Remotely operated underwater vehicle

Abstract

A system for communicating with a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) includes a winged ROV coupled to a surface buoy by a tether. A controller on a support ship is coupled to the tether and the control signals are then transmitted through the tether to the ROV. Feedback and sensor signals are transmitted from the ROV through the wireless transceivers to the controller. The wings of the ROV produce negative lift which is greater than the buoyant force of the ROV and the vertical tension forces on the tether.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a remotely operated underwater vehicle having a propulsion mechanism, wings that provide downward lift and directional controls; and   a tether coupled between the remotely operated underwater vehicle and a control vessel, the tether including a communications cable;   wherein control data is transmitted from the control vessel to the remotely operated underwater vehicle to control the operation of the remotely operated underwater vehicle.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the communications cable includes an optical fiber. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the communications cable is less than ⅛ inch in width. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the remotely operated underwater vehicle includes sensors and sensor data is transmitted at a data transfer rate of about 1-12 mbps from the remotely operated underwater vehicle through the communications cable and the second wireless transceiver to the first wireless transceiver. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the tether includes a power cable and the surface buoy has a power supply which transmits electrical power through the power cable to the remotely operated underwater vehicle. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the tether has a fairing that has a rounded front surface and a sharp back surface. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein a portion of the tether is stored on a spool. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein a portion of the tether is stored on the spool with the rounded front surface facing the center of the spool. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the downward lift of the wings is greater the buoyancy of the remotely operated underwater vehicle and an upward pull of the tether. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  the tether has a diameter that is less than about ⅛ inch and a length greater than about 1,000 feet. 
   
   
       11 . A method for operating a comprising:
 placing a remotely operated underwater vehicle having a propulsion mechanism, wings that provide downward lift and directional controls in a body of water;   transmitting control data from a control vessel through an optical fiber communications cable to the remotely operated underwater vehicle to control the operation of the remotely operated underwater vehicle.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the remotely operated underwater vehicle includes sensors and sensor data is transmitted at a data transfer rate of about 1-12 mbps from the remotely operated underwater vehicle through the optical fiber communications cable to the control vessel. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the sensors include video cameras and the sensor data includes video images. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 moving the remotely operated underwater vehicle horizontally through the body of water;   
     wherein hydrodynamic friction on the optical fiber communications cable applies resist the forward movement of the remotely operated underwater vehicle and applies an upward vertical force of the remotely operated underwater vehicle. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 storing a portion of the tether on the control vessel; and   releasing the portion of the tether from the control vessel as the remotely operated underwater vehicle travels deeper into the body of water.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising:
 retracting the portion of the tether into the control vessel as the remotely operated underwater vehicle travels towards the surface of the body of water.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 storing a portion of the tether on a spool;   
     wherein the tether includes a fairing that has a rounded front surface and a sharp back surface and the tether is stored on the spool with the rounded front surface facing the center of the spool. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising:
 retracting the portion of the tether into the remotely operated underwater vehicle as the remotely operated underwater vehicle travels towards the surface of the body of water.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising:
 rotating the spool; and   moving the tether through a guide that causes the rounded front surface of the tether to face the center of the spool.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the downward lift of the wings is greater the buoyancy of the remotely operated underwater vehicle and an upward pull of the tether.