FR2805241A1 - Specialist vessel designed to pick up floating material at the bow includes high maneuverability steering systems, heated scooping equipment and temporary on-board storage - Google Patents

Abstract

The bow deploys rapidly as a funneled scoop (6, 12) into the collection zone. It includes pick-up equipment of diverse types with heating provisions. Navigation and rear maneuverability are provided by steerable, variable-immersion outboard propulsion units (9). Bow lateral maneuverability is obtained using nozzles ejecting water under pressure (10). Temporary storage is provided on-board, in standard road transport containers, which are readily handled. The bridge and control center is located high up, near the bow. Preferred features: A double-partitioned hull includes a non-biodegradable cellular body, which is adhesive and/or pressurized with an inert gas preventing corrosion. A leak monitoring system is included. Equipment support structures of the scoop are outlined. Equipment is hot-water jacketed for heating. Main propulsion is by two multi-bladed screws with contra-rotation, each driven by a hydraulic motor in a sealed casing. The mounting provides full 180[deg] steering, and there is provision for common or independent orientation. The jet systems for lateral steering are detailed. They direct flow to port or starboard, and are orientated transversely from the keel line, and downward at 8[deg]-10[deg]. For control, a three-way valve distributes flow between the two sides. Power is provided by a centrifugal pump driven hydraulically. This is situated in the engine compartment and has variable speed. The containers are robust, rigid, sealed, have lifting points, sliding covers, natural ventilation, anti-roll compartments, sloping bases, heating coils, level indicators and can be emptied rapidly by tilting. The bridge (in an auxiliary tower) is located to assist navigation, and also monitoring of the scooping operation.

Description

The present invention relates to a specific type of boat for collecting and transporting floating materials, and more particularly petroleum hydrocarbons, on freshwater or freshwater. Currently these operations are carried out using boats, the initial destination of which is different, having different dimensions, different maneuvering capacities, therefore ultimately being less suited to the particularity of this function, are less effective.

The surface collection device is frontal, located at the bow of the boat, by the rapid deployment on the area, of an articulated bow, taking the form of a funnel-scoop, front collection, whose inclined plane can be quickly fitted " collection tools ", and transfer conduits, (reheatable by circulation of hot water in a double jacket, if necessary), stored on board and best suited to the nature of the product to be harvested and the physical environmental conditions of the moment . This type of boat according to the invention allows displacements at cruising speed of the order of 20 knots (outside of over-formed sea) to quickly reach the collection area, where the speed can be very low with very flexible maneuverability. , therefore very suitable for efficient surface collection.

The transient storage on board of the materials collected is carried out in specific containers, of road size, housed in the bottom (the cé: le and easily movable.

The navigation and maneuvering station is located high and on the front of the boat for better efficiency of the collection function. All motorization operations, pumping, maneuvering of passive or active elements for picking up, locking and unlocking are carried out hydraulically from a (or) hydraulic generator housed in the machine compartment. (P1.4-8) according to i - importance ae pollution, its nature, its volume, its surface and its dispersion, it is desirable to have boats of three complementary dimensions, according to the same principles as the invention, being able to be used individually or of consert in number if circumstances require.

- Small length model located around 15 meters. - Medium length model located around 25/30 meters. - Large length model located around 50/60 meters.

Depending on the model, the equipment: collection, energy and utility increases with the size of the hull (s). Thus a maritime facade, depending on its length and its most exposed parts, could be equipped at strategic points with fleets, the composition of which in number and variety of models, would have to be defined.

TECHNOLOGY AND FUNCTIONING The shell (s) is metallic and consists only of flat surfaces, combining simplicity of manufacture with lower costs. It is double envelope (14), that known as structural resistance is internal. The intercoques space is compartmentalized (15 ), and filled with a porous adhesive cellular material (ex: expanded polyurethane), ensuring insubmersibility.These spaces can also be pressurized with an inert gas ensuring anticorrosion and tightness monitoring. (P1.6 -8) (or the) wedge is of the open type, but can be covered with the set of sliding roofs (18) barge type, to avoid untimely embedding of water packets, these sliding roofs discovering containers being filled . (PL.6-8) The bow (1) (or them), moving at cruising speed, is the only part forward of the boat in contact with water, the whole folded up funnel-scoop forms a bow assic (2), not having contact with water through the spray and the crests of high waves.

In the variant described in the diagrams presented in the appendix, the deployable surface collection device consists of two main parts.

-The bow in articulated plates (2) which in the deployed configuration, takes the form of a front funnel (3), with vertical faces including the submerged bottom, this deployment being carried out from a fold in "double portfolio ", by means of hydraulic cylinders. (P1.1-2-3-8 The opening angle (e # 45 maximum, is adjustable according to the best efficiency of the moment, it can be symmetrical or asymmetrical compared to the longitudinal axis of the boat. material of the constituent parts is of the composite type (eg: based on carbon fiber combining mechanical resistance, anticorrosion and lightness because the cantilevered mass requiring adequate resistance of its deck anchoring). navigation configuration, is in the standby position (4) folded back onto the front shelf (19), or it can #_ ',' 're pre-equipped with suitable collection tools. In the collection configuration, the bow being deployed as indicated above, the scoop ( 4) is tilted forwards and downwards (5), coming to be embedded between the parallel cheeks of the throttle of the funnel, thus coming to complete the sealing of the latter. , at the low point inclined plane (6) is con centered the material to be picked up. The slope of the inclined plane can be modulated during the pickup operation, so that the lower end of the scoop is well suited to the thickness of the oil slick. All deployment and fallback movements as well as locks, bow and scoop are provided by hydraulic cylinders, manually controlled locally or from the navigation station (7) manually or automatically from an API Programmable logic controller). The collection tools are in variety and increasing in number with the size of the boat, stored and moored on the foredeck, can be quickly mounted or replaced at the foot of the incline (5), (pre-equipped with the corresponding supports) and know: centrifugal pumps, petristaltics, worm gear, bucket conveyor belt, etc. (P1.1-3-5-8) The transient storage of the material picked up on board is done in specific containers (17), for hydrocarbons, even thick, and to the road gauge. (P1.6) This road gauge therefore allows, after unloading at the quay, for example, immediate transport by road, to the waiting storage site on land where rapid unloading by tipping combines speed of operation with minimum transfer. liquids therefore dirt and pollution on land. In addition, the boat has just been unloaded from full containers, can be immediately re-equipped with empty containers and set out again immediately.

If the collection operations are too far from an unloading point on land, it can be envisaged that a tanker in the area, collects the containers of the various pickup boats. The principle of using containers with the road gauge, allows use these boats for other utility public transport, outside of crisis periods, which would keep them both operational and relatively profitable.

The standard container, both in its forms and in its equipment and accessories, must meet all the criteria of safety and ease of use: robustness, rigidity, bilge locks and transport on the ground, swelling rings, sliding covers, natural ventilation of the gas phase, internal anti-roll partitioning, reheating coils, bottom with low point slopes, viewing of interfaces, racking device (if decanted), rapid emptying by tilting. navigation and maneuvering station (7), is situated as high up as possible, so as to provide a bird's eye view of the collecting point of the scoop funnel (6), (12), while keeping a view of 'the whole of the tablecloth (13), and on the environment of the area. (Pl 3-7-8) main propulsion is ensured at the rear by two separate propellers, located on each side of the lower part always submerged of The stern. Each is driven individually by a hydraulic motor under a sealed bulb, all under directional annular fairing, adjustable in azimuth on the rear 180, including the modular immersion depth obtained telescopically. (P1.5) These propellers have steps reverse and are counter-rotating in forward propulsion action, but their direction of rotation can be reversed individually. Both in the direction of rotation and in azimuth orientation, these thrusters can be synchronized or individualized, which gives them in addition d he propulsion function, that of steering and / or tight maneuvers. On the other hand, the immersion depth is always in synchronization, and used in the high position only for navigation by shallow water depth or for stranding on strike.

In surface collection operation, the life is very low, the boat must follow the edge of a sheet of oil by engaging its funnel-scoop, and to obtain the most perfect possible monitoring of this edge (P1.7 ), the boat is fitted: s.! r! .e first quarter before, on either side of the hull (s), flush with the bottom, therefore always submerged, with a water ejector nozzle under pressure (10). "'is the combined use of rear oriented propulsion and lateral propulsion by ejector nozzle, which allows to obtain the desired tracking. This conjugation is also very useful in maneuvers. landing and boarding Each front lateral propulsion ejector nozzle, with its jet sound perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the boat, inclined from 8 to 10 downwards from the horizontal. (P1.2-6 -8) Each nozzle is supplied individually by a pressurized water pipe, coming from the behavior t machines (8), via motorized and remote-controlled three-way valve. The pressurized water delivered by one (or more) variable speed centrifugal pump with hydraulic motor located in the machine compartment (8). (P1.4-8) The necessary water is drawn in at the rear, under the stern through openings (11), outside the polluted water zone. (P1.4-5) The water flow at the nozzle is obtained in two complementary ways: by the valve opening rate and the pump speed.

The front lateral propulsion device, by jet, was preferred: = @ to that by propeller in a transverse tunnel, because the latter would have sucked on the water side to obtain a thrust on the opposite side, and would therefore have rejected hydrocarbons on the side supposed to be cleaned, which is contrary sought.

 The aft end of the boat is occupied by the so-called machinery compartment (8), contains: (P1.4-8) -the generator (s): hydraulic, electric, pneumatic, hot water -the tanks: fuel, hydraulic fluid, fresh water Boards 1 to 7 Appearing in the appendix represents only one hull variant. The present invention is applicable to a catamaran type boat, which is shown succinctly on the board. 8.

The rear and side drives are distributed over each of the hulls. Each bow is fitted with a single set of hinged plates, forming the collection funnel, while the inclined scoop plane is fitted between the two inner side faces. hulls.

Claims (5)

1) Flat-bottomed boat, monohull or catamaran (double-hulled, compartmentalized stuffed or (and) pressurized, unsinkable), for sea or fresh water, specific to the frontal collection of floating materials, by deployable bow in d-shape '' scoop-funnel (2), (3), (4), (5), which can be quickly fitted to the collection area, with multiprincipe collection tools that can be heated, navigation and rear maneuverability obtained by: steerable, immersible thrusters modular (9), lateral by pressurized water ejector nozzles (10). Transient storage on board in containers specific to the road size, easily maneuverable. Navigation and maneuvering position in elevated position and on the bow of the boat. 2) Device according to claim 1 characterized by a double partitioned shell furnished with a rot-proof adhesive cell body or (and) pressurized with an inert anti-corrosion gas and sealing monitoring. 3) Device according to claim l, characterized in that the inclined plane of the scoop (5), is equipped with the construction of various supports specific to the various moored and 1sponibles collection tools on the fore deck of the boat. 4) Device according to claim 1a, characterized in that certain collection tools (for thick hydrocarbons and their downstream conduits, which can be heated by double envelopes with circulation of hot water. 5) Device according to claim l, characterized in that the main propulsion is ensured by two separate multi-blade propellers, counter-rotating, each moult by a hydraulic motor under a sealed bulb, the whole secured to a directional annular casing, orientable on the rear 180 , and modular immersion (9), depending on the height of water under the hull direction and the speed of rotation as well as the orientation can be in perfect synchronization or completely independent of each other to obtain optimal maneuverability. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the forward lateral propulsion is ensured by an orifice-nozzle-ejector of pressurized water @ starboard and port (10), perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the hull, and located below the empty waterline the jet axis directed downwards at an angle of 8 to 10. 7) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that 'pressurized water supplying the nozzle-ejectors is conveyed under separate conduits from a three-way hydraulically powered distributor valve, located in the machine compartment (8), or manually or automatically, one (or two) centrifugal pump with hydraulic motor, located in the machine compartment (8), at variable speed will supply the water under pressure, this water being sucked under the waterline in the low position of stern (11), outside the polluted zone Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the transient storage on board, is done in containers specific to the road gauge, easily displaceable offering all the security and various advantages, namely robustness, rigidity, holds and transport locks, sling rings, sliding covers, natural ventilation of the gas phase anti-roll partitions, fo nd with low point slopes, heating coils, interface level viewing, rapid emptying by tilting ashore. 9) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the navigation and maneuvering station is located on the fore boat and in height relative to the level of the body of water, this arrangement ensuring direct vision of the collection area (6 ) in operation at the same time as a good overall assessment of the tablecloth (13) during collection and the surroundings.