Aluminium Marine Consultants (AMC) has added a new surface effect ship (SES) design to its portfolio designed by Norwegian company Espeland and Skomedal Naval Architects (ESNA).
The ESNA Tern SES CTV is a next generation high performance crew transfer vessel. It offers turbine access in up to 2.5m significant wave height, with a maximum speed above 40 knots and greatly reduced speed loss in high seas.
Rob Stewart, commercial director at AMC, said: “This vessel is unique in the qualities that it offers and we’re very excited to work with ESNA. This new design will enhance the AMC portfolio and help innovate the crew transfer vessel market.”
The vessel consists of two slender catamaran hulls with the area between the hulls closed with flexible reinforced rubber fingers in the bow and an inflated rubber bag in the stern.
This means the centrifugal fans blow air into the enclosed space, proving an air cushion which lifts approximately 80% of the vessel.
The remaining 20% of the vessel’s weight is supported by side hull buoyancy which allows for high vessel speed because frictional resistance is decreased.
With a computer controlled active motion damping system, vertical motions are reduced both at high and low vessel speeds reducing seasickness.
The control system actively controls vent valves as the lift fans supply air to the air cushion. This means that the valves either ventilate the air cushion to low pressure or close so that the air cushion pressure is increased.
By Alice Mason
