Optimal Stiffness for Flexible Connectors on A Mobile Offshore Base at Rough Sea States

This paper investigates a simplified method to determine the optimal stiffness of flexible connectors on a mobile offshore base (MOB) during the preliminary design stage. A three-module numerical model of an MOB was used as a case study. Numerous constraint forces and relative displacements for the connectors at rough sea states with different wave angles were utilized to determine the optimized stiffness of the flexible connectors. The range of optimal stiffnesses for the connectors was obtained based on the combination and intersection of the optimized stiffness results, and the implementation steps were elaborated in detail. The percentage reductions of the optimized and optimal stiffness of the flexible connector were determined to quantitatively evaluate the decreases of the constraint force and relative displacement of the connectors compared with those calculated by using the original range of the connector stiffnesses. The results indicate the accuracy and feasibility of this method for determining the optimal stiffness of the flexible connectors and demonstrate the rationality and practicability of the optimal stiffness results. The research ideas, calculation process, and solutions for the optimal stiffness of the flexible connectors of an MOB in this paper can provide valuable technical support for the design of the connectors in similar semisubmersible floating structures.     

水下激光线扫描探测系统的设计及试验

针对水下目标图像探测一直是困扰海洋界的1个难题，进行了水下探测的线扫描系统的设计和相关试验。从实验结果来看，线扫描系统可以很好地描述水下物体的三维外形细节，对于水下目标探测、识别十分有效。     

水下升降式准实时通信潜标控制系统研制

为实现长期、连续、定点、低成本的上层海洋垂直剖面要素的准实时观测,提出了一种以STM32单片机(microcontroller unit,MCU)为主控器、采用国产温盐深传感器(conductivity temperature depth,CTD)和声学多普勒剖面流速仪(acoustic doppler current profilers,ADCP)等仪器进行剖面观测、搭载铱星通信模块或其他通信设备、适用于近海和远海的低功耗水下升降式准实时通信潜标控制系统设计方案。介绍了潜标的结构组成、控制系统硬件和软件设计,以及服务器接收软件的设计;实现了基于无线双向通信的数据补发机制和对潜标的远程控制;提出了一种适用于霍尔无刷直流电机(hall brushless direct current motor,HBLDCM)的堵转保护方法。近海和远海试验表明,该型潜标可以实现海洋垂直剖面的连续观测和数据的准实时传输,验证了潜标控制系统设计方案的可行性与稳定性。     

An underwater towed electromagnetic source for geophysical exploration

Low-frequency electromagnetic methods are used in geophysical exploration to detect the magnetic field distortion between a transmitter and receiver produced by locally conductive bodies. Both ground and airborne systems are in current use. It is possible to similarly conduct underwater geophysical exploration by using an underwater towed source of electromagnetic radiation and a receiving magnetic or electric field detector. The receiver can be towed on an auxiliary cable, mounted on a boom on the towing platform, or land based. An underwater towed electromagnetic source suitable for ocean-bottom exploration has been constructed, and its underwater propagation characteristics at low frequency have been studied. This underwater calibrated source (UCS) is 4 m long, weighs 383 kg in air, and can produce vertical and horizontal magnetic dipoles and a horizontal electric dipole. Powered by a current-feedback-controlled, high-power, modified sonar amplifier, the UCS can produce 9710 ampereturn.m2 of magnetic dipole or 200 A.m of electric dipole at 50 A at frequencies up to 200 Hz without significant attenuation from coil inductance. This paper concentrates on the mechanical, hydrodynamic, and magnetic design details of the UCS and the electrical system, consisting of the high-current drive power system and the shipboard monitoring system for attitude and depth detectors.     

水下滑翔机器人系统研究

水下滑翔机器人是一种新型的水下机器人,可以作为水下监测平台用于大范围、长时间的大尺度海洋环境监测作业。文中调查了水下滑翔机器人的国内外发展现状,分析了其可能的应用领域。详细介绍了中国科学院沈阳自动化研究所开发的水下滑翔机器人系统,包括载体外形优化设计、载体结构设计和控制系统设计。分析了水下滑翔机器人定常滑翔运动和空间螺旋会转运动的运动性能。     

双功能潜水器结构设计分析探讨

双功能潜水器是目前国际上比较新型的可用于深海水下观察和作业的装备。既可有缆载人／无人，又可无缆载人。该潜水器最大工作深度450m，其结构材料和结构形式与以往类似的装备不同。文章对双功能潜水器耐压壳结构和载体框架设计中的一些问题进行了探讨，提出的设计思想和计算方法，这对获得一个具有最轻结构重量的实用的双功能潜水器结构具有指导意义。     

直流无刷电机驱动的水下电缆绞车系统

水下电缆绞车多采用液压驱动,但液压驱动存在无效动力转换,能源使用率不高,因此直流无刷电机驱动的水下电缆绞车具有实际意义。采用直流无刷电机驱动,不仅提高了水下电缆绞车系统的能源利用率,而且改善了系统的调速性能。与直流有刷电机相比,直流无刷电机可实现充油均压密封,更有利于在水下工作。介绍了直流无刷电机驱动水下电缆绞车的组成、功能及工作原理,针对研制的专用水下直流无刷电机,重点论述了其充油密封原理和工艺,并设计了一种全新的低成本高性能驱动控制电路。该水下电缆绞车系统已初步调试完毕,试验表明各项性能良好,即将投入实际应用。它具有结构简单,工作可靠,成本低的优点,因此在实际工程应用中具有推广意义。     

A conceptual design of an underwater missile launcher

The paper presents a conceptual design of an underwater missile launcher, which will be more difficult to detect by the enemy than conventional surface missile launchers which are currently being used.The paper suggests that the material of construction should be a composite and not a metal, as use of the latter for a large deep diving underwater vessel will result in such a structure sinking like a stone, due to the fact that it will have no reserve buoyancy. The paper also shows that composites have better sound absorption characteristics, thereby making the underwater structure difficult to detect through sonar equipment. It is proposed that this launcher should operate up to a depth of 5000 m, as at this depth, some 60% of the oceans' bottoms can be reached.The author shows that current technology can be used to construct and operate such a vessel.     

水下光学无线通信的海水信道特性研究

提出了将具有比声学高达几倍的数据通信速率,良好的安全性和隐蔽性的光学无线通信技术应用于海军、海洋科学研究和水下工程等领域,实现高速率的水下无线通信技术实现海量数据的信息交换.基于生物光学特性的水下光学信道模型,建立了水下光学通信系统性能分析方法.并对基于发光二极管(LED)的水下光学无线通信系统进行了仿真,其结果表明所建立的方法可以进行各种海域水质环境的模拟,便于时水下光学无线通信系统性能进行预测评估,为水下光学无线通信系统的设计方案的评估提供了依据.     

A conceptual design of an underwater vehicle

The paper presents a conceptual design of an underwater star wars’ system, which will be more difficult to detect by the enemy than a recently proposed ‘surface’ star wars’ system.The paper suggests that for the proposed structures needed for the underwater star wars’ system, the material of construction should be a composite and not a metal, as use of the latter for large deep diving underwater vessels will result in such structures sinking to the bottom of the ocean like stones, due to the fact that they will have no reserve buoyancy. The paper also shows that composites have better sound absorption characteristics, thereby making the underwater structures difficult to detect through sonar equipment. It is proposed that these underwater structures should operate up to a depth of 7.16 miles (11.52 km), as at this depth, all of the oceans’ bottoms can be reached.The author shows that current technology can be used to construct and operate such vessels, but more progress needs to be made with metal matrix and ceramic composites, so that the hulls of underwater missiles and torpedoes can be constructed in these materials.     

Dynamic Responses of Mobile Offshore Base Connectors

A Mobile Offshore Base (MOB) is a multi-purpose logistics base, which can be stationed in coastal or international waters. In the conceptual design of the MOB, attention should be paid to the dynamic responses of the inter-module connectors because tremendous loads occur in the connectors. In this paper, a study on dynamic responses of the MOB connectors is carried out by use of the Rigid Module Flexible Connector (RMFC) model which assumes that the module stiffness is significantly larger than that of the connector. In the analysis, the connector is modeled as a linear spring, which restricts relative translations but allows for relative rotations of modules. The 3-D source distribution method is adopted to determine the hydrodynamic forces of the modules, and the hydrodynamic interaction between modules is taken into account. The module motions and connector loads for 12 connector stiffness cases in regular and irregular waves are calculated with the multi-rigid-body motion equations. And the calculat     

Pulsatile vortex generators for low-speed maneuvering of small underwater vehicles

Compact zero-mass pulsatile jet actuators are proposed for low-speed maneuvering and station keeping of small underwater vehicles.¹ The flow field of such jets are initially dominated by vortex ring formation. Pinched-off vortices characterize the extremum impulse accumulated by the leading vortex ring in a vortex ring formation process. Relevant parameters in this process are identified in order to design simple and low cost zero-mass pulsatile jet actuators. Thrust optimization of synthetic jets for maximal thrust generation is achieved by enforcing the jet formation number to be around 4. Prototypes of such actuators are built and tested for underwater maneuvering and propulsion. The actuators could be used in two ways: (i) to improve the low-speed maneuvering and station keeping capabilities of traditional propeller driven underwater vehicles, and (ii) as a synthetic jet for flow control and drag reduction at higher cruising speeds. A model for calculating the rotation rate of the underwater vehicle is also proposed and verified.     

水下多路液压快速接头的夹头结构分析与优化

深海油气田水下生产系统装备之间的精准连接是国际公认的技术难题,对接一般通过深海连接器完成。弹性夹头是水下连接器的重要组成部分,其性能关系到海洋油气生产系统的安全性和可靠性。弹性夹头的主要作用是在水下机器人的辅助下连接和锁紧连接器的固定端和移动端。采用ABAQUS软件的显式动力学分析模块计算夹头夹紧心轴这一过程中的应力、反作用力状态。三维模型仿真结果表明,锁紧过程中弹性夹头的最大应力不超过430 MPa,小于所选取的材料屈服强度480 MPa。采用正交试验和方差分析的方法研究夹头的长度、夹头与心轴的间隙等几个关键尺寸从而分析影响夹头应力和连接所需推力的最显著因素。对夹头的结构进行优化设计,同时也为夹头心轴结构的设计提供了理论依据。最后,通过试验研究对样机进行测试,测试结果表明,夹紧动作所需的最大推力在700 N以下。     

A techno-economic comparison of power systems for autonomousunderwater vehicles

This paper compares lead-acid batteries, sodium-sulfur batteries, solid polymer fuel cells and closed-cycle diesel engines for autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) applications. The service is described in terms of a parametric mission and life cycle. A generic AUV is used as a basis for comparison. Power systems are evaluated by two criteria: (1) submerged endurance capability and (2) life cycle cost. This study determines categories of service for which each power system is preferred. The solid polymer fuel cell can provide greater submerged endurance than other power systems examined. For extremely long duration AUV missions, the fuel cell is the required system, indicating a possible market niche for today's fuel cell technology. Considering cost projections for each power system, the results also show that the SPFC can become cost-competitive with conventional technologies, particularly for services characterized by high levels of utilization     

水下彩色图像传输的信号调制及信道压缩编码设计研究

就水下彩色图像传输这一研究课题，提供了其调制和传输控制部分的DSP解决方案，详细分析了针对水声信道这一特殊传输介质，所采用的特殊调制方法和传输发送机理，并提供了硬件原理图及相应的软件算法流程。     

Design and analysis of a high-intensity LED lighting module for underwater illumination

Replacing traditional light sources with light-emitting diode (LED) light modules is a global trend, especially for underwater illumination. The light intensity is dispersed evenly at all emission angles in traditional underwater light sources that use the radiative transfer model, resulting in the inclusion of scattering factors in the attenuation coefficient. The high directionality of LED light source modules causes the light intensity transfer in water to vary according to varying emission angles. This renders traditional underwater optical transfer theory irrelevant as an underwater LED light module design reference. Therefore, this study constructs an underwater LED light source transfer model using the light-field average cosine and the light transfer scattering probability method, and imports the LED luminous intensity distribution curve (LIDC) and axial luminous intensity. Experimental results showed that the illumination intensity of the underwater LED illumination module was less than 10% of the simulation. Therefore, this design method can be used to design the required illumination light modules for different underwater environments. Finally, the LED light module has been used for under water fish attractor lighting and enhanced the illumination zone efficiency (m³ per Watt) of 81% compared to the traditional high intensity discharge (HID) underwater fish attractor lamp.     

Enabling technologies for REMUS docking: an integral component ofan autonomous ocean-sampling network

A dock for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) allows the vehicle to be left on station ready for deployment. However, it represents a significant engineering challenge, as docking requires an accurate navigation system so that the vehicle can find the dock, and complex mechanics to make the required underwater power and data connections. This paper describes the docking system built for the REMUS AUV. It outlines the basis for the design decisions, the as-built configuration, and its performance once deployed. It also delineates the lessons learned from the deployments, and the refinements in the vehicle that have been made since that time, that will improve the system's utility and reliability     

A mobile coherent low-frequency acoustic range

A portable system for the measurement of certain underwater acoustic propagation phenomena is described. Acoustic sources and receivers of special design are used. A precision tracking system enables coherent signal reception in the presence of source-receiver motion. The major elements of the acoustic range are described and examples of data are presented.     

面向典型海洋现象观测的水下滑翔机应用综述

水下滑翔机是一种浮力驱动的无人水下自治观探测平台, 具有持续性、鲁棒性、自主性等特点, 是构建海洋观测技术体系重要的水下航行器之一。文章从水下滑翔机发展历程、运行方式和专用传感器展开, 基于国内外海洋学文献综述研究, 重点对水下滑翔机在典型海洋现象观测应用方面进行总结。水下滑翔机的运行稳定性、长时续, 观测高分辨率、低成本的特点, 满足了对海洋中尺度涡、内波、湍流、环流/边界流和锋面的长时间、精细化立体观测要求; 鲁棒性、自主性的特点使其能够适应台风过境、地震、原油泄漏前后等紧急恶劣海洋状况的监测; 运行平稳、低噪声的特点使其成为声学监测与探测的良好平台。对比分析国内外的水下滑翔机(组网)应用状况可以发现, 国内水下滑翔机在传感器、数据处理和组网技术方面都需要进一步完善。最后总结并展望了国内外水下滑翔机面向海洋现象观测的应用。     

Underwater glider modelling and analysis for net buoyancy, depth and pitch angle control

Underwater glider is an autonomous underwater vehicle that glides by controlling their buoyancy and attitude using internal actuators. By changing the vehicle's buoyancy intermittently, vertical motion can be achieved. Characteristics of glider motion include upward and downward movement in a saw tooth pattern, turning and gliding in a vertical spiral motion and gliding without using thrusters or propellers. This paper presents the modelling and identification on net buoyancy, depth and pitching angle of an underwater glider system. A ballast tank subsystem is considered appropriate for the identification process since it is the main parameter for the motion control. By selecting the ballast rate as the input, three aspects of the dynamics of a glider can be observed: buoyancy, depth of the glider and pitching angle. The MATLAB System Identification Toolbox^TM is used to obtain a mathematical model of the glider ballast-buoyancy, ballast-depth and ballast-pitching angle conditioning system. The best three parametric estimation models are chosen, and the results of the comparison between simulated and estimated outputs are presented. The information obtained from the modelling and identification approaches are used for USM's Underwater Glider Prototype controller design. The information observed during this procedure are utilised for optimisation, stability, reliability and robustness analysis of the underwater glider.