Boat lift

A boat lift is a device ( descent Building), can overcome large differences in waterways of the vessels. The elevator has the advantage that for a greater height differences can be overcome, on the other hand when lifting or lowering virtually no loss of water from the upper approach to a lock. The disadvantage is that hoists represent a major technical effort and thus higher costs and the ship size is limited due to the enormous weight forces.

Technical predecessor, the rolling mountain.

2.1 precursor in the Netherlands
2.2 The first elevators in Ireland and the UK 2.2.1 The Ducart 's Canal
2.2.2 The inclined plane of Ketley
2.2.3 More inclined planes

2.3.1 Dry Funding: The boat houses in Saxony
2.3.2 Wet Funding: The Grand Western Canal

4.1 Belgium
4.2 China
4.3 Germany
4.4 France
4.5 Japan
4.6 Canada
4.7 Poland
4.8 Russia
4.9 Czech Republic
4:10 United States
4:11 UK

Categorization

Boat lifts can be categorized according to various criteria. These are the type and direction of funding and the type of drive and the weight compensation. For hydraulic elevators that can carry several vessels at the same time, is also a distinction between twin and double elevators.

Type of funding

A distinction is made between dry and wet production.

Dry promotion

When dry conveyance the ship is lifted out of the water transported across the to be overcome height difference and then inserted back into the water. Advantage of dry promotion is that only the mass of the ship and its cargo must be moved, and that no loss of water from the upper to the lower water occurs. Disadvantage is that, at least for larger vessels, the risk of damage to the ship's hull exists, as long as this is not specially equipped for the dry development.

In the simplest case the ship is pulled over land directly on a sliding distance in dry promotion. This is the oldest form of boat lift, one speaks of a siding or a slipway. In order to reduce the frictional resistance, wooden beams or roles can be embedded in the inclined plane. The use of such sidings to overcome rapids of the Nile, has already been handed down from ancient Egypt. Alternatively, the ship can be removed and transported by a specially constructed, running on rails transport vehicle from the water. This method, also called Ship Railway, for example, was at the Incline planes of the Elblag Canal Elbing - Osterode (Polish Elblaskie Canal ) in East Prussia, and used in the Big Chute Marine Railway on the Trent - Severn Waterway and in Canada.

Wet promotion

With a boat lift with wet promoting the ship is raised or lowered in a large trough. Both sides of the trough and the channel sections are sealed with gates that are opened only to entry and exit of ships. In contrast to the dry promotion here the boat remains in the water damage to the hull are therefore excluded. Moreover, the wet promotion is usually faster because the ship must be moored similar to a lock only.

For this, however, the much higher mass of the trough including water filling needs to be moved. The mass of the trough is always the same size in the wet Promotion with or without a ship, as a ship exactly its own weight of water displaced ( Archimedes' principle). Therefore, the counterweight, or the buoyancy of the float can be set so that the drive power in relation to the moving mass is very low. So the ship Scharnebeck near Lüneburg requires only four electric motors, each with 160 kW of power to lift the tub with about 5,800 t mass.

Direction of promoting

With respect to the direction of conveyance are four variants, namely longitudinal promotion, cross- promotion, promotion and vertical rotary promotion.

Longitudinal promotion

In the longitudinal promoting the ship is moved in the lift in its normal direction of travel on an inclined plane. Longitudinal promotion is the easiest mode of transportation. However, it can only be used on relatively low slopes. Examples are the inclined elevator Ronquières or the ship lift Krasnoyarsk.

A special variant of a longitudinally inclined plane with wet support is the wedge of water lift, in which the ship is not transported in a trough, but floating in the water is pushed up an inclined plane with this " water wedge". There are two such lifts in southern France in the Canal du Midi (parallel to the Nine Locks, now out of service ) or in the Lateral Canal à la Garonne ( Canal de Garonne ) Montech.

Cross- promotion

Here the ship is transported over an inclined transversely to its original direction of travel level. In cross- promotion much stronger gradients can be overcome as in longitudinal promotion. An example of this type is the forward elevator of Saint-Louis/Arzviller.

Vertical promotion

Vertical boat lifts convey the ships vertically up or down. In a variant of the trough depends on ropes and is balanced by counterweights, not unlike an ordinary elevator, but with significantly higher rope forces (see also: Wandering rope load ). In the other variant of the trough rests on floats, floating in deep sunken into the ground water tank ( so-called immersion wells or wells ). A third variant is the hydraulic lift (eg in Belgium and England ), where always two troughs are connected by hydraulic lines.

Rotation promotion

In a rotating boat lift ships are moved by means of two gondolas that rotate similar to a Ferris wheel around a central axis. It has been the world only one boat lift built with rotary promotion, the Falkirk Wheel in Scotland.

Type of drive and the weight compensation

Until the beginning of the industrial age came exclusively muscular strength of animals or humans used to transport ships across the country. These were drawn either directly or with the aid of winches or pulleys.

Counterweights

Almost all modern boat lifts use counterweights to compensate for the weight of the trough including the ship as much as possible. Counterweight boat lifts work on the principle of an Atwood 's machine. Even if it is not the counterweight in the proper sense to a drive, it really simplifies considerably the lifting operation, since only friction forces still had to be overcome. Presumably, the principle of the counterweight was used in the carts of Zafosina in the late Middle Ages for the first time by the down -propelled boat was used to support the pulling up of the same colliding boat.

Twin and double lifts

Etc. If a second trough used in place of a "dead" counterweight of concrete so it is called a twin lift. It always drives while a trough down and at the same time the other trough upwards. Can contrast, both troughs running independently, one speaks of a double lift.

Water ballast drive

Some ship hoists with counterweight come completely without external driving by the trough at the upper lock gate a little deeper anfährt than at the bottom sluice gate. The tray is thus filled up and is thus somewhat more heavier than the counterweight, according to the level adjustment in the lower lock gate it is then again lighter than the counterweight. As with a water ballast train the heavier trough moves by gravity down and transported at the same time the counterweight or at twin elevators to the counter-rotating trough upwards.

Hydraulic drive

When hydraulic drive troughs resting on plunger moving in underground hydraulic cylinders. The necessary lifting of the trough pressure can be supplied from a hydraulic pump. Most hydraulic lifts are however designed as a twin plant and equipment where the sagging trough the working medium through a penstock into the cylinder of heaving trough suppressed ( counterweight principle). The water level is to slightly higher than in the lower trough set in the upper trough, so that it is heavier. Almost all hydraulic lifts are designed as twin plants with water ballast drive. External hydraulic pumps are used only to compensate for water losses due to leakage, the operation of ancillary units such as garage door motors, and possibly for emergency operation with only a trough.

Electric drive

With the exception of the two French wedge of water pumping plants, which are powered by diesel engines are used in all after 1917 newly opened hydraulic elevators electric motors as the drive, however, often assisted by water ballast.

History

Since mankind shipping operation, ships were occasionally - pulled over the country - at least for short distances. From a boat lift for the purposes of this article, however, only spoke when any mechanical means are provided to facilitate water transport or even enable.

Precursor in the Netherlands

As a direct forerunner of today's ship lifts the Dutch Over Tooms may apply. These were simple wooden ramps that could be drawn on the boats with the help of a winch. It has probably been hundreds of these transitions, however, were only the transport of small boats with one exception. This exception was a Overtoom in Zaandam, which was in operation from 1609 to 1718. He could then lift the usual sea-going vessels. Only two over Tooms exist today in reconstructed, no longer operable form at Venhuizen and Rijpwetering.

Following closure of the last Over Tooms in the early 20th century exist in the Netherlands no longer ship lifts.

The first elevators in Ireland and the UK

The Ducart 's Canal

The first real boat lifts of the modern era were built on Ducart 's Canal in Northern Ireland. This 1777 completed channel should connect the coal mines at Drum Glass with the River Blackwater. Three sites had to be overcome differences in height between 16 m and 21 m. For ramps with wooden wheels and designed for operating twin winches were created. But the construction is not proven and has already shut down ten years later again.

The inclined plane of Ketley

On a short drive channel, should be transported to the coal to the steel works of Ketley, 1788 a twin lift was created with longitudinal promotion. Here boats with a payload of about 8 tons were transported over a height difference of about 22 m. The transport took place by traveling on rails cars. In each case a abfahrendes, laden boat while pulling an unloaded boat upwards. Therefore, the system required no drive, it only had a brakeman ensure that the speed was not too high.

More inclined planes

The factory at Ketley worked very successfully until the closure of the steelworks around the year 1816. According to his model numerous other oblique planes were built in a row. These were, however, designed exclusively for the transport small unmanned barge with a payload of between about five and ten tons, so-called tub -boats. Among the most spectacular constructions of this time is likely to include inside the coal mine of Worsley underground boat lift. Here boats with a capacity of up to twelve tons from the Bridgewater Canal from could enter directly into the pit and loaded there. This construction was by Francis Henry Egerton, 8th Earl of Bridgewater in his book Description du Plan Incline basement, published in Paris in 1812, described in detail.

This lift works from the early period of industrialization are now shut down without exception. In most cases, only the remains can still be seen. The inclined elevator of Hay, who until 1894 was of 1792 in operation and joined the few kilometers long Shropshire Union Canal with the River Severn, but can as well as some tub -boats on the grounds of the museum Blists Hill Victorian Town, a division the UNESCO World heritage Site with its museum complex Ironbridge be visited.

The beginning of the vertical transport

Dry Funding: The boat houses in Saxony

Probably the first vertical ship lift in the world was built 1788/89 with neck bridge (north of Freiberg ) in the course of Chur Prinzer mine channel in the valley of the Freiberger Mulde. This so-called Kahn lifting house could lift nearly three -ton barges by means of pulleys by nearly seven meters. To operate six people were needed. Another barge lifting house followed in 1791 during the Christ Bescherunger mine channel, near Großvoigtsberg. In both cases, put on dry conveyance.

The restored masonry of both Kahn lifting houses can still be seen today.

Wet Funding: The Grand Western Canal

The Grand Western Canal was to establish a link between the Bristol Channel and the English Channel originally, the southern branch to Exeter but was never completed. On this channel a total of seven vertical lift stations have been built next to an inclined plane with wet longitudinal promotion at Wellisford. This vertical lift works made use of the counterweight principle, with two troughs on ropes and pulleys were connected. The commissioned in 1830-1836 plants were the first vertical lift stations in the world with wet funding. Due to the low traffic volumes and increasing competition from the railways, this channel but has been closed again in 1867. From the elevators today only ruins remain.

The Chard Canal: First inclined planes with wet Promotion

The combination of wet and longitudinal promotion was shunned long time. Too great was the fear that during transport, especially during acceleration and braking, the water could spill over in the trough. Probably the first inclined planes with wet promoting four were designed for tub -boats plants at the English Chard Canal, which connected the town of Chard in the county of Somerset Bridgwater and Taunton Canal with the. However, the 1842 opened channel unprofitable as never. Already in 1853 the operating company went bankrupt, and in 1866 the canal was closed again.

The hydraulic boat lift Anderton

→ Main article: Anderton Boat Lift

When built 1872-1875 Schiffshebewerk Anderton waited two challenges to the designers: First, should for the first time not only tub -boats, but full Narrowboats can be transported in wet production, causing the weight of the filled troughs to over 250 t, a previously unattained value, grew. Second, there was little space available to overcome the 15 m height difference between the Trent - Mersey Canal and the River Weaver, which is why an inclined plane was out of the question. We therefore chose the two troughs not to hang on over guide rollers running ropes, but bear on current in underground cylinders plunger.

Although the hydraulic operation frequently caused problems, the elevator Anderton model for a whole range of other hydraulic boat lifts, including the four elevators in the Belgian Canal du Centre was. Anderton himself, however, was rebuilt in the early 20th century to electrical operation with ropes and pulleys, and in 2001 changed back to hydraulic operation in the course of restoration.

Float instead of counterweights: Henrichenburg

→ Main article: Ship Henrichenburg

The 1899 opened Old Ship Henrichenburg first used float instead of counterweights. The trough was resting on supports on five air-filled hollow bodies made of steel, in 40 m deep water-filled pits moved up and down to. Because of the restraints these hollow bodies remained even completely covered with water when the trough was moved to the top. The buoyancy of the float was calculated so that it exactly offsetting the weight of the water-filled trough.

The principle of buoyancy was later also in 1938 opened Schiffshebewerk Rothensee as well as the new Henrichenburg (1962 ) was used.

The water wedges Montech and Fonserannes

→ Main article: wedge of water lift of Montech

In the course of modernization work was taken at Montech first time an elevator according to the principle of the water wedge into operation in 1973 on the Lateral Canal à la Garonne. It replaces five locks. This lift was in operation up to an engine failure in May 2009.

Ten years after Montech should go a second wedge of water lifting plant at its Canal du Midi in addition to the Nine Locks. Again, as in Montech against the background that the locks of the 17th century were too small for the standardized cargo ships. But by the time the water wedge, the cargo ship cruise on the Canal du Midi was already completely come to a standstill, while the recreational marine experienced a steep upswing. And presumably because the boaters prefer Although protracted, but much more scenic route through the six-step staircase locks, the water wedge of Fonserannes has not been taken up in operation today.

Rotary lift: The Falkirk Wheel

→ Main article: Falkirk Wheel

The Falkirk Wheel is the world's only ever built rotary boat lift, and one contained only two still in operation lifting stations in the UK next to the Anderton Lift.

All previously mentioned boat lifts were originally built for the load shipping. In 2002, started operations in Falkirk Wheel on the other hand is used exclusively for recreational boating. It provides the link between the Forth and Clyde Canal and the Union Canal restore after the original lock staircase connecting both channels had been filled in and built over in the 1930s.

Records, special

Boat lift Krasnoyarsk on the Yenisei: With 102 meters, it is up to the opening of the elevator at the Three Gorges Dam is the largest ship lift in the world. It is an inclined plane without counterweights with gear by self-propelled trough and a turntable at the apex. It was built in 1970-1976 by Lenhydroproject ( LHP ).

As a building of superlatives (construction until 2011) is currently under construction at the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in the People's Republic of China is a vertical ship lift with counterweights which overcomes up to 113 m. Different water levels in the upper water of up to 30 m and in the underwater up to 21.2 m need to be addressed. The trough is 120 m long and 18 m wide and can ships with a maximum length of 84.5 m, a width of 17.2 m and a draft record up to 2.65 m. Filled with water it weighs 11,800 tonnes. He should be able to vessels of up to 3,000 t lift. The boat lift is used in particular to spare people the ships far over four hour trip through the five-stage flight of locks.

The currently still largest vertical boat lift in the world ( with counterweights ) was opened in Belgium in the province of Hainault (French Hainaut ) the Canal du Centre in 2002 and is under the name Strépy- Thieu known. It has a lift height of 73.15 m and consists of two independent troughs of each 8,000 t mass. It replaces the four hydraulic lifts in the old part of the channel that have become too small for commercial barge ride over the decades, but should continue to be obtained from a tourist.

In France there are at Arzviller in Lorraine with the boat lift Saint-Louis/Arzviller a cable- ship lift with a trough of 900 t and counterweights that overcomes a lifting height of 45 m.

List of boat lifts

Belgium

( Used since 2002 only for recreational boating ) Four boat lifts of the Canal du Centre in La Louviere # 1 in Houdeng- Goegnies
# 2 in Houdeng-
# 3 in Strépy-
# 4 in Thieu

People's Republic of China

China

Boat lift at Three Gorges Dam
Two-stage ship lift at the Geheyan Dam
Boat lift at the Longtan dam
Boat lift on the Danjiangkou Dam

Germany

Kahn lifting house Halsbrücke, even Roth Further Kahn lifting house called ( decommissioned)
Kahn called lifting house Großvoigtsberg, even Christ Bescherunger Kahn lifting house (closed)
Double boat lift Hohenwarthe not completed during the war and now replaced by a double sluice
Old ship Henrichenburg in Waltrop (1969 decommissioned)
New ship Henrichenburg in Waltrop (2005 provisionally shut down, restart, for cost reasons doubtful )
Schiffshebewerk Rothensee (2006 shut down, reopening on August 24, 2013)
Ship Niederfinow
Ship Niederfinow North ( in progress, completion 2014)
Lüneburg ship lift (double lift )

France

Schiffshebewerk Les Fontinettes ( decommissioned)
Water wedge lift in Fonseranes ( decommissioned)
Wedge of water lift of Montech (since 2009 provisionally shut down, restart questionable )
Inclined elevator of Saint-Louis/Arzviller

Japan

Dry inclined elevator in the port of Biwako in Kyoto ( decommissioned)
Dry inclined lift in Kamogawa Canal at Fushimi ( decommissioned)

Canada

Elevators in the Trent -Severn Waterway in Ontario Schiffshebewerk Kirkfield
Schiffshebewerk Peterborough
Old and new dry inclined elevator Big Chute
Dry inclined elevator Swift Rapids ( decommissioned)

Poland

Five inclined planes with dry conveyance in Elblag Canal (Polish: Elblaskie Canal ) in Buchwalde
Kanthen
Schönfeld
Hirschfeld
New Kußfeld

Russia

Self-powered funicular ( train) of Krasnoyarsk for ships up to 1,500 tons: On the Krasnoyarsk Reservoir, with 118 m the largest ship lift for completion in 1982.

Czechia

Czech Republic

( Only been planned, never built. ) Boat lift in the Oder -Danube Canal at Prerau
Inclined elevators at the Orlik dam

United States

Inclined elevator in the South Hadley Canal, Massachusetts, ( decommissioned)
Inclined elevator in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal ( decommissioned)
23 inclined elevators in the Morris Canal ( decommissioned) in the north of the State of New Jersey

United Kingdom

England England Anderton Boat Lift ( reopened )
Inclined elevator of hay ( decommissioned)
Inclined elevator of Foxton ( decommissioned)
Inclined lift of trench ( decommissioned)
Four inclined elevators in Chard Canal ( decommissioned) in Thor Falcon, Wrantage, Ilminster and Chard Common, Somerset
Underground funicular in the Bridgewater Canal ( decommissioned)
Six inclined elevators in Bude Canal in Kilkhampton, Hobbacott, Vealand, Merrifield, Tamerton and Bridgetown

Scotland Scotland Inclined elevator of Black Hill ( decommissioned) in Monkland Canal
Rotary lift of Falkirk

Niederfinow Boat Lift Canal pound Canal inclined plane Archimedes' principle Tub boat Tub boat lift Chard, Somerset Montech water slope Canal du Centre (Belgium) Lorraine (region) Kirkfield Lift Lock Přerov Integrated Authority File

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