06 May  2016

Article from Ship & Offshore.net

The Danish naval design and marine consultancy KNUD E. HANSEN has been developing a number of what it describes as “pioneering” container feeder vessel designs, each of which presents a series of innovations as part of a solution tailored to specific requirements. The first of three designs is for a 2,000-TEU vessel meant to specialise in calling at small, narrow, upriver ports. A second design is for a vessel that doesn’t need such a shallow draught and has a 3,800-TEU capacity.

With draught not being a primary consideration, this design sees the feeder vessel fitted out with a larger-diameter, slower-turning propeller. The third arrangement sees the application of an innovative hull shape suited for carriage of both partial and full container loads. The problem arises out of the differing ways in which a vessel behaves based on its load. A large container vessel, when carrying few containers, has shallow draught but so much stability that accelerations are too high, causing problems for the lashing gear and the crew. The design features an opentop section in the main hull, with 40ft containers stacked in a fixed cell guide system. Because cell guides are not fitted outboard the main hull above the outriggers, the loading flexibility with regard to carrying 20ft, 45ft and 48ft containers has been addressed.