Underwater craft launch tube
AssigneeThe British Petroleum Company p.l.c.
InventorJohn S. Clinton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Diving bell launch tube has a vertical passageway having a surrounding surge chamber adjacent to the water surface. The surge chamber communicates with the passageway through perforations and the holes of the perforated section are tuned with respect to the surge chamber volumes to achieve damping of water oscillation in the tube.
Claims14
A launch tube for passing an underwater craft through an air/liquid interface comprising a substantially vertical passageway having a surrounding surge chamber adjacent to the air/liquid interface, the surge chamber communicating with the passageway through a perforated section of the passageway, the chamber and perforations being of a size and distribution in relation to the passageway such that there is damping of liquid oscillation in the tube.
A method of launching an underwater craft through an air/liquid interface comprising the steps of (i) lowering the craft into an underwater craft launch tube comprising a substantially vertical passageway having a surrounding surge chamber adjacent to the air/liquid interface, the surge chamber communicating with the passageway through a perforated section of the passageway, the chamber and perforations being of a size and distribution in relation to the passageway such that there is damping of liquid oscillation in the tube, (ii) passing the craft through the air/liquid interface in the surge chamber, and (iii) passing the craft out of the launch tube into the surrounding liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.