Apparatus and method for depth control of submersible vessels
AssigneeSubSeaSail LLC
InventorChris Todter
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Abstract
Various embodiments of an apparatus and method for achieving and maintaining a desired depth of a submersible vessel are disclosed. The submersible vessel has both a ballast control system designed to alter a buoyancy of the submersible vessel and one or more vertical marine thrusters, designed to position the submersible vessel at a desired depth. Using the combination of the ballast control system and one or more thrusters, a desired depth may be achieved and maintained more quickly, more quietly and more accurately than vessels using only a ballast control system or one or more thrusters, respectively, alone.
Claims20
A submersible vessel, configured to achieve and maintain a desired depth, comprising:
- a depth gauge for determining a depth of the submersible vessel;
- a ballast control system for altering a buoyancy of the submersible vessel;
- a vertical marine thruster for vertically positioning the submersible vessel by a thrust developed by the vertical marine thruster;
- a memory for storing processor-executable instructions;
- and
- a processor, coupled to the depth gauge, the ballast control system, the vertical marine thruster and the memory, for executing the processor-executable instructions that causes the processor to:
- cause the ballast control system to change the buoyancy of the submersible vessel to a negative buoyancy;
- determine that the submersible vessel is within a predetermined distance of a desired depth;
- and
- in response to determining that the submersible vessel is within a predetermined distance of the desired depth, maintain the desired depth by activating the vertical marine thruster.
A method for maintaining a desired depth of a submersible vessel, the submersible vessel comprising a ballast control system and a vertical marine thruster, the method comprising:
- causing the ballast control system to change the buoyancy of the submersible vessel to a negative buoyancy;
- determining that the submersible vessel is within a predetermined distance of a desired depth;
- and
- in response to determining that the submersible vessel is within a predetermined distance of the desired depth, maintaining the desired depth by activating the vertical marine thruster.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.