Floating Bridge Passage Float Design for Ship Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floating bridges face challenges in allowing larger ships to pass, as they often require shallow ocean beds for traditional foundations, which can be costly and risky for ship traffic, and are limited by environmental forces like waves and currents.
Innovation Solution
A floating bridge design featuring a passage float with a U-shaped pontoon and strength-absorbing structure boxes that can be anchored or unanchored, allowing ships to pass under a horizontally spanning carriageway, which can be reconfigured to accommodate varying ship sizes and reduce collision impacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional bottom foundation bridges are used to allow ship passage, then ships can pass under the bridge, but the cost increases and ship traffic risk increases due to forced sailing close to shore
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the passage function from the traditional bridge structure by introducing a separate, movable passage float that can be positioned independently. This allows the main bridge to remain fixed and economical while the passage float provides the ship passage capability, eliminating the need for expensive traditional bottom foundations.
Solution Approach 2:
The passage float acts as an intermediary element between the fixed bridge structure and the ship traffic. It mediates the conflict by providing a movable passage mechanism that can accommodate ships without requiring the entire bridge to be redesigned with expensive foundations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional bottom foundation bridges are used to allow ship passage, then ships can pass under the bridge, but ship traffic safety worsens due to increased risk of running aground when forced to sail close to shore
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the passage function into a separate movable float, ships can pass through the bridge structure rather than sailing close to shore, eliminating the grounding risk associated with traditional bridge configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The passage float is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be positioned to accommodate ship passage while maintaining safe distances from the shore, thereby improving ship traffic safety.
3Ease of manufacture
If floating bridges are used to cross wide fjords, then construction cost decreases and safety improves, but the ability to allow larger ships to pass is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The passage float is designed as a movable structure that can be positioned and repositioned to accommodate different ship sizes and traffic patterns, enabling the economical floating bridge to handle larger vessels without requiring expensive fixed foundations.
Solution Approach 2:
The passage float serves multiple functions: it provides ship passage capability, can be adjusted for different ship sizes, and maintains the economical floating bridge structure, making the system universally applicable to various shipping requirements.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the passage float is anchored to the ocean bed, then stability improves under environmental forces, but the ability to accommodate varying ship sizes and reduce collision impacts is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The passage float employs a dynamic anchoring system that can be adjusted between anchored and unanchored states, or with variable tension, allowing it to maintain stability under environmental forces while accommodating different ship sizes and collision scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchoring parameters (tension, attachment points, anchoring depth) can be changed to optimize both stability under environmental forces and adaptability to different ship passage requirements, resolving the contradiction between these two needs.
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
Enables the passage of larger ships without traditional foundations, enhances stability and safety by distributing forces through structural boxes, and reduces the impact of environmental forces and potential collisions.
Implementation Method 1
a passage float (1) which is adapted to float on the water surface (19)
Implementation Method 2
fastened to the further power and strength-absorbing structure boxes (10) of the floating bridge from each side, such that a major portion of the forces which arise in a length direction of the floating bridge are transferred through the structural boxes and the passage section
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 2A
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A device for a floating bridge 15 which is fastened at two anchorage points on the shore (18) is described and it is characterised in that it comprises at least one passage float (1) which is inserted as a part of a bridge construction for the passage of ships, and it forms a passage channel (200) for ships and also forms a foundation for a carriageway (111) which stretches across the passage channel. The floating bridge (15) is fastened ashore and to each side of the passage float (1) with the help of structure boxes (10,10').