Adjustable Floating Ballast Crane With Reduced Counterweight Plates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cranes face challenges in achieving a good CO2 balance while maintaining stability, particularly due to the need for heavy counterweight elements that overload transport vehicles and compromise stability against lateral tipping.
Innovation Solution
A crane design that includes a floating ballast guide connected to the upper carriage via a force transmission member, which introduces a counterforce to partially unload the floating ballast, allowing for reduced upper carriage ballast and increased lever arm, thereby reducing the need for counterweight plates and stabilizing the crane laterally.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If heavy counterweight elements are used to ensure stability, then stability against lateral tipping is improved, but transport capacity is exceeded and CO2 balance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A force transmission member (hydraulic cylinder) is introduced as an intermediary between the floating ballast guide and the upper carriage. This mediator transmits a counterforce to partially unload the floating ballast, allowing the floating ballast to provide sufficient counter-torque while reducing the number of counterweight plates needed on the upper carriage for lateral stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces part of the mechanical counterweight system (counterweight plates) with an active force generation system (hydraulic cylinder). The hydraulic cylinder generates a counterforce that substitutes for the gravitational force of counterweight plates, reducing the quantity of counterweight material needed while maintaining stability.
2Quantity of substance
If the distance of the floating ballast to the axis of rotation is increased to reduce the number of counterweight plates, then the lever arm is improved, but stability against lateral tipping deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The force transmission member serves multiple functions simultaneously: it generates counter-torque to reduce the number of counterweight plates needed, provides lateral stability through its mounting position, and partially unloads the floating ballast. This multi-functionality allows a single component to address both contradictions.
Solution Approach 2:
The force transmission member acts as an intermediary that transfers forces between the floating ballast system and the upper carriage. By strategically positioning this intermediary, the system achieves both reduced counterweight requirements and maintained lateral stability.
3Quantity of substance
If the upper carriage ballast is shifted to the floating ballast to reduce transport needs, then CO2 balance is improved, but stability against lateral tipping is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The force transmission member serves as a mediator that compensates for the loss of lateral stability when counterweight plates are reduced. It transmits stabilizing forces from the upper carriage structure to counterbalance the reduced passive stability from fewer counterweight plates.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic cylinder generates an active counterforce that compensates for the reduced passive counterweight effect. This active counterbalancing mechanism replaces the gravitational counterbalance provided by counterweight plates, allowing fewer plates to be used while maintaining stability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design reduces the number of counterweight plates required, minimizing transportation needs and improving the CO2 balance without compromising stability, enabling more efficient and stable crane operations.
Implementation Method 1
The force transmission member is configured to partially unload or relieve the floating ballast guide by means of an unloading force counteracting the weight force of the floating ballast
Implementation Method 2
a drive, one or more hydraulic cylinders for folding the lattice sections in and out and thus for reducing or increasing the floating ballast radius
Implementation Method 3
the floating ballast guide comprises two articulated lattice sections and, as a drive, one or more hydraulic cylinders for folding the lattice sections in and out
Implementation Method 4
there is typically a counterweight device, also known as an upper carriage ballast, at the rear of the upper carriage with several stackable counterweight plates
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a crane, in particular a lattice boom mobile crane, which comprises an upper carriage rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation and a floating ballast connected to the upper carriage via a floating ballast guide. The floating ballast guide comprises a drive for changing the distance of the floating ballast from the axis of rotation of the upper carriage. According to the disclosure, the floating ballast guide is connected to the upper carriage via at least one force transmission member. The force transmission member is configured to partially unload the floating ballast guide by an unloading force counteracting the weight force of the floating ballast, and to thereby introduce a corresponding counterforce into the upper carriage.