Pedestal Crane Fish Pump Segmented Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fishing vessel pedestal cranes with electric fish pumps face issues due to the bulky and heavy nature of the fish pump and winch drum, which obstruct other operations when not in use, and the wear and leakage risks associated with releasable electrical connections in seawater environments.
Innovation Solution
A pedestal crane system where the electric fish pump is fixedly and watertight connected to an electric winch cable, allowing the fish pump and winch drum to be parked without disconnection, reducing mechanical wear and the risk of electrical leakage, and incorporating a bending limiter for the winch cable to manage bending stiffness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the fish pump and winch drum are mounted on the pedestal crane and rotate together with the crane beam, then the fish pump is readily available for operation, but the bulky components obstruct other crane operations such as lifting goods and handling equipment when the fish pump is not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into two independent rotational components: the pedestal crane with its bearing race for general crane operations, and the separate bearing race for the winch drum that can rotate independently. This allows the fish pump to be positioned for operation without requiring the entire crane structure to be in a specific configuration, reducing spatial obstruction while maintaining operational readiness.
2Adaptability or versatility
If releasable electrical connections are used for power supply to the fish pump, then the fish pump can be disconnected when not in use, but the connections are subject to wear, water leakage, corrosion, and fire hazards due to repeated connection/disconnection and exposure to seawater
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical power supply connection is merged with the mechanical connection between the winch drum and fish pump. Since the winch drum rotates independently on its own bearing race, the electrical cable can be permanently attached to the rotating assembly without requiring repeated connection and disconnection. This eliminates the wear and leakage problems associated with releasable electrical connectors while maintaining the ability to park the fish pump by simply rotating the drum out of position.
3Strength
If a high shear strength electric winch cable is used for both lifting and electrical power supply, then the cable can handle mechanical loads, but the cable requires complex mechanical connection arrangements and releasable electrical connections that are prone to wear and water penetration
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical cable is permanently integrated with the winch drum assembly that rotates independently. This eliminates the need for complex mechanical connection arrangements and releasable electrical connectors, reducing both mechanical and electrical complexity while maintaining the high shear strength capability of the cable for lifting operations.
4Reliability
If the fish pump is fixedly connected to the crane beam, then the connection is stable and reliable, but the fish pump cannot be parked or repositioned when not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The rotational system is segmented into two independent bearing races: one for the pedestal crane and another for the winch drum. This allows the fish pump to be reliably connected to the rotating assembly while the independent rotation capability enables the pump to be parked or repositioned by rotating the drum without affecting the crane's structural integrity or connection stability.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
The invention is a pedestal crane (0) with an electric fish pump (9) comprising the following features: – a pedestal (1) on a ship and with a main bearing race (21) with a vertical axis of rotation (1a) for - a pivot base (2) with a crane beam (3, 4) with a cable block (5) for an electric winch cable (61) that is fixedly watertight connected to the fish pump (9), - a cable winch drum (62) with the electric winch cable (61), - that the cable winch drum (62) is mounted on a drum bracket (64) on a bracket bearing race (63) on the pedestal (1) and concentric with the main bearing race (21) and arranged to, together with the cable block (5) and fish pump (9) in operative state, to pivot about the vertical axis of rotation (1a) connected to the pivot base (2), and where the drum bracket (64) in the non-operative state of the cable winch drum (62) is arranged to be disconnected from the pivot base (2) in order for the fish pump (9) and the cable winch drum (62) to be parked non-rotatable, while the pivot base (2) of the pedestal crane (0) is arranged to remain able to pivot on the main bearing race (21).