by Leighton Suen
Grade 12 - Staten Island Technical High School (New York, United States)
Second Place
Free-fall lifeboats were first invented in the 1960’s - when open lifeboats were considered the safest options at the time (5). They were originally built for oil rig platforms and tankers, but can now be seen in more types of watercraft, including “merchant vessels and off-shore installations” (3). Like all other types of lifeboats, they are mainly utilized when it is no longer safe for passengers to remain on the larger ship. Disasters that can account for this situation include shipwrecks, severe stormy weather, etc. The main difference is that free-fall lifeboats are designed to be much more secure than ordinary lifeboats and also launch more efficiently into the water (8). Free-fall launching is defined as the “method of launching a survival craft whereby the craft with its complement of persons and equipment on board is allowed to fall into the sea without any restraining apparatus” (2). This method remarkably takes only half of the time that it would take a conventional lifeboat to launch (8).
In cases of emergency, it is possible for passengers to board through the sides of free-fall lifeboats in some designs and through the stern in others (3). Once they are inside, passengers are “secured in angled and well-padded seats by a body harness together with headbands to give full protection when launching” (3). Free-fall lifeboats are launched off of ramps on ships with a mixture of the forces of gravity and friction (6). The most common method of launching a free-fall lifeboat involves at least two “helmsmen operating a hydraulic pump system” (3). In fact, regulations state that there must be two separate activation systems within the lifeboat in order to ensure that the boat is released for at least two people (1). The pressure built up from the hydraulic system is what causes the launch of the lifeboat off the ramp. Alternative ways to launch a free-fall lifeboat include a “hydrostatic release which allows the boat to float off as the mother ship is slipping below the surface” or a crane system which lowers the boat into the water (3). The launch into the ocean consists of four phases - the sliding phase, the rotation or restricted fall phase, the free-fall phase, and the water entry phase - all of which are mainly self-explanatory (6).
This ingenious way of launching into the water is just one of the distinct advantages that free-fall lifeboats have over the traditional method of lowering lifeboats into the ocean. In February 2002, it was reported that 14 seafarers were saved by a free-fall lifeboat after abandoning their ship under stormy conditions (4). The crew was “able to launch despite the violent motion of the ship” - something which would not have been possible with a conventional lifeboat (4). In addition to this, the probability of release failure of more than one free-fall lifeboat from a ship is negligible, while the probability of release failure of a conventional lifeboat is significant (8). Clearly, one of the types of lifeboats is better-engineered than the other.
A key element of the free-fall lifeboat’s design is its amazing shape that allows it to “self-right” itself. Whereas ordinary lifeboats are subject to capsize at any moment - particularly if lowered during stormy weather that would most likely precede their necessity - the designers wanted free-fall lifeboats to automatically right themselves no matter what conditions they are in. Thus, engineers created a “sharp-shaped design” for this lifeboat that would allow this - which couldn’t have been easy (5). It is likely that a lot of trial-and-error was involved before they finally got the shape right. Another key element is the thickness of the metal that the “shell” of the lifeboat is made from. The engineers had to find the perfect density that would allow the lifeboat to float on top of the water, to speed 330 feet away from the sinking ship within a few seconds, and to withstand the impact with the ocean from heights of 80 feet. This was obviously no small feat, and the engineers planned each and every detail of the free-fall lifeboat so that it would be able to accomplish these goals. These goals are ultimately what make the free-fall lifeboat such an amazing disaster relief item and a better alternative to the conventional open lifeboat.
There are many different types of engineers that must have contributed to the most modern design of the free-fall lifeboat. For example, an electrical engineer must have designed the places on the lifeboat to store the two independent batteries for the engines and other electronics, the battery control switch, the cable system to the external power supply, the standard canopy light, the switch panel with integrated fuses, etc. (7). A mechanical engineer - or more specifically a marine engineer - must have designed the overall shape and layout of the free-fall lifeboat in order to ensure that the boat would operate efficiently. Also, a municipal or environmental engineer must have designed the hydraulic pump system that gathers pressure in order to launch the boat. Besides for these three types, there are probably engineers of other fields who were involved in this complex project. However, one thing is certain: these engineers definitely would not have been able to create a safer alternative to the lifeboat if they hadn’t all cooperated for the sake of the greater good. The number of discoveries in science and engineering that have had a profound impact on everyday life is simply astounding. There is no doubt that the field of disaster relief has been revolutionized due to these inventions.
Despite their successes, there were many constraints that engineers probably faced in designing free-fall lifeboats during the second half of the 20th century. For instance, as mentioned before, in developing a safer type of lifeboat, the engineers wanted a vessel that would “self-right” itself immediately upon impact with water (5). Because there was no other product like it at the time, this need for ingenuity and creativity was definitely a non-materialistic constraint on the boat’s engineers. A constraint that was more apparent was the fact that free-fall lifeboats did not become popular until decades after their inception (5). Because of this, the engineers probably did not have much funding from government or private corporations to develop this disaster relief item. This lack of money would have led to constraints on the time and effort that the engineers put into designing the first prototypes of free-fall lifeboats. Although the designs of these lifeboats have undoubtedly modernized and improved over the years, very little public interest during the product’s early years may have been a constraint during its creation.
Not many are aware that free-fall lifeboats may be used for other disaster relief situations besides for evacuation of passengers when ships are sinking. Since free-fall lifeboats have become very popular among oil rig platforms (3), it is important that specific types of these lifeboats be able to operate efficiently if a fire develops around the platform. In the case of an emergency like this, it is important that the boats are able to withstand the extremely high temperatures associated with oil fires. Potential improvements that would need to be made to ordinary free-fall lifeboats include making the aluminum “shell” of the lifeboat even thicker than usual. By doing this, engineers would ensure that the temperature inside the lifeboat during evacuation can be survived by humans. Also, since one cannot open the windows of the lifeboat during a fire, it would be necessary to install an artificial air supply within the lifeboat until the passengers are rescued or until they reach a secure distance from the fire (5). Fortunately, engineers of free-fall lifeboats have already considered the changes needed in case of oil fires - although there is no guarantee that all free-fall lifeboats have these features (5).
In conclusion, the free-fall lifeboat is undoubtedly an ingenious invention that has and will continue to save many lives in disaster relief operations. Although they are not currently being used in a few types of watercraft, such as cruise ships, for logistical and financial reasons (5), perhaps their use will become more widespread in the next couple of years. Free-fall lifeboats have already proven to be more efficient than traditional open lifeboats in many areas (8). It is now up to the financers behind passenger ships to realize that the safety of the people is more important than whatever the monetary costs are. Unfortunately, history has proven that most safety regulations are only tightened after severe tragedies occur. Hopefully, this will not be the case, and free-fall lifeboats - or another safer variety - will replace traditional lifeboats in most types of watercraft in the near future.
Works Cited
1 Anonymous. Life-saving Appliances 2003 Edition: International Life-Saving Appliance Code Resolution MSC. 48(66) and Testing and Evaluation of Life-saving Appliances Resolution MSC. 81(70). London: International Maritime Organization, 2003. Print.
2 House, D. J. Seamanship Techniques: for Shipboard & Maritime Operations. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2004. Print.
3 House, D. J. The Command Companion of Seamanship Techniques. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2000. Print.
4 "Lifeboat Launching Systems." Steamship Mutual. Feb. 2002. Web. .
5 "Pioneers of Survival: Ship." NOVA Online. Public Broadcasting System, Nov. 2000. Web. .
6 Soares, Carlos Guedes., Yordan Garbatov, and Nuno Fonseca. Maritime Transportation and Exploitation of Ocean and Coastal Resources: Proceedings of the 12th International Congress of the International Maritime Association of the Mediterranean (IMAM 2005), Lisboa, Portugal, 26-30 September 2005. London: Taylor & Francis, 2005. Print.
7 "Technical Specification: Free-Fall Lifeboat Cargo Version." NOREQ. NOREQ, 30 Jan. 2009. Web. .
8 Vinnem, Jan Erik. Offshore Risk Assessment Principles, Modelling, and Applications of QRA Studies. Berlin: Springer, 2007. Print.