Adjustable Boom Linkage for Battery Transfer on Moving Vessels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transport systems for swapping battery packs on and off maritime vessels face challenges due to vessel movements, such as rolling and pitching, leading to delays and potential damage, and are not suitable for small vessels.
Innovation Solution
A transport system with a main boom that is pivotably connected to a pedestal, featuring a dynamically adjustable span and rotational freedom, allowing compensation for vessel movements through telescopic or foldable sections and actuators, ensuring stable object handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a transport system is used for swapping battery packs on and off maritime vessels, then battery pack transfer efficiency is improved, but vessel movements cause delays and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The transport system employs a dynamically adjustable main boom with telescopic or foldable sections that can adapt their configuration in response to vessel movements. The span of the main boom is passively adjustable, allowing the system to maintain operational stability despite rolling and pitching motions of the maritime vessel.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes physical parameters of the main boom structure by extending or retracting telescopic sections, or by folding/unfolding boom sections. These parameter changes allow the boom to compensate for vessel movements and maintain proper positioning for battery pack transfer operations.
2Device complexity
If a fixed span main boom is used, then structural simplicity is improved, but inability to compensate for vessel movements causes delays
Solution Approach 1:
The main boom transitions from a fixed structure to a dynamic one with passively adjustable span. The telescopic or foldable sections allow the boom to automatically adapt its length and configuration in response to vessel movements, enabling continuous operation without delays while adding only moderate structural complexity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a non-pivotable boom connection is used, then structural stability is improved, but rotational freedom is needed to accommodate vessel movements
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between the main boom and pedestal is designed with pivotable joints that allow rotational movement in multiple directions. This dynamic connection enables the boom to follow vessel movements while maintaining stable mechanical links for safe battery pack handling, resolving the contradiction between stability and adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A transport system is for transporting an object back and forth between a storage area and a target area. The transport system has a pedestal for being placed at one of the storage area and the target area. The transport system has a main boom pivotably connected to the pedestal. The main boom has a far end configured for being supported by the other one of the storage area and the target area while allowing for at least one rotational degree of freedom between the main boom and the other one of the storage area and the target area. The main boom has a span that is passively adjustable in length. Furthermore, the transport system has a transport boom coupled with the main boom, and an object handler guided by the transport boom and configured for handling the object to be transported between the storage area and the target area.