FR2810624A1 - Canal container boat comprises hull with lateral walls carrying stabilizers which can be deployed outwards to engage quay surface - Google Patents

Abstract

The container boat comprises a double walled hull (1) with lateral surfaces (2) on which stabilizers (5) are carried. These stabilizers can be successively deployed outwards beyond the lateral surfaces to engage a canal bank or quay to increase the boat's stability.

Description

The invention relates to a container ship for transporting containers via, for example, rivers and canals.

Containers must include not only standard containers but also intermodal transport units, including swap bodies and trailers, as well as the possibility of loading bulk goods into holds.

More particularly, the invention relates to a range of small and medium-sized vessels for transporting goods from small ports to small ports by means of containers.

This range includes ships that can carry a maximum number of containers equal to two, four, ten, twenty, thirty, fifty, or a hundred.

A main feature of the vessel is to offer the ability to load and / or unload containers in a port with a shallow water depth of less than 4 meters.

Freight transport is one of the major components of our market economy.

The globalization of international trade, the political development of "just in time", the ever-increasing demand for responsiveness, tend to permanently increase land transport, to develop costly and environmentally harmful road infrastructures.

The range of ships according to the invention was born from this analysis with the aim of developing a complementarity between road transport and maritime-fluvial transport.

It is a question of ensuring, from the ports of first or second rank, maritime connections to serve the multitude of ports of irrigation, little or exploited as regards the transport of goods. The purpose is the assumption by the road carriers of the containers from these ports for local distribution, in order to optimize terrestrial distances of delivery.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide the road carrier with a mobile infrastructure "highway maritimo-fluviale" complementary to that it has on the road network.

A second objective is to reinforce maritime transport reactivity by transporting small quantities with significant frequencies.

A third objective is to provide a maritime fluvio service with a significant autonomy of maneuver and an optimized platform wharf. This objective involves being able to carry a large payload relative to the displacement of the ship.

A fourth objective is to provide transportation in service conditions and per kilometer costs comparable to those of the road.

There are many container ships with large container capacity and high draft, such as those described in Jane's Intermodal Transportation, pages 315, 338 and 341. Among these large container ships are capacity, we can mention the ALIANCA BRASIL, with a capacity of 2200 containers, a speed of 20.4 knots, a length of 200.23 m and a draft of 12.02 m . One of the smallest of these container ships is the HERA, with a capacity of 198 containers, a speed of 12.5 knots, a length of 88 m and a draft of 4.6 m.

These container ships generally unload in port terminals equipped with major handling means. Ports that can accommodate existing container ships are few and can not ensure a delivery of goods close to their place of use.

In addition, they can not go up most estuaries and can never go on the canals because of their excessive draft and air draft. There are barges capable of transporting containers on rivers and on canals, especially for those with a width greater than 1. In the case of a narrow lock, for example 5.7m wide, the existing barges do not allow to transport only one layer of containers because of stability, draft and draft constraints.

The object of the invention is to overcome these disadvantages by proposing a container ship able to navigate the open sea and / or rivers or channels and having all or part of the following possibilities - it can navigate the channels to large size and at sea, - it optimizes the critical size of the cargo (economic aspect) and the compactness of the vessel in canal (respect of the gauge), - it avoids the transhipment of the containers on an ocean-going vessel at the end of the part fluvial of the route, it allows a service as complete as that of a road carrier but using the fluvio-maritime way.

In addition, when it is equipped with container handling means, it allows multimodal transport, that is to say at sea and on rivers or canals from river ports, without prior investment in harbor cranes or pier of great length.

container ship according to the invention is of the type comprising a hull having in particular side surfaces, and is characterized in that it comprises, at at least one of said lateral surfaces, the first means of stabilization of the ship by increasing its buoyancy, these first means being capable of being successively deployed beyond these lateral surfaces towards the outside of the ship and then retracted at said lateral surfaces.

According to a particular characteristic, the ship further comprises second stabilization means extending beyond said means adapted to be retracted or deployed and able to cooperate with a surface external to the ship, such as a shore, a dock or bajoyer d a lock to increase the stability of the vessel.

Thus, when the ship is on a wide channel, a river or at sea, the stability of the ship is completed by the first stabilizing means while in a narrow channel, the first stabilization means can not be deployed and, in this case in the case of heeling, the second stabilizing means are supported on the outer surface of the vessel, such as a shore, a dock or the bajoyers of a lock and thus ensure the stabilization of the ship in a gite.

According to an additional characteristic, second stabilizing means are fixed means retractable deployed means.

According to an additional feature, second stabilizing means comprise at least one roller, a disk or sphere rotatable about an axis that can be integral with the shell integral with telescopic means, such as a jack.

According to another characteristic, the lateral surfaces of the shell comprise notches capable of containing said means capable of being retracted or deployed. According to another characteristic, first stabilization means comprise cylinders at the end of which floats are arranged.

According to an additional feature, the sealing membrane connects said float to said shell, this membrane may comprise a frame, for example fiberglass, to ensure an always identical folding of the latter.

According to another characteristic, said means adapted to be retracted or deployed comprise at least one articulated arm.

According to another characteristic, the float is constituted by an inflatable bulb which is associated with at least one pneumatic circuit comprising in particular a gas supply and capable of inflating or deflating it.

According to an additional feature, the vessel comprises a double-walled hull and ballasting means that can be constituted by boxes arranged between said two walls and fed or water fed by pumps.

According to another additional characteristic, the ship comprises means capable of automating the deployment or retraction of said means. able to be retracted or deployed.

According to an additional feature, said means capable of automating the change of the geometry of said variable geometry means comprise means capable of determining the value of the width between two obstacles situated downstream and in the direction of movement of the vessel, such as the banks of a lock, or the stacks of a bridge, between which the ship must pass, as well as means for displaying information relating to this value, or means of alarm in case of incompatibility between this value and that of the minimum width of the vessel, that is to say control means for changing the geometry of part of the variable geometry means.

According to another characteristic, the lateral surfaces of the hull comprise notches capable of containing said means capable of increasing the stability of the vessel in the retracted position. According to another characteristic, the lateral surfaces of the shell comprise indentations capable of containing the means. Other advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent in the description of different embodiments of the invention, with reference to the appended figures among which - Figure 1 shows a ship according to the invention in perspective according to one embodiment.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the locations of the ballasting means; FIG. 4 shows a ship according to the invention in perspective according to another embodiment; FIGS. 5a and 5b show first stabilization means with variable geometry according to FIG. a particular embodiment of the invention. - Figures 6a and 6b show first variable geometry stabilization means 5 according to another particular embodiment of the invention.

- Figures 7a and 7b show a cross section of the shell 1 of the barge in one embodiment.

Figure 1 shows a container ship according to one embodiment of the invention.

This ship consists of a barge. The propulsion means, not shown, are external to the barge and are constituted by an auxiliary vessel, in this case, a pusher.

This barge comprises a hull 1, comprising mainly two side surfaces 2.

The shell 1 comprises at least one shim 3 in which containers 4 are positioned.

At each of the lateral surfaces 2 are associated first variable geometry stabilization means 5 adapted, in at least one of these geometries, to increase the stability of the barge by increasing its buoyancy. These first stabilizing means 5 can take, inter alia, two extreme positions, one in which they are completely retracted at the side surface 2 of the hull and have little or no influence on the stability of the barge, and the other in which they are deployed beyond the side surface 2 of the hull and outward of the ship and in which it increases the stability of the barge.

These first stabilizing means 5 variable geometry are constituted by inflatable bladders located at the waterline of the barge and having an internal volume of about 17m 'when inflated. These bladders are regularly distributed along the side surfaces 2 of the barge and a pneumatic circuit comprising in particular gas supply and capable of inflating or deflating these bladders is associated with them. The barge further comprises means capable of automating the change of the geometry of said bladders. These means comprise means 14 capable of determining the value of the width between two obstacles situated in the direction of movement of the ship, such as the banks of a lock, or the piers of a bridge, and between which the ship must pass, as well as distance measuring means 15 located at the side surfaces of the shell. They also include means of alarm in the event of incompatibility between the value of the distance between the obstacles and that of the width of the barge increased from those of the inflated bladders, as well as control means change of the geometry of a part of the first stabilizing means' variable geometry.

Figures 2 and 3 show respectively a longitudinal section and a cross section of the hull 1 of the barge.

This shell 1 consists of two walls 9 and 10. As shown in Figure 3, the side surfaces of the barge comprise notches 13 of parallelepiped shape and intended to contain bladders 5 deflated. These recesses are wholly or partially closed by plate 18 for protecting the bladders, preferably in lightweight material such as composite and pivotable about a hinge 19 secured to the shell 1 and disposed on the upper end of the plate 18. Thus, because of the low weight of this plate, it clears itself when the bladders are inflated to a substantially horizontal position as shown in Figure 5.

This barge further comprises and in known manner ballasting means 16. They are constituted by boxes located in the double bottom, and therefore between the two walls 9 and 10 of the hull. These boxes are constituted by the structure of the ship. There are enough of them to split the setting.

The liquid used for ballasting is the surrounding water (sea water or canal water).

The movements of water are realized by means of pumps with large flow and pipelines equipped with valves.

The boxes are all equipped with water level sensors. real-time measurement system of drafts front, back, middle, team ship. This system consists of 6 water level sensors, a concentration box and repeaters.

The operation of a ship according to the embodiment shown is as follows.

canal or on a river whose width is much greater than that of the barge, the bladders are inflated as shown in FIG. 5 so as to ensure the maximum stability available of the barge and this, either automatically with distance measuring means 14 and 15 and the control logic of the inflation bladders, either by imposing their inflation.

When a sluice or, more generally, a narrower passage than vessel width with inflated bladders, is detected by obstacle distance measuring means 14, and if this detected width is greater than that of barge and vertical rollers , the associated control logic control deflating bladders disposed on the part of the side surfaces located closest to said detected passage, so that when this part begins to enter this passage, the bladders 5 of this part of the side surfaces 2 are retracted into the indentations 13 of the barge.

control logic then controls the successive deflation bladders located on the successive parts of the side surfaces of the vessel penetrates inside said passage.

For this, the control logic controls the deflation of a bladder located on a part of the lateral surface of the ship when measuring means 15 on the ship and downstream of this part detect the presence of the passage walls at a distance between that of the thickness of an inflated bladder that vertical rollers.

When, for the portion of the side surfaces of the vessel which has passed first through the passage, the obstacle distance measuring means 14 and the distance measuring means 15 which are associated with the control of the bladders of this part, no longer detect obstacle or the walls of said passage, the control logic then controls the inflation of the bladders of this part. It is the same for the other parts, and associated bladders, of the barge.

<B> It should be noted that within this passage, the stability of this vessel is ensured mainly by the cooperation between the vertical rollers of the ship and the side walls of the passage, the rollers allowing displacement by contact without sliding which avoids any damage to the hull.

Figure 4 shows a barge according to another embodiment of the invention.

This barge comprises a hull 1, mainly comprising two side surfaces 2, as well as known propulsion means located at the rear of the barge and not shown and a cockpit C.

The shell 1 comprises at least one shim in which containers 4 are positioned.

Each of the lateral surfaces 2 are associated on the one hand with the first variable geometry stabilization means 5 shown in detail in FIGS. 5a and 5b and secondly with the second stabilization means, extending beyond said first means. 5 stabilization, and able to cooperate with a surface outside the ship, such as a shore, a dock or the walls of a lock to increase the stability of the ship.

The first and second stabilizing means 5 and 6 consist of identical sets, in this case three in this figure, regularly distributed along the lateral surface 2 of the shell 1.

The second stabilizing means 6 comprise vertical rollers 7. Each of these rollers 7 is free to rotate about an axis 8 fixed to the outer surface SS of the first stabilizing means 5 by a hinge. This articulation makes it possible to arrange the roller 7 either in a vertical position in which it can accompany a horizontal displacement of the barge, or in a horizontal position in which it can accompany a vertical displacement of the barge, which is the case with the inside a lock. FIGS. 5a and 5b show first variable geometry stabilization means 5 and capable, in at least one of these geometries, of increasing the stability of the ship according to another variant embodiment of the invention.

These means consist of foldable and unfoldable means comprising a front plate 20 of composite material whose ends are connected to the hull of the barge by a waterproof membrane 21. This plate 20 is further connected to the hull of one by an articulated arm 33 and secondly by a support structure 22 which allow displacement in translation of the plate 20 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the lateral surfaces 2 of the barge.

This support structure 22 comprises two series of uprights arranged in horizontal parallel planes and connected by vertical axes 24. Each of the series comprises six uprights 23 disposed on each of their ends and in their middle on said vertical axes 24 and are adapted to rotate on these in the horizontal plane considered, thus forming joints. Each of the uprights 23 connected, on the one hand, at one of its ends and by one of said hinges, to another upright 23 and to vertical pins 24 connected to the hull or vertical axes attached to said plate 20, or two other uprights 23, and secondly, in its middle and by one of said joints, to another amount 23.

Moreover, two vertical axes are connected to the shell by slideways 25. A jack 26 has a head 27 fixed at one of its ends to one of the uprights 23 by a hinge located close to that mounted on the slide 25 The other end of the head 27 of the jack comprises the rod of the jack whose free end 29 is fixed by a hinge to an upright 23 connected to the plate 20 and so that the jack is positioned diagonally with respect to the plane delimited by the plate 20, the membrane 21 and the indentations 13.

The plate 20 is connected by a hinge 32 to an articulated arm 33 located outside the sealed membrane 21 and itself connected to the shell 2 by a hinge 34 mounted on a slide 35.

Figure 5b shows the previously described means in the folded position.

It can be seen that only the articulated arm protrudes from the lateral surface of the shell while the plate 20 and the uprights are inside the notch 13. In operation, the articulated arm 33 is displaced, for example, manually the outside of the barge thus causing the deployment of the rod 29 of the cylinder and the uprights 23. When the barge crosses a narrower passage the banks one of them push the articulated arm 33 which itself then pushes rod 29 of the cylinder 23 inside the head 27 and then produces the folding of the support structure 22.

Figures 6a and 6b show first variable geometry stabilization means 5 according to another embodiment.

These first means 5 consist of foldable and unfoldable means comprising a float type 20, whose ends are connected to the barge shell by a waterproof membrane 21. This bulb 20 is further connected to the shell 1 by a support structure 22 allowing a displacement in translation of the bulb 20 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the side surfaces 2 of the barge.

This support structure 22 comprises two series of uprights 23 arranged in horizontal parallel planes and connected by vertical axes 24. Each of the series comprises six uprights 23 disposed on each of their extremities and in their middle, on said vertical axes 24 and are able to pivot on these in the horizontal plane considered, thus forming joints. Each of the uprights 23 is connected, on the one hand, to one of its ends and by one of said hinges, either to another upright 23 and to vertical axes 24 connected to the hull or to vertical axes fixed to said plate 20, or two other amounts and secondly, in its middle and by one of said joints, to another amount 23.

Moreover, two vertical axes are connected to the shell by slideways 25. A telescopic jack 26 has a head attached to the shell and its other end attached to said bulb 20. The cylinder 26 has three concentric parts, the smallest part being retractable to inside the two other parts.

When the cylinder is deployed, the bulb 20 and the membrane 21 seal the elements 25, 23, 26 located inside.

The barge further comprises means capable of automating the change of the geometry of said bladders. These means comprise means 69 able to determine the value of the width between two obstacles situated in the direction of ship movement, such as the banks of a lock, or the stacks of a bridge, between which the ship must pass, and that distance measuring means 70 located at the side surfaces 2 of the shell and associated with each of the identical sets of the first stabilizing means. They furthermore comprise means of alarm in the event of incompatibility between the value of the distance between obstacles and that of the width of the barge increased by that of the second stabilization means 6 and secondly between the the value of the distance between the obstacles and that of the width of the barge increased by those of the first stabilizing means 5 and the second stabilizing means 6, as well as means for controlling the change in the geometry of the first stabilizing means 5 to variable geometry.

Furthermore, a plate SS is fixed on the outer surface of the bulb 20 and the second stabilizing means 7.8 are themselves fixed on this plate by means of a hinge. This articulation makes it possible to position the roller 7 either in a vertical position in which it can accompany a horizontal displacement of the barge, or in a horizontal position in which it can accompany the barge's vertical displacement.

Figure 6b shows the previously described means in the folded position. When the two smaller parts of the cylinder are retracted within the third, the size of the cylinder 26 is substantially equal to the difference between the depth of the notch 13 and the thickness of the bulb 20, so that this assembly does not protrude from the side surface 2 of the shell 1.

The operation of a barge comprising such stabilization means is as follows In channel or on a river whose width is significantly greater than that of the barge, the telescopic jack 26 of each of the identical sets of the first stabilizing means is completely unfolded so as to ensure the maximum stability available of the barge and this, either automatically with the obstacle distance measuring means 69 and the control logic, or by imposing the deployment of the cylinder 26. When a lock or, more generally, a passage narrower than the width of the barge with the first and second stabilizing means, is detected by the obstacle distance measuring means 69, and if this detected width is greater than that of the barge and the rollers vertical 7, the control logic allows the retraction of the cylinders 26, the retraction of a jack occurring only when the measuring means of Its associated sensors 70 actually detect the presence of the obstacle at a difference less than the width of the first and second stabilization means deployed. The control logic controls the retraction of the jack so that the distance between the lock of the lock and the end of the second stabilizing means is 1 cm.

Thus the stabilizing means retract as they enter the passage. In the same way, they redeploy themselves as they leave the passage.

It should be noted that, within said passage, the stability of this vessel in a shelter is ensured mainly by the cooperation between the vertical rollers of the ship and the side walls of the passage, the rollers allowing a displacement by contact without sliding, which avoids any damage to the hull.

FIGS. 7a and 7b show a transverse section of the hull 1 of the barge previously described respectively inside a small-size lock inside a lock of larger size, locks comprising two lateral bajoyers 11 and 12.

The hull 1 of the barge consists of two walls 9 and 10. This barge further comprises and in known manner ballasting means 16 such as those described above.

The outer wall 9 of the shell 1 has notches 13 in which are positioned the first stabilizing means 5. Vertical rollers 7 are mounted on an axis integral with the lateral surfaces SS of the variable geometry means 5. In FIG. 7a, the first stabilizing means are completely retracted and the second stabilizing means located on one or other of the side surfaces 2 of the barge are against the bajers 11 and 12 of the lock.

In FIG. 7b, the first stabilization means are partly deployed identically on each of the lateral sides of the barge and second stabilization means located on one or other of the side surfaces 2 of the barge are in immediate proximity. Bajoyers 11 and 12 of the lock.

In the case where the barge is not perfectly in the middle of the lock, the first means of stabilization would be more deployed on one side than the other.

Of course, many modifications can be made to the embodiment described above without departing from the scope of the invention.

 Thus a ship may consist of a barge and may be intended only for sailing on rivers and canals, or may consist of a river-sea vessel and, in both cases, including its own means of handling.

Claims (1)

1 container ship of the type comprising a shell (1), having in particular side surfaces (2), characterized in that it comprises, at least one of said side surfaces (2), first means ( 5) stabilizing the vessel by increasing its buoyancy, these first means being adapted to be successively deployed beyond these side surfaces (2) and outboard of the vessel and then retracted at said side surfaces (2). 2 container ship according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises second stabilizing means extending beyond said means adapted to be retracted or deployed and able to cooperate with a surface external to the ship, such as a bank, a dock or the lock walls of a lock to increase the stability of the vessel. 3 container ship according to claim 2, characterized in that the second stabilizing means are attached to said means adapted to be retracted or deployed. 4 Vessel according to any one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the second stabilizing means comprise at least one roller, a disk or a sphere rotatable about an axis. 5 container ship according to claim 2, characterized in that the axis is integral with telescopic means, such as a cylinder. 6 ship according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the side surfaces of the shell comprise notches (13) adapted to contain said first means (5) of stabilization. 7 Vessel according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the first stabilizing means comprise cylinders at the end of which is disposed at least one float (20). 8 container ship according to claim 7, characterized in that the float is constituted by a bulge. 9 container ship according to claim 8, characterized in that the float is constituted by an inflatable bulb which is associated with at least one pneumatic circuit including a gas supply and capable of inflating or deflating. 10 ship according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that it comprises a sealing membrane (21) which connects said float (20) to said shell (1). 11 container ship according to claim 10, characterized in that the membrane (21) comprises an armature adapted to allow a folding always the latter. 12 Container ship according to claim 11, characterized in that the frame membrane (21) is fiberglass. 13. Ship according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the first means comprise at least one articulated arm. 14 Vessel according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that it comprises a double-walled shell <B> (9; </ B> 10) and ballast means (16) can be constituted by crates disposed between said two walls and fed water feeds by pumps. Vessel according to any one of claims 1 to the vessel comprises means capable of automating the deployment or retraction of said means adapted to be retracted or deployed. Container ship according to claim 15, characterized in that said means capable of automating the change of the geometry of said first variable geometry means comprise means (69) able to determine the value of the width between two obstacles situated downstream. and in the direction of movement of the ship, such as the banks of a lock, or the stacks of a bridge, and between which the ship is to pass, as well as means for displaying information relating to this value, or alarm means in case of incompatibility between this value and that the minimum width of the vessel, or change control means the geometry of a portion of the variable geometry means.