RU2468442C2 - Method to ensure safety of vessels and salvage system for its realisation - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: information technologies.

SUBSTANCE: method to ensure safety of vessels, in which a knowledge base is generated for provision of safety of each vessel, as well as a data base for information support of fighting for survivability of each vessel, a data base for interactive electronic operation manuals (IEOM), a data base for cartographical information, a data base for physical fields of each vessel, a data base for diagnostics of technical facilities and body structures, at the same time mutual exchange is maintained for information of emergency vessels along secured communication channels with rescue services and salvage ships, besides, the specified knowledge base is formed in a computer centre of a mobile salvage ship, single for this region, including into this knowledge base data of all vessels of the served region, and in case of an emergency, all data on an emergency vessel is analysed in a computer centre of a mobile salvage ship, both initial data and available data on the emergency, and optimal recommendations are developed to maintain the emergency vessel afloat before the salvage ship arrives.

EFFECT: increased efficiency of salvage operations.

5 cl, 2 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of human vital needs, and more specifically to methods and devices for signaling that responds to undesirable or abnormal conditions that were not set in advance, and can be used to ensure survivability of ships in distress, including in difficult hydrometeorological conditions of the high seas: low cloud cover, storm conditions, snow charges, etc.

There is a known method for searching and rescue vessels in distress, in which a distress signal (SOS) is sent from the damaged ship, the coordinates of the signal source or bearing of this source are determined, and rescue equipment (for example, another vessel) is sent to this signal source. People are being transported to this vessel [1].

This known method is widely used at sea, however, it has low efficiency and effectiveness. Also in this method it is impossible to get any recommendations for ensuring the survivability of the vessel and crew within the approach period of the rescue vessel, especially in the absence of data on undesired or abnormal conditions not set in advance.

Closest to the claimed invention is a method of ensuring the safety of a ship, in which they form a knowledge base for ensuring the safety of each vessel, a database of information support for the survivability of each vessel, a database of interactive electronic technical manuals for operation (IETR), and a database of cartographic information, a database of the physical fields of each vessel, a database for the diagnosis of hardware and hull structures, while ensuring mutual exchange of information deformations of scrapped ships via secure channels of communication with the emergency services and rescue vessels [2]. This method has low efficiency, because it can only be used on each specific ship and provided there is no emergency in the information and control computer center of this ship. In addition, low efficiency is due to the need to contain on each particular ship not only the computer center itself, but also highly educated specialists serving it, which increases the cost of operating this ship. In addition, low efficiency is due to the fact that communication with coastal rescue services does not provide the necessary speed, and communication with rescue vessels does not provide the opportunity to obtain the necessary recommendations to support the survivability of the vessel due to the lack of necessary information on the ship in distress on these rescue vessels.

The ship’s rescue system, as follows from the description of the application [2], contains a computer center located on this ship containing aggregate safety databases and emergency analysis and safety calculation programs.

The technical result of the claimed invention is to increase the efficiency of rescue operations by developing practical recommendations on ensuring the survivability of an emergency vessel on a mobile rescue vessel before the approach of this mobile rescue vessel, including in difficult hydrometeorological conditions.

In the inventive method, some well-known essential features of the analogue and prototype are used. It forms a knowledge base for ensuring the safety of each vessel, a database of information support for the survivability of each vessel, a database of interactive electronic technical manuals for operation (IETR), a database of cartographic information, a database of the physical fields of each vessel, and a database data on the diagnostics of hardware and hull structures, while ensuring the mutual exchange of information of emergency vessels through secure communication channels with rescue services and rescue vessels mi

The differences of the proposed method are that the specified knowledge base is formed in the computer center of the mobile rescue vessel, which is the only one for the region, including the technical data of all vessels of the served region in this knowledge base, and in case of an emergency, all data is analyzed in the computer center of the mobile rescue vessel for the emergency ship, both the initial data and the received data on the accident, and develop optimal recommendations for keeping the emergency ship afloat on a ship or other solutions to save people, ship, cargo, and to prevent environmental pollution.

The differences also consist in the fact that in the absence of a specific database for the emergency vessel, the development of optimal recommendations is carried out by the aggregate of statistical data on the class of vessels to which the emergency vessel belongs.

The differences also consist in the fact that after receiving the signal about the accident, a helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is sent to the emergency vessel and, after hovering above the emergency vessel, they ensure the prompt transfer of information, mainly video and infrared images from this device, to the mobile rescue the vessel through an operational separate communication channel with this rescue vessel, for example, through an UAV radiator, and objective operational information from this aircraft is used to generate optimal rescue strategy.

In the claimed technical solution of the rescue system also use some of the essential features of the prototype. This rescue system includes a computer center located on the ship, containing aggregate safety databases and emergency analysis and safety calculation programs.

The rescue system is distinguished by the fact that it is located on a separate mobile rescue vessel, which is common for the served region, and contains operational communication channels with all ships in the region and a constantly functioning separate channel for receiving information, such as SOS, about accidents of served ships.

The differences in the rescue system also consist in the fact that it additionally contains at least two helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicles controlled by this system, based on a mobile rescue vessel, containing video and infrared surveillance systems and connected by a separate operational communication channel to this rescue system.

The essence of the invention is illustrated by drawings. Figure 1 shows the general diagram of the implementation of the method operations using the main technical systems, figure 2 is a diagram of obtaining operational information using unmanned aerial vehicles.

The method is implemented as follows.

Having received through a constantly functioning communication channel 1 (Fig. 1) a signal about a ship accident in the served region, the operator on duty 2 in the computer center 3 of the mobile rescue vessel launches an information retrieval system 4, requesting all the required information about the emergency ship in the database storage center 5 - tactical and technical data, information on information support for the survivability of this vessel, data on the interactive electronic technical manuals for operation of the vessel (IET), data on cartographic inf rmatsii, data on the physical fields of the ship, the data on the diagnosis of hardware and hull structures.

All these data are sent through operator 2 to the analytical center 6, equipped with the necessary software for analyzing this information and programs for developing recommendations for maintaining the survivability of the damaged ship. These recommendations are transmitted via an information transmission device 7, for example, a direct radio transmission device or satellite system, to an emergency vessel.

At the same time, according to the signal of the computer center 3, a mobile unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) 8 is sent from the rescue vessel, setting its movement using the remote control line 9 in the direction of the emergency vessel. After the detection of the damaged ship, the UAV is set to “freeze” with video and infrared images of the damaged ship. If necessary, UAVs are moved in both horizontal and vertical directions to obtain more detailed data on the emergency.

The data from the UAV 8 is transmitted via a transmission channel 10 of video and IR images to a separate receiving device 11, from where these data are sent to the decoding unit of the video and IR images 12. The numerical and animation data obtained in this block are sent to the analytical center 6, where they are analyzed together with all available initial data about the emergency vessel.

The essence of the proposed method is as follows.

When the computer center for ensuring the safety of the vessel is located on each specific vessel, a situation of “unnecessaryness” of this center and its low efficiency appears. After all, vessels do not often get into emergency situations, and it is hardly necessary to maintain a computer center, as suggested in the prototype, and highly educated specialists for servicing this center, which follows from the logic of this well-known technical solution. This leads to low efficiency of placement of such centers on each specific vessel.

In the proposed method, all the required functions of developing recommendations for saving any ship from the served region and for ensuring its survivability are transferred to a single computer center of a mobile rescue vessel connected by secure communication channels to the emergency vessel.

This increases the efficiency of rescue operations.

Moreover, the information about the accident is usually incomplete, especially in the event of a panic on the emergency vessel 13 (figure 2). For example, fire information. In this case, the infrared image obtained using the UAV 14 gives the most objective picture, including the spread of fire in rooms under the deck. Likewise, the roll information of the vessel may be incomplete, for example, after receiving a hole and flooding one or more compartments. Video and infrared images from UAV 14 provide an objective picture of the roll.

Due to the combination of the rescue vessel and the UAV, the efficiency increases during the rescue operation in difficult hydrometeorological conditions (low cloud cover, storm conditions, snow charges, etc.). For example, with low cloudiness, UAVs 14 (FIG. 2) are moved vertically by signals from a rescue vessel 15, setting the height of the UAV “hovering” below the lower cloud boundary 16. Accordingly, video and infrared images of the sea surface in the vicinity of the emergency vessel 13 are judged about the nature of the storm conditions, the presence and duration of snow charges, etc., i.e. receive almost all hydrometeorological information about the disaster area, which is then used both to develop recommendations on survivability, and during rescue operations.

However, in marine conditions, the limits of radio communication with UAVs are limited, therefore, with a low location of UAV 14, its communication with computer center 3 is limited by a distance of about 20-30 km (depending on the height of hovering). In this regard, to ensure efficient information transfer at distances exceeding the limits of reliable radio communications, a second helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicle 17 is sent from the rescue vessel 15, which goes into hovering mode at an altitude above the cloud layer 16. With the help of the UAV 17, radio relaying is performed the data obtained by the UAV 14, as well as the broadcasting of control signals from the computer center 3.

All this significantly increases the effectiveness of the proposed method.

The rescue system for implementing the method includes a computer center 3 (Fig. 1) located on a mobile rescue vessel 15 and containing an information retrieval system 4, a database storage center 5 for all vessels of the served region, an analytical center 6 with emergency analysis programs and security calculations. The system also contains operational communication channels 7 with all ships in the region and a continuously functioning separate channel 1 for receiving information, for example, of type S0S, about accidents of serviced ships.

The rescue system also contains at least two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of helicopter type 14 and 17 (Fig. 2), equipped with video and infrared surveillance systems and placed on a mobile rescue vessel. UAVs are connected by a separate communication channel to the computer center 3. The system also contains a unit 12 for decoding video and IR images from unmanned aerial vehicles located in the computer center.

The rescue system operates as follows.

After receiving a signal about an accident, for example, a signal of the SOS type, through channel 1, the system establishes a channel 7 connection with the emergency vessel, requesting all available information about the accident and displaying it in the processed, for example, ranked, form on the monitor screen of the computer center 3 Operator 2 requests through the information retrieval system (IPS) 4 the required databases for the emergency ship. IPS identifies them in the database storage center 5 - a database for information support for the survivability of a wrecked vessel, a database of interactive electronic technical operation manuals (IET) of this type of vessel, a database of cartographic information, a database of the physical fields of an emergency vessel , databases for the diagnosis of hardware and hull structures.

These databases go to the analytical center 6, where, taking into account the data on the accident, they are processed according to the 6 programs available at this center.

To obtain more complete information about the accident, the rescue system sends an unmanned aerial vehicle of the helicopter type 14 to the disaster area, maintaining continuous communication with it through a separate channel 9. If there are difficult hydrometeorological conditions, for example, low continuous cloud cover according to this UAV 14, the system sends to the same zone of the second UAV 17, through which it controls and receives information from UAV 14. According to the system signal through the UAV 17, which acts as a relay, the first UAV 14 moves down to the passage cloud layer 16.

After receiving the first images, the system, as instructed by the operator, moves the UAV 14 in the desired direction, for example, horizontally, providing data on the roll of the emergency vessel and other characteristics of the accident.

The described differences between the proposed method and the rescue system for its implementation allow to obtain an important technical result - increasing the efficiency of rescue operations by developing on the mobile rescue vessel the most objective practical recommendations for ensuring the survivability of an emergency ship in difficult hydrometeorological conditions before the approach of this mobile rescue vessel.

An example implementation of the method. As an example, we consider the emergency on the ship "Victoria". The motor ship of the project R77 Victoria (L × B × H = 105.0 m × 14.8 m × 4.4 m) is a single-deck, twin-screw oil tanker of mixed (river-sea) navigation class L4 IIISP, with a single bottom and double sides, with a tank; with engine and pump rooms and a three-story wheelhouse located in the stern, with 8 cargo tanks. The explosion that led to the fire. A hole formed on the starboard side. The first explosion was followed by two explosions of crude oil vapor in aft cargo tanks. The ship received a strong roll. There was a threat of a spill of crude oil and the death of the ship.

The analysis of the situation on the mobile rescue vessel made it possible to develop the necessary recommendations for the struggle for the survivability of the damaged vessel. As you know, the target function of the struggle for survivability - to save the ship - also determines the requirements for ensuring the safe transfer of the ship to the port after a series of operational measures. They are based on the fulfillment of the criteria for buoyancy, stability and strength.

It is customary to represent survivability as a property of the ship’s hull to maintain or restore sufficiently its operational qualities after an emergency change in the load and bearing capacity of the hull, as well as after the failure of technical equipment. At the same time, unsinkability is understood as survivability in case of violation of the watertightness of the hull and flooding of part of the compartments.

The initial information about the accident reported from the emergency vessel is usually inaccurate, and for the recommendations on fighting for survivability, the rescue system of a mobile rescue vessel sends a helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to the accident zone. UAVs are used, for example, by the domestic company ZALA with the following technical characteristics: cruising speed 80 km / h, flight duration up to 6 hours, respectively, flight range up to 200 km, taking into account the time of return to the rescue vessel.

With a low UAV altitude, the range of reliable communication with the rescue vessel (radio visibility) is 20-30 km, i.e. almost an order of magnitude less than the possible range. At the same time, it is advisable to have the most detailed information, especially with low cloud cover, storm conditions, snow charges that were observed in the area of the accident. Therefore, in addition to the accident zone, a second UAV of the same type is sent, setting it with a flight altitude that is significantly higher than the height of the first UAV and allowing you to maintain reliable communication with the rescue vessel. The first UAV provides images in the optical and infrared ranges. The video image allowed to accurately determine the characteristics of the roll of the emergency ship and the hydrometeorological situation in the accident area, and the infrared image - the characteristics of the fire and the danger zones of the possible formation of new fires.

Scanning in the infrared range is provided by installing on the UAV a scanning IR radiometer with a system of mirrors, the rotation of which ensures the sway of the line of sight in the right direction [3].

All the additional information received from the UAV, processed in the block for decoding video and IR images, arrives, for example, in an animated form in the analytical center, where it is superimposed on the non-emergency version of the position of the ship. As a result, emergency characteristics are reliably determined and objective recommendations are developed for the crew of the ship to fight for survivability before the approach of the rescue vessel.

Justification of the materiality of the signs. As follows from the description, all the features included in the claims are necessary, and their inextricable combination is sufficient to achieve an important technical result - to increase the efficiency of rescue operations, including in difficult hydrometeorological conditions - with low cloud cover, under stormy conditions, with snow charges etc.

Justification of inventive step. The claimed technical solution was investigated for compliance with the criterion of "inventive step". For this, sources in this and related fields of technology were analyzed. So, according to the source [4], a sign of analysis of the emergency situation in a single coastal center for the struggle for survivability was revealed. However, this well-known feature was used in a different set of features, namely, in a combination of the coastal center and the emergency ship, and does not provide high efficiency of the recommendations being developed, since it has only initial information about the emergency ship and inaccurate data about the accident, and also does not ensure the efficiency of rescue operations . Thus, he does not defame the inventive step of a similar feature in the claimed solution. As discussed above in the description of the proposed method, the computer center of a mobile rescue vessel develops recommendations for fighting for survivability, firstly, when the rescue vessel moves to the scene of the accident, and secondly, when continuously monitoring the characteristics of the accident using its own observational means - UAV.

Thus, in the opinion of the applicant and the authors, the proposed technical solution to the method of ensuring the safety of ships and the rescue system for its implementation in its inextricable combination of features is new, does not explicitly follow from the prior art and allows to obtain an important technical result - improving the efficiency of rescue operations, in including - in difficult hydrometeorological conditions.

Information sources

1. Manual for Search and Rescue Merchant Ships (MERSAR). - SPb .: Ed. AOZT TsNIIMF: TRIAS LLP, 1995, pp. 28-32.

2. A way to ensure the safety of the ship. Application for invention No. 2006105423/09, 02.21.2006, publ. 10/10/2007. IPC G08B 23/00 // Authors: Goncharov AV et al. (RU) - prototype.

3. Tsarev V.A., Korovin V.P. Non-contact measurement methods in oceanology. - SPb .: Ed. Russian State Medical University, 2005. - S.100-105.

4. Egorov G.V. Principles of creating coastal centers for ensuring survivability. Accounting for the residual strength of the hulls of damaged ships // Navigation: Sat. Proceedings / ONMA. - Issue 12. - Odessa: IzdatInform, 2006. - S.49-58.

Claims (5)

1. A way to ensure the safety of ships, in which they form a knowledge base on ensuring the safety of each ship, a database of information support for the survivability of each ship, a database of interactive electronic technical manuals for operation (IETR), a database of cartographic information, a database on the physical fields of each vessel, a database for the diagnosis of technical equipment and hull structures, while ensuring the mutual exchange of information of emergency vessels through secure communication channels with rescue services and rescue ships, characterized in that the specified knowledge base is formed in the computer center of the mobile rescue vessel, which is uniform for the region, including the technical data of all vessels in the served region in this knowledge base, and if an emergency occurs, they are analyzed in the mobile rescue computer center the vessel all the data on the emergency vessel, both the initial data and the received data on the accident, and generate optimal recommendations for maintaining the emergency vessel on board woo to the approach of the rescue vessel or other solutions to save people, the vessel, cargo and to prevent environmental pollution. 2. The way to ensure the safety of ships according to claim 1, characterized in that in the absence of a specific database of the emergency ship, the development of optimal recommendations is carried out by the aggregate of statistical data on the class of ships to which the salvaged ship belongs. 3. The method of ensuring the safety of ships according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that after receiving the signal about the accident, a helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicle is sent to the emergency vessel, and after it hovering over the emergency vessel, for example, using a radio transmitter, operational information transfer is provided, mainly video and infrared images from this device, to a rescue vessel via an operational separate communication channel with this rescue vessel, and objective operational information from this aircraft used to develop an optimal rescue strategy. 4. The rescue system, including a computer center located on the vessel, containing an information retrieval system, a database storage center and an analytical center with emergency analysis and safety calculation programs, characterized in that it is located on a mobile rescue vessel that is common to the region served, and contains operational communication channels with all ships in the region and a continuously functioning separate channel for receiving information, for example, of the SOS type, about accidents of serviced ships. 5. The rescue system according to claim 4, characterized in that it additionally contains at least two helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicles controlled by this system, based on a mobile rescue vessel, containing video and infrared surveillance systems and connected by a separate operational communication channel to this rescue system.

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