Adjustable Chain Compressor Layout to Avoid Deck Re-Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chain compressors for vessels require cumbersome and thermally damaging welding adjustments to align the anchor chain direction, leading to inefficient deployment and retrieval processes.
Innovation Solution
A chain compressor system with a rotatably connected main body part and position adjustment unit, allowing for modular alignment of the support roller without detaching from the deck, reducing thermal damage and improving operational efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If welding is used to fix the chain compressor on the deck, then the chain compressor can be securely attached, but thermal damage occurs to the deck and adjustment requires detaching and re-welding
Solution Approach 1:
The chain compressor is divided into two main segments: a base part that remains fixed on the deck and a main body part that can be adjusted. This segmentation allows the fixed portion to maintain secure attachment while the movable portion can be repositioned without affecting the welds on the deck, thereby eliminating thermal damage from repeated welding operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The main body part is designed to be movable relative to the base part through a position adjustment unit. This dynamic design enables the chain compressor to transition from a static, permanently welded configuration to a dynamic, adjustable configuration, allowing alignment modifications without re-welding and thus preventing thermal damage to the deck.
2Manufacturing precision
If the chain compressor position is adjusted by detaching and re-welding, then alignment can be corrected, but the process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The position adjustment unit enables the main body part to move dynamically relative to the base part, allowing alignment adjustments to be made simply by operating the adjustment mechanism rather than through time-consuming detaching and re-welding operations. This significantly reduces adjustment time while maintaining alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex process of detaching, repositioning, and re-welding is replaced by a simpler mechanical adjustment system. The position adjustment unit provides a direct mechanical means to reposition the main body part, substituting the multi-step welding process with a single operational adjustment that is both faster and equally effective in achieving proper alignment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If repeated welding is performed for direction adjustment, then the chain compressor can be repositioned, but thermal damage accumulates on the deck
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the chain compressor into a fixed base part and an adjustable main body part, the system maintains position adaptability through the movable main body while protecting the deck from cumulative thermal damage. The base part remains permanently fixed without repeated welding, and all adjustments are made through the position adjustment unit on the main body part.
Solution Approach 2:
The position adjustment unit acts as an intermediary mechanism between the fixed base part and the adjustable main body part. This intermediary enables position changes and alignment adjustments without requiring direct welding operations on the deck, thereby preventing cumulative thermal damage while maintaining full adaptability for repositioning.
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an anchoring apparatus including a windlass unit configured to heave an anchor chain, and a chain compressor including a main body part to which a support roller that supports the anchor chain is rotatably connected, a base part that connects the main body part to a vessel, and a position adjustment unit configured to adjust a position of the main body part on the base part, wherein the windlass unit and the main body part are arranged on the base part.