JP2025042181A - Ships - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vessel capable of ensuring visibility required by regulations.
[Solution] When looking at the outside of the hull 11 from the lookout post on the stern side of the ship 1, the area behind the Magnus rotors 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D is a blind spot. In response to this, the ship 1 is equipped with a first lookout post 40A and a second lookout post 40B. The first lookout post 40A is provided on the starboard side, and the second lookout post 40B is provided on the port side. Therefore, visibility can be secured by the second lookout post 40B in areas that are blind spots of the Magnus rotors 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D as viewed from the first lookout post 40A. Visibility can be secured by the first lookout post 40A in areas that are blind spots of the Magnus rotors 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D as viewed from the second lookout post 40B. As a result, visibility required by regulations can be secured.
[Selected figure] Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to ships.

On ships, it is necessary to watch the front of the ship from a lookout point (conning position) such as the wheelhouse. In the case of ships that use sails, there are known ships that arrange multiple sails on each side of the ship so that the forward blind spots from the lookout points do not overlap, within the range permitted by regulations (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2015-85910 A

In the above-mentioned ships, sails must be placed on both the left and right sides of the hull in order to reduce the blind spot of the lookout. However, there are cases where it is required to place the sails in the center of the hull. In such cases, there is a problem in that it is not possible to ensure the visibility required by the regulations.

The present invention was made to solve these problems, and aims to provide a ship that can ensure the visibility required by regulations.

The ship according to the present invention comprises a hull, a wind propulsion unit mounted on the hull for propelling the hull by wind power, and a first lookout unit and a second lookout unit mounted on the hull aft of the wind propulsion unit for watching the outside of the hull, the first lookout unit being mounted on the starboard side and the second lookout unit being mounted on the port side.

The ship according to the present invention is equipped with a wind propulsion unit that is mounted on the hull and propels the hull by wind force. Therefore, when the outside of the ship is viewed from the lookout unit on the stern side, the area behind the wind propulsion unit is a blind spot. In response to this, the ship is equipped with a first lookout unit and a second lookout unit. The first lookout unit is also mounted on the starboard side, and the second lookout unit is mounted on the port side. Therefore, the visibility of the area that is in the blind spot of the wind propulsion unit as viewed from the first lookout unit can be ensured by the second lookout unit. The visibility of the area that is in the blind spot of the wind propulsion unit as viewed from the second lookout unit can be ensured by the first lookout unit. As a result, the visibility required by the regulations can be ensured.

The first watch unit and the second watch unit may each be provided with a communication device that allows them to communicate with each other. In this case, the first watch unit and the second watch unit can exchange information via the communication device. This allows one watch unit to obtain information confirmed by the other watch unit.

The vessel may further include a photographing unit that is provided on the bow side of the hull relative to the wind propulsion unit. In this case, the photographing unit can be used to check blind spots from the first lookout unit and blind spots from the second lookout unit.

The present invention provides a vessel that can ensure visibility as required by regulations.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a ship according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a diagram for explaining the principle of a rotor sail, and FIG. 2B is a plan view of a ship. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a ship according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of a first watch unit. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a watch unit. FIG. 11 is a plan view of a ship according to a modified example. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a ship according to a comparative example.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the terms "forward" and "aft" refer to the direction of travel of the hull, the term "sideways" refers to the left-right (width) direction of the hull, and the terms "upper" and "lower" refer to the top-lower direction of the hull.

The basic configuration of a ship according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a ship according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ship 1 is a ship that transports petroleum-based liquid cargo such as crude oil or liquid gas, and is, for example, an oil tanker. Note that the ship is not limited to an oil tanker, and may be various types of ships, such as bulk carriers that transport ore or coal, LNG ships, car carriers, etc.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ship 1 comprises a hull 11, a propeller 12, and a number of Magnus rotors 10. The hull 11 has a bow section 2, a stern section 3, an engine room 4, and a cargo room 6. An upper deck 19 is provided on the upper part of the hull 11. The bow section 2 is located on the front side of the hull 11. The stern section 3 is located on the rear side of the hull 11.

The bow 2 has a shape designed to reduce wave-making resistance, for example, when the ship is fully loaded. The propeller 12 mechanically generates thrust for the hull 11, and for example a screw propeller is used. The propeller 12 is installed below the waterline (the water surface of the sea W) at the stern 3 during propulsion. In addition, a rudder 15 for adjusting the direction of travel is installed below the waterline at the stern 3.

The engine room 4 is provided adjacent to the bow side of the stern section 3. The engine room 4 is a section for arranging the main engine 16 for providing driving force to the propulsion device 12. Above the engine room 4, an accommodation area 22 and an exhaust chimney 23 are provided on the upper deck 19. The cargo room 6 is provided between the bow section 2 and the engine room 4. The cargo room 6 is a section for storing cargo. The cargo room 6 is divided into multiple cargo spaces 26 and multiple ballast tanks 27 by adopting a double hull structure of an outer plate 20 and an inner bottom plate 21. The cargo space 26 is used to load cargo to be transported by the ship 1. The ballast tanks 27 store an amount of ballast water according to the size of the ship in order to adjust the draft, etc.

The Magnus rotor 10 is a mechanism that generates thrust by receiving wind force. As a result, the Magnus rotor 10 propels the hull 11 by wind force. A single or multiple (four in this case) Magnus rotors 10 are installed on the upper deck 19 of the hull 11 in the front-rear and left-right directions. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the Magnus rotor 10 comprises a cylindrical rotor sail 31 (main body) that extends in the vertical direction, and an electric motor that rotates the rotor sail 31. When wind WD blows into the rotor sail 31 from the side, the rotation direction of the rotor sail 31 and the direction of the wind WD are opposite to each other at the rear side, and the rotation direction of the rotor sail 31 and the direction of the wind WD are the same at the front side. This creates a pressure difference between the front and rear of the rotor sail 31, generating a thrust force PF toward the front (Magnus effect). As shown in FIG. 2(b), when wind WD blows from the side of the hull 11, the thrust PF of each Magnus rotor 10 causes the hull 11 to move forward.

Next, referring to FIG. 3, the characteristic structure of the ship 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the ship 1 according to this embodiment. In the following description, the fore-aft direction of the ship 1 may be referred to as the "fore-aft direction D1" and the left-right direction may be referred to as the "left-right direction D2". A center line CL1 in the left-right direction D2 of the hull 11 is set. In this embodiment, four Magnus rotors 10 are arranged on the center line CL1 with a predetermined distance between each other. In a plan view, the centers of the Magnus rotors 10 are arranged on the center line CL1. In addition, the rotors may be referred to as "Magnus rotor 10A", "Magnus rotor 10B", "Magnus rotor 10C", and "Magnus rotor 10D" in that order from the bow to the stern.

The ship 1 is equipped with a first lookout unit 40A and a second lookout unit 40B. The lookout units 40A and 40B are installed on the hull 11, aft of the Magnus rotors 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D. The lookout units 40A and 40B are used by crew members to watch the outside of the hull 11. The lookout units 40A and 40B are installed on the bridge. The lookout units 40A and 40B are installed at a position spaced aft from the Magnus rotor 10D, which is the aftmost of the Magnus rotors 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D.

Multiple crew members may keep watch at both watch stations 40A and 40B simultaneously, or crew members may keep watch alternately at the first watch station 40A and the second watch station 40B.

The first lookout unit 40A is provided on the starboard side, and the second lookout unit 40B is provided on the port side. The first lookout unit 40A is provided on the starboard side of the center line CL1 in the hull 11. The second lookout unit 40B is provided on the port side of the center line CL1 in the hull 11. Specifically, the starboard end 40a of the first lookout unit 40A may extend to the starboard end 22a of the accommodation space 22. The end 40b of the first lookout unit 40A on the center line CL1 side is positioned at a position away from the center line CL1 to the starboard side. The port end 40a of the second lookout unit 40B may extend to the port end 22b of the accommodation space 22. The end 40b of the second lookout unit 40B on the center line CL1 side is positioned away from the center line CL1 to the port side. The first lookout 40A and the second lookout unit 40B have a structure that is linearly symmetrical with respect to the center line CL1. However, the first lookout unit 40A and the second lookout unit 40B do not necessarily have to have a structure that is linearly symmetrical as long as the combined field of view of the two units can monitor the outside of the hull 11 to a degree that satisfies a specified standard. The positional relationship between the lookout units 40A and 40B will be described in more detail together with the explanation of the blind spots caused by the Magnus rotors 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D.

Next, referring to FIG. 4, the configuration of the first watch unit 40A will be described in more detail. FIG. 4(a) is a plan view of the first watch unit 40A. FIG. 4(b) is a side view of the first watch unit 40A. However, the configuration of the first watch unit 40A shown in FIG. 4 is merely an example and can be modified as appropriate. Note that while FIG. 4 only shows the first watch unit 40A, the second watch unit 40B has a similar configuration.

As shown in Figures 4(a) and (b), the first lookout section 40A is configured to extend toward the bow at an angle from the side wall 22c on the bow side of the accommodation area 22. The first lookout section 40A includes a front wall 41, inclined walls 42, 43 (see Figure 4(a)), and an upper wall 45. The front wall 41 is disposed in an inclined state relative to the side wall 22c so as to extend toward the bow as it goes upward. The inclined wall 42 connects the starboard end of the front wall 41 to the side wall 22c. The inclined wall 42 inclines so as to widen toward the starboard side as it goes from the front wall 41 toward the stern. The inclined wall 43 connects the port end of the front wall 41 to the side wall 22c. The inclined wall 43 inclines so as to widen toward the port side as it goes from the front wall 41 toward the stern. The upper wall 45 extends horizontally to cover the upper ends of the walls 41, 42, and 43.

Each wall 41, 42, 43 has a window 46 formed so that the outside can be seen from inside the lookout post 40A. The window 46 is provided with glass. Therefore, the crew in the first lookout post 40A can see the outside of the hull 11 in a wide horizontal direction through the window 46 of each wall 41, 42, 43. The window 46 of each wall 41, 42, 43 may be provided with a rotating window or a wiper 47 for wiping the surface of the glass to ensure the crew's visibility. From the window 46 at the starboard end 22a, a view VL1 inclined toward the stern from the viewpoint VPa can be ensured. When a reference line SL1 extending from the viewpoint VPa in the left-right direction D2 is set, the angle θ1 between the reference line SL1 and the view VL1 may be, for example, 22.5° or more aft. Note that the lookout unit configuration shown in FIG. 4 is merely an example, and the lookout unit configuration is not limited to this. For example, the lookout unit may be shaped to protrude toward the bow, or may not be shaped to protrude. In addition, the inclined walls 42, 43 may or may not be present.

Now, referring to FIG. 5, the configuration of the equipment provided in the watch stations 40A and 40B will be described. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the equipment provided in the watch stations 40A and 40B. Note that FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the case where the watch stations 40A and 40B are wheelhouses. As shown in FIG. 5, the watch stations 40A and 40B each have a communication device 52 and an output device 53. The steering device 51 may be installed near either the watch station 40A or 40B, or in a different location. The steering device 51 is a device that allows the operator to steer the vessel 1. The steering device 51 has a steering wheel and various other devices necessary for operating the vessel 1.

The first watch section 40A and the second watch section 40B are each provided with a communication device 52 capable of communicating with each other. The communication device 52 of the first watch section 40A is a device that transmits and receives information such as audio and images between the first watch section 40A and the second watch section 40B. For example, a crew member keeping watch at the first watch section 40A can use the communication device 52 to transmit information to a crew member at the second watch section 40B. Also, a crew member keeping watch at the second watch section 40B can use the communication device 52 to transmit information to a crew member at the first watch section 40A. The output device 53 can output various information related to steering. The output device 53 can output information received from other watch sections by the communication device 52. The output device 53 may have a device that outputs audio information such as a speaker, or may have a device that outputs image information such as a monitor.

Next, referring to FIG. 3, we will explain the blind spot from the first surveillance unit 40A formed by the Magnus rotors 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D. Note that here, the viewpoint VPa of the occupant keeping watch at the first surveillance unit 40A is assumed to be a predetermined position at the first surveillance unit 40A.

The line of sight extending from viewpoint VPa when it meets the starboard end of the leading Magnus rotor 10A is designated as line of sight VL2. The line of sight extending from viewpoint VPa when it meets the port end of the second leading Magnus rotor 10B is designated as line of sight VL3. At this time, Magnus rotors 10A and 10B are between line of sight VL2 and line of sight VL3. Therefore, a blind spot DE1 is formed outside the hull 11 between lines of sight VL2 and VL3. Similarly, a blind spot DE2 is formed outside the hull 11 between lines of sight VL4 and VL5 which sandwich the third leading Magnus rotor 10C. A blind spot DE3 is formed outside the hull 11 between lines of sight VL6 and VL7 which sandwich the sternmost Magnus rotor 10D. Thus, when viewed from the first watch station 40A, there are blind spots DE1, DE2, and DE3 due to the Magnus rotors 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D. Next, the line of sight extending from the viewpoint VPa of the second watch station 40B to the point where it meets the port end of the leading Magnus rotor 10A is called the line of sight VL8. From the second watch station 40B, the area on the port side of the line of sight VL8 can be seen. This area includes the blind spots DE1, DE2, and DE3. Therefore, from the second watch station 40B, the state of the blind spots DE1, DE2, and DE3 can be seen. Conversely, from the first watch station 40A, the state of the blind spots for the second watch station 40B can be seen.

Here, the intersection point between the line of sight VL2 from the first lookout unit 40A to the leading Magnus rotor 10A and the line of sight VL8 from the second lookout unit 40B to the leading Magnus rotor 10A is defined as the "intersection point CP." The area surrounded by the intersection point CP, the lines of sight VL2, VL8, and the vicinity of the end 11c on the bow side of the hull 11 is a blind spot from both the first lookout unit 40A and the second lookout unit 40B. The positional relationship between the first lookout unit 40A and the second lookout unit 40B and the Magnus rotor 10A is set so that the distance between the end 11c and the intersection point CP is less than the smaller of twice the total length of the hull 11 in the fore-and-aft direction D1 or 500 m.

In the above, visibility is ensured by looking from both sides from the lookout units 40A and 40B, but the visibility may be supplemented by using, for example, a photographing unit 60 installed on the shipowner's side. Specifically, the lookout may be based on the visibility from either the lookout unit 40A or the lookout unit 40B and the photographing results of the photographing unit 60 (the result of photographing from the photographing unit 60 toward the shipowner's side (the intersection CP side)). In this case, there is no need to keep watch from both sides, so the effort required for lookout can be reduced. As shown in FIG. 6, the ship 1 further includes a photographing unit 60 installed on the bow side of the Magnus rotors 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D in the hull 11, and the ship 1 may have multiple photographing units 60. The multiple photographing units 60 take photographs on the bow side to supplement the visibility of the first lookout unit 40A and the second lookout unit 40B, and transmit the acquired image data to each lookout unit 40A, 40B. As shown in FIG. 5, the multiple image capture units 60 transmit the acquired image data to the communication device 52 of the first lookout unit 40A and to the communication device 52 of the second lookout unit 40B. This ensures more accurate visibility by adding information from the image capture units 60 in addition to the visibility from both sides.

The action and effect of the vessel 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

First, referring to Figure 7, a vessel 200 according to a comparative example will be described. The vessel 200 according to the comparative example has a lookout unit 140 at a central position in the left-right direction D2. In this case, the Magnus rotor 10D at the stern-most side blocks the view, forming a large blind spot DE4 between the lines of sight VL9, VL10 that pass through both ends of the Magnus rotor 10D. In this comparative example, the view required by the vessel regulations cannot be ensured.

The ship 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with Magnus rotors 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D that are mounted on the hull 11 and propel the ship by wind force. Therefore, when the outside of the ship 1 is viewed from the lookout position on the stern side, the area behind the Magnus rotors 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D is a blind spot. In response to this, the ship 1 is equipped with a first lookout position 40A and a second lookout position 40B. The first lookout position 40A is mounted on the starboard side, and the second lookout position 40B is mounted on the port side. Therefore, the visibility of the areas that are in the blind spot of the Magnus rotors 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D as viewed from the first lookout position 40A can be secured by the second lookout position 40B. The first lookout unit 40A can ensure visibility in the blind spots of the Magnus rotors 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D when viewed from the second lookout unit 40B. As a result, the visibility required by regulations can be ensured.

The first watch unit 40A and the second watch unit 40B may each be provided with a communication device that allows them to communicate with each other. In this case, the first watch unit 40A and the second watch unit 40B can exchange information via the communication device. This allows one watch unit to obtain information confirmed by the other watch unit.

The vessel 1 may further include a photographing unit 60 that is provided on the bow side of the Magnus rotors 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D in the hull 11. In this case, the photographing unit 60 can be used to check the blind spots from the first lookout unit 40A and the blind spots from the second lookout unit 40B.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

The structure of the hull 11 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1 and may be modified as appropriate depending on the intended use, etc. For example, the shape and layout of the accommodation area are not limited to those described above.

In the above embodiment, the Magnus rotors 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D are positioned in the center in the left-right direction D2. However, some or all of the Magnus rotors may be positioned away from the center, and the present invention can be applied as long as the position does not obstruct the view from the lookout position. In addition, the number of Magnus rotors is not particularly limited.

In the above embodiment, a Magnus rotor was used as the wind propulsion unit. However, any type of wind propulsion unit that does not obstruct visibility may be used, including hard sails and kites.

1...ship, 10...Magnus rotor (wind propulsion unit), 11...hull, 40A...first lookout unit, 40B...second lookout unit, 52...communication device, 60...photography unit.

Claims (3)

The hull and
a wind propulsion unit provided on the hull and configured to propel the hull by wind force;
a first lookout unit and a second lookout unit that are provided on the hull aft of the wind propulsion unit and watch over the outside of the hull,
A ship, wherein the first lookout station is provided on the starboard side and the second lookout station is provided on the port side. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the first lookout unit and the second lookout unit are each provided with a communication device capable of communicating with each other. The vessel according to claim 1 , further comprising an imaging unit provided on the hull on the bow side of the wind propulsion unit.

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