ASME has a project to meet industry needs for pressure vessel Code updates to address storage of high pressure hydrogen. This has resulted in updates to existing B&PV Code, new Code Cases, and new Code requirements. One of the tasks was to develop requirements for high pressure composite reinforced vessels with non-load sharing liners. Originally developed as a Code Case, the requirements have been approved as mandatory Appendix 8 of ASME Section X of the B&PV Code, to be published in July 2010. The allowed pressures of this new Code are from 0.7 MPa (3,000 psi) to 103.4 MPa (15,000 psi). Qualification testing addresses expected operating conditions. Inspection requirements are being developed in cooperation with NBIC. Pressure vessels are being developed that meet the new ASME requirements. Efforts will be made to include additional gases, including compressed natural gas, and additional operational requirements in future revisions. Paper published with permission.

The need for more efficient and cost effective design of ship board equipment has never been greater. Pressure vessels on board ships can account for significant volume and weight and thus affect the overall performance of the vessel. Classically ship board pressure vessels have been designed to ASME Section VIII, Division 1. This code requires pressure vessels that are designed using a basic design by rule approach with a 3.5 to 1 design margin on specified minimum tensile strength. In recent years the ASME Standards Committee that is responsible for Section VIII has developed two design codes, Section VIII, Division 2 Alternative Rules for Construction of Pressure Vessels and Section VIII, Division 3 Alternative Rules for Construction of High Pressure Vessels. These pressure vessel design codes offer lower design margins, an improved design by rule approach for Division 2 and allow or require design by analysis based on the vessel operating conditions and environment such as cyclic service. Use of these codes can improve ship board vessel design by lowering the weight of vessels while providing a safe reliable pressure vessel. Paper published with permission.

In discussing the use of Natural Gas as a fuel for Marine use, there are two aspects that require examination, firstly, the gas handling, process and on land/vessel storage considerations, and secondly, the pressure vessels that will store the fuel. Paper published with permission.

Developed at the request of the US Department of Transportation, Section XII- Transport Tanks , of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code addresses rules for the construction and continued service of pressure vessels for the transportation of dangerous goods by road, air, rail, or water. The standard is intended to replace most of the vessel design rules and be referenced in the federal hazardous material regulations, Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). While the majority of the current rules focus on over-the-road transport, there are rules for portable tanks which can be used in marine applications for the transport of liquefied gases, and for ton tanks used for rail and barge shipping of chlorine and other compressed gases. Rules for non-cryogenic portable tanks are currently provided in Section VIII, Division 2, but will be moved into Section XII. These portable tank requirements should also replace the existing references to the outmoded 1989 edition of ASME Section VIII, Division 1 cited in Title 46 of the CFR. Paper published with permission.

To avoid making billion dollar mistakes, operators with discoveries in deepwater (∼3,000m) Gulf of Mexico (GoM) need dependable well performance, reservoir response and fluid data to guide full-field development decisions. Recognizing this need, the DeepStar consortium developed a conceptual design for an Early Production System (EPS) that will serve as a mobile well test system that is safe, environmentally friendly and cost-effective. The EPS is a dynamically positioned (DP) Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel with a bundled top tensioned riser having quick emergency disconnect capability. Both oil and gas are processed onboard and exported by shuttle tankers to local markets. Oil is stored and offloaded using standard FPSO techniques, while the gas is exported as Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). This paper summarizes the technologies, regulatory acceptance, and business model that will make the DeepStar EPS a reality. Paper published with permission.

This discussion paper is based on a preliminary design and is not to be construed or interpreted as being a suitable basis for adoption as a final design for natural gas storage facilities or marine vessels. The gas storage concepts were developed as a basis for project budgeting, further design studies such as HAZID/HAZOP/FEMA, and for review/comment by Classification Societies and Regulatory Authorities as a precedent to further design development. The contents, comments and opinions contained herein are proprietary to Floating Pipeline Company Incorporated and TransCanada. Paper published with permission.

This paper discusses the potential to use fuel cell technology for marine applications. The topics discussed include a definition of a fuel cell, the types of fuel cells and their applications, fuels currently used by various fuel cell designs, the status of supporting product safety standards, the existing model and design codes for the storage and piping of various fuels, the existing model and design codes for the dispensing of various fuels, and potential near term applications for powering marine vessels and other equipment. Paper published with permission.

Composite pressure vessels have been used for over 40 years in a variety of military, aerospace, marine, transportation, stationary, and vehicle applications. Codes, standards, and guidelines have been developed to address vessel performance in these high pressure applications by ASME and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). A risk or hazard identification analysis may be conducted during qualification and approval process. Prototype and qualification testing in these standards validate the design and anticipated operating conditions. Knowledge has been gained from qualification testing, field experience, and inspection that supports selection of materials and design configurations for marine and land based applications. Periodic inspection of vessels mitigates risk, particularly in terms of detecting environmental and mechanically induced damage before failure can occur. This paper was written jointly between ABS and Lincoln Composites through the certification process of Lincoln’s Titan™ project. This paper will outline qualification of technology and, testing requirements, as well as discuss the basis for hazard mitigation and material selection in the marine environment. Paper published with permission.

The Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) that is part of a new Chapter 4 of MARPOL Annex 6 on Energy Efficiency Regulations is mandatory for new ships effective 1 January 2013. During the period from 2011 to the end of 2012, many of the major shipyards and shipping companies have voluntarily complied with the requirements of EEDI calculation and verification for their newbuilds. This paper outlines requirements of EEDI verification procedure and aspects of the verification method that are important to the calculation of EEDI reference speed from speed trials. This paper shows the outcome of the verification process that some new ships have gone through, the degree of compliance achieved and the experience gained in EEDI verification for three types of ships: tankers, bulk carriers and containerships. Sources of uncertainties associated with lack of complete information from sea trials are identified. Comparison of the attained and required EEDI for the three vessel types demonstrating the degree of compliance in Phases 0 and 1 are included. Paper published with permission.

This paper describes a risk-based approach for corrosion management of offshore floating structures. The objective of this approach is to reduce the risk of corrosion related failures, reduce the associated downtime, while improving the cost-effectiveness of corrosion inspection and maintenance. Corrosion is increasingly a significant challenge to the offshore industry and attributed to: an aging worldwide offshore fleet; assets being kept in operation for prolonged periods of time; units operating beyond their original “design basis”; and newer larger vessels in deeper, harsher environments with less opportunity for ship yard repair. Corrosion is particularly detrimental to the integrity of the unit, and if not managed properly will increase maintenance costs and downtime costs, possibly reducing the useful operational life of the unit. Although, there are several existing offshore corrosion design standards, experience still reveals a number of assets in poor and critical condition due to corrosion. Clearly there is a need for a holistic approach on corrosion management during the full operational life of the asset. The presented methodology is based on the principles of ISO 31000 (Risk Management - Principles and Guidelines) to provide a solid consistent framework for corrosion management. The risk-based corrosion management process for offshore structures described in this paper consists of five (5) basic steps: Pre Assessment; Screening and Risk Ranking; Detailed Examination; Remediation and Repair; and Life Cycle Management. Adopting the described risk based corrosion methodology will provide confidence to the operators and demonstrable evidence to key stakeholders that corrosion is being managed on their assets. It will account for life extension, reduce the risk of corrosion failure, and lower the cost of inspection and maintenance. Paper published with permission.

The presentation describes some of the challenges involved with the usage of LNG as a marine fuel. Today there are 37 vessels in operation in Norway and 35 of them have tanks under deck or accommodation. With the higher LNG Fuel investments for new-buildings, it makes good environmental and business sense to ensure that the vessels are additionally designed with energy efficiency, in line with IMO’s latest regulation towards CO 2 reduction. In addition to the environmental benefit of using LNG, this gives further longer term economic benefits. Various passenger Ro-Ro ferries with tanks under accommodation are described. In understanding how the tanks under accommodation and passenger areas are safely designed and accepted by IMO, the properties and the facts about LNG are illustrated to give a clear understanding on how the risks are relatively easy to mitigate and manage. Risk is a function of the likelihood of occurrence versus consequence. The mitigation methods in lowering the probability from occurrence are described. A look at the component in the LNG fuel propulsion system that is really critical and how this is mitigated is examined. Another concern in the widespread use of small scale LNG is with the crew competence level related to LNG bunkering. The various methods of bunkering are described. Some developments towards safety and competence development in the industry are described. The presentation concludes with some of the key elements included in the Crew Competence Standard. Paper published with permission.

Larger vessels are now being moored at terminals which are exposed to high waves and in channels which are subjected to passing-ship-induced forces. These situations increase mooring line wear and loads and sometimes cause mooring failures. This paper will discuss some of the associated problems and some of the solutions. Use of high-performance fiber ropes instead of wire ropes can decrease mooring loads. These mooring line ropes can be handled by fewer people. The risk of injuries is greatly reduced. When properly cared for, these fiber ropes last longer than wires in service. But fiber ropes are vulnerable to abrasion damage, especially in vessel fairleads. Special nylon fairlead liners are now available to eliminate this wear problem. Fiber rope tails are used on mooring lines to increase stretch and reduce peak loads. Greater vessel motions at exposed location moorings have caused cyclic loading fatigue in nylon tails. Industry recommendations have now been clarified to allow the use of longer nylon tails and of polyester tails. More durable nylon tails are now available. Larger vessels entering into and mooring along confined channels increase the risks of passing ship problems. Passing-ship induced forces increase with vessel size and with the greater speed at which larger vessels must pass in order to maintain steerage. Computer mooring analyses should be conducted to ensure that mooring arrangements are adequate. These analyses should account for effects of waves at exposed locations and should include appropriate passing-ship forces. This paper will be of interest to designers and operators of large vessels and of marine terminals intended for such vessels. Paper published with permission.

This paper summarizes experiences from independent HIL testing of DP system software on more than 80 DP drilling, shuttle tanker, supply, anchor handling, construction and special purpose vessels. The paper includes examples of typical findings and a comprehensive analysis of finding statistics. The analysis shows how errors and weaknesses in core software and system configuration are distributed on the different functions in the DP system, as well as the potential consequence these errors could have had if they had not been identified and solved through early testing. The presented experiences demonstrate that independent testing of control systems using HIL testing technology is an important and effective service to ensure safe and reliable operation of offshore vessels. Paper published with permission.

Failures of machinery and systems aboard towing vessels can have devastating consequences to the vessel, its crew, other vessels and their crews, shoreside populations and facilities, cargoes, marine transportation systems, commerce, and the environment. This paper presents a comprehensive methodology for implementing Risk-Based Maintenance and Inspections of towing vessel machinery and systems. Utilizing incident data from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and other relevant industry information, the authors apply the principles set forth in ANSI/API Recommended Practice 580, Risk-based Inspection [1], as a guideline. Relatively straightforward to implement, the methodology presented in this paper is expected to improve towing vessel safety, reduce potential dangers associated with towing operations, and provide favorable risk/benefit reward to vessel owners. Paper published with permission.

Grooved piping has been used on shipboard applications since the early 1920’s, first in the United Kingdom than many other parts of the world. It gained rapid acceptance in the UK for its many advantages over flange connections. In the US it was used on many Merchant and Naval vessels constructed during World War II, partly for its speed of installation, but also for its less fussy tolerance requirements with regard to pipe length and joint alignment. It has since grown to become used worldwide in many types of vessels. This paper enumerates grooved pipe joints advantages and its technical underpinnings. Paper published with permission.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) develops consensus codes and standards for fire and life safety for a wide array of occupancies, including the maritime industry. With documents originating in the early 1920’s, NFPA maritime safety standards reflect current practices in vessel design and operations, new hazards, and new technology. These documents include safe practices associated with confined space entry and hot work operations during construction, maintenance, and repair; shipyard fire protection safety management; and suppression system design, installation, and testing/maintenance. This presentation highlights those consensus standards contributing to safety management within the maritime industry. Paper published with permission.

The purpose of this paper is to briefly explain the Waterway Suitability Assessment (WSA) process required for U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, highlight the quantitative risk assessment tools utilized and how they work together to adequately assess the risks, and introduce qualitative best-practices to reduce review time and improve stakeholder collaboration and receptivity. As each maritime port has a different composition of commercial vessel traffic and operating practices, these tools and methods are combined to form a Risk-Based Approach, rather than a prescriptive assessment tool, ensuring a holistic understanding and mitigation plan concerning localized LNG transportation. Paper published with permission.

The Manned Underwater Vehicles industry has evolved since the launch of DSV ALVIN in 1964 and the establishment of tourist passenger submersibles in the 1980’s and 1990’s. The emergence of the tourist passenger submersible sector in 1993 prompted the US Coast Guard to regulate commercial marine operations in the interest of public safety through NVIC 5-93. The rules were designed specifically for submersibles selling seats to members of the general public. To ensure public safety, the USCG helped define safeguards for those participants. Submersibles owned by the government, research institutions and corporations; or submersibles used for purposes other than selling rides to members of the general public, were not wholly addressed because growth in that sector was unforeseen. Almost 25 years after its release, the industry is regulated across all sectors of MUV operations by definitions established for the operation of a narrow segment of the industry, the tourism submersibles. However, construction over the past 23 years is 18% tourism submersibles, 8% government and 7% research. The remaining 67% of vessels, fall into an “other” category which does not have adequate definition. This white papers proposes that the Marine Technology Society committee on Manned Underwater Vehicles conduct a study for an updated Manned Underwater Vehicle Operations Safety Guideline with broad participation of the MUV stakeholders; International MUV industry members, Marine Technology Society, ASME PVHO, ABS, DNVGL, US Coast Guard and Navy. The challenge is to find the correct balance of regulatory control and commercial freedom to promote commercial growth while having a robust regulatory framework to manage the various concepts. Paper published with permission.