seatrains for marine highway
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Seatrains for the Marine Highway: The Spectrum of Configurations, Operations
and Performance
William A. HockbergerIndependent Consultant
Marine Systems Planning
Transportation Research Board Annual MeetingSession 381: New Technologies for the Marine Highway
14 January 2013 – Washington, DC
Outline• The train idea is widely applied• Used on inland waterways• Would work on coastal marine highways too• Large ship capability with small ship virtues• Part of solution of coastal freight problems• Technology feasible and available• Total-system simulation & business case analysis• Highly beneficial for many aspects of economy
Here’s the general idea: a ship composed of segments that can be added on or dropped off as necessary.
Early trains
Modern railroad trains
Trucktrains
So what does a train do for us?• Power/crew unit + unmanned cargo units• Acquire units as needed• Assemble only units required• Mix & match unit types and cargoes• Any unit from/to anywhere on the network• Don’t transload cargo, just reconnect unit• Individualized unit maintenance & repair• Most problems affect units, not whole train• Load/unload each unit where convenient• Load/unload each unit on own schedule • Units can serve as temporary storage
The train idea works on water too• Most tons moved relative to power applied• Barge trains evolved• But ... on protected inland waters so far
Our coastal marine highways are where– Major ports are– Ocean freight must be transshipped– Highway relief is most needed– Cargoes must move faster
We need trains there too
What about unprotected coastal waters?
Open waters are challenging, barge trains are avoided• Waves can move hulls wildly
causing great damage & loss• Single big barge preferred• If towed, barge must be well
separated from tug • Barges increasingly pushed –
less power, better control
Articulated tug/barge (ATB)
• Operable in open ocean – tug locked in place in a notch
• Numerous train-like attributes – good starting basis for a coastal freight seatrain
Our evolving marine freight transport system
• Steadily rising ocean trade• Steadily larger ships, fewer ports able to receive them• Growing need to distribute freight from ports • Growing freight movement of domestic origin• Rapidly worsening highway congestion• Much talk about using marine highways, but studies
keep showing they aren’t competitive
Time for a different approach:• Seatrains could in effect provide many more ships (units)
of smaller size capable of accessing many more ports
http://www.worldportsource.com/ports/USA.php
We have those ports• Present ports too few
and far between• Drayage & trucking
add greatly to cost• Large ports slow and
costly• Seatrains could bypass
them to serve many smaller locations near freight destinations
• Worldportsource says 531 ports in US
• Other business & industry locations also possible
http://www.worldportsource.com/ports/USA.php
Seatrain characteristics• Power and crew in a tug/pusher unit• A number of unmanned cargo units• Reduced draft, beam, unit length • Reduced structure weight due to joints• Reduced power & fuel
At the cost of:• Joints and connectors• Ballasting system in units• Way to propel units when separate• Reduced maneuverability when long
• Builds on ATB technology & experience– Connectors– Operations
• All basic ship types/configurations – monohull, catamaran, trimaran, SES, hovercraft, etc.
• Any desired size, speed
At this point:• No off-the-shelf designs ready to build• Conceptual designs ready for trade-offs, model
testing, design & engineering
Seatrain technology
Seasnake (by Seasnake LLC)
• Extensively engineered & model tested
• Flexible for turning• Semicircular cross-section• Intended as tanker (slow)
but suitable for other uses
Ship size/length
Powerperton
( a general phenomenon )
Propulsor
SeaTrain SES (surface effect ship) by Keck Technologies LLC
• High-speed design for• High-value time-sensitive goods• Time-definite delivery
• Catamaran side hulls + air seals at ends, rises on cushion for 35-55 kts (well-developed technology)
• Conventional materials & systems, Intercon ATB connectors
SeaTrain SESHigh-Speed SeaLift
4,000 tons Ro-Ro cargo5,000 nm at 43 kts in Seastate 416 ft draft off-cushion 6 ft draft on-cushion
Connecting complete ships
• Small ships linked to get big-ship powering & seakeeping when transiting
• Multiple systems & crews
Concept by Maritime Applied Physics Corp.
From the Illustrated London News, August 1863
The British ship “Connector ”built by the Jointed Ship Company in 1858
Seatrain benefits
• A huge range of locations become accessible• Smaller local land-side impacts• Reduced crew in power unit, none in cargo units • Buildable in more, smaller, lower-cost yards• All total-system operational benefits of trains• Adapt existing fleet operations management systems• Reduced construction of highways, bridges, tunnels
To Bridgeport,
New Haven
Seatrains in New York
Harbor
To AlbanyTo many companies
Deciding about a seatrain
• Every transport service is unique; but seatrains offer adaptability to match a broad range of service requirements
• A total-system, long-term matter, not one seatrain vs. one conventional ship for one unique service
• Need to model and simulate the whole system (including related land systems) across many uses over many years
• Long-term company profitability is the metric
Conclusions• The train approach is widely applied• Seatrains can be a practical, efficient,
economical coastal marine highways solution• Technology is feasible & available• Seatrains would be highly beneficial overall for • Transportation system• Business & economy• US marine industry