1836results about "Vessel safety" patented technology

An offshore floating production, storage, and off-loading vessel has a monolithic non ship-shaped hull of polygonal configuration surrounding a central double tapered conical moon pool and contains water ballast and oil storage compartments. The exterior side walls of the hull have flat surfaces and sharp corners to cut ice sheets, resist and break ice, and move ice pressure ridges away from the structure. An adjustable water ballast system induces heave, roll, pitch and surge motions of the vessel to dynamically position and maneuver the vessel to accomplish ice cutting, breaking and moving operations. The moon pool shape and other devices on the vessel provide added virtual mass capable of increasing the natural period of the roll and heave modes, reducing dynamic amplification and resonance due to waves and vessel motion, and facilitate maneuvering the vessel. The vessel may be moored by a disconnectable turret buoy received in a support frame at the bottom of the moon pool and to which flexible well risers and mooring lines are connected.

The subject invention is a wake enhancement assembly to vary a configuration of a wake produced by the hull of a boat. The assembly preferably includes three or four fluid chambers adapted to be disposed within the hull of the boat. The fluid chambers can be filled to provide added weight in selected areas of the hull. The added weight alters how the hull rides within a body of water and as such will alter the wake of the boat. A plurality of hoses are mounted to and in fluid communication with the fluid chambers for selectively filling and draining the fluid chambers. The assembly is characterized by a manifold having an inlet and a plurality of outlets. Each of the outlets has a valve disposed in fluid communication therewith. The filling hoses are connected to the outlets such that the valves of the manifold control a flow of fluid to and from the fluid chambers independently of each other. The valves and manifold electronically and remotely control the selective filling and draining of the fluid chambers.

The different advantageous embodiments provide an apparatus comprising a sensor system, a computer system, and a satellite transceiver. The sensor system is configured to generate data about a vessel and an environment around the vessel. The computer system is connected to the sensor system. The computer system is configured to receive the data from the sensor system, generate vessel information about the data, and send the vessel information to a remote location. The satellite transceiver is connected to the computer system. The satellite transceiver is configured to send the vessel information to and receive other information from the remote location.

An offshore floating production, storage, and off-loading vessel has a hull of generally cylindrical or polygonal configuration surrounding a central double tapered conical moon pool and contains water ballast and oil and / or liquefied gas storage compartments. The exterior side walls of the polygonal hull have flat surfaces and sharp corners to cut ice sheets, resist and break ice, and move ice pressure ridges away from the structure. An adjustable water ballast system induces heave, roll, pitch and surge motions of the vessel to dynamically position and maneuver the vessel to accomplish ice cutting, breaking and moving operations. The moon pool shape and other devices on the vessel provide added virtual mass for increasing the natural period of the roll and heave modes, reducing dynamic amplification and resonance due to waves and vessel motion, and facilitate maneuvering the vessel. A disconnectable turret buoy at the bottom of the moon pool connects risers and mooring lines.

A dry storage box is held by a clamping device at a longitudinal location along the length of the small watercraft. Dry box provides water tight storage compartment with a hinged lid and latches for storing miscellaneous personal valuables and belongings. The clamped water tight box, in the event of capsize, remains secured to the gunwale, and thus valuables and belongings remain safe, dry and in one location. Incidentally provided are added buoyancy to the vessel in the event of a capsized condition, and when box is in normal use the longitudinal location allows free movement of the occupants about the small watercraft.

A water craft having a bow and a stern including an engine of sufficient thrust to create an enlarged wake at the stern of the boat as the boat moves along the surface of a body of water.The water tight compartment is positioned to carry water below the water line and essentially astride the centerline or keel of the boat. The compartment is adapted to contain liquid water in an amount sufficient to enhance or equalize the size of the boat wake.The compartment extends from a point forward of the transom and engine, and extends to a point forward of the midpoint between the bow and the stern, and terminates short of the bow while serving to exert downward force on the bow against the water when the water craft is underway and the compartment carries water.

A multihull hydrofoil watercraft incorporates a stabilization system wherein the buoyancy of the hulls is used as a sensing and control mechanism for the hydrofoils. The use of hull buoyancy to adjust the hydrofoil lift provides for automatic control of altitude, pitch and roll, and allows the craft to accommodate varying weather and sea conditions while providing a smooth ride for passengers. The stabilization technique eliminates the need for extraneous sensing mechanisms placed in or on the water surface which are subject to fouling, damage, or disruption by localized surface disturbances.

A Method and Apparatus for Wake Enlargement System have been disclosed. By using water pick ups that are mounted or deployable on a boat controlled filling of ballast tanks is possible without the use of pumps.

A trash skimmer work boat collects and discharges debris from the front or bow. A storage conveyor positioned approximately amidships and along the center line, and is mounted to the hull on a slide or track arrangement that permits fore and aft motion. A collection and discharge conveyor is mounted at the bow portion of the hull. The forward conveyor can be oriented in a trash collection position or in a trash discharge position. The storage conveyor is brought sternward so that there is clearance for the proximal end of the forward conveyor to be raised or lowered, and then is brought back forward so that the storage conveyor is in position to receive debris or to discharge it. Auxiliary floats at the sides of the boat hull provide additional buoyant support for the front conveyor, and are detachable so they can be removed for road transport of the boat.

An apparatus and method for control of at least one of a plurality of semiautonomous marine vessels are provided. The system includes a control station with a communications system for network communication with marine vessels, and provides diagnostics and control for control and monitoring of the marine vessels, according to a mission plan.

A system is disclosed for dynamically stabilizing a ship in high sea states. A six degree-of-freedom robotic arm is attached to the ship, and a thruster is located at the distal end of the manipulator. The manipulator is be used to orient the thruster to counteract wave forces that act against the ship's hull in real time. This active balancing technique can be used to keep the ship substantially erect in rough seas by making continual corrections to the ship's body attitude. The center of gravity and the center of buoyancy of the ship are utilized, along with a precisely oriented and controlled thrust at the end of the manipulator, to optimally control the ship's state against impending waves.

The invention relates to a fin stabilization system adapted to minimize roll about the longitudinal axis of the boat during sharp cornering at very high speeds. In one form, equipment such as a machine gun is mounted to the bow of the boat and targets are adapted to be engaged in high-speed maneuvers when cornering and the deck of the boat is not excessively rolled whereby blocking visibility in a turn.

There is provided a buoyancy system for a structure having at least one component being substantially stationary with respect to the bottom of a water covered area. The system comprises a set of buoyancy modules of engineered materials to apply an identified amount of buoyancy. The set of buoyancy modules is attached to the structure at a set of buoyancy load transfer locations. The set of buoyancy modules comprises layers of the engineered materials. The engineered materials comprise a substantially reinforced axial layer, a substantially reinforced hoop layer; and a leak prevention layer.

A data communication system for use on a surface or subsurface vessel. The system includes a base system and a plurality of user components. The base system includes a marine enhanced ground proximity warning system (MEGPWS), a communication component, and a wireless transceiver coupled to the MEGPWS. The user component includes a wireless transceiver, an earpiece speaker, a microphone, a heads-up display (HUD), and a processor coupled to the wireless transceiver, the earpiece speaker, the microphone, and the HUD. The processor generates an image for presentation on the HUD based on information received from the base system. Also, the processor receives voice signals from the microphone, prepares and transmits the received voice signals for transmission to the base system, receives voice signals from the base system via the wireless transceiver, and prepares and outputs the voice signals received from the base system via the earpiece speaker.

Various embodiments of reduced-size vehicles such as all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and utility vehicles (UVs) are disclosed herein. In at least some embodiments, the vehicles include frames that are wider near the front and rear sections of the vehicles than within the mid-sections of the vehicles. This, in combination with the use of shock-absorbers that are substantially vertically oriented, allows for the opening-up of large interior cavities within the front and rear sections of the vehicles within which can be positioned large front and rear internal compartments that can provide storage / carrying capacity as well as added buoyancy for the vehicle, among other things. Also, in at least some embodiments, the vehicles can include special cooling and / or exhaust systems having components that are positioned substantially within the mid-sections of the vehicles, thus further increasing the amounts of space available for the cavities / compartments within the front and rear sections of the vehicles.

The invention relates to an arrangement (1) for dynamic control of running trim and list of a boat, said boat having at least one hull (2) with a stern (3), said arrangement (1) having a housing member (9), an interceptor member (5), an actuating means (10), a drive unit (7) operated by a power supply means (8), and a guiding means (22), said guiding means (22) being arranged to guide said interceptor member (5) between a first end position and a second end position, said actuating means (10) being arranged to displace said interceptor member (5) in a movement between said first and second end positions in relation to said housing member (9) by being driven by said drive unit (7), and said housing member (9) fully enclosing said interceptor member (5) in said first end position and partially enclosing said interceptor member (5) in said second end position. According to the invention, said guiding means (22) has a first guiding member (23) and a second guiding member (24) which are arranged to interact with each other, said first guiding member (23) being a rotatable element arranged to extend transverse to the direction of displacement of said interceptor member (5), and said second guiding member (24) being a guiding surface against which said first guiding member runs (23).

The invention relates to an arrangement (1) for dynamic control of running trim and list of a boat, said boat having at least one hull (2) with a stern (3), said arrangement (1) having a housing member (9), an interceptor member (5), an actuating means (10), a drive unit (7) operated by a power supply means (8), and a guiding means (22), said guiding means (22) being arranged to guide said interceptor member (5) between a first end position and a second end position, said actuating means (10) being arranged to displace said interceptor member (5) in a movement between said first and second end positions in relation to said housing member (9) by being driven by said drive unit (7), and said housing member (9) fully enclosing said interceptor member (5) in said first end position and partially enclosing said interceptor member (5) in said second end position. According to the invention, said guiding means (22) has a first guiding member (23) and a second guiding member (24) which are arranged to interact with each other, said first guiding member (23) being a rotatable element arranged to extend transverse to the direction of displacement of said interceptor member (5), and said second guiding member (24) being a guiding surface against which said first guiding member runs (23).

A fire barrier system for use in aircraft, ship or offshore drilling platform comprises a flexible graphite sheet. Methods of providing fire barrier protection in an aircraft, ship or offshore drilling platform comprise installing the described fire barrier system in the aircraft, ship or offshore drilling platform. Additionally, the fire barrier system when installed in the aircraft, ship or offshore drilling platform is described.

The present invention is directed to novel methods and apparatus for the design, installation, use, recovery, and reuse of a Self Supporting Riser (SSR) for wells that are not under a platform. The SSR of the present invention uses standardized joints that can be recovered, potentially warehoused, and recombined in different configurations for different purposes or locations. Emphasis is on methods and apparatus that use relatively small vessels subject to high motions in the installation, use and recovery of the SSR. The SSR is adapted for high current and / or deep water applications for purposes of downhole well intervention and subsea equipment installation. In contrast to the apparatus and processes of the prior art, this invention addresses a comprehensive system design.

Wakeboarding performance is improved using a vessel which is fitted with a skeletal towing frame having spaced supports attached on opposite sides of the vessel while coupling upper extremities of the supports with a horizontal bridging portion, to which a tow rope attachment point is fitted.

A method to treat ballast water comprises injecting ozone into water loading into a sea faring vessel prior to charging the water into a ballast tank; and charging the ozone injected water into the ballast tank. A system for treating ballast water comprises a sea faring vessel including at least one ballast tank; an ozone generator that generates ozone, a ballast water conduit that uptakes water through a loading port of a sea faring vessel and conducts the water to load the ballast tank; and an ozone feed line that injects ozone from the generator into water in the conduit at an injection point located upstream to an intersection of the conduit with the ballast tank.

A method is described for providing an alert when the motion of a ship indicates a potential of sloshing damage from liquid cargo being transported by the ship. The method includes calculating, with a processing device, a natural period for the tanks holding the liquid cargo based on the configuration and fill levels of the tanks, receiving, at the processing device, data describing the actual or predicted motion of the ship with respect to three orthogonal axes, determining, with the processing device, a proximity of the natural period of the tanks to a period defined by the actual or predicted motion of the ship, and providing an alert to a user if the proximity in periods is within a threshold value.

An unmanned ocean-going vessel including a primary hull, a rigid wing rotationally coupled with the primary hull where the rigid wing freely rotates about a rotational axis of the rigid wing, a controller configured to maintain a desired heading, a control surface element configured to aerodynamically control a wing angle of the rigid wing based on a position of the control surface element, where the controller is configured to determine a control surface angle and generate a signal to position the control surface element based on the control surface angle, a rudder, where the controller is further configured to determine a rudder position and generate a signal to position the rudder to the rudder position, and a keel including ballast sufficient to provide a positive righting moment sufficient to cause the primary hull to passively right from any position.

A gyrostabilizer system that counteracts the natural rolling motion of a small boat or vessel. The invention constitutes an improvement in prior art systems of this type in that the system weighs less because it has a much lighter rotor made of composite materials spinning at much higher speeds. The gyrostabilizer system includes a lightweight rotor spinning at very high speeds to attain a large angular momentum. The mass of the rotor is concentrated away from the spin axis of the rotor to maximize angular momentum while minimizing weight. The rotor is mounted in a frame that, in turn, is mounted on gimbals so that the frame can be rotated about an axis that is normal to the longitudinal roll axis of the vessel. When the rotor is rotated about the gimbals, a torque is created that opposes the torque created by the sea and reduces the rolling motion of the vessel. The rotor may be mounted in an evacuated chamber to reduce air drag. Rotation of the rotor frame around the gimbal axis is controlled by an active servo system using information provided by roll angular position and angular velocity sensors

As Aileron (fin) is to airplanes and aqualeron is to ships, a device with fins position on both sides of the keel in a horizontal position where a set of gears controls the fin on one side in a downward arc and the other side in an upward arc providing a controlled below water force to maintain any arc of travel on a sail boat, or as a hydrofoil. A set of fins positioned on the bottom of a sailboat eliminating the keel. A set of fins positioned at the bow of a motor boat providing a downward force of the bow. A set of fins on either side of the stem of a power boat, when activated, swing out directing water to the rear of the boat filling the cavity created by the boat to eliminate the wake. A set of fins on both sides when opened to a tube allowing a force of water to enter and empty at the rear of the boat filling the cavity with instant water thereby controlling a wake free operation.

A ship according to the invention for conveying and setting up offshore structures having:a hull with a U-shaped cross-section having an open stern and projections of the side walls extending at the rear beyond the rear edge of the floor,jack-up leg systems with jack-up legs integrated in the hull that are movable in a vertical direction with their bottom ends in positions below the floor, anda crane that can move on the top edges of the side walls.

An integrated safety accessory arrangement and components for users of personal watercraft such as kayaks, canoes, and catamarans. The arrangement is comprised of safety related components providing the following integrated features: alternate personal hydration for paddlers accommodating common beverage containers as well as compartments for contemporary sports reservoirs with hull and hatch cover ports to route and seal the attached drinking tubes for use underway, and mounting and storage for navigation and communication devices such as marine compasses, GPS, VHF and FRS radios, cell phones, and the like. All are accessible while underway; and one-handed kayak skirt-on use of common portable manual pump with in-hull pump storage holder.

A wastewater treatment ship is provided which is capable of purifying and treating oil bearing wastewater collected from a ship or the sea, wastewater such as domestic water and of reusing the purified water on the ship and easily discharging it. The wastewater treatment ship has a hull able to navigate by being towed or being self-propelled and a purification treatment unit disposed on the hull and configured to collect, purify, and treat wastewater. The purification treatment unit includes a floated oil collecting tank to collect floated oil collected from raw wastewater tank, a stirring tank having a cylindrical straight drum and a funnel-shaped bottom to stir wastewater taken out from the raw wastewater tank together with a coagulant and a collecting path to discharge precipitates, a plurality of filter treatment tanks to be used in multistage filtering treatment of wastewater in the stirring tank, and purified water tanks.

A target biokill of species for water to be discharged from a ballast tank of a sea faring vessel is determined. A diverted portion of sea water is regulated prior to charging the water into the ballast tank. Regulation of the diverted portion of water and a rate of injection of the ozone into the portion are adjusted to attain the target biokill. Then ozone at the determined rate into the regulated diverted portion to attain the target biokill when the portion is recombined into the water for charging to the ballast tank.