Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to the reduction of emissions from Ocean Going Vessels (OGVs), and more particularly to an improved Exhaust Intake Bonnet (EIB) for capturing and processing emissions from OGVs. 
         [0002]    A substantial quantity of pollutants are produced by burning fuel in OGVs. The pollutants produced when an engine burns bunker and/or diesel fuel is a complex mixture of thousands of gases and fine particles, commonly known as soot, which contains more than forty toxic air contaminates. These contaminates include arsenic, benzene, and formaldehyde along with other ozone-forming pollutants that are components of smog and acid rain, such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ), and nitrogen oxides (NO X ). An OGV may create and exhaust as much NO X  as 12,500 automobiles or as an oil refinery, and thus is a substantial health risk to port workers and residents of surrounding communities, and may physically damage structures and equipment. 
         [0003]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,258,710 for “Maritime Emissions Control System,” assigned to the assignee of the present invention, describes a mobile emissions control system which may be transported to a ship within a harbor, and which mobile emissions control system captures and processes a main exhaust flow from the ship to reduce emissions. The main exhaust flow may be from the ship&#39;s engine(s), auxiliary generators, or any other source of exhaust from the ship. The emissions control system of the &#39;710 patent includes a shroud which is lowered over the ship&#39;s stack. Although the shroud described in the &#39;710 patent is adequate in most cases, in some situation, for example in heavy winds, the bonnet of the &#39;710 patent may be difficult to position. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing an improved Exhaust Intake Bonnet (EIB) for an Advanced Maritime Emissions Control System (AMECS) which includes a shroud carried by a rigid upper frame and a lowerable and raisable rigid lower frame. The upper frame includes a peak with a duct for receiving exhaust gasses captured by the shroud and winches for lowering and raising the lower frame. The shroud is expandable when the lower frame is lowered and collapsible when the lower frame is raised and has a cinchable base. The AMECS is joined to a ship by positioning the EIB over a ship&#39;s exhaust stack using a deployment arm. The shroud is then lowered over the stack and then cinched around the stack to provide a soft attachment between the EIB and the ship&#39;s stack. Later, the steps are reversed to separate the AMECS from the ship. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0005]    The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1A  is an Advanced Maritime Emissions Control System (AMECS) and Ocean Going Vessel (OGV) with an Exhaust Intake Bonnet (EIB) according to the present invention positioned above a stack of the OGV. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1B  is the AMECS and OGV with the EIB according to the present invention lowered over the stack of the OGV. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2A  is a top view of the EIB according to the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2B  is a side view of the EIB according to the present invention with a rigid lower frame in a raised position and a shroud residing in the EIB collapsed. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2C  is a side view of the EIB according to the present invention with the rigid lower frame in a lowered position and the shroud residing in the EIB expanded. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3A  is a bottom view of the rigid lower frame showing a cinching strap and cinching assembly according to the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3B  is a side view of the rigid lower frame. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  shows a spring, rope, and pulley assembly for positioning a cinching strap according to the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  shows the attachment of the rope to the cinching strap. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6A  shows an edge view of a first embodiment of the shroud attachment to the cinching strap according to the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6B  shows a front view of the first embodiment of the shroud attachment to the cinching strap according to the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7A  shows an edge view of a second embodiment of the shroud attachment to the cinching strap according to the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7B  shows a front view of the second embodiment of the shroud attachment to the cinching strap according to the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8A  shows an edge view of a third embodiment of the shroud attachment to the cinching strap according to the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 8B  shows a front view of the third embodiment of the shroud attachment to the cinching strap according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0021]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims. 
         [0023]    An Advanced Maritime Emissions Control System (AMECS)  10  and Ocean Going Vessel (OGV)  24  with an improved Exhaust Intake Bonnet (EIB)  14  according to the present invention positioned above a stack  26  of the OGV  24  is shown in  FIG. 1A . The AMECS  10  comprises a tower  16 , an articulating arm  18  extending from the tower  16 , a duct  19  carried by the articulating arm  18 , the EIB  14  carried at the end of the duct  19 , and an emissions control unit  22  at an opposite end of the duct  19 . The AMECS  10  preferably resides on an Unpowered Seagoing Barge (USB)  12  but may reside on a powered vessel. The articulating arm  18  may comprise several segments, and preferably comprises four segments  18   a ,  18   b ,  18   c , and  18   d . A stabilizing arm  11  may connect the tower  16  to the OGV  24 . 
         [0024]    An AMECS is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,258,710 for “Maritime Emissions Control System,” assigned to the assignee of the present invention, details of an improved emissions control unit are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,275,366 for “High Thermal Efficiency Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) System,” also assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and a further improved emissions control unit are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/092,477 for “Air Pollution Control System for Ocean-going Vessels,” also assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The &#39;710 and &#39;366 patents and the &#39;477 patent application are herein incorporated by reference. 
         [0025]    The EIB  14  is shown collapsed in  FIG. 1A  to provide a minimum profile to wind and the AMECS  10  and OGV  24  with the EIB  14  lowered (or expanded) over the stack  26  of the OGV  24  is shown in  FIG. 1B . 
         [0026]    A top view of the improved EIB  14  according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 2A , a side view of the EIB  14  in a collapsed position is shown in  FIG. 2B , and a side view of the EIB  14  in an expanded position is shown in  FIG. 2C . The EIB  14  includes a rigid upper frame  28  comprising an outer ring  28   b  and diagonal runners  28   a  running inward and upward from the outer ring  28   b  to a peak  28   c  of the upper frame, and a rigid lower frame  32 . Between three and eight, and preferably four, rigid middle frames  17  are vertically spaced between the upper frame  28  and the lower frame  32  and are connected to the upper frame  28  and the lower frame  32  by vertical cables  19 . The upper frame  28  and the lower frame  32  have an outline of preferably a regular polygon and more preferably a regular octagon. Four lowering winches  30  are attached to the outer ring  28   b  approximately centered on four approximately 90 degree spaced apart sides of the outer ring  28   b . The winches  30  may be split-drum or double drum. One pair of lowering ropes  34   a  and  34   b  is connected to each of the four lowering winches  30 . Each lowering rope  34   a  and  34   b  extends approximately horizontally away from each winch  30  to an upper lowering pulley  36   a  attached to the outer ring  28   b  by a bracket  38   a , diagonally to a lower lowering pulley  36   b  connected to the lower frame  32  by a bracket  38   b , and approximately vertically to connect to the outer ring  28   b . Such arrangement of lowering ropes provides stability during lowering and raising the lower frame  32 . 
         [0027]    A shroud  15  resides inside the EIB  14  and contains exhaust gases captured by the EIB  14 . The shroud  15  is attached to the upper frame  28  and the middle frames  17  by straps  37  and rises into the upper frame  28  and is in fluid communication with a duct connector  42  which connects to the duct  19 . The shroud  15  is made from a high-temperature material, and preferably is made from a Teflon®-coated Kevlar fabric. The shroud  15  is preferably, but not necessarily, spherical in shape, which provides a low drag coefficient and limits the effect of wind on the EIB  14 . 
         [0028]    A bottom view of the rigid lower frame  32  showing a cinching strap comprising cinching strap segments  40   a  and  40   b , cinching assemblies, and tensioning assemblies is shown in  FIG. 3A , and a side view of the rigid lower frame  32  is shown in  FIG. 3B . The cinching strap segments  40   a  and  40   b  combine to a cinching strap enclosing a mouth  41  which may be lowered over the stack  26 . The cinching assemblies comprise a cinching winch  34  and a cinching rope  36  according to the present invention. The cinching winches are attached to the lower frame  32  and cinching ropes  46  are connected between the cinching winches and first ends of the cinching strap segments. After the lower frame  32  has been lowered over the stack  26  (see  FIG. 1B ), the cinching winches  34  draw the cinching rope  36  in, and thereby cinch the cinching strap. A cinching rope pulley  38  may be attached to the lower frame  32  to provide clearance between the cinching assemblies and the tensioning assemblies, and to provide a suitable geometry for cinching. The cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b  is preferably made of a high temperature material, for example, Kevlar. 
         [0029]    The tensioning assemblies comprise tensioning ropes  46 , tensioning devices  42 , and tensioning rope pulleys  44  and  48  according to the present invention. The tensioning devices  42  are preferably coil springs  42  attached to the lower frame  32  and the pulleys  44  and  48  may be may be split-drum or double drum pulleys. The pulley  44  is attached to the spring  42  opposite to the lower frame  32  and the pulley  48  is attached to the lower frame  32  by a bracket  50 . In a preferred embodiment, the tensioning rope  46  loops around the tensioning pulleys  44  and  48  twice to provide a four to one ratio between the tensioning ropes  46  and the tensioning springs  42  (i.e., one unit of movement of the ropes  46  corresponds to ¼ unit of movement of the spring  42 ). The end of the tensioning rope  46  is attached to one of the cinch strap segments  40   a  and  40   b , thereby approximately centering the cinch strap in the mouth  41 . 
         [0030]    Details of the tensioning assembly are shown in  FIG. 4  and details of the attachment of the cinching rope  46  to the cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b  are shown in  FIG. 5 . The tensioning assemblies provide a soft and conforming connection to the stack  26 . As the cinching winches  34  draw in the cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b , the springs  42  are stretched and provide potential energy to withdraw the cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b . Upon disengagement of the EIB  14  from the stack  26 , the winches  34  may run in reverse direction or free spin. The springs  42  and ropes  46  draw the cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b  away from the stack  26  to the original position. The tensioning spring  42 , is attached to the tensioning rope  46  by a pulley  44 , and the tensioning rope  46  loops twice between the pulley  44  and the pulley  48  attached to the lower frame  32 . The opposite end of the tensioning strap  46  is attached to the cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b  by a “D” ring  53  and buckle  52  for positioning the cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b . A slot  54  is provided for attaching the shroud  15  to the cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b . Each cinching strap segment  40   a  and  40   b  may be held by between two and four tensioning assemblies and is preferably held by four tensioning assemblies. 
         [0031]    An edge view of a first embodiment of the shroud  15  attachment to the cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b  is shown in  FIG. 6A  and a front view of the first embodiment of the shroud  15  attachment to the cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b  is shown in  FIG. 6B . Straps  56  forming loops  56   a  are attached to the base of the shroud  15  by stitching  57 . The cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b  passes through the loops  56   a  to attach the shroud  15  to the cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b.    
         [0032]    Additionally, an emergency pressure relief mechanism, most desirably flaps  58 , may be located on the lowermost portion of the shroud  15  and open if there is a potentially catastrophic over pressure in the EIB  14 . The flaps  58  are preferably made from material similar to, or the same as, the material used to make the shroud  15 . The flaps  58  are preferably sewn along one edge and fastened to the shroud  15  along the other three edges of the flaps  58  using a tear away attachment such as hook and loop fastener material and the like. Alternatively, the length of or tension on the cinching straps  40   a ,  40   b  may be adjustable in order to provide a gap around the stack  26  perimeter for exhaust gasses to escape if there is an over pressure in the EIB  14 . The flaps  58  may alternatively reside on the shroud  15  between the diagonal runners  28   a  of the rigid upper frame  28  (see  FIG. 2B ). 
         [0033]    An edge view of a second embodiment of the shroud  15  attachment to the cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b  according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 7A  and a front view of the second embodiment of the shroud attachment to the cinching strap is shown in  FIG. 7B . The bottom end of the shroud  15  is attached to the cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b  by a number of straps  60  which form loops  60   a  around the cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b  and terminate through the use of buckles  62 . The second embodiment is otherwise similar to the first embodiment and includes the flap  58 . 
         [0034]    An edge view of a third embodiment of the shroud  15  attachment to the cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b  according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 8A  and a front view of the third embodiment of the shroud  15  attachment to the cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b  is shown in  FIG. 8B . Straps  66  are attached to the shroud  15  and are connected to the cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b  by hooks  66  passing through slots  54  in the cinching strap  40   a ,  40   b . The third embodiment is otherwise similar to the first embodiment and includes the flap  58 . 
         [0035]    While various ropes are described above, other similar means may be used to connect elements of the present invention, and an otherwise similar device replacing the ropes with wire rope, cables, cords, wires, and the like, is intended to come withing the scope of the present invention. 
         [0036]    While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.

Technology Category: 7