公开(公告)号：US20130239870A1

公开(公告)日：2013-09-19

申请号：US13890939

申请日：2013-05-09

申请人： IROBOT CORPORATION

发明人： Edison Thurman Hudson ,  Robert Eugene Hughes ,  Frederick Roland Stahr ,  Jason Isaac Gobat ,  Timothy James Osse

IPC分类号： B63G8/22

CPC分类号： B63G8/22 ,  B63G8/001 ,  B63G8/08 ,  B63G8/18 ,  B63G8/24 ,  B63G2008/002 ,  B63G2008/004

摘要： A multiple stage buoyancy changing system, or variable buoyancy device, for an underwater vehicle. The multiple stage buoyancy changing system comprises: a pressure hull containing a flexibly-sized internal fluid reservoir; a flexibly-sized external fluid reservoir attached to the pressure hull and connected to the internal reservoir; a system of devices and channels configured to move fluid between the internal fluid reservoir and the external fluid reservoir to change a displaced volume of the vehicle. Each stage of the variable buoyancy device can be optimized for maximum energy efficiency while changing the vehicle's displaced volume within an ambient pressure range. A control system for the variable buoyancy device engages different stages depending on ambient external pressure such that maximum energy efficiency is achieved over a large range of pressures/depths.

摘要翻译： 一种用于水下航行器的多级浮力变化系统或可变浮力装置。 多级浮力变化系统包括：包含柔性尺寸的内部流体储存器的压力舱; 连接到压力壳体并连接到内部储存器的灵活尺寸的外部流体储存器; 一种装置和通道的系统，被配置为在内部流体储存器和外部流体储存器之间移动流体以改变车辆的移动体积。 可改变可变浮力装置的每个阶段可以在环境压力范围内改变车辆移动量时实现最大的能量效率。 用于可变浮力装置的控制系统根据环境外部压力接合不同的阶段，使得在大范围的压力/深度上实现最大能量效率。