WO2002018201A2

WO2002018201A2 - Submarine towing barrel

Info

Publication number: WO2002018201A2
Application number: PCT/GR2001/000045
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christos Papagellou
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-12-19
Filing date: 2001-12-14
Publication date: 2002-03-07
Anticipated expiration: 2003-06-19
Also published as: AU2002220928A1; WO2002018201A3; GR20000100442A

Abstract

The towing submarine barrel can carry huge cargos at a very low cost and even lower insurance cost, without any waste time for the towboat (6), since the loading and unloading takes place a the mole (5), while the towboat (6) is disconnected and connects to antother submarine barrel and carries it. This is because the loading and unloading had to be done with the towboat (6) disconnected from the towing submarine barrel, because it goes up and down the sea surface, while their connections (11) and the carrying must be done in a fully loaded towing submarine barrel in order to avoid shifting of the cargo.

Description

DESCRIPTION SUBMARINE TOWING BARREL

The invention involves a barrel (1), surrounded by a buoyancy system (2) equal to its weight and the weight of its cargo, that is why it is turned into a submarine. The invention also concerns a towing vessel (6), which carries the barrel, without allowing it to rotate.

The barrels are already known, but the submarine towing barrel, not until now.

BUOYANCY MATERIALS

We can use various swelled materials of steep cellule, such as polystyrene, PVC, polyurethane, etc., in crumbs, in pieces or undivided, even air, compressed air or various gases, using artificial swelling.

COLLISION AND CRACK

In case of a collision or even in case of a crack, the buoyancy room (2) cannot be overflowed by water, because of the buoyancy material (2) that fills it, except at the exact point of the occurred damage, where a small percentage of the buoyancy material will be destroyed, which will be counted-in though, so the submarine towing barrel will not sink.

DRAWINGS Drawing 1 shows the upper view of the barrel (1) in section and its useful space, surrounded by a buoyancy system (2) which forces the barrel to submerge, as well as the positive couplings (3).

Drawing 2 shows the side view of the barrel with the towboat (6) and the positive couplings (3), as well as the mole (5) with the negative couplings (4), which stops the barrel from rotating. It also shows the ability of going up and down the sea's surface when it is loaded or unloaded. Finally, it shows the cleaning spouts (8), as well as the water tanks (14). Drawing 3 shows the backside view of the barrel and the towboat, where the propellers (9) and the steering gears (10) of the towboat are shown, with their link (11), so that it can carry the barrel along.

Drawing 4 shows the upper view of the towboat (6), its hydrodynamic line as well as the buoyancy rooms (12), which prevents the submarine barrel from rotating when carried. Drawing 5 shoes another shape (13) of the submarine barrel, which helps it not to rotate, when carried. TOWING

While the submarine barrel is loaded, therefore sank to the surface of the sea and while it is linked to the mole, the towboat passes over it, with the rear, in the middle of which there are links (11). Sinking the submarine barrel with the water tanks (14) at the point, we connect it with the links and after we unlink it from the mole, the towboat carries it.

EXAMPLE If a submarine barrel with external dimensions Φ54m x 500m and internal dimensions Φ38m x 500m of useful space, full with water, the following will approximately occur:

CARGO: 500.000 tons BUOYANCY AREA: 500.000 m³

This means that with such an equivalence of weight in tons to buoyancy in m³, the barrel will sink almost to the surface of the sea and not beyond.

Exact measurement will take place at the stage of the testing, when we will also test the resistance of the materials, for example in a depth of 54 meters under the sea, where the pressure is 5,4 atmospheres, which will be their behavior and which will prove to be the most suitable.

ADVANTAGES

1^st It does not sink, even in case of a collision or crack. 2^ndlt travels from both sides. 3^rdlt is connected to the mole by itself which means no waste time for the towboat. 4^th It can carry huge cargos safely due to its size and its buoyancy system. 5^th It is not affected by weather conditions, because it is a submarine. 6^thlt can be easily cleaned, as its inner part is smooth.

ARTIFICIAL SWELLING

It is attained with various ways, airtight closed, such as:

1 .-Plastic balls filled with air, compressed air or gases, soldered together.

2. -Plastic cubes, blowing of extruder. 3.-Plastic cubes of injection, fifty-fifty and soldered together.

4.-Plastic cubes of vacuum, fifty-fifty and soldered together. 5.-Plastic stratuses or pillows, soldered with alto-frequent. 6. -Metallic ventilators, soldered. 7. -Metallic wadded pipes. 8.-Plastic or metallic reservoirs.

9.-Plastic convex tiles of extruder, air tightly soldered at the edges, with a folding such as the one of a plastic bag sides, even with inner ribs, which are super-automatically manufactured, and so, with the cheapest cost, in every dimension and length we want, by one and only production line. The material, the hardness, the shape and the dimensions will be fixed by me during the stage of the testing and the stage of measurements, when the weight per 1 m³ will also occur for the calculation of the artificial swelled buoyancy.

Claims

C L A I M S

1.-The towing submarine barrel (1) is characterized by the fact that its is surrounded by a buoyancy system (2) equal to the weight of both the barrel and its cargo, that is why it becomes submarine, unsinkable even in case of collision or crack.

2.-According to Claim 1 , the towing submarine barrel it is characterized by the fact that as buoyancy materials we can use various swelled materials of closed cellule, such as polystyrene, PVC, polyurethane etc., in crumbs, in pieces of undivided, even air, compressed air or various gases, with artificial swelling.

3.-According to Claims 1 and 2, the towing submarine barrel is characterized by the fact that the artificial swelling is attained with various ways, airtight closed, such as: 1.-Plastic balls filled with air, compressed air or gases, soldered together.

2. -Plastic cubes, blowing of extruder.

3. -Plastic cubes of injection, fifty-fifty and soldered together.

4.-Plastic cubes of vacuum, fifty-fifty and soldered together.

5.-Plastic stratuses or pillows, soldered with alto-frequent. 6.-Metallic ventilators, soldered.

7. -Metallic wadded pipes.

8.-Plastic or metallic reservoirs.

9.-Plastic convex tiles of extruder, airtight soldered at the edges, with a folding.

4. -According to Claims 1 , 2 and 3, the towing submarine barrel is characterized by the fact that at its edges there are positive couplings (3) in order to connect with the negative couplings (4) of the mole (5) without rotating and in order to be able to go up and down the sea surface while its loading or unloading.

5.-According to Claims 1 , 2, 3 and 4, the towing submarine barrel is characterized by the fact that its is linked (11) with a towboat (6) in order to carry it, without allowing it to rotate because of the buoyancy room (12) of the towboat.