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Container Ships, Container Ports, Container Shipping Technologies

Discussion in 'YachtForums Yacht Club' started by brian eiland, May 3, 2013.

  1. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Thought this might make an interesting subject thread as somewhere along the line almost all of us are affected by this technology in some way. It might involve the import-export of our boats, or the parts/materials to built them. It might involve containers used in the support of racing or cruising around the world. It might involve the collision dangers to our boating activities presented by the numerous semi-floating containers lost overboard from some storm ravaged container ships. Etc, etc.
  2. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Container Megaport

    I was looking thru a recent issue of Popular Science magazine (May 2013), when I came upon this short article about a new container megaport being build in Holland. Some of the handling capacity figures are quite amazing.

    megaport, Netherlands, ps.jpg


    Megaport | Popular Science

    But what really caught my attention was the method they intended to employ in moving the containers from the ship off-loading cranes to their temporary stacking locations in the port. It appears as though they have sought to replace the ordinary tractor-trailer truck with an automated self-propelled trailer of some sort. And it appears as though the thinking is that this 'transporter' will also be able to raise the container(s) into their stacked positions, without the need of a dedicated stacking piece of equipment (mobile cranes, fork-lifts. etc)

    Does anyone have any more details on this 'transporter-stacker' vehicle?

    I have some serious doubts that such a self-contained 'transporter' would be able to raise a container to the heights I believe they need to stack these containers, let alone reach over the stack to place other containers on top.??

    There is another reason I bring this question up. Why wouldn't an overhead 'Monorail transporter' be considered for such a job?

    When I was working over in SE Asia (based out of Singapore) in the late 90's I was very intrigued with what the growing mega-cities there were going to do for mass transit needs. My interest in alternate fueled vehicles and mass transit schemes took me to a number of trade shows in the region that were will attended by a number of nations, and less so by US firms. I was particularly interested in what happened to the old 'futurist' concept of Monorails. Were they all destined to be just amusement park rides, or were there many other practical uses for them?

    Upon my return to the USA, I took up computer use and learned of a fascinating new website that was tracking this subject of 'monorails' in many different fits and starts. One company I remember was trying to make markets in a variety of different countries, and in a variety of different applications. I drove up to visit this company in hopes of learning more about their projects, and possible getting involved on a worldwide basis.

    One application they proposed intrigued me very much......1) utilize a monorail type system to load containers onto those container trains, and 2) use such a system to stack, sort, and retrieve containers stacked up in port facilities.

    Now I'm going to have to see if I can dig that old documentation out of my paper files as I am sure that older gentleman and his company no longer exist. Wish me luck finding it.
  3. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    I found that old literature in a file box well down in a pile, and the name of that company in NJ was Titan Global technologies, Ltd. It does appear as though they are no longer in business,....certainly not an website.

    I'm likely going to have to sort thru the material I found and see if I can scan some of the dwgs and photos they presented in a fairly big fat book.

    But in the meantime I found this web reference that contains some references to their work:
    Innovative Technologies for Container Transportation

    Titan Global Technologies Ltd., a New Jersey based company, developed a unique and very promising freight monorail concept called Auto-GO. Auto-GO is an overhead cargo container handling system for moving containers from port facilities to other inland intermodal facilities, and vice-versa. The system consists of overhead guiderail and shuttles that carry containers.
    Auto-GO shuttles are fully automated using linear induction magnetic propulsion.

    1) No interaction with surface traffic and therefore no accidents or delays in shipment due to surface traffic conditions.

    2) Reduced cargo handling (each container is handled only once from the point of origin to the point of destination).

    3) Improved security due to the cargo being high above ground.

    4) Economic efficiencies achieved through reduced operating and handling labor costs, since the system is fully automated, reduced waiting in traffic, and reduced administrative cost.

    5) Ability to operate in nearly any weather conditions. As the system does not rely on the use of ground transportation infrastructure, prevailing weather and road conditions would not impact operation of such a system. The only potential disruption may exist in heavy wind conditions, such as hurricane. In those cases the system would probably be out of operation.

    6) Low noise and very minimal air pollution emissions.
  4. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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  5. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Monorail Site(s)



    Haven't had time to search for photos yet, but thought I would bring this 'monorail website' to posters attention. it was (is) a very interesting capitulation
    The Monorail Society - Monorails: safe, fast, economic, green and proven. You've arrived at THE monorail website!

    ...they're not just for theme parks and zoo's
    Why Monorail
  6. Yacht News

    Yacht News YF News Editor

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  7. Rodger

    Rodger Senior Member

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    Shipping Technologies

    The Welland Canal is now in the fifth year of testing a new tie up system for large ships.
    If this system proves out they will not need linesman on the locks and ships will not need four deck hands to handle their lines.
    Automated mooring at the St Lawrence Seaway - YouTube
  8. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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  9. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    AGV's vs Lift-AGV's

    As I suspected, this newer technology AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) should really called a Lift-ADV. And even then it does NOT lift the container into its final storage spot.

    "The terminal design concept is based on using ship-to-shore (STS) cranes that unload containers from the vessel and place them directly onto a fleet of Lift Automated Guided Vehicles (Lift AGVs). The Lift AGVs can carry two containers at a time and shuttle them at a speed of 22 kilometers per hour from the quay to the container yard using an onboard navigation system that follows a transponder grid. Once the Lift AGV arrives at its programmed destination it lifts the containers into a series of storage racks. Next, an Automated Rail-Mounted Gantry (ARMG) crane arrives to take the container from the rack to its next designated location which could be to the rail terminal, a trucker or stacking it somewhere else in the container yard. For the first phase of the Maasvlakte II terminal, the fleet will consist of 36 Lift AGVs in combination with 128 storage racks.

    This ability to lift the container off the vehicle and place it into a storage rack system is the first of its kind in the world. In the past, AGVs could not perform this action. The Lift AGV consists of two lift platforms, which are able to load and unload containers independently of each other. APM Terminals Maasvlakte II is the first terminal in the world to be equipped with Lift AGVs. It is this simple transaction where productivity benefits will be gained. In short, a new process has been formed for managing container flows by having automated equipment transport – lift – and stack – containers."

    Reference Dredging Today – The Netherlands: APM Terminals Presents Innovative Terminal Design

    To my eye, it appears to be extra equipment, Rail Mounted Cranes, and extra handling steps to get the container to the stack. The monorail idea appears far more appealing. :rolleyes:

    Attached Files:

  10. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Attached Files:

  11. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    Found that elsewhere the other day and posted it.

    http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/175296-post5.html

    I am wondering if this will be the first of a number of SF's in this class as this one was reported to be the first HT Steel one built.

    The Bridge Class of OBO's started their demise with one ship breaking up after a short service life ending with the loss of the ship and all lives on the Derbyshire.
  12. Milow232

    Milow232 Guest

    A fantastic (!) video of the maiden voyage of MÆRSK MC-KINNEY MØLLER, first ship in the Tripple- E class and with a max. capacity of 18,000 TEU she is the biggest container vessel in the world. Trully a queen... or better a king of its class! Not only the ship but also the workflow on the harbour is simply impressive!

    My enthuaism for ships originally arises from Containerships before I discovered yachts and this video really captures the magnitude of these ships which fascinated me years ago and does till this day!! :)

    MÆRSK MC-KINNEY MØLLER - THE FIRST TRIPLE-E - YouTube
  13. Marmot

    Marmot Senior Member

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    Missed this post somehow.

    We had a class of supertankers on the Valdez run that were constructed with HT steel. They were plagued by hull cracking and finally sent to scrap because of the constant repairs and risk of spills.

    You would walk out on deck one morning and see inert gas bubbling up from cracks in the deck. Considering how much those ships twisted and flexed in bad weather it was not all that surprising. BP installed strain gauges all along the deck and immersion gauges at several locations to provide inputs to a computer system with a radar-like display on the bridge that showed strain on the hull in real time so course or speed changes could be made to reduce the risk of cracking - or worse.

    The only problem with that was the mates used the limits as a target rather than try to avoid them. Silly mates.

    Back to the boxboat conversation: http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/The-TripleE-A-LargerThanLife-Puzzle-2013-12-10/
  14. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Thanks guys for those last two postings. :cool:
  15. Old Phart

    Old Phart Senior Member

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    I dunno
  16. HTMO9

    HTMO9 Senior Member

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    There are more profitable ports of call on that route. The chance of an higher average load is much greater on that route. The ports of Singapur, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, the Middle east, Spain and Gibraltar provide a lot of trade both in- and outgoing.

    Your Jones Act will also exclude some harbours on the other route.

    The margins are getting a little bit better on most routes meanwhile but every route still needs to be very carefully calculated, if the ships operator does not want to loose many on his trade routes.