An inflatable lightweight sail device

Abstract

The application discloses a light inflatable sail device, which comprises a pneumatic mast, a sail skeleton, an inflatable skeleton and an inflatable sail surface. The pneumatic mast is composed of multiple mast sections, which are nested in sequence. The top of the first mast section is fixed with a blocking part, and the top of each of the remaining mast sections is provided with a locking part. The inflatable sail surface is sleeved on the pneumatic mast. Multiple sail skeletons are fixed on the upper and lower ends and the middle of the inflatable sail surface. Multiple supporting skeletons are arranged on the sail skeletons at the upper and lower ends of the inflatable sail surface. The inflatable skeleton comprises inflatable annular skeletons and inflatable vertical skeletons. The multiple annular skeletons are horizontally arranged and surround the outer surface of the inflatable sail surface and are located between the sail skeletons. The multiple vertical skeletons are arranged at equal intervals along the outer surface of the inflatable sail surface and are parallel to the pneumatic mast. The diameter of the mast can be reduced to 20% of the original diameter, the diameter of the base can be reduced to 30% of the original diameter, and the height of the sail can be increased by 1.5 times.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of shipbuilding and design, and specifically relates to an inflatable lightweight sail device. Background Technology

[0002] With the promulgation and implementation of new low-carbon emission reduction regulations worldwide, the global shipping and shipbuilding industries are moving towards greener practices. Wind energy utilization is one of the energy-saving technologies proposed in the international ship energy conservation and emission reduction field in recent years. Therefore, in recent years, ocean-going vessels have gradually begun to develop towards wind-powered navigation. Although wind power cannot completely replace ship fuel, it can reduce carbon dioxide emissions and save fuel consumption.

[0003] The principle of wind-assisted propulsion is to utilize the lift and drag generated when airflow passes over a wind-powered propulsion device to achieve propulsion. Currently, the main types include airfoil sails and rotary sails, all of which are large pieces of equipment placed on the ship's deck, posing a significant challenge to the ship's stability. Placing the sail device inside the hull would reduce cabin space. Furthermore, large equipment requires robust hydraulic rods for operation; hydraulically driven masts are expensive and prone to oil leaks, leading to high costs and safety hazards in shipbuilding. A lightweight, recyclable sail device is urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides an inflatable lightweight sail device, aiming to prevent oil leakage, improve ship stability, and reduce costs. The technical solution adopted is as follows:

[0005] An inflatable lightweight sail device includes a pneumatic mast, a sail frame, an inflatable frame, and an inflatable sail. The inflatable frame and the sail frame are spindle-shaped. The pneumatic mast is composed of multiple mast sections nested in sequence. The top of the first mast section is fixed with a stop, and the tops of the remaining masts are equipped with a locking device. The inflatable sail is fitted onto the pneumatic mast.

[0006] Multiple inflatable frames are fixed on the mast. The first inflatable frame at the bottom of the mast has a sail frame fixed inside. Starting from the bottom of the mast, every few inflatable frames there is an inflatable frame containing a sail frame. The top of the mast has an inflatable frame.

[0007] The first inflatable frame at the bottom of the mast, which has a sail frame fixed inside, also has an inflatable reinforcing frame in the middle. The inflatable reinforcing frame has a supporting frame fixed inside, and the supporting frame is welded to the sail frame as a whole.

[0008] One end of the sail frame is fixed to the locking component, and the sail frame is fixed to the locking component by a steel ductile ring.

[0009] The inflatable sail surface is also provided with a plurality of inflatable vertical skeletons, which are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the outer surface of the inflatable sail surface, and the vertical skeletons are parallel to the pneumatic mast.

[0010] Both the pneumatic mast and the inflatable sail surface have air inlets, and the inflation system is connected to the air inlet of the pneumatic mast and the air inlet of the inflatable sail surface through two pipelines respectively. After the inflatable sail surface is inflated, it is hollow inside and has a fusiform cross-section.

[0011] For the above-mentioned inflatable lightweight sail device, further, the number of mast sections is N, and the number of sail skeletons is N + 1.

[0012] For the above-mentioned inflatable lightweight sail device, further, the pneumatic mast is connected to the slewing mechanism through the mast base at the bottom, and the distance between the lowermost sail skeleton and the mast base is 200mm - 500mm.

[0013] For the above-mentioned inflatable lightweight sail device, further, the diameter of the plugging is larger than the diameter of the uppermost mast section.

[0014] For the above-mentioned inflatable lightweight sail device, further, the distance N between adjacent inflatable skeletons wrapped with sail skeletons satisfies 5m < N < 10m.

[0015] For the above-mentioned inflatable lightweight sail device, further, there are two annular skeletons arranged at equal intervals between the sail skeletons, and the distance P between the two annular skeletons satisfies 2m < P < 3.5m.

[0016] For the above-mentioned inflatable lightweight sail device, further, the sail surface is made of PVC material.

[0017] For the above-mentioned inflatable lightweight sail device, further, the height of the sail is M. When 0 < M < 5m, the inflatable skeletons internally fixed with sail skeletons are cancelled. When 5m < M < 45m, the inflatable skeletons internally fixed with sail skeletons need to be provided.

[0018] For the above-mentioned inflatable lightweight sail device, further, the inflation system is connected to the pneumatic mast through the first pipeline and to the air inlet of the inflatable sail surface through the second pipeline.

[0019] For the above-mentioned inflatable lightweight sail device, further, the toughness ring is a steel ring, the sail skeleton is welded to the surface of the toughness ring, and the toughness ring is sleeved on the locking part and welded and fixed to the locking part.

[0020] The sail of this invention is made of PVC material, which reduces the overall weight of the sail and minimizes stability loss caused by the sail equipment. Due to its lightweight structure, the diameter of the mast and the diameter of the base connecting to the hull can be reduced, while the sail height can be increased, resulting in better energy conservation and emission reduction. A pneumatic mast can be used, reducing the cost of hydraulic drives and avoiding the risk of oil leaks. The inflatable sail increases the windward area through inflation and can be recovered by deflation and mast retraction. This inflatable lightweight sail device weighs less than one-tenth of a steel sail device, effectively reducing the empty boat weight, lowering the center of gravity, reducing deck space occupation, and facilitating recovery. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure from the perspective of AA;

[0023] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure from the perspective of a mid-BB;

[0024] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure from the perspective of the middle CC;

[0025] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure from the perspective of DD;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a pneumatic mast structure;

[0027] Among them, 1-pneumatic mast, 2-slewing mechanism, 4-inflatable sail, 502-sail frame, 101-locking component, 102-sealing, 103-mounting support, 104-inflating system, 105-first pipeline, 106-second pipeline, 203-inflatable frame, 204-vertical frame, 501-support frame. Detailed Implementation

[0028] An inflatable, lightweight sail device, such as Figure 1 As shown, it includes a pneumatic mast 1, a sail frame 5, an inflatable frame 203, and an inflatable sail 4, as follows. Figure 6As shown, the pneumatic mast consists of four sections of masts. The pneumatic mast can refer to the Chinese patent with the publication number: CN214837505U and the patent name: Pneumatic Mast. The four sections of masts are nested in sequence. At the top of the first section of the mast, a plug 102 is fixed. The diameter of the plug is larger than the diameter of the topmost section of the mast to prevent the inflated sail from being pushed out of the pneumatic mast due to excessive lift. At the same time, when the mast is retracted, the PVC sail surface sleeved on it can be compressed for recovery. A locking piece 101 is provided at the top of each of the remaining masts. The locking piece can refer to the Chinese patent with the publication number: CN214837505U and the patent name: Pneumatic Mast. An inflated sail surface is sleeved on the pneumatic mast, and the sail surface material is made of PVC material.

[0029] A plurality of inflated skeletons are fixed on the mast, such as Figure 3 , 4 As shown, inside the first inflated skeleton counted from the bottom of the mast, a sail skeleton is fixed. From the bottom of the mast upwards, every few inflated skeletons, there is an inflated skeleton with a sail skeleton fixed inside. The main purpose of the inflated skeleton with a sail skeleton fixed inside is to prevent over-inflation, resulting in a situation where the middle is large and the two ends are small, and it has the function of controlling the shape of the sail. At the same time, when recovering, it can slide down to compress the PVC sail surface and has the effect of tidying up the sail surface. The skeleton at the topmost end of the mast is an inflated skeleton. Inside the first inflated skeleton with a sail skeleton fixed inside at the bottom of the mast, an inflated strengthening skeleton is also provided. Inside the inflated strengthening skeleton, a support skeleton 501 is wrapped, and the support skeleton is welded to the sail skeleton. A plurality of inflated skeletons are arranged horizontally and surround the outer surface of the inflated sail surface. A plurality of vertical skeletons are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the outer surface of the inflated sail surface, and the vertical skeletons are parallel to the pneumatic mast.

[0030] One end of the sail skeleton is fixed on the locking piece. One end of the inflated skeleton has a resilient ring, and the resilient ring is bonded to the locking piece. A plurality of inflated vertical skeletons 204 are also provided on the inflated sail surface. The plurality of inflated vertical skeletons are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the outer surface of the inflated sail surface, and the vertical skeletons are parallel to the pneumatic mast. The sail skeleton and the locking piece are fixedly connected through a steel resilient ring, that is, the sail skeleton is fixedly connected to the pneumatic mast. The inflated sail surface and the inflated skeleton are integrated. The mast and the sail skeleton are wrapped with a sail surface and an inflated skeleton.

[0031] For the sail height M, when 0 < M < 5m, there is no need to set up a skeleton structure. When 5m < M < 45m, an inflated skeleton wrapped with a sail skeleton needs to be set up. The interval distance N between adjacent inflated skeletons wrapped with a sail skeleton is 5m < N < 10m, and the interval between adjacent inflated skeletons is P, 2m < P < 3.5m.

[0032] The sail framework and the inflatable framework are spindle-shaped. One end of the sail framework is welded to the resilient ring. The resilient ring is a steel circular ring and is fixed on the locking member. The sail framework can slide up and down following the locking member. The pneumatic mast has a mounting support 103 at the bottom layer. After retraction, all the locking members fall here.

[0033] The sail surface and the mast are in a tightly nested relationship. When the sail is raised, it changes from a compressed state to an extended state. When the sail is retracted, the locking member compresses the sail surface between every two adjacent locking members. The distance P between adjacent inflatable frameworks is 2m < P < 3.5m. As Figure 2 、 5 shown, on the sail framework at the bottom end of the inflatable sail surface, there are also multiple support frameworks 501 ( Figure 2 the dashed part in the figure). The support frameworks are wrapped with inflatable reinforcement frameworks. The inflatable reinforcement frameworks are integrally connected to the inflatable frameworks, forming a truss structure. Since the bottom surface of the sail needs to be used as a base after the sail is retracted, a framework reinforcement structure needs to be installed at the intersections of the horizontal and vertical circular frameworks and the support frameworks. Because the sail controls the weight, no framework reinforcement structure is provided on the top surface, and the horizontal and vertical circular inflatable frameworks are used for support.

[0034] The pneumatic mast is connected to the slewing mechanism 2 through the mast base at the bottom. The distance between the lowermost sail framework and the mast base is 200mm to 500mm.

[0035] Both the pneumatic mast and the inflatable sail surface have air inlets. The inflation system 104 is connected to the air inlets of the pneumatic mast and the inflatable sail surface through two pipelines respectively. The inflation system is divided into two branches to inflate the mast and the PVC sail body simultaneously.

[0036] The inflatable sail surface and the pneumatic mast are in a tightly nested relationship. When the sail is raised, it changes from a compressed state to an extended state. When the sail is retracted, the sail surface between every two adjacent locking members is compressed. The sail framework is made of a resilient material, with a relatively light material quality and good toughness, and is not prone to problems such as fracture. The end of the inflatable framework is adhered to the locking member and can move up and down following the locking member. When the sail is not retracted, it can also be used as a storage tool for the PVC sail.

[0037] Turn on the inflation system 104 and first inflate the mast through the first pipeline 105 to maintain the pressure inside the mast. After the mast is raised, inflate the sail surface through the second pipeline 106. The inside of the sail and the circular inflatable frameworks are inflated simultaneously. After reaching the shape requirements, close the second pipeline.

[0038] During retraction, the compressor exhausts the air from the sail through the second pipeline 106, and at the same time closes the first pipeline 105. The gravity of the mast is greater than the frictional force, and it slides down for retraction.

[0039] This invention develops an inflatable lightweight sail device. The sail surface is made of PVC material, which reduces the overall weight of the sail and minimizes stability loss caused by the sail equipment. Due to its lightweight structure, the mast diameter can be reduced to 20% of the original, the base diameter to 30%, and the sail height can be increased to 1.5 times the original. This better achieves energy saving and emission reduction effects. The mast can be a pneumatic mast, reducing the cost of hydraulic drive and avoiding the risk of oil leakage. The inflatable sail increases the windward area by inflation, and the sail device can be recovered by deflation and mast retraction. This inflatable lightweight sail device weighs less than one-tenth of a steel sail device, effectively reducing the empty boat weight, lowering the center of gravity, reducing deck space occupation, and facilitating recovery.

Claims

1. An inflatable lightweight sail device, characterized in that, It includes a pneumatic mast (1), a sail skeleton (502), an inflatable skeleton (203) and an inflatable sail surface (4). The inflatable skeleton and the sail skeleton are spindle-shaped. The pneumatic mast is composed of multiple mast sections which are nested in sequence. A plug (102) is fixed at the top of the first mast section at the uppermost part, and a locking part (101) is provided at the top of each of the remaining mast sections. The inflatable sail surface is sleeved on the pneumatic mast. Multiple inflatable skeletons are fixed on the mast. The sail skeleton is fixed inside the first inflatable skeleton at the bottom of the mast. Starting from the bottom of the mast and going upwards, there is an inflatable skeleton containing a sail skeleton every several inflatable skeletons, and the inflatable skeleton at the topmost part of the mast is provided; the multiple inflatable skeletons are arranged horizontally and surround the outer surface of the inflatable sail surface. The inflatable sail surface and the inflatable skeletons are integrated, and the sail surface and the inflatable skeletons are wrapped outside the mast and the sail skeleton. An inflatable strengthening skeleton is further provided in the middle of the first inflatable skeleton at the bottom of the mast which internally fixes the sail skeleton. A support skeleton (501) is fixed inside the inflatable strengthening skeleton, and the support skeleton is welded to the sail skeleton integrally. One end of the sail skeleton is fixed on the locking part, and the sail skeleton is fixed to the locking part through a steel flexible ring. Multiple inflatable vertical skeletons (204) are further provided on the inflatable sail surface. The multiple inflatable vertical skeletons are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the outer surface of the inflatable sail surface, and the vertical skeletons are parallel to the pneumatic mast. Both the pneumatic mast and the inflatable sail surface have air inlets. The inflation system (104) is connected to the air inlets of the pneumatic mast and the inflatable sail surface respectively through two pipelines. After the inflatable sail surface is inflated, it is hollow inside and has a spindle-shaped cross-section.

2. The inflatable lightweight sail device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of mast sections is N, and the number of sail skeletons is N + 1.

3. The inflatable lightweight sail device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pneumatic mast is connected to the slewing mechanism (2) through the mast base at the bottom. The distance from the lowermost sail skeleton to the mast base is 200 mm to 500 mm.

4. The inflatable lightweight sail device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the plug is larger than the diameter of the uppermost mast section.

5. The inflatable lightweight sail device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distance N between adjacent inflatable skeletons wrapping the sail skeleton satisfies 5 m < N < 10 m.

6. An inflatable lightweight sail device according to claim 1 or 5, characterized in that, Two annular skeletons are arranged at equal intervals between the sail skeletons, and the distance P between the two annular skeletons satisfies 2 m < P < 3.5 m.

7. The inflatable lightweight sail device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sail surface is made of PVC material.

8. The inflatable lightweight sail device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height of the sail is M. When 0 < M < 5 m, the inflatable skeletons internally fixing the sail skeletons are cancelled. When 5 m < M < 45 m, the inflatable skeletons internally fixing the sail skeletons need to be provided.

9. The inflatable lightweight sail device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inflation system is connected to the pneumatic mast through the first pipeline (105) and is connected to the air inlet of the inflatable sail surface through the second pipeline (106).

10. An inflatable lightweight sail device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible ring is a steel circular ring. The sail skeleton is welded to the surface of the flexible ring. The flexible ring is sleeved on the locking part and is welded and fixed to the locking part.

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