Experimental Data Management for the Panel Joints of the Naval Emergency Shuttle

Abstract

In marine transport, the risks leading to disasters are associated to the sea and its hazards; in particular, being related both to the state of the ship, competency of the crew members and to the transport of hazardous chemical products or nuclear wastes. Seen from another point of view, spilled oil represents an extremely precious raw material resource, which, through efficient processing, can be reintroduced into the economic value chain. For this purpose, oil fractions can be collected by various means and transported from the spill site to the areas specially designed for the reprocessing treatments application. The naval emergency shuttle (NES) is a floating, collapsible and towable unit fabricated from textile-reinforced composite material that is used for vertical temporary storage and horizontal transport of water – petroleum hydrocarbon (crude oil) compound recovered after various disasters occurred in the brackish sea habitat. The new developed NES innovative solution involves advanced materials based on composite structures with textile matrix covered with hypalon for construction of the main shuttle module architecture and with PVC for the two floating elements achievement. Advanced techniques (for joining the panels) and certified methods (for threads and composite materials experimentation) have been used in order to evaluate the mechanical, chemical, structural characteristics for: threads (100%PA6.6 – 600dtex x 3 and 300dtex x 3; 100%PES 250 x 3 dtex), the composite materials (matrix covered with neoprene, PVC and hypalon) and the types of joints that will be used in its construction. The composite materials were joined using different techniques and seams (301-LSa-1, 301-SSd2-4, 301-SSa-1, etc.) and were tested to assess the maximum strength and elongation at maximum force and tear strength (wing shaped composite material specimen). The management of the obtained data collection consisting of: resistance to breaking, loop and knot - for 3 types of thread used to join the panels; strength, elongation at break and tear force for 3 type-dimensions of specimens (trouser, wing and tongue shaped composite material specimens. During the experimental trials the performed statistical analyses evidenced that the statistical populations are homogeneous (coefficient of variability is max. 13%, for the joint composite material), so the parametric tests can be applied, the identified higher values (compared with averages) of the outliers do not have a negative impact and will not influence the behavior of the NES in real conditions (open sea with possible 4 – 6 Beaufort degree). The conclusions obtained as a result of the statistical analysis enabled the establishment of value ranges for the technical-operational characteristics of the NES, respectively: storage capacity: 5 m3 -500 m3; maximum navigation speed: 3 knots; length: 17.7 – 25m, width: 4.1 – 5 m; breaking strength: min. 500 daN; tearing force: min. 800 N.