RESEARCH ON THE STRENGTH OF THE CONTAINER FRAME OF AN IMPROVED DESIGN DURING LOADING AND UNLOADING OPERATIONS

Abstract

Introduction. To increase the volume of cargo transportation in international traffic, container transportation has become widespread. This is due to the possibility of transporting containers by almost all modes of transport, which significantly speeds up the transportation of goods from the sender to the recipient. At the same time, containers are damaged during operation, which necessitates the implementation of unscheduled types of their repairs, and, accordingly, additional costs for maintenance in operation. Purpose. Research into the strength of a container frame of improved design during loading and unloading operations. Results. To ensure the safety of containers in operation, it is proposed to improve the design of their frame by introducing braces and horizontal belts. In order to determine the internal force factors that arise in the container frame when it is lifted by the upper fittings, a calculation was performed in the PC “Lira – SAPR”. The study was conducted on the example of a universal container of standard size 1 CC. In this case, the container frame was considered as a rod structure, which is fixed to the upper fittings and perceives the vertical load caused by its own weight and the weight of the cargo. Based on the obtained values of the force factors, the profile of the braces and horizontal belts of the container frame was determined. Taking into account the selected profile of the braces and horizontal belts, a spatial model of the frame was built and its strength was calculated. In this case, the finite element method, which is implemented in SolidWorks Simulation, was applied. It was found that the proposed improvement is expedient. This makes it possible to reduce the maximum stresses in the container frame by 7% compared to a typical design. Conclusions. The results of the research will contribute to the creation of recommendations for the design of modern container structures with improved technical, economic and operational characteristics. This, in turn, will allow to increase the efficiency of container transportation, including in international traffic.