NO322719B1

NO322719B1 - System for eliminating discharges of bunker oil from wrecked vessels and pressure balancing tanks

Info

Publication number: NO322719B1
Application number: NO20045545A
Authority: NO
Inventors: John Dale; Egil Eriksen
Original assignee: Tool Tech As
Priority date: 2004-12-17
Filing date: 2004-12-17
Publication date: 2006-12-04
Also published as: NO20045545D0; NO20045545L

Abstract

Oppfinnelsen angår en fremgangsmåte for å eliminere utslipp av olje fra havarerte skip og trykkbalansere tankene med oppkoplinger mot en programmerbar logisk styring, PLS (1). På luftinntak (17) på tankens (11) topp monteres en trykkluftoperert åpne- og stengeventil (8) styrt av en solenoidventil ventil (6), som slipper luft på ventilens aktuator for å åpne, og blør av luft for å stenge. Solenoidventilen (6) styres av vann/ trykksensorer (3, 4), plassert på skipet som raskt fylles med vann ved forlis, da signaler til PLS (1) stenger solenoidventil. På toppen av tankene (11) monteres en fjærstyrt sikringsventil (9), som slipper vann inn på tanken (11), men stenger for at olje lekker ut, idet sikringsventilen (9) vil utligne trykk innvendig og utvendig i tanken (11) etter som skipes synker, da åpningstrykket bestemmes av tankens (11) differansetrykk. Det monteres et nytt tømmerør med stengeventil (13) i sidevegg av bunkerstanken (11), slik at det sammen med øvrige fyllings- og tømmerør med tilhørende stengeventiler (17, 18) alltid er mulig å operere med en nedre innpumping av vann og et øvre uttak av olje, selv om skipet blir liggende på en av sidene ved lensing. Det monteres inn to velgeventiler (15) og to rør til tilkoplingsventiler (14) på dekk, slik at ROV eller dykkere kan kople seg til skipets varmesløyfe (12) med varmt vann/ steam.The invention relates to a method for eliminating oil discharges from wrecked vessels and to pressure balancing the tanks with connections to a programmable logic control, PLS (1). At the air inlet (17) at the top of the tank (11) is mounted a compressed air operated opening and closing valve (8) controlled by a solenoid valve (6), which releases air on the actuator of the valve to open, and bleeds of air to close. The solenoid valve (6) is controlled by water / pressure sensors (3, 4), located on the ship which is quickly filled with water by sinking, as signals to the PLS (1) close the solenoid valve. At the top of the tanks (11) is mounted a spring-controlled fuse valve (9), which enters water into the tank (11) but closes for oil to leak out, as the fuse valve (9) will equalize pressure inside and outside the tank (11) after which is lowered as the opening pressure is determined by the differential pressure of the tank (11). A new timber pipe with shut-off valve (13) is mounted in the side wall of the bunker tank (11), so that together with other filling and timber pipes with associated shut-off valves (17, 18) it is always possible to operate with a lower pumping of water and an upper withdrawal of oil, even if the ship is lying on one of the sides during reeling. Two selector valves (15) and two tubes for connecting valves (14) are fitted to the deck, so that ROV or divers can connect to the ship's heating loop (12) with hot water / steam.

Description

Oppfinnelsen angår et system for å eliminere utslipp av olje, bunkersolje og kjemikalier fra havarerte skip og trykkbalansere tankene, som angitt i innledningen til det medfølgende krav 1. The invention relates to a system for eliminating emissions of oil, bunker oil and chemicals from damaged ships and pressure balancing the tanks, as stated in the introduction to the accompanying claim 1.

Skip som forliser kan forårsake forurensinger i havmiljøet, og det koster store summer å fjerne oljen som er lekket ut fra olje- og bunkerstankene, heretter benevnt "tankene" i skipet. Ships that sink can cause pollution in the marine environment, and it costs large sums to remove the oil that has leaked from the oil and bunker tanks, hereafter referred to as the "tanks" in the ship.

I dag er tankene i skip for dårlig sikret mot utslipp ved forlis, der skipet og tankene synker under vann. Over tid vil vann trenge inn i tankene gjennom luftinntak, som er i topp av hver tank. Da vannets egenvekt er større enn oljens, starter en prosess der oljen blir fortrengt av vannet og flyter opp til overflaten. Today, the tanks in ships are too poorly secured against spills in the event of a shipwreck, where the ship and tanks sink under water. Over time, water will enter the tanks through air intakes, which are at the top of each tank. As the specific gravity of the water is greater than that of the oil, a process starts where the oil is displaced by the water and floats to the surface.

Oljens eller kjemikaliets beskaffenhet varierer en del, fra tyntflytende solar og dieselolje til råolje og tyktflytende tungolje, som må varmes opp for å bli så flytende at den kan bringes fra tankene. Moderne skip har et stort antall tanker med svært forskjellig form, alt etter tankenes plassering i skroget. Felles for alle tankene er at de har et luftinntak, for at det ikke skal oppstå vakuum når de tappes. The nature of the oil or chemical varies quite a bit, from thin-flowing solar and diesel oil to crude oil and thick-flowing heavy oil, which must be heated to become so liquid that it can be removed from the tanks. Modern ships have a large number of tanks of very different shapes, depending on the location of the tanks in the hull. Common to all tanks is that they have an air intake, so that a vacuum does not occur when they are drained.

Fra patentlitteraturen hitsettes: From the patent literature:

- US 3,868,921 beskriver en anordning for å eliminere utslipp av fluider fra havarerte skip, der det er kjent at luftinntaket på tankens topp er utstyrt med en åpne- og stengeventil, som ved et ulykkestilfelle vil reagere på det hydro-statiske trykket og stenge ventilen, som også utligner forskjellen mellom inn-og utvendig trykk i tanken, samt en innretning for å tømme tankene når fartøyet ligger på havbunnen. - US 3,868,921 describes a device for eliminating the discharge of fluids from wrecked ships, where it is known that the air intake at the top of the tank is equipped with an opening and closing valve, which in the event of an accident will react to the hydrostatic pressure and close the valve, which also balances the difference between inside and outside pressure in the tank, as well as a device to empty the tanks when the vessel is on the seabed.

Dette er et manuelt system med en ventil som har automatisk utløsning uten This is a manual system with a valve that has automatic release without

muligheter for fjernstyring eller fjernindikasjon på tilstand. Det gir bare visuell visuell indikasjon på tilstand (åpen / stengt). Systemet kan bare testes options for remote control or remote indication of condition. It only provides visual visual indication of state (open / closed). The system can only be tested

manuelt ved å operere et håndtak på selve ventilen. Lensing etter forlis kan bare skje ved innsats av dykkere fra tankens toppside, Bruk av dykker forutsetter at båten befinner seg på dyp der vedkommende kan arbeide. Videre tar ikke systemet hensyn til fjerning av tyktflytende bunkersolje, som er vanskelig å lense, særlig i kaldere farvann, uten tilgang på steam og eller varmt vann. - US 4,143,672 omhandler en ventil som benyttes i forbindelse med forlis av fartøy, der ventilen stenges ved et bestemt trykk. - JP 04143189 A viser et system for å forhindre utslipp fra fartøy, der det er kjent at et kontrollsystem mottar informasjon fra en lydsensor, som melder fra dersom fartøyet går på grunn, hvorpå systemet besørger at trykkventilen mottar et signal, som åpner en ventil 14 automatisk, slik at inert gass eller oljedamp blir absorbert i en vakuumtank 12 gjennom kommunikasjonsrør 13 for å redusere trykket i gasstrykksatte soner 6, og derved hindre at fluider lekker ut fra sprekker i skroget. - JP 2001191993 A beskriver en trykkluftbperert åpne- og stengeventil, en såkalt stormventil, der denne benyttes når et fartøy beveger seg i uvær. manually by operating a handle on the valve itself. Lensing after a shipwreck can only be done by the efforts of divers from the top side of the tank. The use of divers requires that the boat is at a depth where that person can work. Furthermore, the system does not take into account the removal of viscous bunker oil, which is difficult to bilge, especially in colder waters, without access to steam and or hot water. - US 4,143,672 deals with a valve that is used in connection with the sinking of a vessel, where the valve is closed at a certain pressure. - JP 04143189 A shows a system to prevent emissions from vessels, where it is known that a control system receives information from a sound sensor, which reports if the vessel runs aground, whereupon the system ensures that the pressure valve receives a signal, which opens a valve 14 automatically, so that inert gas or oil vapor is absorbed in a vacuum tank 12 through communication pipe 13 to reduce the pressure in gas-pressurized zones 6, thereby preventing fluids from leaking out from cracks in the hull. - JP 2001191993 A describes a compressed air-operated opening and closing valve, a so-called storm valve, where this is used when a vessel moves in stormy weather.

Ingen av de forannevnte patenter beskriver en helhetsløsning; US 3,868,921 er den mest nærliggende, men forutsetter dybder for dykkerbetjening, bg skip som ikke har slagside eller har veltet, mens de tre andre i det vesentlige omhandler stenge-/ åpneventiler. None of the aforementioned patents describe an overall solution; US 3,868,921 is the closest, but presupposes depths for diver operation, eg ships that do not have a side or have capsized, while the other three essentially deal with closing/opening valves.

Foreliggende søknad omhandler et system for å eliminere utslipp ved å stenge av olje- og bunkers- og kjemikalietankene ved forlis, slik at oljen ikke lekker ut, og samtidig sørge for en trykkbalansering av den enkelte tank når den synker ned på varierende dyp og utsettes for et stadig økende trykk, samt den etter-følgende lense- / tømmeoperasjonen, som må skje ut fra oljens beskaffenhet, havdybde, skipets stilling på havbunn og andre fysiske forhold. The present application concerns a system to eliminate emissions by shutting off the oil, bunker and chemical tanks in the event of a shipwreck, so that the oil does not leak out, and at the same time ensure pressure balancing of the individual tank when it sinks to varying depths and is exposed to an ever-increasing pressure, as well as the subsequent bilge / emptying operation, which must take place based on the nature of the oil, sea depth, the ship's position on the seabed and other physical conditions.

Foreliggende søknad vedrører et system for å eliminere utslipp av olje, bunkersolje og kjemikalier fra havarerte skip og trykkbalansere tankene, og systemet er kjennetegnet ved de i patentkrav fremsatte karakteristikker. The present application relates to a system to eliminate emissions of oil, bunker oil and chemicals from damaged ships and pressure balance the tanks, and the system is characterized by the characteristics stated in the patent claim.

Fig. 1 viser et skjematisk koplingsdiagram for sikring av én tank 11. Dersom det er flere tanker, koples hver enkelt på tilsvarende måte opp mot en programmerbar logisk styring, PLS 1. Fig. 1 shows a schematic connection diagram for securing one tank 11. If there are several tanks, each one is connected in a similar way to a programmable logic controller, PLC 1.

De nye forhold som muliggjøres er angitt med stipléde linjer fra en PLS 1: The new conditions that are made possible are indicated by dashed lines from a PLC 1:

- 2 manuelt stengesignal fra bro - 2 manual closing signals from the bridge

- 3 vann- / trykksensor - 3 water / pressure sensor

- 4 vann- / trykksensor - 4 water/pressure sensors

- 5 alarm til bro - 5 alarm to bridge

- 6 solenoidventil styres av PLS 1 - 6 solenoid valves are controlled by PLC 1

- 7 bryter åpen - stengt signal til PLS 1 - 7 switches open - closed signal to PLC 1

På luftinntaket 17 på tankens 11 topp monteres en trykkluftoperert åpne- og stengeventil 8, som åpnes når det slippes inn trykkluft, og stenges av en fjær når luften bløs av. Åpne- og stengeventilen 8 styres av en solenoidventil 6, som slipper luft på ventilens aktuator for å åpne, og blør av luften for å stenge. Solenoidventilen 6 styres av et antall vann- / trykk- sensorer 3, 4, som når de detekterer at de kommer under vann, gir signaler til PLS 1 eller annen relélogikk, som igjen stenger solenoidventilen 6. A compressed air-operated opening and closing valve 8 is mounted on the air intake 17 on the top of the tank 11, which opens when compressed air is admitted, and is closed by a spring when the air is blown off. The opening and closing valve 8 is controlled by a solenoid valve 6, which releases air onto the valve's actuator to open, and bleeds off the air to close. The solenoid valve 6 is controlled by a number of water/pressure sensors 3, 4, which when they detect that they are under water, give signals to the PLC 1 or other relay logic, which in turn closes the solenoid valve 6.

Vann- trykksensorene 3, 4 plasseres i områder på skipet som raskt fylles med vann ved forlis. Solenoidventilen 6 mottar manuelt stengesignal 2 fra broen, og påmonteres en endebryter 7 som gir alarm til broen 5 når den er stengt. Stengeventilen 8 kan åpnes manuelt, og en endebryter gir melding til broen om at den står i "manuell". The water pressure sensors 3, 4 are placed in areas of the ship that quickly fill with water in the event of a shipwreck. The solenoid valve 6 receives a manual closing signal 2 from the bridge, and a limit switch 7 is fitted which gives an alarm to the bridge 5 when it is closed. The shut-off valve 8 can be opened manually, and a limit switch notifies the bridge that it is in "manual".

En lufttank 10 gir styreluft til systemet for å kompensere manglende lufttilførsel fra skipets kompressor 18. An air tank 10 provides control air to the system to compensate for the lack of air supply from the ship's compressor 18.

Det monteres på topp av tanken 11 en fjærstyrt sikringsventil 9, som slipper vann inn på tanken 11, men som stenger for at olje lekker ut av tanken 11. Sikringsventilen 9 sørger for å utligne trykk innvendig og utvendig i tanken 11 etter som skipet synker. Sikringsventilens 9 åpningstrykk er bestemt av hvilket differansetrykk tanken 11 tåler. A spring-operated safety valve 9 is mounted on top of the tank 11, which lets water into the tank 11, but which closes so that oil leaks out of the tank 11. The safety valve 9 ensures that the pressure inside and outside the tank 11 is equalized as the ship sinks. The opening pressure of the safety valve 9 is determined by the differential pressure the tank 11 can withstand.

En tank 11 kan i topp ha tilkoplingspunkter for varmesløyfe 12 med stengeventil 14 for sirkulasjon av varm væske / steam og tilkoplingspunkter for tømmerør med stengeventil 13. For en påfølgende lenseoperasjon av skipets tanker 11 installeres det i tillegg et nytt tømmerør med stengeventil 13 i tankens 11 ene sidevegg, slik at det alltid er mulig å operere med en nedre innpumping av væske og et øvre uttak av olje / kjemikalier fra tanken 11, selv om skipet blir liggende på havbunnen på en av sidene. At the top, a tank 11 can have connection points for a heating loop 12 with a shut-off valve 14 for circulation of hot liquid / steam and connection points for a discharge pipe with a shut-off valve 13. For a subsequent bilge operation of the ship's tanks 11, a new discharge pipe with a shut-off valve 13 is also installed in the tank's 11 one side wall, so that it is always possible to operate with a lower injection of liquid and an upper withdrawal of oil / chemicals from the tank 11, even if the ship is lying on the seabed on one side.

På større skip med tanker integrert i skroget vil man benytte innvendige'rør i tankene for å nå andre deler av tankens indre fra tilkoplingspunkter fra tankens 11 topp. On larger ships with tanks integrated in the hull, internal pipes will be used in the tanks to reach other parts of the tank's interior from connection points from the tank's 11 top.

Tømmingen skjer eksempelvis ved at slangetilkoplinger opereres med en fjernstyrt undervannsfarkost ROV eller dykkere. Emptying takes place, for example, by operating hose connections with a remote-controlled underwater vehicle ROV or divers.

Skip som har bunkersolje av slik kvalitet at den stivner ved lave temperaturer, har montert rørsløyfer 12 inne i bunkerstanken 11 koplet til to rør 16 for sirkulasjon fra skipets oppvarmingssentral, for å kunne forvarme oljen slik at den kan pumpes. Ved å montere inn to velgeventiler 15 og to rør til tilkoplingsventiler 14 på dekk, kan ROV eller dykkere kople seg til varmesløyfen 12 med varmt vann / steam i slanger fra redningsfartøy. Ships that have bunker oil of such quality that it solidifies at low temperatures have pipe loops 12 installed inside the bunker tank 11 connected to two pipes 16 for circulation from the ship's heating centre, in order to be able to preheat the oil so that it can be pumped. By installing two selection valves 15 and two pipes for connection valves 14 on deck, ROVs or divers can connect to the heating loop 12 with hot water / steam in hoses from rescue vessels.

Claims

1. System to eliminate emissions of oil, bunker oil and chemicals from wrecked ships and pressure balance the tanks by connections to a programmable logic controller, PLC (1), or other relay logic, where the air intake (17) on the top of the tank (11) is mounted a compressed air operated opening and closing valve (8), which opens when compressed air is admitted and is closed by a spring when the air is blown off, by the opening and closing valve (8) being controlled by a solenoid valve (6), which releases air onto the valve's actuator to open, and bleed off the air to close, characterized by that the solenoid valve (6) is controlled by a number of water/pressure sensors (3,4), which when they detect that they are under water, give signals to the PLC (1), which in turn closes the solenoid valve (6), that the water/pressure sensors (3, 4) are deployed in areas of the ship that quickly fill with water in the event of a shipwreck, that the solenoid valve (6) receives a manual closing signal (2) from the bridge and a limit switch (7) is fitted which gives an alarm to the bridge when it is closed, that the shut-off valve (8) can be opened manually, and a limit switch notifies the bridge that it is in "manual" position, and that an air tank (10) provides control air to the system to compensate for the lack of air supply from the ship's compressor (18).

2. System according to claim 1, characterized by that a spring-operated safety valve (9) is mounted on top of the tank (11), which lets water into the tank (11), but which closes so that oil leaks out of the tank (11), as the safety valve (9) ensures to balance pressure inside and outside the tank (11) as the ship sinks, as the opening pressure is determined by the differential pressure the tank (11) can withstand.

3. System according to claims 1-2, characterized by that for a subsequent bilge operation, a new drain pipe with a shut-off valve (13) is installed in one side wall of the tank (11), so that it, together with the tank's other filling and drain pipes with associated shut-off valves (13 and 14), is always possible to operate with a lower injection of hot liquid and an upper withdrawal of oil from the tank (11), even if the ship remains on the seabed on one side.

4. System according to claims 1-3, characterized by that by installing two selector valves (15) and two pipes for connecting valves (14) on deck, ROVs or divers can connect to the ship's heating loop (12) in the bunker tank (11) with hot water / steam in hoses from rescue vessels.