Apparatus for removing munitions from the bottom of a body of water and method applied thereby

Abstract

A device for removing munitions (2) from the bottom (3) of a body of water (4), comprising an inner bell (5) consisting of a chamber (6) open at the bottom and closed at the top by a roof (7) and surrounded by a closed wall (8), the chamber (6) being located down to the bottom (3) or at a distance H from the bottom (3), characterized in that the device (1) is further provided with means (14) for draining water from the chamber (6), a gripper arm (9) is provided in the chamber (6), the inner bell (5) is provided with one or more overpressure valves (12), the device (1) is provided with an outer bell (11) mounted over the inner bell (5), the outer bell (11) is provided with one or more overpressure valves (12) connected to a drain pipe (13).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for removing munitions from the bottom of a body of water and to a method applied thereto.

[0002] In particular, the device and method are intended to safely clear underwater munitions with as little impact as possible on human health and the environment.

[0003] Bodies of water relate inter alia to seas and oceans, rivers or other waterways, coastlines, lakes, marshes, pools, ponds, canals and the like.

[0004] Munitions or ammunition are understood to mean any projectile and its propellant, such as, for example, shells, grenades, bullets, bombs, mines, torpedoes, underwater weapons, explosives, explosives, missiles, etc.

[0005] These munitions may have ended up on the bottom of the body of water accidentally, or may have been placed intentionally in so-called munitions dumps, which typically collect unused munitions, such as artillery shells or poison or mustard gas grenades, from either of the two world wars.

[0006] Aside from the fact that ammunition should not be on the bottom of a body of water, rusting of ammunition housings can (often) cause toxic contents to leak into the water and atmosphere. Additionally, ammunition is prone to degradation, which slowly but surely releases its contents and mixes with the water.

[0007] Ammunition often contains gunpowder and an explosive in the form of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, better known by the abbreviation TNT. TNT is known to be genotoxic, meaning it alters the DNA of fish and other organisms that come into contact with it. Gunpowder, meanwhile, often contains highly toxic white phosphorus, the breakdown products of which also have adverse environmental effects.

[0008] Explosion risks remain. Ammunition dumps are often located near sandbars, which could lead to ships running aground and dumping munitions. Ship anchoring, fishing, and dredging can also detonate munitions at these dumps.

[0009] Such an explosion could not only cause damage in the immediate vicinity of the explosion site, but could also trigger tsunamis on coastlines, for example.

[0010] Therefore, munitions on the bottom of water bodies are dangerous to humans, animals, and the environment.

[0011] A possibility sometimes applied is to raise the munitions dumps with sand to create artificial islands, but this does not solve the problem of ammunition leakage and is not possible in waters that must remain navigable, for example.

[0012] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to overcome at least one of the above-mentioned drawbacks and other drawbacks.

[0013] To this end, the invention relates to a device for removing ammunition from the bottom of a body of water, the device comprising an inner bell consisting of a chamber open at the bottom and closed at the top by a roof and surrounded by a closed wall, the chamber being located at or at a certain distance from the bottom of the water, the device further comprising means for draining water from the chamber, a gripper arm provided in the chamber for picking up ammunition and depositing it in a store provided for this purpose, the inner bell being provided with one or more overpressure valves or the like, the device being provided with a larger outer bell mounted over the inner bell, the outer bell being provided with one or more overpressure valves or the like, the overpressure valve of the outer bell being connected to a drain pipe.

[0014] The advantage of the device according to the invention is that it allows the recovery and removal of munitions lying on the bottom of a body of water in a very simple way and without endangering human health or the environment.

[0015] The munitions are collected, removed, and then rendered harmless or dismantled in a controlled environment, after which the toxic or hazardous components can be extracted and removed.

[0016] Using the device according to the invention, an entire munitions dump can be safely cleared.

[0017] The use of an outer bell over the inner bell ensures that if a charge is detonated within the inner bell, any gases that escape between the bottom and the surrounding closed wall of the chamber due to the blast of the explosion will be captured by the outer bell.

[0018] The purpose of the overpressure valve(s) in the chamber of the inner bell and in the outer bell is that in the event of a charge explosion, these overpressure valves will open under the influence of the increased pressure in the chamber and in the outer bell, and the released gases will be expelled from the open overpressure valve through the exhaust pipe. The exhaust pipe can either passively exhaust gas or actively exhaust gas.

[0019] The collection of the munitions by the gripper arm is done in a very controlled and precise manner, and the device is equipped with an overpressure valve, a discharge pipe and an outer bell fitted over an inner bell to ensure that in the event of an accidental detonation of the munitions or damage to the munitions housing, no (dangerous) gases are released into the atmosphere or mixed with or dissolved in water.

[0020] Water is expelled from the inner bell, greatly improving visibility inside the inner bell.

[0021] Preferably, the aforementioned distance between the lower edge of the enclosing closed wall of the chamber and the bottom of the water is between 0 and 1 meter, ideally between 40 and 60 centimeters.

[0022] This distance ensures a compromise between good visibility underwater and sufficient distance between the lower edge of the chamber and the ammunition being removed. It is very important to handle and move the ammunition as little as possible to avoid causing an undesired detonation of the ammunition.

[0023] Preferably, said means for expelling water from the chamber is formed by means for introducing compressed air into the chamber, the pressure of the compressed air being forced into or forced into the chamber forcing or expelling water from the inner bell.

[0024] Preferably, the device is mounted on a floating crane, drilling platform, or work vessel from which the outer and inner bells can be lowered to the bottom of the body of water or to a distance above the bottom of the body of water, thus allowing the device to be moved quickly and easily over the body of water.

[0025] Preferably, the aforementioned exhaust pipes on the floating crane, drilling platform or work vessel are connected to a vessel or the like to capture the gases emanating from the munitions, which are then treated or rendered harmless in a controlled environment.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the inner bell is equipped with one or more cameras, allowing for remote monitoring or control of the munitions, gripper arm movement, and storage.

[0027] In practice, the gripper arm is preferably remotely controlled, for example from a floating crane or drilling platform, and this control can be done either by wire or wirelessly.

[0028] The invention also relates to a method of removing munitions from the bottom of a body of water using a device, the method comprising the steps of: A) Lowering the outer and inner bells to the bottom or to a certain distance from the bottom of the body of water; B) Drain water from the inner bell; C) Collecting ammunition from the bottom of the water with a gripper arm; D) Putting ammunition into storage; E) Repeat the previous two steps until all ammunition is collected in the depot.

[0029] After step E, the method may continue with step F. F) Move the outer and inner bells. After step E or F, the method may continue with step G. G) Lift the outer and inner bells onto a floating crane or drilling platform.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, the method is preceded by the step of aiming the device at a point on the bottom of the body of water where the munitions are located. In order to better illustrate the features of the invention, preferred embodiments of the device and method for removing munitions from the bottom of a body of water according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically a vertical cross section of a device according to the invention.

[0032] The device for removing munitions 2 from the bottom 3 of a body of water 4 shown in FIG. 1 comprises an inner bell 5 consisting of a chamber 6 open at the bottom and closed at the top by a roof 7 and surrounded by a closed wall 8.

[0033] The inner bell 5 is positioned at a distance H from the water bottom 3, in this case said distance H being 50 centimetres. In practice said distance H may vary between 0 and 1 metre, but preferably said distance H is between 40 and 60 centimetres.

[0034] In this example, there are three projectiles of ammunition 2 on the bottom 3. It goes without saying that the number of projectiles shown here is arbitrary.

[0035] The surrounding closed wall 8 of the inner bell 5 is provided with a gripper arm 9, a robotic arm or other type of gripper for grasping the ammunition 2 and moving it to a storehouse 10 provided for this purpose, where the recovered ammunition 2 is collected.

[0036] In this case, the gripper arm 9 and store 10 are mounted against the surrounding closed wall 8 of the chamber 6, but may alternatively be attached to or suspended from the roof 7.

[0037] The device is provided with an outer bell 11 mounted over the inner bell 5. The aforementioned distance H between the lower edge of the inner bell 5 and the bottom 3 of the water is equal to the distance between the lower edge of the outer bell 11 and the bottom 3 of the water.

[0038] The chamber 6 of the inner bell 5 and the outer bell 11 are provided with overpressure valves 12 which open in the event of gas build-up or accidental detonation of the munitions 2. The device 1 is intrinsically safe in the event of an unexpected detonation of the munitions 2.

[0039] An overpressure valve 12 on the outer bell 11 is connected to a discharge pipe 13 for discharging gases generated from the munitions 2 in the event of gas buildup or explosion.

[0040] The overpressure valve 12 may be a membrane valve or the like that opens at a certain overpressure in the inner bell 5 and / or the outer bell 11 .

[0041] In this embodiment, the overpressure valve 12 is provided on the roof 7 of the chamber 6 and on the top of the outer bell 11, but alternatively, said overpressure valve 12 can be located on the side wall or on the surrounding closing wall 8.

[0042] The device 1 is further provided with means 14 for draining water from the chamber 6. This means that in the operating state of the device 1, the internal volume of the chamber 6 is mainly filled with air and the internal volume of the outer bell 11 is mainly filled with water.

[0043] In this embodiment, the apparatus 1 is coupled or attached to a floating crane 15. The outer bell 11 and inner bell 5 can be lowered and raised from the floating crane 15. Alternatively, the floating crane 15 could be, for example, a drilling platform or a work vessel.

[0044] In this embodiment, a discharge pipe 13 connected to the aforementioned overpressure valve 12 of the outer bell 11 is connected or coupled to a container 16 located on the floating crane 11 .

[0045] Said container 16 safely captures the released gases generated by the munitions 2. The released gases flow according to the direction of the arrow in Figure 1, i.e. from the outer bell to the container 16 on the floating crane 15.

[0046] In this embodiment, the means 14 for draining water from the chamber 6 of the inner bell 5 are associated with a compressed air installation 17 located on the floating crane 15 .

[0047] Compressed air flows from a compressed air installation 17 on the floating crane 15 through a compressed air pipe 18 into the interior volume of the chamber 6 in the direction of the arrows shown in FIG.

[0048] In this way, the compressed air expels the water from the chamber 6. Since the chamber 6 contains air, visibility inside the chamber 6 is improved.

[0049] In this embodiment, the device 1 is equipped with a camera 19, which makes it possible to monitor the munitions 2, the movement of the gripper arm 9 and the storehouse 10. The images transmitted by this camera 19 can be tracked on the floating crane 15, for example.

[0050] In this way, it becomes possible to remotely control the gripper arm 9. This control can be performed wirelessly or via a wire.

[0051] In this case, the gripper arm 9 is equipped with a detector 20 for detecting, finding or locating the munitions 2. Said detector 20 is for example a magnetic detector or a metal detector.

[0052] Alternatively, such a detector 20 may be located elsewhere within the device 1 .

[0053] The operation of the device 1 is very simple and involves the following steps: A) Lower the outer bell 11 and the inner bell 5 to the bottom 3 or to a certain distance H from the bottom 3 of the water body 4; B) Drain water from inner bell 5; C) Collecting ammunition 2 from the bottom 3 with gripper arm 9; D) Put ammunition 2 into storage 10; E) Repeat the previous two steps until all Ammo 2 is collected in Storage 10.

[0054] This method can be followed by any of the following additional steps: F) Move the outer bell 11 and the inner bell 5. G) Lifting the outer bell 11 and inner bell 5 onto a floating crane 15, drilling platform or work vessel.

[0055] The method may also be preceded by an additional step of pointing the device 1 to the bottom 3 of the body of water 4 at a point where the munitions 2 are located.

[0056] Although the illustrated embodiment shows three overpressure valves 12, the invention is not limited thereto and the number of overpressure valves 12 may be different.

[0057] Alternatively, the overpressure valve 12 of the inner bell 5 can be provided with a discharge pipe 13 leading to a floating crane 15 or to a vessel 16 on the drilling platform.

[0058] The present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described and shown by way of example, and the device 1 and method for removing munitions 2 from the bottom 3 of a body of water 4 according to the invention can be realized in any form and size without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A device for removing munitions (2) from the bottom (3) of a body of water (4), said device (1) comprising an inner bell (5) consisting of a chamber (6) open at the bottom and closed at the top by a roof (7) and surrounded by a closed wall (8), said chamber (6) being located up to or at a distance H from said bottom (3), said device (1) further comprising means (14) for draining water from said chamber (6) and for picking up said munitions (2) and for this purpose a gripper arm (9) provided in the chamber (6) for placing the ammunition (2) into a storage (10) provided in the chamber (6), the inner bell (5) being provided with one or more over-pressure valves (12) or the like, the device (1) being provided with a larger outer bell (11) mounted over the inner bell (5), the outer bell (11) being provided with one or more over-pressure valves (12) or the like, the over-pressure valves (12) of the outer bell (11) being connected to a discharge pipe (13).

2. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance H between the chamber (6) and the munitions (2) to be removed on the bottom (3) is between 0 and 1 meter, preferably between 40 and 50 centimeters.

3. 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the means (14) for discharging water from the chamber (6) are formed by means (14) for introducing compressed air into the chamber (6).

4. 4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the apparatus (1) is provided with a floating crane (15), a drilling platform or a work vessel from which the outer bell (11) and the inner bell (5) can be lowered into the body of water (4).

5. 5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the discharge pipe (13) is connected to the floating crane (15), the drilling platform or the work vessel.

6. 6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the discharge pipe (13) on the floating crane (15), the drilling platform or the work vessel is connected to a container (16) for collecting gases generated by the munitions (2).

7. 7. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the inner bell (5) is provided with one or more cameras (19).

8. 8. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (1) is provided with one or more detectors (20) for detecting or locating the munitions (2).

9. 9. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the gripper arm (9) is remotely controlled, either wirelessly or by wire.

10. 10. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the overpressure valve (12) of the chamber (6) is provided in the roof (7) of the chamber (6).

11. A method for removing munitions (2) from the bottom (3) of a body of water (4) using a device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: A) Lowering the outer bell (11) and the inner bell (5) to the bottom (3) of the water or to a certain distance H from the bottom (3) of the water body (4); B) Draining water from said inner bell (5); C) collecting said ammunition (2) from said bottom (3) with a gripper arm (9); D) placing said ammunition (2) in a storage (10); E) Repeat the previous two steps until all said ammunition (2) is collected in said storage (10).

12. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method comprises the following steps after step E: F) Move the outer bell (11) and the inner bell (5).

13. 13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the method comprises the following step after step E or step F: G) Lifting the outer bell (11) and the inner bell (5) onto a floating crane (15), drilling platform or work vessel.

14. 14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the method is preceded by a step of directing the floating crane (15), drilling platform or work vessel to the bottom (3) of the body of water (4) at a point where the munitions (2) are located.

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