DNV Research celebrates 50 years of innovation
Fifty years ago, DNV took a significant and pioneering step by establishing a dedicated Research Department. Today, DNV is internationally recognised for its expertise in a broad range of industries.
In 1951, professor and vice principal of the Norwegian Technical University Georg Vedeler was appointed managing director in DNV. His vision was to build safer ships in a more profitable way. To do so, he introduced a scientific approach to ship construction.
"In the post war period, an era characterised by a rapid increase in sea trade and the growing size and complexity of ships, the industry recognised that the traditional, empirically based Class rules must yield to more scientific methods founded on state-of-the-art research. For Vedeler, managing these changes effectively required a fresh approach. "We have no choice," he said. "We have to do research."
In 1952, Vedeler hired his former student Egil Abrahamsen, who after a short time established DNV Research. "At the time, ship classification in DNV was entirely based on Lloyds rules; and the 1939 rules hadn't been changed since 1919,"Abrahamsen recalls. For him the challenge, and the key to the future success of the project, was to develop new rules based on scientific and technological knowledge. "The improvement of technology and understanding of engineering was limited at that time in all classification societies," he says. "That gave us tremendous opportunities when we started with the development of rules based on scientific terms."
LNG technology
Over time, the DNV's Research department grew to 300 dedicated employees. Indeed, many of today's products in DNV's portfolio have their background from the Research department, such as LNG technology. "We assigned a research team to work with a shipowner, who was very interested in transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG). We were asked to determine the feasibility of transporting LNG onboard a vessel at minus 161* C," says Abrahamsen.
Various types of tanks were developed and tested. At the same time, a vessel was built with a spherical tank at a Norwegian yard. It was delivered in 1960-61. "We did a tremendous amount of work on that tank. The ship was successful and operated for many years. That was the first set of spherical tanks, a concept later used for LNG which is a technology based on our research," says Abrahamsen.
The material department had extensive knowledge of materials technology. With the help of the computational programme SESAM (another successful product of DNV Research) the research team was able to design a solution for the integration of the tank and the hull.
"The US Coast Guard insisted that a second barrier should be placed around LNG tanks. I personally went over to them and presented our design based on risk analysis. Eventually, we convinced them to adapt to our thinking," he says. Abrahamsen notes that this project was the first risk based analyses ever completed in the shipping industry.
Another result of DNV's research activity is DNV Petroleum Services. DNV's first fuel testing programme started in 1980 on the basis of findings from a research project completed in the late 1970s. Today, DNV Petroleum Services offers 24 hour time zone fuel testing through its international network of laboratories and regional offices. It is a recognised name in marine fuel management with a global market share in excess of 75 percent in contracted Fuel Quality Testing.
The quest for diversification
Supported by DNV's competence and expertise in ship technology, the company began to diversify in the 1970s, both geographically and in its technological disciplines. The first step was to build on its existing technical platform and launch services to help clients in the booming North Sea oil and gas industry. This was a high-risk business in which safeguarding life, property and the environment was - and remains - a priority issue. In turn, the focus of DNV's Research shifted to the offshore arena, exploiting its synergies with the maritime industry.
In the 1990s, DNV continued to expand its services into new markets, with DNV Research taking a strategic role in building the necessary competence and basis for the new services. "We believe our research activities will help the new services become core business areas in the future," says Carl Arne Carlsen. Since November 2003, he has been head of DNV Research. He is now focusing on five main programmes.
Shaping tomorrow's DNV
DNV Research's transportation programme considers the total value chain of transporting goods on land and sea. DNV personnel consider both the business concept and the technical challenges and a prime focus is on how to make shipping more effective and attractive in the transportation chain. To succeed, innovative ship design and construction methods must be developed, helping build ships that are faster, more reliable, safer and environmentally friendly.
"We are actively working towards such development," he says, "but as a risk-based solution not prescriptive classification rules," he says. *
Driven by the risk of scarcity of hydrocarbon-based energy, and the growing demand for a cleaner environment and for sustainable societies, DNV is now looking for new types of energy sources and carriers. DNV Research is working to prepare the company for helping clients meet this challenge onshore, offshore and at sea. Developments include natural-gas exploitation, reduction of greenhouse gases by CO2 capture and storage, infrastructure solutions based on natural gas- and hydrogen, and fuel cells to generate electricity, as well as renewable energy sources.
New lightweight and multi-functional materials, and surface protections based on nano-technology, are to be studied in a new research programme. Materials technology has always been a core competence area for DNV, and the company is committed to ensuring strategic competence for future developments.
Technology is playing a larger role in the development of new product markets for the food and health industries. The risks associated with these are only now being understood and handled. DNV may play an important role in coping with risk in selected biological and life sciences, such as the food sector, disease control, high-risk bio-laboratories, and biological aspects of the environment. "We have begun to build strategic competence in these areas, and to support the development of relevant services," Carlsen says.
Technology in context
In Carlsen's view, technological risk management must increasingly be seen in a broader organisational, human and social context. Successful business is dependent on risk management according to the context of operations. "Globalisation, demand for sustainability and focus on security are issues that make demands on our understanding of both technological development and human behaviour," he says.
According to Carl Arne Carlsen all these areas are recognised as genuine aspects of concerns for future DNV research projects.