RU2809165C1 - Navigation lights control device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: navigation equipment.

SUBSTANCE: device for monitoring the operation of navigation lights. The device contains a photodetector, a generator and a power source. The power supply inputs are connected to the supply conductors of the electric lamp. The lamp is installed in the navigation light. The power supply output is connected to the generator. The generator input is connected to the photodetector output. The output of the generator is connected to one of the supply conductors of the electric lamp. The supply conductors of the electric lamp installed in the navigation light are connected to the corresponding switch. Each decoder cell is connected to the common wire of the switch and contains a capacitor, with which the primary winding of the transformer is connected in series. The secondary winding of the transformer is connected to the corresponding inputs of a bridge rectifying circuit, the corresponding output of which is connected to the gate of the field-controlled transistor. The source of the transistor is connected to the first terminal of the constant voltage source. The drain of the field-controlled transistor is connected to the first terminal of the potentiometer and the first terminal of the relay coil. The second terminal of the potentiometer is connected to the input of the LED, the output of which is connected to the second terminal of the constant voltage source, to which the second terminal of relay coil is also connected. The relay's opening contact is connected in series with the closing contact of the corresponding switch.

EFFECT: automatic control of the operation of the vessel's navigation lights is achieved.

1 cl, 1 dwg

Description

The claimed technical solution relates to ship electrical engineering, in particular, to the operation of ships and can be used to control the operation of navigation lights.

In accordance with the provisions of the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG-72) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), every ship on an international voyage must carry on board special lighting devices - the so-called navigation lights. For reasons of safety of navigation, these lights must operate in the manner described in the said convention, i.e. shine from sunset until at least sunrise.

Similar provisions regarding navigation lights, their operation, purpose and placement on the vessel are also contained in the Rules for Navigation on Inland Waterways in force in the waters of the Russian Federation.

In modern navies, navigation lights are typically electric. They are switched on and off from the ship's wheelhouse. At the same time, again for reasons of navigation safety, so as not to blind the people keeping watch on the bridge, they should shine in such a way as not to illuminate the wheelhouse.

Thus, every night on a ship a not entirely trivial problem arises - to control the operation of navigation lights from sunset to sunrise.

The following are known:

- “Device for switching on and monitoring ship lamps of signal and distinctive lights”, see description of the author’s certificate (a.c.) SU 943806 A1, published: 1982.07.15;

- “Device for switching on and monitoring ship lamps of signal and distinctive lights”, see description to A.S. SU 1096683 A, published: 06/07/84, Bull. No. 21;

- “Device for switching on and monitoring ship lamps of signal and distinctive lights”, see description to A.S. SU 1150640 A, published: 04/15/85, Bull. No. 14.

With all the differences in the circuits registered in the specified AS, all of the listed technical solutions, which are analogues for the claimed one, essentially only control the current flowing through the electric lamp installed in the signal-distinctive lamp.

Of course, with the rated power of incandescent lamps used in navigation lights being several tens of watts, the currents flowing through them made it possible to fairly reliably distinguish a working lamp from a switched off or faulty one.

Currently, LED lamps are increasingly used in the fleet. They are much more reliable compared to incandescent lamps, since they have a much longer time between failures.

However, as we know, everything that is created by human hands will someday fail. Of course, LED lamps are no exception to this principle either.

Instead of the several tens of watts of power consumed by an incandescent lamp, an LED lamp provides the same luminosity while consuming only a few watts from the network.

Accordingly, the currents flowing through them decrease by an order of magnitude. Considering the considerable length of the cable connecting the navigation light with its switch in the wheelhouse of the vessel, distinguishing a working LED lamp from a failed one in such a situation becomes much more difficult.

This task is further complicated by the fact that inside each LED lamp there is an electronic circuit that provides the LEDs with power of the required rating. Depending on the circuit used in a particular lamp, the currents consumed from the network when the lamp is on, in absolute values (i.e., “in amperes”) may not differ very much from the currents that the power supply circuit of the output device will consume from the network. LED lamp failure.

In view of the above circumstances, it would be much more reliable to control the fact itself whether the corresponding navigation light on the ship is shining or not.

As a prototype for the proposed technical solution, the “Device for controlling navigation lights” was used, presented in A.S. SU 1659982 A1 and published 06/30/91. Bull. No. 24.

The technical solution under consideration, among other things, contains a photodetector located so as to be illuminated by a working lamp installed in the navigation light, a generator and a power source, as well as a number of other elements. It was intended for use on waterways - in navigational fence signs. Control of whether the fire was working or not was supposed to be visual.

This is precisely what becomes a significant drawback of this scheme, used as a prototype for the proposed technical solution, if it is used on a ship - the inability of crew members to automatically control the operation of the switched on navigation lights. The specialists who stand watch in the wheelhouse have plenty of other responsibilities to ensure the safety of navigation.

Accordingly, the technical result to be achieved by the claimed technical solution is to provide the ability for ship personnel to control the operation of the ship's navigation lights in automatic mode.

The claimed technical result is achieved as follows.

The device for monitoring the operation of navigation lights contains a photodetector, a generator and a power source.

The power supply inputs are connected to the supply conductors of the electric lamp installed in the navigation light. The output of the power supply is connected to a generator, the input of which is connected to the output of the photodetector. The output of the generator is connected to one of the supply conductors of the electric lamp installed in the navigation light.

In addition, the device contains a switch with a common wire and a number of switches no less than the number of navigation lights on the ship, and a decoder including a number of cells also no less than the number of navigation lights on the ship.

The power conductors of the electric lamp installed in each navigation light are connected to the corresponding switches of the commutator.

Each decoder cell is connected to the common wire of the switch and contains a capacitor, in series with which the primary winding of the transformer is connected, the secondary winding of which is connected to the corresponding inputs of the bridge rectifier circuit, the corresponding output of which is connected to the gate of the field-effect transistor, the source of which is connected to the first terminal of the constant voltage source.

The drain of the field-effect transistor is connected to the first terminal of the potentiometer, as well as to the first terminal of the relay winding. The second terminal of the potentiometer is connected to the input of the LED, the output of which is connected to the second terminal of the constant voltage source, to which the second terminal of the relay coil is also connected. In this case, the opening contact of the relay is connected in series with the closing contact of the corresponding switch of the switch.

An example of the implementation of the proposed technical solution is illustrated in Fig. 1, which shows a schematic electrical diagram of the proposed device.

In fig. 1 indicates: electric lamp “1”, photodetector “2”, generator “3”, power supply “4”, closing contact of the switch switch “5”, relay winding “6”, LED “7”, potentiometer “8”, field transistor “9”, rectifier bridge “10”, transformer “11”, capacitor “12”, decoder “13”, navigation lights switch “14”, as well as the common wire of the navigation lights switch and decoder “15”.

In the event of a vessel blackout or failure of any of the lamps operating on 220 V, all of its navigation lights must be backed up by lanterns equipped with lamps that can be powered by battery(s). In fig. 1, this circumstance is indicated by that part of the circuit that is designated “12 V”. This is the nominal voltage of the used battery(s).

The following connections are made between the listed elements.

In each navigation light, next to the lamp “1”, an electronic circuit is installed, consisting of a photodetector “2”, the output of which is connected to the input of the generator “3”. Photodetector “2” is positioned so that it receives light from lamp “1”. In this case, photodetector “2” should not be illuminated by light external to the navigation light.

The output of the generator “3” is connected to one of the wires that powers the lamp “1”. Power source “4” is also connected to the power wires of lamp “1”. Switch “14” is connected to decoder “13” by common wire “15”.

In addition to the pair of normally open contacts shown in FIG. 1 inside the switch “14”, each switch must have at least one more normally open contact necessary for the operation of the emergency warning system (ALS) used on the ship. In fig. 1 this contact is designated as “5”. It is located in the section of the circuit where the structure of one of the cells of the decoder “13” is revealed.

The navigation lights on the vessel are controlled from the wheelhouse using the navigation lights switch “14”. To turn on or off each navigation light, turn the corresponding switch in switch “14”.

The number of switches in the “14” switch must be no less than the number of navigation lights on the ship. To reduce the likelihood of error by ship's personnel, the control handles for each switch should be located in the wheelhouse on the console, within a mimic diagram depicting the silhouette of the vessel, so that the ship's specialist can easily determine which of the navigation lights he is turning on or off.

The “13” decoder is equipped with a number of cells no less than the number of navigation lights on the ship. As already noted, the electronic circuit of one of these cells is shown in Fig. 1. It contains a capacitor “12”, with which the primary winding of the transformer “11” is connected in series. Its secondary winding is connected to the corresponding inputs of the bridge rectifier circuit “10”.

The corresponding output of the bridge rectifier circuit “10” is connected to the gate of the field-effect transistor “9”. Its source is connected to the first terminal of the DC voltage source. The drain of the field-effect transistor “9” is connected to the first terminal of the potentiometer “8”, as well as to the first terminal of the relay winding “6”.

The second terminal of the potentiometer “8” is connected to the input of the LED “7”, the output of which is connected to the second terminal of the constant voltage source. The second terminal of the relay winding “6” is also connected to it. In this case, the opening contact of the relay is connected in series with the closing contact “5” of the corresponding switch of the switch.

Also, for reasons of reducing the likelihood of error by ship personnel, the LEDs (“7”), as well as the potentiometer control handles (“8”), would be best placed on the same mnemonic diagram depicting the silhouette of the ship, next to the control handles for the corresponding navigation light switches.

The proposed device works as follows.

Before sunset, the person keeping watch in the wheelhouse must turn on the navigation lights corresponding to the navigation (parking) conditions of the vessel by turning the switches on the navigation lights switch “14”.

The supply of power causes the lamp “1” to light up, as well as the start of the power source “4” in the corresponding lamp. From the light of lamp “1” the photodetector “2” will work, which will start the generator “3”. Generator “3” in each lamp must be configured to produce signals of its own frequency, different from those to which similar generators located in the lamps of all other navigation lights are configured.

The high-frequency signal generated by the generator “3” through the supply wire of the lamp “1” and the common wire “15” of the switch “14” will be supplied to the inputs of the cells of the decoder “13”.

The capacitance of the capacitor “12”, together with the inductance of the transformer “11” connected in series with it, form an oscillatory circuit that has the so-called natural (resonant) frequency.

When setting up the proposed device, the natural frequencies of the oscillatory circuits of each of the decoder cells “13” must be matched with the frequencies of the generators “3” located in the lanterns of the corresponding navigation lights.

When the frequency of the signal generated by generator “3” coincides with the natural frequency of the corresponding decoder cell “13” in the circuit consisting of capacitor “12” and transformer “11”, a so-called voltage resonance occurs.

The alternating voltage created by the secondary winding of the transformer “11” is supplied to the rectifier bridge “10”. The rectified voltage, in turn, is supplied to the gate of field-effect transistor “9”.

As transistor “9”, a so-called field-effect transistor with an induced channel should be used. Working in key mode, it will go from the “closed” to the conducting state and supply power to the relay winding “6”, as well as the LED “7”.

LED “7” with its light will inform the persons keeping watch in the wheelhouse that the corresponding navigation light has come on. Potentiometer “8” connected in series with LED “7” is used to change, for example, to reduce the brightness of the LED - so as not to blind the watchmen at night.

Relay “6” is used to provide automatic control of the navigation light. If the controlled navigation light goes out for any reason, photo detector “2” will turn off generator “3”. The high frequency signal created by generator “3” will stop flowing to the corresponding decoder cell “13”. The voltage resonance between capacitor “12” and transformer “11” will disappear. Field-effect transistor “9” will return to its “closed” (non-conducting) state. Relay winding “6” will be de-energized. The break contact of relay “6” will close.

In the ship's emergency warning system, a circuit consisting of closed contacts will appear - the "corresponding" commutator switch contact "5" and the open relay contact "6", which should be interpreted as a situation where the required navigation light should, but does not shine.

In such situations, the ship's APS will need to trigger an audible alarm and, if requested, also a visual alarm so that the watch personnel can respond. For example, replacing a flashlight that was powered by a 220 V network but with a burnt-out lamp, replacing it with a corresponding flashlight powered by a battery(s).

The presented description allows us to state quite unambiguously that the implementation of the proposed technical solution undoubtedly provides a solution to the problem.

Thanks to the newly introduced elements and connections in the prototype device, the ship's crew is certainly provided with the opportunity to control the operation of the switched-on navigation lights of the ship in automatic mode.

Thus, ship personnel are freed from performing what is essentially a routine function, which is at the same time very important for ensuring the safety of navigation. This reduces the likelihood of errors in the actions of seafarers, often otherwise called the “human factor”.

Claims (1)

A device for monitoring the operation of navigation lights, containing a photodetector, a generator and a power source, characterized in that the inputs of the power source are connected to the supply conductors of an electric lamp installed in the navigation light, the output of the power source is connected to a generator, the input of which is connected to the output of the photodetector, the output of the generator is connected with one of the supply conductors of the electric lamp installed in the navigation light; in addition, the device contains a switch with a common wire and a number of switches not less than the number of navigation lights on the ship, and a decoder including a number of cells not less than the number of navigation lights on ship, and the supply conductors of the electric lamp installed in the navigation light are connected to the corresponding switch of the commutator, and each decoder cell is connected to the common wire of the commutator and contains a capacitor, in series with which the primary winding of the transformer is connected, the secondary winding of which is connected to the corresponding inputs of the bridge rectifier circuit , the corresponding output of which is connected to the gate of the field-effect transistor, the source of which is connected to the first terminal of the constant voltage source, the drain of the field-effect transistor is connected to the first terminal of the potentiometer, as well as to the first terminal of the relay winding, the second terminal of the potentiometer is connected to the input of the LED, the output of which is connected to the second the terminal of the constant voltage source, to which the second terminal of the relay winding is also connected, while the opening contact of the relay is connected in series with the closing contact of the corresponding switch of the commutator.