U.S. patent application number 16/510993 was filed with the patent office on 2021-01-21 for power saving system for underwater vehicles.
The applicant listed for this patent is Wen-Sung Lee. Invention is credited to Wen-Sung Lee.
Application Number | 20210016862 16/510993 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004212429 |
Filed Date | 2021-01-21 |
![](/patent/app/20210016862/US20210016862A1-20210121-D00000.png)
![](/patent/app/20210016862/US20210016862A1-20210121-D00001.png)
![](/patent/app/20210016862/US20210016862A1-20210121-D00002.png)
![](/patent/app/20210016862/US20210016862A1-20210121-D00003.png)
United States Patent
Application |
20210016862 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lee; Wen-Sung |
January 21, 2021 |
POWER SAVING SYSTEM FOR UNDERWATER VEHICLES
Abstract
A power saving system for underwater vehicles includes a control
system, a power unit and a battery. The control system controls the
power unit to drive the underwater vehicle, and generates an output
driving value. The control system includes a calculation unit, a
three-axis accelerometer and gyro and an underwater vehicle weight
value. The calculation unit creates a correspondent acceleration
value by the output driving value and the underwater vehicle weight
value. The three-axis accelerometer and gyro detects the
acceleration of the underwater vehicle by every less than 0.5
second interval, and generates an acceleration value. The control
system compares the correspondent acceleration value and the
acceleration value to control the output driving value so as to
save battery power and elongate the range of travelling of the
underwater vehicles.
Inventors: |
Lee; Wen-Sung; (Taichung
City, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Lee; Wen-Sung |
Taichung City |
|
TW |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000004212429 |
Appl. No.: |
16/510993 |
Filed: |
July 15, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63G 2008/002 20130101;
B63G 8/08 20130101; B63G 8/001 20130101; B63H 21/17 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B63G 8/00 20060101
B63G008/00; B63G 8/08 20060101 B63G008/08; B63H 21/17 20060101
B63H021/17 |
Claims
1. A power saving system for underwater vehicles, comprising: an
underwater vehicle having a control system, a power unit and a
battery, the battery providing electric power to the power unit,
the control system controlling the power unit to drive the
underwater vehicle, and generating an output driving value, and the
control system including a calculation unit, a three-axis
accelerometer and gyro and an underwater vehicle weight value which
is built in the control system, the calculation unit creating a
correspondent acceleration value by the output driving value and
the underwater vehicle weight value, the three-axis accelerometer
and gyro detecting an acceleration of the underwater vehicle at
interval of less than 0.5 second, and generating an acceleration
value, the control system comparing the correspondent acceleration
value and the acceleration value, when the correspondent
acceleration value is larger than the acceleration value, the
control system judges that an resistance applied to the underwater
vehicle increases, and the output driving value is increased, when
the correspondent acceleration value is smaller than the
acceleration value, the control system judges that an resistance
applied to the underwater vehicle reduces, and the output driving
value is reduced.
2. The power saving system for underwater vehicles as claimed in
claim 1, wherein the power unit includes a propeller and a variable
frequency motor which drives the propeller.
3. The power saving system for underwater vehicles as claimed in
claim 2, wherein the output driving value is an output force
generated from the propeller to drive the underwater vehicle by the
variable frequency motor.
4. The power saving system for underwater vehicles as claimed in
claim 1, wherein the control system includes a timer which is used
to set the intervals and to calculate the intervals.
5. The power saving system for underwater vehicles as claimed in
claim 1, wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Fields of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to an underwater vehicle, and
more particularly, to a power saving system for an underwater
vehicle so as to control the output of the driving unit according
to resistance.
2. Descriptions of Related Art
[0002] The underwater vehicles are used widely for more and more
tasks with roles and missions constantly evolving. For example, the
oil and gas industry uses underwater vehicles to make detailed maps
of the seafloor before they start building subsea infrastructure,
pipelines and sub-sea completions can be installed in the most cost
effective manner with minimum disruption to the environment. The
underwater vehicles may have two types, one of which is autonomous
underwater vehicles (AUVs), and the other is remotely operated
underwater vehicles (ROVs). The AUVs allow the users to conduct
precise surveys of areas where traditional bathymetric surveys
would be less effective or too costly.
[0003] The underwater vehicles are detected and positioned by
emitting sound waves from a sound emitting device to the underwater
vehicles, and the underwater vehicles receive the sound waves and
calculate the distance and direction between the device emitting
the sound waves and the underwater vehicles, and the underwater
vehicles send correspondent signals back to the device to calculate
the position of the underwater vehicles.
[0004] Most of the underwater vehicles are powered by batteries
which drive the motor and the propeller. The range of the
underwater vehicles is limited based on the power from the
batteries. Generally, the range of the underwater vehicles is about
8 hours. The underwater vehicles spend a lot of time on the travel
of forth and back, and in some situations, the underwater vehicles
may be brought away the route by strong current. Therefore, how to
maintain the maximum battery power becomes a crucial concern.
[0005] The present invention intends to provide a power saving
system for underwater vehicles to optimally use the battery power
and to keep the underwater vehicles in action as long as
possible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention relates to a power saving system for
underwater vehicles, and comprises an underwater vehicle that
includes a control system, a power unit and a battery, wherein the
battery provides electric power to the power unit. The control
system controls the power unit to drive the underwater vehicle, and
generates an output driving value. The control system includes a
calculation unit, a three-axis accelerometer and gyro and an
underwater vehicle weight value that is built in the control
system. The calculation unit creates a correspondent acceleration
value by the output driving value and the underwater vehicle weight
value. The three-axis accelerometer and gyro detects the
acceleration of the underwater vehicle at interval of less than 0.5
second, and generates an acceleration value. The control system
compares the correspondent acceleration value and the acceleration
value.
[0007] When the correspondent acceleration value is larger than the
acceleration value, the control system judges that the resistance
applied to the underwater vehicle increases, and the output driving
value is then increased. When the correspondent acceleration value
is smaller than the acceleration value, the control system judges
that the resistance applied to the underwater vehicle reduces, and
the output driving value is then reduced.
[0008] Preferably, the power unit includes a propeller and a
variable frequency motor which drives the propeller.
[0009] Preferably, the output driving value is an output force
generated from the propeller to drive the underwater vehicle by the
variable frequency motor.
[0010] Preferably, the control system includes a timer which is
used to set the intervals and to calculate the intervals.
[0011] Preferably, the battery is a rechargeable battery.
[0012] The primary object of the present invention is to provide a
power saving system for underwater vehicles, wherein the present
invention calculates the speed of the underwater vehicle and the
resistance applied to the underwater vehicle so as to control the
output of the driving unit to save battery power.
[0013] The present invention will become more apparent from the
following description when taken in connection with the
accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration
only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 shows the underwater vehicle and the components in
the underwater vehicle of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 shows the power saving system of the present
invention, and
[0016] FIG. 3 shows the movement of the underwater vehicle of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the power saving system for
underwater vehicles of the present invention comprises an
underwater vehicle 1 which is electrically connected with a control
system 10, a power unit 20 and a battery 30. The battery 30
provides electric power to the power unit 20. The control system 10
controls the power unit 20 to drive the underwater vehicle 1 and
generates an output driving value 11.
[0018] The control system 10 includes a calculation unit 12, a
three-axis accelerometer and gyro 13 and an underwater vehicle
weight value 14 which is built in the control system 10. The
calculation unit 12 creates a correspondent acceleration value "A"
by the output driving value 11 and the underwater vehicle weight
value 14. The three-axis accelerometer and gyro 13 detecting the
acceleration of the underwater vehicle 1 at interval of less than
0.5 second, and generates an acceleration value "a". The control
system 10 compares the correspondent acceleration value "A" and the
acceleration value "a". When the correspondent acceleration value
"A" is larger than the acceleration value "a", the control system
10 judges that the resistance applied to the underwater vehicle 1
increases, and the output driving value 11 is increased to overcome
the resistance. On the contrary, when the correspondent
acceleration value "A" is smaller than the acceleration value "a",
the control system 10 judges that the resistance applied to the
underwater vehicle 1 reduces, and the output driving value 11 is
reduced.
[0019] The control system 10 includes a timer (not shown) which is
used to set the intervals and to calculate the intervals.
Furthermore, the battery 30 is a rechargeable battery.
[0020] The power unit 20 includes a propeller 21 and a variable
frequency motor (not shown) which drives the propeller 21. The
output driving value 11 is the output force generated from the
propeller 21 to drive the underwater vehicle 1 by the variable
frequency motor.
[0021] According to the formula F=mA, wherein the "F" is the output
driving value 11, and the "m" is the underwater vehicle weight
value 14. The calculation unit 12 creates a correspondent
acceleration value "A" by the output driving value 11 and the
underwater vehicle weight value 14.
[0022] The three-axis accelerometer and gyro 13 detecting the
acceleration of the underwater vehicle 1 at interval of less than
0.5 second, and generates an acceleration value "a". As shown in
FIG. 3, when the underwater vehicle 1 moves from the position
represented by the dotted line to the position represented by the
solid line, the three-axis accelerometer and gyro 13 generates an
acceleration value "a".
[0023] The control system 10 adjusts the output driving value 11
according to the comparison result between the correspondent
acceleration value "A" and the acceleration value "a" to save the
energy of the battery 30. In other words, because the three-axis
accelerometer and gyro 13 detecting the acceleration of the
underwater vehicle 1 at interval of less than 0.5 second, and
generates an acceleration value "a", so that the underwater vehicle
1 can be adjusted when necessary to prevent waste of the energy of
the battery 30.
[0024] The adjustment to the output driving value 11 is able to use
the battery 30 optimally so that the operation time of the
underwater vehicle 1 can be prolonged. The mission of the
underwater vehicle 1 can be completed by the effective use of the
battery 30.
[0025] While we have shown and described the embodiment in
accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those
skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without
departing from the scope of the present invention.
* * * * *