RRS Sir David Attenborough Gearing Up for First Antarctic Science Cruise
Britain's high-tech polar research ship RRS Sir David Attenborough is gearing up for its first Antarctic science cruise.Over the coming weeks, the crew and scientists on board the vessel will be carrying out a range of trials to test the ship's science equipment in both deep and shallow water around the Scottish coast. Among the tech to be tested are the vessel's moonpool, coring equipment and the ship’s workboat Erebus, all of which are critical elements of upcoming science missions.Erebus will be put through its paces with new equipment…
Coast Guard Receives New Response Boats
U.S. Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment personnel recently received an upgrade to their small boat fleet, when two new 29-foot, Freedom Class, Response Boat – Small, were delivered and put into operation, replacing the 25-foot, defender class, Response Boat – Small. The new platform, offers crewmembers greater operational visibility, comfort and endurance. The new 29-foot RB-S is four feet longer, about 400 pounds heavier and handles differently. The 25-foot RB-S was known for its maneuverability, while the new 29-foot RB-S is quicker in regaining its speed after a turn.
Coast Guard Patrols with New RB-S II Vessel
Most people who encounter the Coast Guard near shore will get a good look at a Response Boat-Small (RB-S). With more than 400 boats in operation, the RB-S is the largest vessel class in the Coast Guard’s fleet. The boats are in constant use, from life-saving to law enforcement and homeland security missions. But the redoubtable RB-S is approaching the end of its service life and the the Coast Guard’s Acquisition Directorate has launched an ambitious project to replace this important asset. The RB-S II will be one of the largest boat buys of its kind.
Multi Agency Craft Conference Makes its Mark
With the the task of securing tens of thousands of miles of U.S. Coast, agencies at the federal, state and local levels are increasingly turning to high-performance boats. In turn, these buyers rely on premiere events such as the Multi Agency Craft Conference (MACC) to experience the latest tech first hand. In its seventh year, over 1,300 representatives convened for the 3-day event at Little Creek Amphibious Base in Norfolk, Va. where MACC provided an expansive venue for government and commercial marine companies alike. As the emphasis on littoral combat continues to permeate, decision makers gather to absorb invaluable information, including the latest technologies to equip the mission-minded modern fleet.
Propulsion Updates
Geislinger GmbH recently delivered its biggest torsional elastic coupling — a coupling with an outer diameter of 2.8-m and a weight of 36.3 tons. The coupling will be built into the drive line of a VLCC tanker, with an energy saving counter-rotating double propeller. More than 2,000 single parts were produced in the Geislinger works in Bad St. Leonhard and assembled in the works in Salzburg. The coupling transmits half of the 27,160 KW engine power at 74 rpm and in this way protects the gear box, which changes the direction of rotation for the backwards running propeller. This causes the energy of the swirling water in the gushing of the propeller to be used and therefore the degree of effectiveness is increased by about 14 percent.
