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US 9,873,494 B2Granted
Autonomous underwater vehicle hover apparatus, method, and applications
AssigneeFairfield Industries Incorporated
InventorStephen W. Jewell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) including a deployable anchor and a method for operating an AUV having a deployable anchor in a hover mode.
Claims16
An underwater vehicle, comprising:
- an elongate body including a bow region and a stern region, wherein the body includes a cavity disposed between the bow region and the stern region;
- an anchor rode extender/retractor mechanism disposed within or on the body;
- an anchor rode coupled at one region thereof to the anchor rode extender/retractor mechanism;
- an anchor coupled to another region of the anchor rode and adapted to be disposed in the cavity in a retracted mode;
- and
- a propulsion/stabilization component,
- further comprising an orifice disposed in the c wherein the orifice provides a conduit for a high-pressure fluid exit from the cavity,
- wherein the underwater vehicle is an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV).
5 more elements
A method for controlling a submersed autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), comprising:
- providing an AUV having a deployable anchor on an anchor rode in a cavity of the AUV, and at least one of a) a combined propulsion/stabilization component and b) a propulsion component and a controllable flight surface, traveling at a given speed in a substantially horizontal, X-direction, in a marine environment;
- reducing the speed of the AUV while maintaining a minimal thrust sufficient for effective operation of the flight surface;
- deploying the AUV anchor from the cavity so that it engages the bottom of the marine environment a predetermined distance short of a known target position on the bottom of the marine environment;
- paying out or taking up a length of the anchor rode so as to adjust a position of the AUV in the X-direction in relation to the known target position;
- and
- further reducing the speed of the AUV in the X-direction to zero while maintaining a thrust sufficient for effective operation of the flight surface,
- whereby the AUV is in a hover mode proximate the target position.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.