Underwater load-carrier
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorsRalph Spickermann, Steve N. Persall
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An underwater load-carrier is disclosed that includes an underwater-balloon detachably attached to a container that is loaded with ballast. The underwater load-carrier is lowered into the water of an ocean and allowed to descend to the ocean bottom and there connected a mining-vehicle. The mining-vehicle loads mined nodules into the container while the container ejects ballast to maintain the container at a specified altitude above the ocean bottom. When nodule loading is complete, nodules and/or ballast is ejected to allow underwater load-carrier to rise to the ocean surface where mined nodules is unloaded from the container.
Claims9
An underwater load-carrier apparatus comprising:
- an underwater-balloon;
- a container capable of carrying a load being removably attached to the underwater-balloon;
- a controller that controls a buoyancy of the load-carrier and the load in water;
- salt formed into an approximately round shape of about 5 cm in diameter and coated with a material that retards salt dissolution into the water;
- and
- an ejector screw ejecting a portion of the salt to adjust the buoyancy of the load-carrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.