Fresh thinking for innovative solutions
Our seas and oceans can be dangerous places. As a result of this, the maritime industry tends to be a conservative one, placing its trust in proven solutions. However, this does not prevent the industry from being innovative; on the contrary, the continual technological advancements in the technologies that underpin the sector, ensure that the maritime world is a thriving, dynamic theatre of perpetual evolution.
At KNUD E. HANSEN, we play our part in driving innovation by taking a fresh approach to all designs, starting with a blank piece of paper on every occasion, considering all possible new and pre-existing solutions.
Our design teams give equal consideration to both innovative and traditional technologies, assessing their merits in respect to each individual project’s requirements and aiming, at all times, to fulfil our clients’ needs.
Our flexible approach to each project undertaking is combined with a philosophy of continual organizational development, including training for new skills. The results of this approach include the loyalty and dedication of our employees, long-term relationships with our clients and the development of the next generation of vessels for the maritime industry.
Our designs are based on knowledge of current technologies, technologies that are currently being developed, and relevant fuels for vessel operation. We have the ability to develop implementation plans and solutions that allow your company to succeed. KNUD E. HANSEN provides Ship Owners with assistance in setting their own targets that indicate their dedication and commitment to decarbonizing their fleet for net-zero operations.
In 2001, when a container vessel of 8000 TEU was considered to be ultra large, KNUD E. HANSEN developed a concept for a 12,700 TEU vessel in which the deckhouse was separated from the engine room and fuel tanks set back from the hull. The vessel was designed with two, slow-speed main engines for minimal fuel consumption and twin propellers for the lowest possible propeller load and highest efficiency. Since 2010 this deckhouse arrangement has become the standard for ultra large container vessel. The KNUD E. HANSEN concept has proven to be correct and ten years ahead of its time.
In 1994, we developed the world’s largest train ferry, the 42,705 grt Skåne, for Sweferry. To improve capacity, we designed and engineered a 105m long double-tracked train-lift in the centre of the vessel. Such a long lift was considered by many in the industry to be unfeasible, but it has functioned flawlessly since her delivery in 1998.
Traditionally, container feeder vessels have the deckhouse aft, but recently we have proposed a new series of highly fuel-efficient vessels. These have the deckhouse positioned slightly forward of amidships which allows higher capacity and flexibility than similar vessels with the deckhouse aft. To enhance the propulsion efficiency these vessels have either counter rotating propellers or a single Kappel propeller driven by an ultra-long-stroke main engine.
KNUD E. HANSEN is often at the forefront when it comes to identifying new markets and designing new classes of vessels to meet the needs of operators. For example, we were among the first to see the need for dedicated vessels
for the installation of offshore wind turbines, and in 2001 we designed the “Resolution”, one of the first of its kind. In recent years, we have taken the concept even further and developed the world’s largest vessel of this kind, delivered in the summer of 2012, the PACIFIC ORCA .
The offshore wind sector has grown dramatically in recent years in terms of the number and size of turbines installations. The engineering challenges for construction vessels have likewise increased greatly in scale and scope, requiring the application of specialist knowledge right across the project process from planning, design and engineering, through to installation and commissioning.
KNUD E. HANSEN has the experience to be a valuable partner regarding installation, heavy lift and support vessels for every stage of an offshore wind project. The success of any offshore wind-related vessel requires in-depth knowledge of the demanding environmental conditions that it will encounter, and a detailed understanding of the various construction stages that it must be executed.
As a small catamaran, it can be quickly disassembled on its trailer and stored in a 20 feet standard container for protection and easy long-distance transport. The SWORC employs a unique bagging system that allows the oil to be collected in a sealable bag which when full can be dropped between the hulls of the vessel for later collection. The result is an uninterrupted skimming solution that can be quickly and precisely deployed.
With help from KNUD E. HANSEN, the Danish clean-tech company Poseidon Floating Power is developing a floating power plant. A 37m prototype was deployed in 2008 which uses a combination of wind turbines and wave energy converters to generate electricity.
The platform is semi-submersible and held in place by a turret mooring system. Each individual wave energy converter is a stand-alone module which can be easily replaced for scheduled maintenance. Its design ensures that the water behind the wave energy converters is relatively calm, significantly reducing the problem of getting access to floating wind turbines in higher sea states.
KNUD E. HANSEN is a keen advocate of the trimaran concept as an effective route to reduced fuel consumption for large, fast Ro-Pax ferries and in 2004 we undertook a proof-of-concept study for such a vessel. Counter rotating podded propellers were also specified for even greater propulsion efficiency.
In fact, fuel saving technologies have been a focus area for KNUD E. HANSEN for over two decades. In the mid-1990s we proposed a solution that involved fitting wing masts on slow, large vessels like bulk carriers and tankers. By suspending fiberglass panels in horizontal shafts through a central steel mast we made it possible to shift an asymmetrical high-lift profile from starboard to port when tacking through the wind.
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