A bladder system for a submersible

Abstract

The ballast tank ( 65 ) is a cylindrical pressure chamber ( 86 ) with an end cap ( 81 ) that has a central opening for receiving and connecting to the venting input ( 67 ) from the pump system ( 66 ) and the venting path ( 68 ) to the outlet ( 70 ) that vents with the outside environment to the submersible. The ballast tank includes a rubber bladder ( 85 ) within the solid pressure chamber ( 86 ) that is fed by a manifold ( 83 ) leading from the end cap ( 81 ) opening and feeds through spaced holes into the bladder at spaced distances. This ensures a constant pressure buildup or release of the whole bladder rather than distorted expansion or reduction. Generally, pumps are notorious for being strong in one direction but not in the other. Further there is substantial weight and size limitation in submersibles of the size of less than 5 meters. A novel solution to this problem is to use a one-way pump with a switching valve system. More particularly it is to use a diaphragm pump ( 71 ) in a one-way operation with a switching flow operation system. In this way the pump ( 71 ) provides pressure control on both sides of the pump and valve system ( 66 ) and operates as strongly with flow in one direction as with flow in the opposite direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bladder system for a submersible having an elongated body substantially 1 to 5 meters long, the bladder system for providing ballast for the submersible comprising:
 a. a bladder mountable in the body of the submersible;   b. a venting pathway connecting between the bladder and external of the submersible body;   c. a ballast control for controlling the venting in the venting pathway between the bladder and external of the submersible body; and   d. a power system for powering the ballast control;   wherein the ballast control uses at least one controllable directional one-way pump.   
     
     
         2 . A bladder system for a submersible according to  claim 1  wherein the ballast control includes at least one switching valve fluidly connected to the one-way pump for switching flow direction in the venting pathway. 
     
     
         3 . A bladder system for a submersible according to  claim 2  wherein the ballast control includes a set of a plurality of switching valves wherein the set of switching valves work together to resist pressure equally on either side. 
     
     
         4 . A bladder system for a submersible according to  claim 3  wherein the ballast control includes a set of four switching valves fluidly connected to the one-way pump. 
     
     
         5 . A bladder system for a submersible according to  claim 1  wherein the set of four of the at least one switching valves is arranged to form two input switching valves on an input side of the one-way pump and two output switching valves on an output side of the one-way pump;
 wherein a first of the input switching valves fluidly connects to the venting pathway leading to external of the submersible body and a second of the input switching valves fluidly connects to the venting pathway leading to the bladder; and 
 wherein a first of the output switching valves fluidly connects to the venting pathway leading to external of the submersible body and a second of the output switching valves fluidly connects to the venting pathway leading to the bladder; and 
 whereby the control of input switching valves to have either the first or second input switching valve open and the other closed and thereby feed from either the bladder or external to the input of the one-way pump; 
 to simultaneously control of input switching valves to have either the first or second output switching valve open and the other closed and thereby feed from the output of the one-way pump to the other of the bladder or external. 
 
     
     
         6 . A bladder system for a submersible according to  claim 1  wherein the pump is a diaphragm pump. 
     
     
         7 . A bladder system for a submersible according to  claim 1  wherein the switching valve is a ball valve. 
     
     
         8 . A bladder system for a submersible according to  claim 1  wherein the control of ballast uses a pressure sensing of the water in the bladder, whereby the actual flow of water in the venting between the bladder and external of the submersible body is precisely determined. 
     
     
         9 . A bladder system according to  claim 1  wherein the bladder includes an inner expandable bladder. 
     
     
         10 . A bladder system for a submersible according to  claim 1  wherein the bladder operates in the range greater than 36 psi. 
     
     
         11 . A bladder system for a submersible according to  claim 1  wherein the bladder operates substantially in the range from 36 psi to 100 psi. 
     
     
         12 . A bladder system for a submersible according to  claim 1  wherein elongated body with a hydrodynamic effective shape includes a first and a second opposing substantially conical head and a main cylindrical central part therebetween and aligned along a common elongated axis to allow the hydrodynamic effective shape for travel in at least two opposing directions. 
     
     
         13 . A bladder system for a submersible according to  claim 1  wherein the main cylindrical central part and the first and the second opposing substantially conical heads are detachable and replaceable. 
     
     
         14 . A bladder system for a submersible according to  claim 1  wherein the main cylindrical part can be replaced by a differing length main cylindrical part and attached to the first and the second opposing substantially conical heads. 
     
     
         15 . A submersible having an elongated body substantially 1 to 5 meters long, the submersible including a bladder system for providing ballast for the submersible comprising:
 a. a bladder mountable in the body of the submersible;   b. a venting pathway connecting between the bladder and external of the submersible body;   c. a ballast control for controlling the venting in the venting pathway between the bladder and external of the submersible body; and   d. a power system for powering the ballast control;   wherein the ballast control uses at least one controllable directional one-way pump.   
     
     
         16 . A submersible according to  claim 15  wherein the ballast control uses at least one controllable directional one-way pump. 
     
     
         17 . A submersible according to  claim 16  wherein the main cylindrical central part or the differing length main cylindrical central part can include one or more of:
 a. batteries; 
 b. ballast; 
 c. motors; 
 d. electronics 
 e. data and power connections; and 
 f. other payloads. 
 
     
     
         18 . A submersible according to  claim 15  wherein the elongated body is substantially elliptical with a 1- to 1.5-metre major axis and a 0.3- to 0.5-metre minor axis. 
     
     
         19 . A submersible according to  claim 15  wherein the power system for allowing the controllable driving of the submersible body is a 3 degree of freedom maneuvering system, where it can move in the at least two opposing directions along the axis of the elongated shape, up and down, left and right. 
     
     
         20 . A submersible according to  claim 15  wherein the power system includes two side thrusters on either side of the elongated body and a top thruster on a top surface. 
     
     
         21 . A submersible according to  claim 20  wherein the top thrusters of the power system on the top side of the elongated body include 2 motors spinning in opposite directions to counter the angular momentum of each single motor. 
     
     
         22 . A submersible according to  claim 21  wherein the two side thrusters of the power system on either side of the elongated body are under the center of gravity plane, wherein the probe is maintained stable during maneuvering.