The incorporation of new materials is crucial for improving performance, durability, and sustainability in the rapidly changing field of marine technology. Carbon fiber composites are one of these innovative materials that have changed the game, redefined marine applications and raised the bar for quality. Marine applications make extensive use of carbon fiber composites because of their high strength-to-weight ratio, longevity, and corrosion resistance. This article addresses the applications of carbon fiber composites in shipbuilding, offshore petroleum operations, marine renewable energy production, and undersea maintenance activities, and it examines the most recent developments in this field.
Marine Industry Applications of Carbon Fiber Composites
Because of the effects of wind, waves, and tides, structures and their constituent parts are subjected to extreme stress when operating in a maritime environment. In addition, they must endure harsh and extreme environmental circumstances throughout their lives, including being placed in the splash zone or perhaps drowned in saltwater. In recent decades, there have been a great deal of research conducted on the use of carbon fiber products in the maritime industry. These studies have highlighted the potential advantages that come with replacing various parts, including ship hulls, propeller blades, wind and tidal turbine blades, to name a few.
Hulls, Ships, and Submarines
The shipbuilding industry's adoption of composite sandwich structures with robust hulls and decks, composed of strong skins and a supportive core, brings advantages like increased cargo capacity, fuel efficiency, and improved stability. In 1973, the military saw the pioneering use of composite sheets in shipbuilding with the mine-countermeasures vessels (MCMVs) HMS Wilton. Despite the higher cost of carbon fibers sheets compared to glass, incorporating carbon fibers in composites resulted in significant weight reductions, up to 30% in hull weight, without substantially raising manufacturing costs. This breakthrough, alongside effective electromagnetic shielding, not only lightened naval structures but also led to considerable fuel consumption reductions, showcasing the remarkable impact of carbon fiber products innovations in maritime applications. The application of high-performance materials extends beyond combat ships to civil sectors, where carbon fiber composites are used in fishing boats, small vessels, hovercraft, and catamarans. Notable examples include Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding's Cruiser semi-submersible catamaran, showcasing the versatility and efficiency of carbon fiber in diverse marine applications.
Boat Parts
Carbon fiber tubes and sheets are used to make a variety of boat parts, including propellers, hydrofoils, crossbeams, booms, keel, and rudders, as well as masts and hulls. In 1990, composite materials were first employed in ship mast construction. A hybrid glass/carbon fiber composite used in one of the early prototypes showed a 20–50% weight reduction over an aluminium mast of the same size. Early composite propellers had life cycles, fuel consumption, engine effort, and navigation speed comparable to metal propellers built of glass or carbon fiber laminate. They also achieved a 25% reduction in the amplitude of the resonance vibrations in the engine and transmission shaft, which led to a decrease in noise and vibrations in the hull. In addition to the parts already mentioned, carbon fiber tubes and sheets are now used in place of metal in the production of certain secondary parts, particularly in warships. Heat exchangers, engine parts, decks and hatches, discharge funnels, protective systems, and shields are a few examples.
Offshore Oil and Gas
Because of their great strength and deformation modulus, carbon fiber sheets are the most often used reinforcement material in offshore oil and gas constructions. To reduce costs, they are frequently used with glass fibers in hybrid composites. Flexible risers, pipelines, and offshore oil rigs are just a few of the uses for them. Promising outcomes have been observed in the application of carbon fiber tubes in flexible risers; the material reinforced with carbon fibers offers reduced weight and good tensile stiffness. Furthermore, research has looked into combining carbon fiber composites with graphene-based nanomaterials to enhance the gas barrier qualities of non-metallic pipes and offer an alternative to lined pipes. Moreover, carbon fiber composite has been used as a substitute technique for fixing broken pipes in offshore oil and gas. This entails using carbon fibers and epoxy-based resin systems together with a flexible shell. All things considered, the offshore oil and gas sector may benefit from the use of carbon fiber composites in terms of increased durability and performance.
Offshore Renewable Energy
Due to the inaccessibility of deep seawater areas, the materials used in marine energy production are required to maintain high levels of strength and stiffness while enduring the corrosive seawater environment, with minimal maintenance. Therefore, fiber-reinforced polymeric composite materials, particularly glass-fiber-reinforced polymers and carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers are appealing options for creating tidal turbine blades and marine renewable energy systems. Because of the enormous loads and challenging environmental conditions these blades must withstand, hybrid composites made of carbon and glass fibers offer a reliable and affordable alternative. Significant gains in bending strength and impact resistance have been demonstrated in recent studies on the creation of a novel laminated composite design utilizing a combination of glass and carbon fibers, making it a feasible alternative for offshore wind turbine blades. Moreover, studies show that carbon fiber-reinforced composites perform better in maritime conditions than alternative materials.
Underwater Repairs
Repairing underwater structures, like concrete or metal pillars, is a common and valuable application of fiber-reinforced polymers in the marine environment. Initially used for restoring pre-compressed concrete structures affected by severe corrosion, carbon fiber sheets have demonstrated effectiveness in repairing both wooden and steel pillars. The use of carbon fiber sheets to reinforce and repair offshore steel tube members in marine constructions has been investigated. When it comes to strengthening the structural behaviour and preserving the intact capacity of corroded tubular components, these carbon fiber sheets have demonstrated encouraging outcomes. All things considered, carbon fiber composites have shown to be a useful material for strengthening and repairs in naval engineering.
Conclusion
To sum up, the incorporation of carbon fiber products into marine applications represents a revolutionary development in the field of maritime technology. The versatility and effectiveness of carbon fiber products have redefined industry standards in a variety of applications, including shipbuilding, offshore operations, renewable energy, and underwater repairs. These materials provide better strength-to-weight ratios, durability, and corrosion resistance, all of which improve performance while having less environmental impact. The wide range of advantages is demonstrated by the noteworthy applications in offshore oil and gas constructions, renewable energy systems, underwater repairs, and military and civil ships. Carbon fiber composites are leading the marine sector toward a future characterized by innovation, sustainability, and unmatched performance as technical developments continue.
