SUBMARINE DRONE FOR CARRYING A BARREL STAVE-TYPE TRANSDUCER ARRAY

Abstract

A submarine drone has special hydrodynamic performance features for operag as a moving underwater platform for underwater transport of a barrel stave type sonar receiving transducer and a pole type sonar transmitting transducer with highly precise vertical alignment. The body of the submarine comprises a generally spherical pressure hull for containing propulsion plant and electronic components. The barrel stave transducer is affixed about the upper half of the pressure hull. An acoustically transparent false wall forms a spherical hydrodynamic wall over the pressure vessel and transducer. The false wall also forms a tail cone projecting from the rear side of the submarine. The tail cone contains an annular channel which takes in boundary layer water from the spherical portion of hydrodynamic wall and conducts it back to a pump jet at the extreme rear of the tail cone. A fixed tail boom emerges from the center of the pump jet structure and extends rearwardly. Cruciform control surfaces append from the tail boom. The pole transducer projects from the top of the spherical body and has a freely pivoting fairing made of acoustically transparent material thereabout.

Source: Google Patents

35 USC §181 Secrecy Order

Inventor

• 1HENRY T. YERBY

Technology Domains

Click a domain to browse all patents in this category.