Method of Establishing Communication for Sub-Ice Submarine Missions between a Sub-Ice Vessel and a Terrestrial Facility using a Laser-Powered Ice-Penetrating Communications Delivery Vehicle

Abstract

A laser-powered ice-penetrating communications payload delivery vehicle for sub-ice submarine missions enables under-ice operations to exchange information with terrestrial facilities or satellite networks with communications methods otherwise blocked by an ice cap. The vehicle comprises an electronics bay, a payload bay, optics bay, and a melt optic with laser. The system and method of establishing communication where the vehicle, tethered to a sub-ice vessel, is released. The vehicle ascends to the bottom of an ice sheet and uses a laser to melt the ice, forming a borehole through which the vehicle continues to ascend. When buoyancy no longer advances the vehicle beyond sea level, the vehicle continues to melt a conical opening through the ice until unobstructed atmosphere is reached and bi-directional communication is established. Where the melting capacity cannot reach ice to continue melting, the vehicle mechanically advances itself toward the surface to establish high bandwidth, bi-directional communication.

Claims

1. A method of establishing communication between a sub-ice vessel and a terrestrial facility, said method comprising the steps of: releasing a communications payload delivery vehicle from said sub-ice vessel, said communications payload delivery vehicle having buoyancy; ascending from said sub-ice vessel until contact is made with the subsurface of an ice mass; boring through said ice mass creating a borehole through said ice mass; continuing to ascend within said borehole formed until said buoyancy of said communications payload delivery vehicle is not sufficient to further advance said communications payload delivery vehicle toward a top surface of said ice mass; melting remaining portion of said ice mass; and establishing communications with at least one external communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said boring step further comprises melting of ice in front of said communications payload delivery vehicle, said melting of ice performed via direct impingement of a laser beam directly on said ice.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said communications payload delivery vehicle is laser-powered.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIG. 1 shows an environmental view of an underwater vehicle under an ice mass and employing an embodiment of the present invention to establish communication with a satellite.

[0030] FIG. 2 depicts a cut out view of an embodiment of the present invention traversing an ice mass.

[0031] FIG. 3 shows a cut out view of an embodiment of the present invention having broken through the surface of an ice mass.

[0032] FIG. 4 depicts a cut out view of an embodiment of the present invention traversing an ice mass and using a pyro charge to establish communication with a satellite.

[0033] FIG. 5 shows a cut out view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention using cams and an extendable retracting member and having broken through the surface of an ice mass.

[0034] FIG. 6 depicts a cut out view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention using retractable pins and an extendable retracting member and having broken through the surface of an ice mass.

[0035] FIG. 7 is a cut out view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention using a wheel and ratcheting mechanism and having broken through the surface of an ice mass.

[0036] FIG. 8 is a cut out view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention using a continuous tank track or caterpillar track mechanism and having broken through the surface of an ice mass.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] Referring to FIG. 1, sub-ice vessel 10 traverses ocean water 12 under ice shelf 14 (or ice mass 14, or ice sheet 14) and above ocean floor 16 in sub-freezing waters. Satellite 18 orbits above the earth in open atmosphere 22. Ice shelf 14 may extend several meters (e.g., 100 meters up to 1000 meters) above sea level 20, having substantial ice mass thickness between bottom surface 32 and ice surface 36 of ice shelf 14. Consequently, communication between sub-ice vessel 10 and satellite 18 is little to none, as it is difficult to transmit or receive a signal through ice shelf 14 in this harsh environment.

[0038] Communication delivery vehicle 24 is releasably engaged to sub-ice vessel 10. More particularly, communication delivery vehicle 24 is stored within launch tube 30 externally attached to sub-ice vessel 10. Communication delivery vehicle 24 is tethered to sub-ice vessel 10 via process fiber 28 (power fiber) and communication optic line 26. Desirous of establishing communication between sub-ice vessel 10 in the sub-ice environment and satellite 18 (or other communications apparatus or network) in open atmosphere 22, communication delivery vehicle 24 is released from launch tube 30 of sub-ice vessel 10.

[0039] Communication delivery vehicle 24 is comprised of a low density material, such as syntactic foam or aerogel (not shown), which provides substantial buoyancy to communication delivery vehicle 24. This buoyancy allows communication delivery vehicle 24, once released, to traverse ocean water 12 in an upward direction relative to sub-ice vessel 10, ascending until front end 34 of communication delivery vehicle 24 comes in contact with bottom surface 32 of ice shelf 14.

[0040] The buoyant material is concentrated at front end 34 of communication delivery vehicle 24 and maintains communication delivery vehicle 24 in an upright orientation as communication delivery vehicle 24 floats (ascends) toward bottom surface 32 of ice shelf 14. This same substantial buoyancy positively biases communication delivery vehicle 24 upward such that front end 34 of communication delivery vehicle 24 may maintain contact and press against bottom surface 30 of ice mass 14, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0041] Referring now to FIG. 2, the communications payload delivery vehicle 24 (i.e., the ice penetrator) is comprised of housing 38 having front end 34 and back end 29. Several bays are safely secured and maintained within housing 38. These include electronics bay 40, payload bay 42, and optics bay 44. Payload bay 42 includes the communication payload, including the telescopic antenna. Optics bay 44 contains several components, including collimating optics and divergent optics.

[0042] A tether comprised of process fiber 28 and communication optic line 26 extends from back end 29 of communication delivery vehicle 24. In one embodiment, a fiber spooler (not shown) containing the tether comprised of process fiber 28 and communication optic line 26 may be located within sub-ice vessel 10. Alternatively, the fiber spooler may be located within communication delivery vehicle 24. In the case of the former, the tether unravels from the fiber spooler as the tether is pulled away from sub-ice vessel 10 as communication delivery vehicle 24 floats away. In the case of the latter, the tether unravels from the fiber spooler as the tether is released from communication delivery vehicle 24 as communication delivery vehicle 24 floats away from sub-ice vessel 10.

[0043] Process fiber 28 delivers optical power from a power source on sub-ice vessel 10 to communication delivery vehicle 24 to provide power to power consuming components of communication delivery vehicle 24, e.g., electronics and optics. Divergent optics 46 is positioned at front end 34.

[0044] Still referring to FIG. 2, communication delivery vehicle 24 is shown having reached bottom surface 32 of ice mass 14. With the path of communication delivery vehicle 24 toward ice surface 36 blocked by ice mass 14, communication delivery vehicle 24 begins to melt the ice at bottom surface 32.

[0045] Laser beam 48 transmitting from front end 34 of communication delivery vehicle 24 is used for ice penetration. First, laser beam 48 passes through a collimating optic and then to divergent optic 46 to expand laser beam 48 on the ice directly impeding upward penetrator progress. Communication delivery vehicle 24 melts through ice mass 14, forming borehole 50, a conical hole through the ice and snow, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0046] As communication delivery vehicle 24 continues to melt the ice, communication delivery vehicle 24 continues its buoyant ascent to sea level 20 within borehole 50. Upon reaching sea level 20, the buoyancy force is not sufficient to advance communication delivery vehicle 24 any further. Communication delivery vehicle 24 then ceases movement and anchors (or wedges) itself to borehole walls 52. The melting ice directly in front of laser beam 48 forms melt cavity 54 which enlarges as the ice melts.

[0047] The laser melting system of communication delivery vehicle 24 continues to function, melting the ice within melt cavity 54 directly in front of laser beam 48 and, ultimately, through remaining portion 56 of ice mass 14.

[0048] Referring now to FIG. 3, once remaining portion 56 has been cleared and there is unobstructed space in open atmosphere 22 between communication delivery vehicle 24 and, for example, satellite 18, communication is established via a telescopic antenna (not shown). With communication link 58 established, bilateral communications ensue between sub-ice vessel 10 and satellite 18 via communication delivery vehicle 24 and communication optic line 26.

[0049] One problem that may be encountered is that the optical nose (front end 34) of communication delivery vehicle 24 reaches ice surface 36 but the transmission antenna does not reach the surface. In this circumstance, a pyro charge or charges may be incorporated. For example, in another embodiment, and referring now to FIG. 4, once ice surface 36 is traversed physically and optically (leaving an open tube), but the transmission antenna (not shown) does not reach ice surface 36, pyro charge(s) 62 are used to launch an upper body portion 44 of communication delivery vehicle 24 out of borehole 50 and onto ice surface 36. Additionally, the pyro charge(s) may further function to break through a few meters of snow cap to get upper body portion 44 to ice surface 36.

[0050] Still referring to FIG. 4, upper body portion 44 has a spooler thereon that keeps upper body portion 44 in contact with the communication delivery vehicle 24, but gets the antenna (not shown) out and away from borehole 50 and onto ice surface 36. Fiber-optic cable 60 is released from upper body portion 44 as upper body portion 44 is shot out of borehole 50 into open atmosphere 22 and lands nearby on ice surface 36. Communications between upper body portion 44 and satellite 18 are established through communication uplink 58. Communications between upper body portion 44 and communication delivery vehicle 24 are established via fiber optic cable 60. Communications between communication delivery vehicle 24 and sub-ice vessel 10 are established via communication optic line 26.

[0051] The communication delivery vehicle of the present invention may advance through ice mass 14 using longitudinal extension means or, alternatively, traction means. In the former, the present invention incorporates a telescopic member within the communication delivery vehicle which, when in an expanded position, separates slidably engaging housings, and when in an unexpanded position, allows the slidably engaging housings to come together. In the latter, the present invention incorporates traction means using a plurality of traction elements that serve to advance the ice penetrator upward regardless of whether solid ice, firn, or snow is in the upward pathway.

[0052] Referring now to FIG. 5, for example, in one embodiment using longitudinal extension means, the housing of communication delivery vehicle 200 includes external housing 202 and internal housing 204. External housing 202 and internal housing 204 are engagably slidable along a track 206. The outside of internal housing 204 has a fixed track (not shown) that mates with a corresponding track (not shown) on the inside surface of external housing 202, such that external housing 202 may slide away from internal housing 204 along the track 206 without completely separating from internal housing 204. A plurality of spring loaded cams 216 are located at equal spaced distances around and on external housing 202, and internal housing 204. Motor 214 drives the plurality of spring loaded cams 216.

[0053] In use, telescopic member 208 within the hull of communication delivery vehicle 200 extends distally from the penetrator hull in a linear fashion. As telescoping member 208 extends, such extending motion separates upper body 210 of communication delivery vehicle 200 from lower body 212 of communication delivery vehicle 200. When telescoping member 208 reaches the desired extension length (which may be preconfigured to variable lengths depending on the environmental conditions encountered), communication delivery vehicle 200 is held secured and anchored in place to borehole walls 52 by a plurality of spring loaded cams 216 that allow only upward motion, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0054] Laser beam via melt optic 218 located at front end 222 of communication delivery vehicle 200 continues to melt ice directly in front of communication delivery vehicle 200. Motor 214 is then employed to extend the forward section of communication delivery vehicle 200 upward once communication delivery vehicle 200 has developed sufficient headroom. Aft section 228 of communication delivery vehicle 200 is then retracted into the forward end 222, and the process repeats until communication delivery vehicle 200 breaches ice surface 36, establishing communication with satellite 18, as described above.

[0055] The cams operate separately such that when the telescopic member 208 extends upward, the cams on the internal housing 204 are biting into borehole wall 52 (to prevent internal housing 204 from being pushed down, descending into borehole 50) while the cams on external housing 202 are retracted. Once the extension is complete, the cams on external housing 202 bite onto borehole wall 52 to hold and secure communication delivery vehicle 200 at the higher elevation while the cams on internal housing 204 retract, allowing internal housing 204 to be pulled upward into external housing 202.

[0056] The present invention preferably uses 3 to 8 spring loaded cams, though a different number of spring loaded cams may be used and still remain within the contemplation of the present invention. Motor 214 used in the present invention is a small, commercially available motor.

[0057] In another embodiment using longitudinal extension means, and referring now to FIG. 6, the plurality of spring loaded cams (FIG. 5) is replaced by a plurality of retractable pins 220 and functions similarly to the embodiment using the telescopic member, as described above.

[0058] In an embodiment using traction means, and referring now to FIG. 7, a motor 308 (or motors 308 and 310) are used to turn toothed wheels 314 held against borehole walls 52 by biasing pressure, e.g., spring 316, developing traction against the ice along surface of borehole walls 52. Toothed wheels 314 are rotated continuously to hold front end 302 against the ice directly in front of communication delivery vehicle 300. Alternatively, tooth wheels 314 are turned on intermittently (with ratcheting mechanism 316 capturing upward advancing progress). Communication delivery vehicle 300 then continues advancing forward and melting ice using payload/optics 306 contained within hull 312 until communication delivery vehicle 300 breaches ice surface 36, allowing communication with satellite 18 to be established.

[0059] Referring now to FIG. 8, in another embodiment employing traction means, a plurality of caterpillar type treads 322 (vertically oriented at equal spacing about the perimeter of communication delivery vehicle 300) extend outward from the core of communication delivery vehicle 300. The plurality of motor driven tracks 322 makes contact with the interior surface of borehole wall 52. Outward pressure from within hull 312 biases motor driven tracks 322 against the interior surface of borehole walls 52 to maintain contact with the interior surface of borehole walls 52. This outward pressure against motor driven tracks 322 allow the individual tracks to bite on to the ice to provide traction for further upward advancement of communication delivery vehicle 300.

[0060] The plurality of motor driven tracks 322 are driven by a drive servo or drive sprocket 324 (similar to the rotating wheel). Preferably, three (3) drive sprockets are used for stability. In using a single wheel or drive sprocket in the caterpillar type tread, the single wheel can fail and will just spin if a void is encountered. The caterpillar tread of the plurality of motor driven tracks 322, however, spreads the contact surface out providing better traction and stability.

[0061] Once traction is established, communication delivery vehicle 300 then continues advancing forward and melting ice using melt optic 320 and payload/optics 306 contained within hull 312 until communication delivery vehicle 300 breaches ice surface 36, allowing communication with satellite 18 to be established.

[0062] The various embodiments described herein may be used singularly or in conjunction with other similar devices. The present disclosure includes preferred or illustrative embodiments in which a system and method for a laser-powered ice-penetrating communications apparatus for sub-ice submarine missions are described. Alternative embodiments of such a system and method can be used in carrying out the invention as claimed and such alternative embodiments are limited only by the claims themselves. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention may be obtained from a study of this disclosure and the drawings, along with the appended claims.