Offshore Torpedo Rescue System

Today's lifeboats may soon be replaced by a brand new system, a torpedo which goes deep under the surface and comes up again hundreds of meters away from the disaster area. A Norwegian shipbuilder, Magnar Reigstad, has invented this new torpedo. This sounds like an excellent idea. The only thing I wonder is how many people can be rescued with this thing? But it looks very interesting. Regular lifeboats which is dropped right down to the sea surface may not be a good solution for an oilplatform on fire. This one could be a much better solution...


Photo: TV 2 Nyhetene

Sorry, only in Norwegian at the moment :
Nettavisen: Redningstorpedo pa vei (in Norwegian...)

Related Links:
Velkommen til Klosterboat! (in Norwegian...)

[edit on 2006/4/30 by Hellmutt]

It certainly seeems like an idea worth really exploring.

It's too bad that more people in the world doesn't focus on developing more torpedos to save people instead of for killing them.

I bet if enough smart minds came together a torpedo like system could be developed that could be rapidly deployed to save people in trouble at sea. Maybe they could even build ones that could patrol areas of water for people in trouble almost like a mechanical friendly dolphin

modern lifeboats on ships are well designed these days, and work well.

This design seems much more costly, and I to wonder how many people it can hold.

and when theres a fire on an oil platform you helicopter everyone off of it...not lower boats.

Originally posted by Murcielago

and when theres a fire on an oil platform you helicopter everyone off of it...not lower boats.

Using helicopters to evacuate 2-300 people in a hurry from a burning platform? I think that would be very difficult. Right now they have evacuation-systems ready at platforms using some kind of lifeboat-system, but for certain scenarios they will be useless also. That´s where this torpedo comes handy. I don't know how big it is, but I assume it will be big enough to evacuate many people at once. Not 2-300 obviously but there can't be 2-300 into one single lifeboat either...

This torpedo is specially designed to get people away from platforms fast during emergency situations (like a fire). They won't be used on ships. At least I don't think they will...

Do you remember the fire on the Indian Oil Platform? Major Fire On Indian Oil Platform - 300 May Be Trapped . Do you still think helicopters is a great idea?



[edit on 2006/4/30 by Hellmutt]

I don't really see where, or how, they would be mounted on an oilrig. Afterall the pillars of the platforms aren't suited for any internal works. (As of yet, i.e.)
If the torpedoes are being launched the same way as the lifeboats are being today. (They aren't being lowered down. They are being dropped, head first). The only innovative with this idea, or the 'torpedo'-description, would be that the same boats will get another propulsionsystem, to make them go further below surface, before they surface again. As it is now, they surface like a bouy, but it has an inboard engine, which take the refugees further away from the platform. The downside is of course potentially having to travel through a huge oilspill on fire. Not too pleasant, I presume!


Archivephoto. Example of a droppable rescueboat, used on offshore platforms.