MOVEMENT DEVICE FOR PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT ON THE SURFACE OF A BODY AROUND WHICH A FLUID PASSES

Abstract

A movement device is for progressive movement on the surface of a body around which a fluid passes, such as a hull, a rotor blade, a rudder, a tubular body or the like. The movement device has a retaining system for adhesion of the movement device on the surface, a traction system for providing a course for the movement device on the surface, and a drive system for driving the movement of the movement device on the surface. The drive system has at least one flow element, around which flow can pass, for interaction with the fluid, such that, for the progressive movement of the movement device on the surface of the body around which the fluid passes, flow energy can be extracted from the fluid passing around it and can be used for driving the movement.

Claims

1-22. (canceled)

23. A travel device for movement on the surface of a body flowed around by a fluid, in particular a hull, a rotor blade, a rudder, a pipe member, or the like, the travel device comprising: a holding system for adhesion of the travel device to the surface; a traction system for fixing a course of the travel device on the surface; and a drive system for driving the travel movement of the travel device on the surface, the drive system having at least one flow body that can be flowed around for interaction with the fluid so that flow energy can be taken from the fluid flowing around for the movement of the travel device on the surface of the body flowed around by the fluid and the flow energy is usable for the drive of the travel movement.

24. The travel device according to claim 23, wherein the drive system is configured for interaction with the fluid such that the travel movement of the travel device is in particular exclusively drivable by a dynamic buoyancy and/or by flow resistance force.

25. The travel device according to claim 23, wherein the drive system is configured such that flow energy taken from the fluid flowing around by momentum transfer onto the at least one flow body for the movement of the travel device is usable for a direct fluid dynamic drive of the travel movement.

26. The travel device according to claim 23, wherein the travel device is drivable on the surface of the body flowed around by the fluid by the drive system to make a travel movement whose direction of travel comprises a significant component, in particular a main component, against the direction of flow of the fluid.

27. The travel device according to claim 23, wherein the travel device is free of mechanical connections to external drive means and/or external retaining means.

28. The travel device according to claim 23, wherein the at least one flow body is a vane member and the drive system has at least one setting element, an angle of attack of the vane member being settable in the fluid flowing around by the setting element.

29. The travel device according to claim 28, wherein the vane member has an asymmetrical profile.

30. The travel device according to claim 28, wherein the vane member has an actively or passively variable profile.

31. The travel device according to claim 23, wherein the travel device has a planar extent of 0.05 square meters up to 1.5 square meters and the vane member has a planar extent of 0.02 square meters up to 0.75 square meters.

32. The travel device according to claim 23, wherein the at least one flow body is a Flettner rotor and the drive system has at least one rotor drive, the Flettner rotor being rotatable by the rotor drive.

33. The travel device according to claim 23, wherein the at least one flow body is extendable so that a size of interaction surfaces that can be flowed around can be set.

34. The travel device according to claim 23, wherein the at least one flow body is pivotable so that a vertical angle of the at least one flow body toward an upper side of the travel device is settable.

35. The travel device according to claim 23, wherein the at least one flow body is inwardly foldable into a position of minimal flow resistance and/or a position of minimal extent perpendicular to an upper side of the travel device.

36. The travel device according to claim 23, wherein at least one flow body of the drive system comprises a plurality of flow bodies.

37. The travel device according to claim 23, further comprising at least one electric machine and at least one storage battery electrically connected thereto, the electric machine being operatively connected to the traction system so that the electric machine is configured for interaction with the traction system in motor operation and/or in generator operation.

38. The travel device according to claim 23, further comprising a sensor system for determining a flow speed and/or a direction of flow of the fluid flowing around.

39. The travel device according to claim 23, further comprising a navigation system for determining a position and/or an orientation relative to the surface of the body.

40. The travel device according to claim 23, further comprising a cleaning system and/or an inspection system and/or a maintenance system for cleaning and/or inspecting and/or maintaining, respectively, the surface of the body.

41. The travel device according to claim 40, wherein the travel device has a mechanical cleaning system and a transmission, the traction system being operatively connected to a drive of the transmission and the mechanical cleaning system being operatively connected to the output of the transmission so that the mechanical cleaning system is operable by the transmission on the travel movement of the travel device.

42. The travel device according to claim 23, further comprising a control system for autonomous or semiautonomous operation of the travel device.

43. A method of cleaning and/or inspecting and/or maintaining a surface of a body flowed around by a fluid, in particular a hull, a rotor blade, a rudder, a pipe member, or the like, the method comprising: providing at least one travel device according to claim 23; travelling the at least one travel device over the surface of the body flowed around by the fluid while carrying out cleaning and/or inspection and/or maintenance measures; and taking flow energy from the fluid flowing around for movement of the travel device and using the flow energy to drive the travel movement.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein: the at least one travel device comprises a plurality of travel devices; and the plurality of travel devices are used simultaneously, with the travel devices cooperating with one another in the carrying out of the cleaning and/or inspection and/or maintenance measures.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Further measures improving the invention will be shown in more detail below together with the description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the Figures. There are shown:

[0041] FIGS. 1a, b perspective views of a first embodiment of the travel device in accordance with the invention;

[0042] FIG. 1c a perspective view of the first embodiment without a cover;

[0043] FIG. 2 a perspective view of a second embodiment;

[0044] FIG. 3 schematic representations of a travel device in accordance with the invention on a hull; and

[0045] FIG. 4 a schematic representation to illustrate the relevant forces.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0046] FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b show perspective views of a first embodiment of the travel device 100 in accordance with the invention that is in particular suitable for use on the surface of a hull. The drive system 3 has three flow bodies 30 arranged spaced apart from one another that are formed as vane members 31 having a symmetrical profile and that project from the upper side 10 of the travel device 100 at a perpendicular vertical angle. On a use on a hull, the upper side 10 is remote from its surface so that the vane members 31 are flowed onto by the water flowing around the hull below the waterline.

[0047] The travel device 100 furthermore has a traction system 2 for fixing the course on the surface to be traveled on that comprises the two laterally oppositely disposed drive wheels 21 and the rear pivot wheel 22. The drive wheels 21 circumferentially have a permanent magnetic section, for example composed of an iron metal/rare earth alloy, whereby the holding system 1 is formed that enables the travel device 100 to adhere to a magnetizable body surface, here in particular a hull.

[0048] At the front side, the travel device 100 has the cleaning system 8 that comprises the cylindrical brush 81 that is drivable to rotate via the belt transmission 82. The brush 81 is in particular provided to clean a hull surface from organic fouling.

[0049] The travel device 100 furthermore comprises the sensor system 6 for determining the flow speed and/or the direction of flow of a fluid flowing around, in particular of water flowing around. The data logged by the sensor system 6 serve the setting of the drive system 3 appropriate for movement.

[0050] Respective different positions of the vane members 31 are shown in FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b that are appropriate for different orientations of the travel device 100 relative to a fluid flowing around, with a travel movement of the travel device 100 in the direction of the cleaning system 8 being respectively aimed for. Analogously to the positions of the sails of a sailing vessel or of a sand yacht, the position of the vane members 31 shown in FIG. 1a would correspond to a course upwind and a course before the wind is correspondingly shown in FIG. 1b. The vane members 31 are each rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation to change the position that extends, for instance, in the region of the greatest thickness of the profile of the vane member 31.

[0051] FIG. 1c shows a further perspective view of the first embodiment without a cover so that the housing interior of the travel device 100 is exposed to view. The closed housing is appropriately sealed against water ingress for operation underwater.

[0052] The respective setting elements 32 by means of which the angle of attack of the vane members 31 in a fluid flowing around can be set are arranged below the axes of rotation of the vane members 31.

[0053] The travel device 100 further has the two electric machines 4 and the storage battery 5 electrically connected thereto (all the required cable connections between the various components are not shown here for reasons of clarity), with the electric machines 4 being operatively connected to the traction system 2, i.e. to the two drive wheels 21, so that the electric machines 4 are configured for interaction with the traction system 2 in motor operation and/or in generator operation. The operating mode of the electric machines can be switched between motor and generator, in particular by means of a control by the control system 9. On the movement of the travel device 100 by means of the vane members 31 in a fluid flowing around, the rotation energy of the rolling drive wheels 21 can therefore be converted into electric energy by means of the electric machines 4 in generator operation and can be used for charging the storage battery 5. The electric supply of all the components of the travel device 100 takes place by means of the storage battery 5. In motor operation, the electric machines 4 act to drive the drive wheels 21 so that the travel device 100 is enabled also to move outside a fluid flowing around.

[0054] The brush 81 is drivable to rotate via the belt transmission 82, with drive energy being able to be taken from the traction system 2 by means of the transmission 83. The drive of the transmission 83, that can in particular be configured as a spur gear, is operatively connected to the traction system 2, i.e. to the axle of the drive wheel 21, and the output of the transmission 83 forms the drive of the belt transmission 82. Alternatively or additionally, a separate motor can be provided to drive the brush 81.

[0055] The travel device 100 furthermore comprises the navigation system 7 with the three position sensors 71 for determining the position and orientation of the travel device 100.

[0056] The control system 9 comprises the control unit 91 and the radio module 92 and serves the carrying out of an autonomous or semiautonomous operation of the travel device 100. The control unit 91 is electrically connected in a manner not shown to the components of the sensor system 6, of the navigation system 7, of the electric machine 4, of the setting elements 32, and optionally to further electrical onboard systems, for example to an additional motor to drive the brush. Based on the data of the sensor system 6 and of the navigation system 7, the control unit 91 can fix the route to be traveled by the travel device 100 and can output corresponding control commands to the setting elements 32 for an appropriate setting of the vane members 31. The radio module 92 serves the communication with an external control and/or, for example, with further cooperating travel devices in accordance with the invention.

[0057] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of the travel device 100 in accordance with the invention in which the flow bodies 30 of the drive system 3 are formed as Flettner rotors 33. The associated rotor drives for the rotation of the Flettner rotors 33 are arranged in a non-visible manner here in the interior of the housing of the travel device 100. The maneuverability of the embodiment shown results from the fact that the individual Flettner rotors 33 can be rotated at different rotation speeds so that a torque can be generated to steer or turn the travel device 100 in a fluid flowing around.

[0058] FIG. 3 shows schematic representations of a travel device 100 in accordance with the invention in accordance with the first embodiment of FIGS. 1a to 1c on the surface O of a body K in the form of a hull K_1 flowed around by the fluid F in the form of water, with the travel device 100 being respectively located below the waterline, indicated by a dashed line, and being flowed around by the Fluid F from the direction of flow R_F. The travel direction R_100 of the travel device 100 is here aligned in parallel in the left image and in the direction of flow R_F, with the position of the vane members 31 being optimized for propulsion by flow resistance force. In the representation of the right part of the image, the direction of travel R_100 of the travel device 100 has a main component against the direction of flow R_F and the position of the vane members 31 is accordingly directed to the generation of dynamic buoyancy.

[0059] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation to illustrate the relevant fluid dynamic forces that engage at the travel device 100, in particular at a vane member 31, in a fluid F flowing around. A travel device 100 is shown whose direction of travel R_100 has a significant component against the direction of flow R_F. The total fluid dynamic force F_G applied to the vane member 31 is composed of the flow resistance force F_W in the direction of flow R_F and of the dynamic buoyancy F_A perpendicular to the direction of flow R_F. A breaking down of the total force F_G with respect to the direction of travel R_100 produces the force F_GQ in the transverse direction that is taken up by the traction system 2 of the travel device 100 and the force F_GF that acts in the direction of travel R_100 and provides the propulsion of the travel device 100 with a main component against the fluid F flowing around. The ratio of the flow resistance force F_W to the dynamic buoyancy F_A can be changed by varying the angle of attack ? between the chord of the vane member 31 and the direction of flow R_F and is additionally dependent on the specific profile of the vane member 31.

[0060] The invention is not restricted in its design to the preferred embodiments specified above. A number of variants is rather conceivable that also makes use of the solution shown with generally differently designed embodiments. All the features and/or advantages, including any construction details or spatial arrangements, originating from the claims, the description, or the drawings can be essential to the invention both per se and in the most varied combinations.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0061] 100 travel device [0062] 10 upper side [0063] 1 holding system [0064] 2 traction system [0065] 21 drive wheel [0066] 33 pivot wheel [0067] 3 drive system [0068] 30 flow body [0069] 31 vane member [0070] 32 setting element [0071] 33 Flettner rotor [0072] 4 electric machine [0073] 5 storage battery [0074] 6 sensor system [0075] 7 navigation system [0076] 71 position sensor [0077] 8 cleaning system [0078] 81 brush [0079] 82 belt transmission [0080] 83 transmission [0081] 9 control system [0082] 91 control unit [0083] 92 radio module [0084] F fluid [0085] K body [0086] O body surface [0087] K_1 hull [0088] R_100 direction of travel [0089] R_F direction of flow [0090] ? angle of attack [0091] F_A dynamic buoyancy [0092] F_W flow resistance force [0093] F_G total fluid dynamic force [0094] F_GF force in the direction of travel [0095] F_GQ force in the transverse direction