EXPERIENCES FROM DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF CFRPSANDWICH SHIPS AND BOATS

摘要

This paper deals with recent experiences from the design, construction and operation of small ships and boats made from polymer carbon fibre composite materials, CFRP, in a sandwich design. The experiences come from CFRP-sandwich ships such as the Visby Class Corvette and Combat Boat 90E, together with new designs and results from development and research programs. Advanced materials and manufacturing methods in combination with design optimization lead to significant weight reductions compared to conventional glass fibre composite materials, GRP and Aluninium design. The weight savings obtained allow for substantial reductions in fuel consumption, life cycle cost, environmental impact. A number of challenges comes with the CFRP-sandwich concept such as fire safety, robustness, quality assurance and cost effectiveness. Solutions to these challenges will be addressed in the paper along with recent results from a Swedish 3,5 year research program LASS project. Hull weight reductions up to approximately 40% have been achieved for CFRP-sandwich compared to aluminium in the LASS-project.