WO2019034875A1

WO2019034875A1 - Submersible multi-hull craft

Info

Publication number: WO2019034875A1
Application number: PCT/GB2018/052319
Authority: WO
Inventors: Graham Lockhart ALLEN
Original assignee: SubSea Craft Limited
Priority date: 2017-08-18
Filing date: 2018-08-15
Publication date: 2019-02-21
Also published as: GB201713261D0; EP3668782A1

Abstract

A submergible multi-hull craft has identical port and starboard hulls, each has watertight compartments and an open cockpit amidships. The hulls are fixedly interconnected by four tubular beams. A deck extends between the hulls over the beams. Floodable and blowable buoyancy tanks with compressed air reservoirs are provided in the compartments and n the cockpit Each hull has a steerable thrust diesel engine propulsion in a watertight enclosure. The hulls each have two, forward, thrusters with cowlings with propellers. The thrusters can be stowed for surface passage and swung out from the recesses in the hulls when submerged They can be rotated to thrust up or down. Aft, each hull has two further, aft, thrusters. Astern of them trim surfaces are provided between skegs.

Description

SUBMERSIBLE MULTI-HULL CRAFT

The present invention relates to a submergible multi-hull craft. Whilst some submarines, particularly smaller ones (also known as

"submersibles" when provided with an umbilical for powering from the surface) not intended for passage far on the surface, are electrically powered only; normally a submarine is provided with electric propulsion means for submerged passage and diesel propulsion for surface passage (diesel propulsion whilst submerged is possible only with expedients such as a snorkel).

Generally the same propeller is used for submerged electric propulsion and surface diesel propulsion. This requires either clutching of one or other of an electric motor and a diesel engine to a propeller shaft, unless the diesel engine drives a generator driving the electric motor.

Most submarines have a hull closable with a hatch for accommodating a crew in a dry environment or at least a capsule for the crew in a submersible. Not all submarines provide a dry environment for the crew. In a "wet submarine", generally the crew ride the submarine, in the manner of a horse or a motorbike, wearing diving gear.

Proposals have been put forward for catamaran submarines, with two separate, spaced hulls (not to be confused with to a "double hull" having a pressure hull within a casing or outer hull). The applicant is not aware of any catamaran submarine having been made.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved submergible multi-hull craft.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a submergible multi-hull craft comprising:

• at least two hulls, • interconnecting structure for spacing the hulls from each other,

• non-electric means for surface propulsion and

• electric means for submerged propulsion.

Whilst it can be envisaged that the two propulsion means could be

mechanically interconnected as by a non-electric motor and an electric motor arranged to drive through a common propeller; preferably they are independent, ideally both mechanically and electrically.

Further whilst it can be envisaged that the non-electric propulsion means could be adapted for charging of batteries for the electric propulsion means; preferably the non-electric propulsion means is provided with generation capacity equivalent to a minor proportion of the battery capacity, the batteries being arranged for

interchangeability or recharging via a recharge connection from an external source.

Also whilst it can be envisaged that the hulls could be arranged as a central hull and two, port and starboard, outrigger hulls; preferably, the hulls are arranged as a pair of similar port and starboard hulls in a catamaran arrangement.

Preferably each hull its own non-electric means for surface propulsion and its own electric means for submerged propulsion.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a submergible multi-hull craft, comprising:

• at least two hulls,

• interconnecting structure for spacing the hulls from each other,

• surface propulsion means, including

• at least one propeller or water impeller and

• submerged propulsion means, including

• at least one other propeller or water impeller.

Preferably the craft includes one or more of the following features: • the surface propulsion propeller(s) or impellers are arranged to be at least substantially out of water flow past the hulls when the craft is submerged;

• the surface propulsion means is at least one jet or pump drive;

• the or each jet or pump drive preferably being directable for steering and

• one is in one hull and the other is in the other when two or more are

provided;

• the submerged propulsion propeller(s) or water impeller(s) are arranged above the craft's surface propulsion waterline;

• the submerged propulsion propeller(s) or water impeller(s) are arranged as at least one fore and aft set;

• the submerged propulsion propeller(s) or water impeller(s) are arranged as at least one port and starboard pair;

• the submerged propulsion propeller(s) or water impeller(s) or at least some of them are arranged to be steerable or to have their thrust steered by a steering fin in their flow;

• the submerged propulsion propeller(s) or water impeller(s) or at least some of them are arranged to be vectored up and down and/or to have their thrust vectored by a steering fin in their flow and/or adapted to be driven at differential thrust speeds for steering.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a submergible multi-hull craft, comprising:

• at least two hulls and

• interconnecting structure for spacing the hulls from each other;

wherein the hulls are not provided with dry environment crew accommodation.

Preferably the craft includes one or more of the following features:

• the interconnecting structure fixedly spaces the hulls from each other;

• the interconnecting structure is adapted for pivotal arrangement of the hulls into a configuration more compact than a use configuration in which the hulls are spaced from each other in an even keel arrangement;

• each hull has at least one crew station or cockpit;

• one crew station of one or both hulls is a helmsman's station or cockpit; • pumps are provided for pumping out the crew accommodation for surface passage;

• floodable buoyancy tanks for trimming the craft when submerged.

To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a submergible multi-hull craft in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the craft of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the craft;

Figure 4 is a front view of the craft;

Figure 5 is an aft view of the craft;

Figure 6 is a side view similar to that of Figure 2, showing the position of certain main components of the craft.

Referring to the drawings, the craft 1 thereshown has a port hull 2 and a starboard hull 3, which are substantially identical and parallel with each other. They comprise a watertight forrard compartment 4, a watertight aft compartment 5 and an open cockpit 6 amidships. Fore and aft bulkheads 7,8 are provided to close the watertight compartments 4,5.

The hulls are interconnected by four tubular beams 1 1,12,13,14. These are fast with both sides of the hulls. The forrard beam 1 1 is secured to the forrard bulkheads 7. The second and third beams 12,13 are secured to ribs 16,17 between the bulkheads and the fourth beam is secured to aft ribs 18 in the aft compartments. A deck 19 extends between the hulls over the beams 12,13,14, but not over the front beam 11.

Buoyancy tanks which are floodable and blowable and have integral compressed air reservoirs are provided as a forrard tank 21 in the forrard compartment 4, a midships tank 22 in the cockpit 6 and three aft tanks 23 in the aft compartment, three being provided in view of the mass of the engines referred to below. Crew air bottles 24 are provided in the cockpit.

Each hull also has in its aft compartment a steerable thrust diesel engine propulsion system 25, which is an off the shelf unit, with a waterjet thrust unit. The systems include a watertight enclosure 26 whereby the aft compartment can be flooded with the engine remaining dry. The enclosures are provided with non-shown, sealable air intakes for surface running of the engines passing through the aft compartments.

Forrard, the hulls each have two, forrard, thrusters 31. These are deployable from recesses 32 in the sides of the hulls. The recesses have watertight walls 33 sealing them from the forrard compartments. The forrard thrusters have cowlings 34 in which electrically driven propellers 35 are journalled. The cowlings are connected to the hulls via arms 36. These are pivotally connected to the hulls at their proximal ends about upright axes 37. The cowlings are pivotally connected to their arms about horizontal axes 38. The arrangement is such that the thrusters can be stowed for surface passage and swung out from the recesses in the hulls when submerged and powered to thrust ahead or astern. They can be rotated to thrust up or down to provide vectored thrust for assisting in surfacing or diving.

Aft, each hull has two further, aft, thrusters 41 provided. They have similar cowlings 42 in which further electrically driven propellers 43 journalled. They are fixed in their deployment as they remain above water during surface passage. Astern of them trim surfaces 26 are provided between skegs 27. When submerged, the thrusters can drive ahead or astern. The attitude of the trims surfaces, past which water flows from/to the thrusters, can be controlled for surfacing and diving.

Whilst the cockpits are shown empty, normally stations for one crew member per hull will be provided between the third beam and the aft compartments. At least one of the stations will be provided with conning instruments and handles, not shown, but arranged in conjunction with a control system housing 51. When the craft is arranged for personnel, each hull can have two crew stations between the second and third beams 12,13. A further crew station can be provided between the forrard bulkhead 4 and the first beam 1 1. Further important features are batteries 52 for the thrusters in the bottom of the central part of the cockpit and diesel tanks 53 for the surface propulsion engines in the bottom of the aft part of the cockpit. Pumps 54 are provided in the bottom of the forrard part of the cockpit. For surface passage, the hulls are pumped out, that is to say all of the forrard and aft compartments and the cockpits. The craft floats high in the water and can be propelled at speed by the diesel engine propulsion systems.

For submerged passage, the compartments and the cockpit are flooded. The craft then has neutral buoyancy and can be trimmed with the tanks 21,22,23. These are half flooded when the craft has neutral buoyancy. To dive the tanks are flooded somewhat and the thrusters 31,41 and the aft trim surfaces 26 can be set to maintain an even keel during diving. For continued passage the thrusters and the trim surfaces can be set level and the tanks adjusted as required. Submerged steering is by differential speed of port and starboard thrusters. Surfacing is the reverse procedure including pumping out for surface passage.

The craft can be of fibre reinforced polymer construction.

The invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above described embodiment. For instance, whilst the following are not expected to be required, they remain possibilities:

• Rudders aft,

• Vectoring of the aft thrusters in the manner of the forrard thrusters,

• Forrard hydroplanes.

• Steerable thrusters. Further it is envisaged that the beams could be hinged at their point of meeting the hulls for reducing the width of the craft for air transport.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A submergible multi-hull craft comprising:

• at least two hulls,

• interconnecting structure for spacing the hulls from each other,

S · non-electric means for surface propulsion and

• electric means for submerged propulsion.

2. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein that the two propulsion means are mechanically interconnected.

3. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein that the two0 propulsion means are independent, preferably both mechanically and electrically.

4. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in claim 1 , claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the non-electric propulsion means is adapted for charging of batteries for the electric propulsion means.

5. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in claim 1 , claim 2 or claim 3, whereinS the non-electric propulsion means is provided with generation capacity equivalent to a minor proportion of the capacity of batteries for the electric propulsion means, the batteries being arranged for interchangeability or recharging via a recharge connection from an external source.

6. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the0 hulls are arranged as a central hull and two, port and starboard, outrigger hulls.

7. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5; wherein the hulls are arranged as a pair of similar port and starboard hulls in a catamaran arrangement.

8. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in claim 7, wherein each hull its own5 non-electric means for surface propulsion and its own electric means for submerged propulsion.

9. A submergible multi-hull craft comprising:

• at least two hulls,

• interconnecting structure for spacing the hulls from each other,

0 · surface propulsion means, including

• at least one propeller or water impeller and

• submerged propulsion means, including

• at least one other propeller or water impeller.

10. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in claim 9, wherein the surface propulsion propeller(s) or impellers are arranged to be at least substantially out of water flow past the hulls when the craft is submerged.

1 1. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in claim 10, wherein the surface propulsion means is at least one jet or pump drive, one in one hull and the other in the other when two or more are provided.

12. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in claim 1 1, wherein the or each jet or pump drive are directable for steering.

13. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the submerged propulsion propeller(s) or water impeller(s) are arranged above the craft's surface propulsion waterline.

14. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in claim 13, wherein the submerged propulsion propeller(s) or water impeller(s) are arranged as at least one fore and aft set

15. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the submerged propulsion propeller(s) or water impeller(s) are arranged as at least one port and starboard pair.

16. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in claim 13, claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the submerged propulsion propeller(s) or water impeller(s) or at least some of them are arranged to be steerable or to have their thrust steered by a steering fin in their flow.

17. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 16; wherein the submerged propulsion propeller(s) or water impeller(s) or at least some of them are arranged to be vectored up and down and/or to have their thrust vectored by a steering fin in their flow and/or adapted to be driven at differential thrust speeds for steering.

18. A submergible multi-hull craft, comprising:

• at least two hulls, the hulls having

• crew accommodation and

· interconnecting structure for spacing the hulls from each other;

wherein the crew accommodation is provided as wet, not dry environment, crew accommodation.

1 . A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in claim 18, wherein the interconnecting structure fixedly spaces the hulls from each other.

20. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in claim 18, wherein the

interconnecting structure is adapted for pivotal arrangement of the hulls into a configuration more compact than a use configuration, in which the hulls are spaced from each other in an even keel arrangement.

21. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in claim 18, claim 19 or claim 20, wherein each hull has at least one crew station or cockpit.

22. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in claim 21, wherein one crew station of one or both hulls is a helmsman's station or cockpit.

23. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 22, including pumps for pumping out the crew accommodation for surface passage.

24. A submergible multi-hull craft as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 24, including floodable buoyancy tanks for trimming the craft when submerged.