Modular Cable Carousel Structure for Heavy Cable Sea Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cable carousels for heavy-duty electric cables or umbilicals are costly and inefficient due to high labor and shipping expenses, as they require ships to travel empty to manufacturing sites, load cables, and then travel back, resulting in significant idle time and space occupancy during transportation.
Innovation Solution
A cable carousel design with a support grid and upstanding supports that can be tailored to specific dimensions, equipped with a yoke for robust sea transport, reinforcement beams for heavy cables, and modular assembly for efficient use of space, allowing for easy embarkation and disembarkation, and featuring self-propelled trailers for cable management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a traditional cable carousel is used for transporting heavy-duty electric cables, then the cable can be stored and transported, but the shipping costs and idle time are high due to empty trips to manufacturing sites
Solution Approach 1:
The cable carousel is divided into modular components including a support grid, multiple upstanding supports that can be positioned at different locations, and adjustable barriers. This segmentation allows the system to be customized for different cable lengths and transport requirements, reducing wasted space and idle time while maintaining structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The upstanding supports are designed to be placeable at preselected positions on the support grid, allowing the cable carousel to be dynamically reconfigured for different cable lengths and transport scenarios. This adaptability eliminates the need for empty trips and optimizes cargo utilization
2Productivity
If the cable carousel is tailored to specific cable dimensions, then storage efficiency improves, but the complexity of assembly and configuration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cable carousel consists of discrete modular elements (support grid, upstanding supports, barriers) that can be independently assembled and configured. This segmentation enables rapid assembly and disassembly for different cable dimensions without requiring complex custom fabrication
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows adjustment of geometric parameters such as the position of upstanding supports and barriers to match different cable lengths and diameters. This parameter flexibility enables the same modular structure to efficiently accommodate various cable specifications, improving loading efficiency while maintaining simple assembly procedures
3Strength
If reinforcement beams are added to support very heavy cables, then the load-bearing capacity increases, but the weight and complexity of the structure increase
Solution Approach 1:
Reinforcement beams are strategically positioned within the support grid at locations where heavy cables require additional support. This localized reinforcement provides the necessary load-bearing capacity while minimizing the overall weight increase compared to a fully reinforced structure
Solution Approach 2:
The support grid incorporates reinforcement beams that work composite with the main structural elements to distribute and bear heavy loads. This composite construction approach enhances strength while optimizing the weight-to-strength ratio of the overall structure
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C
Figure 2
AI summary
Cable carousel comprising a support grid (1) and upstanding supports (2, 2') on the support grid (1) that confine a region in which a heavy-duty electric cable or umbilical can be received and supported by the support grid (1), wherein the upstanding supports (2, 2') are placeable on the support grid (1) at preselected positions defining both an inner barrier (7) and an outer barrier (8) so as to tailor the cable carousel to a dimension between said inner and outer barriers (7, 8) which is necessary and sufficient to store a predetermined length of said electric cable or umbilical, wherein the cable carousel is provided with shores (9) connecting the inner barrier (7) to the support grid (1).