Tucker Yacht Design: Solid Edge enables fast completion of diverse marine projects
Tucker Yacht Design has offices in New York and San Diego and has been using Solid Edge for 6 years as their primary tool for the design of recreational yachts and commercial marine craft and equipment. They oversee marine projects from concept design to manufacturing and commissioning. They bring their customers’ visions to life in a variety of marine vessels from small pleasure craft to large passenger vessels.
Electric Propulsion System for Maid of the Mist
One high profile project was the design and construction of the new Maid of the Mist vessels, the well-known fleet of sightseeing vessels that transport tourists up the Niagara River and into Niagara Falls. The JAMES V. GLYNN and NIKOLA TESLA went into operation in October 2020 and were the first all-battery large passenger vessels in the United States. They deliver a silent and emission-free experience for passengers and are powered by electricity that was itself generated from the Niagara River. These latest generation Maid of the Mist vessels carry 600 passengers and use welded aluminum catamaran hulls for stability. The onboard batteries power twin electric propulsion motors with 400 kW output.
Tucker Yacht Design studied the challenging power requirements for the typical Maid of the Mist voyage. High power is required for the trip up the Niagara River to the foot of the falls. This is followed by a lower power requirement for cruising under the falls and the trip downstream, with a final high-power requirement for docking. As you can imagine the insurance requirements for the safety of these vessels that carry up to 600 passengers are quite rigorous! Solid Edge was used to create accurate 3D models of the hull, superstructure, equipment, control units, energy storage systems, and electric propulsion systems. Solid Edge was also used for the mechanical integration of all of these systems, including their piping, cabling, and structural supports.
Modeling HVAC and water systems
Tucker Yacht Design is also involved in marine projects for the refurbishment of large vessels. In the example below Solid Edge was used to model the structure of an existing vessel in 3D. Designs for HVAC and freshwater systems with their associated equipment, ducting, and piping were added using Solid Edge. These accurate 3D models are then used to provide detailed construction drawings to the shipyard to ensure correct manufacture and installation of the required equipment.
Other marine projects and photorealistic images of marine craft designs
Some of the other marine projects where Tucker Yacht Design has applied Solid Edge are the design of smaller electric vessels for service operations in marinas, and modifications to existing vessels including aluminum bulkheads and structures. Solid Edge includes the ability to create attractive photorealistic renderings of proposed designs for marine vessels.
Tucker Yacht Design is a great example of a focused design consultancy that is leveraging the comprehensive capabilities of Solid Edge to handle a wide variety of design and engineering projects in the marine industry. If you have a need for naval architecture or marine engineering for a project, you can contact Micah Tucker directly. You can also find out more about Solid Edge solutions for marine craft and equipment design by visiting the Siemens Solid Edge website.
