Waterway transportation system and method for cooperation of cluster unmanned surface vehicles

Abstract

The invention discloses a waterway transportation system and method for cooperation of cluster unmanned ships, and belongs to the technical field of overall design of waterway transportation systems. By means of cooperation of the cluster unmanned ships and a method for providing external source power, the problems of economy of existing ship waterway transportation, dead weight of fuel oil and need of multiple times of ship stopping and berthing in long-distance sailing are solved. The transport target is connected with the unmanned ship through the force bearing mechanism, the unmanned ship serves as a main power source, and water transport power can be provided for different types of ships or cargoes through the customized force bearing mechanism and the unmanned ship, including but not limited to a traditional transport ship, a buoyancy tank platform, a speed boat and the like. The effective load capacity, the sailing speed and the like are related to the number of unmanned ships capable of being connected into the system and the overall streamline appearance, and the transportation requirements of cargoes and ships which are of any type but limited by the navigation channel condition can be met theoretically.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the technical field of overall design of waterway transportation system, and particularly relates to a waterway transportation system and method based on cooperation of a cluster of unmanned ships. BACKGROUND

[0002] At present, global trade is booming, and transportation demand is strong, such as railway transportation, highway transportation, air transportation and waterway transportation, among which waterway transportation has the lowest cost but is the slowest. The relatively large cost of waterway transportation comes from personnel wages and fuel costs. When large deepwater ships are available, the aforementioned costs are diluted through scale effects, and the unit cargo cost is reduced. However, in scenarios where deepwater ships cannot be used, such as inland river transportation in the dry season, large-tonnage ships cannot be used for shipping, and when the carrying capacity is small, the labor cost accounts for a large proportion, and it is not economical.

[0003] On the one hand, existing transport ships all adopt the mode of adding fuel in one time and then continuously working, and the working cycle mode of replenishing in port.

[0004] On the other hand, electric unmanned ships are also developing rapidly, among which there are some that imitate the automobile battery replacement technology and the concept of replacing the ship's battery. They can save fuel costs, but still need to stop and start frequently.

[0005] In summary, there are two ways to reduce the cost of waterway transportation: one is to dilute fixed costs such as labor and fuel through scale effects, and the other is to reduce costs through electric power replacement.

[0006] In addition, through large-scale standardized production, the manufacture of standardized ships can also bring down costs.

[0007] In combination with the current background of transportation economic development and the main problems such as technical bottlenecks and economy of various transport ships, and considering the future development and improvement of emerging disciplines, the application proposes a waterway transportation system and method based on cooperation of a cluster of unmanned ships to solve the above problems. SUMMARY

[0008] The research and development purpose of the application is to solve the main problems of limited efficiency and insufficient economy of existing waterway transportation under specific conditions. In the following, a brief summary about the application is given to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the application. It should be understood that this summary is not an exhaustive summary of the application. It is not intended to determine the key or important parts of the application, nor to limit the scope of the application.

[0009] The technical scheme of the application: Scheme one: a waterway transportation system based on cooperation of a cluster of unmanned ships mainly comprises unmanned ships, force bearing mechanisms, transportation targets and unmanned ship warehouses and other necessary components.

[0010] Further, the unmanned ship provides external power for the transport target through the force bearing mechanism as the main power source of waterway transportation.

[0011] Further, the unmanned ship is equipped with power units, energy reserves and other necessary components, and can be equipped with a water pressurizing cabin. It stays in a standardized unmanned ship warehouse for energy replenishment and standby.

[0012] Further, the force bearing mechanism determines the connection site and method of the unmanned ship and the transport target according to the mass, aerodynamic shape and cruising speed of the transport target, and further customizes the shape or installs corresponding modules.

[0013] Further, the transport target can be a modified traditional ship or a cargo transported by a non-floating platform, serving as the main carrier or cargo of the waterway transportation system.

[0014] Further, the unmanned ship can stay in a fixed facility such as a dock or warehouse along the coast for energy replenishment or repair of current performance reliability.

[0015] Further, the transport target serves as the main body of water transportation tasks, serving as the main carrier or main transportation cargo, and is combined with the unmanned ship as a whole through the force bearing mechanism. The main navigation power is provided by the unmanned ship, or the transport target can install its own power to meet the needs of special scenarios.

[0016] Further, after receiving the power demand from the transport target, a number of unmanned ships are dispatched from the nearest unmanned ship warehouse to the transport target, and are connected through the force bearing mechanism or directly ballasted to provide waterway navigation power.

[0017] Further, when the energy of the unmanned ship is depleted, a new batch of energy-loaded unmanned ships dispatched from the shore unmanned ship warehouse are reasonably scheduled and replaced one by one to replace the unmanned ships with depleted energy. If the transport target is a non-ship cargo, the corresponding unmanned ship needs to have water suction and submersion functions to provide support force below the cargo.

[0018] By the foregoing description, examples of application scenarios include but are not limited to: providing main navigation power for traditional ships with independent streamline shape through simple traction ropes or hook catches; providing buoyancy and navigation power for platforms that do not involve water and cargos above them.

[0019] Scheme II: A waterway transportation method of a cluster of unmanned ships cooperating: The method is implemented by relying on the waterway transportation system of a cluster of unmanned ships cooperating according to claim 1, and is characterized by comprising the following steps: Step one: the goods as the transportation target or the modified traditional ship, the route demand is sent in the corresponding port or channel; Step two: after the unmanned ship in the unmanned ship warehouse completes the energy supplement and performance reliability analysis, and receives the corresponding route demand, the unmanned ship is dispatched nearby to enter the working state from the non-working state; Step three: the unmanned ship sails to the transportation target, provides the sailing power for the transportation target through the force bearing mechanism, and provides support when needed; Step four: for the transportation target sailing in the waterway, and when multiple unmanned ships provide power, the unmanned ship with an independent energy source that is about to be exhausted can be separated from the transportation target through the force bearing mechanism, and supplement the energy in the nearby unmanned ship warehouse, and the new batch of unmanned ships with full energy are dispatched nearby to replace the old batch of unmanned ships.

[0020] 1. The waterway transportation system and method of the cluster unmanned ship cooperation can select appropriate unmanned ships and force bearing mechanisms according to the mass, streamline shape and cruising speed of the transportation target, and provide power sources by the unmanned ships, so as to reduce the fuel dead weight of the transportation target and reduce the one-time purchase cost, convert the cost of the power unit and the battery cost into the purchase service, and maximize the economic benefit and match the larger waterway transportation market demand.

[0021] 2. The waterway transportation system and method of the cluster unmanned ship cooperation can match the corresponding unmanned ships and unmanned ship warehouse distribution according to the hardware such as the transportation target and the force bearing mechanism and the corresponding transportation market demand, so as to meet the actual transportation task needs of different hydrology, port and energy conditions.

[0022] 3. The waterway transportation system and method of the cluster unmanned ship cooperation can obtain the information of the corresponding route according to the waterway transportation demand, flexibly arrange the coastal unmanned ship warehouse, adjust the distribution density, meet the transportation task needs of different busy degrees, and ensure that there is no unmanned ship and unmanned ship warehouse that is idle for a long time. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art description. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application. Those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings according to these drawings without creating any creative labor.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the waterway transportation system and method of the cluster unmanned ship cooperation is provided for the embodiments of the present application; Reference signs: 1 - unmanned surface vehicle, 2 - force bearing mechanism, 3 - transport target, all the aforementioned reference graphics are only used as a legend reference for understanding, not as a design specification.

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a waterway transport system and method of cluster unmanned surface vehicle cooperation

[0026] Figure 1 The schematic diagram shows that the unmanned surface vehicle 1 and the transport target 3 form a mechanical whole through the force bearing mechanism 2 and transport together in the process of waterway transport. The left side of the figure is that the unmanned surface vehicle 1 only provides waterway sailing tension for the transport target 3. The right side of the figure is that the unmanned surface vehicle 1 provides support and sailing power for the transport target 3 - platform plus cargo. The aforementioned description of terms such as state, hardware and working condition is used for description, which can be understood as synonymous expansion according to the technical field. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present application more clear and obvious, the present application will be described below through specific embodiments shown in the drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are only exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. In addition, in the following description, the description of known structures and technologies is omitted to avoid unnecessary confusion of the concept of the present application.

[0028] The force bearing mechanism mentioned in the present application can be designed into different styles and functions according to the actual situation of the waterway sailing task demand and the transport target and the unmanned surface vehicle. However, the core requirement of this structure is to meet the connection needs of the unmanned surface vehicle and the transport target, so that the three become a kinematic and mechanical whole. The design strength can meet the sailing needs of the whole in the most severe conditions, ensure that the separation process and docking process of the unmanned surface vehicle and the transport target will not fail, and can be reused to meet the demand of replacing different unmanned surface vehicles for the transport target, and realize the waterway transport needs of various types of ships and various cargos. The person skilled in the art can select and design this part according to the needs to meet the function.

[0029] In the present application, unless otherwise specifically specified and limited, the terms "standby", "separation", "connection", "support" and "cruise" and other terms should be understood broadly. For example, "connection" can be understood as physically contacting and mechanically analyzing as a whole, which can be fixed connection or detachable connection, or integrated; its connection can be the connection of necessary module systems such as power, fuel and communication, or mechanical mechanism connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal communication of two or more modules, or the interaction relationship of two or more modules. For ordinary skilled in the art, the above belongs to the specific meaning in the present application can be understood according to the specific situation.

[0030] Embodiment 1, in combination Figure 1 This embodiment illustrates a waterway transportation system and method of cluster unmanned ship cooperation, which includes unmanned ship 1, force bearing mechanism 2, transportation target 3 and unmanned ship warehouse (not shown). Unmanned ship 1 provides external power for transportation target 3 through force bearing mechanism 2 as the main power source for navigation; unmanned ship 1 has its own power unit and energy storage, and can be equipped with modules such as water suction cabin according to task requirements; force bearing mechanism 2 determines the connection site and method of unmanned ship and transportation target according to the mass, streamline shape and cruising speed of transportation target 3, and then customizes its own shape; transportation target 3 as the main part of the navigation process without stopping, acts as the main carrier or cargo of waterway transportation.

[0031] Transportation target 3 usually departs with several unmanned ships 1, transportation target 3 can carry goods or itself as goods, can carry spare energy and spare power unit by itself, connect with unmanned ship 1 through force bearing mechanism 2, and use unmanned ship 1 as the main power source, the number and style of unmanned ships are determined according to transportation target 3 and customized force bearing mechanism 2.

[0032] As a traditional ship or platform of transportation target 3, it issues a route demand in the corresponding port or channel, and the unmanned ship in the unmanned ship warehouse completes the energy supplement and performance reliability analysis, and receives the corresponding route demand. The nearest unmanned ship is dispatched from the non-working state to the working state, and the unmanned ship is connected through the force bearing mechanism when it sails to the transportation target or below, and provides navigation power for the transportation target.

[0033] For the transportation target 3 that is sailing, multiple unmanned ships 1 provide power, and for the unmanned ship 1 with independent energy that is about to run out, it can be separated from the transportation target 3 through the force bearing mechanism 2, and go to the nearest unmanned ship warehouse for energy supplement, while the new batch of unmanned ships 1 full of energy are dispatched to replace the old batch of unmanned ships 1.

[0034] This embodiment is only an illustrative description of the invention, and does not limit the protection scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art can also make changes and enrichments to it, as long as they do not exceed the spirit and essence of the invention, and are within the protection scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A collaborative waterway transportation system and method for swarming unmanned surface vessels, characterized in that: it includes... The unmanned surface vessel (1) forms a mechanical whole through the load-bearing mechanism (2) and the transport target (3), and undertakes the main power source for navigation; the unmanned surface vessel (1) carries its own power unit, energy storage and other necessary components, and can be equipped with a ballast tank. It usually stays in a standardized unmanned surface vessel hangar (4) for recharging and standby. The load-bearing mechanism (2) determines the load-bearing points and methods of the unmanned vessel and the transport target based on the characteristics of the mass, streamline shape and transport speed of the transport target (3), and then customizes its own shape or adds corresponding modules. The transport target (3) can be a traditional ship that has been modified, or a cargo that is transported by a non-buoyancy platform, serving as the main carrier or cargo of the waterway transport system.

2. The waterway transportation system and method powered by an external source of electricity according to claim 1, characterized in that: When not in operation, the unmanned surface vessel (1) can stay in fixed facilities such as customized docks or warehouses along the coast to recharge or inspect its current performance and reliability.

3. The waterway transportation system and method powered by an external source of electricity according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transport target (2) serves as the main vehicle or the main cargo transported by the water transport task. It is combined with the unmanned boat (1) in the mechanical system through the load-bearing mechanism (2). The unmanned boat (1) provides the main navigation power, and it can also install its own power to meet the needs of special scenarios.

4. The waterway transportation system and method powered by an external source of electricity according to claim 3, characterized in that: After receiving the power demand from the transport target (3), several unmanned boats (1) are dispatched from the unmanned boat hangar (4) to the transport target and connected or directly ballasted through the load-bearing mechanism (2) to provide power for waterway navigation.

5. The waterway transportation system and method powered by an external source of electricity according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the self-powered energy of the unmanned vessel (1) is about to run out, reasonable scheduling and allocation will be carried out. A new batch of fully powered unmanned vessels (1) will be dispatched from the shore unmanned vessel hangar (4) to replace the unmanned vessels (1) that are about to run out of energy. If the transport target is non-ship cargo, the corresponding unmanned vessel must have the functions of suction and drainage and diving in order to enter the cargo and provide support.

6. The waterway transportation system and method powered by an external source of electricity according to claim 4, characterized in that: Examples of its applications include, but are not limited to: providing primary propulsion for navigation of traditional ships with independent streamlined shapes using simple towing ropes or hooks; and providing buoyancy and primary propulsion for non-water-bound platforms and the cargo on them.

7. The waterway transportation system and method powered by an external source of electricity according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the transport target (3) carries its own backup power or power module, it means that the system has at least two power modes. The energy flow path is as follows: the unmanned vessel (1) directly transmits energy, such as electricity and oil and gas fuel, to the transport target (3) through the load-bearing mechanism (2) and then converts it into power. This is regarded as the unmanned vessel (1) providing the main power source.

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