Low-profile cargo vessels providing transport of shipping containers

Abstract

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a low-profile cargo vessel includes a cargo bed that is open to the stern, an engine compartment forward of the cargo bed, a fairing, and buoyancy volume. The cargo bed includes a cargo bed floor and first and second cargo bed walls on opposite sides of cargo bed floor. The cargo bed, interior portions of the first and second cargo bed walls, and interior portions of cargo bed floor are free-flooding to sea water. The fairing is configured to provide a hydrodynamic bow structure ahead of the engine compartment. The buoyancy volume is inside upper portions of the first and second cargo bed walls spaced apart from cargo bed floor so that the low-profile cargo vessel floats with a waterline above the cargo bed floor and more than half way up the first and second cargo bed walls.

1 . A low-profile cargo vessel comprising:
 a cargo bed that is open to the stern, wherein the cargo bed includes a cargo bed floor and first and second cargo bed walls on opposite sides of cargo bed floor, and wherein the cargo bed, interior portions of the first and second cargo bed walls, and interior portions of cargo bed floor are free-flooding to sea water;   an engine compartment forward of the cargo bed;   a fairing configured to provide a hydrodynamic bow structure ahead of the engine compartment; and   buoyancy volume inside upper portions of the first and second cargo bed walls spaced apart from cargo bed floor so that the low-profile cargo vessel floats with a waterline above the cargo bed floor and more than half way up the first and second cargo bed walls in the cargo bed.   
     
     
         2 . The low-profile cargo vessel of  claim 1  further comprising:
 wall fuel bladers in the first and second cargo bed walls between the buoyancy volume and the cargo bed floor, wherein a volume occupied by wall fuel bladers diminishes as fuel is consumed, and wherein the diminished volume of the wall fuel bladers is displaced by free-flooding sea water inside the first and second cargo bed walls. 
 
     
     
         3 . The low-profile cargo vessel of  claim 2  further comprising:
 wall panels on opposite sides of each of the first and second cargo bed walls so that the buoyancy volume and the wall fuel bladders in each of the first and second cargo bed walls are protected between the wall panels on the opposite sides of the respective cargo bed wall. 
 
     
     
         4 . The low-profile cargo vessel of  claim 2  further comprising:
 floor fuel bladers in cargo bed floor, wherein a volume occupied by floor fuel bladers diminishes as fuel is consumed, and wherein the diminished volume of the floor fuel bladers is displaced by free-flooding sea water inside cargo bed floor. 
 
     
     
         5 . The low-profile cargo vessel of  claim 4  further comprising:
 floor panels on top and bottom sides of the cargo bed floor so that the floor fuel bladders in the cargo bed floor are protected between the floor panels on the opposite sides of the cargo bed floor. 
 
     
     
         6 . The low-profile cargo vessel of  claim 1  further comprising:
 first and second longitudinal beams on opposite sides of cargo bed floor; 
 a plurality of floor beams extending between the first and second longitudinal beams; 
 a first plurality of frames extending from the first longitudinal beam to support the first cargo bed wall; 
 a second plurality of frames extending from the second longitudinal beam to support the second cargo bed wall; and 
 a bulkhead extending between one of the first frames and one of the second frames; 
 wherein the bulkhead is between the engine compartment and the cargo bed, and wherein the engine compartment is coupled to the first and second longitudinal beams using a plurality of detachable couplings. 
 
     
     
         7 . The low-profile cargo vessel of  claim 6 , wherein each of the first and second longitudinal beams is coupled with twist-lock receptacles forward and aft of the bulkhead, and wherein the detachable couplings comprises twist-locks securing the engine compartment to the twist-lock receptacles forward of the bulkhead. 
     
     
         8 . The low-profile cargo vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the buoyancy volume comprises foam. 
     
     
         9 . The low-profile cargo vessel of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 first and second propulsors on opposite sides of the low-profile cargo vessel, wherein the first and second propulsors are separately coupled with engine compartment to provide thrust steering.   
     
     
         10 . The low-profile cargo vessel of  claim 9 , wherein the first and second propulsors comprise first and second propellers driven by respective first and second electric motors, wherein the engine compartment is configured to separately provide electrical power to the first and second electric motors to provide the thrust steering. 
     
     
         11 . A low-profile cargo vessel comprising:
 first and second longitudinal beams arranged in parallel;   a plurality of floor beams extending between the first and second longitudinal beams;   floor panels above and below the floor beams to define a cargo bed floor having an interior floor volume;   a first plurality of frames extending from the first longitudinal beam to support the first cargo bed wall;   first inside and outside wall panels on the first plurality of frames to define a first cargo bed wall having a first interior wall volume;   a second plurality of frames extending from the second longitudinal beam to support the second cargo bed wall;   second inside and outside wall panels on the second plurality of frames to define a second cargo bed wall having a second interior wall volume;   a bulkhead extending between one of the first frames and one of the second frames, wherein a cargo bed is defined as a space aft of the bulkhead between the first and second cargo bed walls;   an engine compartment coupled to the first and second longitudinal beams with the bulkhead between the engine compartment and the cargo bed; and   a fairing configured to provide a hydrodynamic bow structure ahead of the engine compartment.   
     
     
         12 . The low-profile cargo vessel of  claim 11 , wherein the cargo bed is free-flooding to sea water, and wherein portions of the interior floor volume and the first and second interior wall volumes are free-flooding to sea water. 
     
     
         13 . The low-profile cargo vessel of  claim 12  further comprising:
 a buoyancy volume inside upper portions of the first and second interior wall volumes and spaced apart from the cargo bed floor so that the low-profile cargo vessel floats with a waterline above the cargo bed floor and more than half-way up the first and second cargo bed walls in the cargo bed. 
 
     
     
         14 . The low-profile cargo vessel of  claim 13 , wherein the buoyancy volume comprises foam. 
     
     
         15 . The low-profile cargo vessel of  claim 13  further comprising:
 wall fuel bladers in the first and second interior wall volumes between the buoyancy volume and the cargo bed floor, wherein a volume occupied by wall fuel bladers diminishes as fuel is consumed, and wherein the diminished volume of the wall fuel bladers is displaced by free-flooding sea water in the first and second interior wall volumes. 
 
     
     
         16 . The low-profile cargo vessel of  claim 12  further comprising:
 floor fuel bladers in interior floor volume, wherein a volume occupied by floor fuel bladers diminishes as fuel is consumed, and wherein the diminished volume of the floor fuel bladers is displaced by free-flooding sea water in interior floor volume. 
 
     
     
         17 . The low-profile cargo vessel of  claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second longitudinal beams is coupled with twist-lock receptacles forward and aft of the bulkhead, and wherein the detachable couplings comprises twist-locks securing the engine compartment to the twist-lock receptacles forward of the bulkhead. 
     
     
         18 . The low-profile cargo vessel of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 first and second propulsors on opposite sides of the low-profile cargo vessel, wherein the first and second propulsors are separately coupled with engine compartment to provide thrust steering.   
     
     
         19 . The low-profile cargo vessel of  claim 18 , wherein the first and second propulsors comprise first and second propellers driven by respective first and second electric motors, wherein the engine compartment is configured to separately provide electrical power to the first and second electric motors to provide thrust steering.