WO2010105846A2 - Dispositif submersible - Google Patents

Dispositif submersible Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2010105846A2
WO2010105846A2 PCT/EP2010/001747 EP2010001747W WO2010105846A2 WO 2010105846 A2 WO2010105846 A2 WO 2010105846A2 EP 2010001747 W EP2010001747 W EP 2010001747W WO 2010105846 A2 WO2010105846 A2 WO 2010105846A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
data
animal
balloon
trigger
inflator
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/EP2010/001747
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English (en)
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WO2010105846A3 (fr
Inventor
Peter Johannes Van Veldhuizen
Guido Everard Elisabeth Johannes Maria Van Den Thillart
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Universiteit Leiden
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Universiteit Leiden
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Publication date
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Publication of WO2010105846A2 publication Critical patent/WO2010105846A2/fr
Publication of WO2010105846A3 publication Critical patent/WO2010105846A3/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B22/00—Buoys
    • B63B22/04—Fixations or other anchoring arrangements
    • B63B22/08—Fixations or other anchoring arrangements having means to release or urge to the surface a buoy on submergence thereof, e.g. to mark location of a sunken object
    • B63B22/12—Fixations or other anchoring arrangements having means to release or urge to the surface a buoy on submergence thereof, e.g. to mark location of a sunken object the surfacing of the buoy being assisted by a gas released or generated on submergence of the buoy
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
    • A01K61/00—Culture of aquatic animals
    • A01K61/90—Sorting, grading, counting or marking live aquatic animals, e.g. sex determination

Definitions

  • the present disclosure relates to the field of submersible devices, and associated methods for using such devices.
  • Submersible devices such as underwater devices are known for use in tracking of animals underwater.
  • water such as sea water
  • sea water is known to shield and disturb radio waves transmitted by the underwater device, and therefore sea water interferes with signals that are transmitted from an underwater device to a receiver, for example a satellite.
  • "pop-up" tags have been developed that can be automatically released from an animal such that they resurface in order to communicate with a satellite without having to transmit radio waves through the water.
  • An example satellite with which such a device can communicate is the "Argos Worldwide Location and Data Collection System” that is dedicated to studying displacement of animals.
  • Known underwater devices including deep-sea pop-up tags are only available for tracking large marine animals (for example tuna, marlin, sharks).
  • Known pop-up tags are not suitable for fish that weigh less than 5 kg.
  • the buoyancy of these tags that is required to resurface the tag, and/or the water resistance due to the size of the tag, interferes with the animal's movement. Such interference can include the exertion of an upwards force on the fish, and also the water resistance (drag) due to swimming.
  • An example of a known underwater device is the "bumblebee" produced by Xeos Technologies Inc. which relies on a self-flooding release mechanism to cause the device to raise to the surface of the sea.
  • the bumblebee uses a mechanical device to pump water out of a compartment which reduces the average density of the device and causes the device to surface. With this method a lot of power is needed to gain buoyancy, as a pump has to be driven to pump out water.
  • the pump and the compartment that make up the buoyancy system are also relatively large in size and this means that the device cannot be used with small fish.
  • the pump cannot work at all depths since the amount of power required to empty a compartment of water at great depths is too great.
  • CONFIRMATION COPY more aspects/embodiments of the present disclosure may or may not address one or more of the background issues.
  • a submersible device comprising: a data recorder configured to record data; an inflator configured to raise the device towards the surface of liquid surrounding the device in use, wherein the inflator comprises a balloon that is inflatable by the gaseous product of a chemical reaction on experiencing/receiving a trigger; and an antenna configured to transmit the recorded data, or data derived from the recorded data, when the device is at the surface of the liquid.
  • a balloon can be any membrane or material that is suitable for receiving a gaseous product from a chemical reaction, thereby increasing the overall volume of the device.
  • the submersible device may be an underwater device or a device that is suitable for submersions in any liquid, including water.
  • An underwater device can enable near zero-buoyancy of the underwater device to be achieved, for example at depths of up to
  • Embodiments of the invention may be in contrast to "self-flooding" prior-art examples, which can require a certain degree of buoyancy of the device even when it is in a state of operation that is not to be raised to the surface of the water.
  • Providing near-zero buoyancy can enable a device to be provided that interferes less with an animal to which it is attached, and therefore can enable species of marine animals to be tagged and studied that were not possible before.
  • the device may further comprise a processor that can activate the chemical reaction when a preset triggering event is received/experienced.
  • the device may further comprise a radio transmitter configured to provide the antenna with data in order for the device to be capable of communicating with a satellite or any other receiver.
  • the data that is transmitted by the antenna may be derived from the recorded data in that it may represent the occurrence of an event signified by the recorded data, without necessarily transmitting the recorded data itself.
  • the recorded data may represent a count of events
  • the transmitted data represents that one or more events have taken place without providing details as to how many events.
  • the transmitted data may be derivatives of stored data such as averages over specified intervals.
  • the antenna may be configured to transmit data that is not related to the recorded data, such as location data for the device.
  • the antenna may be configured to also, or alternatively, transmit modified recorded data.
  • a small device can be achieved due to the inflator of embodiments of the present invention.
  • the inflator can occupy a smaller volume/physical space when it is in an un-inflated state than when it is in an inflated state. This can provide advantages in embodiments both where the device is for attaching to a marine animal, and also where the device is for attaching to stationary object such as a lobster pot/trap or an underwater cable.
  • the chemical reaction may be a reaction of a chemical with water.
  • the water may be receivable from inside the balloon or device, or may be water that is receivable from outside the balloon or device. If the water is received from outside the device, some form of pump, which may use a one-way valve may be provided so that the created gas is not able to leave the balloon. For example, a hole may be opened in a casing of the device by a mechanical component in order to let water in to perform the chemical reaction and then closed again to stop the gas escaping.
  • the chemical may be lithium aluminium hydride, which may be considered to produce the required amount of gas at some/all or any depths of operation.
  • the device may further comprise a releaser configured to release the device from a an animal on experiencing the trigger.
  • the device may comprise a releaser and a base, whereby the base is attached to the animal, and the releaser is releasably attached to the base. In this way, the releaser can be indirectly released from the animal by releasing the releaser from the base upon experiencing the trigger.
  • the data recorder, inflator and antenna may be associated with the releaser and not the base.
  • the inflator may also be configured as a releaser.
  • the data recorder may be configured to record environmental data, which may be local to the device, and in this way can be used to record data that can be used to study the natural behaviour of underwater animals, for example.
  • the device may be configured to be inserted within the body, for example the abdomen, of an animal.
  • the inflator may be configured to remove the device from the animal before the device is raised, for example by causing a region of the balloon that is exposed outside of the animal to be inflated.
  • the device may comprise a container, wherein the inflation of the balloon, or the receipt of any other trigger, can cause the device to be separated from the container such that the device (without the container) can rise to the surface of the liquid, and the container can remain within the animal.
  • the container may also be referred to as an additional housing. Such embodiments can reduce the likelihood of damaging an animal when the device is caused to rise to the surface of the water, and can cause the animal less distress when the inflator is inflated.
  • the additional housing can enable the device to be more easily inserted into, and removed from, the body of the animal.
  • the additional housing may comprise a membrane such that the container can move easily relative to the components of the device that are to be raised to the surface of the liquid. Such embodiments can also increase the resurfacing speed of the device.
  • the trigger may be experienced: after the expiry of a predetermined time; and/or upon a determination of the recorded data satisfying one or more criteria; and/or upon a determination that the device (or an animal associated with the device) has not changed position for a predetermined/preset time; and/or upon a determination that the pressure experienced by the device is in excess of a predetermined/preset value; and/or responsive to user input.
  • a device according to an embodiment of the invention can collect environmental data such as salinity, speed, depth and temperature information, and can be attached to an animal for behavioural study. In addition biological data can be recorded such as heart beat, muscle activity and ventilation beat.
  • the device Upon expiry of a timer, the device can release from the animal, which in some embodiments comprises a release from its base that remains attached to the animal, and resurface from the ocean depths and transmit the collected data to a satellite.
  • a submersible device comprising: an inflator configured to raise the device towards the surface of liquid surrounding the device, wherein the inflator comprises a balloon that is inflatable by the gaseous product of a chemical reaction activated by one or more triggers, such as preset triggers.
  • a method of operating a submersible device comprising: recording data; inflating a balloon with the gaseous product of a chemical reaction on experiencing/being activated by a trigger in order to raise the device towards the surface of liquid surrounding the device, in use; and transmitting the recorded data, or data derived from the recorded data, when the device is at the surface of the liquid.
  • the method may further comprise releasing the device from an animal, which may comprise releasing the device from a base attached to an animal, which can be upon experiencing/ being activated by the one or more (preset) triggers.
  • the method may further comprise removing the device from the body of the animal before the device is raised towards the surface of the surrounding liquid.
  • the method may further comprise raising an object to which the device is attached towards the surface of the surrounding liquid/water.
  • an object can include a lobster trap/pot when the recorded data provides an indication that the trap/pot is full, and an underwater cable when the recorded data provides an indication that the cable is faulty or otherwise requires attention.
  • the inflator may be considered as an invention in its own right independent of data recordal/acquisition and transmission.
  • the device may be used to raise objects from underwater without necessarily recording data and transmitting data.
  • Figure 1 illustrates a device according to an embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 2 illustrates the device of Figure 1 after inflation
  • Figure 3 illustrates a balloon and antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 4 illustrates schematically a method according to an embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 5 illustrates an eel and a device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • One or more embodiments of a submersible device, including an underwater device, described herein use one or more gaseous products of a chemical reaction to increase the total volume of the device, thereby increasing its buoyancy and causing the device to raise to the surface of the water.
  • the total volume of the device may be increased by inflating a balloon or membrane with a gas that is produced by a chemical reaction.
  • One or more embodiments described herein can enable an underwater device with zero/neutral buoyancy to be provided before the volume of the device is increased for resurfacing.
  • Such a device can provide less interference to the natural behaviour of an animal to which it is fitted because the device will not exert an upward force on the animal.
  • the amount of drag caused by the device can be reduced because it may be possible to provide smaller devices than the prior art, which require sufficient size in order to provide adequate buoyancy.
  • Prior art devices are known to use a ball of foam to control buoyancy, which may not be required for embodiments of the invention.
  • the smaller devices of embodiments of the claimed invention can be suitable for use with smaller fish than prior art devices. This may be due to the reduced size and/or the lower water resistance provided by embodiments of the invention, and can be contributed towards by replacing the foam ball floatation method of the prior art with embodiments of the invention, which can reduce the girth of the device/tag.
  • the underwater device can be inserted within the body of an animal, for example the abdomen, interference between the device and the animal's environment can be further reduced.
  • inflation of the balloon can be used to release the device from the animal.
  • One or more underwater devices described herein can enable studies to be made of species of animals that could not be tagged before.
  • European, American and Japanese eel, baby tuna, Pacific horse mackerel and other smaller pelagic fish can be fitted with an underwater device according to the present invention, whereas prior art underwater devices are not suitable for such animals.
  • Advantages of the invention can be considered to be provided due to one or more of: neutral, or near-zero, buoyancy of the underwater device; the low weight of the device and/or low water resistance compared with the prior art; and the features of the "pop-up" or inflator components.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an underwater device 100 according to an embodiment of the invention.
  • the device 100 has an outer casing 114 and comprises an inflator 102, which is connected to a balloon 104 such that the inflator 102 can inflate the balloon 104 on experiencing a trigger.
  • Experiencing a trigger may comprise receiving a trigger signal from another component of the device 100, or otherwise be subjected to a trigger, as is described in more detail below.
  • the device 100 shown in Figure 1 shows the device 100 in a first operating condition, which is before the balloon 104 has been inflated. This is the state of the device when it is attached to a marine animal.
  • Figure 2 illustrates the device 100 in a second state of operation, after the balloon 104 has been inflated following receipt of the trigger. Examples of a trigger will be described in more detail below, and may be considered as receipt of an electronic or mechanical signal upon determination of a predetermined event.
  • the predetermined event may be the expiry of a time period, or a determination that the device has reached a pre-determined depth, or user activation of a remote control, as non-limiting examples.
  • the inflator 102 is configured to perform a chemical reaction in order to generate a gaseous product that is used to inflate the balloon 104.
  • the balloon 104 is inflated outside of the casing 114 of the device 100 in order to increase the overall volume of the device 100, which may not increase the weight of the device, and therefore will increase the up-thrust on the device 100 and cause the device 100 to move towards the surface of the water.
  • the inflator 102 may be arranged such that it causes the balloon 104 to inflate after the device 100 has been released from an animal, for which a separate release component/releaser 116 may be provided.
  • the inflation 104 may itself cause the device to be released from an animal.
  • the device 100 may be arranged such that it is not released from a component to which it is attached before inflation, and such embodiments may be useful in raising lobster traps, ocean cables for repair, or even to resurface a ship, as non-limiting examples.
  • the chemical reaction performed by the inflator is a reaction between lithium aluminium hydride and water, which has been found to be an efficient gas forming reaction, and can result in an 800 fold volume increase at 1 bar.
  • the lithium aluminium hydride chemical is held in a chemical holder that is exposed to water, or water vapour, when a trigger is received indicative of the fact that for the chemical reaction is desired to take place.
  • An example of the inflator 102 is a pop-up system based on a chemical reaction producing a fixed amount of gas that fills a balloon which will pull the device/tag upwards and will stabilize the antenna on the surface.
  • the gas can be captured in a membrane/balloon, which may have an antenna printed onto it, or otherwise surrounded by the antenna.
  • the gas is 200 fold compressed at 2000 meters depth and will expand while rising in the water, thereby creating more and more buoyancy. Therefore, a much larger volume will be needed at a pressure of 1 atmosphere than at 200 atmospheres (for example expanding from 20 milliliters at 200 atmospheres to 4 liters at 1 atmosphere).
  • the larger volume of the balloon at the surface of the water can provide the advantage of a very stable vertical antenna position. This can allow more efficient data transmission in satellite communication.
  • the device 100 also includes a data recorder 106 that is in communication with one or more sensors 108.
  • the sensors 108 can be arranged to provide data representative of one or more environmental conditions such as temperature, depth, light, and/or biological data such as swim speed, heart beat, muscle activity and ventilation frequency.
  • the data recorder 106 can store the data received from the sensors 108 for subsequent transmission when the device 100 has been resurfaced and can transmit data to a receiver such as a satellite.
  • the data recorder 106 may be in communication with the transmitter 110 to provide the transmitter 110 with the data to be transmitted to a satellite.
  • the transmitter 110 is in turn in communication with an antenna 112 for transmission.
  • the transmitter 110 may be a satellite transmitter, such as a platform transmission terminal (PTT), for use with the Argos system.
  • PTT platform transmission terminal
  • the transmitter 110 must be licensed and programmed with specific software.
  • the communications costs may depend on the type of data transfer and the number of transmitters.
  • the device 100 may be configured for use by attachment to the skin (that is an external surface) of an animal.
  • the device may have a hook or other releasable attachment component 116 that can be attached to an animal.
  • the hook may be releasable upon receipt of a trigger signal, whereby the trigger signal can be indicative of the expiry of a predetermined time.
  • a small zinc bar may join the hook and the device, whereby the zinc bar is caused to corrode when an electrical current is passed through it.
  • the electrical current may be considered to be the trigger event, or may be caused by a trigger event.
  • the device 100 can be configured to be located within the body of an animal, such as an eel, when it is in an un-inflated state of use.
  • the hydrodynamic resistance can be reduced by inserting the tag/device 100 in the abdomen of an eel.
  • the front part of an eel typically keeps straight when swimming long distances, and therefore insertion of the device towards the front of the eel can be considered as not significantly interfering with its natural behavior.
  • a timed release system has to be developed such that the animal is not damaged.
  • a possible solution is to leave a small piece of the tag/device 100 protruding from the skin of the animal, such that the protrusion fits in a shallow groove of the skin. At the moment of release, the gas pressure caused by the chemical reaction can push the tag out of the abdomen.
  • the inflator when the inflator is activated, it can also be configured to release an antibiotic at the opening in the animal's skin to aid the healing of the animal.
  • the antibiotic may be stored within a small membrane which can break upon expansion of the balloon and can help the healing process of the eel.
  • the device is located within the body of an animal, it may be possible to record additional data, such as heart rate and motility of the animal during the journey from when the device is fitted until release.
  • a corrodible zinc bar can be provided as part of the inflator 102, such that a "hole" is created through which the water can be supplied in order for the chemical reaction to take place.
  • a relatively small hole can ensure that a controlled reaction takes place, and this can be advantageous to slowly draw the tag/device 100 out from within the eel.
  • the device 100 will also comprise a battery according to some embodiments, and a nano-scale battery may be used.
  • the device 100 may be configured to generate electricity from the movement of the device relative to the water or from any other environmental conditions to which the device is exposed. In this way, the battery life and/or power efficiency of the device may be improved.
  • Figure 2 illustrates the device 100 of Figure 1 after the balloon 104 has been inflated and the device 100 has been raised to the surface of the water.
  • the balloon 100 is round or elliptical in shape, although any shape of balloon is possible.
  • Round or elliptical balloons can enable the antenna 112 to be provided in a desired location above the water for data transmission to a satellite.
  • the antenna can be printed on the surface of the balloon.
  • a round shaped balloon can ensure correct antenna orientation with a whip antenna.
  • a printed antenna can work optimally if it can be designed as a flat square surface, and therefore the balloon can be designed so that it complies with the designed antenna.
  • a balloon that is shaped more like a flat square (for example a cuboid with a small height) or with a trapezoidal cross-section can be a preferred shape with preferred antenna designs. Also, such balloon shapes can be less influenced by winds.
  • One example use of the underwater device (100) is to track eels, such as the European eel (Anguilla anguilla), American eel ⁇ Anguilla rostrata) and Japanese eel ⁇ Anguilla japonica).
  • eels such as the European eel (Anguilla anguilla), American eel ⁇ Anguilla rostrata) and Japanese eel ⁇ Anguilla japonica).
  • eels have an expected migration route whereby the ocean temperature varies from about 1O 0 C to 23°C, or 5 0 C to 35°C.
  • the balloon 104 is designed such that a 30 0 C increase in temperature will increase the diameter of the balloon from 216 mm to about 224 mm, which can result in an acceptable amount of extra strain being placed on the balloon, without damaging the balloon 104.
  • the underwater device can have a carbon fibre casing 114.
  • the carbon fibre casing can be generated by "spinning" carbon fibre around the electronic components, such as the data sensors.
  • a spun carbon fibre casing can provide good strength properties, and as the casing would be comprise a single piece of carbon fibre, a stronger protection against pressure could be obtained, that may be able to withstand pressures of up to 200 bar, for example.
  • An example carbon fibre casing may have a thickness of about 2 millimeters in order to obtain pressure protection against 200 bars, which may be considered as a maximum depth of use.
  • Epoxy filling may not be required for an embodiment of the invention, and this can provide an advantage over the prior art as the average density of the device can be kept close to the density of water.
  • a calculation of the required size of the device to obtain near zero buoyancy may be quite simple, whereby the size, including the length, of the casing can be adjusted in order to adjust the overall buoyancy of the device. For example, if a little less average density is required, then the casing can be made a little bit longer to occupy a greater volume.
  • holes may be present at the top and bottom of the carbon-fibre casing due to the process of wrapping/spinning the carbon fibre.
  • Caps can be made to cover these holes, and one or more wires can be integrated in the caps.
  • Example wires that can be integrated into the caps can include the antenna and a wire to the corrosive material that can be used to release the device and/or initiate the chemical reaction.
  • the balloon 104 can be glued, or otherwise attached, to the casing 114 of the device 100.
  • the balloon 104 may be glued to the "wet" resin at the end of the carbon fibre casing 114 during manufacture of the casing 114, such as after a carbon fibre "spinning" operation.
  • the carbon fibre casing can be specifically designed and made for certain applications.
  • the dimensions, including the thickness, of the carbon fibre can be set in accordance with the expected depth of use of the device, and can be determined empirically.
  • the antenna 1 12 is associated with the balloon 104 in order to be able to communicate with a satellite after the balloon has been inflated.
  • the antenna 112 can be integrated with the balloon 104, and such an embodiment is illustrated as Figure 3. In other embodiments any known antenna can be used.
  • Figure 3a illustrates in cross section a region of a balloon 300 according to an embodiment of the invention
  • Figure 3b illustrates a perspective view of a region of a balloon.
  • the balloon can be made of nylon sheet, coated on one side with polyethylene and metalized on the other side by an aluminium alloy.
  • the balloon 300 comprises an aluminium foil layer 302 with an insulating layer 304 provided on the outside of the aluminium foil 302 and a second insulating layer 306 provided on the inside of the aluminium foil layer 302. Coupled to the outside of the first insulating layer 304 is a substrate 308 that provides the antenna. Two feed lines 310 are provided to the substrate 308 through the first insulating layer 304, the aluminium foil layer 302 and the second insulating layer 306. The feed wires 310 are insulated wires and provide electronic communication between the substrate 308 on the outside of the balloon and the transmitter on the inside of the balloon as illustrated in Figure 1.
  • the aluminium foil layer 302 provides a ground connection 312. It will be appreciated that providing an antenna in this way can enable an effective antenna, with reduced power consumption for transmission, to be realised. This may be because the antenna can be designed to transmit a signal with good or optimal polarisation and directivity. Whereas currently used antenna mismatch the polarisation of signals received from a receiving Argos satellite and directivity can be far from optimal.
  • the antenna can be printed onto the surface of the balloon.
  • Figure 4 illustrates schematically a process flow of a method according to an embodiment of the invention.
  • the method can begin at optional step 402 by recording data.
  • a device according to some embodiments of the invention is configured to record environmental data periodically or constantly while the device is connected to a marine animal.
  • the underwater device may be used to raise objects to the surface of the water, such as lobster pots, and therefore recording of data at step 402 may not be required.
  • a trigger is received.
  • the trigger may be an electrical signal that is generated automatically after expiry of a time, when an associated device reaches a predetermined depth or temperature, or at any other predetermined moment in time.
  • the trigger may be received responsive to user input, such as by user activation of a remote control. Such an example may be suitable for raising an underwater cable for repair when it is determined that the cable is faulty.
  • the device may be released at step 406. It may be appropriate to release the device from a marine animal before the subsequent step of inflation in some embodiments, whereas for embodiments such as raising lobster pots or underwater cables, release may not be necessary.
  • the device is inflated. It will be appreciated that inflation of the device causes the total volume of the device to be increased, thereby increasing the buoyancy of the device, thereby causing the device to rise towards the surface of the water. In this embodiment, inflation is caused by the initiation of a chemical reaction that produces one or more gases. The one or more gases can- be used to inflate a balloon to increase the volume of the device.
  • the recorded data if there is any, is transmitted at step 410.
  • the device can be used to acquire/record data and subsequently transmit that data even if it is not designed to be associated with an animal.
  • a lobster trap can be provided with a data sensor that can record data indicative of how full the lobster trap is.
  • the data sensor can be used to provide a trigger for resurfacing/raising the device when the data sensor records information indicative that the trap is full.
  • the device and associated lobster trap reached the surface, it can be configured to transmit the recorded data indicative that the lobster trap is full, or data derived from the recorded data.
  • the device may be configured to automatically resurface, that is generate a trigger for the inflator, if the recorded data is indicative of at least one lobster being in the lobster trap and the time is between 9:00am and 2:00pm, or any other time that may be convenient for a fisherman to collect the lobster trap.
  • a signal may be transmitted from the antenna to the fisherman, either directly or indirectly via a satellite to provide an indication that the lobster trap has been resurfaced.
  • the transmitted data may be derived from the recorded data, and not necessarily the recorded data itself.
  • the device may transmit a signal that indicated that lobster have been caught, but not how many. In this way, a fisherman can efficiently collect lobster from traps that have caught lobster, and optionally reset the device, or replace the device before resetting the lobster trap.
  • the device may also transmit data indicative of the location of the device, and in this way a preferred location to place lobster traps can be determined and/or preferred conditions for catching lobster can be determined from environmental data that has been recorded by the device and optionally transmitted from the device.
  • the device may be configured to transmit data that is not associated with the recorded data, such as location information including GPS data, time data, etc.
  • Example data that can be transmitted by a device can include distress signals such as signals generated by emergency position-indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs) in order to help rescue people at sea.
  • EIRBs emergency position-indicating radio beacons
  • the device could be used to transmit very high frequency (VHF) signals for target positioning, such as for use as a homing beacon.
  • VHF very high frequency
  • data sensors of a device can be associated with underwater cables, and the data sensors can detect flaws in cables. In this way, the cables can be automatically resurfaced when such flaws are detected.
  • the device may be configured to transmit data representative of the identified flaws when it reaches the surface of the water.
  • a small current is provided to corrode away a thin layer of metal from a compartment 502 housing the chemical (LJAIH4) thereby providing access to the compartment 502 for water and/or water vapour. This will allow the chemical to react with water that is already present in the balloon 504.
  • Direct contact between the chemical and the water may not be necessary since the chemical will also react with water in a gaseous state.
  • a direct full contact of UAIH4 and water may be avoided in some embodiments so that the reaction will be slow, and this can help maintain the health of the eel. Inflating the balloon too quickly, especially when the device is located within the body of the eel, can damage the eel.
  • a small balloon part 504' of the tag will stick out of the eel 530 the whole time, that is when the device is in an un-inflated state. This can ensure that the balloon will be inflated outside the eel. It can also ensure that the skin of the eel will not be stretched by the growing size of the balloon.
  • a small flexible membrane can be filled with an antibiotic and associated with the tag. If the antibiotic membrane is put over the last fold of the balloon, it can break when the tag is pulled out by the eel, thereby improving the chances of the eel ' continuing its journey in good health.
  • providing a device that is located within the body of the eel can be considered as less distressful for the animal than devices that are located on the outside of the eel, such as those that are attached to the eel's skin.
  • the current can also corrode away a wire that attaches the device to the eel in order to automatically release the device from the eel.
  • the balloon will then inflate slowly, and resurface. When the balloon has surfaced it will be under one bar of pressure and fully inflated.
  • a small switch/sensor can be used to detect resurfacing, and when the switch identifies that it is not submerged in water, in some embodiments it can allow/causing data transmission to a satellite to take place.
  • the device can be programmed to send data when the pressure is one bar, or some other predetermined value, after a release has taken place.
  • the device can send data bursts to the Argos satellite, or to any other receiver at predetermined time intervals. These data can be accessed by one or more users over the internet for example.
  • Embodiments of the invention can work at any depth, and may not require more power for use in deeper waters in contrast to the prior art. It may be possible just to use more chemical for the reaction in order to create the required buoyancy at deeper water and/or for resurfacing larger objects. It will be appreciated that more gas may be required at deeper waters due to the extra pressure that is present in the water, and that the generated gas will be compressed more at greater depths.

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Zoology (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Marine Sciences & Fisheries (AREA)
  • Animal Husbandry (AREA)
  • Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Arrangements For Transmission Of Measured Signals (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)
  • Sampling And Sample Adjustment (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un dispositif submersible (100 ; 500) comprenant un dispositif d'enregistrement de données (106) conçu pour enregistrer des données et un gonfleur (102). Le gonfleur (102) est conçu pour remonter le dispositif (100 ; 500) vers la surface d'un liquide entourant le dispositif lors de son utilisation. Le gonfleur (102) comprend un ballon (104 ; 504) qui peut être gonflé par le produit gazeux issu d'une réaction chimique déclenchée. Le dispositif (100 ; 500) comprend également une antenne (112) conçu pour transmettre les données enregistrées au moment où le dispositif (100 ; 500) est à la surface du liquide environnant.
PCT/EP2010/001747 2009-03-19 2010-03-19 Dispositif submersible Ceased WO2010105846A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0904711.9 2009-03-19
GBGB0904711.9A GB0904711D0 (en) 2009-03-19 2009-03-19 Submersible device

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2010105846A2 true WO2010105846A2 (fr) 2010-09-23
WO2010105846A3 WO2010105846A3 (fr) 2010-11-25

Family

ID=40639795

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2010/001747 Ceased WO2010105846A2 (fr) 2009-03-19 2010-03-19 Dispositif submersible

Country Status (2)

Country Link
GB (1) GB0904711D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO2010105846A2 (fr)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2575285A3 (fr) * 2011-09-28 2013-04-24 Fujitsu Technology Solutions Intellectual Property GmbH Centre de calcul maritime et procédé de fonctionnement
US20150181847A1 (en) * 2013-12-30 2015-07-02 Taref Moneif ALSHAMMARI Fishing capsules
WO2021101952A1 (fr) * 2019-11-19 2021-05-27 Battelle Memorial Institute Dispositifs de surveillance d'organismes aquatiques et procédés de surveillance associés
US20220361460A1 (en) * 2021-05-17 2022-11-17 Battelle Memorial Institute Organism Monitoring Devices and Organism Monitoring Methods
CN117169940A (zh) * 2023-11-03 2023-12-05 中国科学院精密测量科学与技术创新研究院 一种子母式水生动物定位与生境获取装置及其使用方法

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB8723034D0 (en) * 1987-10-01 1988-03-23 Dowty Maritime Systems Ltd Gas generating devices
US20040220856A1 (en) * 2003-04-16 2004-11-04 Moore Jeffrey Robert Method of doing business that encourages the release of fish caught by anglers
US7496002B2 (en) * 2005-08-03 2009-02-24 Nekton Research Llc Water submersible electronics assembly and methods of use

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
None

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2575285A3 (fr) * 2011-09-28 2013-04-24 Fujitsu Technology Solutions Intellectual Property GmbH Centre de calcul maritime et procédé de fonctionnement
US20150181847A1 (en) * 2013-12-30 2015-07-02 Taref Moneif ALSHAMMARI Fishing capsules
US9301512B2 (en) * 2013-12-30 2016-04-05 Taref Moneif ALSHAMMARI Fishing capsules
WO2021101952A1 (fr) * 2019-11-19 2021-05-27 Battelle Memorial Institute Dispositifs de surveillance d'organismes aquatiques et procédés de surveillance associés
US12099048B2 (en) 2019-11-19 2024-09-24 Battelle Memorial Institute Aquatic organism monitoring devices and aquatic organism monitoring methods
US20220361460A1 (en) * 2021-05-17 2022-11-17 Battelle Memorial Institute Organism Monitoring Devices and Organism Monitoring Methods
CN117169940A (zh) * 2023-11-03 2023-12-05 中国科学院精密测量科学与技术创新研究院 一种子母式水生动物定位与生境获取装置及其使用方法
CN117169940B (zh) * 2023-11-03 2024-02-27 中国科学院精密测量科学与技术创新研究院 一种子母式水生动物定位与生境获取装置及其使用方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0904711D0 (en) 2009-05-06
WO2010105846A3 (fr) 2010-11-25

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