RS STC strengthens association of education, science and production
Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) is actively strengthening partnership in key areas of enhancing maritime transport safety, RS says in its press release. In 2014, meetings of four sections of the RS Scientific and Technical Council (STC) were held. The largest scientific and educational centres, shipbuilding and shiprepair yards, shipping companies and other organisations of the maritime industry participated in the RS Scientific and Technical Council sections: St. Petersburg State Polytechnical University, Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping, St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University (SMTU), Krylov State Scientific Centre, OAO Rosmorport, OAO Severnaya Verf, OAO Admiralteiskie Verfi, Nevsky Shipyard, Shipbuilding & Shiprepair Technology Centre.
Section ‘Industrial machinery’ chaired by Professor A.S. Bolshev, SPbSPU, considered issues related to the strength and stability calculations of subsea pipelines, bottom primers for their laying and specified ways to improve the RS requirements to oil and gas equipment of mobile and fixed offshore drilling units. Along with the RS specialists, representatives of Gazprom Dobycha Shelf, Gazprom Neft Shelf, St. Petersburg State Mining University participated in the discussion.
At the meeting of the section on human factor chaired by Sergey D. Ayzinov, Head of Makarov Training Centre, Makarov University, issues of specification manning levels for vessels and necessary updating of national regulatory documents as regards the recent amendments to the International Safety Management Code (ISM Code) were discussed. Review of HTW Sub-committee 1-st session outcomes (Human factor, Training and Watchkeeping) within the framework of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) was presented by a member of the Russian delegation, Professor of State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping - V.A. Loginovsky. In connection with the completion of the IMO work on the Polar Code, special attention was drawn to the requirements development for Arctic ships personnel training.
Section ‘Shipbuilding and Shiprepair Technology’ (chaired by E.V. Igoshnin, Associate Professor, Makarov University) was devoted to the development of new technologies in shipbuilding, in particular a method of large-block shipbuilding with parallel assembly of functionally complete units of 500 tons and above. Practical experience of RS survey of such technology application has shown the possibility to assemble ships in a relatively short period of time: e.g. a 300 m long containership assembly in a dry dock takes just 2 weeks. Upon the discussion on laser technology possibilities during the assembly of hull structures it was decided to carry out a review of their use in foreign shipbuilding. In the course of the meeting, the RS experts also reported on survey practice of support vessels for the RF Ministry of Defence. They stressed the need to develop an instrument that would determine the order of interaction and authority between all participants of the construction process of such vessels, with due regard to all applicable international requirements.
Survey of ship shafting as well as activities of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) on elaboration of normative documents have become topics of the section ‘Machinery installations of ships, shafting and propellers’. Under the chairmanship of V.A. Shishkin, Professor of Makarov University, the participants discussed possibilities of the RS requirements to dual-fuel engines enhancement and reviewed the use of fuel elements on ships as a major source of energy.
RS Scientific and Technical Council consists of Presidium and 14 specialised sections on key areas of the RS activities. Along with the RS specialists Scientific and Technical Council consists of 300 scientists including Associate Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 58 Doctors of Science and 88 Candidates of Science of 35 leading maritime industry organisations. RS cooperation with the leading research and training centres, shipyards and shipping companies is a guarantee of high scientific and practical value and continuous enhancement of the RS Rules and other normative documents.