Vital Electronics and Crew Suffer from Overheating
Working at sea can be tough, so the availability of sufficient cooling on-board is essential, not only to provide a comfortable and healthy work environment for crew, but also to protect vital electronic equipment from overheating and potentially breaking down.
Established in 1976, Signet Maritime is an international marine transportation company specializing in the build of high performance tug boats. Tug pilots need unobstructed visibility, but with lots of glass windows to contend with, a pilothouse can feel like an overheated greenhouse. The crew suffers and the electronics are put in jeopardy.
Therefore, when designing its Signet 82-Metric Ton Bollard Pull Z-Drive tugs, the builder wanted to ensure the vessels would be equipped with ample high-quality air conditioning that would be reliable in any climate as well as easy to service and retrofit in the future.
Modular Chillers Fit the Bill and the Doorways
After analyzing the boat’s architectural characteristics and their effects on heat-load calculation and equipment placement, Dometic Marine arranged delivery and installation of modular cutting-edge chilled water equipment.
Providing each vessel with 240,000 BTUs (or 20 tons of capacity) are two 120,000 BTU/10-ton Dometic MCW chilled water systems specifically designed and packaged to meet the requirements of each ultra-high performance ASD tug to cool the vessels’ on-board spaces. Featuring Dometic Marine’s unique modular design and compact footprint, the chillers can be easily and neatly stacked vertically or horizontally to best fit the space available.
“The older equipment used on tugs is typically larger, heavier and more intrusive, making it difficult to replace,” explains Nathan Farr, OEM Sales Manager (USA), Dometic Marine. “Our modular chillers feature an innovative space-saving ‘box’ design so they are easy to install and service. In fact, they can be moved in and out right through the doorways, so no disassembling is required.”
Innovative Space-Saving Solution for Stuffy Pilothouse
To directly address the greenhouse effect in the pilothouse and conserve valuable space in this confined area, Dometic Marine supplied two AT36HV air handlers for installation on the roof. These provided 72,000 BTUs of cooling without intruding into this hectic area of the vessel.
“We require the highest quality and proven-reliable air conditioning to provide a comfortable and pleasant working environment for our crew members, as well as cool sensitive electronic equipment on-board,” said Joseph W. Dahl, General Manager of New Construction for Signet Maritime. “Dometic Marine has proven to provide a wide range of HVAC solutions, which are further supported by exceptional technical expertise and customer service.”
Modular Chiller Tech Tip
“The great thing about our modular chillers is that if they do ever need to be serviced or replaced, a module up to 25 tons can be easily uninstalled and walked out through the door,” adds Nathan. “With this in mind they offer a great, long term solution compared with bulky, non-modular chillers that are typically less manageable.”