Effects from Supercritical Ship Operation on Inland Canals

Speed of commercial displacer vessels on inland waterways is a major disadvantage in comparison to truck and railway. A solution to shift cargo from congested roads and railways to inland waterways may be with high speed vessels as those issued in coastal waters. Inland waterways are restricted in depth and often in width, which leads to hydraulic impact on bottom and banks. Screening of existing high speed ship concepts in unrestricted waters showed twin hulls (catamarans) with and without air-cushion and monohulls as technically feasible on inland waterways. Three types of high speed ships were modeled and tested in a restricted laboratory canal regarding hydraulic impacts from generation of waves, water-level variations, and flow velocities. Ship interaction with existing structures and interference with other ships, as well as channel bed and banks, were also modeled and tested. For the air-cushioned twin hull (SES-Catamaran), high speed model tests showed that water-level variation and flow velocities increased by a factor of about 3 compared to low speeds. For displacement types of twin hulls (catamarans) and monohulls, increased speeds seem to have some potential, but further and systematic research on limitations is required.