Abstract | In an event of an emergency situation on an offshore vessel or installation, the evacuation must occur in the conditions that prevail at the time of the emergency. Very little, to date is known about the effects of ice conditions on the performance of a lifeboat in an evacuation. In 2003, Research Officers Antonio Simões Ré, and Dr. Brian Veitch headed an experimental study with the purpose of establishing performance limits for conventional lifeboats in ice. The variables tested were the concentration, thickness and size of the ice floes, as well as the effect that additional power had on the lifeboats performance. Testing involved the operation of a 1:13 model scale lifeboat inside the Institute for Marine Dynamics ice tank. This wide scope of research involved multiple other smaller analysis projects, including the analysis of the path length and time required for the lifeboat to reach certain critical boundaries from danger. |
---|