RU2681816C2 - Autonomous subsurface oceanographic buoy station - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: machine building.SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the self-surfacing subsurface oceanographic buoy stations, which can be used in the ice-covered water areas, mainly in the Arctic. Proposed is the self-surfacing autonomous subsurface oceanographic buoy station, which allows to perform its rise from the water area bottom to the lower edge, the ice drilling from the bottom to the top using the incorporated ice drilling tool from the bottom to the top, and the communication antennas bringing into the hole on the ice surface.EFFECT: increase in the buoy station functionality, expansion in the ice-covered Arctic waters studying devices range through the new, combined set of subsurface buoy stations with drilling tool for the ice drilling from the bottom to the top.1 cl, 5 dwg

Description

The technical solution relates to self-floating subsurface oceanographic buoy stations, which, when surfaced, can be used to drill ice from bottom to top in ice-covered areas, mainly in the Arctic.

To date, there are many publications and patents on the development of vast Arctic regions covered with ice. Moreover, well-known technical solutions can be subdivided into two large groups: 1) research technology by means of buoy stations [9] of physicochemical and radiation parameters and other characteristics of sea water and / or the seabed according to the studied area and the entire depth profile and 2) Methods and devices for transmitting measurement information to central control points (including support vessels, connected satellites, underwater vehicles) that collect and process the entire set of data for a given ocean area with w monitoring for a variety of practical problems: complex hydrographic surveys, geological and geophysical prospecting, exploration and production of hydrocarbons, environmental and ocean pollution.

The first group can include all kinds of buoy stations and their aggregates (network systems of buoys): surface, drifting (see, for example, [2, 3, 6, 7], etc.), subsurface moored buoy stations, profilographs [1, 5 ], US 2002/0035870 A1, 03/28/2002; RU 2297939 C2, 04/27/2007; RU 2325674 C1, 05.27.2008, RU 2404081 C1, 11.20.2010.

However, in these objects, features of work in ice conditions are either not considered ([5], patents RU 2297939 C2, RU 2325674 C1, RU 2404081 C1), or are illuminated quite superficially and declaratively ([3], US 2002/0035870 A1). Thus, the source [3] (based on patent US 8912892 B2, which examines in detail sensor systems for oceanographic monitoring) contains only a general long description of the buoy (network of buoys) and their use in various cases, including the speculative situation in the fantastic extraterrestrial conditions of Titan, the satellite of Saturn .

The second group of technical solutions has a significant section regarding the implementation of work in the ice conditions of the Arctic, regardless of the systems for measuring and collecting information by various sensors of marine parameters. They are devoted mainly to the specifics of penetrator devices, i.e., penetrating (passing) through ice and forming a hole in the ice thickness (from Lat. Penetro - penetrate). Known devices relate as penetrators “from above” (ice penetrator downward): [4]; US 2010291817 A1, 11/18/2010; US 6,097,668 A, 08/01/2000; US 5022470 A; US 5014248 (A), 05/07/1991, and penetrators "bottom" (ice penetrator upward): [2], [4]; US 5593332 A, 01/14/1997; US 5319376 (A), 06/07/1994; US 5,116,268 A, 05.20.1992; US 5484027 A, 01/16/1996, forming a hole from the bottom underwater edge of the ice to its surface.

Moreover, the well-known technology, starting with the one considered in the review patent [4] of the USA in 1987, to the present time [3] concerns a significant part of thermo- and thermochemical penetrator buoys using melting and melting ice. Moreover, the opinion [4] is sometimes expressed that mechanical devices can only be used for penetration down from the ice surface.

Nevertheless, tests show that thermo- and thermochemical ice penetrator buoys do not have significant advantages over traditional mechanical drilling (drilling).

At the same time, the use of known penetrators “from below” (see [2], [4], etc.) is complicated by the need for accurate vertical orientation of the formed hole (US 5593332 A, US 5319376 A). In addition, thermal (lithium) ice penetrators of the type [2] have a limited technical resource and are not quite acceptable with a significant ice thickness. At the same time, one of the main problems of known ice penetrators is ([4], US 6463800 В2) energy supply (recharging) during long-term operation.

The well-known underwater buoy station [1] according to the patent US 7874886 B2 when supplemented with a drilling means - penetrator of ice from bottom to top (the analogue of which can be considered, for example, patent [2]) can serve as a prototype of the proposed technical solution.

The known station [1] contains a serial vertical cable connection of the armature, disconnector, unit of equipment and power, equipped with an electric drive and a float device, as well as a communication unit with an antenna, carried out above the surface of the water area. However, the operation of the station [1] in ice conditions is not provided, and the communication antenna is carried directly to the open water surface.

In ice-covered areas, the buoy station should be equipped with an ice-drilling device to place the antenna into the hole above the ice surface. Moreover, since type [2] thermal penetrators cannot serve as the prerogative of ice penetration means with hole formation, it seems that consideration of the totality of the indicated first and second technology groups involving traditional but quite effective ice drilling (drilling) practices It would allow expanding the arsenal and increasing the functionality of the combined means (complex) of the indicated purpose and increasing the information content and reliability of the data obtained.

The essence of the proposed technical solution consists in creating a self-floating autonomous subsurface oceanographic buoy station, which would allow it to rise from the bottom of the water to the lower edge of the ice, drill ice from the bottom up by additionally equipped with a tool for drilling ice from the bottom up and put communication antennas into the hole on the ice surface.

The main technical result is an increase in the functionality and expansion of the arsenal of devices for researching the Arctic ice-covered water areas through a new, alternative combined set of subsurface buoy station with bottom-up ice drilling tool. Such a device simplifies and solves the problem of precise vertical orientation by means of a special design of the float device, and allows recharging power elements during long-term operation. At the same time, the removable tip of the drilling tool makes it possible to replace it depending on the characteristics of the ice cover and the specified drilling conditions.

The technical result is achieved as follows.

The inventive object has the following common features with the prototype.

An autonomous subsurface oceanographic buoy station contains a serial vertical cable connection of an anchor, a disconnector, an equipment and power unit, equipped with an electric drive and a float device, as well as a communication unit with an antenna carried over the surface of the water area.

Distinctive from the prototype of the essential features of the claimed object, providing the specified technical result, are the following.

An autonomous subsurface oceanographic buoy station in the conditions of ice-covered water areas is additionally equipped with an ice drilling tool from bottom to top for placing the antenna into the hole above the ice surface. In this case, the buoy station is self-floating for its rise from the bottom of the water area to the lower edge of the ice of the water area and contains: a) a frame made of vertical rods with pointed tips fastened by upper and lower bridges; b) a unit of instruments and batteries rigidly attached to the lower jumper in the lower part of the frame and connected by a flexible cable to the drill drive with a removable tip; c) a float device comprising lower and upper floats; d) a drill drive rigidly fixed on top of the lower float; d) the lower float and the drill drive, made with the possibility of free movement along the rollers along the rods of the frame; e) a drill with a tip, made with the possibility of passing the tip through a hole in the center of the upper float mounted on the upper bridge of the frame, and g) installed in the lower part of the frame of the acoustic unit connected by cable connection to the unit of instruments and batteries, while the drill includes a permeable a pipe having a union nut in the lower part for fastening to the adapter connector of the drill drive housing, and in the upper part, a threaded adapter into which the metal removable drill tip is screwed, with cut-outs and a feather drill welded from above, while the internal cavity of the drill tip is filled with a radio and optically transparent composite with a high-frequency radio antenna, satellite antenna and a flashing beacon embedded inside a sealed cable passing inside the pipe and having a sealed connector for attachment to the connector - drill drive adapter rotating simultaneously with the drill.

At the same time, the buoy station is capable of drilling an ice cover up to 2.5 m thick with the formation of an opening with a diameter of at least 35 mm.

The invention is illustrated by drawings:

- in FIG. 1 shows a General view of the proposed autonomous subsurface buoy station;

- in FIG. 2 gives the composition of a self-floating underwater buoy station (position at the bottom of the water area);

- FIG. 3 illustrates the ascent of a buoy station;

- FIG. 4 shows the arrangement of station elements during ice drilling;

- in FIG. 5 shows a diagram of a drill and a removable drill tip.

The following notation is used in the drawings:

1 - a block of devices and batteries;

2 - acoustic unit;

3 - upper float;

4 - vertical rods;

5 - drill;

6 - drill drive;

7 - rollers;

8 - lower float of the drive;

9 - breaker;

10 - anchor;

11 - removable tip of the drill;

12 - latches - pointed tips of the frame rods;

13 - top jumper;

14 - lower jumper;

15 - cable;

16 - cable connection;

17 - flexible cable;

18 - a union nut;

19 - permeable pipe;

20 - coil;

21 - threaded adapter;

22 - removable metal tip of the drill (see 11);

23 - pen drill;

24 - sealed drill cable;

25 - sealed connector;

26 - radio antenna;

27 - satellite antenna Iridium;

28 - flashing light;

29 - the cavity of the tip;

30 - composite;

31 - cutouts in a metal tip.

The work of the proposed technical solution is as follows.

The acoustic unit 2, when receiving a signal for ascent from a ship’s device (underwater vehicle) or from unit 1 of devices and batteries, gives an opening command to a disconnector 9, which is disconnected from the cable 15 to which the armature 10 is attached. This leads to the float of the actuator float 8 and the upper float 3 of the frame, which provides the rise of the entire station, while the float 8 of the drive on the rollers 7 moves up the rods 4 of the frame and pushes the drill 5 to the lower edge of the ice. When touching the removable tip 11 of the drill 5, the lower edge of the ice, the drill 5 with the drive 6 and the lower float 8 of the drill drive stops moving upwards, while the frame 4 continues to move upward under the action of the pop-up float 3, and the float 8 of the drive relative to the frame 4 along the rollers 7 together with drive 6 moves down until the displacer station with the lugs 12 does not touch the bottom edge of the ice.

When the mutual displacement of the actuator float 8 and the float 3 stops, when the frame latches 12 engage with the lower ice edge, the magnetic switch in the frame rods includes a drill drive 6, which, under the buoyancy of the drive float 8, presses the tip 11 through the rotating drill 5 (22).

Drilling is carried out by a drill 5, which is a hollow permeable pipe having a union nut 18 in the lower part for fastening to the adapter connector of the drill drive housing 6, and in the upper part, a threaded adapter 21 into which a tip 11 (22) is screwed, consisting of (Fig. .5) a metal tip 22 with cutouts 31, with a pen drill 23 welded at the top. The inner cavity 29 of the tip 22 is filled with an optically and radiotransparent durable composite 30, inside which the radio antenna 26 is tightly sealed, the satellite antenna 27 and kovy beacon 28, which are connected to a sealed cable 24 freely passing through the pipe 19, the lower part having a sealed connector 25 for attachment to the connector-adapter auger actuator 6, rotating together with the auger 5.

During the drilling process, together with the drill 5, the drive float 8 pushed from below rises upward, moving along the rollers 7 along the rods 4 of the frame until the drive 6 of the drill, which has drilled the ice thickness, enters the hole in the central part of the float 3. After that, the magnetic switch the upper part of the frame 4 turns off the drive motor and gives the command via cable 17 to transmit by the unit 1 devices through a sealed cable 24 passing through the drill 5, the radio signals to the antennas 26, 27 and the power to the beacon 28. The latches 12 prevent the system from rotating around vertically Kalnoy axis and located in the lower part of the frame unit 1 devices with batteries and an acoustic unit 2 retain their weight system in a vertical position.

In this case, the vertical orientation is also ensured by the float device in the interaction of the upper and lower 3 and 8 floats and does not require additional complex, but not sufficiently reliable racks or adjustable supports, described, for example, in patents US 5116268 A, US 5593332 A.

Tests of the experimental sample of the buoy station showed that the drill (Fig. 5) with a total length of 230 cm, a diameter of 25 mm and a drill diameter of 35 mm can be effectively used for drilling from the bottom up the ice cover up to 2.5 m thick, which corresponds to the known requirements [4] for ice penetrators in the Arctic.

Thus, the invention implements the specified purpose and is carried out with the achievement of the specified technical result, which is in a causal relationship with the totality of the essential features of the claims.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I. Prototype and analogues:

1. US 7874886 B2, 01/25/2011 (prototype).

2. US 6183326 B1, 02/06/2001 (analog).

3. US 20150346726 A1, 12/05/2015 (analog).

4. US 4651834 A, 03.24.1987 (analogue).

II. Additional sources of prior art:

5. RU 2499280 C2, 11.20.2013.

6. RU 136414 U1, 01/10/2014.

7. US 4924698 (A), 05/15/1990.

8. RU 2569938 C2, 12/10/2015.

9. Maritime Encyclopedic Reference: In two volumes. Volume 1 / Ed. N.N. Isanina. - L .: Shipbuilding, 1987 (Buoy station - p. 98).

III. Sources of prior art are also described.

Claims (2)

1. Autonomous subsurface oceanographic buoy station, containing a serial vertical cable connection of the anchor, disconnector, equipment and power unit, equipped with an electric drive and a float device, as well as a communication unit with an antenna carried over the surface of the water area, characterized in that in conditions of ice-covered water areas bringing the antenna into the hole above the ice surface, the buoy station is additionally equipped with bottom-up ice drilling means, while the buoy station is self-floating for lifting it from the bottom of the water area to the lower ice edge of the water area and contains: a) a frame made of vertical rods with pointed tips fastened by upper and lower jumpers, b) a unit of instruments and batteries rigidly attached to the lower jumper in the lower part of the frame and connected by a flexible cable with a drill drive with a removable tip, c) a float device including lower and upper floats, d) a drill drive rigidly fixed on top of the lower float, e) a lower float and a drill drive free movement of the rollers along the rods of the frame, e) a drill with a tip, made with the possibility of the tip passing through a hole in the center of the upper float mounted on the upper bridge of the frame, and also: g) an acoustic unit installed in the lower part of the frame connected by a cable connection to while the drill includes a water-permeable pipe having a cap nut in the lower part for fastening to the adapter connector of the drill drive housing, and in the upper part, a threaded adapter, in which A metal detachable drill tip is screwed in, equipped with cutouts and a pen drill, welded from above, while the internal cavity of the drill tip is filled with a radio and optically transparent composite filled with a high-frequency radio antenna, satellite antenna and a flashing light connected to a sealed cable passing inside the pipe and having sealed connector for attachment to the adapter connector of the drill drive, rotating simultaneously with the drill. 2. A buoy station according to claim 1, characterized in that it is made with the possibility of drilling an ice cover up to 2.5 m thick with the formation of an opening with a diameter of 35 mm.

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