At the SMM trade fair DNV GL presented Hyu[ds_preview]ndai Heavy Industries CO., LTD. (HHI) with an Approval in Principle (AiP) certificate for its innovative SkyBench.
Originally presented at the Nor-Shipping trade fair in Oslo in 2015, the SkyBench is an innovative design to increase the cargo capacity of large container vessels. The bridge and upper three decks of a »twin island« design container operate as a separate sliding block, mounted on rails and able to move over the length of two 40ft container bays.
In combination with a resizing and relocation of fuel tanks and the utilization of the void spaces beneath the accommodation block in a traditional design, this allows the addition of two extra 20ft container bays. A working 1:2 scale mockup of the design has recently been successfully testet at HHI yard in Ulsan.
The SkyBench mechanism takes ten minutes to operate at port, using four electric drive train units to move the block backwards from its normal position. The two 40ft side casings on which the accommodation block rests provide structural strength and hold lifeboats, provision cranes and utility rooms. In an emergency, the sliding block is detachable and is designed to float independently of the vessel.
