Ice vessel capable of crushing drift ice due to waterline fluctuations

Abstract

The present invention provides an ice vessel capable of breaking drift ice by changing the waterline, which can utilize both a shape that facilitates breaking horizontal ice and a shape that facilitates moving floating ice. The ice vessel capable of breaking drift ice by changing the waterline according to the present invention comprises: a hull having a first part that contacts the sea surface in a floating ice area and a second part provided between the first part and the bottom of the hull; a fluid supply unit provided on the hull and discharging fluid; and a floating body having a first volume by receiving fluid from the fluid supply unit so that buoyancy is applied to the hull in a floating ice area where level ice is formed, so that the waterline of the hull is positioned at the second part, or having a second volume that is smaller than the first volume by cutting off the fluid supply from the fluid supply unit or recovering the fluid so that the waterline of the hull is positioned at the first part in a floating ice area.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ice vessel capable of breaking ice floes by changing the waterline. Background Technology

[0002] The Arctic region, including Alaska, northern Canada, and the Russian Arctic, is rich in various natural resources such as oil and natural gas. Since the 1970s, as Arctic resource development has become active, hinterland cities for transporting and storing mined resources have been developing along the Arctic coast.

[0003] In addition, the Arctic Sea Route has been established as a shipping route connecting these Arctic coastal regions with mid-latitude consumption areas such as East Asia, North America, and Europe, and recently, the Arctic Sea Route is being utilized as the shortest route connecting East Asia and Western European countries in the Atlantic.

[0004] In particular, with Russia officially opening the Arctic Sea route to the outside world in 1991, the route is gaining prominence as the shortest route connecting major economic regions of Northern Europe and East Asia, with the expectation of reduced operating costs through shorter distances and travel times.

[0005] To navigate the Arctic Sea route, it is necessary to break through level ice approximately 1.5 meters thick under ambient conditions of minus 45°C or lower.

[0006] However, ice vessels operating in ice-covered waters such as the Arctic Ocean are designed to move floating ice in their path, enabling them to navigate by clearing the ice rather than breaking horizontal ice. Nevertheless, if horizontal ice forms in the ice vessel's path, the processes of breaking and clearing the horizontal ice must proceed simultaneously. The problem to be solved

[0007] On the other hand, the shape that is easy to break level ice and the shape that is easy to clear and navigate are contradictory. That is, for a shape that is easy to break level ice, it is advantageous to have a rounded waterline (spoon shape) that is easy to bend due to its own weight, but for moving the ice, a wedge shape is advantageous.

[0008] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide an ice vessel capable of breaking drift ice by changing the waterline, which can utilize both a shape that is easy to break horizontal ice and a shape that is easy to move floating ice.

[0009] The problems of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. means of solving the problem

[0010] An aspect of an ice vessel capable of breaking ice floes by changing the waterline according to the present invention for achieving the above objective comprises: a hull having a first part that contacts the sea surface in an ice floe area and a second part provided between the first part and the bottom of the hull; a fluid supply unit provided on the hull and discharging fluid; and a floating body having a first volume by receiving fluid from the fluid supply unit so that buoyancy is applied to the hull in an ice floe area where level ice is formed, so that the waterline of the hull is positioned in the second part, or having a second volume that is smaller than the first volume by cutting off the fluid supply from the fluid supply unit or recovering the fluid so that the waterline of the hull is positioned in the first part in an ice floe area.

[0011] The first part and the second part are provided at the bow, the first part is shaped like a wedge so that floating ice moves along the side of the hull, and the second part may have a gentle curvature relative to the first part so that horizontal ice that is weak against bending is crushed by the weight of the hull.

[0012] The above fluid supply unit may include a supply line connected to the floating body and a bypass line that opens at the bottom of the hull to bypass the supply line and discharge fluid to the lower part of the hull.

[0013] The above fluid supply unit supplies fluid to the floating body through the supply line when horizontal ice is located in front of the hull, or recovers fluid from the floating body through the supply line or discharges fluid to the bottom of the hull through the bypass line when floating ice is located in front of the hull, and the opening of the bypass line may be located at the rear of the floating body.

[0014] The hull includes a receiving portion in which a space is formed to accommodate the floating body at the bottom, and the floating body is provided in the receiving portion, and the maximum volume of the second volume may be equal to or smaller than the volume of the receiving portion so as not to protrude from the hull in the second volume.

[0015] Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings. Effects of the invention

[0016] An ice vessel capable of breaking ice floes by changing the waterline according to the present invention can have its waterline changed by a fluid supply unit and a floating body, such that the waterline is provided in a wedge-shaped first part that is easy to clear ice floes so that ice floes do not obstruct the navigation path, or the waterline is provided in a spoon-shaped second part where horizontal ice can be broken, so that the waterline can be changed, and thus it can be suitable for various operating environments of an ice vessel, such as ice floes and ice floes.

[0017] In addition, the present invention can generate bubbles by discharging the fluid intended for supplying to the floating body to the bottom of the hull instead of supplying it to the floating body, thereby forming an air lubrication that reduces the fluid friction resistance of the hull, and thus improving the operational efficiency of the ship. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the state in which fluid is discharged to the rear of a floating body in an ice vessel capable of breaking ice floes by changing the waterline according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating the lower view of an ice vessel capable of breaking ice floes by changing the waterline according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the state in which fluid is supplied to a floating body in an ice vessel capable of breaking ice floes by changing the waterline according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the state in which fluid is discharged from the floating body to the bottom of an ice vessel capable of breaking ice floes by changing the waterline according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the state in which fluid is discharged from a floating body into the interior of an ice vessel capable of breaking ice floes by changing the waterline according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating the state in which an ice vessel capable of breaking drift ice by changing the waterline according to the first embodiment of the present invention faces horizontal ice. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the state in which the buoyancy increases in Figure 6. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the state in which the bow moves upward as the buoyancy increases in Figure 7. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the state in which the second part of the player in Figure 8 presses against the horizontal ice. Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the state in which horizontal ice in Figure 9 is pressurized and broken. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0019] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The advantages and features of the present invention, and the methods for achieving them, will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but can be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided merely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In describing with reference to the attached drawings, identical or corresponding components are given the same reference number regardless of the drawing symbols, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating the state in which fluid is discharged to the rear of a floating body in an ice vessel capable of breaking ice by changing the waterline according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating the bottom view of an ice vessel capable of breaking ice by changing the waterline according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating the state in which fluid is supplied to a floating body in an ice vessel capable of breaking ice by changing the waterline according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating the state in which fluid is discharged from a floating body to the bottom of a ship in an ice vessel capable of breaking ice by changing the waterline according to the first embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating the state in which fluid is discharged from a floating body into the interior of a ship in an ice vessel capable of breaking ice by changing the waterline according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating a state in which an ice vessel capable of breaking drift ice by changing the waterline according to the first embodiment of the present invention faces horizontal ice, FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating a state in which buoyancy is increased in FIG. 6, FIG. 8 is a drawing illustrating a state in which the bow is moved upward as buoyancy is increased in FIG. 7, FIG. 9 is a drawing illustrating a state in which the second part of the bow presses against the horizontal ice in FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 is a drawing illustrating a state in which the horizontal ice is pressurized and broken in FIG. 9.

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 10, an ice vessel (100) capable of crushing ice floes by changing the waterline according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a hull (110), a fluid supply unit (120), and a floating body (130).

[0024] Also, while FIGS. 1 through 10 may have identical or similar shapes, they are depicted symbolically for the convenience of explanation and understanding. For example, FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2 through 5 are depicted primarily with the movement of the fluid and the change in volume of the floating body for the convenience of explaining and understanding the fluid flow. It should also be noted that FIGS. 6 through 10 are depicted primarily with the vertical movement of the vessel and the resulting state of horizontal ice crushing for the convenience of explaining and understanding the icebreaking function. Accordingly, it should be noted that some components of FIG. 1 may be omitted in FIGS. 6 through 10.

[0025] And when ice is generated in the sea or fresh water where the ice vessel (100) is sailing due to low temperatures, initially the ice is continuously broken by the flow of water or waves and forms slush ice, then becomes pack ice which becomes larger pieces, and then forms a level ice structure in which the ice is connected as a whole.

[0026] In this embodiment, the ice vessel (100) can operate even in a sea ice area where horizontal ice is formed, by easily breaking the horizontal ice, and in a floating ice area where the horizontal ice is broken or ice fragments exist, the reduction of propulsion force due to resistance can be minimized.

[0027] To this end, the hull (110) may have a first part (111) provided at the bow and a second part (112) located below the first part (111). Additionally, the hull (110) may include a receiving part (113) in which a space is formed to accommodate a floating body at the bottom.

[0028] For example, the first part (111) may come into contact with the sea surface in an ice floe area. The first part (111) may form a wedge shape so that the ice floe can easily move along the side of the hull (110). The wedge shape may refer to a shape in which the hull (110) protrudes so that the ice floe can move rearward along the side of the hull (110).

[0029] The second part (112) may be in contact with the sea surface in an ice-free area and may be provided between the first part (111) and the bottom of the hull (not shown). The second part (112) may have a gentle curvature relative to the first part (111) so that horizontal ice, which is weak against bending, is crushed by the weight of the hull (110). For example, the second part (112) may be shaped like a spoon so that it is suitable for breaking the horizontal ice by the weight of the hull (110) after the hull (110) has climbed onto the horizontal ice.

[0030] As such, the hull (110) of the present embodiment has a shape suitable for ice floes and ice floes depending on the location, and the waterline can be changed by the fluid supply unit (120) and the floating body (130), so that it can be suitable for various operating environments of the ice vessel (100), such as ice floes and ice floes. In other words, the waterline can be provided in a wedge-shaped first part (111) that is easy to break up so that ice floes do not obstruct the operating path. In addition, in ice floes, the waterline can be provided in a spoon-shaped second part (112) where horizontal ice can be crushed so that the problem of operation caused by horizontal ice can be solved.

[0031] The floating body (130) for changing the waterline can be housed in the hull (110).

[0032] To this end, the receiving portion (113) formed in the hull (110) may be formed with a space so that the floating body (130) can be accommodated. For example, the receiving portion (113) may have a space that is at least equal to or larger than the second volume so that the floating body (130) can be accommodated in a state where gas is discharged from the floating body (130) and the volume is minimized, for example, in a state having a second volume described later. Furthermore, the receiving portion (113) may be formed at the bottom of the hull (110) so that it can be exposed from the bottom of the hull according to the volume change of the floating body (130), and may have a shape with an open bottom, but is not limited thereto.

[0033] The fluid supply unit (120) can be provided inside the hull (110) and can supply fluid to the floating body (130) or discharge fluid outside the hull (110) to reduce frictional force on the outer side of the bottom of the hull.

[0034] And the fluid supply unit (120) may be subject to various technologies for supplying fluid. Here, the fluid discharged from the fluid supply unit (120) may be composed of a gas capable of increasing buoyancy, and may be, for example, a gas such as compressed air, but this is merely an example.

[0035] Additionally, the fluid supply unit (120) may include a supply line (121) and a bypass line (122) as lines through which the fluid passes. The supply line (121) may be connected to a floating body (130), and the bypass line (122) may be opened (122A) at the bottom of the hull (110) so as to bypass the supply line (121) and discharge fluid to the lower part of the hull (110).

[0036] In addition, as described below, the opening (122A) may reduce fluid / buoyancy resistance of the hull bottom, so multiple openings may be formed in the width direction. Furthermore, the opening (122A) is not limited in size or shape, and various variations are possible depending on changes in configuration.

[0037] This fluid supply unit (120) can supply fluid to the floating body (130) through the supply line (121) when horizontal ice is positioned in front of the hull (110), thereby increasing the buoyancy of the hull (110) and allowing the second part (112) to be positioned at the waterline. Also, when floating ice is positioned in front of the hull (110), fluid can be recovered from the floating body (130) through the supply line (121) or discharged to the bottom of the hull through the bypass line (122), so that the floating body (130) does not add buoyancy to the hull (110) and the waterline can be positioned at the first part (111) of the hull (110).

[0038] In addition, a first valve (121A) and a second valve (121B) may be provided in the supply line (121) and / or bypass line (122). For example, the first valve (121A) may be located upstream of the bypass line (122) to allow or block fluid passing through the supply line (121) from being supplied to the bypass line and / or the float (130). The second valve (121B) may be located at the point where the bypass line (122) branches off from the supply line (121) to allow or block fluid from being discharged to the bottom of the hull via the bypass line (122). The operation of these first valve (121A) and second valve (121B) will be described later. However, it is not limited to the first valve (121A) and the second valve (121B), and various variations are possible, such as a three-way valve being provided at the point where the bypass line (122) branches off.

[0039] The floating body (130) can change the waterline of the hull (110) by receiving fluid from the fluid supply unit (120) or by recovering fluid to the fluid supply unit (120) (or discharging it outside the hull (110). The floating body (130) can be provided in the receiving unit (113) and can have a structure in which the volume changes as a gas, such as air, flows in and out of the internal space, and can, for example, have a tube structure.

[0040] And the floating body (130) may be made of a flexible material such as rubber or silicone so that its shape can be varied according to changes in volume. However, the material is not limited, and other examples include being made of synthetic resin or plastic, and forming a shape such as a corrugated tube, so that the volume can be varied by folding and unfolding the corrugated tube according to the flow of fluid, and various variations are possible.

[0041] This floating body (130) may have a first volume or a second volume depending on whether it is an ice floe area or a floating ice area. For example, in an ice floe area where horizontal ice is present, the floating body (130) may have a first volume by receiving fluid from a fluid supply unit (120) so that buoyancy is applied to the hull (110) and the waterline of the hull (110) is positioned at the second part (112) (see FIG. 3). Then, in a floating ice area, the floating body (130) may have a second volume that is smaller than the first volume by cutting off the fluid supply from the fluid supply unit (120) or recovering the fluid so that the waterline of the hull (110) is positioned at the first part (111) (see FIG. 4 and FIG. 5).

[0042] And the floating body (130) may have a maximum volume of the second volume equal to or smaller than the volume of the receiving section (113) so that it does not protrude from the hull (110) in the second volume. For example, the floating body (130) may have gas recovered back to the fluid supply section (120), so that the second volume may be in a state where the floating body (130) has a minimum size, but this is merely an example. That is, various variations are possible, such as the second volume having a small space compared to the first volume and being able to be accommodated in the receiving section (113) of the hull (110), and it is acceptable for a predetermined space to be formed.

[0043] Below, we will explain the changes in volume and waterline of a floating body due to fluid flow.

[0044] First, referring to FIG. 1, when the ice vessel (100) is operating in an ice-covered sea area, it may be easy for the waterline to be positioned at the first part (111) forming a wedge shape so that the ice can be guided along the shape of the hull (110) and moved, that is, so that the ice vessel (100) can clear the ice. Accordingly, the hull (110) may be in a state where fluid is not supplied to the floating body (130) and is blocked so that no additional buoyancy is added.

[0045] In addition, when the waterline is located at the first part (111), the fluid supply unit (120) does not need to supply fluid to the floating body (130), so the fluid supply unit (120) may be in a stopped state. Meanwhile, it is not limited to this, and the fluid supply unit (120) may discharge fluid to reduce fluid friction resistance of the bottom of the hull.

[0046] The fluid discharged from the fluid supply unit (120) can be discharged to the bottom of the hull via the bypass line (122). At this time, since it is necessary to block the supply of fluid to the floating body (130) through the supply line (121), the first valve (121A) can open the supply line (121), while the second valve (121B) can close the supply line (121) and open the bypass line (122).

[0047] In this way, the fluid discharged through the fluid supply unit (120) can reduce the contact area between the hull (110) and the seawater to reduce frictional resistance of the bottom of the hull, or accelerate the fluid flow of the bottom of the hull by the forcibly discharged fluid to cause the ice floes to move quickly to the stern.

[0048] Next, referring to FIG. 3, the fluid supply unit (120) can supply fluid to the floating body (130). To do this, the first valve (121A) and the second valve (121B) can be opened to supply fluid to the floating body (130). Thus, the first valve (121A) can open the supply line (121), and the second valve (121B) can close the bypass line (122) and open the path toward the floating body (130).

[0049] This is to increase buoyancy on the hull (110) when horizontal ice is placed in the forward direction of the ice vessel (100). That is, by expanding the floating body (130) to have a first volume and adding buoyancy, it is possible to make it easier for the hull (110) to rise onto the horizontal ice.

[0050] The process of crushing horizontal ice by expanding the floating body (130) to form a first volume in this manner is explained with reference to FIGS. 6 to 10.

[0051] First, referring to FIG. 6, horizontal ice is provided in the forward direction of the ice vessel (100). Then, as shown in FIG. 7, fluid is supplied to the floating body (130) (which can be achieved through the fluid supply process described with reference to FIG. 3), and the buoyancy of the hull (110) can be increased along with the increase in the volume of the floating body (130).

[0052] Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the bow of the hull (110) is moved upward, that is, the bow is lifted onto the horizontal ice. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the ice vessel (100) can easily climb onto the horizontal ice, and a bending action can occur on the horizontal ice. Accordingly, the horizontal ice is bent and broken by the ice vessel (100), and the ice vessel (100) can be operated through an operation of advancing along with icebreaking.

[0053] In this way, when the hull (110) moves over the upper surface of the horizontal ice, it can move by increasing buoyancy without adding thrust, thus preventing engine load for generating excessive thrust.

[0054] In addition, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, when breaking horizontal ice with the weight of the ice vessel (100), the hull (110) rises above the horizontal ice, and then the fluid injected into the floating body (130) is forcibly discharged to momentarily remove the buoyancy. Due to the impact load generated by the weight of the ice vessel (100) and the buoyancy removed momentarily, the horizontal ice can be broken more easily.

[0055] And the process of forcibly discharging the fluid injected into the floating body (130) to instantaneously remove buoyancy is explained as follows with reference again to FIGS. 4 and FIGS. 5.

[0056] First, referring to FIG. 4, after the ice vessel (100) has risen onto the horizontal ice, the first valve (121A) closes the supply line (121) and the second valve (121B) opens the bypass line (122), so that the fluid inside the floating body (130) can be discharged at once through the opening (122A) of the bypass line (122) formed at the bottom of the vessel.

[0057] Additionally, referring to FIG. 5, after the fluid within the floating body (130) is discharged through the opening (122A) of the bypass line (122), the fluid can be forcibly recovered to the fluid supply unit (120). To do this, the first valve (121A) can open the supply line (121), and the second valve (121B) can close the bypass line (122).

[0058] However, since this process is intended to break horizontal ice by instantly removing buoyancy and causing the hull (110) to generate a large downward force, various variations are possible if the fluid inside the floating body (130) can be discharged all at once. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, only the process of discharging the fluid inside the floating body (130) through the opening (122A) of the bypass line (122) may be performed, or as shown in FIG. 5, only the process of forcibly recovering the fluid inside the floating body (130) to the fluid supply unit (120) may be performed.

[0059] And this process of increasing buoyancy and temporarily removing buoyancy is performed repeatedly so that the ice vessel (100) can advance as the horizontal ice breaks.

[0060] An ice vessel (100) capable of breaking ice floes through a change in the waterline according to such an embodiment can artificially create cracks in horizontal ice in the forward direction of the ice vessel (100), thereby improving icebreaking performance. In addition, since the fluid / buoying resistance of the hull can be reduced through the fluid discharged through the fluid supply unit (120), there is no need to generate excessive thrust, thus increasing the operational efficiency of the ice vessel (100).

[0061] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention may be implemented in other specific forms without changing its technical concept or essential features. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. Explanation of the symbols

[0062] 100: Ice Ship 110: Hull 120: Fluid supply unit 130: Floating body

Claims

Claim 1 A hull having a first portion in contact with the sea surface in an ice floe area and a second portion provided between the first portion and the bottom of the hull; a fluid supply portion provided on the hull and discharging fluid; A floating body having a first volume by receiving fluid from a fluid supply unit so that buoyancy is applied to the hull in an ice floe area where level ice is formed, so that the waterline of the hull is positioned at the second part, or having a second volume having a volume smaller than the first volume by cutting off the fluid supply from the fluid supply unit or recovering the fluid so that the waterline of the hull is positioned at the first part in an ice floe area; the hull includes a receiving portion in which a space is formed to accommodate the floating body at the bottom; the floating body is provided in the receiving portion, and the maximum volume of the second volume is equal to or smaller than the volume of the receiving portion so that it does not protrude from the hull in the second volume; the fluid supply unit includes a supply line connected to the floating body and a bypass line opening at the bottom of the hull so that fluid can be discharged to the bottom of the hull by bypassing the supply line; the fluid supply unit supplies fluid to the floating body through the supply line when level ice is positioned in front of the hull, or through the supply line when ice floe is positioned in front of the hull An ice vessel capable of breaking ice floes by changing the waterline, recovering fluid from a floating body or discharging fluid to the bottom of the hull through the bypass line. Claim 2 An ice vessel capable of breaking drift ice by changing the waterline, wherein the first part and the second part are provided at the bow, the first part is formed in a wedge shape so that floating ice moves along the side of the hull, and the second part has a gentle curvature relative to the first part so that horizontal ice that is weak against bending is broken by the self-weight of the hull. Claim 3 delete Claim 4 In claim 1, the opening of the bypass line is an ice vessel capable of breaking ice floes by changing the waterline, located at the rear of the floating body. Claim 5 delete

Images