Special manual sounding device for ballast tank of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) ship

Abstract

The invention discloses a manual sounding device special for a ballast tank of an LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) ship. The manual sounding device is characterized by comprising a cover plate, a body, a welding seat plate, a bolt, a gasket, a small chain and a different diameter, the cover and the body are both made of brass, the cover is screwed into the body through threads, the body is connected with the welding seat plate through bolts, and a gasket is arranged between the body and the welding seat plate. A gasket is arranged between the cover and the body; the small chain connects the cover with the body; the reducer is arranged at one end of the body away from the cover. Therefore, according to the ship logo device, the seawater corrosion resistance can be enhanced, the service life can be prolonged, meanwhile, maintenance and replacement are convenient and fast, fire operation is not needed, compared with a traditional ship logo device, practicability is higher, and the applicability and economical efficiency under the scenes of an LNG ship ballast tank and the like are greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ship and marine engineering equipment technology, specifically to a special manual depth sounding device for LNG ship ballast tanks, which is suitable for measuring the water volume in ballast tanks in seawater environments and can meet the special requirements for equipment maintenance in hazardous areas of LNG ships. Background Technology

[0002] In ships and marine engineering platforms, ballast tanks are key structures used to adjust the ship's draft, stability, and buoyancy, and seawater is typically used as the ballast medium. To monitor the water volume in the ballast tanks in real time, depth sounding devices are required, among which the depth sounder tube and depth sounder head are the core components for achieving this function, and they are constantly immersed in seawater or in a corrosive environment with high humidity.

[0003] Traditional depth sounding devices (such as the depth sounding injection head specified in CB / T 3778-2019) have significant defects: their main body is made of carbon steel, and only the rotatable cover is made of copper. The threaded connection is prone to corrosion because the carbon steel is in direct contact with seawater, which can lead to thread failure, inability to properly disassemble the cover, or seal failure, seriously affecting the reliability of the depth sounding function.

[0004] More importantly, traditional depth sounding devices are fixed to the hull by welding. If damage occurs, such as corrosion of the threads, scaffolding must be erected inside the hull, and the device must be removed and replaced using pyrotechnic cutting. This process is not only complex and costly, but also, for LNG carriers, the cargo hold area is a hazardous area where hot work is strictly prohibited. The replacement method of traditional devices fundamentally conflicts with the safety regulations for LNG carriers, greatly limiting their application on LNG ships.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a manual depth sounding device that can be used stably in the seawater environment for a long time and can be easily replaced without open flame after damage, in order to solve the corrosion problem and maintenance difficulties of traditional devices, especially to meet the special usage requirements of LNG ships. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this section is to outline some aspects of the embodiments of the present invention and to briefly describe some preferred embodiments. Simplifications or omissions may be made in this section, as well as in the abstract and title of this application, to avoid obscuring the purpose of these documents; however, such simplifications or omissions should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0007] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention proposes a manual depth measuring device specifically for LNG ship ballast tanks, characterized by comprising: a cover, a body, a welding base plate, bolts, gaskets, a small chain, and a reducer; both the cover and the body are made of brass, the cover is screwed into the body via threads, the body and the welding base plate are connected by bolts, and a gasket is provided between the body and the welding base plate; a gasket is provided between the cover and the body; a small chain connects the cover and the body; and a reducer is located at the end of the body furthest from the cover.

[0008] Furthermore, the gaskets between the body and the welding base plate, and between the cover and the body, are all sealing gaskets.

[0009] Furthermore, one end of the small chain is fixedly connected to the cover, and the other end is fixedly connected to the body.

[0010] Furthermore, the reducer and the main body are either an integral structure or detachably connected.

[0011] Therefore, the beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0012] (1) Strong resistance to seawater corrosion and long service life: The body and cover of the device are made of brass, and the threaded connection part is entirely made of brass, which can effectively resist the corrosion of seawater and avoid the problem of carbon steel threads failing due to seawater erosion in traditional depth sounding devices, thus significantly extending the stable service time of the device in the seawater environment.

[0013] (2) Convenient maintenance and replacement without hot work: The main body of the device is connected to the welding base plate by bolts. When the device is damaged, it can be replaced simply by removing the bolts. The operation can be completed on the deck, without the need to set up scaffolding inside the tank, and without the need for hot work or welding. This feature is particularly suitable for the safety regulations of dangerous areas such as cargo hold areas of LNG ships, and solves the problem of difficult replacement caused by welding fixation of traditional depth sounding devices.

[0014] (3) More practical than traditional ship gauge devices: Compared with the ship gauge CB / T 3778-2019 depth sounding injection head, this device fundamentally solves the defects of its threads being prone to corrosion and failure, and having to be removed by hot work after damage in terms of material and connection method, greatly improving its applicability and economy in scenarios such as LNG ship ballast tanks. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and detailed embodiments. 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. Wherein:

[0016] Figure 1This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the manual depth sounding device for LNG ship ballast tanks according to the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a top view schematic diagram of a portion of the manual depth sounding device for LNG ship ballast tanks according to the present invention.

[0018] Figure Labels

[0019] 1 cover plate

[0020] 2 body

[0021] 3 gaskets

[0022] 4 bolts

[0023] 5 gaskets

[0024] 6 Welding base plate

[0025] 7 small chains

[0026] 8 different diameters Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] This invention is described in detail with reference to the schematic diagrams. When describing the embodiments of this invention, for ease of explanation, the cross-sectional views illustrating the device structure may be partially enlarged, not according to the usual scale. Furthermore, the schematic diagrams are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention. In actual fabrication, the three-dimensional spatial dimensions of length, width, and depth should be included.

[0029] The orientation or positional relationship indicated in the terminology is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and is only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and is not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention.

[0030] The term "connection method" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0031] Please refer to Figures 1-2 The present invention proposes a manual depth measuring device for LNG ship ballast tanks, comprising: a cover plate 1, a body 2, a gasket 3, a bolt 4, a gasket 5, a welded base plate 6, a small chain 7, and a reducing chain 8.

[0032] Both the cover plate 1 and the body 2 are made of brass. The cover plate 1 is screwed into the internal thread of the body 2 through the external thread to form a threaded connection. A gasket 3 is provided between the two connecting surfaces. The gasket 3 can be made of elastic material resistant to seawater corrosion, such as rubber or metal gasket, to enhance the sealing performance between the cover plate 1 and the body 2 and prevent seawater from seeping in from the connection gap.

[0033] The bottom of the main body 2 is detachably connected to the welding base plate 6 by bolts 4. Bolts 4 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the connecting flange between the main body 2 and the welding base plate 6; 4-8 bolts can be used, the specific number depending on the actual dimensions. A gasket 5 is provided between the connecting surfaces of the main body 2 and the welding base plate 6. The function of gasket 5 is similar to that of gasket 3, used to seal the gap between the two to prevent seawater leakage into the hull structure. The welding base plate 6 is a component pre-welded and fixed to the hull structure. Its material can be steel compatible with the hull, achieving a stable connection with the hull through welding, serving as the installation foundation for the entire depth sounding device.

[0034] One end of the small chain 7 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the cover plate 1, and the other end is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the main body 2. The small chain 7 can be made of copper or stainless steel, preferably copper, to maintain overall corrosion resistance. Its function is to prevent the cover plate 1 from being lost after disassembly and to ensure that the cover plate 1 is always connected to the main body of the device.

[0035] The reducer 8 is located at the end of the main body 2 away from the cover plate 1, i.e., the lower end of the main body 2. The reducer 8 is a reducing pipe fitting. One end of it is connected to the lower end of the main body 2 by welding or threading. It is preferred to be integrally formed with the main body 2 to enhance the sealing performance. The other end is used to connect to the sounding pipe on the ship. The reducing pipe design adapts to the diameter of the sounding pipe, ensuring that the seawater in the ballast tank can be measured through the channel formed by the sounding pipe, the reducer 8, and the main body 2.

[0036] The working process of this embodiment is as follows: When in use, open the cover plate 1 and measure the water volume in the ballast tank through the channel composed of the body 2, the reducer 8 and the depth sounding tube; after the measurement is completed, tighten the cover plate 1 to the body 2 with threads and seal it with the gasket 3.

[0037] When the device is damaged, such as by wear of the threads of the cover plate 1 or the body 2, or by failure of the seal, the operation can be carried out only on the deck surface: if the cover plate 1 is damaged, the cover plate 1 can be unscrewed and replaced with a new cover plate 1; if the body 2 is damaged, the bolt 4 can be unscrewed to remove the body 2 from the welding base plate 6, and the new body 2 can be replaced and then fixed with bolt 4. The whole process does not require hot work and does not require entering the cabin to set up scaffolding.

[0038] Compared with the CB / T3778-2019 depth sounding injection head, in this embodiment, both the cover plate 1 and the body 2 are made of brass, and the threaded connection part completely avoids the use of carbon steel, which can resist seawater corrosion for a long time and solve the problem of easy corrosion failure of threads in traditional devices. At the same time, the bolt connection design between the body 2 and the welding seat plate 6 realizes convenient replacement after damage, which is especially suitable for the requirement that hot work is prohibited in dangerous areas of LNG ships, and significantly improves the practicality and safety of the device.

[0039] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to embodiments, various modifications can be made and components can be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the features in the disclosed embodiments can be combined with each other in any manner. The lack of an exhaustive description of these combinations in this specification is merely for the sake of brevity and resource conservation. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A manual depth sounding device specifically for LNG ship ballast tanks, characterized in that: It includes a cover plate, a body, a welding base plate, bolts, gaskets, a small chain, and a reducer; both the cover and the body are made of brass, the cover is screwed into the body by threads, the body and the welding base plate are connected by bolts, and a gasket is provided between the body and the welding base plate; a gasket is provided between the cover and the body; the small chain connects the cover and the body; the reducer is located at the end of the body away from the cover.

2. The manual depth sounding device for LNG ship ballast tanks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gaskets between the body and the welding base plate, and between the cover and the body, are all sealing gaskets.

3. The manual depth sounding device for LNG ship ballast tanks according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the small chain is fixedly connected to the cover, and the other end is fixedly connected to the body.

4. The manual depth sounding device for LNG ship ballast tanks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reducer and the main body are either an integral structure or detachably connected.

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