APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY MANAGING BALLAST WATER OF SHIP, AND OPERATION METHOD THEREOF

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically managing the ballast water of a dual-hulled ship and, more specifically, to an apparatus for automatically managing the ballast water of a ship, the apparatus dividing the structure of an integrated ballast water tank into ballast water tanks of a multi-layered structure, and filling each ballast water tank with seawater, so as to perform the original function thereof of maintaining the water-line by means of the ballast water, and having a structure and a device so as to utilize the seawater, used as cooling water, residential water, water for miscellaneous use, and the like, as the seawater of the ballast water tanks, thereby integrally managing the usage of the seawater of the ship, and continuously and successively changing the seawater of the ballast water tanks while the ship is sailing.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automatically managing the ballast water of a dual-hulled ship to integrally manage seawater used in the ship, comprising: ballast water tanks of a multi-layered structure; water level sensors for the ballast water tanks; bypass valves supplying seawater to adjacent ballast tanks; piping connecting a bottom ballast tank a desalination unit for cooling water and residential water etc., and to a pipe for supplying technical water such as cooling water for mechanical units; and a control unit, which is an electronic controller, controlling to open the bypass valves so that the seawater may be supplied to adjacent ballast tanks, when the bottom ballast tank becomes empty.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ballast water tanks of a multi-layered structure are constructed by modification of void tanks to ballast water tanks so that the ballast water tanks can contain more water than the conventional ballast water and installing additional water level sensors and bypass valves on each of the modified ballast water tanks.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit, which is an electronic controller, controls valves to inflow seawater, controls valves to supply seawater to the ballast water tanks, and controls the bypass valves to supply seawater to the desalination device, the technical water supply pipe, and the residential water supply pipe from the bottom ballast tank during sailing for cargo shipments; and when seawater must be discharged out of ship due to the cargo shipping, controls seawater discharge valves.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of a ballast water management method using an integrated seawater management feature according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a conventional management method of ballast water treatment.

[0055] FIG. 3 is a piping view showing seawater and fresh water pipes conventionally used for various purposes.

[0056] FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing structure of a conventional integrated type ballast water tank.

[0057] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a multilayered ballast tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a control element of an electronic control unit ECU according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a method of managing and integrating seawater of a ship.

[0060] FIG. 8 is an extract from the Korea Register of Shipping Rules for the ballast water line and the load line in Korean ships.

[0061] FIG. 9 is a correlation table of Dwt and ballast water amount of a ship in general.

[0062] FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a general ballast water tank structure.

[0063] FIG. 11 is a classification rule for general ballast water load equipment.

[0064] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a typical ballast water tank arrangement.

[0065] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the method of ship ballast water management recommended by MEPC (Marine Environment Protection Committee) under IMO (International Maritime Organization) of the United Nations.

[0066] FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing the transport-prohibited life species.

[0067] FIG. 15 is a schematic view showing the pollutant discharge regulations on the open sea.

[0068] FIG. 16 is an association chart analyzing the cause of the ecosystem disturbance problem caused by the ballast water.

[0069] FIG. 17 is the best solution for problem solving.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0070] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0071] First, the structure of the automatic ballast water regulating apparatus will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 5, and 6.

[0072] The present invention comprises a plurality of ballast water tanks having a multi-layered watertight bulkhead structure, provided by modification of a conventional integral ballast tank structurally modified,

[0073] additional ballast water tanks having watertight bulkhead structure,

[0074] water level sensors for sensing water level of each of the ballast water tanks,

[0075] open-close units (valves) for water level control,

[0076] piping and connectors for connecting to pumps,

[0077] bypass valves for transporting ballast water in a ballast water tank to an adjacent ballast water tank,

[0078] piping and connectors for connection to cooling water and water for other uses, and

[0079] an electronic control unit ECU that smoothly controls the above elements, etc.

[0080] It is advantageous that the volume of the additional ballast water tanks having the watertight bulkhead structure is the same as that of the tanks for storing the seawater used as the cooling water and the water for miscellaneous use.

[0081] The technique of the present invention has the effect of automatically controlling the seawater according to various uses, such as ballast water, cooling water, and miscellaneous use water depending on the application.

[0082] Further, through the above-described technique, there is an effect of fundamentally preventing the ecosystem disturbance problem caused by the transport-prohibited life species, which is not available in the conventional ship ballast water management apparatus. The details will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0083] When the cargo is not loaded, the inlet and outlet valves 11, 12, 13, and 14 of FIGS. 5 and 6 are opened and the pumps 22 and 24 are operated to save the ballast water up to the top tank of the side tanks 102, and then the ship starts sailing. The level detector 500 of FIG. 6 senses the water level and the controller 600 electronically controls various elements or devices.

[0084] Upon beginning of the sailing, a large amount of technical water is required to operate the engine and various machinery. In addition, and seawater for residential water and miscellaneous use water will be continuously inflowed. The inflowed seawater is either stored or used continuously by operations of pumps. The seawater of the bottom ballast water tank 121 of FIG. 1 is used as technical water such as cooling water and miscellaneous use water, and then is discharged out of the ship by a drainage unit 400's operation. When the seawater is discharged out of ship, the bottom ballast water tank 121 is emptied. The water level at which the ship is submerged under water reaches the original designed normal ballast water loading line. At this time, the control unit 600 controls the bypass valve 62 of the un-emptied bottom ballast water tank 121 to open, and the emptied ballast water tank is filled with the seawater of adjacent ballast tank through the bypass valve. In this way, the emptied tank is refilled by the seawater of the adjacent side tank 123. When the top tanks of the side tanks are sequentially emptied, the water level sensor 61 sends a signal to the control unit so as to open the seawater inlet valves 11, 12, 13, 14, to activate the pumps, and to fill the top tanks, and then to stop the pumps 22, 24, which are repeatedly performed. The time taken for the seawater of each of the ballast water tanks to be exchanged is designed to be from 30 minutes to about 90 minutes. Through such continuous and sequential use of seawater, all of the seawater is exchanged during ship's sailing.

[0085] In the method of using the ballast water treatment device in some cases to processing active substances in seawater before discharging, the discharged seawater is in a completely different state from that of the seawater of the discharge sea area, regardless of the method. Therefore, these method causes additional problems.

[0086] In addition, the present invention technology is designed to continuously and sequentially exchange the ballast water during the ship's sailing. In the case of cargo ships sailing the ocean, the ballast water is exchanged at open sea area of more than 20 miles from the coast and the water depth exceeds 500 meters, so that not only does it meet IMO regulations, but it also has the effect of satisfying all USCG US Coast Guard regulations.

[0087] Further, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to separately store seawater for various uses such as ballast water, cooling water, and miscellaneous use water, since the seawater stored in the ballast water tanks is used. As a result, there is no need to use energy for storing or discharging the ballast water, so there is fuel saving effect equivalent to 35% of ship fuel. This is the amount corresponding to the net profit of ship sailing.

[0088] A ship equipped with a ballast water tank with multi-layered watertight bulkhead structure will inflow seawater only into the broken ballast tank even if the ship's shell is damaged by impact. Therefore, there is an effect that the ship restoration is remarkably superior to the restoring force at the time of breakage occurring in a ship having the conventional integral type ballast water tank.

[0089] In addition, those skilled in the art can understand that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the subject matters of the disclosure. Thus, such changes and modifications fall within the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0090] 10: fresh water storage tank, 11,12,13,14,15,16: open-close unit (valve), 20: desalination device, 22,24: ballast water pump, 30: seawater treatment device, 50: integral type ballast water tank, 52: supply pipe for mechanical devices water, 54: supply pipe for residential water, 61: water level sensor of ballast water tank, 62: bypass valve, 100: Sectional side view of a double hull structural ship, 101: bottom, 102: hull outer wall, 104: sea surface, 120: integral ballast water tank group, 121: bottom ballast water tank, 122: integral side ballast water tank, 150: discharge pipe, 400: drainage unit, 500: water line sensor, 600: electronic control device.