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The application of composite materials in shipbuilding and offshore engineering structure construction

when it comes to the application of composite materials in the shipbuilding industry, we will think of its relationship with a large amount of water

why composite materials are used in the construction of ships and offshore engineering structures

in fact, composite materials are more widely used in the construction of ships and offshore structures than ever before. Compared with most other materials, such as steel and aluminum, composite, especially thin-layer insulating materials, have higher stiffness and strength in weight. Composite materials are used in all parts of commercial ships or cruise ships. As a result, a very light ship has a higher speed than the same type of ship made of aluminum and steel. More importantly, keeping light weight can reduce fuel costs. For ships with hundreds or even thousands of gallons of fuel, it is very meaningful to reduce fuel consumption

weight advantage

in addition to reducing fuel consumption, there is another factor related to weight, that is, speed. A good example is the high-speed passenger ship jet rider, which can carry 244 passengers at the speed of 48 British per hour during the operation in Norway. Since most of the structures are made of composite materials, compared with similar metal ships, this light ship not only has low cost, but also has fast sailing speed

other ships with composite hulls include a 259 foot ferry, which can carry 570 passengers and 137 cars at a speed of 54 miles per hour

application of composite materials in hull

at present, composite materials are used more and more widely. About 20 years ago, composite hulls were limited to smaller vessels, such as yachts and small commercial fishing boats. The cost of composite materials used in large ships is too expensive

application of composites in minesweepers

the most common application of composites in large ships in the early stage was military minesweepers with hulls made of glass fiber. Today, many large ships are made of composite materials in various fields of ships, including hull, floor, wall plate, deck and bulkhead, as well as piping system, oil tank, waste water tank, sonar cover, pipeline, pump, valve and superstructure

application of composite materials in ship superstructure

in particular, composite materials are widely used in ship superstructure (the part above the ship deck). The use of composite materials reduces the weight, which means that more equipment can be installed on the waterline without sacrificing the stability of tilting. Although the purpose of the ship is to maintain a certain pitch without capsizing, a strong enough force will cause the top heavy structure to capsize. Larger superstructures can be made of composite materials, thereby reducing the risk of overturning

corrosion resistance of composites

another reason why composites are used in shipbuilding and various marine engineering is that composites are non corrosive. The corrosivity of different metals can last for many years. Therefore, composites are an ideal choice against extreme temperatures and non atmospheric environments such as seawater. Marine equipment such as propeller shafts, lifebuoys and lighthouses, which are easy to be corroded after staying in the water for a long time, are made of composite materials, which can ensure their long service life

material testing of composite materials for ship applications

however, even with all the superior properties, composite materials still have to undergo the same rigorous tests as steel and metal parts. In order to ensure that the composite materials meet the needs of seaworthy ships, various tests simulating the impact of the ocean should be carried out. Generally speaking, ships have a long service life, which is expected to be 20 years or more. For how composite materials are used in shipbuilding, testing has become essential, and it will take many years on this road

impact test

impact test is used to predict how composite materials will deal with the collision with wharf and load in debris waves, the destruction of rocks and the damage of underwater explosion debris. The impact test of composite materials can show important data, such as the transition point from toughness to brittleness and the residual strength after huge impact

fatigue, compression and bending test

in thousands of voyages, the action of a ship on the sea is similar to bending and twisting. Fatigue, compression and bending tests must be carried out to ensure that the material does not decay under such conditions. Fatigue testing is used to test the durability of composites in cyclic loading applications and the time of their deterioration. The compression test is used to indicate the failure mode, such as delamination failure or buckling failure, and to detect the compression strength. Bending and torsion tests are used to determine when composites will "rest"

adhesive test

the same reason, because the structure and components of composite materials are often bonded by adhesives, so the adhesive joints must also be tested. Static and cyclic tests are carried out to detect the bonding strength, debonding mode and fatigue life, regardless of gear life

damage tolerance

testing can also help detect damage tolerance. The test results determine whether an extreme event will cause catastrophic damage or whether the damage accumulated over the years proves that the ship is unsafe

summary

the short-term goal of composite material testing in shipbuilding industry is to design a seaworthy ship that is light, strong, low-cost, and will not overturn or increase maintenance costs due to premature corrosion. The long-term goal is to obtain data to help further improve and improve ship design

the application of composites in shipbuilding may still be in its infancy, but the trend of application is changing rapidly. There are many advantages of composite materials replacing metals, and the offshore engineering industry only touches the surface of composite materials. As time goes on, rigorous tests will prove that composite materials are first-class materials in many marine engineering. (end)