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    Germán Aguirrezabala
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    Design Philosophy and Design Process

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    Notes on Harbour Tug Design

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    Design Philosophy and Design Process

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    33 views5 pages

    Notes On Harbour Tug Design

    Uploaded by

    Germán Aguirrezabala
    Design Philosophy and Design Process

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
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    NOTES ON HARBOUR TUG DESIGN By ir. F. Kok Wigsmuller is one of the well known Dutch towage and salyoge companies. Heavy ft. transportation is one of the many specialities. Its newbuilding and construction deportment was transformed into a subsidi- ‘ary in 1981: Wijsmuiler Engineering B.V. which isnot ony responsible for the research, development and engineering on behalf of the other companies within the Wijsmuller group, but is also acting as @ consuitant to Shipbuilders, shipowners and operators all ver the world, This article focusses on some ‘aspects of the design philosophy of Wiismul- fer Engineering, especially in connection with harbour tugs, and concentrates on some of their more recent projects. DESIGN PHILOSOPHY In this chapter some remarks are made on the design process in general and on draw- ing up specifications for a harbour tug in particular. ‘THE DESIGN PROCESS Designing is defined here in a general sense ‘as: finding the optimum solution to satisfy given demand with the aid of available Freans and taking into account physical Constraints and social standards, Generally the design process is divided into three phases. ‘When the process starts, the derrand is of- ten described in very general terms (We freed another tug’) and a considerable “mount of study and analysis may be neces {ary to specify the demand in sufficient de- tall This's the frst phase ofthe design pro- ess, resulting in a functional specification ‘which is the basis for the next phase, “The second phase is finding solutions which will satisfy the functional specifications and selecting the best one. I the demand is for a tug, this phase will result in a specification of the tug's dimen- ‘Sons, machinery installation and arrange- ment in suficient detall o make a reason- able estimate of costs possible, to request tenders and to negotiate a building con- tract. The second phase is often referred to as the design phase its clear that 'e- sign’ Isused here ina restricted sense. ‘The third phase comprises detailing the chosen solution into complete building speatications, shop drawings, ete. This phase of the process is referred to as the ‘engineering phase. ‘A more extensive description of the de- sign process is given in [1]. Specifying the demand ‘When drawing up the functional specific tion for aharbour tug, the cota situation in the port in question has to be considered Important aspects are: fhe size and type of ships calling at the port and their numbers: Pathe type of port and the prevailing geo- graphical and climatic conditions Er the tugboat services already available. These and several other factors are de- scribed in detalin(2], The next paragraphs are based on that publication th very general terms, the demand is for a tool to assist seagoing ships wen they en- ter or leave port, The ships are then quite limited because they have to sail at 2 re- dduced speed and that obviously results in less manoeuvrability than at sea, s0 an ex- ternal force is required to move them in the right direction or to bring them to ¢ stop. Bollard pull and manoeuvrability appear to be the main requirements for harbour tugs, which have as main activities: ~ harbour cowage, including: = perthing/unberthing vessels; = assisting ships and shipyards: = Fiver of canal towage, when the port is Situated some distance inland, as isthe case with many older ports For economic reasons these activities have to be performed with a minimum crew. How great the bollard pull should be de- pends mainly on the size of the vessels, their displacement, but other factors, such as the type of vessel, may be of influence. Ships with high superstructures, e.g. pas- senger vessels and car carriers, are wind Sensitive and a greater bollard pull may be Fequired, especially where local conditions include strong winds. {Also in the case ofships carrying dangerous ‘cargoes, a greater bollard pull may be Fequired to provide 2 sufficient safety margin. ‘Offshore structures, like driling rigs, are a class apart. The bollard pull required is de- rived from experience, calculations and/or simulations though itis not necessary, not desirable even, that the total bollard pull required to control the tow, is supplied by aisingle tug, Often two or more tugs are Used, that also inereases the manoeuvrabil- yy of the tow. Various size ships call at the port and that requires tugs with different bollard pull Capacities. Therefore, when deciding upon the required bollard pull for a specific new tug. itis quite necessary to take the already valiable port capacities into account. Concentrating net oniy on one’s ow fleet. but also on the fleets of possible com- petitors. Good manoeuvrability isarequirement for ‘any harbour tug, especially now many’ adem merchant ships, being equipped with side thrusters, have improved man- ‘deuvring characteristics. To be of any use, tugs must be able to manoeuvre quicker and easier than their tows. Local circum stances can make good manoeuvrability teven more important: relativedly narrow fairways, possible with dificult bends, locks and bridges which have to be passed, narrow entranches to harbour basins, te. ‘The number of crew depends on the duties which the tug has ¢o perform and on the ‘equipment installed. Very often harbour tugs are equipped for additional duties vo increase their useful- ness and their earning power. ‘These additional zetivities may include one ‘or more of the following: = fire fighting; Foto: Henk Koning Ses W SESTE JAARGANG NET ~ rescue/stand-by operations; = salvage; = pollution combat and contro ~ maintenance of buoys ete; = hydrographieal work; = pilorage. Some ofthese tasks maybe imposed by the harbour authorities concerned. ‘Also many harbour tugs are equipped for: coastal towage and further activities atsea, suchas = escort services: = anchor handling: — supply services: — crew tendering. In some ports there isa need for: = ice breaking. Each of these additional activities brings its specific requirements as rogards equip- ‘ment, accommodation ete. The functional specification must describe the additional ‘asks which the tug has to perform and the requirements as regards the capacities of the systems concerned, The services which are required from the tug and the relative importance of each of ‘them determine the operation methods to be used and the towing gear needed: 8. towing, with the tow line secured to: © towing bite; towing hook; © towing winch: b. pushing: © fendering: ©. push-pull operations; 2, combination ofa. andb; 4, along side towing; # long tow lines secured either for- ward or aft Each operation method had its own appli- ‘ation: 4. Towing is usual at sea and when rela- tively long distances have to be covered ‘on canals or rivers b. Pushing and in particular «. the push-pull ype of operation are very suitable for berthing and unberthing vessels. 4. The along side towing method is used sometimes when rendering assistance at sea and there is no direct need for the tug to pull, {t is exsential that the operation methods to be adopted are discussed in this phase with all concerned: not only the owners, bbut also tug crews, pilots and port au- thorities. Further elements to be included in the functional specifications are: ~ free running speed: in some cases, de- pending on the additional duties which the tug has to perform, speed may be an im portant point in the design procedure, e.g. ‘when rescue is one of the duties: = the number of crew members; — bunker capacity; ~ possible restrictions on the tug’s main dimensions, not only from the operational point of view, but also in regard to the available drydocking_ possi sometimes restrict the tug’s dimensions (mostly the draught) and/or weight; = class, Insome cases the budget which is available for the new ship is limited and the designer should then be informed about the maxi- ‘mum budget. The design phase ‘One of the most important aspects in tug design is the selection of the propulsion system, Options are: 1. conventional propellers: 2 rudder propellers, also referred to as azimuth thrusters or z-pellers; 3. eycloidal propellers. Both the conventional propellers and the rudder propellers can be provided with ‘rozzles to increase bollard pull and with pitch control to facilitate manoeuvring and to obtain optimum propulsive efficiency ‘over the entire speed range of the tug. Rudder propellers and cycloidal propellers are superior to conventional propellers a¢ regards manoeuvrability. These propulsion tunits can be arranged atthe stern as well as, in the forward part of the ship. In the first case the tugs are of the ‘stern drive" type, In the latter case ofthe ‘tractor’ type. ‘With all three types of propellers one or ‘wo propulsion units can be fitted, but with rudder propellers and eycloidal prop- cllers two units are usual Inall their recent projects Wijsmuller En- gineering have preferred rudder propel- lers. This because of the superior man- ‘ceuvrability 2s compared to that of con- ventional propeller tugs and because a rud- er propelier has a higher efficiency than a ‘eycloidal propeller. In all cases nozzies are fitted to increase the bollard pull. For instance in some cases pitch control has been adopted. All pro- Jeets have ewo propulsion units for in creased manoeuvrability, to reduce the draught and to enhance safety and flexi- bility. Both stern drive and tractor drive have been applied in the projects, although ‘Wiismuller Engineering prefer stern drive for anumber of reasons: = stern drive tugs are better manoeuvr- able when acting 2s a bow tug: ~ tractor drive tugs have a larger draught; ~ stern drive tugs have a better perform. ance ina seaway;, = in principle maintenance of the rudder propeller units of stern drive tugs is easily possible without drydocking the tug, if hatches have been provided in the upper ‘Sen SOSTE JAARGANG NR7 23 deck to lift the unit from the water: such provisions are not feasible in tractor drive tug. ‘The next step is to determine the engine power required, Ths s calculated with the formula: engine power in kW = £* bollard pull in tonnes, where ler rugs and f = approx. 67 for tugs with cycloidal propellers ‘When the engine power is known, a suit able type _of rudder propeller can be selected. The type and size of the rud- der propeliers determine the minimum breadth of the tug, the draught, che heigth ‘of the deck in the aft ship and thus the minimum depth, the shape of the aft ship sections and the length of the thruster compartment. The length is determined on practical con- siderations. First the minimum length of the engine room is determined on basis of the dimensions of the equipment to be in- stalled: main engines, auxiliary engines, fire pumpsetc. The lay-out ofthe engine room may aso influence the breadth ‘The minimum distance between the main cngines and the rudder propellers follows from the maximum allowable angle of the cardan shafts (maximum 15 degrees) and the shape of the aft ship sections. Ths dis- tance also determines the minimum length fof the compartment between the engine room and the thruster compartment. tis mostly used for tanks and stores, The re- maining parts of the tug’s length are des- tined for fore and aft peaks and a compart- ment forward of the engine room with tanks and possibly some accommodation space. Tank capacity requirements and proper trimming possibilities in different loading conditions determine the length of these compartments. Breadth and depth have to be sufficient to provide good stability, the freeboard large enough to give a dry working deck, ‘The block coefficient is not very critical in harbour tug design. Care should be taken, however, to ensure a good flow of water to the propellers and to avoid sharp shoul- ders in the fore ship. 52.5 t0 62.5 for rudder propel- ‘The engineering phase In the last phase of the process, the design as prepared in the second phase, is worked ‘out in all detail, Ths is not much different from normal engineering practice. How- ever, some specific aspects for harbour tugsare mentioned here. A robust construction is necessary, which rakes it desirable eg, to choose the shell thickness well in excess of rules’ require- ments. The exterior construction should be as flush as possible to prevent the tow line from getting fouled. A flush construc- tion also reduces the amount of mainte- nance work. ‘The towing arrangements have to be care- fully detailed to obtain optimum efficiency and the highest degree of safety. Much attention has to be paid to main- tainability in the engine room: good acces- sablity of components and ease of removal are important aspects. Good maintainabil- ty is especially important when the tugs have to operate in remote areas where re- pair facilities are not near at hand. ‘The lay-out of the bridge and the controls Js another aspect which merits full atten- tion, as it influences to a great extent the ‘operational qualities ofthe tug. ‘An unobstructed view from the wheel- house is a further aspect which merits at- tention. For this reason, and also because it islessnoisy and saves space, Wijsmuller En- gineering prefer to dispense with funnels and to lead the engines’ combustion gases aft, below decks, and to exhaust them near thester, viaa water lock. Yet, some flect- ‘owners still require funnels. ‘Wijsmuller Engineering can take care ofall the three phases of the design process, and also of the economic evaluation of pro- jects, the building supervision and the ‘raining of crews. Future developments As the size of merchant ships is not likely ‘to any increase further, no spectacular in- ‘creases in bollard pull are to be expected, A bollard pull of 60 tons per tug seems to be the maximum, also because with larger botlard pulls the dimensions of the towing ear will become too large for easy and safe handling. ‘Smaller crews are to be expected, both on ‘the tugs and aboard the ships they are as- sisting. This will ave consequences for the hook-up procedures and for the choice of ‘equipment. A suction cup system, de- veloped in Japan, has not yet found much acceptance! Remote control of the tug by the pilot aboard the tow or even from the shore may be expected in the not too distant fu- ture, RECENT PROJECTS The first rudder propelier harbour tugs designed by Wijsmuller Engineering were the four ships of the Provincie-class, com- rmissioned in 1981 for use in the Amsver- ‘dam-ljmuiden area, Another four ships to the same design were completed in 1982 Q). Since then the following projects have been handled by Wijsmuller Engineering: = Kari and two sisterships for Finland, completed in 1981; Uttramar X for Chile, 1983; — Duxand Pax for Norway, 1985; Brightwell for the United Kingdom (4), 1986; Maria Isabel and Maria Louisa for Pana sma, 1987; Velox and three sisterships for Norway, 1988; ‘two tugs for the Orkney Islands, under construction; ~ five terminal tugs for Mexico, tenders requested. Three of the projects willbe described in some detail, the Kari because of her ice breaking capabilities, which necessitated ‘some special design features, as well as the ‘wo designs for Norway. Although the de- signs for Norway were developed for the same owners, they are quite different, “which illustrates the influence of the dffe- ‘rent conditions in the respective ports KARI The Kari and her sisterships, Aulis and Esko, were built by Holling Oy for the state oil company Neste Oy. They operate ‘mostly in the port of the Skoldvik refinery. but they are aso suitable for towing duties coastal and inland waters. Other duties ude firefighting and supplying fresh wa- ter to ships in port. Their main particulars are: Length 0.3. 29.80 m; Length ew 28.90 m: Breadth 02, 10.40 m: Breadth mid 10,00 m; ‘SenW S6STE JAARGANG NR7 me dinette Depth mid Draught mid 5.00 ms 420 m. The hull has been specially designed for ieebreaking, both as regards the hull form and the very heavy construction, which is inaccordance with Finnish ice class 1A, As icebreaking is a noisy business, which also causes much vibration, the complete

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