CN-121986053-A - Offshore storage device

Abstract

The present invention relates to an offshore storage device for accommodating an inflatable liferaft comprising an inner volume comprising a non-toxic gas, the inner volume having a controllable environment, an uninflated inflatable liferaft arranged in the inner volume, a gas cylinder arranged at least partly in the inner volume, the gas cylinder comprising an inflation gas or a mixture of inflation gases for inflating the inflatable liferaft, wherein a major part of the inflation gas or mixture of inflation gases is nitrogen or air, wherein a pressure indicator is operatively connected with the gas cylinder for determining the pressure of the inflation gas within the gas cylinder.

Inventors

• B. Blog Moss
• RASMUSSEN GERT SMEDMANN

Assignees

• 维金救生设备有限公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20241011

Priority Date

20231013

Claims (20)

1. 1. An offshore storage device (1) for accommodating an inflatable liferaft (2), the offshore storage device comprising: An internal volume (V) containing a non-toxic gas, said internal volume having a controlled environment; -an uninflated inflatable liferaft (2), said uninflated inflatable liferaft being arranged in the interior volume (V); A gas cylinder (3) arranged at least partly in the inner volume, the gas cylinder containing an inflation gas or a mixture of inflation gases for inflating the inflatable liferaft; Wherein the majority of the inflation gas or mixture of inflation gases is nitrogen or air; Wherein a pressure indicator (4) is operatively connected to the cylinder (3) for determining the pressure of the inflation gas within the cylinder.
2. 2. Offshore storage device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the main part consisting of nitrogen or air exceeds 50% of the total inflation gas content in the gas cylinder.
3. 3. An offshore storage device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the gas cylinder (3) has an outlet (5) comprising a valve (6) connected to the inflatable liferaft.
4. 4. Offshore storage device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pressure indicator (4) is a pressure sensor or pressure gauge configured to detect the pressure within the gas cylinder.
5. 5. Offshore storage device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pressure indicator (4) comprises a transmitter (7), or the pressure indicator (4) is operatively connected with the transmitter (7), the transmitter being configured to transmit data related to the detected pressure to a receiver (8) or transceiver (8).
6. 6. Offshore storage device (1) according to claim 5, wherein the transmitter (7) transmits data at predetermined time intervals or upon request.
7. 7. Offshore storage device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pressure indicator (4) is configured to indicate a pressure level and/or a pressure level within the gas cylinder (3), such as below or above a predetermined threshold.
8. 8. Offshore storage device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the storage device (1) comprises a portion made of transparent material, which portion is positioned against the pressure indicator (4).
9. 9. Offshore storage device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pressure indicator (4) comprises an activation contact (9) arranged inside the storage device or sealingly protruding out of the storage device.
10. 10. Offshore storage device (1) according to claim 9, wherein the activation contact (9) is configured to be activated by an activator (10) when the activator is arranged in indirect or direct contact with the activation contact.
11. 11. Offshore storage device (1) according to claim 10, wherein the activator (10) is configured to activate the activation contact (9) by magnetic force.
12. 12. Offshore storage device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the storage device comprises a first part (12) mainly made of a rigid material and a second part (11) mainly made of a non-rigid material, the second part being arranged within the first part.
13. 13. Offshore storage device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the storage device (1) comprises at least one unit (14) for providing a dehumidified environment inside the storage device.
14. 14. Offshore storage device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a humidity indicator (13) for measuring and/or monitoring the relative humidity within the interior volume.
15. 15. Offshore storage device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pressure in the inner volume is substantially equal to the ambient pressure, i.e. atmospheric pressure.
16. 16. An offshore evacuation system (100) comprising a detection device and an offshore storage device (1) according to any of the preceding claims.
17. 17. An offshore evacuation system (100) according to claim 16, wherein the detection device (101) is configured to detect the pressure provided by the pressure indicator (4).
18. 18. An offshore evacuation system (101) according to any of claims 16-17, further comprising a control unit (102) configured to implement a control if the determined pressure is below a predetermined pressure level.
19. 19. An offshore structure comprising an offshore evacuation system (100) according to any of claims 16-18.
20. 20. A method for determining the pressure in a gas cylinder (3) containing an inflation gas or a mixture of inflation gases for inflating an inflatable liferaft (2), the main part of the inflation gas or mixture of inflation gases being nitrogen or air, the gas cylinder being arranged within an offshore storage device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, the method comprising: Providing a pressure indicator (4) by operatively connecting it to said cylinder (3), -Determining the pressure of the inflation gas in the cylinder (3), and -Performing control in case the determined pressure is below a predetermined pressure level.

Description

Offshore storage device Technical Field The present invention relates to an offshore storage device for accommodating an inflatable liferaft comprising an interior volume comprising a non-toxic gas, the interior volume having a controlled environment, an uninflated liferaft arranged in the interior volume, a gas cylinder arranged at least partly in the interior volume, the gas cylinder comprising an inflation gas or gas mixture for inflating the inflatable liferaft. The invention also relates to an offshore evacuation system/offshore evacuation system and an offshore structure. Background In marine environments, inflatable liferafts are stored on deck and exposed to various environmental factors such as wind, sunlight, salt water and moisture. It is therefore necessary to accommodate the inflatable liferaft in a storage device to protect the inflatable liferaft from the surrounding environment. Since the life saving equipment is in a mandatory configuration, the equipment and the inflatable life raft need to be inspected regularly at predetermined times. These periodic inspections can be time consuming and often require the vessel to be moored at port, causing additional expense to the shipowner. Inflatable liferafts are typically inflated with CO 2 gas and any leakage can be detected by measuring the CO 2 content in the protected area. The inspection may also be performed at regular inspection. Disclosure of Invention The object of the present invention is to overcome these drawbacks by providing an improved offshore storage device which is able to accommodate and protect an inflatable liferaft from external factors and to detect leakage of gas cylinders. The above objects, as well as numerous other objects, advantages and features, which will be evident from the below description, are accomplished in the following description by a solution in accordance with the present invention according to claim 1. The invention according to claim 1 relates to an offshore storage device for accommodating an inflatable liferaft, the offshore storage device comprising: an interior volume containing a non-toxic gas, the interior volume having a controlled environment; an uninflated inflatable liferaft arranged in the interior volume; a gas cylinder arranged at least partly in the interior volume, the gas cylinder containing an inflation gas or a mixture of inflation gases for inflating the inflatable liferaft; wherein the main part of the inflation gas or mixture of inflation gases is nitrogen or air, Wherein a pressure indicator is operatively connected with the cylinder for determining the pressure of the inflation gas inside the cylinder. The first aspect of the present invention aims to improve the environmental impact and operational readiness of an offshore survival plant. During a typical inflation of an inflatable liferaft, the gas used usually contains a relatively high concentration of CO 2. However, according to the present invention, the main component of the inflation gas or mixture of inflation gases used is nitrogen or air, thereby reducing the dependence on CO 2 and providing a more environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative than known inflation gases. Furthermore, the present invention provides a solution for determining the pressure inside a gas cylinder without the need to open an offshore storage device, in particular if the inflation gas mainly contains nitrogen or air. Technical benefits may include enhanced safety and reduced ecological footprint because the use of nitrogen or air as the primary aeration gas minimizes greenhouse gas emissions compared to CO 2 -based systems known in the art. Furthermore, the introduction of the pressure indicator allows for a continuous monitoring of the gas pressure, thereby improving the reliability and the ready availability of the inflatable liferaft in case of emergency. Various examples are defined in the dependent claims. Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the major portion consisting of nitrogen or air is more than 50% of the total charge gas content in the cylinder. Technical benefits may include enhanced environmental compatibility and reduced greenhouse gas emissions because the use of greater amounts of nitrogen or air minimizes reliance on CO 2 -based inflation gases. Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the gas cylinder has an outlet comprising a valve connected to the inflatable liferaft. Technical benefits may include improved control of the inflation process, allowing for accurate adjustment of the airflow to the liferaft, improving safety and deployment efficiency. Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the pressure indicator is a pressure sensor or gauge configured to detect the interior of the cylinder. Technical benefits may include improved accuracy in monitoring the gas pressure, thereby ensuring that the inflatable liferaft remai