Hybrid buoyancy control for submersible vessels
AssigneeSubSeaSail LLC
InventorRyan Lorence
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A submersible vessel is described, having a hybrid buoyancy system composed of a ballast tank and a buoyancy engine. The ballast tank provides for large changes in buoyancy of the vessel, while the buoyancy engine provides small changes. Use of the ballast tank in the buoyancy engine in combination achieves buoyancy control that cannot be achieved by using a ballast tank or a buoyancy engine alone. The combined use of a ballast tank and buoyancy engine allows a submersible vessel to fully float on a water surface, maintain a swamped state just beneath the water surface and additionally dive beneath the water surface and maintain a desired depth.
Claims25
A submersible vessel, comprising:
- a ballast tank for causing large changes in a buoyancy of the submersible vessel;
- a buoyancy engine for causing smaller changes in buoyancy of the submersible vessel less than the large changes;
- and
- a buoyancy controller for altering the buoyancy of the submersible vessel using both the ballast tank and the buoyancy engine to achieve different depths by the submersible vessel.
A method for controlling buoyancy of a submersible vessel, comprising:
- adjusting a first buoyancy produced by a ballast tank of the submersible vessel that causes large changes in buoyancy of the submersible vessel;
- adjusting a second buoyancy produced by a buoyancy engine of the submersible vessel for causing smaller changes in buoyancy of the submersible vessel less than the large changes;
- and
- adjusting the buoyancy of the submersible vessel by adjusting both the first and second buoyancies due to the ballast tank and the buoyancy engine, respectively.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.