Manned submersible vehicle

Abstract

A submersible vehicle includes a hull having at least one main ballast buoyancy tank and an operator compartment. Further, the hull includes an air tank bay for receiving at least one tank of compressed air, and a battery box for holding the vehicle batteries. An opening is formed in the hull for ingress and egress of the operator compartment, and a canopy is mounted on the hull for covering the opening when the canopy is closed. Additionally, the vehicle includes a thruster unit for propelling the vehicle in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the water. Further, a propeller assembly propels the vehicle in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the water. A buoyancy control system works in concert with the thruster unit and a buoyancy tank to establish the position of the vehicle relative to the surface of the water, and to maintain neutral buoyancy for the vehicle.

1 . A submersible vehicle for travel beneath a surface of a body of water, said vehicle comprising:
 a hull;   at least one thruster unit mounted on said hull for selectively moving said vehicle in a first direction;   a propulsion assembly mounted on said hull for selectively moving said vehicle in a second direction, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction;   a means for concertedly controlling said thruster unit and said propulsion assembly; and   a buoyancy control system for concerted operation with said thruster unit to maintain said vehicle at a predetermined distance below the surface of the body of water, and to establish and maintain neutral buoyancy for the vehicle.   
   
   
       2 . A vehicle as recited in  claim 1  wherein said hull defines a longitudinal axis and a plane of symmetry including said longitudinal axis, said vehicle comprising:
 a first thruster unit positioned at a distance from said plane of symmetry; and   a second thruster unit positioned at a same distance from said plane of symmetry, wherein said first thruster unit and said second thruster unit are equidistant from and on either side of said plane of symmetry.   
   
   
       3 . A vehicle as recited in  claim 1  wherein said propulsion assembly comprises:
 a rudder having a first end attached to said hull, for rotation of said rudder about an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the first direction of movement;   a propeller motor fixedly attached to a second end of said rudder; and   a propeller connected to said propeller motor for rotation of said propeller about an axis substantially parallel to the second direction.   
   
   
       4 . A vehicle as recited in  claim 1  further comprising:
 an operator compartment positioned in said hull, wherein said hull is formed having an opening for ingress and egress of said compartment; and   a canopy for selectively covering the opening in said hull.   and buoyancy tank.   
   
   
       5 . A vehicle as recited in  claim 4  further comprising an air tank bay positioned in said hull for receiving at least one tank of compressed air therein. 
   
   
       6 . A vehicle as recited in  claim 5  wherein said hull includes at least one main ballast, and wherein said buoyancy tank system comprises:
 a regulator assembly interconnecting said tank of compressed air with said buoyancy, tank said main ballast and with said operator compartment, for selectively introducing a volume of air into said main ballast and into said operator compartment respectively;   a sensor positioned in said operator compartment for sensing a level of water in said operator compartment; and   a controller for receiving data from said sensor, and for concertedly regulating the volume of air in said main ballast the volume of air in said operator compartment and the volume of said buoyancy tank respectively to maintain neutral buoyancy for said vehicle relative.   
   
   
       7 . A vehicle as recited in  claim 1  further comprising a battery box having a plurality of batteries for supplying electric current to said vehicle. 
   
   
       8 . A vehicle as recited in  claim 1  wherein said hull is a fiber reinforced plastic. 
   
   
       9 . A submersible vehicle for travel beneath a surface of a body of water, said vehicle comprising:
 a hull;   a means mounted on said hull for propelling said vehicle in a first direction;   a means mounted on said hull for propelling said vehicle in a second direction, wherein the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction;   a means for concertedly controlling said first propelling means and said second propelling means; and   a means, operating in concert with said means for propelling said vehicle in a first direction, for establishing a distance of said vehicle below the surface of the body of water, and for maintaining neutral buoyancy for the vehicle.   
   
   
       10 . A vehicle as recited in  claim 9  wherein said means for propelling said vehicle in a first direction comprises at least one thruster unit mounted on said hull. 
   
   
       11 . A vehicle as recited in  claim 10  wherein said thruster unit comprises:
 a cylindrical housing positioned in a channel formed through said hull;   at least one propeller; and   a thruster motor attached to said housing and connected to said propeller for rotation of said propeller about an axis substantially parallel to the first direction.   
   
   
       12 . A vehicle as recited in  claim 9  wherein said means for propelling said vehicle in a second direction comprises:
 a rudder having a first end attached to said hull, for rotation of said rudder about an axis or rotation substantially parallel to the first direction of movement;   a propeller motor fixedly attached to a second end of said rudder; and   a propeller connected to said propeller motor for rotation of said propeller about an axis substantially parallel to the second direction.   
   
   
       13 . A vehicle as recited in  claim 9  wherein said hull comprises:
 at least one main ballast;   at least one buoyancy tank:   an operator compartment; and   an air tank bay for receiving at least one tank of compressed air.   
   
   
       14 . A vehicle as recited in  claim 13  wherein said maintaining means comprises:
 a regulator assembly interconnecting said tank of compressed air with said main ballast, said buoyancy tank and with said operator compartment, for selectively introducing a volume of air into said main ballast, into said operator compartment respectively; and add remove water from buoancy tank.   a sensor positioned in said operator compartment for sensing a level of water in said operator compartment; and   a controller for receiving data from said sensor, and for concertedly regulating the volume of air in said main ballast, the volume of air in said operator compartment and the volume of water in the buoyancy tank respectively to maintain neutral buoyancy for said vehicle.   
   
   
       15 . A vehicle as recited in  claim 13  wherein said hull is formed having an opening for ingress and egress of said operator compartment, said vehicle further comprising a canopy mounted on said hull for selectively covering the opening. 
   
   
       16 . A method for operating a submersible vehicle for travel beneath a surface of a body of water, said method comprising the steps of:
 operating at least one thruster unit mounted on a hull of said vehicle, for moving said vehicle in a first direction;   operating a propulsion assembly mounted on said hull for moving said vehicle in a second direction, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction;   concertedly controlling said thruster unit and said propulsion assembly; and   activating a buoyancy tank system to operate in concert with said thruster unit for establishing a distance of said vehicle below the surface of the body of water, and for maintaining neutral buoyancy for the vehicle.   
   
   
       17 . A method as recited in  claim 16  wherein said hull includes:
 at least one main ballast.   at least one buoyancy tank.   an operator compartment positioned in main ballast and an air tank bay formed in said hull for receiving at least one tank of compressed air.   
   
   
       18 . A method as recited in  claim 17  wherein said activating a buoyancy control system further comprises the steps of:
 sensing a water level in said operator compartment;   activating a regulator assembly interconnecting said tank of compressed air with said main ballast, with said buoyancy tank and with said operator compartment, for selectively introducing a volume of air into said main ballast, said buoyancy tank and into said operator compartment respectively; and   concertedly regulating the volume of air in said buoyancy tank, said main Ballast and the volume of air in said operator compartment respectively to establish a distance of said vehicle below the surface of the body of water, and to maintain neutral buoyancy for the vehicle.   
   
   
       19 . A method as recited in  claim 16  wherein said propulsion assembly comprises:
 a rudder having a first end attached to said hull, for rotation of said rudder about an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the first direction of movement;   a propeller motor fixedly attached to a second end of said rudder; and   a propeller connected to said propeller motor for rotation of said propeller about an axis substantially parallel to the second direction.   
   
   
       20 . A method as recited in  claim 16  wherein said thruster unit comprises:
 a cylindrical housing positioned in a channel formed through said hull;   at least one propeller; and   a thruster motor attached to said housing and connected to said propeller for rotation of said propeller about an axis substantially parallel to the first direction.