Steering Mechanism For Shallow Draft Container Carrier and Inland Waterway Container Transport Vessel

Abstract

A steering mechanism for a container carrier ship hull including a bow, a stern, and a container bay therebetween. The bow is provided with a set of depending lateral thruster pods, the set including a first pod disposed along a longitudinal centerline of the hull, a second pod disposed rearward of the first pod and outward from the centerline, and a third pod disposed rearward of the first pod and outward from the centerline opposite from the second pod. The first and second pods define a first longitudinal flow channel to one side of the centerline and the first and third thruster pods define a second longitudinal flow channel to the opposite side of the centerline. A fourth pod, which may omit thruster mechanisms, may be disposed along the centerline reward of the first, second, and third pods, to define with them first and second cross-centerline flow channels.

1 . A container carrier ship comprising an external hull including a bow, a stern, and a container bay having mutually opposing lateral sides extending between the bow and stern, the bow having set of depending lateral thruster pods including:
 a first pod disposed along a longitudinal centerline of the external hull;   a second disposed rearward of the first pod and outward from the longitudinal centerline of the external hull; and   a third pod disposed rearward of the first pod and outward from the longitudinal centerline of the external hull opposite from the second pod;   wherein the first and second pods define a first longitudinal flow channel to one side of the longitudinal centerline of the external hull and the first and third pods define a second longitudinal flow channel to the opposite side of the longitudinal centerline of the external hull.   
     
     
         2 . The container carrier ship of  claim 1 , wherein the external hull further comprises a fourth pod disposed along the longitudinal centerline of the external hull reward of the first, second, and third pods, and wherein the fourth pod in combination with the first, second, and third pods defines a first cross-centerline flow channel and a second cross-centerline flow channel, with the first and second cross-centerline flow channels intersecting proximate the longitudinal centerline of the external hull. 
     
     
         3 . The container carrier ship of  claim 2 , wherein the first, second, and third pods each include a plurality of tunnel thrusters, and the fourth pod is unpopulated by tunnel thrusters. 
     
     
         4 . The container carrier ship of  claim 2 , wherein the first, second, third, and fourth pods each include a plurality of tunnel thrusters. 
     
     
         5 . The container carrier ship of  claim 1 , wherein the bow comprises a double radius ogive profile having two sides that each include a rounded profile having a first radius, a tapered ogive portion having a second radius, and a recurved portion disposed proximate an intersection of the rounded profile with the ogive portion to provide a smooth transition therebetween. 
     
     
         6 . The container carrier ship of  claim 5 , where the first pod is disposed proximate the ogive portion of the bow, the second pod is disposed inboard of one side of the bow proximate to where the rounded profile intersects one lateral side of the container bay, and the third pod is disposed inboard of the opposite side of the bow proximate to where the rounded profile intersects the opposite lateral side of the container bay. 
     
     
         7 . The container carrier ship of  claim 1 , wherein the first pod is disposed proximate the fore-end of a keel of the bow, the second pod is disposed inboard of a first point where the bow has spread at least 85% of the beam of the container bay, and the third pod is disposed inboard of an opposite side of the bow and proximate to a second point mirroring the first point. 
     
     
         8 . The container carrier ship of  claim 1 , wherein the first pod has a leading end, and the leading end includes an inverted bow shape. 
     
     
         9 . The container carrier ship of  claim 8 , wherein the second and third pods have a leading end, and the leading end includes a non-inverted, single radius ogive profile.