SYSTEM FOR LAUNCHING AND RECOVERING AN UNDERWATER VEHICLE

Abstract

A system for launching and recovering an underwater vehicle (18), which system comprises a crane (16) and a storage location for at least one underwater vehicle (18), wherein the crane (16) is attached to the bottom of a first container (12) and the storage location is provided in a second container (14), said first container (12) being arranged on the second container (14) during an operation of launching or an operation of recovering.

Claims

1. A system for launching and recovering an underwater vehicle (18), which system comprises a crane (16) and a storage location for at least one underwater vehicle (18), wherein the crane (16) is attached to the bottom of a first container (12) and the storage location is provided in a second container (14), said first container (12) being arranged on the second container (14) during an operation of launching or an operation of recovering.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first container (12) comprises side wall members (28) said side wall members (28) being releasably attached to the remaining part of the first container (12), thereby being detachable and mountable again.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the first container (12) comprises at least one roof member (30), said roof member (30) being releasably attached to the remaining part of the first container (12), thereby being detachable and mountable again.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the crane (16) comprises an extension arm (36) with a plurality of telescope elements (32) which telescope elements coact telescope-like.

5. A system according to claim 2, wherein the part of the first container (12), which part remains at least partially surrounded after detaching the detachable side wall member (28) and roof members (30), is arranged as a storage room for the detached side wall members (28) and roof members (30) and/or or as a control room for the control of the crane (16) and/or as a control room for the control of a mission of an underwater vehicle (18).

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein ladder spokes (48) are provided, which ladder spokes (48) are placed at the outside of the second container (14).

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the second container (14) comprises one or more drawer mechanisms (20) with a receiving device each for receiving an underwater vehicle (18), which drawer mechanisms (20) are relocatable horizontally in the second container's longitudinal direction.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein at least two drawer mechanisms (20) are arranged one above the other.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the second container (14) comprises a first region for receiving the one or several underwater vehicles (18), said first region being arranged contiguous to a front end container door, said container door preferably being a double-wing container door, and the second container (14) comprises a second region, said second region being arranged for storage of accessories and alteration parts of the underwater vehicle(s) (18), particularly for the storage of drive batteries, battery charging devices and data memory components.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second container (12, 14) are maritime containers being designed as standard containers with corner fittings.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the first container (12) comprises a reinforced bottom assembly (44), which bottom assembly (44) transmits the forces and moments which are exerted from the base (38) of the crane (16) on the bottom assembly (14) to the bottom-side corner fittings (22) of the first container (12).

Description

[0027] Further embodiments of the invention result from the claims and from the embodiments explained with reference to the drawings. The drawings illustrate:

[0028] FIG. 1 a system according to the invention for launching and recovering underwater vehicles,

[0029] FIG. 2 a system according to FIG. 1 in a state during launching an underwater vehicle and

[0030] FIG. 3 the system according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 in a state just before the underwater vehicle is immersed into the water.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a system 10 according to the invention, said system 10 comprising two maritime containers, namely a first upper container 12 and a second lower container 14. The upper container 12 houses a crane 16. The lower container 14 houses one or several underwater vehicles 18, particularly autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV: autonomous underwater vehicle), i.e. underwater vehicles that can operate autonomously for several hours or days and that are used for example in preparing the laying of deep-sea cables or for the inspection of deep-sea cables, for surveying the seafloor, to secure sea lanes, for safety purposes by the Coast Guard, in deep-sea mining or by the industry extracting oil and gas from the deepwater.

[0032] In the illustrated embodiment, the lower container 14 houses four such underwater vehicles 18, in each case two underwater vehicles 18 being mounted on one of two drawer mechanisms 20 which are relocatable horizontally. Alternatively, every single underwater vehicle 18 can be stored on a separate drawing mechanism 20. With sufficient size of the container 14, also several underwater vehicles 18, for example two, can be stored successive on a drawer mechanism, so that, for example, six to eight underwater vehicles 18 can be housed in the lower container 14.

[0033] The containers 12, 14 have front end double-wing doors, with which they can be locked and protected against wind and weather. For purposes of illustration, these doors are not drawn.

[0034] The upper container 12 is releasably connected to the lower container 14 by means of corner fittings 22. The lower container 14 is located on the deck 24 of a mother ship 26 shown only partially. The lower container 14 stands on a container storage area on the deck 24 of the mother ship 26 and is also releasably coupled on this container storage area by means of the corner fittings. Moreover, lashing bars may be provided to prevent a lateral tilting of the containers 12, 14 on the rear front end side. Due to the mechanical coupling of the containers 12, 14 with each other as well as the mechanical coupling of the lower container 14 with the mother ship 26, tipping over of the two containers 12, 14 is prevented even under the effect of tilting moments or lateral forces.

[0035] The upper container 12 comprises specially designed side wall members 28 which are releasably attached to the remaining part of this container 12. These side wall members 28 may be removed in this manner, so that the crane 16, which is arranged in the region of the front end door (not shown) can be made available. These side wall members 28 can therefore be easily detached and mounted again. In an analogous manner, the upper container 12 comprises one or more roof members 30 being releasably mounted to the remaining part of this container 12. These roof members 30 can therefore also be easily removed and thus easily be detached and mounted again.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows the upper container 12 with detached side wall members 28 and detached roof members 30. The detached side wall members 28 and roof members 30 are temporarily stored in the rear remaining part of the container 12.

[0037] FIG. 2 additionally shows that the drawer mechanism 20 of the lower container 14 is pulled out horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the lower container 14. The crane 16 has extended several of its telescopic elements 32 and engages the underwater vehicle 18 with the outermost telescopic element 32 or a receiving organ being attached to the outermost telescopic element 32.

[0038] Furthermore, the crane 16 comprises a cylinder-piston unit 34, with which the crane extension arm 36, which crane extension arm comprises the plurality of telescoping members 32, can be pivoted in height. In addition, the crane 16 comprises drive means for being able to rotate a column 40 about a vertical axis, the column 40 standing on the crane base 38, wherein the crane extension arm 36 is hinged with respect to the column 40. The end of the crane extension arm 36 is thus movable three-dimensionally in space, enabling to launch the underwater vehicle from its storage position in the drawer mechanism 20 over the side 42 into the surrounding seawater 43.

[0039] FIG. 3 shows the process of launching, wherein the crane extension arm 36 is substantially extended to the maximum to immerse the underwater vehicle 18 into the water.

[0040] The upper container 12 comprises a reinforced bottom assembly 44 which transmits the forces and moments being exerted on the bottom assembly 44 from the crane base 38 during launching and recovering an underwater vehicle to the bottom-side corner fittings 22 of the upper container 12 and from these corner fittings to the corner fittings of the lower container 14. Via the corner posts 46 of the lower container 14 these forces and moments are transmitted to the mother ship 26.

[0041] Preferably, the containers 12, 14 are 20-foot containers or 40-foot containers which can be transported on conventional trailers for trucks.

[0042] Preferably, the lower container 14 comprises ladder spokes 48 placed at its outside. Via these ladder spokes 48 an operator can access the platform of the crane 16, i.e. the region of the upper first container, from the deck level. Advantageously, the operator controls the operation of launching or the operation of recovering from the upper container 12, since thanks to the elevated position a better view especially over the side 42 is made possible, thereby facilitating the control and management of an operation of launching or recovering.

[0043] The rear part of the upper container 12, which remains after detaching the side wall and roof members 28, 30, advantageously comprises a control room for the control of the crane 16 and/or the mission of the underwater vehicle 18. Additionally or alternatively, a control room for controlling the mission of the underwater vehicle 18 is arranged in the lower container 14.

[0044] The system 10 of two superposed containers 12, 14 according to the invention permits a very space-saving arrangement of a system for launching and recovering underwater vehicles 18 aboard a mother ship 26. In particular, this system is completely portable and requires no crane fixed on the deck of a ship. This system can be used on any ship that has a storage place for a container. For missions with underwater vehicles almost any ship can be used thanks to the invention, thus allowing to select a cost-effective ship.

[0045] Moreover, also only a one-time training of operator personnel is required since the operator personnel always works with the same equipment including the crane and thus must be made familiar only with this equipment.

[0046] All features referred to in the above description and in the claims can be combined with the features of the independent claims both individually and in any combination. The disclosure of the invention is therefore not limited to the described or claimed combinations of features. Rather, all combinations of features being meaningful with respect to the invention are to be considered as being disclosed.