JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #136 - September/October 2020 - 5

"We can change the way we envision global shipping overall"
What benefits can composite materials offer
in terms of shipbuilding modernization?

A.J.: The widespread use of FRP materials

will lead to weight reductions on any single
vessel, which in turn will lead to either lower fuel consumption, lower power needs or
greater payload capacity. Besides, the massive application of composites will imply
lower maintenance costs due to the absence
of corrosion problems. This will result in
fibre-based ships with better life cycle performances in comparison to conventional
steel-based ships. Thus, the application of
FRP materials in large-length vessel shipbuilding will substantially enhance the competitiveness of the European shipping and
shipbuilding industry.
A.U.: In short, the main advantages of FRP
materials is that they are lightweight, yet
have strong physical properties, and consume less propulsion fuel. This means that
shipping is more eco-friendly, and vessels require less maintenance in comparison with
conventional steel ships.
What tools and guidance do you provide
to shipbuilding and maritime industry
stakeholders? -

A.J.: The most relevant tools and guide-

lines that TSI provides to maritime industry
stakeholders alongside the rest of partners
on the FIBRESHIP project are: i) Guidelines and technical recommendations for
the design and construction of large-length
vessels in lightweight FRP materials. ii) Inspection and maintenance procedures have
been defined to monitor the integrity and
damage condition of the structural components of FRP ships. iii) Engineering technical solutions to solve the problem of noise
and vibrations in composite ships.
A.U.: The most important tool ATEKNEA
offers to industry stakeholders is our custom developed cost-benefit calculator tool
that can offer quick financial and business
planning scenario analyses between different types of steel and FRP ships in various
lengths, life cycles and purposes.
Simulation is one of the pillars of the FIBRESHIP project. What is TSI's role in this field?

A.J.: Simulations, using specific software

adapted to composites, have been essential for designing the fibre-based vessels in
FIBRESHIP. TSI has been able to design
the structure of the Fishing Research Ves-

The demonstrator prototype is made exclusively from FRP materials

sel (FRV), in addition to the demonstrator,
by analysing different parts of the design.
This involves the type of FRP materials,
panel and reinforcement scantling, structural configuration, etc., and such analyses
make it possible to assess structural integrity. Furthermore, predictions of underwater
radiated noise have been performed for the
FRV, enabling the acoustic signature of this
85m-length composites vessel to be obtained. Finally, other simulations related to
fire behaviour in these composite structures
have been performed by other partners like
VTT, taking into consideration three different scenarios in the targeted vessels.
How does the FIBRESHIP project make
it possible to limit the global footprint of
marine activities?

A.U.: With the use of lightweight FRP ap-

plications developed through FIBRESHIP,
we can change the way we envision global
shipping overall, an industry which today
is a major contributor producing negative
effects on the environment. Less weight in
shipbuilding materials applied through FIBRESHIP will result in the global shipping
industry emitting less CO2 in the medium
and long term.
A.J.: From an environmental perspective,
the most significant benefits of widespread
application of FRP materials in shipbuilding include a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by ships, thanks to the
reduction of power needs on board due to
decreased displacement and overall weight.
Apart from that, the application of FRP materials might reduce the airborne noise and
underwater acoustic signature generated by
the vessels, which is of vital importance to
protect ship crew and environmental fauna
in the oceans. Hence, the FIBRESHIP vessel

can limit the global footprint of maritime activities due to their potential to reduce CO2
and other polluting emissions generated by
the shipping industry.
In terms of FRP, what are the other composite materials applications that could be game
changing for the maritime sector?

A.J.: Nowadays, FRP can be used in many

of the structural parts of vessels. As demonstrated in FIBRESHIP, even a vessel greater
than 500GT can be designed and built with
these materials. Besides shipbuilding, another interesting application is the use of FRP in
offshore renewable energy structures.
For instance, the majority of the Floating
Offshore Wind Turbine (FOWT) concepts
are based on steel support platforms owing
to their exceptional mechanical properties.
However, the steel-based structures are susceptible to critical corrosion failures which
significantly increase the maintenance costs
of the turbines and limit their overall service
life. These OPEX might be reduced by the
use of composites.
In addition, the reduction in the weight of
this sort of FOWT might lead to requiring
less expensive mooring systems. The lighter
chains or mooring lines used to maintain/
hold the position of the floating structure
equal a lower CAPEX.
Therefore, a new step in the maritime industry will be promoting the application of FRP
materials in the construction of support
platforms for energy turbines, whose purpose is to overcome the above-mentioned
problems and expand the composites market to this interesting and vital sector.

N°136 September - October 2020

More information:
www.tsisl.es
https://ateknea.com

/ jec composites magazine

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JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #136 - September/October 2020

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