The Influence of Bow Boats on Inland River Towboats and Barges. Final Report

摘要

The evaluation of maneuvering systems was listed as a high priority item in both the 1972 Planning Conference on Domestic Shipping and the 1976 Domestic Shipping Conference. This report describes a research project performed to satisfy the requirements set forth in the above named conferences. The first task was to conduct a survey of the inland waterway industry to obtain information as to the current use of bow steering units, to identify trends in areas of operation, and to determine advantages of operating with bow steering units. In the second task, a series of full scale tests were performed with a tow consisting of two 23,000 bbl. tank barges, a 660 HP towboat, and two bow units of different designs. Maneuvering, speed, and steering tests were conducted and in-service comparisons were made. The data show that, while the performance of a tow is enhanced by the addition of a bow unit, fuel consumption increases.