Container Ships, Container Ports, Container Shipping Technologies

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.

 

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.




http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-04/megaport

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.

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 pile to place the container 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.

 

From the Popular Science article:

About 34,000 ships and 12 million shipping containers—each large enough to hold 27 refrigerators, 175 bicycles, or 2,500 pairs of jeans—already pass through it each year.​

34,000 ships a year about 100 ships a day. Since every port visit by a ship involves at least two moves, in and out, 100 ships a day works out to about a ship movement starting on average less than every 8 minutes. Impressive.

 

Titan Global Technologies, Ltd

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.

 

Maybe I'm a bit jaded, but this is probably sufficient reduce it's chances to zero.
Make the system look like a bowl of spaghetti where there are countless opportunities to lose stuff and you'll be fine.

Remember what happened when the new Denver Airport tried to put in an automated, computerized baggage system. It was scrapped after it delayed the airport opening six months. They reverted to a system that is capable of losing your sports equipment just like at every other airport.

 

I just took their list here. I'm not so sure this one is applicable.
It has been a long time since I looked thru this material, so I'm sure a number of questions will arise.

But I can't help but think that the stacks could be more densely populated if you didn't require isles for the ground type movers, and the stacking equipments.

 

I heard a bit on the radio about the Panama Canal expansion project and its influence on a new class of ships, and the port changes which will be required to handle then.
I hadn't realized it, but this change in shipping is why the new super cranes were installed in Baltimore.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal_expansion_project

http://mdbiznews.choosemaryland.org...s-400-foot-cranes-prepare-for-panama-traffic/

http://www.cre.org/memberdata/pdfs/North_American_Port_Analysis.pdf

http://www.panamasimple.com/post-panamax-ports-us/

http://savethecape.org/stcwp1/wp-content/uploads/PDFs/ShipSize.pdf

 

Port Technology International

Just discovered this site:
http://www.porttechnology.org/

...then under 'technical papers'
Container Handling
http://www.porttechnology.org/technical_papers/list/category/container_handling

This should prove to be a very interesting site.

 

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.