Movable Vessel Deck Support for Elongate Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing dimensions of elongate elements, such as monopiles, require larger deck space and lifting cranes with insufficient reach on vessels, limiting the number of elements that can be transported and lifted efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A device with parallel elongate support structures and displacing means, such as a forklift mechanism, allows elements to be positioned within reach of a lifting crane by displacing them relative to the deck, preserving parallelism and optimizing space usage, enabling efficient storage and transport of multiple elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the dimensions of elongate elements are increased, then the load capacity is improved, but the deck space required increases and lifting crane reach becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The support structures are made movable relative to the deck, allowing them to be repositioned dynamically. This enables the same deck space to accommodate larger elements by adjusting the position of support structures, resolving the contradiction between increased element dimensions and limited deck area.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces movement in the longitudinal direction of the support structures, adding a dimensional degree of freedom to the previously static support system. This allows elements to be positioned at optimal locations for lifting crane reach while maintaining stable support, effectively utilizing three-dimensional space rather than being constrained to a fixed two-dimensional deck layout.
2Quantity of substance
If the dimensions of elongate elements are increased, then the load capacity is improved, but the lifting crane reach becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The movable support structures allow the system to adapt dynamically to the lifting crane's operational reach. By repositioning support structures along the deck, elements can be placed within the optimal lifting radius, ensuring that larger elements can be handled effectively without requiring cranes with extended reach capabilities.
3Device complexity
If fixed support structures are used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to move elements within lifting crane reach is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The support structures incorporate movable components that allow repositioning while maintaining relatively simple construction. The movement mechanism enables adaptation to different element sizes and lifting requirements without requiring complex reconfiguration systems, achieving a balance between structural simplicity and operational flexibility.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Described is a device for supporting a number of elongate elements in lying position on a deck of a vessel. The device comprises a number of elongate support structures which run mutually parallel and each comprise two support parts, placed at a mutual distance in a longitudinal direction of the support structure and connected to the deck, for peripheral parts of an element. The device further comprises displacing means configured to displace an element received in a support structure relative to the deck and parallel to the deck in the lying position. With the device elongate elements can be moved within reach of a lifting crane.