WO1983002261A1

WO1983002261A1 - Rescue capsule, especially for use on ships and marine installations, and a method of launching the capsule from the vessel or installation

Info

Publication number: WO1983002261A1
Application number: PCT/NO1982/000059
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thormod Victor Soemme
Original assignee: SOMME, Thormod, Victor
Priority date: 1981-12-21
Filing date: 1982-12-08
Publication date: 1983-07-07
Also published as: KR840002712A; NO814363L; IT1155020B; FR2518490A1; IT8224853A0; IT8224853A1

Abstract

A rescue capsule for use on ships and marine installations, the capsule having a substantially conical configuration with the tip of the cone pointing downwardly. The capsule (1) is adapted to be released from a suspending means (2) on the ship or installation (3) to drop directly into the sea (4), or to be guided by an underlying launching ramp (5) into the sea (4) below.

Description

Rescue capsule, especially for use on ships and marine installations, and a method of launching the capsule from the vessel or installation.

The present invention relates to a rescue capsule, especially for use on ships and marine installations, and to a method of launching the capsule. from the vessel or installation. All larger vessels and marine installations are provided with lifeboats for use JLn an emergency. The life¬ boats are usually held suspended by cables in a crane means known as a davit and are lowered from the davit to the surface of the sea by means of a capstan. The lifeboats are normally located port and starboard, and can be detached from the lowering cable upon reaching the surface of the water. Lifeboat arrangements of the above type have proved deficient in several respects. One problem is that the lifeboat may be crushed against the side of the installation when it is being lowered in hard weather. To prevent this, it is known to secure the lifeboats to a horizontal rail which is fastened to the installation, the lifeboat then being launched by sliding in a controlled manner along the rail. It is also known to use lifeboats which first slide at an incline down a launching ramp before dropping in a free fall to the sea.

The known types of lifeboats and the systems for launching them have a number of drawbacks.

One problem with the lifeboats utilized today on marine installations is that they are intended to hold 40-60 people. Experience has shown that when such large units are used, it takes too long to fill the boat, and after all have finally boarded it may then be too late in some situations to launch the lifeboat. In a catastophe situation on board an installation, where some personnel may have been injured or killed, those remaining may wait too long before launching the lifeboat.

Another drawback with the known types of lifeboats is that they float high in the sea. In a situation in which oil floating on the sea has caught fire, these boats will be subjected to unacceptably high temperatures should their sprinkler systems fail. Boats which, sit high in the water are also highly vulnerable to wind, and the boats may become so widely dispersed that rescue teams will be forced to extend their search over an extremely wide area. In addition to the above disadvantages resulting from the high position of the boat in the water, such life¬ boats also have a hull which projects outwardly, making it difficult for people to board the boat unaided.

The regulations presently in force for such life- boats require that the boats be provided with diesel motors. This constitutes another drawback, because the operation of such motors requires special competence.

Yet another disadvantage of known lifeboat types is that they are so large and heavy that they cannot be hoisted on board a supply ship, for example, nor be carried off by a helicopter.

Still another drawback of such lifeboats is that they must be released manually from the means by which they are suspended on the installation. Therefore, if the installation should sink before there has been time to activate the release mechanism, the boat will be prevented from floating up to the surface.

"Free-fall" lifeboats are provided with seats oriented in the direction of fall, thus, it is absolutely mandatory that the people on board be fastened to their seats with safety belts during the launch.

It might also be mentioned that the known lifeboats have weak mechanical strength.

The object of the present invention is to provide a lifeboat in the form of a rescue capsule, especially for use on ships and marine installations, whereby the above drawbacks are eliminated.

This object is obtained with a capsule having the features disclosed in the appurtenant patent claims. An exemplary embodiment of the invention is schematically illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows a rescue capsule in accordance with the invention secured to a launching means on a marine installation.

Figure 2, in cross section, shows the rescue capsule floating in the sea.

Figure 3 shows the capsule from above. Figure 4 shows the upper section of the capsule in cross section.

Figure 5 shows the middle section of the capsule in cross section.

Figure 6 shows the lower section of the capsule in cross section.

Figure 1 shows a rescue capsule 1 suspended in a support means 2 on a marine installation 3. The capsule 1 can be released manually from its support from the interior of the capsule, permitting it to fall down into the sea 4. The capsule 1 is suspended in such manner that it will be released automatically from the suspension means 2 when the latter reaches the surface of the sea 4, should the installation^' 3 or ship sink.

Below the launching site is a diagonal ramp 5. The descent of the capsule 1 will be retarded somewhat by contact with the ramp 5, and at the same time the ramp 5 will cause the capsule 1 to be thrown clear of the installa- tion 3. To obtain optimum effect from the ramp 5 , the ramp 5 is pivotally secured to the installation 3 at an upper point of attachment, and pivotally and movably secured to the installation 3 at a lower point of attach¬ ment, for example by means of a shock-absorber means 6. Because the part of the ramp surface 5 which comes into contact with the capsule 1 is convex, several capsules 1 can be launched via the same ramp 5 without landing at the same location in the sea. Several capsules 1 can be launched from the same ramp 5 if, for example, their suspending means 2 are adapted to be guided along rails 7 on the installation 3. Personnel may enter the capsule 1 by means of a ladder 8. The capsule 1 consists of three main sections, an upper section 9, a middle section 10 and a lower section 11. The sections 9,10,11 can be separated from each other once the capsule, following the launch, has bobbed up to the surface of -the water.

When the capsule is in use in an emergency situation the people will be in the upper section 9 of the rescue capsule. The upper section 9 is provided with four double doors 9' which open outwardly, and which provide access to the seating compartment 9" of the section 9. In a preferred embodiment, a door which slides between two parallel guides (not shown) is used, the guides being U-shaped sections which project outwardly from the _.entrance to the capsule. The door is opened and closed by being pushed along the guides, and if someone forgets to push the door closed it will close automatically owing to its own weight when the capsule 1 strikes the surface of the water. The seating - compartment 9" is provided with chairs 12.. The people inside the capsule 1 will sit approximately vertically in relation to the direction of fall, and for cushioning shocks to the body, the chairs 12 can move sluggishly in a vertical, direction along rails 13, and an air cushion 14 is provided underneath each seat 12.

The seats 12 are provided with safety belts (not illustratedl , and an automatically inflatable balloon 15 is provided for every seat. The balloon 15 can be released manually or automatically, for instance at a specified G- value. The balloon 15 is formed for pressing the person against the seat 12, and it is therefore not critical if the person has not fastened his safety belt. The pressure inside the balloon 15 will decrease after a very short time, and the balloon 15 can then be used to protect the person against cold, if desired. If water sKould enter the seating compartment 9" when the capsule is below the water surface immediately following the launch, the balloons 15 will take up so much of the volume in the compartment 9" that the room cannot become filled with water. The upper section 9 is provided with an air-driven or manually-operated water discharge system 16, batteries 17 and oxygen tanks 18. Near the top of the upper section 9, air vents 19 and windows 20 are provided. People wishing to enter the capsule 1 from the sea use steps 21. A lower step 22 will automatically fall out into a horizontal position when the capsule 1 strikes the surface of the water. The lower step 22 will also function as a stabilizer. To facilitate entry, a railing 23 is provided. This is formed such that its upper part will project down into the sea when the capsule 1 rolls in heavy seas. People floating in the water can thus grab the railing 23 and be lifted on board the capsule 1 when it rolls back in the other direction. The railing 23 will also provide good support for people on board the capsule 1 who are helping others to enter. The railing 23 can also be used for towing or lifting the capsule 1.

Any water in the entrance section of the capsule 1 will be drained off via a pipe 33, because the capsule 1, having sunk below the surface of the sea after launching, will surface at such speed that it will jump slightly out of the sea before settling and obtaining normal buoyancy.

The capsule 1 floats low in the water, and thus relatively little surface area can be affected by a possible oil fire in the sea. The part of the capsule which could be affected by such, fire is protected by a heat- and shock- absorbing shield 25. The shield 25 is fastened to the upper section 9 of the capsule in part by spacer members 26 in the orm of shock absorbers, and at the bottom of the shield there is an opening between the shield 25 and the hull 27 of the upper section 9 to allow water to enter the space between the shield 25 and hull 27. To_, facilitate the penetration of water into this space, the lower part of the shield 25 can be provided with a plurality of holes 28. The shield 25 will give off heat into the sea, and if the capsule 1 is moved by the waves, water will penetrate between the shield 25 and hull 27 and cause the seating

^SJ ---^■■ compartment 9" to be cooled. If the wave motion is not sufficient, people on board the capsule 1 can rock it back and forth. The lower margin of the shield 25 is formed with an indentation (not shownl to permit the step 22 to rotate into a horizontal position, by its own weight, as the capsule 1 hits the water 4.

The middle section 10 is detachably secured to the upper section 9 by means of a pipe 28 which is disposed within the central pipe 24 of the upper section 9. The middle section 10 contains tanks 29 holding compressed air for the propulsion machinery 30. The propulsion machinery 30 may be nozzles .or air turbines which drive a propeller (not shownl . In the illustrated, embodiment example, four propulsion units 30 are provided, two units being disposed at right angles .in relation to the other two. Depending on which propulsion units 30 are activated, the capsule 1 can be steered.in the desired direction. If desired, the capsule 1 can be remotely controlled by radio from a nearby boat, which might be desirable in situations in which several- capsules have floated up to the surface after. an installation has sunk. In such cases an operator on the nearby vessel could activate the propulsion machinery 30 of the capsule and move the capsule 1 toward persons stranded in the sea, or toward the boat for trailsfering people from the capsule 1 to the boat. ~^"

Shock absorbers 31 are placed between the upper section 9, middle section 10 and lower section 11. When the capsule strikes the water surface, the shock absorbers will be compressed and help to cushion the forces to which the people in the seating compartment 9" will be subjected. Any air trapped between the sections 9,10 and 11 and compressed at the moment the capsule strikes the water can escape through openings 32.

The lower section 11 is detachably secured to the middle section 10.by means of a pipe 33 which is disposed within the pipe 28 of the middle section 10. The section 11 forms the pointed end of the conical capsule 1, and is

intended to facilitate the capsule's entry into the sea. For obtaining a favorable entry of the capsule into the sea, the outer surfaces of the middle^' 10 and lower 11 sections are provided with perforations 34. The lower secti 11 is provided with chambers 35 which will be filled with water through the perforations 34, and this section thus also forms a ballast tank.

The pipe 33 is open at the lower end, and a valve 36 is disposed at its upper end. When the capsule 1 hits the sea, the pipe 33 will thus act as a shock absorber, air being the dampening medium.

It is very important that the capsule 1 be a relatively heavy body when .it enters the sea. The sections 10 and 11 are therefore made of steel or some other rather heavy material to give the capsule the desired weight. The upper section 9 may for instance consist substantially of reinforced plastic.

The capsule 1 is composed of three sections ^"which can be separated from each other. The lower section 11 can be only partially released so that it can be used as a sea anchor, or if desired, the section 11 can be jettisoned so that it is not necessary to take this section along if one needs to move the capsule quickly. Before the capsule 1 is hoisted on board a ship or carried .away by a helicopter, the middle section 10 can also be jettisoned, thus reducing the weight of the capsule 1 even further.

In an alternative method of launching the capsule, the valve 36 is not provided. Instead, a cable passes through the central pipe 33 of the capsule 1, its upper end being fastened to the installation 3 and its other end projecting deep down.into the sea. When the capsule is to be utilized, the trailing end of the cable can be retrieved and taken on board a rescue vessel, which pulls the cable diagonally away from the installation. .The wire is stretched out until it assumes a J-shape, part of the wire still remainirig submersed in the sea. At this point in time the capsule 1 is released, and it will slide along the cable and land in a controlled fashion in the sea. The cable is then made taut, and the capsule 1 can slide on board the ship.

Another alternative launching method also utilizes a cable passing through the central bore 33 of the capsule 1 with its upper end fastened to the installation 3 and its free end projecting down toward or into the sea. The capsule 1 is in this case provided with a brake means, and it can be lowered at a controlled rate of speed until it reaches the sea, or lowered until it reaches a certain height above the sea and then be released to fall into the water.

It -can easily be seen that the capsule 1 of the invention could also be used to evacuate people from high buildings by lowering the capsule into a body of water, for example a swimming pool.

If a cable passes through the central bore 33 of the capsule and the capsule 1 is provided with an air brake turbine, for example, the capsule 1 could be lowered at controlled speed from any tall building.

Claims

Patent Claims

1. A rescue capsule, especially for use on ships and marine installations, and a method of launching the capsule, characterized, in that the capsule (11 is of substantially conical configuration, the tip of the cone pointing down¬ wardly, and that the capsule (11 is adapted to be released from a suspending means (2) on the ship or installation (3) and launched directly into the sea (41 , or launched via an underlying ramp (51 into the sea (4) .

2. A rescue capsule as recited in claim 1, character¬ ized in that the capsule (1) is detachably secured to the suspending' means (2) and is adapted to be released auto¬ matically from said means, owing to its buoyancy, if the ship or installation (31 should sink.

3. A rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper end of the underlying ramp (5) is pivotally fastened to the ship or installation (31, and at a lower point of attachment the ramp is pivotally and movably secured to the ship or installation (3) , for example by means of a shock-absorber means (6) .

4. A rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the top surface of the ramp (5) is convex or concave.

5. A rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the capsule (1) is composed of two or more detachable sections.

6. A rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a pipe (331 passes through the center of the capsule (1) , and that the upper end of the pipe may be provided with a valve (36) .

7. A rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the seating compart¬ ment (9"1 of the capsule (11 is provided with seats (12) which are attached to rails (13) and which can be moved sluggishly along the rails (131.

8. A rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more air

' cushions (141 are placed beneath the seats (12) .

9. A rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, character!zed in that an automatically inflatable balloon (15) is provided in connection with each 0 seat (12) , adapted to be released manually or automatically when the capsule (1) is launched.

10. A rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper part of the capsule (1) is formed with a recess and that doors (9 ') 5 are provided in this recess, preferably opening outwardly and leading into the seating compartment (9") of the capsule.

11. A rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the door of the 0 capsule opens and closes by sliding between two guides.

12. A rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the capsule (1) is provided with a railing (23) which touches the sea (4) when the capsule rolls owing to heavy waves. 5

13. A rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the capsule (1) is provided with a heat- and shock-absorbing shield (25) , and that the shield (25) and the hull (27) of the capsule are 0 spaced apart to allow water to penetrate the space between.

14. A rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the capsule (1) is provided with a middle section (10) which contains the propulsion machinery (30) . 5

15. A rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower part of the capsule (1) is formed with perforations (34) .

16. A rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that shock absorbers (31) are provided between the capsule sections (9,10,11).

17. A rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a lower step (22) is pivotally fastened to the hull (271 and is adapted to swing out through indentations in the shield^' (25) by its own weight when the capsule (1) hits the water surface (4) .

18. A rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a lower part of the heat- and shock-absorbing shield (25) is adapted to be pivoted outwardly into a horizontal position.

19. A rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, character!zed in that the capsule (1) has an octagonal cross section.

20. A method of launching a rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the capsule (1) can be made to slide along a calle whose upper end is fastened to the ship or installation (3) and whose lower end trails deep down in the sea (4), wherein the trailing end of the cable is retrieved and taken on board a vessel which thereafter pulls the cable diagonally away from the ship or installation (3) , and when said cable has been stretched out until it assumes a J-shape, a part of the cable still being submersed in the sea (4) , the capsule is released and will land in a controlled manner in the sea (41 , whereupon the cable is made taut and the capsule (1) can be brought on board the vessel.

21. A method of launching a rescue capsule as recited in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the capsule (1) is provided with a brake means and is thereby adapted to slide at a controlled rate of speed along a cable whose upper end is fastened to the ship or installa¬ tion (3) until it reaches the sea (41 or to slide along the cable until it reaches a certain height above the sea (4) , whereupon it is released to fall down into the water (4) .