RU2170190C2 - Submarine sailing catamaran and method of its leadership - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: shipbuilding; building of submarine sailing catamarans used as carriers for manned submersible vehicles. SUBSTANCE: hulls of catamaran consist of pressure hulls, outer hulls, nontight superstructure and connecting bridge. Equipment for performing near-bottom jobs is arranged between catamaran hulls. Catamaran is provided with sailing rig. Bridge has longitudinal pressure hull and pressure passages for connecting the bridge with side pressure hulls. Outer hulls of catamaran are asymmetric relative to their pressure hulls. Catamaran is used as carrier for group of manned submersible vehicles. Method of leadership of submarine sailing catamaran includes transportation of manned submersible vehicles to and from area of performing near- bottom jobs, underwater casting off and mooring by vehicle propulsion. Catamaran as leader- carrier performs functions of mobile hydrodrome. Method of leadership includes: transfer of vehicle to and from hydrodrome, embarkation and debarkation of personnel and waiting in case of poor weather. Provision is made for reception of submersible vehicles from other carriers to mooring areas. Method includes also waiting for vehicles which are behind schedule of return to their carriers because of poor weather. EFFECT: solving of problems pertaining to research, cargo handling and tourism. 4 cl, 7 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to the field of shipbuilding and shipping, in particular to catamaran type ships, and the operation of submarines.

 Known surface catamaran with sailing weapons / 1 / and semi-submerged / 2 /, as well as an underwater catamaran / 3 /, having a structural similarity of each hull of a catamaran with a submarine. Therefore, small submarines of research, working and tourist purposes / 4 /, / 5 /, / 6 / are also referred to the analogues of the underwater sailing catamaran.

The inventive vessel uses the essential features of these analogues:
- two buildings connected by a bridge;
- hulls include a robust hull, lightweight hull and permeable superstructure, like submarines;
- Sailing equipment for surface swimming;
- the use of manned underwater vehicle / OPA / like a submarine / 4 /;
- the use between the hulls of technical means for bottom work like an underwater catamaran / 3 /.

 The prototype is an underwater catamaran / 3 /, designed for long-term construction and other benthic works, does not possess the combination of seaworthiness inherent in the claimed vessel in surface-submerged and submerged-bottom positions.

 The concept of this prototype was preceded by a method of using OPA from submarines, for example, from an underwater carrier of deep-sea OPA / 7 /. As a rule, the underwater carrier has one OPA and between them a durable transition is provided with an underwater docking unit, which makes it possible to covertly use the OPA in the underwater position. This method of using the OPA is a prototype of the method of leading the underwater sailing catamaran serving a whole group of OPA, but with landing and disembarking of the inhabitants of the OPA in the surface and positional positions. The positional position, designated by the terminology of submarines, is a component of a semi-submerged position.

 The lead method uses such essential features of the prototype method as the mode of transporting the OPA to the area of bottom operations and vice versa, underwater descent and mooring of the OPA in its own right. The operating mode after the operation of the OPA is essentially the goal of both methods, therefore, does not apply to the signs.

 The leading method is inferior to the prototype in secrecy and weather restrictions on the use of OPA from the water surface, but provides new operating modes-technologies of the OPA group and their carrier, bypassing complex devices for underwater docking of the OPA and the prototype carrier.

The inventive vessel solves research, cargo and tourism problems in the surface, semi-submerged, underwater and benthic positions, while:
- created constructive conditions for new technologies of scientific research and mariculture;
- from two buildings a wider band of bottom observations is provided, increasing their productivity;
- surface and bottom operations with cargo between hulls are available;
- freight operations with floating objects are applicable by docking in semi-submerged and surface positions;
- the vessel is attractive for passenger tourists as a sailing, underwater and carrier of recreational facilities.

Distinctive features of an underwater sailing catamaran:
- auxiliary sailing armament of four mechanized windmills with rigid sails, two on each side, placed in a lowered position in permeable superstructures;
- rational use of the OPA group by the method of leadership;
- the bridge consists of a longitudinal strong hull and strong composite passages connecting it to the side strong hulls, and the volumes of the solid hulls are close to achieve two-compartment unsinkability in the surface position;
- asymmetry of the light hull relative to the diametrical plane of the lateral strong hull when the middle part of the ballast tanks of the light hull is located below and on one, preferably the inner, side of the hull to lower the center of gravity of the vessel when immersed, to increase surface draft to reduce drift during sailing;
- in each hull of the catamaran there is a tank and jets made by upper ballast tanks drained by gravity to increase a number of seaworthiness in surface-semi-submerged positions;
- the area and inclination of the bow section of the deck of the permeable superstructure are selected taking into account the bow camber of the hull sides to improve surface seaworthiness on waves and the vertical stability of underwater movement in the presence of hydrodynamic forces on the bow surfaces of the sides and superstructure;
- the lining of the permeable superstructure is made "impervious to the effects of the sea" / according to the terminology of the Rules for the Classification and Construction of Marine Ships /, except for the areas of design access holes, to improve a number of seaworthiness in surface-submerged and underwater positions.

 The leadership method is aimed at providing new underwater technologies with the participation of the OPA group, including with new varieties of marine recreation, while servicing coastal-island biosphere reserves and mariculture.

The method of leading an underwater sailing catamaran equipped with one or a group of OPA and designated by the leader carrier has the following distinctive features:
- the carrier leader performs the functions of a mobile hydrodrome / by analogy with the aerodrome / when finding berths of OPA on both permeable superstructures, and in the mode of transportation its stability even at low speeds is ensured by the operation of the bridge as a hydrofoil;
- each berth is equipped with a remotely-controlled OPA fixation device and an additional storm mount;
- the mode of transfer of the OPA to the hydrodrome and vice versa is provided for on-site storage of the OPA in a permeable superstructure under the lowered wind turbines, and the docking method is used at the surface-semi-submerged positions and the raised wind turbines with their own travel of the OPA to the berth after lowering the wind turbines, and in reverse order;
- the mode of embarkation and disembarkation of the inhabitants of the OPA is provided in the surface and positional positions, the latter being preferred for embarkation and disembarkation of passengers;
- the standby mode when the weather worsens due to restrictions on the regime of transferring the OPA from the hydrodrome to the superstructure provides for storm fixing of the abandoned OPA at the hydrodrome and the alternation of position and bottom positions, depending on the underwater autonomy of the carrier leader;
- it is possible to receive OPA from berths to other carriers, moreover, if their return to their carriers is delayed due to weather deterioration, the standby mode is applicable;
- the aft section of each permeable superstructure is suitable for combining the marching and berthing places of one small OPA, dispensing with transfer modes to the hydrodrome and standby.

 The underwater sailing catamaran is depicted in FIG. 1 to 4: in FIG. 1 is a side view with sails raised, in FIG. 2 is a view from the nose, in FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the nasal strong passageways of the bridge; FIG. 4 - a longitudinal section of the middle part of the hull with a raised mainsail, lowered mizzen-sail and with other elements.

 The lead method is shown in FIG. 5 to 7: in FIG. 5 is a side view of a carrier leader with two types of OPA at a hydrodrome; FIG. 6 is a top view of a carrier leader with these OPAs; FIG. 7 is a side view in the mode of transfer of the OPA to the hydrodrome at a semi-submerged position.

 In FIG. 1 and 2 show the appearance of the vessel, which is abbreviated as "KAPP". Wind turbines with a large mainsail 1 and small mizzen-sail 2 are raised on each KAPP hull, and the windmill is an object of the invention. A permeable wheelhouse 4 and aft fairing 5, as well as a forward underwater porthole 6 at the bottom navigation control post, are installed on the sturdy case 3 of the bridge. The permeable superstructure 7 between the tank 8 and the jut 9 begins above the dashed line in FIG. 1.

 In FIG. Figures 3 and 4 show the relative position of the lateral strong hull 10 and the light hull 11, which, however, leads to the formation of an "air bag" at the outer side when liquid ballast is received in ballast tanks indicated by dashed lines. The removal of air from the "bags" is possible, for example, through channels 12 equipped with drain float valves for self-drying. Strong bow and stern passages of the bridge consist of vertical pipes 13 and horizontal shells 14 with transverse bulkheads and reinforcing beams, which also bear the bases of wind turbines. In FIG. Figure 4 shows a cargo tank 15 for replacing the weight of a cargo with liquid ballast when it is lowered to the bottom in the bottom position of the KAPP and OPA 16 at the stowed storage location. Underwater portholes 17 are installed on the frontal bulkheads of the buildings 10 and other places of vision.

 FIG. 5 shows a leadership method in the position of a carrier leader with a group of four OPA, moreover, on each side of the hydrodrome there are two different types of OPA 21 and 22 with fixation devices 23, and storm mounts are not shown. OPA 22 is located on the aft section of the permeable superstructure with a combination of marching and berthing places.

 FIG. 6 corresponds to the positional and underwater positions of the carrier leader and shows that the locking devices for the OPA 21 are located on the stiff nasal passages of the bridge.

 FIG. 7 shows the waterline of the semi-submerged position in the mode of transfer of the OPA to the hydrodrome, when the OPA 21 has already surfaced from the stowed place and leaves the ship, giving the opportunity to lower the wind turbines.

Sources of information:
1. Auto USSR N 1207899, class B 63 H 9/00, 1984.

 2. French patent N 2420477, cl. B 63 B 3/13, B 63 G 8/04, 1978.

 3. Multipurpose deep-sea apparatus of the company Bruker, Express information VINITI, series Submarine-technical, diving and ship-lifting works, N 8, 1980, c. 15-17.

 4. Ray L. Arctic underwater operations. - L .: Shipbuilding, 1989, p. 269 and 270.

 5. Pugachevsky A.A. Research, working submarines. Sat Shipbuilding abroad, N 11, 1989, p. 11-22.

 6. Pugachevsky A.A. Tourist submarines. Sat Shipbuilding abroad, N 12, 1989, p. 33-47.

 7. Underwater carrier of deep-sea vehicles, VINITI Express Information, series Submarine-technical, diving and ship-lifting operations, N 5, 1976, p. 27 and 28.

Claims (4)

 1. An underwater sailing catamaran, consisting of two hulls connected by a bridge, which include a strong hull, a light hull and a permeable superstructure and using technical means for bottom work between the hulls, characterized in that auxiliary sailing weapons and a group of inhabited underwater vehicles are also applicable, and the bridge consists of a longitudinal strong hull and strong composite passages connecting it to the side strong hulls, and the volumes of the solid hulls are close, with each catama hull wound there is an asymmetry of the light hull relative to the diametrical plane of the lateral strong hull when the middle part of the ballast tanks of the light hull is located below and on one, preferably the inside, side of the solid hull, a tank is provided and made by upper ballast tanks drained by gravity, the area and inclination of the bow section of the permeable superstructure deck selected taking into account the bow camber of the hull sides, and the lining of the permeable superstructure is impermeable when exposed to the sea, except for areas counting through holes.  2. Underwater sailing catamaran according to claim 1, characterized in that the auxiliary sailing armament consists of four mechanized wind turbines with rigid sails, two on each side, placed in a lowered position in permeable superstructures, and it is rational to use a group of inhabited underwater vehicles according to the leading method .  3. The method of leading an underwater sailing catamaran equipped with one or a group of inhabited underwater vehicles and designated by the carrier leader, using the mode of transportation of inhabited underwater vehicles to the area of bottom operations and vice versa, underwater descent and mooring of an inhabited underwater vehicle in its own way, characterized in that the leader is the carrier acts as a mobile hydrodrome when finding berths of inhabited underwater vehicles on both permeable superstructures, and each berth it is equipped with a remotely controlled device for fixing the inhabited underwater vehicle and an additional storm mount, while there are three separately specified modes, namely: the mode of transfer of the inhabited underwater vehicle to the hydrodrome and vice versa, the mode of embarkation and disembarkation of the inhabitants of the inhabited underwater vehicle and the standby mode when the weather worsens , it is also possible to receive inhabited underwater vehicles at berths from other carriers, and if their return to their carriers is delayed due to weather deterioration rimenim standby mode, and the aft portion of each permeable superstructure suitable for combining cruising and mooring places a small manned submersibles that avoids the translation mode on gidrodrom.  4. The leading method according to claim 3, characterized in that the mode of transfer of the inhabited underwater vehicle to the hydrodrome and vice versa is provided for while storing the inhabited underwater vehicle in the permeable superstructure under the lowered wind turbines, the docking method being used when the surface is semi-submerged and raised wind turbines with their own the course of the inhabited underwater vehicle to the berth after lowering the wind turbines, and in the reverse sequence, then the landing-landing regime of the inhabitants of the inhabited the watercraft is provided in the surface and positional positions, the latter being preferable for boarding and disembarking passengers, and then the standby mode when the weather deteriorates due to restrictions on the mode of transfer of the inhabited underwater vehicle from the hydrodrome to the superstructure provides for storm fixing of the abandoned inhabited underwater vehicles at the hydrodrome and the alternation of positional and bottom-up provisions, depending on the underwater autonomy of the carrier leader.

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