The study, considers the economic feasibility of using catamarans for carrying containers, trailers, or both in a combination design. Initially a literature review of catamaran technology provides a basis for design concepts, and also indicates where further work on hydrodynamic and structural response is needed. A brief program of model testing amplifies our knowledge on interference resistance and seaway motions, and analytical techniques are developed and evaluated for predicting motions in head and beam seas. Further support effort is undertaken in the area of cargo handling to develop concepts oriented toward catamaran usage and to obtain time and cost data. Large cargo carrying catamarans of the lift-on/lift-off (LO/LO) container type, roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) trailer type, and a combination of the two are compared with conventional ships of the same type to assess their economic feasibility. Comparisons between the catamarans and conventional ships show that conventional ships are more profitable than the catamarans in all respects. (Author)
Catamaran Study. Volume I. Summary Report
1969
108 pages
Report
No indication
English