KNVTS Rotterdam: LNG as bunker fuel, the safety case


Locatie:
Deltahotel, Maasboulevard 15, Vlaardingen
Datum:
27 oktober 2016
Meer info:
www.knvts.nl

Speakers: Alex Vredeveldt, senior scientist and naval architect
and Dr. Corina Hulsbosch-Dam, senior scientist and physicist, at TNO The
Netherlands.

There are strong incentives to use liquefied natural gas (LNG) as bunker
fuel on board ships. One is related to emissions after combustion;
neither sulphur nor any particulate matter are present in the exhaust
products. Another one, generally overlooked, is that there will be no
pollution when LNG bunker fuel is spilled because the LNG will
evaporate, even in arctic areas. A third incentive is the huge global
reserves of natural gas.

It is however fair to note that natural gas,
spilled through methane slip (some engines are unable to combust all
methane) or leaks, does contribute considerable to the greenhouse
effect. Another downside of (L)NG can be safety. In fact, IMO
(International Maritime Organisation, London) as well as CCNR (Central
Committee for Navigation on the river Rhine, Strasbourg) regulations do
not allow fuels on board with a flash point below 55°C, neither do they
cater for cryogenic substances on board, which disqualifies liquefied
natural gas. However authorities are willing to consider applying
natural gas on board, provided ample safety is ensured.

The challenges
are to identify the measures which must be taken to achieve a
satisfactory safety level and how to demonstrate the effectiveness of
these measures. These measures refer to both hardware and operations. In
order to do so, knowledge and skills related to physics and materials
are required which are being thought at universities and polytechnics. This
presentation states which these are and how they can be exploited in
working towards safe application of natural gas.

The main reasons for
giving this presentation is to show to ship designers and operators,
i.e. officers bunker fuel suppliers and authorities that all the
subjects, such as thermodynamics, material sciences, mechanics and risk
assessments, with which they are being pestered at their universities
are worth-while and to make a start with a general awareness of the
properties and behaviour of LNG. Moreover the intention is to encourage
design for safety by first principles in lieu of just following safety
regulations. Some interesting results of crash tests and fire tests will
be shared with the audience. The presentation will be in English.
 

Locatie: Deltahotel, Maasboulevard 15, Vlaardingen

Aanvang lezing: 19.45 uur
Vanaf 17.30 uur: aperitief
Vanaf 18.30 uur: aanvang maaltijd 

Kosten maaltijd: leden KNVTS € 15, niet-leden € 20. Bankrekening
ING-bank IBAN NL58INGB0000325478. Opgave maaltijd uiterlijk dinsdag
voorafgaand aan de lezing voor 12 uur, per e-mail: aanmelden@knvts.nl of per post. Voor alleen de lezing hoeft u zich niet aan te melden.