Barge transportation using tug-barge systems is widely employed for large cargo transport in rivers and harbor areas, where maneuverability in confined waterways is critical.This study numerically investigates the maneuvering performance of tug-barge systems under pushing and towing operations.Simulations were conducted using a maneuvering model based on the Maneuvering Mathematical Modeling Group framework with experimentally derived hydrodynamic coefficients for each operation mode.For pushing operations, barge configurations were varied by changing the numbers of barges in the longitudinal and transverse directions, whereas for towing operations, the effects of skeg attachment and towline length were examined through turning simulations.The results show that increasing the number of barges generally degrades turning performance, and longitudinal extension causes a greater increase in turning radius than transverse extension.In towing, skeg attachment reduces turning performance by increasing yaw damping and restoring moment, whereas longer towlines enlarge the turning radius by producing a greater negative yaw moment on the tug.Overall, towing yields smaller drift angles and greater rudder effectiveness than pushing, indicating superior turning performance in confined waterways.
Kim et al. (Mon,) studied this question.