Autonomous underwater vehicle support system

An autonomous underwater vehicle support system comprising:

• a surface ship;
• an autonomous underwater vehicle which autonomously sails in water;
• an underwater station configured to dock with and support the autonomous underwater vehicle;
• and
• a cable connecting the surface ship and the underwater station, wherein
• the cable includes
• a first cable portion extending downward from the surface ship through a water surface when the underwater station is suspended in the water by the cable from the surface ship that is in a stop state on the water,
• a second cable portion extending upward from a lower end portion of the first cable portion when the underwater station is suspended as above, and
• a third cable portion extending downward from an upper end portion of the second cable portion and connected to the underwater station when the underwater station is suspend as above;
• the autonomous underwater vehicle support system further includes
• a sinker located between the first cable portion and the second cable portion and
• a floating body located between the second cable portion and the third cable portion;
• and
• the weights and volumes of the underwater station, the sinker, the floating body, and the autonomous underwater vehicle are adjusted such that Formulas (1) to (5) below are satisfied,
• F≥W1 (1)
• W2≥F−W1 (2)
• ΔF<W1 (3)
• F+ΔF W1 (4)
• W2≥F+ΔF−W1 (5)
• where F denotes a value obtained by subtracting a gravitational force acting on the floating body based on the weight of the floating body from a buoyant force acting on the floating body based on the volume of the floating body in the water, W1 denotes a value obtained by subtracting a buoyant force acting on the underwater station based on the volume of the underwater station in the water from a gravitational force acting on the underwater station based on the weight of the underwater station, W2 denotes a value obtained by subtracting a buoyant force acting on the sinker based on the volume of the sinker in the water from a gravitational force acting on the sinker based on the weight of the sinker, and ΔF denotes a value obtained by subtracting a gravitational force acting on the autonomous underwater vehicle based on the weight of the autonomous underwater vehicle from a buoyant force acting on the autonomous underwater vehicle based on the volume of the autonomous underwater vehicle in the water.