AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER VEHICLE AND SYSTEM FOR RECOVERING SUCH AN UNDERWATER VEHICLE

Abstract

An underwater vehicle includes a hull extending along a main longitudinal axis and at least one first pincer member disposed towards a forward end of the hull, characterized in that it further includes a second pincer member disposed towards an aft end of the hull, which is an opposite end to the forward end, the first and second pincer members being disposed respectively on a first lateral part and a second lateral part of the hull, on opposite sides of the main longitudinal axis, and being configured to take an open position or a closed position, and a detection member and a guide member which are respectively configured to detect cables and in order for the first and second pincer members to come respectively into engagement with one of the respective cables.

Description

Claims

1. An autonomous underwater vehicle comprising a hull extending along a main longitudinal axis and at least one first pincer member disposed towards a forward end of the hull, characterized in that it further comprises a second pincer member disposed towards an aft end of the hull, which is an opposite end to the forward end, said first and second pincer members being disposed respectively on a first lateral part and a second lateral part of the hull, on opposite sides of the main longitudinal axis, and being configured to take an open position or a closed position, and a detection member and a guide member which are respectively configured to detect cables and in order for the first and second pincer members to come respectively into engagement with one of the respective cables.

2. The autonomous underwater vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the guide member comprises a control unit configured to receive output signals from the detection member and to actuate the guide member to guide the vehicle towards the cables detected by the detection member, and also to actuate the first and second pincer members individually according to the guidance of the vehicle.

3. The autonomous underwater vehicle according to claim 1, comprising a boom disposed projecting from the forward end of the hull, said boom being movable and controllable, through utilization of the guide member, between a first port position and a second starboard position and configured to guide at least one of the cables.

4. The autonomous underwater vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first pincer member is associated with a first additional pincer member, forming a first pair of pincer members, said first additional pincer member being disposed towards the forward end of the hull, the first pincer member and the first additional pincer member being disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, the second pincer member is associated with a second additional pincer member, forming a second pair of pincer members, said second additional pincer member being disposed towards the aft end of the hull, the second pincer member and the second additional pincer member being disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, and the guide member is configured such that at least one of the first pincer member and the first additional pincer member, and respectively the at least one second pincer member and the second additional pincer member, come into engagement with one of the respective cables.

5. The autonomous underwater vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the detection member comprises a frontward sonar device disposed towards the forward end of the hull and configured to detect at least one of the cables upstream of the forward end of the hull of the vehicle.

6. The autonomous underwater vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the detection member comprises at least one cable detector disposed near the first pincer member and configured to detect at least one of the cables near at least one of the first and second lateral parts of the hull the vehicle, towards its forward end.

7. A recovery system comprising an autonomous underwater according to claim 1 and a reception platform which comprises a first cable (230) and a second cable each having, at a free end, a retaining member, a winch member configured to wind in and out the first cable and the second cable, said first and second pincer members being configured to come into engagement with said first and second cables and cooperate with the retaining members.

8. The recovery system according to claim 7, wherein the reception platform comprises a second control unit configured to actuate the winch mechanism.

9. The recovery system according to claim 7, wherein the reception platform and the underwater vehicle each comprise a communication unit configured to synchronize the actuation of the detection and guiding members and the actuation of the winch mechanism.

10. The recovery system according to claim 7, wherein the reception platform is carried on the ship.

11. A method of implementing a recovery system according to claim 7, comprising the following navigation steps: detecting, through utilization of the detection member, the at least one of the first cable and of the second cable of the reception platform;guiding the underwater vehicle, through utilization of the guide member, towards the first cable in alignment with the first cable and the second cable so as to convey the first cable along one of the first and second lateral parts of the hull of the vehicle;actuating each one of the first pincer member and the second pincer member into open position;guiding the underwater vehicle, through utilization of the guide member, towards the second cable so as to convey the second cable along the other lateral part of the hull of the vehicle, such that the first cable becomes accommodated in the second pincer member which is open and such that the second cable becomes accommodated in the first pincer member which is open;actuating each one of the first pincer member and the second pincer member into closed position;actuating the winch mechanism to wind in the cables such that the retaining members come to bear against the first and second pincer members.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, when guiding towards the first cable, the step of guiding the underwater vehicle through utilization of the guide member to convey the first cable along the second lateral part of the hull on an opposite side to the first lateral part of the hull on which is disposed the first pincer member; and when guiding towards the second cable, the step of guiding the underwater vehicle through utilization of the guide member to convey the second cable near to the first pincer member.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the recovery system comprises a first pincer member associated with a first additional pincer member, forming a first pair of pincer members, said first additional pincer member being disposed towards the forward end of the hull, the first pincer member and the first additional pincer member being disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, a second pincer member associated with a second additional pincer member, forming a second pair of pincer members, said second additional pincer member being disposed towards the aft end of the hull, the second pincer member and the second additional pincer member being disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, the guide member being configured such that at least one of the first pincer member and the first additional pincer member, and respectively the at least one second pincer member and the second additional pincer member, come into engagement with one of the cables, the method may comprise the steps of: actuating the first pair of pincer members of the underwater vehicle into closed position, before detecting the cables;when guiding towards the first cable, detecting the presence of the first cable near one of the first and second lateral parts of the hull;when actuating the first and second pincer members into open position, actuating the first and second additional pincer members of the submarine vehicle into open position;when guiding towards the second cable, guiding the underwater vehicle through utilization of the guide member to convey the other cable near the pincer member of the first pair of pincer members disposed on the lateral part near which the first cable has not been detected.when actuating the first and second pincer members into closed position, actuating the first and second additional pincer members of the submarine vehicle into closed position.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the guide member comprises a boom disposed projecting towards the forward end of the hull of the vehicle, said boom being movable between a first port position and a second starboard position and configured to guide at least one of the cables and the method comprises the steps of: when guiding towards the first cable, guiding the underwater vehicle through utilization of the guide member to actuate the boom to move the first cable towards the second lateral part;when guiding towards the second cable, guiding the underwater vehicle through utilization of the guide member to actuate the boom to move the second cable towards the first lateral part.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the guide member comprises a boom disposed projecting towards the forward end of the hull of the vehicle, said boom being movable between a first port position and a second starboard position and configured to guide at least one of the cables and the method comprises the steps of: when guiding towards the second cable, guiding the underwater vehicle through utilization of the guide member to actuate the boom to move the second cable towards the lateral part near which the first cable has not been detected;detecting, through utilization of the detection member, a recovery cable of the reception platform;actuating the pincer member of the underwater vehicle from the closed position towards the open position of the pincer member;guiding the underwater vehicle, through utilization of the guide member, towards the recovery cable in order for the recovery cable to become accommodated in the open pincer member;actuating the pincer member of the underwater vehicle from the open position towards the closed position;actuating the winch mechanism to raise the underwater vehicle.