Hybrid Rope Design for Deep-Sea Lifting Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hybrid ropes face issues with uneven load distribution due to different stretch properties of steel and fiber components, leading to torque imbalances and increased weight, which is particularly problematic for deep-sea lifting applications where steel cables become excessively heavy and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A rope design featuring a core formed by hybrid strands with plastic fibers surrounded by metallic wires, and outer strands also made with plastic fiber cores and metallic wires, ensuring uniform expansion properties and reduced weight, along with an intermediate plastic layer for mechanical stress protection and improved service life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If steel cables are used for lifting heavy loads from great depths, then lifting capacity is improved, but the cable weight becomes excessively high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite cable structure combining steel wires and plastic fibers in a hybrid strand configuration. The steel wires provide high tensile strength for lifting capacity, while the plastic fibers contribute to weight reduction and elasticity. This composite approach allows the cable to achieve the necessary lifting force for 300,000 kg loads while significantly reducing the overall cable weight compared to pure steel cables, making deep-sea lifting operations more efficient.
2Weight of moving object
If hybrid cables with fiber core and steel strands are used, then weight is reduced, but load distribution becomes uneven due to different elongation properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by creating hybrid strands where steel wires and plastic fibers are locally combined in a specific configuration. The steel wires are arranged to bear the primary tensile load, while the plastic fibers are positioned to provide elasticity and fill spaces, ensuring both materials work together effectively. This local integration within each hybrid strand ensures uniform load distribution across the entire cable cross-section, preventing the torque imbalances that occur in conventional hybrid cables with separate fiber cores and steel strands.
3Weight of moving object
If conventional hybrid ropes are used, then weight is reduced, but friction and rotation issues increase due to uneven torque compensation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of steel wires and plastic fibers within each hybrid strand by twisting them together in a unified structure. This integration ensures that both materials rotate and elongate together under load, creating a unified rotational behavior for the entire cable. The steel and plastic components within each hybrid strand compensate for each other's torque, eliminating the rotation and friction problems that occur in conventional hybrid ropes where steel strands and fiber cores rotate independently.
Data Source
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AI summary
A rope (1) with outer strands (3) arranged around a core (2), wherein the core (2) is formed by at least one hybrid strand (4) whose core (5) is formed of plastic fibers, and around which core (5) at least partially metallic wires (6) are arranged. The rope (1) exhibits essentially the same elongation properties across its cross-section.