Patent classifications
B63B22/003
CONTAINER FOR LAUNCHING SONAR BUOYS
A container for housing and launching sonobuoy having a diverter and a casing divided into two portions by a cap. The container is configured to make a presence or an absence of the cap selective so as to be adapted to house and launch a single buoy of class A.
Buoy
A buoy includes a surface unit comprising a sealed tank comprising an inflatable bag, a tubular wall of axis z and a bottom, the tubular wall and the bottom delimiting a volume referred to as the inner volume, the surface unit comprising at least one cartridge enclosing a compressed gas that can be released in such a way as to inflate the inflatable bag such that it functions as a float in an operational configuration of the buoy, and the sealed tank comprises a projecting container protruding from the bottom and extending out from the inner volume, from the bottom.
System for measuring mechanical properties of sea floor sediments at full ocean depths
The present invention discloses a system for measuring the mechanical properties of sea floor sediments at full ocean depth. The system includes an overwater monitoring unit and an underwater measurement device, where the underwater measurement device includes an observation platform and a measuring mechanism; the observation platform includes a frame-type body and a floating body, a wing panel, a floating ball cabin, a leveling mechanism, a counterweight, and a release mechanism mounted on the frame-type body; the floating ball cabin seals a circuit system; the leveling mechanism adjusts the underwater measurement device horizontally on the sea floor when the frame-type body reaches the sea floor; the release mechanism discards the counterweight for recovery of the unit after the underwater measurement device completes the underwater operation; the measuring mechanism includes at least one of a cone penetration measuring mechanism, a spherical penetration measuring mechanism, and a vane shear measuring mechanism, or a sampling mechanism.
MEASURING DEVICE INTENDED TO BE IMMERSED
A measurement device intended to be immersed in water, includes a set of arms and a reference axis, the measurement device being able to be in a deployed configuration, the measurement device comprising a set of measurement units borne by arms of the set of arms and each comprising an acoustic-waves sensor, the set of measurement units being configured and arranged in such a way as to generate a torque on the measurement device about the reference axis upon a vertical translational movement of the measurement device in the deployed configuration, the measurement device comprising compensation means configured and arranged in such a way as to generate another torque on the measurement device about the reference axis during the vertical translational movement, the other torque being directed in the opposite direction to the torque and having an intensity less than twice that of the torque.
Shape memory alloy subsurface array deployment mechanism
A deployment body for a sensor array includes at least one superelastic spring formed of a shape memory alloy (SMA) material that enables activation of the deployment body. The SMA spring is configured to expand from a stowed position in which the SMA spring is wound around a central hub of the deployment body to a deployed position in which the SMA spring is extended in a radially outward direction relative to the central hub. A stiffness of the SMA spring enables the SMA spring to hold cables of the sensor array and maintain a deployed shape of the sensor array, which may be a volumetric array. Using the SMA material is advantageous in that the material is tuned to maintain superelasticity based on at least one of an intended operating temperature and a desired expansion ratio of stowed to deployed diameter of the deployment body.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTONOMOUS BUOY-BASED SITUATIONAL AWARENESS FOR FLYING BOATS
A method for establishing a situational awareness of a surface of a body of water is disclosed. In various embodiments, the method includes deploying a plurality of autonomous buoys under or on the surface of the body of water; and scattering the plurality of autonomous buoys to form a mesh communication network.
Underwater drone with capacity of fishing, rapidly moving and wireless remote control
An underwater drone is disclosed. The underwater drone includes a horizontal propeller module and a vertical propeller module to respectively provide a drone body with a horizontal proceeding force and a vertical lifting or diving force. The underwater drone includes a horizontal channel and a vertical channel, which allow the water to pass through for reducing resistance when the underwater drone moves forwards, upwards or downwards. The underwater drone is equipped with a buoy member with an antenna portion of a communication module disposed therein. The underwater drone is equipped with the fishing device, the fish finding device and the image capturing module. Therefore, the underwater drone is capable of fishing, rapidly moving and wireless remote control.
UNDERWATER DATA CAPTURE AND TRANSMISSION SYSTEM HAVING A VARIABLE BUOY
An underwater data capture and transmission system has a base configured to sink in water, at least one sensor configured to capture data while submerged in water, a processing unit configured to receive data collected by the sensor, and a variable buoy. The variable buoy has a ballast system configured to adjust a depth of the variable buoy in the water, and a communication device configured to transmit data to a remote communications device. The system further has at least one tether connecting at least the base, the processing unit, and the variable buoy.
INCREMENTAL DEPLOYMENT OF A BUOY OR BUOY NETWORK
A mooring system including a plurality of connected floats and weights being positively buoyant on a water surface and being negatively buoyant at a depth below the water surface. The mooring system also includes a trigger mechanism arranged to reduce the buoyancy of a portion of the connected floats and weights from a being positively buoyant to negatively buoyant to cause the portion of the connected floats and weights to sink below the water surface where the trigger mechanism changes the buoyance of the portion of the connected floats and weights by either adding a weight to one end or separating the end from a buoyant element.
BATHYTHERMOGRAPH BUOY AND ASSOCIATED METHOD OF OPERATION
A bathythermograph buoy and an associated method of operation are provided to measure temperature and/or optionally other parameter(s) within an ocean or another body of water. A bathythermograph buoy includes a housing and one or more sensors carried by the housing and configured to repeatedly measure one or more respective parameters as the bathythermograph buoy descends. The bathythermograph buoy of one example also includes a memory carried by the housing and configured to store representations of the one or more respective parameters measured by the one or more sensors. The bathythermograph buoy further includes a buoyancy modification device configured to increase buoyancy of the bathythermograph buoy to permit the bathythermograph buoy to ascend.