EP0919459B1 - Device for ensuring the establishment of equilibrium of a vessel in case of flooding - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for ensuring the balancing of a ship in case of water flooding.

Vessels frequently have partitions to avoid the spread of fire and gas in the event of a fire. However, in ships partitioned, in case of damage and water flooding of a partitioned compartment, it may be necessary to balance the vessel by allowing the water to flow into symmetrical compartments.

The document EP 0 726 200 A1 describes an arrangement, used in a ship with a vertical center wall separating two compartments longitudinal of the ship. In order to allow the flow of water from one of the compartments towards each other in the event of water flooding from the first compartment, and in order to restore balance, the provision described consists in establishing between the two compartments a siphon-type communication along these compartments; moreover, in order to avoid the spread of fire and gas in the event fire, by this siphon, provision is made, in the event of detection of the start of a fire, immediately fill this siphon with water or other flowing material easily and ensuring gas tightness and becoming more or less gelatinous at after a short time after it has run out, or because of the heat. So, a pipe connects this siphon to a tank containing the liquid and located at a level higher than the siphon, so that the flow takes place by simple gravity.

The present invention aims to enable these two functions: to provide the flow of flood water from one compartment to another, or to others, in order to reduce or cancel the asymmetry of the invasion of the ship, but also to ensure between such compartments the watertight partitioning with respect to fire and gas in the event of a fire, in a much simpler way than in the document cited above.

In addition, this device is capable of offering passage sections important to flooding water, thus ensuring that a balanced satisfactory is obtained within the time required by regulation.

The invention therefore relates to a device for ensuring the balancing of a ship in case of water flooding, the ship having compartments watertight separated by partitions, characterized in that at least one partition has an orifice closed by a tape introduced into the orifice, sealing by flexible seal being established around the periphery of the tape, said tape being expelled under the pressure of a determined height of water H.

According to a particular embodiment, said orifice is constituted by a cutout of the partition on the periphery of which a coaming is welded.

According to another characteristic, said tape consists of a sandwich formed of a rock wool panel between two steel sheets glued to said panel, a said flexible joint being placed around the periphery of each steel sheet, between the sheet metal and the coaming.

Throughout the text, both in the preceding part and in the following, the word "partition" means any wall separating two rooms or compartments.

It can therefore be both a vertical partition itself, as well as a "horizontal partition" such as a bridge for example. So depending on the architecture of the ship and its partitioning, we can have tapes on partitions vertical, or on horizontal partitions, that is to say on bridges.

We will now give the description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a cross section of a ship showing a partition dividing two longitudinal compartments, fitted a vertical tap according to the invention.

Figure 2 also shows, in schematic view, a cross section of a ship, partitioned differently, and in which two horizontal steps, according to the invention are placed, respectively, on the bottom of two compartments symmetrically arranged on either side of a central compartment.

Figure 3 shows another arrangement for partitioning a ship in which tapes are placed on horizontal partitions and on partitions vertical.

Figure 4 shows, in partial enlarged view, a tape mounted on a vertical partition.

Figure 5 shows, in partial enlarged view, a tape mounted on a horizontal partition.

Referring to Figure 1, we see, schematically, a section transverse of a ship 1 comprising a certain number of partitions: partitions vertical 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, and horizontal partitions such as bridges 8, 9 and 10. The line marked 11 represents the water line in normal situation.

In case of damage and tearing of the hull below the line of waterline 11, at point 12 for example, the compartment marked 13 is flooded with water. In the absence of specific measures, this asymmetric water invasion causes an important deposit.

According to the invention, the vertical partition 2 has an orifice which is closed by a step 14. This step 14, in normal situation, ensures the watertight separation compartments 13 and 15 vis-à-vis flames as well as smoke and gas combustion in the event of a fire in one of the two compartments, but it is expelled from its home, under the pressure of water, during the invasion of one any of the two compartments allowing the water to be distributed in the two compartments and restore balance to the ship. Of course, step 14 is placed near ground level 8.

Figure 4 shows, in partial enlarged view, the tape 14 and its housing in partition 2. Partition 2 has a cutout around which is welded a coaming 16. It is in this coaming 16, constituting the orifice, that is placed step 14.

The tape 14 consists of a sandwich formed from a panel 17 of wool rock between two steel sheets 18 and 19 of dimensions (L x ℓ) less than 5 to 10 mm to that of panel 17 of rock wool.

The wool overflowing from the steel sheets 18 and 19 is removed on a depth of 5 to 10 mm approximately so as to constitute an offset 37 by compared to the surface of the sandwich.

For example, we use a rock wool of 200 kg / m3 and the thickness of the panel is 50 mm, and the steel sheets 18 and 19 for example have a thickness of 1 mm and are glued to the rock wool panel with glue ceramic.

This sandwich is slipped (minimum clearance) into the coarse 16. It is enough then fill, on both sides of the sandwich, the recesses 37 with a joint sealing respectively 20 and 21. This is for example a flexible sealant intumescent.

Tests have been carried out with tapes of different dimensions, 300 x 300 mm, 500 x 500 mm and 700 x 1200 mm respectively (1200 of height), in each case, the bottom of the tape was 100 mm from the ground and they were, respectively, evicted from their homes for water heights H from the floor, 750 mm, 650 mm and 740 mm.

Thus, in the event of water flooding from one of the compartments 13 or 15, the tape 14 is expelled and the water can flow to the other compartment so that restore balance.

As can be seen, this arrangement is particularly simple and does not requires no particular pre-established structure. Just make an opening in the partition in which we want to place a tape, weld a coaming and place the tape and the seals.

Figure 2 shows the case of another partitioning arrangement of a ship 1 which still has three decks 8, 9 and 10, but where the part between decks 8 and 9 is separated into three compartments 22, 23 and 24 by two partitions vertical 25 and 26. It is assumed that the central compartment 23 should not be overgrown with water in this case. The part under deck 8 is divided into compartments by partitions 27, 28 and 29 having openings 30.

Here, a horizontal tape 14 is placed on the horizontal partition (the deck 8) of each of the compartments 22 and 24 framing the central compartment 23. Thus, in the event of one of the two compartments 22 or 24 flooding, water can flow into the other compartment after expulsion of the tapes 14 and passage through the lower compartments 31, 32, 33 and 34. These steps 14 are identical to that of the Figure 1 and shown in Figure 4, and the mounting of such a tape 14 in a partition horizontal is shown in figure 5.

Here, the coaming 35, welded to the opening made in the horizontal partition 8, rises higher if you are in the machine zone for example to avoid degradation of the tape by oils, greases ... In addition, in order to support the tape, four retaining pins 36 are welded to the coaming. These are for example small steel plates 20 x 10 mm by 2 mm thick for example.

Hydrostatic pressure equal to or greater than 400 mm of water causes the evacuation of the tape, as the case may be, upwards or downwards: the tape 14 of the compartment 22 is evacuated downwards if it is this compartment 22 which is invaded by the water, the tape 14 of the compartment 24 is then discharged from the top as soon as it is subjected to sufficient hydrostatic pressure (400 mm in the case of a test performed on a 500 x 500 mm tape).

Finally, Figure 3 gives an example in which it was placed tapes 14 on horizontal and vertical partitions.

The device of the invention is very simple to implement, inexpensive and complies with regulations relating to the non-propagation of fire and flooding of ships.

Claims (3)

1. A device for balancing a ship (1) invaded by water, the ship including sealed compartments (13, 15, 22, 23, 24) separated by bulkheads (2, 8, 9, 25, 26), characterized in that at least one bulkhead (2, 8) includes an orifice blocked by a plug (14) introduced into the orifice, a seal is provided by a flexible seal (20, 21) around the perimeter of the plug, and said plug is expelled by the pressure of a particular head H of water.
2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said orifice consists of a cut-out in the bulkhead to the perimeter of which a coaming (16, 35) is welded.
3. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that said plug consists of a sandwich formed by a rockwool panel (17) between two steel plates (18, 19) glued to said panel (17), a flexible seal (20, 21) being disposed at the perimeter of each steel plate, between the plate and the coaming.

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