A vessel shift monitoring system

Abstract

This invention discloses a ship displacement monitoring system, relating to the technical field of monitoring devices. The system includes a displacement monitoring device comprising an electrical box, a support arm assembly connected to the top of the electrical box, and a machine head connected to the top of the support arm assembly. The support arm assembly is capable of horizontal rotation on the top of the electrical box, and the machine head is capable of vertical rotation on the top of the support arm assembly. One end of the machine head is connected to the ship via a cable, and an attitude sensor module is installed inside the machine head, connected to a control terminal. The ship displacement monitoring system provided by this invention can monitor minute displacements of large ships, thereby enabling timely notification to the ship to adjust its mooring lines and prevent line breakage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of monitoring device technology, and in particular to a ship displacement monitoring system. Background Technology

[0002] Large ships typically require more than five mooring lines when docking at a pier. These lines are distributed across various parts of the ship to ensure that the ship can be stably docked at the berth. If the ship moves arbitrarily, it may break the equipment connecting the ship and the berth, such as the oil boom.

[0003] When a ship is docked at a pier, it is affected by hydrodynamic forces, which cause the docked ship to move in both the horizontal and vertical directions. Moreover, the rise and fall of tides, unloading, and loading of cargo all cause the ship to rise and fall. In particular, strong winds can also cause the ship to move.

[0004] If a vessel shifts position while all mooring lines are taut, and the lines are not adjusted in time, uneven tension will occur, causing the load to be borne by only one or two lines. This can lead to line breakage, a serious safety hazard. At best, it can damage berth facilities and cause loss of vessel control; at worst, it can result in injury or death. Therefore, real-time monitoring of vessel movement allows on-site personnel and remote dispatchers to be aware of changes in the vessel's position, enabling timely notification and adjustment of mooring lines to prevent breakage.

[0005] However, large ocean-going vessels are tens of meters high and over 200 meters long. Even a displacement of just 30cm can cause an imbalance in the tension of the mooring lines. Such minute changes are impossible to detect using conventional methods on these giant ships, currently relying mainly on visual inspection by dockworkers. This often leads to mooring line breakage accidents. Furthermore, due to their size and large windward surface, they are more susceptible to wind damage. Therefore, a device is needed to monitor even minute displacements of large vessels, enabling timely notification and adjustment of the mooring lines to prevent breakage. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a ship displacement monitoring system to solve the problems existing in the prior art. It can monitor the minute displacements of large ships, thereby promptly notifying the ship to adjust the mooring lines and avoid the mooring lines from breaking.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution:

[0008] This invention provides a ship displacement monitoring system, including a displacement monitoring device. The device comprises an electrical box, a support arm assembly connected to the top of the electrical box, and a machine head connected to the top of the support arm assembly. The support arm assembly is capable of horizontal rotation on the top of the electrical box, and the machine head is capable of vertical rotation on the top of the support arm assembly. One end of the machine head is connected to the ship via a pull rope. An attitude sensor module is installed inside the machine head and connected to a control terminal. This invention connects the pull rope to the machine head and the ship. When the ship displaces, it drives the machine head to rotate horizontally or swing vertically. By monitoring the attitude information of the machine head, even minute displacements of the ship can be detected promptly and accurately. This allows for timely adjustment of the cable based on the ship's displacement, preventing the cable from breaking.

[0009] Optionally, a magnet is fixedly connected to the end of the pull rope away from the machine head, and the magnet can be attracted to the ship.

[0010] Optionally, a front cover is hinged to one end of the machine head, and four telescopic cable reels are symmetrically arranged inside the machine head near the front cover. Steel wire ropes are wound on the telescopic cable reels. One end of each of the four steel wire ropes passes through the four corresponding through holes on the front cover and is connected to a connector. The connector is connected to the end of the cable away from the ship.

[0011] Optionally, a pull-cord encoder is provided at the end of the machine head away from the front cover.

[0012] Optionally, the attitude sensor module is located between the telescopic reel and the pull rope encoder; the attitude sensor module includes a gyroscope and an angle encoder.

[0013] Optionally, the support arm assembly includes a base plate, on which two vertically arranged support arms are fixedly mounted, and the support arms have shaft holes; the machine head is located between the two support arms, and horizontal shafts are fixedly connected to both sides of the machine head via flanges, and the horizontal shafts are movably inserted into the shaft holes of the support arms.

[0014] Optionally, the electrical box is provided with a horizontal turntable on top, and the base plate is disposed on the horizontal turntable.

[0015] Optionally, an ultrasonic ranging sensor and a laser ranging sensor are provided on one side of the electrical box, and the ultrasonic ranging sensor and the laser ranging sensor are respectively connected to the control terminal.

[0016] The present invention achieves the following technical effects compared to the prior art:

[0017] This invention attaches a modified switch magnet to the ship, with a steel wire rope connecting the magnet, a telescopic cable reel, and a rope encoder. This ensures the steel wire rope in the telescopic reel is pulled out at least 20cm, guaranteeing sufficient tension from the reel's retraction force to the engine head. The steel wire rope pulls the engine head, converting the ship's displacement information into the engine head's attitude information. Sensors upload this attitude information to a PLC in real time. An algorithm then reconstructs the displacement information from the attitude information, enabling the monitoring of even minute displacements in large ships. This allows for timely notification of cable adjustments to prevent cable breakage. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a partial exploded view of the ship displacement monitoring system of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the ship displacement monitoring system of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the front cover structure of the ship displacement monitoring system of the present invention.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1-Electrical box, 2-Ultrasonic ranging sensor, 3-Laser ranging sensor, 4-Support arm assembly, 5-Front cover, 6-Horizontal turntable, 7-Telescopic cable reel, 8-Attitude sensor module, 9-Pull rope encoder, 10-Flange, 11-Pull rope, 12-Magnet, 13-Connector. Detailed Implementation

[0023] 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 embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. 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.

[0024] The purpose of this invention is to provide a ship displacement monitoring system to solve the problems existing in the prior art. It can monitor the minute displacements of large ships, thereby promptly notifying the ship to adjust the mooring lines and avoid the mooring lines from breaking.

[0025] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0026] Example 1

[0027] Reference Appendix Figure 1 Appendix Figure 2 and attached Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment provides a ship displacement monitoring system, including a displacement monitoring device. The displacement monitoring device includes an electrical box 1 with a built-in battery. A support arm assembly 4 is connected to the top of the electrical box 1, and a machine head is connected to the top of the support arm assembly 4. The support arm assembly 4 can rotate horizontally on the top of the electrical box 1, and the machine head can rotate vertically on the top of the support arm assembly 4. One end of the machine head is connected to the ship via a pull rope 11. An attitude sensor module 8 is installed inside the machine head, and the attitude sensor module 8 is connected to a control terminal. The control terminal includes a PLC installed in the electrical box 1. The displacement information calculated by the PLC is sent to the host computer and industrial control system via a network cable through the MODBUS TCP protocol, which is convenient for configuration and setting. The specific control program of the control terminal belongs to existing devices and technologies, and will not be described in detail here. It can receive data from the sensors, analyze, calculate and convert it, and then output it to the display terminal.

[0028] The support arm assembly 4 includes a base plate on which two vertically arranged support arms are fixedly mounted. Each support arm has a shaft hole. The machine head is located between the two support arms, and horizontal shafts are fixedly connected to both sides of the machine head via flanges 10. These horizontal shafts movably pass through the shaft holes of the support arms. A horizontal turntable 6 is mounted on the top of the electrical box 1, and the base plate is mounted on the turntable 6. An ultrasonic ranging sensor 2 and a laser ranging sensor 3 are mounted on one side of the electrical box 1. The ultrasonic ranging sensor 2 and the laser ranging sensor 3 are respectively connected to the control terminal, facilitating the real-time sensing of the position information of the measuring device and the ship.

[0029] In this embodiment, the two ends of the pull rope 11 are fixedly connected to the ship and the nose of the engine, respectively. When the ship undergoes a slight displacement, the pull rope 11 can drive the nose of the engine to rotate horizontally or swing up and down. The attitude sensor module 8 includes a gyroscope and an angle encoder, which can monitor the attitude of the nose of the engine in real time and transmit the data to the control terminal. The control terminal processes the attitude information of the nose of the engine and restores the displacement state of the ship. Based on this, the cable can be adjusted in real time to avoid breakage and greatly improve safety.

[0030] Example 2

[0031] To facilitate the connection of the pull rope 11 to the ship, in this embodiment, a magnet 12 is fixedly connected to the end of the pull rope 11 away from the head of the machine. The magnet 12 can be attracted to the ship. The magnet 12 can be an electromagnet that can switch on and off, so that it can attract the ship or disconnect from the ship as needed, without having to tie the pull rope to the ship, making the connection convenient and quick. In different embodiments, in order to enable the ship's displacement to more accurately drive the nose of the engine to move accordingly, a front cover 5 is hinged to one end of the nose. The front cover 5 can be opened and closed to protect the internal equipment of the nose. Four telescopic cable reels 7 are symmetrically arranged near the front cover 5 inside the nose. The four telescopic cable reels 7 are arranged symmetrically up, down, left, and right. Steel wire ropes are wound on the telescopic cable reels 7. One end of the four steel wire ropes passes through the four corresponding symmetrically arranged through holes on the front cover 5 and is connected to a connector 13. The connector 13 is connected to the end of the pull rope 11 away from the ship. Thus, when the pull rope 11 moves due to the ship's displacement, it can simultaneously pull the steel wire ropes wound on the four telescopic cable reels 7, thereby making the nose of the engine more accurately follow the ship's displacement. The number of telescopic cable reels 7 is not specifically limited. In this embodiment, four arranged up, down, left, and right are the best configuration, which can take into account the changes in the nose of the engine in the up, down, left, and right directions.

[0032] In a further preferred embodiment, a pull rope encoder 9 is provided at the end of the machine head furthest from the front cover 5. An attitude sensor module 8 is located between the telescopic cable reel 7 and the pull rope encoder 9. During operation, the magnet 12 and the pull rope 11, which are attached to the hull, ensure that the steel wire cable in the telescopic cable reel 7 is pulled out by more than 20cm. This ensures that the reel's contraction force provides sufficient tension to the machine head, driving the entire machine head. The support arm provides the machine head with 360 degrees of freedom of rotation, converting the ship's displacement information into the machine head's attitude information. The sensor transmits this attitude information to the PLC in real time. Through a program algorithm, the attitude information is reconstructed into displacement information, and the cable is adjusted accordingly to prevent breakage.

[0033] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0034] Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of this invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

Claims

1. A vessel movement monitoring system characterised in that: The device includes a displacement monitoring system comprising an electrical box with a support arm assembly connected to its top. A machine head is connected to the top of the support arm assembly. The support arm assembly can rotate horizontally from the top of the electrical box, and the machine head can rotate vertically from the top of the support arm assembly. One end of the machine head is connected to the ship via a pull rope. An attitude sensor module is installed inside the machine head and connected to a control terminal. By connecting the pull rope to the machine head and the ship, when the ship experiences displacement, it will cause the machine head to rotate horizontally or swing vertically. By monitoring the attitude information of the machine head, even minute displacements of the ship can be detected promptly and accurately. The mooring lines are adjusted promptly according to the ship's displacement. A front cover is hinged to one end of the machine head. Four telescopic reels are symmetrically arranged inside the machine head near the front cover. Steel wire ropes are wound around the telescopic reels. One end of each of the four steel wire ropes passes through four corresponding through holes on the front cover and is connected to a connector. The connector is connected to the end of the rope furthest from the ship. The support arm assembly includes a base plate, on which two vertically arranged support arms are fixedly mounted. Shaft holes are provided on each support arm. The machine head is located between the two support arms. Horizontal shafts are fixedly connected to both sides of the machine head via flanges. These horizontal shafts movably pass through the shaft holes of the support arms.

2. The vessel movement monitoring system of claim 1, wherein: A magnet is fixedly connected to the end of the pull rope away from the machine head, and the magnet can be attracted to the ship.

3. The vessel movement monitoring system of claim 1, wherein: A pull-cord encoder is provided at the end of the machine head away from the front cover.

4. The vessel movement monitoring system of claim 3, wherein: The attitude sensor module is located between the telescopic reel and the pull rope encoder; the attitude sensor module includes a gyroscope and an angle encoder.

5. The vessel movement monitoring system of claim 1, wherein: The electrical box is equipped with a horizontal turntable on top, and the base plate is mounted on the horizontal turntable.

6. The vessel movement monitoring system of claim 1, wherein: An ultrasonic ranging sensor and a laser ranging sensor are installed on one side of the electrical box, and the ultrasonic ranging sensor and the laser ranging sensor are respectively connected to the control terminal.

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