Elevated Rail Cargo Transfer Plant for Side-by-Side Container Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ship-to-shore container cranes are too wide to efficiently handle two side-by-side container bays simultaneously, requiring expensive and inflexible crane structures and reinforced wharfs, which limits terminal logistics and increases construction costs.
Innovation Solution
A plant with an elevated rail structure and crane units supported on one side of the ship, featuring a transverse rail underneath the longitudinal rail, allowing two crane units to operate side-by-side without legs, reducing wharf reinforcement needs and enabling flexible configuration to handle multiple container bays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional ship-to-shore container cranes are used, then cargo transfer capability is provided, but the crane structure becomes too wide and expensive to handle two side-by-side container bays simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the cargo handling function by using multiple independent crane units (each with its own boom and trolley) instead of one large complex crane. Each crane unit can independently serve one container bay, allowing two bays to be handled simultaneously by two separate units operating on the same wharf side.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention moves the crane support structure to an elevated position above the wharf using vertical columns, freeing up the horizontal space below. This allows container bays to be accessed from below the crane structure while the cranes operate overhead, enabling two cranes to work side-by-side without requiring excessive horizontal clearance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If cranes are arranged to handle multiple container bays, then operational flexibility increases, but wharf reinforcement requirements and construction costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By elevating the crane support structure vertically above the wharf using columns, the invention transfers the heavy crane loads to dedicated foundation points rather than distributing them across the entire wharf structure. This reduces the reinforcement requirements for the wharf itself while maintaining the ability to handle multiple container bays.
Solution Approach 2:
The elevated rail structure is supported by discrete vertical columns positioned at specific locations along the wharf, concentrating the structural support requirements at these localized points rather than requiring uniform reinforcement across the entire wharf area. This allows for more economical wharf construction while maintaining operational flexibility.
3Ease of manufacture
If only one wharf side is used for crane installation, then construction costs are reduced, but space utilization and operational efficiency may be limited
Solution Approach 1:
By utilizing the vertical dimension with elevated crane structures, the invention enables multiple crane units to operate over the same wharf side without requiring additional wharf sides. This three-dimensional arrangement allows two or more cranes to serve multiple container bays from a single wharf location, maintaining cost efficiency while improving productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A plant (1;20) for transferring cargo (23) to and from a ship (24), said plant comprising an elevated rail structure (2) and a crane unit (3) where the elevated rail structure (2) is arranged on one side of the ship (24) and comprises a longitudinal rail (6) which extends essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ship and where the crane unit is arranged to transfer a load or a group of loads to and from said ship, is supported by said longitudinal rail and is displaceable along said longitudinal rail. The crane unit furthermore comprises a boom (10) and a trolley (21) where the boom of said crane unit extends essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal rail such that one end of the boom extends over the ship; and where the boom of said crane unit comprises a transverse rail (13) which extends in a direction which is essentially transverse to the longitudinal rail and essentially parallel to the centre line of the boom. The trolley is displaceably connected to said transverse rail of said boom and the trolley of said crane unit comprises a lifting device (22) for lifting said load or said group of loads. Furthermore, the transverse rail (13) of said boom (10) is arranged underneath said longitudinal rail (6) of said elevated rail structure (2). In this way, the trolley can move back and forth along the transverse rail without any hindrances.