Passenger Bridge Shore Power Routing Without Quay Cable Trenches
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for connecting ships to a country-based supply network require high infrastructure investments due to the need for extensive underground energy supply lines, which are costly and inefficient, especially for ships with high energy demands like cruise ships.
Innovation Solution
The use of a passenger bridge with an integrated energy supply line that runs above the quay, eliminating the need for underground connections and allowing for a more flexible and adaptable energy supply system that can accommodate the movement of ships.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If power supply cables are routed underground on the quay, then they are protected from damage and obstacles for vehicles, but significant infrastructure investment is required and the cables must still be handled mechanized
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply cable routing is extracted from the quay infrastructure and relocated to the passenger bridge structure. The cable runs along the passenger bridge instead of being embedded in the quay, eliminating the need for underground cable trenches and associated protective infrastructure on the quay side.
Solution Approach 2:
The passenger bridge structure is given a dual function: it serves both as a passenger access structure and as a support structure for the power supply cable. The bridge's structural elements are utilized to carry and protect the cable, eliminating the need for separate dedicated cable protection infrastructure.
2Device complexity
If power supply cables are laid on the quay surface, then infrastructure investment is reduced, but they become obstacles for vehicles and are vulnerable to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The cable routing is moved from the horizontal quay surface (2D plane) to the vertical dimension by utilizing the passenger bridge structure above the quay. This elevates the cable to a different spatial dimension where it no longer interferes with vehicle movement on the quay surface.
3Device complexity
If the connection point for power cables is fixed on the quay, then infrastructure is simplified, but it cannot accommodate different vessel types and berth positions
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply connection system is made dynamic by utilizing the passenger bridge's ability to move longitudinally, transversely, and vertically. The bridge can adjust its position to accommodate different vessel types and berth locations, and the power cable moves with the bridge, maintaining a consistent connection point relative to the bridge structure rather than being fixed on the quay.
4Reliability
If heavy shore-side coupling units are used for power connection, then reliable power transfer is achieved, but the transfer device becomes difficult to handle manually
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer device is equipped with automated or assisted handling mechanisms that enable it to move and position the heavy shore-side coupling unit without requiring manual lifting or positioning by operators. The system performs the heavy handling task itself through mechanical assistance.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
Device 1 for connecting a ship to a shore-side supply network, comprising a passenger bridge 4, wherein the passenger bridge 4 is permanently arranged on a shore-side quay 5, wherein a power supply line 9 for supplying the ship 2 with shore power during ship handling is arranged on the passenger bridge 4, and with a transfer device 10 for leading a coupling unit 12 connected to the power supply line 9 to a ship-side coupling unit.