RELOCATABLE WATER PUMP STATION FOR AND METHOD OF DANGEROUS NATURAL PHENOMENA (MAINLY HURRICANE) WEAKENING
The present invention proposes to apply against dangerous natural phenomena (mainly hurricane) relocatable water pump stations using wave energy and having two states: operating state (for cold water pumping) and collapsed state (suitable for transportation). In collapsed state these stations have a severe less cross-section at least in one of horizontal directions. Such stations include reconfiguration means for theirs transforming from one said state to the second state and back.
This present invention relates to the area of the protection from dangerous atmospheric phenomena caused by overheating of ocean surface (mainly hurricane).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONA number of dangerous natural phenomena complicate our life on the Earth.
Hurricane is one of a number of dangerous atmospheric phenomena. They kill people and do harm. Waste of hurricane “Katrina” are equal $USA 52 billions. Thus the fight against hurricane is very important task.
These hurricanes (tropical cyclones, typhoons, willi-willis, tai-fungs etc) form in the region in latitude between 5° and 20° north and similar region south, then ocean surface temperature is more than 26° C.(leading condition). Large masses of evaporated water having large energy are drawn in complicated vertical movement and create powerful stable vertex by the Coriolis force. This process may be 1,000 kilometers in diameter and 15 kilometers high.
Many researches are devoted to hurricane problem, but any correct theory is absent. Furthermore serious researches of hydrodynamic processes that are happened under water surface at hurricane period are absent practically.
Moving hurricane has a very bid power. This power value it is estimated has 1013-1014 Watt and more[1].
Therefore numerous existing proposals about the struggle against hurricane don't have practical application.
Known proposals may be classified:
1. The methods that are offered to act to vortex by various chemical materials: iodide silver, dry ice, soot (for example [2] ), sun energy [3,4], explosive [5,6], sound energy [7] etc.
2. The methods that are offered to cover ocean surface by screening film to limit the sun energy flow and to decrease the surface temperature. It is fish oil, polyethylene film [8] etc.
3. Known articles propose to decrease ocean temperature by delivery large icebergs from Antarctic region to tropical region [9].
In the patent [3] it is described the method for tornado destruction by solar energy. This energy should be concentrated on the vortex tube using a system of mirrors located in space. The system is very far from practical realization. It still needs research and designing of the sophisticated control system, facilities solar energy focusing on driven vortex tube. Large money expenses for research, design and manufacturing are involved.
Dr. Easdlund [4] offered to use the Solar Power Satellites and preliminary transformation of solar energy to VHF energy utilized for heating air masses in vortex tube. This proposal is also far method.
This direction is interested but its realization will require much time.
The explosion method is investigated by C. C. Chang [5]. His offer is based on a known hypothesis concerning natural tornado processes. If two parts of vortex tube are separated one from another somewhere in the middle by irrotational layer the parental cloud will tow the top part vortex tube much faster and lower part will be slowed down caused by the terrestrial surface friction. Chang has managed to destroy a little vortex tube in laboratory conditions exploding the balloon which is filled by a mixture of H2 and O2 gases in a volumetric ratio of 2:1. But the practical experiment was unsuccessful.
Various covering methods don't interest. The strong wind may destroy easily any covering. Therefore plastic covers, for example, [8] aren't really.
The iceberg delivery [9, 13] is really, of course. But delivery time is very long and the floating iceberg place doesn't connect with concrete hurricane.
In the patent [10] is offered a method for altering the temperature of the water surface. This method uses a underwater conduit having a plurality of outputs, any substance (for example, gas, liquid, solid) and upwelling water through the action of said substance rising from the conduit to the surface of the body of water. This system is very complicated and requires to lower said substance (that is able lift water masses) down to said conduit depth.
Uram H. [11,12] offered to realize cold water pump from deep zone immediately using flexible conduits and pumps located on submarines. In addition, author offered cooling said water. This process requires much energy. The lifting of necessary water volume with deep zone requires very power and bulky pumps and additional cooling of water volume to 10° C. that requires 42 MWatts approximately. Big nuclear submarine have only 150-500 MWatts and efficiency 25% approximately. In the result we have only 35-125 MWatts. This direction isn't able protect against hurricane.
The most serious proposals are connected with next direction: using artificial upwelling for cooling water surface, using powerful lifting warm flow, using critical points in hurricane vortex and using powerful explosions for destabilization hurricane vortex.
In 2005, Moshe Alamaro outlined a plan to use an array of floating jet engines to trigger miniature cyclones in the atmosphere ahead of a hurricane [2]. The idea is to drain the ocean and atmosphere of energy before the hurricane arrives. But critics point out that even a large array of jet engines probably cannot inject enough energy into the atmosphere to trigger even a tiny storm.
This method cannot be sole method. The ship with said jets requires supplying oil and cannot protect required area. In is important that ship cannot protect against strong wave.
Gad A. and Bronicky L. [14,15] researched the possibility of weather modification. They established that summer accumulation of considerable amount of heat in water surface layer increases the power of cumulus cloud and increases precipitation. For this aim they offered to use artificial upwelling.
In the article of Dunn[16] and Kirke[17] it is directed the possibility using OTEC(Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion having power about 1000 MWatts) at a rate of about several hundred for hurricane prevention. This is interesting proposal. But these OTEC are mounted on ship platform. It is built isolated ship. They are expensive and bulky. They cannot be carried in necessary place and necessary time. In addition, these ships cannot be protected against strong wave and wind.
A number of articles and patents describe various researches of wind vortex stability and critical points determination. The external actions on these critical points are more effective [for example,18,19].
It is very important Ross Hoffman theory of “chaotic” system [20] received the first experimental support. This theory “butterfly effect” declares that minimum “impact” in “chaotic” system, for example hurricane, can produce “chain” reaction and even change vortex movement direction. However, this “chaotic” part of hurricane prevail from process beginning. Further the vortex process become predominant.
The present invention devotes to creation of the relocatable (movable) means using wave energy, in particular, artificial upwelling, and to use these means for water cooling in the necessary place and the necessary time. Such means must be suitable for mass-production, light and fast transportable in the necessary place and depending on weather in the small degree. The plurality of said means makes possibility to create powerful flow of cold water from deep zone to water surface.
The present invention offers to execute cooling of ocean surface with the help of said means in the hurricane forming period in combination with acting to atmosphere part of hurricane, in particular, explosive (or other) acting to air hurricane part while the vortex process is weak. For example, one can use oxygen-poor fuel-air explosive delivered by pilotless fuel delivery means (rockets) to necessary area of the hurricane.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONTherefore one of possible kind of this problem solution is the creation of a method and means allowed to cool the water surface in necessary time, in necessary place and even if to elevate said ocean surface area temperature of two-four degrees C[20].
Said aim is reached with the help offered invention. This invention is described in following aspects characterized their stages, features and advantages. This was made for better understanding of their essence.
The main aspects of present invention consist in the cooling of large zones of ocean surface with the help of the plurality relocatable water pump stations using the water energy, in particular, for: artificial cold water upwelling from high depth, artificial warm surface water downwelling to high depth, and evaporating of the spraying warm surface water and extracting heat energy from ocean surface. The last process that is produced by the plurality said stations is able to reduce the lifting warm air flow above water surface that is able to induce the local hurricane.
The second aspect of the present invention consists in that these stations are able to pump great water masses from the first water layer with the predetermined temperature to the second specified layer, for example, from deep cold water to the ocean surface. And each of these stations comprise a main buoy and a pipeline cylinder-liked in shape. Said main buoy contains an internal cavity connected to external environment (atmosphere) through one or more openings, said cavity is connected to internal part of said pipeline and a water flow-controlled valve that is placed inside said pipeline.
The third aspect consists in creating of a distributed system consisting of the plurality of relocatable water pump stations using wave energy, these stations are placed in waiting positions, and these positions are chosen so that maximum number of said stations is able to reach necessary place maximum fast after receiving troubled message.
The fourth aspect of this invention consists in regular dangerous region monitoring, determining place where it is liable to appear hurricane, the target designation to the stations placed near this region, and transmitting troubled information to said stations with help wireless communication (acoustic, productivity or radio channel) about the place and the time of hurricane incipience, and really traffic and depth of motion.
The fifth aspect consists in that said stations comprise special means for their submersing to predetermined depth, moving under water surface and rising to the surface. This is useful because the underwater conditions are little depended on external weather.
The sixth aspect consists in that said stations contain mover allowed transporting these stations not only by the help of external towboat, for example, any submarine, ship, but also as autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV).
The seventh aspect consists in requirements to pipeline material. In the case if the pipeline is more than predetermined value then the average density of said pipeline is slightly over water density, for example, the rigid material (such as polyethylene, fiber-glass etc) or flexible film (on the base of spectra, kevlar etc).
The eighth aspect consists in that said pipeline made from flexible material holds its shape with the help of the holding means, for example, plumbs (weights), placed in said pipeline lower part evenly around it, and said plumbs having total weight that is more than the sum of tangential stresses and inertia forces (given below APPENDIX).
The ninth aspect consists in that said stations are able to be in two states: opening state for effective water pumping or collapsed state for fast travel, and in that these stations have reconfigurable means for transforming these stations from first state to second and back in sufficiently little time. These reconfiguration means placed on any station are either a self-sufficiency means or require to use additional means that are may be located on special ship (submarine). And these stations have to comply with sea stability conditions (said station metacenter must lies above than the gravity center) in each states. Said stations have positive buoyancy in the operating state.
The tenth aspect of the present invention consists in that said stations being transformed in the collapsed state, said stations have the least cross-section in movement direction and this aspect makes said stations are suitable for transporting with the help of embedded mover or independent towboat.
The eleventh aspect consists in that the stations contain reconfiguration means for transforming said stations from operating state to collapsed state and back. These reconfiguration means are located either into said stations totally or partially. In last case the additional means for these stations transforming placed on special ships are used. For example, if the rigid pipeline is partitioned into several sections and each of these sections has length that is equal to several tens meters, then these sections are connected by bayonet or thread connectors. The assembly and disassembly of said pipeline for transforming from collapsed state to operating state and back are used by the help of special ship equipped by the ship hoist and special tongs.
The twelfth aspect consists in that the main buoy comprises a control unit in which various programs of station controlling are loaded and this device is placed inside main buoy. These programs represent necessary algorithms of submersion, motion, emersion of said stations and transformation from operating state to collapsed state and back.
The thirteenth fourteenth aspect consists in that the warm surface water zone is said level of the predetermined temperature, said stations have the short pipeline, said valve is placed in the lower part of said pipeline, each of one or more said lateral pipes is ended by its sprayer outside said main buoy, each of said sprayers is directed at an acute angle to the horizontal, and the pipeline length is sufficient for transforming these water jets to sufficiently little drops. The hydraulic hammer induces extracting of water. The extracting water breaks up into separate jets and then these jets break up into drops. This takes place because of the internal instability of said jets. The little drops have very large total external surface and this promotes evaporating. The known methods, in particular, using ultrasonic, allow raising the rate of these processes. The using of the hydraulic hammer may result abrupt pressure increasing and requires using means of safeguarding against this, for example, safety valves placed on the pipeline surface. The aerodynamically useful shape of the longitudinal cross-section of said pipeline is important for successful working of said station and may be calculated by the help of known methods. The wave energy converter may be placed as inside said water tract, so also in additional pipeline according to the aerodynamics requirements. This variant of said station may be used in view of moved pipeline apart, for example, by the way of telescoping of rigid pipeline or folding of flexible pipeline. The order variant of station having the rigid pipeline consists in that said station comprises the demountable joint means for joining of said main buoy and said pipeline. Said means may be made in base of the threat, bayonet etc. In the collapsed state said station consists from separately placed main buoy and pipeline. The pipeline length may be equal 5-30 m. The existing experience allows transporting such station and mounting theirs. Short pipeline length allows using the metal pipelines.
The fourteenth aspect consist in that the offered free-floating stations have limiters of approach said stations each other, are chosen from the group including: elastic bars, rotators of said stations, in particular, with the help of that one or more said lateral openings have their outlets are placed below water surface and such tubes are bended relatively radial direction, bulges placed on the pipeline surface along a helical path, and said rotations is oriented so that all said stations rotate clockwise (or anticlockwise), but in one direction only. The own mover and communication means placed inside said stations and the world-wide known booms anchors may be used for the limiting of growing said stations apart.
The fifteenth aspect consists in that said station includes such limiters which allow holding the position of said water pump station. The two-sectional water-anchor allows finding trade-off of two problems. At first, fixing said station position hinders oscillations; at second, the water-anchor supports the orientation, but don't supports constant position. The second section of said water-anchor fixes the first section (the water-anchor, the buoy lied on the water surface) position. The second section consists of the garland of the buoys located under water vertically. The water masses have different speed and direction, and sufficient length of said garland allows averaging these fluctuations.
The sixteenth aspect is as follows: the main buoy comprises energy source device consisting at least one source that is chosen from the group including: the source loaded from the outside (fuel cells etc) or/and wave energy converter connected to accumulator (electrical or non-electric (mechanical or hydraulic) accumulator), and this energy source device are connected with said control unit, drive system and embedded mover. This allows prolonging the autonomous moving time.
The following aspect of present invention consists in that said stations may have the means for fast traveling in collapsed state ( by embedded mover, by special ship etc) and the means for the correction of said station correction in time of operating state (using upgoing water energy).
The following aspect consists in that said station comprise the locator (radio, acoustic or optic) that allows defining the distance between said station and another object, in particular, the second station. This allows maintaining predetermined distances.
The following two aspects are connected with movement speed increasing. It is necessary in order to said water pump stations could be catch hurricane up. The increasing of the value L/d, where: L-length of moving body, d-cross size, causes abrupt water resistance decreasing. These offers make possible to move said stations under water at a rate 5-25 km an hour. This rate is no less that hurricane forward motion rate. The present offers make possible said stations are re-usable against hurricane on the new position.
The first of said two last aspects consists in forming the main buoy into oblong near-stream shape. The most water pump productivity corresponds to the most oscillations, and the most oscillations correspond to this main buoy location named “beam in the sea”. The other directions correspond substantially little productivity because of the long buoy, the length of which is comparable with wave length, averages said oscillations and decreases productivity. For this purpose the water-anchor is offered that is connected to opposite ends of said buoy by two ropes. For increasing efficiency of controlling these ropes may be connected to tension-sense tool. Additionally, the oblong shape of the main buoy extends area of the main buoy bottom and decreases the pack thickness by packing the flexible sections.
The second of said two aspects consists in mounting a docking assembly on the main buoy (docking port and docking unit at the opposite ends of this buoy) that makes possible to unite several said stations in common ship for travel. In this case the mover consists of two separated blocks placed symmetrical about the vertical plane of symmetry and outside main buoy so that said main buoys adjacent in chain don't hamper each other, and such main body's chain has near-streamlined shape.
The following aspect of this invention consists in creating cold water masses at shallow depth with the help of a rotatable reservoir that is cylinder-like in shape, and present method uses the state of practically indifferent equilibrium of the reservoir. The density increase with depth, but real increment for said reservoir is no more 0.2%.
The last aspect of this invention offers for strengthening of said effect to use the additional action on the atmospheric part of said dangerous phenomenon with the help of other, in particular, known methods, for example, such as oxygen-poor fuel-air explosive in various sensitive points of over water space, and this action is executed concurrently with pumping water. It is helpful to displacement such stations on the way of probable hurricane movement in order to create the cooled water zone on said way. Besides, in addition, these stations can be used against one and the same hurricane repeatedly.
The offered water pump stations, using wave energy, have simple design and may be produced in large quantity.
All necessary parameters given in this application is really. The existing data allow to estimate the artificial upwelling productivity as 0.3-1.0 cubic meters per second if the pipeline (conduit) length equals 400 meters, wave height equals 2 meters and pipeline diameter equals about 1 square meters [16]. There exist many researches of analogical devices (artificial upwelling and mixing-AUMIX)[21, 22].
The existing autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles (AUV) allow to reach the travel speed that is equal about 18.5 km/hour (Jane's Defense, 14.09.2005) by submerged depth about 200 m (Sea Keeper), Japan “Urasima” submarine's record was 317 km at a depth 800 m in a period of 56 hours. “Urasima” used fuel cells as energy source, and the sea bottom acoustic beacons and laser gyroscope for the orientation.
The standard submerged acoustic system (NATO) works at a distance 10 km only, because variations in water temperature, salinity and motion distort the signals. A sonar system called Deep Siren could change this by using very low frequency sonar that would overcome these conditions and increase the range of data transmissions to between 70 and 200 kilometers[23].
The field of autonomous underwater unmanned vehicle (AUV) creation is under active study now[24-27].
These data show that all necessary parameters given in present invention are reachable really.
According to [16] and Appendix 7 the ideal discharge Q=0.93 cub.m./sec,
Let us area of substantial part of “young” hurricane equals 200 sq. km ( “eye's” diameter is equal to 20-50 km), then 1000 offered stations (each about $20000-30000) will produce about 107-108 cmps (cubic meter per second) of cold water that allows to depress the surface 0.8 m-layer temperature from 26° C. to 22° C.
-
- NB. The stations that is considered according to claims 8 and 13 may be produced at a rate of a few tens of thousand.
It is difficult to estimate the result of the said downwelling and the spraying, but even 5% evaporating of total quantity of said spraying water subtract from this water-air mass about 2.5 TCal. This is sufficiently to rise the surface layer of thickness about 1 m of four degrees C.
The variant of evaporating requires the short pipeline that is useful for moving.
On the other hand, simply variants, according to claim 8 and 13, may be used for transportation similar stations the high-speed ships [28], for example:
hydrofoils (˜40 knots),
ekranoplans (˜500 km/hour, ˜300 tons, project),
and new project Pelican Ultra Large Transport Aircraft [ULTRA] of Boeing Corp. [29].
This allows to overtaking any hurricane, creating on its way the cold water layer and even deflecting this hurricane [20].
This layer may be sufficient in order to a hurricane weakening.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
This description of the present invention is illustrated by the example of said stations using artificial upwelling for hurricane weakening.
Step 1—initial operating state.
Step 2—pipeline is moved by the rolls 131 and it takes the first position.
Step 3—the two-positional switch placed inside module 116_2 is switched and the module 116_2 is disengaged from module 116_1 and is fastened on this position of pipeline.
Step 4—the rolls 131 move pipeline together with the module 116_2 and the pipeline 120 takes the second position.
Step 5—the two-positional switch placed inside module 116_1 switches and the module 116_1 is disengaged from main buoy 115 and is fastened on this position of pipeline.
Step 6—the rolls 131 move pipeline together with additional modules 116_1 and 116_2 to the second position. This position corresponds to “operating state”.
The rocker 164 is formed from the rods too. Each slewing induces moving the magnets inside the units 150_1 and 150_2 with the help of the rods 161_1 and 161_3. These fastening units 150 attach the module “n” either to previous module “n−1” or to the pipeline 120. This unit 150 is shown in following
The basic state of the magnet 155_1 corresponds to upper position of core 157 and step 1 (
The signal passes through intermediate modules, for example step2-step3, according to scheme of “standing-on-ones carry” (it isn't shown). Such transmits further if following module is attached to this, and one is used in this module if following module is absent.
In
The valve shown in the
The
In
In
In
In
In
In
The reservoir is in indifferent equilibrium state. Then the ship 310 moves back, creates the turning moment around the gravity center. After 90 degree turn the upper flange reaches ocean water surface.
In the case using of the flexible reservoir the upper cover has to close before turning in order to its shape holding or to use order means.
In the case using of the rigid pipeline its lowering executes in inclined state. In
In
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In the
Claims
1. A relocatable water pump station for dangerous natural phenomena (mainly hurricane) weakening,
- said station comprising:
- 1) one (a main buoy) or more buoys (main and additional buoys), said main buoys including: a housing having a bottom opening (lower), a cavity connected to said bottom opening, one or more through openings connecting said cavity to external environment (atmosphere), and an outlet of each of said openings is located at a predetermined distance from a bottom layer and at a predetermined distance from said cavity centre;
- 2) a pipeline placed in line (coaxial) with said bottom opening, said station, wherein further: the length of said pipeline is no less than the distance in vertical direction between two environmental layers with the predetermined temperatures, said pipeline whose length is more than several tens of meters (the long pipeline) consists of one or more several sections having cylinder-liked connected together in series, has a average density that is slightly above water density and is made, essentially, from polymer (composite) material, said pipeline material is chosen from a group including: rigid material, flexible film, and said pipeline is opened at least from one (lower, the farthest) end;
- 3) a water flow-controlling valve placed inside water tract comprising said pipeline and said cavity;
- said station wherein: said pipeline made from flexible material is fastened to buoy bottom coaxially to said bottom opening and includes shape holding means in plumbs (weights) form placed in said pipeline lower part evenly around it, and said plumbs have total weight that is more than the sum of tangential stresses and inertia forces, said pipeline made from rigid material and the upper end of said pipeline is inserted into said bottom opening;
- said station further characterized in that it has two possible states: an operating state for water pumping and a collapsed state that is suitable for travel, and said station comprises reconfiguration means for transforming said station from the collapsed state to the operating state and back, and
- said station satisfies a sea stability and has positive buoyancy;
- said station further characterized in that: being transformed into the operating state said pipeline is extended in vertically downward, and being transformed into the collapsed state said station has the smallest cross-section at least in one of horizontal directions(move direction), and said collapsed state cross-section is smaller than one in the operating state, and being transformed into the collapsed state further: said rigid pipeline is located aflat in view either extended pipeline or in package view (as folding package or as telescoping package), said flexible pipeline is folded to a package by said reconfiguration means.
2. The station according to claim 1, comprising an individual equipment clamber located inside at least one (main buoy) or more buoys and following devices located inside said clamber (embedded devices):
- 1) an energy source device consisted at least one source that is chosen from a group including: a wave energy converter located inside the said water tract or additional local pipeline, fuel cells;
- 2) a communication device for communication with environment monitoring center, said communication device connected to said control unit and including wireless channel for communication with environment monitoring means;
- 3) a control unit containing necessary programs including the program of said station reconfiguration from the operating state to the collapsed state and back, and said control unit is connected to said energy source;
- 4) a drive system consisting of one or more particular drives, said drive system is connected to said energy source and control units, and said drive system comprising drive transmissions to separated devices.
3. The station according to claim 1, comprising the following devices located inside one (said main buoy) or more buoys:
- 1) a ballast chamber having sufficient volume for submersion of said station in a predetermined depth;
- 2) at least one depth-meter connected to said control unit;
- 3) a small water pump whereby said ballast chamber takes on water ballast for submersion and jettison, said water ballast for surfacing, said water pump connected to said control unit and energy source devices; and one branch pipe of said water pump connected to said ballast chamber and other branch pipe submersed in water.
4. The station according to claim 2, comprising:
- said pipeline made from rigid material,
- said cavity located inside said main buoy,
- said cavity made in view through uptake located inside said main buoy, said uptake begins from said bottom opening and is opened from opposite side,
- the upper end of said pipeline is closed from above by said buoy and has one or more lateral openings located near said upper end;
- and wherein:
- said valve is placed inside of this pipeline,
- said reconfiguration means include means for pipeline movement consist of two rolls which clamp upper part of said pipeline on two sides and said rolls are connected to said drive system;
- said station further comprising:
- null or one or more additional separable buoy-modules having housing, identical through uptake and all said uptakes are a prolongation of one another,
- the number of said modules is more than the pipeline length, and
- each of said additional modules in turn including:
- two-position clamp located in each of said modules, one position of which executes clamping said module to the pipeline, a second position of which executes clamping said module to another module nearest to the main buoy, a receiver-unit and a transmitter-unit for the commutation between adjacent buoys, a logical unit placed in each of said modules, combined with other equipment or separated, logical unit inputs are connected to said receiver-unit and said two-position clamp and logical unit outputs are connected to said two-position clamp and said transmitter-unit, the transmitter-unit placed in main buoy is connected to said control unit; and said station characterized in that:
- being transformed into operating state said station includes said pipeline whose upper end is inserted into said uptake and is fastened with the help of said pipeline movement means so that said upper opening(s) of the pipeline and lateral opening(s) are aligned, and all said modules attached to said main buoy;
- being transformed into collapsed state said station includes said pipeline located a flat attached to main buoy and said modules, and said main buoy and said modules are disposed bilaterally from middle of the sections along these sections about uniformly.
5. The station according to claim 1, wherein:
- said is pipeline made from rigid material;
- said is cavity made in view through uptake located inside said main buoy, said uptake begins from said bottom opening and is opened from opposite side;
- said main buoy is made in view of any body divided into two parts by the plane that is in parallel to the ruling and said parts have the assembled means fastened along two diametrically opposite rulings.
6. The station according to claim 1, wherein said station uses multi-sectional pipeline and wherein reconfiguration means comprise connective components that are chosen from a group including:
- threaded connections,
- bayonet connections,
- coupling links, each of these links is made in view of a plastic or metallic oblong batten having hinges on its ends, and the pair of said links are located diametrically opposite on the ends of said sections, and said links connect the pairs of adjacent sections by their hinges so that said pipeline may be folded in view of a “collapsed ladder”,
- telescoping means.
7. The station according to claim 1, wherein:
- said pipeline is made from flexible material (film);
- said cavity placed inside the main buoy is closed overhead;
- a cross-section of said flexible pipeline corresponds to said opening in the main buoy bottom;
- said main buoy housing has three or more bulges directed down, said bulges are placed along the edges of the main buoy bottom;
- said flexible pipeline is partitioned into “p” equal parts conditionally so that the shape and size of such parts are so that said part may be inscribed into said bottom area between said budges;
- “M” knot points are placed on the lower of said parts of said pipeline surface in two rows along two antipodal rulings evenly approximately, and each pair of corresponding points is belong to generic perpendicular that is erected to said rulings;
- (p-1)*M knot points are placed on surface of said pipeline in two rows along two antipodal rulings so that all corresponding knot points by covering should be coincident with one another;
- said main buoy comprises “M” approximately vertical through holes are placed inside of main buoy housing or on external side surface of said main buoy, the inlets of said holes are located in two rows correspondently to said “M” knot points, that are placed on said lower part and so that the distance between them is slightly more than said pipeline cross-section half-perimeter;
- said station, comprising the following reconfiguration means:
- “M” flexible ropes,
- (p-1)*M circular cells in rings, conical truncated form an interior diameter of said cells just more than said ropes, and said cells are fastened in said knot points one by one so that each such segment connecting two corresponding points of each pairs equidistant with respect to said bottom;
- said station, wherein:
- “M” lower ends of said ropes are fastened to the lower part of the pipeline surface in corresponding “M” knot points,
- “M” said ropes pass further through all “p-1” corresponding circular cells, after that pass through corresponding “M” holes to the top of said main buoy where all the second ends of said ropes are connected to assembly;
- said station, further characterized in that being transformed in collapsed state said pipeline is folded in the package by tauten ropes, and said station is set in necessary position on the ship deck, said station, wherein further:
- the height of said bulges is no greatest than the pipeline package thickness.
8. The station according to claim 2, wherein:
- said pipeline is made from flexible material (film),
- a cross-section of said flexible pipeline corresponds to said opening in the main buoy bottom,
- said flexible pipeline is partitioned into “p” equal parts conditionally,
- each of said parts consists of one or more fragments,
- said fragments are chosen so that these fragments covering main buoy bottom form a single-layer covering, excluding angular bends,
- said fragments are chosen also so that being folded and all segment of the antipodal rulings would be either in parallel or perpendicularly one another;
- said station comprising:
- “M” spools for reel up/down said ropes, said spools placed inside of main buoy and connected to said drive system,
- “M” knot points placed on the lower of said parts of said pipeline surface in two rows along two antipodal rulings evenly approximately, and each pair of corresponding points belonged to generic perpendicular that is erected to said rulings;
- (p-1)*M knot points placed on surface of said pipeline in two rows along two antipodal rulings so that all corresponding knot points by covering should be coincident with one another;
- said station, comprising the following reconfiguration means:
- “M” flexible ropes,
- (p-1)*M circular cells in ring conical truncated form and such that the interior diameter of said cells is just more than said ropes diameter, and said cells are fastened in said knot points one by one so that each such segment connecting two corresponding points of each pairs is equidistant with respect to said bottom;
- said station wherein:
- “M” lower ends of said ropes are fastened to the lower part of the pipeline surface corresponding “M” knot points,
- said main buoy comprises “M” through bottom holes located correspondently to said “M” knot points;
- “M” said ropes pass through all “p-1” corresponding circular cells, after that pass through corresponding “M” holes and the second ends of said ropes are fastened to corresponding spools;
- said station, further characterized in that being transformed in collapsed state said pipeline is folded in the package by tauten ropes.
9. The station according to claim 2, comprising:
- a) one or more movers chosen from the following group, including: propeller drive or water-jet, embedded in said main buoy, placed abaft and connected to said control unit and energy source;
- b) means of motion direction controlling, and said means are chosen from a group including:
- rudders placed on external part of said main buoy stern,
- means of said mover turning,
- two or more additional lateral openings having dampers and nozzles, allowing turning said station in necessary directions;
- c) navigation aids connected to said control unit.
10. The station according to claim 2, wherein said main buoy housing has oblong near-streamline shape, and said station comprises orientation means concerning a wave crest in water-anchor form.
11. The station according to claim 9, wherein at least one from sections is made from flexible material, said station comprising:
- docking assembly,
- means for combining several stations in a series,
- said docking assembly comprises docking port and docking unit,
- said docking port is placed on one end of said main buoy and docking unit is placed on opposite end of said main buoy, and
- in the case if upper section is made from rigid material a line passed through said docking port and unit is located at an acute angle to said upper section in transport state;
- said combining means chosen from group including:
- 1) ropes, each of said ropes connects two adjacent stations, the first end of said rope connects to reeling up/out means placed inside of the main buoy of first station, the opposite end of said rope is fastened to the main buoy of the second station, and said reeling means are connected to control unit and energy source,
- 2) said mover embedded into said main buoy, and said mover comprises two separated blocks, said blocks are placed symmetrical about a buoy symmetry plane so that adjacent stations in series don't hammer each other.
12. The station according to claim 1, wherein:
- the surface water zone is the layer of the first predetermined temperature and this layer is source of water flow,
- the air is the layer of the second predetermined temperature,
- said pipeline has either cylinder-like or near to cylinder-like with a widening downwards cross-section,
- said valve is opened by upgoing flow,
- each of one or more of said openings is made in view of separated pipes and is ended by its sprayer outside said main buoy,
- each of said sprayers is directed at an acute angle to the horizontal, and
- the pipeline length is sufficient for dispersing these water jets into sufficiently little drops.
13. The said station according to claim 12, wherein said pipeline is made from rigid material, and said station comprises the reconfiguration means that are chosen from one or two of the following:
- a group consisting of one or more round links fastened in said housing,
- the mountable means for joining and dejoining of said main buoy and said pipeline, and separately moving said main buoy and said pipeline in the collapsed state.
14. The station according to claim 12, comprising means for increased evaporation efficiency, and said means are chosen from the group including:
- a lowered position of said valve inside said pipeline,
- a high thermal conductivity way (a strip or the pipeline) between the warm water zone and said sprayers,
- one or more additional openings placed in side walls, corresponding valves covering these openings by excess of internal pressure above external,
- an aerodynamically useful shape of the longitudinal cross-section of said pipeline,
- one or more vibrating cells mounted about their sprayer-nozzle, said cells are connected to a special vibrations (mainly ultrasonic) generator placed inside said main buoy, and said generator is connected to wave energy converter placed inside said water tract or additional short pipeline.
15. The station, according to claim 2, comprising a locator of external objects, and said locator is connected to said control unit, and said locator uses one of following means chosen from a group including: radio, optic, acoustic, productivity.
16. The station according to claim 1, comprising limiters of approach said stations to each other, are chosen from a group including:
- elastic bars,
- rotators of said stations chosen from the following group including: one or more said lateral openings, their outlets are placed below water surface and their tubes are bended equally relatively radial direction, bulges placed on the pipeline surface along a helical path, and said rotations is oriented so that all said stations have the same direction of rotation only (clockwise or anticlockwise).
17. The station according to claim 1, comprising limiters of distance increase of said station from other station or predetermined object, and these limiters are chosen from the two groups:
- 1) the first group of passive means, including: a boom installed by other ship, a water-anchor tethered to said station by a rope, a two-sectional water-anchor tethered to said station by a rope, and
- said two-sectional water-anchor, comprising
- a first section floating on water surface and tethered to station by a rope, and
- a second section consisting from one or more separated buoys located in a view vertical garland under water, and
- said buoys are just heaving than water and tethered to each other by ropes;
- 2) the second group of active means, including: an embedded mover connected to energy source, two or more additional lateral openings (water-jets) having dampers and nozzles, allows turning said station in necessary directions; and said dampers are connected to said control unit and communication device for determining its position.
18. A method of dangerous natural phenomena (mainly hurricane) weakening on the base of a plurality of relocatable water pump stations, wherein each of said stations includes a main buoy and a pipeline, said pipeline consists of one or more sections and is made from rigid or flexible material, said method, wherein each of said stations has two states, an operating state and a collapsed state correspondently, and includes reconfiguration means, placed either totally or partially in said station, and
- said method comprising the following steps:
- 1) manufacturing the plurality of said stations;
- 2) transforming said stations from last state to the collapsed state;
- 3) transferring said stations and placing these stations on initial (previous) positions in ocean;
- 4) monitoring the dangerous region;
- 5) detecting time and place of dangerous phenomenon germ;
- 6) determining a traffic, a submerging necessary and a motion regime;
- 7) transmitting monitoring results to said stations With the help of wireless communication;
- 8) transferring said stations to necessary places in the germ region with the help of means that are chosen from a group including: movers embedded into said stations, special ships, submarines;
- 9) transforming said stations from the collapsed state to the operating state;
- 10) pumping water from the first predetermined temperature layer to the second predetermined temperature layer; and
- a) repeating the above-mentioned steps 2)-10) one or more times as necessary in the case receiving corresponding command;
- b) executing the above-mentioned steps 4)-7) regularly;
- c) said initial positions placed in conditional net nodes covered dangerous region;
- d) said time, traffic, depth and means of delivery of said stations to new positions are determined by the monitoring results and the station design.
19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said stations include a rigid pipeline, the reconfiguration means, and N additional modules-buoys (N≧0), where said N increases with the pipeline length increasing, said pipeline is defined as N+1 predetermined internal positions,
- said method comprising the following stages for executing the step 2 (transforming such station from operating state to collapsed state): a) moving said pipeline to next predetermined internal position depending on the number of step, b) fixing either main buoy at this position if N=0, or the farthest module from main buoy if N>0, at this position and
- if N=0, then finish executing the step 2, if N>0, then further: c) freeing this module from others, d) repeating the above-mentioned stages a)-c) to N times and for inverse reconfiguring from collapsed state to the operating state said method for executing step 9) comprising the following stages: e) moving said pipeline to previous position, and
- if N=0, then finish executing the step 9, if N>0, then further: f) freeing the nearest module from the pipeline, g) fixing this module to the main buoy, h) repeating the above-mentioned stages e-g to N times.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said rigid pipeline includes more than one sections, said method comprising additional stage a) before said step 2 (transforming said station from operating state to collapsed state):
- a) folding and
- said method comprising additional stage b) after step 9 (transforming said station from collapsed state to the operating state):
- b) extending.
21. The method according to claim 18, wherein for the reconfiguration of said station have the flexible pipeline and said ropes having the second ends are connected together in view of assembly,
- said method for executing step 2 (transforming from operating state to collapsed state) comprises the following stages: a) approaching special ship having a winch and an open deck to said station, b) grappling said second ends by said winch, c) pulling said ropes at said assembly with help of said winch, reeling said assembled ropes on a drum and packing said flexible pipeline, d) taking said station out of the water and placing it on the deck, and for executing step 9 (transforming from collapsed state to operating state) comprises following stages: e) moving the station from said deck to water surface and setting free said grappler of the winch.
22. The method according to claim 18, wherein said stations include the flexible pipeline and the reconfigurable means, the ropes are fastened on spools,
- said method wherein executing step 2 (transforming said station from operating state to collapsed state) comprises the following stages: a) receiving monitoring information, b) switching on drive system, c) fixing said spools, and executing step 9 (transforming said station from collapsed state to the operating state) comprises the following stage: d) setting free said spools.
23. The method according to claim 18, wherein said station has said pipeline consisting of several sections, each of said sections has its length that is equal to several tens meters approximately, said method uses for reconfigurating a special ship including a ship hoist (with a first tongs) and second tongs placed on a stern either on water surface or underwater, said pipeline sections have connection means chosen from the following group, including: bayonet, threaded connections,
- said method, wherein executing step 2 (transforming said station from operating state to collapsed state) comprises the following steps: a) approaching said ship to said station, b) fastening the pipeline by second tongs, c) releasing main buoy from fastening, d) catching main buoy, lifting and locating it on the ship deck, e) fastening the pipeline by first tongs placed on the hoist, f) releasing the second tongs and lifting the pipeline to a section length by the hoist, g) fastening the pipeline by second tongs placed on the stern, h) separating the upper section from the pipeline, i) transporting the upper section on the deck, and
- repeating steps e)-i) for each of said sections;
- said method, wherein executing step 9 (transforming said station from collapsed state to the operating state) comprises the following steps: j) fastening the first section on the deck with the help of the hoist, k) transporting the first section from the deck with the help of the first tongs, l) fastening this section by second tongs, m) fastening the following section on the deck with the help of the hoist, n) transporting this second section from the deck with the help of the first tongs, o) connecting said second section to previous section, and
- repeating steps m)-o) for each of residuary sections, and then p) transporting the main buoy from said deck, connecting main buoy to the upper section and fastening.
24. The method according to claim 18, wherein said stations include a docking assembly, said method comprising between step 2 and step 3 following stages:
- a) drawing the stations of predetermined series nearer,
- b) ordering said stations in a chain,
- c) joining all docking assembly by fastening docking port of one station to docking unit of next one,
- d) transferring said chain of fastened stations from one position to the next, said method comprising further following stages between step 8 and 9:
- e) disjoining all docking assembly,
- f) transforming said stations to operating state; and
- said method, wherein stage a) is executed with the help of means chosen from a group including: embedded mover, long ropes connecting said stations with each other and drawing nearer by taking said long rope up bobbins placed inside of the main buoys where said bobbins are connected to drive system.
25. The method according to claim 18, wherein said stations include main buoy having an oblong near-streamline shape and orientation means in a water-anchor form and at least one of the second ends is connected to bobbin that is placed inside of the main buoy and is connected to the drive system and
- said method comprising additionally following stages:
- a) after executing step 2 (transforming from collapsed state to the operating state): a-1) reeling said one or two ropes up said bobbin, a-2) fastening the water-anchor on the stern, and
- b) before step 9 (transforming from the collapsed state to the operating state): b-1) setting free said water-anchor, said bobbin and said ropes.
26. The method according to claim 18, comprising co-coordinated:
- cooling of ocean surface with the help of said stations placed in predetermined positions before hurricane germ and later,
- acting on the atmospheric part of said dangerous phenomenon with the help of direct actions chosen from the group, including:-oxygen-poor fuel-air explosive in over water space in the lower part of hurricane, iodide of silver, dry ice or gel.
27. An improved method of cold water delivery to water surface for dangerous natural phenomena (mainly hurricane) weakening, comprising:
- creating a zone of cold water masses at shallow depth under ocean surface, said zone elongated vertically and bounded by a cylinder-like reservoir that is open from below,
- conserving said zone of cold water,
- limiting warm surface water flow into upper part of said reservoir,
- pumping out cold water from upper part of said reservoir by an external pump to ocean surface and replacing said cold water by upgoing cold water flow from below through said lower opening of the reservoir.
28. The method according to claim 27, wherein said reservoir length is more than the predetermined temperature layer depth and has an average density slightly more than water density of this layer and controlling lower cover, comprising:
- transforming said reservoir to state, in which it has the least hydrodynamics resistance at least in one direction,
- submerging this reservoir to a depth half of its length in said direction and so that this reservoir axis in its final position is in parallel to the ocean surface,
- filling said reservoir with water of the predetermined temperature with the help of pulling this reservoir perpendicularly said cross-section on a distance equal said length,
- closing one of its ends,
- rotating said reservoir through a quarter of a turn around the horizontal axis passing through the reservoir gravity center, and so that said closed end lowers,
- correcting reservoir position so that the upper end of said reservoir has been placed and on shallow depth,
- mounting means preventing said downgoing warm water flow and connecting pump conduit for pumping out cold water to ocean surface,
- pumping out cold water from upper part of said reservoir to ocean surface, said method, wherein
- in the case if said reservoir is made from flexible film before rotating is executed closing lower and upper ends snugly and after pumping out cold water is executed opening at least the lower end.
Type: Application
Filed: May 22, 2006
Publication Date: Nov 22, 2007
Inventors: Boris Feldman (Thornhill), Alexander Feldman (Thornhill), Michael Feldman (Thornhill)
Application Number: 11/438,138
International Classification: B63B 22/00 (20060101);