{"id":2590,"date":"2023-11-30T15:28:15","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T15:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=2590"},"modified":"2023-11-30T15:28:15","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T15:28:15","slug":"disasters-at-sea-trigger-ship-safety-advances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2590\/disasters-at-sea-trigger-ship-safety-advances\/","title":{"rendered":"Disasters at sea trigger ship-safety advances"},"content":{"rendered":"

Research projects in Europe developed water-surface scanners and better hull designs to tackle shipping accidents.<\/p>\n

By<\/em><\/strong> \u00a0Tom Cassauwers<\/p>\n

When one of the world\u2019s largest container ships crashed into the bank of the Suez Canal in 2021, a major gateway for global trade became blocked with an estimated $9.6 billion in daily commerce being held up.<\/p>\n

Accidents like the one involving the Ever Given almost three years ago are more common than might generally be thought. They also help explain the motivation behind EU research projects to improve shipping safety.<\/p>\n

Ship shockwaves<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2022, 10 cargo vessels were lost at sea, according to global insurer Allianz<\/a>. Shipping transports 90% of the world\u2019s goods.<\/p>\n

\u2018Anyone reading this will, for example, be wearing something that was at one point transported by a ship,\u2019 said Jorgen Grindevoll, chief executive officer of Ladar, a UK company developing collision-avoidance technology for vessels and marine infrastructures.<\/p>\n

Maritime accidents can send shockwaves across the globe by hindering trade, damaging the environment and endangering lives.<\/p>\n

\u2018When ships run into trouble, it can be very disruptive,\u2019 said Grindevoll, who is also a sea captain.<\/p>\n

He was part of a research project that received EU funding to develop a lookout that never sleeps: sensor technology to reduce the risk of ships colliding with other vessels or objects floating in the water.<\/p>\n

Called\u00a0MARINA<\/a>, the project is wrapping up after almost three years. Its participants have included Ladar, Cypriot shipping-technology developer Offshore Monitoring \u2013 also the project coordinator \u2013 Norwegian sensor-technology company Hjelmstad and UK-based Global Maritime Services, with captains and navigators from the sector represented.<\/p>\n

The researchers looked at serious ship mishaps and found that almost half involved collisions and that, of those, 59% occurred as a result of human error, according to Jena Dover, business development manager at Global Maritime Services.<\/p>\n

\u2018This shows how important this problem is,\u2019 said Dover.<\/p>\n

Surface scanners<\/strong><\/p>\n

MARINA\u2019s lasers, high-definition cameras and thermal imaging scan for floating obstacles such as containers, timber, sailboats and fishing gear, helping onboard navigators detect possible threats on the water surface \u2013 their main blindspot.<\/p>\n

An artificial-intelligence algorithm can automatically detect, recognise and track objects and then alert crew to any potential threat. That\u2019s beyond the ability of existing best-available technology on the market.<\/p>\n

\u2018A ship can already scan underwater using sonar and above water using radar,\u2019 said Grindevoll. \u2018But around the surface there\u2019s a sensor gap. That\u2019s what we\u2019re addressing.\u2019<\/p>\n

Flood focus<\/strong><\/p>\n

But if the worst does happen and a ship is struck, damage limitation is crucial to save lives and equipment.<\/p>\n

This is what another EU-funded project sought to do. Called\u00a0FLARE<\/a>, the project ran for three and a half years through November 2022 and came up with design improvements to limit damage from flooding in stricken vessels.<\/p>\n

\u2018There\u2019s still a number of areas where our designs and procedures could be safer,\u2019 said Dr Stephan Wurst, managing partner at Germany-based BALance Technology Consulting, which led the project.<\/p>\n

For instance, damage from groundings \u2013 when a ship\u2019s hull hits the sea bottom \u2013 can be catastrophic.<\/p>\n

In 2012, a cruise ship called the Costa Concordia ventured too close to the Italian island of Giglio and struck rocks. The accident led to the deaths of 32 people, the partial sinking of the vessel and a \u20ac1.5 billion salvage operation.<\/p>\n

\u2018We looked at better design principles that can prevent water from entering everywhere, but also how to improve evacuation and safety procedures,\u2019 said Wurst.<\/p>\n

Computer simulations of how ships sink as well as the simulated sinking of model boats in a controlled environment helped the researchers pinpoint where these improvements need to be made.<\/p>\n

A detailed list of the project\u2019s recommendations has been presented to the International Maritime Organization, the governing body for the shipping industry.<\/p>\n

They range from blocking water in a ship with watertight doors and barriers in the hull to fixing holes with foam, according to Wurst.<\/p>\n

Ripple effects<\/strong><\/p>\n

While the proposals are still being evaluated by the IMO, the project\u2019s participants including the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland and UK-based cruise line operator Carnival are applying the knowledge gained in their new vessels.<\/p>\n

\u2018This isn\u2019t just theoretical research we did,\u2019 said Wurst. \u2018The lessons we learned here might actually save lives.\u2019<\/p>\n

In the meantime, the surface-scanning technology developed by MARINA is close to being commercialised. Grindevoll expects it to be market-ready by early 2024.<\/p>\n

He said the technology may have uses beyond preventing ship collisions, such as on crewless vessels and surveillance of offshore installations like wind turbines.<\/p>\n

\u2018We have realised our technology can also be used in other areas,\u2019 Grindevoll said.<\/p>\n

Research in this article was funded by the EU. The views of the interviewees don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission.<\/em><\/p>\n

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