Lattice Mast Element for Crane Boom Transportability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lattice mast cranes face challenges in achieving high load-bearing capacity while maintaining transportability, particularly due to the excess cross-sectional area of lattice booms with widths over 4m and heights over 3m, which complicates transportation and requires innovative solutions to enhance stiffness without increasing material usage.
Innovation Solution
A lattice mast element design featuring at least two longitudinal elements and a transverse element, configured as a two-dimensional load-bearing structure, providing high lateral stiffness with a modular three-dimensional structure that can be easily converted between working and transport arrangements by adjusting the position of transverse and bracing elements, allowing for compact transportation within permissible dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the cross-sectional area of the lattice boom is increased to ensure increasing load bearing capacities, then the load bearing capacity is improved, but the transportability deteriorates due to excess cross-sectional area
Solution Approach 1:
The lattice boom is divided into modular lattice mast elements that can be separated and reconfigured. Each element contains longitudinal elements and transverse elements that can be independently positioned, allowing the boom to be segmented for transport and reassembled for operation with high load-bearing capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The lattice mast element incorporates adjustable transverse elements that can be moved between different positions to dynamically reconfigure the cross-sectional area. This allows the structure to transition from a compact configuration for transport to an expanded configuration for operation, optimizing both transportability and load-bearing capacity as needed.
2Strength
If the width and height of the lattice boom are increased to improve load bearing capacity, then the strength is improved, but the transportability worsens due to excessive dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The boom is segmented into modular elements with standardized dimensions that can be transported separately. Each lattice mast element contains longitudinal and transverse components that can be independently managed, allowing the overall width and height to be reduced during transport while maintaining the capability to achieve larger dimensions when assembled for operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The lattice mast element design allows reconfiguration in the transverse direction by adjusting the position of transverse elements. This enables the structure to collapse or expand its width and height dimensions as needed, while the longitudinal elements maintain structural integrity, effectively utilizing dimensional transformation to resolve the transport vs. strength contradiction.
3Strength
If more material is used to increase the cross-sectional area, then the load bearing capacity is improved, but the weight and transport complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The structure uses movable transverse elements that can be positioned to optimize material distribution. During operation, the transverse elements are positioned to maximize load-bearing capacity with the available material. During transport, the same elements are repositioned to minimize the effective cross-sectional area, allowing the structure to achieve high strength when needed without proportionally increasing weight or transport complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the positional parameters of transverse elements rather than increasing material quantity. By adjusting the position and configuration of existing structural elements, the load-bearing capacity is optimized for operation while maintaining transportability, avoiding the need for additional material that would increase weight and complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A lattice mast element for a crane comprises at least two longitudinal elements and at least one transverse element interconnecting the longitudinal elements and at least one bracing element for bracing the lattice mast element by interconnecting the longitudinal elements and/or the transverse element, wherein the longitudinal elements and the transverse element define a load bearing surface of the lattice mast element and the longitudinal elements are each configured as a two-dimensional load bearing structure.