Hydraulic Operated Ship Launching System
Project Overview :
In 2009, Keppel Singmarine in Singapore constructed a state-of-the-art DP-2 pipelaying crane ship, a multifunctional vessel weighing 16,000 tonnes, with dimensions of 162 meters in length and 32 meters in width. The shipyard required a secure and efficient method to launch this vessel using the slipway method, a traditional approach where the ship slides down a waxed slideway into the water under its own weight and momentum. The challenge was to safely transfer the ship’s load from the keel blocks to the slipway, remove the keel blocks, and lower the vessel onto the slideway for launching.
Engineering Challenges
The conventional ship launching process involves manually removing keel blocks by workers, a labor-intensive and hazardous task. To ensure safety and efficiency, the following technical challenges needed to be addressed:
1. Safely transitioning the ship’s support from keel blocks to a hydraulic system, eliminating manual labor for keel block removal.
2. Synchronously lowering all 72 supporting jacks to ensure even contact with the launching slipway and complete detachment from the jacks.
3. Synchronizing the release of the locking mechanisms holding the ship once the jacks are lowered and the vessel is positioned on the slipway.
Our Solution
YIPU Hydraulic’s engineering team developed a hydraulically operated Synchronous Ship Launching System to enhance safety and efficiency. The system features a computerized controller that synchronizes the operation of 72 lock nut jacks, ensuring precise and simultaneous lowering of the vessel with an accuracy of up to 1 mm. Real-time height and load data for each supporting point are displayed on an LCD monitor, allowing site personnel to oversee the operation seamlessly. Once the ship is lowered onto the slipway, a remote-controlled locking mechanism releases the vessel simultaneously, enabling it to slide into the water.
This system eliminates the need for workers to manually remove keel blocks or maneuver beneath the vessel, significantly improving safety. It also enhances productivity by reducing man-hours and completing the launching process more efficiently than traditional methods.
System consisted
1. 72 self-locking jacks with 100-tonne and 150-tonne capacities
2. 4 hydraulic power packs
3. 4 lock-releasing mechanisms
4. 1 computerized controller system
