Device for connecting a ship to a shore side supply network

Abstract

The invention relates to a device 1 for connecting a ship to a shore-based supply network, wherein a shore-based coupling unit 2 is rail-guided for connection to a cable-connected ship-side plug and is connected to the shore-based supply network via at least one power supply line 16, 17, wherein the coupling unit 2 is arranged on a chassis 4, the wheels 5, 6 of which are arranged side by side in two tracks 7, 8, wherein one track 7 is rail-bound with respect to a rail 9, which is arranged on the fairway side on a vertical side of a quay wall 3, wherein the chassis 4 overlaps mooring devices 11, which project towards a top surface 10 of the quay wall 3, so that the second track 8 is arranged on a side of the mooring devices 11 facing away from the water.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for connecting a ship to a shore-based supply network according to the features of claim 1.

[0002] A shore power supply system for ships should be suitable for providing power to vessels of varying sizes and designs, with different berth locations at the quay. The ship-side connection points for shore power are typically located in different positions, both in terms of height and their position along the quay wall. Furthermore, a shore power supply system cannot be moved freely along the quay wall because of mooring facilities, particularly bollards.

[0003] The invention is based on the objective of demonstrating a device for connecting a ship to a shore-based supply network that is space-saving, simple in construction and can also be moved along quay walls on which upwardly projecting mooring devices are arranged.

[0004] The problem is solved by a device having the features of claim 1. The dependent claims relate to advantageous further developments and inventions.

[0005] The device according to the invention serves to connect a ship to a shore-based power supply network, in particular to supply the ship with shore power. The device has a shore-side coupling unit for receiving a wired ship-side connector. Such a ship-side connector is lowered from above, so that the shore-side coupling unit must be moved towards the connector according to its position. For this reason, the shore-side coupling unit is arranged to be movable.

[0006] It is mounted on a chassis whose wheels, in particular at least four, are arranged in two parallel tracks. One of the tracks is rail-bound with respect to a rail that is arranged on the side of the quay wall facing the fairway and preferably does not project upwards beyond the quay wall.

[0007] The chassis is configured to overlap the mooring devices located on top of the quay wall or on the landward side near the top of the quay wall, so that the second track is positioned on the side of the mooring devices facing away from the fairway. The mooring devices are primarily bollards.

[0008] The overlapping design of the mooring devices allows the shore-side coupling unit to be moved lengthwise along the quay wall and very close to the ship without being obstructed by bollards or mooring fixtures. The shore-side coupling unit can be pre-positioned before the ship docks. Once the ship is docked and moored, the shore power supply can be connected. For this, the shore-side coupling unit only needs to be moved a relatively short distance along the rail.

[0009] After departure and before a new vessel docks, the shore-side coupling unit can be moved back into the desired position. During this period, the mooring facilities are freely passable and do not obstruct the movement of the coupling unit along the quay wall.

[0010] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the second track is not bound to rails. This significantly simplifies the construction, as no rail needs to be installed on top of the quay wall. This eliminates tripping hazards. Smaller obstacles can even be driven over.

[0011] In an advantageous embodiment, at least one upwardly open channel is arranged next to the rail, with the power supply line located within the channel. The term "next to the rail" means parallel to and near the rail, in particular horizontally adjacent or vertically adjacent to the rail. The at least one channel is particularly high enough that the power supply line lies below the opening of the open channel, thus protecting it. Even though it would be possible to cover such a channel, it is provided that the channel remains open at the top. The power supply lines embedded therein are, after being laid in the channel, protected laterally by the sides of the channel.Since the sides of the channel project upwards over the internal power supply line, the line is also partially protected, at least when objects fall onto the channel that are wider than its opening. The open-topped channel does not offer 100% protection, but provides very good protection from below and along its length. The advantages of an open channel are its simple and robust construction and cost-effective manufacturing and installation, as no modifications to the top of the quay are necessary. It is also possible to retrofit existing quays.

[0012] In an advantageous further development, the rail on which the landside coupling can be moved is arranged at an upper end of the upwardly open channel, wherein the power supply line can be laid down in the channel and can be traversed on the rail side by a rail-bound wheel of the coupling unit.

[0013] In this concept, the channel essentially acts as the supporting structure for the rail positioned above it. The rail-mounted wheel has a contact area that is wider than the channel opening. Therefore, the wheel cannot slip into the channel and damage the power supply line. The wheel is guided laterally by the axially outward-facing flanks of the rails. This guidance of the wheel takes place outside the channel containing the power supply line.

[0014] The channel and the rail preferably form a single component in which the channel has outwardly projecting flanks at its opening that point in opposite directions. These flanks serve as a bearing surface and, in this sense, function as the running surface of a rail. The wheel rolls over these outwardly projecting flanges. For lateral guidance, an inner guide rib is arranged on one flange and an outer guide rib on the other. The chassis is placed onto the rail from above and can be easily removed.

[0015] An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that a cable drum is arranged on the chassis, the cable drum having an axis of rotation that, viewed from above, runs transversely to the rail, in particular at a 90° angle to the rail. The cable drum is arranged vertically above the rail and receives the power supply cable or releases it when the chassis is moved. The cable drum has a drive that is controlled depending on the winding direction. The cable drum is aligned with the upwardly open channel and, in particular, with the rail, so that the power supply cable can be precisely laid down from above through the rail into a channel under the rail or into a channel running horizontally alongside the rail.Several power supply lines can be arranged on the cable drum at the same time and picked up and unwound from the cable drum.

[0016] The device according to the invention has, in particular, a central connection for the power supply. The power supply cable is connected at one end to the central connection and at the other end to the cable reel. Coming from the landside connection point, the power supply cable is guided through a cable deflection at the quay wall, so that the power supply cable can be moved in opposite directions depending on the position of the chassis at the quay. The cable deflection is preferably open at the top and has large radii at the opening, against which the power supply cable rests depending on its orientation. The radii are at least as large as a permissible minimum bending radius of the power supply cable.The cable deflection allows the power supply cable to be unwound from the cable drum in opposite directions from the quayside connection point without being damaged when passing over the connection point and when changing the bending direction.

[0017] The central connection has the advantage over an end connection point that the cable reels only need to accommodate half the cable length. This makes the entire device lighter and more compact. Another advantage is that the upward-facing channel is always only occupied by the power supply cable on one side. Should a ship collide with the quay wall and damage the upward-facing channel, the power supply cable could only be damaged if it is located in that section of the open channel. When the device according to the invention is moved back to a central position after the ship has moored, the connection point or cable deflection is preferably located below the parked device. In this case, the power supply cable is unlikely to be damaged because it is not located in the open channel, but almost entirely on the cable reel.

[0018] The channel(s) are preferably located vertically below the single or multiple spirally wound cable drum, so that the power supply cable(s) can be wound and unwound freely and without obstruction. It is not necessary to relocate the power supply cables out of their respective winding planes. The channels are located within the respective winding planes of the cable drum.

[0019] To protect the rail and the upward-facing channels, additional impact protection can be arranged vertically below the rail and horizontally alongside the rail on the fairway side. In this context, "fairway side" means at a distance from the quay wall, so that the area below the rail and the channels is protected by the impact protection, and the area of ​​the rail and the channels facing away from the quay wall is also protected by the impact protection.

[0020] The impact protection can be arranged at a horizontal distance of at least 250 mm from the center of the rail to form a free buffer zone.

[0021] Larger fenders have lengths or diameters of 1,000 mm to 1,500 mm. Even under high compression of the fenders, contact with the impact protection does not occur. If the impact protection is damaged, the buffer zone provides sufficient space to protect the rail and thus also the supply line and ultimately the entire shore power supply system.

[0022] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an embodiment shown schematically in the drawings. The drawings show: Figure 1 shows a device for shore power supply in a front view along the section plane II of the Figure 2 Figure 2: the device for supplying shore power to the Figure 1in a first position on a quay wall and Figure 3 the device for shore power supply of the Figure 1 in a second position on the quay wall of the Figure 2 .

[0023] The Figure 1Figure 1 shows a device 1 for connecting a ship (not shown in detail) to a shore-based supply network. A key component of the device 1 is a shore-based coupling unit 2, which is guided by rails along a quay wall 3. For this purpose, the coupling unit 2 has a chassis 4 with parallel wheels 5, 6, arranged in two tracks 7, 8 at a horizontal distance from each other. In this case, there are two wheels 5, 6 in each track 7, 8. One track 8 is located above the quay wall 3, i.e., on the quay. This track 8 is not rail-bound. The second track 7 is located on the fairway side of the quay wall 3. Specifically, the second track 7 is located above the fairway, i.e., on the side of the quay wall facing away from the shore. The second track 7 is not on the fairway, but rather, viewed horizontally from the fairway, in front of the quay wall 3. A rail 9 is arranged on the fairway side of the quay wall for this purpose.Rail 9 does not project, or only projects slightly, beyond the top surface 10 of quay wall 3. Tracks 7 and 8 are preferably located at the same level. Rail 9 is positioned at the upper end of the fairway side of quay wall 3.

[0024] The chassis 4, which carries the wheels 5, 6, is configured such that the mooring devices 11, in the form of bollards, projecting from the top 10 of the quay wall 3, can be engaged from above and thus driven over. For this purpose, the wheels 5, 6 are arranged at a greater distance from a platform 12, beneath which the chassis 4 is located. The chassis 4 includes stilt-like struts, so that the platform 12 can be guided with sufficient ground clearance between the tracks 7, 8 and at a sufficient vertical distance over the mooring devices 11.

[0025] Platform 12 contains at least one drive unit. One drive unit is provided for moving the coupling unit 2 longitudinally along the rail 9. Another drive unit is used to drive a double spiral-wound cable drum 15. Two electrical power supply lines 16 and 17 are arranged parallel to each other on the cable drum 15.

[0026] Power supply lines 16 and 17 provide shore power to the ship (not shown). The cable drum 15 is not located vertically above quay wall 3, but rather, like the rail 9, on the fairway side next to quay wall 3. The drive mechanism for the cable drum 15 and the chassis serve as a counterweight. The cable drum 15 extends downwards between the wheels 5 of the track 7 on the rail side.

[0027] The power supply lines 16, 17 are laid in upwardly open, annular channels 18, 19 by unwinding them from the cable drum 15. One of the channels 18 is located below the rail 9. This channel 18 and the rail 9 form a single component. The wheel 5 is wider than the upwardly open channel 18. The wheel 5 rolls over laterally outwardly directed and horizontally oriented flanges 20, 21 located at the opening of the upwardly open channel 18, which form the contact surface for the wheel 5. Inner and outer guide ribs 22, 23, projecting upwards in the plane of the image, are arranged on the flanges 20, 21 for the lateral guidance of the wheel 5. The land-side coupling unit 2 has several wheels arranged consecutively in the track direction for each track, so that the coupling unit 2 can only be displaced longitudinally along the track 7.

[0028] The Figure 2 shows the position of a section plane II, which determines the viewing direction of the Figure 1This is illustrated. The power supply line 16 is connected at a land-side end 24 to a connection point 25. A second connection point 26 is for the second power supply line 17 ( Figure 1 ) provided. Connection points 25, 26 are located below channels 18, 19, as shown in Figure 1 This can be seen. The two power supply lines 16, 17 are guided from their connection point ends 24, 25 upwards through a cable deflection 27. The cable deflection 27 has rounded sides on its upper side, so that the power supply lines 16, 17 can be routed without kinks and with a large bending radius both in the plane of the image. Figure 2 They can be shifted to the left as well as to the right.

[0029] According to the presentation of Figure 2The land-side coupling unit 2 can be moved along the quay wall 3 in the direction of arrow 28 until a final position is reached. The power supply lines 16, 17 are laid in protected channels 18, 19. If another ship is to be supplied, which is in the plane of the image... Figure 2 , to the right of connection point 25, 26, the landside coupling unit 2 can be moved in the opposite direction, i.e. in the direction of arrow 29 of the Figure 3 will be relocated. The landside connection point will then be located in the image plane of the Figure 3 left. In this case too, the power supply lines 16, 17 can be laid protected in the upwardly open channels 18, 19. The mooring devices 11 can be driven over by the chassis 4 and the platform 12 of the land-side coupling unit 2 due to the adapted high ground clearance, as shown in Figure 1 can be seen.

[0030] The Figures 1 to 3 Figure 1 shows additional protective devices for the protection of the fairway-side rail 9 and channels 18, 19, as well as for the protection of the connection points 25, 26. The protective devices include an impact guard 30. Several of the impact guards 30 are arranged at intervals along the quay wall 3. They are essentially configured in an L-shape, as shown in the sectional view of the Figure 1This can be seen. They extend beneath the rails 9 and the connection points 25, 26 towards the water level of the fairway and have a vertically projecting leg 31 that extends above the rails 9 and connection points in the vertical direction. The vertical leg 31 may be bent at its upper end towards the landward side to improve its protective effect. The vertical leg 31 runs at a horizontal distance A1 from the center of rail 9 or from the connection points 25, 26 in order to create a sufficient crumple zone of at least 250 mm even in the event of an accident. Reference symbol:

[0031] 1 - Shore power supply device 2 -Coupling unit of 1 3 -Quay wall 4 -Chassis 5 -Wheel on 4 6 -Wheel on 4 7 -Track of 4 8 -Track of 4 9 -Rail on 3 10 -Top of 3 11 -Mounting device 12 -Platform of 2 13 -Leg / strut of 4 14 -Leg / strut of 4 15 -Cable reel 16 -Power supply line 17 -Power supply line 18 -Channel for 16 19 -Channel for 17 20 -Flange on 18 21 -Flange on 18 22 -Inner guide rail 23 -Outer guide rail 24 -End of 16 25 -Connection point 26 -Connection point 27 -Cable deflection 28 -First direction of movement of 2 29 - opposite direction of movement of 2 30 - impact protection 31 - leg of 30 32 - fairway side of 3 A1 - horizontal distance between 31 and 9 D - axis of rotation of 15

Claims

1. Device (1) for connecting a ship to a shore-based supply network, wherein a shore-based coupling unit (2) is rail-guided for connection to a cable-connected ship-side plug and is connected to the shore-based supply network via at least one power supply line (16, 17), wherein the coupling unit (2) is arranged on a chassis (4) whose wheels (5, 6) are arranged side by side in two tracks (7, 8), wherein one track (7) is rail-bound with respect to a rail (9) which is arranged on the fairway side on a fairway side (32) of a quay wall (3), wherein the chassis (4) overlaps mooring devices (11) which project towards a top (10) of the quay wall (3), so that the second track (8) is arranged on one of the sides of the mooring devices (11) facing away from the fairway.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the second track (6) is not bound to the rails.

3. Device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that next to the rail (9) at least one upwardly open channel (18, 19) is arranged, wherein the power supply line (16, 17) is arranged in the channel (18, 19).

4. Device (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that the rail (9) is arranged at an upper end of an upwardly open channel (18), wherein the power supply line (16) is arranged in the channel (18) and can be traversed by a rail-bound wheel (5).

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the fact that a cable drum (15) is arranged on the chassis (4), wherein the cable drum (4) has a pivot axis (D) transverse to the rail (9) and is arranged above the rail (9).

6. Device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized by the fact thatthe power supply line (16, 17) is connected at one end (24) to a central connection point (25, 26) of the quay wall (3) and at another end to the cable drum (15), wherein the power supply line (16, 17) is guided through a cable deflection (27) which is arranged on the quay wall (3), so that the power supply line (16, 17) can be laid from the connection point (25, 26) in opposite directions (28, 29) on both sides of the connection point (25, 26) into the upwardly open channels (18, 19).

7. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by the fact that the at least one channel (18, 19) is arranged vertically below the single or multiple winding cable drum (15), so that the power supply line (16, 17) can be laid down into the channels (18, 19) in a winding plane of the cable drum (15).

8. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by the fact thatAt least one impact protection device (30) is arranged vertically below the rail (9) and horizontally next to the rail (9) on the side of the fairway.

9. Device according to claim 8, characterized by the fact that The collision protection (30) is arranged to form a free buffer zone at a horizontal distance (A1) that is at least 250 mm from the center of the rail (9).

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