COMPASS/NEWS
2/2014
The Purpose
This is the second Newsletter aiming at giving a brief overview of
the tasks performed so far in the COMPASS project.
The COMPASS project’s purpose is to examine whether it is
realistic to build or retrofit larger passenger ships with a new
lightweight superstructure where steel is replaced with carbon or
fiberglass composites, without compromising the SOLAS
regulation 17.
The Challenge
Introducing FRP on board ship is a troublesome task with multiple
issues that have to be resolved. Some issues are technical and
some issues are more administrative and some relate to behavior
of the maritime business. In COMPASS we focus on issues that are
technical and that relate to fire. In a fire FRP is not a unique
material, it is a combustible material like many others (wood etc.).
In a fire, it is the level of combustibility and softening temperature
that matters, not the generic name.
The first important lesson to note is that the prescriptive system
which is represented by the SOLAS chapter II, is not the same as
the Fire Safety engineering (FSE) system. The two approaches do
not mix that well. The good thing about the prescriptive system is
that it has a simple "user surface". In order to create the simplicity
the prescriptive system is based on a lot of assumptions and
decisions that where found necessary. These are not necessarily
based on science but they were principle decisions that were
necessary to establish a prescriptive system that could be handled
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in a simple way. FSE is generally based on science and generally
result in a more complex “user interface”.
In real fire things are interconnected: for example the fire
development in a cabin is strongly depended on the presents on
availability of combustible materials and air supply and the list
continues. In the prescriptive approach a property (like the
availability of combustible materials) is picked out and regulated
by a maximum level determined in a specific test rig and the
physical dependencies are neglected in order to keep it simple.
Generally speaking the prescriptive system defines multiple
pass/fail criteria’s that when combined onboard a ship result in an
undefined safety level but do not explain why and how. FSE on the
contrary explain why and how but fails on keeping simple, as fire
is a complex phenomenon.
A major issue is that test methods developed in order to obtain a
simple prescriptive code was developed with focus on
distinguishing between materials that was considered dangerous
and the materials that was considered harmless. No effort was
put in to make them physical accurate and relevant as input for a
FSE analysis.
The point is that the prescriptive approach and FSE approach
serve the same purpose but the two approaches do not speak the
same technical language. In this project we will walk the FSE road
because it represents the flexibility that combustible materials
require. We will work towards the prescriptive approach because
it has the simplicity that is appreciated by industry.
The second important lesson to note is that we are focusing on
FRP which is a group of combustible products. In order to expand
the use of FRP on board ships it must be demonstrated that the
use of combustible products does not poses a safety risk. If
successful, it will not only be FRP that would benefit, all materials
with similar or better performance in case of fire will benefit.
Dan Lauridsen/DBI
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Re-fitting the ship
To this end, the passenger ship “Prinsesse Benedikte” which is
operated by Scandlines in the Puttgarden-Rødby route has been
selected as a study case.
The superstructure of Prinsesse Benedikte has been redesigned
out of Composite materials following the High Speed Craft code
and the Rules for Ships. At the moment the consequences on the
ship’s characteristics, such as the weight reduction, fuel
consumption, stability to name but a few, are being calculated
and will be compared to the existing steel design.
Focusing on the structural response of the composite
superstructure, a 3D finite element model of the entire ship is
being generated. Both the steel and composite cases will be
examined under different loading conditions, with an emphasis to
the ones that are more severe to the structure. The objective is to
prove that the composite design is a structurally viable alternative
to the well-known steel concept and to examine the differences in
the structural response of the two different designs.
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Parallel to the aforementioned activities, the experimental
procedures, that will allow us to study the response of the
composite superstructure in the event of fire, are taking form. To
this end a series of tests under simultaneous thermal and
mechanical loading is being defined. The experimental scheme
consists of both standard testing methods and novel ones which
are being developed in the project. Candidate composite systems
have been screened out and the material characterization of
those is about to start.
Vasileios Karatzas / DTU-Mechanical Engineering
The H-Tris Method
As mentioned the COMPASS project will examine whether it is
realistic to build or retrofit larger passenger ships with a new
lightweight superstructure where steel is replaced with carbon or
fiberglass composites, without compromising the SOLAS
regulation 17.
The purpose of this regulation is to provide a methodology for
alternative design and arrangements for fire safety. The
engineering analysis used to show that the alternative design and
arrangements provide the equivalent level of safety to the
prescriptive requirements of SOLAS chapter II-2 should follow an
established approach to fire safety design.
This approach should be based on sound fire science and
engineering practice incorporating widely accepted methods,
empirical data, calculations, correlations and computer models as
contained in engineering textbooks and technical literature. The
SOLAS chapter II-2 (which includes regulations on fire protection,
fire detection and fire extinction) references products which have
to be tested following the 2010 FTP Code.
The 2010 FTP Code includes the following: test for noncombustibility; test for smoke and toxicity; test for “A”, “B” and
“F” class divisions; test for fire door control systems; test for
surface flammability (surface materials and primary deck
coverings); test for vertically supported textiles and films; test for
upholstered furniture; test for bedding components; test for fire-
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restricting materials for high-speed craft; and test for fire-resisting
divisions of high-speed craft.
The test for “A”, “B” and “F” class divisions has to be conducted in
big furnace, reproducing the time-temperature curve ISO 834.
This kind of furnace has some drawbacks as: test preparation
time, high cost, repeatability, size of the tested specimen.
For the COMPASS project, a solution had been developed to avoid
these drawbacks: the H-TRIS.
This new apparatus can reproduce the thermal loading of the
time-temperature curve ISO 834 and a mechanical loading device
can be added.
Grunde Jomaas / DTU-Civil Engineering
Danish Maritime Authorities (DMA)
During the past period a start-up meeting has been held with the
Danish Maritime Authorities. The purpose of the meeting was:
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•
•
•
•
Start-up dialog with DMA
Share information of process and status
Generate input to guidelines
Discuss future cooperation DMA - COMPASS project
As the project progresses, meetings will be held with DMA in
order to discuss the current results.
And as always, questions related to project can be addressed to
the project manager or any of the participants below.
Other issues of interest
The 20th International Conference on Composite Materials will
take place in Copenhagen, 19-24 July 2015. Please use the links
below for further information.
http://www.iccm20.org/
http://www.iccm20.org/themes-and-tracks
Nov. 2014
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2/2014
The Project Participants
DTU/Mechanical Engineering
Jørgen Juncher Jensen
Professor
+45 41 10 63 61
[email protected]
Christian Berggren
Associated Professor PhD
+45 20 20 21 41
[email protected]
DTU/Civil Engineering
Grunde Jomaas
Associated Professor
+45 45 25 19 55
[email protected]
Vasileios A. Karatzas
Post Doc
+45 45 25 13 82
[email protected]
NKH Yacht Design
Pierrick Mindykowski
Post Doc
+45 26 52 15 24
[email protected]
Niels Kyhn Hjørnet
Yacht Design
+45 98 46 43 17
[email protected]
DBI/Danish Institute of Fire and Security Technology
Claus Langhoff
Project Manager
+45 20 10 90 15
[email protected]
Dan Lauridsen
Testing, Technical Lead
+45 23 35 50 44
[email protected]
Anders Dragsted
Fire Safety Consultant
+45 51 80 01 39
[email protected]
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