A semi-submersible vessel with a lifting deck and a method of operation thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a semi-submersible ship with a lifting deck and a working method thereof, wherein the semi-submersible ship with the lifting deck comprises a main hull, a driving and living area is arranged at the bow of the main hull, the driving and living area is provided with a foldable antenna, a lifting leg system is arranged on the main deck of the middle part of the main hull, a lifting deck is arranged on the lifting leg system and is in sliding connection with the lifting leg system, a rocket landing deck is arranged on the lifting deck and is in detachable connection with the lifting deck, a plurality of detachable railings are arranged on the middle part of the main hull and are in detachable connection with the middle part of the main hull, a left stern float tank and a right stern float tank are arranged on the tail of the main hull, and a remote control system, a positioning system and a ballast system are further arranged on the main hull. The application can realize water operation in a sailing floating state and water operation in a semi-submersible state with a cargo deck submerged in water, and has high safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semi-submersible vessel technology, and more particularly to a semi-submersible vessel with a lift deck and its operating method. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the world economy and trade and the continuous exploitation of marine resources, maritime cargo transportation has received increasing attention. As the main carrier of maritime transportation, ships have become increasingly important, and at the same time, the requirements for ships in maritime cargo transportation are also becoming higher and higher.

[0003] Semi-submersible vessels, also known as semi-submersible mother ships, are specialized vessels used for cargo transportation. By adjusting their ballast water levels, a semi-submersible vessel submerges its cargo deck, allowing heavy cargo to float onto it. The cargo is then secured using the vessel's cables and external force, expelling the ballast water to bring it to the surface and completing the transport. Existing semi-submersible vessels can be categorized by whether they are powered: unpowered semi-submersible barges and self-propelled semi-submersible transport vessels. Unpowered semi-submersible barges require tugboat assistance, resulting in longer transport times and limited operational capabilities, making them unsuitable for transoceanic transport. Self-propelled semi-submersible transport vessels, on the other hand, can achieve long-distance, high-speed transport through their own propulsion system. While operating semi-submersibly, they exhibit minimal rolling angles in waves, but their cargo deck must remain submerged, limiting their ability to operate above water. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a semi-submersible vessel with a lift deck and its operating method, which can perform water operations in a floating state and in a semi-submersible state with the cargo deck submerged in the water, and is highly safe.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides a semi-submersible vessel with a lift-up deck, comprising: a main hull; a driving and living area at the bow of the main hull, wherein a foldable antenna is installed in the driving and living area; a lift-up leg system is installed on the main deck in the middle of the main hull, the lift-up deck is installed on the lift-up leg system and is slidably connected to the lift-up leg system, and a rocket landing deck is installed on the side of the lift-up deck away from the main deck and is detachably connected to the lift-up deck; multiple sets of detachable railings are installed in the middle of the main hull and are located on opposite sides of the lift-up deck, and the multiple sets of detachable railings are detachably connected to the middle of the main hull; a port buoy and a starboard buoy are installed at the stern of the main hull; the main hull is also equipped with a remote control system for receiving and executing operation instructions sent by a remote control center, thereby adjusting the working mode to complete the operation requirements, a positioning system for achieving positioning under sea conditions, and a ballast system for injecting water into the internal ballast tanks; the remote control system communicates with the positioning system and the ballast system respectively.

[0006] As mentioned above, the elevator deck is also equipped with a fire-fighting system, which is used to extinguish fires or explosions that occur during rocket landing.

[0007] As shown above, the lift deck is also equipped with a moon pool. The moon pool is used to drain the rocket exhaust from the lift deck during rocket recovery and then guide it to the water surface on both sides, thereby avoiding burning the lift deck.

[0008] As shown above, the positioning system is a DP2 redundant dynamic positioning system.

[0009] As shown above, the positioning accuracy of the positioning system is 1m under sea state 4.

[0010] As described above, the DP2 redundant dynamic positioning system includes at least a thruster system and a dynamic positioning control system. The thruster system serves as the execution part of the dynamic positioning system and includes at least two azimuth thrusters and two shell-and-tube thrusters. The two azimuth thrusters are located at the stern of the main hull, and the two shell-and-tube thrusters are located at the bow of the main hull. The DP2 redundant dynamic positioning system receives control commands sent by the remote control system and controls the azimuth thrusters and / or shell-and-tube thrusters to enter the corresponding working states according to the control commands.

[0011] As shown above, the input power of the azimuth thruster is 3000kw.

[0012] As shown above, the input power of the shell-and-tube thruster is 1200 kW.

[0013] As mentioned above, the operating modes include at least: navigation and transportation mode, semi-submersible rocket launch mode, and semi-submersible rocket recovery mode.

[0014] This application also provides a method for operating the aforementioned semi-submersible vessel with a lift deck, comprising the following steps: the remote control system receives an operation instruction sent by a remote control center, adjusts the operating mode according to the operation instruction, and issues control instructions; during navigation and transportation, the operating mode is navigation and transportation mode; the detachable railings are disassembled and placed at the stern of the main hull and fixed; the lifting leg system executes the control instructions sent by the remote control system to lower the lift deck onto the main deck; the positioning system executes the control instructions sent by the remote control system to enter the corresponding operating state; after reaching the destination, the operating mode is semi-submersible rocket. In launch mode, the lifting leg system executes control commands sent by the remote control system to raise the lifting deck to the required working height. The ballast system executes control commands sent by the remote control system to fill the ballast tanks inside the main hull with water, causing the main hull to submerge in water. Waves can penetrate water from above the main deck and below the lifting deck, thus ensuring the rocket stands upright autonomously and performs rocket launch operations. When the working mode is semi-submersible rocket recovery mode, the rocket landing deck is connected to the lifting deck. A layer of ablation-resistant cement is laid on the rocket landing deck, a firewall is set up for isolation, and the foldable antenna is lowered before performing rocket recovery operations.

[0015] The beneficial effects achieved by this application are as follows:

[0016] (1) Semi-submersible vessels with lifting decks are based on the design of existing semi-submersible vessels. They have the characteristics of shallow draft, self-powered, self-propelled, highly maneuverable, and small roll angle in waves.

[0017] (2) A liftable deck is installed on the main deck. The height of the lift deck can be adjusted by the lifting leg system to adapt to the water depth and height of the dock. It can realize the smooth loading of cargo on the dock. The semi-submersible vessel with the lift deck can carry out water operations when it is floating in the navigation state, and can also carry out water operations when the cargo deck is submerged in the water in the semi-submersible state, and the safety is high.

[0018] (3) When a semi-submersible vessel with a lift deck is sailing, the lift deck is lowered onto the main deck, which can lower the center of gravity of the vessel and ensure the safety of the vessel's transportation. In the semi-submersible state, the lift deck is raised off the water surface and the main hull is submerged in the water. Waves penetrate water from above the main deck and below the lift deck, which can control the ship's roll angle within 2 degrees. The ship has good stability and can ensure that the rocket can stand up on its own. At the same time, the isolation of seawater can also effectively prevent damage to the main hull caused by the rocket explosion.

[0019] (4) Placing a rocket landing deck on top of the lift deck can prevent impact damage to the lift deck during rocket recovery and improve ship safety. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a structure of a semi-submersible vessel with a lift deck in navigation and transportation operation mode;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of one embodiment of a semi-submersible vessel with a lift-up deck in a semi-submersible rocket launch mode;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another embodiment of a semi-submersible vessel with a lift-up deck in a semi-submersible rocket launch mode;

[0024] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a structure of a semi-submersible vessel with a lift deck in a semi-submersible rocket recovery mode;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of a semi-submersible vessel with a lift deck in the semi-submersible rocket recovery working mode.

[0026] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the operating method of a semi-submersible vessel with a lift deck. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] like Figure 1-5As shown, this application provides a semi-submersible vessel with a lift-up deck, comprising: a main hull 1; a driving and living area 2 is provided at the bow of the main hull 1, and a foldable antenna 3 is provided in the driving and living area 2. A lift-up leg system 4 is provided on the main deck 11 in the middle of the main hull 1, and a lift-up deck 5 is provided on the lift-up leg system 4 and slidably connected to the lift-up leg system 4; a rocket landing deck 6 is provided on the side of the lift-up deck 5 away from the main deck 11 and is detachably connected to the lift-up deck 5; multiple sets of detachable railings 7 are provided in the middle of the main hull 1 and are located on opposite sides of the lift-up deck 5, and the multiple sets of detachable railings 7 are detachably connected to the middle of the main hull 1; a port buoy 8 and a starboard buoy 9 are both provided at the stern of the main hull 1. The main hull 1 is also equipped with a remote control system for receiving and executing operation instructions sent by the remote control center, thereby adjusting the working mode to complete the operation requirements, a positioning system for positioning under sea conditions, and a ballast system for injecting water into the internal ballast tanks; the remote control system communicates with the positioning system and the ballast system respectively.

[0029] Specifically, the remote control system receives and executes operational instructions sent by a remote control center (e.g., a command vessel), thereby adjusting the working mode to fulfill operational requirements (e.g., the transport, launch, and recovery of marine rockets). The driving and living area 2 includes at least 20 single-person rooms and a driving control room. The single-person rooms meet the requirements of full natural light and comply with MLC2006 requirements. The height of the lifting deck 5 is adjusted via the lifting leg system 4 to adapt to the water depth and height of the dock, thereby achieving stable loading of cargo on the dock.

[0030] Furthermore, the rocket landing deck 6 is connected to the lifting deck 5 by bolts, but is not limited to bolt connection; in this application, bolt connection is preferred.

[0031] Furthermore, the elevator deck 5 is also equipped with a fire suppression system, which is used to extinguish fires or explosions that occur during rocket landing.

[0032] Furthermore, a moon pool 51 is provided on the lifting deck 5. The moon pool 51 is used to discharge the rocket exhaust flame from the lifting deck 5 during the rocket recovery process, and then guide it to the water surface on both sides, thereby avoiding burning the lifting deck.

[0033] Furthermore, the positioning system is a DP2 redundant dynamic positioning system, but it is not limited to a DP2 redundant dynamic positioning system. In this application, a DP2 redundant dynamic positioning system is preferred.

[0034] Furthermore, under sea state 4, the positioning system has a positioning accuracy of 1 meter, ensuring the positioning accuracy and launch bow heading during the rocket launch process.

[0035] Furthermore, the DP2 redundant dynamic positioning system includes at least a thruster system and a dynamic positioning control system. The thruster system serves as the execution part of the dynamic positioning system and includes at least two azimuth thrusters and two shell-and-tube thrusters. The two azimuth thrusters are located at the stern of the main hull 1, and the two shell-and-tube thrusters are located at the bow of the main hull 1. The DP2 redundant dynamic positioning system receives control commands sent by the remote control system and controls the azimuth thrusters and / or shell-and-tube thrusters to enter the corresponding working states according to the control commands.

[0036] Furthermore, the input power of the azimuth thruster is 3000 kW, but not limited to 3000 kW; in this application, 3000 kW is preferred.

[0037] Furthermore, the input power of the shell-and-tube thruster is 1200 kW, but not limited to 1200 kW; in this application, 1200 kW is preferred.

[0038] Furthermore, the operating modes include at least: navigation and transportation mode, semi-submersible rocket launch mode, and semi-submersible rocket recovery mode, enabling the transportation, launch, and recovery of rockets at sea.

[0039] Furthermore, the lifting leg system 4 includes multiple lifting legs 41; the lower end of each lifting leg 41 is connected to the main deck 11; the lifting deck 5 is disposed on the multiple lifting legs 41 and is slidably connected to the multiple lifting legs 41, thereby realizing the up and down movement of the lifting deck 5.

[0040] Specifically, the number of lifting legs 41 depends on the actual situation. In this application, four are preferred, and the four lifting legs 41 are evenly spaced on the main deck 11.

[0041] Furthermore, the lower end of each lifting leg 41 is welded to the main deck 11, but is not limited to welding; welding is preferred in this application.

[0042] Furthermore, as an embodiment, the semi-submersible vessel with a lift-deck of this application has a length of 162.5m, but is not limited to 162.5m; preferably 162.5m; a beam of 40m, but is not limited to 40m; preferably 40m; a depth of 8m, but is not limited to 8m; preferably 8m; a draft of 5.0m, but is not limited to 5.0m; preferably 5.0m; a positioning capability of DP2, but is not limited to DP2; preferably DP2; and a service speed of 12.5 knots, but is not limited to 12.5 knots; preferably 12.5 knots. The semi-submersible vessel has a shallow draft and low resistance. The semi-submersible vessel with a lift-deck of this application is suitable for transportation and semi-submersible operations worldwide.

[0043] Furthermore, the semi-submersible vessel with a lift deck in this application uses a diesel generator for power supply.

[0044] like Figure 6 As shown, this application also provides a method for operating the above-mentioned semi-submersible vessel with a lift deck, comprising the following steps:

[0045] S1: The remote control system receives work instructions sent by the remote control center, adjusts the working mode according to the work instructions, and issues control instructions.

[0046] S2: During navigation and transportation, the working mode is navigation and transportation mode. The detachable railing is disassembled and placed at the stern of the main hull and fixed. The lifting leg system executes the control command sent by the remote control system to lower the lifting deck onto the main deck. The positioning system executes the control command sent by the remote control system to enter the corresponding working state.

[0047] Specifically, lowering the lift deck onto the main deck can lower the ship's center of gravity and ensure safe transport.

[0048] S3: After reaching the destination, the working mode is semi-submersible rocket launch mode. The lifting leg system executes the control commands sent by the remote control system to raise the lifting deck to the required working position height. The ballast system executes the control commands sent by the remote control system to inject water into the internal ballast tanks of the main hull, causing the main hull to submerge in water. Waves can penetrate water from the top of the main deck and the bottom of the lifting deck, thereby ensuring that the rocket stands upright autonomously and performs rocket launch operations.

[0049] Specifically, the lifting leg system raises the lifting deck to the required working height (i.e., the lifting deck is lifted off the water surface), and the ballast system injects water into the internal ballast tanks of the main hull, causing the main hull to submerge in the water. Waves can penetrate water from above the main deck and below the lifting deck, which can control the roll angle of the semi-submersible vessel within 2 degrees, thereby ensuring that the rocket stands upright autonomously and facilitating subsequent rocket launch operations.

[0050] S4: When the working mode is semi-submersible rocket recovery mode, connect the rocket landing deck and the lifting deck, lay a layer of anti-ablation cement on the rocket landing deck, set up a firewall for isolation, and then lay down the foldable antenna before performing the rocket recovery operation.

[0051] Specifically, during rocket recovery operations, the rocket landing deck needs to be bolted to the lift-up deck, and a layer of ablation-resistant cement needs to be laid on the landing deck to meet the rocket landing requirements. A firewall is used to isolate the semi-submersible vessel's landing area and equipment storage area to improve safety. A foldable antenna is used; by folding it down during rocket launch and recovery, interference with the rocket can be avoided.

[0052] The beneficial effects achieved by this application are as follows:

[0053] (1) Semi-submersible vessels with lifting decks are based on the design of existing semi-submersible vessels. They have the characteristics of shallow draft, self-powered, self-propelled, highly maneuverable, and small roll angle in waves.

[0054] (2) A liftable deck is installed on the main deck. The height of the lift deck can be adjusted by the lifting leg system to adapt to the water depth and height of the dock. It can realize the smooth loading of cargo on the dock. The semi-submersible vessel with the lift deck can carry out water operations when it is floating in the navigation state, and can also carry out water operations when the cargo deck is submerged in the water in the semi-submersible state, and the safety is high.

[0055] (3) When a semi-submersible vessel with a lift deck is sailing, the lift deck is lowered onto the main deck, which can lower the center of gravity of the vessel and ensure the safety of the vessel's transportation. In the semi-submersible state, the lift deck is raised off the water surface and the main hull is submerged in the water. Waves penetrate water from above the main deck and below the lift deck, which can control the ship's roll angle within 2 degrees. The ship has good stability and can ensure that the rocket can stand up on its own. At the same time, the isolation of seawater can also effectively prevent damage to the main hull caused by the rocket explosion.

[0056] (4) Placing a rocket landing deck on top of the lift deck can prevent impact damage to the lift deck during rocket recovery and improve ship safety.

[0057] Although preferred embodiments of this application have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application is intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this application. Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of this application fall within the scope of protection of this application and its equivalents, this application also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A semi-submersible vessel having a lifting deck, characterized in that, include: main hull; The bow of the main hull is equipped with a driving and living area, which is equipped with a foldable antenna; the foldable antenna can be folded down during rocket launch and recovery. The main deck in the middle of the hull is equipped with a lifting leg system. The lifting deck is set on the lifting leg system and is slidably connected to the lifting leg system. The rocket landing deck is set on the side of the lifting deck away from the main deck and is detachably connected to the lifting deck. Multiple sets of detachable railings are set in the middle of the hull and are located on opposite sides of the lifting deck. Multiple sets of detachable railings are detachably connected to the middle of the hull. Both the port pontoon and the starboard pontoon are located at the stern of the main hull; The main hull is also equipped with a remote control system for receiving and executing operational instructions sent by a remote control center, thereby adjusting the working mode to meet operational requirements; a positioning system for positioning under sea conditions; and a ballast system for filling the internal ballast tanks with water. The remote control system communicates with both the positioning system and the ballast system. The working modes include at least: navigation and transportation mode, semi-submersible rocket launch mode, and semi-submersible rocket recovery mode. When the working mode is navigation and transportation mode, the removable railings are disassembled, and the elevator deck is lowered onto the main deck. When the working mode is semi-submersible rocket launch mode, the elevator deck is raised to the required working position. When the working mode is semi-submersible rocket recovery mode, the rocket landing deck is connected to the elevator deck. Among them, the lifting deck is also equipped with a moon pool. The moon pool is used to discharge the rocket exhaust flame from the lifting deck during the rocket recovery process, and then guide it to the water surface on both sides, so as to avoid burning the lifting deck. The rocket landing deck is covered with a layer of ablation-resistant cement to meet the requirements for rocket landing; a firewall is installed on the rocket landing deck to isolate the landing area and the equipment placement area.

2. Semi-submersible vessel with lifting deck according to claim 1, characterized in that The elevator deck is also equipped with a fire suppression system, which is used to extinguish fires or explosions that occur during rocket landing.

3. Semi-submersible vessel with lifting deck according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning system is a DP2 redundant dynamic positioning system.

4. Semi-submersible vessel with lifting deck according to claim 3, characterized in that Under sea state 4, the positioning accuracy of the positioning system is 1m.

5. Semi-submersible vessel with lifting deck according to claim 3, characterized in that The DP2 redundant dynamic positioning system includes at least a thruster system and a dynamic positioning control system. The thruster system serves as the execution part of the dynamic positioning system and includes at least two azimuth thrusters and two shell-and-tube thrusters. The two azimuth thrusters are located at the stern of the main hull, and the two shell-and-tube thrusters are located at the bow of the main hull. The DP2 redundant dynamic positioning system receives control commands from the remote control system and controls the azimuth thruster and / or shell-and-tube thruster to enter the corresponding working state according to the control commands.

6. Semi-submersible vessel with lifting deck according to claim 5, characterized in that The input power of the azimuth thruster is 3000 kW.

7. Semi-submersible vessel with lifting deck according to claim 5, characterized in that The input power of the shell-and-tube thruster is 1200 kW.

8. A method of working a semi-submersible vessel with lifting decks according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The remote control system receives work instructions from the remote control center, adjusts the working mode according to the work instructions, and issues control instructions. During navigation and transportation, the working mode is navigation and transportation mode. The detachable railings are disassembled and placed at the stern of the main hull and fixed. The lifting leg system executes the control command sent by the remote control system to lower the lifting deck onto the main deck. The positioning system executes the control command sent by the remote control system to enter the corresponding working state. After reaching the destination, the working mode is semi-submersible rocket launch mode. The lifting leg system executes the control commands sent by the remote control system to raise the lifting deck to the required working position height. The ballast system executes the control commands sent by the remote control system to inject water into the internal ballast tanks of the main hull, causing the main hull to submerge in water. Waves can penetrate water from the top of the main deck and the bottom of the lifting deck, thereby ensuring that the rocket stands upright autonomously and performs rocket launch operations. When the operating mode is semi-submersible rocket recovery mode, the rocket landing deck is connected to the lifting deck, a layer of anti-ablation cement is laid on the rocket landing deck, a firewall for isolation is set up, and the foldable antenna is laid down before the rocket recovery operation is carried out.

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