Underwater ROV-Guided Chemical Injector for Precision Treatment of Aquatic Invasive/Nuisance Species
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorsTaylor E. Rycroft, Zachariah E. Tomberg
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Abstract
In one embodiment, a system for administering a chemical underwater to treat an underwater target comprises a UROV including a camera and a positioning device and a surface level control device to remotely control the UROV. A tube includes an inlet extending to an outlet of the tube which is attached to the positioning device of the UROV to position the outlet of the tube through which to deliver and dispense the chemical underwater within a field of view of the camera. A driver is configured to drive a medium from the inlet of the tube to the outlet of the tube to move the chemical through the tube to the outlet of the tube.
Claims20
A system for administering a chemical underwater to treat an underwater target, the system comprising:
- an underwater remotely operated vehicle (UROV) including a camera and a positioning device;
- a surface level control device to remotely control the UROV;
- a tube including an inlet extending to an outlet of the tube which is attached to the positioning device of the UROV to position the outlet of the tube through which to deliver and dispense the chemical underwater within a field of view of the camera;
- and
- a driver to drive a medium from the inlet of the tube to the outlet of the tube to move the chemical through the tube to the outlet of the tube.
A method for administering a chemical underwater to treat an underwater target, utilizing an underwater remotely controlled vehicle (UROV) including a camera and a positioning device, the method comprising:
- connecting an outlet of a tube, which has an inlet above water, to the positioning device of the UROV to position the outlet of the tube;
- remotely controlling the UROV from a surface level control device on a surface level to move the UROV to an underwater location to place an underwater target within a field of view of the camera;
- and
- driving the chemical from the surface level through the tube to the outlet of the tube to deliver and dispense the chemical underwater toward the underwater target within the field of view of the camera.
A system for administering a chemical underwater to treat an underwater target, the system comprising:
- an underwater remotely controlled vehicle (UROV) including a camera and a positioning device;
- a surface level control device to control remotely the UROV;
- and
- an eductor to drive a driving fluid to draw, by suction, a solid chemical, a liquid chemical, or a gel chemical through an eductor tube to an outlet of the eductor tube through which to deliver and dispense the solid chemical, the liquid chemical, or the gel chemical underwater within the field of view of the camera;
- or both (i) a compressor to compress a gas to form a compressed gas to move the solid chemical through a compressed gas tube to an outlet of the compressed gas tube through which to deliver and dispense the solid chemical underwater within a field of view of the camera;
- and (ii) a pump to pump the liquid chemical or a liquid medium containing the gel chemical through a pump tube to an outlet of the pump tube underwater within the field of view of the camera.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.