Delft University of Technology
Faculty Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering Transport Technology
A. Neugebauer Automatisering van het laad en losproces van lichters, voorontwerp ten behoeve van de beheersing van lichterverplaatsingen.
Masters thesis, Report 94.3.TT.4246, Transport Engineering and Logistics.
This report has been made within the framework of action point IV of the action plan which is presented in the report "VAART IN DE KETEN", by the Advisory Committee for Stimulating Inland Navigation.
Scientific studies have lead to the conclusion that automated transshipment of inland navigation containers can not be realised as long as one has to take account of the movements of the shuttles.
The shuttles are barges used to maintain the line service between Rotterdam and Antwerp.
The purpose of this report is to work out a fundamental solution to keep the shuttles in a fixed and stable position during the transshipment process. Based on a rough analysis it is evident that it is most effective to sail 3 times a day from Roterdam to Antwerp v.v. with 200 TEU cargo capacity shuttles. During the research it became evident that the behaviour of ships moored to the quay, is studied insufficiently. Therefore a proposition is presented to set up a study and perform measurements of movements (and the loads related to them) of a pontoon wich is moored in a port. The proposed shuttle is
unavailable, therefore a pontoon is chosen for. The characteristics of the pontoon corresponds to the the characteristics of a shuttle. The movements of a shuttle floating in open water are subjected to a computer aided research. Based on the results of this research an estimation has been made of the needed range of the measuring equipement, wich is used for an orientational measurement. The meseasurement site is located in the port of Rotterdam (Delta Sealand Terminal). An assumption is made of the minimum tolerances on the position of a moored shuttle, based on the results of the measurement in Rotterdam. With this assumption and the accuracy in which the crane can position a container, the cell openings are designed. The stability of the shuttles is not a handicap to automating the transshipment, especially when these shuttles are moored with the proposed positioning system. A fundamental design was generated.
A calculation of the design was not possible because of lack of information concerning the loads related to the movements of the shuttle. Based on this research the following statements can be made:
Automating the transshipment is possible, the efficiency depends on the permitted tolerances on the movements of the shuttle. This in accordance with the accuracy of the crane.
More information must be obtained about the movements of a shuttle, and the related loads. Shuttle movements due to waves are more significant than movements due to transshipment activities.
As a final remark, we can say that automated transshipment is an allocation problem. The movements of the shuttle are determined by the loads due to waves. Therefore by chosing a location where these waves are reduced to a minimum the movements of the shuttle can be limited.
Reports on Transport Engineering and Logistics (in Dutch)
