Ships – Building – Observation boats
Patent
1990-11-15
1992-09-01
Sotelo, Jesus D.
Ships
Building
Observation boats
B63B 313
Patent
active
051430096
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention concerns an underwater vehicle with a passive optical observation system, equipped with an observation window which has a diameter ranging from 0.3 to 3.0 m and a curved surface.
This application is related to the following co-pending U.S. application filed on Nov. 15, 1990: SOURCE, IN PARTICULAR OF A SUBMERGED SUBMARINE, AND SUBMARINE", Ser. No. 07/614,300, filed Nov. 15, 1990, corresponding to International Application PCT/DE 90/00197; ACOUSTIC EMISSION FROM SUBMERGED SUBMARINES", Ser. No. 07/602,310, filed Nov. 15, 1990, corresponding to International Application PCT/DE 90/00192; SUBMARINES", Ser. No. 07/615,423, filed Nov. 15, 1990, corresponding to International Application PCT/DE 90/00193; SUBMARINES AND SUBMARINES", Ser. No. 07/602,317, filed Nov. 15, 1990, corresponding to International Application PCT/DE 90/00194; ACOUSTIC EMISSION FROM SUBMERGED SUBMARINES", Ser. No. 07/614,200, filed Nov. 15, 1990, corresponding to International Application PCT/DE 90/00195. OPERATING SUBMERGED SUBMARINES".
Underwater vehicles of the above mentioned kind are known in the art, e.g. as so-called work submarines. A work submarine of this kind is manufactured under the model name "SEAHORSE" by BRUKER Meerestechnik GmbH. The invention relates however also to other underwater vehicles e.g. diving bells, towed vehicles or even stationary installations.
Providing the most different kinds of submarines with observation windows is known in the art. If the diameter of the observation window is small in comparison to the possible diving depth, e.g. less than 20 cm at a diving depth of 300 m, flat glass plates of appropriate thickness are normally used for the observation windows. Such small observation windows, however, are too small for the most widely varying observation tasks as well as for the manoeuvring of the work submarines. Therefore, providing large-area panoramic observation windows made of acrylic glass which exhibit a shape of a spherical surface section is also known in the art. For work submarines with a nominal diving depth of approximately 300 m, observation windows of this kind, having a diameter of 1 to 2 m, are known in the art whereby the spherical surface section formed by the window corresponds, for example, to a center opening angle of approximately 120 degrees. In this range of diving depths, smaller observation glass cupolas are also known in the art whose center opening angles exceed 300 degrees and which are sufficiently large to accommodate the head of an observer who, as a result, has an panoramic view of 180 degrees with an azimuth of more than 90 degrees.
In the above mentioned observation windows, it is considered very important that their wall thickness is constant in order to avoid optical observation errors. In observation systems known in the art, passive optical observation systems are, namely, used, in the most simple case, the naked eye of the observer. However, observing by looking through the observation windows explained above with the aid of technical optical systems, e.g. by means of a video camera, is also known in the art.
In the configurations known in the art, the observation capability decreases rapidly, in particular when the surrounding water is cloudy, as well as, in case of clear water, at the onset of darkness or considerable diving depth.
Therefore, in civilian or military submarines active optical observation systems are also known in which spotlights, attached to the outer hull of the submarine, are normally used to illuminate the observation region with visible light.
Although, in civilian applications this sometimes leads to difficulties due to back-scattering and consequent blinding in cloudy water, active optical observation systems of this kind are widely used at considerable diving depths, in cloudy water, or in fading daylight, despite the fact that use of light sources leads to back-scattering from particles floating in the water.
However, for military deployment active optical observation systems have, as do all other active observation and loca
REFERENCES:
patent: 3757725 (1973-09-01), Horn
patent: 4276851 (1981-07-01), Coleman
patent: 4588261 (1986-05-01), Erhardt
patent: 4809630 (1989-03-01), Walker
patent: 4840458 (1989-06-01), Cliffton
patent: 4852508 (1989-08-01), Takada
Literature: Transactions of the A.S.M.E.--Journal of Engineering for Industry, vol. 98, No. 2, May 1976, Author J. D. Stachiw et al. "Spherical shell sector operational depth for submersible ALVIN" pp. 523-536.
Avila Stephen P.
Sotelo Jesus D.
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