EP0476036B1

EP0476036B1 - A container ship

Info

Publication number: EP0476036B1
Application number: EP90909641A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jens Julius Kappel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-06-08
Filing date: 1990-06-08
Publication date: 1994-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 2010-06-08
Also published as: DK281289A; DK163651B; WO1990014985A1; AU5849190A; DK281289D0; DK163651C; ES2060181T3; DE69012120D1; KR920700992A; JPH04506050A; EP0476036A1; DE69012120T2; KR100215952B1; JP3087764B2

Abstract

A container ship has holds (1-5), which are defined by transverse bulkheads (8, 9, 10 and 11) in the longitudinal direction of the ship. Said transverse bulkheads comprise relatively broad, conventional bulkheads (8, 9) and relatively narrow bulkheads (10, 11) connected on both sides to the broad transverse bulkheads (8, 9) by means of tension absorbing members (12) extending in the longitudinal direction of the ship.

Description

Technical Field

The invention relates to a container ship with holds which are defined by transverse bulkheads in the longitudinal direction of the ship.

Background Art

A primary object presented to constructing container ships is to provide the highest possible container capacity in relation to the outer dimensions. This is i.a. obtained by stowing the containers as close to one another as possible in the holds. The stowing capacity in the longitudinal direction of the ship is among other things determined by the width of the transverse bulkheads measured in the longitudinal direction of the ship. The transverse bulkheads usually define the holds longitudinally, thereby providing space for 40 feet containers or larger containers between two transverse bulkheads, said containers being placed with their largest dimension in the longitudinal direction of the ship. The transverse bulkheads are usually provided with a box-shaped girder near the main deck. Said girder contributes to the torsional stiffness of the ship and to the stability of the transverse bulkhead towards deflection when being subjected to compression from the sides of the hull and the hatch covers. The transverse bulkheads must be able to support the sides of the ship and the bottom of the ship which are subjected to hydrostatic forces during normal sailing and movements at sea. To have the necessary strength, the transverse bulkheads are therefore usually of a width of about 2 m. The transverse bulkheads may be open or closed, only every second transverse bulkhead usually being water-tight.

Disclosure of the invention

The object of the invention is to provide a container ship allowing increased stowing capacity.
This is obtained by the transverse bulkheads comprising relatively broad conventional transverse bulkheads adapted to contribute to the torsional stiffness of the ship and to support the sides and the bottom of the ship, and relatively narrow transverse bulkheads adapted to absorb forces from the sides and the bottom of the ship, said narrow transverse bulkheads at both sides being connected to the broad transverse bulkheads by means of tension absorbing means extending in the longitudinal direction of the ship.
As a result, the stowing capacity of the container ship is increased because some of the broad transverse bulkheads are replaced by narrow transverse bulkheads capable of absorbing forces from the sides of the ship, the bottom of the ship and the hatch covers because they are stabilized in the longitudinal direction of the ship by means of the tension absorbing members. Therefore some of the transverse bulkheads need for instance only be from 0.1 to 0.2 m broad whereby the container capacity may be increased by from 5 to 10%. The tension absorbing members are fastened to the broad and narrow transverse bulkheads in a suitable manner.As a result they are placed between the stacks of containers in the holds by being suitably fastened directly to vertically extending guides for the containers provided on the bulkheads. At the ends of the holds the narrow transverse bulkheads may be connected to another stable bulkhead, such as an engine-room bulkhead, instead of a broad conventional bulkhead.
According to the invention, there may be more, preferably two narrow transverse bulkheads with connecting tension absorbing members between successive broad conventional transverse bulkheads, whereby a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention is obtained.
Moreover according to the invention the tension absorbing members may particularly advantageously be tension rods.

Brief Description of Drawing

The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to the drawing, in which

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a section of a hull according to the invention shown in perspective with parts omitted for the sake of clarity,
Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of the section of a hull shown in Fig. 1 with vertical reinforcements and container guides omitted for the sake of clarity, and
Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line I-I of Fig. 2.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

The section of a container ship shown in Figs. 1 and 2 illustrates parts of five successive holds 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 seen in the longitudinal direction of the ship. These holds are defined by the side 6 of the hull and the bottom 7 of the ship. Between the holds there are transverse bulkheads in the form of two relatively broad conventional transverse bulkheads 8, 9 and two relatively narrow transverse bulkheads 10, 11 therebetween. A number of tension absorbing tensions rods 12 extend parallel to the longitudinal direction of the ship between the transverse bulkheads, said tensions rods being fastened to adjacent transverse bulkheads by means of suitable fastening means, such as by means of welding.
The relatively broad conventional transverse bulkheads 8 and 9 are usually of a width in the longitudinal direction of the ship of about 2 m. In the embodiment shown said transverse bulkheads comprise a vertical plate 13 and transverse stiffening plates 14 welded thereto and at the top a box-shaped profile and a U-shaped profile 15 and 16, respectively, abutting each other. The free edges of the transverse stiffening plates 14 are provided with downward webs 17
In the embodiment shown, the relatively narrow transverse bulkheads also comprise a vertical plate 18 onto the side of which transverse angular stiffening profiles 19 have been welded, cf. especially Fig. 2.
On both sides of all transverse bulkheads 8, 9, 10 and 11 are provided vertical container guides 20 for guiding the corners of the containers during their passage up and down the holds. Said container guides may have many different forms and are of a commonly known type. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 the container guides are placed on the same side as the angular stiffening profiles 19, T profiles, while on the other side the container guides are only narrow plates welded thereon. Between the angular stiffening profiles 19 are welded further vertical stiffening plates or strips.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 the tension rods 12 are welded directly to the container guides through an intermediate connection plate 21, said connection plate being a piece of plate with a larger extension in vertical direction than the tensions rods 12 per se and having recesses not shown wherein the tension rods 12 are received and subsequently secured by welding.
The tension rods 12 may be fastened to the transverse bulkheads 8, 9, 10 and 11 in many different manners according to the structure of the bulkheads in question and the container guides used. It is of utmost importance that the tension rods 12 are capable of compensating for the reduced width and consequently reduced rigidity of the narrow transverse bulkheads 10, 11. The number of tension rods can vary and preferably a large number of tension rods are placed in both vertical and horizontal direction so that a tension rod is provided opposite each longitudinal edge of the containers placed in the holds. In order to absorb the load from the hatches and their load the tension rods can be placed at shorter intervals at the top of the hold.
When a combination of broad conventional transverse bulkheads 8, 9 and narrow bulkheads 10, 11 is used, the containers can be stowed closer in the longitudinal direction, whereby the container capacity can be increased by 5 to 10% compared to the prior art even though individual bulkheads must still allow both ventilation and access to the holds.
The invention is described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Many modifications may be made without thereby deviating from the scope of the claims. For instance, the tension rods may be wires and of different cross sections as well as be fastened in many different manners. Thus the narrow bulkheads can also be stabilized by means of a tension and compression absorbing structure for instance in the form of narrow bars connecting the narrow transverse bulkheads with the broader conventional transverse bulkheads in the longitudinal direction. Said structure does require more space between the stacks of containers, but on the other hand narrow transverse bulkheads not connected to the broad transverse bulkheads to both sides in the longitudinal direction may be provided between two successive broad transverse bulkheads.

Claims

Container ship with holds which are confined by transverse bulkheads in the longitudinal direction of the ship, characterised in that the transverse bulkheads comprise relatively broad, conventional transverse bulkheads (8, 9) adapted to contribute to the torsional stiffness of the ship and to support the sides and the bottom of the ship, and relatively narrow transverse bulkheads (10, 11) adapted to absorb forces from the sides and the bottom of the ship, said narrow transverse bulkheads being connected to the broad transverse bulkheads (8,9) by means of tension absorbing means (12) extending in the longitudinal direction of the ship.
Container ship as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that more, preferably two narrow transverse bulkheads with connecting tension absorbing members (12) are provided between the broad conventional transverse bulkheads (8, 9).
Container ship as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the tension absorbing members are tensions rods (12).
Container ship as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the tension absorbing members are beams which are able to absorb compression as well.