Yachting Monthly # 39; s Crash Test Boat - Explosion!
How safe is your system of gas Get regular checkups and Chris Beeson boat team Crash Test create a gas explosion to show you why you should never take risks with gas.
The violence has shocked us all, we planned windows and doors blown in, but the roof was blown completely open and Lester popular credit McCarthy YM foredeck.
The final dramatic test of our long series Boat Crash Test eight months was achieved with serious reservations and concerns, not to mention serious concern in all our previous tests, including capsizing, sinking and fire we experienced different ways of doing deal with emergency situations for us to tell the readers of the first-hand experience that we worked best, but a gas explosion is in a different league, it is unpredictable and there is no half measures either you survive or you do t.
We asked the Commission of MAIB investigation maritime accidents for details of recent cases where gas cylinders were involved in explosions and fires on pleasure boats Steven Clinch, the chief inspector of marine accidents, gave us a folder with 18 reported incidents of interest, most of them within the last 10 years they often involve motor boats and canal, but they also include incidents sailing boat, a suite of death had a huge percentage of gas leak incidents are not reported unless they involve the emergency services, we know other incidents abroad have also been reported in the United United.
Our investigations following this test will tell you.
What essential controls you need to do on a regular basis.
Six tips on what to do if you smell a gas leak on your boat.
What are the warning signs that you should watch to avoid a gas leak.
We appealed with the fleet of the Royal Navy explosives experts, the headquarters of the command of Navy in Portsmouth, for this, the most difficult test and technically complex in our series Crash Test Boat David Stopard , an expert in gas installations on yachts, also was our consultant.
Round cockpit right left John Spencer Petty Officer, RN explosives Fleet Staff Officer Lieutenant Commander Harry Palmer, Chris Beeson, Yachting TV Steve Adams, and our gas expert David Stopard.
The site chosen for our test was off Bembridge Ledge at the eastern end of the Isle of Wight, where the boat was anchored in 8 m and a 200m exclusion zone was set up under the watchful eye of Harbor master of the Queen in Portsmouth hand set up the detonation of the explosion was RN explosives fleet staff officer Lieutenant Commander Harry Palmer, John Spencer master.
The first attempt failed after 25 minutes of suspense waiting for gas to disperse in the cabin of the boat and mix with oxygen on the second attempt, a simplified method was used to ensure the important air-gas mix a split second after detonation by a trigger wireless remote Navy's coast, there was a brief fire ball of orange, followed by the explosion a hundred GRP debris pieces were thrown skyward middle of a plume of smoke.
The blast effect distorts the front shell to separate from the joint of the shell of the roof deck and tearing.
A few minutes later, the boat team Crash Test accelerated to the wreck in two floating ribs monstrously water was amputated a leg of one of the Crash Test Dummies, with start of the next sailing, we recovered the torso, cut in half and still wearing his red dummy waxed jacket was placed standing in the cockpit next to the stairs.
The scene immediately after the explosion when it was feared the yacht could take water.
As we arrived next, the extent of the carnage was clear entire roof had been blown off the hull and seemed to have disappeared We then recovered half submerged and still attached to the jury rigged mast strain that hung on the starboard side Despite sealing the saloon doors with adhesive tape, in an attempt to limit the spread of gas, the shock wave had extended through the yacht, from bow to stern He opened blown anchor locker and blasted the hinges of the cockpit galley granny bars were twisted into a morbid modern sculpture.
Windows were blown and the front deck had buckled and cracked along the shaft and detach completely from the hull on the starboard side analysis of images from the film and photographs reveals that before the bridge was almost blown off his boat starboard edge is presented at an angle of 30 degrees relative to the hull and fixed to the boat by the bow roller.
The toe and passavant were torn from the hull The pressure wave of the explosion raised foredeck.
Its rear edge has a flange GRP torn garni additional rear balsa cores of the platform on the right side of a second slot of roof to toe ruled own through the starboard track genes As Mast our platform jury blew up in the explosion, his shroud Dyneema, attached to the toe, refused to give in and snatched the guard-walk, now a jagged piece of junk.
Editor Paul Gelder is on the chart table, one of the few structures that remained almost everything had been torn from its mountings.
Climbing aboard, amid the debris saw and metal teeth fiberglass torn, the sense of danger and insecurity was palpable guardwires Candlesticks and was snapped in the explosion as twigs and garden twine Hull link -bridge was splitting and that even the knees, which had connected the decks to the hull, had been blown Without support, side decks threatened to collapse we crawled on deck on our hands and knees.
A partition in the trunk of starboard cockpit was blown backwards by the blast.
The cockpit was the only recognizable structure left more or less intact when the bridge was raised, bridgedeck was divided on each side of the descent partitions the engine room held the cockpit up the locker lid starboard had was blown away, exposing the deformed rear wall, which had been blasted back and was now stuck in the locker.
Devastation by graph and table heads compartment in the aft cabin.
In the future, in what remained of the area, nothing was where it should be, except for the coffee table with two gas cylinders which caused the devastation, still intact and sealed in position and graphic table the kitchen and galley sinks were blasted from their wooden frames and was upside lockers had been blown open, displaced sections of steps deckhead and unique littered inside the doors of the cabins were blown back and the forehatch was missing.
The coffee table, where gas cylinders were still taped up, escaped damage in the epicenter of the explosion.
On reflection, it was not surprising that the coffee table was the least damaged area as it was at the epicenter of the explosion, the point from which emanated shock wave We were surprised Crash test dummy that placed next to the table and graph now half buried in the wreckage showed no signs of shrapnel damage or scorching there were no holes were in his oilies and he hadn t moved a great distance, I was astonished to see most of the walls have remained in place.
A gas explosion two blast elements and flame events The blast effect is the fuel mixture detonating and air in the same manner it does in the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, causing rapid expansion of the volume This sudden expansion creates a shock wave that causes structural damage, perforation through the platform and break inside.
The effect of the explosion and flame event filmed the wheel at 25 fps.
The blast is accompanied by a fireball that the gas ignites It reaches about 3000 degrees Celsius, but lasts less than a fifth of a second, as revealed by the cameras of TV Yachting, shooting 25 fps wood burns at 450 degrees Celsius, so that the flame was too short to set fire to the yacht furniture below We removed a lot of inflammable material before the test, including oil illuminating flares , diesel and distress, through careful risk assessment.
David Stopard, an expert on gas safety, offers seven critical security controls and six tips on what to do if you smell a gas odor on board your boat.
Safe gas system is essential Ideally, use your system inspected and tested annually by a registered engineer SAFE registered gas GAS organization in the UK.
A high and bubble leak detector inset lets you know if your system is a gas leak.
Install a bubble gas leak detector It s mounted in the downstream pipe of the gas regulator for leaks, cut gas appliances and press the gas flow button is deflected by a glycerin bowl and bubbles reveals a dangerous leak.
This is a dangerous plant with a gas bottle in a bucket.
This installation, in the kitchen, is potentially fatal.
Never secure gas cylinders outside the tight gas locker in the air they can and flee the store still standing and make sure they are properly secured in place, it is never a good idea to store bottles gas side of flammable substances, as outboard engine fuel tank.
Install a good quality gas detector, ensuring that the sensor is at the lowest point boat probably the bilge The sensor must be watertight There tri-detectors on the market that can detect gas, carbon monoxide and smoke, but you may want to smoke adjustment detectors in each cabin, too, that the fires tend to occur where there are people.
Perform a visual check of the gas system every time you visit your boat There are many warning signs of danger is you gas pipe heated fittings in good shape.
Turn off all gas switches, including the switch on the bottle.
Always turn off the gas bottle when you have finished using Before leaving the boat, always check the gas locker to make sure the power is off and the regulator is secure in the accident Lord Trenchard, the gas locker was not gas-tight and gas leak in the main hull.
If a leak catches fire, turn off the gas immediately.
Make sure you have a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket to the galley fires If a fire breaks out in the kitchen, turn off the gas first, using the stop valve as soon as you can, turn off the bottle also.
1 Don t panic Your nose is very sensitive and alarms detect gas leaks very low levels A mixture of 2 -9 gas air is needed to cause an explosion.
2 Stop all the gas bottle valve to prevent gas leakage more.
3 Turn off gas appliances, electrical equipment and your Don Toff switch engine the battery bank because it shut off your alarm, and the VHF radio, GPS and navigation lights, you might need, it may seem obvious, but do not look for gas leaks with an open flame.
4 Fan the boat by opening all doors, windows and lockers Lift the only advice if you can without risk of sparks gift t use an electric screwdriver if they're screwed down.
5 manual bilge pumps can not move around a cubic liter per race and there are several thousand liters of air mixed with the gas in your living room is quicker to grasp the washboard and waft air to the Turn down the gas alarm from time to time to see if it still detects gas.
6 Don t use the system of gas again, even if the alarm is stopped and you can not smell the gas Have it checked by a security engineer with gas.
Reports of Marine Accident Investigation Branch explosion incidents or fires involving gas cylinders, show that in many cases, a gas detection system has not been used or not worked So how safe are thousands of boats used around the UK who have not been registered gas safe many yachts control have had a bad DIY jobs done, gas expert David Stopard your system is safe and when is this the last check.
2004 A fire and explosion was caused when the crew of a ship changing gas bottles with candles lit in the cabin The vessel was declared a total loss.
2005 platform of a 22ft sloop docked in Emsworth, West Sussex, was torn off and the owner later died in hospital of multiple explosions were caused by gas and a fuel tank outboard who lit.
2005 A fire on a yacht on the move for three days was thought to have been caused by a gas leak has not a gas detector on board off during the incident Two abandoned ships and crew were rescued from their life raft.
2006 suspected gas leak on a boat in Brighton Marina has led the owner with severe burns.
2007 explosion on a boat in Scotland was caused by a leak in the gas pipe of the stove suffering burns Two of the crew had to swim ashore dead later in hospital.
2007 gas explosion on a boat in Norfolk was considered being caused by a bulk gas pipe on the stove ignited by a spark from an electric pump or a refrigerator compressor.
2008 A sailboat in Pwllheli was declared a total loss following an explosion while the boat was moored in the harbor The ignition source was thought to be a refrigerator powered Calor Gas owner was severely burned but his wife was sitting fortunately in the cockpit two were taken to hospital.
2010 A Cornish Shrimper on the Norfolk Broads suffered a small explosion when a camp stove used in the cockpit was not shut down properly after boiling kettle Leakage of accumulated gas caused an explosion and minor burns to 'crew.
It's lucky the yacht won t survive, said the fleet of explosives state officer Royal Navy Staff, Commander Harry Palmer We only want to do once he said that I will be surprised if the bridge is left on the verdict was prescient Peter Spreadborough, Southampton Calor Gas Center Ltd Southern California.
Attrill Son dragged us to the test site and stood by a rescue ship.
Like most of our experiences Crash Test Boat, the results are not predictable The two worst scenarios have been a complete failure to trigger an explosion, or the creation of such a big bang that the yacht sank owner Robert Holbrook, MD of Admiral insurance, we confirmed were covered for the removal of wrecks We had a rescue ship H Attrill Sons Ltd, one of the oldest boat builders on the Isle of Wight, standing with a gear pump and lifting.
Robert Holbrook, MD of Admiral Yacht insurance and owner of test Crash Boat, is preparing for the eighth and final test.
To create a gas explosion you need a mixture of 2 -9 gas air we sealed the living room from the rest of the housing that we were dealing with a known volume, calculated at 18,900 cubic liters of gas too or too little, and the beer is unlikely to explode.
Dave Stopard designed a system to two alarms for a loan and another for safety.
Experts in Gas Safety David Stopard, engineering, marine systems, and Peter Spreadborough, decided to use two tanks of propane 465g, containing a total of 517 liters of gas, only 2 7 of the cabin volume .
A plan to deliver the gas into the vessel in a controlled manner was designed by Stopard Kevin Stockwell Nereus Alarms gas cylinders, placed in a basket in the cabin, feeding the gas into the living room of the boat by via a long pipe a small electric fan computer on the floor of the room has to mix the gas and air an alarm system Nereus was equipped with two LPG sensors precalibrated activate an alarm when hyperacute the gas-air mixture has reached an explosive level 5 If the shot was unsuccessful, a solenoid switch shut the gas and turn two fans to disperse the gas through the hatch a second alarm, with a low pitched sound, sound the all clear when it was safe to go on board everything was powered by a motorcycle battery sealed in the cockpit.
Master Spencer short son of a radio receiver on the deck down to igniters in the living room.
The plan was approved at a meeting at the command of the Royal Navy HQ in Portsmouth, by Lt Cdr Harry Palmer and Dan Archer, Diving and Explosive Ordnance Naval Officer would assume the detonation using flash lighters military grade a kind of electronic matchstick, Harry said they would be triggered by a radio signal from a RIB marine sent to a control unit mounted on a yellow float on the deck of the boat crash test.
A notice to unusual browsers, issued by the Harbor Queen Portsmouth.
David tested the theory out of his studio, fill a small cardboard box with gas when the high-level alarm sounded, he lit the gas with Piezo igniter scorched eyebrows were proof of success, I ' I realized that we had gas cylinders ajar to stop the gel, which meant the show would take 25 minutes to reach the level of lighting, he added.
It was a case will be the last man to turn aboard on LPG gas was piped into the living room and scattered across a drilled copper pipe attached to the deckhead to give the best combination of luck with the officer of the Air Royal Navy Diver Petty Simon Spencer igniters installed multiple flash around the pipe that simultaneously control the system has been primed and we retreated beyond the 200m exclusion zone.
After 25 minutes tense no alarm sounds We decided to try the ignition anyway fire 3-2-1 countdown was followed by silence Ten seconds later, smoke was seen floating on the 'puff of smoke hatch, but no cigar was David's verdict.
The first attempt failed Igniters set fire to a lounge cushion, but not the necessary gas for David Stopard why.
Without waiting for the all clear alarm, Lt Cdr Harry Palmer took the Navy RIB to the yacht on board I turned to David Stopard off gas canisters and PO Spencer put a small fire in the living room with a powder extinguisher, said David the fans have been activated to disperse the smoke and powder.
The defect was thought to be due to three factors the gas bottles had partially frozen, slowing the flow of gas in a gap washboards allowed too ventilation flash lighters weren t quite low.
David Stopard the Plan B band the bottles upside down on the coffee table, open the valves and quickly get off the boat.
For the second David attempted mounted lowest boxes They were overturned if the gas has left the bottle as a liquid, which soon evaporated into a vapor white cloud over PO freezing problems Spencer rigged new igniters and the system has been primed again lowering door was closed and taped to a few minutes, high level alarm rang and we all retired full 200m, near the Tamar class lifeboat RNLI This time it took only five minutes before the command to detonate was given.
It's been called unlucky ship worldwide the valiant Crash Test boat trip last poignant was afloat in tow with Start Sea.
Sea Start towing the Crash Boat test Hamble Point Marina MDL for the last time, his work finally did.
Boat Crash Test skipper Chris Beeson spent the whole passage hoping that the towing strap attached to studs before wouldn t rip the platform, which has not been connected to the hull or bulkheads on the starboard side Fortunately, the remaining partitions have left him enough strength to mount the choppy Solent without crumpling the hull yacht arrived safely back in Hamble Point Marina LDM, although its new configuration takes into convertible a little spray of water.
The Crash Test Boat stole the show at the London Boat Show in 2012 Keen sailor Royal Highness Princes stops for more.
Note After a starring role at the London Boat Show in 2012 and a visit by HRH The Princess Royal, Crash boat Test made his last trip in Lowestoft, Suffolk, where students of the International College Boatbuilding Training practice their repair skills on it .
Crash Test Boat gas explosion, crash, test, ship.