AUTONOMOUS MOTORISED MONOHULL SHIP WITH WEIGHTED KEEL TRANSFORMABLE INTO A TRIMARAN

Abstract

Disclosed is a motorised wave-piercing ship with hull with a deck, the ship including a conning tower and, under the hull, a weighted keel, the keel being removable and being able to be placed in a low position and a high or extracted position. According to the invention, the ship can sail as a monohull or as a trimaran, the hull including a device for removable attachment of an anti-roll stabilisation system including an elongated connection arm terminated at its two lateral ends by two floats, the connection arm including an attachment member, the attachment member being configured to be removably attached on the attachment device in order to transform the ship into a trimaran, and the ship is monohull in the absence of the anti-roll stabilisation system.

Claims

1. A motorized, wave-piercing, autonomous surface ship with a tapered hull, the hull having a deck, the ship having a wheelhouse erected on said deck, the ship further including, under the hull, a ballasted keel intended to lower the ship's centre of gravity to stabilise the ship at least with respect to the roll, wherein the keel is removable and able be placed in several positions including a lower position, in which the ship's centre of gravity is lowered, and an upper or extracted position, in which the ship's centre of gravity is raised, and the ship can sail as a monohull or as a trimaran, the hull including a device for removable attachment of an anti-roll stabilisation system intended to counter at least the roll, the anti-roll stabilisation system including an elongated connection arm terminated at its two lateral ends by two floats, the connection arm including an attachment member, the attachment member being configured to be removably attached on the attachment device in order to transform the ship into a trimaran OK the two floats being arranged on the port and starboard sides of the hull respectively, and wherein the ship is a monohull in the absence of the anti-roll stabilisation system, the connection arm being configured to pass above the hull, on the deck, wherein the removable attachment device of the hull and the attachment member of the connection arm of the anti-roll stabilisation system are each made of two portions, a front portion and a rear portion, and for a connection arm passing above the hull and by the rear of the ship, the anti-roll stabilisation system includes, at the front of the connection arm, a pin designed to fit into the lifting chain plate of the ship, positioned on the deck at the rear of the wheelhouse, the lifting chain plate and the pin forming a respective front portion of the two-portion attachment device and attachment member, and the attachment device includes a straight tail, positioned at the rear of the lifting chain plate, and the attachment member includes an elongated groove positioned on the lower side of the connection arm of the anti-roll stabilisation system, the groove being widen towards the front of the connection arm and narrowed towards the rear of the connection arm, the straight tail and the groove forming a respective rear portion of the two-portion attachment device and attachment member.

2. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the attachment member of the connection arm is median and is arranged along the arm at substantially equal distance from the two floats.

3. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the removable ballasted keel is translatable and may be lowered down under the hull, to the keel lower position, and be lifted up at least partly into a keel storage space of the wheelhouse, to the keel upper position.

4. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the anti-roll stabilisation system includes an electric power source and the floats include electric propulsion sets.

5. The ship according to claim 4, wherein the removable attachment device and the attachment member include electrical connectors that allow the transmission of at least electrical power between the ship and the anti-roll stabilisation system.

6. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the anti-roll stabilisation system includes one or several of the following devices: radio control device enabling the anti-roll stabilisation system to be directly radio-controlled, an automatism enabling the anti-roll stabilisation system to directly perform missions in autonomy, at least one sensor allowing in particular measurements, underwater communications, positioning, navigation, obstacle perception.

7. An anti-roll stabilisation system intended to transform a monohull surface ship into a trimaran, wherein the anti-roll stabilization system is removable and includes an elongated connection arm terminated at its two lateral ends by two floats, the connection arm including an attachment member, the attachment member being configured to be removably attached on an attachment device of the monohull surface ship in order to transform the monohull surface ship into a trimaran, the anti-roll stabilisation system being able to float and being stable with the two floats in water, and being able to sail by moving on its own, the floats having propulsion sets.

8. The anti-roll stabilisation system according to claim 7, wherein the anti-roll stabilization system is remote controlled.

9. The anti-roll stabilisation system according to claim 7, further comprising an automatism enabling the anti-roll stabilisation system to directly perform missions in autonomy.

10. The anti-roll stabilisation system according to claim 7, further comprising at least one sensor allowing in particular measurements, underwater communications, positioning, navigation, obstacle perception.

11. The anti-roll stabilisation system according to claim 10, wherein the monohull surface ship intended to receive the anti-roll stabilisation system includes a wheelhouse erected on a deck of the ship's hull and the connection arm of the anti-roll stabilisation system, which is intended to pass above the ship's hull by coming against the deck of said ship, includes a notch intended to receive one of the front or rear ends of the wheelhouse, the notch edges being intended to come against one of the two front or rear ends of the wheelhouse.

12. The ship according to claim 2, wherein the anti-roll stabilisation system includes an electric power source and the floats include electric propulsion sets.

13. The ship according to claim 12, wherein the removable attachment device and the attachment member include electrical connectors that allow the transmission of at least electrical power between the ship and the anti-roll stabilisation system.

14. The ship according to claim 4, wherein the anti-roll stabilisation system includes one or several of the following devices: radio control device enabling the anti-roll stabilisation system to be directly radio-controlled, an automatism enabling the anti-roll stabilisation system to directly perform missions in autonomy, at least one sensor allowing in particular measurements, underwater communications, positioning, navigation, obstacle perception.

15. The ship according to claim 5, wherein the anti-roll stabilisation system includes one or several of the following devices: radio control device enabling the anti-roll stabilisation system to be directly radio-controlled, an automatism enabling the anti-roll stabilisation system to directly perform missions in autonomy, at least one sensor allowing in particular measurements, underwater communications, positioning, navigation, obstacle perception.

16. The anti-roll stabilisation system according to claim 8, further comprising at least one sensor allowing in particular measurements, underwater communications, positioning, navigation, obstacle perception.

17. The anti-roll stabilisation system according to claim 9, further comprising at least one sensor allowing in particular measurements, underwater communications, positioning, navigation, obstacle perception.

18. The anti-roll stabilisation system according to claim 7, wherein the monohull surface ship intended to receive the anti-roll stabilisation system includes a wheelhouse erected on a deck of the ship's hull and the connection arm of the anti-roll stabilisation system, which is intended to pass above the ship's hull by coming against the deck of said ship, includes a notch intended to receive one of the front or rear ends of the wheelhouse, the notch edges being intended to come against one of the two front or rear ends of the wheelhouse.

19. The anti-roll stabilisation system according to claim 8, wherein the monohull surface ship intended to receive the anti-roll stabilisation system includes a wheelhouse erected on a deck of the ship's hull and the connection arm of the anti-roll stabilisation system, which is intended to pass above the ship's hull by coming against the deck of said ship, includes a notch intended to receive one of the front or rear ends of the wheelhouse, the notch edges being intended to come against one of the two front or rear ends of the wheelhouse.

20. The anti-roll stabilisation system according to claim 9, wherein the monohull surface ship intended to receive the anti-roll stabilisation system includes a wheelhouse erected on a deck of the ship's hull and the connection arm of the anti-roll stabilisation system, which is intended to pass above the ship's hull by coming against the deck of said ship, includes a notch intended to receive one of the front or rear ends of the wheelhouse, the notch edges being intended to come against one of the two front or rear ends of the wheelhouse.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0158] FIG. 1 shows a front perspective of the ship in the monohull configuration, with its ballasted keel in lower position, the anti-roll stabilisation system being shown in isolation, remote from the rear of the ship,

[0159] FIG. 2 shows a front perspective view of the ship in the monohull configuration, with its ballasted keel in lower position, the anti-roll stabilisation system being in the process of being installed on the ship (or, conversely, uninstalled if the anti-roll stabilisation system can be removed from the ship), the anti-roll stabilisation system boarding the ship by the rear of said ship,

[0160] FIG. 3 shows a front perspective view of the ship in the trimaran configuration, with its ballasted keel being able to be lifted up, the anti-roll stabilisation system being attached to the ship,

[0161] FIG. 4 shows a rear perspective view of the ship in the trimaran configuration, with its ballasted keel being able to be lifted up, the anti-roll stabilisation system being attached to the ship,

[0162] FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of the ship in the trimaran configuration, the anti-roll stabilisation system being shown in cutaway view to visualize the relations between the hull's removable attachment device and the attachment member of the connection arm of the anti-roll stabilisation system, which are each made of two portions, a front portion towards the front of the attachment arm and a rear portion towards the rear of the attachment arm, an inset showing an enlarged view of the rear portion, and

[0163] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the anti-roll stabilisation system allowing the visualisation of the elongated groove intended to cooperate with the straight tail of the ship's hull deck.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

[0164] The following description in relation with the appended drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples, will allow a good understanding of what the invention consists of and of how it can be implemented.

[0165] In its principle, the present invention relates to the field of navigation and underwater exploration by a motorized, wave-piercing, monohull surface ship including a removable/retractable ballasted keel and a wheelhouse, wherein the keel can be lifted or lowered. Such a ship has been described in the patent application FR17 61547 to which reference can be made if desired. The invention allows the use of the ship in very shallow waters, typically waters of less than four meters deep. The invention allows stabilizing the ship whereas the ballasted keel is lifted up/retracted whereas the ship without implementation of the invention risks capsizing as a result of the rising of the keel and this of its centre of gravity.

[0166] Thanks to the invention, the monohull ship can be transformed into a trimaran by addition of an anti-roll stabilisation system including two floats and a connecting arm connecting these latter. These floats ensuring the transverse buoyancy of the ship, it is then possible to sail with the keel in lifted/retracted position. Preferably, an electric propeller is added to each float and a rechargeable electric battery+electric converter pack takes place in the floats and the connection arm. It may be noted that the increase of the ship weight due to the addition of the anti-roll stabilisation system may be compensated by an increase of the buoyancy volume provided by the floats themselves.

[0167] The invention may take the form of a kit whose elements are attached to the ship's hull in a structure provided for that purpose. When the anti-roll stabilisation system of the kit includes floats with propulsion means, the propulsion system of the anti-roll stabilisation system can be connected to the ship's management system, which then takes control of the propulsion of the floats. The rechargeable electric battery of the anti-roll stabilisation system can be recharged by an electric generator of the ship, typically from the alternator of the ship's main motor.

[0168] The propelled anti-roll stabilisation system of the kit may be fitted with communication means and automatisms enabling it to be itself a remote-controlled vessel. The propelled and remote-controlled anti-roll stabilisation system of the kit may be capable of approaching the ship on its own, typically by the rear, and to attach and to connect, autonomously, both mechanically and electrically, to the ship, which allows the ship to continue its mission with the ballasted keel lifted up to the upper position.

[0169] It is to be noted that the implementation of the remote-controlled, motorized kit, able to be automatically attached and connected, can also ensure another function than that consisting in allowing the ship transformed into a trimaran to sail with the keel in upper position: it provides the possibility of emergency recovery of a ship that has broken down. Indeed, one of the difficulties of the autonomous vessels is that, in case of breakdown, they require deployment of recovery means that generate costs and/or that prevent the mother ship to continue its mission. The propelled anti-roll stabilisation system of the kit, which thus becomes an emergency recovery kit, may be launched from the coast, from the mother ship or even from another ship already transformed into a trimaran, from which the propelled anti-roll stabilisation system is retrieved after the ballasted keel thereof has been lowered to restore its stability.

[0170] As shown in FIG. 1, the ship 10 includes a hull 11 with a deck 19 and is monohull. The ship 10 is motorised with a propeller thruster 15 and means for sailing using a rudder 16 including two lateral fins 17 in its lower portion.

[0171] The ship is an unmanned, autonomous floating/surface drone, which a very narrow wave-piercing spindle-shaped hull. The drone is remote-controlled and/or preprogrammed and/or fully autonomous according to its degree of autonomy. The drone is thus mechanically propelled and at least one electric motor or internal combustion engine or chemical reaction engine or even a mixed engine is used, which operates the propeller or, in alternatives, several propellers or one or several turbines.

[0172] The ship includes a wheelhouse 14 erected on the deck 19 but has no sails, masts, rigging or other equipment designed to harness the force of the wind to directly propel it.

[0173] If considering the hull 11, 19 and the wheelhouse 14 of the ship alone, the overall centre of gravity is rather high, resulting in a considerable transverse instability and an increased tendency to heel. A keel 12, 13, ballasted at its lower end, is thus implemented towards the bottom of the hull 11, at the lower portion of the bottom, in order to lower the centre of gravity of the ship 10 considered in its entirety when the keel 12, 13 is lowered down.

[0174] This keel has a bulb 13 or a gondola at its lower end. The bulb 13 is connected to the hull 11 by a connection portion 12 of the keel. The bulb keel includes, preferably in the bulb 13, a ballast intended to reinforce the transverse stability of the ship 10. This ballast is a specific heavy material, for example lead or uranium, and/or corresponds to pieces of equipment, in particular for measurement, installed in the bulb.

[0175] Advantageously, the measurement pieces of equipment, in particular acoustic wave transceiver transducer of the SONAR type, and an attitude unit are arranged in the keel's bulb. The bulb may also include a housing for an underwater vessel with propeller set and navigation means, which is able to leave from and to come back into the bulb. It is thus possible to obtain accurate corrections of the acoustic measurements due to the fact that the attitude unit is positioned as close as possible to the acoustic transducers.

[0176] The ship 10 has a total length less than 20 metres and a minimum length of at least 2.5 metres. The ship has a total width to total length ratio lower than 0.2. The ship of the drone type shown in the figures has a length between 2.5 m and 6 m.

[0177] Thanks to the very narrow shape of the hull 11, the ship 10 has a very low resistance to forward movement in both calm and rough water, given its length. The hull 11 is capable of exceeding the limit hull speed with very little energy and is able to pass into overspeed without yet having a gliding shape.

[0178] This shape of the hull 11 and the remoteness of the keel's bulb or gondola 13 with respect to the hull 11 further allow improving the flows in the vicinity of the acoustic transducers and avoids the formation of bubbles having a masking effect at the acoustic transducers. It results therefrom a reduction of the noises that, in the conventional ships, interfere with acoustic measurements.

[0179] The keel 12, 13 is able to be removed/raised and can thus be lowered down and lifted up and even, in certain implementation modes, dismounted relatively simply to be exchanged with another keel. When the keel is lifted up, the upper end of the keel passes into a keel storage space located inside the wheelhouse 14.

[0180] In FIG. 1, the keel is lowered down. In this example, the keel 12, 13 may be lowered down until providing to the ship 10 with a draught of two metres deep.

[0181] Still in FIG. 1, on the rear of the ship and separated from the ship 10, is shown the anti-roll stabilisation system 1 intended to transform the ship 10 into a trimaran 20. This anti-roll stabilisation system 1 is of the type provided with an upward, out-of-water, connection arm 3. The connection arm 3 includes at its two lateral ends two floats 2 that include propulsion sets 5.

[0182] In the example shown, the removable attachment device of the hull, and the attachment member of the connection arm of the anti-roll stabilisation system, are each made of two portions, a front portion and a rear portion, in relation with the orientation of the front and rear ends of the ship.

[0183] Thus, as regards the removable attachment device, the latter includes a front portion that is a lifting chain plate 21 positioned on the deck 19 of the hull 11, on the rear of the wheelhouse 14. Still regarding the removable attachment device, the latter includes a rear portion that is a straight tail 22 positioned on the deck 19 of the hull 11, on the rear of the lifting chain plate 21. The straight tail 22 has a general mushroom shape with, towards the top, an enlarged head and, towards the bottom, a foot that is narrower than the head.

[0184] To the lifting chain plate 21 of the ship corresponds a pine of the anti-roll stabilisation system that is the front portion of the attachment member of the connection arm 3, the pine being attached to the lifting chain plate when the anti-roll stabilisation system is installed on the ship. To the straight tail 22 of the ship corresponds an elongated groove 6 arranged longitudinally (in relation with the front and rear ends of the ship) in the middle of the lower side of the connection arm 3 of the anti-roll stabilisation system (FIG. 6) and that serves both for the guiding of the anti-roll stabilisation system during its installation and for its holding/attachment once the system installed, the groove corresponding to the rear portion of the attachment member of the connection arm 3.

[0185] In order to reinforce the attachment resistance of the anti-roll stabilisation system to the ship, in particular to the forces tending to cause a rotation of the anti-roll stabilisation system in a horizontal plane, a connection arm 3 with a notch 4 allowing the connection arm 3 to bear against lateral sides of the wheelhouse 14 is implemented.

[0186] FIG. 2, the anti-roll stabilisation system 1, whose connection arm 3 is configured to pass above the hull 11 of the ship 10, is being installed and boards the ship by the rear of the latter. For that purpose, the anti-roll stabilisation system 1 boarded the ship by the rear, the connection arm passing above the deck and the two propelled floats passing on the port and starboard sides of the ship, respectively. The anti-roll stabilisation system 1 is thus attached on the rear of the wheelhouse 14.

[0187] It can be noted that, on this FIG. 2, an anti-roll stabilisation system 1 has been shown, which includes two propulsion sets 5 per float 2, one on the front and one on the rear, to show the possibility of having several propulsion sets per float. The propulsion sets 5 are preferably steerable, as the anti-roll stabilisation system has no rudder on the floats.

[0188] In FIG. 3, the ship has been transformed into a trimaran 20 and the ballasted keel can be lifted up, the bulb or the gondola 13 remaining under the hull 11, the major portion of the keel's connection portion 12 height being able to slide into a keel well of the hull and the keel's upper end being able to enter a keel storage space located inside the wheelhouse 14. In certain embodiments, the keel is dismountable and/or the bulb 13 is dismountable and interchangeable, which allows the ship to be used with different configurations of acoustic transducers of various bulbs.

[0189] In FIGS. 3 and 4, the anti-roll stabilisation system 1 of the upward, out-of-water, connection arm 3 type, has been attached to the deck 19 of the ship's hull 11, with the hull's attachment device removably attached to the connection arm's attachment member. Attachment of the connection arm to the hull can be made manually by bolting but, advantageously, an automatic locking-unlocking/attachment means is implemented between the attachment device and the attachment member.

[0190] In an alternative not shown, the attachment device of the hull, which is on the deck, is hatch covered in the absence of the anti-roll stabilisation system, and the hatch can be removed during installation of the anti-roll stabilisation system. In an implementation mode, the hatch can be sliding or swivelling by remaining secured to the ship.

[0191] In FIG. 5, the relations between the ship's elements and the anti-roll stabilisation system attached to the ship's deck 19, on the rear and against the wheelhouse 14, are better seen. In particular, towards the rear of the connection arm, the elongated groove 6 of the connection arm has been slid onto the straight tail 22 of the ship. In FIG. 6, can be better seen the shape of the groove 6 that is wider on the front, on the notch 4 side, than on the rear of the connection arm 3, in order to also form a guiding and positioning means for the anti-roll stabilisation system on the deck of the ship's hull.

[0192] The anti-roll stabilisation system is preferably remote-controlled but it can further include automation devices, in particular for installation (transformation of the ship into a trimaran) and removal (ship going back to monohull configuration) of the anti-roll stabilisation system on/from the ship. Moreover, the keel lifting commands can be conditioned to the presence of the anti-roll stabilisation system attached to the ship.

[0193] The anti-roll stabilisation system 1 of the invention can also find occasional application in rescue and recovery of a ship that has broken down, and floats, even if the anti-roll stabilisation system is not attached to the ship.

[0194] Other means are provided for attaching the anti-roll stabilisation system to the ship in such rescue and recovery conditions and, for example, in the case of a ship with a steel hull, the anti-roll stabilisation system includes magnetic means, preferably electromagnetic for easy removal, making it possible to magnetically stick the anti-roll stabilisation system to the hull.

[0195] The anti-roll stabilisation system is preferably remote-controlled but it can moreover include automation devices in particular for rescue and recovery.

[0196] It is to be noted that the strap-type removable attachment means, able to surround the hull like a lasso or a snare can also be used when the ship floating normally, with the wheelhouse upward, is transformed into a trimaran. These lasso straps or a snare are then functionally similar to the belt for hull.

[0197] In other implementation modes, the remote-controlled and motorized anti-roll stabilisation system can be provided with perception means and sensors and be itself an autonomous surface vessel capable, without the ship, to perform missions in very shallow waters.