Abstract:
A method for hurricane prevention by cooling the surface of the ocean water in the path of a tropical cyclone. This method is achieved by displacing the warmer surface water with the cooler water below it. The method involves using a surface vessel, such as a ship, in a region of open water to dissipate or weaken tropical cyclones by positioning the surface vessel in a path of travel of a tropical cyclone. The surface vessel is equipped with a redistribution device to collect warm surface water as the surface vessel is propelled through open water, and the warm water is diverted beneath its natural stratification level and replaced with cooler water along the surface of the open water.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/733,632, filed on Nov. 5, 2005, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to a method for hurricane prevention. More particularly, it relates to a method for preventing hurricanes by cooling the warm surface of the ocean waters in the path of the hurricane.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     An average hurricane or typhoon, known generally as a tropical cyclone, has many destructive effects. When a tropical cyclone reaches land, it causes high winds that can destroy property and injure people, and it creates flooding by an increase in sea level and heavy rain. In addition, a tropical cyclone is likely to spawn tornadoes, adding to its destructive force.  
         [0004]     One factor that leads to the creation of a tropical cyclone is a sufficient depth of warm ocean waters of at least 80° F. (26.5° C.). In order to retain its energy, a tropical cyclone must remain over warm water. A tropical cyclone will dissipate if it enters cooler waters.  
         [0005]     To date, attempts have been made to inhibit or weaken hurricanes. One such attempt is U.S. Publication No. US 2002/0008155 A1 to Uram, published on Jan. 24, 2002. This publication involves the exclusive use of submarines to prevent hurricanes.  
         [0006]     However, this attempt has several disadvantages. First, when and where a tropical cyclone will be formed is often uncertain. The formation of tropical cyclones is subject to extensive ongoing research and is not fully understood. Many ocean areas have formed tropical cyclones even though conditions were thought to be unfavorable. By contrast, many disturbances that have favorable conditions do not develop into tropical cyclones.  
         [0007]     Second, the use of submarines for non-military use is often impractical. Submarines are a rare commodity and owned only by a few governments and undersea research organizations. Thus, they would not be available in the numbers needed for tropical cyclone prevention. Only a few shipyards exist that build submarines, and the design and manufacturing normally takes about ten years. Furthermore, recommissioning a mothballed submarine is expensive and would have no useful purpose outside of the tropical cyclone season. Also, the number of trained crewmembers to pilot a submarine is limited. Recommissioned military submarines would have to be guarded to protect any classified design secrets. Nuclear-powered vessels would present even greater security and safety issues.  
         [0008]     The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by dissipating a tropical cyclone before or after it has been formed and by using ships, or other surface vessels, rather than submarines.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     An objective of the invention is to provide a method for hurricane prevention.  
         [0010]     The present invention is a method of dissipating tropical cyclones by cooling the surface of ocean water in the path of a tropical cyclone or in advance of the hurricane season. In one embodiment, water from the depths of the ocean is pumped up in order to cool the surface of the ocean water by a sufficient amount. Preferably, the surface of the ocean water is reduced by ten to twenty degrees. Pumping would encounter minimal resistance, as the water would only be circulated, not raised above its own level. Ships or barges equipped with pumps are placed in front of a tropical cyclone&#39;s path and run in patterns to cool the surface of the water.  
         [0011]     By utilizing the direction of the discharged water as it is pumped, the ships could propel and steer themselves. In addition, these ships could form a line, retreat at the same speed that the tropical cyclone is advancing, and leave a blanket of cool water behind them. The tropical cyclones could be met in the ocean and dissipated before they reach their full strength.  
         [0012]     The essence of the present invention is to substitute cool water for the warm water at the ocean surface. This can be accomplished in many ways besides pumping up cooler water. Warm water can be pumped down to be cooled or replaced by cooler water from below. The warm surface water can be taken into a scoop at the front of a moving ship and discharged through the ship into deeper water below the keel. This method may be augmented by pumping or may be entirely accomplished by forward motion of the ship. The ship could be propelled by the force of pumped water or by conventional propulsion systems. Inclined plates or ducts can be dragged or pushed through the water. Deep draft ships can be run across a tropical cyclone&#39;s path. During hurricane season, naval maneuvers can be held in the Doldrums, where tropical cyclones are typically formed. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of equipping a ship with a pump.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of equipping a ship with a scoop.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates an embodiment of equipping a ship with inclined plates.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  illustrates an embodiment of equipping a ship with piping or ducts that directs cool subsurface water upward.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  illustrates an embodiment of equipping a ship with piping or ducts that directs warm surface water downward.  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of a customized piping used to direct ocean waters.  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the customized piping that directs warm surface water downward.  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the customized piping that directs cool subsurface water upward.  
         [0021]      FIG. 9  illustrates the use of a line of ships to leave behind an extended trail of cool water. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0022]     The present invention dissipates tropical cyclones by cooling the surface of ocean water in the path of a tropical cyclone.  FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of the present invention. A ship  10  is equipped with a pump  12  having a lower end  14  and an upper end  16 . The lower end  14  is exposed to the cooler ocean waters. The upper end  16  is exposed to the warm ocean water surface. Cooler water is pumped from the depths of the ocean through an opening in the lower end  14  up to the surface of the water through an opening in the upper end  16  or through separate pipes  17 . This method cools the ocean water at the surface. With cooler water at the ocean surface, a tropical cyclone  18  will dissipate or weaken as it enters the cooler waters.  
         [0023]     Pump  12  can be in the ship&#39;s hold, on deck, or both. The height of the intake piping is offset by siphon action of the discharge line. The water is not raised above its own level, and therefore, pumping is very efficient.  
         [0024]     In addition, the ship  10  may also be propelled and steered by utilizing the pumped water as a propulsion device. This system creates many advantages. The engine of ship  10  can be adapted to have a dual purpose. It can be used simultaneously to propel and steer ship  10  and to operate pump  12 . The engine could also be used to only operate pump  12  while the ship  10  is propelled and steered with the pumped water. When pump  12  is not in use, the engine can be used solely for propelling and steering ship  10 .  
         [0025]     In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , it is preferred to keep the discharge end  16  of pump  12  just below the surface of the water since raising the water above its own level will reduce the flow and discharging it too low will reduce its effect.  
         [0026]     In another embodiment, a ship  10 , equipped with a pump  12  having a lower end  14  and an upper end  16 , would pump warm surface water through an opening in the upper end  16  down through an opening in the lower end  14  to the ocean depths. As previously described, the lower end  14  is exposed to the cooler ocean waters, and the upper end  16  is exposed to the warm ocean water surface. As discussed earlier, the ship  10  may also be propelled and steered by utilizing the pumped water as a propulsion device.  
         [0027]     It is preferred to keep the upper end  16  of pump  12  just below the surface of the water since raising the upper end  16  of pump  12  above the surface would shut off the flow of water completely.  
         [0028]     A ship  10  may also be equipped with multiple pumps  12 . One or more pumps  12  can pump cool water from the depths of the ocean through an opening in the lower end  14  up to the surface of the water through an opening in the upper end  16 , as described above. In addition, one or more pumps  12  can pump warm surface water through an opening in the upper end  16  down through an opening in the lower end  14  to the ocean depths. Intake and discharge piping  17  can be separate as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 2  illustrates yet another embodiment. In this embodiment, the warm surface water is taken into a scoop  22  at the front of a moving ship  10  and discharged below the keel into deeper water. This would displace the warm water from the surface and cool the upper layer of the ocean water. The ship  10  could also be optionally equipped with pump  12  in order to augment this method by pumping additional cooler water to the ocean surface.  
         [0030]     It will be readily appreciated that a surface vessel is uniquely configured to utilize the scoop  22  in order to passively collect and redistribute the warm surface water. A submarine would be unable to equip a scoop and operate effectively. The upper portion of scoop  22  has to be in contact with the ocean surface in order to collect the warm surface water and move it to the cooler water below the surface. A scoop on a submarine would not be in contact with the ocean surface, and it would destroy the hydrodynamics and maneuverability of the submarine. Therefore, scoop  22  would only be effective on a surface vessel, such as a ship.  
         [0031]     A ship  10  equipped with scoop  22  can also facilitate the distribution of the warm surface water beneath its natural stratification level by an additional motorized means. The motorized means could include a propeller or pump  12 .  
         [0032]      FIG. 3  illustrates yet another embodiment. In this embodiment, a ship  10  is equipped with inclined plates  24  in order to drive the warm surface water below its natural stratification level to be replaced by the cooler water below it. The inclined plates  24  collect the warm water from the surface, move the surface water beneath the ship  10  into cooler waters, and thereby cool the surface of the water by replacing the warm surface water with the cooler water below it. The inclined plates  24  may be pushed in front of the ship  10 , pulled from behind the ship  10 , or attached to the sides of the ship  10 . Inclining the plates  24  in the opposite direction would also work to push the cool water up to the surface.  
         [0033]     For similar reasons relating to scoop  22  as described above, it would be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that a surface vessel is uniquely configured to effectively equip inclined plate  24  to passively capture and divert the warm surface water beneath its natural stratification level. The inclined plate  24  works best when the upper portion of the inclined plate  24  is exposed to the ocean surface so that the warm surface water can be collected and moved to the cooler water below the surface. The warm surface water is replaced by cooler water, which results in a reduction in surface water temperature. As with the scoop  22 , attaching inclined plate  24  to a submarine would destroy the hydrodynamics and maneuverability of the submarine. Therefore, inclined plate  24  would only be effective on a surface vessel, such as a ship.  
         [0034]     A ship  10  equipped with inclined plate  24  can also facilitate the distribution of the warm surface water beneath its natural stratification level by an additional motorized means. The motorized means could include a propeller or pump  12 .  
         [0035]     In another embodiment, deep draft ships are run across a tropical cyclone&#39;s path. Running deep draft ships across a tropical cydone&#39;s path would have a similar effect as using a scoop  22  or inclined plates  24  by replacing the warm surface water with the cooler water beneath it.  
         [0036]     This embodiment utilizes surface vessels to dissipate a tropical cyclone without any need for modification. Thus, the ships can easily be used for other purposes when not employed to prevent tropical cyclones from reaching land. Submarines would invariably require modifications to prevent hurricanes and could not be used for any other purpose.  
         [0037]     In another embodiment as shown in  FIGS. 4-5 , cool water is brought to the surface or surface water is brought to the subsurface by means of piping or ducts  26  attached to the sides and stern of an existing ship  10 . This would eliminate or augment the use of pumps  12  and would apply the ship&#39;s own power directly to the exchange of cool subsurface water for warm water at the surface.  
         [0038]      FIG. 4  shows several methods of directing cool subsurface water upward while  FIG. 5  shows several ways of directing warm surface water downward. The number and configuration of the piping or ducts  26  would be designed to fit the individual ship  10  and would not be limited to the number or configurations shown. Ends of the piping or ducts  26  could be elbowed, beveled, or square cut as best fits the particular situation. Following the horizontal curvature of the ship&#39;s sides would help keep the inlets and outlets from interfering with each other. Where the sides of the ship  10  are straight, a little vertical separation would serve the same purpose.  
         [0039]     A minimum number of anchoring points would be welded to the ship  10  and the remainder of the supporting members and braces bolted to the anchoring points so that the piping or ducts  26  could easily be removed for normal usage of the ship  10  in the “off season,” for long voyages, repair of damages, passing through narrow channels, or for any other reason.  
         [0040]     In the alternative, the piping or ducts  26  could be built into the internal structure of a ship  10 . This is a longer-term possibility, which would reduce drag and result in more efficient operation.  
         [0041]     As discussed earlier with pump  12 , keeping the tops of the piping or ducts  26  just below the ocean surface is preferred for the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4  as raising the water above its own level will reduce the flow and discharging it too low will reduce its effect. It is preferred to disperse the cool water as close to the surface of the ocean water as possible to maximize the cooling effect. It is also preferred to keep the inlets of the piping or ducts  26  below the ocean surface for the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5  as raising the inlets of the piping or ducts  26  above the surface will shut off the flow of water completely. The flow of water would be shut off since the inlets of the piping or ducts  26  would not be exposed to the water.  
         [0042]      FIGS. 6-8  illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. Customized piping  28  can be made by any welding shop and can be towed by any ship, trawler, or tugboat  10 . The customized piping  28  would be attached to a ship  10  by tow cables  30 . A float  32  and weight  34  would keep the customized piping  28  in the proper direction. Multiple units of the customized piping  28  can be towed by the same ship.  
         [0043]      FIG. 7  shows the customized piping  28  being used to direct warm surface water downward through the discharge hose or pipe  36 .  FIG. 8  shows the customized piping  28  being used to direct cool subsurface water upward through the discharge hose or pipe  36 . This embodiment would be better for rougher sea waters.  
         [0044]     As mentioned above, a submarine would be unable to equip a passive collecting means and operate effectively since a submarine is below the ocean surface. Likewise, the piping or ducts cannot function correctly without the top being exposed to the warm surface water. As with all other attachments, equipping a submarine with piping or ducts would destroy the hydrodynamics and maneuverability of the submarine. Thus, piping or ducts would only be effective on a surface vessel, such as a ship.  
         [0045]      FIG. 9  shows how a line of ships  10   a - 10   n  in front of or across the path of a tropical cyclone  18  would be effective. Each ship  10  could be equipped with a pump  12  and would leave a trail of cool water  20  at the same speed that the storm  18  is advancing. The pump  12  could either pump cooler water up from an opening in the lower end  14  to an opening in the upper end  16  or could pump the warmer surface water down from an opening in the upper end  16  to an opening in the lower end  14 . The ships  10   a - 10   n  could also leave a trail of cool water  20  by implementing any of the embodiments described. For example, the ships  10   a - 10   n  could be equipped with a scoop  22 , inclined plates  24 , or piping or ducts  26 . Any of the methods could also be used to cool the Doldrums and normal tropical cyclone paths in advance of the hurricane season.  
         [0046]     Finally, the formation of a tropical cyclone  18  could be prevented by holding naval maneuvers in the Doldrums during hurricane season. This would destroy the deadly calm which leads to the creation of hurricanes.  
         [0047]     The embodiments described above and shown in  FIGS. 1-9  disclose a method and apparatus for ending or weakening a tropical cyclone. This method is accomplished by equipping a ship  10  with any of the collecting means described above. The collecting means can either take warm surface water and move it below its natural stratification level to be replaced by cool water beneath it or take in cool water and move it toward the surface of the ocean in order to cool the warm surface water.  
         [0048]     The embodiments described above and shown in  FIGS. 1-9  can also be utilized against tornados. Most tornados result from the collision of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico with cool, dry air from the north. Recent studies have shown a dramatic increase in the number of tornados. This increase is attributed to warmer than normal surface water in the Gulf of Mexico, creating a greater than normal amount of warm, moist air heading northward. The present invention can be used to cool the surface water of the Gulf of Mexico in order to lessen the number and severity of tornados. The present invention can also be used to cool the surface water of other bodies of water that contribute warm, moist air in the formation of tornados.  
         [0049]     While the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various obvious changes may be made, and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof, without departing from the essential scope of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the invention includes all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.