RU2203831C2 - Method of facilitating procedure of raising sunken object - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: performing underwater jobs; raising sunken objects in arctic zone or in winter. SUBSTANCE: proposed method includes connection of sunken object with ship-raising system and delivery of air to lower portion of compartment of this object at pressure exceeding hydrostatic pressure at depth of object; temperature of air shall be below water freezing point. Water from surface cold layer of water basin is also supplied to said compartment. Floating bodies consisting of water and ice which are formed in compartment seal-up its upper portion. EFFECT: facilitated procedure of ship raising.

Description

 The invention relates to underwater operations, namely, the lifting of sunken objects in the Arctic zone or in winter.

 A known method of lifting a sunken ship, which consists in lowering a lifting means, including a storage tank of liquid cryoproduct, a pontoon chamber and a gasifier, to a sunken ship with maintaining the pressure inside the storage tank equal to the ambient pressure, connecting the storage tank to the hull of the sunken ship and gasification of liquid cryoproduct from the storage tank in the gasifier with the supply of vapor to the pontoon chamber, while after connecting the storage tank to the hull of the sunken ship morazhivayut each other, and in the cavity pontoon chamber formed with movable walls is carried out before the separation of the sunken ship hull from the bottom with a series of microexplosions frequency 0.02-0.05 1 / s (RF Patent No. 2059519, B 63 C 7/10).

 The disadvantage of this method is the low reliability of fastening the pontoon to the sunken object. The use of microexplosions can also lead to a decrease in the reliability of fastening.

 There is a method of lifting a sunken object, which consists in connecting the sunken object to the ship's lifting system and supplying gas to the ballast compartment of the latter until gas is filled with part of this ballast compartment, followed by heating the gas in the ballast compartment until water is completely displaced from it (RF patent 2009955, B 63 C 7 /10).

 The disadvantage of this method is the high energy intensity of the method associated with heating the air.

 There is a method of lifting sunken objects, which includes forming a shell in the water near the sunken object, mainly of flexible material, and supplying refrigerant to the shell to form ice in it and creating a buoyancy reserve sufficient to lift the sunken object, while the shell is surrounded by part a sunken object or a group of objects, and the refrigerant is fed through circulation pipes installed inside the shell with the possibility of their oscillatory movements and vertical movements. The shell during the formation of ice is held by anchors. The flow of refrigerant into the shell continues during the lifting of the object (RF patent 2056323, B 63 C 7/14).

 The disadvantage of this method is the need to create an ice mass of much greater mass than a sunken object, and, as a result, the possibility of removing a sunken object after its ascent again again to a considerable depth, which can only be considered an intermediate rise followed by an additional rise, which presents its difficulties, related to the need for additional work.

 The closest analogue to the claimed method relates to a method of lifting a sunken floating means, which consists in the fact that the carrier medium is filled with floating bodies and the resulting mixture is delivered to the body of the sunken boat, and a foaming agent is introduced into the carrier medium before the floating bodies are introduced to obtain a foaming solution and at a pressure exceeding the hydrostatic pressure at the depth of flooding of the craft, foaming it with compressed air, the volume of which exceeds the volume of unfoamed foams forming a solution of 4-fold or more (AS 1167106 B 63 C 7/12).

The disadvantages of this invention are:
1) the need for a large number of both floating bodies and a foaming agent;
2) difficulties in driving both floating bodies and foaming agent into the space filled with them;
3) difficulties in removing both the foaming agent and the floating bodies from the raised object after lifting the sunken object.

 The objective of the invention is to simplify the lifting of the sunken object by sealing ice leaks in the upper part of the sunken object and increase its buoyancy due to the formation of ice and the introduction of air into its volume.

 The problem is solved due to the fact that in the method of lifting a sunken object, which consists in connecting the sunken object with a ship-lifting system and supplying gas to the compartment of the object under a pressure exceeding the hydrostatic pressure at the depth of the object, air is used as gas to the lower part of the compartment with a temperature lower than the freezing temperature of water, and water is supplied to the same compartment from the surface cold layers of the reservoir, while floating bodies consisting of ice and air are formed in the compartment seal the top of the compartment.

 New significant features.

 1. The gas used is air, which is supplied to the lower part of the compartment.

 2. The air entering the lower part of the compartment has a temperature below the freezing temperature of water.

 3. In the same compartment serves water from the surface cold layers of the reservoir.

 4. Floating bodies are formed in the compartment, consisting of ice and air, which seal the upper part of the compartment.

 The listed new essential features in conjunction with the known ones provide a technical result in all cases for which the scope of legal protection is claimed.

 The technical result consists in creating ice plugs in open holes connecting the internal volume of the sunken object with the surrounding body of water, introducing chilled (surface) water into it and cooled to a temperature below the freezing temperature of the air.

 The method is applicable in northern regions and water areas with negative air temperature above the water surface and water temperature at the surface close to freezing temperature.

 If such water is directed inside the object and cold air is blown through it, then it will freeze and float, forming floating bodies, consisting of ice and air, in the upper part of the inner space of the sunken object. As the ice freezes, the holes connecting to the outside water will decrease in area until they close completely. Air entering the compartment space will displace water downwards, where either holes are available or holes are preliminarily made for its exit.

 T. about. all openings in the upper part of the body are closed and water is displaced, which fills the internal space of the object. All compartments are blown, as mentioned above.

 After sealing on the upper side of the inner space of the sunken object and filling it with ice and air, it should acquire general positive buoyancy. In the case of holding the object at the bottom of the sludge, it can be separated from it by soft pontoons filled with water or air after they are slipped under the bottom of the object (even with freezing).

 To reduce the air pressure in the internal volume of the object, associated with a decrease in external pressure as the object rises, and to eliminate the pressure on the plugs caused by freezing, it is possible to freely release air in the lower part of the object in each of the isolated parts of the object.

 The method is implemented as follows. An insulated pipe is introduced into the sunken object at the bottom of its compartment, through which air is pumped into it from the surface at a pressure higher than the hydrostatic pressure at the depth of the object, and the temperature at the inlet of the compartment is lower than the freezing temperature of water. Passing through the water in the compartment, the air cools it, forming at the same time floating bodies consisting of ice and air. Surfacing, these bodies gradually clog holes in the upper part of the compartment. As the holes close, water is displaced from the compartment through leaks in its lower part. The buoyancy of the object increases. To increase the efficiency of cooling water simultaneously with air, colder surface water is introduced into the compartment through thermally insulated pipes, which will accelerate the freezing process. As a result of these actions, the object either pops up, after a similar processing of all compartments, or its rise will be greatly facilitated by increasing its buoyancy.

 Frozen volumes must be continuously cooled by air supply to maintain their temperature.

Claims (1)

 A way to facilitate the lifting of a sunken object, which consists in connecting the sunken object to the ship's lifting system and supplying gas to the object compartment under a pressure higher than the hydrostatic pressure at the depth of the object, characterized in that the gas used is air that is supplied to the lower part of the compartment with a temperature below freezing temperatures of water, water is supplied to the same compartment from the surface cold layers of the reservoir, while floating bodies are formed in the compartment, consisting of ice and air, which seal the upper part five compartment.