Control system for lifeboat

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for monitoring one or more lifeboats of a vessel, said system comprising:-a sensor system (20, 30) adapted to detect at least one or more of the following data: A) the level of any liquid present in the engine compartment of the lifeboat; b) the electric quantity level of a battery for supplying power; -a receiving module (10 ', 40') adapted to receive said data,-According to the invention, at least the level of water that may be present in the engine compartment and / or the level of charge of the battery can be monitored.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the technical field inherent in rescue systems on ships (such as steamships).

[0002] In particular, the present invention relates to an innovative system that allows the monitoring of lifeboats to verify their functionality at any time and in real time. Background Art

[0003] Lifeboats are safety boats provided on the ship's deck and ready to be used on the ship's deck.

[0004] They are generally suspended and fixed to support rods through relevant pulleys or similar systems, so that they can be easily and quickly lowered into the sea in case of an emergency.

[0005] In particular, for example, in the case of a specific risk of the ship sinking, passengers can board the lifeboat and then lower the lifeboat into the sea. In this way, the passengers can safely leave the ship while waiting for rescue.

[0006] Modern lifeboats are equipped with various safety systems (electric lights, on-board instruments, etc.), and of course, they are also equipped with power units.

[0007] However, it is always very important to regularly check the integrity of the lifeboat and the accessories (especially the engine) equipped on the lifeboat. For example, engine failure may lead to extremely dangerous situations, because the lifeboat not only cannot move towards the landing area, but also may have the risk of capsizing and / or being sucked into the water vortex generated by the sinking of the ship if it stays near the sinking ship, thus endangering the safety of the passengers assigned to the lifeboat by number. In fact, only when all lifeboats are effective can the ship sail on the high seas; otherwise, the number of passengers must be reduced according to the capacity of the faulty lifeboat.

[0008] Currently, regular inspections are carried out to verify the correct operation of the lifeboat and its systems, including the status of the battery charge, the start of the heat-absorbing propulsion engine, and the control of various levels of the operating fluids of the engine itself, such as engine oil and coolant.

[0009] However, these inspections are usually visual inspections and are not thorough. Moreover, according to the actual situation, it may happen that the engine compartment is flooded during the inspection, thus preventing the function of the heat-absorbing propulsion engine of the rescue boat (also called the lifeboat in this specification).

[0010] Between one inspection and the subsequent inspection, for example, due to excessive rain, water leakage from one of the upper decks, or even leakage from the pipes near the lifeboat, the engine compartment may be flooded, which will obviously affect its operation.

[0011] In the engine room of a lifeboat (jargon: "bilge"), there is a pump which is used to empty the engine room (bilge) at sea in case of emergency, but this is only allowed in an emergency and not during normal ship navigation or when the lifeboat is in the moored position.

[0012] Therefore, except in an emergency, the pump in the engine room cannot be used to prevent the engine room from being flooded under normal circumstances. Therefore, the pump is not connected to any bilge water purification system for purifying contaminated hydrocarbons in the bilge water and will not operate unless in an emergency. Therefore, it cannot "check" the water level in the engine room during normal circumstances because it is actually deactivated. Summary of the Invention

[0013] Therefore, a technical solution is needed that can overcome the limitations of the known art.

[0014] In particular, a solution is needed that allows continuous monitoring of the water level in the engine room of a rescue boat and / or any other parameter related to the integrity of the rescue boat.

[0015] These and other objectives are achieved by the system and its method for monitoring any water level in the engine room of a rescue boat and / or monitoring additional parameters.

[0016] These and other objectives are achieved by the system (1) for monitoring one or more lifeboats (or rescue boats, however you want to call it) according to the present invention, the system comprising:

[0017] - A detection system (20, 30) adapted to detect at least one or more of the following data (or parameters, however you want to call it):

[0018] a) The level of any liquid present in the engine room of the lifeboat;

[0019] b) The battery charge level for power supply;

[0020] - A receiving module (10') adapted to receive the data detected by the detection system.

[0021] In this way, all the above inconveniences are easily solved.

[0022] In particular, the receiving module can be positioned away from the detection system and communicate with it directly or indirectly, preferably through a wireless mode.

[0023] Therefore, the receiving module can be placed in any remote location and display the data through, for example, Video 60.

[0024] Therefore, the signal generated by the detector that performs the required measurements is thus received by the receiving module, which can transmit this data, for example, to display the data on a special video screen.

[0025] The receiving module can be placed, for example, in the command room, thus allowing the ship's crew to be able to check one or more parameters related to the lifeboat at predetermined time intervals or continuously (at any time in any case), such as the level of any liquid (e.g., water) that unexpectedly appears in the engine room and / or other parameters, such as the power level of the power supply battery.

[0026] Obviously, other additional data (or parameters, whatever you want to call it) can also be monitored.

[0027] Thanks to this solution, it is thus possible to verify the integrity of all lifeboats equipped with this system at any time by monitoring one or more parameters (e.g., the level of bilge liquid).

[0028] Advantageously, the detection system takes the form of a sensor system, so generally one or more sensors are used to perform specific detections and / or measurements.

[0029] Advantageously, system 1 includes a component (50a) that is adapted to be installed on the lifeboat, and this component includes the aforementioned detector system (20, 30) and at least one control and data acquisition module (10), which is connected to the detector system (20, 30) to be able to acquire the data detected by the detector system and send the data to a receiving component (50b) that includes the receiving module (10').

[0030] Advantageously, in order to be able to perform the transmission from module 10 to the receiving module (10'), both the component (50a) and the receiving component (50b) respectively include antennas (40, 40').

[0031] Advantageously, as mentioned before, the system can include a video screen (60) in which the data is displayed.

[0032] Advantageously, the control and data acquisition module 10 receives data from the detector system and sends the data to the receiving module (10').

[0033] The receiving module receives and processes these data to display them on the screen and may generate an alarm or "alert" in the case where one or more values exceed a preset threshold.

[0034] Advantageously, different detection systems such as specific sensors (float, pressure detection system, etc.) can be used to detect the level of the liquid in the bilge.

[0035] For example, a detector in the form of a float can be provided, which can signal that the liquid level threshold is higher than a predetermined safety value.

[0036] Alternatively, a pressure gauge (or detector, whatever you want to call it) can be used to determine whether the liquid (especially the amount of the liquid) is present in the engine compartment based on the measured pressure exerted by the liquid.

[0037] Exceeding the safety threshold can trigger an alarm.

[0038] The battery charge measurement can be detected by using a cable connected to the battery terminals, generally by a special voltmeter or sensor, or by using other solutions described below to detect the battery charge level.

[0039] The present invention also relates to a lifeboat including a system according to one or more of the above features.

[0040] The present invention also relates to a method for monitoring one or more lifeboats of a ship, the method comprising the following steps:

[0041] - Configuring the detection system (20, 30) to be able to detect at least one or more of the following data for each lifeboat:

[0042] a) The level of any liquid present in the engine compartment of the lifeboat;

[0043] b) The charge level of the battery for power supply;

[0044] - Sending the data to the receiving module (10').

[0045] Advantageously, the data can be displayed on a screen.

[0046] Advantageously, the level of any liquid present in the engine compartment is detected by installing a sensor in the form of a float in the engine compartment, and the float opens / closes a circuit according to its floating position, so that a signal exceeding any preset safety level can be sent.

[0047] Alternatively, a pressure sensor can be provided, which indicates the level of the liquid present according to the determined pressure (the more liquid present, the higher the pressure detected due to the liquid).

[0048] Advantageously, a specific sensor for detecting and measuring voltage can be used to measure the charge level of the battery.

[0049] Advantageously, an alert is generated or an abnormal situation is reported in the case where one or more of the detected data exceed a predetermined safety threshold. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] Additional features and advantages of the present system and related methods according to the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of some of its embodiments by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0051] - Figure 1 shows an overall schematic diagram of a system according to the present invention;

[0052] - Figures 2A to 2D shows some possible situations of screenshots that occur and can be viewed through the present system;

[0053] - Figure 3 schematically shows Figure 1 how the block (10) in is constructed and the possible data and parameters that can be obtained from the lifeboat;

[0054] - Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of a sensor for detecting the level of water and in a preferred configuration of the present invention is in the form of a float; the measurement results reported for the float should be considered absolutely exemplary and thus not restrictive;

[0055] - Figures 5 to 9 shows some available electrical diagrams, in particular Figure 5 shows the power supply section, Figure 6 shows the analog input, Figure 7 shows the digital input, Figure 8 shows the relay output, Figure 9 shows the display interface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] Accordingly, the present invention relates to a system (1) for monitoring one or more lifeboats of a ship, the system comprising:

[0057] - a usual detection system (20, 30) (for example one or more specific sensors), the detection system being adapted to detect at least one or more of the following data:

[0058] a) the level of any liquid present in the engine compartment of the lifeboat;

[0059] b) the level of charge of the battery for power supply;

[0060] - a receiving module (10'), the receiving module being adapted to receive the data detected by the detection system.

[0061] The present invention also relates to a method for monitoring one or more lifeboats of a ship, the method comprising the following steps:

[0062] - Configuring a detection system (20, 30) to be capable of detecting at least one or more of the following data for each lifeboat:

[0063] a) The level of any liquid present in the engine compartment of the lifeboat;

[0064] b) The power level of the battery for power supply;

[0065] - Sending the data to a receiving module (10').

[0066] More specifically, in order to overcome the above problems, a centralized sensor network system representing the detection system (20, 30) is proposed.

[0067] The sensor network is managed by a microcontroller, which is preferably of the ESP8266 type, and the microcontroller monitors various rescue means.

[0068] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of system 1 according to the present invention is shown.

[0069] This schematic diagram refers to system 1 applied to "n" (where "n" is greater than or equal to one) lifeboats (also called rescue boats), such that the present invention can be understood to be applicable to a single lifeboat as well, and thus also applicable to only one lifeboat.

[0070] As described below, system 1 generally can detect whether there is water or liquid in the engine compartment of the lifeboat (or rescue boat, whatever you want to call it), as well as other data (or parameters, whatever you want to call it) related to the lifeboat.

[0071] As Figure 1 shown, system 1 includes a data detection and transmission component (50a) and a receiving component (50b). The data detection and transmission component (50a) is applied to the lifeboat and is used to detect one or more parameters (or data, whatever you want to call it) by means of specific one or more sensors (20, 30). The receiving component (50b) is used to receive the signals of the component (50a) to display and allow professionals to monitor / view what is detected by the sensors.

[0072] More specifically, therefore, the system 1 associated with each lifeboat provides a control and data acquisition module 10. The control and data acquisition module 10 is installed inside the monohull lifeboat and is connected to various detection sensors, such as a float for detecting the level of bilge water (or other systems as described below), a sensor connected to the battery for detecting the battery power, and other possible components, all of which are connected by cable wires (electric wires).

[0073] Therefore, the control and data acquisition module 10 includes a microcontroller that can be of the "ESP8266" type, for example.

[0074] Although any microcontroller can be used, the preferred solution provides the "ESP8266" type. This is because the ESP8266 microcontroller already includes various modules (wireless communication, digital input, digital output, and A / D converter, as well as a web interface) inside it, thus simplifying the hardware development. In addition, by having a web interface, it can be queried through a very common web browser.

[0075] However, nothing prevents the use of other microcontrollers by physically integrating the missing modules and functions.

[0076] Therefore, consistently Figure 1 As shown, the module 10 preferably communicates with at least one water level detection sensor 20 (in the form of a float 20, for example) through a specific line or alternatively wirelessly.

[0077] The sensor is arranged in the engine compartment and in a special seating part therein to be able to detect the level of the liquid present.

[0078] Therefore, Figure 1 The float (in the case of a specific float solution) is shown by reference numeral 20, which is connected to the module 10 including a microcontroller (the mentioned model ESP8266 in the example of the drawing) and thus communicates with the module 10.

[0079] Again, as Figure 1 shown, the control and data acquisition module 10 is again connected to and communicates with the battery 30 for powering the engine through the microcontroller to be able to monitor its power level by checking its voltage.

[0080] In a possible solution, the microcontroller module for acquiring the data (the data acquisition system installed on the lifeboat) is powered by one or more batteries 30 of the lifeboat itself. In this way, by monitoring the voltage value of the power supply of the data acquisition system, the voltage of the one or more batteries 30 can be monitored accordingly.

[0081] Physically, the power supply voltage can thus be obtained by inserting a resistive voltage divider and sent to an analog / digital converter, which will adapt the voltage value of one or more batteries to the voltage value of the A / D converter measurement scale. In this way, it is not necessary to obtain power directly from the battery through a cable (obtaining power directly from the battery through a cable is feasible in any case), but power can be obtained from any point of the lifeboat electrical system, provided that the power is not disconnected from any switch or circuit breaker of one or more batteries. It can even be taken downstream of the battery charger and can also monitor the charging current of one or more batteries by inserting a resistive ammeter shunt in series with the battery (to achieve another possible parameter) and scaling the measurement value before the A / D converter if necessary or by a Hall-type sensor that provides a voltage proportional to the charging current of the battery.

[0082] As is known, one or more batteries of a lifeboat power various facilities, including navigation lights, radio communication equipment, navigation-related instruments, and engine management.

[0083] Thus, in essence, in a preferred configuration of the present invention, module 10 communicates for each lifeboat and monitors the level of the liquid in the bilge and / or the power level of battery 30.

[0084] In the case where the level sensor is in the form of a float, the module monitors the position occupied by the float 20 to determine the level of any water present in the engine compartment where the float is installed. This part of the operation will be described in more detail shortly.

[0085] Module 10 also monitors the power level of battery 30 and possibly one or more other additional parameters either combinatorially or alternatively.

[0086] Antenna 40 transmits signals so as to communicate with receiving station 50b.

[0087] Therefore, Figure 1 Using reference numeral 50a to indicate that the detection component includes a lifeboat, on each lifeboat (rescue boat 1, rescue boat 2... rescue boat n) there is installed a component composed of module 10 and various lines and / or sensors (20, 30) connected thereto, and in addition there is a transmitting antenna 40.

[0088] What is detected by the sensor system (20, 30) is sent by module 10, and module 10 sends the content to receiving module 10' through antenna 40.

[0089] Accordingly, the reference numeral 50b indicates a component of the receiving module 10', which has its receiving antenna 40' and is connected to the display 60. The component 50b can be installed, for example, on the command deck of a ship. It can be installed in any other location and communicate with the display 60, which can be located in the cab, either wirelessly or via a cable.

[0090] Thus, the receiving station 50b further includes the receiving antenna 40' and the receiving module 10'. The receiving antenna receives and communicates with the signals from the antenna 40. The receiving module can be completely similar in structure and electronics to the module 10 described above for the rescue boat and thus preferably includes a microcontroller of the ESP8266 type.

[0091] In this way, the signals sent from the module 10 associated with the lifeboat via the antenna 40 and indicating the detected conditions are processed by the receiving module 10' and displayed on the screen 60.

[0092] Values considered to be outside the standard, both for the water level and the battery charge, will be reported, for example, by displaying them in a different color and / or by generating an alarm.

[0093] Accordingly, according to the present invention, for each lifeboat, there is a single control and data acquisition module 10 equipped with a microcontroller. In particular, the water level and / or the battery charge level in the engine room are monitored by connecting sensors to the module 10 via a cable. Additional parameters can be monitored.

[0094] As Figure 3 shown, the module 10 can include a plurality of inputs related to the sensors connected to the module 10. The sensors send signals to the microcontroller, which, after receiving this information, transmits the signals via the antenna 40.

[0095] Figure 3 The inputs shown actually highlight the inputs related to the battery voltage, fuel level, water level, etc.

[0096] Each of these modules 10 (all related to the lifeboat) detects data from the relevant sensors that communicate with the module 10 and are installed in the relevant lifeboat, and thus detects the data from the float and the battery charge measurement and / or other parameters. Each module has its own microcontroller, which communicates with the relevant battery and float via a cable, as Figure 1 shown.

[0097] The data is transmitted via the radio frequency antenna 40 to the receiving assembly (50b), which, as described above, includes the receiving module 10' and the radio frequency antenna 40', and receives the data processed by the relevant controller 10' and displayed on the screen 60.

[0098] Thus, in short, a centralized sensor network system managed by a microcontroller that monitors various rescue means is proposed.

[0099] The receiving component 50b (which can be located, for example, on the command deck) receives various parameters from each rescue boat, such as the voltage at the end of the battery that powers the lifeboat and / or the flooded state of the engine compartment (closure of a switch operated by a float) and / or other parameters.

[0100] In the case where the parameters exceed the normal range, an alarm is activated or the anomaly is highlighted in any case.

[0101] In addition, if a system failure is detected, an error message is displayed.

[0102] Thus, the lifeboat monitoring system ( Figure 1 ) can be likened to a wireless network where the nodes (control and data acquisition modules (10)) are the lifeboats that communicate with the receiver module (10’), and the receiver module (10’) in turn communicates with a system located on the deck that is used to display and process data from the lifeboats.

[0103] Thus, the entire system consists of the following elements:

[0104] A control and data acquisition module (10) that is installed inside the lifeboat.

[0105] A receiver module (10’) that is installed in a position as suitable as possible to allow for communication with the control and data acquisition module 10 installed on each lifeboat.

[0106] An anomaly and alarm display system 60 that is preferably installed on the command deck of the ship. It can also be an industrial PC connected to the receiver module (10’).

[0107] The receiver module (10’) (or the receiving module, however you want to call it) can be composed of the same hardware as the control and data acquisition module 10, that is, the same housing containing a printed circuit with a microcontroller and various modules. The difference only depends on the firmware installed in the microcontroller, which will use the housing to implement one or the other function (acquiring data from the lifeboat or the receiver).

[0108] Thus, in particular, the receiver module is a separate entity that is installed at a location separate from the transmitter and communicates with the transmitter as described above. Both are physically composed of the same modules (hardware, namely a microcontroller, a printed circuit board, and a safety containment casing), but each module is loaded with different firmware that differentiates its function (10 or 10’), so they are installed at different locations.

[0109] Thus, in one possible scenario, the microprocessor (10’) can act as both a receiver of data sent by the lifeboat and a display, in addition to being able to process and display data via a web interface.

[0110] The personnel on duty on the deck can view the alarms on the microcontroller web page as well as on the local display.

[0111] The control and data acquisition module (10) is based on a microcontroller (generally speaking) and the control and data acquisition module (10) is modular (assembled). Each control and data acquisition module (10) is positioned inside the lifeboat to be inspected. The printed circuit board with the microcontroller and various modules is contained in a waterproof and mechanically resistant casing, such as made of aluminum or plastic that is resistant to the corrosive action of the marine atmosphere.

[0112] The ESP8266 microcontroller can be used because it contains various modules (wireless communication, digital input, digital output, and A / D converter, as well as a web interface) inside it, thus simplifying the hardware development. In addition, by having a web interface, queries can be made through a very common web browser via a Wi-Fi connection. However, other microcontrollers can be used by physically integrating the missing modules and functions.

[0113] Connected to various sensors (especially Figure 4 the float) and the cable lines connected to one or more batteries of the lifeboat branch out from the casing of the control and data acquisition module (10). In addition to engine ignition and management, one or more batteries of the lifeboat also power the navigation lights, radio communication equipment, and navigation-related instruments.

[0114] To detect the water level inside the engine compartment of the lifeboat, a float connected to a switch (status level) can be used. When the switch is activated, the float changes a binary signal (1 or 0 corresponding to the status of the water level) to the digital input of the control and data acquisition module (10) (see Figure 4 ).

[0115] In a variant of the present invention, the sensor constituted by the float can be replaced by a pressure sensor. In fact, it is also possible to physically measure the water level in the engine compartment by measuring the pressure at the bottom using an analog pressure transducer, which provides a voltage proportional to the pressure corresponding to the water level in the engine compartment, and this type of signal should be processed at an analog / digital converter.

[0116] One or more batteries of the lifeboat power the data acquisition and control module 10, and its absorption is negligible. All modules 10 communicate with a receiving module (10'), which will be arranged at a position as suitable as possible to allow its own communication. In the case of obstacles to its communication, more than one receiving module (10') can be used.

[0117] The receiving module (10') can also be the same as the module 10 installed in the lifeboat in terms of structure and electronics.

[0118] In fact, it can also consist of an industrial PC, which communicates with the receiving module and processes the data from the lifeboat, and thus displays relevant alarms according to this processing.

[0119] The power supply of the receiving module will be obtained from the emergency power source of the ship and is equipped with a buffer battery.

[0120] The interface between the receiving module (10') and the display system can be achieved through Ethernet and MODBUS. Docking via the Ethernet or MODBUS network allows the system to dock with the ship's automation and also allows the fact that the display unit is located on another deck (the command deck) of the ship.

[0121] Alternatively, the receiving module (10') can be configured as a wireless communication repeater.

[0122] On the command deck of the ship, a system 60 for displaying the status of the lifeboat will be installed, which will display the key parameters to be monitored to notify the duty officer by means of a sound alarm or other forms of alarms and / or signals. The display system can consist of an industrial personal computer connected to the main module.

[0123] The display system is powered by the emergency power source of the ship and is equipped with a buffer battery.

[0124] Therefore, Figure 3 A block diagram showing the respective sub-modules constituting the module 10 is shown.

[0125] Similarly as Figure 3As shown, through the I2C bus, the functions of the microprocessor module can be extended by, for example, adding I / O expansions for increasing the number of digital inputs and outputs, such as PCF8574 (including a configurable 8-bit port), or MPC23017 (including two fully configurable 8-bit ports), or A / D or D / A converters. In this way, special sensors will detect parameters such as atmospheric pressure, engine temperature, or fire detection, in order to add more flexibility and functions to the microprocessor (ESP8266) under discussion.

[0126] The example of Figure 2 shows some cases of possible screenshots visible from the video 60 related to the receiving module and which can be installed in any remote location.

[0127] As described above, the data shown is the following data, which is detected by the module 10 connected to its appropriate sensors respectively related to the lifeboat, and the data may include one or more of the following data:

[0128] The level of water in the engine room (bilge); the battery charge level (and thus voltage measurement); atmospheric pressure; engine temperature; fire detection, etc.

[0129] The two most important parameters are the level of water in the engine room and / or the battery charge level.

[0130] The screenshots that can be displayed in the video of the receiving screen 60 show a list of the monitored lifeboats (in the non-limiting example of the drawings, they are lifeboat 1 and lifeboat 2, but can be any number starting from 1).

[0131] For each lifeboat, the detected parameters are reported (at intervals or continuously), and for example, only the voltage values of the battery and the float are shown.

[0132] Possible green can be used to indicate that everything is normal, while red can be used to indicate possible abnormal conditions outside the normal area.

[0133] Figure 2A Shows a normal situation;

[0134] Figure 2B Shows the situation where the voltage of the battery in lifeboat 2 is lower than a certain threshold value, and this can be indicated by a red display (or by other signals, such as sound or alarm), and the measured value may be reported;

[0135] Figure 2C The situation shows that there is water in lifeboat 1 and the battery voltage of lifeboat 2 is low;

[0136] Figure 2DIt shows a situation where there is a signal error in the lifeboat 1 and thus data cannot be transmitted, or a system failure occurs in any case.

[0137] The basic scheme has been described. Now we will describe the present invention in more detail.

[0138] Float:

[0139] The float can be a float switch with a level sensor, usually placed at a high effective level (and thus always closed). This is because if the operator accidentally breaks the wire, a signal for an alarm will be sent. The float can be placed directly above the bilge base, and when the water level equals / exceeds the threshold, it will disconnect and trigger an alarm.

[0140] Therefore, Figure 4 This type of float (and thus itself a level detection sensor) is schematically shown. The threaded portion 80 can be seen, which allows connection to any structural part having a threaded receiving hole. Then, there is a floating member 81 that slides along the rod between two end positions of the stroke (A, B), thereby identifying the open contact (position A) or the closed contact (position B). Depending on the water level, the float occupies a certain position along the rod until it reaches the open reed contact position (A) that triggers the alarm.

[0141] There are various types of floats available on the market that can be used. The special feature is that the type of float used has electrical contacts, and the presence of water in the engine bilge of the lifeboat is detected through the electrical contacts.

[0142] As an alternative to the float, other devices for detecting the water level can be used, such as a conductive probe or an ultrasonic level transmitter that can also provide the height of the water level.

[0143] The float with electrical contacts is the simplest system, so it is preferred.

[0144] Battery monitoring:

[0145] Monitor the battery power level according to what has been described above.

[0146] In particular, a direct connection can be made to the end of the battery so that the voltage at the battery end is measured with a specific meter.

[0147] Alternatively, the preferred configuration of the present invention makes use of the fact that the microcontroller module for acquiring data (the data acquisition system installed on the lifeboat) is powered by one or more batteries 30 of the lifeboat itself. In this way, by monitoring the voltage value of the power supply of the data acquisition system 10 with a specific meter, the voltage of the one or more batteries 30 can be monitored accordingly.

[0148] Additional structural details:

[0149] The power supply section of the system consists of integrated circuits U1 and U2. These integrated circuits are voltage regulators and provide a primary voltage of 5 volts for the power supply of peripheral devices and a primary voltage of 3.3 volts for the power supply of the ESP8266 module.

[0150] The first regulator U1 is preferably composed of an integrated circuit of the OKI-78SR5 type produced by MURATA Semiconductor, which aims to stabilize the input voltage included between 9 volts and 36 volts at a value of 5 volts. 78SR5 is a substitute for the well-known LM7805 integrated circuit and is compatible in terms of physical pin arrangement. The LM7805 integrated circuit is a linear type regulator, but both its maximum applicable input voltage and maximum output current are limited, so the maximum dissipable power is also limited.

[0151] The 78SR5 integrated circuit is actually a DC / DC converter built around another integrated circuit, which is the MP2467 of Monolitic Powers Solutions, i.e., a switching converter. This other integrated circuit reduces the voltage applied to the input terminal to the voltage set by the feedback resistors (R1 and R2) and forms a resistive voltage divider, which is placed on the output voltage of the circuit itself (reported below as a reference).

[0152] Due to the small size of the MP2467 integrated circuit and the fact that it requires very few components for its operation, a very compact system is obtained, which manages to be installed in a very small size and has the ability to deliver a maximum current of 1.5 A at a power of 36 volts without the need to use a heat sink, which is extremely necessary for a normal LM7805.

[0153] The second integrated circuit U2 is an LM78M33, which has the function of reducing the 5V provided by U1 (78SR5) to the 3.3V required for the operation of the ESP8266 module.

[0154] A single-channel A / D converter is integrated into the ESP8266 module. This single-channel A / D converter has a 10-bit resolution and can measure voltages from 0 to a maximum of 1 volt. Its input corresponds to the ADC pin of the module. Since the voltage value of the battery during the charging phase is 24V, with a peak close to 30V, a resistor voltage divider composed of resistors R3, R4, and R5 is selected as the circuit solution. The values of these resistors are chosen to proportionally reduce the maximum input voltage from 100V to 1V. The value of resistor R3 is 90.9KΩ, the value of resistor R4 is 9.09KΩ, and the value of resistor R5 is 1010KΩ. If normal values are used, the ratio of the reduced voltage will not be maintained, and the measured voltage will have an additional error, which is relatively high and is called the percentage on the 0 to 1 volt scale. For example, if the following common values are used: R3 is 100KΩ, R4 is 10KΩ, and R5 is 1KΩ, and an input voltage of 100V is applied across the 1KΩ resistor, the voltage will be 0.9V instead of 1V ((100 / (R3 + R4 + R5)) * R5 = 0.9009V), which is equivalent to a 10% error in the measured voltage.

[0155] The U3A TS922 operational amplifier is a dual-rail to rail BiCMOS operational amplifier. This operational amplifier is inserted between the resistor measurement voltage divider and the ADC pin of the module. It is configured as a unity-gain voltage follower. Due to its high output current, it allows driving a low-impedance load without distorting the value of the input voltage. The TS922 is selected as the cheapest and most available alternative to the OP291.

[0156] The digital input consists of ISO1 and ISO2 optocouplers, but only the ISOI optocoupler is physically connected to pin GPIO13 of the ESP8266 module, which provides greater flexibility for the use of the remaining pins (GPIO15, GPIO16, GPIO5).

[0157] The optocoupler used is the PC817 from NEC Semiconductors. Its circuit function is to electrically isolate the ESP8266 module from the input circuit, and the input circuit can be powered by another system.

[0158] By applying a DC voltage of 12V to 24V across the terminals of J3, the LED diode inside the optocoupler will emit infrared light, thus turning on the phototransistor. Then the voltage on pin 3 of the optocoupler will switch from approximately 4V determined by the pull-up resistor R7 to approximately 0.2V, causing the logic on pin GPIO13 of the ESP8266 module to change from logic 1 to logic 0.

[0159] The operation of Digital Input 2 is the same as that of Digital Input 1. Through the digital input, various devices can be connected to the module. For example, in this case, it can be connected to a float to check the water level in the engine compartment of a lifeboat, or to a limit switch or an inductive sensor to reveal the position of an object (such as a door or a window or an electric actuator that has reached its travel limit).

[0160] Relays RELAY 1 and RELAY 2 are driven by pins GPIO12 and GPIO14 through N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) Q1 and Q2 (2N7000). Inside each MOSFET, there are flywheel diodes D2 and D3, which prevent surges caused by the interruption of the current circulating in the relay coil during the transition of the MOSFET from the conducting state to the rest state - the logic of pins GPIO12 / 14 changes from 1 to 0. Resistors R10 and R12 between the gate and the MOSFET drain are used to prevent the MOSFET from conducting starting from the minimum voltage with respect to the logic zero of pins GPIO12 / 14.

[0161] To be able to install the firmware in the module, it is necessary to close jumper 1 and use the reset button to reset the module. The programming of the module is carried out through the serial port on J8 and the use of a USB serial converter. The levels in the RXD and TXD pins must be TTL-compatible (0 volts to 5 volts). This serial port is also used as the output of the internal monitor of the ESP8266 module.

[0162] The interface with the I2C bus is achieved through a flat cable connector. Only four wires are used, two of which are for the power supply of possible peripheral devices (+5V and GND), and two are for the clock signal (SCL GPIO2) and data (SDA GPIOO).

[0163] The interface with the Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD) is implemented via the I2C bus through a PCF8574. The internal display controller is compatible with the HD44780 standard (which is an LCD display controller produced by HITACHI Semiconductor). This controller provides two 8-bit or 4-bit operating modes (the accessory is used for addressing the display).

[0164] Due to the 4-bit mode, only 7 bits of the PCF8574 port can be used. P4 to P7 are for data, and P0 to P2 are for flow control (write, enable, register select). It is connected to the module through a flat cable with 10 wires.

[0165] Operation:

[0166] Module 10 detects the parameters sent to the receiving module through the sensor system for display and processing, so as to generate an alarm when the measurement of the parameters is abnormal.

[0167] Data processing is performed by the receiving module, which compares the received data with the programmed threshold values, thus displaying the received data and highlighting any abnormalities. Since the receiving module can be placed away from the command deck to achieve its function, an additional display unit 60 can be placed on the command deck and connected to the receiving module (or multiple receiving modules) through a wired data network (Ethernet or Modbus).

[0168] The receiving module (or receiver module, whatever you want to call it, and as mentioned before) can also emit a signal that a module present in the lifeboat has not been received, which occurs when the data acquisition module in the lifeboat is no longer powered on due to battery depletion or for other reasons such as damage to the module itself.

Claims

1. A system (1) for monitoring one or more lifeboats of a ship, the system comprising: - A detection system (20, 30) adapted to detect at least one or more of the following data: a) The level of any liquid present in the engine compartment of the lifeboat; b) The power level of the battery for power supply; - A receiving module (10’), the receiving module being adapted to receive the data detected by the detection system.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The system (1) comprises: - A component (50a) adapted to be installed on the lifeboat, and the component comprises the detection system (20, 30) and at least one control and data acquisition module (10), the at least one control and data acquisition module being connected to the detection system (20, 30) to be able to acquire the data detected by the detection system and send the data to a receiving component (50b) comprising the receiving module (10’); - The receiving component (50b) comprising the receiving module (10’).

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein, Both the component (50a) and the receiving component (50b) respectively comprise antennas (40, 40’).

4. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein, The system comprises a video screen (60) in which the data is displayed.

5. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein, The detection system comprises: - At least one sensor in the form of a float or a pressure detector, the sensor being used to determine whether there is liquid in the engine compartment; - A device for detecting the power level of the battery, such as, for example, a voltmeter.

6. A lifeboat comprising the system according to one or more of the preceding claims.

7. A method for monitoring one or more lifeboats of a ship, the method comprising the following steps: - Configuring a detection system (20, 30) to be able to detect at least one or more of the following data for each lifeboat: a) The level of any liquid present in the engine compartment of the lifeboat; b) The power level of the battery for power supply; - Sending the data to a receiving module (10’).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, Displaying the data on a screen.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein Detecting the level of any liquid present in the engine compartment by installing a sensor in the form of a float in the engine compartment, the float opening / closing a circuit according to the floating position of the float, or alternatively, detecting the level of any liquid present in the engine compartment by installing a pressure sensor.

10. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims 7 to 9, wherein, Generating an alarm or reporting an abnormal situation when one or more of the detected data exceed a predetermined safety threshold.

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