GB2532602A

GB2532602A - A system for launch and/or recovery of a vessel

Info

Publication number: GB2532602A
Application number: GB1518935.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jones Andrew; Williams-Jones Nick
Original assignee: BMT Defence Services Ltd
Current assignee: BMT Defence Services Ltd
Priority date: 2014-10-27
Filing date: 2015-10-27
Publication date: 2016-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 2035-10-27
Also published as: GB2532602B; GB201518935D0

Abstract

A method of recovering a marine vessel comprises the steps of fitting a marine vessel with a bow line 25 and a lifting point leader line 30, deploying a capture device 10 from a mother ship 15, capturing the marine vessel using the capture device, recovering the capture device to the mother ship together with the lines, securing the bow line to provide directional stability, connecting the leader line to a lifting device fall line (45, Fig 6), using the leader line to draw the fall line to the marine vessel, connecting the fall line to the marine vessel and using the fall line to lift the marine vessel out of the water. The capture device may comprise a net.

Description

A SYSTEM FOR LAUNCH AND/OR RECOVERY OF A VESSEL The present invention relates generally to a launch and/or recovery system for use on board vessels for the recovery of manned or unmanned vessels.

Current methods for recovery of marine-based vessels are not widely available or are not capable of, or proven to, work in all sea states and with little or no interaction from crew. Also, particularly for recovery of manned vessels operation can be dangerous in higher sea states where connection of a hook or the like by crew members is required.

The present invention seeks to provide improvements in or relating to the launch and/or recovery of a marine vessel.

A first aspect provides a method of recovering a marine vessel comprising the steps of: fitting a marine vessel with a bow line and a lifting point leader line; deploying a capture device from a mother ship; capturing the marine vessel using the capture device; recovering the capture device to the mother ship together with the lines; securing the bow line to provide directional stability; connecting the leader line to a lifting device fall line; using the leader line to draw the fall line to the marine vessel; connecting the fall line to the marine vessel; and using the fall line to lift the marine vessel out of the water.

A further aspect provides a method for recovering a marine surface vessel comprising the steps of: providing a marine vessel with a bow line and a leader line; capturing the lines and drawing them to a mother ship; securing the bow line; connecting the leader line to a lifting device fall line; using the leader line to draw the fall line to the marine vessel; connecting the fall line to the marine vessel; and using the fall line to lift the marine vessel out of the water.

A further aspect provides a method of recovering a marine craft onto a mother craft comprising the steps of: capturing the marine craft using a capture device; using the capture device to draw from the marine craft to the mother craft: i) a bow line; and ii) a leader line; securing the bow line to the mother craft for directional stability; passing the leader line to a lifting device and connecting it to a lifting device fall line whilst the leader line remains connected with the marine craft; and raising the marine craft out of the water using the davit.

A further aspect provides a method of recovering a marine vessel onto a mother vessel comprising the steps of: fitting a marine vessel with a bow line and a lifting point leader line; using a capture device deployed from the mother craft to capture the marine craft or aspect thereof; drawing the leader line and the bow line from the marine craft to the mother vessel; securing the bow line to provide directional stability; connecting the leader line to a lifting device fall line; drawing the fall line to the marine vessel; and lifting the marine craft using the fall line.

The capture device may comprise a net or the like. In use the device may lay generally flat on the surface of the water adjacent a mother ship when deployed. In some embodiments the device is reversible i.e. it can work on both "sides" which is helpful if there is a chance the device could be flipped over by sea conditions.

In order to interact with the capture device a hook-like member may be attached to the marine vessel being recovered.

The capture device and vessel may comprise cooperating electromagnetic means to allow engagement and disengagement in use. For example, the device may comprise an electromagnetic plate, with a corresponding electronic probe on the marine vessel to be recovered. Simple engagement and disengagement of the device is thereby made possible.

The capture device may have directional veins attached to provide it with directional control on the water surface.

The capture device may comprise means for preventing the vessel from overriding, such as a boom, barrier or the like.

The capture device may be configured so as not to be capable of propulsor entanglement. It is advantageous if the device does not cause propeller entanglement as part of the capture process.

The leader line may be frangible.

The leader line may be transferred to the point of use (such as a lifting device, for example a davit) using a messenger line system.

The leader line may be kept in steady tension when connected to the fall line. It may be slack at all other times.

The bow line may be kept in generally steady tension as it is deployed by the marine vessel and retrieved by the mother ship.

The marine craft to be recovered and the mother craft may be underway during recovery. The craft may have their speeds generally matched as part of the recovery process.

The capture device and/or bow line may be connected to a boom on the mother ship.

A boom may be used to recover the capture device through a furling mechanism.

A boom may automatically decouple the lines from the capture device.

The leader line may be transferred to the lifting device autonomously.

The capture device may be buoyant or neutrally buoyant.

The marine craft may be a manned or unmanned vessel.

The marine craft may be a surface or underwater vessel.

Unmanned surface vehicles (USV) or autonomous surface vehicles (ASV) are vehicles that operate on the surface of the water (watercraft) without a crew. Alternatively or additionally the present invention may be configured and adapted to launch and/or recover unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV), sometimes known as underwater drones.

At least part of the recovery process may be autonomous.

The capture device and/or mother ship and/or vessel to be recovered may have one or more targets to aid recovery.

The capture device may comprise a frangible or quick release feature. This can be used to help prevent the vessel from overturning and/or to prevent propulsor entanglement.

The bow line and/or leader line may be automatically paid out under load.

The present invention may be configured to allow lift from the stern and/or the side of a mother ship.

The lifting device may comprise a davit.

The lifting device may comprise a stern ramp. In embodiments involving recovery to a stern ramp the hook may not need to detach from a vessel. The system could work in the same way except that, for example, a net could be trailed out of the stern ramp and when the hook is recovered to the mother ship only the bow line is then used to recover the vessel using the stern ramp. The lifting point leader line may be passed between the vessel and the ship but it is not used i.e. when the hook is recovered the bow line and lifting point leader lines are pulled in, but only the bow line is used to recover the vessel. The same apparatus can be used for this process as for other methods of the present invention.

The lifting device may comprise an A-frame.

The present invention also provides apparatus for performing a method as described herein.

Different aspects and embodiments of the invention may be used separately or together.

Further particular and preferred aspects of the present invention are set out in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. Features of the dependent claims may be combined with the features of the independent claims as appropriate, and in combination other than those explicitly set out in the claims.

The present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I shows a marine vessel to be recovered coming alongside a mother ship; Figure 2 shows the marine vessel captured by a capture device; Figure 3 shows the capture device being recovered to the mother ship; Figure 4 shows bow and leader lines recovered onto the mother ship; Figure 5 shows securing of the bow line; Figure 6 shows transfer of the leader line to a lifting device; Figure 7 shows retrieval of a lifting device fall line to the marine vessel using the leader line; Figure 8 shows the marine vessel being lifted out of the water; Figure 9 shows stowing in the marine vessel onboard the mother ship; Figure 10 shows a marine craft stowed on a mother ship and ready for deployment; Figure I I shows the marine craft being lowered using a lifting device fall line and under the control of a bow line; Figure 12 shows the marine craft as it enters the water; Figure 13 shows the marine craft following detachment of the fall line and the bow line; and Figure 14 is a key showing the different line types used in the drawings.

The example embodiment is described in sufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to embody and implement the systems and processes herein described. It is important to understand that embodiments can be provided in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein.

Accordingly, while embodiment can be modified in various ways and take on various alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and described in detail below as examples. There is no intent to limit to the particular forms disclosed. On the contrary, all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims should be included. Elements of the example embodiments are consistently denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings and detailed description where appropriate.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein are to be interpreted as is customary in the art. It will be further understood that terms in common usage should also be interpreted as is customary in the relevant art and not in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

Referring to Figures I to 9, a sequence of steps involved in recovery of a USV in accordance with the present invention is as follows.

S

Figure I A capture device in the form of a net 10 is deployed from the side of a mother ship 15. The net 10 is towed alongside the mother ship 15 by a net line 12 deployed from a shipside boom 17.

A marine craft 20 which requires recovery draws towards the mother ship 15. The craft 20 may be, for example, a Fast Rescue Craft/USV/UUV/Seaboat/RIB and all other variants of smaller craft that are recovered to commercial and military vessels.

The craft 20 is pre-fitted with a bow line and a fall line leader line, ready to be retrieved by the mother ship. In this embodiment, on-board the craft a hook attachment point has been fitted, this includes attachment to a bow line and fall line leader line (see below).

Figure 2 The craft 20 approaches net 10 and is caught. The hook attachment point engages with the net. The net is sized and shaped to take account of the craft and in some embodiments the size is minimised to help avoid entrapment of any underwater fitting or propulsion system. There may be provided some mechanism for preventing the craft riding too far over the net, such as an inflatable boom.

Figure 3 The hook attachment point has been released from the craft. The bowline 25 and leader line 30 are recovered with the net 10 and hook attachment to the mother ship 15. In other words, the pre-fitted bow and leader lines are pulled from the craft back to the mother ship together with the capture device. The lines 25, 30 may be provided on reels.

In this embodiment both lines 25, 30 are individually attached to the net 10. In other embodiments one of the lines is connected to the net and the other is connected to the first line.

In this embodiment the net towing line 12 is frangibly connected to the net 10.

A targeting system may be used, for example an optical (video) system to allow the craft to dock with the net. In some embodiments the targeting system is passive; in other embodiments an automated capture process is used.

Figure 4 The boom 17 swings in and the net 10 is pulled over the side of the mother ship 15 together with the lines 25, 30.

Figure 5 The bow line 25 is secured, allowing maintenance of directional control and position of the craft 20 relative to the mothership 15. Power is maintained on the craft so that it can steer independently of the mother ship.

The leader line 30 is detached from the hook assembly.

Figure 6 The lifting point leader line 30 can then be transferred to a davit position 40 and attached to a davit fall wire 45. In this embodiment this is done using messenger lines to pass it back to the davit 40.

Figure 7 As the davit fall wire 45 is lowered the leader line 30 is hauled in by the craft 20 to guide the fall wire 45 to the craft's lifting point assembly 22. A funnel assembly 23 on the craft is used to receive the davit hook 47. This means that the leader line 30 leads the fall line 45 directly to the craft and avoids the need to catch and connect the davit hook 47. The fall wire 45 is kept in steady tension; it spools in but if the craft suddenly moves the line will pay out or break to avoid causing the craft to overturn.

Figure 8 The leader line 30 is fully retracted back onto the craft. Once the fall wire lifting point 47 is attached to the craft the fall wire 45 can be hauled in using the davit 40.

Figure 9 The craft 20 is stowed.

Referring now to Figures 10 to 13, a sequence of steps involved in deployment of a USV in accordance with the present invention is as follows.

Figure 10 A deployment bow line SO is attached to the stowed craft 10. It is to be noted that the bow line 50 is different to the bow line 25 used in recovery. The davit fall line 45 is connected to the craft 20 via the davit hook 47.

The craft 20 is pre-fitted with a recovery bow line and fall line leader line to permit subsequent recovery as described in relation to Figure I to 9.

Figure 11 The davit 40 swings the craft 20 outwards and the davit fall line 45 lowers the craft 25 towards the water under the control of the deployment bow line 50.

Figure 12 The craft 20 reaches the water.

Figure 13 The bow line 50 and fall line 45 are released from the craft 20.

Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown and that various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMSA method of recovering a marine vessel comprising the steps of: fitting a marine vessel with a bow line and a lifting point leader line; deploying a capture device from a mother ship; capturing the marine vessel using the capture device; recovering the capture device to the mother ship together with the lines; securing the bow line to provide directional stability; connecting the leader line to a lifting device fall line; using the leader line to draw the fall line to the marine vessel; connecting the fall line to the marine vessel; and using the fall line to lift the marine vessel out of the water.
2. A method for recovering a marine surface vessel comprising the steps of: providing a marine vessel with a bow line and a leader line; capturing the lines and drawing them to a mother ship; securing the bow line; connecting the leader line to a lifting device fall line; -using the leader line to draw the fall line to the marine vessel; -connecting the fall line to the marine vessel; and -using the fall line to lift the marine vessel out of the water.
3. A method of recovering a marine craft onto a mother craft comprising the steps of: -capturing the marine craft using a capture device; using the capture device to draw from the marine craft to the mother craft: i) a bow line; and ii) a leader line; securing the bow line to the mother craft for directional stability; passing the leader line to a lifting device and connecting it to a lifting device fall line whilst the leader line remains connected with the marine craft; and -raising the marine craft out of the water using the davit.
4. A method of recovering a marine vessel onto a mother vessel comprising the steps of: fitting a marine vessel with a bow line and a lifting point leader line; using a capture device deployed from the mother craft to capture the marine craft or aspect thereof; drawing the leader line and the bow line from the marine craft to the mother vessel; securing the bow line to provide directional stability; connecting the leader line to a lifting device fall line; drawing the fall line to the marine vessel; and lifting the marine craft using the fall line.
5. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the capture device comprises a net or the like.
6. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which to interact with the capture device a hook-like member is attached to the marine vessel being recovered.
7 A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the capture device comprises an electromagnetic plate, with a corresponding electronic probe on the marine vessel to be recovered.
8. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the capture device has directional veins attached to provide it with directional control on the water surface.
9. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the capture device comprises means for preventing the vessel from overriding.
10. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the capture device is configured so as not to be capable of propulsor entanglement.
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the leader line is frangible.
12. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the leader line is transferred to the point of use using a messenger line.
13. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the leader line is kept in steady tension when connected to the fall line.
14. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the bow line is kept in generally steady tension as it is deployed by the marine vessel and retrieved by the mother ship.
15. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the marine craft and the mother craft are underway during recovery.
16. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the capture device and/or bow line is connected to a boom on the mother ship.
17. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a boom is used to recover the capture device through a furling mechanism.
18. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a boom automatically decouples the lines from the capture device.
19. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the leader line is transferred to the lifting device autonomously.
20. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the capture device is buoyant or neutrally buoyant.
21. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the marine craft is a manned or unmanned vessel.
22. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the marine craft is a surface or underwater vessel.
23. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which at least part of the recovery process is autonomous.
24. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the capture device and/or mother ship and/or vessel to be recovered have one or more targets to aid recovery.
25. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the capture device comprises a frangible or quick release feature.
26. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the bow line and/or leader line are automatically paid out under load.
27. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the lifting device comprises a davit.
28. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the lifting device comprises a stern ramp.
29. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the lifting device comprises an A-frame.
30. A method of recovering a vessel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.
31. A method of launching a vessel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.
32. A method for deploying a vessel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.
33. Apparatus for performing a method according to any preceding claim.
34. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.