Buoys – rafts – and aquatic devices – Buoy – Having means to control attitude or position
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-27
2001-02-06
Basinger, Sherman (Department: 3617)
Buoys, rafts, and aquatic devices
Buoy
Having means to control attitude or position
C175S018000, C441S028000, C441S033000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06183326
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a deployable buoy, and specifically to an improved data transmission buoy, which can be deployed by an underwater vehicle and is capable of penetrating through a layer of ice from below to reach an air surface and thereafter transmit data stored in the buoy to a desired central processing center.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the prior art, deployable buoys are well known. However, many of these buoys are cumbersome and not well suited either for deployment by an underwater vehicle or for gently floating toward the surface and penetrating a substantial layer of ice, e.g. one to two meters thick, in order, to transmit information to a central processing system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention is to provide a buoy with both data storage and transmission capabilities for receiving data from an underwater vehicle and transmitting the received data to a central processing center.
A further object of the invention is to provide a buoy which when submerged is initially only slightly buoyant, e.g. has a positive buoyancy of only about one to four ounces, until the buoy contacts a layer of ice so as to gently position the buoy adjacent an undersurface of the ice regardless the depth at which the buoy is deployed.
A still further object of the invention is to provide the buoy with a mechanism for vertically orienting the buoy to facilitate penetration of the buoy through a layer of ice from below the ice.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide the buoy with a mechanism for melting through a layer of ice, e.g. one to two meters thick, in an efficient and effective manner.
Still another object of the invention is to provide the buoy with a central processing unit which activates a mechanism to orient the buoy to the vertical, commences activation of the melting stage, and automatically transmits stored information, downloaded from its submerged deploying vehicle, to a central processing station once the buoy is suitably deployed.
According to the invention there is provided a data transmitting buoy for use in transmitting data from ice covered bodies of water comprising: a water tight elongate housing having a forward end and a rear end; a transmitter within the housing; an exposable antenna connected to the transmitter to transmit data; a buoyancy and orientation adjusting system for adjusting the buoyancy and orientation of the buoy, when submerged in the water, from a relatively low buoyancy to a relatively high buoyancy, in which high buoyancy condition the elongate housing is urged to a vertical orientation with the forward end uppermost; and an ice melting system to enable the buoy to burrow upwardly through the ice cover when in contact therewith in said vertical orientation.
The buoyancy and orientation system preferably axially extends the buoy from an unextended relatively low buoyancy state, in which the center of gravity of the buoy substantially coincides with the center of buoyancy of the buoy, to an extended relatively high buoyancy state in which the center of buoyancy of the buoy is closer to the forward end than is the center of gravity of the buoy thereby to urge the elongate housing to a vertical orientation.
The buoyancy and orientation system may comprise an axially expandable chamber forward of the center of gravity of the buoy; a container of pressurized gas releasable, when desired, to axially expand the chamber; and an equipment canister, within the housing, partially defining the chamber, having a weighted end at the rear end of the housing and being moveable axially relative to the housing by expansion of the chamber; whereby expansion of the chamber increases the buoyancy to the relatively high buoyancy, moves the equipment canister rearwardly of the buoy, provides the increased buoyancy forward of the center of gravity and together with the axial rearward movement of the equipment canister provides a center of buoyancy forward of the center of gravity of the buoy to urge the buoy to said vertical orientation.
Floats may be provided which are captively housed at the rear end prior to expansion of the chamber and freely releasable from the buoy upon the expansion of the chamber.
A control unit is provided within the canister to control the transmitter and a valve operable to release the gas from the container upon contact of the buoy with the underside of a surface layer of ice.
The ice melting system preferably comprises a heat generator for producing hot fluid to melt the ice in contact with the buoy to allow the buoy to burrow upwardly through the layer of ice to expose the forward end and to allow exposure of the antenna for the transmission of said data, the heat generator being activated by the control unit.
The heat generator may comprise a reactant; a pump housed in the canister and controlled by the control unit to pump, upon initial activation, a reaction initiator into the reactant to initiate an exothermic reaction and subsequently to pump water to fuel the reaction, to supply heated fluid to the forward end to melt the ice.
The forward end is preferably a conical metal nose cone heated by the heated fluid with a central opening through which the heated fluid is emitted to melt the ice.
The reactant may be Pyrosolve-Z (hereinafter PZ) (manufactured and available from Consolidated Technologies Ltd., St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada) carried in an impervious heat/pressure resistant bag, the reaction initiator being hydrochloric acid, the water being seawater whereby the reaction produces steam under pressure which fractures the bag to release the steam to the nose cone.
Preferably the relative low buoyancy is about one to about four ounces thereby to promote only a gentle rate of upward movement of the buoy, when submerged in water, toward an ice cover and the relatively high buoyancy is about one to two pounds to provide firm contact of the nose cone of the buoy with the ice cover during the burrowing of the buoy through the ice cover.
Also according to the invention, an elongate data transmission buoy comprises an axially expandable housing; an ejectable nose cone at one end of the housing; a weighted end section at an opposed end of the housing; an axially expandable chamber within the housing; a source of pressurized gas; a control system to release the pressurized gas from the source, when desired, into the chamber to axially expand the chamber and housing thereby to increase buoyancy of the buoy and through the operation of the weighted end section to orient the buoy vertically with the nose cone uppermost; a heat producing system controlled by the control system to melt an ice layer, when contacted by the nose cone when the buoy is oriented vertically, to allow the buoy to burrow upwardly through the ice layer; and a nose cone ejector operable by the control system following said burrowing through the ice layer to eject the nose cone to expose an antenna, located in said housing, for transmission of the data under the control of the control system.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4923019 (1990-05-01), Gammon
patent: 5246078 (1993-09-01), Kryger et al.
patent: 5308270 (1994-05-01), Travor et al.
patent: 5319376 (1994-06-01), Eninger
patent: 5593332 (1997-01-01), Green
Andersen Douglas W.
Bahlavouni Armen
Stein Peter J.
Basinger Sherman
Davis and Bujold
Scientific Solutions Inc.
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