Henrichenburg Shiplift
Schiffshebewerk Henrichenburg in Waltrop, Germany
The Henrichenburg Ship Lift was a technical innovation. It was the first multi-float lift constructed. Another novelty was the use of a massive guiding screw at each corner of the trough to guide the raising and lowering (patented by F. Jebens).
The first lift was opened in 1899 to enable waterway traffic to negotiate a 14-metre-high section of the Dortmund-Ems Kanal, and was in operation for over 60 years. Its water-filled trough weighed approximately 1000 tonnes. It could be raised and lowered using a relatively small amount of power, the trough was supported by five cylindrical floats each immersed in 40 metre deep water-filled wells. The four screws were 20m. long and 280 mm in diameter.
Its role was replaced by a new, larger boat lift, opened in 1962. The new lift was taken out of use in 2005 because of technical problems.
A new ship lock for boats up to 190 metres long and 12 metres wide, allowing a 4-metre displaced depth, was built next to the lift in 1989.
The German Wikipedia entry includes an excellent selection of photographs of the equipment of the old lift, which includes a spare guide screw, 20m long.
See also Wikipedia entry in English.
See here for visitor information [1]
Technical details and illustrations of the first shiplift were provided in ZVDI, 15 Feb 1896.
From The Engineer 1896/04/17: '.... The work, which has
been undertaken by Messrs. Haniel and Lueg, of Dusseldorf,
was begun in the spring of 1894 with the excavation of the
basin for the cradle, and the sinking of the pits for the
floats. These are of the uniform dimension of 30ft. 3in. diameter, 92ft. deep, with the distance of 46 1/2ft. from centre
to centre, leaving a rib of solid ground 17ft. wide between each. ....
The floats, 26ft. 3in. in
diameter, 33ft. 9in. high in the cylindrical part, and about
42ft. 8in. including the curved ends, are built of mild steel
plates from 0·72in. to 0·8in. thick, stiffened by twelve vertical
stringers with intermediate horizontal struts, the former being
of H and the latter of Z section, but no internal framing is
used, in order to keep down the weight. The design of these
floats has necessitated special experiments, as the existing
data. were not sufficient to determine the proper thickness to
be given to the plating, the structures being of exceptional
size, and intended to bear a pressure of nearly 100ft. of
water.
The boat trough or cradle is built of plates of varying thicknesses, the upright sides being from 0·4in. to 0·56in., while
in the bottom O·32in. buckled plates are used in the middle,
and 0·64in. flat ones at the sides ; the whole being stiffened
at intervals by cross bearers. The bearers are attached to the
main girders of the lift by flat bars, giving an elastic connection so that each part may expand independently of the other.
This is a point of importance, as in bright sunshine the
girders are likely to elongate more than the water-cooled
trough so that tho rivetted seams of the latter would probably
draw if the two wore rigidly connected.
The trough is closed at each end by a vertical sluice gate
moving on roller guides, a similar gate being placed at the end
of each of the canal levels, and wedge-shaped packing pieces fixed to the ends of the trough ....
The most interesting and important feature in the design,
the guide screws, intended to ensure the regularity of the
movement of the cradle, are attached by collar bearings to
lattice frame standards at the corner of the lift, a.... . They are made of mild
steel of 30 tons tensile strength, and 14 tons elastic limit, the
maximum strain likely to be brought on them of 595 tons
each, representing about 9 1/2 tons per square inch. The total
length is 80ft. 9in. and the diameter 11·2in., with a 4in. hole
bored through from end to end. The screwed portion, 57 1/2ft.
long, carries a double thread 1·4in. deep, with a rise of 1 in 8.
The guide nuts on the trough are made of gun-metal in two
parts, each 5ft. long, enclosed in a steel plate casing. In
order to keep the screws in longitudinal tension and prevent
sagging, the top collar bearing is carried on a hydraulic press
ram, acting upwards under the constant strain of a small
accumulator. A further provision is made against bending
by four sliding collars, which are moved in pairs by the trough,
so that there can never be more than one-third of the length
of the screw unsupported. It is intended to enclose the screws
in a casing with hinged doors, opening from the passage of the
nuts and closing automatically by sprigs, in order to protect
the thread against dust and other disturbing influences. As
the screws would, in the event of the trough being emptied,
have to bear the whole upward thrust of the floats, or about
1600 tons, the pillars carrying the lower bearings are very
securely anchored in pits about 8ft. square, filled with concrete, ...'.
From The Engineer 1902/01/03: 'The screw shafts are each 82ft. long and 11in. diameter, and are bored out throughout their entire length to a diameter of nearly 4in. to prove the metal. These, at once the most difficult and vital part of the construction, cost together £15,000. ..... One electric motor of 150 horse-power is employed to drive the power shaft and set in motion all four screw shafts simultaneously. The gearing is 1 : 1 throughout, the speed of the motor as well as the screw shafts being 60 revolutions per minute. A considerable power is required in starting the whole mass from rest in either direction, and this varies from time to time according to the level of water in the tank, and the varying friction on the bearing surfaces. On an average about 400 horse-power is required to start from rest, and about 120 horse--power when the mass has attained normal speed. .... It is important that the acceleration at the beginning of the movement of so large a mass and the diminution of speed as it nears the end of the travel should be as uniform as possible, so that no shock occurs to any part of the transmitting mechanism. This is accomplished automatically by the motors themselves, all of which work on the same system. The attendant only has to put the lever on to the first contact of the starting resistance, the motor commences to move, and the current acts on a magnetic magnetic clutch, coupling the lever to the motor shaft through reducing gear. The lever then continues its movement automatically, and the resistance is cut out at uniform acceleration. When the resistance is all out the coupling is automatically disconnected. When the ship's tank lift is being worked the motor, having been started in the above way, continues to run at its normal speed of 60 revolutions. The resistance is gradually thrown in again in the same way by the tank closing a contact fixed to near the end of its travel. The speed of the motor then slowly diminishes, till it is completely shut off, and immediately afterwards a brake is applied by the armature being short-circuited. While this motor is working the motors operating the gates are electrically locked, and the locks are only released when the tank has arrived at the end of its travel and the starting lever is at zero. .....
'The generating station for the supply of electric
current to the motors and for pumping, &c., is situated
close to the ship's lift. ... The engines by Haniel and Lueg, and the dynamos and motors by
W. Lahmeyer and Co., who also carried out all the electrical work on the lift.
As the natural source of supply to the upper section of the canal is insufficient, water is pumped from the
lower to the higher level to compensate for wastage, and
for this purpose duplicate centrifugal pumps are installed
in the station, .....'