Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) has been a host for the planned workshop of the project team on the improvement of IACS UR I3 (Mechanical installation on ice class ships), established within the Machinery Panel of International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), RS said in its press release.
Currently, the project team is working on the UR revision as regards the strength of steering-propulsion systems, shafting and propellers for assigning polar classes to icebreakers. Earlier, this has not been considered applicable to icebreakers.
RS active participation in the team’s work as well as the decision to hold the first meeting in the Russian Classification Society in particular have been caused by considerable experience in the development of requirements and technical supervision for the design, construction and operation of ice-class vessels and icebreakers. Today, the ice-class nuclear and diesel-electric icebreakers from Icebreaker6 to Icebreaker9 are RS classed. A series of the largest and most powerful icebreakers (60 MW) worldwide is being constructed under the RS technical supervision, which will be able to move through ice fields up to 3 meters thick.
A detailed review of the existing requirements of classification societies to the icebreakers propulsion systems was performed during the meeting and proposals for the improvement of UR I3 were designed. In particular, the following improvements were developed - the formula for calculating the strength of specific components and methods enabling to check and eventually correct them.
The next meeting of the project team will be held in December 2016 at DNV GL office.