HK1169359B - Dockside connection for ships having an articulated crane - Google Patents

Description

Ship shore connection with articulated crane

The invention relates to a device for electrically connecting a multiphase marine power distribution network of a ship to a multiphase shore power supply network, comprising a power supply network connection which is arranged on the shore and can be connected at least in part to the marine power connection of the marine power distribution network via at least one connecting cable.

Such a device is known from DE102005004628a 1. The device shown there is provided for supplying a ship which is docked in a port from shore. It is necessary that the shore-approaching vessel is supplied with electricity from the shore in order to be able to shut down the marine diesel engine required for the power generation of the vessel. Diesel engines consume large amounts of fuel and create a severe environmental burden, which is particularly troublesome in port cities. For the supply of power from the shore, an onshore power supply system is connected to the marine power distribution network. Since the onshore power grid and the marine power distribution grid may have different frequencies, neutral point treatment, etc., the connection of the two grids is made by means of a frequency converter. The known shore-bound converter comprises a rectifier, which is connected to an inverter via a dc voltage intermediate circuit, so that the ac voltage supplied by the shore-bound power supply system can be converted into an ac voltage suitable for the ship's distribution network. In this way, it is possible, for example, to supply electrical energy from a 50Hz onshore supply network to a ship distribution network designed for 60Hz alternating voltage. In order to connect the frequency converter arranged at the bank with the power distribution network on the ship, a connecting cable is adopted. The connection cable comprises a cable drum around which the connection cable through which the current flows is wound. The cable reel can compensate for tidal ranges, namely the height position of the ship along with the change of the water level scale. However, the installation of a connecting cable comprising a cable drum is cumbersome and leads to increased operating costs.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device of the type mentioned in the introduction, with which it is possible to connect an on-shore power supply system to a distribution network for ships quickly and safely and to compensate for ship movements after a successful connection of the power network.

The invention achieves this object by means of at least one articulated arm serving as a support for one or more connecting cables, comprising arm sections which are connected to one another by means of at least one articulated joint, wherein an articulated drive is assigned to each articulated joint and is designed to pivot the arm sections connected to one another by means of the articulated joint assigned to the articulated drive.

According to the invention, at least one articulated arm is provided for supporting one or all connecting cables, each of which comprises a high-voltage cable, and which extends at least partially between the marine distribution network and the marine grid connection during operation of the installation. For example, it is within the scope of the invention to provide a single articulated arm, which supports one or more connection cables. The articulated arm can carry all or only part of the connection cables, the remaining connection cables of the device being routed without the articulated arm on the vessel to be supplied with power. Within the scope of the invention, it can also be provided that each articulated arm supports one or more connection cables. As already explained, the connection cable comprises a cable, in particular a high-voltage cable.

Articulated arms in connection with concrete pumps are known. For example, DE19503895a1 describes a concrete pump with a distribution boom designed as an articulated arm. The invention is based on the recognition that articulated arms, also known from building economics as articulated cranes, are also very suitable for offshore connections of ships.

Within the scope of the invention, the articulated arm comprises at least two arm segments which are connected to one another by means of an articulated joint. In other words, the arm segments are articulated to one another, wherein the articulation drive is configured for varying, as desired, the pivot angle, which is the angle enclosed by the interconnected arm segments relative to their common hinge joint. The articulated arm is firmly anchored to the shore by means of suitable ground supports. The end of the articulated arm facing away from the floor support carries the free end of each connection cable, which end is equipped, for example, with a plug connection. By adjusting the pivot angle of the articulated arm or the articulated arm, the height and position of the cable termination can be variably adjusted, so that the cable termination for connecting cables can be positioned by means of the articulated arm in the immediate vicinity of the marine grid connection. Within the scope of the invention, the number of arm segments depends on the specific requirements of the vessel to be powered and in particular on the size of the vessel. If the number of arm segments is, for example, 4, the four arm segments are connected to one another by three hinge joints. In this case, an articulation drive is associated with each hinge joint, wherein the articulation drives are each mounted on two interconnected arm sections, so that the arm sections can be spread apart.

Advantageously, each hinge joint can swivel about a hinge swivel axis. In other words, the pivoting of the arm segments can only be in one direction. Such a hinge joint is inexpensive on the one hand and simplifies in this way the exact orientation of the free end of the articulated arm on the other hand.

In an advantageous further development, a plurality of hinge joints are provided, which have hinge axes of rotation oriented parallel to one another. In this advantageous further development, the articulated arm is first oriented in the direction of the marine grid connection, in order then to determine the position of the cable termination and the free end of the articulated arm by adjusting the pivot angle.

Suitably, each axis of articulation is defined by a hollow cylinder through which the respective connecting cable extends. In other words, the hollow cylinder serves to guide all the connecting cables in addition to the articulation of the two arm sections.

Suitably, the articulated arm is fixed to a turret which is rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation. In other words, the floor stand is designed as a turret. With a suitable further development of the invention, the articulated arm can be oriented in a particularly simple manner in the direction of the marine power grid connection. After the orientation of the articulated arm, the respective pivot angle is adjusted by means of the articulated-motion drive, so that the free end of the cable is located close to the marine power grid connection and can be connected to the marine power grid, for example, manually in a simple manner.

Advantageously, the articulated arm is articulated on the turret by means of a hinge joint. This additional hinge joint increases the flexibility of the articulated arm in terms of its reach and height. The hinge joint for mounting the articulated arm on the turret advantageously has an axis of articulation which is parallel to the axes of articulation of the remaining hinge joints.

In an advantageous further development, the turret can be moved in one direction. For example, the turret is guided on rails parallel to a quay, on which a vessel to be supplied with power is docked. During shore power supply, the articulated arm is firmly anchored with its free end to the vessel, at which point the articulation drive is closed. Since the arm segments can swivel freely, the articulated arm can compensate in a simple manner for fluctuations in the position of the vessel, for example due to tidal ranges or other water movements. The movability of the turret therefore significantly increases the safety of the plant.

In a suitable development, the articulated drive is designed as a hydraulic drive. The hydraulic drive comprises, for example, a hydraulic cylinder in which a hydraulic piston is mounted freely movably. The hydraulic piston and the hydraulic cylinder form the boundaries of a hydraulic chamber filled with hydraulic liquid. The piston is connected to a piston rod which is mounted on an arm section which is connected to the arm section to which the hydraulic cylinder is fastened by means of a hinged joint. In order to pivot the arm sections, for example, the hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder is increased, so that the hydraulic piston moves upwards a distance in the hydraulic cylinder, wherein the pivot angle, which is determined by the articulated arm sections relative to their hinge joints, is increased. Conversely, the pressure drop reduces the above-mentioned turning angle. Hydraulic pumps are used to regulate hydraulic pressure, which cooperates with appropriate controls or regulators.

It is appropriate to provide a brake for securing the free end of the articulated arm to the vessel.

As already mentioned, the cable mount can be connected to the ship by means of the brake, with the articulation drive being closed. In this way, up-and-down or sideways movements of the vessel can be compensated for easily.

In a suitable further development thereof, the brake has an insertion portion provided at the free end of the articulated arm and a receiving portion provided on the vessel, which is complementary in shape to the insertion portion. In this case, the receiving part can be designed, for example, as a conical part. The free end of the articulated arm is thus fixed to the vessel. The free end of the cable can now be connected manually to the marine power supply network, for example by means of a suitable plug connection.

It is expedient to provide a monitor which detects the pivot angle of the arm section relative to the hinge joint and emits an alarm signal if a threshold pivot angle is exceeded. By means of this advantageous further development, an alarm signal is emitted when the vessel is, for example, undocked from a quay.

It is expedient if each connecting cable is designed for connection to a marine power supply connection and is held by a cable termination guide, which is fastened to the free end of the articulated arm by a cable termination hinge joint, wherein a cable drive is assigned to the cable termination hinge joint, which is designed for pivoting the cable termination guide. The electrical connection between the marine power distribution network and the cable is simplified by means of the cable termination guide, since the generally heavy connecting cable can be transported to the immediate vicinity of the marine power distribution network connection by means of the mechanically pivotable cable termination guide.

In a suitable development of this connection, the cable termination hinge joint has two pivot axes running at right angles to one another. In other words, the cable termination hinge joint can be swiveled in two directions, thereby allowing the cable termination guide to be more conveniently oriented. Two cable termination drives are thus assigned to the cable termination hinge joint.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the supply network connection is connected to the marine network connection via a frequency converter, which is also located on the shore. During operation of the apparatus, one or more connecting cables extend, for example, between the marine distribution network and the frequency converter. When the shore power supply network and the ship power distribution network to be supplied may have different frequencies, neutral point treatment, etc., a frequency converter is required. Known shore-bound converters comprise, for example, a rectifier, which is connected to an inverter via a dc voltage intermediate circuit, so that the ac voltage supplied by the shore-bound power supply system can be converted into an ac voltage suitable for the ship's distribution network. In this way, it is possible, for example, to supply electrical energy from a 50Hz onshore supply network to a ship distribution network designed for 60Hz alternating voltage.

According to a further development of the invention, a transformer is arranged on both sides of the frequency converter. The connecting cable extends during operation of the device, for example, between the ship's distribution network and a transformer, which is arranged between the frequency converter and the ship's power grid connection.

The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate structural parts that function in the same way, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows schematically an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of an embodiment of an articulated arm in the apparatus according to the invention; and

fig. 3 shows a top view of the articulated arm according to fig. 2.

Fig. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention for supplying a ship 9 with electricity from a marine power distribution network 2 via a shore-side power supply system 3. For electrical connection to the supply network 3, the device 1 has a supply network connection 4, which is connected via a transformer 5 to a frequency converter 6, wherein a further transformer 7 is connected downstream of the frequency converter 6. The transformer 7 is connected via a connecting cable 8 to a marine grid connection, not shown in the figures, and thus to the marine power distribution network 2. The supply network connection 4, the transformers 5, 7 and the frequency converter 6, which may also be referred to as a close coupler, are located onshore.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 1, the supply network connection 4 is designed as a switchgear, for example a medium-voltage switchgear, so that in the event of a failure of the supply network 3, the marine distribution network 2 can be separated in a targeted manner from the supply network 3. The transformers 5, 7 are used to produce a suitable voltage for the frequency converter 6 or for the marine distribution network 2.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the frequency converter 6 consists of two converters with a bridge circuit consisting of disconnectable high-power semiconductors, such as IGBTs, GTOs or the like. The two converters of the frequency converter are connected to each other on the dc voltage side, wherein the frequency converter supplies the ac voltage required by the ship's distribution network 2, for example 60 Hz. The frequency of the onshore power supply network is 50 Hz.

In order to guide the heavy connecting cables 8 as quickly and easily as possible to the vessel 9, articulated arms 10 are used which have four arm sections 11, 12, 13 and 14 which are connected to one another by means of articulated joints which are not shown in fig. 1. The pivoting angle, which the two articulated arm sections 11, 12 enclose relative to their articulated joints, can be varied by means of an articulation drive, which is likewise not shown in fig. 1, so that the articulated arm 10 has a range of action and a height which can be adjusted by the pivoting angle, so that the connecting cable can be supplied to ships of different heights and sizes in a simple manner. The articulated arm 10 is fixed here on a shore-mounted turret 15, which can be rotated about a vertical axis of rotation 16. The free end of the articulated arm 10 can be oriented towards the vessel 9 by means of the turret 15.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of an articulated arm 10 for the device 1 according to the invention in more detail. The articulated arm 10 shown in fig. 2 has only two arm segments 11, 12, which are connected to one another by a hinge joint 17. For the rotatable mounting of the arm portion 12 on the arm portion 11, the hinge joint 17 has an axis of articulation which extends into the plane of the drawing of fig. 2. The articulated joint drive 18 associated with the articulated joint is used for the articulated arm sections 11, 12, the articulated joint drive 18 being designed as a hydraulic drive and consisting of a hydraulic cylinder 19, in which cylinder 19 a hydraulic piston, not shown in the figures, forms the boundary of a hydraulic chamber filled with hydraulic fluid. A piston rod 20 is fixed to the freely movable hydraulic piston. A piston rod 20 is mounted on the arm section 12, and a hydraulic cylinder 19 is articulated on the arm section 11. By increasing the hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder 19, the piston rod 20 is moved outward from the hydraulic cylinder 19, thereby increasing the pivot angle 21.

As can also be seen in fig. 2, the articulated arm 10 is connected to the turret 15 via a further articulated joint 22, so that a further pivot angle 23 is defined. At the free end of the articulated arm 10 facing away from the turret 15, a cable termination guide 24 and a cable termination hinge joint 25 are visible, which cable termination hinge joint 25 is assigned a cable termination drive 18. The cable termination driver 18 can pivot the cable termination guide 24 in the plane of the drawing. In addition, an insert portion 26 is also visible, which can be inserted into a complementary shaped socket on the vessel, thereby anchoring the articulated arm 10 to the vessel. In this way, a brake is created which holds the articulated arm 10 on the vessel 9. The cable termination is also provided with a plug 27 which can be plugged into a corresponding socket on the ship 9, not shown in the figures, which socket serves as a marine power connection.

Fig. 3 shows a top view of the articulated arm 10 according to fig. 2. It can be seen in particular that the turret 15 can be rotated about a vertical axis of rotation. It can also be seen that the hinge joint 17 is designed as a hollow cylinder 28 through which the connecting cable 8 extends, while at the same time defining an articulated swivel axis 29, which swivel axis 29 extends at right angles to the vertical axis of rotation 16 of the turret 15. The hinge joint for connecting the arm segments or for supporting the articulated arm 10 on the turret has only one axis of rotation and can therefore be pivoted only in one direction. Whereas the cable termination hinge joint 25 is configured with two hinge swivel axes. The cable termination guide 24 can thus be pivoted in both directions, thereby enabling the plug 27 to be correctly inserted into the socket associated with the marine grid connection and enabling the connection of the brake to be made more easily.

Claims (14)

1. Device (1) for electrically connecting a multiphase marine power distribution network (2) of a ship (9) to a multiphase onshore power supply network (3), comprising a shore-mounted power supply network connection (4), which power supply network connection (4) can be connected at least in sections via at least one connecting cable (8) to the marine power network connection of the marine power distribution network (2), characterized by at least one articulated arm (10) serving as a support for the or each connecting cable (8), which articulated arm comprises arm sections (11, 12, 13, 14) which are connected to one another by means of at least one hinge joint (17), wherein an articulated movement drive (18) is assigned to each hinge joint (17), which articulated movement drive (18) is designed to pivot the arm sections (11, 12, 13, 14) connected to one another by means of the hinge joint (17) assigned thereto, the device (1) has a brake (26) for fixing the free end of the articulated arm (10) to a vessel (9).

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the hinge joints (17) are each pivotable about a hinge pivot axis (29).

3. Device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that a plurality of hinge joints (17) are provided with hinge axes of rotation (29) oriented parallel to each other.

4. An apparatus (1) as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the hinge axes of rotation (29) are each defined by a hollow cylinder (28) through which the connecting cables (8) extend.

5. Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the articulated arm (10) is fixed to a turret (15) which is rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation (16).

6. Device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the articulated arm (10) is articulated to the turret (15) by means of an articulated joint (22).

7. Apparatus (1) according to claim 5, wherein said turret (15) is movable in one direction.

8. An apparatus (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the articulation drives (18) are hydraulic drives.

9. Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the brake has an insertion portion (26) provided at the free end of the articulated arm and a receiving portion provided on the vessel (9) with a complementary shape to the insertion portion.

10. Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the device (1) has a monitor which detects the pivot angle (21, 23) of the arm section relative to the hinge joint and emits a warning signal if a threshold pivot angle is exceeded.

11. Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each connection cable (8) is designed for connection to a marine power grid connection and is held by a cable termination guide (24) which is fastened to the free end of the articulated arm (10) by a cable termination hinge joint (25), wherein a cable drive (18) is assigned to the cable termination hinge joint (25) which is designed for swiveling the cable termination guide (24).

12. Device (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that the cable termination hinge joint (25) has two swivel axes extending at right angles to each other.

13. An arrangement (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the supply network connection (4) is connected to the marine network connection via a frequency converter (6) also located on shore.

14. An apparatus (1) as claimed in claim 13, wherein transformers (5, 7) are arranged on both sides of the frequency converter (6).