WO2011070192A1

WO2011070192A1 - Universal floating and launching system and operating method

Info

Publication number: WO2011070192A1
Application number: PCT/ES2010/000503
Authority: WO
Inventors: Cesar Del Campo Y Rulz De Almodovar
Original assignee: Grupo De Ingeniería Oceánica, S.L
Priority date: 2009-12-11
Filing date: 2010-12-10
Publication date: 2011-06-16
Also published as: EP2511169A1; AR079357A1; ES2361863B1; US20120321387A1; SG181576A1; CN102762447A; BR112012013960A2; KR20120120216A; ES2361863A1; WO2011070192A4; CL2012001521A1; EP2511169A4

Abstract

Universal floating and launching system and operating method that includes one or more platforms supporting the load to be submerged or taken out of the sea. To put a load in the water, the platform needs to be attached to the jetty, using a system that enables it to be raised and lowered; then fixed to the bed, using pillars and piles, and finally the load needs to be placed on it. With the load in place, the platform is lowered to slightly submerge the load so that it can float. To remove a load from the water, the operations are effected in reverse: start with the platform submerged, place the load on top and then raise the platform, such that the load can be taken onto the jetty.

Description

UNIVERSAL SYSTEM FOR FLEETING AND BUTTING AND METHOD OF

FUNCTIONING

Technical sector of the invention

The technical sector in which the invention is framed is that corresponding to the different systems of launching and launching of ships or platforms, either to the sea or to inland waters.

Background of the invention

There are currently four main systems to launch and launch different types of boats or floating platforms.

· The boathouse: it is the most primitive system, it is currently used for smaller vessels. It consists of an inclined plane on which the object to submerge or lift is moved.

• The dry dock: it is a sluice where the ship is introduced and once closed, the water inside is pumped until the boat is supported on a bed or riding school.

• Floating dock: this is a naval device that, by flooding tanks, sinks the structure to allow the vessel to be repaired or built to enter it. Once in place, these tanks shrink causing the set to rise, thus achieving dry setting.

· Syncrolift: it is a system of articulated beams or winches that have mechanical hooks at their ends. The set can be operated synchronously generating a large lifting platform.

• There is another system that only serves for the launching of ships or floating artifacts, which is the harrow and which is nothing more than an inclined plane on which the ship is built or the device to float, on lubricated sliders.

All these systems are expensive and not very flexible or versatile and, above all, there are few facilities, so that the launching of newly built ships and artifacts or the repair or maintenance work on existing ones must necessarily be carried out in them where there is what involves long journeys to the final installation site or from the usual workplaces. An economical and simple installation that can be installed on any existing dock, greatly facilitates the repair or maintenance work of the resident or operational fleet in the vicinity and the manufacture of production platforms or floating artifacts of any nature, in the vicinity of the installation site.

For all these reasons, the present invention aims at describing an afloat equipment that allows any type of structure or vessel to be thrown out of the water, regardless of its size or weight, nor the type of terrain. of the site and that it be done in an economically viable way.

Description of the invention

The afloat system object of the present invention has a fully flexible and versatile system.

This system includes one or several platforms on which the load will be supported (boat, platform or floating structure, ...) that you want to submerge or extract from the sea. If it is a load of large dimensions or heavy weight, two or more platforms can be installed in parallel and with a sufficient length for said load. On the contrary, if what you want to launch is, for example, a small boat, with a single platform not too long, would be enough.

To introduce a load into the water, the platform must first be fixed to the dock, by means of a system that allows it to rise and fall in height and that includes vertical sliding guides fixed to the barrel of the same.

The platform is then supported at the bottom, by means of telescopic pillars. If the bottom of the port is made of sludge or material with low load capacity, the system has some tubes, for the automatic driving and injection of piles, on which the base of each column of telescopic tubes will be supported in the future, guaranteeing the load capacity and eliminating differential seats. The platform is supported on the ground on the previously executed piles, simply by injecting water into the cylinders that make up the set of telescopic supports to the ground. Water continues to be injected under pressure until the pillars descend and the platform rises until it flush with the level of the pier.

Once the platform (s) are at the dock level, the load is placed on them with a load transfer system.

With the load located, it is lowered to the platform, simply by opening the valves that hold the water inside the cylinders. The valves of the ballast tanks of the launching platform are opened, which are intended keep it submerged below the level of flotation of the load, so that said load loses contact with the platform, begins to float and can be towed.

If what is intended is to extract a load from the water, the operations will be the reverse: starting with the submerged platform, the load is placed on top and then the platform is raised, first emptying the ballast tanks and then injecting water under pressure into the inside the telescopic hydraulic cylinders, until it is flush with the spring and the load can be transferred to the ground by means of a previously installed load transfer system.

The detailed details of the claimed invention will be detailed in the detailed description.

Faced with the problems indicated in the previous section, the solution that has been developed and whose protection is requested has the following advantages over what exists in the state of the art:

• Multi-purpose: as it is used for all types of loads, regardless of weight or size.

• Easy assembly and disassembly

• Reusable and transferable to another port.

Description of the figures

To complete the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is attached where, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented:

Figure 1: Perspective of the afloat system with two support platforms

Figure 2: Elevation of the afloat system

Figure 3: Floating system plant

Figure 4: Detail of the dock connection of the launching system

Figure 5: Platform with two rows of support pillars

Below is a list of the references used in the figures:

(1) Support plate

(2) Telescopic pillars

(3) Load beam

(4) Pilot auxiliary tubes

(5) Internal structure

(6) Sliding rails

(7) Guides on the dock Detailed description of the invention

In order to achieve a better understanding of the invention, the aforementioned launching and launching system will be described, based on the figures presented below.

As can be seen in figure 1, the system consists of one or several support platforms (two are shown in the figure), of the required length depending on the dimensions of the load. In these support platforms will be where the load that you want to float is located. For larger loads the platforms may have two or more rows of telescopic pillars, as shown in Figure 5.

These support platforms are fixed to the pier through vertical guides (7) screwed perpendicular to the surface of the water. The guides (7) are composed of two rails with a U-section between which a cylinder with the ends of a larger diameter than the center bar (that is, dumbbell-shaped) is fitted. The objective that is pursued when designing the cylinder is that those wider ends are those that get caught in the U-shaped guides and slide through them, being able to go up and down. In the center of the cylinder is articulated, by means of a kneecap or equivalent union, an axis that will join the support platform to the spring. The fact that said axis is joined by means of a joint, gives the support platform a degree of freedom so that its movement has a game that allows it to oscillate slightly from top to bottom.

In addition, the support platform can be raised and lowered, as will be explained later, at the desired height by sliding along the guides (7) fixed to the dock.

Each support platform comprises a drawer-type load beam (3) that is stiffened with an internal structure (5). In the upper part of the beam (3) there are sliding rails (6) that will allow the load to be floated to slide through them until they are in the required place.

Each beam (3) has a series of supports of the telescopic pillar type (2) whose base is formed by a plate called the support plate (1).

This support plate (1) has a series of drills (in figure 3 four are represented) called auxiliary pilot tubes (4) that are matched with as many through holes or auxiliary tubes (4) that the beam (3) has ) around the pillar. The objective of said auxiliary tubes (4) is to be able to introduce through them, from the beam (3), piles that are driven and injected at the bottom to the depth necessary to create a firm base to the support plate of the structure when you are working, avoiding differential seats regardless of the type of terrain you have. The following explains what the method of operation of the equipment would be if you want to introduce a boat, platform or any kind of structure in the sea. The method comprises the following stages:

- For any installation, the appropriate platforms will have been previously designed and built, depending on the use they are intended for: if they are for repair and maintenance of the operating fleet in the environment of its characteristics and if they are for the manufacture of platforms or artifacts , depending on their weights and dimensions.

- Next, the vertical displacement guides of each platform are fixed to the pier's barrel. For this, two U-shaped guides are screwed with steel and epoxy plugs, perpendicular to the surface of the water, and a cylinder (with the larger diameter ends) that slides along the guides is introduced into them. and down.

- In the center of the cylinder, an axis is attached by means of a joint that joins the support platform with the guides (7) and, consequently, with the spring.

- Once the support platform is attached to the dock, water is introduced through some valves in the pillars (2) which, being telescopic, will unfold and descend until the support plate (1) that is in its base, rest on the bottom. If this were not consistent, the piles would be driven and injected to the necessary depth in the seabed and whose coronation will be at the level of the support plate, for this purpose the through tubes (4) would be used on the platform and specially designed for this finish.

- At this time the structure is already fixed and guided to the pier and supported by the piles or the bottom; then, water from the sea is injected until the platform is flush with the pier. The tracks previously installed on the dock and on the platform will be perfectly aligned and at the same level.

- The load that you want to float on the platforms is moved, using the specially arranged support tracks. The placement is done very quickly and easily thanks to a sliding system based on rolling (6) that is installed along the load beam (3).

- With the load located, the platform is lowered, simply by opening the valves that hold the water inside the pillars (2). Then the valves of the ballast tanks of the launching platform are opened, which are intended to keep it submerged below the level of floating of the load, so that said load loses contact with the platform, begins to float and can be towed . - Once the load is already afloat, the water is finished by removing the pillars (2) with a pump.

The support platforms can stay afloat, attached to the dock and with the telescopic pillars (2) collected above. The fact that the axis of union with the spring allows a game from top to bottom thanks to the joint, is designed for this position, in which the support platform floats on the surface of the water and can oscillate with the swell.

- The folded pillars can be protected with some type of sheath to avoid deterioration if they will be extended for a long period of time.

With this, the procedure for bringing up any type of installation or vessel at sea is detailed.

If what is intended is to remove a load from the sea, the operations would be the same but starting with the pillars (2) and the platform submerged in the water, so that the load can be placed on top; once the load is supported, the pillars (2) are filled with water through the valves, so that the support platform rises to the desired level and thanks to the load sliding system (6) is removed from the water .

As you can see, this system is totally valid for the launching or removal of any type of boat or structure, regardless of its dimensions, since you only have to vary the number of support platforms, the number of telescopic pillars that as mentioned, they can be one, two, three or even more rows of parallel telescopic pillars or the separation between them, or the diameter of the pillars, to adapt to the type of load that you want to submerge or extract from the water.

Claims

1. Universal system of launching and launching characterized in that it comprises one or several load bearing platforms that have the capacity to rise or sink in the water thanks to a system of vertical guides (7) that join the platform to the dock telescopic pillars (2) that serve as support on the bottom.

2. Universal system of launching and launching according to claim 1, characterized in that the vertical guides (7) are screwed to the spring perpendicular to the surface of the water and are composed of two rails of U-section between which a cylinder that has the ends of greater diameter than the center bar so that said ends are those that engage in the U-shaped guides and slide through them, being able to go up and down.

3. Universal system for launching and launching according to claim 2, characterized in that an axis that joins the support platform to the spring is articulated in the center of the cylinder.

4. Universal system for launching and launching according to claim 1, characterized in that each support platform comprises a loading beam of type drawer (3) which is stiffened with an internal structure (5), being located at the top of the Beam (3) sliding rails (6) so that the load to be floated slides through them until it is in the required place.

5. Universal system of launching and launching according to claim 4, characterized in that each beam (3) has a series of supports of the telescopic pillar type (2) whose base is formed by a plate called a support plate (1) that It has a series of holes, called auxiliary pilot tubes (4) that coincide with as many through holes or auxiliary tubes (4) that the beam (3) has around the pillar.

6. Method of operation of the universal system of launching and launching as described in the preceding claims comprising the following steps:

- Previous and built design of the appropriate platforms, depending on the use they are intended for.

- Next, the vertical displacement guides of each platform are fixed to the pier's barrel. For this they are screwed, with steel and epoxy studs, perpendicular to the surface of the water, two U-shaped guides in the spring and a cylinder (with the ends of greater diameter) that slides along the guides, going up and down are introduced into them.

- At this time the structure is already fixed and guided to the pier and supported by the piles or the bottom; then, water from the sea is injected until the platform is flush with the pier.

- The load that you want to float on the platforms is moved, using the specially arranged support tracks.

- With the load located, the platform is lowered, simply by opening the valves that hold the water inside the pillars (2). Then the valves of the ballast tanks of the launching platform are opened, which are intended to keep it submerged below the level of floating of the load, so that said load loses contact with the platform, begins to float and can be towed .

- Once the load is already afloat, the water is finished by removing the pillars (2) with a pump.

- The support platforms can stay afloat, attached to the pier and with the telescopic pillars (2) collected above.

7. Method of operation of the universal system of launching and launching according to claim 6, characterized in that if the pillars (2) are to be extended for a long period of time, they are protected with some type of sheath to avoid deterioration.