Post by ferryfast admin on Apr 13, 2005 10:23:02 GMT -5
13 Apr 2005
TRIMARAN TO DOMINATE HIGH SPEED SEA TRANSPORT
(See www.austal.com/ For Entire Press Release of 16 pages/Word Doc)
SUMMARY
Larger than any existing diesel-powered fast ferry - catamaran or monohull - "Benchijigua Express" is world's largest all-aluminium ship and first commercial trimaran with significant commercial and military applications.
With the handover completed on April 13, the new 127 metre, Auto Express 127 trimaran built by the West Australian shipyard, Austal, for Fred. Olsen, S.A. is quite simply the most significant vessel to arrive on the fast ferry stage and is set to allow fast sea transportation to improve and open up new markets beyond the ability of existing fast ferry design for both commercial and military operators.
When Austal and European ferry operator Fred. Olsen, S.A. signed a contract in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in May 2003 to build a second high speed vehicle–passenger ferry, it was the signal to start constructing not just another ferry but also the end to an exhaustive design, research and development programme with origins dating back as far as early 2000, to create a new hullform which would provide a quantum improvement in the performance and operability of large fast ferries.
Fred. Olsen, S.A. pioneered the use of large high-speed ferries in the Canary Islands and currently carries almost three million passengers, half a million cars and a quarter of a million cargo vehicles per year. Since 1999 it has been operating large fast catamarans and while happy with the results, the company identified some limitations in terms of capacity and especially passenger comfort when operating in rough seas.
This led to the conclusion that further research was needed in order to develop a new concept for high-speed vessels, combining the softer roll of monohulls with the low resistance, very good stability and carrying capacity of catamarans.
With these objectives in mind, Fred. Olsen, S.A. and Austal cooperated on an extensive programme of research, tank testing and analysis, firstly to develop a new design and then ensure it would meet Fred. Olsen, S.A.'s requirements in an efficient and cost-effective manner. The result is correctly described as a slender stabilised monohull, but more commonly referred to as a trimaran.
Austal Chairman, Mr John Rothwell, is confident the superior seakeeping performance of the trimaran will provide Fred. Olsen, S.A.'s passengers with significantly enhanced levels of comfort compared to the company’s existing fast ferries and is also expected to result in noticeably higher levels of operability.
"Studies based on actual sea conditions found in the Canary Islands enabled Austal to accurately model the vessel's performance on each leg of the proposed route. The final report showed the trimaran would offer a 26% improvement in operability compared to existing hullforms," he explained.
Fred. Olsen, S.A. Chairman, Mr. Fred Olsen Jnr. said that through the close cooperation with Austal a highly versatile vessel with many improvements over his current fast ship fleet has been developed.
"The characteristics of this new vessel, with a length of 126.7 metres and beam of 30.4 metres, will improve overall efficiency in terms of passenger capacity, deadweight and freight lane metres by more than 35%. At the same time passenger comfort will increase by 25% to 40% depending on the routes we operate", Mr. Olsen said.
"This trimaran should, for us, be the solution for many years to come and could very well set the standard for a new generation of large fast ferries. We believe our customers deserve the best".
During sea trials with operating ride control "Benchijigua Express" achieved a speed of 40.4 knots whilst carrying deadweight of 500 tonnes. With a capacity to carry 1,350 passengers and 341 cars the ferry will operate between Los Christianos in the south of Tenerife and the islands of La Gomera and La Palma.
Arranged in two separate engine rooms in the trimaran's central hull are four MTU 20V 8000 diesel engines, each rated to 8,200kW which will be upgraded to 9,100kW during the first quarter of 2006. Those in the aft engine room each drive a Kamewa 125 SII steerable waterjet from Rolls-Royce while the two forward engines deliver their combined power to a Kamewa 180 BII booster waterjet. Each of the three drivelines features Renk transmissions, with lightweight composite shafts fitted between the waterjets and gearboxes and on the output shaft of the forward most engine. The exhausts for the outboard aft engines are dry type exiting the vessel at the bridge deck through a funnel casing. The inboard engines have a wet exhaust system exiting between the hulls.
"Even though the trimaran is very much larger in terms of both length and capacity, the challenge for Austal has been to deliver manoeuvring characteristics equivalent or better than Fred. Olsen S.A.'s existing vessels," said Mr. James Bennett, Austal's Technical Manager.
"This has been achieved by fitting two Ulstein Aquamaster UL601 azimuthing bow thrusters supplied by Rolls-Royce. The ability to synchronise the thruster and waterjet control systems will give the vessel's Captain excellent control to ensure fast, efficient and safe operation in port. Once in open water the electrically driven thrusters are retracted into the hull to reduce drag and thus maximise the vessel’s speed and efficiency," he explained.
With electrical power provided by the vessel's diesel generators the bow thrusters can be integrated into the harbour mode of the waterjets to provide a single point of control for both systems. Alternatively, the Captain can choose to operate the bow thrusters independently. Keeping maintenance costs to a minimum, the bow thrusters are designed to be lifted out onto the vehicle deck whilst the vessel remains afloat for inspection.
See Part #2
TRIMARAN TO DOMINATE HIGH SPEED SEA TRANSPORT
(See www.austal.com/ For Entire Press Release of 16 pages/Word Doc)
SUMMARY
Larger than any existing diesel-powered fast ferry - catamaran or monohull - "Benchijigua Express" is world's largest all-aluminium ship and first commercial trimaran with significant commercial and military applications.
With the handover completed on April 13, the new 127 metre, Auto Express 127 trimaran built by the West Australian shipyard, Austal, for Fred. Olsen, S.A. is quite simply the most significant vessel to arrive on the fast ferry stage and is set to allow fast sea transportation to improve and open up new markets beyond the ability of existing fast ferry design for both commercial and military operators.
When Austal and European ferry operator Fred. Olsen, S.A. signed a contract in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in May 2003 to build a second high speed vehicle–passenger ferry, it was the signal to start constructing not just another ferry but also the end to an exhaustive design, research and development programme with origins dating back as far as early 2000, to create a new hullform which would provide a quantum improvement in the performance and operability of large fast ferries.
Fred. Olsen, S.A. pioneered the use of large high-speed ferries in the Canary Islands and currently carries almost three million passengers, half a million cars and a quarter of a million cargo vehicles per year. Since 1999 it has been operating large fast catamarans and while happy with the results, the company identified some limitations in terms of capacity and especially passenger comfort when operating in rough seas.
This led to the conclusion that further research was needed in order to develop a new concept for high-speed vessels, combining the softer roll of monohulls with the low resistance, very good stability and carrying capacity of catamarans.
With these objectives in mind, Fred. Olsen, S.A. and Austal cooperated on an extensive programme of research, tank testing and analysis, firstly to develop a new design and then ensure it would meet Fred. Olsen, S.A.'s requirements in an efficient and cost-effective manner. The result is correctly described as a slender stabilised monohull, but more commonly referred to as a trimaran.
Austal Chairman, Mr John Rothwell, is confident the superior seakeeping performance of the trimaran will provide Fred. Olsen, S.A.'s passengers with significantly enhanced levels of comfort compared to the company’s existing fast ferries and is also expected to result in noticeably higher levels of operability.
"Studies based on actual sea conditions found in the Canary Islands enabled Austal to accurately model the vessel's performance on each leg of the proposed route. The final report showed the trimaran would offer a 26% improvement in operability compared to existing hullforms," he explained.
Fred. Olsen, S.A. Chairman, Mr. Fred Olsen Jnr. said that through the close cooperation with Austal a highly versatile vessel with many improvements over his current fast ship fleet has been developed.
"The characteristics of this new vessel, with a length of 126.7 metres and beam of 30.4 metres, will improve overall efficiency in terms of passenger capacity, deadweight and freight lane metres by more than 35%. At the same time passenger comfort will increase by 25% to 40% depending on the routes we operate", Mr. Olsen said.
"This trimaran should, for us, be the solution for many years to come and could very well set the standard for a new generation of large fast ferries. We believe our customers deserve the best".
During sea trials with operating ride control "Benchijigua Express" achieved a speed of 40.4 knots whilst carrying deadweight of 500 tonnes. With a capacity to carry 1,350 passengers and 341 cars the ferry will operate between Los Christianos in the south of Tenerife and the islands of La Gomera and La Palma.
Arranged in two separate engine rooms in the trimaran's central hull are four MTU 20V 8000 diesel engines, each rated to 8,200kW which will be upgraded to 9,100kW during the first quarter of 2006. Those in the aft engine room each drive a Kamewa 125 SII steerable waterjet from Rolls-Royce while the two forward engines deliver their combined power to a Kamewa 180 BII booster waterjet. Each of the three drivelines features Renk transmissions, with lightweight composite shafts fitted between the waterjets and gearboxes and on the output shaft of the forward most engine. The exhausts for the outboard aft engines are dry type exiting the vessel at the bridge deck through a funnel casing. The inboard engines have a wet exhaust system exiting between the hulls.
"Even though the trimaran is very much larger in terms of both length and capacity, the challenge for Austal has been to deliver manoeuvring characteristics equivalent or better than Fred. Olsen S.A.'s existing vessels," said Mr. James Bennett, Austal's Technical Manager.
"This has been achieved by fitting two Ulstein Aquamaster UL601 azimuthing bow thrusters supplied by Rolls-Royce. The ability to synchronise the thruster and waterjet control systems will give the vessel's Captain excellent control to ensure fast, efficient and safe operation in port. Once in open water the electrically driven thrusters are retracted into the hull to reduce drag and thus maximise the vessel’s speed and efficiency," he explained.
With electrical power provided by the vessel's diesel generators the bow thrusters can be integrated into the harbour mode of the waterjets to provide a single point of control for both systems. Alternatively, the Captain can choose to operate the bow thrusters independently. Keeping maintenance costs to a minimum, the bow thrusters are designed to be lifted out onto the vehicle deck whilst the vessel remains afloat for inspection.
See Part #2