An unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel including a primary hull and a rigid wing rotationally coupled with the primary hull that freely rotates about a rotational axis. At least one of the primary hull and the rigid wing includes at least one selectively floodable compartment configured to sele
An unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel including a primary hull and a rigid wing rotationally coupled with the primary hull that freely rotates about a rotational axis. At least one of the primary hull and the rigid wing includes at least one selectively floodable compartment configured to selectively flood to submerge the primary hull and at least a portion of the rigid wing. The vessel further includes at least one controller configured to maintain a desired heading. The vessel further includes a control surface element configured to aerodynamically control a wing angle of the rigid wing based on a force exerted by wind on the control surface element. The vessel further includes a rudder. The at least one controller is further configured to determine a rudder position and generate a signal to position the rudder. The vessel further includes a keel coupled with the primary hull.
대표청구항▼
1. An unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel comprising: a primary hull;a rigid wing rotationally coupled with said primary hull, wherein said rigid wing freely rotates about a rotational axis of said rigid wing;at least one selectively floodable compartment configured to selectively flood to subm
1. An unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel comprising: a primary hull;a rigid wing rotationally coupled with said primary hull, wherein said rigid wing freely rotates about a rotational axis of said rigid wing;at least one selectively floodable compartment configured to selectively flood to submerge said primary hull and at least a portion of said rigid wing;wherein the at least one selectively floodable compartment comprises a selectively floodable compartment located in the rigid wing;at least one controller configured to maintain a desired heading;a control surface element configured to aerodynamically control a wing angle of said rigid wing based on a force exerted by wind on said control surface element;wherein said at least one controller is configured to generate a signal to cause the at least one selectively floodable compartment to selectively flood;a rudder, wherein said at least one controller is further configured to determine a rudder position and generate a signal to position said rudder based on said rudder position. 2. The unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel of claim 1, wherein the at least one selectively floodable compartment further comprises a selectively floodable compartment located in the primary hull. 3. The unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel of claim 1, wherein the at least one selectively floodable compartment is configured to selectively flood to completely submerge the rigid wing. 4. The unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to generate a signal to cause selective flooding of one or more of the at least one selectively floodable compartment. 5. The unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel of claim 4, wherein the at least one controller is configured to generate the signal to cause selective flooding of one or more of the at least one selectively floodable compartment when it is determined that a stealth mode is desired. 6. The unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel of claim 4, wherein the at least one controller is configured to generate the signal to cause selective flooding of one or more of the at least one selectively floodable compartment based on one or more weather conditions at the sea surface. 7. The unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel of claim 4, wherein the signal to cause selective flooding causes the one or more selectively floodable compartments to unseal and fill with water to a desired level corresponding to a desired buoyancy. 8. The unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel of claim 1, further comprising a keel coupled with said primary hull at a first end of said keel, wherein said keel comprises ballast sufficient to provide a positive righting moment sufficient to cause said primary hull to passively right from any position. 9. The unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel of claim 8, further comprising: a first outrigger hull configured to provide a first additional righting moment when said primary hull is rotated in a first direction about its primary axis; anda second outrigger hull configured to provide a second additional righting moment when said primary hull is rotated in a second direction about its primary axis,wherein said ballast is sufficient to passively right said primary hull from any position given said first additional righting moment and said second additional righting moment. 10. The unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel of claim 1, wherein said at least one controller is further configured to: calculate a plurality of control surface angles in real time during navigation to at least one waypoint location; andgenerate a plurality of signals to position said control surface element based on said plurality of control surface angles. 11. The unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel of claim 10, further comprising a wireless communication device comprising an antenna, wherein said at least one at least one controller is further configured to obtain said at least one waypoint location from said wireless communication device. 12. The unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel of claim 1, wherein said at least one controller is further configured to periodically determine an updated rudder position and generate a signal to position said rudder to said updated rudder position. 13. The unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel of claim 1, wherein said primary hull comprises a narrow bow with reduced buoyancy. 14. The unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel of claim 1, wherein said primary hull comprises at least one fully sealed compartment and at least one partially sealed compartment positioned above said at least one fully sealed compartment and above the water line when said primary hull is in an orientation where the rigid wing is capable of generating lift,wherein said at least one partially sealed compartment comprises at least one drain positioned to allow substantially complete drainage of said at least one partially sealed compartment when said primary hull is positioned in said orientation. 15. The unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel of claim 1, further comprising at least one payload bay. 16. The unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel of claim 1, further comprising at least one power source coupled with said at least one controller, wherein said at least one power source comprises at least one solar panel coupled with at least one battery. 17. The unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel of claim 1, further comprising: a boom coupled with said rigid wing, said boom comprising a first end extending from a leading edge of said rigid wing and a second end extending from a trailing edge of said rigid wing; anda tail coupled with said second end of said boom, wherein said control surface element is disposed on said tail;a counterweight coupled with said first end of said boom, wherein said counterweight dynamically balances, with respect to mass, said rigid wing, said boom and said tail with respect to said rotational axis of said rigid wing. 18. The unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel of claim 1, wherein said rotational axis is selected to statically balance said rigid wing with respect to said rotational axis of said rigid wing. 19. An unmanned, autonomous, ocean-going vessel comprising: a primary hull;a rigid wing rotationally coupled with said primary hull, wherein said rigid wing freely rotates about a rotational axis of said rigid wing;at least one controller;a control surface element configured to aerodynamically control a wing angle of said rigid wing based on a force exerted by wind on said control surface element;a first selectively floodable compartment located in the rigid wing, wherein said at least one controller is configured to generate a first signal to cause the first selectively floodable compartment to selectively flood;a second selectively floodable compartment located in the primary hull, wherein said at least one controller is configured to generate a second signal to cause the second selectively floodable compartment to selectively flood,a rudder, wherein said at least one controller is further configured to determine a rudder position and generate a third signal to position said rudder based on said rudder position.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (11)
Ott, Mark T.; Hubbard, David W., Apparatus for control of pivoting wing-type sail.
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