Icebreaking Emergency Evacuation Vessel
 IBEEV 2 in the Caspian Sea
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Ice Breaking Emergency Evacuation Vessels |
| Builders | Remontowa, Gdańsk, Poland |
| Built | 2005–2012 |
| Completed | 10 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Length | |
| Beam | 8 m (26 ft 3 in) |
| Draught | 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) |
| Depth | 3.6 m (11 ft 10 in) |
| Ice class | DNV ICE-1B |
| Propulsion |
|
| Capacity | 328 evacuees seated + 10 on stretchers |
| Crew | 2 |
Petroleum exploitation companies operate a fleet of Ice Breaking Emergency Evacuation Vessels (IBEEV) on the Caspian Sea, to service the extensive oil fields there.[2][3][4] The vessels are designed to evacuate up to 338 individuals per trip. They are designed to function using compressed air to power their engines, if they are passing through pools of burning oil, or oxygen poor environments—carrying enough compressed air to function for 50 minutes. Every evacuee is issued a rebreather, for passing through anoxic environments, if the airtight evacuation capsules are compromised. The vessels are insulated so passengers and crew can survive transiting through pools of burning oil. Since the Caspian freezes during winter the vessels are designed to break up to 0.6 metres (2.0 ft) of ice.
The vessels were designed by AKAC Inc. and Robert Allan Limited, a firm of Canadian naval architects.[5] Initially, in 2005 Remontowa built four vessels.[2] By 2012 the fleet contained ten vessels.[6]
There is provision to carry ten stretcher-bound, wounded evacuees, while the remaining 328 evacuees are seated in one of three evacuation capsules.[6] Only two crewmembers are required to operate the vessels.
References
[edit]- ^ "IBEEV - Remontowa". pdf.nauticexpo.com. 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- ^ a b
"Unique emergency evacuation vessels: for highly demanding environment and operating conditions". Gdansk Shiprepair Yard Remontowa S.A. 2005. Archived from the original on 6 May 2007.
Special focus has been put on the development of the propulsion solution, allowing the vessels to operate safely within a toxic / hydrocarbon environment. Combustion air will be provided by a specialized installation consisting of 16 high pressure cylinders storing air compressed to 350 bar, decompressed via pressure reducing panels and supplied to the engines.
- ^
"Full Scale Trials in Ice 2010". Naval Progetti. 2010. Archived from the original on 22 December 2012.
Agip KCO, operating in the Kazakhstan sector of the North Caspian Sea, is the Owner of the Ice Breaking Emergency Evacuation Vessel IBEEV fleet. These vessels are designed to evacuate personnel from offshore oil installations in emergency situations and in a hydrocarbon/toxic environment. The vessels are designed for navigation in ice.
- ^ Alan Harding. "Alan Harding's In Situ IBEEV diaries". Chesterfield Special Cylinders. Archived from the original on 1 April 2013.
- ^ "Miscellaneous". Robert Allan Limited. 2012. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012.
- ^ a b
"Ice Breaking Emergency Evacuation Vessels". Gdansk Shiprepair Yard Remontowa S.A. Archived from the original on 2011-05-22.
Combustion air for diesel engines can be drawn both from ambient atmosphere and form 16 high pressure (350 bar) storage cylinders while operating in explosive gas environment. Air reserve is provided for 50 minutes sailing with full speed with completely enclosed vessel. In this case evacuees use oxygen candles and CO2 scrubbers. Additionally vessels are able to sail through pools of fire thanks to the steel construction fully A-60 insulated.