充气护舷的工作原理—How do Pneumatic Fenders work?

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气动护舷（又称充气护舷或空气护舷）是船舶安全防护的关键装置，专门用于吸收动能并降低船舶间（如船舶转运作业）或船舶与结构物（如码头、码头或海上平台停泊时）碰撞时的冲击力。其工作原理基于压缩空气缓冲这一简单却高效的机制。以下是充气护舷工作原理的详细解析：

Pneumatic fenders, also known as inflatable fenders or air fenders, are critical marine safety devices designed to absorb kinetic energy and reduce impact forces during vessel-to-vessel (ship-to-ship transfer operations) or vessel-to-structure (berthing at docks, piers, or offshore platforms) interactions. Their operation relies on a simple yet effective principle of compressed air cushioning. Here’s a detailed breakdown of how they work:

1.基本结构 Basic Structure

充气护舷由三个主要部分组成：Pneumatic fenders consist of three main components:

  •外层：由增强型合成橡胶（由高性能的锦纶线及氯丁橡胶、天然橡胶）制成的坚韧柔韧层，具有高强度、耐磨及耐候性。通常采用多层锦纶线骨架材料加固，以承受高压与机械应力。 Outer Skin: A tough, flexible layer typically made of reinforced synthetic rubber (e.g., neoprene, natural rubber, or polyurethane) with high tensile strength, abrasion resistance, and weatherability. It is often reinforced with multiple layers of fabric (e.g., nylon, polyester) to withstand high pressure and mechanical stress.

  •本体：一个密封腔体，内部充有受控压力的压缩空气。该空气作为主要缓冲介质。

Inner Air Chamber: A sealed cavity filled with compressed air (or nitrogen, in some cases) at a controlled pressure. This air acts as the primary cushioning medium.

  • 配件：充放气阀、安装用端法兰或卡箍，以及用于防止使用中损坏的防护摩擦条或链条。青岛永泰充气护舷靠球采用链条轮胎网保护充气护舷主体，从而延长充气护舷靠球的使用寿命。

Fittings: Valves for inflation/deflation, end flanges or shackles for mounting, and sometimes protective chafing strips or chains to prevent damage during use. Qingdao Evergreen use chain nets to protect the fender body and extend the service life of Pneumatic fenders.

2. 压缩空气能量吸收的核心工作原理Core Working Principle: Compressed Air Energy Absorption
当船舶接近码头或其他船只时，气动防撞垫会置于两船表面之间。一旦发生碰撞，防撞垫在冲击载荷作用下发生形变，压缩内腔空气。这种压缩将船舶的动能转化为储存在压缩空气中的势能，从而有效减缓船舶速度并分散冲击力。

When a vessel approaches a dock or another ship, pneumatic fenders are positioned between the two surfaces. As contact occurs, the fenderdeforms under the impact load, compressing the air inside the inner chamber. This compression converts the vessel’s kinetic energy intopotential energy stored in the compressed air, effectively slowing the vessel and dissipating the impact force.

Key mechanics:

  • 气压压缩：当充气护舷受压时，内腔空气体积减小，使内部气压升高。这种压力上升产生的恢复力会抵抗进一步变形，起到缓冲冲击的作用，如同弹簧般发挥作用。

Air Compression: As the fender is squeezed, the volume of the inner air chamber decreases, increasing the internal air pressure. This pressure rise creates arestorative forcethat resists further deformation, acting as a “spring” to cushion the impact.

  • 能量耗散机制：充气护舷形变与空气压缩共同吸收船舶运动产生的动能。相较于橡胶轮胎或泡沫挡泥板等刚性材料，充气舱可实现渐进式可控减速，从而最大限度降低船舶与结构件的冲击峰值。

Energy Dissipation: The deformation of the fender and compression of air absorb the kinetic energy of the moving vessel. Unlike rigid materials (e.g., rubber tires or foam fenders), the air-filled chamber allows forgradual, controlled deceleration, minimizing peak impact forces on both the vessel and the structure.

  • 压力调节：初始充气压力（通常为0.05–0.3 MPa，具体取决于挡泥板尺寸及应用）至关重要。较低压力可实现更大变形量与能量吸收，而较高压力则能为较重容器提供更刚性的阻力。Pressure Regulation: The initial inflation pressure (typically 0.05–0.3 MPa, depending on the fender size and application) is critical. Lower pressure allows greater deformation and energy absorption, while higher pressure provides stiffer resistance for heavier vessels.

3.变形与反作用力特性 Deformation and Reaction Force Characteristics

充气护舷具有非线性力-形变曲线：Pneumatic fenders exhibit anon-linear force-deformation curve:

  • 初始接触：当船舶首次触碰防撞壁时，充气护舷橡胶外层易发生形变，气压缓慢上升。该设计可确保初始反作用力较低，避免突然震动。

Initial Contact: When the vessel first touches the fender, the rubber skin deforms easily, and air pressure rises slowly. This ensures low initial reaction force, preventing sudden jolts.

  • 最大压缩：随着变形程度增加（达到充气护舷直径的约50%-70%），气压急剧上升，产生更高的反作用力以阻止船舶运动。

Maximum Compression: As deformation increases (up to ~50–70% of the fender’s diameter), air pressure rises sharply, generating higher reaction forces to halt the vessel’s motion.

  • 恢复：当冲击载荷解除后，压缩空气会将充气护舷推回原状，使其恢复可重复使用状态。

Recovery: Once the impact load is removed, the compressed air pushes the fender back to its original shape, ready for reuse.

4. 充气护舷的优势 Advantages of Air Cushioning

  • 高能量吸收能力：相较于实心护舷（如泡沫填充或橡胶护舷），充气护舷单位重量可吸收更多能量，因此特别适用于停泊时需承受高能量冲击的大型船舶（如油轮、集装箱船）。

High Energy Absorption: Pneumatic fenders can absorb large amounts of energy per unit weight compared to solid fenders (e.g., foam-filled or rubber fenders), making them ideal for large vessels (e.g., oil tankers, container ships) with high berthing energy.

  •可调刚度：通过调节充气压力，操作人员可针对不同船舶尺寸、航速及环境条件（如恶劣海况）定制充气护舷性能。

Adjustable Stiffness: By varying the inflation pressure, operators can tailor the fender’s performance to different vessel sizes, speeds, and environmental conditions (e.g., rough seas).

  •浮力特性：充气护舷采用浮力设计，能随潮位或船舶干舷高度自动调整位置，确保停泊时始终提供可靠保护。

Floating Capability: Most pneumatic fenders are buoyant, allowing them to self-position with changing tide levels or vessel freeboard, ensuring consistent protection during berthing.

  •减震功能：气室可最大限度地减少振动和冲击波，从而降低对船体、码头结构及货物（如液体货物转运时）的应力。

Shock Absorption: The air chamber minimizes vibration and impact shocks, reducing stress on ship hulls, dock structures, and cargo (e.g., during liquid cargo transfers).

5. 应用 Applications

充气护舷广泛应用于：Pneumatic fenders are widely used in:

  • 船舶间（STS）作业：在锚地或公海期间，于船舶之间进行石油、液化天然气（LNG）或散装货物的转运。

Ship-to-Ship (STS) Operations: Transferring oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), or bulk cargo between vessels at anchor or in open sea.

  • 大型船舶靠泊：油轮、集装箱船及邮轮在港口或近海码头的靠泊作业，此过程对高能量吸收能力要求极高

Large Vessel Berthing: Berthing of tankers, container ships, and cruise liners at ports or offshore terminals, where high energy absorption is critical.

  • 海上设施：在人员转移或补给船作业期间，对石油钻井平台、风力发电场及浮式生产储卸油装置（FPSO）实施保护。Offshore Structures: Protecting oil rigs, wind farms, and floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) units during crew transfers or supply vessel operations.

6. 安全与维护  Safety and Maintenance

  • 压力监测：定期检查可确保内部压力维持在推荐范围内。过度充气会降低变形能力并增加反作用力，而充气不足可能导致挡泥板塌陷或无法有效吸收能量。

Pressure Monitoring: Regular checks ensure the internal pressure remains within the recommended range. Over-inflation can reduce deformation capacity and increase reaction forces, while under-inflation may cause the fender to collapse or fail to absorb energy effectively.

  • 检查：对充气护舷擦伤或泄漏处检查，并对阀门/配件进行气密性检测。Inspection: The outer skin is inspected for cuts, abrasions, or leaks, and valves/fittings are checked for airtightness.

Summary

充气护舷通过压缩空气缓冲作用实现防护。其工作原理是利用柔性增强橡胶腔体储存压缩空气，当船舶撞击时，空气吸收动能并逐渐变形，从而分散冲击力，保护船舶和结构。这种装置具有适应性强、能量吸收高、压力调节便捷等优势，在需要安全可控靠泊或转移的海上作业中不可或缺。Pneumatic fenders work by using compressed air trapped in a flexible, reinforced rubber chamber to cushion impacts. When compressed during vessel contact, the air absorbs kinetic energy, deforms gradually, and dissipates forces, protecting both the vessel and the structure. Their adaptability, high energy absorption, and ease of pressure adjustment make them indispensable in marine operations requiring safe, controlled berthing or transfer.