Battery replacing ship

Abstract

The invention relates to a battery changing ship. The battery replacing ship is used for replacing battery buoyancy cabins among different water facilities, the battery replacing ship is provided with a buoyancy position open to the water surface, and the buoyancy position is suitable for being movably connected with the battery buoyancy cabins, so that the battery buoyancy cabins can float at the buoyancy position so as to be moved under the traction of the battery replacing ship. According to the battery replacing ship, the battery buoyancy cabins charged by the battery replacing station on the water and the battery buoyancy cabins with insufficient electric quantity of the electric ship can be dragged to be replaced, the replaced battery buoyancy cabins are sent back to the battery replacing station by the battery replacing ship to be charged, in the whole battery replacing process, the electric ship does not need to be in shore or stop, cost is saved, and the battery replacing efficiency is improved. And a convenient, efficient and economical battery replacement mode is provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of shipbuilding, and in particular to a battery-exchange ship. Background Art

[0002] Inland vessels generally use diesel as energy, which is not only costly but also environmentally unfriendly and highly polluting.

[0003] In recent years, a small number of ships have begun to use electric propulsion, which is more environmentally friendly, energy-saving and economical than traditional fuel-powered ships. Since the main energy source used by electric ships is batteries, the development of battery technology is crucial to the performance and endurance of electric ships. Electric ships need to charge their batteries regularly, so the development of charging technology is crucial to the availability and convenience of electric ships.

[0004] At present, electric ships use shore charging to power ships; a small number of cargo ships also use battery energy storage containers to power ships by lifting and replacing power at shore. For most inland ships, there is a requirement for continuity in navigation, and each ship may sail for several days and nights. In terms of the current battery energy storage cost, if the ship is equipped with energy storage batteries that can meet 24-hour navigation, the cost of the battery is about three times the cost of the ship, not to mention that it needs to dock and charge in the middle of the journey, and it cannot guarantee uninterrupted continuous navigation for several days and nights. When ships are powered by container lifting, they will have to choose to dock and replace power every time they sail a certain distance. The labor cost is high, which delays time and affects the navigation timeliness. At the same time, there must be a dedicated dock with lifting operation capabilities. The conditions are relatively harsh and difficult to popularize. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a battery-swap ship, thereby solving or at least alleviating one or more of the above-mentioned problems and other problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] In order to achieve the aforementioned objectives, a first aspect of the present invention provides a battery swap ship, wherein the battery swap ship is used to replace battery pods between different water facilities, and the battery swap ship is provided with a buoyancy position open to the water surface, and the buoyancy position is suitable for movably connecting the battery pods so that the battery pods can float on the buoyancy position and thus shift under the traction of the battery swap ship.

[0007] In the battery swap ship as described above, optionally, the battery swap ship has a propulsion device arranged at the stern, and the buoyancy position is arranged at the bow of the battery swap ship, or, the buoyancy position is arranged at the stern of the battery swap ship, the propulsion device is located in the middle of the stern, and the buoyancy position is located on both sides of the propulsion device, or, the buoyancy position is located in the middle of the stern, and the propulsion device is located on both sides of the buoyancy position.

[0008] In the battery exchange ship as described above, optionally, an attachment device is provided at the buoyancy position, and the attachment device is used to attach the battery floating compartment to the buoyancy position.

[0009] In the battery-swap boat as described above, optionally, the attachment device includes a noose or a magnetic attraction device.

[0010] In the battery swap ship as described above, optionally, the battery swap ship has symmetrically arranged pressure water tanks, and the pressure water tanks are located on both sides or four corners of the battery swap ship for adjusting the draft depth and / or draft balance.

[0011] In the battery swap ship as described above, optionally, the buoyancy is located on the bottom plate of the battery swap ship, and the bottom plate is located below the waterline so as to be submerged in the water.

[0012] In the battery swap ship as described above, optionally, a power compartment, a storage compartment and / or a cockpit are provided at the stern of the battery swap ship.

[0013] In the battery exchange ship as described above, optionally, each of the buoyancy positions is used to tow one or more of the battery floating compartments.

[0014] In the battery-swap ship as described above, optionally, the buoyancy position is provided with protective devices located on both sides of the buoyancy position.

[0015] In the battery exchange ship as described above, optionally, the protective device is a ship's side, and a transverse top beam is connected between the ship's sides, and the transverse top beam is used to reinforce the ship's side and / or for staff to walk along it between the ship's sides and manipulate the battery buoyancy tank.

[0016] The battery swapping boat provided by the present invention can tow the battery pod that has been charged at the water battery swapping station and replace it with the battery pod of the electric boat. The battery pod replaced from the electric boat is then sent back to the battery swapping station by the battery swapping boat for charging. During the entire battery swapping process, the electric boat does not need to dock or stop sailing, which saves costs and provides a convenient, efficient and economical battery swapping method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The disclosure of the present invention will become more apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these drawings are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a battery-swap ship disclosed in the present invention.

[0018] Figure numerals: 1-battery exchange boat; 2-battery buoyancy compartment; 3-propulsion device; 4-protection device; 5-transverse top beam; 6-buoyancy position; 7-stern cabin. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] With reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, the structure, composition, characteristics and advantages of the battery swapping ship of the present invention will be described below in an exemplary manner. However, all descriptions should not be used to form any limitation on the present invention.

[0020] In addition, for any single technical feature described or implied in the embodiments mentioned in this document, or any single technical feature displayed or implied in the accompanying drawings, the present invention still allows for continued arbitrary combination or deletion between these technical features (or their equivalents) without any technical obstacles, and thus it should be considered that these more embodiments according to the present invention are also within the scope of the description of this document.

[0021] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a battery-swap ship disclosed in the present invention.

[0022] The battery swapping vessel 1 is used to replace the battery pontoon 2 between different water facilities. There is no bulky lifting in the process of battery swapping, and no bulky lifting vessel is required. For example, the different water facilities can be a water battery swapping station and an electric boat. That is, the battery swapping vessel 1 can be used to connect and replace the battery pontoon between the water battery swapping station and the electric boat, and replace the power battery for the electric boat passing through the water battery swapping station.

[0023] The present disclosure utilizes environmental characteristics, such as the battery buoyancy 2 floats on the water surface at the buoyancy position by relying on the buoyancy of water, and the power cabin of the electric boat also has a buoyancy position, and the berthing and charging position of the battery swap station is also a buoyancy position. The battery swap station is used for docking and charging of the battery buoyancy 2, and the battery swap ship 1 is used to replace the battery buoyancy 2 between the buoyancy position of the battery swap station and the buoyancy position of the power cabin of the electric boat. The power cabin of the electric boat relies on electrical energy to power the electric boat, so the battery buoyancy 2 of the power cabin is crucial to the electric boat.

[0024] like Figure 1 As shown, the battery exchange ship 1 may include a buoyancy unit 6, a propulsion device 3, a protection device 4, a transverse top beam 5, and a stern cabin 7. The stern cabin 7 may include a power cabin, a storage cabin, and / or a cockpit. Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 5 , the buoyancy position 6 is located between the protection devices 4 on both sides.

[0025] In this embodiment, the battery exchange ship 1 is provided with a buoyancy position 6 open to the water surface, and the buoyancy position 6 is suitable for movably connecting the battery pontoon 2, so that the battery pontoon 2 can float on the buoyancy position 6 and thus float and shift under the traction of the battery exchange ship 1, thereby reducing the load of the battery exchange ship 1. In the process of traction of the battery pontoon, the battery pontoon 2 can float up and down relative to the battery exchange ship 1 in the buoyancy position 6. Therefore, in an optional embodiment, an attachment device may be provided at the buoyancy position 6, and the attachment device is used to attach the battery pontoon 2 to the buoyancy position 6. The attachment device may include a noose or a magnetic device. Such a flexible connection design eliminates the problem of mechanical damage to the connecting parts caused by rigid connection during wind and wave turbulence and turning. In other optional embodiments, the attachment device may also include a chain or a spring, and the battery pontoon 2 can be towed by the battery exchange ship 1 to the battery exchange location.

[0026] The noose can be set at multiple locations on the battery swapping ship 1 to pull the battery pontoon 2 to be hinged with the battery swapping ship 1. The magnetic suction device can also be set at multiple locations on the battery swapping ship 1 to absorb the battery pontoon 2 and maintain attraction with the battery swapping ship 1. Such a design can limit the battery pontoon 2 from deviating from the navigation track of the battery swapping ship 1 in the buoyancy position 6 and shifting together with the battery swapping ship 1.

[0027] At the same time, the noose or magnetic device can also be used as a power device to provide auxiliary force in the process of docking and swapping with an electric boat or a battery swap station. For example, the battery swapping staff can pull the noose in the power compartment of the battery swap station or electric boat, so that the battery swap boat 1 and the battery buoy 2 come to the battery swap location for docking and battery swapping. For another example, the magnetic device can control the attraction of the battery swap boat 1 to the battery buoy 2 by powering on and magnetizing, and powering off and demagnetizing. When the waterlines of the battery buoy 2, the battery swap boat 1, and the battery swap station or electric boat are aligned, the battery swapping party (battery swap station or electric boat) magnetizes and directly adsorbs the battery buoy 2 to the battery swap location, which improves the efficiency of battery swapping and saves labor costs.

[0028] However, if the weight and buoyancy are balanced directly when manufacturing the battery swapping boat 1, then no external force is needed to adjust the draft depth and draft balance. The overall weight of the battery swapping boat 1 should be less than the buoyancy of the floating battery pontoon 2.

[0029] Since the battery buoyancy tank 2 needs to enter the buoyancy position 6 of the battery swap station or the buoyancy position 6 of the power cabin of the electric boat during the battery swap process, in order to maintain the draft of the battery swap boat 1 and the draft of the battery swap station or the electric boat that needs to swap power and the balance of the hull, the battery swap boat 1 can also have symmetrically arranged pressure tanks, which can be located on both sides or four corners of the battery swap boat 1 to adjust the draft depth and the balance of the hull and ensure the water level of the battery buoyancy tank 2. If the buoyancy is too large, pressure tanks can be set from both sides or four corners to press water into the battery swap boat 1 to adjust the balance or draft depth.

[0030] The shell of the battery swap ship 1 can be hollow, so the pressure tank or draft regulating valve can be set at the shell to control water intake or discharge, thereby adjusting the buoyancy of the battery swap ship 1, so that the buoyancy position 6 of the battery swap ship 1 and the buoyancy position 6 of the battery swap station or electric boat keep the waterline level and aligned during the battery swap process.

[0031] The propulsion device 3 is located at the rear of the battery-swapping ship 1. Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, the propulsion device 3 is a propeller located in the middle of the stern, and the buoyancy position 6 is located at the bow of the battery swapping ship 1. As shown in the figure, the propeller is hidden under the stern of the battery swapping ship 1 to avoid interference with the outside.

[0032] The reason why the propulsion device 3 is arranged at the tail of the battery swapping boat 1 is due to safety considerations and the advantages of fluid mechanics. The propulsion device 3, such as a propeller, located at the stern can reduce the risk of collision with obstacles and emergency stops, and the rear propeller helps the battery swapping boat 1 to better control the direction, adjust the speed and steering angle, and can also use the principles of fluid dynamics to generate forward thrust to avoid the loss of efficiency due to bottom turbulence interference. In other optional embodiments, the propulsion device 3 can adjust the layout position and number according to the actual environment and work needs.

[0033] It should be noted here that, as mentioned above, since the buoyancy position 6 is open to the water surface, the specific position of the buoyancy position 6 on the battery swapping boat 1 does not need to be overly restricted. For example, the battery swapping boat 1 may also be provided with only a bottom plate, and the two sides of the hull are still open; for another example, the battery swapping boat 1 is provided with only two sides of the ship, and the bottom of the boat is hollow. As long as the battery swapping boat 1 can tow the battery pontoon 2 to achieve battery swapping with the battery pontoon 2 of the electric boat, the battery swapping boat 1 can even be driven without power, and can travel back and forth between the battery swapping station and the power cabin of the electric boat through external force. In addition, each of the buoyancy positions 6 can be used to tow one or more of the battery pontoons 2, and the specific number can be freely adjusted according to the volume of the hull, the volume of the battery pontoon 2 and actual work needs.

[0034] Since the structures of electric boats that need to be replaced are different, the structural design of the battery-exchange boat 1 can also be designed corresponding to the electric boat. The river channel in the Yangtze River Basin is relatively wide, and tires will be designed on both sides of the boat to prevent scratches; for more congested canals, the anti-collision requirements for ships are higher, and protective measures need to be taken around the power compartment of the electric boat. If it is a pure power compartment, the battery pontoon 2 may not be placed directly on the outside of the battery-exchange boat to prevent collision. For example, if the electric boat has a single propeller and two battery pontoons 2 are distributed on both sides of the propeller, one battery pontoon 2 can be replaced during the power replacement process, or two can be replaced. Due to cost factors, one battery can power an electric boat for 6-8 hours; when replacing power, in order to ensure the uninterrupted and continuous endurance of the electric boat, a battery pontoon 2 can be added to the power compartment of the electric boat first, and then another battery pontoon 2 can be replaced. Otherwise, if all two battery pontoons 2 are removed directly, the electric boat will lose power and stop sailing. Therefore, no matter whether one battery buoyancy compartment 2 is replaced or multiple battery buoyancy compartments 2 are replaced, it is necessary to ensure that at least one battery buoyancy compartment 2 is retained in the power compartment of the electric boat to continuously supply power.

[0035] In an optional embodiment, the buoyancy position 6 can also be set at the stern of the battery exchange ship 1, wherein the propulsion device 3 can be located in the middle of the stern, and the buoyancy position 6 can be located on both sides of the propulsion device 3. This situation is applicable to the battery buoyancy chamber 2 that needs to be replaced in the power compartment of the electric boat is located on both sides of the power compartment, which facilitates the docking of different ship types. In addition, the buoyancy position 6 can also be set in the middle of the stern, and the propulsion device 3 is located on both sides of the buoyancy position 6. This situation is applicable to the battery buoyancy chamber 2 that needs to be replaced in the power compartment of the electric boat is located in the middle. In the above two situations, as well as other situations when the battery buoyancy chamber 2 is located at the stern of the battery exchange ship 1, during actual operation, the battery exchange ship 1 drags the battery buoyancy chamber 2 to drift and exchanges power with the electric boat.

[0036] In the present disclosure, the battery swapping ship 1 may be provided with a ship bottom plate or not. When a ship bottom plate is provided, the buoyancy position 6 may be located on the bottom plate of the battery swapping ship 1, and the bottom plate is located below the waterline, so as to be submerged in the water.

[0037] The battery swap ship 1 may be provided with a deck or may not have a deck. The deck may divide the battery swap ship 1 into a multi-layer structure. As shown in the figure, the power compartment, storage compartment and / or cockpit may be provided on the deck at the stern.

[0038] For the sake of safety, the buoyancy position 6 may be provided with protective devices 4 located on both sides of the buoyancy position 6. In this embodiment, the protective devices 4 are the sides of the battery swap ship 1. In other optional embodiments, the protective devices 4 are not limited to the sides of the ship, and may be other protective devices 4. The sides of the ship on both sides may be symmetrically distributed with pressurized water tanks to adjust the draft depth and / or draft balance of the battery swap ship and the buoyancy position 6.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown in the example, a transverse top beam 5 can be connected between the protective devices 4 on both sides. In the illustrated example, the transverse top beam 5 is arranged at the bow end of the battery swap ship, and the bottom side of the transverse top beam 5 is higher than the protective device 4. The transverse top beam 5 can be used to reinforce the protective device 4 to play a supporting role or to assist in positioning during the battery swap process of the battery swap ship 1, further limit the upper and lower floating range of the battery pontoon 2, and allow staff to walk along it between the two sides of the battery swap ship 1 and manipulate the battery pontoon 2.

[0040] In summary, the battery-swapping ship 1 proposed in the present disclosure fully combines the environmental characteristics of ship water transportation, makes use of the buoyancy of water, and has an open design, providing technical personnel in this field with flexible and convenient battery-swapping equipment.

[0041] There are several battery swap stations distributed at a certain distance along the inland waterway. When an electric ship passes by a battery swap station and needs to swap batteries, with the battery swap ship 1 provided in the present invention, the electric ship does not need to dock or stop sailing. The battery swap ship 1 tows the charged battery pod 2 at the battery swap station and replaces the battery pod 2 with insufficient power on the electric ship. The replaced battery pod 2 is then sent back to the battery swap station by the battery swap ship 1 for charging. In other optional embodiments, in addition to inland waters, the battery swap ship 1 proposed in the present invention can also be applied to offshore areas and other waters that require battery swapping. In actual water applications, technical personnel in this field need to consider taking relevant protective measures such as avoiding wind and waves according to actual environmental conditions.

[0042] The battery buoyancy chamber 2 can be interchanged by means of buoyancy-assisted traction, making it more convenient to replace the battery of the electric ship, which will be beneficial to the promotion and popularization of ship electrification.

[0043] From the above, it can be understood that the battery-swap ship 1 provided by the present invention has extremely high economic value and social value, whether from an economic or environmental perspective.

[0044] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents of the above description. Those skilled in the art can make various deformations and modifications to the above implementation without departing from the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and these deformations and modifications should all fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery-swapping ship (1), characterized in that: The battery exchange vessel (1) is used to replace the battery buoyancy chamber (2) between different water facilities. The battery exchange vessel (1) is provided with a buoyancy position (6) open to the water surface. The buoyancy position (6) is suitable for movably connecting the battery buoyancy chamber (2), so that the battery buoyancy chamber (2) can float on the buoyancy position (6) and thus shift under the traction of the battery exchange vessel (1).

2. The battery-swapping ship (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery swap ship (1) has a propulsion device (3) arranged at the stern, and the buoyancy position (6) is arranged at the bow of the battery swap ship (1), or the buoyancy position (6) is arranged at the stern of the battery swap ship (1), the propulsion device (3) is located in the middle of the stern, and the buoyancy position (6) is located on both sides of the propulsion device (3), or the buoyancy position (6) is located in the middle of the stern, and the propulsion device (3) is located on both sides of the buoyancy position (6).

3. The battery-swapping ship (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: An attachment device is provided at the buoyancy position (6), and the attachment device is used to attach the battery floating compartment (2) to the buoyancy position (6).

4. The battery-swapping ship (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that: The attachment means may include a noose or a magnetic device.

5. The battery-swapping ship (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery swap ship (1) has symmetrically arranged pressure water tanks, which are located on both sides or four corners of the battery swap ship (1) and are used to adjust the draft depth and / or draft balance.

6. The battery-swapping ship (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The buoyancy position (6) is located on the bottom plate of the battery exchange ship (1), and the bottom plate is located below the waterline so as to be submerged in the water.

7. The battery-swapping ship (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: A power cabin, a storage cabin and / or a cockpit are arranged at the stern of the battery-swapping ship (1).

8. The battery-swapping ship (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the buoyancy positions (6) is used to tow one or more of the battery buoyancy compartments (2).

9. The battery-swapping ship (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The buoyancy position (6) is provided with protective devices (4) located on both sides of the buoyancy position (6).

10. The battery-swapping ship (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that: The protective device (4) is a ship's side, and a transverse top beam (5) is connected between the ship's sides. The transverse top beam (5) is used to reinforce the ship's side and / or for workers to walk along between the ship's sides and manipulate the battery buoyancy compartment (2).

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