A ship construction that prevents environmental disasters in collision

Abstract

The present invention relates to a ship construction that prevents environmental disasters and high compensation payments by institution resulting from ship collisions. The invention particularly relates to a bow form that eliminates the possibility of the inner sheet metal of the side being split as a result of collisions of tankers and container ships carrying high value-added products, Ro-Ro ships carrying valuable products and passengers, and ferries with marine vessels, and ensures that the outer sheet metal is only opened and crushed in a narrow area depending on the location on the ship that is hit, or that there is no tearing at all.

Description

[0001] A SHIP CONSTRUCTION THAT PREVENTS ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS IN COLLISION

[0002] Technical Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a ship construction that prevents environmental disasters and high compensation payments resulting from ship collisions.

[0004] The invention particularly relates to a bow form that eliminates the possibility of the inner sheet metal of the side being split as a result of collisions of tankers and container ships carrying high value-added products, Ro-Ro ships carrying valuable products and passengers, and ferries with marine vessels, and ensures that the outer sheet metal is only opened and crushed in a narrow area depending on the location on the ship that is hit, or that there is no tearing at all.

[0005] State of the Art

[0006] Today, ships are designed and built to carry very different solid and liquid forms and types of cargo between countries and continents. Therefore, the forms, constructions, appearances and equipment of these ships are very different. However, in general, all commercial ships consist of a long hull consisting of a stern, engine room and superstructures (living quarters) and cargo holds, and a stem. In the bows of commercial ships, which are generally over 30 meters in length, there are structures called bulbs in different geometric forms below the waterline, which generally resemble cylinders in side view. Well-designed bulbs are indispensable elements of the bow in terms of hydrodynamics, as they provide a certain reduction in the total resistance of the ship. They are designed to be structurally very rigid in terms of their location and are generally made of very durable shipbuilding steel. Since the main function of the bow extending above the waterline after the bulb is to prevent waves coming to the bow, its length is usually kept short in terms of material and labour economy. In other words, the bow is constructed in a way that its length above the waterline is usually designed to be equal to or shorter than the length of the bulb. These bulbs create local pressure changes in accordance with Bernoulli's Principle by accelerating the fluid locally, as in ship rudders, propellers and aircraft wings. Since the height of the bow wave formed at the waterline of the ship's bow is significantly reduced by the negative pressure zone formed around the well-designed bulbs, and the pressure distribution around the ship becomes much more balanced, a certain amount of reduction is achieved in the ship's total resistance, especially the wave resistance. Therefore, in general, bulbs have become an important addition to the bow in terms of fuel economy of commercial ships over 30 meters in length since the eighties. In addition, under the management of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), it is planned to effectively limit the emission of CO2gas into the atmosphere by 2050. Since it is possible to achieve these goals through high fuel savings, it is expected that bulb constructions will be developed and spread.

[0007] Since bulbs are always in a position at the bow of the ships that is prone to collision and impact, and therefore injury, they have a very robust construction. For this reason, detailed collision analyses of bulbs have begun to be conducted. In addition, the attention paid to the construction of bulbs has begun to increase in order to make bulbs more resistant to collisions and grounding possibility of ships in very busy lines where ship traffic is concentrated. The part of the bow that continues above the waterline is designed and constructed in a narrow, high and slanted form, primarily to prevent the ship deck from being affected by bow waves and also for aesthetic reasons. Thus, while protecting the deck from waves coming from the bow, the height of the bow above the waterline is high but its length is kept short in order to avoid using a large amount of material and to save on labour and to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance. During a collision, this bow acts like a “battering ram” in terms of construction, and when a ship with high energy hits another ship’s side, the side plate of the ship that is hit splits and to the extent that the energy of the ship that hits cannot be absorbed, the bow enters the side of the ship that is hit to a certain extent.

[0008] Generally, the bow is designed and constructed in a narrow, high and slanted form, primarily to avoid being affected by bow waves and for aesthetic reasons. During the collision, the bulb creates a deep wound on the lower part of the ship's side, while the slant bow, which can be the same length as the bulb or shorter, causes serious injuries such as heavy plate crushing and deep plate tearing on the upper side and deck of the ship that is hit, not only due to its kinetic energy and form, but also partly due to its weight. The bows of icebreaker ships are designed as slanted. With these features, they rise above the ice sheets and break the ice sheet with the weight of the bow and bow quarter sections. The bows of the colliding ships, which have high kinetic energy, show a similar effect and cause serious damage to the ship hit. Sea and rain water also enter from the areas opened at and above the waterline.

[0009] If the displacement tonnage (m mass) and speed (v) of the colliding ship is high, due to its high kinetic energy [Ek=0,5.m.v2], if the ship hit is a tanker, the inner sheet of the tanker, which is built as a double-walled, can also be split. Due to the high kinetic energy of the colliding ship, for example, the inner sheet of container ships can also be opened and very valuable products are damaged due to the impact and to the water filling the cargo holds. The first example is a serious environmental disaster and a subject of various compensation cases, while the second example causes companies that insure high-value products to recourse all their expenses to the shipping company. In addition, containers storing chemical products also have the potential to cause environmental disasters.

[0010] There are various developments related to ship constructions in the state of the art. There are also many patents and / or utility model applications or articles related to these systems. One of these is the patent application numbered “GB1197186A”. Said invention relates to the push-pull module being connected to the load carrying unit and carrying out load transportation, and being connected to another load carrying unit and driving this unit after loading-unloading in ports. It is stated that the push-pull module can be better utilised in this way. The push-pull module has a special bow form for perfect connection to the cargo unit, and the cargo unit has a stern form to provide this. However, in order for the sections that push and are pushed during shipping at sea to move in harmony, a series of comprehensive mechanical connections are also foreseen in addition to compatible forms. The invention is based on the assumption that the push-pull unit will not be needed during loading-unloading at the port and therefore other cargo units can be shipped with this unit. However, during the loadingunloading of the cargo unit, the inclination and trim of the unit must be constantly controlled with measurement systems and visually by at least one officer and one crew member, the loading-unloading process must be carried out according to a predetermined / calculated procedure and all operations must be supervised by control systems from a location similar to the bridge. The personnel (captain and / or loading officer) decides in which order and with what amount of ballast all deep and side stability tanks will be filled / emptied, keeps the entire ballast pump system under control and thus protects the stability and structural integrity of the ship. Otherwise, it is inevitable for the ship to sink in the port or, in extreme cases, for the ship to break in the middle.

[0011] Another document in the state of the art is the application numbered “EP3055198B1”. Said invention relates to ocean liners and in particular an ocean liner with a hull form designed to reduce the effects of low, medium or high waves on the ship. The aim of the invention is to provide a stern form design that reduces the drag on the ship due to waves and the impact loads from the crashing waves. In order to achieve this, a convex form has been given to the stern form above the waterline towards the centreline. The centreline may also include straight sections. It is stated that the arrangements of said invention are useful for use in ships that serve in the service and supply operations of offshore facilities.

[0012] The invention, which is the subject of the patent numbered “EP3247620B1” in the state of the art, relates to the design of the bow and bow shoulders of vehicles travelling in the open sea. The invention relates particularly to a specific bow form that will be more effective than bulbs, reducing the wave resistance of the sea vehicle in a wide speed range and also significantly reducing the spray and wave breaking resistance therein. Said form comprises a body that is completely or partially submerged in water (sea) and placed in the bow region. Said body form interacts with the midship and stern region of the boat. The upper part of said body is designed and placed in a way that will accelerate the approaching water mass in the vertical plane and then cause the water masses to create waves to the least extent possible behind the body, away from the bow region and in the parallel body and stern region. In this type of construction, the part of the bow below the waterline is designed to be very large, and the part above the waterline is designed to be very short, as the main aim of the invention. In the event of a collision, it is inevitable that both the ship that is hit and the ship that hits will suffer severe damage. As can be seen from the content of the patent and utility model applications given above, the safety understanding that has developed in the field of ship engineering design and related institutions has always been in the direction of eliminating the safety weaknesses of the ship that has been hit, and the same intensity of work has not been done in terms of developing safety measures for the ship that hits. A ship that suffers very heavy damage in a collision occurs as a result of another ship hitting it with its bow and its large mass and relatively high speed, and high kinetic energy. Therefore, in order to effectively limit the damage in the collision, the form and design of the bow of the ship that hits must be reconsidered.

[0013] As a result, due to the negativities described above and the inadequacy of existing solutions in this context, a new technology is needed in the relevant technical field, which completely eliminates the possibility of splitting of the inner side plate as a result of collisions in tankers and container ships carrying high value-added products, Ro-Ro ships and ferries carrying valuable products and passengers, and ensures that the outer plate is opened and crushed only in a narrow area depending on the location of the ship that is hit, and even prevents any splitting of this outer plate.

[0014] Brief Description and Aims of the Invention

[0015] The invention relates to a bow form and construction that meets the above-mentioned requirements, eliminates all disadvantages and provides some additional advantages, preventing environmental disasters and high compensation payments resulting from ship collisions.

[0016] The most important aim of the invention is to ensure that the entire bow construction of the ship that hits can absorb a significant portion or all of the impact energy generated during the collision. The energy can be absorbed by means of the construction developed with the invention, and thus the crumpled or crushed construction prevents the bulb from reaching the side of the ship that is hit by resting on the steel construction. In this way, the wide crumple-crushing surface creates much more limited damage to the upper side and deck of the ship hit. Therefore, the outer and inner sheet metal of the ship hit is definitely not split by the bulb. Another aim of the invention is to completely eliminate the possibility of splitting of the inner side plate as a result of collisions of tankers and container ships carrying high value added products, Ro-Ro ships carrying valuable products and passengers, and ferries with marine vessels.

[0017] Another aim of the invention is to provide a construction where the outer plate is opened and crushed only in a narrow area depending on the location of the ship that is hit, and even no splitting occurs in this outer plate. By means of the construction developed with the invention, since the crumpled / crushed bow of the ship that hits acts like an elastic-plastic buffer, very limited damage occurs in the deck and upper side section of the ship that is hit. Because the majority of the impact energy is absorbed by the bow made of structural steel or HDPE / composite material that is significantly deformed, is ductile and has high deformation capability.

[0018] Another aim of the invention is to provide a construction suitable for recycling for the continuity of the ecosystem. The bow made of ductile and highly deformable structural steel or HDPE material, which is significantly or completely deformed as a result of impact or collision, is 100% recyclable, thus contributing to the continuity of the ecosystem.

[0019] Another aim of the invention is to prevent the environmental disasters caused by crude and processed oil carried as cargo, disrupting the marine ecosystem, and the high value-added products carried in containers or pallets from being unusable with sea and rain water, resulting in high compensation, penalty and insurance payments.

[0020] Another aim of the invention is to increase navigation safety. The bow construction developed with the invention effectively dampens the pitch movement of the ship in windy weather, allowing the ship to make a lower degree of pitch movement, thus preventing the increase in fuel consumption in heavy sea conditions. Reducing fuel consumption means reducing operating costs and directly limiting CO2, NOXand SOXemissions from ship flue gases into the marine environment and atmosphere. Description of Drawings

[0021] FIGURE-1 is the drawing showing the view of the bow construction of commercial ships in the state of the art.

[0022] FIGURE-2 is the drawing showing the view of the bow construction which is the subject of the invention.

[0023] FIGURE-3 is the drawing showing the threaded mounting view of the bow construction which is the subject of the invention.

[0024] FIGURE-4 is the drawing showing the straight (blank) mounting view of the bow construction which is the subject of the invention.

[0025] FIGURE-5 is the drawing showing the view of the bow construction, which is the subject of the invention, after it has been hit.

[0026] FIGURE-6 is the drawing showing the front view of the bow construction which is the subject of the invention.

[0027] FIGURE-7 is the perspective view of the bow construction which is the subject of the invention.

[0028] FIGURE-8 is the cell structured layers of the bow construction which is the subject of the invention

[0029] Definition of Elements / Parts Composing the Invention

[0030] In order to better explain the bow construction developed with this invention, the elements in the figures are numbered and the correspondence of each number is given below:

[0031] 1. Bulb

[0032] 2. Bow form

[0033] 3. Making the bow construction block threaded as in Figure 3

[0034] 4. Making the bow construction block straight (blank) as in Figure 4 Detailed Description of the Invention

[0035] The present invention relates to a ship construction that prevents environmental disasters and high compensation payments resulting from ship collisions. The invention particularly relates to a bow form (2) that eliminates the possibility of the inner sheet metal of the side being split as a result of collisions of tankers and container ships carrying high value-added products, Ro-Ro ships carrying valuable products and passengers, and ferries with marine vessels, and ensures that the outer sheet metal is only opened and crushed in a narrow area depending on the location on the ship that is hit, or that there is no tearing at all. The bow form (2) is mounted as a block using steel or different materials integrally to the ship during the construction of a ship on the slipway (3,4). The bulbs (1 ) are placed (stored) under the long and wide cross-sectional (large surface) bow form (2) in a way that protects other ships.

[0036] The bow form (2) developed with the present invention is manufactured by the shipyard as shown in figure-2, figure-3 and figure-4, from ductile and mild structural steels containing 0.05-0.15% carbon in its structure, referred to as low carbon steel, AISI 1005-1025, high density polyethylene (HDPE) or composite materials such as epoxy, vinylester, polyurethane, polyamide type thermosets or low density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyetherimide type thermoplastics, e-glass, s-glass, boron fibre, carbon, polymer and polyamide type fibres. The bow form (2) is made of high-density polyethylene, which is 100% recyclable, thus contributing to the ecosystem. In addition to ductile and mild shipbuilding steel or HDPE material, epoxy, vinylester, polyurethane, polyamide type thermosets or low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyetherimide type thermoplastics, e-glass, s-glass, boron fibre, carbon, polymer and polyamide type fibres can also be used. However, using ductile and mild shipbuilding steel or HDPE material is more advantageous in terms of cost.

[0037] When the bow form (2) is made of composite material such as HDPE (high density polyethylene) or fibreglass reinforced polyester, sheet metal welding is not used during mounting. Instead, bolted and tight-fitting joining techniques are used. In this case, the construction block should be made threaded as in Figure-3 and its weight should be carried by the steel construction. However, taking into account the risk of the excessive strain on the connections, the entire block section can also be manufactured as straight (blank) as in Figure 4 and mounted. The bow form (2) is made of a more elastic material, such as HDPE, different from shipbuilding steel, to ensure that the impact energy in the collision is fully absorbed. In addition, after the bow is crumpled or crushed, it acts as a complete elastic-plastic buffer by supporting the steel construction.

[0038] The bow form (2) has a constructive structure and form consisting of cells similar to different prisms, i.e. honeycomb-like cells, as in Figures 7 and 8. In this way, the collision energy is absorbed by the controlled deformation of the construction elements in the form of breaking, crushing and crumpling as a result of the collision, and the entire construction acts as a protective buffer.

[0039] With the present invention, the possibility of the inner sheet metal of the side being split as a result of collisions in tankers and container ships carrying high value-added products, and Ro-Ro ships and ferries carrying valuable products and passengers is completely eliminated, while the outer sheet metal is only opened and crushed in a narrow area depending on the location of the ship that is hit, and even this outer sheet metal does not split.

[0040] With the developed bow form (2), while the spread of crude oil and petroleum derivatives from tanker tanks into the sea and spreading to the environment, i.e. an environmental disaster, is prevented, in other types of ships, especially container ships and passenger-carrying Ro-Ro ships and ferries, the damage caused by sea and rainwater filling the holds and damaging the high value-added products carried, and the damage to the containers carrying chemical products are also prevented. In this way, the heavy compensation and insurance payments of shipping companies are effectively limited. With the help of this invention, environmental disasters and large compensation payments that occur in tanker accidents that occur and are likely to occur due to the increased ship traffic can be prevented.

[0041] The invention is of great importance for the seas, especially ports and coasts, in short, for the safety of the marine environment (ecosystem) and for maritime shipping companies and insurance sectors. Therefore, said invention has significant advantages depending on the results of compensation and penalty payments and insurance amounts accrued to shipping companies due to environmental and atmospheric pollution, which is the focus of the aforementioned sectors, national and international political bodies and non-governmental organizations and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

[0042] With the developed invention, the ship's pitch movement in windy weather is effectively dampened and the ship is enabled to make a lower degree of pitch movement. Thus, the increase in fuel consumption in heavy sea conditions is prevented, while navigation safety is increased. Reducing fuel consumption means reducing operating costs and directly limiting CO2, NOXand SOXemissions from ship flue gases into the marine environment and atmosphere.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A ship construction that prevents environmental disasters and high compensation payments by institution resulting from ship collisions, comprising;• A bow form (2) that provides damping during the collision, that is mounted integrally to a ship during the construction of the ship on the slipway, using bolting or tight-fitting joining techniques if it is made of composite material, and is welded if it is made of mild shipbuilding steel, and the internal structure of which consists of triangular, quadrangular or pentagonal honeycombs.

2. A ship construction according to Claim 1 , comprising the bow form (2) that is made of structural steel, high density polyethylene or glass fibre reinforced polyester, is more ductile and has a higher deformability than normal shipbuilding steel, wherein, the main feature of this form is that after crumpling or crushing construction following the collision, this part acts as a complete elastic-plastic buffer by resting on the steel construction, thus providing a construction that fully absorbs the impact energy generated during the collision.

3. A ship construction according to Claim 1 , wherein the bow form has a construction feature that prevents the bulb from functioning as a "battering ram" by remaining completely ineffective under the bow.

4. A ship construction according to Claim 1 , wherein the special bow form dampens the pitch movement of the ship in heavy weather, allowing the ship to make a much lower pitch movement, thus preventing the increase in fuel consumption in severe weather and increasing navigational safety.

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