Acceleration induced loads on lifeboat occupants

The majority of these studies have focused on the hydrodynamic impact performance of the boat in an effort to understand variations such as centre of gravity (CG), mass distribution, environmental effects (waves) and hull design. All studies used boat acceleration as the primary response characteristic as measured at various locations throughout the boat.
A handful of studies have considered the impact response of the occupants, but were often limited to global acceleration based injury criteria using signals obtained from the boat. Only one study could be found investigating the impact response of a Hybrid III dummy during free-fall impacts, which was focused on its ability to predict occupant injury potential.

The overall purpose of this sub-project within the OLF LBP was to provide a comprehensive assessment of occupant injury risk during drop conditions of currently installed free-fall lifeboats on the Norwegian Shelf, in an effort to improve occupant safety. The entire research scope has included injury biomechanics, occupant assessment criteria, boat hydrodynamics, full-scale testing, model-scale testing, numerical modelling, sensitivity analysis and optimization, and sled testing.

The HLL project (Human Load Levels)
The HLL reports are listed below with some key information. The reports are issued in English only.
Click here to see an extract from the summary.
The HLL Vol2 and 3 covers some of the sixteen boat types on the Norwegian Shelf, but only in worst case head or following seas.

• LBP2-R017 Load Levels on the Human body in freefall lifeboats (HLL)
  Volume 1: Suggested injury criteria 
  rev 2 dated 2009-02-26, #pages: 49, #appendices: 9, #pages w/appendices: 329
  Click here to see table of contents.
  
  A paper on injury criteria was submitted to the IPTC conference in 2008. Click here to view abstract of IPTC 2008 paper number 12613: Safety of occupants in lifeboats
   
• LBP2-R08 Load Levels on the Human body in freefall lifeboats (HLL)
  Volume 2: Schat-Harding boats
  rev.2 dated 2009-02-27, #pages: 74, #appendices: 8, #pages w/appendices: 714
  Click here to see table of contents.
  
  Two papers on full-scale drop testing with instrumented dummy were submitted to the ICrash conference in 2008. Click here to view paper no. 113, and here to view paper no. 114.
   
• LBP2-R019 Load Levels on the Human body in freefall lifeboats (HLL)
  Volume 3: Norsafe boats
  rev.2 dated 2009-02-27, #pages: 34, #appendices: 7, #pages w/appendices: 413

 Clck here to download a short, non-technincal summary (in Norwegian only) of the HLL project.

The SOL project (Safety of Occupants in Lifeboats)
The SOL project is a further development of the HLL project, with a revised and improved methodology and a tailor made installation specific approach covering all relevant combinations (i.e. boats, seats, belts, seat rows, drop heights, wave heights and wave directions) found among the operators on the Norwegian Shelf.

The SOL reports are listed below with some key information. The reports are issued in English only. An example table of contents can be found here .

• LBP2-R039 Safety of occupants in the GES40MB freefall lifeboat            
  dated 2009-07-04, #pages: 10, #appendices: 1, #pages w/appendices: 183
   
• LBP2-R047 Safety of occupants in the FF1000S freefall lifeboat                    
  dated 2009-06-29, #pages: 12, #appendices: 1, #pages w/appendices: 228
   
• LBP2-R043 Safety of occupants in the FF800 freefall lifeboat                  
  dated 2009-07-03, #pages: 9, #appendices: 1, #pages w/appendices: 93
   
• LBP2-R038 Safety of occupants in the GES40 freefall lifeboat                      
  dated 2009-07-04, #pages: 23, #appendices: 2, #pages w/appendices: 439
   
• LBP2-R044 Safety of occupants in the FF900  freefall lifeboat                 
  dated 2009-07-04, #pages: 10, #appendices: 2, #pages w/appendices: 310
   
• LBP2-R048 Safety of occupants in the FF48.1  freefall lifeboat                
  dated 2009-06-29, #pages: 11, #appendices: 3, #pages w/appendices: 355
   
• LBP2-R050 Safety of occupants in the FF48.3  freefall lifeboat                
  dated 2009-06-29, #pages: 9, #appendices: 1, #pages w/appendices: 113
   
• LBP2-R049 Safety of occupants in the FF48.2  freefall lifeboat                
  dated 2009-06-29, #pages: 13, #appendices: 1, #pages w/appendices: 239
   
• LBP2-R046 Safety of occupants in the FF1000D2R  freefall lifeboat                
  dated 2009-06-29, #pages: 18, #appendices: 3, #pages w/appendices: 616
   
• LBP2-R045 Safety of occupants in the FF1000D1R  freefall lifeboat                
  dated 2009-06-29, #pages: 9, #appendices: 1, #pages w/appendices: 115
   
• LBP2-R042 Safety of occupants in the FF34  freefall lifeboat                   
  dated 2009-07-02, #pages: 10, #appendices: 2, #pages w/appendices: 263
   
• LBP2-R040 Safety of occupants in the GES  freefall lifeboat                     
  dated 2009-07-01, #pages: 10, #appendices: 1, #pages w/appendices: 140
   
• LBP2-R037 Safety of occupants in the GES30 freefall lifeboat                 
   dated 2009-06-30, #pages: 12, #appendices: 1, #pages w/appendices: 300
   
• LBP2-R036 Safety of occupants in the GES25  freefall lifeboat                 
  dated 2009-07-01, #pages: 9, #appendices: 1, #pages w/appendices: 97
   
• LBP2-R020 Safety of occupants in the GES33  freefall lifeboat                
   dated 2009-06-29, #pages: 10, #appendices: 1, #pages w/appendices: 197
   
• LBP2-R041 Safety of occupants in the FF32  freefall lifeboat                   
  dated 2009-06-29, #pages: 9, #appendices: 1, #pages w/appendices: 112
  

 A paper on the numerical code used for assessing accelerations in waves was submitted to the OMAE conference in 2009 (copyright ASME). Click here to view OMAE paper no. 79981.

For information about how to purchase reports, prices and other conditions, please contact
Statoil ASA
NO-4035 Stavanger, Norway
Attn.: Rolf Skjaeveland
rolsk@statoil.com