Core Technology
TBD
Key Features
| Technical aspect | Beacon Deployment | Conventional approach |
|---|---|---|
| Payload holding method | Held in place by suction in a sealed chamber. | Held by mechanical restraints such as latches, pins, or clamps. |
| Release trigger | Control electronics drive a valve and actuator to start release. | Often uses a mechanical latch release, motor drive, or push-out step. |
| Seal break mechanism | Valve opens to let water enter and break the suction seal. | Mechanical motion separates parts, or a spring forces separation. |
| Buoyancy compensation method | The chamber can fill with water as the payload leaves. | May use gas bladders, pumps, or separate ballast controls. |
| Chamber design | Includes dry space for electronics and a water-filled chamber for payload holding. | Varies |
| Payload orientation after landing | Payload can use a leg assembly to self-orient after deployment. | Payload may land in any orientation without self-leveling features. |
| Sealing components | May include O-rings on the chamber and/or payload. | Varies |
Technical Specifications
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Materials | Steel, stainless steel, aluminum, cast iron, titanium, alloys, CFRP, thermoplastics |
| Core functions | Vacuum-only payload retention, valve-admitted flooding release, passive buoyancy compensation, self-orienting payload option |
| Minimum deployment chamber elements | Electrical port, ≥1 valve, actuator, ≥1 actuator switch, electronics/circuitry, vacuum port, internal wet space, portal to external environment |
| Chamber partitioning | Dry space + water-filled chamber |
| Retention method | Suction (vacuum) only |
| Release method | Valve-controlled flooding to break vacuum seal |
| Valve types | Slide, spring, piston, Corliss, sleeve, ball |
| Seal assist options | O-ring on chamber and/or payload |
| Payload fit constraint | Additional free space < 10% of total portal volume (many embodiments) |
| Optional instrumentation | Pressure sensor (vacuum pressure) |
| Passive buoyancy compensation | Wet-space floods with surrounding water to replace lost payload weight (partial or full) |
| Buoyancy trim options | No buoyancy change or partial buoyancy change (design-selectable) |
| Mass mismatch correction options | Weights and/or flotation devices stored in carrier (optional) |
| Self-orienting payload elements | Leg assembly, leg attachment point(s), leg release mechanism |
| Leg release modes | Time-delayed, signal-triggered, dissolvable release |
| Supported platform types | AUV, ROV, UUV, glider, towed vehicle, surface craft, submarine, HOV |
| Carrier mounting | Integrated into hull or externally mounted |
| Vacuum source options | Onboard vacuum pump or external pump connection via vacuum line |
Applications
- Deploy beacons, markers, and light or strobe payloads to mark locations.
- Drop acoustic transmitters, acoustic transponders, and pingers for signaling.
- Place hydrophones on the seafloor for listening and network functions.
- Deploy sensors or sensor arrays, including pressure and seismic sensors.
- Set out acoustic modems or optical communication nodes for networking.
- Support underwater navigation and tracking using deployed network devices.
- Deploy cameras or samplers for local observation at a target site.
- Use on platforms including AUVs, ROVs, UUVs, gliders, and towed vehicles.
Development Status
TRL: 8
Beacon Deployment is a finished, fully integrated system for vacuum-held payload deployment with passive buoyancy compensation, including the carrier, chambers, valves, and controls. The system has been qualified through test and demonstration for its intended operational environment and platform.
Categories
- Impact Areas:
- Natural Resources, Ocean Discovery & Tech, Research & Innovation
- Technology Areas:
- Marine Robotics
