US 12,420,897 B2
Positioning and rescue device for unmanned underwater vehicle
Jiaming Wu, Guangdong (CN); Yuqing Chen, Guangdong (CN); Zhiquan Ma, Guangdong (CN); Linhua Li, Guangdong (CN); Xiaokun Hou, Guangdong (CN); Peng Dai, Guangdong (CN); and Xiangxi Han, Guangxi (CN)
Assigned to South China University of Technology, Guangzhou (CN); GUANGZHOU SHUNHAI SHIPYARDS LTD., Guangzhou (CN); and BEIBU GULF UNIVERSITY, Qinzhou (CN)
Appl. No. 17/789,259
Filed by South China University of Technology, Guangdong (CN); GUANGZHOU SHUNHAI SHIPYARDS LTD., Guangdong (CN); and BEIBU GULF UNIVERSITY, Guangxi (CN)
PCT Filed Oct. 20, 2020, PCT No. PCT/CN2020/122078
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 27, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/129080, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 1, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 201911376955.6 (CN), filed on Dec. 27, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0031851 A1, Feb. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. B63C 7/28 (2006.01); B63C 7/26 (2006.01); B63G 8/04 (2006.01)
CPC B63C 7/28 (2013.01) [B63C 7/26 (2013.01); B63G 8/04 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A positioning and rescue device for an unmanned underwater vehicle, comprising: a battery, a switch, a protective resistor, an electromagnetic relay, a master control chip, a GPS positioning system, an igniter, a partition, an air bag, a shell, and a rope; the shell, as a hollow structure, is divided by the partition into two portions, a non-watertight cavity and a watertight cavity; the non-watertight cavity is provided inside with the rope, the air bag, and the igniter arranged on the air bag; the watertight cavity is provided inside with the battery, the switch, the protective resistor, the electromagnetic relay, the master control chip, and the GPS positioning system;
the battery, the switch, the protective resistor, the electromagnetic relay and the master control chip are sequentially connected by means of wires to form a series circuit, wherein two contacts of a controlled loop of the electromagnetic relay are respectively connected to the protective resistor and the master control chip by means of wires; the igniter and the GPS positioning system are respectively connected to the master control chip by means of wires; two normally open contacts of a control loop of the electromagnetic relay are respectively connected to two ends of a general power supply, with the general power supply arranged on a tugboat or coming with the underwater vehicle;
wherein one end of the rope passes through an annular structure of the underwater vehicle, another end of the rope is releasably connected to the air bag, and a knot of the rope capable of releasing the air bag from the rope is located adjacent to the air bag;
wherein the air bag contains sodium azide or ammonium nitrate, and the igniter is configured to ignite to make the sodium azide or ammonium nitrate in the air bag react and produce nitrogen gas or nitrous oxide gas when the igniter receives a signal from the master control chip, such that the air bag inflates and rises to carry the knot of the rope to a water surface;
wherein the rope is adapted to guide a wire rope through the annular structure of the underwater vehicle for pulling the underwater vehicle when the knot is untied.