60results about "Mine-sweeping" patented technology

An unmanned system for investigating underwater regions utilizes an unmanned mothership and a plurality of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). The mothership transports the UUVs to and from the vicinity of an underwater region, releases the UUVs into the water, and facilitates recovery of the UUVs from the water. Each UUV can traverse an underwater region, generate sonar and image data associated with the underwater region, and transmit the sonar and image data through the water for receipt and re-transmission by the mothership. A docking system mounted partially onboard the mothership and partially onboard each UUV couples each UUV to the mothership and selectively releases each UUV into the underwater region. A guidance system mounted partially onboard the mothership and partially onboard each UUV guides each UUV back to the docking system from positions in the water. The mothership and UUVs can also be equipped with a non-contact electrical energy transfer system so that each UUV can return to the mothership and re-charge onboard batteries while underwater.

A remote operated, underwater non-destructive ordnance recovery system, includes a powered remote controller, a floating remote controlled transceiver wired to a remote disposal unit having a hydraulic grapple, an ordnance recovery basket, and the method in which these devices are used to extract unexploded underwater ordnance. The remote disposal unit includes an electrically driven internal hydraulic pump with biodegradable hydraulic fluid in a closed loop system. A base includes variable footplates to stabilize the hydraulic grapple by remotely adjustable telescoping legs. A control head that receives signals from control cables and transfers them into hydraulic value actuation, an extendable fully rotating boom, two ballast tubes, a rotating grapple, and lighted underwater cameras on the control box and ballast tubes are also included in remote disposal unit.

The present invention provides a power distribution system that can be used in naval ships and submarines. The power distribution and propulsion system includes a first propulsion drive system including a propulsion motor (5) having superconducting (preferably high temperature superconducting (HTS)) rotor windings and a power converter (4). A first propulsion power generation system supplies power to the first propulsion drive system and includes a generator (2) having superconducting (preferably HTS) rotor windings and a power converter (3). A first power generation system includes a power source (14) for supplying power to a first service distribution system that includes a dc distribution busbar (25) (optionally implemented using HTS cabling or busbar) for carrying a distribution voltage and a distribution current, and a switchboard 16 that includes protective switchgear with contacts. A power converter (15) is used to connect the power source (14) to the switchboard (16).

A plurality of sensing modules are deployed by positioning thereof in spaced relation to each other on a seafloor surface at a shallow depth to establish a targeted seawater zone within which certain conditions are detected, such as those produced by the presence of a sea vessel such as a submarine within the targeted zone. Data signals are generated within the deployed sensing modules in response to said detection of the submarine for radio frequency transmission above the seawater targeted zone from floating transmitters ejected from the sensing modules positioned on the seafloor surface after detection of the submarine.

A mine neutralizing device that includes a buoy. The buoy includes a mine neutralizing device capable of swimming to an undersea mine to neutralize it. A method for neutralizing undersea mines includes locating an undersea mine, placing a buoy containing a mine neutralizer near the mine, and swimming the mine neutralizer to the undersea mine.

A remote operated, underwater non-destructive ordnance recovery system, includes a powered remote controller, a floating remote controlled transceiver wired to a remote disposal unit having a hydraulic grapple, an ordnance recovery basket, and the method in which these devices are used to extract unexploded underwater ordnance. The remote disposal unit includes an electrically driven internal hydraulic pump with bio-degradable hydraulic fluid in a closed loop system. A base includes variable footplates to stabilize the hydraulic grapple by remotely adjustable telescoping legs. A control head that receives signals from control cables and transfers them into hydraulic value actuation, an extendable fully rotating boom, two ballast tubes, a rotating grapple, and lighted underwater cameras on the control box and ballast tubes are also included in remote disposal unit.

A landmine detection and neutralization apparatus and method is disclosed. The apparatus to determine the location of landmines, comprises at least two detection modules utilizing different infrared, sound, and / or optical detection and a remotely operated miniature airborne vehicle, that may carry the detection modules at an optimum altitude over a surface that may contain landmines. The neutralization device may be a microwave and / or infrared wave generator. The method for determining the location of landmines comprises using at least two different landmine detection techniques where the techniques are infrared, sound, and optical detection, operating the detection techniques in a close proximity to a surface that may contain landmines and maintaining this close proximity by operating a remotely operated miniature airborne vehicle. Neutralization may be achieved by directing microwaves or infrared waves at detected landmines.

An underwater mine warfare countermeasure system is disclosed in which an air cushion vehicle carries a magnetic field generating system capable of generating a magnetic field pattern beneath the vehicle which extends sufficiently far from the vehicle in all directions to activate a magnetically responsive detonator in a mine while the vehicle is out of range of the explosive force of the mine. The magnetic field generating system generally is composed of a plurality of closed loop coils mounted on the deck of the vehicle, one coil being horizontal and in the plane of the deck, and another three being in vertical planes spaced along the length of the vehicle.

The present invention relates to a method of cutting (1) a small first orifice (1-1) in a wall (6) at the bottom of the sea and of opening / closing said first orifice, the method comprising anchoring a base (2) that includes a large second orifice (2-1) and a cutter device comprising: a said base, a deformable stopper (3) connected to said base and enabling said large second orifice to be opened or closed depending on the position of the stopper on the base, circular cutter means (4) secured to said base, and anchor means (5) secured to said base and suitable for anchoring said base reversibly on said wall (6). The present invention also provides a method of recovering a viscous fluid that is lighter than water, such as a polluting effluent, and that is contained in a tank of a sunken and / or damaged vessel resting on the sea bottom.

A method and apparatus for processing an observation of an object to be classified, the method comprising using a particle filter in which an observation of an object to be classified is used to weight particles on a plurality of models for the object. The method may further comprise performing at least one further iteration of using the particle filter to weight the particles on the plurality of models for the object using a further observation of the object to be classified. The method may further comprise providing respective classification probabilities that each respective model corresponds to the object based on the weightings of the particles of the respective model. Each of the respective particles may be divided into a respective plurality of sub-particles.

A dual rod apparatus for coupling and decoupling of attachment hooks to facilitate the mooring of a boat. The apparatus comprises an attachment front end which includes a hook, a hook attachment base connected onto the hook by a wedge. The hook attachment base having a pair of pull line apertures and a pair of rod channels. The apparatus includes a pair of rods, a pair of pull lines. A fixed guide provides stability for the rods and pull lines. A handle controls the apparatus. A slide is positioned between the guide and handle and opens the hook when the slide is pulled with sufficient force to overcome locking tensions placed by the hook.

A robotic amphibious mine breaching system including a hybrid chassis with deployable Mat Modules provides a detection and navigation grid with breaching mechanisms to range from underwater to edge of shore, the beach and continue inland. A computer-controlled transmitter and receiver unit integrates signals from different spatial locations establishing a grid. The surface and underwater mine counter-measure system deploys transponders and sensors to detect anomalies in the electromagnetic field caused by both magnetic and non-magnetic objects therein during underwater travel creating a cleared navigational grid establishing landing lanes for Force Protection and Maneuver Capabilities.

A system for clearing mines and other obstacles is provided. The system mountable to a vehicle which can operate in water and on land, includes a sonar targeting system and an underwater gun system. The underwater gun system is directed by readings from the sonar targeting system and fires underwater munitions to destroy detected mines and obstacles. The pod containing the sonar targeting system and the pod containing the underwater gun system are movable to target in multiple directions with each of the pods deployed at an end of a respective deployment arm.

A magnetic signature minesweeping device (10) comprising a water driven turbine power generator (12) and a superconducting material magnet (14), wherein the turbine power generator is arranged, in use, to supply a driving current for the superconducting material magnet (14) when the minesweeping device is towed through the water. In a further embodiment a control unit (24) is arranged, in use, to control the magnetic output of the superconducting magnet (14) and the power output of the turbine power generator (12). Further more a method of minesweeping using the device (10), and an array of the devices (10) is disclosed.

A method of destroying mines in a minefield buried under the surface includes deploying a munition including a plurality of kinetic energy rods each having a stabilizer into a position above the minefield and deploying the rods above the minefield to fall towards the minefield each aligned along a velocity vector to penetrate the surface and destroy the mines.

A device for destroying subsea objects comprising a first part 2 provided with propulsion means, a second part 4 which can pivot relative to the first part on an axis, so that the device can approach a subsea object from different directions, and a fairing 3 protecting the second part 4.

A magnetic signature minesweeping device (10) comprising a water driven turbine power generator (12) and a superconducting material magnet (14), wherein the turbine power generator is arranged, in use, to supply a driving current for the superconducting material magnet (14) when the minesweeping device is towed through the water. In a further embodiment a control unit (24) is arranged, in use, to control the magnetic output of the superconducting magnet (14) and the power output of the turbine power generator (12). Further more a method of minesweeping using the device (10), and an array of the devices (10) is disclosed.

An appliance for lowering and tracking an underwater vessel includes a carrier arranged on an end of a holding cable; a holding device on the carrier used to receive / release the underwater vessel with a controllable holding element; and a tracking device arranged on the carrier and used for acoustically determining the position of the underwater vessel lowered into the water. As a result, a light, compact lowering appliance is provided that is suitable for handling vessels on small platforms and ensures acoustically undisturbed operation of the tracking device, which is arranged on one end of the carrier, the carrier being mounted such that it can be pivoted on the holding cable in an articulated manner in a central longitudinal region thereof. Following release of the underwater vessel from the holding element, a pivoting device pivots the carrier including the tracking device out of a lowering position, into a tracking position.

A device (10) for cutting through cables (6) is provided with a jaw (30) having a top portion (31) and a bottom portion (32) which together define a notch (35). The device (10) is provided with a first and second stationary and co-operating sharp edges (33, 34) arranged at a downstream end (35′) of the notch (35) so as to form an angle between each other. The device further includes a rotary blade (50) provided with a body (51) having a tapering side (52), the body (51) being fastened to one of the portions (31, 32) of the jaw (33) so that the tapering side (52) is arranged in the notch (35) upstream from the first and second sharp edges (33, 34).

A device (10) for cutting through cables (6) is provided with a jaw (30) having a top portion (31) and a bottom portion (32) which together define a notch (35). The device (10) is provided with a first and second stationary and co-operating sharp edges (33, 34) arranged at a downstream end (35′) of the notch (35) so as to form an angle between each other. The device further includes a rotary blade (50) provided with a body (51) having a tapering side (52), the body (51) being fastened to one of the portions (31, 32) of the jaw (33) so that the tapering side (52) is arranged in the notch (35) upstream from the first and second sharp edges (33, 34).

An improved corrosion-resistant magnetic influence minesweeping cable is provided. The cable produces a magnetic field that simulates a ship's magnetic signature as the ship passes through the sea. It has an outer anode conductor made of titanium-clad copper with mixed metal oxide at its aft end, an outer cathode conductor made of nickel-clad copper at its forward end, an inner conductor made of aluminum that runs the length of the cable, and a steel core strength member that also runs the length of the cable. The outer anode conductor is in electrical contact with the inner conductor. The outer cathode conductor is insulated from the inner conductor. The outer cathode conductor and the inner conductor can be connected to an electrical power source onboard a towing vessel.

The invention relates to processing methods of glass reinforced plastic products, in particular to a connecting structure of web plates of a ferry glass reinforced plastic boat. The connecting structure is characterized in that a glass reinforced plastic bottom plate with a lower web plate is arranged, the lower web plate is perpendicular to the bottom plate, an upper web plate is arranged above the lower web plate, a plastic foam pad layer is arranged between the upper web plate and the lower web plate, and the upper web plate is connected with the lower web plate through connecting plates on two sides. A connection processing process includes the process steps: relatively fixing the upper web plate and the lower web plate connected with the same, pasting bottom connecting plates on two sides of a joint of the upper web plate and the lower web plate respectively by the aid of flexible resin, injecting flexible resin tows by an injection method, pasting the connecting plates on the bottom connecting plates by the aid of flexible resin prior to vacuum pressurization, compacting manually pasted and spread arc-shaped connecting plate layers by the aid of atmospheric pressure and maintaining the pressure until resin curing. The connecting structure has the advantages of high shearing strength, high resistance to tensile load, light weight, good sound insulation and heat insulation effects, practicality, convenience and the like, and is particularly applicable to ferry glass reinforced plastic boats.

A combination pressure relief valve system and undersea vehicle vents pressurized gas from lithium batteries to ambient. An undersea vehicle having an interior has a pair of hollow pylons each having a passageway fluidly communicating with the interior. A pressure relief valve is mounted on each pylon, and each pressure relief valve has a body portion having an inner bore fluidly communicating with a passageway. An elongate valve plug in the body portion is interposed between each passageway and ambient and the valve plug has a lateral bore and a circumferentially disposed O-ring. A nose portion is secured to the body portion, and the nose portion has a pair of laterally aligned bores aligned with the lateral bore of the elongate valve plug. A wire extends through the laterally aligned bores and lateral bore. The O-ring and wire retain the valve plug interposed between a passageway and ambient.

A ship has interchangeable mission modules. For example, a ship has a frame with a mission-module bay disposed therein. The bay is operable to receive a mission module having a mission-module system and an interface that facilitates the coupling between the mission-module system and the ship. As such, a plurality of different types of mission modules can be interchanged quickly and easily to provide the ship with different mission capabilities. Each mission-module is generally self-contained such that all the equipment necessary to perform the specific mission is contained within the single mission-module. Each mission-module is either a single unit or multiple units combined together to form an integrated unit. Thus, the ship is capable of transitioning from one mission to another simply by ejecting one mission module and replacing with another mission module.

A magnetic anomaly sensing system and method uses two triaxial magnetometer (TM) sensors arranged in a one-dimensional array with the sensors' magnetic sensing axes being parallel to one another. The sensors are spaced-apart from one another along one of the sensing axes by a distance D with a midpoint between the sensors along the one sensing axis being located a distance Z from a reference datum. A processor implements an iterative process to include generating scalar magnitudes of a magnetic anomaly field measured at each of the sensors where the magnetic anomaly field is associated with a magnetic object. A scalar range from the sensors to the magnetic object is generated based on the distance D, the distance Z, and the scalar magnitudes. A magnetic dipole moment of the magnetic object is generated using the scalar range and the scalar magnitudes.

The three-hull mine sweeper with float structure has one slender main hull, and two relative short auxiliary hulls on two sides of the main hull connected to frame to the main hull separately. Each of the main hull and the subsidiary hulls has partition boards to separate the hull into isolated floating cabins filled with light foamed material. Each of the hulls has cross section with elliptic part. The mine sweeper simulates war ship to detonate water mine via its physical field during navigating in water region with mine.