Development center for ship technology and transport systems
The Research Institute for Inland Shipping ( VBD ) was founded in Duisburg in 1954 and converted into the Development Center for Ship Technology and Transport Systems ( DST ) in 2004 .
history
In Dresden - Übigau , where the first German shipbuilding research institute was established in 1892 , inland shipbuilding and inland navigation were at times involved. The German inland waterway fleet was almost completely destroyed at the end of the Second World War and the Allied Control Committee had banned the construction of ships in Germany after the Second World War. Therefore, the scientific occupation with the inland shipbuilding in the context of a research institute with model tests was advantageous. There were experimental stations for shipbuilding and shipping in Germany only for maritime shipping, even though inland shipping on rivers makes extremely different demands on ships, propulsion and maneuvering equipment due to the ascent and descent.
Research tasks
In addition to the development of systematic basics for the construction of inland vessels and the optimization of their shape, the maneuverability of the vessels and the constant improvement of the propulsion systems played an important role. For this purpose, the hulls and shapes as well as their drive systems are tested in a model experiment in the tow channel. The components of the drive are the drive motor, the propeller and the corresponding aft section. The flow conditions and the pressure conditions at the stern and around the propeller are decisive for good overall efficiency .
The trend towards larger ship units is leading to new challenges in inland shipping, as the interactions between ships and rivers or canals are becoming increasingly important. This concerns the dimensions, the propulsion, the rudders and especially the bow thrusters. In addition to the investment and operating costs, the profitability of inland vessels depends on the income, which is mainly limited by the carrying capacity. The load-bearing capacity results from the parameters length, width and draft, which are specified by the rivers, canals and locks , i.e. by the waterway infrastructure of the shipping areas. The selected speed influences the drive power and therefore the fuel consumption and environmental pollution. These relationships are examined in the form of model tests in the tank, in the simulator and through additional analyzes.
In the future, reducing environmental pollution will become more and more important. Ships have the lowest specific fuel consumption per tonne-kilometer of all means of transport, so there is a need for research here in the future. In order to relieve the sea ports and roads, a sustainable integration of inland, coastal and ocean-going shipping in transport chains is becoming more and more urgent.
In addition to research for shipbuilding, the center is now also developing other projects in which hydrodynamics play a role, e.g. B. for the wave power plant Nemos or the combined tide and wind power plant WindTide .
Transport policy advice and market research in the field of transport systems are also offered.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Internet site of the Nemos project ( Memento of the original from September 23, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (August 18, 2013)
- ↑ WindTide - Development of planning tools for the design, construction and operation of offshore wind energy and tidal flow systems , University of Duisburg-Essen.
swell
- Several authors: From the shipbuilding research institute to the development center; 2004 Duisburg, publisher of the development center for ship technology and transport systems