Back to results
US 6,371,041 B1Granted
Versatile buoyancy, attitude, hover, and glide control system for undersea vehicles
OwnerC. Clifford Nessinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
OwnerC. Clifford Nessinventor
Estimating the term…
An undersea streamline vehicle having a unique system for gliding ascent, gliding descent, both with and without engine power, and for hovering in the sea for exploratory or research purposes by the provision in the vehicle of buoyancy chambers or bladders offset from the vehicle center of gravity, wherein the chambers include a piston element in a cylinder open to the sea environment. A control system effects selected positioning of the piston, thereby to regulate inflow of the sea into the cylinder or expulsion of sea water from the cylinder, thereby to vary the buoyancy of the vehicle vis-à-vis its center of gravity to control the rate of glide of the vehicle upwardly or downwardly, or to attain a stationary hover position. Ailerons and tail planes facilitate controlled direction of travel. A compressed air system precludes leakage of seawater into the buoyancy chamber.
An undersea vehicle having a buoyancy, glide and control system for underwater operation comprising:
An undersea vehicle having a buoyancy, glide, and hover control system for underwater operation comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.