RU2750170C2 - Ship-flooding system - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: weapons.SUBSTANCE: proposed invention relates to weaponry systems and can be used to create a line of defense against enemy ships. The system is comprised of compressed air cylinders and controlled exhaust valves installed thereon with dispersants for creating a mixture of gas bubbles in seawater providing a decrease in the specific density of water masses and flooding of military ships. The control system units installed on each cylinder are connected to the outlet valves, equipped with power elements and acoustic sensors, wherein the cylinders are equipped with a folding mechanical connection between the cylinders made of bars with a hinge joint between each other and the cylinders with fixation of the open position providing a quick and accurate deployment of the system in form of a cylinder matrix on the seabed, wherein the system can be activated by an external signal from the command center excluding the possibility of false activation by peaceful targets.EFFECT: technical result is a weaponry system that can be used to create a line of defense against enemy ships without a possibility of false activation by peaceful targets.1 cl, 5 dwg

Description

The technical field to which the invention relates

The invention relates to weapons systems and can be used to create a line of defense against enemy ships.

State of the art

A device for producing an activated gas-liquid mixture [RF patent No. 2211805] is known from the prior art, which includes a sequentially located aeration chamber with a jet gas disperser and a pipeline for the finished activated gas-liquid mixture, as well as pipes for supplying gas and reagent solutions connected to the aeration chamber. The device is equipped with a chamber for accelerating the flow of the mixture with a branch pipe for introducing additional liquid and a hydraulic nozzle with holes made from the side of the pipeline of the ready activated mixture.

This solution is a dispersant (aerator) for creating a gas-liquid mixture having a reduced specific gravity.

An aerator is also known from the prior art [RF patent No. 2292233], which includes an air supply pipe with elastic dispersers made in the form of nozzles with flat shanks, and having a ratio of length, width and thickness of the internal slotted hole of the shank in a ratio of 70: 15: 1 ... The above-mentioned dispersers are connected to an air supply pipe made annular in the form of an equilateral polyhedron by means of fittings and shanks installed with the possibility of oscillatory movement.

This solution is a dispersant (aerator) for creating a gas-liquid mixture having a reduced specific gravity.

From the prior art, there is also known an air bubble attack method and equipment for sinking a ship intact [patent CN 1873364 A], including a method for air bubble attack on a sinking ship as a whole, implemented by technological means that eject bubbles in water, as well as a method the impact of air bubbles on a sinking ship in an intact state according to claim 1, characterized in that the described bubble contains nitrogen and / or oxygen, as well as an air bubble attack device for a sinking ship as a whole according to claim 1, characterized in that this device is installed on the bottom or is suspended on an intermediate vessel for storing liquefied gas of a reservoir or gas release system, as well as a device according to claim 3, characterized in that the described holding vessel can be controlled by a person or remotely, as well as a device according to claim 3, characterized in that the described system gas emission is located at the base of the bottom.

This technical solution is the closest prototype in its technical essence.

The disadvantages of this solution include the use of a ready-made system in the assembly, which complicates its deployment (implementation), and also makes it impossible to create a distributed extended system.

Disclosure of invention

Shipbuilding is a dynamic and rapidly growing part of the industry, with a large number of ships launched annually, some of which are dual-purpose. Also, all leading countries have a navy, consisting of surface and submarine vessels. The maritime component of the defense capability of any country occupies a significant part of the budget of the Ministry of Defense. Thus, the naval threat is great and requires the creation of a line of defense against enemy ships. However, the modern theater of military operations is characterized by extremely high dynamism and the speed of deployment of military forces, which for a passive line of defense requires the advance placement of its technical means. The use of mine weapons is limited in peacetime by international treaties and the danger to fishing vessels, which explains the absence of such systems.

All this creates the demand for a system of defense against surface and submarine vessels that is safe for civilian ships. Such a system should be simple and not contain explosives. The complexity of this task is aggravated by the need for stationary placement before the start of hostilities, that is, its action should not be limited by international agreements, and its implementation should exclude significant damage to civilian courts.

As a solution to this problem, it is proposed to use a ship sinking system based on the rapid sinking of a ship to the bottom in deep ocean areas. Such areas are characterized by a depth to the bottom of 600-800 meters or more, as well as the division of the water column into several separate layers (levels), which differ from each other in salinity, temperature - and are practically not subject to mutual mixing due to the absence of currents in the bottom layers.

The temperature of the bottom layers of seawater varies little throughout the year and ranges from 0 to -2 degrees Celsius. Due to the great depth of location, such bodies of water do not participate in ocean currents (for example, the Gulf Stream), and have a salinity different from the main body of water and are practically not subject to mixing with the surface masses of sea water. In the area of northern latitudes (for example, Norway), such layers have a depth of 400-600 meters, and are achievable for performing the necessary deep-water works for the installation of a disposal system. At the same time, such a depth at temperatures below zero results in low biological activity of benthic flora and fauna. This means that objects located at the bottom in a cold layer of water will not be subject to biological destruction, and do not pose a threat to the ecosystem due to its absence. Even in the absence of corrosion protection elements, parts of the ship sinking system will decompose for a long time.

The deployment of the proposed ship sinking system can be carried out with the help of chartered vessels of the civilian fleet, and its elements can be manufactured at civilian enterprises, which makes it possible to minimize the financial costs of its deployment as much as possible. Reliability is ensured by multiple redundancy, so that failure of any cylinder does not affect the combat capability of the system as a whole.

The principle of operation of the proposed system of sinking ships is based on the process of rapid immersion of the ship's hull on the sea by creating a volumetric area of reduced pressure (low specific density of seawater), which leads to the sinking of the ship to the seabed due to a decrease in the buoyancy due to a decrease in the buoyancy force ... As you know, each ship has a limited buoyancy reserve - determined by the excess of the buoyancy force over the mass of the ship. In turn, the buoyancy force of Archimedes depends on the specific density of the water - which varies, for example, for different regions of the oceans, depending on the salinity of the water.

The area of low specific density of water created by the ship flooding system ensures rapid flooding of the ship at the bottom, where it is compressed by the pressure of the water column - which leads to the filling of the hull with water, destruction of its equipment, loss of buoyancy and elimination of the tactical threat from the flooded ship.

This effect is achieved by creating a volumetric area saturated with low density air bubbles from the bottom to the sea surface. The flooded ship must be located above the location of the elements of the proposed ship flooding system, thus - it is stationary.

When a flooded ship enters the system's coverage area, the control system unit issues a command to open the air supply valve located on the compressed air cylinder - based on the data of the acoustic sensor connected to it.

Since the placement of the system at a considerable depth occurs at a high pressure of lean water, the use of cables to combine the elements of the system (i.e. cylinders with their equipment) is not advisable, since this leads to a decrease in the insulation resistance of the connecting lines. Thus, the system is distributed, without a clear center that triggers the system as a whole.

Similarly, the control system unit must be made in a single casing, with a monolithic filling of the compound from the inside in order to ensure its tightness. In this design, the flooding system provides long-term trouble-free operation in standby mode.

Thus, the control system unit must include all its constituent elements in a single housing, including batteries and an acoustic sensor.

The service life of the system will be limited mainly by the durability of the batteries - however, given the low power consumption of modern microcontrollers and other integrated elements, the intervals between servicing the system elements can be extended to 6-7 years from the moment of installation.

The control system unit can contain various algorithms for its operation on combat targets, for example, in peacetime it can be in "standby mode", and only in wartime it can be switched to "combat mode" by acoustically transmitted control signals. Signals can be transmitted to system elements from a surface vessel with an underwater acoustic emitter. The control system unit with a microprocessor allows to implement various control algorithms. Algorithms for such control are not included in the distinctive part of the proposed solution, which is a device and not a method.

The operation of the system is illustrated in Fig. 1. This is a visual representation of a flooded vessel located in a given area. At the bottom of the sea is a system (matrix) of high pressure air cylinders equipped with controlled valves and dispersers for air release. The figure also depicts a region of dispersed gas bubbles occupying a volume from the seabed to the surface. In the coverage area of such an area with a low specific density of the volume, the vessel is located, which begins to sink as the dispersed air reaches the sea surface. The sinking speed will be determined by many parameters, including the mass and dimensions of the vessel, the saturation of the water with dispersed air, the size of the mentioned air bubbles and other factors.

Similar to that shown in FIG. 1, flooding occurs for submarines, which are characterized by a small buoyancy margin - which facilitates their destruction. In addition, in the submerged position, they do not have the surface tension of water, which also facilitates destruction.

FIG. 2 depicts a matrix of high pressure air cylinders placed on the seabed. Shown is an array of elements measuring 10 by 10 balloons. The most optimal in this case is the equal distance between the cylinders, which ensures uniform foaming of water and the creation of an area of low specific density of water. With a distance between the cylinders of 10 meters, a coverage area of at least 100 by 100 meters is provided, which is enough to flood ships of small and medium displacement. If it is necessary to utilize larger targets, the size of the system increases in proportion to the increase in size. However, the cost of the system can be insignificant when its parts are manufactured by the civilian industry due to the absence of hazardous (explosive) parts, and the filling of compressed air cylinders can be carried out directly during the installation of the system.

In general, it is possible to flood a vessel of any displacement, thus, the flooding system can be universal.

FIG. 3 shows an assembled high-pressure air cylinder, equipped with a controlled valve on it, and a disperser for creating air suspension in seawater. With an air pressure of 600 kg / cm ² , this corresponds to the water pressure at a depth of 6000 meters, and guarantees the operation (blowing) of cylinders at a depth of up to 400-600 meters. If funding is available, the volume of cylinders can be significantly increased.

FIG. 4 shows a functional diagram of an element of the ship flooding system, which ensures the actuation of an array of cylinders by an acoustic signal from an object. A single failure of cylinders does not lead to failure of the entire system as a whole; target flooding is ensured at the same time.

High-pressure air cylinders currently used on marine vessels have a pressure of 400 kg / cm ² (for example, as part of systems for starting a diesel engine), the author knows cases of using air cylinders at a pressure of 800 kg / cm ² . This pressure level corresponds to a submersion depth of 8000 meters (every 10 meters depth gives a pressure of 1 kg / cm ² ), and for the system to work, it is necessary that the pressure in the cylinders exceeds the pressure of the water. Thus, with a pressure of 800 kg / cm ² and the placement of the utilization system in sea areas with a depth of 800 meters, the pressure in the cylinders will be 10 times higher than the pressure of the lean water. This means that an efficient outlet of compressed air from the cylinders through the dispersers is possible, and an active gas-liquid mixture with a low specific density is obtained. The system does not require consumables (except, of course, air) and does not contain substances hazardous and harmful to the environment - thus, the harm to the environment is minimized. The system is safe - filling the cylinders can be carried out directly at the installation site without the participation of personnel at a close distance, and the failure of any one cylinder does not lead to a failure of the system as a whole.

The simultaneous actuation of the cylinders leads to the simultaneous and rapid foaming of a large area of the sea, determined by the dimensions of the array of the mentioned cylinders - moreover, the rate of venting the volume from the cylinders should ensure the formation of a gas-liquid mixture in the entire volume to the surface, which must be taken into account when designing. However, in this case, the duration of the operation can be short, and the coverage area of the system increases with increasing depth of placement - due to the expansion of dispersed air bubbles as they rise to the surface, their flow expands.

FIG. 5 shows a collapsible mechanical link between adjacent compressed air cylinders, folded and equipped with an open position lock. When loading the system onto a ship, the system is in a folded position - and during the slow movement of the ship in the process of its deployment, the mechanical connections between adjacent cylinders are straightened and fixed in their straightened position. This ensures that the elements of the system (i.e., air cylinders) are installed uniformly at the bottom, and ensures their release in the form of a matrix.

The claimed solution is in a clear causal relationship between its constituent parts, which speaks of its unity.

Thus, in FIG. 3 shows one element of the system, which is a cylinder with compressed air 1, on which a controlled valve 2 is installed, a disperser 3 is placed at the outlet of the valve, which ensures the formation of a mixture of gas bubbles in seawater. When triggered by an acoustic signal received from the acoustic sensor 5, which is part of the control system unit 4 together with the control system 5 itself (Fig. 4), the said control system unit gives a signal to open a controlled valve, which starts the release of air through the disperser. The distinctive part of the proposed solution is shown in figure 5, and is a hinged mechanical connection between the individual elements of the system (balloons). In the state of delivery - that is, before the system is deployed, the mechanical link is folded to reduce the size of the system and the distance between cylinders. In this state, the entire system takes up the minimum space on the ship, from which it will be deployed. The presence on the rods of the mechanical connection of latches for fixing allows to ensure the accuracy of the distances between adjacent cylinders - and hence the quality of placement of all systems.

The presence of a battery in each element of the system (control system unit) ensures high reliability, so that the failure of any one control system unit does not lead to a failure of the entire system.

The claimed invention is a new solution, and has the following fundamental differences:

- cylinders are equipped with a folding mechanical link;

- mechanical connection consists of rods with a hinge connection between themselves and the cylinder, with fixing of the open position.

Thus, the combination of essential features of the proposed solution leads to a new technical result - fast and accurate deployment of the system in the form of a matrix of cylinders on the seabed.

The proposed technical solution is simple and industrially applicable, since with the existing level of industrial technology, all its constituent parts are realizable.

Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 shows the process of operation of the ship sinking system. FIG. 2 shows a matrix of high-pressure air cylinders placed on the bottom. FIG. 3 shows a high pressure air cylinder. Here 1 is a cylinder, 2 is a controlled valve, 3 is an air disperser, 4 is a control system unit with a sensor. FIG. 4 shows a functional diagram of one element of the ship sinking system. Here 5 is an acoustic sensor, 6 is a control system. FIG. 5 depicts a folded mechanical connection between adjacent compressed air cylinders. Here 7 is the bar, 8 is the open position lock.

Claims (1)

Ship flooding system, which includes compressed air cylinders, as well as controlled exhaust valves with dispersants installed on them to create a mixture of gas bubbles in seawater, control system units installed on each cylinder, connected to exhaust valves and equipped with batteries and acoustic sensors, and characterized in that said cylinders are equipped with a folding mechanical connection between the cylinders, made of rods with a hinge joint between each other and the cylinders, with fixing the open position.

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