深水环境大坝水下检测潜水器定位方法研究进展

Research progress on positioning methods of submersibles for underwater detection of dams in the deepwater environment

我国是世界坝工大国,是世界上高坝大库最多、发展最快的国家.欧美多个国家发生过因水下结构隐患诱发的高坝大库溃决事故或险情事件,相关经验及教训表明深水检测与修补加固技术及装备对保障高坝大库长期安全运行具有重要意义.由于高坝结构的复杂性以及水库环境的特殊性,深水环境下的传统水下探测主要由水下无人潜水器搭载光学或声学设备实施.“十三五”期间国家重点研发计划专门立项研发了适应大坝深水环境的载人潜水器,实现了将行业专家带至水下开展现场检查.这两种水下检测技术及装备是实现深水环境下大坝水下结构检测与修补加固作业的有效手段,水下精确定位技术则是无人潜水器与载人潜水器完成深水环境水下各种复杂任务的前提.本文首先对现有的潜水器水下定位技术与方法进行总结,根据工作原理将水下定位方法分为惯性导航、光学、声学及其他手段四大类,并分析了各种定位方法的优缺点.同时结合高坝大库深水环境的复杂性,从安全保障、装备研发、经济效益等方面对不同水下定位技术进行适应性分析,并提出了深水环境大坝检测潜水器水下作业定位精度的发展趋势,即采用声学超短基线装置、浮标、惯性定位与物理标定等组合方式进行水下定位,将各种导航方式进行合理组合、互相补足,以提高定位精度和可靠性.

China has the largest number of high dams and large reservoirs and the fastest dam construction rate in the world.Many countries in Europe and America have experienced high dam and large reservoir collapse accidents or disasters caused by hidden dangers of underwater structures.Relevant experience and lessons have shown that deepwater detection,repair and reinforcement technologies,and equipment are vital for the long-term safe operation of high dams and large reservoirs.Traditional underwater detection in deepwater environments is mainly implemented by underwater unmanned submersibles equipped with optical or acoustic equipment because of the complexity of high dam structures and the particularity of reservoir environments.During the 13th Five-Year Plan period,the National Key R&D Program approved and developed a manned submersible that is suitable for the deepwater environment of dams and capable of carrying experts in the dam engineering field to the deepwater environment for on-site inspection.These two underwater detection technologies and equipment are effective technologies in detecting,repairing,and reinforcing dam structures in deepwater environments,and underwater precise positioning technology is required for unmanned and manned submersibles to complete various complex underwater tasks in deepwater.First,this paper summarizes existing underwater positioning technologies and methods of unmanned submersibles.According to the principle,underwater positioning methods are divided into four categories:inertial navigation,optics,acoustics,and other methods,and the advantages and disadvantages of the various positioning methods are analyzed.Furthermore,the adaptability of different underwater positioning technologies,in addition to the complexity of the deepwater environment of high dams,is analyzed from the perspectives of safety guarantee,equipment research and development,economic benefits,etc.The use of acoustic ultra-short baseline devices,buoys,inertial positioning,and physical calibration for underwater positioning is proposed as a development trend for improving the positioning accuracy of the underwater operation of dam detection submersibles in deepwater environments.Various underwater positioning and navigation modes were rationally combined and supplemented to improve the accuracy and reliability of underwater positioning.