A method of ocean transport of a dock door

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for ocean transport of dock gates, belonging to the field of dock gate transportation technology. The method includes the following steps: designing the placement location, pre-loading preparation, towing, hoisting onto the ship, navigation, and unloading. This method allows for ocean transport of one flap-type dock gate and two floating dock gates simultaneously on a semi-submersible vessel, enabling the transport of both to the destination in a single trip. Furthermore, a tiered floating unloading method is used to unload the flap-type and floating dock gates from the semi-submersible vessel, facilitating their removal. The operation is simple, convenient, and economical, making ocean transport of dock gates possible.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of dock gate transportation technology, and specifically relates to a dock gate ocean transportation method. Background Technology

[0002] Dock gates are the opening and closing gates at the entrance to a shipyard, and their weight typically reaches thousands of tons. Therefore, transporting dock gates has always been a significant challenge. Generally, if the distance is short, the dock gate can be towed to its destination in inland waters by tugboats. However, if the distance is long, such as transporting dock gates from China to Saudi Arabia, towing is not an option. This is especially true when transporting one flap-type dock gate and two floating dock gates simultaneously; direct ocean transport by towing is not feasible. Therefore, currently, it is not possible to transport multiple dock gates simultaneously at sea.

[0003] Therefore, a method suitable for simultaneously transporting one flap gate and two floating gates to their destination by ocean is urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a method for ocean transport using dock gates, which is used to simultaneously transport one flap-type dock gate and two floating dock gates to their destination.

[0005] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution: a dock gate ocean transport method, comprising:

[0006] Design placement: Divide the semi-submersible deck into a port side area and a starboard side area by the centerline of the deck. Divide the starboard side area into a right-hand side area and a left-hand side area by the centerline of the right-hand side area. The port side area is used to place a flap-type dock gate, and the right-hand side area and the right-hand side area are each used to place a floating dock gate.

[0007] Preparations before boarding: First, clean the deck, then install positioning posts on the centerline of the right side area, then arrange sleepers in the left side area, right side area 1 and right side area 2, then install support frames and the first fixing device in the left side area, and install support components and the second fixing device in right side area 1 and right side area 2. After that, weld lifting gear on the flap-type dock gate and the floating box dock gate.

[0008] Towing: Using tugboats to tow the flap gate and floating dock gate to the side of the semi-submersible vessel;

[0009] Lifting onto the ship: Using a floating crane vessel and lifting equipment, two floating box dock gates and a flap dock gate are successively lifted and placed in the second right area, the first right area, and the left area. The floating box dock gate in the second right area is positioned using positioning columns, the flap dock gate is supported by a support frame and fixed by a first fixing device, and the floating box dock gate is supported by a support assembly and fixed by a second fixing device.

[0010] Navigation: Activate the semi-submersible vessel and use it to transport the flap gate and two floating dock gates to a distance of 7-8 nautical miles from the target dock and anchor there.

[0011] Unloading: The flap gate and floating box gate are unloaded from the semi-submersible vessel using the tiered floating unloading method.

[0012] Furthermore, to better realize the present invention, the positioning post includes three round steel pipes, a connecting structure, and an anti-collision structure. The three round steel pipes are connected together by the connecting structure. The bottom ends of the three round steel pipes are all welded to the deck, and the three round steel pipes are respectively located at the three vertices of the same equilateral triangle. Each round steel pipe is connected to the anti-collision structure, and the anti-collision structures on the outside of the three round steel pipes form three contact surfaces.

[0013] Two positioning posts, namely the first post and the second post, are installed on the centerline of the right area. One contact surface of the first post is on the same plane as the anti-collision structure on one steel pipe of the second post. The plane is the positioning surface, which is parallel to the centerline of the semi-submersible deck.

[0014] When hoisting the floating dock gate to the second right area, the side wall of the floating dock gate is made parallel to or in contact with the positioning surface to position the floating dock gate.

[0015] Furthermore, in order to better realize the present invention, the left area is arranged with a double layer of sleepers, and the right first area and the right second area are each arranged with a single layer of sleepers. The flip-type dock gate and the floating box type dock gate are both placed on the sleepers of the corresponding areas.

[0016] Furthermore, in order to better realize the present invention, the support frame includes a base, a support seat and a driving component. The support seat is installed on the base in a lifting manner through the driving component. The bottom end of the base is welded to the deck. Several support frames are installed in the left area. The several support frames are evenly distributed in the direction from the bow to the stern of the semi-submersible vessel. A wooden block is placed on the support seat of each support frame.

[0017] The method of using a support frame to support a flap-type dock gate is as follows:

[0018] First, use the drive components to adjust the height of the support base so that the top surfaces of all the timbers on the support frame are flush. The bottom right side of the flip-type dock gate is attached to the deck of the semi-submersible vessel, and the bottom left side of the flip-type dock gate is attached to the top surface of all the timbers.

[0019] Furthermore, in order to better realize the present invention, both the first fixing device and the second fixing device are triangular block fixing devices. The triangular block fixing device includes a block body, a linear guide rail, a slider, and a locking assembly. The linear guide rail is welded to the deck, the slider is welded to the block body, the slider is slidably installed on the linear guide rail, and the locking assembly is installed on the block body. The locking assembly is used to lock the block body to the deck. The triangular block fixing devices are used in pairs, and pairs of the triangular block fixing devices are arranged in the left area, the right first area, and the right second area.

[0020] The method of fixing the flap-type dock gate using the first fixing device is as follows: First, slide the piers of the pair of triangular pier fixing devices set in the left area to the farthest distance, then hoist the flap-type dock gate into the left area, and then drive the pair of piers to slide to be in contact with the outer walls of the two sides of the flap-type dock gate respectively, and finally use the locking assembly to lock the piers to the deck.

[0021] The method of securing the pontoon dock gate using the second fixing device is as follows: First, slide the piers of the pair of triangular pier fixing devices set in the right area to the farthest distance. Then, hoist the pontoon dock gate into the right area. Next, drive the pair of piers to slide them to be in contact with the outer walls of the two sides of the pontoon dock gate. Finally, use the locking assembly to lock the piers to the deck.

[0022] Furthermore, to better realize the present invention, the support assembly includes a first bracket and a second bracket. The floating dock gate has a square structure at the bottom and a conical structure at the lower part. The first bracket is provided with a horizontal positioning rod. The bottom end of the first bracket is welded to the deck. The horizontal positioning rod supports and positions the square structure from the side. The second bracket is provided with an inclined support column. The bottom end of the second bracket is welded to the deck. The inclined support column supports the conical structure from below at an angle. The inclined support column is perpendicular to the conical surface of the conical structure. The support assemblies are used in pairs. Multiple pairs of support assemblies are arranged in both the right first region and the right second region.

[0023] The specific method for supporting the floating dock gate using support components is as follows: when the floating dock gate is hoisted onto the deck of the semi-submersible vessel, the square structure at the bottom of the floating dock gate is placed between the horizontal positioning rods of the first pair of supports, the horizontal positioning rods of the pair of supports are in contact with the outer walls of both sides of the square structure, and the conical surface of the conical structure at the bottom of the floating dock gate rests on the inclined support columns of the second pair of supports, and the conical structure is supported from the lower sides by the paired inclined support columns.

[0024] Furthermore, in order to better realize the present invention, the lifting device welded on the flap-type dock gate is a single-hole lifting device, and the number of the single-hole lifting devices is sixteen. The sixteen single-hole lifting devices are divided into four groups of lifting devices. The four single-hole lifting devices in the four groups of lifting devices are arranged side by side, and the four groups of lifting devices are respectively arranged on the top surface of the flap-type dock gate and are respectively located near the four corners of the flap-type dock gate.

[0025] The lifting device welded onto the floating dock gate is a multi-hole lifting device, which includes a solid square beam, lifting blocks, and a locking unit. The bottom end of the solid square beam is welded to the floating dock gate. Five mounting holes are opened on the top surface of the solid square beam, and the five mounting holes are evenly distributed along the length of the solid square beam. The lifting block is provided with a solid block body, which is used to be embedded in the mounting holes. The lifting block is also provided with a lifting plate, and the lifting plate has a lifting hole. The locking unit is installed between the solid block body and the solid square beam to lock the solid block body to the solid square beam. The lifting blocks are installed in four of the five mounting holes, so that the multi-hole lifting device is a four-hole lifting device. There are four four-hole lifting devices, which are arranged side by side and sequentially arranged on the top surface of the floating dock gate.

[0026] The floating crane has four hook assemblies, each with four hooks. The sixteen hooks of the floating crane are connected to sixteen lifting holes for lifting.

[0027] Furthermore, to better realize the present invention, during the towing and hoisting process, one of the floating dock gates is first towed to a position close to the starboard side of the semi-submersible vessel, and then the floating dock gate is hoisted to the second-to-right area using a floating crane. Then the other floating dock gate is towed to a position close to the starboard side of the semi-submersible vessel, and then the floating dock gate is hoisted to the second-to-right area using a floating crane. After that, the flap-type dock gate is towed to a position close to the port side of the semi-submersible vessel, and finally the flap-type dock gate is hoisted to the port area using a floating crane.

[0028] Furthermore, in order to better realize the present invention, the tiered floating unloading method in the unloading step is specifically as follows: First, the semi-submersible vessel is submerged until the deck is completely submerged in water, then the submersion speed is slowed down, allowing the semi-submersible vessel to continue submerging until the flap-type dock gate floats up. At this point, the semi-submersible vessel is kept in its current submerged floating state, and the floating flap-type dock gate is towed away by a tugboat. Then, the semi-submersible vessel is driven to continue submerging until the floating box-type dock gate floats up. At this point, the semi-submersible vessel is kept in its current submerged floating state, and the floating box-type dock gate carried in the rightmost area is towed away by a tugboat. Then, the floating box-type dock gate carried in the rightmost second area is towed away by a tugboat.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0030] The method for ocean transport of dock gates provided by this invention uses a semi-submersible vessel to simultaneously carry one flap-type dock gate and two floating dock gates for ocean transport, so as to transport one flap-type dock gate and two floating dock gates to the destination in one go. Moreover, the method of unloading the flap-type dock gate and the floating dock gate is adopted by a step-by-step floating unloading method, so as to unload the flap-type dock gate and the floating dock gate from the semi-submersible vessel. The operation is simple, convenient and economical, making ocean transport of dock gates possible. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the dock gate ocean transport method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the placement of the flap-type dock gate and the two floating box-type dock gates on the deck of a semi-submersible vessel in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the installation positions of the sleepers and positioning posts on the deck of a semi-submersible vessel in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of a floating crane lifting a flap-type dock gate in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of a floating crane lifting a floating box-type dock gate in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning column in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the support frame in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 The exploded view of the support frame shown;

[0040] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the triangular block fixing device in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the triangular pier fixing device fixing the flap-type dock gate in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the triangular pier fixing device and the support frame working together on the flap-type dock gate in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the support component in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the support component supporting the floating dock gate in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the perforated lifting device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] In the picture:

[0047] 10-Semi-submersible vessel, 20-Flip-type dock gate, 30-Floating box type dock gate, 31-Square structure, 32-Conical structure, 40-Positioning post, 41-Round steel pipe, 42-Connecting structure, 43-Collision protection structure, 50-Sleeper, 60-Support frame, 61-Base, 611-Round column, 62-Bracket, 621-Stud, 63-Drive component, 631-Internal threaded pipe, 632-Round plate, 633 - Ring, 634 - Circular ring plate, 64 - Timber, 70 - Triangular block fixing device, 71 - Block body, 72 - Linear guide rail, 73 - Slider, 74 - Locking assembly, 80 - Support assembly, 81 - First bracket, 811 - Horizontal positioning rod, 82 - Second bracket, 821 - Inclined support column, 90 - Multi-hole lifting device, 91 - Solid square beam, 92 - Lifting block, 93 - Locking unit, 100 - Hook assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0048] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be described in detail below. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other implementation methods obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0049] Example:

[0050] like Figures 1-14As shown, this embodiment provides a method for ocean transport of dock gates, using a semi-submersible vessel 10 to simultaneously transport one flap-type dock gate 20 and two floating dock gates 30 to their destination. This method is also applicable to transporting other dock gates of different types and quantities on the same vessel. In this embodiment, the semi-submersible vessel 10100 is a RED ZED II Huayang 2 semi-submersible vessel 10, with a length of 216.735 meters, a beam of 43 meters, a depth of 13.35 meters, a design draft of 10 meters, a cargo deck diving depth of 13 meters, and a semi-submersible draft of up to 26.35 meters. The flap-type dock gate 20200 has a length of 92.6 meters, a width of 15.2 meters, a height of 5.8 meters, an empty draft of 4.65 meters, and a weight of 2300 tons. The floating dock gate 30300 has a length of 78.1 meters, a width of 7.5 meters, a height of 13.6 meters, an empty draft of 6.9 meters, and a weight of 2300 tons. The method includes the following steps:

[0051] Step 1: Design the placement positions. Specifically, the deck of the semi-submersible vessel 10 is divided into a port side area (near the port side) and a starboard side area (near the starboard side) along the centerline. The starboard side area is further divided into a right-hand side area (near the starboard side) and a right-hand side area (near the port side). The port side area is used to house the flap-type dock gate 20, while the right-hand side area and the right-hand side area each house a floating dock gate 30. This arrangement allows for a more rational distribution of the flap-type dock gate 20 and the two floating dock gates 30 on the semi-submersible vessel 10, resulting in greater stability during navigation.

[0052] Step 2: Preparations before boarding. This step includes:

[0053] Step 1: Clear the deck. Specifically, clear debris from the deck of the semi-submersible vessel to make room for the dock gate hoisting, and secure and inspect any items that may move on the deck, such as lashings and blocks, to ensure they are not washed away.

[0054] Step 2: Install positioning posts 40 along the centerline of the right-hand area. Specifically, the positioning post 40 includes three round steel pipes 41, a connecting structure 42, and a collision protection structure 43. The three round steel pipes 41 are connected together by the connecting structure 42. The bottom ends of the three round steel pipes 41 are welded to the deck, and the three round steel pipes 41 are located at the three vertices of the same equilateral triangle. Each round steel pipe 41 is connected to a collision protection structure 43, and the collision protection structures 43 on the outside of the three round steel pipes 41 form three contact surfaces. The aforementioned collision protection structure 43 can be hemp rope wrapped around the round steel pipes 41. Two of these positioning posts 40 are installed along the centerline of the right-hand area, namely the first post and the second post. One contact surface of the first post is on the same plane as the collision protection structure 43 on one of the steel pipes of the second post. This plane is the positioning surface, which is parallel to the centerline of the deck of the semi-submersible vessel 10. The aforementioned positioning post 40 is used to provide a reference point when the floating dock gate 30 is hoisted onto the ship, that is, to position the floating dock gate 30. This previously hoisted floating dock gate 30 serves as a reference point when other dock gates are subsequently hoisted onto the ship. In practice, when the floating dock gate 30 is hoisted to the right-hand side area, its side wall is made parallel to or in contact with the positioning surface to position the floating dock gate 30. This positioning post 40 structure allows for more precise positioning of the floating dock gate 30 immediately after it is hoisted onto the deck.

[0055] Step 3: Arrange sleepers 50 in the left, right-first, and right-second areas. Since the flap-type dock gate 20 has a shallower draft during unloading, while the floating box-type dock gate 30 has a deeper draft, double-layered sleepers 50 are arranged in the left area, and single-layered sleepers 50 are arranged in both the right-first and right-second areas. Both the flap-type and floating box-type dock gates are placed on the sleepers 50 in their respective areas. The sleepers 50 provide some protection for the dock gates on the deck, and simultaneously ensure the safety of the dock gates during transport on the semi-submersible vessel 10. Furthermore, both single-layered and double-layered sleepers 50 are bolted to the deck. Of course, the method of fixing the sleepers 50 to the deck is existing technology, and therefore will not be described in detail here.

[0056] Step 4: Install the support frame 60 and the first fixing device in the left area, and install the support assembly 80 and the second fixing device in both the right first area and the right second area.

[0057] The support frame 60 mentioned above in this step includes a base 61, a support seat 62, and a drive component 63. The support seat 62 is installed on the base 61 in a lifting manner through the drive component 63. The bottom end of the base 61 is welded to the deck. Several support frames 60 are installed in the left area. The several support frames 60 are evenly distributed in the direction from the bow to the stern of the semi-submersible vessel 10. A wooden block 64 is placed on the support seat 62 of each support frame 60. Optionally, the aforementioned driving component 63 includes an internally threaded tube 631, a circular plate 632, an annular ring 633, and a circular ring plate 634. The top of the base 61 is provided with a cylinder 611, and a circular hole extending into the interior of the base 61 is opened on the top surface of the cylinder 611. The axial direction of the circular hole is vertical. The internally threaded tube 631 is rotatably inserted into the circular hole. The circular plate 632 is fixedly provided on the top outer wall of the internally threaded tube 631. The circular plate 632 overlaps the top surface of the base 61. The annular ring 633 facing downward is fixedly provided on the edge of the circular plate 632. The annular ring 633 is sleeved on the cylinder 611. A circular groove is opened on the circumferential side wall of the cylinder 611. The circular ring plate 634 is welded and fixed to the bottom end of the annular ring 633. The circular ring plate 634 is rotatably placed in the circular groove. A stud 621 extending vertically is fixedly provided at the center of the bottom surface of the support seat 62. The stud 621 is screwed to the internally threaded tube 631. In this way, by rotating the drive member 63 and holding the support seat 62 so that it does not rotate with the drive member 63, the support seat 62 can be driven to rise and fall relative to the base 61.

[0058] The method of using the support frame 60 to support the flap-type dock gate 20 is as follows:

[0059] First, use the drive component 63 to adjust the height of the support seat 62 so that the top surfaces of the timbers 64 on all the support frames 60 are flush. The right bottom end of the flip-type dock gate 20 is attached to the deck of the semi-submersible vessel 10, and the left bottom end of the flip-type dock gate 20 is attached to the top surface of all the timbers 64.

[0060] Such a support frame 60 can easily adjust its support height, and can be easily and conveniently replaced, especially when the wooden block 64 on the support seat 62 is damaged.

[0061] In this step, both the first and second fixing devices are triangular block fixing devices 70. Each triangular block fixing device 70 includes a block body 71, a linear guide rail 72, a slider 73, and a locking assembly 74. The linear guide rail 72 is welded to the deck, and the slider 73 is welded to the block body 71, slidably mounted on the linear guide rail 72. The locking assembly 74 is mounted on the block body 71 and is used to lock the block body 71 to the deck. The triangular block fixing devices 70 are used in pairs, with pairs arranged in the left, right, and right second areas. The locking assembly 74 can be any structure capable of locking the slider 73 to the guide rail, such as a brake in the prior art.

[0062] The method of fixing the flap-type dock gate 20 using the first fixing device is as follows: First, slide the piers 71 of the pair of triangular pier fixing devices 70 set in the left area to the farthest distance, then hoist the flap-type dock gate 20 into the left area, and then drive the pair of piers 71 to slide to be in contact with the outer walls of the two sides of the flap-type dock gate 20 respectively, and finally use the locking assembly 74 to lock the piers 71 to the deck.

[0063] The method for securing the floating dock gate 30 using the second fixing device is as follows: First, slide the piers 71 of the pair of triangular pier fixing devices 70 set in the right area to the farthest distance, then hoist the floating dock gate 30 into the right area, and then drive the pair of piers 71 to slide to be in contact with the outer walls of both sides of the floating dock gate 30, and finally use the locking assembly 74 to lock the piers 71 to the deck.

[0064] This structure allows the first fixing device to better secure the flap-type dock gate 20 to the deck of the semi-submersible vessel 10, while the second fixing device can better secure the pontoon-type dock gate 30 to the deck of the semi-submersible vessel 10. It also makes it easier to hoist the dock gate between the two paired triangular pier fixing devices 70.

[0065] The support assembly 80 in this step includes a first bracket 81 and a second bracket 82. The floating dock gate 30 has a square structure 31 at the bottom and a conical structure 32 at the bottom. The first bracket 81 is provided with a horizontal positioning rod 811. The bottom end of the first bracket 81 is welded to the deck. The horizontal positioning rod 811 supports and positions the square structure 31 from the side. The second bracket 82 is provided with an inclined support column 821. The bottom end of the second bracket 82 is welded to the deck. The inclined support column 821 supports the conical structure 32 from below and is perpendicular to the conical surface of the conical structure 32. The support assemblies 80 are used in pairs. Multiple pairs of support assemblies 80 are arranged in both the right first area and the right second area.

[0066] The specific method of supporting the floating dock gate 30 using the support assembly 80 is as follows: when the floating dock gate 30 is hoisted onto the deck of the semi-submersible vessel 10, the square structure 31 at the bottom of the floating dock gate 30 is placed between the horizontal positioning rods 811 of the paired first brackets 81, the paired horizontal positioning rods 811 are in contact with the outer walls of both sides of the square structure 31, and the conical surface of the conical structure 32 at the bottom of the floating dock gate 30 rests on the inclined support column 821 of the paired second brackets 82, and the conical structure 32 is supported from the lower sides by the paired inclined support columns 821.

[0067] This type of support assembly 80 can stably support the floating dock gate 30 on the deck.

[0068] Step 5: Weld lifting devices onto both the flap-type dock gate 20 and the floating dock gate 30.

[0069] In this step, the lifting devices welded onto the flap-type dock gate 20 are single-hole lifting devices, with sixteen single-hole lifting devices in total. These sixteen single-hole lifting devices are divided into four groups, with four single-hole lifting devices in each group arranged side by side. The four groups are positioned on the top surface of the flap-type dock gate 20, near the four corners of the gate. The lifting capacity of a single lifting hole is 200 tons.

[0070] The lifting device welded onto the floating dock gate 30 is a multi-hole lifting device 90. The multi-hole lifting device 90 includes a solid square beam 91, lifting blocks 92, and locking units 93. The bottom end of the solid square beam 91 is welded to the floating dock gate 30. Five mounting holes are opened on the top surface of the solid square beam 91. The five mounting holes are evenly distributed along the length of the solid square beam 91. The lifting blocks 92 are provided with solid blocks for being embedded in the mounting holes. The lifting blocks 92 are also provided with lifting plates with a lifting hole. The locking unit 93 is installed between the solid blocks and the solid square beam 91 to lock the solid blocks to the solid square beam 91. Four of the five mounting holes are equipped with lifting blocks 92, so that the multi-hole lifting device 90 is a four-hole lifting device. There are four four-hole lifting devices, which are arranged side by side on the top surface of the floating dock gate 30. The locking unit 93 described above can be any structure capable of locking the solid block in the mounting hole, such as a locking pin.

[0071] The floating crane vessel has four hook assemblies 100, each with four hooks. The sixteen hooks of the floating crane vessel are connected to sixteen lifting holes for lifting.

[0072] Step 3: Towing. Optionally, a tugboat is used to tow the flap gate 20 and the floating dock gate 30 to the side of the semi-submersible vessel 10. Specifically, both the flap gate 20 and the floating dock gate 30 are manufactured in a dry dock. When it is necessary to transport the manufactured flap gate 20 and the floating dock gate 30 away, the usual method is to fill the dry dock with water, so that both the flap gate 20 and the floating dock gate 30 float, and then use a tugboat to tow the floated flap gate 20 and the floating dock gate 30 out of the dry dock.

[0073] Step 4: Lifting onto the ship. Specifically, using a floating crane vessel and lifting equipment, the two floating dock gates 30 and the flap dock gate 20 are successively lifted and placed in the second right area, the first right area, and the left area. The floating dock gate 30 in the second right area is positioned using positioning posts 40, the flap dock gate 20 is supported by a support frame 60 and fixed by a first fixing device, and the floating dock gate 30 is supported by a support assembly 80 and fixed by a second fixing device.

[0074] In practice, towing and hoisting are carried out alternately. Specifically, one of the floating dock gates 30 is first towed to a position close to the starboard side of the semi-submersible vessel 10, and then the floating dock gate 30 is hoisted to the second starboard area using a floating crane. Then the other floating dock gate 30 is towed to a position close to the starboard side of the semi-submersible vessel 10, and then the floating dock gate 30 is hoisted to the second starboard area using a floating crane. After that, the flap dock gate 20 is towed to a position close to the port side of the semi-submersible vessel 10, and finally the flap dock gate 20 is hoisted to the port area using a floating crane.

[0075] Step 5: Navigation. Specifically, the semi-submersible vessel 10 is launched and used to transport the flap-type dock gate 20 and the two floating dock gates 30 to an anchorage 7-8 nautical miles from the target pier. At this point, the semi-submersible vessel 10 is still in deep water. Of course, the route needs to be designed and determined before departure.

[0076] Step 6: Unloading. Specifically, the flap gate 20 and the floating dock gate 30 are unloaded from the semi-submersible vessel 10 using a tiered floating unloading method. The tiered floating unloading method in this step is as follows: First, the semi-submersible vessel 10 is submerged until the deck is completely submerged. Then, the submersion speed is slowed down, allowing the semi-submersible vessel 10 to continue submerging until the flap gate 20 floats up. While maintaining the current submerged floating state, the semi-submersible vessel 10 is towed away by a tugboat. Then, the semi-submersible vessel 10 is driven to continue submerging until the floating dock gate 30 floats up. While maintaining the current submerged floating state, the floating dock gate 30 carried in the rightmost area is towed away by a tugboat, and then the floating dock gate 30 carried in the rightmost second area is towed away by a tugboat.

[0077] Of course, while the flap gate 20 is being towed away, the semi-submersible vessel 10 can be driven to continue submerging. Finally, the flap gate 20 and the two floating dock gates 30 are towed to the mooring position at the dock by tugboats.

[0078] The dock gate ocean transport method provided by this invention uses a semi-submersible vessel 10 to simultaneously carry one flap-type dock gate 20 and two floating dock gates 30 for ocean transport, so that one flap-type dock gate 20 and two floating dock gates 30 can be transported to the destination at one time. Moreover, the flap-type dock gate 20 and floating dock gate 30 are unloaded from the vessel using a stepped floating unloading method, which makes it easy to unload the flap-type dock gate 20 and floating dock gate 30 from the semi-submersible vessel 10. The operation is simple, convenient and economical, making dock gate ocean transport possible.

[0079] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope described in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for ocean shipping via dock gates, characterized in that, include: Design placement: Divide the deck into a left side area near the port side and a right side area near the starboard side by the centerline of the semi-submersible vessel (10). Divide the right side area into a right first area near the starboard side and a right second area near the left side by the centerline of the right area. The left side area is used to place a flap-type dock gate (20), and a floating box dock gate (30) is placed in the right second area and the right first area respectively. Preparations before boarding: First, clean the deck, then install positioning posts (40) on the centerline of the right side area, then arrange sleepers (50) in the left side area, right side area 1 and right side area 2, then install support frame (60) and first fixing device in the left side area, and install support components (80) and second fixing device in right side area 1 and right side area 2. Then weld lifting gear on the flip-type dock gate (20) and the floating box dock gate (30). Towing: Use tugboats to tow the flap gate (20) and the floating gate (30) to the side of the semi-submersible vessel (10); Lifting onto the ship: Using a floating crane and lifting equipment, the two floating box dock gates (30) and the flip-plate dock gate (20) are lifted and placed in the right second area, the right first area and the left area in turn. The floating box dock gate (30) in the right second area is positioned by positioning column (40), the flip-plate dock gate (20) is supported by support frame (60) and fixed by first fixing device, and the floating box dock gate (30) is supported by support component (80) and fixed by second fixing device. Navigation: Start the semi-submersible vessel (10) and use the semi-submersible vessel (10) to transport the flap gate (20) and two floating dock gates (30) to a distance of 7-8 nautical miles from the target dock and anchor. Unloading: The flap gate (20) and the floating box gate (30) are unloaded from the semi-submersible vessel (10) using the tiered floating unloading method; The positioning post (40) includes three round steel pipes (41), a connecting structure (42), and an anti-collision structure (43). The three round steel pipes (41) are connected together by the connecting structure (42). The bottom ends of the three round steel pipes (41) are all welded to the deck. The three round steel pipes (41) are located at the three vertices of the same equilateral triangle. The anti-collision structure (43) is connected to the outside of each round steel pipe (41). The anti-collision structures (43) outside the three round steel pipes (41) form three contact surfaces. Two positioning posts (40) are installed on the centerline of the right area, namely the first post and the second post. One contact surface of the first post is on the same plane as the anti-collision structure (43) on a steel pipe of the second post. The plane is the positioning surface, which is parallel to the centerline of the semi-submersible vessel (10) deck. When the floating dock gate (30) is hoisted to the second right area, the side wall of the floating dock gate (30) is made parallel to or in contact with the positioning surface in order to position the floating dock gate (30).

2. The dock gate ocean transport method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The left side area is equipped with a double layer of sleepers (50), and the right first area and the right second area are equipped with a single layer of sleepers (50). The flip-type dock gate (20) and the floating box type dock gate (30) are placed on the sleepers (50) of the corresponding areas.

3. The dock gate ocean transport method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support frame (60) includes a base (61), a support seat (62), and a driving component (63). The support seat (62) is mounted on the base (61) in a lifting manner through the driving component (63). The bottom end of the base (61) is welded to the deck. Several support frames (60) are installed in the left area. Several support frames (60) are evenly distributed in the direction from the bow to the stern of the semi-submersible vessel (10). A wooden block (64) is placed on the support seat (62) of each support frame (60). The method of using the support frame (60) to support the flap-type dock gate (20) is as follows: First, use the drive component (63) to adjust the height of the support seat (62) so that the top surfaces of the timbers (64) on all the support frames (60) are flush. The right bottom end of the flip-type dock gate (20) is attached to the deck of the semi-submersible vessel (10), and the left bottom end of the flip-type dock gate (20) is attached to the top surface of all the timbers (64).

4. The dock gate ocean transport method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the first and second fixing devices are triangular block fixing devices (70). The triangular block fixing device (70) includes a block body (71), a linear guide rail (72), a slider (73), and a locking assembly (74). The linear guide rail (72) is welded to the deck, and the slider (73) is welded to the block body (71). The slider (73) is slidably installed on the linear guide rail (72). The locking assembly (74) is installed on the block body (71) and is used to lock the block body (71) to the deck. The triangular block fixing devices (70) are used in pairs. Pairs of the triangular block fixing devices (70) are arranged in the left area, the right first area, and the right second area. The method of fixing the flap-type dock gate (20) using the first fixing device is as follows: First, slide the piers (71) of the pair of triangular pier fixing devices (70) set in the left area to the farthest distance, then hoist the flap-type dock gate (20) into the left area, and then drive the pair of piers (71) to slide to be in contact with the outer walls of the two sides of the flap-type dock gate (20), and finally use the locking assembly (74) to lock the piers (71) to the deck. The method of fixing the floating dock gate (30) using the second fixing device is as follows: First, slide the piers (71) of the pair of triangular pier fixing devices (70) set in the right area to the farthest distance. Then, hoist the floating dock gate (30) into the right area. Then, drive the pair of piers (71) to slide to be in contact with the outer walls of the two sides of the floating dock gate (30). Finally, use the locking assembly (74) to lock the piers (71) to the deck.

5. The dock gate ocean transport method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support assembly (80) includes a first bracket (81) and a second bracket (82). The floating dock gate (30) has a square structure (31) at the bottom and a conical structure (32) at the bottom. The first bracket (81) is provided with a horizontal positioning rod (811). The bottom end of the first bracket (81) is welded to the deck. The horizontal positioning rod (811) supports and positions the square structure (31) from the side. The second bracket (82) is provided with an inclined support column (821). The bottom end of the second bracket (82) is welded to the deck. The inclined support column (821) supports the conical structure (32) from below and is perpendicular to the conical surface of the conical structure (32). The support assemblies (80) are used in pairs. Multiple pairs of support assemblies (80) are arranged in the right first area and the right second area. The specific method of supporting the floating dock gate (30) using the support assembly (80) is as follows: when the floating dock gate (30) is hoisted onto the deck of the semi-submersible vessel (10), the square structure (31) at the bottom of the floating dock gate (30) is placed between the horizontal positioning rods (811) of the paired first bracket (81), the paired horizontal positioning rods (811) are in contact with the outer walls on both sides of the square structure (31), and the conical surface of the conical structure (32) at the bottom of the floating dock gate (30) rests on the inclined support column (821) of the paired second bracket (82), and the conical structure (32) is supported from the lower sides by the paired inclined support column (821).

6. The dock gate ocean transport method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting device welded on the flip-type dock gate (20) is a single-hole lifting device. There are sixteen single-hole lifting devices. The sixteen single-hole lifting devices are divided into four groups of lifting devices. The four single-hole lifting devices in the four groups of lifting devices are arranged side by side. The four groups of lifting devices are respectively arranged on the top surface of the flip-type dock gate (20) and are respectively located near the four corners of the flip-type dock gate (20). The lifting device welded onto the floating dock gate (30) is a multi-hole lifting device (90). The multi-hole lifting device (90) includes a solid square beam (91), a lifting block (92), and a locking unit (93). The bottom end of the solid square beam (91) is welded to the floating dock gate (30). Five mounting holes are opened on the top surface of the solid square beam (91), and the five mounting holes are evenly distributed along the length direction of the solid square beam (91). The lifting block (92) is provided with a solid block, which is used to be embedded in the floating dock gate (30). In the mounting hole, the lifting block (92) is also provided with a lifting plate, the lifting plate has a lifting hole, the locking unit (93) is installed between the solid block and the solid square beam (91) to lock the solid block to the solid square beam (91), four of the five mounting holes are equipped with the lifting block (92) so that the multi-hole lifting device (90) is a four-hole lifting device, the number of the four-hole lifting devices is four, the four four-hole lifting devices are arranged side by side, and the four four-hole lifting devices are arranged sequentially on the top surface of the floating dock gate (30); The floating crane vessel has four hook assemblies (100), each hook assembly (100) has four hooks, and the sixteen hooks of the floating crane vessel are connected to sixteen lifting holes for lifting.

7. The dock gate ocean transport method according to claim 6, characterized in that: During the towing and hoisting process, one of the floating dock gates (30) is first towed to a position close to the starboard side of the semi-submersible vessel (10), and then the floating dock gate (30) is hoisted to the second starboard area using a floating crane. Then the other floating dock gate (30) is towed to a position close to the starboard side of the semi-submersible vessel (10), and then the floating dock gate (30) is hoisted to the second starboard area using a floating crane. After that, the flap dock gate (20) is towed to a position close to the port side of the semi-submersible vessel (10), and finally the flap dock gate (20) is hoisted to the port side using a floating crane.

8. The dock gate ocean transport method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tiered floating unloading method in the unloading process is as follows: First, the semi-submersible vessel (10) is submerged until the deck is completely submerged. Then, the submersion speed is slowed down so that the semi-submersible vessel (10) continues to submerge until the flap gate (20) floats up. The semi-submersible vessel (10) is kept in its current submerged floating state and the flap gate (20) is towed away by a tugboat. Then, the semi-submersible vessel (10) is driven to continue submerging until the floating box gate (30) floats up. The semi-submersible vessel (10) is kept in its current submerged floating state and the floating box gate (30) carried in the right first area is towed away by a tugboat. Then, the floating box gate (30) carried in the right second area is towed away by a tugboat.

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