General cargo designs – A new generation of DEKC Maritime vessels

General cargo designs

A NEW GENERATION OF GENERAL CARGO VESSELS

WORDS BY MARLEEN LENTING, COMMERCIAL MANAGER AT DEKC MARITIME. ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF DEKC MARITIME.

With an aging short-sea and general cargo fleet, not to mention new rules and legislation pushing for a more sustainable and greener industry, it is time to reconsider traditional designs and make our new vessels future proof. The main challenge of our current and future designs lies in the ever-increasing speed of technological development and innovation. But how can we design a vessel today that will be able to adapt to future developments?

Vessels are often built for a lifespan of around 20 years or more and, although many elements onboard can be changed, the backbone of the vessel – the hull shape – will remain mostly the same. It is for this reason that optimising the vessel’s hull shape in an early stage of the design process will pay itself back during the boat’s operational life span. Hull optimisation At DEKC, a lot of effort has gone in to utilising parametric hull optimisation; a method of determining the most optimal hull shape based on pre-set parameters by using numerical computer models and running the results through a digital basin in our CFD software. In most cases, the optimum hull shape will cause minimal resistance through the water and thus minimal fuel consumption, increasing the vessel’s performance by 20%.

The optimisation of new designs does not stop with the vessel hull, however. New insights and design tools allow us to optimise the holds for specific trades or increase deadweight without compromising on other aspects of the design. It is about optimising a vessel for its intended trade and route, taking new norms and regulations into account, and creating the >>

Optimising a vessel’s hull shape in an early stage of the design process will pay itself back during the boat’s operational life span. At DEKC this is done using numerical computer models and running the results through a digital basin in CFD software.

It is about optimising a vessel for its intended trade and route.

Marleen Lenting, Commercial Manager at DEKC Maritime.

An example of a computer model rendering.

most efficient and effective vessel for the owners, operators and crew.

Marine fuels Another topic to take into consideration is the future of marine fuels. The industry knows that diesel will not last forever as the primary source of power on a ship, but no one knows exactly which direction to look for an alternative.

At DEKC we are developing a concept for a modular engine room (or power pack) that can easily be swapped out for a unit running on a different source of power, whether it is hydrogen, ammonia or electricity. This means that a vessel designed today can start its life running on diesel, and once an alternative source of power is available the power pack can simply be swapped out for a new one.

All of the afore-mentioned solutions come together in the latest General Cargo Designs. These in-house designed vessels are optimised for their specific trades and purposes, ranging from the highly functional and efficient EcoTrader with 5,200-ton deadweight whilst remaining under 3,000GT, to the FutureTrader with similar capacity and an additional modular and exchangeable powerpack/engine room. Other optimised designs range from 6,000 ton to more than 8,000-ton deadweight.

At DEKC, we’re always looking to optimise new designs, so if you want to know more about the new General Cargo designs, get in touch for more information.

i. www.dekc-maritime.com