Moon pool sealing device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a moon pool sealing device which comprises an airtight box body, the shape and size of the top face of the airtight box body are matched with those of a top opening of a moon pool, the shape and size of the bottom face of the airtight box body are matched with those of a bottom opening of the moon pool, the airtight box body is provided with a gas-liquid inlet and outlet, and the mass of gas and / or liquid in the airtight box body can be adjusted through the gas-liquid inlet and outlet. The airtight box body can be separated from the moon pool through the top opening and / or the bottom opening of the moon pool; and the limiting structure is arranged on the inner side wall of the moon pool, is matched with the outer side wall of the airtight box body and is used for limiting the movement of the airtight box body. Through the airtight box body matched with the moon pool and the limiting structure, the top opening and the bottom opening of the moon pool can be sealed at the same time, the complete deck operation area is provided, the sailing resistance is reduced, the airtight box body can enter and leave the moon pool conveniently by adjusting the mass of gas and / or liquid in the airtight box body, and the service life of the moon pool is prolonged. And buoyancy compensation is provided for the ship.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ship moon pools, and in particular to a moon pool closing device. Background Art

[0002] Some ships have passages on their hulls that run through the deck to the bottom of the ship, called moon pools, which are used to facilitate underwater operations. However, the existence of moon pools can also cause some problems: the opening at the bottom of the moon pool is equivalent to a gap in the bottom of the ship, which will cause greater sailing resistance during navigation and lose the buoyancy of the ship; and the opening at the top of the moon pool is equivalent to a gap in the deck, which will lose the deck operation area, making the limited deck area even more tense.

[0003] If a hatch cover is installed at the top opening of the moon pool, the top opening of the moon pool can be closed when the moon pool is not in use to provide a complete deck surface. However, if the bottom opening of the moon pool still exists at this time, the top hatch cover will be subject to additional wave impact loads in the moon pool. If a hatch cover is installed at the bottom opening of the moon pool, the bottom of the moon pool is closed during navigation and opened when needed, the bottom hatch cover and its opening / closing device need to withstand wave impact for a long time, the load is large, and the connection between the bottom hatch cover and the moon pool is particularly prone to damage or water seepage, making it difficult to compensate for the lost buoyancy of the ship.

[0004] Therefore, a device is needed that can not only close the top opening of the moon pool, but also close the bottom opening of the moon pool and provide buoyancy for the ship. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a moon pool closing device that can simultaneously close the top opening and the bottom opening of the moon pool, and the device can also adjust the buoyancy.

[0006] The present application provides a moon pool closing device, comprising: an airtight box, the shape and size of its top surface matches the top opening of the moon pool, and the shape and size of its bottom surface matches the bottom opening of the moon pool, the airtight box also has a gas-liquid inlet and outlet, and the quality of the gas and / or liquid in the airtight box can be adjusted through the gas-liquid inlet and outlet, and the airtight box can be separated from the moon pool through the top opening and / or bottom opening of the moon pool; a limiting structure, which is arranged on the inner wall of the moon pool and matches the outer wall of the airtight box, and is used to limit the movement of the airtight box.

[0007] In some embodiments, the gas-liquid inlet and outlet are located on the top surface of the airtight box.

[0008] In the above embodiment, the gas-liquid inlet and outlet include a sea outlet, and the sea outlet is located on the bottom surface of the airtight box.

[0009] In some embodiments, the limiting structure includes a first protrusion or a first groove arranged on the top and / or bottom of the inner wall of the moon pool, and a second groove or a second protrusion correspondingly arranged on the top and / or bottom of the outer wall of the airtight box.

[0010] In some embodiments, the limiting structure includes a retractable locking protrusion arranged on the inner wall of the moon pool, and a locking groove correspondingly arranged on the outer wall of the airtight box.

[0011] In the above embodiments, elastic pads are provided on the contact surfaces of the protrusions and / or the grooves.

[0012] In some embodiments, the locking groove includes the gas and liquid inlet and outlet, and the locking protrusion includes an injection / extraction channel for gas and / or liquid.

[0013] In some embodiments, the top surface and / or the bottom surface of the airtight box is also provided with a connecting structure, and the connecting structure is used to connect the cable.

[0014] In some embodiments, the moon pool enclosure device further comprises an external buoyancy component, which can be connected to the airtight box and provide additional buoyancy for the airtight box after the airtight box is detached from the moon pool.

[0015] In some embodiments, the moon pool enclosure device further comprises a guide structure, and the guide structure is correspondingly arranged on the side and / or side edge of the moon pool and / or the airtight box.

[0016] The present application uses an airtight box and a limiting structure that match the moon pool to simultaneously close the top and bottom openings of the moon pool, thereby providing a complete deck operating area and reducing navigation resistance. It can also adjust the mass of gas and / or liquid in the airtight box to facilitate entry into and exit from the moon pool and provide buoyancy compensation for the ship. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 A top view of an embodiment of a moon pool enclosure device of the present application is shown;

[0018] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 Schematic cross-sectional view along the AA direction;

[0019] Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of point C;

[0020] Figure 4 Shows Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of point D;

[0021] Figure 5It shows that when the airtight box 102 leaves the moon pool through the bottom opening of the moon pool 101, Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram in the BB direction;

[0022] Figure 6 It shows that when the airtight box 102 is separated from the moon pool through the top opening of the moon pool 101, Figure 1 Schematic cross-sectional view along the BB direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The present application is described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments. The following embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present application, but are not intended to limit the present application in any form. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, without departing from the concept of the present application, several variations and improvements can also be made. These all belong to the protection scope of the present application.

[0024] The moon pool enclosure device claimed for protection in the present application comprises an airtight box and a limiting structure.

[0025] Figure 1 A top view of an embodiment of a moon pool enclosure device of the present application is shown, Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 Schematic cross-sectional view along the AA direction, Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 The enlarged view of the part C, Figure 4 Shows Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of the D position of the ship. In the figure, a moon pool 101 is provided in the middle of the hull 100. The moon pool 101 has a top opening arranged on the deck, a bottom opening arranged on the bottom of the ship, and a passage passing through the deck to the bottom of the ship; in some embodiments, the ship has multiple decks, and the top opening of the moon pool can be arranged on any of the decks as required, that is, the moon pool can be a three-dimensional structure with upper and lower openings passing through one or more decks to the bottom of the ship and sealed on all sides. The shape of the moon pool 101 can be set according to actual needs, such as being set to a cylindrical shape, a square column shape, a rectangular column shape, etc., and is set to a rectangular column shape in the figure; in some embodiments, the top opening and the bottom opening of the moon pool 101 can also be inconsistent, such as the shape of the moon pool 101 can also be set to a narrow upper and wide lower or wide upper and narrow lower platform (a plane parallel to the bottom of the cone is used to cut the cone, and the part between the bottom surface and the cross section is called the platform), a prism or a truncated cone.

[0026] The airtight box 102 has a top surface 1021 whose shape and size match the top opening of the moon pool, and a bottom surface 1022 whose shape and size match the bottom opening of the moon pool; in some embodiments, the top surface 1021 is in the same shape as the top opening of the moon pool and is slightly smaller, and the bottom surface 1022 is in the same shape as the bottom opening of the moon pool and is slightly smaller, so that the airtight box 102 can be placed in the moon pool 101 and close the moon pool 101. It should be noted that the airtight box 102 may include only one cavity or multiple cavities. Although the implementation of multiple cavities will increase the weight of the airtight box 102, it can also enhance the structural strength of the airtight box, and can more accurately adjust and control the buoyancy of the box. Even if the airtightness of one cavity is destroyed, it will not affect the airtightness of other cavities, so that the airtight box 102 can still achieve its function. In some other embodiments, an airtight box enclosing the entire moon pool may be constructed by interlocking and installing multiple smaller airtight boxes. This not only facilitates local replacement and maintenance, but also allows the airtight box to be disassembled and placed after being detached from the moon pool, which is flexible and convenient.

[0027] The airtight box 102 also has a gas-liquid inlet and outlet 107, and the quality of the gas and / or liquid in the airtight box 102 can be adjusted through the gas-liquid inlet and outlet 107. The gas-liquid inlet and outlet 107 can be set as a channel compatible with the inlet and outlet of gas and liquid. For example, when liquid needs to be input, the gas-liquid inlet and outlet 107 can be connected to a water source through a pipeline to input liquid into the airtight box 102, and when liquid needs to be extracted, it can also be connected to a water pump to extract the liquid in the airtight box 102. When gas needs to be input, the gas-liquid inlet and outlet 107 can be connected to a gas input device, and when gas needs to be extracted, the gas-liquid inlet and outlet 107 can be connected to a gas extraction device. In some embodiments, the external device connected when inputting liquid into the airtight box 102 and extracting liquid can be the same (such as a water pump, etc.), and the external device connected when inputting gas into the airtight box 102 and extracting gas can also be the same (such as the existing compressed air system on the ship, etc.); in some embodiments, the liquid input and output device and the gas input and output device can also be combined into one (such as a gas-liquid mixing pump, a gas-liquid dual-purpose pump, etc.). In some embodiments, the liquid is directly taken from the water body around the ship, which is convenient and easy to use; in other implementations, liquids of a specific density can also be used to accurately control buoyancy, such as gasoline, pure water, alcohol, mercury, etc. In some embodiments, the gas is directly taken from the air around the ship or the air in the ship's compressed air system; in other embodiments, gases of a specific density can also be used for precise control, such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, helium, etc. It is necessary to pay attention to the selection of gas and liquid to avoid the risk of explosion or combustion caused by mixing the two. In some embodiments, the gas-liquid inlet and outlet 107 can also be set as a gas inlet and outlet and a liquid inlet and outlet, respectively, which can improve the efficiency of gas-liquid inlet and outlet. In some embodiments, there are multiple gas-liquid inlets and outlets 107, for example, each cavity of the airtight box 102 should be provided with at least one gas-liquid inlet and outlet 107 compatible with gas and liquid inlet and outlet, or at least one gas inlet and outlet; in some embodiments, at least one gas inlet and outlet can also be provided in each cavity, and at least one liquid inlet and outlet can be added. In the figure, the gas-liquid inlet and outlet 107 is provided on the top surface of the sealed box 102; in other embodiments, the gas-liquid inlet and outlet 107 can also be provided on other surfaces of the sealed box 102, such as the side or bottom surface. In some embodiments, the gas-liquid inlet and outlet 107 includes a seaport 106, which is located on the bottom surface 1022 of the airtight box 102. When the seaport 106 is open, the water around the ship can enter and exit the airtight box 102. Although it is called the seaport 106 here, it is not necessarily seawater that passes through. When the ship is sailing in fresh water, the fresh water in the surrounding water body enters and exits. The seaport 106 can be switched between open and closed states as needed.

[0028] The airtight box 102 can be separated from the moon pool 101 through the top opening and / or the bottom opening of the moon pool 101 . Figure 5It shows that when the airtight box 102 leaves the moon pool through the bottom opening of the moon pool 101, Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram in the BB direction; Figure 6 It shows that when the airtight box 102 is separated from the moon pool through the top opening of the moon pool 101, Figure 1 Schematic cross-sectional view along the BB direction.

[0029] The moon pool 101 enclosing device further includes a limiting structure, which is disposed on the inner wall of the moon pool 101 and matches the outer wall of the airtight box 102, and is used to limit the movement of the airtight box 102. In some embodiments, the limiting structure may include the shape structure of the moon pool 101 and the airtight box 102 itself. For example, when the moon pool 101 is a platform that is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, or wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, the airtight box 102, which matches the shape and size, is naturally limited in at least one direction by the inner wall of the moon pool 101, and cannot leave the moon pool 101 from the narrow end.

[0030] In some embodiments, the limiting structure may include a first protrusion or a first groove arranged at the top and / or bottom of the inner wall of the moon pool 101, and a second groove or a second protrusion correspondingly arranged at the top and / or bottom of the outer wall of the airtight box 102, which mainly limits the movement of the airtight box 102 in the vertical direction, and also has a limiting effect on its horizontal movement. In the figure, a first protrusion 103 is arranged at the top of the inner wall of the moon pool 101, and a second groove 113 is correspondingly arranged at the top of the outer wall of the airtight box 102. When the airtight box 102 enters the moon pool 101, it is blocked by the first protrusion 103 arranged at the top of the inner wall of the moon pool 101 and cannot move upward. In some embodiments, a first protrusion may also be arranged at the bottom of the inner wall of the moon pool 101, and a corresponding second groove may be arranged at the bottom of the outer wall of the airtight box 102, so that the airtight box 102 is blocked by the first protrusion and cannot move downward. In some embodiments, the first protrusion may also adopt a telescopic structure, Figure 6The state of the first protrusion 103 being retracted is shown, at which time the airtight box 102 is no longer blocked by the first protrusion 103 and can move upward. Therefore, in some embodiments, the first protrusion can be set at the top and bottom of the inner wall of the moon pool 101 at the same time. When the airtight box 102 enters the moon pool 101, the airtight box 102 is restricted from moving upward or downward at the same time. When the airtight box 102 needs to leave the moon pool 101, it only needs to retract the first protrusion above or below. It can be understood that in some other embodiments, the first groove can be set at the top of the inner wall of the moon pool 101, and the second protrusion can be set at the top of the outer wall of the airtight box 102, which can play a role in blocking the airtight box 102 from moving downward; and the first groove can be set at the bottom of the inner wall of the moon pool 101, and the second protrusion can be set at the bottom of the outer wall of the airtight box 102, which can play a role in blocking the airtight box 102 from moving upward. The above-mentioned protrusions / grooves can be arranged individually or in combination according to actual needs, or multiple sets can be correspondingly arranged on the inner wall around the moon pool and the outer wall of the airtight box.

[0031] In some embodiments, the limiting structure may further include a retractable locking protrusion 104 disposed on the inner wall of the moon pool 101, and a locking groove 114 disposed on the outer wall of the airtight box 102. When the airtight box 102 enters or leaves the moon pool 101, the locking protrusion 104 is in a retracted state to facilitate the vertical movement of the airtight box 102. Figure 5 or Figure 6 As shown. When the airtight box 102 enters the moon pool 101 and reaches the predetermined position, the locking protrusion 104 extends out and is inserted into the corresponding locking groove 114, providing a squeezing force in the horizontal direction and a blockage in the vertical direction, thereby limiting the position of the airtight box 102. The above-mentioned locking protrusions / grooves can be arranged according to actual needs. For example, multiple sets can be correspondingly arranged on the inner side walls around the moon pool and the outer side walls of the airtight box. In some embodiments, the locking groove 114 may also include a gas-liquid inlet and outlet, and the locking protrusion includes an injection / extraction channel for gas and / or liquid, that is, the gas-liquid inlet and outlet are combined with the limiting structure, which is beneficial to reducing the structural components on the airtight box, and is also beneficial to the sealing at the gas-liquid inlet and outlet, reducing the risk of leakage.

[0032] In some embodiments, elastic pads are further provided on the contact surfaces of the bumps and / or grooves. The bumps may include a first bump, a second bump, a locking bump, etc., and the grooves may include a first groove, a second groove, a locking groove, etc. The elastic pads may be provided on the bumps or the grooves, or both. The elastic pads not only have a buffering effect, which can prevent damage caused by contact, collision or friction between the bumps and the grooves, but also fill in the shape deviation between the bumps and the grooves, making the two fit more closely. Figure 3 and Figure 4 An elastic pad 108 is provided on the first protrusion 103 at the top of the inner wall of the moon pool 101, which can better realize the constraint of the relative movement between the airtight box 102 and the hull 100 in the vertical direction, and can partially provide the constraint of the relative movement between the airtight box 102 and the hull 100 in the horizontal direction.

[0033] In some embodiments, the moon pool enclosure device further comprises a guide structure, which may be disposed on the side and / or side edge of the moon pool and / or the airtight box. Figure 2 and Figure 4 The guide structure shown is a guide plate 105 with an inclined end. The guide plates 105 are arranged vertically in pairs on the inner side of the moon pool 101 and the outer side of the airtight box 102, which is convenient for the airtight box 102 to enter and leave the moon pool 101, and can reduce the friction and collision between the outer side wall of the airtight box 102 and the inner side wall of the moon pool, avoiding unnecessary wear. The guide plates 105 can be multiple sets, which are dispersedly arranged on the inner side of the moon pool 101 and the outer side of the airtight box 102. In some embodiments, the guide structure can also be implemented in other ways, such as guide strips, which can be one or more, dispersedly arranged vertically on the inner side edge of the moon pool 102 and / or the outer side edge corresponding to the airtight box 102, and guide strips can also be added on the inner side of the moon pool 101 and the outer side of the airtight box 102. The above-mentioned guide plates and guide edges can also be arranged in combination. In some embodiments, the guide structure is detachable for easy installation and replacement. In some embodiments, the guide structure may further include a guide angle, such as setting a guide angle on the side and / or the top and / or bottom of the side of the airtight box 102. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The first groove 113 in the moon pool 101 can also serve as a guide angle, so that the airtight box 102 can enter and leave the moon pool 101 more easily.

[0034] In some embodiments, the top surface and / or bottom surface of the airtight box 102 is further provided with a connection structure, and the connection structure is used to connect the cable 110. The material of the cable 110 can be plant fiber, chemical fiber, metal, synthetic polymer material, etc., or a combination of multiple materials. Considering factors such as strength, corrosion resistance, and small specific gravity, chemical fiber and synthetic polymer material can be preferred. The cable is used to connect and move the airtight box 102, and the other end of the cable can be connected to the hull 100, for example, it can be connected to a winch on the ship, or tied to a certain part of the ship.

[0035] In some embodiments, the moon pool enclosure device further includes an external buoyancy component 109, which can be connected to the airtight box 102 and provide additional buoyancy for the airtight box 102 after the airtight box 102 is separated from the moon pool 101. Figure 5The buoyancy components 109 outside the box are multiple floating balls, which are connected to the top of the outer wall of the airtight box 102 through cables 110. The buoyancy components 109 outside the box can also be connected to other parts of the airtight box 102, such as the top surface or the bottom surface.

[0036] like Figure 5 As shown, when the ship needs to use the moon pool 101, liquid is directly injected into the airtight box 102 through the gas-liquid inlet and outlet, or the sea outlet is opened to suck air from the gas inlet and outlet to the water near the bottom of the ship into the airtight box 102 through the sea outlet 106, thereby increasing the weight of the airtight box 102, and contracting the locking protrusion 104 to release the restriction on the vertical movement of the airtight box 102. The airtight box 102 will sink due to gravity and thus leave the moon pool 101. Since the airtight box 102 is connected to a float 109, when it sinks to a certain depth, the cable connected to the float 109 is tightened, and the float 109 provides buoyancy for the airtight box 102, so that it can float in the water below the bottom of the ship ( Figure 5 The horizontal line at the buoy 109 is used to indicate the water surface height), so as to avoid the airtight box 102 from being lost, and the airtight box 102 can be moved to the bow, stern or side of the ship by the cable 109, so as to be away from the bottom opening of the moon pool 101, so as to facilitate the operation. In some embodiments, the airtight box 102 can also be provided with tension by connecting the cable 110 to the hull 100, such as directly connecting the cable 110 to the winch on the ship, and the airtight box 102 can be moved by retracting and releasing the cable 110 by the winch.

[0037] When the moon pool 101 needs to be closed, the airtight box 102 can be moved to the bottom opening of the moon pool 101 by the cable 110, and the liquid in the airtight box 102 can be pumped out through the gas-liquid inlet and outlet, or the sea port 106 can be opened, and the liquid in the airtight box 102 can be discharged through the sea port 106 by injecting compressed air from the gas inlet and outlet, thereby reducing the weight of the airtight box 102, and the airtight box 102 will float up due to gravity and enter the moon pool 101. After the airtight box 102 reaches the predetermined position, the locking protrusion 104 extends and is inserted into the corresponding locking groove 114 to prevent the airtight box 102 from moving in the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0038] In some embodiments, the airtight box 102 can also be separated from or entered through the top opening of the moon pool 101. Figure 6As shown, when the airtight box 102 is separated from the moon pool 101, it is necessary to reduce the weight of the airtight box 102 by extracting liquid or injecting air to squeeze out the liquid, and it is also necessary to shrink the first protrusion 103 and the locking protrusion 104, and then lift it from the top of the moon pool 101 through a winch on the deck and a cable. If a gas with a small specific gravity such as hydrogen can be injected, its weight and lifting difficulty can be further reduced; when the airtight box 102 enters the moon pool 101, it can be lifted into the top opening of the moon pool 101, or it can enter the moon pool 101 by its own gravity, and increase the weight of the airtight box 102 by injecting liquid or extracting air to inhale liquid through the sea port, so that it sinks to a predetermined position, and extends the first protrusion 103 and the locking protrusion 104 to limit its movement. In this implementation, the moon pool closing device may not include a buoyancy component outside the box, but requires equipment that can lift the airtight box 102.

[0039] A person skilled in the art may understand and implement other changes to the disclosed embodiments by reading the specification, the disclosed contents, the drawings and the appended claims. In the claims, the wording "comprising" does not exclude other elements and steps, and the wording "a" or "an" does not exclude the plurality. In the practical application of this application, a part may perform the functions of multiple technical features cited in the claims. Any reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. A moon pool closure device, characterized in that: include: An airtight box, the shape and size of its top surface matches the top opening of the moon pool, and the shape and size of its bottom surface matches the bottom opening of the moon pool. The airtight box also has a gas-liquid inlet and outlet, through which the quality of gas and / or liquid in the airtight box can be adjusted. The airtight box can be separated from the moon pool through the top opening and / or bottom opening of the moon pool; A limiting structure is arranged on the inner wall of the moon pool and matches the outer wall of the airtight box, and is used to limit the movement of the airtight box.

2. The moon pool enclosure device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gas-liquid inlet and outlet are located on the top surface of the airtight box.

3. The moon pool enclosure device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gas-liquid inlet and outlet include a sea opening, and the sea opening is located on the bottom surface of the airtight box.

4. The moon pool enclosure device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting structure includes a first protrusion or a first groove arranged on the top and / or bottom of the inner wall of the moon pool, and a second groove or a second protrusion correspondingly arranged on the top and / or bottom of the outer wall of the airtight box.

5. The moon pool enclosure device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting structure includes a retractable locking protrusion arranged on the inner wall of the moon pool, and a locking groove correspondingly arranged on the outer wall of the airtight box.

6. The moon pool enclosure device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The contact surfaces of the protrusions and / or grooves are provided with elastic pads.

7. The moon pool enclosure device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The locking groove includes the gas and liquid inlet and outlet, and the locking protrusion includes a gas and / or liquid injection / extraction channel.

8. The moon pool enclosure device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top surface and / or the bottom surface of the airtight box is also provided with a connecting structure, and the connecting structure is used to connect the cable.

9. The moon pool enclosure device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The moon pool closing device further comprises an external buoyancy component, which can be connected to the airtight box and provide additional buoyancy for the airtight box after the airtight box is separated from the moon pool.

10. The moon pool enclosure device according to claim 1, wherein: The moon pool closing device further comprises a guide structure, and the guide structure is correspondingly arranged on the side and / or side edge of the moon pool and / or the airtight box.

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