Subsurface marine battery pack
View Patent ↗A subsurface battery system includes a ballast mass at the seafloor, a deep-sea electronics module, having an interface to seafloor payloads, and a subsurface buoyant pressure vessel having a battery. The ballast mass is attached to the deep-sea electronics module. The deep-sea electronics module is connected to the battery. The subsurface buoyant pressure vessel is submerged to a water depth of approximately 50 meters to 500 meters. The system is used for powering the seafloor payloads.
1. A subsurface battery system for powering seafloor payloads in marine environments, comprising:
a subsurface buoyant pressure vessel having a compartment including a battery;
a deep-sea electronics module, the deep-sea electronics module including an interface to the seafloor payloads, the deep-sea electronics module being connected to the battery by a tension leg mooring tether; and
a ballast mass attached to the deep-sea electronics module by a mooring cable.
2. The subsurface battery system of claim 1 further comprising a surface buoy coupled to the subsurface buoyant pressure vessel by a surface umbilical tether.
3. The subsurface battery system of claim 2 wherein the surface buoy includes an equipment platform having communications equipment or sensors.
4. The subsurface battery system of claim 2 wherein the surface umbilical tether includes floats and weights.
5. The subsurface battery system of claim 1 further comprising a remote release module for disconnecting the mooring cable from the deep-sea electronics module.
6. The subsurface battery system of claim 5 further comprising a surface buoy coupled to the subsurface buoyant pressure vessel by a surface umbilical tether, wherein the remote release module is triggered through a secure communications interface connected to the surface buoy via the surface umbilical tether and the tension leg mooring tether.
7. The subsurface battery system of claim 1 wherein the tension leg mooring tether is of nearly neutral buoyancy in seawater.
8. A method comprising:
providing a ballast mass attached to a deep-sea electronics module by a mooring cable at seafloor;
mooring the deep-sea electronics module to a subsurface buoyant pressure vessel with a tension leg mooring tether;
connecting a battery to an interface to seafloor payloads, the interface to seafloor payloads being included in the deep-sea electronics module, the battery being included in a compartment of the subsurface buoyant pressure vessel;
submerging the subsurface buoyant pressure vessel to a water depth of approximately 50 meters to 500 meters; and
powering the seafloor payloads with the battery.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising coupling a surface buoy to the subsurface buoyant pressure vessel by a surface umbilical tether.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the surface umbilical tether includes floats and weights.
11. The method of claim 8 further disconnecting the mooring cable from the deep-sea electronics module by triggering a remote release module.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the remote release module is triggered through a secure communications interface connected to a surface buoy via a surface umbilical tether that couples the surface buoy to the subsurface buoyant pressure vessel and via the tension leg mooring tether.
13. The method of claim 8 wherein the tension leg mooring tether is of nearly neutral buoyancy in seawater.