydraulic drives in order to:
during a first time period, open the valve of the first hydraulic drive to cause the first piston of the first hydraulic drive to push at least some of the refrigerant out of the first tank; and
during a second time period, open the valve of the second hydraulic drive to cause the first piston of the second hydraulic drive to push at least some of the refrigerant out of the second tank.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
first and second insulated water jackets each configured to receive and retain water, the first tank located within the first insulated water jacket, the second tank located within the second insulated water jacket.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a controller is configured to control the valves of the hydraulic drives in order to:
during a first time period, keep the valve of the first hydraulic drive opened while warmer water in the first insulated water jacket causes the refrigerant in the first tank to expand and push water out of the channel of the first hydraulic drive; and
during a second time period, keep the valve of the second hydraulic drive opened while warmer water in the second insulated water jacket causes the refrigerant in the second tank to expand and push water out of the channel of the second hydraulic drive.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
first and second insulated water jackets each configured to receive and retain water, the first tank located within the first insulated water jacket, the second tank located within the second insulated water jacket;
wherein the insulated water jackets are configured to receive and retain water of different temperatures to facilitate transport of the refrigerant from one of the tanks to another of the tanks.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a controller is configured to control valves of the insulated water jackets in order to:
during a first time period, cause the first insulated water jacket to receive warmer water, cause the second insulated water jacket to receive colder water, and cause the refrigerant to flow from the first tank to the second tank; and
during a second time period, cause the first insulated water jacket to receive colder water, cause the second insulated water jacket to receive warmer water, and cause the refrigerant to flow from the second tank to the first tank.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a controller is configured to cause the refrigerant to repeatedly flow back and forth between the first and second tanks.

9. A system comprising:
an underwater vehicle comprising a body and fins projecting from the body;
the underwater vehicle also comprising a power generator comprising:
first and second tanks each configured to receive and store a refrigerant under pressure;
at least one generator configured to receive flows of the refrigerant between the tanks and to generate electrical power based on the flows of the refrigerant; and
first and second hydraulic drives associated with the first and second tanks, respectively, each hydraulic drive comprising:
a first piston within the associated tank;
a channel fluidly coupled to the associated tank and configured to contain hydraulic fluid; and
a second piston within the channel and configured to move within the channel in order to vary an amount of the hydraulic fluid within the associated tank and vary a position of the first piston within the associated tank;

wherein the channel of each hydraulic drive has a cross-sectional area that is less than a cross-sectional area of the associated tank.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein each hydraulic drive further comprises:
a valve fluidly coupled to the channel of the hydraulic drive and configured to allow water under pressure to enter the channel of the hydraulic drive and move the second piston within the channel of the hydraulic drive.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the underwater vehicle further comprises a controller configured to control the valves of the hydraulic drives in order to:
during a first time period, open the valve of the first hydraulic drive to cause the first piston of the first hydraulic drive to push at least some of the refrigerant out of the first tank; and
during a second time period, open the valve of the second hydraulic drive to cause the first piston of the second hydraulic drive to push at least some of the refrigerant out of the second tank.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the power generator further comprises:
first and second insulated water jackets each configured to receive and retain water, the first tank located within the first insulated water jacket, the second tank located within the second insulated water jacket.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the underwater vehicle further comprises a controller configured to control the valves of the hydraulic drives in order to:
during a first time period, keep the valve of the first hydraulic drive opened while warmer water in the first insulated water jacket causes the refrigerant in the first tank to expand and push water out of the channel of the first hydraulic drive; and
during a second time period, keep the valve of the second hydraulic drive opened while warmer water in the second insulated water jacket causes the refrigerant in the second tank to expand and push water out of the channel of the second hydraulic drive.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the power generator further comprises:
first and second insulated water jackets each configured to receive and retain water, the first tank located within the first insulated water jacket, the second tank located within the second insulated water jacket;
wherein the insulated water jackets are configured to receive and retain water of different temperatures to facilitate transport of the refrigerant from one of the tanks to another of the tanks.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the underwater vehicle further comprises a controller configured to control valves of the insulated water jackets in order to:
during a first time period, cause the first insulated water jacket to receive warmer water, cause the second insulated water jacket to receive colder water, and cause the refrigerant to flow from the first tank to the second tank; and
during a second time

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Heinen Gregory W

Classifications

• B63G8/14 Primary

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

• B63H25/38

  Rudders · CPC title

• B63G2008/002

  unmanned · CPC title

• B63H19/00

  Marine propulsion not otherwise provided for · 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