Quay Terminal Layout With Parallel Cranes to Cut Transport Energy
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional container terminals face inefficiencies in loading/unloading operations due to centralized horizontal transportation, high energy consumption, and high costs associated with automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) and shore cranes, leading to limited loading/unloading efficiencies and increased energy costs.
Innovation Solution
A quay-type full-automatic container terminal layout with parallelly disposed single trolley double 20 ft shore cranes, segmented operation areas, and integrated artificial intelligence transportation robots, along with intelligent traffic management systems, to enhance operational efficiency and reduce energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If perpendicular yard arrangement with two automatic rail type container gantry cranes is used, then loading/unloading operations can be automated, but horizontal transportation distance increases and energy consumption rises
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal is divided into multiple parallel wharf cranes rather than using a single perpendicular arrangement. Each wharf crane operates independently with its own service area, segmenting the horizontal transportation paths and reducing the distance containers need to be moved across the terminal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single perpendicular arrangement to a multi-dimensional parallel arrangement of wharf cranes. This dimensional change allows containers to be loaded/unloaded at multiple points simultaneously, reducing the average horizontal transportation distance and energy consumption.
2Productivity
If AGVs and navigation systems are deployed for automation, then loading/unloading efficiency can be improved, but system cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Inner container trucks are equipped with autonomous driving capabilities and can perform self-service operations including self-positioning, self-loading, and self-unloading under wharf cranes. This eliminates the need for complex external navigation systems and magnetic nails, reducing system cost while maintaining automation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex magnetic navigation systems with simplified visual recognition and positioning systems on inner container trucks. This substitution reduces infrastructure costs (no magnetic nails needed) while maintaining autonomous operation capabilities.
3Ease of operation
If centralized horizontal transportation is used, then container flow can be managed, but loading/unloading points are limited and traffic organization becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal is segmented into multiple independent service areas, each served by a parallel wharf crane. This creates multiple distributed loading/unloading points throughout the terminal, eliminating the bottleneck of centralized points and improving traffic organization flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Inner container trucks dynamically select which wharf crane to approach based on real-time operational needs and container destinations. This dynamic allocation allows the system to adaptively use multiple loading/unloading points, increasing versatility while maintaining manageable container flow through centralized control.
Data Source
AI summary
A loading/unloading system for a quay type full-automatic container terminal includes a plurality of shore cranes, an operation lane area between two rails of the shore cranes, an operation area from a rear side of a landside rail of the shore cranes to a yard, an automatic container yard area, an operation lane area of the yard, and facilities behind the yard. The shore cranes are disposed in parallel at a front edge of a container terminal to autonomously complete shipping and unshipping operations of containers, and autonomously complete loading/unloading processes of artificial intelligence transportation robots through information interaction with an artificial intelligence transportation robot system. The operation lane area between two rails of the shore cranes includes: a lambdoidal reverse operation area of inner container trucks, a ship lofting operation area, and a loading/unloading operation area of the inner container trucks, which are physically isolated by fences.