Solutions for the RTG future:
Fully automated VAHLE Electrification System

Besides operational efficiency and effectiveness, ensuring the optimal use of energy has become an important consideration in view of rising energy costs and a general desire of society to use the world’s existing resources more effectively. One area, port operators worldwide are presently evaluating and testing is the use of conductor rails for the operation of RTGs in the aisles of the container yards as an alternative to diesel generator power supply. Ports are presently testing such systems with manual coupling/de-coupling to and from the conductor rail system. While this manual system might achieve some of the objectives like:

• Reduction of environmental pollution (CO2 emissions)
• Cost effectiveness (diesel cost)
• Reduced sound level
• Reduced maintenance and repair cost

There are still operational disadvantages like:

• Additional staff required
• Time delays during aisle change
• Heavy plug to be handled manually

To overcome these disadvantages VAHLE has developed as an extension to their manual conductor rail system, a “auto-drivein” system for coupling/de-coupling to and from the conductor rail system.
This adds the following substantial advantages:

• Safe coupling/de-coupling operation
• Fast aisle change
• No additional staff required
• Highly efficient

VAHLE has also further developed the supporting steel structure for the conductor rails. In the past the design of the steel structure was rather conventional mainly using I-beams and Cchannels. The design of the auto-arm or the bogie for manual operation had to follow the steel structure design using a number of guide rollers for safe and reliable guidance along the structure.

The simplified modular design (6 m sections) and the use of pipes as the guiding elements for the auto-arm or the bogie has the following substantial advantages compared to the old conventional design:

• Easier and faster installation
• Grossly reduced number of guiding rollers (moving parts)
• More compact and simpler design of auto-arm or bogie
• Safer, more reliable and more precise guidance
• Easier and faster access for the auto-arm
• Reduced maintenance

VAHLE is the first company worldwide to develop an fully automated entry system into the container alleys without the need for additional manual connection to the conductor bar. Efficient, fast and reliable, quiet and environmentally friendly are the characteristics of this new system. The automated telescope arm is simply controlled via a touchpad in the RTG driver’s cabin; further advantages lie with the very short entry and exit times into the alley and in the low space requirements of the 2 + 2 powerrail asssembly.