WO2012092999A1

WO2012092999A1 - A protection arrangement for quays and a method for manufacturing thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2012092999A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/071097
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stanislaw Gumula; Przemyslaw Lagiewka; Marcin MILEWSKI
Original assignee: Epar Sea Sp. Z O.O.
Priority date: 2011-01-04
Filing date: 2011-11-28
Publication date: 2012-07-12
Also published as: EP2724048A1; PL400289A1

Abstract

A protection arrangement for quays, the arrangement comprising a plurality of fenders (101) arranged along a quay wall for absorbing impact energy of a ship approaching the quay wall in an impact direction, wherein at least one fender (101) comprises a movable spacer (110) having an impact-receiving portion (111) adapted to contact the approaching ship and a coupling portion (112) engaged with a rotatable energy absorber (120) comprising a rotor (121) for absorbing in rotational movement at least part of the kinetic energy of the movable spacer (110).

Description

A PROTECTION ARRANGEMENT FOR QUAYS AND A METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THEREOF

DESCRIPTION

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to protection arrangements for quays. BACKGROUND ART

The kinetic energy of floating bodies, such as boats, ships etc., approaching a quay wall can be effectively absorbed by various types of fenders. Typical fenders are rubber constructions arranged along quay walls.

A US patent US4650371 presents a device for absorbing energy from an approaching floating body, comprising a fender including spring means disposed on a side surface of a coast or pier wall and displaceable by said approaching floating body and dash-pot means on said side surface for dissipating said energy by means of a resistance of internal fluid. The device absorbs only the energy of impact.

A US patent application US20070007780 describes a kinetic energy absorber for connecting to a bumper of a car and comprising a rotatable energy absorber with a rotor connected with the bumper via a toothed bar and a multiplying gear. Upon impact directed to the bumper, the translational motion of the bumper induces translational motion of the toothed bar, which induces rotation of the rotor. The absorber is designed for a single use during a car crash and absorbs only the energy of impact.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the invention is to provide an alternative protection arrangement for quays allowing efficient absorption of impact energy of the ship approaching the quay. The object of the invention is a protection arrangement for quays, the arrangement comprising a plurality of fenders arranged along a quay wall for absorbing impact energy of a ship approaching the quay wall in an impact direction, wherein at least one fender comprises a movable spacer having an impact-receiving portion adapted to contact the approaching ship and a coupling portion engaged with a rotatable energy absorber comprising a rotor for absorbing in rotational movement at least part of the kinetic energy of the movable spacer.

The movable spacer can be a longitudinal beam.

The impact-receiving portion may comprise an elastic impact-absorbing element.

The coupling portion may comprise a toothed bar engaged with a toothed wheel of the rotatable energy absorber mounted on a shaft of the rotor.

The rotatable energy absorber of at least one fender may comprise a single rotor for absorbing in rotational movement at least part of the kinetic energy of the movement of the movable spacer in the impact direction.

The rotatable energy absorber of at least one fender may comprise a pair of rotors, wherein a first rotor is configured to absorb in rotational movement at least part of the kinetic energy of the movement of the movable spacer in the impact direction and a second rotor is configured to absorb in rotational movement at least part of the kinetic energy of the movement of the movable spacer in the direction opposite to the impact direction.

The arrangement may further comprise a biasing element for biasing the movable spacer in a direction opposite to the direction of the impact force to be absorbed.

The biasing element can be a spring having a first end which contacts the impact-receiving portion of the fender and a second end which contacts the quay wall.

The biasing element can be surrounded by an elastic cover.

The rotor can be a freewheel.

At least one fender can be mounted on a rotatable plate.

The fender may further comprise an energy converter for converting the mechanical energy of the rotating rotor to electric energy. Another object of the invention is a method for manufacturing of a protection arrangement for quays, the arrangement comprising a plurality of fenders arranged along a quay wall for absorbing impact energy of a ship approaching the quay wall in an impact direction, wherein at least one fender comprises a movable spacer having an impact-receiving portion adapted to contact the approaching ship and a toothed bar engaged with a toothed wheel of a rotatable energy absorber comprising a rotor for absorbing in rotational movement at least part of the kinetic energy of the movable spacer, the method comprising the steps of forming and balancing of the rotor, forming and hardening of the toothed wheel and of the toothed bar and forming of the movable spacer and assembling the elements to make the protection arrangement.

BRIEF DECRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention is shown by means of an exemplary embodiments on a drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows an overview of the protection arrangement for quays in a top view,

Fig. 2 shows a first embodiment of the invention is a top view,

Fig. 3 shows the first embodiment of the invention is a perspective view,

Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of the invention is a top view,

Fig. 5 shows the second embodiment of the invention is a perspective view, Fig. 6 shows a third embodiment of the invention is a perspective view, Fig. 7 shows a fender of the fourth embodiment of the invention in a top view,

Fig. 8 shows a procedure for manufacturing of the protection arrangement for quays.

Fig. 1 shows an overview of the protection arrangement for quays in a top view. The arrangement comprises a plurality of fenders 101 arranged along a quay wall 102 for absorbing impact energy of a ship 103 approaching the quay wall in an impact direction, i.e. the direction of ship movement towards the quay wall. As shown in details in Fig. 6, the fenders 101 can be mounted on rotatable plates 130 in order to adapt the shape of the impact-receiving line formed by the impact- receiving portions 1 1 1 of the fenders to a shape of the hull of the ship that is to be anchored at the quay.

Figs. 2 and 3 show a first embodiment of the invention is a top view and a perspective view, respectively. Each fender 101 of the protection arrangement comprises a movable spacer 1 10 having at its one end an impact-receiving portion 1 1 1 adapted to contact the approaching ship. The impact-receiving portion 1 1 1 may comprise an elastic impact-absorbing element, such as a rubber damper or any other conventional energy absorber. The other end of the spacer 1 10 comprises a coupling portion 1 12 engaged with a rotatable energy absorber 120 comprising a rotor 121 for absorbing in rotational movement at least part of the kinetic energy of the movable spacer 1 10.

The rotor 121 may have a form of a flywheel, which is induced into rotation by the movement of the spacer 1 10. Therefore, a part of the impact energy imparted by the ship to the impact-receiving portion 1 1 1 is accumulated in the rotors 121 . The amount of energy accumulated in the rotor 121 , in other words a rotatable mass, depends on the weight of the rotor, its diameter and the induced speed of rotation, which in turn depends on the coupling between the movable spacer 1 10 and the rotatable energy absorber 120. The energy accumulated in the rotor 121 can be transmitted to an energy accumulator (for example, a converter of mechanical to electric energy), or simply dissipated by friction of internal components or external brake used to stop the rotor 121 after it is no longer induced into rotation.

The coupling portion 1 12 preferably comprises a toothed bar 1 13 engaged with a toothed wheel 122 of the rotatable energy absorber 120 mounted on a shaft of the rotor 121 . The coupling portion 1 12 may also comprise a plurality of gears (not shown in the drawing) to increase the transmission ratio between the movable spacer 1 10 and the rotor 121 .

Preferably, the fender further comprises a biasing element (not shown in the drawing) for biasing the movable spacer 1 10 in a direction opposite to the direction of the impact force to be absorbed, to keep the fender in its pre-impact position when the position of the ship changes. The biasing element may for example comprise a biasing spring acting in a clockwise direction on the shaft, or a longitudinal spring configured to push the spacer 1 10 away from the quay wall. The spacer 1 10 may have a form of a longitudinal bar.

Figs. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the invention is a top view and a perspective view, respectively. It differs from the first embodiment shown in Fig. 2 and 3 by the following elements. The rotatable energy absorber of at least one fender comprises a pair of rotors 121A, 121 B. A first rotor 121 A is configured to absorb in rotational movement at least part of the kinetic energy of the movable spacer 1 10 in the impact direction. A second rotor 121 B is configured to absorb in rotational movement at least part of the kinetic energy of the movable spacer 1 10 in the direction opposite to the impact direction. Preferably, the rotors 121 A, 121 B are positioned at opposite sides of the movable spacer 1 10 to minimize the space occupied by the fender and to increase the stability of the movable spacer 1 10. In such configuration, the rotors 121 A, 121 B absorb energy when rotated in counterclockwise direction and rotate freely in clockwise direction. Since the movable spacer absorbs energy of movement in a direction towards the quay wall and away from the quay wall, a ship can be anchored directly to the spacer 1 10, which will keep the ship in a stable position and limit its movements.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the fenders of the protection arrangement may be coupled with rotatable energy absorbers of different energy accumulation capabilities, for example energy absorbers with rotors of different sizes. In the presented configuration of protection arrangement for receiving the bow of the ship, the energy accumulation capabilities of the fenders increase in the direction of the ship entering the quay, in order to progressively stop the ship.

Fig. 6 shows a third embodiment of the invention is a perspective view. It differs from the second embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5 by the following elements. At least one fender 101 is mounted on a rotatable plate 130. The plate 130 can be appropriately rotated before the ship approaches the quay in order to adapt the shape of the impact-receiving line formed by the impact-receiving portions of the fenders to a shape of the hull of a particular ship that is to be anchored at the quay. After the plate 130 is rotated to a desired position, it can be secured in position, for example by a locking pin (not shown).

Fig. 8 shows a fender of the fourth embodiment of the invention in a top view. The fender comprises a movable spacer 1 10 having an impact-receiving portion 1 1 1 adapted to contact the approaching ship and a coupling portion 1 12 engaged with a rotatable energy absorber 120 comprising a rotor 121 in form of a flywehhel, for absorbing in rotational movement at least part of the kinetic energy of the movable spacer 1 10. The coupling portion 1 12 preferably comprises a toothed bar 1 13 engaged with a toothed wheel 122 of the rotatable energy absorber 120. The toothed wheel 122 is coupled with the rotor 121 via a plurality of toothed gears 123, 124 forming a multiplying transmission. The fender further comprises a biasing spring 141 for biasing the movable spacer 1 10 in a direction opposite to the direction of the impact force to be absorbed, to keep the fender in its pre-impact position when the position of the ship changes. The biasing spring 141 is covered by an elastic, e.g. rubber, cover 142 which protects it from external damage and deforms as the spring 141 compresses. Preferably, one end of the spring 141 contacts the impact-receiving portion 1 1 1 of the fender and the other end of the spring contacts the quay wall 102. Therefore, the fender of the fourth embodiment can be positioned at least partially in a hole below the ground surface of the quay. Furthermore, the fender may comprise an energy converter 150 for converting the mechanical energy of the rotating rotor 121 to electric energy for supplying power to external load 151 .

Fig. 8 shows the process of manufacturing of the road barrier according to the invention. In steps 301 -306 the elements via which the impact energy is transmitted to the rotatable energy absorbers are formed, including the rotor formed in step 301 , the toothed bar formed in step 303 and the toothed wheel formed in step 305. The elements are manufactured with high degree of precision, such as to allow efficient movement of the elements with limited friction upon impact of forces of large magnitude. The rotor is balanced in step 302 by precise profiling such that it can rotate with high rotational speeds. The teeth of the toothed bar and toothed wheel are hardened in steps 304, 306 such as to withstand large forces and limit the friction between them. The other elements of the protection arrangement, such as the springs and the elements of the housing are formed in step 307 and assembled in step 308. In order to provide high precision of manufacture of the rotatable energy absorbers and the other components of the protection arrangement of the invention, the following tools can be used: a water jet cutter, a band saw, welding machines, a standard lathe, a precision lathe, a standard miller, a precision miller, a surface grinder, an external grinder, an internal grinder, a standard drill, a pillar drill, a hydraulic press, a brake press, a bending machine for tubes and sections, a hydraulic bending machine, a belt grinder, a fitter's vice, a compressor, an electro-erosion machine, a hobber, a threader, a welder, cleaning tanks, measurement and control apparatus, a hardening furnace, an electronic balancer, a marking-off table and marking-off tools.

The protection arrangement for quays may comprise fenders of the or of different types.

Claims

1 . A protection arrangement for quays, the arrangement comprising a plurality of fenders (101 ) arranged along a quay wall (102) for absorbing impact energy of a ship (103) approaching the quay wall in an impact direction, characterized in that at least one fender (101 ) comprises a movable spacer (1 10) having an impact- receiving portion (1 1 1 ) adapted to contact the approaching ship and a coupling portion (1 12) engaged with a rotatable energy absorber (120) comprising a rotor (121 ) for absorbing in rotational movement at least part of the kinetic energy of the movable spacer (1 10).

2. The protection arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the movable spacer (1 10) is a longitudinal beam.

3. The protection arrangement according to any of previous claims, wherein the impact-receiving portion (1 1 1 ) comprises an elastic impact-absorbing element.

4. The protection arrangement according to any of previous claims, wherein the coupling portion (1 12) comprises a toothed bar (1 13) engaged with a toothed wheel (122) of the rotatable energy absorber (120) mounted on a shaft of the rotor (121 ).

5. The protection arrangement according to any of previous claims, wherein the rotatable energy absorber (120) of at least one fender (101 ) comprises a single rotor (121 ) for absorbing in rotational movement at least part of the kinetic energy of the movement of the movable spacer (1 10) in the impact direction.

6. The protection arrangement according to any of claims 1 -4, wherein the rotatable energy absorber (120) of at least one fender (101 ) comprises a pair of rotors (121 A, 121 B), wherein a first rotor (121 A) is configured to absorb in rotational movement at least part of the kinetic energy of the movement of the movable spacer (1 10) in the impact direction and a second rotor (121 B) is configured to absorb in rotational movement at least part of the kinetic energy of the movement of the movable spacer (1 10) in the direction opposite to the impact direction.

7. The protection arrangement according to any of previous claims, further comprising a biasing element for biasing the movable spacer (1 10) in a direction opposite to the direction of the impact force to be absorbed.

8. The protection arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the biasing element is a spring (141 ) having a first end which contacts the impact-receiving portion (1 1 1 ) of the fender and a second end which contacts the quay wall (102).

9. The protection arrangement according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the biasing element (141 ) is surrounded by an elastic cover (142).

10. The protection arrangement according to any of previous claims, wherein the rotor (121 ) is a freewheel.

1 1 . The protection arrangement according to any of previous claims, wherein at least one fender (101 ) is mounted on a rotatable plate (130).

12. The protection arrangement according to any of previous claims, wherein the fender (101 ) further comprises an energy converter (150) for converting the mechanical energy of the rotating rotor (121 ) to electric energy.

13. A method for manufacturing of a protection arrangement for quays, the arrangement comprising a plurality of fenders (101 ) arranged along a quay wall (102) for absorbing impact energy of a ship (103) approaching the quay wall in an impact direction, wherein at least one fender (101 ) comprises a movable spacer (1 10) having an impact-receiving portion (1 1 1 ) adapted to contact the approaching ship and a toothed bar (1 13) engaged with a toothed wheel (122) of a rotatable energy absorber (120) comprising a rotor (121 ) for absorbing in rotational movement at least part of the kinetic energy of the movable spacer (1 10), characterized in that it comprises the steps of forming and balancing of the rotor (121 ), forming and hardening of the toothed wheel (122) and of the toothed bar (1 13) and forming of the movable spacer (1 10) and assembling the elements to make the protection arrangement.