RISK-BASED TECHNOLOGY METHODOLOGY FOR THE SAFETY ASSESSMENT OF MARINE COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS FUEL SYSTEMS

摘要

The introduction of alternative fuels (other than diesel oil or gasoline) for some commercially operated marine vessels presents a problem to marine regulators and designers since accepted standards and U.S. Coast Guard policy have not been established. Establishing safe design criteria is a common problem with the introduction of new technologies, novel concepts, and complex systems. In order to determine design safety for novel marine concepts such as compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel, a formal system safety approach may be used. Risk-based technologies (RBT) provide techniques to facilitate the proactive evaluation of system safely through risk assessment, risk control, risk management, and risk communication. The proposed outfitting of a CNG fuel system on the KINGS POINTER training vessel is discussed as a specific marine application of CNG fuel and an appropriate situation for applying system safety techniques.