Rebuilt double hull vessel and method of rebuilding a single hull vessel into a double hull vessel
DCFirst Claim
1. A double hull vessel rebuilt from an existing single hull vessel comprising:
- an outer hull of said existing single hull vessel;
an inner hull disposed within a volume defined by said outer hull so as to define a double hull;
a plurality of framing members disposed between said inner hull and said outer hull, said framing members maintaining said inner hull in a spaced apart relationship to said outer hull; and
wherein said inner hull defines an interior cargo carrying volume and said outer hull defines an exterior of said rebuilt vessel, such that said inner hull provides a boundary in the event that said outer hull is penetrated.
4 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An existing single hull vessel is rebuilt to provide a double hull vessel by cutting and removing the topside decking and internal vessel structure of the single hull vessel and inserting an inner hull structure within a volume defined by the original hull. The original hull defines an exterior (outer hull) of the rebuilt double hull vessel and the inner hull defines an interior cargo carrying volume and forms a boundary in the event that the outer hull is penetrated. In addition, a trunk structure, raised deck, and lower bulkhead portions may be used to prevent the loss of cargo carrying capacity due to the new double hull. The double hull covers at least the length of the cargo carrying section of the vessel along the bottom and sides of the cargo section. This method of internal double hulling results in the original vessel structure being reused to the maximum extent possible, and the major exterior dimensions and outer hull hydrodynamic characteristics of the vessel remaining substantially the same after the process of double hulling is complete.
31 Citations
37 Claims
-
1. A double hull vessel rebuilt from an existing single hull vessel comprising:
-
an outer hull of said existing single hull vessel;
an inner hull disposed within a volume defined by said outer hull so as to define a double hull;
a plurality of framing members disposed between said inner hull and said outer hull, said framing members maintaining said inner hull in a spaced apart relationship to said outer hull; and
wherein said inner hull defines an interior cargo carrying volume and said outer hull defines an exterior of said rebuilt vessel, such that said inner hull provides a boundary in the event that said outer hull is penetrated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
a forward transverse bulkhead attached to a forward end of said inner hull to form a forward end of said cargo carrying volume;
an after transverse bulkhead attached to an after end of said inner hull to form an after end of said cargo carrying volume; and
topside deck plating disposed laterally over said inner hull to form a top of said cargo carrying volume; and
inner shell plating which includes inner bottom plating which forms a bottom of said cargo carrying volume, port side plating which forms a port side of said cargo carrying volume, and starboard side plating which forms a starboard side of said cargo carrying volume.
-
-
9. The vessel of claim 8 wherein said forward transverse bulkhead comprises an existing forward transverse bulkhead and said after transverse bulkhead comprises an existing after transverse bulkhead of said existing single hull vessel.
-
10. The vessel of claim 8 wherein said topside deck plating of said new double hull vessel comprises existing topside deck plating of said existing single hull vessel.
-
11. The vessel of claim 1 wherein said plurality of framing members further comprise:
-
a plurality of stiffening members disposed between said inner hull and said outer hull, said stiffening members adapted for providing structural stiffness to said inner hull and said outer hull; and
a plurality of connecting members disposed between said inner hull and said outer hull, said connecting members adapted for rigidly connecting said inner hull to said outer hull in said space apart relationship.
-
-
12. The vessel of claim 11 wherein said connecting members comprise a plurality of inner connecting members extending from an exterior surface of said inner hull and a plurality of outer connecting members extending from an interior surface of said outer hull.
-
13. The vessel of claim 12 wherein said plurality of inner connecting members comprise inner transverse framing members and said outer connecting members comprise outer transverse framing members, wherein said inner transverse framing members are laid on said outer transverse framing members on the bottom and lapped on the sides.
-
14. The vessel of claim 13 wherein said inner transverse framing members extends a greater distance from said exterior surface of said inner hull than inner longitudinal framing members extend therefrom, thereby forming a gap between said inner longitudinal framing members and said outer transverse framing members when said inner transverse framing members are inserted inside and laid on top of said outer transverse framing members.
-
15. The vessel of claim 11 wherein at least a portion of said plurality of connecting members comprises a portion of existing outer hull framing.
-
16. The vessel of claim 11 wherein said connecting members comprise one of a transversely framed design, a transverse less framed design, and a curved plate framed design.
-
17. The vessel of claim 11 wherein said stiffening members comprise inner longitudinal framing members extending from an exterior surface of said inner hull.
-
18. The vessel of claim 1 further comprising a trunk structure disposed between a top edge of said inner hull proximate an opening formed by a cut in a topside deck plating of said existing single hull vessel and an outer peripheral edge of a cut out section formed by said cut in said topside deck plating, said cut out section of topside deck plating thereby defining a raised deck, said trunk structure and raised deck forming an additional volume of said cargo carrying volume.
-
19. The vessel of claim 18 wherein said trunk structure is sized such that said rebuilt double hull vessel maintains substantially the same cargo carrying capability of said single hull vessel.
-
20. The vessel of claim 18 wherein said trunk structure comprises a forward trunk bulkhead, an after trunk bulkhead, a port trunk bulkhead, and a starboard trunk bulkhead.
-
21. The vessel of claim 18 wherein said trunk structure further comprises trunk connecting members that are constructed such that at least a portion of each trunk connecting members extends beyond a bottom edge of said trunk structure across a weld joint formed between said trunk structure and said topside deck plating.
-
22. The vessel of claim 18 further comprising bulkhead portions, said bulkhead portions being adapted for connection to existing bulkheads to form rebuilt bulkheads to compensate for the added height of said trunk structure and raised deck.
-
23. The vessel of claim 22 wherein said bulkhead portions are formed on an interior surface of said inner hull, said bulkhead portions extending outward therefrom in a plane perpendicular to a plane defined by an inner shell plating of said inner hull, said bulkhead portions thereby forming lower portions of said rebuilt bulkheads.
-
24. A double hull vessel rebuilt from an existing single hull vessel comprising:
-
an outer hull of said existing single hull vessel;
an inner hull disposed within a volume defined by said outer hull so as to define a double hull;
a plurality of framing members disposed between said inner hull and said outer hull, said framing members maintaining said inner hull in a spaced apart relationship to said outer hull; and
wherein said inner hull defines an interior cargo carrying volume and said outer hull defines an exterior of said rebuilt vessel, such that said inner hull provides a boundary in the event that said outer hull is penetrated;
a forward transverse bulkhead and an after transverse bulkhead attached to opposing ends of said inner hull to form a forward end and an after end of said cargo carrying volume;
deck plating disposed over said inner hull to form a top of said cargo carrying volume;
a trunk structure disposed between and connecting the edges of a cut in said topside deck plating;
a plurality of bulkhead portions, said bulkhead portions being formed on said interior surface of said inner hull, thereby forming lower portions of rebuilt bulkheads, said bulkhead portions being adapted to compensate for the added height of said trunk structure and raised deck.
-
-
25. A method of rebuilding an existing single hull vessel having an existing outer hull, a stern section, amidship cargo section, and a bow section into a double hull vessel, said midship cargo section including outer shell plating, deck plating, and a plurality of transverse bulkheads, said method comprising the steps of
cutting an internal structure of said existing single hull vessel in one or more sections proximate an inner perimeter of said outer shell plating and an outer perimeter of said deck plating of said cargo section; -
removing said cut internal structure in one or more sections from said cargo section;
internally installing an inner hull structure in a spaced apart relationship within a volume defined by said existing outer hull to form a double hull;
adapting said removed internal structure for reinsertion into said double hull; and
reinstalling said adapted internal structure over an interior surface of said inner hull. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
laying inner framing members extending from an exterior surface of inner bottom plating on top of outer framing members extending from an interior surface of outer bottom plating of said outer shell plating;
lapping or butting inner framing members extending from an exterior surface of inner port side plating with outer framing members extending from an interior surface of outer port side plating of said outer shell plating; and
lapping or butting inner framing members extending from an exterior surface of inner starboard side plating with outer framing members extending from an interior surface of outer starboard side plating of said outer shell plating.
-
-
31. The method of claim 30 wherein said step of internally installing said inner hull structure in a spaced apart relationship within said volume defined by said existing outer hull further comprises the steps of:
-
strengthening said inner bottom plating and said inner side plating of said inner hull structure with a plurality of longitudinal framing members coupled to said exterior surface of said inner bottom plating and said inner side plating and extending therefrom in a parallel relationship fore and aft to one another;
connecting inner shell plating to said outer shell plating with a plurality of transverse framing members coupled to an exterior surface of said inner shell plating and extending therefrom in a parallel relationship port to starboard to one another.
-
-
32. The method of claim 31 further comprising the step of forming a gap between outer transverse framing members and inner longitudinal framing members to facilitate the fitting up and connecting of said inner hull structure to said outer hull.
-
33. The method of claim 32 wherein said step of forming a gap further comprising extending inner transverse framing members a greater distance of said exterior surface of said inner bottom plating than said inner longitudinal framing members are extended therefrom.
-
34. The method of claim 30 further comprising the steps of coupling one end of a connecting member of said inner framing members to said inner hull structure and coupling a second distal end of said connecting member to said existing outer hull to maintain said inner hull structure in a spaced apart relationship with said outer hull.
-
35. The method of claim 25 wherein said step of internally installing said inner hull structure comprises the step of coupling said inner hull structure to said existing outer hull by welding.
-
36. The method of claim 25 wherein said step of installing said inner hull structure further comprises the step of extending said inner hull structure inside said existing outer hull such that at least a bottom, a port side, and a starboard side of said cargo section comprises a double hull construction.
-
37. The method of claim 25 wherein said step of reinstalling said adapted internal structure over an interior surface of said inner hull further comprises the step of coupling said adapted internal structure to said interior surface of said inner hull and said deck plating by welding.
Specification