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