Crane Girder with Bulging Profile for Drag Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Crane girders for large or heavy-load cranes face challenges in minimizing drive power requirements and maintaining stability while avoiding weight increase due to reinforcement elements, which are necessary to prevent bending and shear stress.
Innovation Solution
The crane girder features an outwardly bulging shape in cross-section, with upward and downward pointing portions and vertically extending straight wall portions that support the running surface, reducing aerodynamic drag and eliminating the need for buckling braces, thereby enhancing stability and load capacity without increasing weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If buckling braces are fastened internally to the external wall to prevent yielding or bending, then stability is improved, but weight and production effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature to the external wall by forming it with an outwardly bulging shape instead of using flat planar panels. This curved configuration inherently resists buckling and bending forces, eliminating the need for additional buckling braces and reducing the overall weight while maintaining stability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If buckling braces are fastened internally to the external wall to prevent yielding or bending, then stability is improved, but production effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The external wall is formed with an outwardly bulging shape that inherently provides structural stability against buckling and bending. This eliminates the need for additional buckling braces and simplifies the manufacturing process, reducing production effort while maintaining stability.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the external wall is configured with an outwardly bulging shape to reduce aerodynamic drag, then drive power requirements are reduced, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The external wall is formed with an outwardly bulging shape that reduces aerodynamic drag and lowers drive power requirements. The curvature is designed to be continuous and integrated into the wall structure itself, avoiding the need for separate aerodynamic components and minimizing overall structural complexity.
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 required drive power, increases stability, and minimizes deformation, while also reducing noise and wind-induced stress, allowing for efficient operation under heavy loads without additional reinforcement.
Implementation Method 1
the external wall of the crane girder, when viewed in a cross section through the crane girder, has at least in regions an outwardly bulging shape for reducing the aerodynamic drag
Data Source
AI summary
Crane girder (1) for a crane (3), wherein the crane girder (1) includes a hollow profile (4) having an outer wall (6) enclosing a cavity (5) and extends longitudinally, and the outer wall (6) of the crane girder (1), as seen in a cross-section through the crane girder (1), has a shape which bulges outwards at least in some regions in order to reduce aerodynamic drag, wherein the outer wall (6), as seen in the cross-section through the crane girder (1), has two sections (10, 11) facing one another with an outwards bulging shape, which are joined together by two straight wall sections (12) of the outer wall (6), these straight wall sections face one another, and the crane girder (1) has at least one running surface (13) for at least one running wheel (14) of a trolley (15) of a lifting tool of the crane (3), wherein the sections (10, 11) facing one another with an outwards bulging shape point upwards and downwards in an operating position of the crane girder and the straight wall sections (12) delimit the crane girder (1) on the sides.