초록 ▼

An unmanned underwater vehicle and a method for recovering an unmanned underwater vehicle. The unmanned underwater vehicle (1) is recovered by releasing a recovery buoy (21), which is connected to the vehicle (1) by a recovery line (22), recovering the recovery buoy (21) from the surface, attaching

An unmanned underwater vehicle and a method for recovering an unmanned underwater vehicle. The unmanned underwater vehicle (1) is recovered by releasing a recovery buoy (21), which is connected to the vehicle (1) by a recovery line (22), recovering the recovery buoy (21) from the surface, attaching the recovery line (22) to a recovery system and lifting the vehicle (1) by the recovery system and the recovery line (22). To provide a safe recovery of the unmanned underwater vehicle under most weather condition, the vehicle (1) is submerged after releasing the recovery buoy (21) by reducing the buoyancy of the vehicle (1) and providing negative net-buoyancy (29).

대표청구항 ▼

1. An unmanned underwater vehicle comprising an autonomous underwater vehicle or a remotely operated underwater vehicle, said unmanned underwater vehicle comprising: at least one recovery buoy of a solid buoyant material releasably attached to an exterior surface of a hull of the unmanned underwater

1. An unmanned underwater vehicle comprising an autonomous underwater vehicle or a remotely operated underwater vehicle, said unmanned underwater vehicle comprising: at least one recovery buoy of a solid buoyant material releasably attached to an exterior surface of a hull of the unmanned underwater vehicle, the recovery buoy adding additional buoyancy to a net-buoyancy of the unmanned underwater vehicle during an operating state of the unmanned underwater vehicle where propulsion provides thrust to submerge the unmanned underwater vehicle, wherein the additional buoyancy of the recovery buoy is larger than the magnitude of the negative net-buoyancy of the unmanned underwater vehicle, anda recovery line attached to the recovery buoy and hull for tethering said recovery buoy to the unmanned underwater vehicle after release of the recovery buoy from the exterior surface of the hull during a recovery state of the unmanned underwater vehicle,wherein the unmanned underwater vehicle itself without the additional buoyancy of the recovery buoy secured to the exterior surface of the hull provides negative net-buoyancy so that the unmanned underwater vehicle sinks below and is remote from the recovery buoy. 2. The unmanned underwater vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the additional buoyancy of the recovery buoy is larger than the magnitude of the negative net-buoyancy of the unmanned underwater vehicle itself in a range of 1% to 20% of said magnitude. 3. The unmanned underwater vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the recovery line is attachable to a means for crane deployment and recovery. 4. The unmanned underwater vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said unmanned underwater vehicle includes two or more releasably attached recovery buoys, and wherein the recovery buoys are connected to each other by an auxiliary rope. 5. The unmanned underwater vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the unmanned underwater vehicle comprises two or more hulls, wherein each of the hulls carries one of the recovery buoys. 6. The unmanned underwater vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the recovery buoys comprise a longitudinal shaped body with arched sections applied to a perimeter of its respective hull. 7. The unmanned underwater vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the hulls are attached to each other by means of cross bars, wherein the recovery buoys are located in a longitudinal space between the cross bars. 8. The unmanned underwater vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the unmanned underwater vehicle is an autonomous underwater vehicle. 9. A method for recovering an unmanned underwater vehicle according to claim 1, comprising the following steps: releasing the releasably attached recovery buoy and its additional buoyancy from the exterior surface of the hull of the unmanned underwater vehicle, wherein said recovery buoy is tethered to the unmanned underwater vehicle by the recovery line so that the unmanned underwater vehicle sinks below and is remote from the recovery buoy after the recovery buoy is released,recovering the recovery buoy from the surface,attaching the recovery line to a recovery system, andafter releasing the recovering buoy, recovering the unmanned underwater vehicle by means of the recovery system and the recovery line. 10. The method for recovering an unmanned underwater vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the buoyancy of the unmanned underwater vehicle is negative and releasing the releasably attached recovery buoy causes the unmanned underwater vehicle to sink. 11. The method for recovering an unmanned underwater vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said unmanned underwater vehicle comprises a remotely operated underwater vehicle. 12. The method for recovering an unmanned underwater vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said unmanned underwater vehicle comprises an autonomous underwater vehicle. 13. The method for recovering an unmanned underwater vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said method further comprises submerging said underwater vehicle after releasing said recovery buoy up to a depth corresponding to the length of recovery line. 14. The method for recovering an unmanned underwater vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said method further comprises steering said unmanned underwater vehicle towards the surface before releasing the releasably attached recovery buoy. 15. The unmanned underwater vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said unmanned underwater vehicle comprises a remotely operated underwater vehicle.