Feature 2 | ICE CLASS
all year round in Arctic conditions or whether seasonal variations apply. Te quality of the ice in which the vessel is operating is also taken into account in establishing the polar class. One issue he raises is that of the
need for a common understanding on air temperatures. Extreme cold will obviously impact ships’ functionality. While it is still relatively early days in the development of the Polar Code, IACS is supporting the process and wants to make sure that technical issues are tackled and requirements clarified on structural aspects. A “global and consistent understanding” of what is required is necessary, Sadler says. IACS already has unified rules covering
the issues, including hull and machinery requirements and hopes that these will be taken into account as the code develops. Sadler says the current requirements do not need to be changed at present unless further action is necessary as a result of IMO developments. Germanischer Lloyd was one of the bodies who worked on many of
the
development groups for the regulations, from the outside working group which developed the draft Code of Polar Navigation. GL’s involvement in the continuing development of
these
uniform guideline continues with the IACS Project Team PT49, which is considering the scope of the existing requirements of the IACS unified requirements for Polar Class hull structures. Alongside these efforts, GL says it is also involved in the continuing development of the IMO Polar Code on behalf of the German Ministry for Transportation. Legal aspects of operation in Arctic
areas are also being considered, territorial aspects are one consideration. New guidelines on Arctic Shipping will include issues like heating of ballast and ice radar, crew protection and machinery requirements. GL says its rules are in the final stages
of preparation and will soon be published. Compliance with the requirements of chapter 13 of the OCIMF (Oil Companies International Marine Forum) SIRE (Ship Inspection Report Programme) 2011 will soon be certifiable.
36 The Naval Architect January 2012
More than 3000 vessels in GL’s fleet in
service now have some kind of ice class and, over the last 10 years, some 1700 vessels have been built with ice class according to GL’s rules. “Operating in some of the most sensitive ecosystems on earth, ice class vessels in development will also have to be designed with a mind to the newly introduced EEDI [energy efficiency design index]. Ice classed vessels that will be subject to the requirements of the regulations, will have their EEDI assessed and a correction applied to the calculation to account for the specific design elements of the vessel.” GL Maritime Software and GL’s
FutureShip units offer modelling systems that utilise computational fluid dynamic techniques and massively parallel processing to calculate hull optimisation for both free water sailing and heavy ice conditions. Various factors, such as strength, capacity or energy efficiency, for example, can be prioritised in the generation of thousands of hull forms, as a simulation of the effect of different operating conditions on each shape, allowing the designer to select a vessel tailor made for the desired operational model. Other companies like the Finland
based Steerprop are offering innovative solutions to the problems of operating in Arctic conditions, with azimuth propulsion systems that can not only be applied to harbour tugs operating in ice
bound environments, but also offshore supply vessels, tankers and cargo ships operating in Arctic conditions. As the OCIMF questionnaire on winter
navigation and training is incorporated in the vetting inspections on tankers sailing in ice-covered waters, crew development is all the more important for vessels operating in ice covered waters. According to GL, “as the demand for
vessels increases, so too will the demand for crew and crew inexperience has been identified as a significant cause of ice damage to vessels”. GL Academy, as part of the Icetrain consortium, offers a course which fulfils the requirements of for training in IMO resolution 1024(26), Guidelines for Ships Operating in Polar Waters, and of the STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) 2012, Annex 2. The course provides practical and the
instructions information
needed to operate safely in harsh winter conditions, especially in the Baltic Sea, through a combination of theoretical presentations and special training on the bridge simulator. The course focuses on: ship ice interaction, ship design for ice operation, icebreaker operation, management and legislative issues, ship handling and manoeuvring in ice, cargo handling and ballast water operation, ice information services, working and occupational health in cold winter conditions. NA
GL is working closely with the IMO in the development of the Polar Code.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60