VESSEL REVIEW | Chuangzi – Mesoscale test ship for Chinese marine research organisation

The Taihu Laboratory of Deep Sea Technology Science of China recently welcomed a new mesoscale test vessel to its marine research fleet.

Chuangzi was designed by China Ship Science Research Centre and built by Penglai Zhongbai Jinglu Shipbuilding. Design work was done in compliance to China Classification Society rules.

The vessel has an LOA of 55 metres, a beam of 10 metres, a depth of five metres, and a displacement of 1,500 tonnes. An all-electric propulsion arrangement consists of three 200kW generators driving a 450kW motor. Efficiency will be improved with the aid of a wind booster rotor, specially designed sails, and an air layer drag reduction system in the future. Even the rudder nacelle will be fitted with energy-saving devices.

In addition to its primary role of measuring the warmth of ambient air, Chuangzi will also assist in research on the basic hydrodynamic performance of ships with the aid of dedicated test and observation cabins to be installed near the engine and steering spaces following a series of operational trials. Valuable data that will be gathered during these sailings will also help gauge the effectiveness of the hydrodynamic energy-saving features installed on the vessel.

The vessel will also have interfaces for smart devices, allowing it to also take on functions such as perception information fusion and autonomous navigation.