RU2647348C1 - Non-freezing port - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: ship building.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to floating structures, in particular to facilities for servicing ships in places with cold climate. Non-freezing port is construction of circular in plan shape, located at distance from shore, and contains floating base of pontoon structures separated by water transport passages, with upper and lower outer and inner power rings, forming rigid spatial structure, and domed overlap, made in form of bearing enclosing structure of slender air bearing dome of convex shape with possibility of creating zone of reduced pressure above its surface, membrane reinforced with wire mesh. In this case structure is provided with system of air support and closures stabilizing from horizontal displacements by buried piles, connected to pontoons and allowing pontoons to move relative to piles in vertical direction. On sections of diametrically opposite sides of lower power rings, underwater frames constructively closing them into single contour, forming in these areas gaps for movement of water vehicles through them. In pneumatic dome, air locks, which repeat shape of pneumatic dome, equipped with closures and air suppression device, are made accessible to water vehicles in dome space.

EFFECT: technical result consists in reducing structure weight while maintaining high strength, increasing safety of structure usage.

11 cl, 3 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to floating structures, in particular to structures for servicing ships in places with severe cold climates.

State of the art

In many projects for the exploitation and use of Arctic natural resources, the use of ships, that is, sea or river transport for servicing and cargo exchange, is assumed. The central role is given to the Northern Sea Route (NSR). The technical capabilities of modern ships and icebreakers allow navigation throughout the NSR in the Arctic year-round. However, today the navigation along the Northern Sea Route remains seasonal and the infrastructure of this route remains poorly developed, despite the well-known economic benefits relative to other transit routes (via the Suez Canal). Also, year-round navigation would leave the seasonal isolation of Arctic cities and settlements in the past.

The problem for ships entering the port is that the ice covers the entire surface of the seas and ponds in winter. And although modern high-class ships with icebreaking assistance can cross almost any ice, navigation remains seasonal - transit is possible, and mooring turns into a real test for equipment and people and can last up to two days.

Typically, ports are located in close proximity to the coast. The disadvantages of such ports are that they build powerful concrete piers, and dredging works are carried out in the entire surrounding water area to ensure the passage of ships, and in short summers and harsh climates, dredging can be done only a few weeks in the summer, which further increases the cost and construction time, and the need to place marine vessels requires the use of very large spans, so the usual types of load-bearing systems are extremely material-intensive, and loading nnosti construction of columns the grid does not give space handling loads and the courts.

The prior art (see RU 2159320, ЕВВ 15/02, ЕВВ 17/00, publ. 20.11.2000) is known hydraulic engineering, designed to develop and equip the sea shelf for the production and deep processing of hydrocarbons in the construction of an artificial island on the sea shelf . The disadvantage of such a structure is the high cost of its construction and the span restrictions dictated by the building material (glass and concrete), and the large amount of work harmful to the environment (for example, dredging and the collapse of supports).

Disclosure of invention

The problem solved by the claimed invention is the creation of a port that provides a reduction in material consumption, time and cost both in construction and maintenance of the structure, economical and efficient use of the structure with reduced environmental damage.

The technical result of the invention consists in creating the lifting force of the port structure due to the reduced pressure zone above the surface of the dome cover with a significant reduction in air back pressure of the ice-free port structure, reducing the weight of the structure while maintaining high strength, increasing the safety of the structure.

The specified technical result is ensured by the fact that the non-freezing port contains a floating base and a domed ceiling. It is a structure of circular shape, located at a distance from the coast. The floating base of the port is made of pontoons interconnected by connectors and cables threaded through the technological openings of the pontoons. Moreover, pontoons form, with the possibility of changing their number and size of the port structure, a block of pontoon structures separated by a group of parallel water transport passages and forming a working area in the central part of the floating base. At the same time, the structure is equipped with an air back-up system and gates, a lot of stabilized piles from horizontal movements connected to the pontoons via connectors, allowing the pontoons to move freely relative to the piles in the vertical direction, with a plurality of pillars, upper and lower outer and inner force rings, forming a rigid spatial structure moreover, the upper power ring is connected with the inner lower power ring through the pillars, which are the support of the domed ceiling. In this case, the pontoon structures of the floating base are interconnected by lower force rings located at the water level, which are reinforced pontoons that hold the floating base together and protect it from creeping. At the same time, in sections of diametrically opposite sides of the lower power rings, underwater frames constructively closing them into a single circuit are made, forming gaps in these sections of the lower power rings with the possibility of moving water vehicles through them. In this case, the domed ceiling is made in the form of a supporting enclosing structure of a shallow air-supporting pneumatic dome with a convex-shaped profile with the possibility of creating a zone of reduced pressure above its surface, equipped with a membrane reinforced with a cable mesh. At the same time, air locks are made in the pneumatic dome with the possibility of access of water vehicles to the dome space, repeating the shape of the pneumatic dome, equipped with gates and an air back-up device.

In addition, the lower external power ring of the ice-free port contains metal reinforcing elements with a gentle edge inclined with respect to water. In addition, the underwater frames of the ice-free port are inverted U-shaped reinforced concrete structures. In addition, the membrane of the domed floor of the non-freezing port is made of light-transmitting fabric with Teflon impregnation. In addition, the air intake device consists of many fans located on racks located in special pockets, while part of the surface of each pocket is made with a movable coating with the possibility of opening and closing water transport passages and isolation from the external environment and low temperatures. In addition, each gate of the non-freezing port air lock is made in the form of a pneumatic lens on a metal frame. In addition, the pontoon structures of the ice-free port, separated by water transport passages, are moorings for water vehicles. In addition, around the working area of the floating base of the ice-free port there are many areas of engineering communications, services for warehousing, grouping and storage of goods, backup power plants, special equipment parking lots and personnel premises. In addition, the ice-free port is equipped with a pontoon transport bridge connecting to the shore, made of prefabricated elements equipped with laid engineering networks, with the possibility of movement and access to the port through the air lock system of land vehicles and personnel. In addition, the pontoons of the floating base of the ice-free port are made of reinforced concrete with lightweight foam aggregate materials. In addition, the pillars, which are the support of the domed floor of the ice-free port, are made of metal truss structures.

Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1 - design of a non-freezing port in plan view from above;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a non-freezing port structure across water transport passages;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a non-freezing port structure along a water passage.

In the drawings, the numbers indicate the following positions: 1 - domed ceiling membrane; 2 - floating base (pontoon system); 3 - upper power ring; 4 - lower inner power ring; 5 - lower external power ring; 6 - metal reinforcing element of the lower external power ring; 7 - wire rope mesh; 8 - pillar (column); 9 - buried piles; 10 - water transport passage (central); 11 - water transport passage (side); 12 - pontoon bridge; 13 - the upper part of the shutter; 14 - the lower part of the shutter; 15 - eyelets; 16 - underwater frame; 17 - emergency buffers; 18 - air lock with air pressure; 19 - air supply fan; 20 - farm; 21 - hinge; 22 - the opening part of the coating of the passage in the gateway; 23 - pontoon cables; 24 - enclosing structures of the gateway; 25 - locomotive; 26 - watercraft; 27 - a water vehicle; 28 - rails; 29 - crane; 30 - refueling terminals; 31 - circular traffic; 32 - storage; 33 - backup power plants; 34 - staff premises; 35 - emergency fungi on cranes; 36 - gateway for transport and personnel.

The implementation of the invention

The non-freezing port is located at a distance from the coast, where free navigation of ships is possible, and is connected to the coast by a pontoon bridge (12), through which cargo is transported between ships and the coast.

The support of the entire structure is a floating base (2) of pontoons that transfers the weight of the entire shell of the structure to water, but not to permafrost unstable soils. Pontoons are made of reinforced concrete with lightweight foam aggregate, interconnected by connectors and threaded through the technological openings of the pontoons by a plurality (system) of cables (23). The connected pontoons can form a block of structures, for example, four structures that are separated by three water transport passages (10) for water vehicles (26) (ships and other vessels) and serve as moorings inside the structure. The cable system (23) tightly connects the pontoons of the floating base (2) and creates resistance to the deflection of these structures. The entire mass of pontoons of the floating base (2) moves up and down under the action of the ebb and flow forces, respectively, and the entire port structure moves too. To stabilize the structure from horizontal movements, many piles (9) (pile system) are used, buried to the required depth. Buried piles (9) are connected to the pontoons of the floating base (2) through connectors that allow the pontoons to move freely relative to the piles in the vertical direction, but do not allow them to move in the horizontal plane. Thus, all the power of the tides is not able to damage the construction of an ice-free port due to this freedom of movement of the pontoons of the floating base (2) relative to the buried piles (9). Four structures of the pontoons of the floating base (2) are connected by the water level, which is always in the same plane, the buried piles (9), which protect against movement in the horizontal plane, and the two lower force rings (supporting belts) of the structure, one of which is external (5 ), and the second is internal (4).

An important function of the external reference belt (5) is to restrain the onslaught of waves, as well as even more powerful ice pressure compared to waves. For this, a metal reinforcing element (6) with a gentle edge sloping relative to the water is attached to the powerful concrete part of the outer support zone (5). Here the principle of icebreakers is used, which destroy ice due to the gentle shape of the nose: they get out onto the ice and break it with their weight, so the movement of the icebreaker consists of an endless approach to the ice and its breaking. Based on this principle, the shape of the metal reinforcing elements (6) of the outer support belt (5) directs the compressive force of the ice tangentially, protecting the port structure from damage. In addition, this form dampens the shock of the wave and directs it under the pontoon structures of the floating base (2), where the remaining energy damps. In the event of damage, these metal reinforcing elements (6) can be replaced individually without interruption in the operation of the structure.

To pass the ships through the two lower support zones (4, 5), which are at the water level, breaks were made to the width of the passage of the ships. But in order to preserve the structurally necessary closure of the lower support belts (4, 5), underwater frames (16) were made at the points of discontinuities, linking each lower support belt in a single circuit and leaving a passage (10, 11) for water vehicles (sea vessels, ships, etc. .) due to its geometric parameters. Underwater frames (16) are inverted U-shaped reinforced concrete structures that are connected to the lower support belts (4, 5). The size of the underwater frames (16) is selected according to the parameters necessary for the passage of water vehicles (26). Thanks to this solution, the pontoon structures of the floating base (2) remain connected, and the lower support zones (4, 5) are closed.

The impressive size of sea vessels (26, 27) navigating in the Arctic Ocean determines the size of the space of the ice-free port structure so large that one of the existing structural systems, the air-supporting pneumatic dome, is chosen as its ceiling. The main part of such a dome (domed ceiling) is the membrane (1), which is both a supporting and enclosing structure. This type of structure works best on a round plan, so the outline of the ice-free port is also round. The external contour is the lower external power ring (5), a closed support belt that will absorb forces from the dome cover and works in compression, while the dome cover works in tension, which is the most effective way of working the material. With a large span of the dome, the membrane (1) is reinforced with a cable mesh (7) made of many cables that take up most of the effort. A feature of the non-freezing port is that this structure is air-supporting with the need to create increased internal pressure, which is created by the fans (19), forcing air into the dome space.

The shape of the domed ceiling of the structure was chosen to be an extremely gentle dome, because the smaller the curvature of the dome, the lower the necessary internal pressure, and hence the energy expenditure for maintaining it. The minimum height of the domed ceiling was also chosen to create the aerodynamic effect of self-cleaning of the shell from snow, which is important in the Arctic. The gently sloping domed ceiling forms an air rarefaction zone above its surface, which creates a lifting force that supports the domed ceiling and cleans its shell of snow. The indicated effect according to the principle of action is similar to the principle of the wing, which creates a lifting force that allows the plane, glider to stay, fly, plan in the air. Therefore, with a constant strong sea wind, this lifting force is able to hold the domed ceiling even without air pressure inside the port structure by compressors.

For ships (26, 27) to enter the domed space, sufficiently large openings are required in the pneumatic dome of the domed ceiling, when opening which the pressure inside the port facility should not drop. To ensure these requirements, large air locks (18) are formed, cut from the main form of the pneumatic dome, in which atmospheric pressure acts. Air locks (18) are equipped with gates and an air back-up device, consisting of many powerful fans (19) located on racks located in special pockets.

Fans (19) pump a directed air flow to the gates when they open, as a result of which an increased pressure zone is formed in front of the gates, which prevents air from escaping from under the dome. This solution allows not to build a vestibule lock for ships, which is an intermediate space between the environment with atmospheric pressure and the domed space with high pressure. A tambour lock attached to the shell would violate the aerodynamic shape of the dome, the effect of self-cleaning and self-support, and also complicate the construction of the structure, so fans located in air locks that create a local increase in pressure are the most rational solution. To maintain aerodynamic properties, air locks are made in a form that repeats the natural shape of an air-bearing dome.

Part of the surface of the air locks (18) is made with a sliding cover with the possibility of opening and closing water transport passages (10, 11) for ships and isolation from the external environment and low temperatures. The locks of the air locks (18) are made in the form of pneumatic lenses on a metal frame. When the shutter opens, air is pumped out of the lenses and the frame moves up together with the hanging cloth of the pneumatic lenses. The lower part of the shutter, located in the plane of the pontoons, acts as a swing wing, moving away to the side when the shutters are opened. Structurally, it consists of a floating part with a lifting platform that rises when closed to the level of the clean floor of the entire structure. When opening, the platform lowers so that the shutter flap can enter into special recesses. The shutter flap rotates around a hinge mounted on the main supporting structures of the structure.

Cutouts for air locks (18) with fans (19) and air locks disrupt the uniform shape of the pneumatic dome of the domed ceiling, so it becomes necessary to divide the shell into segments so that the forces in it become more uniform. For this, in addition to the internal lower power ring (4) located at the water level (lower support belt), the design has an upper power ring (3) (upper support belt) located at a height that serves as a shell separator. The upper support belt (3) takes all the efforts from the central fragment of the shell and part of the forces from the side, that is, receives and absorbs compressive forces and transfers down the weight of the shell through the posts (8) that connect the two support belts. Pillars (8) (columns) are the support of the domed ceiling and it is advisable to perform them from metal truss structures. The lower inner support belt (4) serves to stabilize the base of the columns (8), creates a rigid base. Thus, the columns (8) together with the upper and lower inner belts form a rigid spatial structure, which acts as an important forming element in solving space-planning problems, engineering networks, supporting and enclosing structures. In places where the upper support belt (3) is adjacent to the inlet air locks, its design is reinforced in order to absorb great efforts. In these places, the span between vertical load-bearing structures was increased to organize the passage of ships (26, 27), and also due to the fact that a fragment of the dome cover adjoins the support belt only on one side in the segment of the support belt adjacent to the air lock, in A bending force is generated in this segment.

In water passageways (11) between pontoon structures, ships (26, 27) can be moved using moving locomotives (25), because ship steering systems in such closed conditions are insufficient for safe maneuvering and mooring. At the port facility, piers can be made that go outside the dome; locomotives are located on these piers that move along the rails and pull the ship along with them. The piers have extensions for absorption and redirection along a tangent strike in case of loss of control over the ship or errors in maneuvering. A group of locomotives, two on each side, allows you to accurately adjust the position of the vessel and safely carry it out in the event of a minimum clearance of the ship's hull with fixed port structures.

The configuration of the port is different in that the ships (26, 27) enter the center of the port structure in order to get into the non-freezing part. The round outline of the plan with moorings forming the working area in the central part of the floating base (2) is a distinctive solution for the port, in connection with this, engineering networks and transport services are formed around the working area (the working area is the place with moorings where ships are unloaded). The presence of closed support belts (3, 4, 5) helps to conveniently lay engineering systems in these zones. Around the working area there is a service area in which warehousing (32), grouping and storage of goods are carried out, as well as backup power plants (33), special equipment parking areas and personnel premises. Access for transport and personnel to the structure is carried out via a pontoon bridge (12) from the shore through air locks (air lock 18).

Given the extreme climate, almost the entire structure of the structure consists of prefabricated elements, which reduces the amount of work at the construction site. The structural elements of the structure are manufactured industrially and delivered to the construction site by sea. All pontoon structures (block of structures) are made up of pontoons that are delivered and assembled at the construction site. The two lower support belts (4, 5) consist of segments, which are pontoons with special reinforcement. These belts are fully integrated with the rest of the pontoons in a single system consisting entirely of prefabricated elements, forming a reliable support for the structure and acting as a construction site on the water. An important feature of construction in the Arctic is that dredging is seasonal in nature, and to be precise, this season is less than one month, which delays the process of building the port for years. To circumvent this problem, the fully floating non-freezing port structure is moved away from the coast to a distance where the necessary depth is reached for navigating marine water vehicles. The pontoon bridge (12), which consists of prefabricated elements with pre-laid engineering networks, connects the shore with the shore, in turn, the construction of an ice-free port. Thus, the scope of dredging works is reduced to almost zero, and the surrounding water area of the port is suitable for navigation, for example, for navigation of marine construction equipment.

Metal spatial (truss) structures of columns (8) (columns) and upper support zone (3) are composed of prefabricated precast elements mounted on the site, they are connected to embedded parts in concrete structures of pontoon structures. Metal spatial (truss) structures that serve to overlap the spaces of air locks (18) are also made up of prefabricated elements. The membrane (1) of the dome cover, consisting of a pre-cut and stitched light-transmitting fabric with Teflon (PTFE) impregnation, which is delivered to the site, is connected to the supporting elements of the upper and lower external support zones (3, 5), as well as to the side truss structures in areas adjacent to air locks. Mesh cables (7), reinforcing the membrane (1), are attached to the same structures as the membrane (shell) of the domed ceiling, and when air pressure is supplied to the port structure via compressors, the rising membrane (1) (shell) of the domed ceiling carries out the tension of the cable mesh (7) located on top of the shell.

The important thing is that the port structure can be scaled depending on the size of the ships that will use it. That is, the port can be proportionally resized in a certain range and, for example, built in a small size to work with small vessels or enlarged to serve extra-large vessels. The design of the ice-free port has a reserve for increasing and decreasing the size of its structure. Currently, there is a shortage of deep sea ports in the Arctic, not to mention ice-free ports. Therefore, the project incorporates redundant characteristics that allow it to be used as a dual-use port (in the defense and civilian sectors), that is, the selected type, dimensions and design parameters have a margin of safety and space, which may be in demand for longer port operation, taking into account growth sizes and needs of ships. An important factor in the defense sphere is that the port, covered by a dome, creates visual isolation, that is, it hides the ships and the processes that occur with them from external observation. Air support structures are an extremely tenacious type of structure, that is, even with significant damage, the dome will stand, it is fireproof and is able to resist the blast wave. But even in the case when the damage becomes strong and the shell of the domed ceiling falls, it will only sag and become concave - the port structure itself will not be destroyed. In the working area of the port, to protect the ships from damage to the falling shell and to protect the shell of the domed ceiling from damage to the ships, emergency fungi (35) are installed on top of the structures serving the crane ships, which take on the weight of the shell in case it falls - thus the weight of the shell the domed ceiling rests on the construction of the cranes (29) of the floating base (2) of the port, capable of receiving it, bypassing the vessels. At the same time, in this case, the drop in the dome cover occurs gradually as the pressure equalizes inside and out, which makes this type of non-freezing port construction extremely safe.

In addition, the load on the fragile ecology of the Arctic with a non-freezing port is minimized. The most obvious advantage of the port construction is the location of the facility in the sea, offshore, and therefore there is no negative impact on the soil and coastline, which is important in the Arctic, where the soil is one of the most fragile ecosystems.

It should also be noted that for local Arctic conditions, the profile profile of the port structure is almost ideal, the gentle curvature of which contributes to the self-cleaning of the dome cover from snow, which is extremely important in a region with such a large snow transfer. At the same time, the incoming wind stream does not seek to destroy by pressing the shell to the ground, but rather maintain it, because lifting force is formed above it. Thus, the wind works to support the shell and thus saves the energy that is needed to create internal pressure in the shell. At the same time, the water itself, isolated from the cold atmosphere and transferring heat to the dome space of the port structure, also helps to maintain the dome cover. The volume of air inside the port structure is so large that even a slight increase in its temperature creates the increased pressure necessary to maintain the design of the port structure.

The indicated form of the structure, which is able to withstand the environmental effects of air, relies on a rigid pontoon base, the main destroyer of which is ice. In the claimed invention, the floating base (2) of the pontoons is on a par with the ice, resisting compression by the whole mass, that is, it works as some particularly strong ice in balance with the environment. Even the choice of materials for the construction of the port is not accidental, reinforced concrete is much stronger and harder than ice and is used as a base that resists it. The metal structures of the pillars (8) and the upper power ring (3) of the port structure are light and flexible load-bearing structures that allow absorbing wind shocks and redistributing the loads from the membrane (1) of the domed ceiling under uneven exposure to the elements. The effectiveness of the metal structures of the structure relative to their weight allows such a strong construction of the port to remain floating. The membrane (1) of the domed ceiling of Teflon (PTFE) impregnated fabric is light transmitting. The light transmission coefficient of the domed ceiling membrane is seven percent, and taking into account the area that this membrane covers, the illumination with natural light inside the port is very high, which will save energy on lighting.

The indicated design of the ice-free port facility can be used to protect the processes of oil transportation and production in the Arctic that are vulnerable to external environmental influences. For example, such an unsafe stage as refueling oil tankers using an ice-free port is protected from all external influences that could lead to an accident, while the environment is protected from spills and other influences. Such expansion of opportunities allows ensuring environmental safety and shifting hydrocarbon production to the mainland with subsequent transshipment to oil tankers in the protected environment of the dome space of the ice-free port.

In the future development of the Arctic, the archipelago of such ports can be used as deep-sea freight sea ice-free ports. The need for them is already at present, and while maintaining the pace of development of cargo turnover along the Northern Sea Route, this freight traffic will only increase.

Claims (11)

1. Non-freezing port containing a floating base and a domed ceiling, characterized in that it is a round-shaped structure located at sea offshore, the floating base is made of pontoons connected by connectors and cables threaded through technological holes pontoons, moreover, pontoons form with the possibility of changing their number and size of the port structure a block of pontoon structures separated by a group of parallel water transport passages and the working area, which is secreted in the central part of the floating base, while the structure is equipped with an air back-up system and gates, many stabilized from horizontal movements of buried piles connected to the pontoons via connectors, allowing the pontoons to move freely relative to the piles in the vertical direction, with a plurality of pillars, upper and lower external and internal power rings forming a rigid spatial structure, the upper power ring being connected to the internal lower power ring tom through the pillars, which are the support of the domed ceiling, while the pontoon structures of the floating base are interconnected by lower power rings located at the water level, which are reinforced pontoons that fasten the floating base and prevent it from sprawling, while on sections of diametrically opposite sides of the lower power rings made underwater frames constructively closing them into a single circuit, forming gaps in the indicated sections of the lower power rings with the possibility of moving through of them water vehicles, while the domed ceiling is made in the form of a load-bearing enclosing structure of a shallow air support pneumatic dome with a convex shape profile with the possibility of creating a zone of reduced pressure above its surface, equipped with a membrane reinforced with a cable mesh, while in the pneumatic dome, water vehicles can be accessed funds into the domed space air locks, repeating the shape of the pneumatic dome, equipped with gates and air back pressure device. 2. Non-freezing port according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower external power ring contains metal reinforcing elements with a gentle edge inclined with respect to water. 3. Non-freezing port according to claim 1, characterized in that the underwater frames are inverted U-shaped reinforced concrete structures. 4. Non-freezing port according to claim 1, characterized in that the domed ceiling membrane is made of light-transmitting fabric with Teflon impregnation. 5. The non-freezing port according to claim 1, characterized in that the air back-up device consists of a plurality of fans located on racks located in special pockets, while part of the surface of each pocket is made with a sliding cover with the possibility of opening and closing water transport passages and isolation from external environment and low temperatures. 6. Non-freezing port according to claim 1, characterized in that each gate of the air lock is made in the form of a pneumatic lens on a metal frame. 7. The non-freezing port according to claim 1, characterized in that the pontoon structures separated by water transport passages are moorings for water vehicles. 8. The non-freezing port according to claim 1, characterized in that around the working area of the floating base there are many areas of engineering communications, services for warehousing, grouping and storage of goods, backup power plants, special equipment parking lots and personnel premises. 9. The non-freezing port according to claim 1, characterized in that it is equipped with a pontoon transport bridge connecting to the shore, made of prefabricated elements equipped with laid engineering networks, with the possibility of movement and access to the port through the air lock system of land vehicles and personnel. 10. Non-freezing port according to claim 1, characterized in that the pontoons of the floating base are made of reinforced concrete with lightweight foam aggregate materials. 11. Non-freezing port according to claim 1, characterized in that the pillars that support the domed ceiling are made of metal truss structures.

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