A Study on the Ocean-Going Pusher Barge System : Economic Feasibility and Seakeeping Qualities in Regular Waves

Abstract

In this paper the authors have attempted to study the economic feasibility of ocean-going pusher barge system, by comparing the average annual cost per annual transport capacity of such system with that of conventional cargo ships with cargo weight of 40,000 tons. Analytical procedure based on the ordinary strip method has been developed to calculate the forces on the connecting hinges and the motions of the pusher barge train in regular longitudinal waves. In order to assess the validity of the calculation method, experiments of a model of pusher barge train have been carried out under various wave conditions at the Experiment Tank of Osaka University, and the results are compared with those of calculation.