At the impact testing site of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering’s (DSME) Okpo shipyard in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, a crane lifted 1-ton and 7-ton steel pendulums over a ship block. After a while, the crane dropped the pendulums, which fell on the block with a loud clunking noise. The experts of the DSME and global leading ship inspection companies carried out a painstaking search of the block but couldn’t find any cracks in the welds.
The DSME announced that it successfully completed the impact testing for the world’s first ice-breaking liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier for which the company won a contract last year.
The DSME conducted the test for about three weeks last month by building blocks of structure and size similar to its ice-breaking LNG carrier and applying strong impacts to it. The company was the first in the shipbuilding industry to run a mock-up test on the ship. In order to produce an equivalent impact of a 2-meter-thick ice sheet on the ship, the 1-ton and 7-ton steel pendulums were dropped from a height of 5 to 7 meters and 1 to 2 meters, respectively. However, no cracks were found in the welds, proving its durability. The test was observed by the ship owner, charterer and seven global leading ship inspection officials.
The DSME won a deal to build 15 ice-breaking LNG carriers last year, and is scheduled to deliver them from the second half of next year. An official from the DSME said, “Based on our ice-breaking vessel building experience this time, we are planning to improve our Arctic-capable shipbuilding technology.”
Source: Business Korea
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