An unmanned underwater vehicle having movable thrusters between a first configuration, in which axes of rotation of both the thrusters, when co-planar, are parallel, and a second configuration, in which the axes of rotation of both the thrusters, when co-planar, interest. The thrusters may also rotate about the pylons that attach the thrusters to the body of the unmanned underwater vehicle. Also a method of operating the unmanned underwater vehicle in both configurations.

The disclosed invention comprises one or more hybrid metal-composite pressure vessels e.g., 1 (FIG. 1) or 100,200 (FIG. 2), designed for deep water application of radiation sensitive equipment, where the hybrid pressure vessels comprise a combination of metals and non-metals. A source of radiation may be disposed in one of the two hybrid metal-composite pressure vessels and a radiation detector disposes in the other hybrid metal-composite pressure vessel. A radiation beam is less attenuated as it passes through the non-metal parts of the hybrid pressure vessels and the intensity of the radiation reaching a radiation detector is higher than if it were to pass through the metal parts of the housings.

A field configurable autonomous vehicle includes modular elements and attachable components. The vehicle can be assembled from these modular elements and components to meet desired mission and performance characteristics without the need to purchase specially designed vehicles for each mission. The vehicle can include a modular propulsion system with magnetic drive.

Many different types of systems are utilized and tasks are performed in a marine environment. The present invention provides various configurations of castable devices that can be operated and/or controlled for such systems or tasks. One or more castable devices can be integrated with a transducer assembly, such as a phased array, that emits sonar beams and receives sonar returns from the underwater environment. Processing circuitry may receive the sonar returns, process the sonar returns, generate an image, and transmit the image to a display.

A method of deploying autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), the method comprising loading the AUVs into a deployment device; submerging the deployment device containing the AUVs after the AUVs have been loaded into the deployment device; towing the submerged deployment device containing the AUVs with a surface vessel; deploying the AUVs from the submerged deployment device as it is towed by the surface vessel; and operating a thruster of each AUV after it has been deployed so that it moves away from the submerged deployment device. A method of retrieving autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is also disclosed, the method comprising towing a submerged retrieval device with a surface vessel; loading the AUVs into the submerged retrieval device as it is towed by the surface vessel; and after the AUVs have been loaded into the submerged retrieval device, lifting the submerged retrieval device containing the AUVs out of the water and onto the surface vessel.

A vehicle (10) for performing operations on a subsea pipeline, such as a riser (2), carries one or more interchangeable modules (18) and is configured to translate along the riser (2). The vehicle (10) comprises an elongate support structure (12) for carrying the modules (18). Gripper arms (14, 16) hold the support structure (12) a predetermined distance away from the elongate body and cause translation of the vehicle (10) along the riser (2) using a hand-over-hand action, so as to allow the vehicle (10) to pass protuberances or obstacles, such as a clamp (8), on the riser (2).

A transport box may be utilized to set down a watercraft into water with a traction mechanism, with a support for securing the traction mechanism for lowering the transport box, and with a frame that is designed to receive the watercraft in the transport box. The transport box is configured to receive an upper side of the watercraft and to set the watercraft down on a lower side into the water.

A deep-sea manned submersible and a design method for a pressure resistant hull curved structure thereof, the deep-sea manned submersible comprising a main hull body, a propeller assembly, annular sliding channels, a brake disc, and a brake. Two annular sliding channels are provided, and are fixed symmetrically on two opposite side surfaces of the main hull body. The main hull body is inserted vertically through the upper surface of the propeller assembly, and by means of the two annular sliding channels is slidingly connected to the propeller assembly, such that the outer contour of the whole body formed by the impeller assembly and the main hull body takes a nautilus shell shape. The brake disc is of an annular shape, and fixed on an outer ring of the main hull body, and the brake is mounted on the propeller assembly and corresponds matchingly with the brake disc.

A power receiving device is disposed underwater. The power receiving device includes a housing formed of a weak magnetic material, a ferromagnetic body that surrounds an outer side of the housing and is formed of a ferromagnetic material, and a power receiving coil wound around an outer side of the ferromagnetic body.

The present invention is applicable to the technical field of marine equipment and provides a hybrid-driven mooring chain cleaning and structural inspection underwater robot and a working method thereof. The hybrid-driven mooring chain cleaning and structural inspection underwater robot includes at least one frame structure; a buoyancy system disposed on the frame structure and used for adjusting the buoyancy of the robot; a driving system disposed on the frame structure; underwater observation and communication systems disposed on the frame structure and used for underwater observation; a cleaning system disposed on the frame structure and used for cleaning a mooring chain; an active clasping/unclasping system disposed on the frame structure; and a structural inspection system disposed on the frame structure.