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HT1000 JETS ENTER SERVICE
24th March 2009
HamiltonJet’s Largest Waterjet Units Enter Service
HamiltonJet’s newest and largest waterjet propulsion units have completed trails and entered service in a 55m Korean Coast Guard patrol vessel. The first pair of HT1000 waterjets, each with an impeller diameter of 1.2m, were delivered to Korea early in 2008, with the boat launched and sea trials conducted in November. The vessel exceeded all target speeds during trials.
Each of the Korean Coast Guard (KCG) 300 tonne class vessels is fitted with a pair of fully controllable HT1000 waterjets, as well as a pair of slightly smaller HamiltonJet HM811 boost jets (no steering or reverse control). All four waterjets are driven by 3700hp MTU engines and provide a maximum boat speed of over 36 knots. At full speed each HT1000 waterjet pumps 11 cubic meters of water per second.
New Zealand-based waterjet manufacturer HamiltonJet has been supplying waterjets to the KCG for many years. “Currently the KCG have over 120 vessels fitted with HamiltonJet waterjet units,” says Mike Shearer, Global Sales & Marketing Manager for HamiltonJet. “For this project a much larger waterjet than those in the existing product range was required to allow the vessel to patrol at over 20 knots on the outer jet units alone.” The central boost jets are only used for high speed operations. The HT1000 was designed specifically for this, and is a different hydrodynamic design from HamiltonJet’s other waterjet models.
HamiltonJet Technical Manager Phil Rae says the pump design for the HT1000 was developed using HamiltonJet’s in-house computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software, and a complete scaled prototype unit was tested in the company’s high speed test boat and hydrodynamic test facility. “For the full scale unit, the design, structural analysis, simulation and production tooling development was almost exclusively computer based,” says Mr Rae. “This allowed for ‘virtual’ trial assembly and seamless manufacturing integration.”
In manufacturing the HT1000, HamiltonJet has expanded its aluminium and stainless steel casting facilities, and developed new casting technology to improve product quality and reduce manufacturing time.
To date HamiltonJet has delivered four shipsets of HT1000 waterjets to the shipyard in Pusan, Korea. Contract negotiations are underway for additional waterjets to be delivered over the next two years. HamiltonJet is also assessing the viability of other HT series waterjets for workboat projects around the world.
HAMILTONJET AND SEACOR CHEETAH
7th May 2008
HamiltonJet Offers SeaCor Cheetah More Than Just Performance
The recent launch of “MV Seacor Cheetah” has set a new benchmark in high speed crewboat technology, and HamiltonJet is well positioned to play an important role in further developments and vessel builds. The first of SeaCor’s Crewzer class vessels utilises quadruple HamiltonJet HM811 waterjets to achieve its impressive 40+ knots speed, but it’s not only performance that makes HamiltonJet the ideal propulsion choice for this type of vessel.
For crewboat operators such as Seacor, who might have vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, off the West African Coast, in Indonesia or South America, HamiltonJet’s global support network is an important consideration – together with the product’s high performance capabilities.Mike Shearer, HamiltonJet Sales & Marketing Manager, says one of the company’s major advantages in the crewboat sector is its world wide support network and rapid response capability. “Today’s crewboats could end up working anywhere in the world, so it is crucial that we can supply spare parts and service expertise to where it is required as quickly as possible. Our global network of Authorised Distributors are backed up by company offices in the UK and US as well as the factory, so we are able to provide a high level of support probably as fast as anyone in the industry.”
HamiltonJet waterjets have a long and reputable history of reliability and performance in some of the harshest working conditions in the world. But while most offshore crew and supply boats require load carrying capacity, pinpoint manoeuvrability and the highest levels of passenger and crew comfort, Seacor Cheetah brings the added dimension of very high speed. And HamiltonJet’s quad HM811 waterjets deliver on all counts.
The waterjets are specifically designed for high speed efficiency together with cavitation resistance and outstanding manoeuvrability. With the Cheetah’s catamaran hull design, the waterjets are paired up in each hull and are a wider distance apart than with monohulls, which enhances manoeuvrability significantly.
The HamiltonJet MECS control system for the waterjets’ steering and reverse controls as well as engine and gearbox control, links closely with other components of the vessel’s DP2 Dynamic Positioning system to assist in holding station in weather conditions where other boats simply couldn’t operate.
Mike Shearer says HamiltonJet, crewboat operators and DP system providers recognised very early on that the inherent manoeuvring benefits of waterjets would enhance the responsiveness and accuracy provided by DP systems. “There is no question the two work very well together – the waterjets provide a very high level of sideways thrust so remove the need for drop-down thrusters at the stern. What’s more, the jet’s zero-speed thrusting capability means power and responsiveness from the jets can be easily adjusted to suit the conditions without compromising the vessel’s position.”
With Seacor Cheetah the cat is well and truly out of the bag regarding the benefits of waterjets in offshore crew and supply vessels. And with further Crewzer class vessels, and other monohulls planned, HamiltonJet firmly intends to remain the propulsion option of choice in the industry.
HT1000S DELIVERED
6th May 2008
HamiltonJet Delivers First HT1000 Waterjets
The largest marine waterjet propulsion units ever built by HamiltonJet left from its New Zealand factory recently for South Korea, as part of a multi-vessel high speed patrol boat project. The first pair of HamiltonJet model HT1000 waterjets, each with an inlet diameter of 1m, is the culmination of two years of design and construction.
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HamiltonJet Technical Manager Phil Rae says the design of the HT1000 waterjet is quite different to the company’s other waterjet models and those manufactured by European competitors, but its innovative design offers many performance and operational benefits. “These units provide high performance across a wide vessel speed range and excellent manoeuvrability. They have been designed with on-board hydraulics and a fully electronic control interface, ensuring installation and maintenance is very easy for the shipbuilder”.The HT1000 has been designed and built specifically for a new fleet of 58m patrol vessels operated by the Korean Coast Guard. “We’ve had the basic design concept in mind for a couple of years, but with the high costs involved in tooling and setting up the production for a new design we’ve been waiting for an appropriate project which would allow us to go the next step,” says Mr Rae.
Each of the 300 tonne-class steel patrol vessels will have two HT1000 waterjets plus a central pair of smaller HM811 boost waterjets, driven by four 2.7 MW (3650hp) diesel engines to give a top speed of 35 knots.
“One of the unique operating requirements of this patrol vessel is the need to operate on the two wing waterjets only, at a speed of at least 20 knots. This required a jet size well above the company’s largest current waterjet model,” says Mr Rae.
The new HT1000 unit features a high efficiency “mixed flow” pump that is more compact than competing waterjet models, and advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software was used extensively in its design. Thrust vectoring is achieved by a unique internal pivoting nozzle arrangement that deflects the entire water flow of each jet to port or starboard for steering, and a split-duct deflector for reversing the water flow for ahead / astern thrust control.
The vessels diesel engines, gearboxes and waterjets are controlled using a integrated networked digital electronic control system. The thrust vectoring capabilities of the waterjets allow a vessel to stop very quickly (within 1-2 boat lengths), turn on the spot and move sideways, which is not possible with conventional propellers.
HamiltonJet Marketing Manager Mike Shearer says the HT1000 marks a significant milestone for the company in its design and manufacturing capabilities. “This is a new level of waterjet size and a new class of patrol boat for the Korean Coast Guard, which opens up many opportunities for HamiltonJet,” says Shearer. “We have been working with the KCG for many years, and currently have many waterjets operating in its 50T class patrol boats, as well as twin HM811s in the first two of a new fleet of 100T class patrol craft. But this 300T project sets a new benchmark and has given us a great opportunity to take the next step forward.”
HAMILTONJET IN NEW AZIMUT
22nd July 2007
Kiwi-Built Jets Give Edge to New Italian Motoryacht
Hamilton waterjets are receiving high praise as a propulsion alternative to surface drives on the newest motoryacht from Italian giant Azimut. Not only do the jets provide high speed and outstanding manoeuvrability, but with their industry-leading electronic control systems, HamiltonJet has made it easy for anyone to immediately harness the full capabilities of jet propulsion.
The recent launch of the 26m Azimut 86S Open yacht offered a rare opportunity to compare two different high-speed propulsion systems, waterjets and surface drives, in identical boats. As a result there has seen no shortage of media reviews, with the jet-powered boat receiving many plaudits for its performance and operation.
Reviewers have been quick to highlight the fast acceleration and vibration-free ride of the waterjet version. The yacht offers exciting but very safe handling, with instant helm and throttle response, tight turning radius and crash-stop ability. And with a top speed of 45 knots – a mere 1 knot slower than the surface drives top speed – the 86S Open more than meets Azimut’s goal for a high-performance boat.
But it is the controllability of the waterjet option that has impressed most. HamiltonJet’s MECS electronic control system, with the addition of a low-speed manoeuvring joystick, allows for complete vessel control without the need for complicated helm settings. Simply move the lever in the direction you want to go, and the micro-processor controlled system automatically sets the waterjets’ reverse and steering deflectors to achieve this.
Moving the lever further in any direction adjusts throttles to speed up the boat’s movement. And turning a knob on the top of the joystick changes the vessel’s heading. The simplicity and logical nature of this control means inexperienced boaters don’t have to learn any advanced techniques to easily manoeuvre the vessel in very tight spaces.
The Azimut 86S utilizes a pair of 2000hp MTU engines, each coupled to a Hamilton HM571 waterjet (with an impeller diameter of 570mm) through ZF reduction gearboxes. The waterjets allow the engines to sit well aft, leaving plenty of room for the luxury design elements you would expect from Azimut, which includes large windows in the hull on each side of the master stateroom.
HamiltonJet believes the Azimut 86S will boost its profile in Europe, and around the world, as a successful propulsion option for high-end recreational boats. While the company continues to be very successful with luxury yacht builders in the US, including Hinckley, it has traditionally focused on the work and patrol boat markets for its waterjet exports.
Now the interest shown in the Azimut 86S, together with ongoing upgrades to it’s manufacturing processes and development of advanced electronic control systems, will ensure HamiltonJet becomes a preferred propulsion option for a wide variety of recreational vessels as well as work and patrol craft.
MOOSE BOATS USE HAMILTONJET
22nd July 2007
HamiltonJet-Powered Moose Boat Favoured for US Inshore Patrol
A Californian built fast patrol catamaran is quickly gaining a reputation as the ideal vessel for inland waterway security – thanks in no small part to its twin Hamilton waterjet propulsion. Moose Boats, an aluminium boat manufacturer in Petaluma, CA, has recently been awarded several contracts for its Moose 340C Catamaran Patrol boats for security services across the United States.
In November 2005 Moose Boats delivered a 340C to the US Navy NAVSEA and received an additional contract for a second 340C to be assigned to the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), Patuxent River, MD. The Moose Boat design was chosen because of its fast and stable catamaran hull and its powerful waterjet propulsion. High speed, outstanding manoeuvrability and shallow draught make the Moose 340C ideally suited to meet mission requirements.
Earlier in 2005 the Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration (MARAD), ordered two of the 11m (37’6”) vessels for security at the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet located in Benicia, California. The Suisun Bay Fleet consists of dry cargo ships, tankers, military auxiliaries and other types of reserve ships in the custody of the Maritime Administration.
The Moose 340C is powered by twin Cummins 380hp turbo diesels and Hamilton HJ292 waterjets. This vessel has a top speed of over 34 knots, cruises at almost 30 knots. The waterjets provide the benefits of powerful acceleration and deceleration, smooth and vibration-free ride, sharp high-speed turns and the full range of low-speed manoeuvring options – including zero-speed turning and sideways movement.
Use of waterjets also ensures the Moose 340C has a static draught of a mere 0.5m (21”), which means it can operate safely in less than 1m of water.
Moose Boats currently has a contract with the US NAVY to build a total of thirteen 340Cs, of which eleven have been delivered. Moose Boats has also built a similar vessel for the U.S. Park Police that currently patrols the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, New York Harbor and surrounding areas.
In addition to the Moose 340C, the company offers a smaller Moose M2-33’, which also utilises twin 380hp Cummins engines and Hamilton HJ292 waterjets to give a top speed of over 36 knots. The first Moose M2-33’ Rescue/Patrol boat with fire-fighting capability was recently delivered to the LA County Sheriff’s Department in Marina del Rey, CA.
This vessel was specifically designed, built and equipped for continual patrol use as well as a quick response vessel for marine emergencies such as search and rescue missions and fire fighting. The Marina del Rey Harbor is the world’s largest man-made small craft harbor – home to approximately 5,500 boats.
The Moose M2-33’ with HamiltonJet propulsion was chosen for this role because of its ability to handle the constant grueling daily challenges that law enforcement boats are subjected to. Its high speed, stability, safety and manoeuvrability make it ideal for a wide range of patrol duties plus emergency rescues and recoveries.
Moose Boats will be demonstrating the capabilities of the 340C Patrol Boat and HamiltonJet propulsion to the government maritime community at the 2006 MACC (Multi Agency Craft Conference), in May 2006, Norfolk, Virginia.