Minesweeping device
AssigneeThe Commonwealth of Australia
InventorsAlan Theobald, Kenneth George White
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Abstract
A magnetic signature minesweeping device comprising a water driven turbine power generator and a superconducting material magnet, wherein the turbine power generator is arranged, in use, to supply a driving current for the superconducting material magnet when the minesweeping device is towed through the water. In a further embodiment, a control unit is arranged, in use, to control the magnetic output of the superconducting magnet and the power output of the turbine power generator. Furthermore, a method of minesweeping using the device and an array of the devices is disclosed.
Claims31
A magnetic signature minesweeping device comprising:
- a superconducting material magnet;
- a power supply connection to supply a driving current for the superconducting material magnet;
- a control unit to control a magnetic output of the superconducting material magnet;
- and
- a heading sensor in communication with the control unit to monitor a magnetic heading of the magnetic signature minesweeping device, the control unit further to control the magnetic output of the superconducting material magnet responsive to the magnetic heading and to cause different magnetic outputs to be provided for different magnetic headings.
A method of magnetic signature minesweeping, the method comprising:
- towing a minesweeping device through water;
- supplying a driving current to a superconducting material magnet in the minesweeping device when the minesweeping device is towed through the water;
- and
- utilizing a heading sensor to monitor a magnetic heading of the minesweeping device and to control a magnetic output of the superconducting material magnet to provide different magnetic outputs for different headings.
A method of magnetic signature minesweeping using a plurality of minesweeping devices, each of the plurality of minesweeping devices including a superconducting material magnet, the method comprising:
- supplying a driving current for the superconducting material magnets;
- utilizing a heading sensor to monitor an overall magnetic heading of the plurality of minesweeping devices;
- controlling a magnetic output of the superconducting material magnets to automatically provide different magnetic outputs for different headings;
- and
- interfacing the plurality of minesweeping devices, the interfacing including an electrical output for power take-off from a first of the plurality of minesweeping devices to at least one other of the plurality of minesweeping devices so as to provide the driving current for the superconducting material magnet of the at least one other of the plurality of minesweeping devices.
A magnetic signature minesweeping arrangement comprising:
- an array of minesweeping devices configured to be towed in a serial array, each of the array of minesweeping devices including a superconducting material magnet;
- at least one of the array of minesweeping devices in the array of minesweeping devices including a water driven turbine power generator arranged to power a plurality of the array of minesweeping devices;
- a controller to control an overall direction of a magnetic output from the superconducting material magnet of each minesweeping device in response to a determination of a magnetic heading of the magnetic signature minesweeping arrangement;
- and
- a heading sensor in communication with the controller to monitor the magnetic heading of the minesweeping device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.