Safe operation of Europe’s most state-of-the-art ship lift
The Niederfinow lift on the Oder-Havel Canal uses diagnostic signaling to ensure high availability.
The decision to build a larger lift was made in 1997 because the original ship lift had reached its capacity limit, lifting around 11,000 ships a year, and it was also too short for longer pushed convoys. As part of expanding the waterway, the canal was widened from 34 meters to 55 meters, and the depth increased from 2.8 meters to four meters. Since October 2022, large motor cargo ships up to 110 meters long and 11.4 meters wide as well as pushed convoys up to a length of 135 meters can now operate here.
The challenge
Safe and robust signal system
The signal system that regulates the flow into and out of the ship lift in accordance with the German Inland Waterways Ordinance must comply with Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. Ideally, the safety functions required to comply with the directive are already integrated into the signal lights. LED technology should also be used to ensure energy-efficient and low-maintenance operation. Due to the harsh ambient conditions, it was also required that the signal lights be installed in a robust, saltwater-resistant housing. In addition, it should be possible to adjust the illuminance to an optimum value depending on the actual brightness.
Solution
The signaling system for waterway routes from Phoenix Contact is a systematic complete solution including lighting control, plug-and-play cabling, signal lights for inland waterways, fully assembled control cabinets, and the necessary mounting accessories.
For the lighting, the ship lift has three entry signals, two exit signals, two pleasure boat wait signals, and two direction indicators. A total of 27 state-of-the-art LED signal lights and nine lighting controls have been installed for the entire signaling system. The components communicate with the central system controller via a discrete I/O coupling. It is also possible to exchange data via the standardized PROFINET/PROFIsafe transmission protocol.
By including the safety function into the lighting control and the signal light, certified by TÜV to PL d in accordance with EN ISO 13849-1 and to SIL 2 in accordance with IEC 61508, the signaling system can be integrated easily into the safety chain of the ship lift. If the lighting system no longer fulfills its intended operation due to incorrect control, cross-circuits, or failure, the signaling system is switched to a safe state. If, for example, the red signal for “lock locked” is activated, but a green signal is displayed, the integrated switch-off device intervenes and switches off the faulty signal lights. The user can define the safe state, such as “all green lights off” or “all red lights on”, to suit the particular needs.
Advantages
Detailed diagnostics and monitoring functions
Rapid mounting and commissioning
Simple integration into the safety chain and central system control
Reliable feedback on the correct functioning of the signal light
Archiving of all relevant data for the port authorities and the lock operator
The systematic concept and the state-of-the-art design with LED technology including an integrated safety function enables the Ship Lift Niederfinow signaling system to be set up easily in compliance with regulations and laws. Since October 2022, the public has also been able to visit the ship lift and take guided tours to learn more about how the impressive lift works.
The ship lift was handed over to the operator at the beginning of October 2022. The signaling system ensures that nothing stands in the way of the safe operation of the new structure.