Innovative Rudder and Steering Gear System Delivered for Icebreaker by Damen Marine Components
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In a significant achievement in the construction of the Antarctic Supply Research Vessel (ASRV) Nuyina for the Australian government’s Antarctic Division, Damen Marine Components (DMC) has finalized the supply and installation of a variety of essential systems. These systems were required to be crafted to extraordinarily high standards to endure the ice that the vessel will encounter in the Southern Ocean. DMC, under its Van der Velden Marine Systems brand, is accountable for the detailed engineering and production of the rudder and steering gear system.
The rudders, in particular, possess a distinct design. They have been conceptualized and engineered by project-lead Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding as free-hanging, full-spade rudders. These provide optimal hydrodynamic efficiency but have, until this point, been unprecedented for an icebreaking vessel of this caliber, considering the forces involved. Other pioneering features comprise the integrated mechanical rudder stoppers, which are situated between the rudder blade and (hull) skeg structure, rather than on the exterior hull due to its radical design.
To deliver all required steering system components from the bridge to the rudder—including hydraulics, control, and power systems—while fulfilling the unprecedented performance demands, DMC combined its expertise in this domain with that of MacGregor Hatlapa (MacGregor). Working to DMC’s specifications, MacGregor manufactured and delivered the steering gear assemblies and the hydraulic systems that activate them, based on a highly-customized version of its renowned Poseidon series. DMC provided the rudder system, neck and carrier bearing systems, steering gear foundations, electrical system, and the primary steering control system.
With numerous systems pushing the limits of typical icebreaker design and construction, DMC collaborated closely with Lloyds Register’s polar division throughout the process to ensure that the required standards were established and attained. The outcomes of this partnership include rudders that are by far the heaviest per square meter that DMC has ever produced, along with rudder stocks featuring a diameter of over 1000 mm. This, combined with the materials utilized, rendered them particularly challenging to manufacture and install.
These top-specification components are crucial for the safe and reliable operation of the vessel. Its combination of icebreaker classification and high polar class rating necessitates enhancements to its structural integrity, such that, while the maximum design speed of the vessel is about 16 knots, most components had to be engineered to handle theoretical speeds exceeding 31 knots.
This collaborative approach was selected due to DSNS’s need for proven technology and a single supplier, yet the specifications were such that no off-the-shelf products from DMC or its top competitors came close to withstanding the anticipated forces.
Although measuring only 160 meters in length, the stresses imposed on the hull and its components are comparable to those found on a conventional vessel of 300 meters or longer. MacGregor, having an existing product capable of delivering the needed performance after a few modifications and a head office located just 20 minutes from the DMC engineering department in Hamburg, was the perfect collaborator.
The ASRV is currently being constructed at Damen Shipyards Galati and is scheduled for delivery in April 2020.
