System for marking lost containers from a ship at sea

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for marking lost containers of a ship at sea, wherein means are provided for marking and / or transmitting a position signal of the container in the water. At least one environmental sensor for detecting and at least temporarily tracking the position of the lost container is provided on or near the ship, as well as a device for applying the marker based on the current position of the lost container in the water as detected by the environmental sensor(s).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a system for marking lost containers of a ship at sea.

[0002] Worldwide, an average of 1600 overseas shipping containers are lost at sea each year.

[0003] The causes are considered to be heavy seas combined with inadequate cargo securing, as well as accidents. The loss is not always noticed by the crew of the cargo ship in question.

[0004] The containers don't sink immediately and remain afloat for some time. This poses a risk to smaller vessels should they collide with them, as ship radars often fail to detect them. Furthermore, the container's contents can be an environmental hazard, which can be avoided by salvaging it. Finally, the loss of the container and its contents also results in economic damage. For these reasons, WO 9107311 A1 proposes a marker buoy device to mark the position of cargo that has fallen overboard from a ship at sea. This device is permanently attached to the cargo and features a marker buoy that detaches from the cargo when it submerges.

[0005] In addition, a stored mooring line is proposed, to which the released buoy and the cargo remain anchored, with enough line being able to be pulled out from its storage place so that the buoy can rise near the submerged cargo and float on the surface.

[0006] EP 4048584 A1 proposes a system for recovering objects that have been submerged in water and lost. The system comprises a gas release cartridge, an activation arrangement designed to activate the gas release cartridge in response to at least one of the following factors: elapsed time, pressure, trigger wire, indirect contact with water, or remote acoustic command, or any combination thereof, all components being contained within an inflatable float.

[0007] A rope, one end of which is attached to the float and the other end is connected to the object.

[0008] Here too, it is intended that the respective item is already equipped with the corresponding system in advance, and consequently, for a ship with a large number, often thousands of containers, the costs for the corresponding security are immensely high.

[0009] The object of the invention is therefore to present a system in which costs can be reduced. This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Advantageous further developments can be found in the dependent claims.

[0010] The invention describes a system for marking lost containers from a ship at sea, comprising means for marking and / or transmitting a position signal of the container in the water. The key concept is that at least one environmental sensor is provided on or near the ship for detecting and at least temporarily tracking the position of the lost container, as well as a device for applying the marker based on the current position of the lost container in the water as detected by the environmental sensor(s). Thus, only those containers that actually go overboard are marked.Therefore, even if the number of marker objects kept on a ship is smaller than the total number of containers, the loss of the entire cargo is significantly less likely and will definitely be noticed, whereas much more frequently the number of lost containers per ship is significantly smaller than the total number of containers transported.

[0011] There are numerous suitable environmental sensors for object detection, many of which can be combined and fused together. It may be possible to utilize existing environmental sensors already installed on the ship for normal navigation, such as radar or deck cameras, or to use external cameras for close-range navigation when docking in port, or to add further environmental sensors. Alternatively, it is also conceivable to install environmental sensors on drones or other flying objects, which could continuously or on demand monitor the ship's surroundings from a better vantage point.

[0012] Preferably, at least one drop or launch device for marking objects is provided, wherein the marking objects have a magnet by means of which the marking object can be attached to the container upon impact. Suitable drop or launch devices include catapults, pneumatic or pyrotechnic launchers, or even drones or similar autonomous flying objects, from which, for example, the marking object is dropped onto the container.

[0013] The marker object can have a first form capable of flight and, after impact with the container, an unchangeable second form, and in particular, can break down into several components.

[0014] Preferably, the drop or launch device on the ship is movable relative to the ship, in particular rotatable and / or movable over a section of the ship.

[0015] In a further embodiment, the marking object has, in addition to the magnet for attachment to the container, a rope and on this a float or inflatable balloon capable of flight, wherein the float or balloon has a signal transmitter with a power supply.

[0016] In a further embodiment, a central control unit is also provided, which acquires the signals from the environmental sensor(s) and, based on the position(s) of the lost container(s), aligns the drop or launch device(s) accordingly and tracks, stores, and / or transmits the position of the containers and / or the marker objects to third parties. Preferably, in addition to the position of the lost containers, the central control unit also takes into account at least their speed and direction of travel, preferably the current speed of the sea and / or wind, or other weather and / or marine data.

[0017] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments and the figures. Fig. Figure 1A depicts a container ship 1 with numerous containers C0 on board and one container CX that has fallen overboard and is therefore in the water W. Furthermore, the ship 1 is equipped with multiple environmental sensors S that detect the overboard incident and the position of container CX, tracking it at least briefly to enable the launching device 3 to align itself with the current or expected position of the fallen container CX. Fig. Figure 1B shows, in purely sketchy terms, such a launching device 3, which is preferably rotatable and can be changed in height and launch angle. The Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B now sketch two different designs of the marking object 2. Thus, they show Fig. 2A that variant with a float 2.1 or a buoy which remains connected to the container CX via a rolling rope 2.4 over the magnet 2.2 even when sinking below the water surface to a maximum depth or rope length. Fig. In contrast, Figure 2B outlines the configuration with a flyable balloon 2.3, which is also connected to the magnet 2.2 via a similar uncoiling rope 2.4, and via the magnet to the container CX. Naturally, if the depth defined by the maximum rope length is exceeded, the rope 2.4 will break. Of course, a combination of the two configurations is also possible, i.e., a floating body directly at the water's surface, again connected via a rope to the balloon 2.3 or another flyable object.

[0018] Figure three now outlines a further preferred embodiment of the float 2.1 or the balloon 2.3 by integrating various functions, which will be briefly explained below.

[0019] Thus, F1 is equipped with a position localization unit, preferably a global satellite position determination via GPS, but alternatively it can also just send out a simple position signal and be received by a central unit on the ship, from which the relative position to the ship and, based on the position known via the ship's navigation, the absolute position of container CX can be derived, until the reception of this simple position signal by the ship becomes impossible due to the distance.

[0020] Therefore, independent GPS positioning is preferable even when leaving the ship from close range.

[0021] F2 is a sketchy representation of a radio transmitter which, in addition to the simple position signal, also transmits other data, such as the origin of container CX from ship 1, and many other useful data for a possible recovery of container CX.

[0022] Preferably, an optical signaling system, for example a signal lamp with function F3, is also included.

[0023] For the electrical functions, an energy storage device F4 is provided, which in a preferred further development is supplemented by means of energy generation, be it through solar power or the utilization of wave motion on the water or the energy of air or water currents.

[0024] F6 outlines the cable drum for the cable 2.4, which, after the marking object 2 hits the container and the magnetic holder 2.2 adheres to the container CX, releases the cable 2.4 as the container CX gradually lowers to its maximum length.

[0025] Preferably, sensors are provided that detect the inevitable breakage of rope 2.4 at great depths in the sea, the time of this breakage, and the position of container CX at that time, and transmit this information to the ship, a central storage system / cloud, or a salvage vessel. This ensures that the position remains stored in the marker object 2, even if the marker object subsequently drifts away from this position and is only found much later in a completely different location.

[0026] F7 is a propellant charge or propellant container for inflating the floating body 2.1 or the flyable balloon 2.3, in the latter case of course with a suitable gas lighter than air.

[0027] F8 is intended to symbolize the acquisition of further sensor data, such as weather data, waves and current conditions in the water, etc.

[0028] In a further embodiment, such sensor data as well as an additional radio transmitter with memory and all the functions already described here could of course also be directly attached to the magnetic mount 2.2 in order to send further data until the connection to the sea surface is broken and afterwards to transmit data as well as the position of container CX on the seabed to support a possible recovery as soon as a recovery vessel with appropriate sensors has arrived in the vicinity of the position of container CX.

[0029] The Fig. Figure 4 shows ship 1 again, this time in a top view, and outlines a number of containers that may have fallen overboard simultaneously in the water W, using CX1 to CX5. The marker objects are shot, thrown, or hurled to the respective container via the launching device 3 after the sensors S have detected their position.

[0030] For this purpose, the launching device 3 is movable, at least rotatable in the direction of the container, and preferably the launching angle as well as the position of the entire launching device 3 over a section of the ship along a rail system, here sketched with 3.1, is possible, and the ship preferably has a plurality of such launching devices 3.

[0031] A further preferred embodiment will be described below. In this embodiment, a radar sensor array is provided around the container ship to detect falling containers. By using a 4D radar array (e.g., Continental ARS548), the position of lost containers in the water can be precisely determined and tracked by mounting the sensors at an angle.

[0032] Once the container has been detected, it must be marked. Several methods are possible for this: Using a magnet and a rope, a floating device is attached to the container. This device contains, for example, a power supply, a self-locating device (e.g., GPS), a radio transmitter, and a signal light. If the rope is long enough, even a container that has sunk to the bottom can be marked.

[0033] Alternatively, a balloon or zeppelin capable of flight is attached to the container using a magnet and a rope. This balloon or zeppelin contains a power supply, a self-locating device (e.g., GPS), a radio transmitter, and a signal light. With sufficient rope length, even a container that has sunk to the seabed can be marked. The advantage over a buoy lies in the greater distance for visual identification by ships and salvage personnel; the disadvantage is the need to carry a propellant gas.

[0034] In both cases, the device is attached to the container by means of one (or more) launching device(s) mounted on the ship. This device is preferably rotatable and pivotable to allow it to be tracked towards the container as it floats in the water. A rail system mounted on the ship allows the launching device to be moved lengthwise relative to the ship. This minimizes the firing distance.

[0035] Compressed gas or pyrotechnics can be used as propellant for the launching device. A central unit calculates the firing direction and range, as well as the optimal positioning of the launching device, based on the radar object's position and weather and ship status information (e.g., its own speed). After deployment, the marker devices begin to provide visual warnings and cyclically transmit their current position. This transmission occurs locally as a broadcast and is also sent to a backend system for centralized analysis and data processing in a database. Power can be supplied by a battery and / or a power harvesting unit using solar or wave energy.

[0036] Tracking container movement allows conclusions to be drawn about local currents. Furthermore, it would be conceivable to identify and map potential hotspots for container losses.

[0037] Weather and marine data can also be taken into account for an optimized determination of the launching device or the launch time, i.e., the position of container X can be considered in the trajectory calculation in relation to wind and ocean currents as well as the ship's own speed.

[0038] If several containers go overboard in quick succession, the central control unit can also selectively mark only one or fewer containers from a larger number, thus reserving additional markers for containers in different positions or those that might go overboard later. This means that, depending on the number of remaining markers, an optimized selection can be made as to which containers can still be marked.

[0039] Preferably, the time of the overboard incident as well as the speed of water ingress into the container are also recorded, and a probable time of sinking is calculated and taken into account accordingly when marking a plurality of containers. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] WO 9107311 A1

[0004] EP 4048584 A1

[0006]

Claims

[1] System for marking lost containers (CX) of a ship (1) at sea, wherein means are provided for marking and / or transmitting a position signal of the container (CX) in the water, characterized by , that • on or near the ship • at least one environmental sensor (S) for detecting and at least temporarily tracking the position of the lost container (CX) as well as • at least one device (3) is provided for applying the marking (2) based on the current position of the lost container in the water as detected by the environmental sensor(s). [2] System according to claim 1, characterized by , that at least one drop or launch device for marking objects (2) is provided, wherein the marking objects have a magnet (2.2) by means of which the marking object can be attached to the container upon impact. [3] System according to claim 2, characterized by, that the drop or launch device (3) is rotatable relative to the ship and / or movable over a section of the ship ( Fig. 4). [4] System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the marking object (2) has, in addition to the magnet (2.2) for attachment to the container, a rope (2.4) and on this a float (2.1) or inflatable, airworthy balloon (2.3), wherein the float (2.1) or balloon (2.3) has a signal transmitter (2.5) with a power supply. [5] System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by that a central control unit is provided which captures the signals of the environmental sensor(s) and, based on the position(s) of the lost container(s), aligns the drop or launch device(s) accordingly and tracks, saves and / or sends the position of the containers and / or the marking objects to third parties. [6] System according to claim 5, characterized by that a central control unit takes into account not only the position of the lost containers, but also at least the speed and direction of travel, preferably the current speed of the sea and / or wind or other weather and / or marine data.

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