WO2014181938A1

WO2014181938A1 - Tracking buoy for spilled oil on the sea

Info

Publication number: WO2014181938A1
Application number: PCT/KR2013/009551
Authority: WO
Inventors: Moon Jin Lee; Sang Woo Oh; Seung Hyun Lee; Hye Jin Kim
Original assignee: Korea Institute Of Ocean Science & Technology
Priority date: 2013-05-06
Filing date: 2013-10-25
Publication date: 2014-11-13
Also published as: KR101468702B1; KR20140132783A

Abstract

Disclosed is a tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea. The tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea includes: a hollow sphere; a circular plate provided around an outer periphery of the sphere; and a cylindrical wing provided around an outer periphery of the plate. The tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea is moved in the same direction as that of the spilled oil on the sea and at the same speed as that of the spilled oil.

Description

TRACKING BUOY FOR SPILLED OIL ON THE SEA

The present invention relates to a tracking buoy for spilled oil on the sea. In more particular, the present invention relates to a tracking buoy for spilled oil on the sea to transmit information on spreading diffusion and a distributed amount of the spilled oil on the sea while moving along with the spilled oil.

Generally, a spilled oil resulting from marine accidents is spread and diffused by flow of sea water such as tidal currents, wind-driven currents, and ocean currents to excessively damage sea environment during spreading diffusion, and is attached to the seaside to damage an ecosystem in the seaside.

For example, a pollution accident of the spilled oil has occurred in 2007 at Taean of South Korea by Hebei Sprit to devastate a marine ecosystem in the Korean west coast.

When marine pollution accidents occur, spreading diffusion of the spilled oil is numerically expected using a computer simulation. However, there are actual limitations to exactly expect a moving route and a distributed amount of the spilled oil due to an expected error for the flow of sea water and the wind.

Accordinlgy, in order to rapidly and efficiently prevent and recover the spilled oil when marine accidents occur, an in-situ monitoring buoy system capable of automatically measuring and transmitting the spreading diffusion and the distributed amount of the spilled oil is required.

Monitoring information of the in-situ monitoring buoy system may be used to establish a strategy to prevent and recover the spilled oil in an accidental field, and may be used to verify a numeric expected result of spreading diffusion of the spilled oil and to correct an error using the computer system.

The in-situ monitoring buoy system includes a tracking buoy which may be moved along with the spilled oil on the sea, a sensor capable of more exactly measuring distribution of a spilled oil on the sea, a wireless communication network to stably transmit/receive monitoring information, and a user convenience operation program to operate the monitoring buoy system.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an in-situ monitoring buoy system to track a spilled oil on the sea.

An apparatus and a system for detecting a spilled oil using a marine buoy, which is a system technology capable of tracking spreading diffusion of the spilled oil to detect whether the spilled oil exists, are disclosed in patent document 1.

In particular, the present invention relates to a tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea used in an in-situ monitoring buoy system capable of simultaneously tracking spreading diffusion and measuring distribution of the spilled oil.

There have been proposed various types of tracking buoys for a spilled oil on the sea such as a tube type tracking buoy, a cylindrical type tracking buoy, and a plate type tracking buoy as tracking buoys for a spilled oil on the sea according to the related art.

Among the tracking buoys for a spilled oil on the sea according to the related art, equipment is easily mounted in the cylindrical type tracking buoy but the cylindrical type tracking buoy is large and heavy so that the cylindrical type tracking buoy cannot easily trace the spilled oil.

Further, the tube type tracking buoy and the plate type tracking buoy can trace the spilled oil but it is difficult to mount a GPS device and a wireless communication device in the tube type tracking buoy and the plate type tracking buoy.

Meanwhile, a drift buoy for marine observation is disclosed in patent document 2.

The drift buoy for marine observation according to the patent document 2 transmits location information and other marine observation information in real-time while the drift buoy drifts according to flow of the sea water and a function and a role thereof are similar to those of a tracking buoy for a spilled oil according to the present invention.

Document of related art

Patent Document

(Patent Document 1) Korean Patent No. 10-0756926 (issued on September 7, 2007).

(Patent Document 2) Korean Patent No. 10-1025931 (issued on March 30, 2011).

However, since the drift buoy for marine observation according to the patent document 2 has a spherical shape where an upper hemispheric part is immersed and a lower hemispheric part is exposed to the atmosphere, a moving direction of the drift buoy is very instable during a drift procedure.

Accordingly, the drift buoy is not suitable to track spreading diffusion of a spilled oil on the sea while moving along the same route as that of the spilled oil on the sea to measure distribution of the spilled oil on the sea.

The present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea, which can move along with the route of the spilled oil on the sea.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea allowing equipment to be easily mounted therein.

In order to accomplish the above objects of the present invention, there is provided a tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea, the tracking buoy including: a hollow sphere; a circular plate provided around an outer periphery of the sphere; and a cylindrical wing provided around an outer periphery of the plate.

The sphere may include a hemispheric immersion part and a hemispheric exposure part provided on the hemispheric immersion part.

The sphere may be is equipped therein with an automatic identification system (AIS) to track the spilled oil.

A longitudinal diameter of the sphere may be larger than a transverse diameter of the sphere.

A vertical height of the sphere may be set in a range of 100 % to 150 % based on a diameter of a top portion of the immersion part or a diameter of a bottom portion of a hemispheric exposure part.

The plate may serve as a boundary to divide the sphere into the immersion part and the exposure part.

A diameter of the plate may be set in a range of 100 % to 150 % based on a diameter of a top portion of the immersion part or a diameter of a bottom portion of the exposure part.

The wing may protrude upward and downward of the plate, and a length of the wing protruding upward of the plate may be equal to a length of the wing protruding downward of the plate.

A height of the wing may be set in the range of 25 % to 50 % based on a diameter of a top portion of the immersion part or a diameter of a bottom portion of the exposure part.

The sphere, the plate, and the wing may be separately manufactured and assembled with each other by a locking part or an assembling part.

Parts of the sphere, the plate, and the wing may be integrally formed.

Buoyant force control holes may be formed in the plate.

An upper portion and a lower portion of the wing may be inclined inward, respectively.

An upper portion and a lower portion of the wing are inclined outward, respectively.

The tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea according to the present invention is moved in the same direction as that of the spilled oil on the sea and at the same speed as that of the spilled oil.

Accordinlgy, the tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea is very suitable to track spreading diffusion of the spilled oil on the sea and to measure distribution of the spilled oil on the sea.

Further, since the tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea according to the present invention includes a spherical member having a large internal volume, equipment such as an automatic identification system can be easily mounted in the tracking buoy.

In addition, the tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea according to the present invention can be simply manufactured and is rarely damaged in use.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an in-situ monitoring buoy system to track a spilled oil on the sea;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating the tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a partially cut-away front view illustrating the tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating the tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a partially cut-away front view illustrating the tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view showing a main part of FIG. 6.

Hereinafter, a tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to accompanying drawings.

In the following description, the terms upward direction, downward direction, forward direction, and rearward direction, and other directional terms are defined based on drawings.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating the tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a partially cut-away front view illustrating the tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the tracking buoy 100 for a spilled oil on the sea according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a hollow sphere 110, a plate 120, and a wing 130.

The hollow sphere 110 includes a hemispheric immersion part 111 and a hemispheric exposure part 112 provided on the hemispheric immersion part 111.

In Korea, a sea surface is moved at speed of 3 % based on wind speed, and is biased to the right direction at an angle of 18 due to the influence of the Westerlies.

A spilled oil on the sea surface is moved at speed in the range of 3 % to 6 % based on wind speed, and is biased to the right direction at an angle of 18 due to the influence of the Westerlies.

The hemispheric immersion part 111 of the sphere 110 is influenced by the sea water, and the hemispheric exposure part 112 is influenced by the wind.

The sphere 110 is equipped therein with an automatic identification system (AIS) 200 to track the spilled oil.

It is preferable that a longitudinal diameter of the sphere 110 is set larger than a transverse diameter of the sphere 110.

That is, it is preferable that a vertical height H12 of the sphere 110 is set in the range of 100 % to 150 % based on a top diameter of the immersion part 111 or a bottom diameter D1 of the exposure part 112.

For example, when the top diameter of the immersion part 111 or the bottom diameter D1 of the exposure part 112 is set to 200 mm, a vertical height of the sphere 100 may be set to 300 mm by setting a height H1 of the immersion part 111 and a height H1 of the exposure part 112 to 150 mm, respectively.

If the height H1 of the immersion part 111 or the height H1 of the exposure part 112 is set to a value greater than 150 % based on the top diameter D1 of the immersion part 111 or the bottom diameter D1 of the exposure part 112, the immersion part 111 and the exposure part 112 are excessively influenced by the sea water and the wind.

Further, if the height H1 of the immersion part 111 or the height H1 of the exposure part 112 is set to a value less than 100 % based on the top diameter D1 of the immersion part 111 or the bottom diameter D1 of the exposure part 112, the immersion part 111 and the exposure part 112 are insufficiently influenced by the sea water and the wind.

If the immersion part 111 and the exposure part 112 are excessively or insufficiently influenced by the sea water and the wind, the moving speed of the sphere 110 may be faster or slower than the moving speed of the spilled oil.

If the longitudinal diameter of the sphere 110 is set greater than the transverse diameter of the sphere 110, an internal capacity and an equipment mounting space of the sphere 10 are increased. In this case, the sphere 110 becomes an oval sphere having an egg shape instead of a completely circular sphere.

The plate 120 has a circular shape, and is provided around an outer periphery of the sphere 110.

The plate 120 serves as a boundary to divide the sphere 110 into the immersion part 111 and the exposure part 112.

Moreover, the plate 110 enables the exposure part 112 of the sphere 110 to easily float on a water surface while allowing the immersion part 111 of the sphere 110 to be easily sunk in the sea water.

In addition, the plate 120 serves to stabilize shaking of the sphere 110 due to a sea current or the wind.

It is preferable that a diameter D2 of the plate 120 is set in the range of 100 % to 150 % based on a diameter D1 of a top portion of the immersion part 111 or a bottom diameter D1 of a bottom portion of the exposure part 112.

For example, when the top diameter D1 of the immersion part 111 or the bottom diameter D1 of the exposure part 112 is set to 200 mm, a diameter D2 of the plate 120 may be set to 400 mm.

Although shaking of the sphere 110 may be reduced when the diameter of the plate 120 is increased, if the diameter D2 of the plate 120 is set to a value greater than 200 % based on the top diameter of the immersion part 111 or the bottom diameter of the exposure part 112, a buoyant force is excessively increased so that the sphere 110 is moved faster than the spilled oil.

If the diameter D2 of the plate 120 is set to a value less than 150 % based on the top diameter D1 of the immersion part 111 or the bottom diameter D1 of the exposure part 112, shaking of the sphere 110 is not stabilized, and the buoyant force is excessively reduced so that the sphere 110 is moved slower than moving speed of the spilled oil.

The wing 130 has a cylindrical shape, and is provided around an outer periphery of the plate 120.

The wing 130 protrudes upward and downward of the plate 120, and a length of the wing 130 protruding upward of the plate is equal to a length of the wing 130 protruding downward of the plate 120.

The wing 130 serves to stabilize shaking of the sphere 110 together with the pate 120.

An immersed portion of the wing 130 is influenced by the sea water similarly to the immersion part 111 of the sphere 110, and a portion of the wing 130 exposed out of the water surface is influenced by the wind similarly to the exposure part 112 of the sphere 110.

Accordingly, it is very important to suitably set the height H2 of the wing 130.

It is preferable that the height H2 of the wing 130 is set in the range of 25 % to 50 % based on a diameter D1 of a top portion of the immersion part 111 or a diameter D1 of a bottom portion of the exposure part 112.

For example, when the top diameter of the immersion part 111 or the bottom diameter D1 of the exposure part 112 is set to 200 mm, the height H2 of the wing 130 may be set to 100 mm.

The reason to set the height H2 of the wing 130 in the range of 25 % to 50 % based on a top diameter D1 of the immersion part 111 or a bottom diameter D1 of the exposure part 112 is the same as the reason to set the heights H2 of the immersion part 111 and the exposure part 112 of the sphere 110 in the range of 100 % to 150 % based on a top diameter of the immersion part 111 or a bottom diameter D1 of the hemispheric exposure part 112.

In the tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea according to the present invention, materials of the sphere 110, the plate 120, and the wing 130 are not specially limited, respectively.

That is, the sphere 110, the plate 120, and the wing 130 may be manufactured by a synthetic resin, which is inexpensive and easily molded, or a metal with superior durability and corrosion resistance.

Further, the sphere 110, the plate 120, and the wing 130 may be separately manufactured and then assembled by a locking part or an assembling part, or may be integrally formed.

When the components are integrally formed, it is preferable to separately form the exposure part 112 of the sphere 110 such that the exposure part 112 is detachably assembled with the immersion part 112.

In this case, the sphere 110 may be equipped therein with equipment such as the AIS 200.

FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating the tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In the tracking buoy 100a for a spilled oil on the sea according to another embodiment shown in FIG. 5, buoyant force control holes 121 are formed in the plate 120.

In the tracking buoy 100a for a spilled oil on the sea according to another embodiment, the buoyant force may be controlled within a predetermined range according to the number, the size, and a location of the buoyant force control holes 121.

FIG. 6 is a partially cut-away front view illustrating the tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged view showing a main part of FIG. 6.

In the tracking buoy 100a for a spilled oil on the sea according to another embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, an upper portion and a lower portion of the wing 130 are inclined inward. That is, a top diameter and a bottom diameter of the wing 130 are set smaller than a central diameter.

In the tracking buoy 100b for a spilled oil on the sea according to another embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, if an upper portion and a lower portion of the wing 130 are inclined inward, or if the upper portion and the lower portion of the wing 130 are inclined outward although not shown in drawings, the tracking buoy 100b may be adjusted to be strong or weak against the sea current and the wind.

The tracking

buoy

100, 100a, or 100b for a spilled oil on the sea according to the present invention is thrown to a spilled oil zone on the sea.

In the

tracking buoy

100, 100a, or 100b for a spilled oil on the sea thrown to the spilled oil zone on the sea, the immersion part 111 of the sphere 110 and a part of the wing 130 are immersed under the sea water surface.

Further, the tracking

buoy

100, 100a, or 100b for a spilled oil on the sea is moved along with the spilled oil on the sea and transmits information about the tracking of the spreading diffusion and the measuring of the distribution of the spilled oil by equipment such as an AIS mounted in the sphere 110 to a control ship or a control center.

In the

tracking buoy

100, 100a, or 100b for a spilled oil on the sea, the immersion part 111 of the sphere 110 and a lower portion of the wing 130 are influenced by sea water, and the exposure part 112 of the sphere 110 and an upper portion of the wing 130 are influence by the wind.

A lower portion of the spilled oil on the sea floating on the sea water surface is influenced by the sea water, and the upper portion of the spilled oil on the sea is influenced by the wind.

Accordingly, the tracking

buoy

100, 100a, or 100b may be moved along a route similar to the route of the spilled oil on the sea.

The plate 120 prevents the tracking

buoy

100, 100a, or 100b from being moved to a direction different from a moving direction of the spilled oil by maintaining the sphere 110 at a stable position without being turned over by strong wind.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

A tracking buoy for a spilled oil on the sea, the tracking buoy comprising:

a hollow sphere;

a circular plate provided around an outer periphery of the sphere; and

a cylindrical wing provided around an outer periphery of the plate.
The tracking buoy of claim 1, wherein the sphere comprises a hemispheric immersion part and a hemispheric exposure part provided on the hemispheric immersion part.
The tracking buoy of claim 1 or 2, wherein the sphere is equipped therein with an automatic identification system to track the spilled oil.
The tracking buoy of claim 1 or 2, wherein a longitudinal diameter of the sphere is larger than a transverse diameter of the sphere.
The tracking buoy of claim 4, wherein a vertical height of the sphere is set in a range of 100 % to 150 % based on a diameter of a top portion of the hemispheric immersion part or a diameter of a bottom portion of the hemispheric exposure part.
The tracking buoy of claim 2, wherein the plate serves as a boundary to divide the sphere into the hemispheric immersion part and the hemispheric exposure part.
The tracking buoy of claim 6, wherein a diameter of the plate is set in a range of 100 % to 150 % based on a diameter of a top portion of the hemispheric immersion part or a diameter of a bottom portion of the hemispheric exposure part.
The tracking buoy of claim 2, wherein the wing protrudes upward and downward of the plate, and a length of the wing protruding upward of the plate is equal to a length of the wing protruding downward of the plate.
The tracking buoy of claim 8, wherein a height of the wing is set in the range of 25 % to 50 % based on a diameter of a top portion of the hemispheric immersion part or a diameter of a bottom portion of the hemispheric exposure part.
The tracking buoy of claim 1, wherein the sphere, the plate, and the wing are separately manufactured and assembled with each other by a locking part or an assembling part.
The tracking buoy of claim 1, wherein parts of the sphere, the plate, and the wing are integrally formed.
The tracking buoy of claim 1, wherein buoyant force control holes are formed in the plate.
The tracking buoy of claim 1, wherein an upper portion and a lower portion of the wing are inclined inward, respectively.
The tracking buoy of claim 1, wherein an upper portion and a lower portion of the wing are inclined outward, respectively.