US 7,377,226 B2Granted

Remotely controlled apparatus for recovering liquid in sunken ship and method performed by the same

AssigneeKorea Ocean Research and Development Institute

InventorHyek-Jin Choi

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A remotely controlled apparatus for transporting liquid, such as oil, toxic chemicals, or the like, in a tank of a sunken ship to a floating body, without leakage and a method performed by the apparatus are disclosed. An underwater recovery device (100) of the apparatus includes a supporting frame (10), to which a plurality of devices including a linkage (111) are fixed, chucking devices (20) for fixing the underwater recovery device (100) to the sunken ship (500), a grabber (30) for attaching the base plate (80) to the supporting frame (10), DTB systems 40 for attaching the base plate (80) to the sunken ship (500), thrusters (50) for providing a propulsive force so as to attach the supporting frame (10) to the sunken ship (500), a hole cutter (60) for drilling a hole for the recovery of the liquid, and a liquid recovery device (70) for recovering the liquid through the hole drilled in the sunken ship (500).

Claims6

Dependent claims

A remotely controlled apparatus for recovering liquid from a sunken ship comprising an underwater recovery device operated underwater, a remotely operated vehicle for moving the underwater recovery device to the sunken ship, a remote controller for remotely controlling the underwater recovery device and the remotely operated vehicle, a base plate for fixing and separating the underwater recovery device to and from the sunken ship, and a transporting hose for transporting the liquid to the surface, the underwater recovery device including:

a supporting plate and a supporting frame, to which a plurality of devices including a linkage, with which the underwater recovery device is coupled, are fixed;
a plurality of chucking devices for fixing the underwater recovery device to the sunken ship;
a grabber for attaching and detaching the base plate to the supporting frame;
a plurality of DTB systems for fixedly attaching the base plate to the sunken ship;
a plurality of thrusters, associated with the DTB systems, for providing a propulsive force so as to closely attach and detach the supporting frame to and from the sunken ship;
a hole cutter for drilling a hole with a desired diameter for the recovery of the liquid in the sunken ship;
and
a liquid recovery device integrally formed with the hole cutter and having a pump for recovering the liquid through the hole drilled in the sunken ship.

5 more elements

A method for recovering liquid in a sunken ship comprising:

a preparation step for analyzing and inspecting the determination of the validity of recovering the liquid in the tank of the sunken ship and the characteristics of the sea area where the ship is sunken, including the sub-steps of:
analyzing and inspecting information about a sea accident and the sunken ship to estimate the possibility that the liquid remains in the sunken ship and a risk of the liquid;
searching the sunken ship using a marine searching device;
inspecting the sunken ship by divers or using a diving ship and examining the validity of recovering the liquid;
and
establishing a plan for recovering the liquid;
an attaching step for attaching a seawater introducing base plate to the sunken ship, including the sub-steps of:
installing a navigation device and anchoring an assisting ship on the water above the sunken ship;
inspecting the sunken ship and removing obstacles around the sunken ship;
cleaning peripherals of the drilling position and marking the drilling position;
moving an underwater recovery device attached with the seawater introducing base plate to a seawater introducing position;
attaching the seawater introducing base plate to the sunken ship using DTB systems and drilling the sunken ship using a hole cutter;
and
closing assembly holes using a shutter of the seawater introducing base plate by driving a cylinder and separating the underwater recovery device from the sunken ship to which the seawater introducing base plate is attached;
a recovery step for recovering the liquid including the sub-steps of:
mounting a liquid recovery base plate to the underwater recovery device by raising the underwater recovery device to the water surface;
moving the underwater recovery device to a liquid recovery position;
attaching the liquid recovery base plate to the sunken ship and drilling a hole using the hole cutter;
and
fixedly connecting a liquid recovery device and a hose for recovering the liquid to the liquid recovery base plate attached to the sunken ship and the underwater recovery device and recovering and transporting the liquid from the tank of the sunken ship to the assisting ship;
and
a finishing step including the sub-steps of:
closing an assembly hole of the liquid recovery base plate when the recovery of the liquid is completed;
separating the underwater recovery device from the liquid recovery base plate to separate the underwater recovery device from the sunken ship;
and
leaving the base plates on the sunken ship and surfacing the underwater recovery device and the remotely operated vehicle.

23 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/590,516Filed 25 Feb 2005
Priority: KR 10-2004-001268825 Feb 2004
Published: US 2007/0261629 A115 Nov 2007
Granted: 27 May 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

B63C 7/006
Salvaging of disabled, stranded, or sunken vessels; Salvaging of vessel parts or furnishings, e.g. of safes; Salvaging of other underwater…
B63C 7/22
Apparatus engaging vessels or objects: using electromagnets or suction devices
B63G 2008/005
Unmanned: remotely controlled
Y10T 137/0318
Fluid handling: processes