Damen RSD Tug~® 2513

摘要

As a result of increasing vessel sizes, tug operations in ports are becoming more demanding for both tugs and their crew. Larger vessels in confined rivers and basins, as well as the increasing speed of operations, have resulted in a change in the safety of port operations. Efficient and safe operations reduce risks, time and money for the operators. New insights and lessons learned from trie successful Damen ASD and ATD Tug series led to a revolutionary new concept - the reversed stern drive (RSD) Tug 2513. Key words for the Damen RSD Tug~® 2513 are compact, powerful, high performance, safe, predictable and responsive. The RSD Tug 2513 will be equipped with a revolutionary patented twin fin skeg design which will lead to predictable sailing performances, giving the operator optimal towing performance both at the stern and at the bow of the assisted vessel. By offering one type of tug for all modes of operation the safety will increase as crews need less familiarisation time and costs will reduce for the operator. In close co-operation with the company's research department, extensive model tests for the verification of directional course stability in both sailing directions were conducted and CFD calculations were used to optimise the hydrodynamic performance. The RSD Tug 2513 is the only compact tug designed to work bow first. Operators never have to reposition their tug working in indirect or direct mode - at all speeds, sailing ahead and astern as a stern or bow tug respectively. A broad view of the safety aspects was taken into account during the design of the RSD Tug 2513. This included the human machine interface (HMI) factor, hull and equipment layout, low noise levels and quick engine response, among other things. Damen expects this integrated approach to revolutionise the tug world. This in turn, will lead to safer operations. After the successful introduction of the Damen Hybrid Tugs (today there are seven in operation), the RSD Tug 2513 with natural gas (NG) driven engines is the next innovative environmental development. The RSD Tug 2513 CNG will be a pure NG-powered vessel, with high-speed engines in combination with compressed natural gas (CNG) storage. In this paper we will elaborate on the lessons learnt and the possibilities discovered when developing the RSD Tug 2513 and the RSD Tug 2513 CNG, which could lead us into a cleaner, safer and more cost-effective future.