RU2734644C1 - Mooring device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: shipbuilding.

SUBSTANCE: claimed invention relates to shipbuilding, namely to technical facilities for electric power supply and charging of accumulator batteries of non-crew or autonomous surface vessels at their mooring. Mooring berth device comprises control unit located on upper horizontal plane of device and including interconnected AIS-transponder, RTK-base station, VHF radio modem designed for wireless data transmission from RTK-base station, and computer, which output is connected to controlled relay. It additionally comprises on the side vertical plane guide axis with sliding device depending on water level by it, combining float and electric contact device. Automatic mooring is performed in conditions of water level fluctuation.

EFFECT: technical result is to connect non-crew or autonomous surface vessels to electric network for supply or recharging of ship current sources during mooring.

1 cl, 2 dwg

Description

The claimed invention relates to the field of shipbuilding, namely to technical means for electric power supply and charging of storage batteries of unmanned or autonomous surface ships when they are moored.

Known mooring device according to the patent RU No. 2492100, IPC B63B 21/02, publ. 09/10/2013, containing the receiving part of the ship, which is a well, the geostationary part - a turret, located with the possibility of turning in the specified receiving part of the ship, and the main bearing assembly connecting the geostationary part with the receiving part of the ship. The main bearing assembly contains at least two separate bearings, adapted to operate with them in such a way that one or the other, or both of these bearings are in working position with the possibility of replacement, inspection and repair of the non-working bearing on site.

It is also known a mooring device for ships associated with the production and transportation of hydrocarbons, according to patent RU No. 2547327, IPC B63B 21/50, publ. 10.04.2015. The device contains a drilling shaft located in the ship, a turret installed in the drilling shaft with the possibility of rotation by means of an upper main bearing and a lower additional bearing, and mooring lines attached to the lower region of the turret. The turret in its lower region comprises several circumferentially spaced apart torsion box elements, each of which extends substantially vertically between an upper end attached to the turret and a lower free end.

The disadvantages of these devices are the complexity of manufacturing and further operation, as well as the lack of the possibility of power supply of the vessel during mooring.

Known mooring device, which provides automatic connection of the vessel to the coastal electrical network when mooring according to patent RU No. 40286 IPC B63B 21/02, publ. 10.09.2004. The essence of the utility model lies in the implementation of the mooring device in the form of a transformer, the core of which consists of two parts, enclosed in separate housings and carrying the primary and secondary windings. One part of the transformer with the primary winding is fixed by means of shock absorbers on the quay column, and the other is attached to the frame mounted on the bow or stern of the vessel. The primary winding of the transformer is connected to the shore power grid, and the secondary winding is connected to the ship's one. Elements for guiding and joining the core are installed on the lateral surface of the ends of the rods of both parts of the core and the bodies. When the vessel approaches the berth, the hull of the mooring device of the vessel, having freedom of movement due to the rod, springs and hinges, with the help of guides and rollers, approaches the hull of the mooring device of the berth where the primary winding is located. The attachments on the core rods ensure precise articulation of its two parts and, accordingly, precise mooring of the vessel. The disadvantage of this analogue is the impossibility of automatic mooring and provision of power supply or recharging of current sources (batteries) of unmanned or autonomous surface vessels. Also, a design flaw is the threat of the ship piling onto the berth in the event of a significant change in the water level.

Known mooring device for US patent 5762016, publ. 06/09/1998, providing automatic connection of ships to the coastal network when mooring. The device has a fixed part that is attached to the pile device and forms a track along which the sliding part moves. The movable part has a rigid part and a flexible deformable part. The rigid part is provided with a guide channel for engaging the stationary part during use of the bumper block. The resilient deformable portion has an impact-absorbing contact surface and non-contacting opposite side walls. Mooring irons are installed on the side walls of the rigid element to provide the ability to secure the boat's mooring line to them. An insert made of a material resistant to friction is installed in the guide channel to facilitate the movement of the moving part along the stationary track. The disadvantage of the analogue is the impossibility of automatic mooring and provision of power supply or recharging of current sources (batteries) of unmanned or autonomous surface ships with significant changes in the water level.

Known mooring mooring device according to the patent RU No. 2723697, publ. 06/17/2020, selected as a prototype of the claimed invention. The known device solves the problem of automated mooring of unmanned vessels without direct human participation and includes: an electromagnet fixed through a shock absorber on the quay wall, configured to dock with a counterpart located on the hull of an unmanned vessel. The mooring control unit, AIS transponder, RTK base station, VHF radio modem are installed at the berth. The device provides mooring of unmanned or autonomous surface vessels, in which orientation on the ground is carried out by means of global positioning and navigation systems - (GPS / GLONASS). The disadvantage of the prototype is the impossibility of providing electrical power or recharging current sources (batteries) of unmanned or autonomous surface vessels during anchorage, including when there are significant changes (fluctuations) in the water level, when the receiving mooring magnet is below or above the level of the counterpart located on ship.

The proposed device solves the problem of connecting unmanned or autonomous surface vessels to the electrical network for powering or recharging ship current sources (batteries) during anchorage in conditions of fluctuating water levels.

To solve the problem, the following set of essential features is used: in a mooring mooring device for unmanned or autonomous surface vessels (containing, like the prototype, an electromagnet located on the vertical surface of the mooring device and connected through a controlled relay to a power supply, a control unit located on horizontal surface of the device and including interconnected AIS transponder (automatic identification system), RTK base station (Real Time Kinematic) based on a GPS / GLONASS satellite navigation receiver), VHF radio modem, designed for wireless data transmission from an RTK base station, and a computer, the output of which is connected to a controlled relay), unlike the prototype, the electromagnet is fixed on a float made with the ability to move along a vertical axis, mounted on the vertical surface of the mooring device, while on the upper part of the float it is fixed on a bracket an electrical contact device connected through a controlled relay to a power supply and installed with the possibility of contacting with a counterpart installed on the ship.

The essence of the invention lies in the provision of the possibility of automatically providing power supply or recharging batteries of unmanned or autonomous surface ships during their mooring or parking in conditions of fluctuating water levels. This result is achieved by changing the design of the mooring device in terms of fixing the electromagnet and supplementing it with an electric contact device: in the prototype, the electromagnet is fixed on the mooring surface of the mooring device through a shock absorber, in the proposed one - through a movable float system, which moves along a vertical bar along with the water level and thus compensates for the difference in the levels of the elements of the docking of the ship and the berth and allows the ship to provide power supply when the ship is parked

Comparison of the proposed device and the prototype showed that the task at hand is to connect unmanned or autonomous surface vessels to the electrical network for powering or recharging ship current sources (batteries) during anchorage, including in conditions of water level fluctuations during automatic mooring without direct human participation - is solved as a result of a new set of features, which proves the compliance of the proposed invention with the "novelty" criterion of patentability.

The essence of the claimed invention is illustrated by graphic materials, where:

in fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of a mooring device;

in fig. 2 shows a diagram of the control unit.

The proposed device (Fig. 1) contains: an electromagnet 1 for mooring a ship, an electrical contact device 2 on a bracket 3 for transmitting electrical power to a ship, fixed on a float 4 with a carriage 5, sliding along a guide 6, which allows the float 4 to move freely in accordance with current water level. The electromagnet 1 and the electrical contact device are connected by an electric cable 7 to the control unit 8, which is connected to the power supply 9. The control unit (Fig. 2) contains a computer 10, an AIS transponder 11, an RTK base station 12 and a VHF radio modem 13. The computer through relay 14, controls the electromagnet 1 and the electric contact device 2. The proposed device is fixed on the mooring wall (pale) 15 in the water (water area) 16.

The electromagnet 1 is made with the possibility of docking with a counterpart located on the hull of an unmanned vessel, and the dimensions of the bracket 3 correspond to the location of the receiving electrical contact device on the vessel, which makes it possible to accurately connect the electrical power supply from the electrical contact device 2 on the float 4 and to carry out an electrical connection with the vessel in case of any change water level.

When mooring unmanned vessels, orientation on the terrain is carried out using global positioning and navigation systems (GPS / GLONASS). To operate in radio command or autonomous modes, such vessels are equipped with control, navigation and reception and transmission of radio signals, including: an onboard computer, AIS - a transponder designed to receive and transmit data about the current location of ships and structures, and a VHF radio modem (on Fig. 1 not shown), intended for receiving and transmitting refined geolocation and navigation data when using the RTK base station 12 installed on the mooring bay (quay). As mentioned above, to connect an unmanned vessel to the coastal power grid, a counterpart of an electromagnet and a counterpart of an electrical contact device for connecting electrical conductors are installed on its hull. To ensure maximum effective abutment, the electromagnet and the counterpart can be made in any shape, for example, with a mirror reflection of each other relative to the plane of their abutment, just like an electrical contact device.

The proposed device works as follows.

When it becomes necessary to moor the vessel, the on-board controls, navigation and reception and transmission of radio signals determine the coordinates of the berth by processing information from the AIS transponder 11. According to the received data, the vessel follows the direction of the mooring mooring device. When entering a given area, an unmanned vessel receives updated data on the location of the mooring bollard (berth). To do this, a computer 10 operates on the mooring shaft, with the help of an RTK base station 12 and through a VHF radio modem (13), an unmanned vessel receives accurate information and navigation and time support necessary to follow the direction of the location of the mooring shaft, which allows centimeter accuracy approach the mooring point. In the immediate vicinity of the ship from the mooring device, the computer 10 switches on the electromagnet 1 through the relay 14 and under the influence of the magnetic field, nodes 1 and 2 are docked with the mating parts of the ship. This, in turn, provides an automatic connection of the vessel to the power supply, allowing it to be powered or recharged batteries intended for energy storage and autonomous power supply of electrical devices and equipment (17), which receive electrical energy from photovoltaic or thermal solar energy converters (18).

An additional effect of having a hollow and sealed float system permanently on the surface of the water is to reduce the likelihood of a ship piling onto the berth when the water level changes.

The invention was created by specialists of the Scientific Center of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "State University of the Sea and River Fleet named after Admiral S.O. Makarov ”as part of research work and was successfully tested on mock-ups and digital models using a navigation simulator. The foregoing allows us to conclude that the invention meets the criterion of "industrial applicability".

Claims (1)

Mooring mooring device for mooring unmanned or autonomous surface vessels, containing a control unit located on the upper horizontal plane of the device and including interconnected AIS transponder (automatic identification system), RTK base station (Real Time Kinematic) based on a GPS satellite navigation receiver / GLONASS, a VHF radio modem designed for wireless data transmission from an RTK base station, and a computer, the output of which is connected to a controlled relay, characterized in that it additionally contains a guide axis on the lateral vertical plane with a sliding device depending on the water level along it, combining a float for magnetic mooring of an unmanned or autonomous surface ship and an electrical contact device for connecting power to the ship.

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