WO2010140899A2

WO2010140899A2 - System for heating in supply vessels

Info

Publication number: WO2010140899A2
Application number: PCT/NO2010/000210
Authority: WO
Inventors: Martin LØVLAND
Original assignee: Parat Halvorsen As
Priority date: 2009-06-05
Filing date: 2010-06-07
Publication date: 2010-12-09
Also published as: NO20092176L; EP2483143B1; NO332323B1; EP2483143A2; WO2010140899A3

Abstract

A system for heating in an ORO class supply vessel. The system includes a combined kettle 1 that may either supply hot water or steam. Normally, the kettle 1 supplies hot water to consumers 6 in a heating circuit 5 in the vessel. When the vessel is to be used for recovering oil spills, the kettle is reset to supply steam. The steam is supplied to a tank for collecting oil spills.

Description

SYSTEM FOR HEATING IN SUPPLY VESSELS

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a heater or boiler intended to be used in a supply vessel with ORO (Oil Recovery Operation) class.

Background

Some supply vessels have ORO classification, which means that they have equipment for recovering oil installed for emergency reasons, so they may be activated in case of oil spills. The equipment in question normally includes skimmers and tanks on board to collect the recovered oil.

Most supply vessels include a hot water heater delivering hot water to common heating of the living rooms on board, to the galley, to heat the bunker oil, for flushing tanks, etc. The cooling water from the engines is also commonly included in the circuit in order to exploit free heat from the engines.

When the vessel has ORO class in addition, it is a requirement that steam may be supplied to heat the tanks holding recovered oil. To prevent a costly and bulky setup with separate heaters and boilers for hot water and steam, of which the steam boiler will seldom be in use, the hot water heater is often replaced with a steam boiler. This may be done in two ways; either by supplying the steam directly to the consumer network, or by using a heat exchanger between the steam boiler and the network. The first alternative demands adaption of the consumers to use steam instead of hot water. However, this solution is unfavourable from an operational economic viewpoint, as the heat contribution from the engines is lost, as they cannot be connected to the steam circuit. In all cases it is regarded as unfavourable to use steam for the common heating of a ship. This is due to a steam boiler being more complicated than a hot water heater, with equipment for water conditioning, a condensation system for the steam, the water supply pump must be located at a lower deck to prevent cavitation in the pump, and then will be more complicated to operate.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a system for heating a vessel which eases the drawbacks associated with prior art systems as described above. This is achieved with a system as defined in the following claims. The invention includes a system with a combined kettle, which may be operated as a hot water heater, and as a steam boiler when needed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a prior art system for heating a vessel,

Fig. 2 shows a corresponding system according to the invention.

Detailed description

Fig. 1 shows an installation for heating a vessel, according to prior art. This is one of the two known types of installation mentioned in the introduction, and the type which the applicant has used in general. The installation includes a steam boiler 1 supplying steam via the tube 2 to a distribution unit 3 and further on to a heat exchanger 4. The other side of the heat exchanger is connected a common hot water network in the vessel, with a tube distributing to different consumers 6. Condensate from the heat exchanger and the distribution unit is collected in a condensate tank 7, before it is returned to the steam boiler via a pump on a lower deck.

In the vessel a tank for oil spill is also mounted. In the figure this is shown as a partial view only. When the tank is to be used, a valve is opened admitting steam to the tank 9 via a tube 8.

Fig. 2 shows a system with corresponding function according to the invention. The kettle 1 is combined and may be operated both, as a hot water heater and as a steam boiler. Thus, the kettle includes a port 16 for delivering hot water, a port 17 for accepting cold water from the consumers for recirculation, and a port 18 for steam. When it is operated as ordinary delivering hot water from the port 16, this is conducted to the common heating circuit in the vessel, here denoted 5, and further to the consumers 6. The valves 13, 14 are closed and direct the water flow in the heating circuit via the engines' cooling system and back to the port 17 on the kettle via the tube 12.

In case the system must supply steam to the collection tank9, the circuit 5 is disconnected (by means of valves 19, 20 at the kettle 1). A steam tube 10 from the port 18 is opened to the tank 9 with the valve 15. Simultaneously the kettle 1 is set to steam mode. This is made with a command in the control system, alternatively using a separate control system for this purpose. By this setting the water level in the kettle is lowered and pressure control is activated instead of temperature control. Thus, the kettle includes sensors for temperature in addition to pressure. The heating circuit may still receive heat from the engines. In addition, a supplementary heating element may be installed, preferably in the kettle 1, for delivering heat to the circuit.

The advantage of this solution is that no water conditioning is needed as with common steam boilers. A condensate system is unnecessary (as produced steam is steadily consumed by injection in the tank 9, and thus cannot be condensed and returned to the kettle). The feeding tank for the kettle is always cold and it is unnecessary to locate the feeding pump on a lower deck than the tank to avoid cavitation in the pump.

Claims

1. A system for heating in a supply vessel of ORO class, including a kettle (1), a heating circuit (5) connected to consumers (6) as well as a tank (9) for collection of oil spill, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the kettle is a combined kettle that may either supply hot water or steam, the kettle including ports (16, 17) for circulation of hot and cooled water and a port (18) for steam, the system further including valves (15, 19, 20) for connecting the kettle (1) to the heating circuit (5) or the tank (9).

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system further includes a control circuit adapted to operate the kettle in a hot water or steam mode, the circuit being adapted to control water level and heat supply in the kettle (1).

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, further including a supplementary heating element that may supply heat to the heating circuit (5) also when this is disconnected from the kettle (I)-