Smart buoyancy compensation devices

Abstract

Aquatic structures with adjustable buoyancy constructed in part with a vent valve for a buoyancy control device suitable for divers, where the vent valve may be opened by any combination of over-pressure, manual pressure relief or a powered means, where a force to a valve plug is applied by means of a spring that is constrained to prevent entirely lateral and angular movement but in which movement of the plug in the axis of the seat is unconstrained.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An aquaculture system comprising:
 a mechanical structure including a pen to contain aquatic life;   a buoyancy compensation bladder configured to receive air from a pressurized air supply as controlled by one or more valves, the buoyancy compensation bladder coupled to the mechanical structure;   the one or more valves configured to be controlled by a control unit, the one or more valves coupled to the pressurized air supply; and   the control unit attached to the mechanical structure, the control unit including:
 one or more sensors; 
 a processor; and 
 memory; 
   wherein the control unit is configured to control the one or more valves to control a volume of the buoyancy compensation bladder and the control unit determines to add or release air to or from the buoyancy compensation bladder based at least in part on one or more operation functions.   
     
     
         2 . The aquaculture system of  claim 1 , further comprising a vent valve configured to release air from the buoyancy compensation bladder, wherein the vent valve is coupled to the control unit. 
     
     
         3 . The aquaculture system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more operation functions includes controlling a descent to submerge the mechanical structure at a level determined based at least in part on the aquatic life contained in the pen. 
     
     
         4 . The aquaculture system of  claim 2 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the one or more valves and the vent valve to perform the one or more operation functions, and the one or more operation functions includes control an ascent, control a descent, perform a roll, and maintain a level hold of the mechanical structure. 
     
     
         5 . The aquaculture system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or move valves includes a main valve plug and an inner valve plug, and the main valve plug is configured to allow a first air flow, and the inner valve plug is configured to allow a second air flow that is less than the first air flow. 
     
     
         6 . The aquaculture system of  claim 1 , wherein the buoyancy compensation bladder comprises a rigid body. 
     
     
         7 . The aquaculture system of  claim 6 , further comprising an electric pump, wherein a buoyancy of the buoyancy compensation bladder is changed by using the electric pump for adding or removing water to an interior of the buoyancy compensation bladder. 
     
     
         8 . The aquaculture system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise means for detecting wave motion, and the control unit is configured to release air from the buoyancy compensation bladder in response to detecting a wave height above a threshold. 
     
     
         9 . An aquatic structure comprising:
 a buoyancy controller; and   memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the buoyancy controller to perform operations comprising:
 receiving data from one or more sensors; 
 receiving a first command to perform a controlled descent to a predetermined depth; 
 based at least in part on the first command, opening a first vent valve to release air from a first buoyancy compensation bladder; 
 determining that the aquatic structure is descending based at least in part on the data; 
 closing the first vent valve in response to determining that the aquatic structure is descending; 
 determining, based at least in part on the data, a difference between a depth level of the aquatic structure and a predetermined depth level; 
 determining that the difference is within a threshold depth level; 
 actuating, based at least in part on the difference being within the threshold depth level, an inflation valve to add air to the first buoyancy compensation bladder to maintain the aquatic structure within the threshold depth level; and 
 maintaining a depth of the aquatic structure at the predetermined depth. 
   
     
     
         10 . The aquatic structure of  claim 9 , wherein the aquatic structure includes a pen to contain aquatic life and the predetermined depth is based at least in part on at least one of a first type of the pen or a second type of the aquatic life. 
     
     
         11 . The aquatic structure of  claim 9 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving a second command to perform a roll function;   opening the inflation valve to add air to the first buoyancy compensation bladder;   opening a second vent valve to remove air from a second buoyancy compensation bladder; and   determining, based at least in part on the data, that the aquatic structure is rolling.   
     
     
         12 . The aquatic structure of  claim 11 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving a third command to perform a controlled ascent function;   based at least in part on the third command, opening the inflation valve to add air to the first buoyancy compensation bladder;   determining, based at least in part on the third command and the data, that the aquatic structure is ascending; and   closing the inflation valve.   
     
     
         13 . The aquatic structure of  claim 12 , the operations further comprising:
 maintaining the aquatic structure at the predetermined depth for a predetermined amount of time; and   after an elapse of the predetermined amount of time, performing the controlled ascent function.   
     
     
         14 . The aquatic structure of  claim 9 , in which the buoyancy controller is configured to perform operations to operate as one or more system functions including one or more of a harvest bag recovery system, a lobster pot retrieval system, a salvage operations system, a unexploded bomb removal system, a hanging fishing net system, a smart buoy aqua-forest, or a controlled fish pen system. 
     
     
         15 . A method to control an aquaculture system, the method comprising:
 receiving a first command to configure the aquaculture system to maintain a depth underwater within a threshold depth value of a predetermined depth, wherein the aquaculture system includes a pen for containing aquatic life, and wherein the predetermined depth is determined based at least in part on a type of the pen or the aquatic life;   receiving sensor data indicating a first current depth level underwater at a first time;   determining that the first current depth level is above the predetermined depth;   determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, that the aquaculture system is associated with a neutral buoyancy;   opening a first vent valve to release air from a buoyancy device of the aquaculture system;   determining an ascent rate of the aquaculture system is within a predetermined ascent rate;   closing the first vent valve; and   maintaining a depth of the aquaculture system at the predetermined depth.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein maintaining the depth further comprises:
 determining that a second current depth level at a second time after the first time is within a threshold level with respect to the predetermined depth; and   actuating, based at least in part on the second current depth level being within the threshold level, an inflation valve to add air into the buoyancy device.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 determining that the second current depth level is deeper than the threshold level below the predetermined depth; and   actuating the inflation valve to add additional air into the buoyancy device.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, the aquaculture system is associated with the neutral buoyancy at the predetermined depth;   determining, at a third time after the second time, that the aquaculture system is drifting downward; and   actuating the inflation valve to add additional air into the buoyancy device.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the buoyancy device is a first buoyancy device, and the method further comprising:
 receiving a second command to configure the aquaculture system to perform a roll function;   opening an inflation valve to add air to the first buoyancy device;   opening a second vent valve to remove air from a second buoyancy device; and   determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, that the aquaculture system is rolling.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving an indication that an air level of the aquaculture system is below an air threshold;   actuating an inflation valve to add a predetermined amount of air into the buoyancy device; and   transmitting a signal indicating that the air level of the aquaculture system is below the air threshold.