Propulsion device and underwater robot

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a propulsion device and an underwater robot. The propulsion device includes a bracket, a first thruster, and a second thruster. A first chamber and a second chamber are defined in the bracket, and the first thruster and the second thruster are respectively arranged in the first chamber and the second chamber. In a stationary state, in the case that the first thruster acts as a horizontal thruster or a vertical thruster, the second thruster functions as a vector thruster; or in the case that the second thruster acts as a horizontal thruster or a vertical thruster, the first thruster functions as a vector thruster.

1 . A propulsion device, comprising: a bracket, a first thruster, and a second thruster; wherein
 a first chamber and a second chamber are defined in the bracket, and the first thruster and the second thruster are respectively arranged in the first chamber and the second chamber; and   in a stationary state, in a case that the first thruster acts as a horizontal thruster or a vertical thruster, the second thruster functions as a vector thruster; or in a case that the second thruster acts as a horizontal thruster or a vertical thruster, the first thruster functions as a vector thruster.   
     
     
         2 . The propulsion device according to  claim 1 , wherein the propulsion device supports a first state and a second state; wherein
 a thrust direction of the first thruster in the first state is consistent with a thrust direction of the second thruster in the second state, and a thrust direction of the first thruster in the second state is consistent with a thrust direction of the second thruster in the first direction.   
     
     
         3 . The propulsion device according to  claim 1 , wherein the bracket comprises a body section, and the first chamber and the second chamber are respectively arranged at both ends of the body section;
 wherein the body section is composed of a first arc surface and a second arc surface that are opposite to each other as well as two sidewall surfaces that are opposite to each other, wherein the sidewall surfaces are connected to the first arc surface and the second arc surface;   wherein an area of the first arc surface is greater than an area of the second arc surface, the first arc surface and the second arc surface are smoothly transitioned to a port of the second chamber via an outer wall of the first chamber, and an outer wall of the second chamber is connected to a port of the first chamber via the two sidewall surfaces.   
     
     
         4 . The propulsion device according to  claim 3 , wherein a clearance section is defined in the bracket, wherein the clearance section is at least partially formed in the second arc surface. 
     
     
         5 . The propulsion device according to  claim 3 , wherein the bracket is integrally formed. 
     
     
         6 . The propulsion device according to  claim 3 , further comprising: a mount configured to be connected to a carrier device, wherein the mount is mounted on the first arc surface. 
     
     
         7 . The propulsion device according to  claim 3 , wherein the sidewall surface is an arc surface, and the outer wall of the second chamber is smoothly transitioned to the port of the first chamber via the two sidewall surfaces. 
     
     
         8 . An underwater robot, comprising: a body and at least two pairs of first propulsion devices; wherein
 each of the first propulsion devices comprises a first thruster;   wherein the first thruster is a vector thruster, and using a plane established by any two coordinate axes in a three-dimensional coordinate system established by a length, width, and height of the body as a reference plane, a plane is established based on a center axis of the vector thruster and a projection of the center axis on the reference plane; and   wherein planes established for the vector thrusters on one side of the body based on the same reference plane are not coplanar.   
     
     
         9 . The underwater robot according to  claim 8 , wherein the body has a first center axis along a length direction, and the vector thrusters on one side of a vertical plane where the first center axis is located are distributed on at least one side of a horizontal plane where the first center axis is located. 
     
     
         10 . The underwater robot according to  claim 8 , wherein two pairs of the propulsion devices are symmetrically arranged on the body;
 wherein center axes of one pair of the symmetrical vector thrusters are intersected at a first intersection point, and center axes of the other pair of the symmetrical vector thrusters are intersected at a second intersection point, wherein the first intersection point and the second intersection point are located at different sides of the body.   
     
     
         11 . The underwater robot according to  claim 10 , further comprising: at least one pair of second propulsion devices arranged on the body, wherein each of the second propulsion devices comprises a second thruster;
 wherein the second thruster is a horizontal or vertical thruster, and the first thruster and the second thruster on one side of the body supplies thrusts in different directions.   
     
     
         12 . The underwater robot according to  claim 11 , wherein the first propulsion device and the second propulsion device on one side of the body are respectively connected to the body via a first linkage and a second link, wherein the first linkage is longer than the second link. 
     
     
         13 . The underwater robot according to  claim 12 , wherein the body has a first center axis along a length direction, the first linkages are distributed on both sides of a horizontal plane where the first center axis is located, and the first links on different sides respectively form a first angle and a second angle with the horizontal plane where the first center axis is located. 
     
     
         14 . The underwater robot according to  claim 8 , wherein each of the first propulsion devices further comprises a bracket and a second thruster, the second thruster being a horizontal or vector thruster;
 wherein a first chamber and a second chamber are defined in the bracket, the first thruster is arranged in one of the first chamber and the second chamber, and the second thruster is arranged on the other of the first chamber and the second chamber.   
     
     
         15 . The underwater robot according to  claim 14 , wherein two pairs of the first propulsion devices are symmetrically arranged on the body;
 wherein in the case that the second thruster is a horizontal thruster, in two of the two pairs of the first propulsion devices that are symmetrically arranged, one first propulsion device, upon rotating 180 degrees about a center axis in a length direction, has a same propulsion direction as the other first propulsion device.   
     
     
         16 . The underwater robot according to  claim 14 , wherein a wiring channel is arranged in the bracket; and
 support structures respectively configured to support the first thruster and the second thruster are respectively arranged in the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein a wiring groove in communication with the wiring channel is defined in each of the support structures.   
     
     
         17 . The underwater robot according to  claim 14 , wherein establishing a direction vector of a center axis of the first thruster and a direction vector of a center axis of the second thruster based on the three-dimensional coordinate system, wherein an angle defined between the two direction vector satisfies 0°<α<90°. 
     
     
         18 . The underwater robot according to  claim 14 , wherein the second thruster is a vector thruster, and at least two horizontal thrusters are symmetrically arranged on the body. 
     
     
         19 . The underwater robot according to  claim 14 , wherein two pairs of the first propulsion devices are arranged on the body, and the body has a first center axis along a length direction and a second center axis along a width direction;
 wherein a horizontal plane where the first center axis is located, a vertical plane where the first center axis is located, and a vertical plane where the second center axis is located are intersected at a center point of the body to divide the body into eight regions, and four first thrusters and four second thrusters are distributed in the eight regions.   
     
     
         20 . The underwater robot according to  claim 14 , wherein mount recesses corresponding in quantity to the first propulsion devices are arranged on the body, and each of the first propulsion devices is secured into a corresponding mount recess via the bracket.