A special Lloyd's Register Horizons supplement

Horizons supplement February 2012
The technology revolution
The techn l gy
rev luti n
Twenty-first-century technology is changing so
rapidly that the need for safety devices and rule
changes to protect owners and enhance operational
performance has never been greater.
The sheer speed, scale and invention
of today’s products have set everhigher
and more rigorous standards
for owners and shipyards to absorb
and follow.
Which is where Lloyd’s Register comes in.
Our Marine Technology Plan covers the
key aspects of design and technology
to give owners and shipyards the high
level of safety and security that today’s
high-tech innovations and engineering
usually require.
Taking a strategic view
The importance of strategic research is
vital. Lloyd’s Register’s Strategic Research
Group provides the ability to respond to
the medium and long term requirements
of maritime industry stakeholders.
A strategic vision
In order to maximise the value of
disparate research and technology
development planning efforts that
take place concurrently in many
parts of the organisation, we have
developed a forward looking strategic
technology vision.
The scale of the projects included in the
Marine Technology Plan varies and can
change as new products are developed.
Here we summarise some of the projects
detailed in our January Horizons magazine:
we featured a group that ranges from
computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to the
human factors involved in the running of
a ship.
• What exactly is CFD It is an online
alternative to the use of scale models
to study and solve problems and faults
on vessels and marine engineering
products. Lloyd’s Register’s Technical
Investigation Department uses CFD to
analyse and assess the extent of, say, a
damaged propeller or a rudder on a bulk
carrier and, in many cases, predict the
likelihood of the problem re-occurring.
Owners have also used this sophisticated
software to help trim their fuel bills.
• A team from Lloyd’s Register’s Marine
Product Development department is
currently studying the IMO’s Energy
Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and how
it can benefit owners of certain types of
ship. Lloyd’s Register has been working
closely with technology providers,
owners and shipyards to enable us to
support the verification of energy-saving
technologies on ships.
• The human element is involved in every
stage of a ship’s lifecycle – from the
training, recruitment and management
of employees to the systems used on
ships, the supply chains and the endusers.
A Lloyd’s Register project looks
at the interaction between the technical
and the operational side of life on a
vessel and how the study of human
factors can improve this.
• As technology changes and becomes
more sophisticated, the need for sturdier
fire and lifesaving equipment rules
and standards in design and materials
has become evermore crucial. Lloyd’s
Register is studying the problems and
accidents caused by poorly designed
equipment. This will help us to establish
rules and regulations for new technology
to make sure it is fit for purpose.
Lloyd’s Register’s technology teams
Technical leadership, based on strategic
research and development, is at the heart
of Lloyd’s Register’s Marine ambitions.
The ability to understand technology and
its applications enhances our technical
capability to maintain and support the
industry as a leading Classification Society.
Technology and investigation leadership
Our global technology leaders provide the
guidance and professional understanding
in the key areas of hull structures,
engineering systems, materials and
welding, risk and electro-technical
systems. As the heads of Lloyd’s Register’s
global technical community within their
specific disciplines, each oversees our
internal governance framework to ensure
technology is applied consistently by
colleagues worldwide.
Their work is vital in allowing and guiding
the constant development and evolution of
our technical capability.
Lloyd’s Register’s Technical Leaders: (l-r)
Ed Fort, Head of Marine Engineering
Systems; Peter Thompson, Head of Hull
Structures; Bernard Twomey, Head of
Electrotechnical Systems; Vince Jenkins,
Global Marine Risk Adviser; David
Howarth, Chief Metallurgist and Global
Head of Materials, Welding and NDE
In November, Lloyd’s Register marked
half a century in Korea and celebrated
by holding the Korea 50-50 Forum for
the Future – celebrating the last 50 but
looking ahead at the next 50 years.
Lloyd’s Register’s Chief Executive,
Richard Sadler, spoke on the need
for, ‘technology to be at the heart of
solutions’ to the challenges that business
and shipping faces. “Future society
will have to be better educated about
eco-efficiency”, he said. “Economists,
engineers and academics will be central
to new solutions” in our increasingly
complex world.
Southampton update
By 2014 Lloyd’s Register will have occupied
a brand new Group Technology Centre
in Southampton. This will be the global
headquarters for Lloyd’s Register’s Marine
business, placing LR at the centre of a
network of shipping industry research
and development.
The decision to choose Southampton
centred on the existence of world-class
marine engineering and naval architecture
schools at Southampton University.
The move to Southampton will be in
parallel with plans to establish a Lloyd’s
Register Group Technology Centre in
Singapore – plans for which are well
underway – that will focus on the
Offshore sector.
Lloyd’s Register’s Group headquarters
– representing all of Lloyd’s Registers
activities – will remain in London.
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