GB2097108A - Cargo ship having a cooling system - Google Patents

Abstract

The cargo ship has a cooling system provided with cooling channels (10) for air circulation. The ship can be loaded with both refrigerated containers (11) and mixed-cargo, the mixed cargo being stored on double-bottomed supporting decks (16) insertable into the ship. When the ship loaded with refrigerated containers (11), the cooling channels (10) are connected via flexible coupling pieces (7) to air-inlet and -outlet orifices (12 and 13) of the containers. The cooling channels (10) are also connected via closable orifices (15) to air circulation channels (14, 14a) which are in communication with the interior of the double-bottomed supporting decks (16) (see Fig. 4). When double-bottomed decks (16) are used and the ship is loaded with a mixed cargo, the orifices (12) are closed, the orifices (13) remain open, and the orifices (15) are opened to the channels (14), so that air from the cooling columns (10) now enters decks (16) via the channels (14). The air flows out from the orifices of the decks (16) into the cargo hold (4) and circulates around, returning via orifices (13). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cargo ship having a cooling system The present invention relates to a cargo ship provided with a cooling system which can be loaded with both containers and mixed-cargo. The cooling system keeps the load chilled or refrigerated as required.

German Patent Specification No. 2,721,327 describes a refrigerated container ship for transport- ing containers which has a refrigeration system with connection means for connecting the system to cooling air connecting branches or air-line channels for refrigerating the containers. In this ship doublebottomed supporting decks can be inserted into the guide frames of the containers and are provided with a connection device for connection to the air-inlet branches of the refrigerating system and orifices are made in their upper loading surface for the outflow of cooling air.

In these and similar refrigerated ships, the tendency is to make the loading areas of the ships as large as possible, that is, longer than is conventional in the case of 40-foot containers. In the case of large cargo decks, if the above-described refrigerated container ships were used a disadvantageous increase in the air resistance in the cooling-air circulation system could arise.

The invention aims to maintain the best possible refrigeration in mixed-cargo loading, even in the case of large loading areas of this type, especially when the loading area is larger than, for example, in the case of loading with 40-foot containers. The advantage of large cargo decks is that loading and unloading of ships open at the top can be carried out more quickly and more cheaply, so that long turnround times are avoided.

According to the present invention there is provided a cargo ship having a refrigerating system provided with cooling bars for air circulation, both for container loading and for mixed-cargo loading, the mixed cargo being stored on double-bottomed supporting decks insertable into the ship, the supporting decks being connectable to the cooling bars, and the containers being connectable to the cooling bars by way of releasable flexible coupling pieces, wherein the cooling bars are connected via closable orifices to air circulation channels which are in communication with the interior of the doublebottomed supporting decks and which have a larger cross-section than that of the flexible coupling pieces.

The invention has the advantage that refrigerated container ships can be equipped with relatively large loading areas for mixed-cargo loading, the best possible refrigeration of the mixed cargo being guaranteed. In the invention, more or less separate channels for the supply air branch off from the known container refrigeration system. The orifices in the cooling bars are closed by flaps or other suitable closing devices when the supporting decks are used, whilst air-inlet orifices for container loading must be shut off.In this way, the supply air is conveyed to the supporting decks via these orifices, and the crosssections in the entire part of the system through which the supply air flows are relatively large, so that now, even in the case of large supporting decks, sufficient cooling air is conveyed into the supporting decks into the very furthest apertures of the supporting decks. The mixed cargo stored on the large supporting decks is cooled uniformly well in its entirety.

In an embodiment, the cooling bars are connected on the side facing away from the cargo to a horizontal air circulation channel via closable orifices, this channel merging into a channel which extends at right angles thereto and to which the doublebottomed supporting decks can be connected.

In this embodiment, the supporting decks do not lie in a longitudinal direction, but in the shorter transverse direction. The channels can have a relatively large cross-section with out built-in fittings, so that the air resistance is present practically predominantly in the short supporting decks lying athwartships. The angled parts of the channels can be designed, at the same time, as a load-bearing constructional part for the supporting decks.

In a further embodiment each cooling bar is provided on the side facing the cargo with air circulation channels for connection to the supporting decks. The air circulation channels of several cooling bars located next to one another can be connected to one another. In this embodiment, the supporting decks can be arranged athwartships and be made relatively short. The side walls of the double-bottomed supporting decks are provided with relatively large orifices, so that the cooling air can then flow, with low air resistance, fore-and-aft through several supporting decks located next to one another. Large loading areas are thereby formed.

Embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section through a cargo hold of a refrigerated container ship, Figure 2 shows a horizontal section through the cargo hold of Figure 1, but without container loading, Figure 3 shows a section on line D-D of Figure 2, Figure 4 shows a section in the plane E-E of Figure 2, Figure 5 shows another embodiment of the same section as Figure 4, Figure 6 shows a longitudinal section as in Figure 1, but with a mixed cargo load, Figure 7 shows a longitudinal section similar two Figure 1, but with cooling bars extending horizontally, Figure 8 shows a cross-section in the plane F-F of Figure 7, Figure 9 shows a longitudinal section similar to Figure 7, but with a mixed cargo load, Figure 10 shows a cross-section in the plane G-G of Figure 9, Figure 11 shows a horizontal section in the plane H-H of Figure 10, Figure 12 shows a cross-section of an embodiment corresponding to Figures 9 to 11 with a horizontal subdivision ofthe cargo hold for ventilation purposes, Figure 13 shows a longitudinal section through an embodiment with vertical cooling bars, with another type of connection of the cooling bars to doublebottomed supporting decks, Figure 14 shows a horizontal section taken on line l-l of Figure 13, and Figure 15 shows details of a vertical cooling bar with sections taken at different heights.

In all the embodiments, the ship has a double bottom 2 formed by a tank deck 3 above the ship's bottom 1. The ship has a cargo hold 4 closed off from the outside by the outer skin 5. The cargo hold 4 is also limited nearer the top by hatch coaming 6 which supports the weather deck hatch cover 8. The ship's hold is also subdivided by bulkheads 9.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1,vertical cooling bars 10 of a design known per se are inserted in the vicinity of the bulkhead 9. Figure 1 shows the ship loaded with refrigerated containers 11 stacked on top of one another. These containers 11 are connected to the cooling bars 10 by flexible coupling pieces 7 for the supply of fresh air and for the exit of used air. The air-inlet orifices are denoted by 12 and the air-outlet orifices by 13.

As suitable flexible coupling pieces 7 are already known these are not shown in detail. The air-inlet orifices 12 and the air-outlet orifices 13 have the dimensions conventional for this type of refrigerated container system.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, air circulation channels 14 are installed on the side of the cooling bars 10 located opposite the cargo and are fastened to the bulkheads 9 orto the cooling bars 10. They are arranged on the outer skin 5 in the longitudinal direction of the ship. These air circulation channels 14 are connected via orifices 15 to the airinlet channel in the cooling bars and have a larger cross-section than the air-inlet orifices 12 and the air-outlet orifices 13 for the refrigerated containers 11. The air circulation channels 14 first extend athwartships and are then angled fore-and-aft at 14a.

The cross-section of the parts 14a of the aircircula- tion channels 14 extending fore-and-aft can diminish, as indicated in Figure 2. This ensures uniform ventilation of the entire area of the supporting deck, this ventilation being described in detail below.

Figures 2 and 3 show the installation of doublebottomed supporting decks 16 which are carried by supporting brackets 17 fastened to the outer skin 5 Dr, as shown in the middle part of Figure 3, being Formed as parts of intermediate decks 18. The iouble-bottomed supporting decks 16 extend ath Nartships overtheirentire length from the support ng brackets 17 of the outer deck up to intermediate pecks 18. The supporting brackets 17 fastened to the outer skin 5 are double-bottomed and also form the 3ir circulation channels 14 and 14a, examples of the 3irtransfer possibilities of which are shown in :ross-section in Figures4 and 5.The double bottomed supporting brackets 17 serve for aircircu- lation and can be recessed at their load-bearing part 17a and provided there with orifices 19. Opposite these are orifices 20 formed in the edges of the double-bottomed supporting decks 16. The edges are likewise recessed, so that the surface 21 of the supporting decks 16 and the surface of the supporting brackets are aligned, to permit loading, for example, by means offork-lifttrucks. Gaskets 22 surrounding the orifices 19 and 20 are inserted between the edges of the supporting decks 16 and the facing edges of the supporting brackets 17.

Figure 5 shows another embodiment of the support for the supporting decks, and this differs from the embodiment of Figure 4 in that the axes of the connecting orifices are horizontal, and these are likewise aligned with one another.

Where the ship is loaded with refrigerated containers 11, the cooling bars 10 are connected in a known way via the flexible coupling pieces 7 to the air-inlet and air-outlet orifices 12 and 13 of the containers 11. The orifices 15 located on the side of the cooling bars 10 facing away from the cargo are closed, for example, by manual or remote-controi operation. When double-bottomed supporting decks 16 are used and the ship is loaded with a mixed cargo as shown in Figures 2,3 and 6, the air-inlet orifices 12 ofthe cooling bars 10 are closed, whilst the air-outlet orifices 13 remain open. On the other hand, the orifices 15 located on the side of the cooling bars 10 facing away from the cargo are opened to the air circulation channels 14 so that air from the cooling bars 10 now enters the double-bottomed supporting decks 16 via the air circulation channels 14.The air flows out from the orifices of the doublebottomed supporting decks 16 into the cargo hold 4 and circulates round the mixed cargo. The used air is returned, as hitherto, through the air-outlet orifices 13 into the cooling bars 10. In addition to the airoutlet orifices 13 of the cooling bars 10, there are further closable air-outlet orifices 23, so that the air resistance of the system can be reduced in the case of ventilation of mixed cargo. These additional airoutlet orifices 23 must be closed in the case of con tainerventilation. In comparison with known systems, the invention has the advantage that all the cross-sections in the air circulation systems for mixed-cargo loads are significantly larger than the cross-sections of the system for air circulation in container loads.

Figures 7 to 12 show a further embodiment of the refrigerating system. It differs from the system previously described in that, instead of the vertical cooling bars 10, horizontal ventilation channels 24 are provided.

The air-inlet orifices 12 and air-outlet orifices 13 are located on channels 24 separate from one another. The orifices 12, 13, together with the flexible coupling pieces 7, have the same horizontal and vertical distances from one another as in the installation of vertical cooling bars 10. The operation in the case of container loading and mixed-cargo loading is, in each case, the same as described previously.

Figure 7 shows a longitudinal section through a cargo hold 4 with connected refrigerated containers 11.

Figure 8 shows the section F-F according to Figure 7, with the previously described air circulation channels 14a connected to heat exchangers 25, a separate heat exchanger being provided for each container system.

Figure 9 shows the same system, but with mixedcargo loading on double-bottomed supporting decks 16.

Figure 10 shows the section on line G-G of Figure 9 and Figure 11 shows the section on line H-H of Figure 10.

Figure 12 shows another embodiment of the airoutlet channel arrangement and another division of the refrigerated hold for mixed-cargo transport. The cargo hold 4 is subdivided horizontally by a specially designed supporting deck 27. This provides two holds which can be cooled to different hold temperatures. It is thereby possible to load different mixed cargoes which require different handling methods.

In terms of ventilation, this embodiment differs from that described previously in that any two ventilation channels 24 for used air, which extend horizontally and are located above one another, are brought together to the side of the cargo hold 4 at the outer skin 5 between the heat exchangers 25.

Figure 13 shows a longitudinal section through a cargo hold 4 with vertical cooling bars 10 which have, in addition to the air-inlet orifices 12 and airoutlet orifices 13 required for the loading of refrigerated containers, horizontal air circulation channels 28 which by means of suitable connections make airtight contact between the cooling bars 10 and the double-bottomed supporting decks 16. These air circulation channels 28 can be connected to one another by a connecting piece 26 of the transverse channels. The supporting decks 16 lie athwartships and have, in each of their two longitudinal sides, large orifices (not shown) so that the air can flow in the longitudinal direction ofthe ship from one part of the deck to another.

Figure 14 shows the section on line I-I of Figure 13 and illustrates the arrangement of the supporting decks 16 and the path of the air flow.

Figure 15 shows a vertical cooling bar 10 on the side facing the cargo, with sections taken at different heights: Section A-A through an air-outlet orifice 13, Section B-B through an air-inlet orifice 12, Section C-C between air-inlet and air-outlet orifices 12, 13.

Claims (6)

1. A cargo ship having a refrigerating system provided with cooling bars for air circulation, both for container loading and for mixed-cargo loading, the mixed cargo being stored on double-bottomed supporting decks insertable into the ship, the supporting decks being connectable to the cooling bars, and the containers being connectable to the cooling bars by way of releasable flexible coupling pieces, wherein the cooling bars are connected via closable orifices to air circulation channels which are in communication with the interior of the doublebottomed supporting decks and which have a larger cross-section than that of the flexible coupling pieces.

2. A ship as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the cooling bars are connected, on the side facing away from the cargo, via closable orifices to a horizontal air circulation channel which merges into an air circulation channel which extends at right angles thereto and to which the double-bottomed supporting decks can be connected.

3. A ship as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the angled air circulation channel also forms a load-bearing constructional part for the supporting decks.

4. A ship as claimed in Claim 1,wherein each cooling bar is provided, on the side facing the cargo, with air circulation channels for connection to the supporting decks.

5. A ship as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the air circulation channels of several cooling bars located next to one another are connected to one another by connecting pieces.

6. A cargo ship having an air circulation system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.