Ship or air deployable automated buoy refueling station for multiple manned or unmanned surface vessels

摘要

A fueling system including a ship or air deployable automated fueling station and one or more sea surface water vessels. The fueling station including a ballast arrangement to maintain an optimal freeboard for fueling the one or more water vessels, the fueling station and the one or more water vessels including a communication arrangement for communications between the fueling station and the one or more water vessels. The fueling station including a plurality of nozzles for simultaneously fueling a plurality of water vessels.

主权项

1. A fueling system for securing and fueling a plurality of water vessels at a fueling station, the fueling system comprising:
a fueling station comprising;
a fuel receptacle therein,a plurality of fuel nozzles, each of the plurality of fuel nozzles having a probe receiving area for receiving a probe therein,a plurality of conduits, wherein each of the plurality of conduits has an end in the fuel receptacle and another end connected to one of the fuel nozzles,a fuel sensor positioned within the fuel receptacle for determining the level fuel therein;a GPS receiver that calculates the geographic position of the fueling station;a latching sensor at each of the plurality of nozzles for determining if a water vessel is attached thereto;a fuel station controller;a ballast arrangement for maintaining the fueling station at a predetermined freeboard, wherein the ballast arrangement comprises:
a ballast tank;a water intake/outtake assembly to take in or expunge water from the ballast tank; anda ballast sensor for sensing the water level inside the ballast tank, wherein the fuel sensor, the ballast sensor, and the water intake/outtake assembly are connected to the fuel station controller; andwherein, in response to a change in fuel level determination by the fuel sensor, the controller provides signal controls that initiates the water intake/outtake assembly to either intake or expunge water to maintain the fueling station at the predetermined freeboard; a plurality of water vessels, each of the plurality of water vessels comprising a probe, each probe for positioning within a respective one of the probe receivers, wherein when each probe receiving fuel from the fuel receptacle via the fuel conduit.