SHIP COMPRISING A SYSTEM FOR ADAPTING A REMOVABLE MODULE AND ADAPTED REMOVABLE MODULE

Abstract

Disclosed is a base ship that can receive, in a removable and interchangeable manner, a particular module among various modules, the module being adapted to a functional specialization of the ship. The base ship is similar to a catamaran in its rear portion because it includes two parallel rear lateral volumes that are substantially symmetric with respect to a vertical longitudinal sagittal plane of the base ship, and the removable module is inserted and secured between the two rear lateral volumes of the base ship in order to form a functionalized ship.

Claims

1. A functionalized ship consisted of a base ship and a removable module, the base ship comprising a system for adapting a removable module and a removable module being installed into said system for adapting the base ship to form the functionalized ship, the functionalized ship being extended longitudinally between a bow on the front and a stern on the rear and comprising at least one deck, one shell and propelling means, the shell being symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal vertical sagittal plane, the submerged lower face of the shell defining towards the front a front hull portion and defining towards the rear a rear hull portion, in which base ship, the rear hull portion is consisted of two parts assembled together, a sagittal hull part of the base ship and a U-shaped hull part, having a U-shape in vertical view, the U-shaped hull part being in continuity with the front hull portion, the two legs of the U defining two rear lateral shell parts, the two rear lateral shell parts being closed on the rear by two lateral tables, the sagittal hull part of the base ship being arranged between the two legs of the U of the U-shaped hull part, and in which base ship, the rear part of the ship comprises, towards the top, two rear lateral deck parts topping the two rear lateral shell parts, in which base ship, the two rear lateral deck parts, the two rear lateral shell parts and the two lateral tables delimit two rear lateral volumes of the base ship, the module being inserted and secured between the two rear lateral volumes of the base ship to form the functionalized ship, the module having a lower face, the lower face of the module forming a sagittal hull part of the functionalized ship, in which functionalized ship, the module is removable and can be replaced by another module, at least one of the modules allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship, for the storage thereof out of water, of a marine or underwater drone, the floating or diving drone being able to dock in said module, and wherein the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone is U-shaped in vertical view, said module being open towards the rear, the top and at least in part towards the bottom to delimit, when said module is inserted in the base ship, a longitudinal sagittal maneuvering area towards the rear of the ship and that is open to the rear of the ship and submerged at least in part, in such a way that a floating drone can enter into said module to dock in the maneuvering area or exit therefrom, the floating drone docking and exiting through the rear of the ship and in such a way that the drone can be launched to water and recovered on the ship by passing through the maneuvering area.

2. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone comprises, in the maneuvering area, a plane that is inclined from the rear and the bottom to the top and the front, the inclined plane of said module inserted in the base ship having its rear end submerged and its front end out of water.

3. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone comprises, in the maneuvering area, a lift platform able to move between a submerged lower position of reception or launching of the drone and an upper position, out of water, substantially flush with at least one of the two rear lateral deck parts of the base ship.

4. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone comprises, in the maneuvering area, a tilting launch ramp able to tilt between an inclined position where the rear of the ramp is submerged and the front is out of water and a horizontal position where the ramp is totally out of water.

5. The ship according to claim 2, wherein the inclined plane or the platform or the ramp of the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone comprises a device for receiving a rolling trolley and the drone is stored on a rolling trolley on the ship and can be installed on the inclined plane or the platform or the ramp with its rolling trolley, said rolling trolly remaining on the inclined plane or the platform or the ramp when the drone is launched to water and the drone being recovered on said trolley on the inclined plane or the platform or the ramp.

6. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone comprises, on the bottom and towards the rear of the maneuvering area, an elongated sagittal opening whose width allows the passage of a keel end bulb of a drone comprising a keel whose lower end comprises a bulb of width higher than the keel width.

7. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the deck in the rear part of the base ship comprises a winch device for winching the drone, said winch device making it possible to bring the drone on one or the two rear lateral deck parts for being stored, from the maneuvering area of the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone and, conversely, to position the drone in the maneuvering area of the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the functionalized ship of a drone.

8. The ship according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the modules makes it possible to totally fill the space between the two rear lateral volumes of the base ship and to bring in continuity and in profile the two lateral tables, the two rear lateral deck parts and the two rear lateral parts of the shell in order to totally close the space between the two rear lateral volumes of the base ship.

9. The ship according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the modules allows the launching to water and the recovery on the functionalized ship, for the storage thereof out of water, of an underwater drone, the diving drone being able to dock in the maneuvering area of said module, the maneuvering area being movable between a lower position in which the diving drone can dock and at least one upper position in which the lower face of said module is within the extent of the two rear lateral volumes of the base ship.

10. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the module is guided and positioned between the two rear lateral volumes of the base ship by guiding devices selected among rails, slides and by end stops.

11. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the module is removably secured to at least the two rear lateral volumes of the base ship by removable locking devices.

12. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the base ship can navigate even in the absence of module, the base ship in its part non consisted of the module being watertight at least on the side of water on which the ship floats.

13. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the module can float by itself when not installed in the base ship and is buoyantly stable.

14. The ship according to claim 3, wherein the inclined plane or the platform or the ramp of the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone comprises a device for receiving a rolling trolley and the drone is stored on a rolling trolley on the ship and can be installed on the inclined plane or the platform or the ramp with its rolling trolley, said rolling trolly remaining on the inclined plane or the platform or the ramp when the drone is launched to water and the drone being recovered on said trolley on the inclined plane or the platform or the ramp.

15. The ship according to claim 4, wherein the inclined plane or the platform or the ramp of the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone comprises a device for receiving a rolling trolley and the drone is stored on a rolling trolley on the ship and can be installed on the inclined plane or the platform or the ramp with its rolling trolley, said rolling trolly remaining on the inclined plane or the platform or the ramp when the drone is launched to water and the drone being recovered on said trolley on the inclined plane or the platform or the ramp.

16. The ship according to claim 2, wherein the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone comprises, on the bottom and towards the rear of the maneuvering area, an elongated sagittal opening whose width allows the passage of a keel end bulb of a drone comprising a keel whose lower end comprises a bulb of width higher than the keel width.

17. The ship according to claim 3, wherein the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone comprises, on the bottom and towards the rear of the maneuvering area, an elongated sagittal opening whose width allows the passage of a keel end bulb of a drone comprising a keel whose lower end comprises a bulb of width higher than the keel width.

18. The ship according to claim 4, wherein the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone comprises, on the bottom and towards the rear of the maneuvering area, an elongated sagittal opening whose width allows the passage of a keel end bulb of a drone comprising a keel whose lower end comprises a bulb of width higher than the keel width.

19. The ship according to claim 5, wherein the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone comprises, on the bottom and towards the rear of the maneuvering area, an elongated sagittal opening whose width allows the passage of a keel end bulb of a drone comprising a keel whose lower end comprises a bulb of width higher than the keel width.

20. The ship according to claim 2, wherein the deck in the rear part of the base ship comprises a winch device for winching the drone, said winch device making it possible to bring the drone on one or the two rear lateral deck parts for being stored, from the maneuvering area of the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone and, conversely, to position the drone in the maneuvering area of the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the functionalized ship of a drone.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0104] [FIG. 1] is a rear perspective side view of a base ship, that is to say a ship able to be functionalised, and thus without removable module,

[0105] [FIG. 2] is a rear perspective side view of a base ship in which is inserted the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone, a floating drone approaching to dock in the module, a functionalised ship being thus achieved,

[0106] [FIG. 3] shows the ship of FIG. 2, the floating drone having docked in the module and a sling from a winch on a gantry crane having been hooked to the drone,

[0107] [FIG. 4] shows the ship of FIG. 2, the drone having been installed on one of the two rear lateral deck parts after having been hoisted out of the module by the winch on a gantry crane,

[0108] [FIG. 5] shows the ship of FIG. 2, two drones having been installed on the two rear lateral deck parts,

[0109] [FIG. 6] is a rear perspective side view of another base ship, smaller than that of FIGS. 1 to 5, with two positions of the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone, a position of the module outside the ship and a position of the module inserted in the base ship,

[0110] [FIG. 7] shows the ship of FIG. 6, the floating drone having just docked in the module,

[0111] [FIG. 8] shows the ship of FIG. 6, the drone having been lifted up by the lift platform comprised by the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the functionalised ship of a drone,

[0112] [FIG. 9] is a front perspective side view of the functionalised ship of FIG. 8, the appendices under the drone, except the bulb at the lower end of the drone keel, being raised above the lower plane of the functionalised ship shell,

[0113] [FIG. 10] is a top view, of a cross-section along a horizontal plane carried by the two rear lateral deck parts of the functionalised ship of FIG. 6, the floating drone having just docked in the module, and

[0114] [FIG. 11] is a top view, of a cross-section along a horizontal plane passing underneath the two rear lateral deck parts of the functionalised ship of FIG. 6, the drone being absent.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0115] 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.

[0116] In FIGS. 1 to 11, the drone is a marine drone 16 intended to float at the surface of water.

[0117] In FIG. 1, the ship 1 is shown without functionalisation module, the module having been moved out from the rear part of the ship shell. This ship 1 without module is a base ship that can navigate. When this base ship will have received in its rear part a module and when the latter will have been installed and secured in this rear part, the ship will then be a functionalised ship, the module providing one or several determined functions. In FIG. 1, the module is a module 3 allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone.

[0118] The base ship is extended longitudinally between the front/bow 11 and the rear/stern. The base ship comprises a shell with a continuous front part forming a continuous hull portion. The rear part of the shell comprises a sagittal rear shell opening 6, which forms two rear lateral shell parts 7 delimiting two rear lateral volumes of the ship. The base ship thus comprises on the rear a U-shaped hull part. On the rear, the base ship is similar to a catamaran and the two rear lateral shell parts 7 join the front shell part. The rear part of the shell and the hull thereof has thus a U-shape when the base ship is observed vertically.

[0119] The base ship comprises two rear lateral deck parts 9 topping the two rear lateral shell parts. The two rear lateral volumes of the ship are delimited by the two rear lateral shell parts 7, two tables 8 and the two rear lateral deck parts 9, and these two rear lateral volumes are connected to the volume defined by the continuous front part of the shell.

[0120] A hoisting gantry crane 14 of a winch device and drone supports 15 are arranged on the two rear lateral deck parts 9. A superstructure 10 is arranged on the ship shell with, towards the front, a cockpit.

[0121] The base ship 1 comprises propelling means 12 and guiding means 13 which are here located below the two rear lateral shell parts 7.

[0122] The base ship is thus a hybrid ship between a single-shell on the front and a catamaran on the rear. The two rear lateral shell parts 7 are generally symmetrical to each other, just as the base ship with respect to a sagittal/antero-posterior plane. The base ship 1 of the first example of ship of FIGS. 1 to 5 has a typical length of 25 m and a typical width of 6 m. The base ship of the invention can however have a length between 6 m and 150 m and a width between 0.8 m and 30 m according to the model. Moreover, it will be seen that the second example of ship 2 of FIGS. 6 to 11 is smaller than the first example of ship.

[0123] The sagittal rear shell opening 6 is intended to receive a module 3 that will be removably secured thereto.

[0124] The installation of the module in the base ship can be made, according to the configurations, by the top or by the rear of the base ship. For that purpose, hoisting means from the base ship may be used, in particular the hoisting gantry crane, or external means. For the installation (and conversely for the removal), floating modules may be provided, with a docking by the rear and entry of the floating module into the base ship that is on water.

[0125] Preferably, the sagittal hull part of the base ship is open towards the bottom, the top and the rear, and the base ship is thus similar to a catamaran on the rear. In other embodiments, the sagittal hull part of the base ship is open towards the top and the rear and closed at least in part towards the bottom, underwater.

[0126] In the functionalised ship, that is to say comprising the module, the rear structure of said ship depends essentially on the structure of the module that has been inserted between the two rear lateral volumes of the base ship.

[0127] If a module for the recovery and launching to water of a drone is implemented, a functionalised ship is obtained, which is able to execute such operations and whose rear structure of the sagittal hull part depends on functional and structural means of the module with, for example, an inclined plane and an opening towards the rear and the top.

[0128] Generally, a module for the recovery and launching to water of a drone will be open towards the rear.

[0129] For example, with a filling module, a functionalised ship that is totally closed on the rear, bottom and top in its sagittal part, and similar to a single-shell, can be obtained. The module 3 allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone has a U-shape 5, open towards the rear and over its height, hence forming a manoeuvring area 4 having the shape of a well (open on the rear side and liable to be inclined on the front side), at least partially submerged towards the bottom, so that a floating drone can dock inside said module 3.

[0130] The bottom of the manoeuvring area may be fixed as in the case of a fixed inclined plane or movable as in the case of a tilting launch ramp or a lift platform. However, two parts may be provided at the bottom of the manoeuvring area, a fixed part closing at least in part towards the bottom of the manoeuvring area and, above, a movable part corresponding to the tilting launch ramp or to the lift platform. Preferably, the fixed part will be within the extent of the two rear lateral volumes of the ship and the floating drone will dock and exit through the rear.

[0131] The lower part of the manoeuvring area 4 may be closed or not towards the bottom. The lower part of the manoeuvring area 4, in the case where it is closed towards the bottom, may be partly inclined from the bottom and rear towards the front and top. The lower part of the manoeuvring area 4, in the case where it closed towards the bottom, may be substantially horizontal. In a lower part of the closed manoeuvring area 4, an elongated sagittal opening along which the keel of a drone may circulate at least longitudinally is provided.

[0132] In a preferred embodiment, the module allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the ship of a drone comprises in its manoeuvring area an articulated launch ramp that is able to tilt to be inclined. The articulation of the launch ramp is located towards the front end of the launch ramp. Therefore, the rear end of the launch ramp may be lowered down and brought underwater to be submerged, under the waterline of the ship when the launch ramp is inclined. The tilted launch ramp, just as the inclined plane, comprises a submerged rear part.

[0133] The tilting/inclination of the launch ramp can be ensured by a swivel joint, the axis of the joint being elongated transversally (perpendicular to the sagittal plane of the ship), along the width of the launch ramp that has therefore an angular displacement possible in a single plane, the sagittal plane. However, it is provided a tilting of more than one degree of freedom with angular displacements possible in two perpendicular planes, a sagittal one and, in addition, a transverse one. In this latter case, this can allow for pitch compensation and also roll/heel compensation, in particular when the launch ramp is provided with a reserve buoyancy in order to be half-immersed when in lower position, with or without the drone in the manoeuvring area and installed on the launch ramp. This compensation may avoid that the surface of the inclined launch ramp goes too far from the horizontal in the transverse direction, the ramp being inclined in the longitudinal direction. With this buoyancy of the rear end of the launch ramp, the compensation is passive but, as an alternative or as a supplement, an active compensation by effectors controlled as a function of measurements taken by pitch, or even also roll, sensors, is provided. A system for passive or active damping of the rotation motions about the swivel or ball joint or any other suitable joint type may be implemented.

[0134] Preferably, the launch ramp, thanks to its buoyancy means, can beat freely in the inclined position, as a function of the waves, a beat damping device being however implemented. In such conditions, the launch ramp thus passively adapts to the sea surface height with respect to the ship. Stops may be provided to limit the beat stroke in the inclined position of the launch ramp.

[0135] It may also be provided, on the lower face of the launch ramp, a shape and/or a structure and/or a material that damps the wave impact on the inclined launch ramp. The material may be a porous double-skin absorbing the wave impact.

[0136] In FIG. 2, the module 3 has been inserted between the two rear lateral shell parts 7 and a floating drone 16 is ready to enter and dock into the module 3. The drone comprises a keel 17 ending towards the bottom by a bulb 18. The drone comprises a propelling means, here provided with a propeller 19. The drone 16 comprises a wheelhouse 20 erected on its shell.

[0137] When launching/putting the drone to water, it is preferable that au least the rear end of the drone that comprises propelling means is submerged in such a way that the drone can leave the manoeuvring area by activating its propelling means. In the case of a tilted launch ramp or an inclined plane, the gravity may be sufficient so that the drone moves down passively to water. The manoeuvring area may finally be configured in such a way that the marine drone lowered down to the bottom of the manoeuvring area is floating and free.

[0138] The inclined plane and the launch ramp may comprise rolls and/or rollers and/or bearings and/or slides and/or sliding bands facilitating the lowering and the raising of the drone. A guiding system may be provided between the drone and the manoeuvring area.

[0139] In FIG. 3, the floating drone 16 has docked in the module 3 and a sling of the winch device comprising the gantry crane 14 has been hooked to the drone in such a way that the latter can be hoisted to the deck then placed on the drone supports 15 of one of the two rear lateral deck parts 9 of the base ship, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0140] It is understood, due to the fact that there are two rear lateral deck parts 9, both comprising supports 15, that it is possible to store two drones 16 on the functionalised ship 1, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0141] In FIG. 6, a functionalised ship 2 of another type is shown. It comprises outboard engines. A module 30 allowing the launching to water and the recovery on the functionalised ship of a drone is removably secured between the two rear lateral shell parts 7. The module 30 located outside the ship 2 has also been shown.

[0142] As hereinabove, the floating drone 16 can enter the module 30 and dock therein. That what is shown in FIG. 7. However, the module 30 comprises in this example a means for lifting the drone 16 and the latter is not hoisted and deposited on the ship deck, the drone remaining in the module 30, only the bulb 18 and the lower part of the keel of the drone 16 protruding bellow the shell of the ship 2, as can be seen in FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0143] In FIGS. 10 and 11, the arrangements of the cockpit 21 and the gas-oil tanks 22 can be seen, as well as that for drinking water 23 and that for liquid wastes 24 in the ship 2.

[0144] It is to be noted that the bottom of the manoeuvring area 4 of the module 30 comprises a closed part with an elongated sagittal opening 21 along which the keel of the drone can circulate longitudinally. It is understood that such an elongated sagittal opening is made in the bottom of the module 3 so that a drone with a keel 17 can be received. An area of widening of the opening 21 is provided for the vertical passage of the bulb 18 of the drone when the latter is hoisted (or lowered down) on the deck in the case of ship 1 or, then, the bottom of the manoeuvring area 4 is not closed.

[0145] It is understood that modules of different functions can be installed in the base ship.