A crude oil tanker utilizes a single pendulum type disturbance and power generation device

Abstract

The application provides a crude oil tanker single pendulum type disturbance and power generation device using rolling, which comprises a base, a limiting plate, a rotating shaft, a swing rod, a water turbine, a generator, a transmission shaft and a rolling bearing. The device is arranged in a liquid cargo tank of the crude oil tanker. When the ship rolls, the water turbine is used to disturb the oil liquid by back and forth swinging, so that the impurities and particles in the crude oil can be prevented from depositing on the bottom of the tank, the oil liquid in the liquid cargo tank can be fully mixed, the bottom oil liquid can be prevented from being more viscous due to the lower temperature of the bottom oil liquid, and the suction difficulty of the unloading pump can be avoided. Moreover, the water turbine and the oil liquid in the liquid cargo tank are mutually rubbed to generate heat energy, the oil liquid is heated, and the viscosity of the bottom oil liquid in the liquid cargo tank is further reduced. In addition, the mechanical energy of the ship caused by the rolling of the ship due to waves is recovered, and the mechanical energy is further converted into electric energy, so that the wave energy is indirectly utilized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of marine technology, specifically relating to a device for generating electricity by utilizing a pendulum-type disturbance during rolling on an oil tanker. Background Technology

[0002] Crude oil is an important energy source, and the produced crude oil is shipped all over the world. The transportation of crude oil mainly relies on crude oil tankers (or crude oil carriers).

[0003] Crude oil transported by tankers typically involves long routes. For example, the route from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Qingdao, China, is approximately 6,000 nautical miles and generally takes more than 20 days. Crude oil contains many particulate matter and high-density impurities. Due to the long voyage, these impurities and particles settle to the bottom of the crude oil tanks, resulting in a higher average density of the oil at the bottom compared to the upper and middle sections, making the oil at the bottom more viscous. Furthermore, the low seawater temperature in northern regions, especially in winter when it approaches 0°C, accelerates heat exchange between the oil at the bottom of the tanks and the seawater, further lowering the oil temperature and increasing its viscosity. In addition, crude oil tankers are generally not equipped with heating systems. When crude oil tankers arrive at the unloading port to unload, the oil at the bottom of the liquid cargo tank is relatively viscous, and the unloading pump faces great resistance when unloading the oil at the bottom of the liquid cargo tank, which makes it difficult for the unloading pump to suck in. In severe cases, the unloading pump may even fail to suck in. Therefore, the difficulty in sucking in the unloading pump caused by the viscosity of the oil at the bottom of the liquid cargo tank is a relatively prominent problem in the unloading of crude oil tankers.

[0004] When crude oil tankers sail at sea, they experience rolling motion due to waves and other factors, causing the hull to sway from side to side. This rolling motion is particularly pronounced in severe weather conditions. Despite the significant rolling motion, its impact on the flowability of the crude oil in the cargo tanks is negligible. The reasons are as follows: The cargo tanks are typically filled to capacity with crude oil, leaving only a small amount of empty space at the top. Furthermore, the cargo tanks are quite deep, generally 20-30 meters. When the ship rolls, only the surface layer of oil flows to the port or starboard side. The vast majority of the oil below the surface layer (the lower and middle sections) remains almost stagnant. Therefore, the rolling motion has minimal disturbance to the lower and middle sections of the cargo tank. It is precisely because of this poor flowability that impurities and particulate matter in the crude oil continuously settle to the bottom of the tank during rolling, resulting in a more viscous oil at the bottom. In addition, the relatively low oil temperature at the bottom of the liquid cargo tank will greatly increase the viscosity of the oil at the bottom of the liquid cargo tank.

[0005] The rolling motion of a ship results in a significant amount of usable mechanical energy. Therefore, if a pendulum-type disturbance and power generation device could be developed for crude oil tankers, it would solve the problem of unloading difficulties caused by the viscous oil at the bottom of the tanks. Furthermore, it would recover the mechanical energy generated during the rolling motion for power generation. Since the rolling motion is caused by waves, this device's recovery of mechanical energy is essentially an indirect utilization of wave energy, making it a device with significant practical application value. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to address the problem of high viscosity of the oil at the bottom of the cargo tanks. It proposes a method for crude oil tankers using a pendulum-type disturbance and power generation device. A pendulum is installed at the top of the cargo tank, and a pair of water turbines are connected to the bottom of the pendulum. The pendulum performs a pendulum motion under the ship's rolling motion, which in turn drives the water turbines to rotate. The back-and-forth oscillation of the water turbines disturbs the oil, preventing impurities and particulate matter in the crude oil from settling at the bottom of the cargo tank, thus solving the problem of high viscosity of the oil at the bottom of the cargo tank. Furthermore, during the crude oil tanker's navigation, the disturbance of the oil by the water turbines ensures thorough mixing of the oil in the upper, middle, and bottom parts of the cargo tank, maintaining a consistent temperature throughout and preventing the oil at the bottom of the cargo tank from becoming too cold, which would further increase the viscosity of the oil at the bottom. Additionally, the friction between the water turbine impeller and the oil in the cargo tank during operation generates heat, further reducing the viscosity of the oil at the bottom of the cargo tank. At the same time, this device can also recover the mechanical energy generated when the ship rolls, and then convert the recovered mechanical energy into electrical energy, realizing the indirect utilization of wave energy by the device.

[0007] A crude oil tanker utilizes a rolling pendulum-type disturbance and power generation device, which includes: a base, a limiting plate, a rotating shaft, a pendulum rod, a water turbine, a generator, a drive shaft, and rolling bearings.

[0008] The base is provided with two circular through holes, which are located on the same axis. During installation, the base should be fixed in the middle of the top of the liquid cargo tank. The axes of the two circular through holes are parallel to the length of the ship. The base and the liquid cargo tank are rigidly welded together. The limiting plate is fixedly installed below the base. The limiting plate can be made of a material with good impact resistance and elasticity. The limiting plate can prevent the device from hitting the tank wall.

[0009] There are two rolling bearings, and the outer rings of the two rolling bearings are respectively fitted with two circular through holes in the base with an interference fit; the rotating shaft is fitted with the inner rings of the two rolling bearings with an interference fit; the upper end of the rocker arm is rigidly welded to the rotating shaft; the generator is installed at the lower end of the rocker arm, and a circular through hole is opened in the axial direction of the generator. During installation, it should be ensured that the axial direction of the generator is always perpendicular to the length of the ship; the drive shaft passes through the circular through hole of the generator, and the drive shaft and the generator are watertightly connected; there are two water turbines, which are respectively fixedly connected to both ends of the drive shaft, and the two water turbines are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the generator.

[0010] Furthermore, in this invention, the impeller of the water turbine and the outer casing of the generator are made of high-density corrosion-resistant materials, and the outer casing of the generator can also be made thicker to increase the total weight of the water turbine and the generator, thereby making the water turbine more effective at disturbing the oil and the generator more powerful.

[0011] When crude oil tankers sail at sea, they experience rolling motion due to waves and other factors. In this device, the generator and turbine, under the influence of gravity, keep the pendulum rod perpendicular to the sea level. When the ship rolls, the pendulum rod and the ship move relative to each other, with the rod pendulum-like motion relative to the cargo tanks. This pendulum motion drives the turbine to rotate, increasing the fluidity of the oil in the cargo tanks during its back-and-forth oscillation. Simultaneously, the drive shaft rotates coaxially with the turbine, driving the generator to produce electricity.

[0012] Beneficial effects of this invention:

[0013] 1. When the ship rolls, this device agitates the oil in the cargo tank, which not only prevents impurities and particles in the crude oil from settling to the bottom of the tank and causing the oil at the bottom of the cargo tank to become viscous, but also ensures that the oil in the upper, middle and bottom parts are fully mixed. This prevents the oil at the bottom of the cargo tank from being too cold and becoming even more viscous, thus solving the problem of difficulty in unloading crude oil tankers caused by the viscosity of the oil at the bottom of the cargo tank.

[0014] 2. In this invention, the impeller of the water turbine generates heat through friction with the oil in the liquid cargo tank, which heats the oil and further reduces the viscosity of the oil at the bottom of the liquid cargo tank.

[0015] 3. This device effectively recovers the mechanical energy of a ship caused by the rolling motion of waves, and then converts the recovered mechanical energy into electrical energy, thus realizing the indirect utilization of wave energy. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the device of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the base in this invention;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the installation position of the present invention in a liquid cargo tank;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the pendulum rod of the present invention at its extreme position;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a side view showing multiple units of this device installed in a single cargo tank along the length of the ship;

[0021] In the attached diagram: 1. Base; 2. Limiting plate; 3. Rotating shaft; 4. Swing rod; 5. Water turbine; 6. Generator; 7. Drive shaft; 8. Rolling bearing. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0023] An oil tanker utilizes a rolling pendulum-type disturbance and power generation device, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the device includes: a base 1, a limiting plate 2, a rotating shaft 3, a swing arm 4, a water turbine 5, a generator 6, a transmission shaft 7, and a rolling bearing 8.

[0024] like Figure 3 As shown, crude oil tankers typically have multiple longitudinal bulkheads to reduce the impact of free liquid on ship stability. This invention uses a starboard compartment (the cargo tank closest to the starboard side of the ship) formed by a single longitudinal bulkhead as an example to illustrate the invention:

[0025] The base 1 is provided with two circular through holes, which are located on the same axis. During installation, the base 1 should be fixed at the top center of the cargo tank. The axes of the two circular through holes are parallel to the length of the ship. The base 1 and the cargo tank are rigidly welded together. The limiting plate 2 is fixedly installed below the base 1. The cross-section of the limiting plate 2 (which is parallel to the midship section of the ship) is an isosceles trapezoid. Depending on the actual situation, the included angle between the two sides of the isosceles trapezoid can be designed according to the specific dimensions of the cargo tank. The limiting plate 2 can be made of a material with good impact resistance and elasticity, with spring steel being preferred. By setting the limiting plate 2, the present invention limits the swing angle of the swing rod 4, which can prevent the device from hitting the tank wall.

[0026] There are two rolling bearings 8, and the outer rings of the two rolling bearings 8 are fitted with the circular through holes of the base 1 with an interference fit; the rotating shaft 3 is fitted with the inner rings of the two rolling bearings 8 with an interference fit; the upper end of the rocker arm 4 is rigidly welded to the rotating shaft 3; the generator 6 is installed at the lower end of the rocker arm 4, and a circular through hole is opened in the axial direction of the generator 6. During installation, it should be ensured that the axial direction of the generator 6 is always perpendicular to the length of the ship; the drive shaft 7 passes through the circular through hole of the generator 6, and the drive shaft 7 is watertightly connected to the generator 6; there are two water turbines 5, which are fixedly connected to both ends of the drive shaft 7 respectively, and the two water turbines 5 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the generator 6.

[0027] Furthermore, in this invention, the impeller of the turbine 5 and the casing of the generator 6 are made of high-density, corrosion-resistant materials (such as cast steel). The casing of the generator 6 can also be made thicker, with a thickness of at least 20mm, to increase the total weight of the turbine 5 and generator 6. The turbine 5 and generator 6 act as a weight, ensuring a greater lateral force generated during the rolling motion of the device. This results in better disturbance of the oil by the turbine 5 and a greater power output from the generator 6. The use of high-density materials also allows for a relatively smaller generator 6. When the pendulum 4 performs a single pendulum motion due to the ship's rolling motion, the resistance of the oil to the motor during its left-right swing can be appropriately reduced.

[0028] The following is a detailed description of this device based on its specific operating state when the ship is rolling:

[0029] Regardless of whether the ship is rolling or floating, the generator 6 and turbine 5 in this device are subjected to gravity to keep the pendulum 4 in a vertical position perpendicular to the sea level. In this invention, this state is defined as the initial state.

[0030] When the ship is upright, it will neither list to port nor to starboard. At this time, the device is in its initial state and remains relatively stationary relative to the cargo tank. The pendulum 4 will not perform a simple pendulum motion, and thus the turbine blades 5 will not rotate. Therefore, in the upright state of the ship, the turbine 5 will not disturb the oil in the cargo tank, nor will it drive the generator 6 to generate electricity.

[0031] When a ship rolls during navigation, such as Figure 4As shown, taking a ship listing to the left as an example: Initially, the ship is in a positive floating state. When the ship lists to the left, with the cargo tank as a reference, the pendulum 4 swings from its initial state to its leftmost extreme position. This creates relative motion between the pendulum 4 and the ship. The pendulum 4 performs a simple pendulum motion to the left relative to the cargo tank, thereby driving the turbine 5 to rotate. During the back-and-forth swinging process, the turbine 5 increases the fluidity of the oil in the cargo tank. At the same time, the drive shaft 7 rotates coaxially with the turbine 5, thereby driving the generator 6 to generate electricity.

[0032] When the ship rolls to the right, the same principle applies as described above: the pendulum 4 swings relative to the cargo tank from its left extreme position to its right extreme position, thus creating relative motion between the device and the ship. The pendulum 4 performs a simple pendulum motion to the right relative to the cargo tank, thereby driving the turbine 5 to rotate. The back-and-forth swing of the turbine 5 can disturb the oil in the cargo tank. At the same time, the drive shaft 7 rotates coaxially with the turbine 5, which in turn drives the generator 6 to generate electricity.

[0033] In reality, the listing and listing of a ship are often continuous and alternating. Therefore, the device of this invention can continuously agitate the oil in the cargo tank when the ship rolls, greatly increasing the fluidity of the crude oil in the cargo tank. This avoids the sedimentation of impurities and particles in the crude oil to the bottom of the tank due to poor fluidity, which would otherwise increase the viscosity of the oil at the bottom of the cargo tank. This solves the problem of difficulty in unloading crude oil tankers caused by the viscosity of the oil at the bottom of the cargo tank. In addition, this device can also continuously generate electricity, which can be used for some of the ship's electrical equipment.

[0034] Furthermore, the device of the present invention employs two water turbines 5 arranged symmetrically. When the ship rolls, the two water turbines 5 rotate coaxially, which can more effectively recover the mechanical energy generated by the ship's rolling motion and greatly improve the power generation effect.

[0035] When a ship is sailing, it experiences rolling motion due to factors such as waves. This rolling motion results in a significant amount of usable mechanical energy within the ship. This invention recovers the mechanical energy generated during the ship's rolling motion and converts it into electrical energy, essentially an indirect utilization of wave energy, thus solving the problem of ships struggling to utilize wave energy.

[0036] When crude oil tankers are sailing at sea, the low seawater temperature, especially in winter when it can even approach 0°C, causes the oil at the bottom of the cargo tanks to exchange heat with the seawater more rapidly through the hull, resulting in a lower oil temperature at the bottom of the cargo tanks and significantly increasing the viscosity of the oil. Since crude oil tankers typically do not have heating systems, this invention utilizes the agitation of the oil by a water turbine 5 to ensure thorough mixing of the oil in the upper, middle, and bottom parts of the cargo tanks. This maintains a consistent temperature throughout the tank, preventing the oil at the bottom from becoming too cold and increasing its viscosity. Furthermore, the friction between the impeller of the water turbine 5 and the oil in the cargo tank during operation generates heat, further reducing the viscosity of the oil at the bottom of the cargo tanks.

[0037] like Figure 5 As shown, depending on the specific ship length and the length of the cargo tank, multiple of this device can be installed in a single cargo tank along the ship's length. In this way, when the ship rolls, especially in windy and wavy weather, the energy that this invention can recover is enormous, which can better improve the power generation and disturbance effects of this invention.

[0038] In summary, this invention can effectively reduce the viscosity of the oil at the bottom of the liquid cargo tank, and has good practical application value in solving the problem of difficulty in suction of the unloading pump caused by excessively viscous oil at the bottom of the liquid cargo tank.

[0039] The above description uses a single longitudinal bulkhead and a starboard compartment as an example to illustrate the principle and installation method of the present invention. The installation method and principle of the present invention in the left-hand compartment are the same as those in the starboard compartment. Furthermore, large crude oil tankers typically have many cargo tanks, and the device of the present invention can be installed in each cargo tank according to the above method.

[0040] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the implementation is not limited to the above embodiments. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for generating electricity by utilizing a single pendulum-type disturbance during rolling on an oil tanker, characterized in that: The device includes a base (1), a limiting plate (2), a rotating shaft (3), a swing arm (4), a water turbine (5), a generator (6), a transmission shaft (7), and a rolling bearing (8); The base (1) has two circular through holes and is fixed at the top center of the liquid cargo tank; the limiting plate (2) is fixedly installed below the base (1); there are two rolling bearings (8), the outer rings of the two rolling bearings (8) are respectively matched with the two circular through holes of the base (1) and are interference fit; the rotating shaft (3) is matched with the inner rings of the two rolling bearings (8) and is interference fit; the upper end of the swing rod (4) is rigidly welded to the rotating shaft (3); the generator (6) is installed at the lower end of the swing rod (4), and a circular through hole is opened in the axial direction of the generator (6), the axial direction of the generator (6) is always perpendicular to the length of the ship; the drive shaft (7) passes through the circular through hole of the generator (6), and the drive shaft (7) and the generator (6) are watertight; there are two water turbines (5), which are respectively fixedly connected to the two ends of the drive shaft (7), and the two water turbines (5) are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the generator (6).

2. The crude oil tanker's single-pendulum disturbance and power generation device based on rolling as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The two circular through holes of the base (1) are located on the same axis, and the axis should be parallel to the length of the ship during installation.

3. The crude oil tanker's single-pendulum disturbance and power generation device based on roll as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting plate (2) has an isosceles trapezoidal cross section and is made of spring steel. The present invention uses the limiting plate (2) to prevent the device from hitting the bulkhead.

4. The crude oil tanker's single-pendulum disturbance and power generation device based on rolling as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The impeller of the water turbine (5) and the outer casing of the generator (6) are made of a high-density corrosion-resistant material, and the thickness of the outer casing of the generator (6) should be greater than 20 mm.

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