Vanguard Magazine

www.vanguardcanada.com DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016 43 a aRCtIC these technologies will also result in safer and more efficient shipping and northern transportation operations in the arctic. lenges. As Canada's go-to research and technology organization, NRC is focusing on the development of technologies to ensure sustainable and low-impact devel- opment of the North while also increasing the quality of life for Northerners through more reliable and relevant infrastructure. With over 60 years of research on Arctic- related technologies, NRC is also working with industry to improve petroleum devel- opment by optimizing ice management, in- vestigating ice loads on offshore structures, developing oil spill solutions and improv- ing the performance of life-saving appli- ances (LSA) for its extreme and remote environment. These technologies will also result in safer and more efficient shipping and northern transportation operations in the Arctic. Marine safety expertise Every day, in Canada and throughout the world, people work or travel over open water, exposing them to the unique risks and hazards associated with this powerful element. These risks can result in costly accidents that may lead to disruptions in working operations or worse - injuries and fatalities. By investigating the hazards as- sociated with marine operations from an engineering and human factors perspec- tive, NRC is helping to advance marine safety by challenging and updating exist- ing regulations. The National Research Council has in- troduced and implemented software such as the iceberg drift and pressured ice sys- tems to help ship operators safely navigate the dangerous ice-covered waters of the Arctic. Until 2011, no reliable method was available to predict these treacher- ous regions, putting ships at risk of being stranded in harsh climates from anywhere for a few hours to a couple of weeks. This has been a major issue, especially when you consider the need for quick rescue op- erations when accidents occur in this ex- tremely cold and hazardous environment. NRC has since become a pioneer in the development of high resolution ice fore- casting in Canada's Arctic. Research was aimed at developing specific characteriza- tions of pressured ice, and quantifying the ability of ships to navigate in such condi- tions. The result, the pressured ice model, is now being used by organizations that have major operations in the Arctic, in- cluding the Canadian Coast Guard. NRC is also working diligently to evalu- ate life-saving appliances (LSA) in real world environments to ensure they per- form as expected and provide suggested design upgrades if they do not. There are two key LSA items that are vital to the safety and successful rescue of people during a marine emergency – life- boats and immersion suits. A variety of lifeboats are used by off- shore organizations to allow people to safely evacuate from shipping vessels or offshore structures in an emergency in or- der to reach safety or to remain warm and dry while they await rescue. Previous engi- neering work by NRC has highlighted the performance capabilities and limitations of lifeboats through a series of model and full-scale tests. These tests have resulted in suggested improvements for the future design of lifeboats to increase their perfor- mance in ice fields and improve the inte- rior environment for the occupants. Immersion suits are ubiquitous equip- ment found on many sea going vessels and structures. Regulations mandate that they be available in sufficient quantity so that every person on board has access to one. Through a series of human factor-based studies, the National Research Council in- vestigated the discrepancy in performance of immersion suits between what is often measured in calm, controlled laboratory conditions and those seen in real world environments, which often include strong wind and waves. Through this work, NRC was able to demonstrate the need for test- ing in "real world" conditions and helped influence change in the Canadian stan- dards that govern immersion suits. numerical modeling for ice environments Recently, the National Research Council has begun a study to gain a better under- standing of the range of operational and extreme conditions at several sites in the upper Saguenay Fjord in Quebec. The Saguenay Fjord is approximately 110 km long and stretches between the communities of Chicoutimi, located 60 km below Lac Saint-Jean where the fjord transitions to the Saguenay River, and Tadoussac, where the fjord meets the St Lawrence River Estuary. During winter, solid ice forms over the upper part of the fjord. Commercial ships needing access to port facilities further up- stream are escorted by ice breaking vessels operated by the Canadian Coast Guard. Most years around mid-March, the ice weakens, breaks apart and is swept down- stream with ice breaking vessels deployed during this time to assist with clearing op- erations. The Saguenay Port Authority currently operates the Grande-Anse Marine Ter- minal which handles tonnage consisting of wood pulp, paper, de-icing salt, caus- tic soda, liquid tar, and general cargo. Its isolation from the urban area makes it a popular site for major industries. There are new developments occurring along the fjord as well. To support these developments, NRC is investigating, by means of numerical simu- lations, the local winds, surface currents, ice conditions, and ice behaviour at three sites. The results of the study will be used to support the planning, design and opera- tion of facilities at each location. Further, the innovative methods developed in this important research can then be applied to assess metocean conditions in other sites in the Arctic. Innovative cleanup solutions for industry As expeditions and growth in the Arctic intensifies, industry will face many chal- lenges including the environmental impact of developments in the North. A major consideration for industry is the potential for hazardous fuel leaks and oil spills. While remediation technologies have advanced over the years, deploying these technologies in Canada's northern region remains a daunting challenge. In 2006, the Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert the northernmost perma- nently inhabited settlement in the world suffered a serious fuel line break causing 22,000 litres of diesel to leak into the sur- rounding soil. With a ten-year track record of partner- ing on the development of remediation activities, the Department of National De- fence (DND) quickly enlisted the help of the National Research Council to collabo- rate on a solution.

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