Flexible Wire Rope Lifting for Marine Pod Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for dismounting and mounting pod housing units from marine vessels are time-consuming and costly, as they require complex procedures and bulky equipment, especially when dealing with large and heavy units like those in the range of 200-400 tons.
Innovation Solution
The use of flexible wire ropes instead of traditional rods for lifting and lowering the pod housing, allowing simultaneous propeller removal and installation of the lifting tackle, which reduces the time required for the pod change by up to 10-12 hours due to the flexibility and ease of handling of wire ropes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traditional rods are used for lifting pod housing, then structural strength is sufficient, but the operation time increases by 10-12 hours due to inability to perform simultaneous propeller removal and lifting tackle installation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces rigid lifting rods with flexible wire ropes. The wire ropes can be threaded through the pod housing structure and manipulated more easily during installation, allowing the lifting tackle to be set up concurrently with propeller removal. This flexibility enables the time-saving simultaneous operations that resolve the technical contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire ropes serve as an intermediary element between the lifting tackle and the pod housing. They can be routed through existing structures (such as the stay and pod housing) to provide lifting capability without requiring separate, time-consuming installation steps. This intermediary approach allows the lifting system to be integrated into the propeller removal process.
2Strength
If complex procedures and bulky equipment are used for dismounting pod housing, then lifting capacity is sufficient for 200-400 ton units, but the operation becomes time-consuming and costly
Solution Approach 1:
Wire ropes provide sufficient lifting capacity for heavy pod housing units (200-400 tons) while being far more maneuverable and easier to install than bulky traditional lifting equipment. The flexibility of wire ropes allows them to be threaded through the pod housing structure and rigged up quickly, maintaining lifting strength while dramatically improving operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameter of the lifting medium from rigid rods to flexible wire ropes. This parameter change allows the lifting system to adapt to the confined spaces and complex geometries of the pod housing structure, enabling faster installation and removal operations without compromising lifting capacity for heavy units.
3Loss of time
If wire ropes are used instead of rods, then installation time is reduced by enabling simultaneous operations, but handling complexity increases during the lifting process
Solution Approach 1:
The wire ropes are routed through existing structural elements (the stay and pod housing) that serve as natural guides and support structures. This intermediary use of existing structures simplifies the overall lifting arrangement by eliminating the need for complex external rigging equipment, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining the time-saving benefits of simultaneous operations.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 6~8
AI summary
A method of dismounting a pod housing (2) from a seating (6) provided in the marine vessel or installing said pod housing (2) in said seating (6), comprising the steps of: a) providing a first pair of lifting points (7), one on each side of an aft portion of said pod housing (2); b) providing a second, or a second pair of, lifting point/s ( 12), at a front portion of said pod housing (2); c) providing at least three wire ropes or groups of wire ropes (11, 19), d) anchoring an end of each of said wire ropes or groups of wire ropes ( 11, 19) to a fixed part (6) of the marine vessel or to the pod housing (2), each of said wire ropes or wire rope groups (11, 19) extending vertically through vertical passages (60) in said seating (6), e) providing at least three strand jacks (21), one on each wire rope or wire rope group (11, 19); f) connecting each strand jack (21 ) at least indirectly to an associated one of the lifting points (7, 12); g) using said strand jacks (21) to dismount and/or to install said pod unit (2).