Method and apparatus for moving substantial quantities of water

Abstract

A method and apparatus for slowing down or weakening a tropical storm such as a hurricane by using two scoops, each attached to opposite sides of a ship to force cool subsurface water to the surface so that the surface water temperature is reduced substantially over a relatively large area in front of the storm. The ship comprises a winch arrangement attached to a port scoop and a starboard scoop for lowering and raising the scoops. A second embodiment includes the addition of a port post and a starboard post each attached through a collar to a hinge on an upper portion of a port or starboard scoop and means for raising and lowering the posts. A third embodiment includes a refrigeration unit on the deck of a ship for further cooling of the subsurface water before returning it to the ocean surface.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to certain metrological events such as hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones and in particular to a method and apparatus for reducing the strength of a hurricane, typhoon or cyclone by moving a substantial volume of ocean water from a cooler subsurface level to the ocean surface thereby depriving such weather events of warm water needed to power themselves.

2. Description of Related Art

A hurricane is a storm system with a closed circulation around a center of low pressure, fueled by the heat released when moist air rises and condenses. Such a storm system depending on its strength and location may be called a tropical depression, tropical storm, tropical cyclone or typhoon. In the Atlantic Ocean and Eastern Pacific Ocean and adjoining land masses these storms are called hurricanes. In the Western Pacific Ocean and adjoining land masses, they are called typhoons, and in the Indian Ocean and adjoining land lasses they are called cyclones.

Tropical storms can produce extremely high winds, tornadoes, torrential rain and drive storm surge onto coastal areas. The effects of such storms can be catastrophic on populations and ships.

The factors to form a tropical storm include a pre-existing weather disturbance, warm tropical oceans, moisture, and relatively light winds aloft. If the right conditions persist and allow it to create a feedback loop by maximizing the energy intake possible, for example, such as high winds to increase the rate of evaporation, they can combine to produce the violent winds, incredible waves, torrential rains, and floods associated with this phenomenon.

Condensation as a driving force is what primarily distinguishes tropical cyclones from other meteorological phenomena. Because this is strongest in a tropical climate, this defines the initial domain of the tropical cyclone. By contrast mid-latitude cyclones draw energy mostly from pre-existing horizontal temperature gradients in the atmosphere. In order to continue to drive its heat engine, a tropical cyclone must remain over warm water, which provides the atmospheric moisture needed. The evaporation of this moisture is accelerated by the high winds and reduced atmospheric pressure in the storm, resulting in a positive feedback loop. As a result, when a tropical cyclone passes over land, its strength diminishes rapidly.

Attempts here have been made by the United States Government to weaken hurricanes by seeding selected storms with silver iodide which was suppose to cause super cooled water in outer rain bands to freeze causing an inner eyewall of the storm to collapse and thus reduce the winds. However, it was eventually determined that silver iodide seeding is not likely to have a desired effect because the amount of supercooled water in the rain bands of a tropical cyclone is too low.

United States Patent Publication No. 2005/0031417 by Kurt G. Hofer et al., published Feb. 10, 2005, discloses a method of using submerged gas diffusers to lift large quantities of deep ocean water toward the surface. The gas diffuser is employed to release millions of bubbles of air, the rising cloud of bubbles will entrain the surrounding waters and pull it toward the surface thereby moving cooler water to the ocean surface.

However, this method does not bring up enough cool water to be effective in weakening a hurricane.

United States Publication No. 2005/0133612 by Herbert Uram, published Jun. 23, 2005, discloses a method and apparatus for weakening the development of a tropical cyclone in their infancy by positioning one or more nuclear submarines beneath a tropical cyclone activity and pumping cool subsurface water to cool the surface water using the submarines. Large diameter hoses that can be flattened and wound up on reels in the submarine and are used to bring water into the submarine for further cooling and to take cooled water from the submarine to the surface. However, this method requires one or more submarines or nuclear submarines and attaching hoses between submarines which may not be practical especially in rough seas.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is therefore an object of this invention to provide a scoop apparatus on a ship to move cooler water below the ocean surface to the ocean surface in order to weaken a tropical storm such as a hurricane or cyclone.

It is another object of this invention to provide a port scoop and a starboard scoop on each side of a ship with means for lowering one end of both scoops below the ocean surface to bring cooler subsurface ocean water to the surface, thereby reducing the surface ocean water temperature.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide lowering and raising means for a port scoop and a starboard scoop comprising a pair of posts each extending through a collar to a hinge on an upper portion of said port scoop and said starboard scoop.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a refrigeration unit on a ship for receiving subsurface ocean water and after further cooling of said ocean water, exiting said ocean water to the ocean surface thereby reducing the ocean water surface temperature.

These and other objects are further accomplished by providing a method of moving a volume of ocean water from a cooler subsurface level to the ocean water surface to weaken a developing tropical storm comprising the steps of mounting a scoop on each side of a ship wherein a first end of the scoop rotates about a mounting means attached to the ship, stabilizing the scoop mounted on each side of the ship with bracing means between each scoop, and lowering and raising a second end of the scoop on each side of the ship, to a predetermined ocean depth when lowering the scoop, with means attached to each scoop wherein ocean water enters at the second end of the scoop and exits at the first end above the surface of the ocean water. The step of lowering a second end of the scoop to a predetermined depth with means attached to each scoop comprises the step of attaching a first end of a cable between a first scoop and a winch on the ship and attaching a second end of the cable between a second scoop and the winch. The step of stabilizing the scoop mounted on each side of the ship with bracing means comprises the step of providing a port brace attached to an upper portion of the port scoop, a starboard brace attached to an upper portion of the starboard scoop, and a horizontal bar attached to an upper end of the port brace and the starboard brace. The step of stabilizing the scoop mounted on each side of the ship with bracing means comprises the step of providing a lower scoop bracing around the hull of the ship having a first end attached to a first scoop and a second end attached to a second scoop. The step of lowering and raising the scoop mounted on each side of the ship comprises the steps of providing a port post attached through a port collar to a hinge on an upper portion of the port scoop, providing a starboard post attached through a starboard collar to a hinge on an upper portion of the starboard scoop, connecting the port post to the starboard post with a bridge, and securing the bridge to the ship when in a lowered position with locking means to stabilize the port scoop, the starboard scoop and the ship.

The objects are further accomplished by providing an apparatus for moving a volume of ocean water from a cooler lower level to the ocean water surface to weaken a developing hurricane type storm comprising a scoop mounted on each side of a ship wherein a first end of each scoop rotates about a mounting means attached to the ship, means for stabilizing the scoop mounted on each side of the ship, the stabilizing means comprises bracing between each scoop, and means for lowering and raising a second end of the scoop on each side of the ship, to a predetermined ocean depth when lowering the scoop, wherein ocean water enters the second end and exits at the first end to cool the surface of the ocean water. The mounting means comprises a hinge extending from the side of the ship for the first end of each scoop to rotate about the hinge. The lowering and raising means comprises a first end of a cable attached between a first scoop mounted on a port side of the ship and a winch on the ship and a second end of the cable attached between a second scoop mounted on a starboard side of the ship and the winch. The stabilizing means comprises a bar attached between two vertical sections, each of the vertical sections being attached to one of the scoops on each side of the ship. The stabilizing means comprises a lower scoop bracing arranged around a hull of the ship having a first end attached to a port scoop and a second end attached to a starboard scoop wherein the bracing follows the lowering and raising of the port scoop and the starboard scoop. The apparatus comprises a post on each side of the ship attached to a corresponding scoop on each side of the ship through a collar to a hinge on an upper portion of each scoop for lowering and raising each scoop.

The objects are further accomplished by providing an apparatus mounted on a ship for cooling ocean water to weaken a developing hurricane type storm comprising means for cooling ocean water, means extending into the ocean water for providing the ocean water to the cooling means, and means for discharging the cooled ocean water into the ocean. The cooling means comprises a refrigerator. The ocean water providing means extending into the ocean comprises tubing to draw the ocean water into the cooling means. The refrigerator comprises means for forming pieces of ice.

Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The appended claims particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter of this invention. The various objects, advantages and novel features of this invention will be more fully apparent from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the present invention attached to each side of a ship;

FIG. 2 is a left side elevational view of the present invention showing a port scoop and supporting structure including, stabilizer, a winch, and vertical support;

FIG. 3 is a left side elevational view of the present invention showing the port scoop in a lowered position into seawater;

FIG. 4 is a partial rear sectional view taken along lines 4-4 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a partial rear sectional view taken along lines 5-5 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a partial rear sectional view taken along lines 6-6 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a partial rear sectional view along lines 6-6 on FIG. 2 showing the port and starboard scoops in the lowered position and lower scoop bracing attached between the lower end of the port scoop and the lower end of the starboard scoop;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment of the scoop apparatus showing the front ends of the port and starboard scoops attached to a port post and starboard post;

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional front view of the port scoop of FIG. 8 showing the lower end of the port post hingedly attached to the top of the port scoop and the upper end attached to a bridge;

FIG. 10 illustrates the port post in a lower position showing a port bridge pad resting on a port pedestal on the deck of the ship;

FIG. 11 illustrates the port post in the lower position showing a hydraulic lock in place over the top of the bridge secured by lock pins; and

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment utilizing a cooling system mounted on top of a ship's deck for cooling seawater.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, an isometric view of a scoop apparatus 10 for moving substantial quantities of ocean water from approximately 150 feet below the ocean surface and bringing it to the ocean surface according to the present invention. The scoop apparatus 10 is mounted on a ship 12 which may be of a destroyer class or battleship class (IOWA) and comprises a port scoop 14 mounted on a port side of the ship 12 and a starboard scoop 16 mounted on a starboard side of the ship 12. Each of the scoops 14, 16 is typically rectangular (although other configurations may be embodied) measuring approximately 50 feet wide and 30 feet high and open at both ends for efficient water flow through the scoops 14, 16. The length of each scoop 14, 16 is approximately 300 feet. The port scoop 14 is shown by the dashed lines in a lowered position at approximately a 35-45 degree angle whereby ocean water 30 enters the front end of the scoop 14 and the ocean water 31 exits a rear end of the scoop 14.

The scoop apparatus 10 mounted on the ship 12 provides an apparatus and method for attacking the threat of tropical storms such as hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons before such storms reach land fall and cause severe damage to property and humans. A plurality of ships each comprising the scoop apparatus 10 can weaken such storms by reducing one of their fuel sources which is warm water. Typically one to three ships will operate in front of the storm at speeds of approximately 25 MPH in paths perpendicular to the direction of the approaching storm. Cooler water is raised to the surface at a rate of 60,000 cubic feet per second with coverage of 300 feet to 400 feet wide.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, FIG. 2 shows a left or port side elevational view of the scoop apparatus 10 showing the port scoop 14 in the raised or up position and supporting structure including a stabilizer 18, a drum winch 24 and vertical support 26. The stabilizer 18 comprises a port bracing 20 attached to a top portion of the port scoop 14 and a starboard bracing 22 attached to a top portion of the starboard scoop 16. A horizontal bar 19 has one end attached to an upper portion of port bracing 20 and the other end of the horizontal bar 19 attached to an upper portion of the starboard bracing 22. The drum winch 24 is mounted on the deck of the ship 12 near the front end of the scoops 14, 16, and the drum winch 24 is electric with capacity to handle the weight of scoops.

A cable 28 is wound though the drum winch 24 and one end of cable 28 attaches to an eyehook 40 on the top of the port scoop 14 and the other end of the cable 28 attaches to eye hook 41 on the top of the starboard scoop 16. An electric motor (not shown) attached to drum winch 24 controls the turning of the drum winch 24 resulting in the lowering and raising of the port scoop 14 and the starboard scoop 16. The cable 28 is approximately 0.75 inches in diameter. The drum winch 24 is known to one of ordinary skill in the art.

Referring to FIG. 3, a left side elevational view of the port scoop 14 is shown in a lowered position for taking in ocean water 30 and exiting such water 31 at the surface level of the ocean. The stabilizer 18 which attaches between port scoop 14 and starboard scoop 16 provides lateral movement stabilization for the scoops 14, 16 especially when the scoops 14, 16 are in the lowered position.

Referring now to FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, FIG. 4 is a partial rear sectional view taken along lines 4-4 on FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is a partial rear sectional view taken alone lines 5-5 on FIG. 2, and FIG. 6 is a partial rear sectional view taken along lines 6-6 on FIG. 2. In FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, a vertical support 26 extends perpendicular to the deck of the ship 12 and a pivot bar support cable 36 extends in opposite directions from the top of the vertical support 26 to a rear eye hook 42 on port scoop 14 and a rear eye hook 43 on starboard scoop 16. The vertical support 26 and the cable 36 provide additional support for the port scoop 14 and starboard scoop 16. Eye hooks 42, 43 are mounted on the horizontal pivot bar 34. The vertical support 26 is secured to the deck of the ship by mounting plates and bracings 38.

In FIG. 5 a rear view of the stabilizer 18 is shown with the port bracing 20 attached to the top portion of the port scoop 14 and the starboard bracing 22 attached to the top portion of the starboard scoop 16. A lower scoop bracing 32 surrounds the hull of the ship 12 for a distance of approximately 200 feet along the length of the ship 12 in the preferred embodiment and upper ends of the lower scoop bracing 32 attach to the side of the port scoop 14 and the starboard scoop 16. The lower scoop bracing 32 provides further stabilization for control of the port scoop 14 and starboard scoop 16 especially when they are lowered into the ocean water 30. Referring to FIG. 6, a rear view of the drum winch 24 is shown with the cable 28 having an end attached to eye hook 40 on the top of port scoop 14 and the other end of cable 28 attached to eye hook 41 on top of the starboard scoop 16. The drum winch 24 comprises the cable 28 which comes off the center of the drum winch 24 vertically to a pulley 29, and the cable 28 extends to a port pulley assembly 44 when the cable 28 wraps around a plurality of pulleys a number of times sufficient to provide the force needed to raise and lower the port scoop 14. The cable 28 exits the port pulley assembly 44 and travels to a starboard pulley assembly 46 via guide pulley 27 where the cable 28 wraps around a plurality of pulleys a number of times sufficient to raise and lower the starboard scoop 16. The cable 28 is self-adjusting and provides equal force on each scoop 14, 16.

Referring now to FIG. 2 and FIG. 7, FIG. 7 is a partial rear sectional view along lines 6-6 on FIG. 2 showing the port scoop 14 and the starboard scoop 16 in the lowered position with the lower scoop bracing 32 in the lowered position because it is attached to the sides of the port scoop 14 and the starboard scoop 16 and contributes to their support when they are lowered into the ocean water 30 along with the stabilizer 18. The port scoop 14 and the starboard scoop 16 in the preferred embodiment each measure approximately 50 feet wide and 30 feet wide and are approximately 300 feet long.

Referring to FIG. 8 an isometric view is shown of an alternate embodiment comprising scoop apparatus 70 having the front ends of the port scoop 14 and starboard scoop 16 attached to a port post 50 and a starboard post 52 respectively. In addition the cable 28 is attached via the drum winch 24 to the port scoop 14 and starboard scoop 16. The port post 50 and the starboard post 52 provide further side-to-side stability control of the port scoop 14 and starboard scoop 16 during the lowering and raising of the port scoop 14 and the starboard scoop 16 simultaneously and while moving through the water 30. A port pedestal 58 and a starboard pedestal 60 are provided on the deck of the ship 12 to support the port post 50, which attaches to a port scoop hinge 62 located on top of the port scoop 14, and to support the starboard post 52 which attaches to a starboard scoop hinge (not shown) located on top of the starboard scoop 16 and similar to port scoop hinge 62.

Referring to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional front view of the port scoop 14 of FIG. 8, located adjacent to the hull of the ship 12, showing the port post 50 attached to the hinge 62 on top of the port scoop 14. The port post 50 extends through a port collar 54 and the port collar 54 attaches to a port collar hinge 66 mounted on the port pedestal 58. The port collar 54 extends beyond the hull of the ship 12 to guide the post 50 moving up and down. Therefore, the port collar hinge 66 is only attached to the port pedestal 58 on the deck of the ship. The combination of the port collar hinge 66 and the port collar 54 allows the port post 50 to move at an angle about the port scoop hinge 62 relative to the top of the port scoop 14 as the port scoop 14 is lowered into the ocean water 30. Similarly, the combination of a starboard collar hinge 68 and a starboard collar 56 allows the starboard post 52 to move at an angle about a starboard scoop hinge (not shown) relative to the top of the starboard scoop 16. A bridge 72 is mounted between the top of the port post 50 and the top of the starboard post 52. The port post 50 and the starboard post 52 attached to the port scoop 14 via hinge 62 and the starboard scoop 16 via hinge 64, are raised and lowered as the port scoop 14 and the starboard scoop 16 are raised and lowered by the cable 28 of the drum winch 24.

Referring to FIG. 10, the port post 50 is shown in a lowered position with the scoop 14 likewise lowered and the port end of bridge 72 rests on a port pedestal 58. A pad 74 extends from under the bridge 72 near the end of the port side of bridge 72 and another pad 76 extends from under the bridge 72 near the end of the starboard side of the bridge 72. When bridge 72 is fully lowered, the pads 74, 76 rest on pedestals 58, 60 respectively.

Referring to FIG. 11, the bridge 72 and port post 50 (as shown in FIG. 10) are still in the fully lowered position and a hydraulic lock 78 is shown in place over the top of the bridge 72 with lock pins 79 securing the lock 78. Another hydraulic lock 80 (not shown) is similarly in place over the top of the bridge 72 near the starboard end of the bridge 72. The hydraulic locks 78, 80 keep the bridge 72 from moving upward due to forces on the scoops 14, 16.

Referring to FIG. 12, an isometric view of another alternate embodiment comprising refrigeration apparatus 100 is shown. The Refrigeration apparatus 100 is provided for moving substantial quantities of cooler subsurface ocean water 30 to the deck of a ship where a cooling refrigeration unit 90 positioned on top of a deck of the ship 12 further cools the ocean water 30. Adjacent to and connected with the refrigeration unit 90 is a receiver/spreader unit 94 which receives the ocean water 30 through intake tubing 92, sends it to the refrigeration unit 90 and then returns cooler water to the receiver/spreader unit 94 for exiting of the cooler water 97 out exit tubing 96 to the surface of ocean water 30. The refrigerator unit 90 has a cooling capacity of approximately 2,000,000 gallons per hour to 40° C. The intake tubing 92 runs from the receiver/spreader unit 94 along the side of the deck of the ship 12 and then turns via a flex joint 93 at approximately a 135 degree angle and extends downward into the ocean water 30. At the end of the intake tubing 92 is an intake collector 98 for feeding ocean water 30 into the intake tubing 92 as the ship 12 moves forward. The lower section 99 of the intake tubing 92 is raised and lowered by an electric winch 86 having a cable 88 which attaches to the lower section 99 of the intake tubing 92. The intake tubing 92 extends approximately 60 feet. When not in use, the lower section 99 of the intake tubing 92 is raised out the water 30 by the electric winch 86.

This invention has been disclosed in terms of several preferred embodiments. It will be apparent that many modifications can be made to the disclosed method and apparatus without departing from the invention. Therefore, it is the intent of the appended claims to cover all such variations and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A method of moving a volume of ocean water from a cooler subsurface level to the ocean water surface to weaken a developing hurricane type storm comprising the steps of:

mounting a scoop on each side of a ship wherein a first end of said scoop rotates about a mounting means attached to said ship;

stabilizing said scoop mounted on each side of said ship with bracing means between each scoop; and

lowering and raising a second end of said scoop on each side of said ship, to a predetermined ocean depth when lowering said scoop, with means attached to each scoop wherein ocean water enters at said second end of said scope and exits at said first end to cool said surface of said ocean water.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of lowering a second end of said scoop to a predetermined depth with means attached to each scoop comprises the step of attaching a first end of a cable between a first scoop and a winch on said ship and attaching a second end of said cable between a second scoop and said winch.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of stabilizing said scoop mounted on each side of said ship with bracing means comprises the step of providing a port brace attached to an upper portion of said port scoop, a starboard brace attached to an upper portion of said starboard scoop, and a horizontal bar attached to an upper end of said port brace and said starboard brace.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of stabilizing said scoop mounted on each side of said ship with bracing means comprises the step of providing a lower scoop bracing around the hull of said ship having a first end attached to a port scoop and a second end attached to a starboard scoop.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of lowering and raising said scoop mounted on each side of said ship comprises the steps of:

providing a port post attached through a port collar to a hinge on an upper portion of said port scoop;

providing a starboard post attached through a starboard collar to a hinge on an upper portion of said starboard scoop;

connecting said port post to said starboard post with a bridge; and

securing said bridge to said ship when in a lowered position with locking means to stabilize said port scoop, said starboard scoop and said ship.

6. An apparatus for moving a volume of ocean water from a cooler lower level to the ocean water surface to weaken a developing hurricane type storm comprising:

a scoop mounted on each side of a ship wherein a first end of each scoop rotates about a mounting means attached to said ship;

means for stabilizing said scoop mounted on each side of said ship, said stabilizing means comprises bracing between each scoop; and

means for lowering and raising a second end of said scoop on each side of said ship, to a predetermined ocean depth when lowering said scoop, wherein ocean water enters said second end and exits at said first end to cool said surface of said ocean water.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said mounting means comprises a hinge extending from the side of said ship for said first end of each scoop to rotate about said hinge.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said lowering and raising means comprises a first end of a cable attached between a first scoop mounted on a port side of said ship and a winch on said ship and a second end of said cable attached between a second scoop mounted on a starboard side of said ship and said winch.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said stabilizing means comprises a bar attached between two vertical sections, each of said vertical sections being attached to one of said scoops on each side of said ship.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said stabilizing means comprises a lower scoop bracing arranged around a hull of said ship having a first end attached to a port scoop and a second end attached to a starboard scoop wherein said bracing follows the lowering and raising of said port scoop and said starboard scoop.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said apparatus comprises a post on each side of said ship attached to a corresponding scoop on each side of said ship through a collar to a hinge on an upper portion of each scoop for lowering and raising each scoop.

12. An apparatus mounted on a ship for cooling ocean water to weaken a developing hurricane type storm comprising:

means for cooling ocean water;

means extending into said ocean water for providing said ocean water to said cooling means;

means for discharging said cooled ocean water from said cooling means into said ocean.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein said cooling means comprises a refrigerator.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein said ocean water providing means extending into said ocean water comprises tubing to draw said ocean water into said cooling means.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 14 wherein said refrigerator comprises means for forming pieces of ice.