Page 18: of Marine Technology Magazine (November 2011)

This month?s feature vessel high- lights a highly capable vessel with zero water emissions and drasticallyreduced air emissions. Working for Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), The Glosten Associates, Inc. developed a highly capable, low environmental footprint research ves- sel. The design features options that provide an extensive seakeeping com- parison with SWATH and trimaran hull forms. The vessel?s very well thought out design also incorporatesa life cycle cost benefit analysis, air emissions, and water emissions com-parison and recommendations for selection of green systems, such as battery hybrid propulsion, emissions after-treatment, and a new water management system.In accordance with MBARI require- ments, the Glosten design team set about developing a highly capable, low environmental impact research vessel to replace the R/V Western Flyer. In addition to the new vessel?s general science operations, it wouldalso need to deploy a remotely oper- ated vehicle (ROV); hence excellent seakeeping performance would be required. For this reason, four designs were developed using three hull types: SWATH (small waterplane area twin hull), trimaran, and monohull. The seakeeping performance of each design was analyzed using a linear, potential theory seakeeping code. The motions were compared and it was found that, due to size limitations dictated by the port facility, the monohull design faired equal to or better than the SWATH and trimaran designs.To reduce the environmental foot- print, ?green? options were explored, developed, and compared using a life cycle cost benefit analysis, as well as an air and water emissions compari-son. A battery-hybrid propulsion sys- tem was developed to maintain the efficient generator load profiles neces- sary to enable the use of ancillary green systems. A new water manage- 18MTRNovember/December 2011Vessel of the Month New Generation RV Balancing Performance with ?Zero Footprint? Objectives MBARI tapped The Glosten Associates, Inc.to help developed a highly capable, lowenvironmental footprint research vessel to replace the R/V Western Flyer. MTR#9 (18-33):MTR Layouts 11/28/2011 9:37 AM Page 18