ES2372916T3 - AQUATIC VEHICLE - Google Patents

Abstract

The watercraft has a body shell, where a part of the body shell is formed from a composite material i.e. plastic, that is reinforced with fibers (17) i.e. carbon fibers. The fibers are formed as electric heating elements, and are formed for feeding with direct current (DC). The fibers of an outer side (18) of the shell are arranged closer than an inner side of the shell. A protective layer (40) is provided between the outer side of the shell and the fibers that are arranged in a deck area of the shell.

Description

Water Vehicle

The invention concerns a water vehicle, typically a boat or a submarine.

Frequently, it is necessary that water vehicles or parts thereof be released from ice or that ice formation be prevented. Thus, water vehicles are sometimes used under a cold so great that outside areas of the water vehicle can be frozen. This is especially relevant in submarines, in which ice layers several centimeters thick can be present in outer areas thereof. For example, a submarine in cold seawater may be wet with fresh water. In such a case, fresh water can be frozen by defrosting the submarine or the ice already formed in the outer lining of the submarine does not melt during defrosting.

Also, in water vehicles, it may be necessary for the outdoor areas of the water vehicle to be released from water. Where appropriate, this may be necessary especially in the antenna area to achieve signal transmission without disturbances.

Examples of the state of the art are document US4152999, in which high pressure heated liquid liner is projected from different nozzles, and in document US5593332, in which the outer lining of a buoy is heated with liquid from within to climb dense ice.

Therefore, the problem of the invention is to create an improved water vehicle in this aspect, which can be released from water and / or ice.

This problem is solved by means of a water vehicle with the characteristics indicated in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are indicated in the dependent claims, in the following description and in the drawing.

In the aquatic vehicle according to the invention at least a part of the outer lining is formed of a composite material reinforced with fibers. This fiber-reinforced composite material forms, on the one hand, as typically lighter and more stable material, at least a part of the outer lining and, on the other, at least one fiber of this composite material is configured as an electric heating element or it forms a part of such an electric heating element, that is to say that the fiber is designed to conduct an electric heating current. According to the invention, this fiber is electrically conductive, but has an electrical resistance. The electrical resistance forms a heating resistor that heats up when it is supplied with current.

By fiber in the sense of this invention it is understood both an individual fiber and a large number of fibers, for example a mallet or braided fiber.

If power is supplied to the fiber, it is heated and with it an area of the outer liner is heated, and thus, for example in cold weather, it can protect against freezing. A frozen area on the outer side of the outer liner can also be heated with the current-fed fiber, thereby melting the ice formed there. Likewise, if necessary, an area of the water vehicle wetted with water can also be dried advantageously by means of the fiber. Thus, an area of the outer lining, for example in the area of an antenna, can be heated by the fiber for drying purposes. Therefore, in the aquatic vehicle according to the invention, the outer lining reinforced with fibers performs at the same time advantageously two functions. On the one hand, the outer lining is of a light and stable construction due to the fiber-reinforced composite material and, on the other, the outer lining fiber acts as an electric heater and thus forms a part of the thawing or drying device. Since the outer lining of the water vehicle itself according to the invention is used for this purpose and other devices for drying, thawing or frost protection do not have to be expressly provided separately, the water vehicle according to the invention has materialized with a use of resources especially efficient.

The fiber fed with current can be configured in different ways for its feeding with current. The fiber can form a part of a heating current circuit, to which end this fiber is connected to a voltage or current source. As an alternative, an inductive generation of the heating current can also be provided, which is especially advantageous in the area of mobile components, since a power supply there linked to cables is suppressed.

Preferably, the composite material is a plastic reinforced with carbon fibers. Precisely this composite material forms a particularly light material of high strength and, therefore, is especially suitable for forming the at least part of the outer lining. On the other hand, carbon fibers are conductive and, therefore, are especially suitable for forming heating resistors. In another preferred embodiment, the outer liner or a part of the outer liner may be formed of a material composed of metal fibers.

Advantageously, the heating element has several fibers or mallets of parallel fibers. For example, fibers capable of being fed with current can also be presented as a fibrous material of configuration

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flat. In this way, areas of the large area outer liner can be deliberately heated, but also non-continuous areas thereof. Also, a large number of fibers or fiber mallets can achieve great heating power without thermally overloading the composite material.

Conveniently, the fiber suitable for being fed with current is arranged closer to the outer side of the outer liner than to the inner side. In this way, the fiber deliberately heats in particular the outer side of the outer liner. However, precisely for the outer side of the outer liner, the freezing problem is typically manifested as pressing. It is understood that, in order to perform a desired heating of the inner side, the fiber arrangement is reversed, that is to say that it is placed closer to the inner side of the outer liner.

In a preferred embodiment, the fiber is designed to be fed with direct current in the water vehicle. Advantageously, DC is typically available in submarines without a converter.

In the water vehicle, a protective layer is advantageously arranged between the outer side of the outer liner and the fiber. In particular, this protective layer is water repellent or water-tight, so that the surrounding seawater cannot penetrate the fibrous composite material nor, therefore, can it make it difficult to feed the fiber with current as a result of a short circuit or contour currents. As an alternative

or additionally, the protection layer may also be designed to protect against acid, air or incidence of solar radiation, for example to protect the fiber or possibly a heating current circuit against corrosion and / or to eventually protect other inner layers of the liner Exterior. It is understood that the protective layer does not necessarily have to limit directly with the fiber or with the outer lining layer provided with the fiber. On the contrary, the fiber or a layer containing it may be embedded in other layers. The protective layer can then be specially designed to protect these layers from embedding. In particular, the material of the protective layer comprises resin, for example epoxy resin. Preferably, the protective layer consists of a gel coating.

In a preferred refinement, the fiber is arranged in the cover area of the outer liner to be able to counteract a freezing of this passable zone and frequently provided with hatches or hatches.

In a water vehicle in which the outer lining comprises a trapdoor zone, the fiber suitable for being fed with current is advantageously arranged in the trapdoor zone. Especially in this trapdoor area, freezing must be avoided to ensure functional capacity. For example, the fiber may be arranged in the trapdoor itself. In this case, the heat yielded by the fiber can be deliberately limited to the trapdoor. Preferably, the trapdoor is arranged here with a small thermal contact with other areas of the outer liner surrounding the trapdoor. This execution allows an efficient use of energy to heat the trapdoor area. Alternatively or additionally, the fiber suitable for being fed with current may also be arranged in the trapdoor environment. The fiber is preferably arranged in the area of the edge of the trapdoor.

Conveniently, in a water vehicle with an antenna a part of the outer liner with the fiber suitable for being fed with current forms an antenna dome. Especially on yachts, but also on submarines, it can be achieved in this way that the antenna is kept free of ice, thus ensuring reliable radio communication.

Preferably, in the water vehicle several fibers suitable for being fed with current are oriented unidirectionally in at least one area of the outer lining and together form at least a part of a heating element. The fibers arranged with unidirectional orientation can be contacted electrically with special ease to carry out the power supply. Thus, the fibers can, for example, be connected in parallel with each other with their end zones to common electrical contacts. In this way, the cost of the contactee is small.

In an alternative refinement several fibers form a fibrous material with the configuration of a veil. The veil is configured here as a heating element or forms at least a part of an element of this class.

Conveniently, in the water vehicle according to the invention a heating current circuit for possibly feeding several fibers with current is formed such that the fibers are contacted with a current or voltage source by means of a metallic foil. Preferably, each fiber is contacted at two ends by means of metal sheets. Ideally, a large number of fibers are contacted with their ends by means of a pair of common metal sheets.

Preferably, in the water vehicle, the fiber is conductively connected with sources of current and / or voltage that may exist to power an on-board network, with the power supply network itself and / or with a propulsion battery. Advantageously, there is no need to expressly provide a source of

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separate energy to supply current to at least one heating element.

The invention is especially advantageously applied in a submarine.

Thus, in a water vehicle that has a turret, typically a submarine, the fiber suitable for being fed with current can be arranged in the area of the turret. Particularly in submarines, devices are regularly found in the turret area, which can prevent freezing in the area of the outer lining, for example devices with moving parts, such as extendable devices, covers or hatches, whose functional aptitude should be be guaranteed.

Advantageously, in a water vehicle that has at least one extendable apparatus outwards, the fiber suitable for being fed with current is arranged in or on an area of the outer lining that forms the exit zone of the extendable apparatus outwards.

Preferably, control means for controlling the current intensity of the heating element are present in the water vehicle. The heating power of the heating element can thus be suitably chosen, especially taking into account other parameters, such as, for example, the outside temperature, the temperature of the area of the outer liner to be heated or the water temperature.

The control means suitably form a part of a heating regulator in the water vehicle. The intensity of the heating current of the heating element forms in this regulator the magnitude of adjustment and the temperature of the fiber and / or that of an area of the outer lining form the regulated magnitude. Likewise, a temperature sensor is provided in or on the outer liner to capture the regulated magnitude. Preferably, other parameters are taken into account for regulation, especially those mentioned above. For example, drying and / or defrosting of the outer liner is regulated with respect to the use of energy and / or the period of time foreseeably necessary.

In the following, the invention is explained in more detail by means of an exemplary embodiment represented in the drawings. They show:

Figure 1, a water vehicle according to the invention in the form of a submarine, in a sketch of principle and in cross section,

Figure 2, in schematic representation and in section, the constitution of the outer liner of the water vehicle according to Figure 1,

Figure 3, the power supply of the fibers suitable for being fed with current in the water vehicle according to Figure 1, in a block connection scheme, and

Figure 4, an alternative feed of the fibers with current in the water vehicle according to Figure 1, in a block connection scheme.

The water vehicle according to the invention consists of a submarine 5. The submarine 5 has a pressure hull 55 in a known manner. The pressure hull 55 is surrounded by an outer liner 15. Above the hull 55 a part of the outer liner 15 forms an upper cover 10. In some areas of the upper deck 10 of the submarine 5 and in other areas described below the outer lining 15 is reinforced with a large number of carbon fibers 17. Carbon fibers 17 are distributed flat in the passable horizontal zone of the upper cover 10. Also, the carbon fibers 17 surround some hatches (not shown in the drawings) of the upper cover 10. The fibers are arranged here in the area of the edge of the hatches of the upper deck. The carbon fibers 17 are configured in each of the aforementioned areas as part of a heating element and, when supplied with current, heat the outer liner 15 of the submarine 5 to dry areas, protect them from freezing or defrosting them.

The constitution of the outer liner 15 is schematically represented in Figure 2 in a section along the line AA in the area of the upper cover 10. This section is also representative of the constitution of all other areas of the outer liner 15 described below, as long as nothing else is indicated.

The outer liner 15 comprises a core 20. This core 20 of the outer liner 15 has a honeycomb structure or a foam structure that forms the light and stable base frame of the outer liner

15. The core 20 is surrounded on the outside, in a constitution known per se, by a laminate layer 25 consisting substantially of carbon fiber reinforced plastic. In addition or instead, the laminate layer 25 may also have other suitable materials, such as, for example, glass fiber reinforced plastic. Inside, another laminate layer 30 is attached to the core 20 which is identical in configuration to the laminate layer 25. Thus, the core is embedded between two layers of laminate 25, 30.

A heating layer 35 of CFK is bonded externally to the laminate layer 25. The CFK heating layer 35 consists of a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFK) that reinforces the outer liner 15. The fibers of

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Carbon 17 of the carbon fiber reinforced plastic can be supplied with current in a manner described in detail below, so that these fibers are part of a heating element. The fibers 17 are presented here as a sheet of directionally oriented carbon fibers 17 (alternatively, the carbon fibers 17 can also form a veil). When power is supplied to the fibers 17, a heating of the outer liner 15 starts from the fibers 17 and, therefore, of the heating layer 35 of CFK. The heating layer 35 of CFK is disposed near the outer side 18 of the outer liner 15, so that a large proportion of the heat generated by the fibers 17 is conducted to the outer side 18 of the outer liner 15.

Further to the outside is a protective layer 40 which, first, protects the inner fibers 17, but also the plastic matrix of the CFK heating layer 35 and the other inner layers of the outer liner 15 against water (salty) , acid, air and sunlight. To this end, the protection layer 40 is configured as a gel coating having a high proportion of resin. The outer liner 15 of the upper deck 10 is finished off on its outer side 18 exposed to the surrounding seawater, as is known per se, with a non-slip coating 45. This anti-slip coating is limited here to the passable area of the upper deck 10 , and in other areas of the outer liner 15, no anti-slip coating is provided. The outer liner 15 is finished on its inner side with another protective layer 50. This protective layer 50 also has a high proportion of resin.

The power supply to the heating elements is schematically diluted in Figures 3 and 4 with two alternative embodiments.

In both figures a part of the outer liner 15 is schematically shown in which the fibers 17 are arranged to be supplied with current. This part is located outside the pressure hull 55, whose interior has been designated with the number 60. To supply current to the fibers 17 of the outer lining 15, contact sheets 77 are provided with which the ends of the contacts are contacted. Fibers 17. Contact sheets 77 are made here by way of example by gold sheets, but other conductive sheets are also considered. The contact sheets contact the fibers 17 in such a way that they together form a part of a heating current circuit, as described below.

The intensity of the current supply to the fibers 17 is determined by means of heating regulators 80. These heating regulators 80 act as adjustable electrical reactors connected to supply lines 82 to supply current to the heating elements. The heating regulators are designed here to adjust the power supply to the fibers 17 in such a way that suitable temperatures can be chosen in the area of the outer liner 15 or of the fibers 17. These temperatures can then be chosen in such a way that a efficient and / or progressive heating of the outer lining 15.

To adjust the temperature, temperature sensors 85 are measured in the area of the CFK heating layer 35, that is, within the outer liner 15 and near the fibers 17, which measure the temperature set in the outer liner 15. These temperature values thus obtained are transmitted for re-coupling as input values from the temperature sensors 85 to the heating regulators 80. In case of divergences from a nominal temperature, the heating regulators 80 may vary the power supply to the heating elements depending on the temperature collected from the outer liner 15 and can thus regulate the temperature by bringing it to the nominal value. In the embodiments shown, respective heating elements are arranged each time in a zone 90 and in a zone 95. Both zones 90, 95 have here a temperature sensor 85 and a heating regulator 80 that regulates the power supply to the respective heating elements.

The zone 90 of the outer liner 15 comprises, by way of example, the above-mentioned hatches of the upper cover (not shown in detail in the drawings), preventing the fibers 17 disposed there, if necessary, freezing the upper cover hatches . In the zone 95 of the outer liner 15 there are surfaces of the upper cover that are kept free from freezing by the fibers 17 or that can be defrosted in case of freezing.

In another embodiment, not shown separately here, zone 95 is the area of a submarine turret 5 that is protected against freezing or thawing by power supply to the fibers 17. In another embodiment, not shown separately , the zone 95 is an area of the outer liner 15 in which an extendable apparatus exits out of the submarine 5. Alternatively, the zone 95 is a zone 95 of the outer liner 15 with an antenna, in which the fibers 17 are provided to dry zone 95 of water, for example in the form of an antenna dome. It is understood that the zones 90, 95 according to the aforementioned exemplary embodiments represent executions of the invention that can be practiced independently of one another. The aforementioned areas, in which a heating of the outer lining is planned, should only be understood as examples. Such heating elements may be provided in all parts where it seems convenient.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the electrical energy to supply current to the fibers 17 is supplied by the on-board electrical network 100 of the submarine 5 through the power lines 82. The on-board electrical network 100 is a current network alternate To supply the fibers 17 with direct current, the supply lines 82 have been connected to the on-board power network 100 through an AC / DC converter, so that the fibers 17 form respective parts of a heating current circuit. The heating regulators 80 are interleaved here as reactances in the power lines 80 between the AC / DC converter 105 and the contact sheets 77, as described above.

In an alternative embodiment (Figure 4) the fibers 17 are supplied with current, through the power lines 82, by a battery 110 of the submarine 5 which already supplies the direct current especially suitable for feeding the fibers 17. Accordingly , the fibers 17 are also here part of a heating current system. To adapt the battery voltage level 110 to the voltage level required by the heating regulator 80 and the heating elements a DC / DC converter 115 is connected between the battery 110 and the power lines 82. The heating regulators 80 are interleaved here between the DC / DC converter 115 and the fibers 17 to adjust the heating current.

List of reference symbols

5 Submarine 10 Top cover 15 Exterior lining 17 Carbon fibers 18 External side 20 Core 25 Laminate layer 30 Laminate layer 35 CFK heating layer 40 Protective layer 45 Anti-skid coating 50 Protective layer 55 Pressure helmet 60 Embroidery zone inside 77 Contact plates 80 Heating regulator 82 Power lines 85 Temperature sensor 90 Zone 95 Zone 100 On-board power network 105 AC / DC converter 110 Battery 115 DC / DC converter

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Claims (16)

one.

Water vehicle in which at least a part of the outer lining (15) is formed of a fiber reinforced composite material (17), and in which at least one fiber (17) is configured as an electric heating element or forms a part of an element of this class.

2.

 Water vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the composite material is a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (17).

3.

Water vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heating element has one or more fiber mallets,

Four.

 Water vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fiber (17) suitable for being fed with current is arranged closer to the outer side (18) of the outer liner (15) than to the inner side.

5.

 Water vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the fiber (17) is designed to be fed with direct current.

6.

 Water vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a protective layer (40) is present between the outer side (18) of the outer liner (15) and the fiber (17).

7.

 Water vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the fiber (17) suitable for being fed with current is arranged in the area (10) of the outer liner cover (15).

8.

Water vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the outer lining (15) comprises a trapdoor area (90) and in which the fiber (17) suitable for being fed with current is arranged in the area

(90) trap doors.

9.

 Water vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, comprising an antenna and in which a part of the outer lining with the fiber suitable for being fed with current forms an antenna dome.

10.

 Water vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, in which several fibers (17) suitable for being fed with current are unidirectionally oriented and are conceived together as a heating element or form a part of a heating element.

eleven.

 Water vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, wherein several fibers (17) form a veil that is conceived as a heating element or forms a part of an element of this class.

12.

 Water vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, which is a submarine (5).

13.

Water vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, which has a turret and in which the fiber (17) suitable for being fed with current is arranged in the area (95) of the turret.

14.

 Water vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, with at least one extendable apparatus outwards, in which the fiber suitable for being fed with current is arranged in or on an area (95) of the outer lining that forms the exit zone of the apparatus extendable out.

fifteen.

 Water vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, wherein control means are present to control the current intensity of the heating element.

16.

 Water vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the control means form a part of a heating regulator (80), wherein the current intensity of the heating element forms the magnitude of adjustment and at which the temperature of the fiber (17) and / or an area (90; 95) of the outer liner (15) forms the regulated magnitude, and in which a temperature sensor (85) is provided in or on the outer liner (15) to capture the regulated magnitude.