- Author
- White, D. A. | Scheffey, J. L. | Farley, J. P. | Williams, F. W.
- Title
- LPD17 Amphibious Dock Ship: Fire Hazard Assessment of the Forward and Aft AEM/S System Masts.
- Coporate
- Hughes Associates, Inc., Baltimore, MD GEO-Centers, Inc., Rockville, MD Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC
- Report
- NRL/MR/6180-00-8467, June 26, 2000, 54 p.
- Distribution
- AVAILABLE FROM National Technical Information Service (NTIS), Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161. Telephone: 1-800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000; Fax: 703-605-6900; Rush Service (Telephone Orders Only) 800-553-6847; Website: http://www.ntis.gov
- Keywords
- ships | piers | composite materials | fire hazards assessment | safety | smoke detection | fire suppression | fire extinguishers | egress | lightning | fire fighting | life safety | ventilation | fire prevention | damage control
- Identifiers
- description of the LPD17 masts; prevention and mitigation strategies
- Abstract
- A successful Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) which focused on the installation and sea trials of the Advanced, Enclosed Mast/Sensor System (AEM/S) on the USS RADFORD (DD968) has prompted the pursuit to modify the LPD17 Class design to include similar technology. Design change requests (AIRs and FMRs) which replace both the forward and aft stick masts with AEM/S System masts have been approved. As with the ATD mast, the AEM/S Systems masts proposed for the LPD17 platform represent enhanced war fighting capabilities by integrating sensor, signature reduction, electromagnetics, advanced materials structures and manufacturing technologies. The forward and aft composite masts designed for the LPD17 utilize 10 degree sloped surfaces (from the vertical axis) and an octagonal cross section. This design minimizes the radar cross section (RCS) of the masts, as four sides of each mast structure are aligned with the primary ship structure. The more obtuse angles created by adjacent sides, in comparison with the six-sided ATD mast, maximize the radar performance. The design of the LPD17 masts facilitates sensor suite upgrades allowing 360 degree coverage for future phased sensor arrays. The forward and aft LPD17 mast designs will use composite assemblies similar to the ATD mast. As such, a notable quantity of combustible material is being introduced to the ship design. The use of combustible materials for shipboard applications has been historically discouraged, limited or prohibited. A number of issues arise as a result of the composite forward and aft masts under design for the LPD17. The Survivability Structures and Materials Directorate of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWC/CD) and Bath Iron Works have worked closely with Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEASYSCOM), Code 05L4, to ensure that fire protection and safety related issues are resolved. Based on the lessons learned from the ATD AEM/S porgram, NSCWC/CD and NAVSEASYSCOM have implemented program requirements, which address many of the concerns. the advances in the LPD17 mast designs hve leveraged the knowledge gained from the previous fire hazard analysis of the ATD AEM/S System.